Page 125 of Mr. Aster
Sebastian
The reopening of the winery was a success, just as I knew it would be. The lavish décor and items brought in were the perfect fit to draw people from all over the country. Fortunately, the names Aster and Mitchell on the event helped bring in the wealthier crowds, and the restaurants in Italy that I’d landed an exclusive deal to sell Burke Wines were enthused we’d consider the idea. All in all, everything was running smoothly, and I felt like I was back to my old self again.
It felt great to be feeling alive again, something I owed to Darcy. I hated that I’d made her feel as underappreciated as I had; in fact, that behavior was the shit my late wife would have busted me for. It terrified me to think Darcy might be the same way because isn’t that what all women did when their man made them angry or neglected them? I’m not saying Darcy would weaponize sex and withhold that from me to teach me a lesson in manners, but I wasn’t an idiot, and I knew she was pissed off at me right now.
It stressed me out to think about this, but like they say, liquor is a lubricant for feelings and emotions, and I was on my third glass of tequila, so all my thoughts were present and spinning in my mind.
“Penny for your thoughts, big brother?” John said, breaking away from the group of friends and walking over to join me where I sat at the pool, staring into it while I sank deeper into my thoughts.
“You’d waste the penny, John,” I shrugged. “My thoughts are on how glad I am that this event went over well.”
“Successful as I knew it would be, of course,” John said, sitting across from me. “It’s good to have you back in the swing of things. I thought we lost you there for a minute.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Now you’re just saying shit to sound like our dad,” I took another sip. “That old man was nervous as hell for the last year, wondering if I’d ever getback in theswing of thingsagain.”
“Your cocky ass may say I sound like Dad, but you’ve never looked more like him, sitting out here alone and miserable like you are.”
“I’m not talking about it,” I said, knowing where John was leading this discussion.
“Talking about what?”
“You know,” I said sternly. “If Darcy wants to go to LA during the grand reopening of her family’s winery, then so be it. I may be dating her, but I will never control her or her actions.”
“Oh?” John feigned surprise. “Is that where she is? I assumed she was sick in bed with morning sickness or some crazy shit like that.”
“Pregnant?” I scoffed at how ridiculous my youngest brother was behaving.
“Well, at the rate of speed you landed that relationship, I would assume you knocked her up too?”
“You’re a dick, you know that?”
“I’m your little brother,” he smirked and sipped his wine. “I’m supposed to be a dick when it comes to pep-talking my oldest brother’s dumb decisions.”
“You think dating Darcy is dumb?” I asked, pissed off at his inference and shocked that John, of all people, would say such a thing.
“No, but the way you’re handling your relationship with her is,” he said. “Are you sure you’re even ready for a relationship?”
“You and I haven’t been able to talk much about what’s happened between Darcy and me, have we?”
“Why else would I think she was on her way to becoming one of mine or my wife’s next patients?” he grinned. “And I’m just going off the bits and pieces I hear about you from everyone else when it comes my way. Being an OBGYN doesn’t free up much time to visit when my brother comes to town—or goes to Mexico—you know?”
“I suppose not,” I said, softening up some. “I’m sorry I haven’t made any attempts to visit you or Mickie at your home.”
“Don’t apologize. I know how you are,” he answered. “Which brings me to my question: doesDarcyknow how you are?”
“What, that I’m fucking busy trying to relaunch an entire winery? I think she’s seen that with her own eyes,” I answered.
“Right. I also know that if Melissa said she wasn’t coming to the reopening,youwouldn’t have been here tonight, either,” he said. “Yet, here you are.”
“Here I am,” I said. “Where else would I be?”
“Listen, Seb,” he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, “I’m not trying to make comparisons between Melissa and Darcy, but I wonder if you are sure that Darcy wants to be with someone like you. Don’t take offense to that because I know you know what I’m trying to say. You’re an extremely busy man, and Melissa was groomed to take on a powerful guy likeyou. Even so, she treated you poorly and acted like she didn’t understand why her husband had little time for her whenshewantedit.”
“So, you’re trying to say that there isn’t a female on the planet, not even thegroomedones, who would want to be married to a workaholic asshole like me?”
“Not really,” he answered. “You’re CEO of numerous businesses under the family umbrella, and it leaves very little time for personal shit. Any woman needs to be aware that you’re not a nine-to-five businessman. Tomorrow, you could be on the next flight to Milan for a month and then to Egypt from there. It’s just the nature of the beast in your profession, station in life, and job. If Darcy doesn’t want a man who is forever gone, you need to address that. It already appears that she’s having difficulty with you and the job.”
“Fuck,” I said, rubbing my forehead, “I don’t want to lose her.”
