Page 73 of David's Chase

I don’t want to be a part of this. Not only do I know who these people are, but I’m also not supposed to be seen with David in public.

But this is more than that.

Way more than that.

This is his ex-wife we’re talking about.

The vengeful woman who did everything she could to make his life miserable a few years ago.

Sure, she moved on, but even so, I don’t want to be there when she returns from the toilet.

I barely finish my thought when someone walks past me, almost knocking me over, and the oil tycoon’s eyes shift in my direction, or rather Samantha Rove’s direction, who quickly closes the gap between herself and the two men.

Her fiancee announces the presence of his future wife, prompting David to lift his eyes and spot me.

It’s impossible to move away now.

Our eyes lock, and while he has no reaction, he doesn’t seem thrilled with the idea of me making myself scarce.

I’m still frozen, a few feet away from them, not knowing what to do, when Samantha approaches David and her future husband.

The atmosphere seems cordial despite the fact that David doesn’t make an effort to flash a smile. He seems okay with seeing them, not angry, and not caring about them either.

His eyes are more on me than them, and again, I see no indication that he wants me gone.

I think they’re asking him if he is here alone, and he says he’s here with a friend.

He makes a small gesture toward me, and that’s my cue. I set myself in motion and strut to them under the curious eyes of the woman I chatted with in the bathroom.

She doesn’t hide her surprise.

“We met in the restroom,” she says when I pull up in front of the group and David introduces me to them.

“Elizabeth Fox,” he says, and we shake hands, although I’m having a hard time remembering Samantha’s future husband’s name.

His name is something like Jonas Welsh. Or John Welsh. It didn’t even stick with me when I read the article about their upcoming nuptials.

And now, things are getting worse.

I can’t focus, panic swirling in my chest.

“I didn’t know you were here with David,” Samantha says with the kind of insinuating familiarity that makes my hair stand on end.

“I didn’t know you two were acquaintances,” I say, playing stupid.

“Who is she?” Samantha asks David.

After years of matrimonial war and the finality of a divorce, she still sounds like a jealous wife.

“I’m his new assistant,” I blurt out, fully knowing no one will believe me.

Although Jonas or John seems to want to believe me.

Or maybe he wants to deescalate what seems to morph into a hostile encounter.

Samantha shifts his eyes to David, a questioning look creasing her eyebrows.

“Assistant? What is she doing here?”

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