It’s not like we’re best friends or even on the way to becoming that, but after he picked me up in the rain, I thought we were making progress in squashing the animosity between us. But I guess I was wrong.
I find the bathroom and rest my purse on the counter, staring back at my reflection in front of me. I reach up to remove the bobby pins in my hair and the clip holding it up, letting my thick, dark brown strands fall down over my shoulders. The ends are still curled so it doesn’t look half bad.
And neither does my outfit, while I’m on the subject of my appearance. My mother can kick rocks. I have on a white silk blouse and a navy-blue skirt—professional but still adding a touch of sexiness. I knew I wouldn’t have time to change between rushing from the office to make it over here on time, so I figured this outfit would be good enough. Apparently I was wrong about that too.
After reapplying my lip gloss, fluffing my hair, and using the toilet, I grab my purse and muster up as much energy as I can to plaster a smile on my face for the next two hours so my parents are happy and I can go home as soon as possible to pass out after a long week.
“Sydney.” A voice that sounds eerily familiar calls out to me from behind. And as I turn around, I instantly wish I had invisibility powers.
“Andrew.” I flash him a tight-lipped smile while wondering how long I have to stand here.
“You look lovely tonight.” His dark blue eyes bounce up and down my body in a slow gaze that doesn’t heat me up, but instead makes my stomach churn.
“Thank you.”
“How are you? Did you get my flowers?”
Ah, yes. The flowers he sent a few weeks ago that I never responded to.
“Oh, yes. Thank you. I told my assistant to send a thank you note, but it must have slipped her mind.”
His eyes narrow at me before he relaxes again. “No worries. So, have you thought about when I can take you out?” His feet move a few steps closer so now there’s only a few inches between our bodies. People are milling around us, conversing and garnering deals while the clatter of plates and dishes rings out from the kitchen as they prepare dinner.
“I’m so busy, Andrew …” I start, but he cuts me off, leaning in so he can lower his voice.
“The sooner you accept that we belong together, the easier this will be.” His words come out in a condescending whisper, and it instantly makes my hackles raise.
I step back and place my free hand over my heart as it beats erratically. “Excuse me?”
“Our parents are not going to rest until we end up together, so you might as well just give in.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that what they wanted mattered.”
Andrew huffs out a half-assed laugh. “I didn’t take you for naïve, but apparently you’re forgetting who you are. You are Sydney Matthews and you have a reputation to uphold. We both do. Our relationship would do wonders for us both in our social circle.”
I clench my jaw again, my temples pounding while I try to remain calm. “I’m not naïve. I’m just not a piece of property that can be wheeled and dealed. I don’t want to date you, Andrew. And the sooner you realize it, the better.”
His lips curl up in a patronizing grin before he raises his glass of bourbon to his lips. “You’ll come around eventually.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” I storm off to find our table before being stopped by my father.
“I see you were talking to Andrew,” he says through a mile wide smile.
“Talking is relative.”
His face falls when he senses my annoyance. “You should just give him a chance. You two have so much in common.”
“I don’t want to have this discussion here, Dad. Let’s just eat.”
The mayor comes over the microphone and asks everyone to take a seat as dinner is served. I sit in my cushioned chair silently, eavesdropping on the conversations milling around me while trying to avoid Andrew’s stare across the table.
My father dotes about my accomplishments and work with my firm as I smile and answer when appropriate. My mother brags about my brothers graduating from college in just a few short weeks. His buddies ask about his court cases and how his next big profile case is coming up next month, which sparks a debate about privacy and security.
I zone out for who knows how long until a throat clearing next to me pulls back to the present.
“Join me for a drink out on the terrace?” Andrew is standing behind me with an outstretched hand as our entire table watches our interaction. I could kill him right now for putting me in a predicament where I clearly can’t tell him no.
So I fake a sincere smile and stand, reaching for my purse from the floor. “Sure.”
“Aw, young love is in the air,” my father sing songs as the table snickers and Andrew places his hand on the small of my back, leading me outside.
As soon as we clear the doors, I step out of his reach and turn to face him. “That was uncalled for.”
“Nonsense. That’s called being smart.”
“By putting me in a position where I can’t say no.”
All he does is smile knowingly with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I just wish you’d give us a chance, Sydney.” My eyes move across his features while I ponder just for a minute if I would even want to consider his offer. His dirty blonde hair is combed to the side, dark blue eyes stare back at me as he waits for my answer, and although Andrew is tall and relatively fit, I can think of a man whose muscles are far more appealing to me at this moment.
I shake my head, frustrated for the seventeenth time
