She was dressed and ready within an hour again, just as she was last night.
Jordan was waiting for her when she emerged. The tux he had on tonight was darker than yesterday’s and appeared almost navy blue where the light hit it a certain way. It brought out the dark specks of his eyes in a subtle yet noticeable way. He held his arm out to her.
“Again. You look phenomenal, Ms. Raffi. I like the hair down that way. And that dress may as well have been made specifically for you. But did you perhaps forget to pack a second dress?”
Jess blinked at him. Did he like the dress or not? “I packed two dresses. I just happen to really like this one.”
Jordan studied her up and down. She knew she wasn’t imagining the appreciation she saw in his eyes. “There’s no denying it flatters you. But if you’re unhappy with the second choice, I did mention there’s a boutique downstairs, fully at your disposal. It’s your decision, of course.”
Damned right it was. So why were they even having this conversation?
“I don’t need to visit your boutique, Jordan.” She lifted her chin. “I’m ready to go.”
He hesitated for the briefest moment, then simply offered her his elbow without another word.
A nagging sense of unease washed over her as they made their way downstairs. Jordan was smiling at her politely; nothing in his demeanor struck her as odd or unwarranted. But there was definitely something off in the air between them. It had appeared as soon as he’d mentioned the boutique again in his apartment. Well, it was much too late to second-guess any of it now. Within moments she was stepping out of the limo once more as she had last night.
Jess realized her mistake immediately. This event was different than the awards ceremony. Much different. Clearly, this was a much bigger deal. An actual red carpet led up to the wide glass door. Unlike the few photographers that had awaited them yesterday evening, an actual gaggle of paparazzi greeted them. The flash almost blinded her and she had to grab at Jordan’s forearm to keep from stumbling. By the time they made it inside and to their table, Jess was more than ready to sit down.
“I’ll take that drink a bit earlier tonight,” she informed Jordan. He didn’t have to call the server over this time; a young lady with a tray appeared almost immediately and handed them each a flute of bubbly champagne.
The auction started about half an hour later. Jordan bid an exorbitant amount on some type of sailing package she didn’t know enough about boats to understand. He ended up winning it.
The auctioneer moved on to the next item just as a rather plump, short man in a tan suit and leather hat approached their table.
“Jordan, my dear boy.” He spoke with a tangy Southern drawl. Texan, to be more specific. “I was hoping I would see you here. It’s been a while.” The man turned his attention to Jess even as he shook Jordan’s hand.
“Nice to see you, too, Teddy.” Jordan stood to greet him and Jess followed suit to be polite.
“And who is this lovely lady you have with you?” Teddy asked before Jordan even had a chance to start an introduction. Jess noticed how slurry he was pronouncing his words. His Texas accent didn’t quite explain why his Ls sounded more like Ws. Teddy had clearly started imbibing much earlier in the evening. Though he seemed pleasant enough.
“Meet Ms. Jessalyn Raffi.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Raffi,” Teddy told her.
“Please call me Jess.”
“All right, then,” Teddy drawled. “Which agency you with, little lady?”
“Agency?”
He winked at her. “You don’t want to tell me who represents you, then?”
Jess blinked at him in confusion.
“Jess isn’t a model,” Jordan explained. Well, that certainly told her a lot about Jordan’s dating history, didn’t it?
Teddy’s eyebrows shifted upward. “She isn’t?”
“She’s a dear friend,” Jordan responded.
“Uh-huh. Sure.” Teddy studied her up and down before continuing. “In any case. Jess. I’m glad you’re here. With Jordan.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that and could have sworn she heard Jordan groan then swear under his breath.