Page 32 of Drunk on You

“You—”

A knock cuts me off, followed by my dad opening the door.

“Everything okay in here?” Dad asks, his brows furrowed in concern.

“Everything’s good,” Julian says. “Anastasia and I were just celebrating. Ronan signed. The deal’s done.”

“Wow. Good job, you two.” Dad shakes Julian’s hand and then hugs me. “Does that mean the luncheon is off?”

“Yeah,” I choke out, “it’s unnecessary.”

“Selene and I were looking forward to it, but I’m glad you guys got him to sign. And I’m proud of you for working together.” He grins wide. “This calls for a celebratory dinner. Tonight at Mario’s, seven o’clock?”

“Sounds good,” Julian says, sliding his arm across my waist while I envision reaching over and grabbing the pen off his desk and stabbing him in the shoulder with it.

Once my dad is gone, I pull away from him. “I can’t believe you went behind my back! We agreed on the luncheon!”

“No!” he barks, getting in my face. “You and your father ganged up on me.”

“You’re just pissed you didn’t get your way. A good leader is a team player.”

“A good leader does their research and gets shit done,” he argues. “I saw an opportunity and took it. And it worked. That’s why I’m the COO—because I get shit done.”

“Yet you didn’t tell my dad how you got it done. This is why he’s reluctant to hire someone single. Partying with a potential client at a club isn’t how you do business.”

“When the potential client is a musician who owns a club, it is. And before your dad went soft, he not only would’ve condoned it, but probably suggested it as well.

“You might not like it, but you’re living in a man’s world, Red, and the sooner you realize it, the quicker you’ll be put into the game. It’s not sexist. It’s facts. And if you don’t start thinking like a man, you’re going to be left sitting on the bench.”

He walks around the desk and drops into his seat. “Do you want to meet at the house and ride together or meet at the restaurant?”

“Fuck you, asshole. It’s game on, and if you think I’m going to take this lying down, you have another thing coming. I’m about to blow your man’s world apart!”

“I mean, I get where you’re coming from,” Paige says over video chat.

I’ve just spent the last hour ranting to her about Julian going behind my back, and once I was done, I asked for her honest opinion. But I have a feeling in about ten seconds, I’m going to regret doing so.

“But I also have to agree with him,” she says slowly, trying to soften the blow. “A luncheon is something you’d do here for the fifty-year-old men we deal with, but for a hip, young musician who owns clubs …” She shrugs. “I’m not saying it wasn’t risky, but I can see why he did it.”

Damn it, I know she’s right, but I hate that Julian went behind my back. He could’ve come to me and talked to me, explained where he was coming from …

“And you know damn well if he had come to you, you would’ve gotten defensive and shut him down,” Paige adds, as if she can hear my thoughts.

“Do you think my dad only agreed to the luncheon because of me?” I ask as the reality of the situation hits.

“What do you think?” Paige volleys, refusing to give me an out.

“I think if I wasn’t stuck on trying to convince my dad I’m all about family, I would’ve been on board with the club idea,” I admit.

“And what about your dad?” she pushes.

“I think between being in love and trying to get in my good graces, he wasn’t thinking clearly. The man who’s built Kingston to be one of the biggest liquor companies in the world would’ve done what needed to be done, not taken the safe route … and definitely not with a luncheon.”

I sigh, hating that Julian was right. “But that doesn’t change the fact that my fake fiancé went behind my back and then told me I’m not ‘man’ enough to hang with the men. I’m going to show him that fucking with a woman is way scarier than dealing with a man.”

“Oh Lord,” Paige says with a laugh. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet,” I say, “but once I figure it out, I’ll let you know after I do it.”

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