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Suzanne snorted, “Little Bit?”
Nate looked at Suzanne, narrowed his eyes, and sidled closer to Sam.
He put his beefy arm around her and said, “She is just a little thing next to me. I started calling her Little Bit the first day I met her.”
He looked down at Sam with a warm smile on his face.
Suzanne took that moment to make her move.
“Gray, I want to introduce you to a couple of potential clients for Kinkaide & Associates.”
Gray took a deep breath and glanced at Sam.
“Come on, Gray; it won’t take that long.”
She pulled him, and he looked at Sam and shrugged, then walked away with her. Sam couldnotbelieve her eyes. Suzanne had manipulated him right in front of her, and he went with it. She took a deep breath and let it out very slowly.
“That woman is a grade-A, number one bitch,” Dani muttered, as she watched Gray and Suzanne walk over to a group of people.
Jamie and Nick agreed, then turned to Sam and nervously made small talk. Sam took out her phone and looked at the time. He had a few minutes and then she was leaving.
Nate looked at her. “Sam, why would you let him just walk away with that bitch?”
She cocked her head to the side. “What, I’m supposed to make a scene and give her the satisfaction? He needed to tell her to take a hike, but he didn’t.”
Nate nodded, and the small talk continued. “I’ll see you later, Little Bit. I’ve got some hands to shake.” She watched him amble over to a group of people, then her eyes sought out Gray and Suzanne for the tenth time in ten minutes.
At one point Gray glanced her way. She could tell he was uncomfortable, but he wasn’t exactly walking away either. She decided to keep her back to him and not watch this. She made small talk with the others and a few other people she knew as well and did her best to make conversation and not think about Gray and Suzanne.
It had been some time when she looked at her phone again and noticed it had been almost an hour. Taking a deep breath, she set her drink down, and Dani put her hand on Sam’s.
“Don’t go, Sam. He’s been watching you the whole time. I can tell he’s nervous about this; he’s trying to keep Suzanne from making a scene. He’s put up with her antics for so long that he knows when they’re coming.”
“You know, Dani, we’ve had this conversation about her manipulating him. I lived for close to thirty years with a man who was constantly controlled by his mother. I have told Gray repeatedly that I would not be in a relationship like that again. She might be manipulative, buthe’sallowing it, andhe’sthe only one who can stop it. It doesn’t look like he’s trying to stop it now. I’m not going to make a scene; I’m just leaving.”
Nate came back over just as Sam set her drink down.
Nate said, “Hey, are you leaving?
“Yes.”
“How are you getting home, Sam?”
She straightened and sighed. “I'll call a cab.”
“Hell no! I’ll take you.”
She shook her head. “No, Nate, I'm fine really. I’m just finished with this bullshit. Gray needs to man up and tell Suzanne to pack it, and clearly, he isn't doing it tonight. I'll be damned if I am going to stand here and be ignored. Besides, it won’t look right if I leave with you.”
“Bullshit! What doesn't look right is him parading that bitch around while you’re standing here. If he gives you any grief about leaving with me, I'll take care of it.”
Sam smiled and touched Nate's arm.
“I really just want to leave without any big scene, and I just want to be alone right now. I appreciate the offer, but no thank you.”
Sam stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. She went over to Dani, hugged her and said goodbye to Nick and Jamie. Then she turned and walked toward the front doors, her head held high, her back rigid.
When she stepped outside, she hailed a waiting cab and got in quickly. She didn’t want anyone to see her cry. She took a deep breath. Where was she going to go? There were people coming to look at her house in the morning, and she didn’t want to see Gray right now. She told the cab driver to take her to her house. She would change clothes and have him take her to Gray’s to pick up her car. She was in a hurry. She didn’t know if Gray would follow her or not, but she didn’t want to be around if he did.
