Page 80 of Hula Girl

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” I say, and they both turn to me. “I just need to get my mother home. But I wanted to thank you so much for this evening. It was lovely.”

Senior nods slowly, his eyes leaving mine to scan my body.

It’s been such a draining day. I’m emotionally exhausted from everything I’ve learned about Randall. I don’t have the patience to endure this casual disrespect.

“Hey,” I say sharply, and his eyes bounce back up to mine. “That’s better.”

Ford laughs. “She doesn’t tolerate creeps,” he explains with a shrug when his father glares at him.

“Anyway, thanks again,” I say.

“I’ll put you in touch with Paige,” Senior says. “I’m sure she’d love to help plan the wedding.”

“Uh, sure.” I look at Ford. “Can you walk me out, babe?”

“Of course.” He looks at his father. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“What were you talking about?” I ask when we’re far enough away not to be overheard by his father.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? Seemed like you had an intense conversation going on there.”

“No, not really.”

I look up at him to find his face frustratingly impassive.

“Ford,” I say, but he doesn’t look at me. We’ve stopped walking and are alone on the first of two landings on the wide staircase that leads up to the house. “Listen, I’m tired. Today has been … a day. So, please don’t play games with me. What is going on?”

He sighs. “I was just trying to assure my father that what you said yesterday at the office wasn’t true. That you and Iaren’tplotting to take business away from the firm.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. That’s all he cares about.”

He rubs the back of his neck before pulling his tie loose. Though he seems agitated, he’s never looked sexier.

“Hey, how about you leave with us?” I say playfully. “After we drop off my mom, we can go back to my place. As hot as you look in this suit, I’d love to get you out of it.”

There’s a twitch at the corner of his mouth before he shoots me down. “I, uh, should probably go back and reinforce what I already told him. I just need to be sure he chills out. He’s kind of agitated about it.”

“He’ll be fine,” I tell him dismissively. It’s odd to see him so preoccupied by what his father thinks. All he’s ever wanted is to be free of him. “Let’s go.”

He hesitates, looking around, looking anywhere but at me. We’re alone, with most guests having left and the remaining dozen or so clustered with their backs to us as they stand at the bar down in the garden.

“I just need to be sure he’s good, okay?” he says, still distracted.

I wait a beat. Wait for him to say that he’ll meet me at my place later. Wait for him to make some sexy suggestion for what we’ll do together. But his head is somewhere else. He doesn’t say a word.

I can’t help but feel rejected. He’s leaving LA soon. We both know it’s unlikely we’ll see each other again. The fact that he’s not interested in spending every spare second with me before then is a rude awakening. It feels like now that I’ve served my purpose in this fiancée game, he has no use for me.

“Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do,” I say and start up the steps once more.

“Ava,” he says, his voice flat.

That inflection tells me he doesn’t want to fight about this. That he doesn’t want to put in the effort to make this better. So, I don’t turn back, and I don’t stop walking. I do, however, start to feel deep regret over how I allowed my heart to be toyed with by this Surfer Boy.

“Stop,” he calls after me.

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