"Penny, you listening to me?" she asks.
"Of course I am."
"Don’t blame you if you are a little distracted. I would be, too, if I’d spent the first night of my marriage with that irresistible masculine deity."
I laugh. "Haven’t heard that one before."
"That’s because I invented it."
"You did, huh?"
"I’m having my go at writing my own smutty fanfic."
"Ooh, is it Dramione?"
"What else?" she asks with an expression that implies it couldn't it be anything else but.
"I’m so envious you found your Draco. Now, if only I could find mine."
The door opens then, and Giorgina glides in on her six-inch, spiky heels. I glance down at my wedges. Damn. Why is it that I always feel so underdressed in comparison? I cup my palm around my mouth and lower my voice, "Uh gotta go, Bellatrix Lestrange walked in."
"Wh-a-t?" Mira chokes out a laugh. "Do you mean—"
"Yes, can’t talk, bye." I hang up, slide the phone into the pocket of my trusty pink jeans—because yeah, skinny jeans may be passé, but you’ll have to tear mine from my body when I die. Also, I’d paired it with a blazer, so the effect is very much Gen-Z. I wash my hands under the tap, then dry them. When I toss the paper towel into the wastebasket, I turn to Gio. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Had a meeting with that prick, Rick." She caps her lipstick and drops it into her handbag, then pauses. “Prick Rick has a certain ring to it, no? Maybe I should call him Prick, instead of Rick.”
I chuckle. “Not sure he’ll like that.”
“Exactly.” Her eyes gleam.
“You don’t like him much?”
“That’s an understatement. I’d have preferred not to have anything to do with him, but I couldn’t get out of this meeting with him and your husband.”
"My husband?" The words are out before I can stop myself.
She glances at my left hand and raises a brow. "Difficult to think of him as that when you’re not sure if he was serious about his vows. Not to mention, it’s the day after your marriage and not only are you back at work, but also you’re in the ladies’ room when, instead, you should be bent over his desk and—"
"Stop right there." I hold my hand up. "What gives you the right to pass judgment on my life?"
"No judgment. But considering your friends can’t see past the assumption that he has feelings for you—which he probably does, but I reserve judgment on that—fact is, you deserve better than how he’s treating you, girlfriend."
My gusts twist, and anger slams into my chest with such force, I gasp. I open my mouth to tell her off, then snap it shut. She’s right. I know she’s right. And only she has the sense to see through the rose-tinted glasses my friends seem to have pulled on. I lean against the counter and stare at my rings.
She blows out a breath. "I’m a bitch; ignore me. I’m also a little emotionally off-kilter, which is no excuse for taking it out on you. It’s me. I’m not good at sugar-coating the truth. And unfortunately, I can see through all the bullshit and cut to the chase and—"
"No, you’re good," I murmur.
She seems taken aback, then nods. "Sorry again, don’t mean to hurt your feelings."
"You didn’t. It’s good to hear someone else say something that everyone else is afraid to say. Or maybe, they just can't see it." I lower my hands to my sides. "What would you do if you were in my shoes?"
She tilts her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I’d march in there and demand he take me on a proper honeymoon, to begin with."
53
Knight
Rick is the first to rise to his feet. "Hey Penny, this asshat treating you okay?” He stabs his thumb in my direction.
Across from him, Finn cackles. When I glare at him, he mimes zipping up his lips.
“Hey, Rick, thanks for bringing him home the other day.” She turns to the other man. “You, too, Finn.”
“Any time.” Rick jerks his chin.
“You bet.” Finn flashes her a wide smile.
She smiles back.
A slow burn creeps under my skin. Hold on, are you jealous because she smiled at another man?
"I need to talk to my husband, and I’d appreciate it if you gentlemen would—" She gestures toward the door.
It’s Finn who jumps to his feet now, "Of course. No problem." He walks over to my wife. " Just a reminder, he doesn’t deserve you." He grabs her by her shoulders and kisses her on each cheek.
Something funny twists my stomach. Anger stabs my chest. I spring to my feet so quickly, my chair hits the floor. Rick gapes at me as I rush past him. I reach Finn, grab his arm and yank him away from her. "Hands off her," I growl.
He seems taken aback, then a sly smile curves his lips. "Getting all jealous and possessive, huh? That’s good." He closes one eye in the direction of my wife. "Maybe you’ll get that honeymoon after all."
"Did you wink at her?" I snap.
"Moi?" He holds up his hands an innocent look on his face. "Just something in my eye, dude."
"Get out of here or you’ll get something in your eye, all right," I wave my fist in front of his eyes.
Finn’s grin widens. "Whatever you say." He steps back, and with a last bow in her direction, he heads for the door.
Rick walks over. "I’ll let you know once I finalize the details of the sports-management company." He holds out his hand.
I shake.
With a tilt of his head toward her, he leaves. The door snicks shut.
She turns on me. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"You going all caveman and pretending to be all territorial."
"I have no idea what you’re talking about." I head toward my desk.
"You got jealous when Finn kissed me on my cheek.”
"You must be mistaken." I pull up a document on my computer. The words blur in front of my eyes. I’m too aware of her scent, her presence, the way she walks toward me with that sensuous sway of her hips. She drips sex-appeal, and she has no idea about it. Her innocence— Despite everything I’ve done to her body, she has that innocence about her eyes that draws me in and threatens to engulf me.
It’s why I need to stay focused on this merger. It’s important to keep my eyes on the prize. The ownership of this company. That’s what matters. I manage to bring my attention back to the job at hand when she walks around the table and leans a hip against it.
"You’re going into business with Rick and Finn?"
"It would seem that way, yes."
"As your assistant and your wife, it would be helpful to know what you’re planning."
I hesitate, then nod. "You’re right."
"I am?"
I turn toward her. "It will help you do your job better if you have some idea of what was coming down the line, yes."
She frowns. "Being your wife is not a job."
"But being my fake wife is."
Her frown deepens. "Last night didn’t feel fake to me."