“Old-fashioned and—”
“Prosecco, please.”
I chuckle.
“What?” She gives me that smile again. It’s flirty and cute. Inviting and dangerous.
“It’s just that”—I lean in close to her ear so no one can hear—“you order this sweet drink with such a sweet demeanor, and nobody would know that not fifteen minutes ago you had my cock stuffed down your throat.”
She bites her bottom lip, a pink glow spreading across her cheeks.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about, baby. I love that only I get to see that side of you.”
We stare at one another and it’s almost like there’s something being exchanged between us, something we haven’t expressed to each other before. But the moment quickly dissipates when the bartender places our drinks down in front of us.
“So, you already lost to me in bowling. What game can I kick your ass in here?”
“Damn, one glass of Prosecco and she’s already cocky.”
We do a quick round of obligatory meet and greets.
“Grayson, good to see you.” I shake his hand as his father approaches from the left.
“Graham, you son of a bitch, you did it again with this year’s party.” He claps my shoulder.
“Ted, I couldn’t do it without you and Grayson and your continued business. Just a small token to say thank you.”
I see Grayson’s eyes travel to my right where Margot is standing. I put my arm around her and pull her a little closer.
“This is Margot Silver, my girlfriend.”
It’s only a second but I see a small flash of something flutter across Margot’s face before she smiles widely. “Pleasure to meet you both.”
No, we haven’t discussed titles but it’s something I know we need to discuss and she’s made it clear it’s on her mind.
The conversation carries on for a few moments, quickly taking a deeper dive into some business discussions. I feel bad; this isn’t something Margot has any interest in and I see her gaze slowly drift from the group.
“I’m going to go get a refill,” she whispers in my ear as she lifts her glass.
“Sorry, it’ll just be a moment,” I say, giving her an apologetic look. She offers me back a sympathetic look of understanding and walks over to the bar.
I’m trying to stay engaged in the conversation as I watch Margot across the room. She smiles at the bartender, clearly making a joke because they both laugh. A flash of jealousy rears its ugly head, but then I feel at peace. Seeing her happy, laughing and enjoying herself, is all I want for her.
I turn back to Ted. “Well, listen, Ted. I’m never going to turn away more of your money. I’m happy to double down in the second half of this year. What do you think, Grayson?”
“I’m all for it, Mr. Hayes.”
“I’ll let you men get back to your evening, and Ted, I’ll have Olivia reach out and get something on the books.”
I step around them to head toward Margot when Steve Buckner steps in front of me.
“Graham!” His rosy cheeks tell me he’s already about three sheets to the wind.
“Steve,” I say, giving him a handshake as I attempt to keep moving.
“Listen, I need to chew your ear for a minute. Won’t be long.” He laughs heartily.
I sigh. This is an appreciation event and I need to keep that in mind.
“Of course,” I say as he launches into it.
I stay focused even though his speech is a bit slurred, but then my eyes drift back to Margot and I can see she’s visibly agitated. I can’t see who she’s speaking to; they’re obscured by a group of people.
One by one they dissipate and I see who it is—Warren fucking Dorsey.
He reaches out, touching her arm that she quickly jerks away.
Is she crying?
She shakes her head, pointing her finger at him as she says something. I’m too far away to hear and I can’t read her lips. Suddenly she pushes past him and storms off.
“Steve, I’m sorry to cut you off but I need to step away. I’m sorry. I’ll find you a bit later, okay?”
I push through the crowd and follow Margot down a long, dark hall.
“Margot?” I hear her sniffles as she stops and turns around to face me. “What happened? What did he say to you?”
“Are you in business with Warren Dorsey?”
I shake my head, confused. “I mean, technically. He proposed a deal that hasn’t gone through but we’re in talks. Why? What happened?”
I’m growing frantic. I grab her arms but she pulls them away.
“That’s not what he said.” She wipes a tear away. “He said you guys are in bed together, that it was your idea.”
I’m growing more frustrated.
“No, it was his proposition. He came to me but that’s neither here nor there. No contracts have been signed yet. I was considering it, yes, but I’m so confused. Did he say something to you? What’s going on?”
“I didn’t think you were the kind of man to do business with someone like him.” Her words are sharp, like daggers.
“Margot, yeah, he’s sleazy. We all know it but it’s nothing personal. This is money; it’s business, that’s it. I don’t like the guy if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Not personal? What does that even mean? To you it might not be personal, but it is to others. What about people he’s hurt or people he’s wronged?”
“It’s a good business opportunity.” I raise my voice a little. Frankly, I don’t like being lectured. “It’s called diversifying your portfolio, Margot, and it’s very important in this world.”
“Fuck this world!” she spits. “Don’t talk down to me like I don’t know what diversifying means.”
“I’m sorry.” I reach for her but she smacks my hand away.
“No. I want to go home.” She crosses her arms tightly over her chest like she’s trying to protect herself and it breaks my heart.
“I—I don’t know what happened or what’s going on right now, but I can’t leave, sweetheart. I can tell Phil to bring the car around and he’ll take you home.”
She nods.
I pull my phone out and send Phil a text.
“He’ll have the car out front in two minutes. Will you please be in my bed when I get home? I’d like to talk through this.”
She doesn’t say anything, just stares at the floor.
I walk to her, placing my hand softly at the small of her back, and guide her to the back exit where I told Phil she’d meet him. She doesn’t say anything as she gets in the car and Phil drives away.
I try to put on a happy face for the rest of the event. I check my phone every few minutes to see if there’s anything from Margot.
I went in search of Dorsey, but he’d already disappeared. Probably for the best because most likely I’d be in a jail cell right now, staring down the barrel of an assault and battery charge.
It’s after midnight by the time I return home. The party was still in full swing with about half of the crowd still there, but I gave my speech, made my toast, and rubbed enough elbows I felt fine leaving.
I walk through my bedroom door and immediately I can see the bed is still made. I turn around and walk downstairs to Margot’s room.