He walked past his father’s red face and went in search of his pretend girlfriend and hoped to hell she could do what he brought her here for.
16
HERE FOR A REASON
“Don’t worry, Brandi.”
“It’s still planned, right, Eric?”
Natalie had come into the house to go to the bathroom during the cocktail hour while the newly married couple was having their pictures taken.
The last thing she expected was to overhear Arik’s father and girlfriend talking in another room.
It was rude to stand there, but after seeing the dejected look in her fake boyfriend’s eyes when he returned from the father-son talk, she was determined to help.
After all, wasn’t that why he brought her here?
His emotional support girlfriend.
If she was feeling as if she wanted it to be more, she had to lock those desires behind a steel door.
At least for now.
“You promised we’d go to France,” Brandi said, her voice an annoying whine.
“Watch how much you touch me,” Eric said, “or we’ll end up in a room with my dick in your mouth.”
Natalie barely held the gag in place.
How rude!
“That was the plan before you brought us to a room with witnesses. But you know, I wouldn’t have minded someone was watching.”
Oh God. How could Arik be from this man?
Or how well did she really know him?
She hadn’t seen him for over a decade; he pops up on the island for a month stay, notices her and the next thing she knows, she’s at a family wedding hoping to put a smile on his face after interacting with his nasty, disgusting father.
“You’re such a dirty girl,” Eric said. His voice was muffled, but she still caught it. “I love that.”
“I can be dirtier when we get to France. You’re not going to cancel it on me, right?”
She heard the sigh. “No.”
“But you said that you were short of money and needed to push it off.”
Brandi’s voice was almost purring. Like she’d imagine any young gold digger would do to get her way.
“I’ll talk to Arik again. My son has it. It’s not a big deal.”
Her jaw dropped.
Talk about blunt and disrespectful!
Arik’s father wanted money from him to take his ditzy, barely college-aged tramp on a sex-filled rampage.
No wonder why Arik’s eyes looked so miserable. A mixture of anger and disappointment.
