Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“I’ll wait here while you guys get your food,” I tell them and expect for them to go except only Zara and Evan walk off. “You can go. I’ll be here.”
“Think I’ll keep you company,” Viktor says and pulls out a chair. I sit in the seat next to him. “I need something to drink.” I look over at him. “I mean, water.” He stops a waiter and asks them for a bottle of water. “So where’ve you been, Zoe?”
I shrug. “I’ve been around. Work has been crazy busy.”
“Yeah,” he says, and the waiter comes over with the bottle of water. “So I heard.”
“Why?” I ask him, crossing my legs, and the dress falling to the side so all you see are my legs. He hisses.
“I’ve just not seen you around. I asked about you a couple of times,” he says, and I tilt my head. “Zara said you were busy with listings.”
I turn at look at my sister, who is standing beside the food. She hasn’t mentioned once that he asked about me. “It’s a crazy time of year. Everyone wants to be in a new house come summer.”
“Is that the real reason?” he asks, and I grab my glass of wine and drink the whole glass. “Didn’t think so.”
“Well, you didn’t text me or call and ask me.” I turn and look at him, and now I stand. “Not once did my phone ring, so if you really were worried about where I was, you sure as shit didn’t make an effort to find out.”
“I couldn’t,” he says softly, and before I could ask him what that means, my mother and father come over.
“Hey there,” my father says and sees my cleavage and then glares. “Zoe, there are men everywhere here,” he says and looks at my mother. “Did you know about this?”
My mother somewhat ignores his question and smiles at him. “She looks beautiful,” coming to me and hugging me, then looks at Viktor. “Besides, Viktor is right here. You think anyone is going to come up to her?” I look at Viktor, who just smiles at my father and then gets up to kiss my mother on the cheek. When the fuck did this happen? “You look so nice,” she tells him as if they are long-lost friends.
I want to yell what is going on, but I know I can’t, so I just look at them as my mother and Viktor chat about the Christmas vacation. “I’m going to grab a plate,” I say and walk straight to Zara, who is walking back to the table alone with her plate.
“Who pissed you off?” she asks. “You look like you’re stabby.”
“I am stabby,” I say through clenched teeth and look around to see if anyone is around and listening. “What in the fuck is going on?”
“You are going to have to be a bit more specific than that,” she says, looking around. “We are at the arena, and it’s New Year’s Eve.”
“Cut the bullshit. Viktor said he asked about me, something you never brought up,” I tell her and don’t give her an option to talk or answer. “And then he kisses you on the cheeks and Mom also.”
“One, I didn’t think you wanted to know that he asked about you. Two, you deserted the whole family for a month while you planted your head in the sand. He’s been at every single function we’ve had. I think he was coming to see you, but you weren’t there.”
“What?” I whisper, and then Evan comes over.
“Zoe, that dress is a bit much,” he says, looking at the deep V. “You need to burn that dress, actually.” He looks around. “M&M!” he shouts to the side and both Matthew and Max turn around. “Look at Zoe!” He points at me, and the smile on Matthew’s face disappears, and then Max throws his head back and bursts out laughing. It’s no surprise that Matthew charges over.
“Are you crazy?” he says, taking off his jacket and throwing it on me. “Your boobs look like they are going to pop out,” he hisses, looking around as I knock his hands away from me.
“Knock it off,” I tell him. “I’m going to get something to eat. Besides,” I smile at him, “did you see what your wife is wearing?”
“You need to go home and change,” Matthew says, and Zara laughs now. “She is wearing a …” he says, turning to look at her. “Where is her jacket?” he says, looking back at her and seeing that Karrie is wearing an off-the-shoulder black dress that’s tight all the way down with a slit on the side.
“You might need this,” I tell him, giving him the jacket as he stomps away.
“You guys are going to be the death of me,” he says between his clenched teeth.