Lauren looked like she’d just gotten a fresh spray tan. It looked sparkly, like she had specks of glitter over her flawless skin. Her golden locks were done up in a twist.
“Nice to see you again, too.” I smiled.
“Please partake in some appetizers and drinks. We have Elliot’s favorite restaurant La Grenouille catering dinner later, so save some room.”
Someone came by and swept her away into another conversation.
Turning to Rush, I asked, “Where’s your brother?”
He downed the last of his champagne and surveyed the room. “I don’t see him yet.”
“Do you think he’ s going to be an asshole to you?”
“No. He’ll be fake and nice around other people. He’ll be nice around you, too, because he flirts with any woman who’s not his wife. He’s mainly a dick to me when no one’s watching.” Rush kissed my forehead. “You want me to grab you some pigs in a blanket or whatever the fuck they’re passing around?”
“Nah. I’m good. Feeling a little queasy, actually. Not that hungry.”
Rush grabbed a scallop wrapped in bacon off of one of the trays and popped it into his mouth.
I glanced around. “God, you can just smell the money, can’t you?”
“And the bullshit, too.” Rush looked toward the corner of the room. “Speaking of bullshit, there’s Richie Rich over there—my brother.”
When my eyes landed on the corner Rush was pointing to, my heart felt like it stopped for a moment. There were three men engaged in a conversation. The longer my eyes lingered on one of the guys, the more certain it became that I knew him.
He was wearing a bowtie.
With each passing second that I stared at his face, I became more and more nauseated.
I squinted, trying my best to see clearly—to be sure.
Oh God.
My throat felt like it was closing.
I was pretty sure it was—Harlan.
Harlan who I was never supposed to see again.
Harlan who gave me the wrong number after our one-night stand.
Harlan who had gotten me pregnant.
Memories of that night flashed through my brain like a movie on rewind. I kept staring at his face. The same eyes. The same square jaw. The same way he parted his hair to the side. The same perfect white teeth. The same charming smile. That laugh.
It was him.
Oh my God! It’s him!
My heart was pounding out of my chest, and it felt like the room was spinning.
I managed to get the words out. “Which…which one of those guys is your brother?”
Rush sucked on his toothpick, then pointed it over at him. “The one with the bowtie.”The End…
For now…