Page 49 of Always

As she was working away on her computer, she saw a message pop up from Calvin. He must have had his own laptop open at home and noticed that she was accessing the system.

Anything wrong?he wrote.

Not at all,Anika said.Just getting a jump on the week.

After a pause, he typed,You need some help? I could come down?

No!she said.That’s really nice of you, Calvin, but just enjoy your weekend.

Alright,he wrote with apparent relief.I’m binge-watching Game of Thrones again with Joslyn.

You’re not going to freak out again about the ending, are you?Anika asked.

I’m still team Dany,Calvin said.That city had it coming.

Anika rolled her eyes and went back to work.

So the week went on, in great effort, with Gwen coming in promptly Monday morning, and Hannah arriving to cheers on Tuesday afternoon. After she finished regaling Calvin with a much-embellished version of events—in which she fell down a twenty-foot cliff and barely survived the journey down the mountain—she settled down to work admirably, catching up on a good portion of what she had missed.

Anika noticed that Hannah’s cast was indeed flawlessly wrapped, and that in between feverish bouts of typing on her keyboard, she was giggling and texting on her phone even more than usual. Anika also noticed that James didn’t pick Hannah up for lunch any of the days that week, though she didn’t comment on this to Hannah or Gwen.

That Thursday, with Dominic in a better state, Marco asked Anika if she would join them for dinner at Gallow Green, the rooftop restaurant of the McKittrick Hotel.

Anika dressed carefully. Though she’d known Dominic since childhood, she felt a strange sense of nervousness at joining him for dinner as his son’s girlfriend instead of merely his business partner’s daughter. She knew Dominic had a soft spot for her, but she felt somehow that she would have to impress him anew. She was almost more anxious than she would have been meeting someone entirely unknown.

She styled her hair in long, soft waves and wore one of her favorite dresses from the Bennet Knight line of three years past. It was simpler than many of her father’s designs, a perfectly-fitted gray-blue silk that she knew complimented her dark hair and blue eyes. She wore the earrings from her mother’s sapphire set.

Bennet was reading a book on the couch when she passed through the living area. He was aware of her plans for the evening, and Anika suspected he had been lying in wait to ensure she was dressed appropriately.

“Is that one of mine?” he asked, examining her closely.

She knew her father never forgot a single one of his designs. He would sometimes point out his own pieces as they walked down the street, commenting contemptuously if he didn’t approve of how they were paired, or lighting up with joy if he noticed a particular favorite, or something vintage he hadn’t seen in a long while.

“Yes, it’s yours,” Anika said. “I know how everybody at Bennet Knight likes to see them in the wild.”

“I don’t know if Dominic will recognize it,” Bennet sniffed. “Not without the P and L sheet stapled to it.”

“I don’t think that’s fair,” Anika said gently. “Dominic loves your work.”

“And what about you? You didn’t like anything fromthissummer’s line?” Bennet said, not mollified.

“This one’s my favorite dress,” Anika said simply. It was true, and Bennet was pleased at last.

“Well, you have good taste,” he said. “It’s a classic.”

Bennet could give no higher compliment. Despite her exasperation with her father, Anika couldn’t help feeling a flush of warmth from his rare approval.

There was more to come:

“You look beautiful,” he said gruffly. “Your mother would be proud of you. She’d be glad to see you like this: happy, in love, making a success of yourself.”

Since Bennet never talked about Eleanor if he could help it, Anika knew he had made this statement for her benefit. But she was uneasy, because she knew he didn’t see her work at Red Line as “successful.” She supposed he was referring to her relationship with Marco.

Not a romantic, Bennet viewed matchmaking like a feudal lord, as a way to make alliances and progress one’s standing. And apparently, he saw this evening as an important step toward solidifying her position with the Morettis.

“Good luck tonight,” he said, tucking back a lock of her hair that had fallen forward over her shoulder.

“Thanks, Dad,” Anika said quietly.

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