Page 57 of Doc Showmance
“It’ll be funny.” He compressed his lips against laughing.
“Dillweed,” I muttered.
“Goth Girl who’s back in black.”
“I’m going to cry.” Nabi dabbed at her eyes. “The two of you. That dress. It’s like Cinderella, and I’m the fairy godmother.” She handed Ian a few clothes in hanging bags. “I packed a few things for her for the weekend. I expect you to return them on your way out of town. Ian, go change so when you arrive you don’t look out of sync.”
While Ian organized a clothes change, Nabi gave me her business card. “Call me. If you need a break from them or even just to vent. They’re no fun. Have you met Ian’s brother yet?” She shuddered. “I’m guessing not. He’s an uptight jerk with his perfect Stepford wife, mansion outside the city, and fleet of German cars.” She lowered her voice. “No love lost between him and his wife. That’s an arranged deal so she can wallow in his money. His mom is on the warpath for grandkids, but Brock isn’t shooting for the moon fast enough, it seems. Or maybe he shoots blanks. That means the next generation comes down to Ian.” She chuckled to herself at some sort of inside joke I didn’t get.
“You’re saying all this because she’ll want Ian and me to…”
“Oh, no, honey. You’re going to scare the hell out of her. You’re also not her choice. Thelastthing she’d want is for you and Ian to do anything. Might be funny to see the extremes she’ll go to to be sure you don’t do anything.”
“You guys are kind of freaking me out about these people.”
Nabi said, “You need to be on full alert. They’ll come at you all sweet talk, but remember everyone at this event has an agenda. Everyone.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I dress half of them and have a few friends that mingle with their crowd, like my parents.” She shrugged. “I’m the black sheep. Totally not invited to participate in their circle.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” Ian pecked her on the cheek.
“I know I am. You have my number, Amber,” Nabi said. “If you have a wardrobe crisis or want to dish more about Ian, buzz me.”
21
Amber
Ian clasped my hand when I got out of the car. We weren’t the only people arriving. There were at least three other couples exiting their vehicles in the wraparound driveway.
He whispered, “Showtime.”
The rug in the foyer probably cost more than my entire house, but the painting on the wall…holy crap. That looked suspiciously like a Degas with the ballerina dancers. No. Impossible. Those were only in museums. I leaned into Ian and nodded toward it to whisper, “Is that real?”
“Yes.”
An army of uniformed servers buzzed around, carrying trays with champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Ribbons, wreaths, fake fruit, and flower decorations adorned the huge room filled with fancy dressed people. An ostentatious Christmas tree decorated completely in white ornaments stood in one corner.
“Do they have pets?” I asked.
Ian shook his head. “No. It’d mess up Mom’s floor. She’s not into pet hair, noise, or anything that comes with a pet.”
“Did you never have a pet growing up?” I turned on him. “How could you even become a vet if you never had a pet?”
“I had a puppy once that I brought home. I found it on the street. It…” He sighed. Something almost pained passed over his face. “It wasn’t allowed to stay around long. One mess, and the next day it was gone.”
Something dark bloomed inside my chest. The image of a little boy rescuing a puppy that got “disappeared” over one mess? My hackles went up. “What’d they do todisappearthe puppy?”
“Had it euthanized. At least that’s what they told me a few years later.”
What?
They didn’t even surrender it to a shelter? What kind of heartless people did he grow up with? Fire ripped through me. I could understand a lot of shitty decisions people made under duress, but a careless attitude toward animals put me on the warpath.
I squeezed his hand. “Assholes.”
“Amber…”
