I hang up the phone with Monica before tossing it in my suit pocket. I can feel the irritation flowing through me like it was it's own personal entity. Louisa has messaged me several times to tell me how excited she is and every single one of those messages felt like a giant betrayal to Monica.

If the shoe were on the other foot I would be pissed. If she wanted to go to an event with another male, especially an attractive one, I would not be anywhere near thrilled. If she had to spend an evening arm in arm, sitting beside him, I'd fucking loathe it.

I don't find Louisa enticing in particular but she is a beautiful woman. She's also got a very intimidating personality, it's bold and very 'in your face'. She's much like her father in that regard and she's rather forward. She's tried to get handsy with me before but it never went anywhere. Plus, I think she had had too much to drink. I doubt she even remembers the instance.

After grabbing my keys I drive to her place. It's a swanky condo that she lives in. Being the gentleman I most certainly don't feel like being, I walk up and knock on her door. She opens up after a minute.

"Well well well, look at what the cat dragged in." No, look at what my father made drag himself to your front door. "You want to come in for a bit before we head to the gala? Have a few drinks and catch up?"

"No, I think it's better if we just go straight there." She frowns so I add, "you know how my father is, always punctual."

"You're not wrong. My father is much the same way. But I can't imagine you follow much of your father's rules anymore." She grabs ahold of one of my lapels and then smoothes her hand out over my chest. "Not with you being so grown now." There's a hint of something in her voice that has me stepping backward.

"Nope. No one can convince me into doing something I don't want to do these days." She takes the hint, turning to lock her door, before we head back down to the car.

The ride to the venue isn't far. It's being held at my friend Torey's father's casino. Well, one of his fathers, considering he has two. It's a bit of a complicated situation but I'm sure both of them and their wife will be there tonight. Maybe even Adri will be there and can drag my date off to do whatever it is she wants to do.

"So, I saw that you're seeing someone."

"Yeah, I'm with someone. Happily taken." Married actually.

She doesn't respond to that as I park the car in front of the valet. I get out and go swiftly over to her side to open the door for her. I hold out a hand to her which she gladly takes.

"Ever the gentleman, Boston. Look at you."

"I do what I can." To accentuate the point I jut out an elbow for her to take. She wraps her arm around mine happily as we enter. Once we're in the room someone immediately takes our picture.

"Here, take one for me." She hands the photographer her phone which he frowns at. "Now, please." She poses, snuggling herself even closer to my side while he snaps a few shots. She snatches the phone back. "Thanks."

"I don't think it's his job to take people's personal pictures, Louisa." She scrolls through them as we make our way forward.

"We look so good together. Do you want me to send you the pictures?"

"No. I'm good."

She pouts saying, "I'm sending them to you anyway. You look extremely dapper. Especially with me on your arm." I don't say anything as I walk us over to our assigned table.

This is going to be a long night.

✩✩✩

Thankfully, we had been sat with Torey, Adri, and their respective dates. There were a few other children of the wealthy sat with us as well. A table of next generation business tycoons had surrounded me and I was the only one who seemed to want nothing to do with it. They all prattled about the latest deals and parts while I just zoned out for the most part.

I danced with Louisa once. She had to beg me to do it because I hate it. I hate it and I suck at it, which I had proven by accidentally stepping on her twice. Not my smoothest moment but fuck if I cared. I checked my phone repetitively, hoping to hear something from Monica but I'd gotten nothing.

I'm currently sitting outside, smoking a cigarette, the picture of healthy habits when one has a heart condition. Smoking is exactly the kind of thing that will put me in an early grave. I never really cared before now. A picture of Monica lying beneath me makes me flick the death stick away from me.

You don't want to make her a widow just yet. No. No I don't. You should probably quit the habit altogether. Yeah. I probably should. I stand up and make my way over to a garbage can, trashing the rest of the pack.

I take my phone out of my pocket to see texts from Louisa. She's sent me three pictures of her and I. I silently pray that she hasn't posted any of those. Clicking over to social media I see that she has and I curse under my breath. I click over to Monica's page and see her in that skimpy outfit doing a sexy pose with a drink in her hand at some club.

Thoughts of her dancing with another man, one that can actually dance, play through my head and I fucking hate it. I doubt she would do that. She'd told me she was only going to dance with Marcella but still. I was out with another woman. Why shouldn't she be out there dancing with another man? I grind my teeth together and deliberate sticking my hand in the trash to retrieve my cigarettes.

I head back in the building noticing it's nearly midnight. I still hadn't met Monica's brother yet. I was starting to think he wasn't here among the sea of rich businessmen.

A familiar looking red-headed man seems to beeline straight for me upon my reentry though. He looks like a male version of Monica's mother. So I'd assume this guy is her brother Jamie.

"So you're Boston?" He'd said as he came up alongside me. He holds out a hand, "James Anderson, Monica's older brother."

I shake it with, "it's nice to meet you."

"Heard you're dating my little sister. I also heard she broke up with her boyfriend of three years for you. I'm sure you gained points with my step-father over that. He couldn't stand the kid." He gives me a good once over, pinning me harder with his eyes. "I liked the guy though. Made sure she stayed in school and didn't do dumb impulsive shit though, so there's that."

Oh fuck.

I cup the back of my neck with, "yeah, there's that." He's also a douche bag but I don't say that. Instead I go with, "he wasn't good for her though."

He shakes his head slightly from side to side as if he's deliberating. "Maybe not the best but definitely not the worst. So make sure you don't fuck her future up by getting her to do any more dumb and impulsive shit. You hear me?"

"Will do." Actually I already have gotten her to do more impulsive shit but he doesn't need to know that. He already looks like he wants to punch me in the face. Who knows what he would do if he know I'd married her. I run my hand through my hair as we stand there a bit uncomfortably. "I heard you recently had a baby. Congratulations."

His features soften. "Thank you. I believe you know my wife." I nod, not wanting to get into those particulars. "The dynamic is a bit weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you have no idea. I was really surprised to find out everything through Monica's dad."

"I thought he was fucking with me until I saw the two of you together on her social media." I purse my lips and think about her most recent picture. I'm sure her brother would not be a fan of that picture. "You know Monica isn't wild and crazy. She doesn't make decisions on a whim. Not until she met you." He clasps my shoulder in a firm pointed manner, "does she understand why you are the way you are?"

"And what way is that?" He removes his grip and gestures to the room around us. "Oh that... uhm."

"You should tell her. It's only fair for her to know." I nod at him because he's not wrong.  "She clearly cares about you a lot. She wouldn't have done all the crazy shit she's done since she's met you if she didn't."

Fuck. He doesn't even know the half of it.

"I care about her a lot too. I just don't like being seen as only this." I gesture in the same fashion he had. "I'm more than a poster child for heart disease."

"Too right." An older man signals for Jamie to join him. "Well, I've got to be off. It was nice to meet you. Don't break my sister's heart or I'll break your face. Cheers!" He turns around directly, without another glance or word spoken.

Well, he's just lovely.

"Hey," Louisa's voice comes up from behind me, wrapping her arms around my middle. "I've been looking for you." I tense automatically.

"Louisa, what are you doing?"

"What? I can't hug my date?" Even without the way my girlfriend's brother is currently glaring at me I'd say that is a big hell no. She squeezes me tighter.

"Louisa, stop." I grab her arms and unwrap them from around me.

"Fine." She entwines her arm with mine. "Go for a walk with me?"

"A walk and then I'm taking you home. It's late." She doesn't say anything to that as I lead her around the room. She occasionally puts her head on my arm and lets out a contented sigh. I don't like the gesture, it's too intimate, but she's had one too many glasses of champagne. I'm assuming she's just tired.

"Let's go out to the courtyard." I lead the way, just wanting this night to be over. "Is being my date really such a bad thing?" Her voice sounded hurt which made me feel like an asshole.

"No Louisa, it's not. It's just me. I'm sorry for being such a bad date." We sit down on a bench, one that overlooks a koi pond.

"They're so beautiful."

"Yeah, they are."

"Do you think I'm beautiful?"

I deliberate answering that but ultimately I do. "Yes, you're very beautiful. I'm sure many men have told you that. I'm sure many people have."

"Do you think I'm sexy?" Before I can comment she straddles my lap and grabs me by the lapels. "Because I think you're sexy. It's why I wanted you to take me out tonight. It's why I asked my father to set it up. It's why I wanted you to come inside my place earlier."

"Louisa," I try to gently push her off but she stays planted on my lap, "Louisa, I have a girlfriend." I have a wife. I'm married.

"I don't care. She doesn't have to know. It can be our secret." Her lips find mine as her hands go underneath my coat. She lets out a groan as her hands sprawl out over my chest. She continues to try and kiss me but I don't respond. When she pulls away she looks disappointed. "Why aren't you kissing me back?"

"Are you done? I told you I am fucking taken."

"Like father like son." The voice makes my blood run cold and has me pushing Louisa off of my lap. "Should've fucking known you were just like your prick of a father." He's coming up to me rather quickly, looking like he's going to fulfill his promise from before. He takes his suit jacket off and tosses it to the side. "Stand up, you fucking asshole. I'm about to—"

"You're about to what?" My father's voice comes from somewhere in the courtyard. "Lay hands on my son? I don't fucking think so."

Jamie just laughs as he rolls up his sleeves with, "I'll gladly lay them on you, Rhoen. You know I have no issue throwing a punch in your direction." My father mimics Jamie's actions and that's the moment I realize that they're not just talking shit but they're really about to fight.

"Hey, it's not what you think it is." I stand up and get in between them.

"What? Like you sucking face with your date while dating my sister?" Jamie spat out in my direction.

"He's a kid. He can do what he likes."

"Not while he's dating my sister he can't."

"I wasn't kissing Louisa. She kissed me. I did not kiss her back."

"Oh you can fuck right off with that bullshit. Starting to sound like your old man over here with your 'it just happened' bullshit." 

I look in Louisa's direction, hoping she'll confirm but she's taken off. Of fucking course she had. Before anything can escalate any further I see two males stumbling out of the door. Thank fuck. It's Torey's dads. Once they assess the situation they both come up alongside each one of the males. Denver stands beside Rhoen and Luke beside Jamie.

"You two need to take a breather. Come on, Rhoen, you need to finish up with your guests."

"Like fuck he does." Jamie lunges forward but Luke holds him back.

"James, this is neither the time nor the place."

He grits his jaw and looks me over before shrugging Luke off of him. He takes a couple of steps and picks up his suit jacket before turning back to me. "You stay the fuck away from my sister, you hear me?" He spits on the ground before leaving the four of us alone.

Just when I think things can't get any worse I feel my phone go off in my pocket. There's a text from Monica and when I click on it I realize that no, it's not from Monica, it's from Carter. Specifically a picture of him holding her bridal style, she's passed out in his arms. Along with the picture was a text— at least one of us is here to take care of her.

And it's not me.

A/N:
Sooo that just happened.
Thoughts?

Where do you all think it will go from here?