The Wedding Party (The Wedding Date, #3)(29)

“We didn’t break the rule!” She took the water he handed to her and set it down on top of a magazine. “I was with Alexa tonight, wasn’t I? There we go, no rule breaking.”

Theo narrowed his eyes at her.

“Hmm.” He took a sip of water and set his own glass down. “I seem to remember that when you came up with this rule, the point was . . .” He shook his head. “What am I saying? I take it back. Sure, you’re right, you’re absolutely right.”

She frowned as he leaned back against the couch cushions with a big grin on his face. Wait, why was he so ready to tell her she was right? That didn’t seem like the Theo she’d known and loathed for years.

“Are you making fun of me?” She stood up and pulled her skirt back on.

“Absolutely not.” He shook his head. “I think what you say makes a lot of sense. I submit to your superior reading of the rule. After all, you were the one who made up the rules in the first place, so your word is law here.”

She stood with her hands on her hips staring at him, but he just smiled back at her.

“I’ll be right back.” She went to the bathroom, still puzzling over why he looked like he’d just gotten an advantage over her. Maybe that was how he always looked after sex? No, she remembered the other times. That definitely wasn’t it.

It was only when she was washing her hands that she realized.

“You think . . . you think that because you work with Alexa and see her every day . . . you think that means . . .” She yelled her way back into the living room. His smile was even more smug now.

“I knew you’d get there eventually,” he said. “Look, you’re the one who made the rule. I bow to your interpretation of it, that’s all.”

She shook her head.

“That’s not what I meant! I just meant that I, personally, didn’t break the rule tonight! But that doesn’t mean that . . .” Yeah, no. She couldn’t even finish that sentence with a straight face. She didn’t even try.

“Okay, fine, I guess it means that.” She sat back down on the couch and grabbed another slice of pizza. “But this isn’t booty call central here. I have a busy few months coming up, and I might be in the running for a new job. I can’t have you texting me at all hours of the day and night.”

Theo laughed and picked up his beer.

“Yes, ma’am. What’s the new job? I thought you were set on working for yourself.”

She nodded and tucked her feet up on the couch.

“I am. I’m not giving that up, don’t worry.” She regretted bringing this up. She didn’t really want to hear what he had to say about the show, but now she’d brought it up, she had to tell him. “One of my clients works for channel seven, and this week she told me about a new show they’re thinking about doing, a kind of update-your-fashion show for people who have been through a lot, and they need a host. She thought of me.”

He sat up straight.

“That’s awesome! You’d be great at that.”

Huh. She hadn’t thought that would be his reaction.

“Thanks, I think. That’s what Alexa said, too. I’m worried it’ll take a lot of time away from my business, which will always be my priority.”

He nodded.

“I can see that, but I also think that this kind of thing can be a great advertisement for you and your work. I’m not saying I know anything about fashion or this kind of work—”

Theo? Admitting he didn’t know something? That was a first.

“I see that look on your face. I know, me, admitting ignorance, you never thought you’d see the day, et cetera. Anyway, what I do know is P.R., and this is the kind of thing that will send you a ton of clients. Especially if you’re great at it, which you would be.”

Maddie reached for another slice of pizza and mulled over what Theo had just said. Had he . . . complimented her? About something that wasn’t sex? He probably hadn’t done it on purpose.

“That’s a good point. I’m waiting to hear the details from the station manager, so . . .” She was going to say,I’ll keep you posted, but that sounded weird. Why would she keep Theo posted about something like this? No matter how interested he’d seemed tonight, he didn’t really care about this. She just let her sentence trail off instead.

He reached out, and for a second she thought he was going to put his arm around her, but he dropped it on the cushion between them.

“Great. Well, I hope you get good news soon.”

They looked at each other and smiled. This felt weird. Why were they being so nice to each other? She looked away and reached for her phone.

“Actually, I should go. It’s getting late, and I have a client coming early tomorrow morning, so . . .”

He stood up when she did.

“Yeah, it is getting late.”

She bent down and picked up her underwear from the floor and tucked it in her purse, making a mental note as she did so to remember to take it out of her purse as soon as she got home tonight so she didn’t accidentally fling it across the room tomorrow while she dug for her wallet, like she’d done the last time.

They walked together to the front door, and he opened it for her.

“Good luck with the job,” he said.

He was still being so weirdly nice. She didn’t even know how to respond to it.