"You look ravishing," I murmur as I adjust my cufflinks and kiss her on the cheek. She hates it when I smudge her lipstick.
She steps back, giving me a once over, but there's no warmth in her eyes. "Why aren't you ready? You're a wrinkled mess," she says in her thick Parisian accent. "We are already late."
"I know, sweetheart, and I'm so sorry." I start to work on my tie. "It's been hell today and I just sent Penny down to grab my suit. I promise it will only be a few more minutes." I head to the bar I keep in the corner. "Can I make you a drink while we wait? Gimlet? Vodka tonic?"
She wrinkles her nose. "You know I only drink champagne."
I pour myself a scotch.
Lena kicks out a hip. "I do not think you understand how important this event is."
"It's just a gallery opening."
"Just?" Her icy blue eyes widen. "Just an opening by Marcel LeFevre. And I am his muse."
It's moments like this that I'm reminded how much Lena craves attention. She posed for Marcel as part of a documentary about his work. The event will be covered by the European press as much as the locals. And any other night, I'd have no problem giving her all the attention. Lena is exactly the kind of girlfriend I love. An intelligent, beautiful companion who takes my mind off work. Someone who's passionate, yet emotionally uncomplicated. She's also exactly the kind of woman my mother would love to have as a future daughter-in-law - a fact that is not lost on me.
Hector shows up at the same time Penny arrives with my suit, a look of panic in his eyes that warns me the shit's about to hit the fan. "What is it, Hector?"
He eyes Lena and shakes his head.
I wave a hand. "It's fine. Lena's safe."
Hector clears his throat. "I ahh... don't want to be ahh... the bearer of bad news... but we have-"
"What he means to say," interrupts Penny as she hands me my suit and cheekily straightens my tie. "Is that he called Delhi to let them know we needed to push the deployment off, and... that's your phone ringing now," she says as my desk phone starts to chirp. "That'll be the vice-president of financial security for Delhi Bank." Penny gives me a cheery smile that says we're all screwed.
Lena rolls her eyes hard. "You are kidding me." She shakes her head. "I am not waiting for zis."
"Sweetheart, I know you're upset. This will only take a few minutes. Have Edward drive you down. I can be there in," I look at my watch. "Twenty minutes." That's pushing it, but all the VP needs is a reassuring call from me and I can hand the rest over to Penny and Hector.
Lena knows better. "I expect you to see me at seven or we are through." She spins on her stiletto and sashays through the office.
Hector chuckles quietly. Even he can tell I'm in the doghouse.
"Lena, babe... wait."
She pauses in the door. "Don't you babe me. You have been putting me off for a week and it makes me tzink zat you do not love me."
I think in time I could, but that's another conversation entirely. "Lena."
She cuts me off with a slicing motion. "Non. I refuse. It is obvious that you love her." She points to Penny.
Penny's eyes flare open, before her face pulls into a scowl.
I wait a beat too long before answering. "Lena, you know that's not true. I can't help-"
Her eyes narrow. "I am right about zis. I will take my affection elsewhere. To someone who doesn't keep me waiting. Goodbye Stockton." She tosses her dark hair over her shoulder and stalks out of the office. Penny and Hector exchange a glance, only Penny doesn't even attempt to hide her amusement.
"Good riddance," she mutters under her breath.
"Why do you say that? Lena's fantastic." Except for her temper.
"Only when you're around. When you're not, she treats me like I'm nothing more than your secretary."
"Well you kind of are," chortles Hector.
Penny turns the full force of her irate gaze on Hector, poor guy. "Shut up, Hector, or I'll superglue your laptop to your Iron Man cutout."
I don't like hearing this about Lena. Penny's one of Steele Conglomerate's most valuable assets. And while she helps me with all sorts of personal stuff as well as kicking ass with coding, it's not because I think of her that way. It's only because she's the only one capable of handling all the balls we have to juggle. "Why didn't you say anything?"
She rolls her eyes. "It's not my job. And I'm not going to be a tattletale." She waves her neon yellow fingertips at me. "You can date whoever you want. Personally, I don't know what you see in the women that traipse through here, but whatever."
Well, shit. I feel like I've been weighed in the balance and found wanting. "Look, why don't I order some takeout? The three of us can figure this out over Thai."
I type an order into the local delivery app and the three of us get to work implementing Penny's security suggestions. I've just tipped the delivery guy at the elevator when the alarm on my watch goes off. I check it and a calendar notification comes up, but not for the gallery. It's for the Kansas City Sports Clubs fundraiser, where I'm supposed to be in twenty minutes. It's an annual event where the owners of the local pro clubs and the coaches from other local amateur teams get together to raise scholarship money for vulnerable kids across the metro. It's a big deal, and this year I'm supposed to be representing the Kansas City Kings. Harrison will be there as well, representing our rowing club.
Shit. Damn. Shit.
This is a plus-one event and I told Harrison I'd bring Lena with me right after the gallery opening, and I've completely forgotten about it. Fucking hell.
"Penny," I holler, rushing through the outer office. "I need you."
She snickers. "When do you not need me?"
"I mean it. I've got this thing."
"Oh, is it catching?" she says, winking at Hector.
"Stop being a brat for half a second. It's a fundraiser for a big sports nonprofit at the President. I'm supposed to be there representing the Kings."
"Okay. Hector and I can keep going."
I shake my head. "No. I need you to come with me. You're the only person who can talk about the predictive analytics algorithm we use for recruiting."
Her eyes narrow. "And you were going to tell me about this when?"
"Lena was going to be my date. It's pretty swanky."
"So you didn't need me when Lena was your date, but now you do?" She scowls at me. "I think you'll be just fine on your own. You know the algo."
"But you wrote it. And this is a plus-one event."
"And someone needs to stay here to deal with the Delhi Bank stuff."
"We can come back after and finish it."
She stares at me a full minute, eyes stormy, before speaking. "Maybe I have plans I don't want to break."
Her tone of voice implies these aren't just any plans. I hate the flash of jealousy that fires through me. I don't want her to have plans. "With who?"
"None of your business."
She's right. It's none of my business. "Well, you'll have to break your date. I need you to come with me."