Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“Whitt?” Eve asked, concern in her voice. “What’s wrong?”
“Come with me and act natural.”
She shot me a curious look but did as I’d suggested. I could have stormed over there myself, but there was no way I would make it across the entire barn alone without someone stopping me. Plus, if someone realized exactly what I was doing, it might alert the remaining Wrights that I wanted to keep them ignorant of what was going on.
Eve stayed on my arm the entire walk over. She smiled and waved at people, but we didn’t stop to make conversation. With her at my side, I had more immunity to the party. She must have realized what I had a second before we reached Colton.
“Oh,” she whispered.
Colton caught sight of us approaching him and shoved the wine behind his back. He took a step away, as if he were going to head for the exit.
I stepped in front of him before he could bolt. “Either you want to get caught or you’re stupid. Which is it?”
Colton pursed his lips and set the wineglass down on a nearby table. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t think you’re stupid,” I continued. “But if you get caught, that would be really stupid.”
He looked ready to argue with me. I didn’t know what good it would do. Trying to get his dad’s attention by drinking at the only event he’d been allowed out of the house to go to, other than work, was pretty stupid. He’d probably known it and done it anyway. That rebellious streak was familiar. I’d done stupid things like that to get my dad’s attention, only to realize that nothing worked. I didn’t think Jensen was that way at all, but Colton was desperate and mad after what happened in the city. None of those things made for good decision-making.
“I drank all the time in New York, you know,” Colton finally said.
I laughed. “I believe you.”
“I was drinking at fifteen, too,” Eve said. “Doesn’t mean that I should have.”
Colton did a double take at the sight of her. “Who’s this?”
“Colton, this is Eve. Eve, Colton.”
“This is the girl you’re texting all the time?”
I wanted to put my head in my palm. “Yes, this is Eve.”
“Damn, boss. You did good,” Colton said with a nod of his head.
Eve chuckled. “Uh, thank you?”
“You know the boss is super into you?”
“That so?” she asked with an amused look.
“Sure. Can’t blame him.” Colton grinned deviously. A look that probably broke the hearts of many high school girls.
Eve looked like she was trying not to laugh.
“Stop hitting on her,” I said, smacking the back of his head affectionately.
Colton laughed. “Worth a shot.” He met my gaze again. “Are you going to tell my dad?”
“Would I have come over here if I was going to do that?”
“Guess not.”
“Go be a kid or whatever,” I told him. “Try not to get in trouble for an entire night.”
“Lame, bruh,” Colton said. he just winked at Eve and then disappeared into the crowd.
I wasn’t sure it would keep him from drinking. He wanted attention, and we’d given him some. Hopefully, that would slake his thirst for the spotlight. One that was surely going to get him arrested again if he didn’t get his shit together.
“What an…interesting kid,” Eve said.
“He’s a little shit.”
“Yeah. Weren’t we all at that age?”
“I wasn’t.”
She snorted. “Of course not. Whitt Wright has never done anything wrong.”
“Well, I was a shit at a younger age than him. Then, I realized it wasn’t getting me anywhere and turned it around. I hope he does, too.”
Eve nodded, a small frown touching her features. “Yeah, I wish we all learned that lesson.”
Before I could ask her what she meant by that, Jordan was at a microphone, and my name was being called. “Whitt! Come on up here.”
“Oh fuck,” I grumbled.
Eve pushed me forward. “Go on. Get your recognition.”
“You’re supposed to save me.”
“Later,” she promised with a discreet ass grab as I walked away.
I jerked around to find her straight-faced, somehow smothering the laugh still evident in her eyes. I shook my head at her and then strode to the stage. The crowd cheered me as I stepped onto the stage. Jordan shook my hand. Morgan was there a second later, congratulating me for my new position. I smiled in the hot lighting as they went on about my achievements at the company. I hadn’t even been there that long, and already, I was such an asset.
It was overwhelming. And as much as I hated the spotlight, it was everything I’d ever wanted.
A round of congratulations. The entire company applauding me. The CEO personally throwing a party for me. I’d thought the corner office was the epitome of the top of my goals, but I needed to have bigger goals.
Once everything quieted down, I stepped into the backstage. I’d been here a few times with West when he was playing the venue, but this time, it was empty. I breathed out a sigh of relief.