Robert's smile faltered for a split second.
That flicker in his eyes—surprise, annoyance, maybe even unease—was all Joanne needed to know she'd hit a nerve.
Good.
She tilted her chin, letting her gaze settle on him like he was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. "I'm standing still and I'm listening, Robert. See… I'm even smiling. Aren't I a good girl? Go ahead, now that I am behaving. Tell me whatever brilliant thing you've rehearsed. Just make it quick. I have actual people worth my time to get back to."
Around them, the buzz of conversation continued, laughter drifting from William's circle, but the tension between them thickened like fog. Joanne didn't care. Let them look.
Robert's smile turned tight. "You've gotten cocky," he said, his voice low. "All this just because my grandfather likes you and brought you here?"
