Page 75 of Love and Other Champagne Problems

Sumner, though, held no amusement in his expression. “Mr. Astor.”

The two other girls who’d been sticking around chose then to titter off with polite smiles, and Aaron tipped his head at their departure. It left the three of us alone, though not truly; a quick scan of the lobby proved that eyes of those in the space were on us, trying to soak it all in to gossip about later.

The only word that could describe the way I felt, with Aaron and Sumner looking at each other, wasawkward. I tried not to let it show as I turned to Aaron. “You ready?”

Aaron brightened. “I am. I’m excited to explore your quaint little area a bit more.”

“You’ll be majorly unimpressed,” I promised him. I took a step forward, but instead of just Aaron following, Sumner also moved.

Aaron raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t coming along as well, are you?”

“I’m to accompany Margot any time she leaves the grounds,” Sumner said in a formal voice. “She’s not supposed to go anywhere without me.”

“Your services are probably no longer required, Mr. Pennington. Now that I’m here.”

“Her parents didn’t say my presence was conditional on yours.”

Aaron turned to look at Sumner head on. “Maybe we should call her parents, then.” While Aaron was an inch shorter than me, he was several shorter than Sumner, facing off in a power struggle I was already done with. “I’d hate for you to be a third wheel.”

“Or are you worried you’ll be the awkward one left out?” It was ironic how much Sumner combated Aaron, given how he reacted in the coat closet the night prior. “Because she knows me better than you.”

Sumner, trying so hard to show up Aaron, irked me more than the other man. “I doubt my mother would want you tagging along,” I told Sumner. “Aaron and I would get to know each other far easier without a chaperone.”

I’d said the words as if they’d hurt Sumner, as if they were salt that I could rub into a wound, but it wasn’t his skin that was broken. It was mine. My words did nothing but prove to be a reminder of the way we left things yesterday; they did nothing but remind me that I was alone in the way I felt.I was paid to be at your side. I wouldn’t be here… if not for that.

I didn’t look at him as I offered my fashion magazine out. “Take this to my room, would you?”

Wordlessly, Sumner took the magazine, freeing up my hand to slip around Aaron’s arm. Aaron tipped his head in an almost smug manner before escorting me away, toward the front doors. I forced myself to stare straight and told myself I’d rather die than look back. I refused to look to see if Sumner stood staring after us. I’d rather die.

I’d made it to the automatic doors that greeted Aaron and me with warm summer air before impulse took control. Almost as if my body was hijacked, I glanced overmy shoulder, wanting to see Sumner’s expression, wondering what it looked like.

He was nowhere in sight. Thirty seconds had passed, and he wasn’t standing there anymore, already having left to run my errand and get back to work.

My fist of a heart hardened further.

Aaron was less than impressed by the view of the bay, but then again, coming from the grandness of living ocean side, it most likely was like looking at a pond to him. One not nearly as expansive and blue. The tailoring session at Gilfman Clothier went off without a hitch, and Jordan had successfully helped bring another design of mine to life.

Aaron, though, seemed tickled by my choice. “Cream for a wedding?” he’d asked when I’d stepped out from behind the curtain, his eyes roaming over my figure. It had been similar to the way Sumner had the time I’d brought him; and then I’d scolded myself for thinking about Sumner. “A little close to white, no?”

“It’s beige,” I’d corrected, but felt a little smug looking in the mirror. “Though if anyone gets confused, maybe they’ll think Annalise and I got married.”

Aaron had lifted his maple whisky to his lips, his smile distorted by the glass.

Once we finished at the fitting, instead of going to Pierre’s for lunch—because I was more likely to win the lottery than to win last-minute reservationsfor a Sunday afternoon—we returned to the country club to dine at their outdoor restaurant.

“I will say, I am a little surprised.” Aaron came around and pulled out the chair for me, gesturing me to sit. “I’d meant it mostly as a joke earlier, but this areaisquaint. You don’t strike me as the quaint sort.”

In the orchestrated dance, I sat down, and Aaron pushed in the chair as I did so. “I only just finished college. I’m sure I’ll branch out sometime.”

“Like California?”

I took in his hopeful expression. “Perhaps.”

He rounded the small table and sat across from me, the intrigue clear on his face. “You know, I’ve been debating asking about it all day. About your secretary. He’s a bit young, no?”

“There’s an age limit to secretaries?” I said in a voice that made it clear I wasn’t interested in pursuing the conversation further.

“No, no, just is… interesting.”

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