Page 61 of Pinky Promises

I roll my eyes. Clearly, he wasn’t listening when I gave him my answer previously. No means no.

“There’s nothing to continue. As I said before, I’m not doing it, nor do I want any part of it.”

My father sighs and nods. I brace myself for the blowback by gripping the glass tighter in my hand. “And I understand that.”Wait, what? Color me confused.“What I wanted to say was I’m sorry for pushing that on you the way I did. When you weren’t answering, I had a wake-up call of sorts, and after talking it over with John, I was able to see the error of my ways.”

I look around the office, wondering where the real Charles Murphy is and who this imposter is standing in front of me.

“I will find another way, I promise.”

I tilt my head to the side and narrow my eyes at him as he approaches. “That’s it?” I stare at my father, trying to figure out his endgame. Did I transform into a twilight zone where not only is my father apologizing to me for possibly the first time ever, but he and I agree on something?

“That’s it. Don’t act so surprised, son. I went about this all the wrong way.” Woah, my eyes nearly bug out of my head. Is Charles Murphy admitting he’s wrong? Did hell freeze over?

He extends his hand in front of us. “No hard feelings.” I stare at it for a moment before I take it.

“Yeah, sure. I’m just curious why the sudden change of heart.” I take another sip of my drink.

My father chuckles. “You make it sound like I don’t have feelings and am some kind of monster. Have a little faith, son.”

I raise my eyebrows and grip the back of my neck. It’s not that far from the truth, though. I don’t know that I trust him, but what else am I supposed to do? He seemed sincere enough in his words.

“Now, what do you say we get back to the party.” He takes the empty glass from my hands and places it on the bookshelf beside us. “I still have a toast to give, and I’m sure Crystal is looking for me.”

I nod, happy to end this and find Brynn. Maybe we can sneak out to the garden during the toast, and I can forget all about this situation while my tongue is buried in her pussy.

“Cal, you all right?” My father pulls me from my fantasy.

I clear my throat. “Yeah.” I run my hand over my tie, pretending that I wasn’t just fantasizing about getting down and dirty outside. Maybe we would find our old hide-and-seek spots in the trees between our properties.

My father slaps my shoulder, laughing, and leads me toward the office door. “Oh, to be young again.” If it wasn’t for photos, I’d never believe my father was once young. I would’ve assumed he was born in a suit with money in his hand.

Did I have some dopey smile on my face? Could he tell what I was thinking? I glance up to verify there weren’t any thought bubbles above my head.

I’m not paying attention as I exit my father’s office when I run directly into someone, or shall I say someone ran into me.

I reach out to steady the stranger in front of me. My eyes catch the height of her heels, and I’m surprised she didn’t break an ankle.

“I’m so sorry.” She timidly smiles. A light flush creeps over her cheeks, I assume in embarrassment. She turns to my father. “Oh, Mr. Murphy, hello.”

“Ahh, Blair, perfect timing. I thought I told you that you could call me Charles. I see you just fell for my son, Callum.” I swallow the bitter taste in my mouth as he says my name to her to keep from grimacing. “Callum, this is Blair Windsor.”

She turns back to me and does nothing to hide her blatant perusal of me, now knowing exactly who I am. I give her a weak smile. So, this is the woman my father wanted me to marry.

“Hello, I’ve heard so much about you.”She has?I wonder if she has known of our fathers’ plans longer than I had, or was she bombarded with this recently as well?

The woman standing before me, while attractive, doesn’t even compare to Brynn. Her blonde hair is pinned back from her face with more makeup than the Lancôme counter that Brynn has made me stop at numerous times when we are in the mall.

Where Brynn has natural beauty and prefers minimal glitz and glamour, I can already tell this woman is most likely as high-maintenance as the Empire State Building—a wannabe trophy wife.

“Callum, don’t be shy. You were just telling me how much you were looking forward to meeting Blair.”

What?I spin fast, glaring at my father and the lies that easily slip from his lips.What game is he playing now?Judging by the smile plastered on Blair’s face, she’s eating up his every word. Poor girl—she’s in for a big disappointment.

I open my mouth to protest his words and excuse myself to find Brynn and our friends. However, my father speaks first.

“We were just heading back so that I could give my toast. Callum, why don’t you be a gentleman and escort Miss Windsor back to the party.”

Before I can even blink or think about saying no, Blair is attached to my side, looping her arm through mine. A smile curves upward in a devilish fashion before he begins to walk in front of us. “Oh, and Callum,” he calls over his shoulder.What now?“Please stand by my side during my toast—I want to give off a unified family front.”

“Yeah, sure,” I scoff. So much for dropping her off at the party and sneaking away.

“Good.” My father gives one last glance at Blair and me as an unsettling feeling washes over me. If I thought the storm brewing around me, ready to wreak havoc on my world, before was overwhelming, I’m in for a rude awakening. I’m not sure what has me more on edge—the constant stares from my father as we make our way back to the party with something brewing in his eyes, or maybe it’s the closeness of Blair, who has yet to take her eyes off me and whose perfume is starting to choke me. The closer we get to the crowd, the more I feel like I’m jumping off theTitanicsans a life preserver and praying that someone will retrieve me from the icy ocean to safety.

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