Chasing Aubrey Read online

  “I’m fine, it was just unexpected,” I replied tersely, not wanting to make eye contact with him.

  He stood next to me, too close for my comfort, but not invading my personal space.

  “I know this isn’t the ideal situation, Elise, but I hope with time that you’ll come to understand that we make sense together.”

  I frowned. How could he say we made sense together when we didn’t even know each other? Maybe he just meant our families made sense together. But I was more than a representative of my family. I was a woman separate from my family with passions and dreams all of my own that they didn’t need to know about.

  “Is that all you’re looking for in a wife? Someone that makes sense?”

  His face contorted into a confused expression.

  “I don’t understand what you mean, what more is there?”

  Wow, talk about being brainwashed by the agenda.

  “I mean, companionship, friendship, love, passion, any of that?”

  He shrugged.

  “I was never led to believe that I could indulge in such fanciful notions. Marriage is an institution designed to forge political and economic bonds. Why complicate it with emotions?”

  I sighed, looking off into the distance. I never really dreamed of falling in love or anything, but I would at least like to know that my prospective husband and I could enjoy each other’s company.

  “Right,” I said, hoping he would take that for the end of the conversation as I’d intended it.

  “I’m sorry you seem disappointed with the arrangement, Elise, but I will be a good husband for you. I will provide for you and you’ll never want for anything.”

  Except freedom, I thought, a crease forming between my brows.

  “I see. Well, I’m certainly glad that this has all been figured out without any input from me. It’s a nice glimpse into the future you’ll be able to provide for me,” I spat angrily, turning away from him.

  He rested his hand on my arm and I resisted the urge to yank it away from him.

  “I’ll give you some time to think this over on your own. Please come back and join us at the party once you’ve calmed down.”

  He turned and walked back inside not a moment too soon. I could hardly hold in the snappy retort I had for him.

  I was not being unreasonable. Listening to Chester, one would think that I was in hysterics. I couldn’t take a minute more of this farce. I had to get out.

  Being as sneaky as I could muster, I made my way around the house to the valet stand. I handed the attendant my ticket; even though I lived here, I’d learned a long time ago that it was easier to valet park my own vehicle than to try to navigate it out of the garage when we were inundated with guests. This made for a much cleaner getaway.

  I didn’t think anyone would really miss my presence at the party. Even if I was one of the “honored guests”, no one ever paid much attention to me unless one of my parents was speaking. That suited me just fine. I never wanted to be the socialite like my mother. I just wanted to do my own thing.

  My phone chirped with a twitter notification.

  @AubreyRed I hope you’ve written your will. You’re going to be destroyed on Saturday #sorrynotsorry

  I rolled my eyes and typed out a flippant reply as the valet brought my car around.

  @Rexthebest The only thing being destroyed on Saturday will be your ego when I beat you to the finish line #bigboysdontcry

  I smirked at my own wit and climbed into my car, an overhauled Mustang, built to be sexy and fast as hell. My parents did not support the purchase even a little bit, but I bought it and did all the modifications myself, so there wasn’t much they could say about it.

  The further away from my parents’ house I drove, the less my problems weighed on me. The burden of my arranged engagement felt less and less with every mile I put between me and my new fiancé.

  My phone chirped again.

  @AubreyRed We’ll see how confident you are when you’re not hiding behind a keyboard.

  “Oh really?” I muttered, trying to come up with a response.

  I should have known better than to engage in a petty twitter war when I already had so much else going on. My emotions were running high and I knew I wasn’t going to make the best decisions in this state.

  @Rexthebest I’ll kick your ass any time, any place, and I’ll be more than happy to say it to your face.

  The instant I hit send I knew I was an idiot. What was I thinking? I couldn’t confront this man.

  He sent me a private message with an address and I found myself driving toward it without even thinking of the consequences.

  Chapter 3

  The ceremony went by in a blur. Marcie looked gorgeous in her simple summer wedding dress. Her hair was full of flowers and curls and if I didn’t know better, I would have thought that she’d been getting ready all day. Bryce was a nervous wreck the entire time. Throughout their vows he kept having to take a moment to gather his composure and push back his tears. I’d never seen him so overwhelmed with emotion. It was a little disorienting to me, though I knew it was all good things.

  They wrote their own vows, and Marcie was able —for the most part— to keep Bryce from totally losing it. Hope was surprisingly well-behaved in Clara’s lap and I have to admit that even I got a little misty-eyed when they finally kissed. It was strange; Bryce and I had been friends since we were kids and here he was with a wife and a baby. Part of me wondered what it would be like.

  I wasn’t the marrying type though. I was more of a one-night-stand-I-don’t-even-know-her-name kind of guy. Maybe part of that was my upbringing or lack thereof. My father didn’t even know I existed and when I was twelve, my mother decided she’d had enough of my bullshit and she ran off with some guy she was dating.

  That left me out on my own on the cold gritty streets of Boston. I quickly learned that the only kids that survived were those that could out-run or out-fight any problems they came up against. I’m not proud of some of the things I had to do to survive; stealing, lying and talking my way out of the trouble I found myself in, became a way of life. When I’d finally decided I’d had enough of Boston, I hitch-hiked my way across the country.

  I wouldn’t advise that route to anyone, especially not a lonely fourteen year-old boy that didn’t know just how terrible people can be. I blocked out most of the things that I had to do to make my way to California, but I arrived relatively unscathed a few months later.

  That’s when I first met Bryce. He was a little younger than me and way more naive than I’d ever been, but there was something about him. He was determined, focused, and fiercely loyal as a friend. We made a pact to always look out for each other, to always be there and even to this day, we’d always had one another. Without him, I would probably be dead or in jail. If it wasn’t for Bryce being a voice of reason when I got myself into one scuffle or another, my life would be in an entirely different place.

  If someone had told me when I met that scrawny lost kid on the streets that one day he would be my best friend, I probably would have laughed. If they told me that he would grow up to be a billionaire, I definitely would have laughed. Now, here I was, getting ready to give my toast at his wedding; I was the Godfather to his daughter and had my own luxury loft in the city. It’s not at all how I would have expected my life to turn out, but everything seemed perfect.

  I knew that once things settled down, Marcie, Bryce and Hope would carry on with their lives separate from me. I would still be there, but I didn’t really belong. My best friend was moving on and that was something that I would have to come to terms with. While I longed for a family, no one ever held my interest long enough for me to think of anything past one night. I planned to live vicariously through Bryce for as long as possible.

  The reception area was set up in the vineyard; curling vines and plump grapes nearly ready for harvest were lined up in neat little rows. Interspersed amongst the rows were tables for the guests and the whole area was decorat
ed with fairy lights and tulips: Marcie’s favorite.

  It was simple, elegant and completely fitting for the couple. Despite his wealth, Bryce was anything but ostentatious. He always worried that he would have trouble finding someone that would love him and not his money. And Marcie just fell into his lap. It was one of those things that you’d never believe if it hadn’t happened to someone you knew.

  The time for my toast came and my anxiety was kicked into high gear. I kind of hated Bryce for making me do this, but it was a one-time thing so I figured I could suffer through it. My heart beat was irregular and too fast. My mouth was dry as I tried to gather up my little note cards for my speech. He was my best friend. The least I could do was suck it up, face my fears and tell him how happy I was for him.

  I clinked a knife against my glass, trying to get the attention of everyone in attendance. There were actually a lot more people present than I’d first thought. There were so many eyes on me. Everyone waiting… watching for something. I didn’t think I was going to be able to meet their expectations. I glanced over at Bryce who gave me a nod with a smile. I had to do this for him. It wasn’t about me or my insecurities. It was about supporting my best friend on the biggest day of his life.

  One deep breath followed by another served to settle my nerves as much as could be expected.

  My hands were shaking as I looked at my note cards. I read them over, my scribbles nearly illegible. Finally, I looked back to the happy couple and dropped the cards. Who needed a script anyway?

  “Hi everyone,” I started, trying to ignore how my voice trembled. I cleared my throat and decided I just had to power through my nerves and pretend that I wasn’t completely freaked out.

  “I have the honor of being Bryce’s best man and with that comes the privilege of standing up here and giving a toast to the newlyweds.” My eyes roved the crowd, looking for someone to focus on. At least then I would feel less like I was talking to an entire crowd.

  “Bryce Dorian has been my best friend for twenty years and I never thought the day would come where he found a woman that would put up with him.” There was a smattering of laughter throughout the crowd and I looked over to Marcie to see that she was smiling too.

  Someone caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. She was the only person not really looking at me. She looked like she was searching for someone in the crowd. I didn’t recognize her, but I also didn’t recognize half of the people here. Bryce was a very important man and there were people in attendance that were there for reasons beyond celebrating their marriage. Some people were necessary for political or business related reasons. Such was the burden of being such a well-renowned fellow.

  The woman was quite stunning though. It only helped my nerves that she wasn’t looking directly at me. I focused all of my attention on her and suddenly all my apprehension melted away.

  “When Marcie came into Bryce’s life, I thought it was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Obviously, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve watched them both grow and change for the better because of the influence of one another.”

  She locked eyes with me now and I felt my mouth go dry again. Her eyes were tilted upwards at the edges, her heart-shaped face was framed with a dark curtain of hair and her red lips just begged for me to do terrible dirty things to her. At least I knew who I was taking home tonight.

  “I think that’s what love is really about. It’s not about finding the perfect mate; it’s about finding the person that you want to become perfect for. When you find that… you have something truly special. That’s what Bryce and Marcie have. I’m so happy for you buddy. Here’s to a long happy life together.” I raised my glass to the crowd and we all took a long swig of champagne to honor the couple.

  I couldn’t believe I’d gotten through that speech without making a complete fool of myself. I took my seat next to Bryce again and tried to hide the fact that my face was bright red with nerves and embarrassment.

  Bryce clapped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed, not having the words to say what he wanted.

  True to her nature, Marcie leaned over him, beaming at me.

  “Tanner, that was beautiful. Thank you so much.” She reached for my hand and gave it a quick squeeze before giving her now-husband a kiss.

  I was glad that the dreaded toast was over with and that I could stop freaking out about it. Now… to find my wedding hook-up. That’s all weddings were ever good for. Single women at weddings were always looking for a magic spark that would lead to their own fairy-tale wedding. Hell, they’d even made a movie about it. It wasn’t entirely fiction though; the few weddings I’d attended were always ridiculously easy to pick up a date for the evening.

  I excused myself from the table and began to wander the mingling crowd in search of the alluring mystery woman. I needed to know who she was; that alone startled me. I typically didn’t care who the women I slept with were. I didn’t want to get attached to them. I didn’t want anything that lasted longer than one night.

  Maybe the wedding gooeyness was rubbing off on me. Oh well, a good lay would cure that.

  Chapter 4

  I didn’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t know who I was looking for and I was crashing what appeared to be a very nice wedding. Is this really what I had become? While I wasn’t looking forward to my prospective nuptials, I still understood that weddings were something sacred. Strangers shouldn’t be in attendance. Whoever Rexthebest was, he obviously didn’t have much respect for other people or for the gravity of a wedding. It made me a little sick to my stomach to be sitting at a table at a wedding I was not invited to.

  If my mother knew, she would lose her mind. This whole situation just reeked of a scandal that would hurt my father in the polls. I knew I should just leave.

  But then the best man stood up to speak.

  My eyes were drawn to him. He looked a little uncomfortable in his suit, even though it fit him to perfection. His sandy blond hair hung over his forehead and looked like he typically had difficulty keeping it tamed. There was something about the tremble in his voice that was endearing. If I’d met him before this I would have just thought he was another arrogant prick with more confidence than substance. His nerves betrayed him though. He obviously cared about these two people.

  I resumed my search of the crowd, wondering who was out of place. There were a few people that looked less than interested in the best man’s speech. Some were checking their phones or staring off blankly while trying to appear polite. I knew that look all too well. I’d been to enough of my parents’ get-togethers to know what people looked like when they were bored out of their mind.

  His speech continued and I couldn’t help being distracted by his voice. Without the tremors of nerves, his voice was smooth as silk, a slightly accented baritone that I couldn’t quite place. I found myself smiling at his heartfelt words, despite the other things on my mind.

  Of course, the day that my engagement was announced would be the first time I found myself wondering what it would be like to be with another man. I had to remind myself that I was a claimed woman now, whether I liked it or not.

  But if it was a farcical union, did I really have to be faithful? Goodness knows that most people I knew in a marriage of convenience weren’t. Adultery was somewhat of a hobby among the powerful elite. Something to talk about with friends over brunch. The sanctity of marriage was a fading concept and it made me a little sad.

  I’d never been one of those girls that dreamed about my future wedding. I never looked at bridal magazines or planned a fairytale affair. I didn’t have fantasies about my future husband or our adorable 2.5 children. I was nothing if not practical. I knew that love wasn’t in the cards for me, but I always thought that I would be allowed to come to that conclusion on my own, rather than have it thrust at me without my consent.

  All I wanted was the option to live my life as I saw fit. Free from arranged marriages, political ties and social obligations. I never wanted to b
e a kept woman. I never wanted to be the vapid smiling subservient wife. I longed to be independent. I had my trust fund available to me. I think my parents intended for that to be something akin to a dowry, but to hell with that. The Westmores had more than enough money. They didn’t need mine too.

  As my thoughts trailed off, I locked eyes with the best man and felt a sudden rush of anticipation flood my body. Anticipation of what? I wasn’t the type of girl to have a fling. Actually, I was as far from that kind of girl as one could possibly be. But still… I couldn’t deny that I felt… something when our eyes connected.

  I was here for a reason though! That reason was not to flirt with the ridiculously sexy stranger. I needed to find out who Rex was and tell his stupid face that I wasn’t scared of him. I didn’t know why I was letting myself get so worked up over something that really shouldn’t bother me. I knew I was a world class racer. I didn’t need to prove that to anyone on the internet. My results would speak for themselves. Still, his tweets had gotten under my skin.

  The speech ended and I could see glistening tears in the bride’s eyes. She was beautiful; as every woman should be on her wedding day. I wondered what my wedding day would be like. I didn’t want to think about that. It wouldn’t be a joyous affair, it would be a nightmare. A lifetime saddled with Chester Westmore, leading the same life my mother had. It disgusted me.

  People were starting to move around and mingle. The band struck up a song and the happy couple ventured onto the dance floor, hand in hand for their first dance. I watched them with an envious gaze. They both seemed so happy, so content to be with one another. Why couldn’t my marriage be like that? I didn’t even need love, I just wanted to choose.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met,” that silky smooth baritone held a husky tone next to my ear.