Part 3Playing Broke at My Reunion

My expression went cold.

"Ignore him," Grace said immediately, her brows pulling together. "Daniel's trying to humiliate you. We don't have to go."

I locked my phone. Then I looked at the worry in her eyes, and the anger drained out of me almost instantly.

I was about to answer when another message came in. Daniel again.

"Oh, and Ryan, I hear you've got a girlfriend now. Bring her. Let everyone meet her."

Sophia Cole, the girl every guy in our class had wanted, replied right underneath him.

"Definitely bring her. I want to see what kind of woman is brave enough to sign up for seven million dollars of debt."

The mockery practically dripped off the screen.

I was about to put the phone away when Grace caught my wrist.

"I'll go with you."

I turned toward her. She looked completely serious.

"They're obviously planning to make a joke out of you. If you go alone they'll gang up on you. At least if I'm there, somebody's on your side."

The night wind lifted a few loose strands of her hair, and warmth spread all the way through me.

"Okay." I turned my hand over and held her wrist.

That weekend, Grace and I walked into the top-floor private dining room at the Grand Royal.

The room went quiet for half a second. Then Sophia laughed.

She was sitting beside the head of the table, and she lifted her hand on purpose to show off a diamond big enough to signal aircraft.

"Oh, look. Our CEO finally made it."

She looked me up and down, contempt all over her face.

"In those clothes, I'd have guessed the hotel sent a waiter to the wrong room."

A few people snickered.

Then her gaze moved to Grace, and she arched a brow.

"So it's you. You heard what he said at the last reunion and you're still throwing yourself at him?"

Grace's grip tightened around my hand, and she looked Sophia straight in the eye.

Daniel came over holding a glass, smiling, playing peacemaker.

"All right, that's enough, Sophia. We're all classmates here. Give the guy a break."

Then he clapped me on the shoulder with the warm expression of a man handing out charity.

"Ryan, I already talked to the facilities manager here. Report next month. Room and board included. It's hard work, but at least you'll eat."

Everyone around us chimed in about what a stand-up guy he was.

I looked at that phony, self-satisfied smile of his and smiled back. "That's very generous of you."

Grace and I took the two empty seats farthest from the center.

A few drinks in, the room got louder, and so did Sophia. The wine had put color in her cheeks.

"My husband picked up a Porsche Panamera two days ago." She raised her glass. "Insisted it was a birthday present. I told him it was too flashy and he said I don't know how to enjoy life."

The compliments came in a wave. Sophia lifted her chin and enjoyed every second of it.

Then her eyes went back to Grace in the corner.

She carried her wine over to our table, stopped in front of us in her heels, and looked down at Grace.

"Grace, I really don't understand you. What do you see in a man buried under seven million dollars of debt?

"Stay with him and you'd better get used to being broke."