Wrong - Aston Jana - Страница 37

Luke leads me into the cocktail portion of the evening. There are waiters walking the room offering champagne and appetizers. The perimeter of the room is lined with tables for the silent auction. The entire room screams wealth, from the chandeliers overhead to the expensive footwear adorning the attendees' feet.

Luke accepts a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and hands it to me.

"None for you?" I ask, taking a sip.

"I'm on call," he replies and guides me to one of the tables. "Let's find something fun to bid on."

"We can bid on porn?" I ask sweetly and take another sip. I swear I see his hand twitch. He wants to swat my behind for that comment so bad, but he can't during a charity event in a room full of his peers.

When I think I can look at him without laughing I glance his way. He leans in and pulls me closer with a hand to the small of my back.

"I hope you don't have anything important happening at school on Monday, because I'm going to spend the remainder of this weekend fucking you until you can't walk comfortably." He steps back with a smug smile, content in the knowledge that he knows exactly what to do to my body to keep me in bed all weekend, willingly.

I spy Meredith and Alexander approaching, so I plaster the most innocent expression I can muster on my face and smile.

"I hope we're not interrupting," Meredith says, giving each of us a hug.

"Not at all," I reply. "I was just telling Luke how much I'm looking forward to Monday."

Luke coughs and Meredith looks confused. "Monday?"

"Yes, it's Martin Luther King Day, so classes are cancelled. I'm really looking forward to sleeping in and a long soak in the tub." I smile at Luke and his eyes narrow just enough for me to catch it.

"The dress looks even better on you than I'd imagined," Meredith says, eyeing me. "You'll have to keep it. I can't wear it again now that I've seen how much better it looks on you."

"Thank you for the loan, but I'm returning everything to you next week. This is much too fancy to wear to class," I joke.

We part ways with Meredith and Alexander after a few minutes of chatting and walk the room, Luke dropping little slips of paper into the bid boxes for several auction items. He pauses in front of a display for a week at the Ritz Carlton Waikiki, staring at it with more thought than a trip to Hawaii really requires.

The doors open to the main event space a few minutes later and we make our way in and find our assigned table. I realize quickly that we are sitting with Luke's family. It's almost an exact repeat of Thanksgiving, minus Bella and the Holletts. His mom and dad are already seated, with his aunt and uncle to their right. Place cards indicate that I am sitting between Luke and his father, just like Thanksgiving.

We take our seats as Meredith and Alexander arrive to complete our table of eight. Meredith is seated on the other side of Luke so I can't even see her. Why did Luke bring me to this?

Waiters arrive and fill wine glasses moments before more waiters arrive with a soup course. I'm so nervous. This is worse than Thanksgiving. This time I know his parents are awful and I'm out of my element wearing couture in front of a place setting with way too much silverware. Plus, soup? I'm wearing a three-thousand-dollar white dress. I use the soup spoon to stir the contents of the bowl I have no intention of consuming, while around me the room is buzzing with chatter and the clinking of silverware.

For the tenth time this week I wonder how this event is benefiting anyone.

Someone stops by to say hello to Luke as Luke's father asks me to pass the salt. I move the salt and pepper over and place it in front of him, smiling out of politeness. The elder Dr. Miller is a handsome man. He radiates authority, but his eyes lack the warmth of Luke's. I can't imagine this man laughing at anything.

"You're graduating this spring?" This question is from Luke's father. I'm surprised that he's speaking to me.

"I am," I reply.

"Are you planning on working?" he questions.

"Of course," I reply, confused by the question.

"Good. You're a smart girl, Miss Tisdale. You're capable of being more than my son's trophy fuck."

I feel like he just punched me in the gut. A trophy fuck? His parents are even more awful than I thought.

"Sophie?" Luke is trying to get my attention. I turn in my seat back to him. "I wanted to introduce you to one of my colleagues, Dr. New."

I shake the hand offered to me and holy crap if this guy doesn't look like he could be Henry Cavill's older brother. This lookalike appears to be a few years older than Luke, maybe forty or forty-five. I'm not attracted to him, but he's a very attractive man. I imagine Luke will only get better-looking in the next decade as well, as many men tend to do as they age.

There seems to be a comradeliness between them, as if they've been friends for years, an idea that is confirmed when Dr. New brings up Luke's golf scores from this past summer.

"Justin's daughter Michelle was just accepted at Penn," Luke tells me, then explains to Dr. New that I am graduating from Penn this spring.

I see the flash of surprise on Dr. New's face for a brief moment before he hides it. I hope I hid my surprise as well as he did. Luke's friend has a daughter only a few years younger than me. That's… weird.

"So, ah…" Dr. New pauses. "You've enjoyed Penn?"

"I love it there. I'll be sad to graduate and leave the campus."

"Oh, do you live on campus?" His eyes move to Luke and back to me. His face may not betray what he's thinking, but I can tell he's curious about Luke and I.

"I do. I live in Jacobsen." I shrug. "It's convenient being on campus and cheaper than an off-campus apartment."

"Michelle wants an off-campus apartment. I told her we'll discuss it sophomore year." Dr. New smiles ruefully. "It's bad enough I've got to let her live in a co-ed dorm, I'm sure as shit not setting her up in an apartment off campus." He shakes his head. "Tell me she will be too busy studying and the boys never leave their own floors. Lie to me, please."

I glance at Luke, remembering our tryst in my dorm room weeks ago, before fixing a smile on my face. "Well, I never had any boys in my room freshman year, Dr. New. So there's hope."

"Thank you for humoring me," he says, not realizing I'm telling him the truth. "So what are your plans after graduation?" He seems genuinely interested. Luke looks interested in my response as well. It occurs to me then that we haven't discussed my plans. We don't discuss the future at all, come to think of it. He only invited me to this event last week.

"I'm hoping to find a job in corporate accounting," I respond.

"Ah, an accounting major. Very practical."

"Exactly," I agree. "I love the practicality of accounting, both as a major and a career. I like the structure of it."

"Well, good luck on finding a position you're happy with. Lots of great companies in Philly." He pauses. "New York as well."

My eyes flick over to Luke’s at the mention of New York, but his face gives nothing away. "Yes," I agree. "Lots of job opportunities."

Dr. New leaves us then as the waiters whisk away the soup course. Luke takes my hand under the table and runs his thumb over the back of my hand. The small moment of intimacy helps calm me. I take a breath and look up to see yet another couple stopping by to say hello to Luke.