Page 35 of Be My Valentine

“Kate, you know I don’t always support her, but in this case…” he commented after being pulled into the matter “I think my sister is right. You should be there. You don’t have to come alone, if you have a boyfriend or fiancé, he can definitely accompany you.”

“I’m not dating anyone, however I could…” Kate was interrupted abruptly.

… ask Allie.

“You can come with Mark, he’s on his own too! He can go with you, right?”

“No problem.”

“Good, matter settled, of course you’ll pick her up or Hugh will come in the family car, don’t even try to say the word subway, Kate, not in a dress.”

The dress. She absolutely had to sort something out, without spending too much.

“Thursday night instead, at my parents’ house. You’re on it, Mark, you’re leaving from the same place. Oh, shoot, you’ll have to change at the office! Is that a problem?” Emma continued, unstoppable.

Another dress. Kate paled. What was she supposed to wear to a casual dinner at the home of one of the wealthiest families she’d ever met? She had no idea.

“No, you’re welcome.”

“Fine. I’ll go home and you guys get back to work.” Said Emma as she stood up and kissed first her brother and then Kate on the cheek.

The storm had passed, now she had to do damage control.

Chapter 15 / Mark

They really do love,

those who tremble

when saying they love.

(Philip Sidney)

Emma deserved a medal, was what Mark thought as soon as his sister left the cafeteria table. He now knew for sure that Kate was not seriously involved with someone and had gotten to accompany her to the event at the Plaza. Dinner at his parents’ house complicated things, but they really had asked to meet her, and Mark suspected his sister had something to do with it. Emma couldn’t hold her tongue and seeing him settled had become almost her goal in life. The combination of the two factors could only lead to one conclusion: she had been talking about Kate.

It still wasn’t the end of the world. She would be presented as a valuable contributor to the foundation.

Over the next few days Kate spent the mornings with Emma working out the final details, but Mark noticed that she had become even more taciturn and elusive: he wouldn’t have thought it possible, but there it was. Kate passed by his office at the speed of light and he had to make do with a few glances at her from afar. It was becoming torture. He had to talk to her, see her, observe her closely without raising too much chatter in the studio. One solution would have been to go to her house uninvited. Idiotic move, he acknowledged, but he had no options. He thanked his lucky stars when Annie Carson asked to leave early on a Wednesday night; the rumors were flying, but Annie was the queen: not having her around was a good start.

He saw Kate grab her coat and head for the exit with Meg, the only friend she had in there and the only one who would probably be discreet. They were the last to leave.

“Kate, could you stay for a moment?”

He saw her wince and blush when he said her name, instead Meg suppressed a smile and disappeared waving.

Mark re-entered his office and she followed.

“I hope I didn’t mess up your plans for the evening.”

“Yeah, I mean no, it was just… dinner. Meg’s husband is a firefighter, the shifts…” Mark sensed her embarrassment, after all, it was so blatant!

“I just wanted to know if everything was going well with your co-workers, if Mrs. Carson had given you any trouble after my sister’s visit.”

It was completely untrue; he was just dying to see her up close.

He saw that she wrinkled her brow.

“She’s actually been strangely distant from me.”