Chapter 259: Dinner or Disaster?

Holly’s POV

As the appetizers came out, Tyler kept it up…casually draping an arm over the back of my chair, leaning in to whisper something dumb that made me laugh (even if it was forced).

"You look amazing in that dress, by the way," he said loud enough for the table to hear. "Knew it was the one."

The team ate it up. "You two are adorable," one of the girls cooed. "Perfect couple goals!"

Amber jumped in, beaming at me. "Speaking of perfect…Holly is the perfect heroine…totally saved my ass today. My creepy ex was threatening me for a very long time, and she set a trap for him singlehandly, and got him locked up. Bail denied! She's a real badass."

Heat creeped up to my face instantly. I didn’t do that to end up as a topic during dinner. I did it because I wanted to help her. Because I hate men like her ex who prey on girls.

The table cheered, clinking glasses. Tyler turned to me, eyes wide with shock and confusion. He grabbed my hand softly, like he couldn’t believe I would do something like that.

"Baby, how could you do that alone? You should've called me or at least told me about it. I would've been there in a heartbeat."

I leaned into it, squeezing his hand back, batting my lashes for effect. "Aw, you're sweet. But I handled it. No biggie. And I got help from a friend too.”

“Next time, you’re bringing me along…promise?” He said, his pinky finger out. I linked mine to it without hesitation.

“Promise.”

We kept going like that…lovey-dovey mode on full blast. Him feeding me a bite of bruschetta, me wiping a fake crumb off his shirt. The team was fawning hard… "You guys are so cute!" "Get a room!" Laughter everywhere.

Then Norman shouted out of nowhere, "You guys should kiss already!"

Others echoed it, chanting "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" like we were at a wedding.

My cheeks burned for real now, and Tyler's did too, but he played it off with a shy grin. I snuck a glance at David from the corner of my eye…still that blank, indifferent stare, like he was bored out of his mind.

That did it for me. Anger bubbled up hot and fast. If he didn't care, fine. I'd show him what he was missing.

I inched closer to Tyler, our faces drawing near as he cupped the back of my head.

The chants got louder, the whole table banging forks on glasses like we were the bride and groom at a wedding. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

My face was on fire, a mix of embarrassment and that bubbling anger at David's stone-cold indifference.

Tyler's hand remained warm on the back of my head, his fingers threading gently through my hair, pulling me in slow, like he was savoring the moment.

Our noses brushed, breaths mingling, and I could smell his cologne mixed with the wine we'd been sipping. Part of me screamed to stop…this was getting too real, too messy…but the bigger part? The one pissed at David for sitting there like a statue? That part leaned in harder.

Just as our lips were about to touch, a sharp clatter cut through the noise. David's fork hit his plate hard enough to make the table jump. Everyone froze, the chants dying out awkwardly as heads turned his way.

He didn't even look up at first, just clenched his jaw so tight the muscle ticked like a bomb. When he finally lifted his eyes, they locked on Tyler's hand in my hair…dark, stormy, burning with something raw and unchecked.

Jealousy.

Pure, unfiltered jealousy that made my stomach flip. But he played it off quickly, grabbing his water glass and taking a long swig, his knuckles white around it.

“This is not a club. Can you guys be civil?” He said coldly.

Tyler, that sneaky devil, didn't pull back right away. Instead, he lingered, his thumb brushing my cheek in this soft, intimate way that screamed "mine."

He turned his head just enough to flash David a smug little smile over my shoulder. "Whoops, almost forgot we have an audience," he said lightly, loud enough for the table but aimed right at David. "But hey, when you've got a girl like Holly, it's hard to hold back even in a public place, right?"

The team chuckled nervously, trying to restart the vibe, but the tension was thick now. Amber shot me a wide-eyed "what the hell" look, and one of the HR guys cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, you two are killing it. Relationship goals for sure."

Tyler wasn't done. Oh no, he amped it up, like he could smell David's fuse burning shorter. He slid his arm around my waist under the table, pulling me even closer to his side, our thighs pressing together. "Babe, pass the bread?" he asked me sweetly, but his free hand found mine on the tabletop, lacing our fingers in full view.

Then, casual as hell, he lifted my hand to his lips and planted a lingering kiss on my knuckles, his eyes flicking to David the whole time. "Thanks for handling that ex thing today, baby. Next time, though? I'm your backup. No more going solo."

I bit my lip, my heart pounding…half from the act, half from the electric glare David was shooting our way now. His indifference was cracking… I could see it in the way his fork stabbed at his salad like it owed him money, the subtle shift in his posture, leaning forward like he was seconds from snapping.

"Everything okay over there, Sir?" Tyler asked innocently, tilting his head. "You look a little... tense. If it's the jacket thing, seriously, no hard feelings. Holly just needed a quick cover-up after her shirt mishap. Good thing you were around…though next time, I'll make sure she's got my stuff handy."

Too much. Tyler is beginning to do too much.

David's eyes narrowed to slits, his voice low and clipped when he finally spoke. "I'm fine. Just enjoying the show."

The sarcasm dripped off him, and it sent a thrill through me. He was burning…jealousy rolling off him in waves, even if he was fighting to keep that cool mask on.

The team didn't catch the undercurrent, laughing it off as typical David grumpiness, but I felt it. Tyler felt it too, because he doubled down, leaning in to whisper in my ear loud enough for David to hear… "You're stunning tonight, you know that? Can't wait to get you home later."

My breath hitched, the words hitting harder than they should, but it was David's reaction that had me hooked…the way his hand tightened around his glass until I thought it might shatter, his gaze locked on us like he could set the table on fire.

The waiter came by then, breaking the moment as orders flew around, but the air crackled. Tyler kept the touches coming…a casual brush of his fingers on my arm, a quick peck on my temple when I laughed at one of his jokes. Each one was a deliberate jab, and David's responses got sharper…a snorted "hilarious" under his breath, a pointed "focus on your food" when Tyler fed me another bite.

By dessert, the team was back to calling us the perfect couple, toasting to "Holly and her knight in shining armor."

I smiled just right, playing along, but my eyes kept darting to David. His indifference was gone now…replaced by a smoldering stare that promised payback. The jealousy was eating him alive, and it made my pulse race.

As the night wound down, Tyler pulled me into himself, wrapping both arms around my waist in a hug that pressed me against him. "Ready to head out, gorgeous?" he murmured into my hair, his lips brushing my ear.

David shot to his feet too, chair scraping loud. "Holly, a word? About work."

The room went quiet again, all eyes on us. Tyler didn't let go, just chuckled softly. "Work talk at dinner? Come on, man, give her a break. She's off the clock…with me."

David's fists clenched at his sides, his eyes blazing straight into mine. "Now, Holly."

My heart slammed against my ribs. This was it…the breaking point. Tyler's arms tightened just a fraction, like he was staking his claim, and David's face darkened further, jealousy twisting into something possessive and fierce.

I opened my mouth to respond, but just then—