could play along. Flashing an indulgent smile, she feigned pleasure. “Perfect.”
“ Vivi Maxwell, is that you?” A blond woman in a slinky black tube dress grabbed Vivi’s wrist. “Oh, my God, it is you. How are you? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Her mind scrambled for the woman’s identity, but came up blank.
Julian bent toward her ear, a filled champagne flute dangling from his hand. “Viv, you remember Juliet Waldman, don’t you?”
Smooth.
Craning her neck as she took the drink from him, she offered a grateful smile. “Of course I do.”
Juliet was the third wife of senior partner, Benjamin Waldman. Or was she number four? Who cared? What mattered was the Waldman in Waldman, White and Lewis, LLC had the power to make or break Julian’s career. By extension, Juliet Waldman exerted the same power.
With the glass at her lips, she asked the woman, “How are you, Juliet?”
“I’m wonderful.” She used her wineglass to point at first Vivi, then Julian. “Does this mean that you two are…?”
“No,” Vivi said, but Julian cut her off by snaking an arm around her waist.
“Nothing official,” he added in a silken salesman tone. “We’re taking it slowly this time. Right, sweetheart?” To communicate his plea that she go along with him, he tucked her up against his chest, his arm settled below her ribcage.
Under normal circumstances, she’d crush his toes with her spiky heel. But Julian had paid an exorbitant sum for her appearance here tonight. Short of pole-dancing, she’d play along with whatever game he needed to save face at this event. She beamed, first at Julian, then at Juliet. “Absolutely.”
“I saw your commercials, you know. Adorable. Totally adorable. That was so clever of you—to come up with such a unique business.”
“If I’d have known she’d turn our breakup into such a success,” Julian remarked, “I would have dumped her years earlier.”
What? Had she heard him correctly? She glared up at him, and he chuckled.
“Just kidding, sweetheart.”
Juliet’s eyes narrowed to sly. “That’s not what brought you two back together again, was it? You seeking a date for tonight…?”
Despite his bad behavior, the contract they’d both signed had a confidentiality clause , which meant even if she wanted to, she couldn’t disclose the truth about her appearance here.
“Not the way you mean,” she told Juliet with a lighthearted laugh. “You see, I make it my business to learn about pending divorces in the city. When Julian’s…” She paused, as if seeking the right word. “…change of marital status crossed my desk, I called to tell him how sorry I was and offer him my support—my personal support not the business’s.”
“ You are one classy lady.” Juliet bounced her wineglass at Julian. “You never should have let her go.”
Julian took a sip from his own flute before replying, “Agreed. I’m lucky she was still unattached when I divorced Tiffany or she probably wouldn’t have called me.”
Was he implying that she’d purposely tracked him down out of some still-single-at-thirty desperation?
His hand skimmed her bare shoulder, and she stifled a shudder.
“Well, you look fabulous, Vivi,” Juliet enthused, touching her hand again.
But, apparently Julian wasn’t finished humiliating her. “Of course she does. She’s dropped a good fifteen pounds. Just another fifteen to go, eh, sweetheart?”
Caught in mid-sip, Vivi coughed.
“ Take it easy, Vivi. I know the drinks are free tonight, but you don’t have to swig the stuff like we’re about to run out. We have plenty, I promise.”
Raucous laughter erupted from Julian’s circle of friends, and Vivi’s cheeks burned.
Did he plan to spend the night holding her up for ridicule to make himself look better? That was a vile plan. And not covered under her contract, either—an oversight she planned to rectify first thing Monday morning. Until then, she’d have to play along. But on
“ Vivi Maxwell, is that you?” A blond woman in a slinky black tube dress grabbed Vivi’s wrist. “Oh, my God, it is you. How are you? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Her mind scrambled for the woman’s identity, but came up blank.
Julian bent toward her ear, a filled champagne flute dangling from his hand. “Viv, you remember Juliet Waldman, don’t you?”
Smooth.
Craning her neck as she took the drink from him, she offered a grateful smile. “Of course I do.”
Juliet was the third wife of senior partner, Benjamin Waldman. Or was she number four? Who cared? What mattered was the Waldman in Waldman, White and Lewis, LLC had the power to make or break Julian’s career. By extension, Juliet Waldman exerted the same power.
With the glass at her lips, she asked the woman, “How are you, Juliet?”
“I’m wonderful.” She used her wineglass to point at first Vivi, then Julian. “Does this mean that you two are…?”
“No,” Vivi said, but Julian cut her off by snaking an arm around her waist.
“Nothing official,” he added in a silken salesman tone. “We’re taking it slowly this time. Right, sweetheart?” To communicate his plea that she go along with him, he tucked her up against his chest, his arm settled below her ribcage.
Under normal circumstances, she’d crush his toes with her spiky heel. But Julian had paid an exorbitant sum for her appearance here tonight. Short of pole-dancing, she’d play along with whatever game he needed to save face at this event. She beamed, first at Julian, then at Juliet. “Absolutely.”
“I saw your commercials, you know. Adorable. Totally adorable. That was so clever of you—to come up with such a unique business.”
“If I’d have known she’d turn our breakup into such a success,” Julian remarked, “I would have dumped her years earlier.”
What? Had she heard him correctly? She glared up at him, and he chuckled.
“Just kidding, sweetheart.”
Juliet’s eyes narrowed to sly. “That’s not what brought you two back together again, was it? You seeking a date for tonight…?”
Despite his bad behavior, the contract they’d both signed had a confidentiality clause , which meant even if she wanted to, she couldn’t disclose the truth about her appearance here.
“Not the way you mean,” she told Juliet with a lighthearted laugh. “You see, I make it my business to learn about pending divorces in the city. When Julian’s…” She paused, as if seeking the right word. “…change of marital status crossed my desk, I called to tell him how sorry I was and offer him my support—my personal support not the business’s.”
“ You are one classy lady.” Juliet bounced her wineglass at Julian. “You never should have let her go.”
Julian took a sip from his own flute before replying, “Agreed. I’m lucky she was still unattached when I divorced Tiffany or she probably wouldn’t have called me.”
Was he implying that she’d purposely tracked him down out of some still-single-at-thirty desperation?
His hand skimmed her bare shoulder, and she stifled a shudder.
“Well, you look fabulous, Vivi,” Juliet enthused, touching her hand again.
But, apparently Julian wasn’t finished humiliating her. “Of course she does. She’s dropped a good fifteen pounds. Just another fifteen to go, eh, sweetheart?”
Caught in mid-sip, Vivi coughed.
“ Take it easy, Vivi. I know the drinks are free tonight, but you don’t have to swig the stuff like we’re about to run out. We have plenty, I promise.”
Raucous laughter erupted from Julian’s circle of friends, and Vivi’s cheeks burned.
Did he plan to spend the night holding her up for ridicule to make himself look better? That was a vile plan. And not covered under her contract, either—an oversight she planned to rectify first thing Monday morning. Until then, she’d have to play along. But on
Similar Books
