KELLAN
You look at my history and rightfully assume I have an amazing track record with women. Which I do. More times than not, they’re always calling for more. You’ve witnessed that with your own eyes…. However, it is quite maddening my prurient past keeps persistently trying to ruin my present. I could definitely do without that.
I adjust myself in my seat and politely greet her in return, “Felicity.”
She extends her hand and I reluctantly take it, placing the traditional kiss on the back.
Brie’s stifled scoff is unmistakable.
I know! Kissing the hand of an ex-lover in front of your fiancé isn’t the smartest decision, but hand kissing is what we do in Doctenn! It’s a habit!
Quickly letting it go, I force an additional smile. “This is a…surprise.”
“Not my word for it,” Brie mutters as she pretends to adjust her hair.
She takes a seat across from us beside my brother.
My soon to be ex brother.
“Isn’t it just wild? I can’t believe I ran into Kristopher that night!” She lifts a hand to flag the waitress back over.
Yes. She always makes immediate decisions. She rarely wastes time pondering. She’s a woman who always knows what she wants. Why are you glaring? I wasn’t complimenting her, I was merely trying to explain her action…
“Out of all the bars in the entire country, the sheer chances of that happening were astronomical.”
“Especially considering how rare it is I go out now,” Kristopher casually adds.
Yes. The universe has once more begun its efforts to conspire against me. Not appreciated.
“Guess it was fate,” Felicity says, green eyes piercing mine. “You still believe in that?”
I believe it’s fucking me over at the moment.
Felicity turns her attention to the eager waitress. “I think a pitcher of mimosas would be perfect for the table. And an extra side of cherries. Can’t forget those.”
Thoughtlessly, I comment, “I see that hasn’t changed.”
She gives me a seductive look. “If I loved them enough to get them tattooed on my tits then it’s probably safe to assume, I still adore them in my drinks.”
A smirk momentarily appears on my face, only to be sent away by a sharp kick underneath the table.
Ou! No…That wasn’t well deserved! I wasn’t doing anything wrong. It’s not like I was picturing her in my old apartment topless asking me to come and taste them. Well of course now I’m imagining it. You brought it up! Your fault!
I quickly clear my throat and make an overdue formal introduction. “Felicity Malone, this is my fiancé, Brie Sanders. Brie, meet an old classmate of mine and Kristopher’s-”
“We were much more than that,” she scolds with a playful smirk.
Not much more…Occasional lovers, but I mentioned that already.
The sight of Brie’s beautiful face reddening causes me to tug at my collar.
Why is it so bloody hot in November?
“I’m the reason you passed…how many classes?”
“I knew you had help with your studies from somewhere,” Kristopher jokes, lightly laughing afterward. “No bloody way were you brilliant enough to pass on your own.”
Brie cautiously joins the conversation. “You were his tutor?”
Felicity smirks. “And lover. And confidant. And mate...”
Honestly. Must she make my fiancé feel uncomfortable? And stop glaring at me! I didn’t know she was going to be here! Yell at Kris. I mean, I plan to… No. Felicity doesn’t mean anything to me and most certainty not in the fashion you and my darling wife-to-be are imagining. I’ll explain. But not right this minute. I still have a situation to defuse.
She turns her attention back to me. “God, it’s been forever since I last saw you.”
“Not long enough,” Brie mumbles causing me to bump my foot against hers.
Hey, she may hate this as much as I do, but there’s something bigger here at stake than my ex-lover bumping into my current one. There’s a possibility Hannah’s Hope stops being my white whale and starts actually helping children.
Felicity casually continues, “Do you remember when it was?”
The waitress delivers our drinks and my fiancé can’t down the portion in her glass fast enough.
Bloody hell…That’s not good.
“Um…a couple nights after graduation, I believe. You managed to convince me to not get the tattoo I was drunkenly determined to get.”
She snickers at the same time Kristopher inquires, “What tattoo?”
The memory makes me chuckle as well. “I was going to get ‘Let Them Eat’ right above my crotch.”
You get it, don’t you? Look, I never said it was clever. It merely amused me in my inebriated state. Fine. I’ll admit. Still makes me laugh a bit now.
“Classy,” Brie gags.
I swiftly surrender my hands. “You know I did not actually do it, love. You would’ve noticed…After all, we do spend equal amounts of time on our knees, don’t we?”
The gentle reminder intertwined with the playful yet powerful proclamation that she is the only one who has me that way seems to ease a bit of weight off her shoulders.
She cocks a smirk, but my brother cringes, “Too much information, little brother.”
Beginning stages of punishment for creating this stressful situation.
“Yeah, well, your lack of a prick print is thanks to me,” Felicity snickers. “Had I not been there to save you, that Lucky Ace tattoo would be considered the responsible choice in body art instead of just a frivolous drunken dare.”
The irritation in Brie’s voice is prevalent. “You were there for that too?”
Felicity grins. “I was the one who rubbed lotion on it to help it heal.”
And this brunch is officially my worst nightmare.
Her brown eyes bulge, and she reaches for the pitcher to refill her glass.
My brother insists the waitress give us a few more minutes before we decide on ordering anything while I to try sip away my growing disdain for him.
I think I will turn his corpse into a dart board. Brie could use the practice…
Once she’s strolled off, Felicity states, “On the contrary, all of that was ages ago. We’ve all moved on. Obviously.” She lets her eyes oscillate between Brie and myself. “And I’m very happy for you. Finding the one person you want to spend your life with and having the courage to do it, is something to be admired.”
Surprised by the random change, I lift my eyebrows in skepticism.
Oh look, so did you. Good to know we’re back on the same side.
“I’m very glad you’ve managed to find true happiness with someone, Kellan.”
My hand reaches out for Brie’s. “I truly have.”
“Don’t touch me,” Brie quietly declares through a gritted teeth smile.
Alright. Maybe not happiness at this very moment.
“Saw your wedding announcement in the papers. Sorry I couldn’t attend the engagement event with my parents, but I was in Rome for Lust and Lingerie.”
“That sounds like a porn shoot,” Brie casually comments between sips.
Before Felicity can make a cheeky comeback, I interject, “It’s basically fashion week for lingerie. Designers, models, and boutique owners flock together for the week to eat, drink, and connect.”
My explanation only seems to get me into more hot water. “And how many of those have you been to?”
“Didn’t you go last year?” Kristopher swiftly sells me out.
“Of course you did,” Brie snidely states, shaking her head. “How many of those women’s calls did you ignore?”
Growing more uncomfortable with each breath, I clear my throat, tug at my collar again, and attempt to the change the subject. “It’s quite alright, you missed the engagement party. It was rather impromptu. Done on a whim.”
“Everything you do is on a whim, Kellan. That’s what makes you, you.”
The warmth in the statement further irritates the woman beside me.
I need something stronger than champagne. Perhaps a bottle of whiskey? No. My taste buds haven’t changed; I’m just starting to understand why my father drinks it when he feels his back is against the wall.
“Don’t worry. I won’t miss the wedding.”
“We’re actually not having a large wedding,” I attempt to smile at the romantic gesture I made just last week. “We’re having a private ceremony for family only in the states. However, there will be a reception here to celebrate in our honor.”
“Then I will make sure to attend that,” Felicity sighs with what sounds like a hint of disappointment in her voice.
No. She’s not wrecking my wedding. This brunch is enough.
“Before we continue catching up and I take the opportunity to learn more about your lovely bride to be, how about we briefly discuss the initial reason for this meeting,” she says, swiping her glass and leaning back into her seat. “When I was out drinking with mates and ran into Kristopher, he happened to mention MINOH, which is an amazing project, by the way.”
“Thank you.”
“He drunkenly bragged what a fantastic job you’ve been doing and then he proceeded to let it slip how it was more of a stepping stone to a bigger idea that you have been sitting on for quite some time. Originally, I was just going to offer to add a monthly donation to MINOH but an orphanage, a more stable environment, a more permanent opportunity for them to take is simply brilliant. I had been waiting for something to touch closer to what I truly love and this is it. You remember how late at night after an evening of shagging we used to discuss the theory of nature versus nurture.”
Seriously! She couldn’t have left that little bit out?
Reluctantly, I nod. “I do.”
“And I remember we used to always wonder was there a way to fuse them in the middle, if there was a way we could change the tides of an environment to…reset ‘nature’. Those conversations and discussions had quite the lasting impression on me.” She pauses as if pushing away the rest of the thought. “So, when Kristopher happened to mention that that’s exactly what you were building to someday accomplish, I knew in my heart, I wanted to be a part of it. That I had too.”
The genuine glow in her eyes takes me off guard.
Don’t be crass. She’s being sincere. Trust me. After years of being around people who continuously lie, it’s less difficult to spot those telling the absolute truth. And she really has always had a fascination with social changing experiments. Which is what Hannah’s Hope would be considered to many.
“Now, obviously, I want to see your more in depth proposal, which I have no doubt you’ve spent years cultivating.”
Stop it. She doesn’t know me as well as she’s implying. Swear.
“But acting under the presumption it is all in order, I am more than willing to be the backer. Completely. I am more than willing to single handedly handle the cost to create the orphanage and keep it running, though I’m sure once it’s up and people see its potential you’re going to be flooded with further expense assistance.”
Her words cause me to hold my breath. “What would the terms be?”
“My only major request is to be an active part. And before you throw your infamous Kellan tantrum, let me reassure you, I am not looking to change anything you have planned. I’m more than willing to let your vision shine through. I just want to be there every step of the way. I don’t want to be clueless or kept in the dark. It’s my money and I prefer to directly impact where it goes. A valuable lesson my father taught me.”
“An admirable one,” I retort in spite of my better judgment.
What! It is! So many people with more money than they know what to do with have a horrible habit of blindly tossing it at charities or organizations that function more like Ponzi schemes than ever actually making the difference they pretend to be committed to. I respect that she cares more than most like I do. Or at least has an iron clad act that’s impossible to see through.
“Why don’t we arrange another meeting for the end of the week? I’ll have the proper papers drafted between now and then and sent to your legal team for review. When we get together again, you can show me the outline of details you have prepared. Once I see it is all in order to the standards of excellence I expect, as I quite imagine it is, we can sign, and I’ll write the first check.”
Her words receive a nod from me. “I’ll have my secretary get in touch with yours after brunch.”
“Excellent.”
Though all this might be irrelevant if my fiancé smothers me in my sleep before that meeting…
The remainder of the morning is filled with food, recalled memories of mine and Kristopher’s ludicrous behaviors at the university, and occasional questions toward Brie to make her feel included despite the fact she clearly has no idea about what or where we’re reminiscing about. Her lack of knowledge of the situations causes her to drink an entire pitcher of mimosas on her own, which is the most alcohol I think I’ve ever witnessed her have in one sitting. Our ride back to the palace is primarily in silence. Rather than question her obviously irate state, I keep to myself, mentally reassuring that once we’re alone, I can make it up to her.
And I will! Look, whether you believe it or not there is absolutely nothing between Felicity and I anymore. That ship wasn’t even really a ship. It was more like a toy tug boat that never left the bathtub. No. I’m not implying we had sex in the bathtub…though we did. Right. Not the point.
We arrive at the same time Kris does and follow him inside.
Immediately, Brie darts for the stairs not bothering to look back to see if I’m behind her. I swiftly grab my brother’s arm and sweetly state to my fiancé, “I’ll be up in just a minute, Love. I need to have a private word with my brother.”
There’s no response.
Shocking…
The moment I’m certain she’s out of earshot, I quietly growl, “I’m going to kill you.”
Kris slightly chuckles, yet when he doesn’t see a matching mirth in my expression, he furrows his eyebrows.
“I’m going to kill you and then become king and make it fucking illegal to have your ex-lover and your future wife at the same bloody table for brunch!”
He laughs again as he yanks his arm away. “Was that uncomfortable for you?”
I glower. “Was all this some sort of bloody joke? Payback for…I don’t know…convincing your wife that if she can’t have coffee than neither can you?”
“That was you?!”
Of course it was me...
“You’re the reason I have to sneak away to have my morning beverage and avoid an earful?”
With a small shrug, I say, “I…am not confessing to that.”
He glares at the same time he snips, “Now I’m bloody thrilled you had to spend the last two and half hours stuck between your past and present colliding. Suddenly, I don’t feel at all guilty.”
“Oh, because you were before?”
“A bit,” my brother sighs. “As much humor as I do find in your misery since you take so much joy in creating it for others, I didn’t love the idea of doing this to you. Brie…Brie makes you bearable. Almost…a decent human if you will. So with that in mind, pissing off the one person who makes you a pain in the ass I can live with just to watch you suffer was less alluring than you’re imaging.”
“Then why the bloody hell did you do this?”
“Because you need Felicity.”
Oh thank God Brie can’t hear him say that.
“She is the missing piece to your dream come true. And that’s what this is Kellan. This is that moment you’ve been begging for for years. No. It isn’t ideal, but the fact is, when these moments arrive they rarely are. Now, I knew you could sit and have this brunch, just like I know you can sit and make this deal. I could’ve warned you beforehand about exactly what was waiting, but you would’ve done everything you could’ve to weasel your way out of it. Away from…the possible discomfort that you would’ve had to face. You would’ve made argument after argument as to why you wouldn’t even give this a chance, so I took that ability away from you. I protected you from yourself.”
His point lifts my eyebrows.
Of course I would’ve denied letting this happen! This seems like recipe for disaster even if having Hannah’s Hope come to life is one of the possible outcomes.
“Kellan, you are in love with Brie. She is in love with you. An entire country has fallen in love with the pair of you. There is not a doubt in anyone’s mind that you belong together. That you will always be together. If there were, I wouldn’t have even bothered to entertain this notion. I forced you to take this risk because changing the country is your driven duty. I’m meant to be king someday, but you’re meant to help it be over a kingdom capable of more than they’ve ever believed possible. And that starts now by building this orphanage with Felicity Malone, who is not a threat to your relationship. She’s not a threat to your happiness. She’s not a threat to anything. Felicity Malone, Kellan, is just business.”
I shove my hands in my pockets and nod my agreement.
“My suggestion, little brother, is to go upstairs, remind your fiancé of that, jet off to the states next week, get married in a few more, enjoy your honeymoon, and come home to let your other dream start to take its rightful place.”
A smile threatens my lips.
Have I mentioned I bloody hate when he goes all big brother on me and does it well? It’s odd. And annoying. And the reason he will be the best man at my wedding.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice someone descending the steps. My attention lands on Soph who looks cranky.
I take joy in knowing his sorrow is going to last inevitably longer than mine.
“Soph.” Kris moves promptly to greet her. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I want a chocolate chip cookie and two scoops of double chocolate chip ice cream on top of it.”
“Nice choice,” I compliment.
She offers me a smile. “Thank you.”
“That seems…quite high in sugar,” Kristopher cautiously begins. “Perhaps one or the other?”
The look of betrayal that coats her eyes is unmistakable. “Are you implying that I’m fat?”
“No!”
“That I don’t need a bloody cookie because I already look like a bloody beluga!”
“No!” He rushes to say while shaking his head in denial. “No! No! No!”
I cock a crooked grin and begin her way. “I think you look like an angel who hung the moon.”
She helplessly swoons at me as I pass her.
“If it were up to me, you could have all the cookies you want and ice cream and chocolate syrup.”
There’s a small gasp and she bites, “I want syrup too, Kristopher!”
Chuckling victoriously under my breath, I continue my way up the stairs.
Oh don’t feel sorry for him. Need I remind you what he just put me through!? It doesn’t matter if he’s right and this is the opportunity I’ve wanted all my life. He could’ve given me a fair warning to properly prepare, as opposed to getting his rocks off from watching me squirm. True, he had a fair point about stopping me from getting in my own way, but it was miniscule. Being a brotherly asshole comes at a cost. This was his.