“Unfortunately, yes. But the real question she was asking was…who was going to be my plus one. I know I didn’t specifically mention this when we made our arrangement, but Michael is bound to be there, and if I go solo, it might arouse some suspicions. So…I was kind of hoping that you might be willing to go with me?”
For a brief moment, Dominic wished that Kate had asked him to go because she wanted to be there with him. Not because she had some appearance to make—and especially not for Michael. But he shook it off. Despite their attraction for each other, this thing between them wasn’t real. “They still do that sort of thing? Formal engagement parties?”
“The Vaughns do. Payton’s mother was on the phone with the country club the minute after Payton flashed them her ring. They’re pulling out all the stops. Believe me, Payton’s excitement level for this thing is barely higher than mine. But she knows a losing battle when she sees one.”
He pretended to think about it for a minute. “Since we wouldn’t want to disappoint Michael with my absence, I don’t see how I have much choice. Please tell me I don’t have to wear a monkey suit.”
From the way Kate cringed and tried to smile, he got his answer.
“You owe me big.”
“Yeah. Believe me, I’m not looking forward to this thing any more than you. In fact, you’ll probably enjoy yourself more.” She shuddered.
It was the same reaction she’d given at hearing the invite to Glenda’s and later his parents’ for dinner. He had to ask. “So what gives? I mean, no one likes to go to parties where they don’t know anyone, but you seem to have an especially low tolerance for these things than I would say is normal.”
“Let’s just say my experience has taught me to be wary of social occasions. Most people are usually subtle enough not to come right out and ask about your family’s background, your social connections, the amount of your investment portfolio and where you vacation every year. Usually weaving the questions in just when you’re starting to feel comfortable. Not Michael’s parents. They don’t pull any punches.”
“Sounds like a bunch of assholes. Where the hell do you find people like that?”
She shrugged. “Guess I’ve just been lucky. Take for instance the Vaughns, Payton’s family. Well, her mother, anyway. Emily Vaughn. Everything for her is about impressing people. The right people, that is. She can be pretty scary, not helped by the fact she totally loathes me.”
“You?” He dumped some chips on his now empty plate. “If I were laying bets, especially considering I haven’t met your friend yet, I would bet on you being the levelheaded one in that friendship, keeping Payton on the straight and narrow. Not the other way around.”
“No. That sounds about right.” She smiled softly and paused, as if remembering something before continuing. “Mrs. Vaughn’s dislike stemmed more from the fact I was the charity case. Payton was supposed to be hanging out with other rich kids who had successful parents and good connections that Mrs. Vaughn could brag about. I was on”—she lowered her voice—“scholarship.”
Anger twisted his gut at the possibility that anyone could make Kate feel like she wasn’t good enough. Especially a younger, more impressionable Kate, whose life had been plenty tough. “Sounds like a bitch. Hope you didn’t take her opinion to heart.”
She shrugged. “It’s easier now, but when I was twelve, not so much. You should have seen the look she gave me the first time Payton invited me to go skating with her.” She laughed, but it was a short, dry laugh that he could tell cost her. “My grams was on Social Security and what with all the school fees, books, and uniforms that my scholarship didn’t cover, we were just getting by. Spare cash wasn’t a luxury we had. So instead of handing over the cash for my admission, Grams ran over to the window of Mrs. Vaughn’s shiny black Lexus and handed her a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. You should have seen the horror on Emily Vaughn’s face. A used Kleenex would have been less abhorrent.” Kate paused at the memory, a sad smile twisting her lips. “She’s been giving me that same look ever since.”
One thing was for sure, things were going to get really interesting when he met up with this heartless bitch. But for now, he pretended that Kate’s words hadn’t ripped at his heart. “But Payton didn’t care,” he prodded her as she paused to stare out the window a second too long.
She smiled. “No. Payton didn’t mind. She’s not like her mother. Used to love coming over for sleepovers, just to get away. We’d camp out in a tent in the backyard and stay up way too late eating Red Vines and reading each other contraband romance novels that I’d found in Grams’s closet. I got lucky when I met her.”
He imagined a younger, more gawky Kate, with long red braids like in her grams’s picture. Mischievous. Funny. Undoubtedly sarcastic. But with a heart of gold.
Until people like the Vaughns and the Langfords came along and ripped away her self-worth. Made her doubt herself.
That wasn’t going to happen at this party if he could help it. If he left Kate with one thing, it would be that she really was worth more than all of them. And that the little girl with the freckles and toothy grin was still inside. Ready to find happiness. A fearless happiness.
If she would only let herself.
But instead, he said only, “I’d say you both got lucky.”
…
“Promise me you’ll give this guy a call, Dominic. I’ve seen his work and it’s great. He promised to work something out for a reasonable price.” She paused and her voice turned suspiciously soft. “It’s time. Dad will understand.”
Cruz entered the room and placed a coffee on Dominic’s desk and went to his own.
“Yeah, y
eah. Got it, Benny. Email me the details. Look, I’ve got to go. Cruz just got in and we have some numbers to go over.”
He dropped the phone to the desk as he heard Cruz laugh softly. “Numbers, huh? And she actually bought that?”
Dominic ignored him and looked down, trying to remember what he’d been doing before his sister had called. She was really pushing him to get a website going for his business. Not that it was a bad idea, and it certainly was something he’d been thinking about for some time, but…
It was a big step.