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He needs to grow the hell up. And I say that with great affection. He’s my best friend, after all. Our fathers were business partners a long, long time ago, and we basically grew up together.
Same with Greyson.
These guys are my brothers. We might all have different parents, but that doesn’t matter. We laugh and fight like siblings. Always have, always will. We’d each take a bullet for the other. In fact, Greyson once did, ending up with a large indentation on his calf from where he was hit.
“Thank you for joining us, Lu,” I say, taking the chilled champagne from the silver bucket on our table and slowly filling a tall flute for her.
We guys don’t drink that bubbly crap, preferring something harder. But women seem to like champagne, so it’s a safe bet that Lu does too.
I hand her the flute and she brings it up to her mouth like she’s smelling it at the same time. She takes a minuscule taste of it, then quickly licks her lips. It’s almost as if…
No way.
But I have to ask. “Is this your first taste of champagne, Lu?” I ask.
She presses her lips together as a light blush washes over her face, and she sets the glass down. “N… no. I’ve had it plenty of times.”
Holy shit. Itisher first time.
I glance at the other guys and can tell they’re thinking the same. We didn’t get to where we are in the world by not being able to spot liars.
I don’t like liars. But, if this is the worst thing Lu lies about, out of embarrassment or whatever, I can live with that.
We like that she’s a little different from the other girls we meet. I mean, she comes off as sweet and naïve, which is surely all an act, but she does it so well, it has piqued our interest. Rowan’s too. He’s just being difficult.
“You’ve had it plenty of times?” he asks, not bothering to hide his skepticism.
I throw him a look, one he is perfectly familiar with. He better not scare her off with his intense craving for intimidation. I won’t tolerate it.
But she just nods, clasping her hands over her crossed knee, swinging her top leg.
“Then you don’t like it?” he asks.
She looks directly at him and while I could be wrong, I swear there’s a flicker of annoyance in her eye, a subtle mood shift in someone who’s not allowed to have mood shifts. She’s working now, is on the clock so to speak, so is acting, playing a role not unlike what she does with us in Room 21.
Anyway, I like the little revelation. She knows she’s being called out over something stupid.
No one can act one hundred percent of the time. We’ll find out one way or another what makes her tick. Eventually. Today is just the start.
And yet, I do find it curious that someone her age, in her position, hasn’t ever tasted champagne. There is more to this woman than meets the eye, and well, I always like a person who’s misunderstood.
It’s something I can relate to.
“Okay, fine,” she blurts, “it’s my first time.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Greyson pipes up, always the peacemaker.
I nod. “That’s right, Lu. But I do wonder how it is that a beautiful young woman like you has never been treated to bubbles?”
Most women who cross my path are champagne whores. When they see the guys and me, they buzz around like hungry little flies until we fill their greedy hands with the beverages of their choice.
I don’t really mind. It’s not like it strains my wallet or anything.
We’re often surrounded by beautiful women, whether we pay them or not, like all good-looking guys with money probably are. We could seriously have IQs of ten and women would still flock to us. But that’s about as far as it goes, at least for me.
After all, what father wants to see his daughter with a guy in the mob?
I sure as hell wouldn’t.
