Page 39 of Wicked God
“Nine. At the Griffin Hotel.” She adjusts the flowers in her arms. “Nothing too fancy, just coffee and pastries. Some posed photos.”
“I’ll be there.” I pause, then add, “I’ll have my assistant clear my entire morning.”
She rolls her eyes, but I catch the hint of a smile. “It’s coffee, Alexander. It won’t take all morning.”
“Still,” I say, stepping back, “I like to be thorough.”
As I turn to leave, she calls after me. “Alexander?”
I look back, hope rising in my chest embarrassingly fast.
“Thank you. For the flowers. They’re exactly what I would have chosen.”
Pride swells within me as I walk out of the gallery. It’s a small victory, but it feels significant. She liked the flowers. She didn’t throw the card back in my face. And tomorrow, we’ll be seen in public together for the first time.
I’m halfway to my car when my phone buzzes. It’s Lauren.
“What’s up?” I answer, sliding into my car.
“Just checking if you’re coming to the party on Friday,” she says. “Father’s been asking.”
I grimace. Of course he has. “I’ll be there. With Olivia.”
“Oh!” Lauren’s voice rises with interest. “So it’s going well? The arrangement?”
I pause, unsure how to answer. Is it going well? I’m bringing her flowers and unlimited credit cards like some besotted fool. That wasn’t part of our original deal.
“It’s... progressing,” I say carefully. “Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“What’s that?”
“Did Father actually get you expelled from school, or was that just some scheme you and Cassandra cooked up to throw Olivia and me together?”
“I did get expelled, Cassandra just called me at the right time. When she first mentioned her plan, I thought she was crazy. But you sound different.”
“Different how?”
“Less... Alexander-y. Less controlled. It’s nice.”
I frown at her assessment as I pull into traffic. “I’m still very much in control.”
“Sure you are,” she teases. “That’s why you’re leaving work early and buying flowers. Very cold and calculated, my dear brother.”
“How did you—”
“I dropped by your office, and your assistant said you’d already left for the day. Again. Third time this week, Alex. People will start to think you actually have a life.”
“Hilarious,” I say, voice flat. “You’d better get ready for the party, too. I’m not telling Father about Olivia until it’s all over social media.”
“You’re trying to kill us, aren’t you?” She laughs. “Father is going to lose his mind when he finds out you’ve been keeping this from him.”
“I know.” I can’t help smiling, even with the confrontation looming. “But in this case, I’d rather ask forgiveness than permission. “
Chapter 19
Alexander
The flash of cameras catches me off guard as Olivia and I emerge from my town car. I pull her closer to me, my arm wrapping protectively around her waist.
