Ethan told me he suspected his brother cared a lot more about the situation than he let on, whilst also admitting he was not an expert on his twisted sibling. While I loved Ethan to bits and I was usually quite fond of his positive nature, in this case I was pretty certain he was seeing things that were not there.I was just happy not to be singled out anymore.
“Ms. Byrnes, in my office.”
I jumped hearing his voice from the interphone on the desk. Turning my head toward the glass panel, I saw him glaring at me.
Did he see me daydreaming? Did I summon his evilness just by thanking heaven he was better?
I grabbed a notepad from my desk and rushed into his office, having learned my lesson the hard way. Making Hugo St-John wait was a big mistake.
He removed his glasses and tapped his fingers on the folder on his desk. “I’ve got a dinner with big potential investors tonight.”
“Very well, sir. Do I need to make a reservation? Send a car? I—”
He raised his hand to stop me. “Maybe start by letting me finish my sentence. It would probably prevent you from saying something stupid and pointless and make me waste my time.”
I pursed my lips, stopping myself from responding.
He looked at me silently for a couple of seconds and shook his head with a small sigh. “As I was saying, I have a dinner with investors tonight and you will be joining me. These men appreciate beautiful things and I need you to be my date.”
I looked at him silently.
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Oh, it’s my turn?” I asked, resting my hand on my chest. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure. You didn’t give me the talking stick,” I replied, forgetting I’d promised not to antagonize the man who had mine and Ethan's futures in his hands.
His nostrils flared but he gestured for me to carry on.
“I’m flattered, sir, really, but I’m sure you know women who are much prettier than me.”
“Of course I do!” He let out a little mocking laugh. “You’re nothing special but you’re pretty enough, and at least you would not come with the misconception that you could ensnare me. You know your place.”
I snorted, getting a scowl from him. Hugo hated the lack of decorum that his noble education trained him to have. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. There's no chance of me even going there again.”
His scowl deepened for a second before he controlled himself.
“It’s settled, then. Now the question is, do you have an evening dress to wear tonight? I mean something classy, not the type of dress you wore the night we met that made you look like a whore.”
And yet it got you eating out of the palm of my hand.
“I’m afraid it was the classiest dress I owned. All the others are much sluttier.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe.”
I nodded. “It is. Ask the few colleagues I went out on dates with, and they’ll tell you the type of dresses I wore.”
His face took on a little twinge of red as his hand tightened into a fist on his desk. “Is that right?”
I shrugged.
“I wonder how they would feel if they knew you were carrying a child. How much they’d want you then.”
I shrugged again, knowing how much it pissed him off. “I think they’d be okay with it. Happy even. They’d get to fuck me without risking pregnancy.”
His jaw tightened as his left eye twitched. Maybe I did have a death wish, after all.
“You might not care about losing your job but they might. Give me names and I will arrange for HR to send them the non-fraternization policy again.”
I rolled my eyes. “Maybe HR should send you the policy as well. I will not go on a date with you.”