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She hung up.
Well. That was . . .
Pointless.
Oh God, what was wrong with her? She needed to get a grip. Now she was venting all her frustration at Davis? None of this was Davis’s fault. She groaned.
She opened up her messages app and sent him a quick heart emoji, just to make sure they were good. He sent one back immediately. There, all good.
Except she was still in her ex’s wedding along with her fake boyfriend who she kept kissing and who she’d practically swooned over when he’d stood up for her. While her (almost) boyfriend was on the other side of the country, “finking” about her. But other that that, things were great.
She glanced up at the clock on her computer screen. And she was due at a party featuring her ex-boyfriend, her fake boyfriend, their mom, and two hundred of New York’s elite in just a few hours.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Rainbow Room was humming with activity even though the guest of honor had yet to arrive. The place was just as he remembered it. Crystal chandeliers glowed above, and drinks flowed into the finest crystal stemware below. Mom was going to love her surprise party, even if she hadn’t been surprised by one of these things in a couple of decades.
Ryder had gotten there uncharacteristically early himself. Hell, being there at all was out of character. At least the other guests were leaving him mostly alone. They must have gotten out most of their judgmental commentary at the engagement party. Or else they were so disgusted with him at this point they’d just decided to pretend he was invisible.
He’d definitely get points from Cheryl for showing up—and before she made her grand entrance! Not that that was why he’d done it. He was there because Vic had asked him to meet her there, and apparently, he now did everything he could to please her. He didn’t dare risk being late.
He was so confused. He was supposed to still be seeing Vicky, that part of their arrangement was clear. But what their actual relationship was now, he had no idea.
All right, fine. He had some idea. He was into her. If he was honest, he may have been into her a little bit for years. And he had really thought she was into him. Not historically, obviously, but over the last few weeks.
He was rarely wrong about such things. Then again, the women in question were usually not too subtle. And none of them were anywhere near as sophisticated as Vicky.
As if he’d conjured her, Vicky appeared, gorgeous as always, wearing a fitted dress in deep blue that made her eyes seem to sparkle honey-gold. She was making her way through the sea of revelers, smiling and chatting with various people along the way. Any discomfort or frustration she’d felt with how this crowd had treated them at Noah’s engagement party was gone. Or at least any outward sign of it was. She was a pro at this. People. Society. Always poised and in control. He knew she’d been insecure lately, but he didn’t get it. She was a force of nature.
Women like Vicky didn’t end up with guys like him. He knew that.
Didn’t make him want her any less, though.
Was he really planning to keep playing the family screw-up forever? If you’d asked him a month ago, he’d have said sure. But if Vic wanted him to play nice permanently—if Vic wanted him—he just might do that for her.
The big question was, what did she want?
There was only one way to find out.
He threw back his drink, set it down on a passing waiter’s tray, and walked straight up to her. She was talking to several of his mom’s club friends.
“Excuse me, ladies.” He gave them a smooth smile before turning to Vicky, resting his hand on her arm. “Can we talk?”
“I . . .” She glanced back at the circle of middle-aged women around her, blushing. Of course, she wouldn’t want to appear rude by abruptly leaving the conversation. He should have thought of that. But frankly, what he had to say felt too urgent to wait anyway.
“Please,” he said softly, trying to convey with his eyes how important it was that he speak to her. He turned to the others. “My apologies, I . . . It’s . . . I really need to speak to her.”
He expected them to scoff or mutter disparaging remarks under their breath, but something in his expression must have worked some kind of magic—they were all gazing at him with soft if bemused expressions.
“Go on, Victoria,” one of them said. They all nodded.
“O-okay, I guess. It was nice chatting with you all.”
Ryder gave them a quick nod. Somewhere in the room someone yelled, “I just got a text. The Princes are on their way up!”
He didn’t have much time. He had to do this now, before his parents arrived and they had to go greet them and perform all the other social BS that would be expected of them. Who knew how long it would be before they got another opportunity to talk alone?
With new determination, he yanked Vic to his side, pulling her along until they reached a relatively empty section along the windowed wall. He let go of her arm, turning to face her. She gazed up into his eyes.
