Tasty

3. Hello, “Mr. S”

HELLO, “MR. S”

Mr S.

“Only you would order steak at this hour of the day,” I said, watching Dillon cut into his plate with disgust. “What happened to starting the day with something light?”

He laughed with his mouth full.

“Brother, life’s too short for rabbit food. Gotta bulk up, right?” He flexed his arm enough to make me roll my eyes. “Besides, we’re drinking tonight, remember? A foundation needs to be laid before I make myself sick.”

“No,” I stabbed at my own breakfast and corrected him. “You’re drinking tonight. I just wanna do this event and go the fuck home.”

Dillon chuckled, unfazed.

He hadn’t changed a damn bit. Almost thirty years of knowing this man, and he still had the same laugh and the same cocky grin.

I’d been dealing with it since foster care, and even though we spent the majority of the years living on opposite coasts—with me buried in work back in Napa and him setting up shop in New York—somehow, every time we sat down together it felt like no time had passed at all.

“Well, ain’t you in a bad mood,” He grinned wider, chewing slowly. “It ain’t no liquor launch party without a bit of drinking, Wolf.”

I leaned back in my chair. “Pretty sure the guests are supposed to be the ones drinking. Not you, fool.”

“Fuck, I’m paying for the shit, might as well enjoy it.” Dillon shrugged, then pointed at me with his fork. “Speaking of enjoyment, you ready for tonight? Everybody and their mama’s showing up.”

I shrugged.

“Everybody and their mama’s already drinking our wine,” I shot back. “Tonight is just an excuse for you to drag me out of my house.”

Dillon laughed again. “Man, only you can turn a huge milestone like this into an inconvenience. Twenty-five years in business celebrated by the launch of a new wine, a wine you curated, and you still would rather be in bed rubbing your feet together.”

“Correction,” I interjected. “I would rather be in my office, going over the cost to host an event like this. It’s too much, Dee.”

He waved it off. “It’s not enough, we’re celebrating. We deserve it.”—Debatable—“If this new wine is a success like I know it’s gonna be, we won’t have to worry about money issues for a long time.”

I dropped my fork. “And if it isn’t?”

Dillon sighed. “Seriously man. What has you in such a negative mood today?”

I honestly didn’t know.

After my night with Desire, I woke up kinda refreshed. I shaved. I worked out. I even took advantage of that massage setting in the tub.

But for some reason, I had a feeling in my gut that tonight would be a disaster. The new wine may not be the saving grace we hoped it would be.

“Dee. We gotta talk about what we’re gonna do if this doesn’t work out. We can’t just—”

“Wolf.”

He wiped his mouth and looked at me.

“The wine is good. The launch will be successful. We are okay. We are not going to go bankrupt and we’re not laying off anyone. Alright?”

I wanted to believe him. “How do you know?”

“Because,” he went back to eating. “It just has to work out for us. The universe doesn’t reward bad energy, so cut that ‘what if’ shit out. It’s bumming me the fuck out.”

“It’s hard to stay positive when our situation is this dire.”

“Yeah right. Your miserable ass just likes to wallow. When was the last time you even did something for fun? Just to take your mind off things?”

Tuh.

I picked up my glass and smirked into it before taking a sip.

Dillon leaned back in his chair, watching me.

“Oh, I see. You got company.”

“Nah, nothing like that.” I set my glass down. “Just had a little bed warmer recently. That’s all.”

His eyes grew. “How recent?”

I checked my watch. “Eight hours ago?”

“Fuck! An escort?”

My face screwed up. “Now why would I spend money on pussy when I get it for free? I just picked her up at the hotel bar.”

“I hope it ain’t one of our contractors or vendors.”

“Nah. Too young.”

His eyebrow cocked up. “How young we talking?”

“Calm down. It wouldn’t be a scandal if anything got out. Not that I think she’d put anything out. Shit, the way I had her in my bed? She might not wanna let the world know she got down like that.”

“Damn. Alla that?”

“And more.”

He laughed, quickly followed up with a fist bump. “I’m jealous, maybe I need to sit my ass at the bar tonight.”

I scoffed. “Please, you even got play since—”

My throat tightened as soon as I started but he caught it anyway.

“Sorry.”

He waved me off.

“No. You’re good. And yes, I got play. Just not as much as I used to. I’m too busy with business and my daughter.”

Right, he had a little girl.

I haven’t seen her in years.

“How old is she now? Like sixteen?”

“Try twenty-four, asshole.” He shook his head. “Thank God you opted out of being her Godfather. You are terrible with kids.”

I raised my glass to that.

“Which is why I ain’t got any.”

He was about to respond when his phone buzzed against the table. Dillon glanced at the screen, and back at me with a ‘speak of the devil’ expression.

He answered quickly.

“Hey, princess.” His tone was softer than I had ever heard it with anyone else. “Mm-hmm… yeah, I know. Look, I’m in the middle of something right now, but swing by, okay?”

I sipped my water. I guess I’ll see this daughter of his for the first time in years.

“Do you hear me?” Dillon laughed into the phone. “Yeah, yeah, I know how you get… Love you too.”

He hung up, dropping the phone back into his pocket. “That girl could run through a platinum card like it’s Monopoly money. I swear she’s allergic to the word budget.”

I grinned into my glass. “Sounds familiar.”

“Watch it. At least when I spend, it makes us money. When she spends? Whole different story.”

“You raised her,” I said simply.

“Yeah,” he muttered, though the pride was all over his face. “She’s stopping by for the card before her little ‘shopping therapy session.’ Lord help me.”

“Smart girl. She knows you’re buzzing about tonight and asks when you’re too geeked to realize she caught you slipping.”

“I know.” He hummed in nostalgia. “She didn’t get that quickness from me,” he said quickly, but I didn’t miss the way his grin faded.

Alice.

“Right.” I cleared my throat, not ready to have that conversation. “How is she? Your daughter, I mean. Amber, right?”

“Aurora.” Dillon corrected before flagging the waiter for another round of drinks, shaking his head.

“Man, you’ll see for yourself in a minute.

The girl is beautiful but spoiled rotten.

Sweet, don’t get me wrong, hard-working but spoiled.

I don’t know what to do with her, and I can’t tell her no.

Ha! Get this. Yesterday morning, she was blowing up my phone, mad because she wanted the penthouse suite here at the hotel. ”

I scoffed at the idea. That’s funny, I met a girl who…Wait a fucking minute.

Beautiful.

Penthouse suite.

Spoiled brat.

No fucking way.

Before I could piece it together fully, I felt a shift in the room that made me look up before my brain told me why.

There was absolutely no fucking way.

“Speak of the devil,” Dillon said, pushing his chair back to stand. “Aurora. Come here, baby girl. Meet Marlon Sinclair, my business partner.”

Her perfume announced her, followed by the clicking of high heels.

I think I’m gonna be sick.

The same girl who was draped across my sheets hours ago was standing right at our table now, eyes lighting up when they landed on me.

Then she held out her hand for me to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Sinclair.”

I’m gonna puke.

I took my time setting down my glass, meeting her gaze.

“Likewise,” I said evenly, shaking her extended hand firmly but quickly. “Aurora.”

Of all people, it had to be her. I still had this woman’s cum stains on my sheets for fuck’s sake.

She slid into the empty chair next to Dillon, crossing her legs just so, her eyes never leaving mine.

Hair laid, outfit pristine, not a trace of the wild rabbit I’d had in my suite last night. The only thing giving her away was the slight sparkle in her eye when it cut to me.

“So,” Dillon was saying, “Marlon and I were just going over tonight’s party. Big night for us.”

Aurora propped her chin in her hand, nodding politely. “Mhm. I see, and I’m so excited for you, Daddy.”

Then her gaze slid back to me, deliberate, teasing. “Congratulations to you too, Mr. S.”

I knew I looked like a straight-up fool.

“Thank you,” I said smoothly, forcing my voice steady.

Her lips curved. “So, how come I’ve never seen you before? You’ve been Daddy’s business partner for years, and we’ve never crossed paths.”

Dillon didn’t notice the implications in the question, but I did. My jaw clenched.

Putting this on me, huh?

Nah, this was a fuck up on both our ends. But I couldn’t outwardly get into the logistics with her. So I gave a tight smile and said, “I like my privacy.”

“It’s true,” Dillon sighed. “Wolf here is a complete shut-in. So much so ya mama gave him the nickname lone wolf, but you can call him Wolf for short.”

I cringed. “Please don’t.”

She shook her head. “I think it’s way more respectful to call you Mr. S, right?”

She was pushing me. I chugged water instead of answering.

“Don’t take it personal,” Dillon told her. “He ain’t much for socializing. I even had to beg him to come to tonight’s event.”

I scoffed, twiddling with my fork, trying to look busy. Usually, I’d defend myself, but I’d rather end any topic related to me when it comes from this woman.

“Hmm.” She dragged the sound out, nails tracing the patterns of the tablecloth. “Well, I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other a lot more now, won’t we?”

My fork stilled against the plate. “Huh?”

Dillon chuckled, oblivious. “Yeah, I was thinking of letting her start on-boarding with us soon. She’s gotta learn the ropes soon, right?”

She’s gonna work with us?

Aurora’s lashes fluttered, her smirk just for me.

I took a long sip of water again to hide the heat crawling up the back of my neck.

She was playing with me, bold as hell too, and Dillon had no clue.

“Anyway,” Dillon went on, waving down the waiter, “she’s just here to grab my card before she runs the city dry. Isn’t that right?”

Aurora’s gaze never left mine.

“Don’t worry, Daddy,” she said sweetly, “I’ll try not to spend it all in one place.”

Her foot brushed mine under the table. A small touch, but it might as well have been a gun to the ribs.

I held my expression steady, the way I would at a board meeting. Inside, though, dread coiled tighter.

This was a problem.

The meal dragged on after Aurora showed up. Dillon kept talking while she sat across from me like it was a private joke only we knew. Every time I tried to focus, her heel brushed my leg under the table, or her lips curved in that little smirk.

I held my composure. Years in business had trained me for moments like this.

When it was over, Dillon kissed the top of her head and slipped the black card to her. She took it before standing.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. S.”

Then she was gone.

I stayed long enough to appear polite before excusing myself to begin preparing for tonight’s event.

But in reality, I needed a fucking drink.

I ended up in the same bar where this whole mess started. It was half-empty, low lights, a piano humming somewhere in the background.

I loosened my tie, sat at the counter, and ordered a neat bourbon.

I needed the burn to clear my head.

There’s a lesson in this. One I’m too afraid to unpack. Like if I had just kept it in my pants I wouldn’t be going through this.

If I had been sober last night I may have been able to place her. After all, she’s the spitting image of Alice.

Fuck.

If she’s Dillon’s kid, that means she’s Alice’s kid too.

Fuck, that thought made me sick.

I’d just taken the first sip when her voice sang out behind me.

“You’re making it obvious, Mr. Sinclair.”

I turned slowly and exhaled through my nose, setting the glass down. “Did you know who I was when you came onto me last night?”

Her brows lifted in amusement.

“If I remember correctly, you came onto me.” She approached the bar and slid into the seat beside mine, close enough for her perfume to wrap around me again. “And no. I had no idea who you were.”

“Convenient,” I muttered.

“It’s true.” She crossed her legs, making the hem of her skirt inch higher. “If I did know, maybe I would’ve asked for two bottles instead of one.”

I gave her a flat, unamused look. “This isn’t funny.”

“Oh, but it is.” She leaned in, resting her chin on her hand. “You should’ve seen your face when Daddy introduced us. I could literally see the gears in your mind turning. Priceless.”

“Keep your voice down.”

“What, afraid someone’s gonna overhear?” Her tone was light, teasing. “Relax, Mr. Sinclair. You’re not my first secret.”

The knot in my chest pulled tighter. “I don’t give a fuck about your other secrets. This one could ruin me.”

Her smile widened like I’d said something cute. “Ruin you? Please. It was a hook up not tax evasion.”

I shifted on the stool, trying to put some space between us. She closed it right back up, her knee brushing mine.

“What do you want, Aurora?” I asked finally.

Her lashes fluttered, her smirk softening into something almost thoughtful. “Honestly? I don’t even know yet.”

“Well, I know what I want.” I clenched my jaw, swallowing another sip of bourbon. “You need to stay away from me.”

“Mm, I don’t think I do.” She tilted her head, eyes catching the light. “Besides, you didn’t seem to mind me being close last night. Didn’t you say you love me too, Mr. S?”

I kept my stare on the glass because looking at her was dangerous. “Last night was different.”

“Was it?” she pressed. “Because it feels the same to me. My thighs are still sore and my ass hurts from all the spanking.”

The bartender cleared his throat and I gave him a warning glare. And she had the nerve to laugh.

This fucking girl.

She was reckless and knew exactly what kind of trouble she was stirring. I should’ve shut it down the second she walked in.

Instead, here I was, sitting and listening to her toy with me while every instinct screamed to get up and leave.

I turned to her finally, eyes hard. “You think this shit is a game? Huh? It’s not! You don’t know what you’re playing with.”

Aurora’s lips parted into a slow grin. “Sure, I do. I’m playing with you. And I like playing with you, Mr. S.”

I grimaced, “Don’t call me that.”

Laughing at my frustration, she stood. “I’ll see you at the party tonight, Marlon! Bye-bye for now.”