“What is Wolfie saying that has you all so riveted over here? Don’t tell me he’s finally had a date and got laid?”
“Do you ever have a serious thought in that head of yours, or is it all cotton candy?” Wolf snapped at him, cold and furious, then strode away to sit on the couch. With a worried expression, Elliot followed. Mouth open, Spencer stood shocked into silence.
Win cleared his throat. “Uh, it must’ve been an exhausting day for him, between the depositions and travel. He’s probably overtired. I’m going to see if Elliot needs a little reinforcement.” He hurried away and slid in next to Elliot, who was talking to a flushed and angry Wolf.
“Yeah. He’s super stressed about this case he was telling us about.” Chess put a hand on Spencer’s shoulder. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”
Blue eyes glittering, Spencer hadn’t taken his gaze off Wolf. “Oh, trust me, he did.” He blinked and placed a smile on his lips. “And I don’t care.” He lifted his glass. “This is for you all, not Wolf.”
They clinked glasses and drank.
“Can anyone get in on this toast?” Henry spoke over his shoulder, and André stepped aside to make room for his brother. Chess was busy talking to Spencer, so he could focus on Henry.
“Of course. Having a good time? It’s nice to get a chance to spend some time together.”
His hope going forward was that he and Henry and Bianca could move toward a closer relationship, now that he and Chess would be getting married. The atmosphere had never been more open for that, and André vowed to make a concerted effort to spend more time with them.
“It is. We all had a nice time out last night.” Henry sipped his drink, meeting his eyes over the rim of the glass. “Chess told you, right?”
Awareness prickled through him, and he narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, he did. Why would you think he wouldn’t?”
“I don’t. Trust me. I like Chess. I just…don’t know him that well.”
And whose fault is that?
But André didn’t want to start an argument, and he hoped that this time together could be used to nurture and build up their relationship.
“A way to rectify that is if you stayed home and maybe worked for the company. We’d all see each other more. I’d love for all of us to get closer.”
Before Henry could answer, another person joined them.
“Hello, everyone. I hope I didn’t miss anything yet?”
His mother, famous for her dramatic entrances, stood in the doorway, dressed in red—her favorite color—a smirking Kyle at her side.
Chapter Nineteen
“You know I’m used to his moods by now. It doesn’t bother me.” Spencer gulped his champagne.
“Well, it bothers me. It’s uncomfortable to listen to.” Chess crossed his arms. “It used to be lighthearted and teasing between you two, but now it’s getting progressively meaner. Enough already. You’re acting like little kids taunting each other in the playground.”
“You should be talking to him too.”
Did Spencer realize he sounded like one of those children? Biting back a smile, Chess placed his arm around Spencer’s shoulders. “I plan to. And I’m not picking on you. I don’t like seeing you at each other’s throats for nothing.”
“Or something.” His gaze flickered to an angry-faced Wolf on the couch with Elliot and Win. “I’m not going to waste your engagement celebration whining about that man.”
Kyle strolled around the room while Margery spoke to André.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Spencer murmured. “Why does she keep him on?”
“Beats me,” he muttered, wondering the same thing himself. He hoped André would tell Margery to stop sticking Kyle in their faces at every turn. “I’d better go and say hello to her.”
“Good luck, sweetheart.” Spencer squeezed his shoulder, and Chess crossed the front of the room to where André was talking with his mother.
“Hello, Margery. It’s so good to see you.”
“Chess, dear.” She leaned in but only close enough to air-kiss. “I’d love to see my husband’s ring.”
