My boyfriend’s diversion tactic is jarring, but I know why he’s doing it. Preston Davenport is getting bolder by the second. Having this conversation is proof of that. For a man who supposedly prides himself on keeping his composure and maintaining discretion, he’s doing a shit job of it.
“No, he’s not,” Preston answers coolly. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious, I suppose.” Kingston shrugs.
“So...” Ainsley pipes in, obviously trying to diffuse the awkwardness. “Mr. Ivanov, you mentioned introducing me to a friend of yours from the LASPA?”
“Yes, of course.” Ivanov smiles. “I last saw him by the parlor. Shall we see if he’s still there?”
Kingston and Reed share a look before Alexander leads Ainsley and Reed off in search of his friend. I wait for them to step out of earshot before I start grilling Preston.
“When you say you knew my mom ‘very well,’ what exactly did you mean by that?”
His lips curve into a smug smile. “Perhaps that’s a story for another time. For now... let’s just say my son and I have more in common than you might think.”
With that cryptic bullshit, he walks away without another word.
“You and your son are nothing alike, asshole,” I mutter, turning to Kingston. “God, I literally want to strangle that man.”
He glares at his father’s retreating back. “Get in line. Although knowing my dad, there’s probably quite a few other people ahead of us.”
“No doubt.” I snort. “What now?”
Kingston looks around the open space. “I see a few familiar faces, but they won’t speak candidly if you’re with me.”
“So, I’ll hang out here.”
Kingston scoffs. “Yeah... no. I’m not leaving you alone for a second. Let’s go find my sister and Reed. He knows to keep an eye on you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Just humor me, Jazz. I know you’re smart and capable, but you’re also tiny. You’re not strong enough to fight off someone twice your size, no matter how scrappy you get.” He points at me as I glare. “Don’t give me that look. You know I’m right.”
My eyes roll. “What’s the worst that could happen to me in front of all these witnesses?”
He blows out a breath. “I’m not taking any chances.” When I open my mouth to protest, he puts a finger to my lips. “Stop fucking fighting me. If you won’t do it for me, do it for your sister. You can?
?t protect Belle if something happens to you, right?”
My eyes narrow. “That was a low blow.”
The jackass doesn’t look apologetic in the least. “Then stop forcing me to hit below the belt.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Kingston takes my hand and leads me through the crowd until we spot his sister. She and Reed just turned away from the man they were speaking to, so it looks like our timing is perfect.
“Hey,” I say to Ainsley. “Was that the dean?”
“Yep,” she confirms. “Apparently he’s good friends with Madame Rochelle from my studio. She’s mentioned me to him. He’s going to come watch me practice sometime next week.”
My brows rise. “That’s a good thing, right?”
Ainsley nods. “It’s a very good thing.”
“That’s awesome, Ains. So the odds of you staying in LA just got higher?”
She smiles. “Much higher.”