“Well, in that dress,” he teased letting his eyes take in the amazing view of her body.
“Appearances can be deceiving, I’d think you’d know that better than anyone,” she stated sending an elbow into his ribs for the once over.
“I know that it goes for you, but I think my reputation is quite right.”
“Yeah, the hardnosed, arrogant, unwilling to accept mediocrity in anything, mean, loud, grumpy, bullheaded,coglione, who doesn’t answer to anyone.”
“And what part of that doesn’t fit?”
“All of it? At least when it comes to me—my own knight in shining armor,” she said before bursting out in laughter. “Can’t say that with a straight face, can I? But you are the only one who’s ever stood up for me, besides your father but he handled my money, so he sort of had to.”
“So, what exactly is your issue with the darling David, other than him marrying your sister?”
“Doesn’t matter, I told Izzie what I thought about him, and she looked down her snotty little virginal nose at me and said she was going to marry David. Move to London and I could go screw the next hundred men that came along because it wouldn’t matter to her one bit anymore. She wasn’t going to be associated with her low-life sister from the moment she married him.”
“Wow, and you still came to the wedding, let alone stood up for her?” His brow rose as he stared her down again pulling the response from her.
“What can I say? I’m glutton for punishment, but at least there’s one good thing that’s coming from all of this…darling Mommy and Daddy are going to London along with the others for the entire fall and winter, which means I don’t have to deal with them.”
“I see…so why are you hiding your delectable self out here when the party’s inside?” he said handing her his jacket, as the slight wind sent a shiver through her.
“I made the mistake of bringing a date, one I thought wouldn’t take one look at me and decide I’d make the perfect dessert, but apparently, I was wrong. As it turns out he’s not gay—bi is how he put it.”
“Poor Bella, even when you think you can’t get the guy you still do.”
“Oh, shut up, I couldn’t come here alone…speaking of coming here I thought you were in France at some meeting with an international client?”
“I was but when I heard that youweregoing to be a bridesmaid, I got on the first flight out here. Figured you could use some interference since all three of your sisters would be here along with your mom and dad. I got delayed a bit at Heathrow, but I did sneak in unnoticed about an hour ago.”
“Do me a favor?” she asked as her father began another toast about his girls, excluding her yet again.
“Name it; you are a client after all,” he teased her, but it made her grin because she knew she was more than just that to him.
“Take me home?” she pleaded.
“You are home Bella.”
“My place in the city is home, it has been since I was fifteen and bought it, this is the upside down, inside out place I came from,” she said pulling a laugh from him.
“Won’t your date miss you?”
“Who cares,” she sighed.
“I parked around back and came in through the library like always,” he explained as he led her back into the house and slipped down the hallway as quietly as possible. “Need to get anything before you go?”
“You know me, I travel light,” she said waving her bag that contained her essentials, including more tape for her dress.
The drive into the city was surprisingly easy for a Saturday night and by the time they reached her place she was back to her normal self, all traces of self-pity had disappeared and her sunny smile had returned. Anyone looking at her now would think she was a stunning woman, not quite sure of her sexual self in a dress that was unsuited for her, but she wore with class. In short, she would be envied for her natural grace and undemanding acceptance of herself.
Bella slipped into her bedroom then changed out of the horrid dress into her yoga pants and oversized sweatshirt that hung from her bare shoulder telling Tyler that she still wasn’t wearing a bra.
“Now that the wedding’s over what are you up to?” he asked as she poured them both a glass of wine, settling onto the couch with her.
“I start a new job Monday actually.”
“A new campaign or another Angels ad?” he asked referring to her ongoing series of ads for the Angels perfume brand that had contracted her when she was fourteen.
“Neither,” she shrugged seemingly not wanting him to find out yet but he would, he always found out what she was doing with her career.