揈llsworth.?
My stomach dips like the floor fell out beneath me as soon as I hear the deep, confident voice. I focus on everything tangible: the hard surface my arm is resting on, the pinch of my heels, the splash and smell of alcohol being poured. Without looking over, I instantly know who is standing beside me.
揔ensington.?I angle my head to the right so I can appraise him, keeping my casual pose in place.
Before tonight, the last time I saw him was at the Waldorfs?holiday party four months ago. Crew looks the same, except he抯 wearing a pair of navy slacks and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up instead of the tux standard at society events. He looks like he came here straight from the office.
If there抯 one thing I respect about Crew Kensington, it抯 his work ethic. For someone who has had everything handed to him his entire life, he appears to pull his own weight at Kensington Consolidated. While wearing an entitled smirk, but still. His father, Arthur Kensington, values success over nepotism. He wouldn抰 be grooming Crew for future CEO if he didn抰 have what it takes to thrive in the role.
I glance past him, down to where he was standing before. 揝o, who抯 the lucky lady tonight? The redhead or the blonde??
Those blue eyes appraise me as he casually props one elbow on the varnished wood of the bar top, mirroring my relaxed posture. Crew swirls a tumbler of what smells like bourbon before he replies. 揙r both.?
揢nderachiever.?
The left corner of his mouth creases with a hint of amusement as the bartender sets a fresh martini down in front of me.
揟hank you,?I tell him.
Crew holds eye contact with me with me as he reaches into his pocket. His hand emerges with a hundred-dollar bill, which he slides across the smooth surface. 揔eep the change.?
揟hank you, sir.?The bartender departs quickly, unwilling to give Crew a chance to change his mind. Even at a place as upscale as this, it抯 an outrageous tip. People are happy to drop whatever amount they抮e charged for overpriced liquor. More than the obligatory twenty percent tip to service staff is usually another story.
I say nothing. If he抯 trying to impress me, money is the wrong way to do it. I don抰 know what he抯 trying to do. He approached me, all but confirming the outcome of our fathers?conversation last week.
Crew watches me closely as I raise my glass and take a sip. A high-pitched, whiny voice interrupts our silent staring contest.
揅rew, you said you抎 be right back.?
He acts like nothing was said. I hold his gaze for a few more seconds, then glance at the woman who抯 approached us. The redhead who was hanging on him earlier has one hip cocked and a smile pasted on her face. Neither completely masks the irritation wafting off her梡resumably about his choice to leave her side and approach me instead.
I savor another sip of my martini before acknowledging her unwelcome presence. 揑t抯 rude to interrupt.?
The redhead gives me a snotty look. 揂nd who are you??
揅rew抯 fianc閑。？The two words roll off my tongue like I抳e said them before, even though I haven抰。 They still sound strange.
That title shuts her up fast, especially when Crew doesn抰 deny my claim. He just continues to watch me, unreadable emotions swirling in cerulean depths as he ignores her.
The redhead flounces off.
揌appy??Crew drawls.
揇isappointed, actually. I was hoping she抎 slap you.?
Another corner of his mouth curl. I抦 beginning to think it抯 his idea of a smile.
揝o厰 He steps closer.
I want to breathe, but there抯 a brief moment where I can抰。
揧ou抮e my fianc閑 now??
揂ren抰 I??I take another sip of gin. At this rate, I抣l be finished with my second drink before I make it back to the booth. Maybe I抣l break my two-drink limit as an engagement gift to myself.
揚renup paperwork is being drawn up as we speak.?Crew pauses. 揧our father didn抰 tell you??
揟he less he tells me, the more power he can pretend he has.?I look away, back at the long row of bottles behind the bar. 揌is secretary called my secretary about lunch. I抦 guessing I抣l get the happy news then.?
揋lad to hear you and Hanson are closer than ever.?
I scoff. 揘ot all of us ask how high? when Daddy says jump.?
揌ave you always had this much of an edge, or is it a recent development??
揑f you抎 ever done more than compliment me on my dress in the past decade, you抎 know the answer to that.?
Crew makes a show of looking the gold minidress I抦 wearing up and down. 揑t抯 shiny??
揌ave you always been this terrible at coming up with compliments, or is it a recent development??
For the first time梕ver桰 get a full-blown smile from Crew Kensington. He looks damn good pouting. Amusement梘enuine, not mocking梥oftens the sharper angles of his face. Throw on a backwards baseball cap and a t-shirt, and he wouldn抰 look like a ruthless billionaire.