“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 would love to 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 with them?” 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 past our name, 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.”
“But Gabriel’s in Phoenix, running his club. You’ve got his lunatic brother.”
“Yeah. Caleb’s a bit of a loose cannon,” Merrick admits, smoothing a hand over the back of his neck as if to release tension. “I’m learning how to handle him.”
Henry’s eyebrow arches in question, earning Merrick’s scowl.
“Not like that.”
Henry carves into his tenderloin. “I’m just saying, guys like that will always cause you problems, and you’ve had enough of those to last three lifetimes.”
“Yeah, maybe. But it’s too late now.”
The two men realize I’m listening to them, and they both adjust in their seats.
“We’ll have to thank the chef personally. This meal is fantastic,” Henry says around a mouthful, as if they weren’t just talking about lunatic brothers and the FBI up Merrick’s ass.
“Raj said they were the best.”
A few awkward beats pass. Clearly, I wasn’t supposed to be eavesdropping.
“So, Abbi … looking forward to the party tonight?” Merrick slides a roasted carrot into his mouth.
I force a smile. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”
“It will,” he agrees with an exaggerated nod, but humor dances in those blue eyes. “Especially in your costume.”
I grit my teeth. An exclusive, elite costume party and I’ll bet every female in there will be wearing something sexy. Meanwhile, I’ll be picking hair out of my mouth to get a drink. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Merrick picked a terrible costume for me. He knows it, and the jerk is gloating.
Henry sees right through my act. “What’s going on, Abbi?”
Merrick glares in warning.
“Nothing.”
“Abigail.” There’s that tone.
I can’t hold it in anymore. Besides, I have no loyalty to Merrick and what’s he going to do to me? “You told me I would look good tonight.”
“Yes.” Henry frowns. “And?”
“And Merrick told me it’s a circus theme.”
“Did he now.” Henry glares at Merrick.
Merrick shakes his head at me in dismay. “Sorry, man. She looked up at me with those big, beautiful eyes, and I couldn’t lie to her.”
“He has me going as the bearded lady!” There’s a touch of whine in my voice that I’m embarrassed about.