Page 51 of Of Pranks and Passion

“Hello, Brienna,” I said, so my friends knew who she was. “Happy Birthday.”

“Why you little–”

My friends stood, but before Brienna could notice, the door to the restaurant opened and a man in a nice suit stepped inside.

No. Wait. That was my man in a nice suit.

Easton?!

CHAPTER THIRTY

EASTON

I arrived late on purpose.I’d make it up to Gary later for sending him in without me, but I needed to make a statement with my entrance. I could’ve scared her into leaving Gary alone just by showing up, but I couldn’t guarantee that would last very long. She might have thought she could just wait until Gary was alone to hurt him, like last time. No, I had a better plan in mind.

Apparently, I arrived just in time. Gary’s arm was being squeezed by a blonde-haired bimbo in a dress that almost showed off her tits for the whole restaurant to see. Well, what little patrons were at the restaurant right now. A quick glance around showed the restaurant was mostly empty except for the party in the corner.

Ignoring that, I went straight for Gary. I pulled him out of his sister’s claws, tucking him under my arm and placing a kiss on his forehead when he looked up at me in shock.

“Hey, sweetheart. Sorry I’m late.”

He gaped at me for a minute until his sister’s voice drew him out of his shock. “Gary? Who is that?”

Blinking rapidly, it took him a minute to get himself together before he could answer her. Probably should’ve warned him. He wasn’t playing a good fake boyfriend by acting so shell-shocked.

He finally pulled himself together, clearing his throat, before turning back to his sister and an older couple who came to join us. The woman looked like an older version of the bimbo, and the man looked like an aged version of Gary with a terrible fashion sense. Who wore elbow pads anymore?

“Uh, sorry. Mom, Dad, Brienna, this is my boyfriend. Easton.”

I offered his dad a hand, even though I really didn’t want to. Good manners were annoying. “Easton Warner. Nice to meet you.”

Gary might not recognize my name, but his sister did. She sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide as dinner plates, and I saw the transformation out of the corner of my eye when she went from petulant bitch ready to chew her brother out to a flirty shark with money signs in her eyes. Even with her brother tucked against me, she thought she had a chance. I was going to seriously enjoy proving her wrong.

Gary’s parents didn't recognize me, though they were smart enough to see an expensive suit and act polite. When the sister started to titter, they took their cues from her.

“Easton Warner? Of the Warner group?” the sister queried while batting her eyelashes. When I dipped my chin, she bit her lip and practically vibrated with excitement. “That’s– I mean– It’s so nice to meet you!”

The parents snapped to attention once the sister clued them in, welcoming me and shaking my hand again. When I glanced down at Gary, he was staring at them like they’d all grown three heads. I bit back a snort. He really wasn’t like anyone in his family.

“Apologies for running late. I had a meeting with my father.”

Lies. I was having a drink with my brother, so I didn't come to this looking for blood. I told him my plan, and he agreed it was a great way to cause some chaos without doing anything illegal. Then I spent thirty minutes getting grilled about my relationship with Gary until I finally managed to get out of there. Jayden was a jackass sometimes.

“Mrs. Nelson?” a disheveled chef in a stained white jacket stood nearby, his bulldog expression pulled taut in a placid smile. “The food is ready to be served. You said someone was coming to help?”

“Oh, of course. I–” She froze, and I saw her sneak a glance at Gary before giving the chef a plastic smile. “Just one moment, please.”

Angel cleared his throat. He was in the seat by my hip, and he flashed me a look that said that Gary was supposed to be the help. I gave him a micro nod before cupping Gary’s cheek. His wide brown eyes locked on mine, and his cheeks turned dusky pink at the affectionate touch.

“Sorry I missed date night the other day, sweetheart. I had a meeting. Come sit with me. I’ll make it up to you.”

His fingers gently touched my wrist and for a second, he looked like he was going to swoon before he kicked into high gear and started acting like a loving boyfriend.

“I’m not mad at you, but I won’t say no to a make up date.”

Tucking his arm in mine, I moved to herd him away from his ‘family’, but his sister cut us off before we could get a few feet away.

“Wait! You should sit at my table. It’s where all my party guests are sitting.”

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