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“A pleasure to meet you,” Mark says, the complete opposite of the stiff and unhappy Dan. On a whim, I hold my hand out, and he plays his part, taking it, leaning over, and kissing the top. The touch of his lips makes me shiver in disgust. I hate contact with strangers like this. “You’re almost royalty around these parts, aren’t you?” he asks as he stands straight again. We’re all taking our seats now, and he makes sure to get the one next to me. Dan, who was already in a black mood before the hand kiss greeting, looks ready to murder Mark when he has to sit across from me and next to Tatiana, who is blissfully unaware of all the undercurrents of emotion happening around her.
“Something like that,” I admit with a small smile for Mark. I don’t like him already, but it’s worth the act to see Dan squirm.
“She’s being modest,” Tatiana pipes up. The girl sitting to her right winces from how loud she is. “Elise has one of the most powerful families around, and she’s in line to inherit the family company soon, too. Isn’t that amazing?”
“I thought there was an older Van den Bosch brother?” Mark inquires, looking at Dan.
“It’s a long story…” he grumbles.
He turns his attention back to me. “You’ll have to tell it to me sometime, Elise.”
Not a chance,I think, but I just nod and smile instead. Tatiana is still rattling on about the last event she attended atmy estate, and although she might be a bit over the top when she drinks, the extra confidence and lovely flush to her skin suits her. I was hoping Mark would turn his attention toward her; he seems well dressed and polished, and if he’s hanging out with Dan, there has to be something impressive about him that I’m just not aware of. Probably not an endgame, but a pleasant distraction and a bit of practice for Tati.
Unfortunately, Mark seems to only have eyes for me.
“Regardless, let’s celebrate new friends. What do you think?” He waves a server down and orders a round of tequila shots for all of us.
They come chilled, with a salt rim and a lime on the side. I squeeze the fruit into the crystal-clear liquid, following Dan’s example.
“To this lovely happenstance meeting!” Mark cheers, holding his glass up.
“Whatever he says,” Dan adds, deadpan.
We all tilt the shots back, and it burns down my throat, all citric acid and salt. There’s enough margarita in my belly that it isn’t too intense as it hits, but there's an immediate change in my perception of the space around me. Potent stuff, I guess.
I try to discreetly down a significant amount of my ice water, but I make the mistake of catching Dan’s eye as I do. He looks disapproving, but also as if he’s yearning for something.
“Don’t drink too much,” he warns me. “You’ve got class tomorrow. Plus, I don’t need to be reprimanded by your brother any more than I already am.”
“You’re not my father, Dan,” I rebuke instantly.
He huffs, turning his face away. He’ was acting so strange and unlike himself, and while we had agreed to spend some time apart, it wasn’t like I had orchestrated this stupid meetup. His behavior is annoying me.
After taking the shot, Tati makes a face, causing Mark to laugh. This gets the rest of the table, minus Dan and I, amused as well, and once it’s all said and done Tatiana is wiping tears from her eyes, trying to stop herself from laughing anymore.
“You guys are such great company,” she says, her words slightly slurred. “You should all come to Elise’s eighteenth birthday party!”
I jolt, sitting up straight. “Tati–”
“I’d love to,” Mark adds, talking over me. I open my mouth to tell him no, he’s not coming to my party when I see how red in the face Dan has become. Could it be…jealousy I see in his eyes? Maybe I can still make this work in my favor, even if it means that Mark, a man I’ve just met, leaves with the idea he’s attending my birthday.
“Don’t feel obligated to attend, Mark,” Dan says, his voice much more casual than his expression leads me to believe he’s really feeling. “It’s an eighteen-year-old’s party, after all. I’m not sure that you share many interests with that crowd.”
Mark tries to speak, but this time I talk over him. “I’m sure Mark is capable of making up his own mind.”
I didn’t think it was even possible, but Dan looks even more unhappy. Mark, on the other hand, turns to me with a surprised look on his face.
“Yes, Elise, I can. Thank you for saying that.”
Both hating and loving every second of it, I lean closer to him, lowering my eyelids, “You’re so welcome, Mark. I’d love to have you as a guest.”
“I think,” he says, his smile taking on a wicked edge, “that you and I might have much more in common than my friend Dan thinks.”
“Oh, I’m sure of it,” I continue, my gaze switching between Dan and Mark.
Mark orders us more drinks, strawberry margaritas for the four of us girls, and whiskey for him and Dan. When it arrives, Mark swirls the amber liquid in his glass and looks at me speculatively.
“Do you drink whiskey, El?”
