Page 44 of Finding Forever

So, I tried to shift my demeanor. I really did. But when we got to the gate of the event and the security guard asked one too many questions, I snapped.

“Are they paying you extra to be this much of a tight ass?” I asked, after he’d made Gina empty her bag onto a table to make sure she wasn’t carrying anything off-limits inside.

“It’s just protocol, my man,” the guard offered pathetically.

“Like hell it is.”

Off to my right, Gina stopped in the middle of what she was doing and watched me with a shocked expression. Her eyes were wide, and a frown was dominating her features.

“What’s going on with you?” She’d grabbed up her things and walked over to me with a million unspoken questions in her eyes.

Annoyed that I had let my irritation get to this point, I shook my head and remained silent.

“There’s something going on with you, Maverick. I want to know what it is.” She kept her voice low, as if to ward off any eavesdroppers.

Irritation flared within me. Why couldn’t she just drop it? Gina stopped walking and faced me, forcing me to stop treading.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she pushed.

“I don’t want to discuss. Just drop it, Gina.” I knew my voice was edged in steel. Something I prayed would get her off my case. No such luck.

Gina’s face contorted in a rare scowl before she folded her arms across her chest. Her stance was unyielding and her expression turned determined.

“Fine, then take me home. I’d rather miss out on the event that I’ve been looking forward to for weeks than spend another second with you and this attitude.”

Panic set in when I saw the resolution in her eyes. She was dead serious. As bad as my day had started, I still wanted to be there with her. And I wanted her to want to be there with me.

Realizing that icing her out wasn’t going to solve anything, I heaved a sigh and told her about the conversation I had with Penny. It made me upset all over again, but the compassion shining in her eyes calmed me.

“I’m sorry she’s having such a hard time with this. I wish there was something I could do.”

She paused and tilted her head.

“Do you think we made the right decision telling the kids? Do you think it just made things worse?”

Quickly, I shut down that train of thought. “Even if we hadn’t said anything, Victoria was always going to poison Penny’s mind. It’s just what she does.”

Gina sighed wearily. “I’m starting to see why she makes you so angry.”

“You know, I wonder if Mycah is going to start feeling the same. I hope not, but you can never be sure of these things. You’re the first person I’ve dated since the divorce, so I have no idea what to expect.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” I assured, gradually starting to feel better just because I’d gotten it off my chest.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a tall figure pause and stare in our direction before walking towards us. The woman was top heavy and the closer she got, the clearer her smug countenance showed. Gina was still talking when the person walked up and subtly tried to wedge herself between us. I pulled Gina closer to me, which cause the stranger to take a step back.

“Gina! What a surprise seeing you here!”

The woman was initially facing Gina but turned to greet me with a clear interest and seductive smile in place. Before I could control my facial expression, I cringed. Who was this woman? And why was she pretending that she couldn’t read our body language? Before she tried stepping in between us, both of my hands were holding Gina’s.

“Sera,” Gina said drily, accompanied by a roll of her eyes that she didn’t even try to hide.

Sera? That name sounded familiar. Wasn’t there somebody at her work with that name?

“Hi, my name is Sera. I work in the same office as Gina. But we have different titles, of course. I’d die if I was still a secretary at her age,” she rambled, oblivious to the tension radiating off me in waves. I was right. This was the airhead who liked to make life difficult for Gina at the office.

My lips flattened into a straight line. I wasn’t about to engage with her while she was openly disrespecting my woman. I stepped forward, intentionally ignoring her and wrapped by arm firmly around Gina’s waist. Then I gave Sera a look that dared her to interrupt us again.

“Maverick, this is Sera. The hygienist I told you about.” Her voice had dropped an octave. “Sera, this is my boyfriend, Maverick.”

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