AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“An hour?” I offered.
He nodded. “Acceptable.”
Plenty of time for a couple more drinks. As it was, I rose to follow him out of his office. The alcohol was helping, but the warm buzz kept getting trumped by the conversations. Returning to the sitting room, we walked into cool laughter, calculated smiles, and too many eyes housing secrets.
We also found Julius King sitting with my mother and Tally’s, entertaining them with some story. Tally actually caught my glance and rolled her eyes. I nodded to the bar and she mouthed “please.”
I fixed a drink for each of us. Then I crossed over to join them. She took the whiskey sour with an amused look. “You remembered.”
“That you’re sour,” I murmured. “Never forgot.”
She snorted a laugh and I caught King studying me.
“Can I refill your drink, sir?” I offered. After all, I was here to be host. “Mother? Mrs. Marlowe?”
“Claudette, dear Ezra, I’ve told you that you are more than old enough to call me Claudette. I’ll take another too—but make mine a double.” She said the last with a playful wink.
“But Mrs. Marlowe is so much more respectful,” I teased in return, willing to indulge her. “But I will try to remember.”
She laughed.
“I would love another one, darling,” Mother said. “Maybe only a half. It’s a bit warm in here…”
It was definitely a bit something. When I looked at King he raised his mostly half-full glass. “I’m fine, thank you, son.”
Son.
All at once it reminded me of his actual son and that just set my teeth on edge. I kept my smile firm, if a little more gritted teeth than a grin. I downed my bourbon before I prepared drinks for Mrs. Marlowe and Mother.
After, I made a pass of the room and offered refills to more. By my fourth bourbon, the irritation scraping over my skin had been muted and I almost managed to make a full round of conversation with the Adleys—they were looking at a new yacht and wanted to know what I thought of ours and if we were looking to upgrade.
The Cliftons were a little more pedestrian. Mrs. Clifton’s Daughters of the Something or Other were planning a bachelor auction for the spring. Maybe something a bit saucy, but the idea was literally for dancing and drinks. Would I consider it?
I’d consider getting shot beforehand but I only murmured that she should send me the details. Father had moved over to join Mother in conversation with King and the Marlowes. Tally drifted from conversation to conversation like I did, but we kept our distance. It suited me fine. At the hour mark, I made my excuses.
“Oh if you have to, darling,” Mother said when I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You could stay the night and just go back early in the morning.”
“I could,” I said. “But I have some work to do tonight that I put off to be here for you.”
“You are too much like your father,” she said with a hint of exasperation. “But off you go. I’ll see you soon, yes?”
Not a request.
“Absolutely.”
A few handshakes and I was free. At least the blood pounding in my head was more alcohol than anger. I’d take it. At least I’d had the foresight to hire a driver for the night rather than bring my own car.
I wanted there to be no reason I couldn’t leave. I slid into the back and poured myself another drink. My phone had a handful of messages that I ignored as I gave the driver the address.
“Are you sure, sir?”
“Did I stutter?”
That shut him up. The drive back into Manhattan took another couple of hours with traffic. It wasn’t as late as it felt. He pulled up to the building as I finished the last drink I’d been nursing.
“Should I wait for you?”
“No,” I told him. “You’re done for the night.”
