I smiled lightly. “Yeah. Talented man, beautiful woman. Very well matched.”
As the words left my mouth, the entire table fell silent. Their gazes shifted past my shoulder, toward something behind me.
Arianne had come in at some point.
I had no idea how long she had been standing there, but her expression was already dark.
“Clyde, come outside with me.”
The absurdity of it hit me all at once.
We had been dating for 6 years, but she never acknowledged me in her social circles. One year, her company’s annual celebration gave the family a chance to attend. I dressed in a suit, eager to surprise her, only to be introduced as 'a college classmate' to her coworkers.
And now, when I was giving her exactly what she always seemed to want, she was angry?
“Arianne, can I help you? We’re having a reunion. Probably not the best time.”
She opened her mouth, ready to argue, but a voice called from behind her.
“Arianne, everyone’s waiting for you.”
Hudson Myers.
Arianne took a deep breath, shot me a glare sharp enough to cut glass, and finally let him pull her away.