Page 112 of Mr. Aster
“Ah, this,” I said, smiling at the memory of the beginning of our fake relationship. “It’s all sort of a joke, really?—”
“Just like your relationship with Sebastian,” Charlotte snapped with utter annoyance. “Why don’t you cut the shit and all your snotty, defensive remarks? Sebastian isnotyours or anyone else’s, and he will only be auctioned off to one of us. We will save him from the indignity of believing he could have a relationship with anyone that Melissa would disapprove of. He is not ready to be in a relationship because he has not fully grieved her loss. None of us have. He is ours,sweetheart, not yours. You have no idea who he is.”
“What the fuck?” I said my thoughts of disbelief out loud. “Sebastian is his own person, and I think he can decide for himself what he wants.”
“Ladies,” I heard Jake Mitchell say from behind me. “Forgive the interruption,” he said as I turned and saw his enormous grin. He was as gorgeous as the day was long, that was for fucking sure, and I was relieved to see him. “But if I want to get laid tonight, you and I need to switch seats, love.”
“Switch seats?” I asked.
“Get your ass up, girl,” he said, pulling out my chair. “My apologies,” he looked around the table, “but Sebastian has convinced my wife to tell me that if I don’t rescue you from this table, you and he will be on the next flight to Mexico, never to be found again.”
“And you’re going to sit here?” I asked, laughing and shaking my head.
“Those are my orders,” he said, winking. He knew exactly which buttons to push if he wanted to annoy someone, so these ladies were in for it.
“This is preposterous,” Olivia snapped. “Margot will not have it.”
“Margot has no say in this,” Jake said while lending me a hand to get up from the chair. “Everyone is at table twenty-two,” he pointed me toward my friends. “Go join Ashley and enjoy the rest of my scotch. I plan on outbidding all these fools.” He glanced around at the women, “I’ve always wanted a piece of Sebastian Aster, and girl, I’m going to make himworkfor the money I’m about to pay for him tonight.”
“You’re bidding on Sebastian?” I said with a laugh. “Clever.”
“Hey, the invite didn’t say women only, and I’ve always wanted to?—”
“Sebastian is not gay,” Lizzy stated seriously.
“Well, he’s never gone on a date with me, either,” Jake sat in my chair, motioned for a waiter, and then clasped his hands onto the table. “After tonight and after me, girl, he’s going towishIwas full-time gay.”
I walked away from the table, relieved that Jake was filling in to rescue me. Instead of being furious about the situation I’d been placed in with those horrible women, I was delighted knowing Jake was about to torment them all night.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Darcy
Isat in Jake’s seat next to Ashley and couldn’t resist laughing with everyone at the table. Jim and Avery sat to the right of Ashley and me, and Spencer and Natalia sat to our left beside Jim’s friend, Alex, and his wife, Breanne. I looked curiously at the two empty chairs where John and Mickie should’ve sat.
“Where’s Mickie and John?” I asked.
“John was called into the hospital for an emergency in Labor and Delivery,” Ashley said, “so Mickie went home after cocktail hour to relieve the nanny so she could put the baby to bed. I’m pretty sure she was thrilled to get out of a Margot Aster production.”
Nat laughed. “I don’t blame that girl one bit. Is that why you called Collin?” Nat asked, directing her question toward Jim.
“Someone had to help Jake take the heat off Sebastian,” Jim shrugged with amusement.
“Wait, you did what?” I asked in confusion, looking at the culprit.
“My baby brother was feeling empathetic toward Sebastian’s predicament, so we called Collin and asked him to drop by after his twenty-four-hour shift so he could help Jake run interference.” He smirked and sipped his bourbon, “With Collin being sleep deprived, then forced for good reason to show up at this affair tonight, God only knows what will take place when theyauction offSebastian.”
“Margot—”
“Don’t worry about that woman,” Jim assured me. “Her nonsense is merely being met with more nonsense.”
“Sebastian texted Jacob,” Ashley said, bringing my attention to her, “and asked him to bid on him tonight, and that he’d cover the cost, no matter how high.”
“Fortunately,” Spencer interjected, “Sebastian knows enough about JakeandCollin to know those two love to play the butt-buddy games at any given time.”
“Considering all the homo-erotic bullshit those two are always pulling, it makes me wonder if they’re actually playing games anymore,” Alex joked, bringing my attention to where he sat in amusement next to his wife.
I didn’t know much about Alex Grayson except that he used to be Jim’s VP at Mitchell and Associates but had since acquired Brooks and Stone Architects and that he looked eerily like a young Johnny Depp, and I’m not talking about the Edward Scissorhands version.
