“Why do you need me to respond? You know I’m expected to be there, so I’ll be there.” He dropped his pen. “Why does Park want me there for this thing anyway? I’ve been swamped with getting the new tourism board stuff off the ground. Why pull me into this meet and greet? He doesn’t need me for that.”
Deb leaned an arm on his desk. “Park likes you. Most of the city council is going to be there tonight. Your tourism board thing is working. I think Park wants to show you off. You’re the face of it after all.”
Kevin rolled his eyes. He didn’t need to be the face of anything.
“Speaking of . . .” She pointed in a circle at him. “You might want to do something about yours. You’re looking a little ragged these days.”
Kevin scrubbed a hand over his chin. Damn. He’d forgotten to shave again.
“The scruff isn’t half bad, but the dark circles that say you haven’t slept won’t win you any awards.”
“Good thing I’m not looking for any.” He grew more suspicious by the minute with this conversation. “Why are you really here, Deb?” It wasn’t like her to stop by to chat.
“Some of us are a little worried about you.”
“Us?” Who the hell even paid attention to him?
“Look, I’ve tried the nice approach, but that’s not working. And let’s face it, I suck at beating around the bush. Sheila noticed first, you know, since you walk past her desk every morning. You’ve scared no fewer than three interns with your growling this week. You look like hell, O’Malley. What’s going on with you?”
He really didn’t want to bring his personal life into the office. He never did, and it had served him well over the years. “Nothing. Haven’t been sleeping well.”
Her snort would’ve rivaled any Moira would’ve given him. “Yeah, I believe that. Guess that means it’s woman trouble. Do I want to know what you did to screw it up?”
“First, I’m not discussing my personal life with you. Second, even if I were, what’s to say I was the one who screwed up?”
“Because most of the time, it’s the guy who does the screwing up. I’m sorry your love life is a mess, and I hate to be the bearer of inconvenient news, but your girl is providing the flowers and centerpieces for tonight. Hope that won’t be a problem.”
“No problem with me.” Except when Deb referred to Kathy as his girl it was like a knife to his heart. Yeah, he still thought of her as his, and it was painful to remind himself that she didn’t want him to have those thoughts.
Deb stood and smoothed her already perfect skirt. “See you tonight then. You might want to go home and take a nap or something. Stay away from the hair of the dog though. You won’t make a good impression on the council members if you smell of whiskey.”
Then she spun on her heel and left. Deb was a sharp woman, both in speech and intellect. She was downright frightening. Kevin processed everything she’d said. He needed to make a good impression with the city council. Chicago was still very much a you-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours kind of city.
But more importantly, Kathy might be there, especially if he showed up early enough. He could totally arrive during setup under the pretense of work and be able to see her. He hadn’t seen her since he’d shown up drunk at her apartment last weekend and even then he’d only seen a glimpse of her through a partially open door.
He closed his computer and cleared his desk. Tonight he’d make his move. Seeing Kathy would be a test. If she looked as miserable as he felt, he’d confront her. But if she looked like she’d moved on, unaffected by their breakup, he would accept that Jimmy was right. He can’t make her want him or fight for them. And maybe he was wrong all along and she didn’t love him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kevin had talked with Marnie on his way home to make sure she planned on being at the meet and greet. They both needed to promote the partnership to the city council together. She assured him that not only would she be there, but that she’d also worked with Deb closely to fix another ball Brent had dropped. She’d personally contacted venues and caterers and event coordinators and then Kevin tuned her out because he didn’t give a damn who would be in attendance.
He showered and considered shaving, but decided not to. He’d grown accustomed to the scruff. He trimmed it a little and thought about maybe growing a beard. He wore a suit even though he would’ve preferred jeans and a T-shirt. The lack of sleep, the overconsumption of alcohol, and constant tug of sadness couldn’t be disguised by a suit, no matter how classy.
He drove to the venue and entered through the back entrance, as if he needed to make sure things were on track. He scoped the area looking for Deb, Kathy, or Anna, but only found the catering staff. He went into the dining area and saw Deb barking orders stiffly at the head caterer. She could be such a hard-ass sometimes. But the caterer took it in stride. Deb turned and saw him. She didn’t say anything, but gave him a look with an arched brow.
He held his arms out for her to inspect his appearance. She offered a sharp nod and went back to her business. He returned to his quiet search for Kathy. The front door opened, and Kathy came in carrying two small centerpieces. She didn’t look up or notice him at all. She was completely focused on her task. She placed the centerpieces on tables and then walked the room making small adjustments.
She didn’t look out of sorts,
