Page 78 of Landlord Wars
I bit my lip. “Maybe not that stiff. Glass of red wine?”
He laughed. “So not stiff at all.”
“What?” I said, laughing as well. “I’m a lightweight.”
“One glass of red wine coming up.” Jack weaved his way across the crowd, and that was when it dawned on me.
I was alone. Like,alonealone.
Gah! Why hadn’t I gone with him?
I turned and looked for something to do while I waited for Jack. Spotting an object that was right up my alley, I meandered over to a floral arrangement that had a plant sprouting from the center.
Had to give the designer props on originality.
“Sophia?”
My shoulders tensed, and I spun around.
What the hell was my ex doing here?
Paul was dressed in a deep red velvet tuxedo jacket that complemented his hair, which he’d darkened to its natural black. The woman Elise and I saw him with at our favorite dim sum restaurant was on his arm, and she was wearing a light-rose gown with large ruffles along the asymmetrical hem and collar line that looked like something from a runway. She was also glaring darts at my head.
Running into Paul again was shit-poor luck. Couldn’t he pretend to not know me? “Hi, how are you?” I said, trying to keep things casual.
He looked annoyed. “Why are you here?”
Heat rolled up my chest, and it was a good thing my dress came to my neck with only the arms and shoulders exposed, because I was pretty sure I’d turned red. Only not with embarrassment but anger.
It was one thing for me to feel I didn’t belong at the ball, and another for my ex to assume I had no business being here. “I’m with my boyfriend.”
Well, not technically. Max still hadn’t shown up, but Paul didn’t need the dirty details.
He chuckled. “Your boyfriend? Who might that be?”
This was where things got sketchy, because no one outside of our small group knew Max and I were dating. But Max was about to announce it to his parents tonight. How bad would it be to mention it first to my ex? “Max Burrows. Do you know him?”
Paul’s fiancée laughed. As in, bent at the waist, honking loudly in mirth. But Paul didn’t flinch. His jaw tense, he said, “Is that so?” He looked around dramatically. “Where is he? I don’t see him with you.”
I caught sight of Jack dodging bodies and carrying two glasses of wine, and I’d never been more grateful. “He’s taking care of a few things. I’m waiting with his friend Jack.”
“Hey,” Jack said, sidling up and handing a glass of wine to me. “Sorry. Long line.”
I gestured to my ex, who was looking Jack up and down. “Jack, this is Paul.”
They shook hands, and Jack said, “I’ve seen you at a few events, haven’t I? Park family, right?”
Paul’s expression lightened. “That’s right. And this is my fiancée.” He introduced the woman beside him, even though he’d never bothered to introduce me to her. Not that it mattered. I was well past caring what Paul was up to, and more concerned about Max.
I glanced over the crowd, hoping to finally catch sight of him.
Jack and Paul talked for a few minutes, while Paul’s fiancée held his arm and looked anywhere but at me.
After a little while, their conversation wound down, and Paul said, “Good to see you again, Jack.” He tipped his chin up at me. “Sophia.”
He walked away, dragging his fiancée, who in her five-inch heels scurried precariously beside him.
Jack glanced over. “I sensed tension. You know him?”
