“Collins Enterprises?” My stomach drops. That’s Axel’s father’s conglomerate in which he attempts to take over the world by buying out or partnering in on brand new upstarts that look promising. A part of me was tempted to take the Epicurean Elite his way. It was back when revenge was the soup du jour, but now that Axel and I have patched things up, I’d feel strange asking his father to fund my new company. All that Collins-free zone talk was simply bull I was slinging Axel’s way. I thought the biggest knife through his heart was me getting in good with hisfather.
“That’s right. She’s sold them in on some new venture she’s spearheading. Something Elite.” My stomach drops right through the floor. No sooner do a thousand traitorous scenarios float through my mind than I shake them right out again. “That’s great. As long as she’s out of my hair.” Mojo probably heard me discussing the Epicurean Elite to Axel a dozen times. It’s no wonder he’s confused the name of Abby’s upstart. Can’t say I’m not envious, though. Whatever she has cooking, she has some serious funding to back her. I’ll admit I’m a teeny bitjealous.
The front doors open and in walk Teagan and Axel, both of them looking as if they’re on their way to senior prom—Teagan with her raspberry svelte dress with spaghetti straps and a rose corsage strapped to her wrist, and Axel in a slick black suit, silver metallic tie that makes me want to use it as a soft form ofbondage.
I offer a naughty grin as he circles his arms around mywaist.
A dirty grin of his own blooms on his cheeks as he leans in to whisper, “I love that look on your face. Whatever it is you’re thinking, keep thinking it. In about six hours I plan on making all your fantasies cometrue.”
“Then I hope Shep’sfree.”
Ax tips his head back with a moan, and we share a quicklaugh.
“Hey!” Teagan speeds back from the banquet hall. “It’s six fifteen. I’m fashionably late. Shouldn’t I at least have a couple of guests milling around awaiting my arrival?” She pulls out her phone and starts in on a texting spree before I cananswer.
Axel glances past me before doing a double take. “Where iseveryone?”
“I have no clue. The only people I’ve seen since I’ve been here are those idiots picketing my life. I’m sorry I’ve dragged them here.” I wince as if I had truly laid out a trail of breadcrumbs, and in a way Ihad.
“What protesters?” His head turns toward the door, but his eyes remain trained onmine.
“Didn’t you see them?” I point weakly to the front, sorry I ever brought themup.
“I parked on the side, and Teagan practically ran us in here.” The joy drains from his face as he gently removes his hands from my hips. “I’d better go check this out.” He glances from me to a panic-strickenTeagan.
“Go ahead. I’ve got this.” No sooner does Axel take off than I navigate Teagan to the banquet hall, empty as a tomb save for Raven who does an odd little dance once she seesus.
Teagan tries to manufacture a smile for Raven but misses by a lip-quivering mile. “I guess if my friends don’t show, at least my family will be here.” Her voice breaks. “Except for my dad, of course. He’s working late trying to sort through his new acquisitions.” She looks up at me with her watery gray eyes, and my heart breaks for her. “It’s sort of a tradition at the end of every month—collect as many new interests as you can. My dad’s sort of bent on worlddomination.”
She seems to be calmer with the diversion her father has provided, so I go with it. “Hey, a friend of mine just sold something to your dad.” Friend? I guess for the sake of argument Abby could be considered a friend. Although it’s more of a stale SAT question than it is an arguable fact. Abby is to friendship as Raven is to work. Lord knows I’d ace thatone.
“Really?” Teagan blinks back tears—a clear sign the diversion is working better than I thought. “What’s her name? I bet I met her today. It was my job to vet theprospects.”
“Abby Wilcox.” I snarl as I say it. Old habits diehard.
“Oh, the ditzy blonde!” Her overdone brows perk to life, and I warm when she refers to Abby as ditzy. “She’s the girl with the restaurant thingy. Yeah, Dad thought she was a ditz, too, but Axel swore up and down she had abrain.”
“Restaurant thingy? Do you remember what it wascalled?”
“No, sorry. Axel thought it was genius, though. He pushed her through all the way. He mentioned she’s a good friend ofhis.”
The room sways for a moment. “Yeah, I guess sheis.”
Another frantic five minutes pass with nary a guest, and Teagan begins howling into her phone “No, no,no!”
“What?” both Raven and Isquawk.
“My guests aren’t coming.” Tears spontaneously erupt airborne from the sides of her eyes as if she had morphed into a cartoon version of herself. “They said they can’t support an establishment that houses a confirmed canine abuser on its premises. What the fresh hell are they talkingabout?”
“I’m going to beat those protestors with their own sticks.” My fingers fly to my lips as I look to Raven forhelp.
“We’ll move the party!” Raven shrieks in an effort to save the eighteen and out bash that’s flopping like a dead fish at our feet. “We’ll navigate everyone over to the Black Bear. It’ll be a blast, Iswear.”
“But we won’t have tables.” Teagan’s delicate features morph into sheer panic— her eyes widen, her mouth pulls back in horror. “What about all the cute decorations and the Pinterest-worthy appetizers the kitchen is making just forme?”
Raven looks to me in a panic. “We’ll have it at her place. She’s got a really cute dog named Strudel, and if you give me a running start I’ll work hard to pick my thongs out from between the sofacushions.”
I yank her by the elbow. “Are you kiddingme?”
