passed by us, leaving
us each a menu and Vaughn ordered some wine, red something, I was
too overwhelmed to take in any details. He’d never been on a date
before? I’d been on several terrible ones that my mother had fixed
me up on, but I’d never been out with anyone I’d wanted to. This
was kind of new for me, too.
The waiter returned and poured wine into
both our glasses with a flourish as Vaughn glanced through the
menu.
“What would you like?” he asked, looking at
me expectantly. “You can have anything you’d like.”
He didn’t seem to have a problem flashing
his money around and I wondered if he was really serious about last
night’s billionaire quip. “Um,” I replied, too flustered to pick up
the menu. “You can order for me.”
His eyebrow rose, but he didn’t press. He
turned to the waiter and ordered a steak for himself and the salmon
for me. He really did have an eye for detail and how he knew that’s
what I would’ve ordered, had I actually looked at the menu, was
beyond me.
The waiter moved off and Vaughn focused his
gaze back onto mine. I squirmed a little, suddenly wishing I’d worn
knickers, and made a play for the wine. I pressed the glass to my
lips and downed two mouthfuls, the ruby red liquid burning down my
throat and into my stomach.
“Have you always wanted to be a gallery
curator?” he asked, his gaze locked on mine.
“Not always,” I replied, thankful for some
normal conversation. “My mother expected me to do some bland degree
at University and end up a trophy wife, so she loves my job.” I
rolled my eyes. The bloody wine was going straight to my head.
“I don’t see the problem. You’re very good
at it.”
I glanced up at him, taken aback slightly.
He’d noticed?
“ Why do you
look so surprised?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips. His lips, oh
my . “I saw
how you worked last night. I assume you were responsible for
acquiring the collection?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Money only gets you so far in life,” he
mused, picking up his wine glass and swirling the liquid around
gracefully. “Talent and passion is what makes people
successful.”
I gazed at the swirl of the
wine in his glass. “What about you?” I raised my chin and his blue
eyes met mine.
Something seemed to pass through them and he
shrugged. “I’m good at my job, but as you say…it’s very bland.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Do you want
to do something else?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut
off as the waiter reappeared with our meals.
We fell into silence as we ate,
the air crackling between us, and I wondered if I’d asked the wrong
question. Maybe he was in his life too deep, maybe he couldn’t do
anything else. Perhaps he had grand expectations from his family,
just like I had from mine.
“Vaughn!”
I glanced up at the sound of a female’s
voice and instantly felt like throwing up. A woman stood beside our
table, her sights firmly set on Vaughn and from the way she greeted
him with her hand on his shoulder and her finger resting against
the collar of his shirt, she seemed to be very familiar with him.
Familiar as in the ex-girlfriend kind of familiar.
My gaze ran over her and I felt like sliding
underneath the table before she could glance at me. She was tall,
blonde, beautiful and wore a tiny little black dress…and she had
bloody legs for days. Next to her, I felt dumpy and covered in
warts. I didn’t know what the hell Vaughn saw in me if that’s who
he used to date.
“Annalise,” he said with a smile, rising
from the table.
She held out her hand with her
perfectly manicured red fingernails and he grasped it lightly,
pressing his lips to the back of it. I felt a stab of jealousy in
my heart. Why would he do that while I was sitting right here? Was
he trying to get a reaction out of me? Was that it? I hoped it was
worth it, because it bloody stung.
“ Vaughn,” she purred, her gaze
coming to rest on me. I could see her appraise me
us each a menu and Vaughn ordered some wine, red something, I was
too overwhelmed to take in any details. He’d never been on a date
before? I’d been on several terrible ones that my mother had fixed
me up on, but I’d never been out with anyone I’d wanted to. This
was kind of new for me, too.
The waiter returned and poured wine into
both our glasses with a flourish as Vaughn glanced through the
menu.
“What would you like?” he asked, looking at
me expectantly. “You can have anything you’d like.”
He didn’t seem to have a problem flashing
his money around and I wondered if he was really serious about last
night’s billionaire quip. “Um,” I replied, too flustered to pick up
the menu. “You can order for me.”
His eyebrow rose, but he didn’t press. He
turned to the waiter and ordered a steak for himself and the salmon
for me. He really did have an eye for detail and how he knew that’s
what I would’ve ordered, had I actually looked at the menu, was
beyond me.
The waiter moved off and Vaughn focused his
gaze back onto mine. I squirmed a little, suddenly wishing I’d worn
knickers, and made a play for the wine. I pressed the glass to my
lips and downed two mouthfuls, the ruby red liquid burning down my
throat and into my stomach.
“Have you always wanted to be a gallery
curator?” he asked, his gaze locked on mine.
“Not always,” I replied, thankful for some
normal conversation. “My mother expected me to do some bland degree
at University and end up a trophy wife, so she loves my job.” I
rolled my eyes. The bloody wine was going straight to my head.
“I don’t see the problem. You’re very good
at it.”
I glanced up at him, taken aback slightly.
He’d noticed?
“ Why do you
look so surprised?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips. His lips, oh
my . “I saw
how you worked last night. I assume you were responsible for
acquiring the collection?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Money only gets you so far in life,” he
mused, picking up his wine glass and swirling the liquid around
gracefully. “Talent and passion is what makes people
successful.”
I gazed at the swirl of the
wine in his glass. “What about you?” I raised my chin and his blue
eyes met mine.
Something seemed to pass through them and he
shrugged. “I’m good at my job, but as you say…it’s very bland.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Do you want
to do something else?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut
off as the waiter reappeared with our meals.
We fell into silence as we ate,
the air crackling between us, and I wondered if I’d asked the wrong
question. Maybe he was in his life too deep, maybe he couldn’t do
anything else. Perhaps he had grand expectations from his family,
just like I had from mine.
“Vaughn!”
I glanced up at the sound of a female’s
voice and instantly felt like throwing up. A woman stood beside our
table, her sights firmly set on Vaughn and from the way she greeted
him with her hand on his shoulder and her finger resting against
the collar of his shirt, she seemed to be very familiar with him.
Familiar as in the ex-girlfriend kind of familiar.
My gaze ran over her and I felt like sliding
underneath the table before she could glance at me. She was tall,
blonde, beautiful and wore a tiny little black dress…and she had
bloody legs for days. Next to her, I felt dumpy and covered in
warts. I didn’t know what the hell Vaughn saw in me if that’s who
he used to date.
“Annalise,” he said with a smile, rising
from the table.
She held out her hand with her
perfectly manicured red fingernails and he grasped it lightly,
pressing his lips to the back of it. I felt a stab of jealousy in
my heart. Why would he do that while I was sitting right here? Was
he trying to get a reaction out of me? Was that it? I hoped it was
worth it, because it bloody stung.
“ Vaughn,” she purred, her gaze
coming to rest on me. I could see her appraise me
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