“I’m not having this conversation. You know why we broke up. Now, I’m going to go find Jen.”
Ashleigh looked like she wanted to say more, but I pushed past her. I didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about with Jen. It was normal Sinclair mind games. I wouldn’t fall for it. And if she’d seen Jennifer in the restroom, that probably meant that she’d gotten to her. Fuck.
I dashed through the lobby until I found Jennifer seated at a table, wiping down her camera with paper towels.
“There you are,” I breathed in relief. “I’ve been texting you.”
“Sorry,” she whispered. She sniffled and dabbed at her eyes. “I didn’t want to ruin your meeting.”
“Hey,” I said, sinking into the chair next to her. “What happened? Are you okay?”
In response, she pushed the camera toward me. I looked at it and the wad of soaked paper towels. Everything clicked together at once.
“Oh fuck, your camera. Does it work?”
She sniffled again and shook her head. “It won’t turn on. I’ll put it in rice when I get home, but…”
“How the hell did this happen?”
She laughed sardonically. “How do you think?”
“Ashleigh,” I breathed.
She nodded. Explanation enough.
“Fuck, Jen. Fuck.” I ran a hand back through my hair, not caring about how I’d meticulously gelled it to look like this. “This is my fault. I’ll replace the camera.”
“No. I mean, you don’t have to.”
“Yes, I absolutely do. This is unacceptable in every way.”
“I’m sorry that I’m such a mess,” she said.
I took her hand in mine, stroking my thumb along her palm. “You do not need to apologize for anything. I can’t believe she’d even do this.” Then I sighed. “I guess I do believe it, but I hate to think she would. That she’d try to hurt you because you’re with me.”
“I…kind of said as much to her,” she said with a small laugh.
“Did you?” I asked.
“Yeah. I might have jumped down her throat and told her that you were going to hate her and she’d never get you back. That she had her chance and ruined it.”
I blew out a harsh breath. Well, Ashleigh’s reaction when I had seen her made more sense.
“Well, not inaccurate,” I told her. “Though I didn’t think you’d say so.”
She pushed the camera toward me again. Fire was back in her eyes. “She knocked my camera into the sink while the water was running. She deserved everything I said to her.”
I smiled and drew her toward me, dropping my mouth onto hers. She melted into me, as if everything that had put her on edge disappeared in that one kiss. When I pulled back, her eyes were still closed, and she looked dazed.
“Do you want to go home?” I asked her.
Her eyes fluttered open. “I don’t want to give her the satisfaction.”
I laughed. “You’re turning into a real spitfire. Do you know that?”
She flushed. “I’m tired of being a pushover.”
“You’re not a pushover.”
“I really am. But I stood up to her, which was a first, and I don’t want her to ruin our night. Then she’d win anyway.”
“All right,” I said, coming to my feet. I held my hand out to her and helped her up. She put her camera back in her purse, and we headed back to the gala.
“How did the meeting go?” she asked as I pulled her into my arms on the dance floor.
“Excellent. Should be a done deal.”
“Good. At least one good thing came out of all of this.” She nuzzled into me as the music turned to a slow song.
“I think more than one good thing came out of this.”
“Oh?”
“You in that dress.” I leaned toward her ear. “In those shoes.”
“You like them?”
“I picked them out.”
She laughed. “Not Annie?”
I shook my head. “Just me.”
“You have good taste in shoes, Wright.”
I pressed a kiss to her earlobe. “Would it be bad to say that I’ve been thinking about you in those shoes all night?” She shivered against me. “Just those shoes.”
She blushed. “Well, now, you are making me want to go home early.”
“Who says we have to go home?”
“Scandalous,” she breathed.
“My brother built this place. I know my way around well enough to find us a secluded corner.”
“Oh my God.” Her blush deepened.
“No?” I asked, pulling back to look into her eyes.
She bit her lip. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”
I laughed at her look. “Just come with me. I want to show you something.”
“Is that a euphemism?”
“No, I’m serious.” I kissed her hand. “You’ll like it.”
I watched her waver, but then she nodded and followed me. I was glad that I’d gone on all those tours with Jordan. Who knew I’d use that information for my own advantage? I wended our way through the crowd and popped open a nearly invisible door that led backstage.
“Wow,” Jennifer gasped.
We stepped around the corner and through the wings to see the stage in all its glory. Just on the other side of that curtain were hundreds of people enjoying the gala. None the wiser that we were here.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured. Her eyes were wide as she took in the space.
“You’re beautiful.”
“I can’t believe you got us backstage.”
“Perks of being a Wright.”
She laughed softly and then rolled her eyes. “Everything is a perk of being a Wright.”
“And now, you get to enjoy those benefits.” I pressed a kiss to her lips. “Do you want to see the best part?”
“Yes,” she answered breathlessly.
I walked her across the brand-new stage and to the thick curtain. She teetered on her high heels and peered through the slit that I’d found in the curtains. The stage had the most perfect view of the entire concert hall. All the guests milling around the room for the gala, the tiered balconies, and to the stars.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “I’ve never been on a stage like this before.”
“Magnificent, right?”
She turned back to face me, a smile on her lips. She’d been so distraught earlier, trying to suppress her tears, that I’d wanted anything to see that smile back on her face. I had every intention of replacing her camera. To make up for what Ashleigh had done. But the most I wanted now was to make up for ever seeing her that sad. I never wanted it to happen again if I could help it. If I had to give her the entire world for her to keep that smile, I’d do it.
“How did I get this lucky?” she asked me, letting the curtain drop.
“Oh no, I’m the lucky one. I’ve got a beautiful woman on my arm. And she’s taking me to Cabo tomorrow.”
Jennifer laughed and waved me away. “You paid your own way.”
“We’re going for your work. My work isn’t that interesting.”