Zelda nods. “Apparently, he serenaded her,” she agrees.

Georgia’s smile thins. “Well. Bless your heart. Isn’t that adorable?”

It’s not a question.

I excuse myself to use the restroom, then text Dash an urgent message from the cavern of gleaming marble.

911! Where are you? Need a fake boyfriend intervention, and stat!

I’m not sure I can make it through another moment of Zelda’s not-so-subtle questions about my child-bearing plans, and if Georgia decides to join us and keep up her gold digger routine…

Let’s just say, telling the not-so-sweet peach to fuck all the way off wouldn’t help win Zelda’s approval.

I eventually head back to the table, and sit through another twenty excruciating minutes of veiled insults and leafy greens before Dash walks in.

I exhale in pure relief. And not just because he’s looking delicious, in casual khaki shorts and a pale blue T-shirt that brings out his eyes.

“Ladies!” Dash greets me with a kiss on the cheek, and then rounds the table to do the same to Zelda.

She tsks. “I thought I said this was a girls’ day,” she scolds him, but I can tell she’s delighted to see him.

“I know,” Dash turns on the boyish smile. “But I’ve just been pining, spending this beautiful day away from Callie. We’re only here for such a short time… Would you hate me if I whisked her off now, just the two of us?”

Zelda harumphs before begrudgingly giving in. “Fine. But remember, the gala is tomorrow night. You know it’s the biggest fundraiser of the year for our charities, and I expect you to be there for that.”

“Of course, we wouldn’t miss that for the world.” He offers me a hand to help me out of my seat. “Ready, dumpling?”

“Always, sweet cheeks.”

I follow him out, sending one final longing look at the plate of fries a waiter is taking past. Would it be terrible if I just snatched a few…?

But nope. I keep my hands to myself and my smile fixed, until I’m in the passenger seat and Dash is driving us away from the club in search of a drive-thru burger. Then I exhale in a whoosh. “Wow.”

“That bad, huh?” Dash looks over, amused.

“Not if you’re the sort of person who enjoys walking a social tightrope.” I massage the back of my neck, exhausted from all that smiling. “I didn’t understand before, but I get it now, why you hired me. Zelda is a force to be reckoned with. And weirdly interested in my fertility plans.”

Dash winces. “Yeah, about that.”

“What?” I turn, narrowing my eyes.

He looks sheepish. “There’s a slight chance I said something this morning that made Zelda think that you are future wife material.”

I pause. “Slight?”

“OK, maybe I told her I was planning to propose. But only because she wasn’t buying me as committed just yet!” he adds hurriedly, pulling into a drive-thru line.

“I’ll have you committed!” I whack him on the arm. The tanned, surprisingly muscular arm.