Page 59 of Phillip

They chuckled like old friends, but Ashley saw through both of their acts. How had either of them beaten her to the restaurant? No matter. She took her seat, having no intention of showing either man how uncomfortable this meeting might be.

Sean sat at Ashley’s right and yammered on and on about a yachting race. His family, like the Blackthornes, had teams and interests in yacht racing. She had once thought that Sean only enjoyed sports and society events because they were an opportunity to connect, socialize, and network.

Actually, she wasn’t sure what he liked as a hobby, other than climbing social and business ladders. Their incompatibility was so obvious that the idea of a romantic moment with him bordered on hysterical.

Shecould see that incompatibility, but Phillip, who sat on her left, seemed oblivious to their lack of connection.

The waitress came over, interrupting Sean with their drinks. It wasn’t lost on Ashley that Phillip had ordered iced tea while Sean had ordered whisky—a non-Blackthorne brand.

She ordered an iced tea as well, and Sean continued to talk about sailing, retelling a story she’d heard before about sailing despite the threat of an impending squall.

Phillip focused his attention on Sean, but his gaze was dark and untrusting.

Her iced tea arrived, and the waitress made a joke about their serious faces and deep discussion. Ashley snort-laughed—they hadn’t even approached a contentious topic yet.

Sean cocked his head. “God bless you.”

Another snort-laugh almost escaped, but she managed, “Thank you.”

Phillip, confused, cast a sideways glance, keenly aware she hadn’t sneezed. That only made her need to laugh more. This was so awkward, and she was making it so much worse.

They placed their orders, all three selecting the special. As soon as the waitress left,Ashley was ready to get to work. She produced a notebook from her purse. “I met with the site manager. We’ve agreed on the parking spaces reserved for special guests—”

“What’s that for?” Sean asked.

“For the car show,” Phillip snapped, barely moving his lips. “You know, that thing you keep inserting yourself into.”

She extracted a map from the portfolio in her purse and hoped Sean took Phillip’s growl for a tremor of car show anticipation. Not likely, but a girl could always hope. After unfolding the map, she pointed to the row of parking spaces with enough gusto that both men took a look. “This section of the parking lot will be cordoned off. Cars will line up here. Hoods up and engines on display.” Her fingertip slid over. “Live music will be over here, and the food and beverage stations will be set up here.”

Sean studied the layout then shook his head. “I’ve never been to a car show before.”

“Shocking,” Phillip said.

“I must’ve missed that part of my cultural education,” Sean added snidely.

Ashley refrained from smacking him and changed the subject. “All right, that’s for the daytime events open to the public. It’s relatively simple—pay at the gate, and let the raffles and giveaways run all day. It keeps people around and continues to raise more money.”

Sean studied the map and asked doubtfully, “This has worked in the past?”

Phillip’s nostrils flared. “Yeah, it has.”

“Fascinating.”

Ashley glared at Sean, willing him to cut the pompous act, but the tension didn’t tone down. Where were their lunches? She might need to pull these two apart before the sea bass special arrived. “The auction would be more familiar to you,” she volunteered to Sean. “While its open to the public, bidders have to preregister, and there is a high minimum for the first bid.”

“That’s what my father donated to?” Sean asked.

“Yes. There is a small number of amazing cars that will be auctioned off. The proceeds will be split via a confidential agreement with the owners donating a portion to charity.”

“That sounds like an excellent tax write-off.” Sean sipped his whisky, seeming to approve.

“It’s for an excellentcause,” Phillip snapped.

Oh boy.Ashley bit her lip. The tension between the two men spread like a wildfire. She was helpless to do anything but watch them snarl and bicker.

“I understand you dated Ashley,” Phillip said.

She choked.

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