“Have you had a chance to look over that email I sent last week?”
Wilder tightens his hand around mine, and I can see the stress moving in on him like a ghost in the night. The curve of his smile falters, the dark circles under his eyes deepen, and I don’t think anyone else notices, but Wilder’s posture sinks a fraction of a millimeter.
But I’m high on sugar and light on champagne, and this is a party, not a company boardroom. So when Benny freaking Cros of all people cuts in front of me like I’m not standing here in thirteen-hundred-dollar shoes and a diamond tiara, I don’t accept his masochistic bullshit. He can go on believing it is a man’s world, but the fact is, this is my gosh darn birthday party.
I have the power to bring Benny Cros to his knees, and he better not forget it.
Besides, I haven’t forgotten he broke the first rule ofFight Club.
As amazing as these stilettos would look buried in his balls, I instead tap on Benny’s shoulder and wait for him to turn around before I press my hand into his chest and move him out of my way. I return to my place at Wilder’s side and say to Cros, “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn’t see me standing there.”
Benny raises an eyebrow and smirks, like we’re playing a game. “Wow. Someone’s gutsy tonight.”
Taking a step toward Benny, I beckon him to kneel to my height. He lowers his head, and I whisper into his ear, “Don’t ever disrespect me again. I promise you won’t win.”
Perhaps I’m just arm candy. They assume Wilder’s sleeping with every woman he’s seen with, and I’ll be no exception. What a scandal. Such gossip. I can hear it now.
“Those Ridge boys are so dreamy,” they’ll say.
“And rich,” they won’t forget to add.
“He can do better. He has done so much, much better.”
They’ll wonder,“Who is she anyway?”
No one in this room knows my name.
The few who call me Megan will never admit to it in a crowd like this.
Lydia is the secretary, and maybe I’ll be working in the mailroom. It doesn’t matter as long as Hush stays safe. What’s important to me is enjoying the first birthday party I’ve ever had, with a man I think I’m totally crazy about, and my only friend, whom I can now pretend is my sister.
And I’m pretty sure I smell McDonald’s French fries, so why are we standing here?
“I’ll have my people call your people,” Benny calls out as Wilder and I follow the smell of food.
“He’s an idiot,” I say, hooking my arm through Wilder’s. “Why do you bother with him?”
“It’s part of the game, Camilla.”
“Well,” I say as we approach the large spread of food. “We’re not playing tonight.”
Lydia didn’t bring in a fancy caterer to serve the type of entrees a girl with a simple background like myself can’t even pronounce. From the looks of it, the entire McDonald’s menu is here, including the ice cream machine. She kept it real, but elegant. Cheeseburgers are stacked like pyramids on crystal trays, ten-piece chicken McNuggets are packaged in gold boxes, and French fries are lined up in neat little rows, also packaged in glittering fry scoops. Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, and Happy Meals all came to party, and my stomach growls.
“Would you like an apple pie?” the server asks. She’s dressed in the same black tux as the other servers but has added a hat with shimmering golden arches on the front to her uniform.
“We’ll take a little of everything,” Wilder says.
“A little?” I haven’t forgotten the way these Ridge boys can eat. “Don’t be shy. It’s a party.”
With two trays loaded with food no one should really be eating, we find Lydia and Talent at a table with an open bottle of bourbon between them. Talent has loosened his tie, sitting back in his seat with his arm around the back of Lydia’s chair, like a king on a throne beside his queen.
With a shoulder as cold as ice, she isn’t a merciful ruler.
“I come bearing gifts.” Wilder places a ten-piece chicken McNuggets box directly in front of Lydia. With perfect posture and a hard look on her face, she considers his peace offering but is unimpressed. He takes the seat beside her and says, “You can’t stay mad all night.”
“Try me,” she says.
Thankfully, he doesn’ttry her, because these two are like oil and water, and things have the potential to get messy. Instead, he slides a packet of honey across the table, and when this doesn’t get much of a reaction, he includes a yellow packet of mustard.
