The More I See You (Stevens Book 5)

Chapter 6

After she closed the door behind her, Laura sunk onto the toilet and rested her head in her hands. Why was an evening out never simple? She wanted to be home alone, on her couch with a mug of tea, an old movie, and her knitting. To her that sounded like bliss.

She knew that she would have to keep her mask on all night, and that she would go back to the hotel exhausted because of it. If this was Davis's idea of showing her a goodtime he was way off base.

Laura knew why he had brought her here now. It wasn't to impress them it was to impress her with Cassandra Stevens, and under other circumstances she probably would have been, but all she was now was stressed.

Her phone buzzed and she reached into her small purse and pulled it out to see who was calling her. The number was Tabitha's. Wonderful. Well, she would deal with it later, she had tonight to get through first. Standing up, she looked at herself in the mirror to make sure that every hair was in place. As usual it was. She stood there for a few more moments before realizing that she couldn't hide any longer.

Taking a deep breath, she put on her game face and opened the door. She almost jumped when she saw Davis leaning against the wall.

"You alright?" he asked with a concerned look.

"I'm fine." She gave her charming smile and turned off the light behind her.

"No, you're not, but you hide it well, I'll give you that." He took her arm to lead her towards the others but she hesitated, causing him to stop.

It went against everything in her, but there was a part of her that really liked Davis, and she didn't want him to think poorly of her.

"I'm sorry I'm being so rude tonight. I know that I'm ruining your evening, so maybe I should just go?" Please say O.K., please, Laura pleaded silently.

He turned to look down at her, his eyes searching hers. "I'll admit that you were rude to Caleb, who was giving you a sincere complement, but considering what you expected this evening to be, I get that, not to mention the man in the elevator at the hotel probably made you put your guard up automatically."

"You noticed that?" Laura asked, unable to mask her surprise.

"Yes, I did, and I felt like hitting him, or at least calling him on it, but I guessed that would only make you more uncomfortable."

This man didn't miss much. Laura looked down at her hands unsure. "It's my job to be on display, I can hardly complain when it happens, even if I don't want it to, complaining about it is a bit hypocritical."

"There is looking at a woman with admiration and then there is looking at a woman the way that man was looking at you. Not only was he with someone, but he was looking at you as if you were someone with no feelings at all."

"Well, in photos I don't have feelings do I. It's hard to turn that thought process off when you see the real thing."

Davis reached out and put his hand on her arms and gave her a little shake. "Why are you justifying the way a stranger feels? Who is this that is talking? Because I don't think it's you Laura. You are the woman who just, very eloquently, told off my sister."

Laura looked down at her feet. He was right, it was her father talking. She had heard him say that to her many times when they had been in public together and she was openly stared at by one person or another. Wanting to end the conversation before it went any further she forced a smile. "Well I'm sorry. That's all I'm trying to say."

"Are you going to apologize to my sister?" Davis asked with a touch of humor in his voice.

"No, I'll apologize about making you uncomfortable with what I said, but I'm not sorry that I said it." Laura looked into his eyes, letting him know she meant it. His sister had been just as rude to as she had.