"I heard about your little good deed," Vance said, sitting down next to Carter. "Ferreting out embezzlers, having people fired on a whim. You're turning into a proper scion, aren't you?"
"Go away," Carter said and ordered five fingers of whisky.
"I'm a paying customer," Vance hissed.
The bartender handed Carter the glass along with a judgmental look, and Carter inspected the antique crystal then took a sip, ignoring Vance.
"You think you're so special and so much better than everyone else," Vance told him. "You don't know how to treat people. You're going to be sorry."
"Whatever."
The bartender swiped Carter's card, and he downed the rest of his drink and stood up.
"Watch your back," Vance said after him.
A tabloid reporter snapped a photo of Carter as he left the bar. There were several of them, and as he turned to look over his shoulder through the closing door, Vance was smirking.
"Can we have a comment about the part you played in the firing of Trent Tanner?"
"No comment," Carter said.
"What about your relationship with Allie Larson? Are the rumors true that you two are no longer a couple?"
Carter turned to face the camera and said, "Yes, it's true. We are no longer together." Then he shoved his way through the throng.
He went back to the penthouse and tore off his jacket as soon as he stepped inside. He walked over to the liquor cabinet and pulled out all the different spirits and poured a shot of each. After organizing them in a line from darkest to lightest, he downed them all one after the other then passed out on the couch.
In the middle of the night, Carter jolted awake with a pounding headache. He barely made it to the kitchen sink then puked up his dinner. The dogs whined at his feet, and he slumped on the floor and rested his head against the cool cabinets.
45
Allie
In her new apartment, Allie unpacked boxes while fielding calls and texts about the bridal tea for Brandy the next day.
She had the TV on for noise while she worked, but she stopped in the middle of making her bed when she heard Carter's name mentioned. She turned up the TV. The reporter was asking Carter if he and Allie were still together.
"We are no longer together."
Reeling, Allie sat down on the edge of the bed. Was he serious? Just because she moved to her own apartment and was not actively fawning over him?
"I do not have the energy for this right now," she muttered, turning off the TV.
Between the stress of the bridal tea and Carter's complete dismissal of her, she could barely sleep that night. She was groggy and irritable early the next morning as she and Liz rode to New Cardiff together.
"Carter's not coming, I guess," Liz asked carefully.
"Nope."
"I saw the news. What happened?"
"Nothing, just…" Allie shrugged. "I don't think he and I were ever meant to work out."
When they pulled up in front of the Holbrook estate, Allie tried to look pleasant.
At least you don't have to deal with Carter,she reminded herself. On their way to the estate, she and Liz had stopped to buy several large plants and some nice pots, and now Nancy buzzed around as Allie and Liz unloaded the car.
"Need some help?" Allie froze at the familiar male voice.
