Page 5 of Mr. Aster
“We’re taking dinner out by the pool on the new terrace,” my mom said as she entered the kitchen, a bit more frazzled than I’d ever seen her.
“Why? We always eat dinner in the sunroom,” I said, pointing over my shoulder with my thumb toward the enclosed patio area.
The sunroom was at the center of this part of the home, with white plastered walls and large fireplaces on each end. The length of the room was lined with numerous sliding glass doors that opened all the way up to bring in the cool breezes of the Saratoga Valley. It was the most comfortable part of the home. It felt like you were outside while eating, and the rustic,rectangular dark oak table stretched the length of the room with matching wood chairs set the mood perfectly.
“Not tonight. Your dad mentioned something about Mr. Aster having plans to remodel the upper rooms on the east side of the home,” she said. She was smiling, but I could sense the hurt playing in her eyes and on her features.
“Hold up,” I said, grabbing a handful of warm tortilla chips from a basket that Antonio quietly handed me. “Did you just sayremodel?”
“Yes, and,” she looked at Antonio, “we’ll just be doing the Carne Asada. Were you able to get the tequila that Billy requested for Mr. Aster?”
I narrowed my eyes while I watched my mom turn into a woman I didn’t know, making requests and bending to accommodate a certain dickhead who showed up a couple of hours ago.
“Yes, Señora. The delivery came about an hour ago, and we have the twenty-four bottles of Komos Extra Anejo.” He said it with a smile, but I could tell the man was refraining from rolling his eyes at the request. “Forgive me for asking,” he said somewhat timidly, and I continued to study this interaction of nonsense and crunch on chips as if I were eating popcorn in a movie theater, “but were you and Señor Burke expecting to pay twelve thousand dollars for the tequila?”
I nearly inhaled the chip I choked on, shocked at what Antonio just said about the price of thespecialtequila ordered for the Ice King. I reached for the water that Antonio handed me as if he had anticipated my shocked response.
“What the hell did you just say?” I said while Mom nodded indefeat.“Who spendsthatkind of money on tequila?”
“Mr. Aster requested it,” my mom said sternly. “And you better find your place in his presence, too, young lady.”
“Oh, don’t you dare start pulling that shit on me, Mom,” I countered. “I know you better than this. I’m sorry if I’m being disrespectful, but my disrespect pales in comparison to a man who thinks he can waltz into our home talking about remodeling and insisting on outrageously expensive tequila.”
“Thatmanis practically our boss now. Please, Darcy,” she begged with her eyes, “donotmake this difficult. He is the key to keeping our home and the winery, and we want him to be as comfortable as possible while we transition with the new owners.”
I glanced at Antonio, rolled my eyes, then looked back at my mother with tight lips. I inhaled deeply to prevent any further outbursts about this ludicrousbaby-the-billionairebullshitand exhaled with a fake smile. “Fine. So, what about this remodel stuff? What’s going on there? There’s a reason we haveneverremodeled any part of this home, and that’s because we love its charm and originality.”
“Again, Mr. Aster has requested to have the eastern portion of the home, where he prefers to stay, updated andpossiblyremodeled for his comfort while he is with us. He wishes to review the ideas with me tonight while we have cocktails before dinner.”
“Eastern side of the home, eh? I thought he was staying on the western side where I am?”
She shrugged embarrassingly, “Turns out he doesn’t want the distraction of my beautiful daughter while he works for the next months to bring the winery up to par.”
I narrowed my eyes at her and offered a challenging grin. “Is that so?” I questioned, knowing Sebastian Aster wanted to beas far away frommeas possible, and it had nothing to do with my beauty.
“I will have the cocktails served in ten minutes, Señora,” Antonio proclaimed. “Mr. Aster requested them at that time.”
“Is there anything else Mr. Aster has requested?” I said sarcastically to Antonio. “Perhaps you can rope one of the cows really quick and butcher it fresh for the carne asada?”
“That won’t be necessary,” a low, icy voice said smoothly from behind where I stood.
I turned without any fear to meet the man’s steely gaze. “You sure?” I questioned with as much irritation in my voice as I’d heard in his.
“Quite sure,” he said.
Our eyes locked. People talk about eyes being a gateway to the soul, but I saw nothing in his. This man was dark, deep, and broody, with no humor or hope of a personality. He was nothing but a suit.
So gross.
“Well, good, because I was getting a bit concerned after you requested a remodel and twelve thousand dollars of?—”
“That’s enough,” my mother snapped at me. She looked at the man, who was trying to do the wholeif looks could killthing as if I was intimidated by his pompous ass. “Please forgive my daughter, she?—”
“Nothing to forgive,” he looked at my mother, his expression softening. “I’m not offended in the slightest. Now, where are we taking cocktails? I’m ready to present you with what my designers returned to me for the remodel.”
“Over here,” my mom said, ignoring me, gathering her bright orange silk tunic and leading him toward the stone pathway that led through large trees where the pool area was.
I watched the stiff dickhead follow her without another glance back at me, and then I turned to Antonio.
