publishing, but her eyes kept flicking to where Evelyn—no,
Evvy
—had pulled Mitchell into the corner, his head bent down to listen to whatever she was whispering.
Julie must have been doing a piss-poor job of faking interest in the senator because he turned slightly to see what—or whom—she was looking at. For a second his eyes went sad.
“She thought he was going to propose,” he said, lowering his voice.
“Oh?” Julie said, her heart in her throat.
“We never did figure out what went wrong. I don’t know who was more upset to lose him, me or her,” he said with a small laugh. “He was like a son.”
Suddenly Julie felt guilty for judging Evelyn so harshly. She might be a bit of a bitch, but she was a brokenhearted bitch. Losing a man like Mitchell Forbes was bound to bring out the worst in someone.
She bit her lip. Where had
that
thought come from?
“How long have you two been together?” the senator asked, resuming his friendly manner.
“Oh, we’re not really together,” Julie said quickly. “Just sort of casually dating.”
Mitchell and Evelyn chose that moment to rejoin them, and Evelyn’s satisfied expression revealed that she’d overheard Julie’s comment.
Julie searched Mitchell’s face to gauge his reaction to her dismissal of their relationship, but his expression was even more placid and unreadable than ever.
The lights flickered, indicating the end of intermission, and Julie breathed a sigh of relief. She was starting to get frostbite from Evelyn’s glare.
“It was nice to meet you,” Evelyn said politely. “Mitchell, I’ll call you about what we discussed?”
Julie’s fingers tightened on Mitchell’s arm, and he glanced quickly down at her. “I think we’re good, Ev,” he said in a kind voice.
Evelyn’s eyes clouded over again, and Julie almost felt sorry for her again. Almost.
Julie and Mitchell didn’t say a word as they made their way back toward their own box, and Julie resisted the urge to ask the clichéd woman’s question:
What are you thinking about?
On a professional level she hoped he wasn’t hung up on his ex-girlfriend. That wouldderail her story.
On a personal level … well, on a personal level, she
really
hoped he wasn’t hung up on his ex-girlfriend.
Julie almost smiled. The green had been an apt dress choice. She wondered absently if jealousy looked good on her, and was about to ask Mitchell when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an empty box.
“This isn’t ours,” she said, looking around in confusion.
His lips nibbled her ear. “I know. It’s empty.”
“How do you know?”
“I noticed during the first act.”
“And we’re here because …?”
“So I could do this,” he said, his mouth opening and planting warm kisses along the side of her neck.
She couldn’t help it. She purred. “So is this like the grown-up version of making out at the movies?”
“I hope to do a lot more than making out.”
Julie’s eyes widened at that. Those glasses hid a naughty side.
“So we’re just casually seeing each other, huh?” he asked, still taking soft bites out of her neck.
She froze before continuing her restless stroking of his back. “Well, what would you call it?”
“That sounds about right.”
Julie swallowed around the disappointment.
Give him a break, Jules. It’s only been a week
.
Still, she couldn’t resist asking. “Evelyn …?”
“What about her?” He pulled back slightly, and Julie wanted to zip her mouth shut and yank his lips back to her neck.
“Never mind,” she said quickly.
But Mitchell leaned back and met her eyes. “There’s nothing between us.”
“Didn’t look that way from where I was standing,” she grumbled.
He shrugged. “She was hoping there might be a chance at a reunion. I told her no.”
Julie’s heart began to thud. “You did? Why?”
He gave a wicked smile and pulled her into the shadowy corner of the box, where they were out of sight. “Because Evelyn
Evvy
—had pulled Mitchell into the corner, his head bent down to listen to whatever she was whispering.
Julie must have been doing a piss-poor job of faking interest in the senator because he turned slightly to see what—or whom—she was looking at. For a second his eyes went sad.
“She thought he was going to propose,” he said, lowering his voice.
“Oh?” Julie said, her heart in her throat.
“We never did figure out what went wrong. I don’t know who was more upset to lose him, me or her,” he said with a small laugh. “He was like a son.”
Suddenly Julie felt guilty for judging Evelyn so harshly. She might be a bit of a bitch, but she was a brokenhearted bitch. Losing a man like Mitchell Forbes was bound to bring out the worst in someone.
She bit her lip. Where had
that
thought come from?
“How long have you two been together?” the senator asked, resuming his friendly manner.
“Oh, we’re not really together,” Julie said quickly. “Just sort of casually dating.”
Mitchell and Evelyn chose that moment to rejoin them, and Evelyn’s satisfied expression revealed that she’d overheard Julie’s comment.
Julie searched Mitchell’s face to gauge his reaction to her dismissal of their relationship, but his expression was even more placid and unreadable than ever.
The lights flickered, indicating the end of intermission, and Julie breathed a sigh of relief. She was starting to get frostbite from Evelyn’s glare.
“It was nice to meet you,” Evelyn said politely. “Mitchell, I’ll call you about what we discussed?”
Julie’s fingers tightened on Mitchell’s arm, and he glanced quickly down at her. “I think we’re good, Ev,” he said in a kind voice.
Evelyn’s eyes clouded over again, and Julie almost felt sorry for her again. Almost.
Julie and Mitchell didn’t say a word as they made their way back toward their own box, and Julie resisted the urge to ask the clichéd woman’s question:
What are you thinking about?
On a professional level she hoped he wasn’t hung up on his ex-girlfriend. That wouldderail her story.
On a personal level … well, on a personal level, she
really
hoped he wasn’t hung up on his ex-girlfriend.
Julie almost smiled. The green had been an apt dress choice. She wondered absently if jealousy looked good on her, and was about to ask Mitchell when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an empty box.
“This isn’t ours,” she said, looking around in confusion.
His lips nibbled her ear. “I know. It’s empty.”
“How do you know?”
“I noticed during the first act.”
“And we’re here because …?”
“So I could do this,” he said, his mouth opening and planting warm kisses along the side of her neck.
She couldn’t help it. She purred. “So is this like the grown-up version of making out at the movies?”
“I hope to do a lot more than making out.”
Julie’s eyes widened at that. Those glasses hid a naughty side.
“So we’re just casually seeing each other, huh?” he asked, still taking soft bites out of her neck.
She froze before continuing her restless stroking of his back. “Well, what would you call it?”
“That sounds about right.”
Julie swallowed around the disappointment.
Give him a break, Jules. It’s only been a week
.
Still, she couldn’t resist asking. “Evelyn …?”
“What about her?” He pulled back slightly, and Julie wanted to zip her mouth shut and yank his lips back to her neck.
“Never mind,” she said quickly.
But Mitchell leaned back and met her eyes. “There’s nothing between us.”
“Didn’t look that way from where I was standing,” she grumbled.
He shrugged. “She was hoping there might be a chance at a reunion. I told her no.”
Julie’s heart began to thud. “You did? Why?”
He gave a wicked smile and pulled her into the shadowy corner of the box, where they were out of sight. “Because Evelyn
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