Chapter 45 At Sin City Chic 2
~Hermes~
"Aren't we done yet?" I snap, flicking my watch for the umpteen time.
"Christ, Hermes. It’s been thirty minutes and you’re whining like a girl," Ted mutters as the attendants wrestle his sleeves.
"You’re still paying me back for losing that bet to Jake," Gavin grumbles, adjusting the gray suit in the mirror.
Jake just laughs, and say smugly. "Told you he’d forget the appointment."
I exhale hard through my nose, dragging a hand down my face. This was a fucking mistake.
Coming to Vegas Vogue for a goddamn fitting I don’t even care about, and sitting through this bullshit gala prep. I shouldn't have invited these idiots in the first place.
That’s on me. I thought it would keep my mind off what that bitch did to me, but it didn't. It just makes me want to put my fist through the nearest mirror.
"Aren’t you guys busy or something? Why waste an entire fucking day just prepping for a gala?" I ask, crossing my arms.
Ted laughs, striking a pose like he’s on a magazine cover. "How do I look? I want to look like a dashing rich man, not a doctor."
I grit my teeth, dragging in a breath so I don’t tell him to shove it. "It’s just a gala. No big deal."
"You see, you don’t know because you haven’t attended one yourself…" Gavin cuts in, lounging back. "Uh—except when you were little, I guess." he adds carefully.
"Your father’s networking gala is the most anticipated in all of Vegas," Jake explains, like I asked for a fucking enlightenment lesson. "You might not know this, because you bailed on your family after college, but the governor actually came last year."
"I had to snag myself an invite the year before that," Gavin smirks.
Ted shrugs. "I haven’t even attended before."
"That's enough." My hand raise to the air, shutting them up. "I don’t want to hear another word about it." I shove to my feet. "I need some fresh air."
"Are you upset because you missed a punch during your boxing session and hurt yourself?" Jake needles, and Gavin and Ted break into laughter.
"Fuck you," I cut in, shoving back my chair and leaving the room. That lie wasn’t supposed to crawl back and bite me.
I stare down at my hand—cleanly wrapped, but still obvious. I look like an idiot. And I’ll look even worse standing at that gala tomorrow with this on display. Every board member, every official, every parasite with a glass of champagne will be watching, and judging.
This gala can’t go wrong. It has to be flawless, and talked about for weeks, like when Father was still CEO.
I have to be in control tomorrow. But I can already feel the cracks, because of her... No. It's because of that bitch who thought she could press her lips near mine.
My jaw locks, as I clench my fist. I need another distraction before I lose it completely.
Tomorrow has to meet the hype, or I’ll be the laughing headline of the LV Times by morning.
My phone buzzes. I glance at the screen before answering.
"What do you have for me, Paul?"
"The team has finalized the guest list and everything is on track. As you requested, I’ve already processed Miss Alexander’s transfer and relieved her of all secretary responsibilities," Paul reports.
A small wave of relief cuts through my frustration. "Good. Get me another assistant fast. Male this time. I’m done with the females." I end the call.
"Mr. Grande," a voice calls from behind me. One of the attendants’ assistants.
I turn slightly. "Yes. Are they finished?"
He nods quickly. "Yes, sir. They asked me to get you."
"Fine." I exhale, sharp and heavy, before heading back into the room.
"Where’s Gavin?" I ask as I step into the fitting room, scanning the place.
I’d planned to drag them all somewhere distracting after this—anywhere they’d be less unbearable.
"He went to take a call," Ted replies, already back in his casual clothes.
Jake comes out of the inner room holding up a white tuxedo.
"What do you think, Hermes? I swear this will make you stand out—shine, even," he says with a ridiculous flourish.
Ted snorts. "Yeah. You’ll look like a bride."
"Stop it, both of you," I groan, dragging a hand through my hair as I drop into a chair.
At least they’re not talking about June. That would be worse.
"Oh—speaking of," Jake says with a wink that makes me want to break his jaw. "Your secretary coming? The hot, naïve little brunette?"
And there it is. He just had to fucking say it.
I force a thin smile. "She’s not my secretary anymore and interns aren’t invited. Company policy. So—too bad for you."
I fix my eyes on the nearest suit like it’s the most fascinating thing in the room.
Jake flops into a chair. "Damn. I’d kill to see her again. You know I’m still pissed you—"
I stand abruptly, cutting him off. "Let's hit the bar. Now."
I can’t stand to hear her name in their mouths, not one more time.
"Sure," Ted nods. "I want to get drunk and laid. The nurses at my hospital are too boring and nosy."
"Me too," Jake throws his hand up, grinning. "I’ve already run through half the clerks at my firm. I need new air to breathe."
"You’re vile," I snap, shaking my head.
"For real," Ted mutters.
We start toward the exit, but Gavin blocks us at the door, still typing on his phone.
"Guys, Charlotte just called. She wants us now at SCC." He looks up with a forced smile.
Ted groans, rubbing his eyes. "What does she want this time?"
"Probably to pick out suits. She always does this," Gavin shrugs.
"But we already have suits," Jake whines. "Besides, why SCC? That’s where the poor people go. I told her Checkers wasn’t rich enough—she shouldn’t have married him."
"Let’s go to SCC," I cut in, my voice final.
All three of them turn to stare at me.
"You don’t want Charlotte’s trouble, do you?" I add, already moving forward.
But the truth is, I just wanted another distraction. I didn’t want to go near that bar. Not this early, and not with the memories waiting for me there.
So I chose Sin City Chic.