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Dennis stiffened. “Ex-wife.”
I waited for the inevitable verbal artillery barrage.
If break-ups were on a continuum from cordial to murderous, the papers had categorized theirs as one step short of bloodshed, and the legal aftermath still raged, with her claiming he’d misrepresented the situation and hidden assets. Her demands for more were still ongoing, I’d gathered from the news sites.
Her glare at me was cold enough to freeze a cup of coffee. “Dennis, I saidin private.”
Dennis moved his gaze to the table. “I’m in a meeting, Melissa. If you want to talk, make an appointment with Cindy on your way out.” He made a point of not looking at her. “For next month.”
She ignored the put-off. “I’m on the organizing committee for the museum fundraiser, and think you and I should go to your father’s gala together. It’s what he would want.” Her voice had a fake sweetness so syrupy it would have attracted flies if we’d been outside.
Dennis’s jaw clenched. “Not in a million years.”
The insult bounced right off her. “Don’t be impetuous, Dennis. You know that’s your weakness. We should both do it for Lloyd. We did it last year.”
The woman’s eyes were cold as death. It was abundantly clear why she was now theexMrs. Benson. She was the kind of bitch who deserved to be kicked out of the female category for giving the rest of us a bad reputation.
Maybe I couldn’t screw up Dennis’s life today, but it sure seemed this woman could.
I knew his father, Lloyd Benson, was the chairman of the museum, but she was insinuating a deeper backstory than that.
Dennis shifted, clearly off balance with this woman. “And last year was the last time. I’ll be taking someone else this year.” His jaw twitched.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly. You’re married to this job—you always have been—and I checked the seating chart. You’re not going with anyone.”
Perhapswitchwas a better description for her.
“You’re going with me,” she concluded.
Dennis didn’t say anything. He wasn’t a good liar, and she seemed to know it.
Melissa was here to create trouble, and if she was trying to ruin his bank account, and I was out to ruin his reputation, we were aligned, in an odd way. I didn’t like her, but we had the same end goal.
The witch advanced a step.
Dennis was quiet, seeming to search for an answer.
She’d unnerved the great Dennis Benson, not an easy feat.
I saw my opportunity to strike a blow and took it. “I’mgoing with him.”
I slid close to Dennis and put my arm around his waist. An even-more pissed off ex-wife would certainly screw up Dennis’s day. Mom would have been proud of me.
I chalked the icy stare I got from her up as a win. She was steaming mad, the kind of mad that would make her dangerous if there were sharp objects handy.
Dennis snaked a hand around my waist and moved me closer yet. When he looked down at me, his smile was oddly warm and appreciative.
I didn’t flinch. Instead I upped the ante against his ex. I welded myself to his side. “Isn’t that right, Denny?”
Melissa’s face went red with fury.
Dennis looked down at me. “And I’m so glad you said yes, Angel.” He gave me a squeeze.
Calling me Angel? I hadn’t seen that coming. But it was my signal to smile up at him.
“I’m so looking forward to it.” I turned to her. “I’ve heard so much about it, but this will be my first time.”
Her Witchiness huffed audibly. “I don’t believe it for a second.”
