She shook his outstretched hand. “Cleo Kim. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you. Obviously. Oh, and this is my mom, Miriam Kim.”

Hayes greeted Miriam politely, but before she could respond, Ellen had cut in. “I’m a fan,” she said, all toothy smile and charm. “It’s so nice to see the two of you are actually an item.”

Hayes glanced at me, ran a hand through his hair, and smiled back at Ellen.

“Ah, well, I hate to disappoint you, but Franny and I are just working together, actually. She’s designing my new office space.”

There was much oohing and aahing over this. He chuckled and looked back at me, a hint of red popping up on his lovely, smooth skin.

“Franny, I, uh, wanted to see if you might want to dance when the band picks up again.”

His eyes, dark and serious, stared directly at me. Into me.

“Oh! Oh.” My brain spun like a Ferris wheel.

“This is how my second husband and I met,” I heard Duffy say to Miriam. “A gala just like this one. Danced all night. Then he left me for one of the partners at his law firm.”

“Sure,” I said, straining to remain calm and cool. “That would be fun.”

“I’ll come back over in a few minutes, then,” he said as he tugged on the edge of his collar.

“Okay.” I nodded, exhaling as I smiled. My heart was racing.

As soon as he was a few feet away, I turned toward Cleo. “That’s what I wanted to tell you earlier. I saw Hayes at the auction table, and he told me Serena dumped him tonight.”

Cleo squeezed my bare arm, her lips pressed together, holding back a smile. “Now this is exciting,” she said.

“Is it?” I asked, my brain racing to pick apart tonight’s interactions with Hayes so far. “Maybe he’s just being polite.”

“Oh, Franny.” Cleo patted me on the tip of my nose with her index finger. “You’re so clueless sometimes.”

“Excuse me, I once came very close to qualifying to be on College Jeopardy!”

“Which is why it’s extra-adorable when you’re this dense.” Cleo tilted her head and gave me a loving stare. “Franny, didn’t we discuss this in the park the other day? All the evidence is right there in front of you. Connect the dots, please.”

She paused for a beat, staring at me expectantly. “He’s into you. Am I right?”

She opened the conversation up to the group, all of whom were watching us, with an open-palmed wave of her hand.

My insides twisted. “Um, no, he’s not.”

“Trust me. I can tell,” Miriam said, nodding at her daughter.

“Mrs. Kim, I literally work for him now. He’s just being polite.”

“So you’re spending a lot of time together,” Ellen said. “Getting to know each other.”