Page 36 of Beauty and her Billionaire Beast
“Oh dear, not at all. Although, that’s more of a moot point now.” She picks up the newspaper that she brought in with her, and stretches her arm towardme.
“What’s this?” I ask and takeit.
“Page eleven should explainit.”
I unfold the paper and flip the pages. When I make it to page eleven, Isee what her visit is really about. Fuck. There’s a picture of Isabelle and me, sitting at a local fast food place. It’s from the night we drove into town. It’s a decent picture. She’s on one side of a red and white checkered table, and I’m on the other side, holding a burger a few inches from my mouth with two hands. It’s the clearly biased headline and subheading that’s a little disconcerting.Theyread:
Political Royalty Rubs Shoulders with Hamptons OnePercenters
State Senator and Family: Out of Touch with the CommonMan
“I didn’t know about this article,” I explain. “I apologize if it’s been harmful to SenatorHarrison.”
“Look, that drivel is harmless. They’ve said much worse about Morris over the years.You and Isabelle are good friends. The two of you shouldn’t have to worry about silly political commentary…unless of course there’s more between you, beyond the purview of a platonicfriendship.”
This woman has begun to speak in code. It’s the language of politicians—just a stone’s throw from layman’s English, but in its own league, and thoroughlyincomprehensible.
“Sorry, I stillhave no clue what you just said. If you’re asking me to keep my public appearances with Isabelle on the conservative, more platonic side, you have nothing to worry about. We’re friends afterall.”
“Oh, I see. I appreciate that,” she tells me, sounding disappointed that I won’t admit to a damn thing. “I’m probably mistaken. I thought Morris said there was a spark between the two ofyou.”
I shake my head. “No disrespect, Mrs. Harrison, but there’s nothing Pops would love more than to see sparks fly between his grandson and your daughter, or with any other eligible woman or young socialite from our circle of friends. He’s itching to see me walk down the aisle, and had no qualms trying to make me drag your daughter to the Hamptons this weekend in the hopes of some kind of instantlove connection. Again, I’ll leave that to Isabelle to have a conversation with you onit.”
“Completely understandable.” Tucking the magazine under her arm, she stands up from the bar stool, walks over to the sink, and dumps the rest of her coffee down the drain. “Keep the paper. Will you let Isabelle know I’d like to speak with her once she’s awake anddressed?”
“She’s asleep now,so I’ll pass on the message later. We’ll see you at the main house, Mrs.Harrison.”
“Excellent. Enjoy your day, Knox,” she says in a formal tone, and leaves the kitchen. Her heel clicks diminish until they fade away. I can only hope that the blowback from that ridiculous article will fade just asfast.
It might, but judging from the look on Isabelle’s face as she storms into thekitchen, what I admitted to her mom may take a while for her to getover.
“Let me see that!” she says and snatches the newspaper fromme.
“Good morning, yourself. I take it that you heard everything.” She doesn’t answer, taking the time to find the article about us. She sits in the identical bar stool where her mother sat, and reads the entire article. Then she closes the paper againand thrusts it across the counter away from her. “The content is not worth the paper it’s written on,” she finally says in a huff, and turns to faceme.
“Seems that way to me too,” Iagree.
“And you! Don’t even think that it’s the only thing I’m upsetabout.”
“I figured as much. Look, Isabelle. That stuff about Pops… you know all three of them have been sticking their noseinto our friendship. We’re getting closer in spite of them, not because of them. There’s adifference.”
“Did you tell your grandfather that you’d spend the weekend with me to get him off your back about marrying someone?” shedemands.
“Jesus. You’re going to eat right out of their hands over this, aren’tyou?”
“Just answer thequestion.”
“Listen to me. You and I, thisfriendship, the way we reconnected since that night at the engagement party, it has nothing to do with them!” I bark, and hate how out of control I sound. I’m so fucking close to losing my shit rightnow.
“Then tell me it’s not true!” she practically screams. “Tell me he didn’t put you up to luring me here thisweekend.”
“Just because he made those demands, it doesn’t mean I didn’talready want you here. You’re being unreasonable. You’re confusing what’s real about us with the crap going on up at the mainhouse.”
“So it’s true? Oh my god, I’m such an idiot.” She jumps off the bar stool and stomps up the hall toward the masterbedroom.
“We’re here because we want to be here,” I shout after her and follow her to thedoor.
“No! I don’t want to be here!Not as some pawn to satisfy your grandfather’swishes.”
