He answered almost immediately, "What? I told you I wasn’t coming tonight." His tone shifted, low and tense. His eyes flicked toward me, wary.
It had to be Vienna. She was calling to urge him over.
But today was supposed to be his turn to act like a devoted husband. So, he hesitated—clearly torn between two roles.
"I know." Darien glanced at me as he went on, "If the client's that important, then I’ll be right there."
He hung up and looked at me with that apologetic expression.
"Ellie, I’ve been working on this deal for a long time. A major client just came in and I have to go. The food’s in the pot. Please eat something, okay?"
He took off his apron in a rush, pausing briefly to sniff his collar, worried that Vienna would notice the smell of cooking oil.
"Darien..." I called out to him softly.
He stopped and turned, flashing me a gentle smile. "I transferred you one hundred fifty dollars. Buy yourself something nice. Some fruit, maybe. Take care of yourself and the baby, all right? I’ll be back soon."
Sure, Darien. I will take care of myself. I just won’t be needing you anymore.