Summer's End (Wildflowers #5) - Jill Sanders Page 0,52
to give the woman an opening to harm a hair on Aubrey’s head.
There was a glint of something in Bridgett’s eye when they were introduced officially. It was funny, even though he’d been present earlier, the woman hadn’t paid any attention to him. He was pretty sure that it was because she’d been so focused on hurting Aubrey and making her point that she had her claws in Aubrey’s father.
However, this time, when Aubrey introduced him in front of all the watching eyes, Bridgett made a point to hug him and offer him her warmest welcome. He’d held very firm and still.
He noticed the attraction in her gaze as she ran her eyes over his tux, but it was the hint of crazy that he was watching out for.
He saw a flash of it when he helped Aubrey off with her coat. Bridgett ran her eyes over Hannah’s dress choice for Aubrey and anger flooded her eyes. Hannah had definitely known what she was doing when she picked the beautiful and expensive outfit for Aubrey. Bridgett obviously couldn’t stand competition, even when they weren’t competing for the same man, seeing as she was supposed to be in love with Aubrey’s father.
Earlier, when they’d been shopping for Aubrey’s outfit, Aiden had inwardly balked at the cost of the dress. Then the shop owner had waved away Aubrey’s attempt to pay for the outfit and mentioned that she owed Hannah a favor. The dress and shoes were free of charge.
He made a mental note to keep in Hannah’s good favor.
Not long after they’d been greeted at the door, a flock of guests surrounded them. Aubrey was asked so many questions that he lost track of some of her answers. It was only after they’d each been given a glass of champagne that he realized she wasn’t telling anyone the truth.
Whenever she was asked what she did for a living, she would make something up. Something ridiculous like helping starving children in Bali or working at a plastic surgeon’s office in LA.
“What are you doing?” he asked her when they were alone for a moment.
She sipped her drink and shrugged. “These people don’t listen or care,” she said as she glanced around the room. “If you watch, the moment after I answer their question, if I can’t benefit them, they tune me out.” She sighed. “I’ve always messed with them.” She chuckled and turned to him. “I’ve thought of some fun ones. One year at the Christmas party, I told everyone I was a stripper and almost everyone told me how wonderful what I was doing was.”
He chuckled. “And here I was telling these people the truth.”
She faked a little gasp. “Don’t you dare. These people may actually think highly of you.” She clicked her glass to his. “Then we’d be stuck here longer.”
He sighed. “Is this what your childhood was like?” He motioned to the wealthy people surrounding them. It was true, he’d picked up on the fact that people were only talking to them because Aubrey was Harold’s daughter. Most of them began the conversation by exclaiming that they didn’t know Harold had a daughter or how much she looked like the old man.
“Some of it, yes. He didn’t start inviting me to client dinners until after I hit puberty. My attendance was required. Most of the time he ignored me after he’d rattled off all my achievements. Then again, once I started failing him, he sort of just cut me off. I think it was the reason he kicked me out and dropped me after my eighteenth birthday. I didn’t live up to his standards.” She shrugged as she sipped her drink. Her eyes moved to where Bridgett was laughing loudly at something someone said to her. “She doesn’t fit in,” she said to him. “And everyone is making sure to let her know. It’s sort of fun watching the wolves surround her.”
He glanced across the room and noticed it as well. Her voice rang over everyone else’s in the room, and each time she laughed, eyes turned to her in disgust.
Bridgett was dressed in red from head to toe, which caused her to stand out amongst all the black tuxedoes.
Bridgett’s blond hair was styled so that everyone could admire the massive diamonds on her ears and around her neck. He turned back to Aubrey and smiled at the small heart-shaped diamond she wore over her own heart.