here? How are we supposed to judge whether she’s learned class or not? Whether or not she can get through an afternoon tea without throwing a cup against the wall?”
“Or cursing someone’s grandmother,” Kane grumbled with the tiniest hint of a smile.
I drummed my fingers against my knees which bounced excitedly. I snapped my fingers.
“Le Ball.”
Kane snorted in amusement, but Shay just looked confused. His eyes bounced between Kane and me.
“Le Ball? What do you mean Le Ball?”
My grin widened. “That’ll be the test,” I said, leaning in conspiratorially and tapping my finger on the tabletop. “In one month. At Le Ball.”
I laughed when Shay appeared almost frightened.
“Her?” he said. “You want to take that woman to the most prestigious invitation-only debutante ball in Paris? You… you can’t just—you can’t—Ronan.”
I frowned.
“It’s called a plus one.”
Shay laughed. “She is not a plus anything.”
Kane grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s going to be like a bull in a china shop.”
“A bucking bronco in Buckingham Palace,” Shay said, again shaking his head.
I mocked hurt. “You have so little faith in me?” I asked. “I thought you guys believed in me.”
Shay grabbed hold of my shoulder in that fatherly way of his. “We believe that you can take control of your father’s business and do something of your own with it.”
I scowled and shook him off me. “Ew, gross, boring,” I complained. “Why would I do that when I could mould that fiery thing into a proper lady?”
Shay sighed that signature disappointed sigh I’d heard all my life. It was the sigh my father, when he was still alive, sighed when he found me passed out on a floaty in the pool instead of at my university classes. It was the sigh the board of what was now my company sighed when I called to tell them I was “stuck in traffic” yet again and wouldn’t be making the board meeting; they all knew that was code for I did too much coke. It was the sigh women sighed when my butler, Benson, came to escort them from my mansion in the morning. They were all of them disappointed that I wasn’t who they thought I could be—a good son, a good CEO, a good man. By now, I was used to that sigh.
I even developed the perfect counter: a carefree laugh that said loud and clear, keep on dreaming, folks.
“Listen,” I said, neck craning around to catch the eye of a waitress, “I bet I can not only pass her off as part of our world but teach her so well that she’ll snag some rich sucker and actually become a part of our world.”
I winked at the waitress, who nodded at my extended three fingers before disappearing to fill my order. I turned back to Shay and Kane.
“And that’ll prove once and for all what I’ve always known, the truth that we try to hide from ourselves with manners and posh accents.” I paused and looked them each in the eye. “It’s all just a game. And all that matters is how you play.”
Kane and Shay exchanged a doubtful look.
“Well,” I said impatiently, sticking out my hand. “What do you say?”
Shay eyed my hand warily. “What are we betting?”
“One euro,” I said. “Since we’re all scrimping for money.” I wiggled the tips of my fingers like bait on a line. “Come on, what do you have to lose?”
Kane was the first to shake my hand, his eyes locking on mine with a dark flash. “I don’t think you’ll be able to take her to a McDonald’s without her getting booted out of the place,” he said with a devilish grin. “You’re on.”
I turned to Shay. “Well?”
He sighed and shook my hand as well. “I suppose I could afford to lose a euro. Though if anything, I think her manners are going to get worse around you, Ronan.”
The waitress came with the next round of drinks. I threw mine back, draining it in one go.
“Where are you going?” Shay asked as I pushed my chair back with a wretched screech.
I smacked my lips and rubbed my hands together, looking over the heads of the other diners toward the back kitchen door.
“I have to get to work, boys,” I said, grinning down at them. “I mustn’t keep my fair lady waiting.”
Delaney
My boss pinched the bridge of his long, narrow nose as he sighed and sagged against the side of his desk on the brink of collapse from the stacks of