Chapter 49 #2
“Hello, ma’am. I’m Ryan Callahan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extends a hand to my mother, who shakes it before quickly dropping it. “This is a lovely event, y’all did a wonderful job.”
“Ryan Callahan. That’s right. Harlow mentioned you were unable to make it, so what a pleasant and charming surprise. This is my event co-host and dear friend, Bunny Lockwood.”
“Oh, aren’t you handsome! What is it that you said you do?” Bunny goes for the jugular, and I can see her calculating the cost of his tux, shoes, and watch.
“I work in finance.” Ryan is vague, and I could kiss him for it because it will drive my mother and Bunny nuts.
“I see. Well, it’s so nice for Harlow to have a friend to keep her company tonight. Stuart is here and was hoping to catch up, dear.” Bunny pats my arm like I want anything to do with her creep of a son.
“Oh my goodness, he came. Bunny, look. Wellington Sinclair from Lux just arrived!” My mother’s eyes are dancing with delight, but it has nothing to do with Wells, no, it has everything to do with the gossip columns and press that follow Wells and Jack around like bloodhounds.
“Is he here with anyone? Do we know them?” Bunny asks, not at all trying to keep her voice down.
“I can’t believe he came. We never heard back from the invitation.
He is so evasive when it comes to events like this.
Honestly, Astor, I think he just secured the success of our event, especially with The Spill out front taking photos. ”
Ryan fake coughs to cover his laugh, but I don’t miss the dirty look my mother gives him. Wells spots us and starts making his way through the crowd, despite being stopped every few feet by gawkers and schmoozers.
“He’s coming over here, Astor!” Bunny squeals—squeals—like a schoolgirl with a crush.
Wells doesn’t look like most billionaires.
He wears thick-rimmed glasses, has full sleeve tattoos, and while the tux he is wearing covers those, they do not cover the few that are on his neck.
He looks more like a professional athlete dressed up for an event than a tech billionaire that could own multiple professional teams.
“Mr. Sinclair, thank you so much for coming this evening. I’m Astor Morgan-Lane, one of the co-hosts of this event, and this is my counterpart, Bunny Lockwood.” Mother’s smile is as wide and beautiful as it is fake and calculating.
Wells shakes their hands before turning to us. Mother is about to introduce us when Wells leans over and kisses my cheek then shakes Ryan’s hand.
Mother’s face is absolutely priceless.
I—for once—wish those photographers were closer.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. I had to find a tux, and it was a whole thing. Did you guys already get drinks? I’m parched.” Wells looks around for a waiter as my mother’s mouth opens and closes in shock.
“No worries, man. We just arrived a bit before you, but I think dinner will start soon, so we should find our table.” Ryan checks the time on his watch without removing his other hand from my hip.
Wells grimaces. “Oh, shit. I didn’t RSVP, so they may not have a spot for me.”
“You can sit with us at the head table, Wellington. We’d be delighted to have you,” Bunny interjects.
Wells gives her a polite smile. “Thanks, but I’d rather sit with my friends and not draw more attention to myself, if possible.”
“I’m sure we can make room for you at our table,” I insist as my mother looks like her head is going to explode.
“I’m sorry, how do you all know each other?” She’s trying to play it cool, but in a delightful turn of events, Wells’s arrival is making my mother lose her ever-loving shit.
And it. Is. Awesome.
I look to Ryan, who raises his eyebrows at me, letting me take the lead. This man … he knows how amazing this all is and is letting me have the win.
“Mother, Wells is the co-founder of Lux—” I start before she interrupts me.
“Yes, everyone knows that, Harlow.” She laughs condescendingly. “Most of us don’t live in our books and at our desk jobs, darling. We have actual lives.”
Wells jerks his head back before looking at Ryan, who subtly shakes his head.
“And his business partner is Jack Callahan,” I finish my sentence and let her try to put two and two together.
“Callahan.” Mother looks to Ryan, to me, then back to Ryan. “Is there a relation?”
“Indeed, ma’am. Jack is my oldest brother.”
“Brother?!” Astor Morgan-Lane adores expensive things and her social status—the latter being largely built on the families you come from or the ones you marry into.
“Yeah, he’s also my best friend, and I think some day he will be my actual brother, too.
” Wells shrugs. “So, I’ve known Ryan for, what, a couple decades now?
I consider all the Callahans my family at this point.
” I lean into Ryan’s embrace, delighting in the mortification my mother is unable to keep hidden.
She wrote Ryan off because he wasn’t impressive enough according to her own standards, not understanding that he was connected to someone she would deem very important, which in turn, actually elevated Ryan’s standing in her mind.
None of the Callahans care about any of that. Even Walker, my boss and friend, comes from significant wealth in Texas, but also, no one cares.
But of course, Astor would care—quite a lot, in fact.
“They better have good food at this thing, or we are bailing. I know of this mom-and-pop shop a few miles from here that makes the best damn sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life,” Wells continues to talk about local restaurants like my mother’s perception of who her daughter is didn’t just get completely flipped upside down.
Wells goes to get a drink, promising to be right back, just as Stuart Lockwood joins his mother.
“Harlow, darling, so lovely to see you.” Stuart leans down to kiss my cheek, and I pull away just in time to dodge him. His eyes narrow and he is about to say something when Ryan sticks his hand out between us.
“Hi, I’m Ryan Callahan, Harlow’s boyfriend. And you are?”
I’ve never been so proud of a label in my entire life.