“You didn’t.” God, why did she have to go and ruin everything. He was probably wishing he’d never met her. Probably wishing he’d caught an entirely different flight into Sydney this morning so they’d never have been in the same airport. “I’m sorry for causing all this problem.”
He flicked Nora—watching them closely—a look and then dropped his stare to his hand once more.
Damn it, she wanted to thread her fingers through his again. She wanted to be hugged by him. She wanted tokisshim again.
Instead, she stayed motionless.
A smile, wry and wan, tugged at his lips. “You haven’t caused any problem. Someone else—” another quick glance at Nora, “—has that honor.”
Her own smile fought to surface. She wished she could stop worrying she was the cause of his anger. Pulling in a shaky breath, she gave Nora her own look. “True.”
The TV producer watched them. Like a hawk. Elisa gave her a wide smile and friendly wave.
Angus chuckled. “God, I like you.”
Heat filled her cheeks, and she ducked her head.
‘I like you too’. Say it. Say ‘I like you too’.
She lifted her eyes to his. “I—”
“I need to call my sister,” he said at the same time, a distracted expression falling over his face. “She thinks I’m…” He trailed off, flicked Nora another frown, and cleared his throat. “Y’know. I’ll be back. Promise.” He turned and hurried away, disappearing through a pair of swinging doors on the other side of the restaurant.
Elisa bit at her bottom lip, studied the doors. Black-aproned waitstaff were striding in empty-handed and out with plates of food, so clearly those were the doors to the kitchen.
“Chelsea,” a woman’s voice said on her right, and she flinched.
“What?” She jerked around to find Kara at her side.
“Chelsea is Angus’s sister.” If Kara noticed she was a freaking nervous wreck, she didn’t show it. “Just so you know. Not any kind of romantic partner or anything. Well, she’s hishalfsister.Andmy best friend. She’s going to beveryupset that he didn’t tell her he got engaged while in the US.”
Sister? Dio, this was turning into a nightmare of Greek tragedy proportions. What was he going to tell his sister? That some crazy American had abruptly announced she was engaged to him?
She looked at Kara. Did she know? Suspect?
Tell her. At least then she will understand why Angus is so—
“Emily, is it?” Nora strode up to her, smile not meeting her eyes.
At her side, Kara began to hum the theme toJaws.
“Elisa,” Elisa corrected. Goddamn it, why hadn’t she rejoined Bria and Zeta and Owen at the table when Angus hurried away?
“Elisa, yes.” Nora ran a look over her. “I’d love to hear the story of how you and Angus met. It’s the kind of thing a producer like me eats up. Was it romantic? Where did it happen? Can I see the ring?”
Elisa tucked her left hand under her right armpit.
Nora gave her another smile. It didn’t reach her eyes. “Ah, that’s right, you don’t have one.”
“Yet. She doesn’t have oneyet.” Kara draped her arm around Elisa’s shoulder and bumped her hip with hers. “What’s your point?”
Nora shook her head. “No point. I’m curious, is all.”
“Good thing you’re not a cat,” Elisa said. She was getting tired. Not jet-lagged, just…tired.
Kara laughed.
Nora pursed her lips. “Do you want to know what I think?”