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Leanne stops at the table, and a stiff Patrick stands there mute until Matthias stands and offers him his hand.
"Matthias Baxter."
Patrick takes the outstretched hand and holds it like a dead fish, mute. Like I said, mincemeat.
Leanna rolls her eyes. "Matthias, this is Patrick Linzer. He's Clarissa's—"
"I'm Clarissa's boyfriend," Patrick finally speaks up, and I inwardly groan.
Matthias, on the other hand, turns to stare at me, and then cuts his eyes back to Patrick who's standing there, staring at Matthias as if he's a seafood buffet, and he's been fasting for a week.
"Nice to meet you, Pat," Matthias finally says.
"It's Patrick. I don't like 'Pat.'"
Matthias gives his hand another hard pump. "Patrick, it is. Do you like cognac, Patrick?"
Patrick pulls his hand away. "Love it."
Matthias passes him a glass of amber liquid. "Well, then please, take this glass, Patrick. I'll get another one."
"No, I'll get it," I say, torn between wanting to watch the scene unfold and wanting to be anywhere but here.
"Nonsense. Sit," Matthias commands, pointing to the empty chair next to Patrick.
My legs bend of their own accord and I feel my ass sink into the seat. Matthias gives me another one of those indecipherable looks and gets up out of his chair. "I can get my own glass. You've been running around all night and god knows for how long before that."
My stomach swoops at his concern, but before I can argue, he's gone. His blond head towers above the crowd all the way over to the bar. He says something to James that makes him laugh, and he comes back with another brandy balloon and a glass of orange juice.
The glass gets placed in front of me.
"Drink that," he whispers into my ear.
And for a moment, I forget that I hate him. "Um, what?"
"I said, 'drink that'. When's the last time you ate or drank something?"
I can't even remember when. Might have been this morning. Might have even been yesterday.
For no reason other than to take a moment to process what is happening, I lift the glass to my lips. I've downed the whole glass when realize I must've been thirsty. My stomach rumbles from the addition of acidity into it. Luckily, the music drowns it out.
"Another one?" Matthias asks, his voice low against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
What is he doing?
I shake my head, glancing past him to see Leanne watching us both intently.
Is she jealous?
She doesn't have anything to be jealous of.
I'm putting Matthias's interest in me down to him having already downed half of the bottle of Louis XIII all on his own. Most men turn into disgusting sleazebags. Who would have guessed that Matthias turns into a gentleman?
He's about to say something else when Patrick turns his attention back to us.
"So, Matthias, how do you know Clarissa?" he asks, reaching for the bottle sitting in the middle of the table. He fills up his own glass almost all the way to the rim, licking at the drop that spills over the sides.
I catch a look of disgust ripple across Matthias's face. He steadies his face and opens his mouth about to answer. Just before he speaks, he glances at me, cocking his eyebrow at the pleading look in my eyes.
