AllFreeNovel
Share Us
16
Archer
Straightening my tie, I take Lena’s steps two at a time until I’m at the door to her apartment. I have severely mixed feelings about the night. The last thing I want is to spend time with my parents. They’re cold and calculating to an extreme degree. Growing up, I learned quickly not to expect comfort when I fell, encouragement when I failed. There was only one way to do things, and that was to be the best at everything. Coddling was for losers; emotions were for simpletons.
Needless to say, they are severely disappointed in my successes in life. It doesn’t matter that I own my own business, that I’m known as an asset and a staple of the Wild Haven community, that I do charity work and am widely regarded as someone people like. I still don’t live up to their absurd standards. It’s an unachievable goal with a constantly moving target. There’s no point at which they considered congratulating me or feeling a sense of pride for what I’ve accomplished. I can always do better, be better.
They’re exhausting.
Despite having to spend the night dodging them, I’m almost looking forward to the evening. Lena will be at my side, and spending the night out with her has been the only thing getting me through the week. I raise my hand to knock on her door, but it opens before I get the chance. The sight of her takes my breath away, and I stare like a lovestruck fool.
Her blue-black hair falls down her back in a silky sheet, her eyes are rimmed in a smokey shadow that makes them appear even more violet tonight. The dark red dress clinging to her body is somehow completely proper and the most tempting thing I’ve ever seen. Her hem hits just below her knees, but the top overlaps to form a low V that dips down to her sternum. The neckline exposes the perfect expanse of skin between her breasts and I’m dying to bury my face there. The sleeves stop just above her elbows. She’s showing far less skin than most of the women will be at the party, but I know I’m going to fantasize about ripping the thing off her all night long.
“Hey.”
My hand hovers in the air while I stare unabashedly. “Evening. I was going to knock.”
Lena laughs, the sound nervous. “Sorry, I guess I’m just anxious to get this over with.”
I clutch my heart. “Ouch. That excited to spend the night with me?”
A rosy blush covers her cheeks and I grin, stepping into her apartment to help her with her coat.
“Not that. I just know how your parents can be giant cocksuckers. I don’t want them to talk down to you.”
I bark out a laugh and then press a kiss to the back of Lena’s neck, as I help move her hair out of her jacket. She doesn’t swear very often, but I like knowing that her feelings toward my parents are strong enough to bring out the big words.
“With you there, the evening will be infinitely more tolerable.”
“Thanks for that high praise. I’ve always dreamed that someone would tell me my company is tolerable.”
“You’re most welcome.” I laugh at her unamused expression. “And I wasn’t talking about your company. I was talking about the party.”
I hold out my arm in invitation. “Ready?”
Lena rolls her eyes but wraps her hand around my arm. “Let’s see what kind of a shitshow tonight will be.”
I tuck my arm tight to my side, trapping Lena against me. “That’s the spirit.”
The drive to my parents’ house takes a little over ten minutes by ATV. Many of the ocean front properties, like my parents, have long docks where you can tie up a boat. A lot of locals use their boats to get around the island, but I prefer to avoid the sand when dressed up. For people who didn’t grow up on the island, seeing someone valet ATVs and golf carts is probably hilarious. It’s the norm around here, and I barely even blink at it.
The house I grew up in is an amalgamation of Victorian and Cape Cod style architecture. My parents added on to the original house when I was in my early teens and it’s now a monstrosity with twelve bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. I have no clue why they built such a massive addition when it’s only the two of them in the house. They never have people stay there, including the clients my mother invites to the island for their parties. Even when I lived at home, I was to remain out of sight unless they requested to see me.
Pulling up in front of the place makes my stomach hollow out. The veneer I’ve worked on building for years thickens like a shield in anticipation of the night.
“We can still turn around. We can be at Paul’s Tavern in eight minutes. I know Rhys will get us drunk. Even if you two are still bickering like an old married couple.”
God, I want to take her up on that offer so badly.
“Let’s do that instead next time. We’re already here, so let's just rip off the Band-Aid and get this over with. Besides, you look too beautiful just to end up at your brother’s bar for the night.”
A blush creeps up Lena’s cheeks. I barely notice that I’m leaning in, the need to kiss her subconsciously pressing me forward. The aggressive clearing of a throat pulls my attention to the valet standing next to my door, impatiently waiting for us to get out. I give him a sour smile and then oblige. I move around to help Lena out of her seat and tuck her hand into the crook of my arm as we head inside.
Bright lights pour out of every window in the house, casting a golden glow on the ground. Staff I don’t recognize open the door for us, and we walk into my childhood home. The soft murmur of voices floats down the hall from the ballroom, which is part of the original structure. Soothing chords of sedate music play gently from the corner of the room as we enter, and I spot a string quartet playing polite mood music.
The ballroom is large enough to hold hundreds of people, but tonight there’s closer to seventy or eighty present. They’re clustered in small groups, some flitting from one part of the room to another.
“Oh, Archer, darling, you’re finally here. We worried something had happened to make you so late.”
