AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Margo and Joel fit neatly into the cluster, strangers or not—though it seems Margo has met all the men before. Kendra is friendly and talkative and has been peppering me with questions all evening. Tatiana is the only one I haven’t spoken to tonight. Warner’s date strolled in ten minutes before dinner, her slender nose in the air, the revealing crisscross front of her cobalt dress covering only half of her breasts. She offered weak hellos before stepping out onto the terrace to fix her crimson lipstick and take selfies. She seems uninterested in dinner, not taking more than a bite of each course. Given how tight her outfit is, she might notbe ableto fit food in there. The vodka, though, that flows freely …
It seems odd that an outgoing man like Warner would choose to spend an evening with someone like this, but thankfully, her apathetic demeanor hasn’t dampened the multiple conversations that buzz around the dining table as the delectable fall harvest-themed courses arrive and easy laughter erupts.
“So, how did you and Henry meet?” Kendra asks.
I guess she hasn’t doneallher homework about us. If she had, she’d know the answer. That, or she’s fishing for more information than what she gleaned from the tabloids. “I worked at the new Wolf Hotel in Alaska for the summer.”
“Thispast summer? So you two, like,justmet.” I don’t miss the inflection in her voice, the words shedoesn’tsay.
She seems to eye Henry more keenly.
“I guess when you know, you know.” I smooth my finger over the pearl in my ring, doing my best to bury my deepest fears threatening to rise, the ones I wish I could shed.
He’ll change his mind. He won’t go through with it.
“Henry is a man who knows what he wants and doesn’t waste time going after it.” Margo winks at me before sipping her wine. Is she saying that for Kendra’s benefit or mine? Maybe both. Either way, I could kiss her.
“Have you hired a photographer yet?” Joel asks, changing the topic to one I don’t mind being laid out bare on the table.
“Not yet. The wedding planner I’m working with is sending me a list of options.”
“Mais non! You cannot hire someone off a list.” He grips my forearm, his touch warm. “Iwould be honored to photograph your wedding, Abbi.”
“Um …” My cheeks flush. Joel is famous for close-up stills of the female body during orgasm. He has an entire collection hanging in an art gallery. I accidentally saw him in action once, in Margo’s French chateau, and I’ve seen examples of his work. How do I decline this suggestion politely? “I think we’re looking for something more traditional?”
He barks with laughter. “Notthosetypes of photographs.” He digs his phone from his pocket and pulls up an album. “I also have these in my portfolio.”
I watch with fascination as he scrolls through stunning shots of women in elegant dresses and men in suits. “I took these at my dear friend Enrique’s wedding. There, see his bride?”
“Wow.” They’re candid and have a glamorous, old-world feel to them. “These look like magazine shots.”
“They ended up selling them to a popular French bridal publication, so I guess they are?” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal.
“Joel has photographed the most famous models for the biggest brands in the world,” Margo jumps in, smiling at him. “He is a superb talent. You would be very lucky to have him capture your special day.Iwill hire him one day, if I ever decide to marry.”
“See? I have an eye for more than what you think I do.” Joel smiles mischievously. “Though I have an excellent eye for that too.” If it fazes Joel that his current girlfriend is talking about a future without him, he doesn’t let on. But I already knew these two weren’t committed to each other. Monogamy isn’t in Margo’s vocabulary.
I bite my bottom lip. “Let me talk to Henry about it before I give you an answer.” But, looking at these pictures, I already know I’ll be begging him to agree.
“Of course. But, again, please know that it would be an absolute honor for me to be a part of your day.” He collects my hand and kisses the back of it as if to emphasize that claim.
“I am somewhat of an art connoisseur. I wouldloveto see your portfolio, Joel,” Kendra gushes, her cheeks flushed from wine.
“Is that so?” A devilish grin flashes across his handsome face. “Let me show you what I am most famous for …”
I move my attention to Henry before I get an eyeful of women’s magnified clits at the dinner table.
“… why the fuck would you get into business withthem?” Henry scolds Merrick in a low voice, their heads turned for a private conversation. “The Easton name is toxic.”
“They’ve managed pretty well in Phoenix.”
“That’s a nightclub, not a fucking hotel and casino in Vegas. Do you like the feds up your ass? Because that’s where they’ll be living for the foreseeable future.”
“They can crawl as far as they want up there. They’re not gonna find what they’re looking for. That, I can promise you. We’re a hundred percent legit. And who else are we going to fund this with? You?” Merrick counters.
“You know I would if I could.”
“I know, and I would never ask you to.” Merrick shrugs. “We’ve wanted to do this for years, but it’s too much risk to go in on our own, and we have challenges finding people who can look pastourname, forget the Eastons. And they’re not that bad.” He pauses as if to think about his last words, then corrects himself. “Gabriel’s not that bad.”
