Page 7 of Play Maker

At least I wasn’t paying. Judging from the people I could see sitting at tables near the front, I wouldn’t be able to afford an appetizer here. White tablecloths, candles, glittering jewels on every patron, more silverware than any one person needed.

Mom had been right about the dress. None of the people in there wore jeans.

I sighed as I walked through the door, held open by a guy who probably made more than me per hour to stand there. Icy air coated my moist skin, and goosebumps popped up everywhere. Mom was nowhere in sight, as expected, but I spotted Rob and Shad at a table in the middle of the room.

Rob was good-looking enough for an uptight business type. He wore his navy suit like he’d been born in it, and his light brown hair was perfectly styled with that side swoosh rich guys liked. With his plastic smile, he reminded me of a Ken doll.

Shad wasn’t much better, despite being my age. He wore his suit without a tie and with the top button undone. Same dumb haircut, same superior look in his blue eyes. An image of Adam popped up in my mind, as if my subconscious couldn’t help comparing the two. Relaxed and playful, his dark eyes locked on me as he ran a hand through his tousled hair—Adam came out ahead in every category.

For a second, I considered waiting outside. The humidity wasn’t so bad tonight, and I could finish a chapter I’d been reading on my phone during the ride. Mom wouldn’t be much longer, and I’d rather have her there as a buffer at the table. Before I could turn around, Rob glanced up at the entrance where I stood awkwardly next to the host stand.

He raised an imperious brow, and the host gestured for me to follow him as if he’d only been waiting for Rob’s command. I lifted my chin and steeled myself for the inevitable criticism. If Mom had been on time for once, he would have skipped over me entirely to dote on her.

The things I did for love.

Rob and Shad stood to offer me big, creepily white smiles as I approached the table.

“I’m so glad you could join us, Angela.” Rob never used my real name once Mom let my very normal middle name slip.

Shad only dragged his gaze over my curves, highlighted in the damn dress. I immediately wanted to go home and shower. Rob’s son embodied the stereotype of entitled rich kid—assuming everyone around him existed for the sole purpose of serving him in some capacity.

He’d made my capacity clear on our first meeting months ago when he cornered me in his father’s kitchen after brunch and offered to take me upstairs for a quickie. When I’d declined in no uncertain terms and attempted to leave, he’d grabbed my wrist. My mom interrupted him by coming into the room, and I put in a lot of effort to not be alone with him after that. In general, men didn’t scare me, but I wasn’t stupid.

I tried not to dwell on bad memories, so I buried it back in the dark recesses of my mind where it belonged.

“Mom’s running late. She should be here soon.”

Rob nodded and resumed his seat. “She let me know.”

Shad edged the host away to pull my chair out himself. With no other option besides abruptly leaving, I allowed Shad to help me sit. He pushed my chair closer to the table, then his hand trailed across the bare skin at the back of my neck. My shoulders stiffened, and I leaned forward to grab the already full wine glass in front of me.

I hated red wine, but taking a sip offered me a convenient excuse to avoid any more unwanted touching. The bitter taste coated my mouth, and I had the sudden urge to laugh at the absurdity of my situation. Shad had graduated from Teagan University too, a year before me, with a business degree. These guys were supposed to be professionals, but even my horrible store clerk skills outclassed them.

When I sneaked a glance at Shad, he smirked at me, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Rob leaned back in his chair, idly swirling his wine in his glass. “Shad, why don’t you tell Angela about your summer plans?”

I couldn’t care less about Shad’s summer, but I didn’t want to start this dinner off by sharing my bad mood. Mom would pick up on it immediately, and Rob would be sure to point out, delicately, of course, that I seemed to be having a hard day.

Shad’s grin widened. “I’ll be working with the business department at TU to set up an internship program with Dad’s company, which means spending a lot of time on campus. Maybe we can meet up for coffee or something.”

My teeth ground together. I took summer classes every year because my schedule during the fall and spring was always erratic with the added responsibility of managing the dress shop half the time. Now I’d spend my summer sneaking around campus.

“I’d love to see Hope’s shop too,” he continued.

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what he could do with his summer plans, but Rob stood as my mom’s voice came from behind me.

“That would be lovely.” Her sandalwood scent wrapped around me as she leaned down to kiss my cheek. “Hi, baby.”

“Hi, Mom.”

She patted my shoulder, then circled the table to kiss Rob. The loose skirt and tank top she’d left in this morning had been replaced by a short, vibrant blue, cocktail dress that showed off her toned legs. People often mistook us for sisters because we shared the same sharp features and dark hair, but that was as far as our similarities went.

Hope Caldwell had a savvy businesswoman buried inside her fun-loving yoga personality, and I couldn’t even conjure up the fun-loving part. To my surprise, Rob seemed to appreciate both parts of her. He pulled out her chair, much the same way Shad had done for me, but Mom looked a lot happier at the subtle touches.

I drained my glass of wine to keep from making a face. Without missing a beat, Shad refilled it with a generous pour. I growled out a thank you and spared a second to wonder if any drink Shad touched was safe to consume.

Mom smiled at me, the happiness pouring off her. “You look fantastic, Blue. Archer was right. That dress is fabulous on you.”

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