Trey

I never thought I would have to worry about Mom sharing secrets about my past, but I guess I should’ve known better. I feel like shit thinking about how everything went down with Liv. I really should’ve had a talk with her myself. When I turn around and see the look on Mandy’s face, however, I know things are going to get better from here. Our eyes lock and I know deep down that there is more than just lust between us.

“Let’s get out of here and go have a nice meal,” I suggest, since everyone else had basically abandoned us.

“Nah. Sit down and order another bourbon. I want to try the oyster sliders and deep fried pickles; everyone raves about them on Yelp,” she says, flagging down the bartender for another Guinness and a menu.

“Deep fried pickles, huh? I’ve never even thought of eating something like that.”

“My Mom’s family deep fries everything. I think you will like them,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. “Have you noticed that blonde girl sitting across from us? She has been staring at you ever since you sat down,” she huffs, her voice taking on an annoyed tone.

“Yeah, I’ve learned to ignore those stalkerish types.” I have to laugh at how much it seems to bother her. “What would you suggest I do about it?”

“I don’t know,” she says with flustered look on her face. “Nothing, I guess. It’s not like she’s really doing anything wrong, but it’s rude.”

“Yes, it is.” I reach forward and slowly pull her toward me. “You have nothing to worry about,” I tell her before giving her a long, steamy, heartfelt kiss.

Her eyes remain closed for a few seconds after I pull back. She opens them just in time to see the woman on the other side of the bar collecting her purse and vacating the barstool in a huff. “I was going to suggest that,” she whispers with a devilish look in her eyes.

As we sit here enjoying each other’s company, I get an overwhelming urge to get everything out in the open. I would rather let her hear it from me than someone else. After all, the thought of Mom dropping a bombshell on Liv is still bothering me. “I have a confession to make,” I finally say, running my fingers along the length of her forearm.

“Dead bodies to reveal?” she quips, leaning toward me and raising an eyebrow.

“No, but the tabloids weren’t totally wrong. When I first moved out to California I wasn’t a very nice guy.” I take another drink of bourbon. “In fact, I was kind of a self-centered asshole,” I tell her using Tyler’s description.

“So the articles weren’t completely off-base?” She forces a smile but instantly grows more subdued.

“No, not completely. When Papa died late in my freshman year of college, I inherited five million dollars. I went nuts trying to kill the empty feeling that kept eating at me from deep inside.” I take another gulp of my drink.

“So what changed?” she asks, looking for something positive from my admissions.

I take a deep breath and pause, thinking about how I want to phrase my answer. “Before I knew it, I had blown through half of my inheritance by partying, investing in risky biotech companies and settling two paternity suits.” I polish off my drink and slide it down the bar toward the bartender.

“Need a refill?” he yells back.

“We need some deep fried pickles and oysters sliders, too,” I reply with a nod.

“Silvia told me that a couple of women took advantage of you in college,” she admits sheepishly. “She suspected that I was trying to do the same thing.”

Fuck! She apparently did tell them everything. I take a moment imagining all that she might have said. “You’re too late anyway, I learned not to trust anyone,” I reply letting her know that I’m not that naïve college guy anymore. “I also figured out why Dad did business the way he did. The average investor is just out there flipping a coin, but wealthy investors always know exactly what they are buying.”

“So you think they are all using inside information?” Mandy’s eyes widen as if I had shared some sort of shocking revelation.

I laugh. “They all know each other and go to conferences together, so of course they have private conversations. Call it whatever you want, but the truth is they have access to information that most investors don’t hear about until it’s too late. It’s just a fact of life.”

“See! I think that’s sad. That’s why I became a lawyer,” she spouts with fire in her eyes. “To crack down on the kind of shit that your dad was doing. Don’t tell me you agree with the way he did business.”

“I didn’t say I agree with it. I said, I understand why he did it. He was making money hand over fist, while I could’ve just as well blown my money on lottery tickets,” I reply, trying to explain my rationale.

Mandy grows quiet, rubbing her thumb back and forth along the Guinness label on the side of her glass. She is obviously contemplating all that she has learned this afternoon. Finally in a small, quiet voice she asked, “It’s never going to change is it?”

“Not likely, but each of us can to decide whether or not we want to be part of the game,” I tell her softly.

“Do you?” she asks, finally looking up from her beer.

“Not any more,” I assure her. “I always wanted to prove to Dad that I could make it on my own. Now that he’s gone, I no longer have anything to prove.”

“That’s not true. The only person you need to prove anything to is yourself,” she states in a moment of profound wisdom. “There is no bigger enemy in this world than the one we carry around inside.”

“Smart and beautiful.” I smirk. “You are the complete package.”

“Whatever.” She blushes. “Try a deep fried pickle,” she says as the bartender sets them down in front of us.

Mandy

Even though Silvia had already told me that Trey had been forced to settle two paternity suits in his college years, I’m glad he told me the story himself. In my opinion there is no greater sign of respect than when someone shares their darkest secrets with you. As the two of us sit here getting to know each other better through oyster sliders, fried pickles and cocktails any remaining concerns I have about him begin to fade into the background. His phone is lighting up every few minutes, but he simply glances down at the screen and remains focused on our conversation. That is so cool.

“What time is it?” I ask after noticing that it has grown dark outside.

“Quarter after nine,” he replies, looking at his phone. “Oh, I just got a text from Liv. She says thanks, but she’s in good hands. Whatever that means.”

“I have no doubt that she will land on her feet.” Or more likely on her back. “Should we have one more here or go back to the hotel for one?” Not that I really need another one, but I’m having so much fun.

“Don’t you want to check out the hottest new clubs in the east village?” he asks, obviously teasing.

“No. I would prefer someplace quieter, not noisier.” I run my hand along the inside of his thigh.

“I’ll send Tony a text.” He picks up his phone and sends him a quick message. It must be nice to have someone waiting to haul you around anytime you feel the urge to go somewhere. Within a matter of minutes, Tony enters the bar.

“You guys go ahead and finish, but I’m double parked out front.” He laughs and turns to head back outside.

“We’ll be out in a bit!” Trey slams the rest of his bourbon and gives me an impatient look. “Come on, show me how a southern girl chugs beer.”

“Here, help me,” I say handing him my glass. “That’s how a real lady does it.”

“I don’t mind beer,” he says after draining the rest of it. “But whiskey is a lot less filling. How do you not feel totally bloated from that stuff?”

“Oh quit bitching and just burp,” I tease, hopping down from the barstool. “We’ll get you a Shirley Temple at the Four Seasons to settle your little tummy.”

“You’re hilarious,” he retorts, slapping me across the ass.

Pretty firm, huh buddy? “You’ve been looking for an excuse to do that, haven’t you?” I turn back and shoot him a look.

“You are fucking hilarious… and yes, thank you for giving me the opportunity.” He chuckles and pauses for a moment. “I’ve never been called a pussy for drinking straight bourbon.” He smiles and pushes the door open, leading me out onto the street where the car is waiting for us. When Tony told us he was double-parked it was definitely an understatement. He’s got traffic backed up all the way down the block.

Trey

Settling into the back of the car, my mind has already moved past the thought of having another drink and is now strategizing a more intimate game plan. I’m not sure if her looks, her personality or the fact that Mom is trying to buy her off is the most appealing. All I know is I haven’t felt this way about anyone in years.

“How much did Mom offer you, anyway?” I ask out of sheer curiosity.

“She just told me she would make it worth my while,” she says with a sly look on her face.

“You should ask her for twenty million,” I suggest playfully. “You need to be generously compensated for giving up all of this.” I wave my hands down the length of my body.

“Holy shit, she must have gotten a pretty good divorce settlement.” Mandy’s eyes widen and sparkle in the dim light.

“They didn’t have a valid prenup, so she is a billionaire too. Dad really didn’t have much for assets when they got married. Also, Mom put a flourishing real estate career on the back burner to be a full time mother and attend all the corporate functions with Dad,” I explain, thinking back to how she was back then. “I honestly think she deserved it.”

“Well, I have no interest in her offer. I don’t care how much she would be willing to pay me,” she replies adamantly. “I haven’t even had a chance to experience all this awesomeness yet.” She giggles, making a similar gesture with her hands.

“Once you do, it will definitely be too late.” I lean in, needing to kiss those soft, full lips. “I would be really disappointed if I didn’t get to see how everything plays out between us.”

There is nothing like the rush of passion and lust that occurs when you first find yourself falling for someone. I had honestly begun to wonder if I would ever feel this way again. Who knows, I might finally be able to move on and put the past behind me. Okay, I need to relax. I’m getting way ahead of myself.

Mandy

A warm, fuzzy feeling washes over me as Trey talks about wanting to see how things play out between us. When I first started working on this case, I had so much resentment and hostility toward his family that I couldn’t even fathom something like this happening. Even though I had seen pictures of Trey online, I couldn’t get past the fact that he was his father’s son. I assumed he was just another generation of Addison’s who would pile on the wealth by taking advantage of others. I don’t think I could have been more wrong.

I feel an unexpected twinge of nervousness when the car slows down and pulls up to the curb in front of the hotel. It suddenly occurs to me that this will be first time that I have been truly alone with Trey. Even though Liv was annoying, it was kind of nice having her as a buffer. It allowed me to get to know Trey while having an excuse for not rushing into anything physical between us. My mind suddenly flashes back to the first night, when I attacked his cock like a famished tiger. My cheeks begin to burn, as I realize it’s probably too late for taking things slow.

“Is everything okay?” he asks, pausing with his hand resting on the door handle.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I reply, trying to slow my breathing and act calm. “Can we stop in the bar for one more drink? I would like a Margarita or something.”

“Sure.” He smiles, taking my hand and leading me from the car. “I’m totally onboard with you having anything that contains tequila.”

“Okay, I’ll definitely go for a Martini then,” I counter. “Since you know too well what that shit does to me.”

“Exactly. Two Margaritas on the rocks, coming up,” he teases.

Walking hand in hand through the lobby of the Four Seasons, I find myself feeling a strange mixture of excitement, anticipation and fear. I think back to when I had to leave all of my friends behind and move a thousand miles away. I cried myself to sleep for several nights before starting school that fall. Each time I would curse his father for taking my life away from me. I was terrified at the thought of being the new kid. Now, I realize that without that difficult experience I wouldn’t have become the woman that I am today. Everything happens for a reason, as they say.

“She would like to see a Martini menu,” Trey tells the bartender as we take two seats at the bar. What a gentleman.