“I’m supposed to meet his wife, Sophia. It’s a surprise.” Laying it on a little thick. I’m probably going to piss Dane off, but I don’t give a damn. He shouldn’t have lied to Kim. And he should’ve picked up the phone or at least answered my text when I tried to reach him earlier.
Finally, the hostess nods and takes me to a table in the back, by the faux waterfall. I can see why she looked so skeptical earlier. The seating is for two and utterly romantic, with an orange-pink flower centerpiece and a pure white orchid lying by Sophia’s side. Dane’s wife is stunning as usual, her golden hair twisted up in some fancy style, and pink gems glittering from her ears and fingers. Probably diamonds, if I know Dane. She waves when she notices me.
Dane turns around. The curiosity on his face turns into pure annoyance, which is gratifying. “What are you doing here?”
“Why, hey, Dane. Good to see you.” I maintain the friendly smile for Sophia’s benefit. She could use a little sunshine. She’s married to my ice-cold friend, after all. “You don’t think I might be here to eat?”
His expression says I’m not fooling anybody. “No. You don’t like anything on the menu.”
“Got that right. But look, I need to talk to you for a minute. I tried calling and texting, and you’ve been ignoring me.”
The annoyance sharpens to irritation. “Because I was busy working so I could have a nice night out with my wife.” His tone says I’m a pest, and that’s putting it kindly. “Did Roxie tell you I was going to be here?”
“I told her it was for Kim.” Lying to him to save his assistant would only backfire. Dane hates liars even more than people interrupting his time with his wife.
“She’s fired.”
Oh, shit. Before I can rise to Roxie’s defense, Sophia places a hand on Dane’s sleeve.
“Dane, you can’t mean that,” she says softly. “She’s really good at her job. You like her, and so do I.”
He lets out a breath, his shoulders no longer extra tight. Just normal tight.
“She’s really the sweetest. And she helped me out so much when I first got here. I might not have stayed in Los Angeles without her.”
“All right. For that, I’ll let her keep her job,” Dane says finally, taking her small hand from his sleeve, turning it over and massaging the center of the palm with his thumb.
This tender gesture is so alien for him that I actually feel a creepy sensation. Like a thousand ants marching over my back.
She rewards him with a brilliant smile, then turns to me. “I don’t suppose you came here just to crash our dinner. So what can we do for you?”
“It’s about a housewarming gift,” I say, relieved that Sophia has saved Roxie’s job. I turn to Dane. “You told Kim you’re going to give me a statue, but I never got it. I promised Kim I’d give it to her if she’d go to my ex-wife’s wedding with me.”
“I was going to give it to you after you moved into a proper home to serve as a constant reminder of your mistake with Geneva so you don’t repeat it,” he says, but I think it’s more for his wife’s benefit than mine. He isn’t the type to justify himself to anybody, not even his friends.
Like I’m ever going to forget! “What’s wrong with my apartment?”
He shoots me a disgusted “oh please” look, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key ring in the shape of the letter D. He searches through it, pulls one key off and hands it me. Then he starts tapping on his phone.
Mine pings in my pocket.
“I just texted you the address and passcode. You’ll also need the key to enter the warehouse.”
“You’ve been carrying this all along?” I ask.
“Can’t leave it lying around. The statue is one of a kind.”
He should’ve just given it to me earlier, then. But before I can say it, Dane pointedly looks in the direction of the exit. “Now, can I share a nice meal with my wife without persona non grata present?”
“Of course.” I shove the key into my pants pocket. “My apologies for the interruption, Sophia. Enjoy your date night.”
She waves with a smile, while Dane continues to give me a death glare.
I walk out, doing my best to suppress the urge to pump my fist and dance around. I feel like that dude who just slayed dragons. Come to think of it, Dane is sort of like a dragon.
Excitement swells in my chest. I’ve fixed things for Kim. Now she can get her bonus.
“Yes!” I say under my breath, then take my keys back from the valet and climb into my car. I can’t wait to surprise Kim.