Chapter 29
Right before stepping for the exhibition hall, I pulled my hand away from Luther’s
The gave me a pussit look, so I explainest, “At Bell has already left, Mr. Stone. You can drop the act Lused you as a cover without asking first Sorry if I crossed the li”
Luther glanced at me, his expression turning serious. “Save the apology. A thank you
Hearing that, I quickly added, “Thanks”
11
He didn’t say a word and just headest inside. It was obvious that he was still upset about earlier.
Ishouldn’t have said he was my boyfriend when we were supposed to keep things under wraps. That probably made things harder for him
Tjšanned to apologize to him and explain things when no one was around, but the exhibition hall was packed all day. Orders kept coming in, and no
had a second to breathe
Luther was swarmed from all sides, with people lining up just to talk business and sign deals. I could only wait in silence and hope to catch him after the airshow ended
Another major order came through just before closing time. The manager couldn’t stop smiling as he looked at the figures on the contract.
He suggested a dinner party to celebrate, and everyone lit up with excitement. I clapped and smiled along, then glanced at him without meaning to
When our eyes met, the smile on his face faded, and there was a cold distance in his gaze.
My heart sank. I still hadn’t had the chance to properly apologize. I figured I would have to talk to him when we were back at the hotel after dinner.
Adeline picked the restaurant for our dinner. I ended up sitting as far from Luther as possible. Of course, she grabbed the seat beside him.
Thappened to have a direct view of her side profile. She carried herself like his girlfriend all evening, socializing and toasting with everyone. The manager, who was sitting beside her, even humored her and drank a few rounds.
Dinner parties had their own politics. A round of toasting told the whole story about who was in charge, who was favored, and who was trying to curry
favor.
Sitting where I was tonight made it clear that I didn’t mean much to Luther. Naturally, Adeline got all the spotlight and attention.
I wasn’t jealous; I even enjoyed the peace. No way I would survive having to raise a glass with every other person at the table,
After several rounds of drinks, everyone was buzzed and in high spirits. With the alcohol kicking in, someone got bold and joked about having Lather and Adeline drink with their arms intertwined.
Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol. With the crowd cheering her on, she stood up with her glass, eyes lowered in a bashful manner as she turned to him. “They’re all watching, Mr. Stone. What do you think we should do?”
He picked up his glass with a smooth, confident air. “Let’s just drink.”
Everyone at the table started hooting and chanting together, “Couple’s toast! Bottoms up!”
With a dreamy look, Adeline raised her arm. Luther hooked his around hers, their glasses meeting their lips as they leaned in close. Her face turned even redder as she drank slowly.
Right in front of me, a sales representative subtly pushed Adeline’s back, and she landed perfectly in Luther’s embrace. Always the gentleman, he caught her by the waist to keep her from falling.
When their eyes met, the private room was buzzing all over again.
I noticed him looking at me, so I raised my glass in his direction and gestured toward him before downing it in one go.
Favoritism had its own weight. I was just a passing thrill to him. After the excitement faded, I didn’t matter anymore. If they could rekindle things tonight, he might stop coming to me, and I’d be so grateful for it
