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“Ah, yes. Are you Miss Sophie Bradwell?”
I nod.
“Perfect.” He hands me a garment bag. “This is for you. Mr. Koch requests that you change into it so that I might drive you to dinner.”
“Mr. Koch?” Sabrina questions.
Eavesdropping, Rumi asks, “Silvan Koch?”
Sighing, I hold the dress bag back out. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time, but I told him last night I don’t want to go to dinner with him, and my answer hasn’t changed.”
My rumbling stomach chooses now to stage its protest, growling so loud that everyone in the room has to hear it.
How embarrassing.
Ignoring the rising heat in my cheeks, I offer the gentleman a polite smile and go to close the door.
He puts out a hand to stop it. “I’m sorry, I explained that poorly. Mr. Koch isn’t in the car. I’m here to takeyouto dinner. Just you.”
I blink, my arm going slack and the dress bag drooping to touch the floor. “What?”
“He understands you didn’t want to dine with him this evening, but he wants to buy you dinner anyway.”
“What?” Rumi demands, slamming her iced coffee down on the counter. “Sophie gets a sugar daddy who doesn’t want sugarandit’s Silvan Koch? What kind of fairy tale did you fall out of?”
If only she knew.
I still feel obligated to say no just because it’s coming from Silvan, but… I mean… it’s not dinner with Silvan. It’s just dinner alone.
“Then what’s with the dress bag?” I ask, holding it up again. “Why buy me a dress if he won’t even see me in it?”
“It’s a comfortable style,” the man assures me. “Not for his viewing pleasure, he just thought he would send you something suitable to wear in case you didn’t have anything. You’ll be dining alone, and then I’ll bring you back here when you’re finished. You won’t see Silvan this evening,” he specifies, since that’s clearly a concern for me.
That’s a little harder to refuse.
I’m famished, and I suppose hedoesowe me dinner.
Well played, Silvan.
Not that he gets anything out of it, so I don’t really understand the gesture.
“If she’s still saying no, I’ll go,” Rumi volunteers. “I’ll wear whatever he wants me to wear,andyou can take me to him.I’mnot stupid.”
Sliding her a sideways look, I murmur, “Thanks, Rumi.”
“Anytime,” she says cheerfully.
Kendra pipes up from the couch. “Mm-hmm. I knew something happened between you two last night, sneaking up to the escape room before the rest of us were allowed to go.”
“There was an escape room?” Sabrina bemoans. “I love escape rooms.”
Kendra nods. “He had it built just for the party in case anyone was wondering exactly how rich his family is.”
Rumi stayed home to study like I should have, and Sabrina had to work, so even though Kendra invited all of us to the party when she got the invite, only I went.
Scrutinizing the driver to make sure it doesn’t seem like a trick, I ask, “And you’re positive Silvan won’t be there if I go with you?”
“He wanted me to assure you that you wouldn’t have to see him at all this evening. He just wants to make sure you’re fed.”
