Oceans Apart 3

by Amanda Heartley

  “Ah.”

  “Yeah. I want things to go well, with Ginny. I just—” I hesitated, running my fingers through my hair. “You know how my father gets and I don’t even know who else will be at this party.”

  “Well, obviously I’ll be there, so don’t worry so much. I’ll keep an eye on your lass and as for everything else, I’ve got nothing for you. But look, Ginny is a big girl, just be honest with her and everything should be fine, mate.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” I sighed. Perhaps I was just getting worked up for nothing.

  “Of course I’m right. Now get off the phone, get dressed and come pick me up. I’m bloody bored and there’s nothing on the fucking telly.”

  The pep talk from Mike was just what I needed to pull myself completely out of my father-induced mood. I made sure to keep my hands to myself when Ginny walked out of the bathroom, the sweet fragrance of her body wash, wrapped around her like a cloud. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, as I looked her body up and down, pale skin flushed a warm pink from her shower. I bathed quickly and by the time I’d finished getting dressed and drying my hair, Ginny was waiting for me on the sofa with a glass of wine.

  “Nervous?” I asked, as I slipped on my shoes.

  Chapter 11 — Ginny

  Driving up to Tristan’s parents’ estate had been nerve-wracking. It didn’t help that as soon as we stepped through the door, I realized I was so out of my league. There was some kind of freaking butler or servant at the door that took your coat and announced your name to the hosts. Everywhere I looked, I saw wealth. From the champagne I couldn’t pronounce, to the food I didn’t recognize.

  And the women! Oh my God! If Kari had been here, she would have flipped at how posh and highbrow they all were. I felt like a huge fish out of water, emphasis on the huge. All of the other women were tiny and I just knew they were looking at me and wondering who let the whale into the building.

  “Overwhelming, right?”

  I looked at Mike, sitting beside me. I was so pleased that he’d come in with us and even more so, that he’d decided to sit with us, rather than mingle. It gave me an excuse to stick close to him while Tristan made his customary rounds to speak to everyone. He insisted I go with him, but I used the excuse that I didn’t want Mike to sit alone. Reality was, I was so far out of my comfort zone, I thought I would puke.

  “Major overwhelm. I mean, I occasionally hang out with rich lawyers, but this is a completely different level of wealth,” I admitted.

  “Yeah. It was a bit strange for me too when I started coming to these. You kind of get used to it though.” Mike took a sip of champagne and nodded to a group of women as they passed by. When they got a little more past us, they turned around to glance at me before talking again in hushed whispers. Very subtly, I stuck my boobs out a little. The twins looked pretty good bulging out of this princess neckline. I gulped my champagne, and watched them giggle, but these skinny bitches were not going to get to me. Not tonight, anyway.

  I leaned over to Mike and whispered, “How do you possibly get used to this? I feel like I’m in a fish bowl.”

  Mike chuckled. “Very apt way of putting it. I’d have to agree with you there.”

  Silence fell over us but thankfully, it was as comfortable as it was with Tristan, minus the sexual tension. I searched through the crowd to see if I could spot him and when I finally did, I had to hide my giggle behind my hand.

  “What?” Mike asked, his eyes trying to follow my gaze. When they settled on Tristan, he let out a chuckle as well. “Well, that’s unfortunate.” Across the room, we could see Tristan involved in what looked to be a very boring conversation, if his facial expression was anything to go by.

  “He looks like he wants to throttle the guy.” I smiled. “Who is he?”

  “That’s Mr. McClellan, one of the board members for Armstrong. He’s incapable of talking without giving the other person a spit shower. It’s bloody disgusting. I’m surprised Tristan hasn’t blown up on the geezer yet. Maybe you’re a good influence on him after all.”

  “Who’s a good influence on whom?” a sultry voice asked. I saw Mike’s facial expression drop as I turned around to see who was asking the question. I was shocked when I saw who it was. She was tall, inches taller than me even without the help of her pointy heels. Her dress was tight, hugging long shapely legs and one of the tiniest waists I’d ever seen. Her boobs were about to fall out of the low cut neckline and I instantly realized who she was. The bitch from the airport.

  “Vanessa.” Mike choked. “I thought you were in the States.”

  “I was. Now I’m back for a few days. Packing. I’m sorry to hear about your accident. Mr. Armstrong mentioned you’d be out of commission for the next few months until you were healed.” The woman’s voice should have been pleasant, but something about it just left me unnerved. It was like her words were saying one thing, but her tone was saying another. “It’s good to see you out and about with your…new girlfriend perhaps?”

  I bristled at Vanessa’s tone as she addressed me. By the slight widening of her smirk, I knew she’d noted my reaction. My heart sank at how beautiful she was and I suddenly felt very self- conscious.

  “She’s not my gir—Tristan! Perfect timing, mate. Look who’s here!” he said through gritted teeth.

  “What do you want, Vanessa?” The ire in Tristan’s voice didn’t surprise me. I’d heard enough about Vanessa to form an unflattering opinion of her character. What was surprising was Tristan’s arm that wound its way around my waist, pulling me into his side.

  “I just came over to speak with Mike and give him my best wishes,” Vanessa responded.

  “Bullshit. You came over to start trouble and I’m sure everyone in this room knows it.” Tristan’s voice took on an edgy quality that I hadn’t heard before. I turned into him and put a placating hand on his chest.

  “Baby, it’s okay. She just came over and wished Mike a speedy recovery, that’s all.”

  “Don’t be daft, Ginny. You don’t know her like I do. Well wishes are the absolute furthest things from her mind.” I was shocked at the venom in his voice and even Mike looked uncomfortable. I didn’t look at Vanessa because I knew that was exactly what she wanted. Tristan’s remark threw me a little. He’d never insulted me before and though I was sure he didn’t mean it in that way, it still stung.

  “Tristan, really, darling, I just came to give my regards and now that I have, I’ll go. I hadn’t planned on staying this long as it is. I have a lot of packing to do.” Vanessa said with enough honey in her voice to smother a bear.

  “What exactly is going on over here?” I pushed myself further into Tristan’s side at the sound of his dad’s voice. Looking up I could see Vanessa standing calm with a smug look on her face and it made me want to smack her. I wished I was more prone to bouts of violence without guilt. As it was, I fixed my expression before meeting the angry gaze of Tristan’s father.

  “Nothing you should concern yourself with, father.” Tristan answered with gritted teeth.

  “It absolutely is my concern dear boy, when it is ruining the atmosphere of this party and drawing unwanted attention.”

  “Really Mr. Armstrong, everything is fine,” Vanessa replied sweetly, stepping closer to the older man and resting a hand on his lower arm. The sight of them close and familiar turned my stomach. Of course Tristan’s father would like her. She was refined, gorgeous and rich as well. Compared to her I was trash, or at least in his eyes I was.

  “It’s true, sir,” Mike chimed in. “I have a lot of people wishing me well tonight.”

  “But now that you’re here father,” Tristan pulled me closer, “I wanted to introduce you to Ginny, my girlfriend. She’s a law—“

  “I am well aware of your,” his father sneered at me, “…friend. I wasn’t aware that she would be coming to the event without proper invitation.”

  “She’s with me dad, that’s all the invitation she needs. Now if you’ll excuse us, there are o
thers we need to meet.” Tristan turned me around and steered me away from his father. I glanced quickly over my shoulder and swallowed hard at the unkind expression his dad had aimed in my direction. The nod and wink that Mike gave me did nothing to calm my frantically beating heart.

  After that confrontation, the party lost all of its fun for me. Tristan proudly introduced me to some of his colleagues and family friends as his girlfriend, but my enthusiasm for it being a great night was dwindling with each introduction. I could feel my cheeks burning with the force of my fake smiles. Enough was enough.

  “Tris, is it okay if I go check on Mike? I don’t want to leave him alone since he’s sort of confined in a chair for the entire night.”

  He looked at me for a moment, his eyes betraying nothing about how he felt. I moved until I could stroke his lower back gently and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw a little warmth enter his eyes.

  “That’s fine babe. I know tonight has been a bit rough. My dad is a bloody arsehole on a good day.” He bent down and lightly brushed his lips across my cheek. “I’m going to look for my mum and bring her around to meet you. Tell Mike to growl at anyone who approaches you.”

  I giggled. “Why would anyone approach me when there are so many other gorgeous women around?” I tried to keep my tone teasing so Tristan wouldn’t hear the insecurity in my voice.

  He raised my hand and kissed it. “Because you, my fair lady are the most beautiful lass in the room.” Several of the other guests turned to look at us and I flushed. I knew they’d heard Tristan’s comment. While I should’ve been embarrassed, secretly I was thrilled. Maybe that made me a bad person, or even selfish, but I didn’t care one bit.

  “Well, when you say it that way,” I whispered, and I snuggled in closer to him. The way his eyes darkened let me know exactly where his mind had gone to. His grip on my waist tightened and it sent a thrill up my spine.

  “Go sit with Mike, evil temptress, otherwise I’ll show these women exactly what they’re missing.” Tristan gave me a tighter squeeze before pushing me gently in Mike’s direction. I turned around and made sure to put a little extra wiggle in my walk. When I glanced back, I could see Tristan watching me with a little smirk on his face. The night was definitely starting to look up.

  Chapter 12 — Tristan

  The confrontation with my father had me annoyed and on edge. I could handle him and the dinner party guests, but I could tell Ginny was worried. Why the fuck won’t he mind his own business? And why the fuck was Vanessa even here?

  Ginny’s teasing had taken most of my anger away, and I was glad she understood that I wasn’t upset at her. I was also glad that she’d been talking with Mike while I continued to do the rounds with business partners and associates. I knew he wouldn’t let anyone make her feel inadequate or uncomfortable.

  “Tristan, sweetheart! I’ve been trying to find you,” the syrupy sweetness of Vanessa’s voice grated on my already frayed nerves. If it wasn’t for the presence of my father’s business partners, I’d have ignored her completely. Instead, I fixed a polite expression on my face and turned to address her.

  “Vanessa. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company …again?” I could tell she’d sensed my obvious insincerity when her smile slipped from her face. Ha, bitch!

  “Well, I just wanted to get some ideas from you on places to see and visit in LA.”

  “Why would you need advice from me?” A little more annoyance crept into my voice. I hoped she’d noticed.

  “That’s right! You’re going to be assisting the LA office now, aren’t you?” the nasally voice of Bill, one of the partners rang out.

  “Apparently, she is.” I answered sharply, but all I could think about was getting back to Mike and Ginny and getting out of there.

  Vanessa’s smile grew wider and I wanted to smack it off of her face. Normally, I deplored the idea of violence towards women. But in this instance… it would almost be justified.

  “Well, I was explaining to your father how I needed a —”

  I leaned into her closer, looked right into her eyes and through gritted teeth I said, “I don’t give a flying fuck what you do, or where you live. Just stay the hell away from me.”

  The expression on her face was sheer comical bitch. “Oh God, Tristan. Don’t flatter yourself. I was just trying to be pleasant. I know you’re with the fat ass over there.”

  I was dumbstruck by her acid comment. I bit my lip to keep my mouth shut and walked away to find Mike and Ginny. . Did my father hate me so much he had to bring her here? Did he loathe me so bad, that he had to torture me at every fucking turn?

  “Tristan, you okay mate?” The sound of Mike’s voice broke me from my trance and I looked over and caught the concern in his gaze.

  “Let’s go.” Both Mike and Ginny looked surprised, but I couldn’t feel anything anymore. I’d gone beyond rage into numbness. Mike seemed to understand immediately because he quickly rolled toward the door.

  “Mike, you knew didn’t you?” I could tell from the tensing of his shoulders that he knew exactly what I meant.

  “Yeah, T, your dad told me the other day, but I wasn’t about to fuck up your time with your girl. I figured we’d talk about it later.” he replied. Ginny, still looked utterly confused. My body shook and I felt like I needed to hit something or someone. “You okay, mate?”

  “I’m okay, yeah. I just need a moment to calm down.” I was lying. I needed more than a bloody moment. I needed to find my father and make sense of this madness before I lost my fucking mind. “I’ve got to find my dad.”

  “T—“

  “No, Mike. He’s gone too fucking far this time and you know it.” I glanced around the room before finally catching sight of him. When our eyes connected, he turned and headed toward the sitting room. “I’ll be back in a minute.” I didn’t wait for Mike or Ginny’s response. I strode across the room, ignoring those who tried to stop me for a chat. When I stepped into the sitting room, I slammed the door behind me and when I turned, my father was sitting calmly in one of the high backed chairs in front of the fireplace. “What’s this crap about Vanessa moving to the LA office permanently? You knew I’d planned to transfer there in a few months, yet you decided that having the same bitch that left me—”

  “Now, don’t use that language with me, boy.” My father stood up as I walked over to him. “Vanessa is an excellent employee. Her father is a big investor in Armstrong. The family is well-known and respected. Despite your rocky history I knew she’d be much more suited to our quality of life than the riff-raff you showed up here with tonight.”

  “That riff raff is my girlfriend who came tonight to meet you and mum. And you had to ruin it with your old-fashioned stupidity! That girl has more kindness in her heart than—“

  “Kindness!” My father snorted. “Kindness does nothing for your future. Tristan, it is time for you to stop playing these games and get serious. I allowed you to choose your own position within the company and you have excelled. However, it is still my company and you are still my son. I will not allow you to squander away an excellent opportunity.”

  I stopped a few feet away from my father. I was completely stunned. How could he possibly believe the stupidity that spewed from his mouth? He was absolutely mad and the words of my mother sounded in my head.

  “Father, what the bloody hell are you on about? The only opportunity Vanessa represents is one of lifelong misery, deceit and pain.”

  “Oh piffle.” He brushed off my words and walked over to the table where he kept the brandy decanter. He poured himself a small glass, warming and swirling it before taking a sip. “Son, it’s time for you to understand your position in life. You’re an Armstrong, and being such, there are certain societal obligations you must uphold. Now I understand that a man needs time to go out and gain a bit of… shall we say… experience if you will. But now the time has come for you to fulfill your position in this family, in the company.”

  “Dad, I don’t think
you quite understand me. I love Ginny. She’s everything I could ever possibly want in a woman.” It felt good to finally say those words. My father paused, his face pulled into a grimace.

  “I think it is you who doesn’t quite understand, Tristan. I’m not asking you to take your rightful place in this family and the family business, I’m telling you to.” He slammed his brandy glass onto the table before stomping to the door. He paused at the doorway, turned and threw me a look full of pure venom. “You either do what’s best for the family or you will regret it for the rest of your life. You have one month to decide. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing.”

  With those final words, he strode from the room, closing the door behind him and leaving me in shock. I wanted to chase after him and make him take back his ridiculous ultimatum. But I didn’t. Deep down I’d always known that eventually, he and I would hit this point. I’d hoped it wouldn’t be for a while yet, that I’d be able to get things figured out and my life sorted beforehand. It looked like my time had just run out, and now I had to move fast.

  I left the room to rejoin the party, but everything just felt wrong. I could see my father talking calmly with some of his partners like nothing had happened, my mother standing politely beside him. I’d wanted Ginny to meet my mom but I wasn’t about to go over there and get her. I jerked my eyes away quickly before she could see my expression. I needed to get out of there quickly, and I knew if she saw me upset she’d never let me leave. My stomach was tied in knots by the time I reached Mike and Ginny. They both looked at me, concern written all over their faces.

  “Are you okay, Tristan?” Ginny asked softly. “You look a little pale.” She moved next to me and placed a hand on my arm. I wanted to pull her so close and bury my face in her hair, but I needed to appear as strong and as unruffled as my father did. That pissed me off more because I was nothing like him.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Is this about Va—”

  “I said let’s go, Mike,” I interrupted him before he could finish what he was saying. I didn’t want to hear that woman’s name anytime soon. “I’m sorry mate, but I need to get out of here. Are you coming with or will you find another ride home?”