Page 69 of Say It Isn't So

Allie rolled her eyes. “Har. Har. Forget it.”

“Yes, let’s,” I agreed, my gaze scanning the room for our father. Instead, though, I found Knox strolling in. He looked positively delicious in a red designer suit.

When his eyes met mine, I looked down to check my dress—not just any dress either—a Paolo Gicchio original. He’d pulled it from the archives just for me—a nude dress with a sheer bodice and flared skirt. And I’d paired it with towering black heels. “You’re blushing. Did you just spot your boyfriend?” Perla whispered in my ear, scaring me. My heart raced since I’d been in my head.

I gave her a look that said you’re such a know-it-all and replied, “I don’t see Dad, so I was thinking about going over there. Big deal.”

Allie coughed. “That’s a horrible idea. Now’s not the time to go flaunting whatever it is that’s going on between you two.”

I looked at Knox, who was across the room now, taking a glass of champagne from a passing tray. “Dad knows we’re friends.”

Perla chuckled, clearly not buying what I was saying. “Telling that to Dad is one thing, but he wasn’t a fool years ago and he’s not going to be one now. He’ll see right through that. You two are pretty obvious.”

“Yeah, sparks practically fly when you’re together,” Allie put in. “Plus, Knox is a lot more man than I remember him being.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

Frankie kept quiet.

Maria finally said, “Well, I, for one, think you should go for it. So what if Dad thinks it’s a bad idea.”

I quirked a brow, letting go of my earlier question. “What the heck is wrong with you?” Please don’t tell me this was the one night Maria decided to indulge and have a little too much to drink.

She waved a hand in front of her face. “Nothing. It’s a long story. I’m just sick of the men in our lives thinking they know what’s best for us.”

“And when you say men inourlives, you’re talking about yourself. So, Dad and Dom?” Perla asked.

“I’m a grown woman with a daughter. If I want to have drinks with a guy, then that’s my choice. Dom can be so—” she cut herself off, shaking her head. “Never mind. This is about you, Bibi. So go over there and be with the man you want to be with.”

Confused now more than ever, I shook my head but zeroed in on the most important thing she’d said—“Maria’s right. I don’t care. I’m going over there.”

Crossing the room, I took each step in stride, my whole focus on Knox. If I could’ve willed him to look up at me, I would’ve, but his back was to me since he just finished talking with a man.

With so many people milling about, talking, drinking, and enjoying the music as they waited to take their seats for the show to start, I looked for Dad again, but still didn’t see him.

The coast is clear.

Reaching Knox, I walked up behind him and snaked my arms around his waist. He immediately held my arms and turned around. His eyes were narrowed as he warned, “Bianca, we have to be careful.”

“My dad is nowhere in sight,” I assured him. And this gave me an opportunity to have a few minutes alone with him, something I really wanted. Especially if it meant smelling that earthy and woodsy scent that was uniquely Knox.

He grinned and placed a hand on my hip. “Good, then I can revel in your beauty all I want.” His eyes gazed over my body appreciatively. “You really do look beautiful, Bianca.”

My cheeks heated and I looked up, meeting his gaze. “You look quite handsome yourself,” I said, fingering his lapels. “This dark red is a great color on you.”

His eyes were diverted, so I followed his gaze to find a hand waving wildly. It was Allie, trying to get my attention. When I spotted her, she tilted her head in the direction of our father in a corner talking to Paolo.

As if we’d read each other’s minds, we dropped our hands in unison, and Knox cleared his throat. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he said, “So this is quite the turnout. Everything looks great.”

I chuckled. “My dad would love to hear that. You might just get in his good graces if you tell him what a good job he’s done.”

“Something tells me your father isn’t one to care about the opinions of others.”

“True,” I said, casually taking a step back and looking over to spot Dad again. “Maria worked really hard on this collaboration, too, so I’m happy we got so many influencers and press to come so they can feature it.”

Knox swallowed and looked around nervously, but played along, saying, “The more publicity, the better. I’ll be sure someone from the editorial team features it on the blog.”

“Knox, you don’t have to do that.” I’d been in this industry long enough to know that unless you were paying or getting preferential treatment for some reason or another, you were relegated to roundups. And if your designs didn’t fit the bill, then they were out. It was just the way it worked.

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