24. Maddie
24
MADDIE
“Are you sure you can skip the rest of the summit this afternoon?” I turned to Ian after we left the restaurant, unable to stop myself from asking the question that had been giving me anxiety all through our lunch with Mrs. Torres. “Won’t they be upset if you’re not there?”
“It should be fine.” Ian glanced at me, his expression relaxed. “My keynote was the main event. As long as I’m at the mixers tonight, mingling and making connections, my dad and the board can’t complain about me playing hooky this afternoon.”
“Hooky?” I raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. “That doesn’t sound very responsible of you, Mr. Hastings.”
He chuckled, his smile easy. “You should try it sometime, Ms. Stevens. It’s liberating.”
I shook my head, laughing softly as we made our way back to the hotel. “All right, if you’re sure you won’t get in trouble.”
“Positive.”
Once we reached his room, Ian turned to me. “I’m gonna change into something more comfortable, then we can head out. Meet me back here in twenty minutes?”
“Sure,” I said, not remembering if I’d ever seen him wearing anything besides a suit in public—aside from the time we’d met in North Carolina. “What kind of clothes should I wear for this shopping trip? Should I just stay in this dress?”
“Just wear whatever you’d normally wear shopping,” he said, giving me a good once over. But then his gaze landed on my heels. “But maybe wear something more comfortable for walking. The shops on Newbury Street are only about half a mile away, but I’ve heard something about stilettos being torture devices invented by men. I don’t want you in pain all afternoon.”
“How thoughtful of you,” I teased.
“I try,” he said, his grin crooked.
I couldn’t help but smile as I nodded. “All right. Flats it is.”
“And plan for a few hours,” he added, pausing with his hand on his door handle.
“A few hours?” I blinked. “You think it’ll take me that long to find a dress?”
“Two dresses,” he corrected. “We’ve got the mixers tonight and the gala tomorrow.”
“Okay, so…a few hours to find two dresses?”
He shrugged, but there was something in his eyes—a glint of mischief—that made me think he wasn’t just planning to buy two dresses.
“What else are you planning?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
His lips twitched, but he said nothing, just gave me a maddeningly vague look before slipping into his room.
As I walked into mine, I tried to tamp down the flutter of excitement in my chest. It wasn’t like this was a real shopping date. Ian was just leaning into the ruse, helping sell the idea of us as a couple.
Still…it felt nice.
But then, another thought struck me. What if Ian wasn’t planning to spend hours shopping for me but for himself? The man dressed like he’d stepped straight out of a fashion magazine, every piece of his wardrobe immaculately chosen, right down to his cuff links. He might be one of those super picky shoppers, like my sister-in-law Juliette who could spend hours debating between two identical shades of navy fabric.
Oh, no. I groaned inwardly, picturing myself sitting on a fancy couch in some upscale men’s boutique while Ian agonized over tie patterns. If that happened, I’d die of boredom before we ever made it to the mixers tonight.
Shaking off the thought, I headed to the bathroom to freshen up and swap my heels for flats, trying to prepare myself for whatever this “shopping spree” had in store.
203-413-5517: Hey, this is Theo. I hope it’s okay that I got your number from Sloan. But I was wondering if you’d mind sharing some of your potty-training expertise, since I’m apparently in over my head.
The text buzzed on my phone just as I was finishing up getting ready to head back to Ian’s room. I smiled, touched that he’d think to ask me about parenting stuff since we’d only met the one time.
He’d mentioned at Sloan’s party that he’d been parenting his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter on his own since his wife’s tragic car accident a year ago. That couldn’t be easy.
Me: Sure, I’m happy to answer any questions. I’m not sure I’m a potty-training expert since I only had to do it once, and apparently, Grant was pretty easy compared to most, but feel free to ask.
His reply came almost immediately.
Theo: Your kid was easy? Heck, maybe just tell me what you did then because I could definitely use an easy button if it’s out there. Charlotte is just not getting it.
I laughed softly and texted back.
Me: Well, for starters, Grant was almost three when we finally got brave enough to start the potty-training process. So there’s that. But long story short, we decided to bribe him with a toy.
Theo: Okay…I’m listening.
Oh…he was expecting more? He probably wouldn’t like that for Grant, that was all it really took. But I decided to expound a little.
Me: So, we took Grant to the store, let him pick out what he wanted—a toy fishing pole so he could fish like my dad—and after that, it just…worked. He must have been super ready or wanted the fishing pole badly enough that as soon as he knew what he’d get, he went to the bathroom on the toilet every time after that. He even refused to wear diapers at night.
Theo’s response came in quick.
Theo: You’re making that up, right? That can’t actually be real.
I grinned as I slipped my purse over my shoulder.
Me: Apparently, I got really lucky. But I think part of it was that we waited until he was ready. Like I said, he was almost three. I didn’t want to worry about constant accidents—it was way easier to change a diaper than clean up a pee spot on the carpet.
After a quick glance in the mirror to check my reflection, I adjusted the black-and-white striped boatneck blouse I’d paired with white shorts—what Sloan had dubbed my "Audrey Hepburn outfit" when she saw it in my suitcase. Satisfied that I looked okay, I knocked on Ian’s door, ready to head out.
Just as I let my hand drop, my phone buzzed again.
Theo: Yeah…I think I’m going to rip out my carpet and replace it once this is over. My little carpet cleaner only does so much.
I smirked and tapped out a quick reply.
Me: Oh dang. That sucks.
When no answer came from Ian’s side of the door, I frowned and knocked again. Maybe he hadn’t heard me the first time?
But then, there was the sound of footsteps, and a second later, the door swung open.
Ian stood there in a sage-green button-up with short sleeves that fit him perfectly, emphasizing his muscular arms in a way that was almost distracting. My gaze lingered for a second longer than it probably should have, and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of workout schedule he had to achieve arms like that. He’d paired the shirt with chino shorts and crisp white tennis shoes, the casual outfit somehow managing to look effortlessly polished on him.
His dark hair was slightly tousled, and when his sharp brown eyes met mine, an easy smile tugged at his lips.
“Hey,” he said, his voice warm and inviting. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.” I swallowed, my heart giving a little flutter as I smiled back. “Let’s do this.”
I followed him out of his room, and as we headed to the elevator, I couldn’t help but think that Ian Hastings was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.
And he probably knows it, too.
Which yeah…I really couldn’t blame him if he did.
As soon as the elevator doors slid shut, my phone buzzed again. Leaning back against the wall, I unlocked the screen to read the new message.
Theo: It’s okay. She’s only two and a half, so maybe I’ll wait and try again later.
“Anyone interesting?” Ian asked casually, his eyes flicking to my phone. His tone was light, but there was a curious edge to it.
I glanced up, my lips tugging into a small smile. “It’s Theo.”
“Theo?” Something unreadable flickered in his expression. “What does he want?”
I slipped my phone into my purse. “He was just asking for potty-training tips. Apparently, his daughter has been making things tough on that front.”
Ian chuckled. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound like a very fun time.”
“It’s not,” I agreed. The elevator arrived, and as we stepped inside, another text buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out slightly to glance at it. It was Theo, asking if my son got into the summer program I’d told him we were hoping he’d get into.
Ian watched me type out my response, then asked, “So, did you give Theo your number at Sloan’s party?”
I shook my head. “No, he must’ve asked Sloan for it recently.”
He nodded, slightly lifting one eyebrow. “Oh, so you haven’t been texting each other all week?”
I tilted my head at him, catching the faintest hint of something in his tone—jealousy, maybe? I bit back a smile. “I thought about giving him my number that night but didn’t.”
Ian’s jaw clenched for half a second, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What?” he asked, his brow furrowing.
“I was just kidding,” I teased.
He rolled his eyes but then smirked. “Well, I guess I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Theo’s a great guy. Like we decided that night at the party, he’s not quite as amazing as me, but still a good second choice.”
I laughed. “Looks like you’ve figured a way around that whole ‘We can’t date because I’m your boss’ thing though, haven’t you?”
“You found me out.” His eyes gleamed as he nodded. “I totally planned to tell Margot you were my fiancée as soon as you mentioned her email. I only pretended to panic at the restaurant. See what a good actor I am?”
I shook my head, laughing again as the elevator doors opened. “Well, your acting skills are impressive, I’ll give you that.”
Ian stepped aside, gesturing for me to exit first. “Glad you find me impressive in that way at least.”
Oh…you are definitely impressive in so many other ways, Ian.
We strolled through the lobby, his presence at my side both steadying and electrifying.
“So,” Ian said as we neared the entrance, his voice slipping easily back into that light, playful tone, “ready to shop like a billionaire’s fiancée?”
“I guess I don’t really have a choice, do I?” I laughed softly, though my heart fluttered at the way he said it, like it wasn’t pretend at all.
“Nope.” He opened the door for me with a mischievous grin. “It’s time to show you off, Maddie Stevens. Let’s make everyone at this summit jealous that I landed someone as amazing as you.”