Page 132 of Knocked Up By the Silver Foxes

The food arrives before I’ve decided what I’m feeling. Asher sets it down in front of me, pulls the chair opposite mine, and sits.

“Eat,” he says.

I eat.

I’m halfway through when I hear two sets of heels practically stomping against the marble floor as if it’s the floors fault for simply existing.

I guess a quiet victory lunch is too much to ask for when it comes to Evelyn and Monica.

Evelyn stares daggers into me as she approaches with her best friend. Her hands slam on the top of our table and she tries to pin me in place with the fury in her gaze. But all I’m more focused on is whether she’s wearing contacts or not because, up close, there’s no way her iris has that bright of gold outlining her aqua eyes. “How dare you, you little bitch.”

“Evelyn!” Asher says, standing, “both of you back the fuck up, now.”

Monica scoffs at my boyfriend’s attempt to protect me, making me want to slap a bitch, but— “Is there something wrong, ladies?”

Evelyn snorts a sound, “Wrong? You mean blowing that business deal with your pitiful parents⁠—”

“There was no business deal,” Asher interjects.

“You having me and Monica voted off the board⁠—”

Well, that’s news to me.

“Or you using your gold digging sorry excuse of a plan to get knocked up with not only one possible father, but three wealthy men, one being your best friend’s father. How desperate are you that you think you can walk into my world, spread them, and throw me out like trash? Monica and I were here long before you, little girl, and we’ll be here long after these three idiots toss you aside for a newer version just like all men do.”

I purse my lips, nodding, bringing my water to my lips for a quick drink.

Talk about word vomit. It’s amazing the amount of tea a woman scorned can spill in less than ten minutes, but for all her insults and the shared anger between her and Monica, I’m not going to give them this.

“Please, ladies,” I say, picking up my fork to resume eating my meal, “have a seat so we can discuss this.”

“Mon coeur?”

I give Asher a soft smile, “I’m fine, baby, really. Maybe they’d enjoy a helping, as well. I’m sure Monica misses your cooking and we both know with our baby on the way, you won’t be as involved in the restaurants as you are now. She might as well have something to do with her mouth since Evelyn is doing all the talking.”

Okay that was bitchier than I intended but it’s not like they didn’t have it coming.

Asher returns to sit next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders and turning my face to his with his fingers on my chin. “I’m not leaving you alone with them, Harper.”

“I know you don’t want to, but neither of them are going to hurt me or do the dumb thing and cause a bigger scene than they already have,” I say to him, “they’re all about optics and, though bad publicity is still publicity, berating a pregnant expecting mother is one of the worst optics that no one can sweep out of sight in cancel culture. I promise you, I’m safer here than behind closed doors with them.”

He seems to think about it before he motions to one of the restaurant servers and orders two more plates of food. I’m not upset that he refuses to let me have a moment with his and Killian’s exes, it’s actually nice to have someone not steamroll the situation or threaten anyone. He’s the crisp, cool water of our quad, and right now, that crisp water isn’t going to let me wade into unknown currents on my own.

God, I love him.

Evelyn and Monica exchange a look before Evelyn pulls out the chair across from me and sits like she’s doing the furniture a personal favor. Monica follows, and for a moment the two of them just stare at me like they’re waiting for me to flinch. I pick up my fork and go back to eating.

Asher settles in closer, his arm coming back around my shoulders, his thumb moving in that slow rhythm up and down my arm, and I lean into the warmth of him without thinking about it. He doesn’t make a thing of it. He just stays.

“You do realize,” Evelyn starts, recovering her composure like she never lost it, “that your little boyfriend being on the board was the only reason that vote held. Without Killian leveraging his position, Monica and I keep our seats and this whole charade falls apart.”

“You lost your seats because the board agreed you should,” Asher says, even and direct. “Don’t make it simpler than it is.”

Monica pivots to me. “You came here and disrupted everything that was working.”

I set my fork down.

“Are you two done making me the villain yet?”