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Chapter 10
♥?♥?♥
Paula
SOON AFTER, THE CHILDREN WERE GATHEREDand herded out by a hired nanny, and Paula waited for Bastian to indicate it was time to leave. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face being alone with him and her evolving feelings. Fortunately he spotted some friends, and the next thing she knew she was surrounded by a small crowd of twenty-somethings.
“Paula, I’d like you to meet Trey and Maylin Wallhauser-Shoals,” Bastian said, in an easy way that said these people were truly friends and not just connections. “And this is March Ulrich and his lovely…I’m sorry, we haven’t met, have we?”
“This is my Lia,” said March, his arm around a stocky, muscular girl whose build reminded Paula of her friend, Jennifer, who had done gymnastics in high school. “Lia Halpern.”
Paula assessed March and dubbed him a “beautiful geek” type. Fitter and better dressed, but in all other respects, he reminded her of her IT coworkers. “His Lia,” on the other hand, wore a sweater dress that could have come from Paula’s casual closet. She seemed a little reserved, maybe even ill at ease, and greeted Paula with a shy smile.
Trey Wallhauser-Shoals was tall, tanned, and unfairly handsome, with light brown hair and eyes to match with flecks of green. He was built more like an athlete than a soft, pampered businessman, though his tux was as well-fitting as Bastian’s. He had a drink in one hand and his other was firmly holding his wife’s.
Maylin shook Paula’s hand with bright curiosity, though beneath her cheer she seemed tired. Her complexion was darker than her husband’s, her hair long and black, and Paula couldn’t place her ethnicity except not white. Spanish? Polynesian? It was a mystery, and her accent was no clue; it came out of the standard American West. Her red dress was stunning. When Paula said so, Maylin pointed at Trey with a mischievous look. “He’s the one who got it, tell Mr. Moneybags.”
Trey shot Maylin a warning, intense look. Then he bumped fists with Bastian in what Paula considered a hilariously genteel gesture.
“Christmas!” Trey said, a little too loudly. “Never settle!”
“Never settle,” Bastian chuckled. “Where are the kids?”
“Dad’s,” Trey said carelessly.
Maylin clutched her scalp dramatically. “They’ve barely slept for the last week, so we sicced ‘em on Steven.”
“We’re about to make a stop there now,” Trey added, and glanced deliberately at Paula.
March was also looking at her. Both men’s keen gazes were focused unmistakably on her. Before she could stop herself, she said saucily, “What?”
“Nice tomeetyou, Paula,” Maylin said with emphasis Paula didn’t understand. Lia, March’s companion, looked just as confused.
Paula glanced up at Bastian to find him laughing softly down at the floor. “May, Trey, Lia, March…may I present Paula Raymond.”
That was all he said, but it was apparently enough to get all four sets of eyes fixed to her.
“Well, well, well,” Trey drawled. “This is fascinating.”
“Am I missing something?” Lia blurted. “Why did you introduce us twice?”
“I want to know that, too,” Paula said, eyes narrowing.
Trey took a swallow of his drink. “Etiquette shit.”
“Pardon me?”
“Etiquette.” Maylin sighed. “Stupid fancy rich people etiquette. They’re speaking,” she made air quotes, “‘society’ language.”
Paula blinked. “Uh…”
“Every other time Bastian has introduced his dates at these functions, and there have been a lot of them, let me tell you,” Maylin wrinkled her nose, “if he even bothers to introduce them, he introducesthemtous.As in,” her voice took on a mock haughty tone, “‘Oh, Trey, there you are, darling, I’d like you to meet my dear Candy, she’s the daughter of the Chairman of the Board of Whatever.’” Over Trey’s “The fuck he calls me darling,” she raised her voice. “And Candy, as the afterthought you are, please meet the honorable Steven Parkson Sho—”
“Don’t you dare!” Trey mock-attacked her and growled at Paula, “Trey. It’s Trey. I will ruin anyone who calls me that name.”
Paula bit her lip. “So…”
March took over. “So…Paula…Bast introduced us to you, not you to us. You rank higher in the sorting processor that is his mind. Which means—”
