Page 44 of Say You Remember Me
“It’s fine,” he said, his voice froggier than usual as he shifted slightly. But we were packed in here like sardines in a can, so when he attempted to adjust our position, his hand brushed across my butt.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I promise that was an accident.”
“No worries,” I whispered, cheeks burning as I tried to ignore the fact that this was practically another scene straight out of that book.
The elevator reached the main level, and I breathed a sigh of relief when we were able to step into the lobby.
“I think the restaurant is this way,” Ian said, his cheeks still slightly flushed as he led me toward the glass doors to our right.
He held the door open for me to step inside the restaurant where we were meeting Mr. Kwan at six thirty.
“Looks like it’s a busy night,” Ian said, glancing around the bustling space as we stepped into the small line of people waiting to check in with the hostess.
“Do you think Mr. Kwan is already here?” I asked.
He scanned the room briefly, then checked his watch. “We still have ten minutes until our reservation. He usually likes to arrive right on time.”
As we waited, I took in the low hum of conversations, the soft clinking of dishes, the elegant chandeliers above casting a warm glow. It was easily the fanciest restaurant I’d ever been in.
Curious about the kind of cuisine they served here, I stole a glance at a nearby table. I wasn’t a particularly picky eater—the only things I didn’t really eat was seafood and mushrooms. But before I could get a really good look at the entrees, I felt Ian suddenly going stiff beside me.
I turned to look at him, wondering if something was wrong. And when I inspected his face, his gaze was fixed at the front of the line. When I followed his line of sight, I saw what had caught his attention: a tall, willowy woman with blonde hair wearing a sleek designer dress and standing beside an older man surrounded by what looked like a security detail.
At first, I thought she was just a twenty-something woman on vacation with her much older, wealthy husband. But when she glanced back and I got a better look at her face, I realized we were looking at none other than Margot Cavanaugh and her oil-tycoon grandfather.
14
IAN
Don’t panic,I told myself the second I caught sight of Margot.Just look away and maybe she won’t see you.
Because if I just avoided eye contact, maybe the girl who had ripped out my heart and stomped on it nine years ago wouldn’t notice me in the crowd. Though, just in case, I edged closer to Maddie, hoping the tall guy ahead could shield me from her view.
But when I risked a quick glance, Margot was already watching, her gaze steady as our eyes met. She gave a small smile and leaned over to say something to her grandfather before heading straight toward us.Great.
My mind raced. Could I dodge this? Maybe just take an “urgent” call and step away? I was sizing up my options when Maddie leaned in, her voice low. “Did you ever email her back?”
“I didn’t,” I mumbled. “I deleted it instead.”
Definitely not my most strategic move. I should’ve just replied with a curt “Not interested.” Then maybe she’d know I had no interest in revisiting the past.
Maddie’s eyes widened a fraction, her expression unreadable.
Was it pity? Probably.
Which yeah, it was pretty pitiful that after nearly a decade I was still this rattled by the sight of my ex-fiancée.
But since Margot was almost upon us, I needed to push away my stupid feelings and at least act like I was unbothered by this unfortunate circumstance.
So forcing a smile, I used the most enthusiastic voice I could muster and said, “Margot? Is that really you? What are you doing here?”
“I’m here for the conference,” she said, opening her arms to give me a quick hug.
And even though I didn’t really want to hug the woman who had broken my nineteen-year-old heart, I gave her a quick embrace.
“So, what brings you to the conference?” I asked. “I think the last I heard you were doing some modeling.”
“Yeah, I did that for a while.” She nodded. “Still do shoots here and there. But I’m actually working with Everstone Energy now and thought this event would be useful training for our team.”
