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Good riddance, Johan.
I don’t even try to wipe the smug look off my face as I approach him, but I see his attention dart to the terrace entrance, his eyes wide, and I turn to see what could have him so distracted. When I see the target he’s gazing at, I have to agree that she’s worth every bit of attention from anyone at the party.
Elise is wearing a form-fitting silver dress that stops just above her knees. She has her shimmering hair clipped up in a loose twist, errant strands framing her perfect face. Without any hair to hide her elegant neck and the swell of her cleavage, she looks like a goddess that has just walked out of the ocean, flicking a large, ornate fan that matches her dress open to cool herself. Perfectly bronze legs and a pair of strappy, heeled sandals complete the look. Seeing her like this makes my mouth go dry.
Going off of the look on Johan’s face, I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. As if in a daze, he starts to walk toward Elise, and I move to intercept him as casually as I can. Johan sees me, and we both stop, shoulder to shoulder, at one of the appetizer stations. I don’t bother looking over at him, and I idly order an Old Fashioned from one of the servers that passes by. Finally I speak up, loud enough for only Johan to hear me.
“She’s truly something, isn’t she?” I ask, nodding at Elise, who is talking with her brother, casually fanning herself as she does so. “Don’t worry. I’ll invite you to our wedding.”
Johan makes a strangled sound at first, but then he laughs, throwing an arm over my shoulder unexpectedly. His grip is almost painfully tight before he relaxes. “Dan, let me tell you something about girls like Elise that come from old money. Just because they have fun with you doesn’t mean they want to marry you.” He sounds like a condescending jerk, before laughing. “To Elise, you are at best a summer fuck, while I’m still the man she loves.” Johan releases me, slapping me on the back in what must look to everyone else like a friendly gesture before I can even respond. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
I’m so shocked it feels like my feet are glued to the floor as I watch Johan approach Elise with an ease that he doesn’t deserve to have. She smiles as he gets close, and my heart sinks to my feet. I try to brush Johan’s words away, but they sink into me before I can stop them. I hate that what he’s said makes sense, on the surface. The simple fact of the matter is that Johan comes from nobility and the same old-money world that Elise herself does, but what I don’t know is if that’s something that actually matters to her or not. Will that kind of status play into how she chooses a husband? The idea of it makes me feel ill, and when the server floats back by, handing me the lowball glass that my drink is in, my hands are subtly shaking. I take a long sip to steady myself, and then after a moment, down the entire thing, setting the glass on a nearby table and heading for the bar to order another.
I don’t look at Johan and Elise again, wanting to avoid seeing the two of them together if I can, so it’s a surprise when Elise sidles up next to me at the bar just as the bartender slides my double shot of whiskey over. She looks at the glass, and then at me, and frowns.
“Why are you drinking such strong stuff already? We just started.”
I think about lying and telling her something aloof, but change my mind at the last second. “To forget that your ex is still around.”
Elise raises her eyebrows in surprise. “Did he do something wrong?”
“Yeah,” I huff. “He exists.”
I tilt my head back and take the shot, letting it burn its way down my throat before I glance over at Elise fully. All at once I’m taken aback by how stunning she is, and it almost leaves me speechless. Then I remember that, even though Johan might get to talk to her, I’m the only one here allowed to touch her. If he didn’t get the message earlier when he caught us at the beach, maybe he needs another reminder about who Elise is really with.
“El,” I murmur, letting my voice fall to a low, seductive pitch. She blinks a few times at the rapid change of pace in the conversation. “You look incredible in that dress.”
Elise smooths her hands down said dress, making it hug her curves even more. The curves that she has let me touch and taste, over and over again. The idea of it makes me half-hard already.
“Thanks,” she tells me, her smile making her even more beautiful. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
I move closer to her. In my mind, we are completely alone, and there is no reason to hold myself back. I want people to know that she’s mine. “I really want to repeat what we did on the beach, but in my bed this time…”
She’s receptive at first, swaying towards me, but then I take things a step too far by reaching behind her and grabbing her ass firmly in my palm. Elise gasps, offended, her head swiveling to see who caught us in the back before snapping her fan shut and hitting me in the arm with it. I hiss from the sting, but it’s not nearly as sharp as the knives she’s shooting at me with her glare.
“Behave!” Elise hisses between her teeth before storming away. I almost stop her, but then I notice she’s heading towards her brother and his fiancée, and not Johan, so I let her go. I see Johan himself talking to others, but every few seconds he levels a glance at me, looking both smug and annoyed at my existence. The feeling is very, very mutual.
With Elise not looking, I have the bartender pour me another double, and when Johan inevitably looks my way once more, I hold it up to him in a toast.
He’s leaving, I tell myself, forcing a smile onto my face.He’s leaving tomorrow.
Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.
I’m not exactly hungry when it’s time to sit down for dinner, but seeing Johan moving to sit next to Elise, I make an effort to do the same. She sits at the end of the table, which means Johan manages to get a seat next to her on one side while I take the other side. I avoid looking at him, knowing how awkward it is, but Elise and Andries at least get a chuckle out of our fierce competition.
I don’t want to eat, spending my time instead trying to keep Elise’s attention, touching her knee, and engaging her in conversation whenever I’m able. To my credit, she’s kind to Johan, but she’s interested in me, even taking my hand briefly under the table a few times when Andries isn’t paying attention. Andries might be oblivious, but Johan notices, and I can see his expression get darker and darker as the dinner goes on.
I eventually eat, needing something to soak up all the whiskey in my stomach if I want to keep Elise’s attention away from Johan. I’m so distracted by her that I don’t even pay attention to what I’m putting in my mouth.
Conversations flow naturally through the group, everyone heaping praise onto Johan for how nice it’s been to get to know him. Andries is especially invested in his new friend, but I can tell that the only thing Johan is really concerned about is the woman sitting between him and I.
Dessert is brought out––it’s creme brûlée with a sugar crust that cracks like glass. I’m not interested in it at all until Elise holds out her fork to me, a bite of the dessert on it, and tells me to at least try it. Making eye contact with Johan, I let Elise feed me the bite, chuckling in my mind when the other man’s face goes red.
What I don’t expect is Johan to shoot up from his seat, his glass in hand. He holds it into the air, none of the flustered emotion I see written on his face showing up in his voice as he declares, “I propose a toast to Andries and his beautiful bride, Roxanne!” Everyone at the table claps quietly, Andries smiling sweetly at his fiancée. “I want to thank you for inviting me here. I hate that I had to miss the engagement party, but I swear to be by your side for the wedding, Andries. Unfortunately, I have to leave this lovely villa tomorrow for a birthday party in Ibiza, but I’ll be back in Amsterdam before you know it.”
Johan is talking to Andries, but in the last sentence, his gaze shifts to Elise, who is just smiling politely. Again, I have to remind myself over and over again that he will be gone tomorrow. I know in my heart that he’s only being this complimentary to Andries in hopes of staying close to Elise whenever possible, and potentially getting her brother’s blessing, but it still bothers me more than I will ever admit to myself.
Once Johan is back in his seat and everyone is clapping once more, I rise to the challenge and stand to give a toast, too. Instead of toasting to Andries, though, I target mine directly at Johan.
