"Great, that means we can go celebrate your new job Thursday atThe Club."
"Oh, Jesus, babe."The Clubis one of the high-society places you go to be seen in LA. "Why can't we just go out to dinner?"
"Because I want to dance. We haven't done that in years."
"That's because you run a multigazillion-dollar empire and have a baby." The duh is implied.
She grins. "Doesn't mean we can't go party. The opposite, in fact."
"What do you mean?" I study my best friend. The devious expression on her face tells me she is up to something.
"I may or may not be in a bidding war overThe Club."
"What do you need a nightclub for?" I'm confused.
"Margot tried to buy it as an investment." Her mouth is in a thin line, and she crosses her arms over her chest.
"No way." Margot Granger is a socialite that was involved with her brother at one point. When everything hit the press back then, she tried to push her way into the limelight by running a smear campaign against Lilly and her family. "I thought she fled the country."
"She's back." Lilly scoffs.
"And you made it your mission to make her life hell?" I chuckle.
This is unlike Lilly, but Margot is obsessed with her reputation. Being associated with Lilly's brother had stained her pristine image, and she attempted to rectify that by spewing awful lies. When Nate had no intention of setting things right, Lilly took matters into her own hands. She wouldn't let some spoiled rich bitch run her mouth—her words, not mine. Though, mine would've been even lesskind. Lilly had unearthed every single unpleasant detail she could find about Margot and anonymously sent it to Lancaster, who happily published everything. The last thing I heard was that Margot had taken up residency in Europe.
She purses her lips. "It's just fair after what she pulled."
We stay outside until Rhys shows up with Audrey wrapped in a hooded bath towel and declares it is time for mommy to take over. His drowned-rat appearance explains his sour expression.
"Audrey still is not a fan of bath time?" I can't stop myself from mocking him.
He flips me off with the hand that isn't holding his baby girl. "How she can love the pool and hate bath time is beyond me."
"She's a woman. We don't make sense." I flash him my teeth.
"If that ain't the truth." He shifts so he can extend his daughter to her mother. As soon as Audrey changes hands, he whirls around and stomps into the house. "I'm going to work out."
"We love you, too," I call after him, to which he gives me the double finger this time.
After Tuesday turnedout pretty damn great, Wednesday is a shit show.
I'm sitting in my office, assessing the fabric inventory and mentally going over what I will show Em on Thursday when he, who shall not be named, walks in without knocking.
Collin drops into the same chair he occupied at the beginning of the week. "You recovered from your little episode?" His tone is condescending at best. My spine stiffens, and I clench my teeth, forcing my shoulders to relax. I refuse to give him what he wants.
"How is the hangover?" I don't avert my eyes from my laptop, scrolling through my spreadsheet.
Silence engulfs the room, and after several more leisurely swipes on my trackpad, I finally grace him with my full attention. The vein in his neck is pulsing, and the bright satisfaction of pissing him off flashes through me. I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. "What do you want, Collin?"
He rests his elbows on his knees and interlaces his fingers. "I want you to come off your high horse and come home. We had a future planned."
My brows shoot up. "Excuse me? You mean the future you shit all over when you stuck your dick in some purchased pussy?"
His lips press into a thin line, and I wait for his next move. "Do you think you can find a better match who would tolerate your little mental issue?"
Just…wow!
"My condition is not amental issue," I bark, realizing that I'm defending myself too late. My brother's words repeat in my head:You don't have to justify yourself to anyone. I don't, but at the same time, I've been keeping it a secret.