sorry about that. It doesn’t seem to end.”
“Don’t worry about it,” William told his son. “We understand. You handled it well. You know we’re here if you need anything.”
“I’ve got it covered. It’s fine,” Phil said solemnly.
Sophia could see the embarrassment on his face, and she felt for him. She’d seen enough of her mother’s groveling in her life when Victoria wasn’t the one to end a relationship. It was pathetic.
Under the table, reaching over, she clasped his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze. He looked at her briefly and she offered him a heartfelt glance. He returned her look, squeezed her hand and turned to Alec. “So now it’s your turn for an ex to make her way over and put on a show.”
Alec laughed. “Nah, I’ve never had a girlfriend long enough to worry about her missing me like that,” he said, causing everyone at the table to laugh.
Sophia excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. She needed a breath of air. Watching Phil deal with that awkward situation was very uncomfortable on more than one level for her.
Coming in contact with his ex after having slept with Phil was unpleasant. Not that anyone was aware that she and Phil had been together. But Sophia knew and she felt guilty over it just the same. She didn’t have anything to feel guilty about, she knew, since they were both single when it happened.
Except watching the frustration and underlying sadness in Phil bothered her more than she cared to say. She didn’t know what had happened between them. Whatever it was, Linda wasn’t letting go and Phil was hurting on some level. She hoped he wasn’t still in love with Linda. She didn’t think he was but couldn’t be positive.
“Hi.” She turned to find Phil standing in the hall when she walked out of the ladies’ room. “You okay?” he asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“That was a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. Not just for me, I’m assuming.”
She hated how he suspected the way she felt. Again, she wasn’t good about putting up walls or acts around him. She would have to remember that in the future. No walls left her vulnerable. “Don’t worry about me. I’m sorry she put a damper on your night.”
He extended a hand out toward her and dropped it down without touching her. “I’m not surprised. Or I should say I stopped being surprised at where she would show up.”
“Is she stalking you?” Sophia asked, alarmed.
“No. Not like that. It doesn’t matter. I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“I’m fine, Phil,” she said reassuring him. “I’m more concerned about the fact that you don’t look fine.”
He shrugged. “What are you going to do? She’ll move on eventually.”
“Will she?”
“She has to.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I’ll walk you back.”
“If you need to talk, Phil, I’ve been told I’m a good listener,” she offered.
“I want to do more than talk with you, Sophia,” he said, holding her gaze.
“Phil…” She started to warn him, but he cut her off.
“No, not tonight. I’m not in the mood to argue with you.”
She grabbed his hand again, held onto it loosely, and said, “No arguing. Because you would lose, and I don’t want to have you get knocked down again tonight.” There was a teasing light in her eyes, a twitch of her lips, and he smiled in return, exactly what she was hoping for.
“Let me take you home tonight,” he said.
There went the playfulness. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s best to keep—”
He cut her off. “It’s too late to keep things separate. Don’t even try to pull that on me.”
She tilted her head to the side. She had never seen this side of him before. Bullheaded stubborn, and oddly enough, she found it attractive. A major no-no for someone she was trying to keep her distance from. She raised her eyebrows. “Really?” Too late she realized she issued a challenge.
“I don’t care about making a scene
“Don’t worry about it,” William told his son. “We understand. You handled it well. You know we’re here if you need anything.”
“I’ve got it covered. It’s fine,” Phil said solemnly.
Sophia could see the embarrassment on his face, and she felt for him. She’d seen enough of her mother’s groveling in her life when Victoria wasn’t the one to end a relationship. It was pathetic.
Under the table, reaching over, she clasped his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze. He looked at her briefly and she offered him a heartfelt glance. He returned her look, squeezed her hand and turned to Alec. “So now it’s your turn for an ex to make her way over and put on a show.”
Alec laughed. “Nah, I’ve never had a girlfriend long enough to worry about her missing me like that,” he said, causing everyone at the table to laugh.
Sophia excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. She needed a breath of air. Watching Phil deal with that awkward situation was very uncomfortable on more than one level for her.
Coming in contact with his ex after having slept with Phil was unpleasant. Not that anyone was aware that she and Phil had been together. But Sophia knew and she felt guilty over it just the same. She didn’t have anything to feel guilty about, she knew, since they were both single when it happened.
Except watching the frustration and underlying sadness in Phil bothered her more than she cared to say. She didn’t know what had happened between them. Whatever it was, Linda wasn’t letting go and Phil was hurting on some level. She hoped he wasn’t still in love with Linda. She didn’t think he was but couldn’t be positive.
“Hi.” She turned to find Phil standing in the hall when she walked out of the ladies’ room. “You okay?” he asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“That was a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. Not just for me, I’m assuming.”
She hated how he suspected the way she felt. Again, she wasn’t good about putting up walls or acts around him. She would have to remember that in the future. No walls left her vulnerable. “Don’t worry about me. I’m sorry she put a damper on your night.”
He extended a hand out toward her and dropped it down without touching her. “I’m not surprised. Or I should say I stopped being surprised at where she would show up.”
“Is she stalking you?” Sophia asked, alarmed.
“No. Not like that. It doesn’t matter. I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“I’m fine, Phil,” she said reassuring him. “I’m more concerned about the fact that you don’t look fine.”
He shrugged. “What are you going to do? She’ll move on eventually.”
“Will she?”
“She has to.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I’ll walk you back.”
“If you need to talk, Phil, I’ve been told I’m a good listener,” she offered.
“I want to do more than talk with you, Sophia,” he said, holding her gaze.
“Phil…” She started to warn him, but he cut her off.
“No, not tonight. I’m not in the mood to argue with you.”
She grabbed his hand again, held onto it loosely, and said, “No arguing. Because you would lose, and I don’t want to have you get knocked down again tonight.” There was a teasing light in her eyes, a twitch of her lips, and he smiled in return, exactly what she was hoping for.
“Let me take you home tonight,” he said.
There went the playfulness. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s best to keep—”
He cut her off. “It’s too late to keep things separate. Don’t even try to pull that on me.”
She tilted her head to the side. She had never seen this side of him before. Bullheaded stubborn, and oddly enough, she found it attractive. A major no-no for someone she was trying to keep her distance from. She raised her eyebrows. “Really?” Too late she realized she issued a challenge.
“I don’t care about making a scene
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