7. Wilder #2
“Prescott Lamont,” Matteo drawls, interrupting him and taking his hand and shaking it smoothly.
“I know exactly who you are, and you are far more delicious in person.” I groan inwardly at him already starting his flirting, but Prescott only frowns in confusion, before Matteo finally takes pity on him. “My father owns Rodriguez Real Estate.”
That’s rich person talk to explain that his father is an old money billionaire, who I’m sure Prescott Lamont IV is already more than acquainted with. I see his eyes light up in recognition, their handshake still lingering, much to my annoyance.
“Santiago Rodriguez, right?” Prescott confirms, and Matt nods, seeming delighted at his knowledge of his family.
“Yes, I’ve met him a few times at my parents' parties, but I never noticed you in attendance.” The way he says it is in a way that he would have definitely noticed if Matteo were there and for some reason that pisses me off.
At that my friend snorts. “Oh please, I would never go to that boring bullshit.”
Matt might come from old money, but he and his family don’t really buy into that whole archaic crap. He’s a bit of a loose cannon like me, yet unlike my father, his father actually seems to enjoy that about him, and clearly Prescott is surprised by that notion too.
“Your father doesn’t make you? Aren’t you his heir?” he questions, and again I roll my eyes at their old money expectations and bullshit.
“Yeah, but he’s not an archaic douche like most people in our circles, hence me being able to live my dream as the best up and coming racer in PRI,” he winks, and before I can correct him, Prescott beats me to it.
“Don’t you mean second best, since Wilder came ahead of you at everything during your time at The Academy?” he asks, surprising not just Matt, but me too.
I have no idea how the fuck he knows that, but it makes my friend smile.
“Hmm, yes, he is annoyingly good at absolutely everything,” Matt confirms, finally bringing his attention to me, letting his gaze trail over me from head to toe.
“Would you believe me if I say I missed you, Wild?” he asks, biting his lip suggestively, but I am in no mood for his bullshit right now.
“Not for a second,” I reply easily, just as Beckett and Knox appear at the other end of the hallway.
For fuck’s sake, can this morning get any worse?
Matt follows my stare to them and smiles. “If it isn’t my favorite threesome, although I guess it’s twosome now since you’ve left baby Miles back at school, huh?” Is how he greets them, and Beck offers him half a grunt and a fist to bump, while Knox pulls him in for a hug.
“About time you got your ass here, Matt,” Knox huffs when he pulls back. “I see you’ve met our little Reed here,” he adds, giving him a one-armed hug too, and once again I find myself grinding my jaw.
“How come you didn’t fly in with us?” Prescott asks, looking between us, and Matt actually looks appalled at his question.
I guess I would be too if I owned my own private jet at the age of twenty-one.
“Please, as if I would ever fly with these peasants, who knows what venereal diseases they have between them,” he jokes, visibly shaking, before Beck slams his fist into his arm. “Ouch, watch it dick, that's my stick hand.”
Beck only shrugs. “The only one who would have a venereal disease around here is Wild, and he probably caught it from you.”
My eyes are back on Prescott, which means I don’t miss the way his own startle as Beckett uncovers mine and Matt’s shared entanglement, and I half wonder what he’s thinking.
Especially when his eyes snap straight to mine and his teeth sink into his plump bottom lip.
My cock flickers with interest, and I know I have to remove myself from this situation instantly, and focus on the rest of the weekend.
“I’m out of here,” I state to no one in particular, already marching off down the hallway, but Matt is already calling out to my back.
“Mandatory dinner and drinks tonight, Wild, no excuses,” he tells me firmly, and I know there will be no getting out of it when it comes to him.
Fuck, it’s going to be a long day, or I guess I should say a long four months.
For the rest of the day I manage to avoid everyone, including my father, much to his dismay, but true to his word, Matteo forces me into going out with the guys.
He’s big on team bonding, always has been, ever since we were back at The Academy together, and as much as it pisses me off, I know he’s right.
So even though I may be an asshole, I head to his command and join them without complaint.
Okay, without much complaint, anyway.
Matteo of course chooses the fanciest restaurant he can find in the entirety of London, and all four of them appear perfectly at home there during dinner.
He and Prescott run in the same circles, and tax brackets, so it’s hardly surprising, and both Beckett and Knox aren’t far off either.
Not that I’m poor by any means, my grandfather and father made sure of that, but it’s a different kind of wealth, especially to people like them.
Still, dinner is more insufferable than I imagined, especially with the addition of Prescott.
Don’t get me wrong, he has seamlessly fit into our usual foursome, which just annoys me honestly.
Especially when my friends all seem to love him.
He talks about high school with Beck and Knox, and finds common ground about their social circles with Matteo.
All the while I try my best to pretend he doesn’t exist.
Which is basically impossible, considering his gaze keeps flicking across the table toward me.
I’ve barely said two words all evening, something I know Matteo has noticed, but has at least had the decency to not point out.
So I know he’s not surprised when I stand up to excuse myself to be the first one to leave, without even offering an excuse.
“I honestly didn’t think you’d last this long,” he says, and despite suffering through our forced group activities, I still find myself smirking.
“I think you’ve said that to me before,” I toss back with a wink, making Beck and Knox both groan, before I bid them all a goodbye and stride through the restaurant.