Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Sebastian
I had to admit to my miserable self that I found it entertaining to interact with Darcy on the rare occasions we had a chance run-in, and yesterday’s conversation, which was basically me poking her about Maxwell Barbison, was the perfect example as to why.
Was Maxwell a total dipshit? Absolutely. Was he going to lose all his newfound wealth? Probably not. But I would be shocked if he didn’t go through at least four marriages. He was an upstart, which meant that unlike me and many others who came from old money, he didn’t realize the only way to navigate the social construct was to marry within your class.
Women raised with old money understood her and her husband’s place in the caste system. Marriage was a business first, then romance followed. It all worked very well so long as everyone was on board. Sadly, men like Maxwell would learn the hard way. Most women would want him for his money or possibly his heart, but not both.
It was none of my business either way, and I didn’t particularly care how the man ended up, but I was curious about how Darcy Burke, a failing winery owner’s daughter, knew who Maxwell was. All I knew of the man was that he chummed around with people in my circle and was the brother of my brother Mark’s stupid mistake of a girlfriend.
Mark had been entirely off the rails since he walked out on his wedding to the right woman and disappeared for almost a year, only to return with Anne Barbison on his arm around six months ago—a twenty-two-year-old model who rose to mediocre fame by appearing in ads for her brother’s resort, Whispering Palms , in Florida. She was a beautiful young woman, young being the key term that would end up landing Mark in even more trouble. The man had spun his life out of control, and it was only a matter of time before my father had to bail him out of a Costa Rican prison or something.
The way Mark was behaving was a complete insult to my family’s name, and hopefully, his little fling with Anne, who was constantly stirring up shit, would end.
So, the reality was that I didn’t know much about these upstarts, but the little I learned came from being forced to have a connection through Mark’s poor decision-making. I suppose that was why Darcy’s knowledge surprised me. If I didn’t know much, how could she? Perhaps she Googled my family after I hurt her feelings for the umpteenth time and that’s how she found out about Mark?
“Good God, if that’s the case, she’s got some good ammunition to use on my ass if she wants to,” I said softly to myself.
I sipped on my nightly glass of tequila out by the pool, the only place around here I found relaxing enough to retreat to. And since this was my second glass, I could admit that I did enjoy the one night I saw her sexy ass in a swimsuit. I know I’d turned almost as quickly as it started turning me on, but her taut ass was something I hadn’t been able to remove from my mind since I’d seen it for a brief couple of seconds.
Ping!
“That’s enough of that shit,” I said to myself, thankful that an incoming text interrupted my thoughts that I had no business thinking.
John: I thought I’d check in and see if you’re still alive after being forced to live in California.
I grinned at my baby brother’s text. John was an OBGYN oncologist at Saint John’s Hospital in LA, and he cemented a respectable name for himself, making the family proud after all his successes and publications in various medical journals. John had had a rough run with the family for a while, and I wasn’t proud of myself for my part in that, trying to pull him away from his life in LA and his now wife, Mickie.
Our parents raised us to focus on furthering the family’s legacy, but John bucked at tradition and snuck out the back door, pursuing a life of his own as a doctor and living in California. It didn’t blow over well for a long time, and it wasn’t until I lost Melissa that we all realized life was too short to let our stubbornness keep us apart. After all, we were Asters, which was more important than anything.
Sebastian: This whole thing is a disaster. I haven’t talked to our father since last week when I told him how bad off this place was, from the debts to the fact that it needs a complete overhaul.
John: Ah, well, I just got off the phone with the old man, and I’m doing my brotherly duty by inviting you to visit me here while my bride is away, visiting her parents. Well, that, and I’m bored. Maybe I’ll visit our family’s latest and greatest investment instead?
I wasn’t going to sit here and text all night when a phone call would clear this up faster, so I called my brother instead, and he answered on the first ring.
“What’s up? I was fine with texting,” John said with humor.
“Yeah, well, you know me. I’d rather not play on my phone. I prefer a five-minute phone conversation than a twenty-minute text message exchange.”
“Right, and that is why no one ever pinned you for being the fun one in the family,” he said with a laugh.
“Listen, I can’t make it down. I’m buried in shit up to my fucking eyeballs at this place. I think our parents assigned me to do this as punishment.”
“Our parents, the ones you still allow to control your sorry ass, always have some form of punishment in mind whenever they are allowed to dictate what we do with our lives.”
“That’s your opinion, not mine. They weren’t punishing you by expecting you to live your life as you were raised.”
“I hope you just understood what you said out loud to me,” he chuckled. “No one gets to have expectations about how someone else lives their life.”
“John, I’m not getting into this with you again. You’re the baby of the family, and Mark’s life is off the rails, and because of that, I have no other option but to keep our family’s businesses alive by taking everything on by myself.”
“Spare me the guilt trip and your big brother manipulation tactics,” he said dryly. “You can live your life any way you deem fit. If you think you’ve got to be the future king and keep the wealth going— as if it will ever run out— then so be it. Be the prince you are, do our parents’ bidding, and don’t complain to me that they are punishing you. You’re not being punished; you’re living the dream as the eldest child of Sebastian the Third and Margot Aster.”
“I’m thankful I declined your invitation,” I said with annoyance.
“That’s a shitty thing to say to your little brother who knows for a fact that what you’re doing right now is far from the punishment you’re probably about to receive.”
“What are you going on about now?” I questioned with a roll of my eyes, sobering up from the tequila that’d fully relaxed me a moment ago.
“Well, I was on Jake Mitchell’s yacht yesterday. I only went for the one night since Mickie had to fly out early this morning.”
“Jake Mitchell? You’re talking about Jim’s brother, the doctor?”
“Yes, Dr. Mitchell, my colleague and friend?”
“And?”
“Anyway,” he said with a bit of humor in his voice, “Jake and Jim’s wives were there conversing with a lovely, beautiful woman.”
“You’re not setting me up with anyone out here,” I said, wanting the conversation to end now that I knew the real reason John had gotten in touch.
“No, no,” he laughed. “Though, I am trying to prevent that with this call.”
“Stop fucking around and get to the point. If you want to prevent me from being set up with a lovely, beautiful woman seven hours away, then I think you’re in the clear. So, get to it, and tell me why you are talking about this at all?”
“Okay, calm down, big guy,” he said. “I was only wondering if you’d met her. Her name is Darcy Burke.”
Dear God, what is Darcy Burke doing hanging around my baby brother…and the Mitchells?
“What the hell with that woman?” I questioned. “I think she’s a gold digger or something. First, she’s talking about Maxwell Barbison with her mother in their kitchen, and now, she’s chumming it up with all of you on Jake Mitchell’s yacht?”
“She’s friends with both Mitchells’ wives, and now mine, apparently. She’s quite the firecracker,” he said, finding all this humorous.
“That’s fantastic, and yes, I’ve met her. Her parents own this winery,” I said, annoyed that he was playing coy. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, I think she fucking hates you, man,” he laughed, and I could only roll my eyes.
“She and I didn’t get off on the right foot. For some reason, she takes everything I do to improve this place as a personal insult.”
“ Really? ” he said dramatically, stifling a laugh unsuccessfully. “You mean to tell me that she’s not finding your pompous ass to be the kind and decent fellow everyone knows you’re not?”
“John, cut to the chase, please. What the hell are you laughing about, and why we’re even having this conversation.”
“I swear, I’m not trying to laugh, but I think it’s hilarious,” he cleared his throat. “Oh, come on, Seb. It won’t be all that bad. Like Dad and I discussed, you’ve been in a dark place for a long time. Something or someone needs to pull you out of it.”
“ It won’t be all that bad? What exactly is the it that you’re referring to? Because if it’s me being anything more than that woman’s dad’s boss, you’ve all lost your minds.”
“Good,” he quickly said. “No one expects you to date her or anything.”
“As if,” I answered, feeling my heart hammering in my chest at the thought that my father would betray me in such a way. The idea was preposterous.
“But it was her idea to host something that might allow you to meet a woman of your status. You know, get back in the game and out of this walking dead life you’re in.”
I felt the blood leave my face, “Did you just say it was her idea? How many people know about this? I swear to God, if?—”
“Jim and Dad quickly latched onto her idea to generate buzz and stimulate income for the winery, which they had no idea was such a money pit. Dad called me after Jim did to ensure I support you in a healthy way. He is worried about you, Seb,” John said.
“What the fuck is going on? What has this woman planned, to pimp me out so this shithole can start making money instead of taking it from our personal accounts?” I seethed.
“A Billionaires Bachelor Benefit charity event. Where eligible bachelors will be auctioned off to date. The auction for the date starts at a million dollars, which you and I both know is pocket change for the women in our circles, and it’s a beautiful contribution to charity. The funds will be divided, seventy percent to the winery and thirty percent to the women’s shelter that Jim’s wife runs. It’s for tax write-offs, of course.”
I stared intently at the pool, shocked that the anger coursing through my body wasn’t boiling the water from my furious gaze.
“I will not be attending,” I said, shocked beyond all belief that Darcy would pull this shit on me.
“From how Dad made it sound, you have no other option. You’re the one who keeps adding up the coin that needs to be thrown at that winery, so it’s time you chip in and help pay shit off,” he said.
“So, this is a personal bitch fit that our father is throwing?”
“No, I think the only one this is personal to is Darcy. Like I said, you must’ve really pissed her off because she pitched it in such a way that even our Dad took the bait when Jim proposed it to him this morning.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the audacity of this bold woman who wanted to get even with me. Well, I could play petty, childish games, too, and her cute, sassy way of getting back at me was about to backfire in her adorable little smartass face.
“You still there?” John asked while my mind went in a hundred directions about how to get retribution for the idea she probably came up with while drunk on the yacht.
Jesus, who would’ve known I shouldn’t have let the woman out of my sight after pissing her off?
“I’m here. This is truly unfortunate,” I sighed and feigned frustration.
“How so? You’re the most eligible bachelor in the land. Every available woman, and a lot of men too, for that matter, is dying to get a date. You’ll have the highest bid on your ass for sure, at least twenty million.”
“Is that so?” I smiled, excited to ruin everyone’s plans for my life, especially Darcy’s.
“Well, I’m not a bachelor,” I lied. “You see, Darcy and I sort of have a thing. Everything you might’ve heard about how much we hate each other is far from the truth. I’m quite certain Darcy was just drunk, and?—”
“I know you think I’m a complete idiot, Seb,” John said through more laughter, “but I’ve met a lot of people who think you’re a self-righteous prick, and she’s got the look, okay? This woman hates you, and I can hear your disdain for her in your voice. You’re just a chicken shit, and you don’t want your handsome ass auctioned off.”
“I swear to God, John.”
“No need to bring God into it. I just had to give you a heads-up before you got ambushed. You’re the type who needs to prepare yourself, and you’ve already been through a lot.”
“Well, I suppose I appreciate the heads up on this one, especially because Darcy Burke conjured this plan, and it somehow met with our father’s approval. But I promise Darcy will go through more hell than she thinks she’s planned for me.”
John laughed. “Holy shit, I can’t imagine what it’s like being in the company of you two, given how you talk about each other behind the other’s back.”
I smiled, “Well, you’re about to have that opportunity because she will be my fake girlfriend to keep me from being the prized bull on the auction block at her little benefit.”
“And how will you do that?”
“Trust me, she’s got something I can bribe her with. She’ll be all smiles and all over me when we show up together at this stupid little benefit—which is in how many days?”
“Once the planners get the go-ahead and invitations are sent, things like this can be planned in less than a month. I would stay on the safe side and assume it’ll probably be maybe two months?”
“Perfect.” I folded my hands together, thinking of all the ways I could make Darcy regret trying to fuck with me. I’d never felt, or probably looked, more like a cartoon villain. “That’s more than enough time for me to make some public appearances with the woman on my arm, and it will be evident by then that I’m not a bachelor.”
“You know Mom and Dad are going to lose their shit when they find out you’re dating the daughter of?—”
“They can lose their shit all they want. According to your call with Dad, they were willing to pimp me out to make money off my being single again. Actually, I hope this pisses them off more than when you and Mark went against their wishes.”
“Ha. Now we’ve finally pulled your handsome ass over to the dark side. Welcome to the black sheep club.”
“I don’t give a shit what happens. I will not tolerate games, and Darcy Burke has crossed a line.”
“I wish I could be a fly on the wall when she finds out she’s forced to date you,” he chuckled, “because she seemed overly elated with the idea of you being auctioned off.”
“I’m quite sure she was. Now, I need to go. I have some digging to do if I want to leverage her into this.”
My brother and I hung up, and I immediately went to work to uncover who the hell Darcy was.
It was open season. Everything was fair game now, and I wouldn’t back down. I didn’t care how relentless I had to be; I would find a way to make her eat her words.