As a lawyer, Tiffany dealt with people from every walk of life. She had met plenty like Giovanni before, and she never let them get under her skin.
Once they were in the car, Raymond turned the heat up.
The ride remained quiet the entire way, and only after they pulled into the parking garage at Haven did Tiffany finally speak. "Raymond Hutton."
'My full name, first and last.' A satisfied smile touched Raymond's lips. "Yeah."
"Aren't you worried he'll go around talking nonsense?" Tiffany asked.
"Talking about what? That I walked in on Giovanni giving a female lawyer a hard time?" Raymond turned the wheel. "He can't afford that kind of embarrassment."
They got out of the car.
Tiffany walked ahead, and when she reached her door, she turned and handed the coat back to him.
Raymond took it. The fabric was still warm from her body and carried a faint trace of her perfume. He studied her with an unreadable expression before saying slowly, "Next time something like this happens, call me first."
Tiffany blinked, caught off guard for a moment, then laughed softly. "Mr. Hutton, you've changed."
"Hm?" Raymond raised an eyebrow. "Changed how?"
"Anyway... you're just different from before," Tiffany said.
In the past, Raymond would have told her with complete seriousness that she was never to attend dinners like that again.
This time, instead of making naive demands about what she could or could not do, he had chosen to stand by her.
Raymond arched an eyebrow. "Is that a change for the better or for the worse?"
"Neither," Tiffany said. She pointed at the door behind her. "I'm going home now."
Once inside, she leaned against the door. In the quiet entryway, she could hear her own heartbeat with startling clarity.
More than anyone, Tiffany knew that no matter how he changed, Raymond was good either way.
Both sides of him were simply who Raymond Hutton was.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She snapped out of her thoughts, pulled it out, and glanced at the screen. It was a message from Raymond.
Raymond: [Tomorrow morning I'll bring you meatballs.]


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