“I know, it’s not...” I blushed and looked down, sweeping a stray curl back out of my face. “Clearly, it’s not something I would usually—why are you making that face?!”
“I’m sorry,” he bit his lip with a grin, “it’s just...I’ve taken off that dress many times.”
Many, many times.
My face blanched, as my hands nervously smoothed it down. “Well, believe it or not, it was actually the warmest dress I could find. And by warmest, I mean...”
He laughed softly.
“I know exactly what you mean.”
Of course he did. He had fucking dated the girl.
...in this dress.
All at once, I felt incredibly uncomfortable.
“You know what—I’m just going to call a cab and go home really quick to change. I’ll be back in less than an hour, and then the two of us can sit down and come up with a list of—”
“Absolutely not—we’re going out!”
He grabbed my wrist in a blur of speed, and started pulling me towards the door. I looked around desperately for Louise—surely she wouldn’t allow me to wear such a thing—but he had already pushed the door for the elevator, and before I knew it, we were heading down.
“Nick,” I pulled the coat protectively around me, an unintentionally pleading tone coloring my voice, “wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do—I can meet you there, okay? There’s no need for me to—”
He held up a silencing hand, staring down at me with a slight frown.
“Ms. Wilder, you were contracted to be my publicist, isn’t that right?”
This again. Shit.
I sighed and bowed my head.
“Yes.”
His eyes twinkled.
“And as my publicist, it’s your responsibility to be available whenever I go out into the public eye, correct? To be on hand in case there’s any...trouble?”
I didn’t like the sound of this.
“...yes.”
His face lit up with another victorious smile.
“In that case—I’m afraid I’m going to need you around. And furthermore, I’m afraid there won’t be any time for you to change out of that incredible dress.”
My teeth clenched, but I forced my glare into a dangerously sweet smile.
“And what might we be doing, pray tell?”
The doors opened, and he gazed out towards the horizon.
“Today...we’re going to get into a little trouble.”
Chapter 9
THE PLAYERS: NICHOLAS Hunter and Abigail Wilder.