His tanned throat convulsed as he swallowed. ‘Why wouldn’t it be?’
‘I don’t know—but you’re frowning. This is a really big deal, isn’t it?’
‘It is.’
‘Is that what’s bothering you? You don’t like parties? Because if you don’t I’d be happy to rent a movie on my laptop and eat popcorn.’
He shook his head, a reluctant smile starting at the edge of his mouth. ‘And what movie would you choose?’
‘I don’t know.’ She hunted around in her brain for one of her all-time favourites. ‘His Girl Friday?’
‘Never heard of it.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ she said. ‘They don’t show it often in Business School for Beginners.’
His eyes narrowed on her face, a curious light in his eyes. ‘What is your story, Poppy Connolly?’
‘My story?’ She almost laughed. ‘I’m probably the most boring person you’ll ever come across.’
‘Actually, you’re one of the most fascinating. Do you really not know that?’
‘Now you’re embarrassing me,’ she said softly. He couldn’t possibly mean that, not after the way he had rejected her upstairs.
‘I do mean it.’
She gave a soft laugh. ‘You read minds now?’
‘Your face is very expressive. It’s like you wear your heart on your sleeve.’
‘It’s my worst trait.’
She sighed. ‘Whereas your worst trait is that you aren’t expressive enough.’
‘Still, you manage to read me. How is that?’
‘I’m just observant, I guess. It comes from years of not fitting in.’ She smiled uneasily at having revealed something so personal about herself, forcing a lightness into her voice. ‘Am I going to be confronted tonight by an old girlfriend who will try and scratch my eyes out? Is that what’s bothering you?’
Sebastiano shook his head. ‘No. You will eat delicate canapés, sip the finest champagne and have a wonderful time.’
But what about you? she wanted to ask. If she didn’t know better, she would say he was dreading his grandparents’ party. ‘That’s a relief.’ She gave him another bright smile. ‘But, just so you know, I get fidgety when I’m nervous so I’ll apologise now if I embarrass you in some way.’
He glanced down at where her fingers were pleating the fabric of his jacket. ‘I had noticed that, yes.’
‘Oh, sorry,’ she muttered. ‘Maybe you should pinch me so I know this isn’t real.’
His eyebrow quirked. ‘Isn’t it supposed to be for the opposite reason? So you know something is real.’
‘No. This already feels too real for my liking. I need a hard reality check. Your family makes me feel like I fit in.’
‘You do fit in.’
‘Yeah, like a ballerina at a bullfight.’
Sebastiano threw his head back and laughed. ‘Look at me, Poppy.’ He sobered and reached out to tilt her chin up so that her eyes met his, a frisson of awareness darting between them. ‘You can fit in anywhere.’
Her heart bumped inside her chest. ‘That’s not true.’ She had tried many times before and never fit in. ‘And you know it.’
‘I know some people are callous snobs, but only you can let them reduce who you are.’