Shit. Shit. Shit. I’m so screwed. I am more screwed than a cheerleader on prom night.
There was a scraping sound as Asher pulled up a chair next to me. “Yes, silly me, it turns out that the annual wine-tasting for charity is this Thursday, and I do hate to disappoint Grant, he’s been going on about it for ages. I don’t suppose you could do tomorrow instead?”
“Tomorrow?” I echoed blankly.
“Yes, if it’s not too inconvenient. I suppose I could reschedule for the week after, but I’m just so excited about this venture; I don’t want to wait longer than I really have to. After all, if I do, you might find another investor!”
I felt him kick me under the table, and then he turned to my parents, felling my mother instantly with a megawatt smile as he brushed his dark locks out of his eyes.
“Have you seen Kate’s work? She’s a real artist.”
Wait, was he…playing along with this?
“I—ah—I, yes, I suppose Kate has always been artistic,” my mother said, really flustered for the first time that I could ever remember. The words came out slowly, as if she was having to carefully piece together a new worldview, one in which I was not a complete fuck-up, and it was coming hard. “She is always drawing…”
“I think she could be a major player on the world fashion scene,” Asher said, simultaneously taking the wine bottle and refilling Brian’s glass, thus making Brian close his mouth before he could interrupt and sip the wine instead to be polite. “She has real vision.”
“Vision doesn’t pay the bills, though,” my father harrumphed. “I still don’t see how frilly little fripperies are enough for a business.”
“Often in these cases all that’s needed is sufficient capital to get the ball rolling,” Asher said smoothly. “Once Kate and I have established her brand, its reputation will keep it in demand without new infusions of capital needed. Thankfully, Kate has in many ways already set up the framework for what needs to be done. I’m sure you agree, setting up the framework is vital?” he added, turning to Brian.
Brian was staring at Asher like he had flown down from the heavens on the back of a pure white horse with wings. “Yeah,” he said. “Totally. I agree. Can I just say how much I admire the work you did with Louise Alexovich and her digitization technique?”
“Thank you,” Asher said, clapping Brian on the shoulder as he stood. “I’ll be doing much the same thing with Kate and her company, so I’m glad you understand how these things go. It’s can be a bit dicey at first, which is why the support of friends and family is so very crucial in these early stages.”
“Kate’s got our full support,” my dad put in eagerly. “Sounds like things are really picking up for her.” He gave me a sideways hug, still seated. “I’m proud of you, kiddo. This couldn’t be greater news.”
I felt a burst of warmth in my heart for my whole family, who were looking at me now as if I had swept the Olympics. God, this was all I ever wanted. This approval and pride, just a moment of it, just for me.
I smiled at Asher, and I tried to let that smile show how grateful I was. In this moment, I didn’t care if he was an unfaithful dick with an entourage of ditzy blondes so vast they could have formed a volleyball team. He’d given me this moment even though I’d blown him off the other day, even though I’d been sitting here lying through my teeth to impress my parents, even though he didn’t have to. For some reason, he was on my team. I could have hugged him.
He smiled back, that dimple in his cheek winking. His electrifying eyes seemed to simmer with unspoken words. He took my hand, and there was just the slightest bit of extra pressure as he squeezed it in a firm, businesslike shake that practically set my brother swooning with jealousy. “I do have to get back to my previous appointment, but I’m glad we ran into each other. I’d hate to pass up this business opportunity. I look forward to our meeting.”
I stammered some kind of goodbye as he released my hand, trying hard not to blush red enough to match my hair. I also tried—though maybe not as hard as I could have—not to blatantly ogle that ass as he walked away, or think about how I’d like to grip it tightly to me as he thrust into my—
Family time! Family time! Keep those thoughts G-rated, Katie!
Thankfully, said family was too busy sitting around the table stunned and gobsmacked to notice my odd demeanor.
“What a nice man,” my mother eventually said in a slightly dazed voice. “Kate, do you know if that’s his natural eye color…”
A whole sentence without her expressing any disappointment in me. Damn, but this man had just played my entire family like a three string quartet, and I loved it.
And now I had to go apologize for it being necessary in the first place.
#
“Asher. Hi, Brody. Sorry, can I interrupt for a second?”
Asher stood quickly, taking my arm and guiding me out to the balcony. “Of course. Is there a problem? Do you need me to go take the piss out of your brother again?”
“Ha, no. Actually, I just—” I pulled my arm away with an apologetic grimace; I didn’t want to seem rude, but it was suddenly hard to concentrate on what he was saying when he was touching me. I could feel the heat of his hands through my sleeve. “I just wanted to say thank you, and sorry. I don’t usually go around lie-bragging about how great I am, but my brother was being King of the Dickwads and I guess he pushed one button too many.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Asher said with a laugh, lounging back against one of the balcony’s columns. “I have five older siblings. I know what it’s like to always be in competition. My oldest brother—he was the golden child for as long as I can remember.”