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“You can’t just push me out of here,” he mutters, but I ignore him, practically dragging him by the arm toward the valets we hired for this evening. I paste my cordial, I-work-here smile on my face as I stop before them.
“We’re looking for Mr. DeLuca’s car. Do you happen to know where it is?”
One of them did, enabling me with the pleasure of dumping Vinnie DeLuca off onto some other poor, hapless soul and wiping my hands of him and his antics for the evening.
“Think you can get rid of me that quick, missy?” Vinnie shouts from the open window of his car, but I ignore him. Why engage the crazy?
I head back to the courtyard, wincing when my new stiletto sandals pinch my toes. I’m not used to heels or to walking on graveled pathways and cobbled courtyards in heels. I can’t wait to soak my feet in the bath when I get home.
Alone.
Because there is no way I can pursue something, anything with Matt. Spending just ten minutes in his father’s presence confirmed that. I can’t go on pretending we would work out. I’d be seen as the gold-digging slut because I’m the poor girl from Texas dating the rich, billionaire boss and he’d be seen as the ass who couldn’t keep it in his pants around his own employee.
Any sort of relationship between the two of us, temporary or serious, could ruin his reputation as a businessman in the area. I refuse to play a part in that. I would never be able to forgive myself.
And what would that do to me? I can’t destroy my last chance here at a great job. If I fail at this, I’m going home. I can’t afford to live in this outrageously expensive state while unemployed. Lord knows I’d hightail it out of here if I did end up parting ways with Matt professionally. It’s hard enough as it is, finding a job that pays as well as mine in the area.
My footsteps slow, and I stop just at the edge of the courtyard, watching everyone. I see Gage and Marina out on the dance floor swaying in each other’s arms as they smile and then laugh. I see Matt talking with another group, all of them men, every one of them reeking with importance.
I hope they can give him the connections he’s looking for.
He looks so handsome in his dark suit and wine-colored tie, his hair ruffled by the occasional breeze. His smile flashes white against the tan of his skin and there are slight wrinkles around his eyes, as if he laughs often.
Which I hope he does. I haven’t seen him laugh much since he’s been so stressed-out since I started working for him, but hopefully that will change once everything settles down. Then he can relax and reap the benefits of all this hard work.
I probably won’t be around to witness it though. And that thought alone fills me with such complete and utter sadness, I almost fall to the ground, my legs get so wobbly.
Pushing on, I head toward the crowds opposite of where Matt stands. I find an empty table and collapse in a chair, slipping my hand beneath the heavy weight of my hair, so I can rub my neck. No wonder I don’t wear it down very often. It’s heavy and thick, making me hot and my neck hurt.
I should just cut it all off and be done with it.
“Are you all right? You look like you’re contemplating murder.” Ivy pulls out a chair and settles in next to me.
“Only the murder of my hair.” At her weird look I explain. “I’m thinking of cutting it all off.”
“Don’t you dare. It’s gorgeous.”
I shrug. “Like anyone notices. This has all been for nothing.”
“Ah, Matt didn’t notice? I know he’s busy trying to keep everyone happy tonight,” Ivy reminds me.
“Oh, he noticed.” He definitely noticed if his mouth fused with mine and his hands roaming all over my body earlier was any indication. “His father came along though and ruined everything.”
Ivy’s mouth dropped open. “His father came? I never saw him.”
“Aren’t you lucky?” I mutter.
“Aw. Did he say something awful to you?” Ivy reaches out and grabs my hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “He’s terrible—says the most offensive things ever. When I was younger, he used to try and hit on me.”
“He doesn’t try and hit on you now?”
“Well, I haven’t seen him in a while and besides, Archer would kill him. Like tear him apart and murder him with his bare hands if he so much as leered at me, let alone touched me.” Ivy smiles, a dreamy look in her eyes. “He’s so hot when he gets all possessive like that.”
Envy curls through me, gripping me tight. “Must be nice.”
“Someday I bet you’ll experience the same thing with Matt,” Ivy says, full of a confidence I wished I felt even a tenth of.
Instead of making her more curious, I decide to put on a brave face. “Yeah, maybe I will,” I say with a false enthusiasm that makes Ivy give me the side eye.
