“Beautiful?”
“Anything would look lovely on you. But people would think I couldn’t afford to get you something special.”
“Those are special.” She grit her teeth while she spoke. She knew she was being obtuse. For the first time she didn’t care.
He sighed. “Perhaps I didn’t explain that correctly.” He paused. “I’d like something with more... presence.” Silence followed while he perused the window display. He tapped the glass thoughtfully. “Something understated but designed to impress.”
“Like those?” Her voice lost any enthusiasm at all, but her fiancé, too caught up in his own needs, failed to notice.
“No... like... those!”
Carly cringed at Peter’s preference, a ring that glittered with diamonds and would overpower her small hand.
For someone loaded down with wedding books and bridal pictures, you’re giving up control of some major issues. Had Mike been right? Was she too compliant? She shook her head. No! Peter’s reasons for wanting the more obvious rings had to do with his status and need to impress his colleagues. She understood. Mike didn’t.
Besides, what did the world traveler, a man incapable of sticking around longer than the next assignment know about commitment anyway?
But she and Peter did have conflicting desires. That much was true. She wanted the chance to convince Peter that commitment meant more to her than flashy rings and making a statement. That sentiment counted more than points scored with his colleagues.
As he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the store, Carly was determined to do just that.
* * *
“So did you two compromise on wedding bands today?” Mike took a sip of his Scotch and soda, ignoring Carly’s furious glare. He wondered from which parent she’d inherited those expressive eyes, then realized he’d find out soon enough.
“We chose the perfect rings,” his brother said, then turned toward the bar. “I’ll have the same and a glass of white wine for the lady.”
“Let me guess,” Mike said. “Two-toned platinum and gold by chance?”
“Actually...” Peter began.
“I didn’t like them as much once I saw them a second time. Peter picked out a pair that suited us much better,” Carly said, a forced smile on her lips.
Sure he did, sweetheart. More likely her good nature had gotten lost in his brother’s well-meaning but overwhelming need to impress others. “Well, good. Because I’d hate to see a bride getting married with a wedding band she didn’t love. One she’d have to wear the rest of her life. That she’d compromised on...
“We get the picture,” she said through clenched teeth. “If you’ll both excuse me, I see some friends I’d like to say hello to.” She gave Peter a brief kiss on the cheek. A chaste kiss more suited to a friend of the family than her fiancé. What was it with these two? Mike wondered, and not for the first time.
“We’ll be here,” Peter said.
Mike merely shook his head, watching as Carly wound her way through the crowded club. Her black dress was simple yet clung to every curve. He gulped a mouthful of Scotch.
Peter rested one elbow on the bar. “Thanks for making it tonight. Wexler and Greene is a large firm, but they make it a policy to get to know their associates well.”
Mike suppressed a groan. “Marriage isn’t the same as a merger, Pete. Work probably has nothing to do with this dinner. You’re marrying the man’s daughter, for heaven’s sake.”
“What? You think by meeting you he’s checking me out?”
Mike shrugged. “Could be. Maybe he’s checking out the family, making sure Carly’s not getting stuck with the wrong sort of people.” He slapped his brother on the back. “At least you’re safe there. Two orphans with no family to speak of. I’d say the man doesn’t have much to concern himself with. How ‘bout you?”
A wry smile touched Peter’s lips. “True. So long as you’re on your best behavior, I’ll have no problem. And maybe the partnership will follow.”
“That’s what I love about you, Pete.”
“What’s that?”
“Nothing gets in the way of work.”
“Of course not.”
The insult obviously went over his brother’s head, but what could be expected from a man who took most things literally and only work seriously?
“Anyhow, I doubt Roger would check me out for Carly’s sake. Those two aren’t particularly close.”
Mike grabbed a handful of peanuts from a dish on the bar. “Why not?”
“Who knows? They do the father-daughter thing, but it’s mostly for show.” Peter rubbed his forehead with one hand. Finally he lifted his shoulders. “If Roger has any interest in me at all, it must be professional.”