Chapter 12

Bonnie

I stood a few steps behind Nash as he spoke to an older gentleman in a tuxedo. From the low undertones of their conversation, I could tell that they were talking business. I looked around the room instead, trying to keep my brain occupied so that it wouldn’t explode.

The gala was grand beyond words. Star-studded, celebrity-filled and more elaborate than anything I had even seen on TV. I was definitely underdressed for the occasion.

“Come with me,” Nash said suddenly and placed a hand on the small of my back. I was on alert again. His face was very close to mine as he started leading me, taking small steps, smiling around him. Everyone in the room seemed to know him. They all wanted to speak to him, but Nash was visibly keeping his distance. Trying to avoid as many conversations as he could. He tried to wave, smile and shake hands and then walk away. Could he be behaving this way for my sake? So that I didn’t feel left out? I hadn’t known Nash Preston to have a sympathetic bone in his body.

“Where are we going?” I asked, almost laughing from my giddiness. The multitude of champagne I’d been served could possibly be going to my head. I was strangely happy. As much as I had detested this world in college, I was enjoying myself now. I had forgotten I didn’t belong here. I was happy just having my arm entwined with Nash’s.

“My best friends. I see them there,” Nash said, gesturing ahead of us. Two handsome men in equally polished tuxedos were standing in the corner of the room, sipping whiskies and laughing together.

“Best friends?” I asked, turning a confused look at Nash. I hadn’t seen these guys before.

“Do you not remember them? Casper and Vince were my frat brothers,” he said, leading me a little quicker now. Realization dawned on me. Best friends. Frat brothers. No, of course I didn’t recognize them.

The two men turned as we approached them.

“Nash!” the one with the sandy blond hair and blue eyes cried.

“Casper! How are you, man?” Nash said, embracing the guy in a bear hug.

I slunk up behind them, aware of the other man’s eyes on me. This one had dark hair like Nash’s, but his was graying at the temples. He seemed like the most serious one of the bunch.

“And who might this be?” he said, interrupting Nash and Casper’s hug.

“Vince!” Nash said and hugged him, too. “This is Bonnie.”

Vince and Casper exchanged looks, and my eyebrow arched in suspicion. No way that these frat guys recognized me when I didn’t recognize them.

“Bonnie Calhoun,” Casper said and extended his hand to me. Shocked, I shook his hand robotically.

“Do I know you?” I asked, and Vince laughed loudly.

“You were the ace engineer. Everyone knew you,” he said and stuck his hand out at me, too. I shook Vince’s hand with more suspicion mounting inside me. Neither of these two were in any of my classes, and I had never been introduced to anyone from Nash’s fraternity. I threw Nash a look of confusion, and he shrugged at me innocently.

“What? Did you think you were well hidden and out of view in your classroom?” Casper asked, and all three men laughed.

“I wasn’t hiding. I was studying. You know, fulfilling the whole purpose of college,” I replied, a smirk forming. In college, I would have been too nervous to speak to guys like these. Now look where I was!

“And what did you think we were doing?” Vince asked, a look of mockery taking over his dark features.

“Playing beer pong and trying to fuck anything in skirts,” I said, arching an eyebrow and crossing my arms over my breasts.

The three of them laughed in unison. Vince threw back his head, and Casper clutched his stomach. For some reason, these boys thought I was funny.

“This one has a potty mouth,” Casper said to Nash.

When Nash turned to look at me, it was my turn to shrug.

“So, what are you doing here?” Vince asked me, in all seriousness, taking a long sip of his whiskey.

“Paying for my sins,” I smirked and they laughed again. It was like they couldn’t get enough.

“You should have attended those beer pong parties you were talking about. Nash, you should have brought her.” Casper thumped Nash’s back.

“What makes you think that he could have brought me? We barely knew each other in college,” I was quick to correct him. I wasn’t sure why I had said that, but a sudden urge had made me blurt it out.

“That’s right. We didn’t. In fact, we still don’t. I bumped into Bonnie yesterday and invited her,” Nash explained, keeping calm. He didn’t break a sweat as he spoke.

“I see,” Vince said in an even voice. He seemed to have detected the undercurrents between us.

“Well, we need to catch up with some people over there. See you kids around,” Vince said, thumping Casper’s back as a subtle indication to take their leave.

“On for next Saturday?” Casper asked over his shoulder, as the two of them began to walk away.

“Bring the beers this time, Casper,” Nash said, shaking his head and breaking into a laugh.

When he turned to me, he caught me staring at him.

“What?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

“Bumped into me yesterday?” I said, widening my eyes.

“Did you want me to tell them about our merger?” he asked, tilting his head like I had been a naughty child.

“What exactly have you told them about me?” I asked.

Nash grinned and caught my hand suddenly, pulling me away in a different direction.