Oh, I’m sure he has.
He continues. “It’s sad for Brody, especially since I hear he’s been shopping banks for a loan to open a gym.”
“Not much gets past you, huh?” I arch a brow.
“No.” He looks at Emmy. “Especially a hasty marriage to someone you hardly know.”
“We’re in love, Holden,” I murmur. “It makes a man do crazy things.”
“Right,” he scoffs. “We’ll see about that.”
“Holden, darling? Are you ready to go?” comes a dulcet voice from the doorway that leads back into the restaurant.
We turn as a pretty woman with long red hair approaches us in a pantsuit, probably Holden’s age. She moves to stand next to him, their arms grazing slightly. “Oh, I thought you were out here alone.”
Holden tucks his vape pen away and kisses her on the cheek. “Pia, meet Graham and his fiancée, Emmy. Guys, this is Pia, one of the partners at our firm.”
Emmy has stiffened next to me, and I sense her confusion about the fact that this isn’t Divina.
Pia nods. “Nice to meet you. We were just celebrating a new case tonight.”
A smirk rises on my face. “My brother is a creature of habit, I guess. He loves to do work at Borelli’s.”
Pia throws a glance at me, lingering. “I’ve heard of you, of course. Your dad talks about you. You’re quite famous.”
I take her hand and give her a smile. “Would you like an autograph?”
She blushes. “Oh yes! My nephew would go nuts over it. Let me grab something from my purse for you to sign.”
Holden grunts. “He’s barely famous.”
“Don’t be jealous. I get this all the time.” I sign a notepad Pia presents from her purse with a flourish, relishing the fury emanating from Holden. I hand her pen back, then thread my fingers through Emmy’s hand and kiss her fingers gently and gaze into her eyes as if she’s the only woman on the planet.
“We should go,” Emmy murmurs.
“Indeed.”
Without saying goodbye to the other couple, I turn and guide us away from the deck and back into the restaurant.
Chapter 16
EMMY
Graham parks on the street outside my building, and before he can turn the car off, I’m out of the vehicle.
“Emmy. Wait,” he calls as I hear him following me. He catches up with me as I reach the lobby doors.
“There’s no need to follow me inside. There’s no photographer. Go home, Graham.”
“You’re mad at me. You barely said two words the entire way here.”
“I didn’t have to say anything because we aren’t a real thing. I don’t have to pretend in the car. Acting is over,” I say sharply.
I stab at the elevator button, and it opens. I walk inside, and he follows me.
“Did Holden do something? Touch you or make you feel uncomfortable?”
“He was a giant anus, and he was definitely waiting for me outside the restroom, but that’s not the point. The point is you didn’t tell me what was going on. I didn’t realize that our entire evening was a performance for Holden and his coworker.”
He exhales. “She’s his mistress.”
I lift my hands. “I don’t care. If I’d known it was a spy mission to see if he’s cheating on Divina, I would have liked to have been told. I knew you kept looking over at someone in the restaurant, but then we . . .” Were having a good time.
I was beguiled by him. That’s the damn issue.
The elevator door opens to my floor, and I march to it, then whip around. “This date is over.”
“Let me explain at least.”
Jiggling my key, I open my door and walk into the foyer. “Fine.”
He rubs his jawline, a perplexed expression on his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you he was there. I didn’t know for sure that he’d show, but he and Dad usually go there on Wednesdays. Brody and I have been invited several times, and we go sometimes, mostly when it’s just Dad. I didn’t know he’d show up with her, although I’m not surprised.”
“And there’s a party apparently? After we’re married? I had no clue what was going on.”
He groans. “I didn’t have time to bring it up.”
I shake my head. “I thought you were in the moment. I thought we were having a great time—”
Jane’s hushed voice interrupts me as she appears in the hallway. “You both sound like a herd of elephants. Londyn just got to sleep and she’s teething, and if you wake her up, you’ll have to deal with it.”