Page 99 of Strictly Business
“That wannabe businesswoman?” A woman I haven’t been introduced to scoffs, and I glare at her. Who the hell is she?
“People like Nina are hard to deal with,” Jonah explains. “This should be a walk in the park compared to that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” My voice comes out shrill, and I hate that it makes me sound whiney. David tightens his grip on my bicep, squeezing gently — a warning. I don’t care, these people aren’t going to talk shit about my best friend.
“Nina is an acquired taste,” David laughs along with them. “She always held Michaela back — it’s one of the reasons we felt it best that Michaela leave her position in New York.” When I start to dispute the comment, he pats my arm and starts to pull me away from the group. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to take a turn on the dance floor.” David practically drags me onto the dance floor. He pulls me dangerously close a death grip on my hand. “What was that?” His tone betrays the smile on his lips.
“You just talked shit about my best friend, openly.”
“Mic, that group is—”
“That group is my family, David.” When I try to pull away, he refuses to let go. “My family has never been anything but kind to you, including Nina. What is your problem?”
“My problem is they keep you plain, Michaela. They hold you back. All of them. And Nina,” he chuckles, “she has to be the center of attention and will always keep you in her shadow. You’re better off without them.”
“Have you always felt this way?”
He shrugs but doesn’t deny it. When he spins me out, he pulls me back in closer than before, whispering in my ear, “Smile, Michaela. Everyone is watching.”
Chapter Fifty-Three
MICHAELA
TWO MONTHS LATER
ROYAL BLUE STANDS OUT in a sea of pink and red, and it transports me back to a night in New York City that I’ve kept under lock and key for almost four months now. The heat travels up the column of my neck and flushes my cheeks. I’m sure the man next to me can feel my pulse pick up speed, but if he does, he doesn’t say anything. He’s still preoccupied with a conversation about taxes — yawn. I try to keep my attention on their conversation, but it diverts every time there is a flash of blue in my peripheral.
What is he doing here?
“What is he doing here?” David reiterates my question as if he can read my mind. He turns to me, “Did you know about this?”
“Yes, David. I invited him.” My husband glares at me. “I don’t know why he’s here. Probably something to do with the company.”
“Well, he won’t find any support here.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Reed,” Robert Niven, a senator from North Carolina, calls to us with a wave. He whispers something to his counterpart with a small chuckle. The senator waves us over again, but David’s feet remain planted in the same spot.
“Don’t be a child, David,” I hiss with a gentle shove.
“There you are. I haven’t seen you all evening, where you been hiding, Reed?” Robert shakes David’s hand before he presses a kiss to the back of mine. “Always a pleasure, Michaela. You look ravishing this evening.”
“You flatter me, Mr. Niven.”
“Reed, I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine,” Niven says and starts walking, expecting David to follow. “He started an amazing program for kids in the system up in New York and is in the process of bringing it down to the Carolinas. I thought it might be a good opportunity to add some philanthropy to your campaign over in Virginia.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“We’ve been working with—”
“David,” Niven interrupts him, “trust me, this is the one you want. You have less than a month before the primaries — you gotta show ‘em you’re not all business.” Royal blue comes into view again just before Niven waves him down. A smile spreads across his face before he realizes who is with Niven. “Finn,” Niven exclaims. “Always one to stand out in a crowd.”
“Pink isn’t really my color.” His voice wraps around me and sends a shiver down my spine. It’s warm and inviting, the opposite of the look in his eyes. There’s a wall between us that I’ve never known before, not even when we were younger. His entire demeanor is cool and indifferent. “Mr. and Mrs. Reed, nice to see you.”
“Oh, you know one another already?” Senator Niven asks.
“My wife actually helped Mr. Sheffield with his…project.”
Senator Niven’s eyes widen when he looks between me and Finn. “I had no idea she’s the one you were talking about. Well, this is marvelous. It won’t be any trouble to get this off the ground in—”