"I saw the picture in the newspaper."
Mina's blood ran cold and her hands actually began to shake, she pressed the phone against her ear so she wouldn't drop it. She'd never been afraid of Bryan but there was something so scary about the way he said those words. There was no emotion in his voice...she would have expected disappointment or anger...something. "I'm so sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't know they were taking pictures for the paper."
"Fuck the newspaper!" Bryan almost yelled. "Are you dating him?"
"No," Mina said quickly.
The other end of the phone was silent for a moment. "So, you're telling me that you are not dating the Senator's son?"
He spat the last two words. Mina frowned. "No, I'm not!" she yelled. "I didn't even know who his parents were until we got to the luncheon. I was just doing him a favor. It was technically not a date!" And that was technically not a lie.
"Look," Bryan said with a defeated sigh. "I'm working my ass off here and it doesn't really seem to matter."
"Bryan..."
"I've got to call you back."
The line went dead in her ear and Mina swallowed the frustrated scream rising in her throat. She didn't want to wake Ava from her afternoon nap and she had to get back to the computer. She was halfway through with a term paper for Art History class when someone knocked. "Bryan," she whispered saving the document as quickly as she could.
William gave her a huge grin and a single red rose when she pulled the door open.
Damn it! Mina stepped aside to let him enter the apartment.
"Where's your kid?" he asked glancing around. She noticed he was holding a cream-colored bear behind his back.
"She's sleeping," Mina said motioning to the couch so they could both sit. He hander her the bear and tossed his arm across the back of the couch as he sat, as if he expected her to nestle into the spot beside him. She sat on the opposite end, leaving the middle cushion beside him empty. "William, you really should have given me a heads up about that lunch thing."
"What do you mean?" The faint grin on his lips showed that he knew exactly what she meant.
Mina sighed. "I mean, you didn't mention that it was such a big deal...or who your parents are...or that we'd be on Page Six and in every newspaper from here to Buffalo."
"I did say the fundraiser was important and I just assumed you knew who my father is...everyone else does."
Mina couldn't help bristling at his self-righteous tone. "Well, I didn't. Now I'm screwed. Bryan saw it and he's so pissed right now..."
"Bryan?" William asked leaning against the arm of the chair. "You mean Ava's dad?"
She frowned.
"Oh, God, Mina," Williams said sitting up and leaning towards her. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I honestly didn't think you'd mind being in the society papers. I mean, it's really where you belong considering who your mother is."
Mina blinked at him slowly digesting what he'd just told her. "How do you know my mother?"
"Oh, I don't. My father does."
Oh. My. God. "Your father knows my mother?" Mina realized she sounded brain damaged but something just wasn't clicking somewhere.
"Of course. Your mother is a very famous litigator worth millions of dollars and one of his constituents."
Mina felt like she was suffocating. She leapt off the couch as she gasped for breath. Everything was starting to make perfect sense. "Oh my God, William!" she barked. "Did my mother set us up? Did she tell you to ask me out? Did she tell you to take me to that luncheon?"
William watched her coolly. "My father was the one who made me aware of your attending this school. I don't know if your mother had anything to do with that."
