The Wrong Bond

19

His lips thinned into a disapproving line. “The border is still an option. It may be the only option. If we fully cut them off, we won’t have to worry about them stealing from us.”

I growled. “A border won’t stop them. They’re poor, hungry wolves who would claw their way out of what they came from to get what they want. A measly border won’t stop them.”

“But throwing money at a problem that barely exists would?” he countered. “Shawn, you’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment.”

A problem that barely exists?

I was severely close to losing my cool. But I had almost no energy to keep arguing. This whole situation was absurd.

“This isn’t about emotions. It’s about giving the downtown wolves what they deserve and making sure they’re comfortable. It’s about allocating funds properly.”

“I’m not throwing my money and resources downtown.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean the state’s money and resources?”

He didn’t respond, and I knew then that I was done with this conversation.

“If you won’t do anything about it, I will,” I said, getting to my feet and walking out of the room.

When I stepped out of the building and into my air-conditioned car, I felt relief wash through me.

I hadn’t realized how stifling the office was until I’d walked out, and now I felt relieved. I reached for my phone and called Arlene. Speaking to her was the only thing that would make me feel better.

“Hello,” she said after the third ring. I could tell she was smiling on the other end of the line.

“Ally,” I started. “You don’t have the privilege to call me that yet,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow, even though she couldn’t see me. “Oh, really? And why’s that?”

“Because you just don’t.”

I nodded. “Good to know.”

“So why did you call? Do you need my services?” She whispered the last word, which made me throw my head back and laugh.

“Don’t ever say it like that.”

She chuckled on the other end. “How’s your morning going?”

I sighed.

“Rough meeting?”

“Something like that,” I admitted. “Family business can be...interesting.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” she replied.

“I was thinking about a distraction. Something to take our minds off of everything.”

“What do you have in mind?” she asked.

“There’s an opening at this amazing new art gallery tonight. It’s an uptown elite thing and I have to go. I don’t have a plus one yet, so I would like you to come with me.”

Silence followed my words, and she didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes.

I knew what I was doing, and I would be silly to say I didn’t. I knew that I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, and that wasn’t what our arrangement was supposed to be about. I shouldn’t be taking my mistress to fancy gallery events and breakfast cafés, but I wasn’t overtly breaking any rules, so I tried not to care.

“I would like that too,” Arlene replied after what felt like forever.

“Great! See you at eight.”

“See you at eight,” she replied, and hung up.

I ran my fingers through my hair, my mind racing. What the f**k was I doing?

CHAPTER 10

ARLENE

“W

hat do I wear?” I practically shrieked, pulling the clothes from my body and grabbing different ones.

I had no idea what I was supposed to wear for a very formal, very uptown elite art gallery event, and I had no idea why I had accepted Shawn’s invitation.

I’d been so close to saying no, but a part of me that lived for risk-taking and doing things that scared me had pushed a yes from my lips, and now I was attending an event I knew I wouldn’t fit in at.

“Just calm down and keep looking,” Leah assured me.

I slumped onto my bed. “I shouldn’t have agreed to go.”

“But you did, and you can’t back out now,” Leah said, pulling me back to my feet and ushering me to my wardrobe to look for different clothes to wear.

“I don’t have anything that screams ‘I’m part of the uptown elite,’” I wailed.

Leah giggled beside me, enjoying every minute of my nervous breakdown. “Maybe that’s because you’re not part of the uptown elite.”

“But I want to fake it.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel like if Shawn wanted an uptown wolf there, he has a list of supermodels on speed dial who he could call.”

I shook my head quickly at the thought. “Please don’t remind me that I’m just a number in his long list of hookups. It doesn’t feel good.”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up, Ally. But I’m a consistent gossip magazine buyer and I’ve not seen any news of Shawn with any other woman since you guys started seeing each other.”

That was the worst way she could “not” get my hopes up. Even if I knew we wouldn’t end up together and that this would probably dwindle out as quickly as it had started, my feelings, including hope, were quickly getting out of hand.

“Really?”

She wagged a finger in my face. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

“I’m not,” I lied.

“I thought you said you didn’t like him.”

“I don’t,” I countered.

“Well, it seems like you do. And you shouldn’t let your emotions get involved. I’ve told you this a million and one times. You’re meant to be detached. If not, you’ll end up hurting yourself,” Leah warned.

“And I don’t want that to happen.”

“Exactly!”

For the next thirty minutes, we couldn’t find any outfit that screamed fancy. After searching my wardrobe for the millionth time, I finally found an old dress stashed at the back of my wardrobe.

“Oh my God, I haven’t worn this in years,” I gasped as Leah pulled it out and held it in front of me.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this dress,” she replied.

“It’s old, but it’s gorgeous. I hope it still fits.”

She pushed it toward me. “Try it on, then. You don’t have all night.”

I finally got into the dress and it fit me like a glove…maybe a little too well. All my curves were on full display as I twirled in front of the mirror.

“It’s too…” I trailed off, not knowing the word to use to describe how it made me feel.

The neckline was a low V and the dress clung to every part of my body, leaving very little to the imagination. It was a dress that would make any man stop and give me a full-body look.

“It’s perfect,” Leah gasped.

I shook my head, feeling self-conscious already. “Leah, I don’t know. I think it’s a little bit too much.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I think I’m overdoing it.”

“What?” Leah gasped. “There’s no such thing as doing too much. Gallery events uptown are the embodiment of class. And there will be caviar, a chocolate fountain, and an endless supply of champagne.”

I winced. “That sounds really fancy.”

“Yes, and you’ll fit right in.”

“I don’t know.”