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He nods and sticks his hands in his pockets, ignoring Gabriel’s laughter from the other side of the room, no hint on his face what he’s thinking.
I wipe my palms on my skirt, which is probably soaked with sweat with how often I’ve done it today. “I wasn’t trying to use you for your connections or anything. It just kind of happened.”
“No.” His brow furrows as he steps closer. “That’s not what I was implying.”
I look up, his gaze sincere, and the tension in my shoulders melts.
“I should have said congratulations. You got your first big client. Things are looking up.”
In some ways they are. The far-off dream of being an actual designer seems more within reach than ever. But how can I get there when I have so much else hanging over my head? Mom’s medical bills, possibly being evicted. I have no savings, no one to support me if I fail to do what Dad asks. A commission for one dress won’t solve everything.
I smile at him, trying my best to make it look real. I don’t need him questioning my sudden downturn in mood. “Thanks.”
His head tilts watching me, mouth opening to ask me God knows what, but his brother beats him to the punch.
“Connor, we’re going to dinner,” Gabriel calls out. “Want to come with?”
“I should probably go,” I whisper, stepping back. “You’ll want to be with your family.”
He stares at me a beat longer, his gaze flicking between my eyes, searching for something. But what?
“Emma?” Serena walks over, a happy smile on her face. “Would you like to come too? I’d love to talk more about the dress.”
My gaze returns to Connor, expression unreadable once more. “As long as it’s okay with Connor.” I don’t want him thinking I’m overstepping my bounds.
He blinks, the seriousness surrounding him seeming to disappear. “Yeah, of course,” he says with an easy grin. “That’d be great.”
She leaves, going to tell Archer we’ll come, and I whisper to Connor, “If she put you on the spot, I don’t have to—”
“I want you there,” he interrupts me. “If it’s okay with you.”
“It is.”
“Great. It’s a date.” His smile immediately falls. “Not a date, I mean. It’s dinner. With my family. Nothing date-like about it.”
The tips of his ears burn red and he tips his head down to stare at the floor, not meeting my eye. What’s going on with him? I’ve never seen him so flustered.
“I know what you meant,” I assure him. “And that you definitely wouldn’t want to date me.”
He looks up, startled. “I wouldn’t want to date you?” There’s disbelief in his tone, catching me off guard. Why is he acting like this is news to him?
“Um, yeah. The whole touching thing? You practically recoiled the first few times I did it. It’s totally fine, though. I understand.”
“Emma.” His voice lowers and he quickly checks behind him, but everyone’s out of earshot. “It’s not that I wouldn’t. It’s that I can’t. You’re my employee.”
I stare at him, not sure I’m reading between the lines correctly. Is he suggesting that if I wasn’t working for him… he would want to date me? That he’s attracted to me? But he was so disinterested all those times I tried.
“Shit.” He rubs at the back of his neck, almost aggressively. “I shouldn’t have said that. Forget I said anything, okay?”
“Okay,” I agree faintly, still caught up in the slight possibility he’s interested in me. If I interpreted him right, that is. Did I? Or was he just being nice? Making an explanation as to why there could never be anything between us that shifts the blame off him.
“Connor? Are you coming?” Gabriel asks again.
“Yeah, give me a sec,” he replies, eyes never leaving mine. “Are we good?” he asks in a lower tone.
I mentally shake my head, snapping out of it. “Yes. All good. Let’s go eat.”
He nods, motioning for me to walk ahead of him as everyone files out of the building.