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“Sure, Alex, that sounds good,” Sadie nodded distractedly, and I caught the edge of disappointment on his thin face. I smiled a little to myself with smug satisfaction. It was the little things that kept me going. She was my fake girlfriend, damn it, not his.
Someone ahead of us opened the huge oak doors, holding them for us and I nodded my thanks, letting Sadie glide through them first. Inside, the ceilings were round and arched, made of finely polished wood, and strung with shimmering lights, with long stretches of purple and white flowers nestled in thick greenery. There were fireplaces on either side, burning bright to keep out the chill of the night, and long tables of polished oak set with pristine white plates and wreaths of flowers. Clusters of stout, purple candles flickered on the tabletops and covered dishes set on the long stretches of wood. Groups of people waited, laughing, and talking all around the barn like they all knew each other. Maybe they did, but there were only a few that I recognized right off the bat. Sadie seemed to be in awe, staring around at the barn’s interior like it was her dream home. I realized I really didn’t know her very well and maybe it was her dream home. Who was I to know if it was or wasn’t?
I let out a breath when I heard my father’s low, throaty cough from across the room and I knew that he had spotted us. Sadie gripped my hand, and I squeezed her fingers in reassurance.
“My dear Sadie, you look beautiful,” my father announced as he appeared behind us. He was wearing a tailored black suit and his greying blonde hair was slicked back against his scalp. His shoes shined in the light of the flickering candles, and his smile was one of a predator stalking his prey in the wild. I heard Sadie take a deep breath and my father spoke again, looking her over like a business venture that he wasn’t quite sure about just yet. I had seen the same expression on his face before he had decided to demolish three of his office buildings that he deemed unworthy. “I’m pleasantly surprised. And you, my wayward son—nice to see you here as well.”
“Thank you,” Sadie nodded, letting my father take her hand and bring it up to his mouth to kiss her fingers. She flexed her fingers as she pulled them back and I wanted to pull her away, keep her close to me for the rest of the night.
My uncle Reggie strode up to my father, reaching a hand out for him to shake. “Elias, little Connor, it’s great to see you—and who’s this?”
“I’m not exactly little anymore, and this is my girlfriend, Sadie Harlow.”
“Harlow?” Reggie repeated, squeezing her hand. My father’s younger brother had his greying red hair tucked around his ears and his eyes behind his glasses were bright and inquisitive. “Of the Nantucket Harlows?”
“Uh,” Sadie started, looking uncomfortable. “No, I’m from Virginia.”
I reached out, grabbing her hand as Reggie nodded and my father spoke up.
“She’s going to school to work in the medical field, Reggie.”
“What an accomplished young woman,” Reggie said, looking impressed. “Doctor? Nurse?”
Sadie fidgeted, shaking her head and wringing her hands. “Veterinarian.”
My father raised an eyebrow, looking as if he wanted to laugh. Reggie adjusted his glasses, and his face was kind when he nodded at Sadie. “A noble profession.”
Sadie smiled sweetly, and I could see that she was surprised. “I think so too.”
Reggie told us goodbye and then ambled off into the crowd. Sadie looked around, almost ignoring my father’s presence. She held my hand still, squeezing my fingers in hers.
“You should go and speak with your cousin, son,” my father said to me, his tone accusatory. He knew Laurel and I didn’t get along at all and hadn’t since we were children. “I know Laurel will be happy to see that you’ve finally found your way to a family function that potentially doesn’t include an open bar.”
I bristled at that and Sadie cleared her throat, squeezing my hand.
“Will you excuse us, Mr. Lennox?” she told my father, looking up at me and winking quickly where he couldn't see. “Speaking of bars, I need a drink.”
My father raised an eyebrow, and I could see that he was at least a little impressed that she could steer the conversation so easily in another direction. Most people were cowed by my father, but not her. Sadie Harlow was something else. I nearly laughed.
“Of course,” Elias told her, giving her his business smile. It was the same slick showing of white teeth that he reserved for high-ranking professionals and business investors like himself. “But my dear Sadie, please call me Elias.”
“Elias,” Sadie bit out, smiling at him in a similar fashion. She tugged me away without saying goodbye and I was oddly proud of her for doing what I could never seem to. She pulled me over to the fireplace, putting her hands out to warm her thin fingers. “Ready to go yet?”
