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“Well,” Theo says, clucking his tongue, “the two of you had better be extremely careful until you get it figured out. If the media gets ahold of this, there’s no taking it back.”
“I know that,” I tell him. “Which is another reason why I don’t want to be too hasty. I don’t want Ian to feel like he has to commit to anything if this blows up in our faces. I want to give him time to make sure that he really wants this without the internet picking apart his business again.”
“Are you worried about all of that?” Ava gives me a concerned look. “I mean…He seems like a nice guy, but with everything that happened with his ex…”
I have to bite my tongue to keep from jumping to his defense; it’s not my business to share everything Ian told me about what really happened all those years ago, which is why I can’t come out and say that none of what people read is remotely close to the truth. Even if it kills me to continue letting people think that Ian could ever be capable of what he’s been accused of.
“I trust him,” I say instead. “He would never do anything to purposefully hurt me.”
“Let’s hope not,” Theo says thoughtfully. “Because if this blows up as bad as his last relationship, it could be just as damaging for you as it is for him.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s all fun and games to let the internet think the two of you are in some sort of situationship, but if they find out that not only is it actually happening, but then if Ian somehow bungles it all, you’ll be nothing more than the dumb girl who fell for his bullshit again.”
“Hey,” Ava cries indignantly. “Don’t be an ass.”
“I’m just telling you how the good people of social media have a tendency to kick people when they’re down. That’s not to say it might not gain you some sympathy, but I’ve seen the dark side of the web too many times not to worry that it might not go the other way.”
“He won’t hurt me,” I say again, firmer this time. “That’s not who he is.”
“For your sake,” Theo answers with sympathy in his gaze, “I hope you’re right.”
There’s a beat of silence that passes between us at our little table, the sounds of chatter and chimes of the nearby cash register filling the air as the three of us mull over Theo’s words.
“Anyway,” Theo goes on, clearing his throat, “I’m glad you told me. I will make sure to keep an eye on the gossip about you two a little more closely so I can stay on top of things.”
I don’t say that he’s almost made me regret telling him at all, knowing that it would be stupid to engage in this thing with Ian without giving Theo a heads-up. It is what I pay him for, after all.
Ava shoots Theo a look, but blessedly changes the subject. “So what time is dinner tonight?”
“Seven,” I tell her. “They live on the other side of town, so Ian is picking me up at six.”
“Do you know what you’re going to wear?”
“No idea,” I sigh. “What do you wear when you’re meeting your…Well, when you’re meeting the ex-wife?”
“Something that accentuates your tits,” Theo says flippantly.
Ava and I both turn our heads to gape at him, but he just cocks an eyebrow. “What? I may not be attracted to them, but even I know they’re great tits.”
“He’s not wrong,” Ava chuckles. “Might as well give yourself all the confidence boosts you can.”
I shake my head at the both of them, grabbing my drink—yeah, it’s the same one Ian ordered for me when we first hung out here, because I’ve started drinking them again like a total sap—fiddling with the straw as I try to quell the nerves that flutter in my belly when I think about tonight.
It’s going to be fine, I tell myself. It’s a good thing that he wants me to meet her.
Maybe if I repeat it enough times, I’ll stop feeling like I might hurl.
“Was it your intention to make sure I can’t focus on anything anyone is saying tonight when you put on that dress?”
I can’t help the grin that forms on my lips, catching Ian’s disgruntled expression when I peek at him from the side while we’re walking up the driveway. “You don’t like it?”
“I like it too much,” he mutters.
“My friends said it would give me a confidence boost to accentuate my best features,” I tell him, gesturing at the scoop neckline.
Ian squeezes my hand, pulling it up to his lips to brush them against the back of my knuckles. “While it is a very good feature, I wouldn’t say it’s your best.”
