“What a coincidence, Ms. Nicholson.”
Natasha’s tone was cool and distant. ” Though staring at my husband like that seems a bit inappropriate, don’t you think?
“Husband?” Dahlia snapped out of her daze and composed herself, her face returning to its usual calm detachment.
She smiled faintly with a hint of skepticism. “Ms. Harmon, if I recall correctly, you’re not married. Where did this husband come from?”
Natasha had expected this question. She immediately wrapped her arm around Dustin’s and pressed her body intimately against him. Tilting her face up toward her, she declared, “He is my husband. We’re getting our marriage license tomorrow.”
The announcement caught Dahlia off guard, creating a ripple of unease beneath her composed exterior.
Her smile stiffened just slightly as her eyes moved back to Dustin, and something unreadable flickered across her face. She took a moment before responding, keeping her voice neutral.
“Well then, congratulations to you both.”
“Thank you, Ms. Nicholson.” Natasha’s face lit up with a victorious smile, tinged with smugness. “We’ll definitely send you a wedding invitation. You have to come.”
Those words punched Dahlia in the gut. She frowned, feeling frustrated but unable to retort. For once, she found herself at a loss for words.
Zayden, who’d been ignored this whole time, cautiously approached Dahlia and asked, “Do you know these two?”
She glanced at him and replied indifferently, “They’re my old acquaintances. Why?”
When he heard that and noticed her irritated look, warning bells started ringing in his mind. He might be spoiled, but he wasn’t a fool.
Dahlia now wielded serious influence in the Mosey family. His own father had to grovel to stay in her good graces. Anyone she referred to as “old acquaintances” in that particular tone must be important people he couldn’t afford to cross.
Zayden thanked his lucky stars he hadn’t escalated things earlier. Plastering on an obsequious smile, he turned to Dustin and Natasha.
“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” he said. “I didn’t recognize my own people. I was blind just now and offended you both. I’m so sorry. I’ll leave right away and won’t interrupt your reunion.”
Natasha waved him off impatiently. “Get lost. Don’t get in the way.”
“Yes. Of course.”
He felt like he’d been granted a pardon, smiling obsequiously as he quickly made his escape. Once he was gone, tension hung in the air between the three of them. Dahlia took a deep breath and looked at Dustin. She seemed to have made up her mind about something.
“Dustin, do you have time? How about we have a meal together? There are some things I’d like to talk about,” she said.
Dustin frowned, ready to turn her down. However, Natasha beat him to it with a bright smile. “Sounds great. We couldn’t possibly refuse a personal invitation from Ms. Nicholson.”
He looked at Natasha, visibly puzzled. This wasn’t like her at all. He’d fully expected her to pull him in the opposite direction the second Dahlia appeared.
Natasha caught his questioning look and gave his arm a deliberate squeeze. She knew exactly what she was doing. Better to deal with Dahlia head-on than wonder what she might try behind the scenes. She would use this opportunity to establish her boundaries once and for all.
She also wanted to get under Dahlia’s skin. She wanted to show Dahlia how successful Dustin had become and how blind and stupid her decision to divorce him had been.
This meal would be the perfect opportunity to make her point. A few minutes later, the three stepped into a barbecue restaurant in the mall.
Two stunning women, each with a completely different style, walked in with Dustin, whose striking looks and presence made him impossible to ignore.
Nearly everyone in the restaurant turned to look at them. They drew attention like magnets as they made their way through the restaurants. After a waitress led them to their table, murmurs rippled through the surrounding diners.
“Holy crap! Check out those two stunning beauties at that table.”
“Damn! One’s got that cool, sophisticated vibe, and the other’s like a total knockout. Who is that guy?”
“Most guys would kill to be with one woman like that, and this dude’s sitting with both of them. How is that fair?”
“I’m dying of jealousy. Did he save the world or something?” “Look at the way he carries himself. Bet he’s some trust fund kid playing normal for a day.”
“I don’t think so. He looks pretty normal to me. I mean, sure, he’s good-looking and has that presence- God, the more I talk, the more bitter I sound.”
“Man, having two women like that? Most guys couldn’t handle it. You can tell there’s something complicated going on between them.”
