“You need security now?”
“Well, there is a murderous woman on the loose who has it out for me and my unborn child. So, yeah, I need security.”
“Or Anton is just very controlling," he mutters.
“If that were the case, he’d have never agreed to let me out of the house to meet with you in the first place.”
“I wonder what excuse you would have made for him if that had happened.”
I frown. “Is this going to end in another fight, Chris? Because I don’t have the energy for it.”
He looks like he wants to say something snarky in return, but he bites back the retort and leans back in his seat. He gazes out across the restaurant for a second and then takes a deep breath and refocuses on me. “You look nice."
“Thanks.”
“New clothes?”
“A few, yeah.”
“Doesn’t really seem like your style.”
“Only because I was too poor to afford anything I’m currently wearing," I snap back defensively.
“And that’s changed now?” Chris asks shrewdly. “Despite the fact that you don’t have a job?”
“They were gifts.”
“From him?”
I grit my teeth and try to be patient. “I know you don’t like him, Chris—"
“I’m glad you’re back,” he says abruptly, changing the subject. I can tell he’s trying hard to suppress all the not-so-polite things he wants to say to me.
“Me, too. England was a rollercoaster. And guess who we ran into when we touched down in the States?”
“Beats me. Tom Cruise?”
“Dane and Salma.”
His eyes widen and he leans forward. It reminds me of far too many gossip sessions we've had in the past. For a moment, it's like old times. “No fucking way.”
I nod. “It was crazy to see them both again. Dane looked good, maybe even a little more Ken doll than usual. And Salma was showing off her belly ring.”
Chris rolls his eyes. “God, the woman is always crying out for attention.”
“That’s true. I used to think it was confidence.”
“Please,” Chris scoffs. “It was narcissism."
“Yeah, I already know I’m a terrible judge of character. You don’t need to remind me.”
“Did you speak to them or run in the other direction?”
“I was about to run when Salma spotted me,” I explain. “She’s the one who chose to come up to me and start a conversation.”
“Girl has always been thick-skinned. By which I mean stupid.”
“Apparently.”