"If you're going to tell a lie, you might want to let me in on it," I said.
"Just follow my lead."
I rolled my eyes. Back was the pompous jerk I knew.
"There you are," a man's voice said from behind us.
When Ellery heard it, he froze unnaturally. We turned and it was obvious this was Ellery's father. Not because they looked very similar, save for their strong noses, but he looked a lot like Samuel, and had that same strong gaze that seemed to run in the family.
"I was wondering if you were actually bringing someone."
"Yes, dad, this is my girlfriend, Juniper. Juniper, Harvey Scott."
"A pleasure," I said as I stuck out my hand.
He took it and gave the back a kiss. Not something I was accustomed to, but didn't seem out of place here. "Let's join everyone for dinner. You know how your mother feels about tardiness."
We moved to the dining room with a large, mostly filled table running through the center. There were two seats at the top of the table, Clarise already sitting at one of them. Rachel and Samuel sat to one side, with two empty places for us next to them, then across from them was another couple I hadn't noticed before. The man was the spitting image of Harvey, making me believe he was another brother.
The woman with him looked… intense, to say the least. She had a sharp jaw and pursed lips. Her straight bob only highlighted the harshness of her features, and she had porcelain skin, making her look almost like a statue. Unlike Samuel and Rachel, they didn't seem to show any interest in one another. She did, however, have a full set of pearl jewelry on. It wasn’t as flashy as Rachel’s, but it blended into her aesthetic.
"There you are, dear," Clarice said, snapping me from my thoughts. She kissed her husband, who looked absolutely smitten. It seemed no one was immune to her charms, not even her billionaire husband.
"Sorry," he said as he sat. "My meeting ran late."
"Doesn't it always?" she asked with an eye roll. "Now that we're all here, dinner can begin."
Ellery
The salads were servedand everyone began eating. I saw a couple of turns our way, I was sure everyone was curious who the playboy of the family finally decided to lock down, but no curiosity that would lead to suspicion.
Juniper was doing a respectable job. She made small talk easily and got along well with my mother.
Salads were soon traded for the fish course, which was soon traded for the main steak dinner. It was all a bit of a blur as I listened to everyone at the table drone on and on about work. Almost everyone in the family played some role in Corecords, whether they worked at the legal firm who represented it, or at the consulting firm we worked hand in hand with. So the conversation always revolved around that.
Tiffany looked as off put as she always did sitting next to my brother. Her and Arthur made for an interesting pair. It was more of a merger than a marriage. Her father and mine decided to merge their businesses, which doubled what we were currently doing, but with that came an old age marriage contract, which was how they ended up together.
Arthur never talked about how he felt about it, and Tiffany certainly didn't, so I had no idea how they were behind closed doors. But at events like this, they were exactly what they were supposed to be. Put together, proper, the perfect example.
A setup I hoped to avoid by doing this. For a long time at least.
Dessert was served soon after. "We're having your favorite," my mother said to me as the plates were being served.
"Tiramisu?" Juniper asked as it was set in front of her.
I took a spoonful and nodded. "The best."
"You're supposed to wait for everyone," my mom scolded. "Manners."
I rolled my eyes, but set my spoon down. Juniper covered her laugh at my expense with her napkin, but I still heard it.
After everyone was served, I dug back in, enjoying the coffee cream flavor.
"This is very good," Juniper commented, sweeping a spoon into her mouth.
Something about the way she licked the spoon from her mouth had my mind traveling… elsewhere. Back to the hotel room specifically.
I quickly pushed any thoughts ofhertaste away and focused on my food. Yes, she was attractive, but hooking up would only complicate things further. And there didn't need to be any more complications to this matter.
