Page 86 of Handsome Devil
Velma studied me, considering. “Well, I think this night could go a long way to easing your mother’s mind, then. And remind her why you’re her Senior VP.”
Yeah. Maybe.
The fact that I had to ease my own mother’s mind that I wasn’t some fuck-up of epic proportions was still hard to swallow.
“She’ll see you, Dane,” Velma assured me. “She’ll see the truth.”
“Maybe. Maybe she can’t be bothered with the truth, when the lie is so spectacular.”
That was the saddest truth.
The harsh life lesson I’d learned these last few days?No one—not my own family, not my ex-fiancée, not the media, not even the goddamn lawyers—wanted the truth. No one gave a shit about the truth when billions were at stake.
And no one upon no one wanted a wealthy, male victim.
I wasn’t sureIeven gave a shit.
I just wanted all of this behind me, as fast as possible.
“By the way…” Velma said, glancing out the window. We were just approaching the hotel in Coal Harbour that was hosting the gala, and traffic was backed up. “Is there a reason you’re not showing up at this thing with a date? It’s not really your style to black tie it without arm candy.”
“So? You can be my arm candy.”
She gave me a dry look. “Why no date, Dane?”
“Too soon.”
“Okay. I was just wondering how you’d want to play that. A long moratorium on the subject of relationships, no dating for a while. Or…”
“Or?”
“Or, dive right back in with someone who helps you repair your reputation with women.”
“For now, we’ll go with option A,” I muttered. “If I showed up with a date tonight, my mother would probably fire me on the spot.”
“Right. So… it’s really over with Tina?”
“Yes, it is.”
I didn’t really want the sympathy Velma was suddenly emanating in my direction, so I ignored it.
“About the sex tape… This is the last thing I’m going to say,” she told me. “For what it’s worth, Dane, I believe you.”
“Thanks, Velma.”
Yeah. That was worth something.
But unfortunately, not nearly enough.
We had to wait a bit, but once we could finally pull up to the waterfront hotel, our driver came around to open Velma’s door.
I followed her out to the sidewalk, and there was Rolf, waiting for us. Beyond, a crowd was scattered across the hotel entrance loop, gala guests arriving, unpacking from cars and heading into the hotel. There was a red carpet and some media.
Rolf and one of his guys ushered us aside, where Tanner rushed up to us, looking more sweaty than usual. He was huffing like he’d run all the way across downtown from whatever store he’d stopped at. He presented me with a black satin bow tie in a box, like he was offering up a fresh kill to a pack leader.
I reached for it, and felt the ripple of heat right down my back—at the same moment I caught the flash of orange, like a flame in the corner of my eye.
I looked over. And there she stood, right in the middle of the glassed-in lobby, chatting with some people.
