Page 62 of Pinky Promises

Chapter 25

Brynn

“Noway!There’samotherfucking harp. You owe me a hundred dollars,” Asher says to Ben between his laughter.

“Will you two behave,” Hadley scolds in her best mom voice, followed by a smacking sound.

“Baby, what’d ya do that for?”

“Oh, let them be. It’s nice to see someone having a good time.” I glance over my shoulder and see Callum nowhere in sight.Where did his father lead him off to? Maybe to shake some hands and kiss some babies.

I’m second-guessing having left his side—I know that he can handle his father on his own, but he and I are a team. I should’ve stayed with him. You could cut the tension between them with a damn butter knife. Not that that is anything new. “These parties are so boring. I always had Callum here to keep me company. Someone should liven the place up.”

I overhear Asher plotting behind me when Lexi fake coughs into her fist beside me.

“Incoming,” she mumbles, and I look up to find my parents approaching us.Well, that didn’t take long.

“Brynn.”

“Mother, Daddy.” There are no warm hugs or cheek kisses, only fake smiles. I’m pretty sure I give more emotion to strangers I pass than this interaction now.

“Daddy?” Asher mocks, and I fling my hand back, smacking him to knock it off. The rate he is going, he’ll be covered in bruises by the end of the night. It would be well deserved, though.

“Mother, Daddy, you remember Lexi and Hadley.” I sayrememberlightly. They never come to the city and barely visited us at college. While they had stuck around after graduation longer than Callum’s father and took my friends and me out to dinner afterward at one of the fanciest restaurants in Willow Creek, they’d made their intentions quite clear when they voiced their disappointment with my career choice and decision to remain in Willow Creek versus becoming some Stepford Housewife wannabe in Havenwood. I would have settled for a mere “congrats on all your hard work.”

“Yes, of course.” My mother plasters a fake smile on her face. I’m not sure if she means to or it’s just the repercussions of too much facial work done and her face froze like that.

I look around the room once more to see if Callum has returned as Lexi and Hadley introduce their significant others, and of course, my father brings up business.

I reach over and grab a new champagne flute and all but chug it while I hear my father chatting with Ben and Asher about money. All I hear is really “blah, blah, blah.” It’s almost like the teacher’s voice in Charlie Brown. I can’t help but notice that my parents haven’t asked about me and how I’m doing. They would rather discuss business.

I turn just in time to see my father reach into his suit coat and hand both Ben and Asher business cards.Of fucking course.I’m pretty sure my eyes roll so far back I’d be able to check out my ass, which looks fabulous in this dress if I do say so myself.

“Well, it’s wonderful to see you, Brynn. You should come home more often,” my father says, and I fight back my scoff.

“I am sure we will see you more with Callum’s wonderful news. I know Charles and Crystal are ecstatic,” my mother cuts in.

My eyebrows pinch together as I wonder what news she is referring to, but before I can clarify, someone else steals my parents’ attention—what a surprise.

“Excuse us.” My parents walk off with not even an actual goodbye or see you later.

“They seem lovely,” Asher mocks.

“Yes, quite delightful,” Ben chimes in. “Brynn, are you sure you’re not adopted?” he jokes, but I’m too confused to answer him.

“What news was she talking about?” Lexi and Hadley question at the same time.

I shrug because I honestly have no idea. Ineed to find Cal to ask what the hell is going on.I try to rack my brain about any work news but come up empty. I know that he’s been working with a problematic client and is just about done with them, but there’s no way in hell that’s what his father would be celebrating. And I highly doubt that his father is celebrating Cal beating his record of orgasms he’s given me in one night.Although, I look forward to celebrating and beating that record later. We’ve made our appearance and seen our families. Maybe we can just sneak out and head home.

Glass clinking turns our attention to the front of the room, where we find Charles with a glass of champagne in his hand. Callum is standing off to the side just behind him, along with another woman I don’t recognize. My palms begin to sweat, and I fear that I might drop the champagne flute, so I hand it off to Lexi. I wipe my palms on the dress and begin fidgeting my fingers.

“Who’s that?” Ben asks, and once again, I have no answer for him.

“I don’t know.”Will everyone please stop asking questions that I don’t know the answers to?

I take a step to make my way through the crowd to get to him, but the crowd shifts closing in the opening when Charles begins to speak.Okay, it looks like I’ll be taking a long way around.

“I’ll be right back,” I say to no one in particular, but Hadley responds with, “We’ll walk with you.”

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