AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is it okay with you if I stay?” She turns to me with a hint of fear in her eyes.
“Of course. My family would love to see you after all these years,” I assure her.
Mandy reaches out to me with tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
“What’s going on?” Liv straightens up in her chair displaying an instant scowl. “Do you two actually know each other?”
“No,” I reply after seeing the concerned look on Mandy’s face. “We figured out that our grandfathers were good friends though.”
“That was back before we moved to Tennessee,” Mandy adds, sounding a little defensive.
“Well that’s a million to one coincidence.” Liv furrows her brow. “Or else it isn’t,” she adds.
“It’s crazy!” Mandy replies just before the Captain tells us to prepare for the landing.
“I’ve got to go get my stuff together.” I stand up and excuse myself. It seems like a good idea to let them hash out any suspicious thoughts that are coursing through Liv’s mind.
Chapter 8
Mandy
Getting picked up by another shiny, black limousine and being whisked off to another Four Seasons feels like I’m living the life. I can’t get over how cool Trey seems to be, considering he’s right in the middle of an extremely awkward situation. On one side sits a girl who he intends to break things off with and on the other side, me, who came on this trip with only devious intentions. He’s lucky that I’m having a change of heart. He’s way too sexy to rot in prison.
“Is it seriously only 6:15?” Liv asks after pulling out her phone.
“Yeah, we gained seven hours and it was only an eight hour flight,” Trey explains. “Let’s clean up and go out.”
“Sure!” I reply giving Liv a nudge.
“I’m game. I just need a shot of something to shake off that muscle relaxer you gave me.” She shakes her head as if she’s still a little groggy. “That thing was strong!”
“A couple Vodka Red Bulls will get you on track.” Trey jokes, opening the window to get a look at the traffic flow ahead. “I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with this traffic every day.”
“As if the valley is any better,” Liv sneers.
“I don’t know, it doesn’t seem this bad,” Trey counters.
“That’s because you’re normally on your phone,” she counters. “What’s up? You haven’t been on it all day.”
“I don’t really feel like talking to anyone I guess, so I left it muted.” He glances down and checks his messages. “The wake is scheduled for tomorrow night, so Dad’s fiancé must be pretty efficient.” He shoves the phone back in his pocket and gets a conflicted look on his face.
“It’s normally within two or three days. When were you expecting it to be?” I inquire.
“I don’t know, I was hoping for some time next week.” He lays his head back against the headrest. “Or maybe never.”
“You’ll be fine.” I give him a pat on the knee. Liv chimes in telling him the same thing and she actually sounds sincere. A faint smile appears on Trey’s face, but he remains silent. It’s an expression that makes it difficult to figure out whether he is up to something or if something is actually bothering him. He is not the overly expressive type, so it kind of keeps me guessing. I’m not sure I like that.
My phone buzzes for the third time since we landed. I know it is either Dad or my boss, probably both of them. I choose to ignore it.
Trey
Later that night
During the ride from the airport I had been contemplating how best to deal with Mandy. I decided to go straight to the heart of the problem. My father betrayed her family after having dinner with them at Papa’s favorite restaurant, the Old Homestead Steakhouse. Both of our grandfather’s loved that place, because it had been part of the Meatpacking District since the eighteen hundreds and both of them had first gone there as children. Papa never stepped foot in the place again after that night. Tonight, I’m going to make it right.
“Where are we going?” Liv asks me, causing a slight cringe.
“We are going to Papa’s favorite steak house in the meatpacking district,” I reply as the limo pulls away from the curb. “You’re going to love it.”
She immediately pulls up her phone and starts scrolling. “According to Suzy, STK is the place to go for steak in the district. They have a DJ and the whole place is just super cool!”
