Page 33 of Royal Charmer
Pride stung, I provide the information Lucas was too gobsmacked by model beauty to impart. “I’m Alice, his fiancée.”
She bursts out laughing. “Right! Who are you really? His assistant?” She turns to Lucas, smiling like this is a fantastic joke.
Now I wish I could shrinkintothe wallpaper.
Lucas bristles. “Why is that so hard to believe? I can’t have a committed relationship?” He’s offended at the possibility of an insult to himself, completely missing the obvious—she thinks I’m not in his league.
She gives me a sideways look, the disdain clear on her flawless face. “She’s not your usual type.”
“Maybe I wanted a change,” he bites out.
Which is not a compliment at all. It’s an acknowledgment that I’m not in his league. Suddenly my dress seems dowdy, everything about me too awkward, nerdy, and fat. Shame swamps me, every bully’s taunt bouncing around in my mind.No! Stop the shame spiral! Be the badass!
I find my voice. “He’s spending the weekend with me, and the rest of his life, actually, so you’ll need to move on, Becca.”
“It’s Bella,” she snaps, tossing her hair.
“Whatever,” I say, taking Lucas’s arm and leaning against him like he’s truly mine to claim. Even though I’m too pissed at him right now to actually feel affectionate, I want her gone more.
She leans close to Lucas. “Room two-oh-five if you want better.” She stalks off to the bar.
I let out a shaky breath. She became every bully I ever knew and never confronted. Iama badass.
Lucas looks down at me. “So you do have claws.”
“You’re a Neanderthal, thinking with your little head.”
“What did I do?” He sounds genuinely perplexed.
I speak through my teeth. “You couldn’t even remember my name in the face of her perfect everything.”
He smirks. “You sound jealous.”
I drop my hold on his arm and put some space between us. “I’m not jealous. It’s basic manners. You didn’t even introduce me.”
“I was surprised to see her.”
“Obviously you were afflicted with model blindness.”
He laughs, which irritates me further. “What is model blindness?”
I press my lips together. “You can’t see anything but the model in front of you. It’s a real problem with the male mind. They focus on one thing and suddenly no other female exists.”
“Aww, Alice, you’re so cute when you’re jealous.”
“I’m not cute. Not jealous either, so stop saying that.” I don’t want people to look at us and think he could do better, even if we are pretending. It’s insulting.
“I haven’t been with Bella, you know.”
“Well, she sure wants to be with you.” I sound peevish, and I don’t care. It’s basic manners, common decency that he lacked, and now he’s acting likeI’mthe one with the issue.
I silently seethe. I hate that I felt invisible.
“Let’s just go,” he says and walks toward the door.
“Fine by me,” I say, catching up to him.
The guards flank us and usher us into a limo waiting out front. Once we’re settled into the backseat of the limo, I arrange my pink polka-dotted dress over my legs, smoothing it out. My brain whispers an irritated chant:clueless man, clueless man.
