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“I pre-ordered everything,” John said to us when the waiter came in and poured everyone wine.
The room was low lit and the nearby candles flickered light off the white tablecloth. It was private and chic.
“I hope you don’t mind.” Charles looked at me and I shook my head. He was at the end of the table, Preston sat to his right and I next to him while Charlie and Darlene were across the table from us.
“Of course not.” I smiled.
“Have you ever been here, Megan?” Darlene asked, taking a sip of her wine.
“No, I haven’t.”
“It does take a while for reservations typically. This place certainly isn’t for everyone.” She shrugged and I didn’t miss the dig on my ‘status,’ thrown in there.
“How’s the property in Beijing looking?” Charlie asked Preston.
“Are you really discussing business, Charlie? We’re in the company of beautiful ladies.” John winked at me.
“I agree,” Preston said. His palm slid along the top of my thigh.
I looked over at him and a hungry green gaze met mine. An instant heat threaded through my veins. Damn it, I had been missing him. Even though our arrangement was only a few weeks old, I was accustomed to him. I pined for his attentions. One thing I was learning was that when things were good, they were so good. I wanted that heat. Wanted him to look at me, make me fall the way he did that first night, and every night after when his skin was against mine.
“How did you two meet?” Darlene piped in, interrupting our silent moment.
“At the hotel,” Preston offered casually.
“Men,” Darlene rolled her eyes. “I want the details.”
“I came in after a long flight, she was covering a shift at the bar, I took one look at her and said, ‘I have to have that woman.’ ” His eyes landed back on mine and his palm nudged my knee, forcing me to uncross my legs. Thank God the tablecloth was long and we sat close enough so that no one would suspect him nearly feeling me up.
I swallowed hard.
“Isn’t that nice,” Darlene said.
“So, how did you and Charlie meet?” I asked, trying to divert the attention from us.
The whole room went quiet and Preston’s grip on my knee tightened. Even John’s face registered a mix of discomfort and distaste.
“We all went to college together,” Darlene answered, and took a long swallow of her wine. She started talking to Charlie and John, making it clear she had no more desire to speak with me.
I looked at Preston. He leaned in and murmured in my ear. “Darlene and I used to date before she married my brother.”
“Engaged.” Darlene’s shriek startled me. “We were engaged actually,” she finished, her icy stare beaming at Preston over her wine glass. Charlie was staring his own daggers at Darlene and I felt like I was just kicked in the kidneys.
That explained the feeling I got from her earlier, but now I was reeling over how to deal with it. Thankfully, the waiter came with the first course and broke the staring contest. John started talking with Preston about business dealings while Charlie chimed in here and there.
Apparently, business talk was now a favorable discussion and several courses of wine and dinner when by quickly. And I was fine with that. Charlie kept eyeing me like I was a carrier of the plague. Maybe this would be a good time to try to be nice and tap into his non-asshole side.
“I hear you just had a baby, congratulations.” I said to Charlie.
“Thank you. She’s wonderful.”
I would have thought a doting parent to be more elated but never having a baby myself, I didn’t know. Both of them seemed meh about the fact that they had daughter.
“What’s her name?” I asked, hoping this would help.
“Beatrice.”
“That’s such a pretty name.”
“Yes. Well, speaking of children, we may as well tell them.” Darlene grabbed Charlie’s arm. “We’re trying for another baby.”
“So soon?” John asked. “Beatrice is only three months old.”
“We want a big family.” Darlene smiled at John, then at me.
“Well, congratulations again.” I took a sip of wine, seriously feeling like the couple across the table from me made a stop into crazy town before arriving tonight. Everything with them was awkward and I felt as though I was constantly missing some important details. It was tough to keep up with the backward looks and insinuations.
“When are you two going to start trying for a little one?” John asked.
I started stuttering but Preston was calm as ever, like he was expecting this entire conversation.
“We’d like to be married for at least a year before we start thinking about a family. Right, sweetheart?”
I nodded.
“That makes sense.” John nodded and ate his food.
“Yes, but just know we have the boy’s named pick out so no taking John Charles,” Darlene said with a slight laugh, but she obviously was serious.
Ah, now it made sense. They wanted a boy. The whole lineage family name crap. Were they that sexist? I had only just met John but he didn’t come across like a misogynistic prick.
“I can respect a man wanting to wait and enjoy his wife,” John said and raised his wine glass at Preston.
I didn’t miss the glare on Charlie’s face and I don’t think Preston did either.
“And when you’re done with your wife, you move on to someone else, isn’t that right, father?” Charlie said and downed his glass of wine. I wasn’t counting, but he had to be on his fifth glass and his words were definitely slurring a bit.
“That’s enough, Charlie,” John snapped.
“Megan and I both have a long day tomorrow meeting with the planner so we’re going to get going.” Preston urged me up.
“Wait, we didn’t even get to see her ring yet,” Darlene said quickly.
“Oh, ah…” I rubbed my bare ring finger. “I must have forgot to put it on.”
All eyes zeroed in on me, but the most heated, savage pair belonged to Preston.
“You forgot your engagement ring?” Darlene was all smiles, clearly loving this.
“Goodnight,” Preston bit out and guided me to the exit. His hand was like a brand on my lower back and anger radiated from him like a pressure cooker. I felt like a child and I knew as soon as we got to the car I was in serious trouble.
Chapter Eleven
“What kind of woman forgets a half-a-million dollar diamond ring?” Preston snapped as the town car pulled into traffic. There was tinted glass between us and the driver, compliments of Preston’s tastes.
