Page 111 of Getting Lucky

“We need to get him home,” Maisie said under her breath. She was shivering from the cold. “Or at least to the Buchanan house.”

“Good idea,” Jack said. “You’re freezing, so you go inside and I’ll take him.”

“They need you inside,” she said. “You’re the man who planned all of this.” She waved back at the brewery. “I’m expendable.”

“You’re not expendable, Maisie,” he said, his voice breaking. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he didn’t want to get into it with Drunk Lee about to barf again. “I’ll deal with this mess.”

“Alone?” she asked in an accusatory tone.

“You look way too gorgeous in that sexier-than-hell dress to be dealing with a drunk, but Idowant to talk about what happened. Look, Maisie, I’ve been—”

He was about to say miserable, but Chelsea opened the back door carrying a tray with a carafe and several coffee cups.

“Adalia told me you were back here. I have your coffee,” she said as she glanced around as though trying to decide what the hell was happening and if she should set it on the ground or on the dumpster.

But Lee took advantage of the open door and rushed through the opening faster than Jack would have expected from the intoxicated man.

Jack and Maisie raced after him, but by the time they reached him, he was already in the event room, confronting his father and Victoria.

“Lee,” Victoria whisper-shouted, even though everyone could hear her. “You’re drunk. You need to go back to the hotel and wait for me. You can apologize for everything later.”

“And sit on the bed where you screwed my father?” he bellowed. “No, thanks.”

There were several audible gasps, including from Georgie, who stood near the appetizer table.

Victoria’s face paled. “What in God’s name are you talking about?”

Lee reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded wad of photographs. He tossed them onto the table in front of his father. “This should explain it.”

Victoria shot Prescott a panicked look that suggested Prescott had kept quiet about his dinner with Dottie. She clearly didn’t know news of their affair had gotten out. Her eyes flew wide as she opened one of the photos.

“That proves nothing,” Prescott said in a bored tone. “I have a sex life. I’m allowed to sleep with women.”

“You can sleep with other women, yes, but it’s generally frowned upon to sleep with your son’s girlfriend,” Lee said.

“That’s not me,” Victoria said, taking a step backward as though the photos would bite her.

“I recognized that little mole,Victoria,” Lee slurred. “The one on your back with the hair that grows out of it.”

“My mole doesnothave a hair in it!” she shouted.

Lee released a harsh laugh. “Of course you’d deny the hair before denying you slept with my father. I knew you were screwing someone, but I figured you’d keep it out of my family.”

Her eyes were wide, and Jack could practically see her flipping through her mental Rolodex of options.

“It was only one time,” she said, tears pooling in her eyes. “It was a mistake, Lee-lee. I’ve regretted it ever since.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it.” Lee pointed at the photos. “Take a look. They’re from different days.”

“Okay, twice.”

“Try again.”

She winced. “Three times, but I was drunk and he took advantage of me the last time.”

“You were more than willingeverytime,” Prescott said.

“You thought you were just screwing him,” Lee said, laughing, then shook his head. “But the truth is you’re both screwed.”

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