Making the Grade

by Marie Harte

  Sydney nodded. “It is. Dylan wasn’t talking about his sessions; he was telling the guys about when he met the judge at Brian’s party. Not a great scene.”

  “Oh. So?” She hung the black dress on the back of her closet door and put the red pumps near her dresser. Now for the earrings…

  “Judge Goode kind of freaked out when Dylan confessed to falling in love with his daughter. And with Harper.” Sydney chuckled. “Dylan kissed Harper right there on the mouth in front of everyone. So Judge Goode turned on his heel and left.”

  “That was something to see,” Hailey agreed. Apparently she’d been there as well.

  “But the real gossip about Brian and Freddy’s dad, well, according to Freddy, who told Dylan, who told Derrick—” Sydney started.

  “Geez, Sydney. Get to the point.” Faith glared over her shoulder at the wordy redhead.

  Sydney flipped her the bird.

  “Nice.”

  “I had the nail manicured just for you.” Sydney snickered, and Hailey laughed as well. “Anyway, Judge Goode has always treated Freddy like shit and tried to mold Brian into his perfect little Mini-Me. Freddy went to live with her mom as a kid, but the judge demanded Brian stay with him. Brian, always a ‘Goode’ boy, obeyed Daddy.”

  Faith frowned. Brian had been right. The whole play on words with his last name wasn’t that creative. “What exactly is the judge’s problem?”

  Sydney shrugged. “Everything? Unless you have a pedigree that goes back to the English monarchy, he views you as scum. So Freddy says. And from what I heard, he put Brian through hell, making his kid work harder than everyone, taking away his fun, his friends. Sounds like the guy is a real piece of work, withholding affection until Brian performed to the judge’s expectations.”

  “Wow. And I thought your mom was bad,” Hailey teased Sydney.

  “I know. My mother’s vanity knows no bounds, but I’m still her pride and joy—if only because I make her look good. Brian is hot, rich, successful, and never good enough for his father. It’s sad.”

  “Only if Brian is still trying to gain his dad’s approval,” Faith added. She frowned, wondering if her presence would hamper Brian’s chances of bonding with his father, or if Brian would even care. He acted like his father still annoyed him, but he was making an effort to attend the charity event.

  “Good point.” Sydney nodded. “Tonight should be interesting for you, to say the least. You get to hang out with Augusta’s hoity-toity. Good luck.” She stood and dusted her hands together. “But if anyone needs to sell or buy a house, drop my name, would you?”

  Hailey laughed. “Yeah, and if they want a house built, tell them about WCC.” Gage and Dylan’s construction company.

  “Gee. While we’re at it, I might as well pimp out Dylan’s psychiatric services too, hmm?”

  Sydney nodded. “Not a bad idea.”

  “You guys are nuts. I’m not going to talk up the Warrens’s businesses.” Faith sighed. “I’ll be praying all night that I don’t trip over my own two feet or drop food on my dress.”

  “That’s classic Hailey. You’re the demure, sexy arm candy. You’ll be fine.” Sydney slapped her on the back, and Faith nearly stumbled.

  “Hey. I’m not that clumsy.” Hailey awkwardly got to her feet. “At least, I wasn’t until Junior showed up. Blame Gage.”

  Faith walked her friends to the door with promises to tell all tomorrow. Sydney had a point. Faith had attended her fair share of fancy parties, usually on the arm of some rich guy she’d grown to detest. She knew how to play the game. But for Brian, she wanted to be better than amazing. She wanted him to shine.

  “I’ve got it bad, and I know it.” She finished doing a few chores around the apartment, then showered and readied for her night with the man coming to mean so much to her.

  What to do about her feelings remained a big question. Brian had outright told her he wanted them to be exclusive, that he wanted more from her than just sex. Before she’d come to believe in herself as worthy of a future with a man who treasured all of her—not just her breasts—she would have jumped at the chance to be Mrs. Brian Goode.

  Now? She wanted to be loved for herself. Brian acted like he wanted the whole of her. He treated her with such care, and he’d given her pleasure before seeking his own. Trusting that he meant what he said, however, was another thing entirely. Especially because she was afraid she’d fallen in love with the guy.

  All of it was too soon. But she couldn’t help her emotional attachment. She thought about him all the time. He’d gone fishing with her. She smiled at that, especially remembering what followed. Then she took a deep breath and tried to stop thinking about their time together the past weekend. How amazing he’d been in bed. How he seemed to go to the heart of her with every kiss and caress.

  “Focus, hussy. No more sex.” She kept telling herself to pull back, but damn if she could figure a way to do it when he looked at her with his big blue eyes. Then he’d flex or laugh in that deep voice, and she’d go all quivery and girlie.

  With any luck, tonight would show her another side of Brian. Among his peers, who would he prove to be? The man she was falling in love with, or another Dr. Pain in the Ass in disguise?

  Chapter Nine

  Faith took a sip of champagne and tried to hide a grimace. She did better than Brian, who looked like he wanted to throw up. Seeing his reaction brought to mind what he’d said at their first date about champagne. She put her glass on the tray carried by a passing waiter and didn’t bother hiding a smile.

  “Hell. I need a cold beer,” Brian muttered.

  “Me too.” She tucked her arm in his. They stood around a ballroom amid the money in Augusta. There was more bling on the women in the crowd than she’d seen the one and only time she’d visited Tiffany’s in Atlanta with Jeremy. Men wore tuxedos while women fanned around the room in ball gowns and chic cocktail dresses, a blend of casual dressy she’d gotten used to over the years. The South had a distinct sense of style, and even the most conservative eschewed panty hose when the weather warmed.

  This evening, Faith wore garters and hose with a lace bra and panty set. Brian would flip when he saw her undergarments. Personally, she couldn’t wait to strip him down—he wore a tux really, really well. More than one woman had stared at him with interest.

  “So. Do you have a lot of exes in the crowd?” she wondered aloud.

  “Ah, one or two. But no one I’d ever considered dating seriously. I was lonely when I first arrived, and the women I went out with knew what they were in for. The last one was over four months ago, by the way.”

  “Shocking with your sex drive.” She grinned. He’d admitted a few days ago to being celibate for the past few months, a choice he’d deliberately made to stop repeating past mistakes. From what Brian had said, he truly was looking for something more than casual sex. The way he looked at her told her he wanted more than that with her.

  “So.”

  “So…”

  He cleared his throat and leaned close to whisper, “I’m dying to know what’s under the dress.”

  “Behave tonight and I’ll show you later.”

  “That was cruel. Now I’ll be wondering all night.”

  “Suffer.”

  He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “You’ve got a definite mean streak. That’s another reason I like you. Never trust anyone who’s too nice.”

  “My family motto,” a deep voice added with a chuckle. He sounded familiar.

  Faith turned to see a dead-sexy, black-haired man join them. Like Brian, he wore a tux. But where Brian was polished and outgoing, this man seemed deep and mysterious all the way to his chocolate-brown eyes. Tall, dark, and unmistakably handsome—just her type. But he didn’t move her the way Brian did.

  “Brian.” The stranger nodded and sent Faith a sly grin.

  “Oh boy. Now the party’s complete.” Brian laughed and shook the man’s hand. “Faith, meet my best friend, Rex. Rex, this is Faith.”

>   “Enchanted.” Rex’s eyes darkened, and he took her hand in his, then kissed the back of it, lingering shamelessly. His deep Southern accent charmed without meaning to.

  “Hey, asshole. She’s mine.” Brian didn’t bother to hide his scowl, which amused Rex and delighted Faith.

  Something about Rex nagged at her. That accent—because it reminded her of their secret friend at the club? The name maybe? How many Rexes could there be in Augusta? “You’re not Rex Samson, are you?”

  He bowed again. “One and the same.”

  “Oh wow. I’m supposed to meet with you later this week. I’m Faith Sumner. I work for HLE.”

  “I look forward to doing business with you.”

  “Yeah, and that’s all you’ll be doing with her,” Brian warned.

  Was it wrong of Faith to get a kick out of his jealousy?

  Rex raised his hands. “Easy, big guy. I’m just flirting. Unless…” He quirked a brow at Faith. “Want to go get married? My parents would be thrilled if I brought a nice girl like you home.”

  She laughed at his obvious teasing. “Double no. You’re handsome, charming, and clearly a player.”

  “Told you she was smart.” Brian smirked.

  “And I never mix business with pleasure. So, sorry. You’re on your own with your mom and dad.”

  “Bummer.” Rex sighed. “Good thing they’re gallivanting around Europe, so I don’t have to hear the nagging guilt of keeping them grandchild-less.”

  “Is that even a word?” Brian asked.

  “It is now.”

  Before Brian could retort, an older gentleman, looking regal and full of himself, joined them. He was the spitting image of Brian, only older, and she realized Brian would age very, very well.

  “Brian.”

  “Judge.”

  Weird to refer to one’s father as “Judge.”

  The man waited.

  Brian sighed. “You know Rex.”

  Rex winked at him before turning to Brian’s dad. “Judge, great shindig you have here. I’m going to mingle. I see Matilda by the punch bowl. I need to tease her about her golf game.”

  Judge Goode nodded, seeming to approve. “Excellent idea. I know how fond she is of your mother, as we all are.”

  Interesting. Faith hadn’t realized Rex Samson came from money. The articles she’d read said he’d built himself up to become one of the South’s most successful microbrewers.

  The judge turned back to her once Rex bounded away. Waiting.

  Brian sounded bored as he introduced her. “This is my date, Faith Sumner.”

  “Sumner. I don’t know your people.”

  Neither do I, she almost said before pasting on her fake smile. “Pleased to meet you, Judge. Now I see where Brian gets his good looks.”

  The older man preened. Next to him, Brian pretended to shoot himself in the head.

  She did her best not to laugh.

  “What a lovely young woman. What do you do, Faith?”

  “I work—” for a living “—for Home Lorister Enterprises—HLE—a logistics firm based out of Augusta. We’re growing in leaps and bounds.”

  He blinked at her, then glanced at Brian, who nodded.

  “It’s true.” Brian smiled. “Or…she could be a hooker I found on the corner dressed appropriately for the evening. You’ve gotta admit, she’s hot.”

  The judge flushed. “Really, Brian. At least Faith has manners.”

  “Blame my father. I do.”

  The judge turned and left after a polite nod.

  She gaped at her date. “You did not just call me a hooker.” She wanted to laugh but knew events like these were all about decorum.

  “Actually, I said or. Or implies a choice. Personally, I prefer you as an employee of HLE, though I wish you dressed more like a hooker.”

  She snorted, then clapped a hand over her mouth when laughter poured out.

  Others turned to stare at them, but Brian laughed with her until he had to wipe tears from his eyes.

  “That felt good. Thanks.” Brian gathered her with him to their table.

  To her surprise, she enjoyed herself. They sat next to Rex and his date, a blond with large breasts and not much between her ears. But she was pleasant enough, so Faith did her best to be nice. The other couples smiled politely but mostly kept to themselves. She’d noticed that fewer than half of those in attendance seemed to be under the age of fifty. That age difference might have accounted for the way their male tablemates stared from her to the blond’s ample breasts, which threatened to spill out of her dress any time she breathed too hard.

  Brian leaned over her to whisper to Rex, “Where did you find your date?”

  “She’s Matilda’s granddaughter. A friend of the family.”

  The bubbly blond clutched Rex’s arm and whispered something. She shifted, and Faith swore she saw a nipple. A glance at Brian and his raised brow told her he’d seen it too. Unlike the gentlemen across from him, Brian looked away, turning to Faith.

  “Thank you for covering up,” he whispered. “Because if you ever wear something like that out in public, I won’t be responsible for fucking you on the closest hard surface available.”

  She choked on the water she’d been drinking, then nearly spat it across the table when Rex added, “Yeah, what he said.”

  His low voice sounded uncomfortably familiar, and she whipped her head around to see him smiling at her.

  Oh my God. It was him. Her watcher from the club. “You.”

  Rex opened his mouth and paused after a glance over her shoulder, then seemed confused. “Excuse me?”

  She looked at Brian, but his puzzled expression made her question her suspicion. A glance back at Rex showed him shaking his head, then smiling, as if he’d been caught answering something Brian had said or done.

  She spun to face Brian again. “What did you say to Rex?”

  “Huh? Nothing.” He took a sip of his wine.

  She glanced back at Rex, only to see him involved with Barbie. Or Candy, Camille. Whatever her name was. Faith had completely forgotten. Before she could interrogate Brian further, the lights dimmed and the speaker at the podium introduced Judge Goode.

  The dinner passed quickly while they listened to the judge and a few of his friends request funds for the botanical and golf museum additions, as well as a youth program to help inner-city children use the facilities to learn.

  It seemed like a nice charity, if not one she’d be dying to pledge her money to. Sick kids, the elderly, education, sure. But helping children learn about golf? Not so much.

  After dinner, she excused herself to the ladies’ room. After using the facilities and rechecking her makeup, she left and nearly ran into a woman who’d been staring at Brian most of the night. A pretty, dark-haired woman with what had to be fake breasts, because most women that thin didn’t carry that much weight up top. And no way were breasts ever that perfectly rounded.

  The woman smiled, showing bright white teeth. “So you’re Brian’s new squeeze.”

  Faith wondered if she planned to sink them into her. “Hello. We haven’t met.”

  “Of course not. You’re obviously not one of us.” The woman draped a hand toward her. “Darcy Stanfield.”

  “Faith Sumner.”

  “Pleasure.” Darcy’s tone dripped with condescension.

  “So you know Brian?” Faith tried again, determined not to do anything to embarrass him. She admitted to herself the woman intimidated her. So confident and refined, Darcy looked as if she’d been born to a silver spoon and wiped her nose with hundred-dollar bills.

  “We dated. Then I ended things.” She tsked. “Sadly, he didn’t take it well. He must be so…desperate. How is poor Brian faring?” The look Darcy shot her couldn’t be mistaken for anything but a queen peering at a peon.

  Behind the bitchy woman, two other well-dressed women tittered.

  “He’s just fine.” I sucked him off just the other day, right before he gave me multiple orgasms,
thank you very much.

  “He is, isn’t he? But you dear thing, don’t get your hopes up. He’s just playing, sweetie. When he’s ready to join the big girls again, he’ll drop you back into the gutter where he found you.” She snorted. “Did you get that dress off the rack? A Target knockoff, hmm?”

  Annoyed, because Faith had found the cute dress at Ross’s, hello, she decided to give Darcy the fight she wanted. Besides, it wasn’t as if Brian would care.

  She thickened her accent. “Well, hell, yeah, honey. I got this dress at Walmart on sale for just ten dollars.” Then she stepped closer and whispered in a loud voice, “I just have to know. Are those titties real? ’Cause I gotta tell you, I paid a right fortune for mine.” Faith glanced down at her own chest and grinned back up at a shocked Darcy. “Just like your nose and lips.” Faith skimmed her finger down the woman’s nose. “Oh, wait, now I know why you looked so familiar. Ever worked at the Skin Flint on the east side? I’m thinking you ride the pole in a white thong and pasties. Am I right?”

  The woman’s eyes grew so wide Faith thought Darcy might faint. She stalked away instead, muttering about lowlife trash and security, her two toadies following behind.

  Faith chuckled, and behind her someone clapped.

  Hoping to find Brian or Rex, she wasn’t prepared to see Dr. Jeremy Pichter, asshole extraordinaire, in the flesh.

  Brian laughed at something Rex said, standing by the bar while he waited for Faith to return. He figured he’d put in enough time schmoozing with his father’s friends. He’d donated a few bucks as well. Time to call it a night.

  At least his father couldn’t say he hadn’t tried. For years, Brian had done nothing but try, until he realized nothing he ever did would satisfy the old man. So after moving away for ten years before returning with his own fortune, he’d tried once more. When even his money failed to impress his father, Brian figured nothing would.

  More than ready to leave, Brian looked around again and saw Darcy Stanfield tearing toward him across the floor, Brenda and Kelly behind her.

  Rex groaned. “Here comes the shark and her remoras.”

  Brian snapped his fingers. “Of course. Remoras. It’s Shark Week on TV, isn’t it? Love those things. Brenda and Kelly, not so much.”