by JA Low
“Audrey, this is my best friend, Ariana.” Emma introduces me to a beautiful brunette. That I know both Rhys and Stirling are going to find attractive. I try and not let my smile fall, it’s not her fault if Stirling finds her attractive.
“Please tell me you’re as much fun as Emma?” Making her feel welcome.
“She’s as bad.” Emma chuckles.
“Please…” Ariana nudges Emma and it reminds me of the way I am with my best friends Nell and Rainn. Aw. Now I miss Nell. And I’ll catch up with Rainn when she arrives. “No one is as bad as Emma, even if she is married.” Ariana jokes. I like her, dammit.
“Which table are you guys at?” These girls look like fun, and I feel like letting loose tonight.
“Table twenty-six,” Emma states.
“That’s mine.” I smile at them both as I usher them over to our table and introduce them around. Ariana stills when she sees the guys sitting at our table. Please don’t say she’s been one of Stirling’s conquests. “Let me introduce to you all my brother, Rhys, and his business partner, Stirling.” The boys both stand and shake everyone’s hands, but I notice the way Rhys is looking at Ariana and her him. Stirling’s attention is on me, and he gives me a playful wink and I relax a little. He doesn’t seem interested in Ariana, but my brother is, so yay. “This is going to be a fun table.” Relaxing a little. “Oh Emma, you are beside me.” Pointing to her place card. Then I realize Ariana is seated next to Rhys. Interesting.
“You’re here, Ariana.” My brother pulls out the chair for her, but she doesn’t look thrilled by the action and glares at Emma, who looks happy with herself. Have Rhys and Ariana already met before? I’m confused by the dynamics. And as soon as she sits down, Rhys and her are leaning over and whispering to each other. I take my seat beside Stirling and lean over to him.
“Does my brother know Ariana?” Stirling’s eyes widen in surprise then grins.
“Remember I told you about the girl Rhys met recently and it ended up with a series of unfortunate events. That’s her.” Stirling fills me in. Ooh. Maybe this is exactly what Stirling and I need for Rhys to be distracted by someone.
“How’s things going with my brother?” I ask, reaching out and take a sip of my champagne.
“He gave me the third degree, but I told him we’re only friends.” That’s good but I’m disappointed that Stirling only sees us as friends again. But then he reaches out under the table and links his fingers with mine, and my heart skips a beat. “Do you think there’s a chance you can come home with me tonight?” Stirling boldly asks. I wasn’t expecting that.
“Maybe.” I bite my bottom lip as I look him over, my eyes falling on his perfectly pink pouty lips. Stirling grins cockily as if he can read my mind.
“Rhys, can you please stop trying to chat up my new friend for one moment? I don’t want you scaring Ariana away.” Quickly changing the subject and throwing the spotlight on my brother.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Rhys clears his throat narrowing his eyes on me.
“It’s good to have you home.” I lift my glass in his direction, his eyes fall toward Stirling sitting beside me.
“It’s good to be home.” Rhys grins.
“So, Audrey. Is there anything going on between you and that hot guy sitting to your left?” Emma asks out of the blue. I still at her question and she gives me a knowing smile.
“Him. No. He’s my brother’s best friend. I’ve known him all my life nearly.” Taking an unsteady sip of champagne.
“Sometimes the forbidden ones are the best.” Emma chuckles, eyeing me knowingly.
“Audrey.” Rainn finds me and says hello. I’m so happy to see her. I introduce Rainn to the table before pulling her away from the group for girl chat.
“Hey what’s going on?” Rainn questions me as we head toward the bar.
“Do I have a sign on my head that reads, I fucked Stirling Hartford across it?” Rainn stares at me blankly before bursting out laughing.
“No. Not at all, why are you being so paranoid?” she asks.
“Rhys knows something is going on between us. And then Emma mentioned something too. I thought I was being cautious with how I’m interacting with Stirling.” Panic rises through my veins.
“People are picking up on the crazy chemistry between the two of you. That level of sexual tension you can’t hide.” Rainn rubs my shoulder consoling me. “Have you talked about what’s happening between the two of you?”
“We’re friends.” I wave my hand angrily in the air.
“Judging by your reaction that’s not what you want?” Rainn questions me.
“I don’t know. I feel like I’m not ready to be the woman he deserves. I need to get my life sorted.” I let out a sigh.
“If you did have your shit together, would you pursue more than friendship?” Rainn asks.
“I’m too scared in case Stirling doesn’t want anything more.” Rainn doesn’t look convinced. “He’s told me time and time again that he isn’t looking for a relationship. He doesn’t have time for one. His work is his priority,” I explain to her.
“And yet all these months he’s been able to find time to hang out with you.” Rainn does have a point.
“He asked me to come home with him tonight.” Rainn jiggles up and down excitedly.
“See. He wants this. He wants more.” My heart swells at the thought that maybe Stirling is on the same level as me.
“Thanks, babe.” I hug her tightly.
“Come on let’s party.” Rainn raises her glass in the air.
The night turns out to be so much fun, our table has had way too much to drink but they are dipping into their pockets and donating to a worthwhile cause, so I am totally fine with that. It’s nice seeing Rhys so relaxed with Ariana, I mean he just bid on his own hotel package for the Turks and Caicos because she commented that she has always wanted to go there. What has happened to my brother?
“Excuse me, I’m going to the bathroom,” I say, getting up from the table. I greet people as I pass them, thanking them for their support as I walk along the outer levels of the room to get to the bathroom. I walk in and a strange sense of de ja vu hits me as I sit there. The click clacking of a women’s heels along the tiled floor takes me back to that horrible night.
“I can’t believe she’s throwing herself at him, talk about desperate,” one of the girls chuckles.
“She did the same thing to David.” I still when I hear Dior’s voice. What the hell is she doing here at my family’s event? “David tried to break up with her so many times because he found her boring.” Dior chuckles. “But she made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. She paid him to date her.” Dior scoffs. “Like what kind of desperate bitch must you be to have to pay a man to date you.” Her minions nod their heads in agreement. “I should thank her because her desperation paid off. David bought me a Porsche. Can you believe that? Look who’s winning now, bitch,” Dior gloats. My heart is in my throat hearing her spiteful words and I’m seconds away from turning into a crumpled mess, but something clicks inside of me, and a steel rod secures tightly in my back, and I step out of the shadows into the light.
“Dior, you live in your own fantasy world.” Her minions pale when they see me emerge from the stall. She rolls her eyes at me; her arrogance is truly over inflated.
“Sweetie, I saw the cheque you cut David. He told me what it was for.” She crosses her arms pushing up her over inflated breasts. Looks like she’s had a lot of work done recently, she looks almost plastic. Ew.
“I’m not sure if David has been one hundred percent honest with where he got that money from. But let me fill you in. Your so-called boyfriend stalked me all the way to London to try and get me back. I was so not interested in him. After he tried to attack my date, my brother paid him off to leave me the hell alone. I think the contract he signed included you too.” Tapping my fingernail to my lip. “And this little scene you’re putting on to make yourself feel better is in breach of that contract.
” Raising a brow at her. Dior pales a little. “I’m not sure how the hell you got into my event, but I know exactly how you will be leaving my event, all of you.” Looking at the two other girls standing there with here who I once counted as friends.
“David never loved you,” Dior spits out.
“That’s good because I never loved him either.” Placing my hands on my hips. “What I’ll never understand is why you did it? I thought we were friends?” The wound she gave me is still there.
“Everything comes easy for you. Money, work, men.” Dior sneers my way. “You have had everything handed to you on a silver platter and you have no idea what it’s like to try and struggle to get where I am.”
“None of that is my fault. I can’t change the circumstance I was born into. And I sure as hell am not going to apologize to you because you were jealous.”
“As if I would be jealous of you?” Dior huffs.
“Sounds like you have been to do all this.” I wave my hand in the air.
“I loved David. And you swooped in and took him away from me.” Dior thumps her chest. “You were my best friend.” Her eyes shimmer with emotion.
“You pushed us together. I asked you if it was okay. I would never have gone there with him if I had known he meant that much to you.” I’m not a monster.
“He saw what you could do for him and that was more potent than anything we had experienced together.” Dior sniffles.
“Again, how is this my fault? I can’t control other people’s motives. None of this is on me. I think the person you should be upset with is David because he played us both.” Shaking my head. “You know what, good luck with all that. David seems like a real catch.” These people are narcissistic wannabes and nothing I can say will make them see that I’m the victim in all this because all they see is the glitz and glamour my so-called wonderful life is. Money doesn’t buy you happiness. Rich people still have the same issues if not more because money changes people. “Get the hell out of my party before I get security to escort you out.” I turn on my heel and storm out of the bathroom and right into Stirling’s hard chest.
“Hey, are you okay?” He holds me by the shoulders.
“I need a moment.” I storm off from him and toward the empty room at the end of the corridor. I open the door begin to pace around the darkened room. One side of the room is a window which looks out over the city, the lights illuminating the room with a colorful haze.
“Aud, what happened?” Stirling follows me into the room.
“I ran into Dior in the bathroom,” I tell him. His green eyes widen and anger flares behind them.
“Let me call security…”
“No.” Reaching out and stopping him. “I asked her to leave, and she will.” My hand falls from his arm. “I need a moment.” I’m clutching my waist as I can feel my emotions bubble up to the surface. Stirling’s hands rest on my shoulders as he tries and calms me.
“I’m here for you,” he whispers into my ear, which makes me melt. I turn around in his arms and kiss him. No man has ever made me feel as safe as I do with him. I know that no matter what he will have my back. Our kiss quickens and turns heated. My hands run down his chest and over his belt to his thickening dick. My hand cups him which pulls a grunt from his lips.
“Aud,” he says my name with warning. My fingers quickly undo his belt. But he halts me. “Aud, no. Not here. Not like this.” His voice is calm.
“I need you, Stirling. I need you inside of me now. I want you to make me feel better.” My fingers continue to undo his zip and I stick my hand down his trousers.
“Audrey, stop.” Stirling says my name more forcibly while his hand grips my wrist tightly. “I said not here. I don’t feel comfortable with all your friends and family in the next room.”
“Yet you were happy to fuck me in the dressing room at Saks. Under the same roof as my brother. In a club where our friends were. What’s so different now?” Anger bubbles through me.
“It’s not that I don’t want you, Aud. Fuck, I’m trying to be a fricken gentleman here.” He runs his hand through his hair with frustration.
“Sometimes I don’t want a fucking gentleman!” I scream at him before turning on my heel and running out of the room. Tonight is one big cluster fuck.
I take a seat back at the table and everyone is drunk and having a great time and haven’t noticed my darken mood. I grab my glass of champagne and throw it back in one go, then I pour myself another and do it again.
29
Stirling
“I think you’ve had enough,” Rhys tells Audrey who is looking a little worse for wear. I felt bad rejecting her the way I did but she was in a vulnerable place plus I didn’t want her to regret what we did once she walked back out into the ball and saw Rhys at our table. I thought I was doing the right thing but, I think I’ve messed everything up.
“Boo!” Audrey calls out to her brother. “You’re a party pooper.” She points at him.
“Maybe Stirling can help you to your car?” He turns giving me a panicked look.
“No.” Audrey states clearly silencing everyone. “He’s too much of a gentleman.” She glares at me. “I’m sick of gentlemen.” Rhys’s eyes widen as he gives me a what the fuck face and I’m not sure what to tell him.
“Okay, I think you have had enough.” Rhys gets up and sits down beside his sister.
“Men suck, Rhys,” Audrey pouts. “Men are intimidated by my money.” She starts sliding down in her chair as if the weight of the world is on her. “Or they want to date me for my name.” She huffs folding her arms across her chest. She looks broken and I hate the fact I may have done this to her.
“I think you’re forgetting one thing, Aud,” Rhys whispers to her. “I married a gold digger.” Can’t believe Rhys made a joke about his situation this is a first. Seems like Ariana is exactly what he needs to keep his mind off his divorce. Audrey bursts out laughing, she’s laughing so much at Rhys’ statement she clutches her stomach.
“Sorry, Rhys. I guess my life isn’t as bad as yours,” Audrey tells him which I can’t help but chuckle. My friend shoots me a glare. “Come on, Stirling, be a gentleman and take me home.” Audrey sighs, as if keeping her eyes open is exhausting. I move over to where she is sitting and help her to her feet. Rhys does the same. “Oh, and Rhys…” Audrey grabs her brother and pulls him close. “I like her. So, don’t fuck it up.” I think Audrey thinks she’s telling her brother all this in secret but she’s not. I look over at Ariana who gives me a warm smile. I do have to agree so far, Ariana does seem nice, and she is making my friend happy which is a bonus. And I now know she is not an escort, like I first thought when they met. “She’s going to be my friend whether you like it or not.” And with that little nugget of wisdom, I escort Audrey out of the ball and into a waiting limousine. She slumps against the leather seat and closes her eyes. Moments later she is snoring soundly. It’s a silent trip home. I gather her up into my arms and carry her through the foyer and up to my apartment, she doesn’t move a muscle. I lay her down on my bed but her ballgown looks rather uncomfortable. I have a debated for a long time on whether or not I should undress her. When she rolls over and gets caught up in the yards of fabric, I make the call and undress her. Which was a feat in itself. I hang up her dress in my closest and pull one of my T-shirts over her. I get unchanged myself and then lay down in bed next to her. She reaches out in her sleep and pulls me close to her.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbles before promptly falling sleep.
“My head hurts.” Audrey groans beside me and I’m unable to hide my chuckle which promptly lands a hand to the guts. She rolls over and her eyes flutter open. “I’m so sorry for my behavior last night.” She groans again. “I lashed out at you and…” she shakes her head burying her face into her palms.
“Hey,” I pull her to me. “I’m sorry for making you feel like I rejected you.” Her blue eyes widen in surprise at my statement. “I didn’t want you to regret something happening whe
n you got back to the table and saw your brother.” Audrey frowns.
“I don’t regret anything we have done,” she tells me honestly. “I assumed you would once Rhys came back into your life.”
“What! No.” I cup her face gently. “Never.”
“I don’t know where we stand, that’s all.” Audrey bites her bottom lip as we stray into serious territory too.
“Where would you like us to stand?” I ask her. She frowns again and puts a little distance between us. Have I been reading the signs wrong?
“I don’t think I’m the girl for you.” She begins and her words hit me like a million tiny arrows to my heart.
“What makes you say that?” I question her.
“We have so much against us, Rhys, our ages…”
“I didn’t think the age difference was a big deal for you. I certainly never noticed it when we were together.”
“You didn’t?” She seems surprised.
“Of course not.”
“You’re probably used to dating women who have fancy jobs, their own place, their own money. What do I have?” Why is she putting herself down? Who has said something to her?
“I don’t care about any of that. I care about you.” Pulling her closer to me. “As long as we are happy together that’s all I care about.” I reach over and place a kiss on her nose.
“What are you saying? You think you might want something with me?” Her voice is so small as if she’s afraid to ask the question.
“Yes.” I tell her confidently and it’s the truth. I keep fighting this pull we have between each other but it’s still there. “I’ll even break the news to Rhys for you.”
“No.” Audrey pipes up quickly. “I don’t think we should tell him.” She wraps her arms around me. “He’s got a lot on his plate at the moment, especially where Madison is concerned. Plus, he has something blossoming with Ariana and I don’t want to get in the way of them. Can we keep this between us for the moment? Till we work out what we are? You know once we go public there’s going to be a lot of attention because of who our families are.” She makes valid points. Do I like them? No. But I get it.