Page 88 of Heartache & Playdates
“I know, right? It’s like a Lifetime movie,” Bianca joked.
She had no clue how true that statement actually was.
“Well, I think that calls for another round!” Wendell went up to the bar and came back with more drinks. We all held our respective glasses up as he said, “To billionaire exes and unexpected reunions!”
It seemed like a very specific cheer as we all clicked our glasses when I heard my name.
“Peyton.”
I turned and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Trent was standing in the bar holding flowers.
“Trent?!” I stood up. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled as if my reaction was a happy one. It wasn’t. “I told you I had a layover.”
“Yeah, and I told you I had plans.” I motioned to the table of my coworkers.
“Right, so I came to you,” he smiled, either totally ignoring the fact that I was not pleased with his arrival or being totally oblivious to it, I wasn’t sure which.
I knew that I should have ended things officially after he showed up at the school on Tuesday, but I’d had a lot on my plate since then.
“How did you find me?”
“Your phone.”
“My phone?”
“Yeah, I enabled Find My Friends on your phone so I could see your location.”
“You’ve beenspyingon me?”
He ignored my question completely. “There’s something I needed to ask you.”
Oh for the love!Was this still about the fucking partners dinner? I wasn’t going.
“I told you I can—”
My words dropped off when he dropped to one knee.
“Peyton Russo, you are the most beautiful woman in any room. I know that we can build a life together that anyone would envy. You are the yin to my yang, the proverbial woman behind the great man. Will you do me the honor of being Mrs. Trent Windsor?”
He opened a Tiffany box with an absurdly large solitaire diamond ring in it set in a slim gold band.
The restaurant had fallen quiet around us, and I could feel my cheeks heating. I hated attention being directed at me. He knew that. Or at least he should know it. I forced myself to smile and I spoke without moving my lips, “Trent, get up.”
He did as I asked and pulled me into his arms asking me quietly in my ear, “Is that a yes?”
“What? No?” I said into his shoulder. “That’s not—”
He spoke against my ear. “Don’t answer yet. I know you need time to process things. Just wear this, get a feel for it.” He leaned back and slid the ring on my finger and the room around us exploded. He leaned down and gave me a passionless kiss. “I have to go. The drive from SFO across the city was a nightmare.” He looked at the table. “You take care of my girl.”
And then without another word, he turned and disappeared into the crowded restaurant.
I stared blinking in the place he had just stood.
Had that really just happened?
Had he actually proposed and then walked away?
