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The panic disappeared and she smiled. She nodded and let go of his hand.
He went to the restroom and took a few extra minutes to collect his thoughts. When he’d gathered himself sufficiently, he went to the bar to refresh their drinks.
“Two old-fashioneds,” he requested.
“You helped get the dancing started,” a woman said at his side.
He turned slightly to face her. She was in a long, black, glittery gown, but it was her gorgeous red hair that stole the show. He nodded in answer to her statement, trying to figure out if he knew her from somewhere.
“You make a lovely couple,” she observed with a knowing smile.
“Not a couple,” he replied tightly as he flipped a few dollars into the bartender’s tip glass.
“Are you sure about that?” she asked, she signaled the bartender for her own drink.
André turned. He spotted Nikki immediately. She was laughing at something Tyrone was saying, her face the picture of joy and freedom and everything he wanted in his life.
She didn’t need him coming into her stable life and making a mess of it.
“I already ruined any hope of that,” he said sadly.
Why was he confessing things to a stranger? He hadn’t even said these things to his sister yet.
“Why do you think that is?” she asked.
He took a breath, already knowing the answer.
“Because I have daddy issues,” he said.
Wow, just spill all your deepest, most embarrassing secrets to the Bond Girl, André. Very smart.
“Who doesn’t?” the redhead quipped.
He snorted and looked at her again. He still couldn’t figure out where he knew her from.
“Here.” She handed him a business card. “Tell him Sandra sent you and you’ll get a discount on your first two sessions.”
“A therapist, huh?” he asked, staring at the information on the card. He knew he sounded skeptical but internally he was thinking what a good idea it was.
“Daddy issues aren’t a death sentence.” She patted his shoulder, took her drink, and walked away.
André tucked the card in his pocket, gathered his drinks, and returned to Nikki.
He hadn’t been able to figure out his issues on his own. Maybe it was time to call in professional reinforcements.
Because at the very least, he couldn’t risk his baggage damaging Nikki again.
* * *
NIKKI
She tried not to make it obvious that she was keeping an eye out for André.
After his unexpected confession on the dance floor, she worried he’d bolt.
And if he left her at this benefit on her own at a table full of his friends, she was going to kill him. After she made sure he was okay.
A fresh drink was placed on the table in front of her. She followed the arm up to André’s reserved smile and breathed a tiny sigh of relief.
