Changing the bad boy

Chapter 10

PRESTON POV:

There's a band playing when I enter the house I grew up in. It doesn't feel like a home any longer and looks nothing like it did when I was little except on the outside. It has been renovated, so the once normal-sized living room where my brothers and I used to watch TV and play video games is now like a reception hall at an exclusive hotel.

The band has set up in the corner next to an elaborate bar my father had custom-built. It's currently occupied by no less than three bartenders, and they are all busy pouring drinks to the sizeable crowd of people surrounding it. I recognize most of them as being part of my parents' circle a few movie stars and other celebrities, but there are also some people I've never met. I assume they are at my dad's party because they are the people he's hoping to impress next. Most likely, he wants to make some kind of business deal.

These parties are always the same dog and pony show.Mom is dressed to the nines with not a single piece of hair out of place and Dad loves to show her off. She's ten years younger than him,and what people would consider a trophy wife, but she looks even younger thanks to all the Botox and spa treatments.She was only twenty when she had Andrew, but she looks closer to his age, then Dad's. over by the open accordion glass doors to the backyard patio,allowing the indoor-outdoor

living people seem to want.

"Happy birthday, Dad," I say when I get to them and hand over the whiskey Valerie ordered.

He smiles and pulls me into a one-armed hug. "Thanks,Preston."

Mom is next. She wraps her skinny arms around me. Her blonde hair is styled into a bob which feels stiff against my face. I can just imagine the amount of hairspray used to hold everything in place. She leans back and places a kiss on my cheek while my dad peeks into the gift bag. He lets out a small whistle when he sees what it is. "That's a good one, Pres.Thank you."

He seems genuinely excited about it. Valerie must have picked a good one.

"You're welcome." He smiles and I smile back. I'm starting to relax, thinking I'm in the clear and that this may be one party where they won't try to help me find a wife, but then he waves to someone..

"I want you to meet Alonso Hernandez and his daughter."

Of course he does.

I haven't been at the party for more than a minute and he's already introducing me to some potential client with an eligible daughter.It's so predictable I want to groan out loud, but instead I school my face and turn to the side to watch a shorter

man with dark curly hair and an impressive mustache approach us. He has a beautiful young woman on his arm.

"This is my youngest son,Preston," my dad says.I smile and shake the man's hand. "Mr. Hernandez is the architect that will be working on the First Street project after the new year,"my father continues. "And his daughter Antonia is in her first year of college,pre-law."

Pre-law is a bit impressive,especially if she sticks with it all through college and finishes law school.But she's a college freshman.That's a bit desperate, even for my parents. Legally, she can't even drink yet, but that doesn't stop her from

taking small sips from the crystal champagne glass in her hand. Nobody seems bothered that she's at least ten years younger than I am, but then that's the age difference between my parents.

"Nice to meet you both," I say.

"Good to meet you too,son," Mr. Hernandez responds and shakes my hand a little too eagerly."I'm looking forward to our collaboration."

And I wonder exactly what collaboration he's thinking about and why he's calling me son. Exactly what kind of promises has my dad made?

The way Antonia smiles at me and the annreciative gaze in her large brown eyes as she looks me over has me questioning what they've been planning. It sure as hell does not appear to be business related. She is beautiful. I have to give them that. And, normally, that would be all I'd need to turn on the charm and have her accompany me for the rest of the night. From the way she's batting her eyelashes at me she sure as hell seems willing. But she's young, and I'm not looking for a wife.If I was, I'd want a woman. Like Valerie. That thought catches me off guard.

Valerie still annoys me, but she has definitely stepped it up, and she looked sexy as f**k yesterday after her clothing mishap. I knew she had a sexy body under those boring clothes she normally wears. She can't hide her large breasts, and her fully developed and very round ass no matter how hard she tries. But the tank top she wore... Damn, it was white and tight and the way her t**s pushed against the fabric had me wishing they were pushing against me.

And just like that I feel my c**k thickening in my boxers.

Seriously? What the f**k is wrong with me?

Since when do I get aroused at just a thought?

Tuxedo pants don't hide much, so I pull the jacket a little tighter around me.

When I look back to my mom is beaming over at me.She probably thinks me and Antonia could be a match made in heaven. Mly semi instantly deflates. I knew something like this was coming, but I'd figured I'd at least have some time to get prepared. At least a drink or two down before they started.

I stifle a groan. This is f*****g unbelievable.

Nevertheless, as the good Cartwright boy I am, I stay and chat for a few minutes before I make an excuse and leave to go search for my brothers.

I snag a drink off a tray held out by a smiling waiter dressed primly in black tuxedo with white shirt,tie and gloves because

why would my parents do anything less than extravagantly?

The drink is gone by the time I find Hayes and Easton outside. They are next to the inground pool, with full drinks in their hands and from the somber looks on their faces I need another one.

"Hey," I say, "what's going on?"

"Hey," Hayes responds.

"Hiding from mom," Easton admits and takes a sip from his drink.

I laugh because that's exactly what I want to do too. "How many women have you been introduced to so far?" I ask.

"Four," he scowls.

"s**t. How long have you been here?"

Easton glances at the Piaget watch on his wrist. "Half an hour, forty minutes tops."

Holy f**k. That's a new woman every ten minutes.Our parents are truly on a roll.

I look at Hayes, but he just shakes his head as a slow smile spreads across his lips."Not me."

Now that's impressive.

"How the hell did you manage that?" I question."I'd just walked in, and they had someone ready to introduce me to."

Easton chuckles. "Glad it's not just me."

Hayes grins and there's a twinkle in the familiar blue eyes. "I told mom there was a woman I was looking for."

I roll my eyes while Easton tilts his head to the side and studies Hayes. "That's clever," he says and raises his drink, clearly as impressed as I am.

"Yeah. Mom beamed like a little ray of sunshine. I could almost see her planning the wedding and baby shower in her head."

"Oh, f*****g hell," Hayes

groans, while I laugh because that sounds just like her.

"Where's Andrew?" Lask.

it's bad for us, it's worse for him. He gets the brunt of our parents attempted matchmaking. They hate that neither of us has found someone we want to settle down with yet, but it's not for their lack of trying.

I sure as hell am not ready for marriage and kids.I don't even know if I want that life in the future. But for Andrew, as the oldest,they expect him to settle down and produce an heir.Actually, they expected him to settle down about fifteen years ago. Now they are near desperate and the begging has turned towards demands.

"Around here somewhere,"Hayes responds and scans over the hordes of people.

"Being dragged around by Eliza," Easton adds.

So, he did bring her. I can see the appeal of avoiding the introductions and being pushed towards every eligible woman at the party,but Eliza? He'd literally be better off with almost anyone else.

I grab another drink and set off to find Andrew.I find him by the pool house talking to a couple of dad's friends,one of whom is a wealthy investment banker.It concerns me that we might actually need to look for someone to invest in our Fifth and First Street projects unless the Marramount project finishes without any further problems. Dad is going to have major issues with that.

Eliza is next to Andrew.

She's dressed to the nines in a short, sparkly dress that doesn't leave much to the imagination.Her reddish hair is piled high on top of her head, and she has large diamond drops hanging from her ears. They twinkle as much as her dress when the light hits them. And I have to admit that she does look good, despite the bored expression on her face.

Andrew notices me first. He looks almost relieved to lock eyes with me.

"Hi, Preston," he says.

"Hi Andrew, Mr. Valentine,"I say and nod to my dad's investment friend, "Eliza."

"Good evening," Mr. Valentine responds while Eliza barely spares me a glance and a "hello." She's got her hand on top of Andrew's arm, signaling to everyone that Andrew is with her, just in case there's anyone who wasn't aware that she's came with him.

I feel bad for my brother. He looks absolutely miserable.He's a wearing a tuxedo like the rest of us, but the way he keeps tugging at the collar makes me think he can't wait to get out of it and away from here. Not that he's the only one.

Mr.Valentine drones on about a trip he went on to Africa and the safari with all the wild animals. It's interesting at first, and I ask a couple of questions about the place they stayed at, but damn does that man like to

hear his own voice? I almost get why Eliza looks so bored.

We all relax a little bit when he excuses himself to go find his wife. Andrew lets out a sigh and drains the rest of his drink.

"Let's get another drink,"Eliza suggests and tugs on Andrew's sleeve.

The waiters walking around with drinks is clearly not what she's after. She wants to walk inside the house so she can flaunt to everyone there that she's the one with Andrew. I force myself not to roll my eyes.

"I want to talk to Preston for a second," Andrew says and surprises me. "WNhy don't you just grab a drink over there?" he suggests

and nods toward the second bar, which is outside, on the other side of the pool near the patio of the house.

Eliza looks completely taken back, but when she realizes he's serious. She leaves without asking if either of us wants something. Andrew shifts his empty glass in his hand.

"You're either very smart or very stupid," I tell him,thinking his plan has already backfired. I'm pretty sure Eliza is ready to plan their wedding right along with my mother.

"Yeah," he sighs. "I'm pretty sure it's the latter one."

I chuckle. The smile he gives me in return is tired and unamused. The last time T

truly heard him laugh was in the kitchen at work with Valerie.She was attempting to make a cappuccino and Andrew showed her how after she somehow managed to spill coffee all over the floor. He never laughs like that with Eliza.

He actually seems happier at work with my admin than out with a date. How sad is that? And why the hell does the thought of the two of them laughing together bother me?

I shift my weight from my left leg to my right and change my focus. "What's your take on Clarence Valentine?" I ask him.

Andrew pulls his chin back and there's a surprised look in his blue eves when thev

meet mine. "He knows what he's doing, but he also likes everyone to know just how great he is. Why?"

Those were my exact same thoughts.

"Marramount is over

budget," I tell him. "We have a lot of money riding on that project."

Andrew nods, obviously well aware, but I see the second he realizes the implication that can have on our future.

"You think we might need to borrow money for the next project?" he says in a tone just loud enough for me to hear.

"I do."

"Fuck."

Andrew rubs his thumb across his bottom lip as he's thinking it through. "How bad is it?" He asks.

"It's manageable, unless something else goes wrong."

"Okay." That eases his expression a bit, and he lets his hand fall to his side."What are we doing to keep it under control?"

And there's the difference between him and our dad.Andrew asks what we are doing about it as a team,while my dad would put it all on me.

"There you are," my mother's voice rings out from behind me, successfully interrupting our conversation. Andrew's eyebrows shoot up, so I know without even turning around that she has yet another woman for me to meet. Or maybe it's for Andrew. Mom is not stupid so she might be on to him and recognizing that he's just using Eliza as a buffer.

Despite feeling guilty,I'm hoping it is for him, even though Eliza is nearby.

Mom might be desperate enough. I'm pretty sure that if Andrew said he was ready to be a father, she'd lock him and a woman in a bedroom for days just to make sure it happened.

"Mom," I say and turn around when I can't ignore her any longer. She's right where I expected her to be,behind me, with not one,but two women next to her and the biggest smile on her face since dad agreed to buy her an oceanfront condo in South Beach.

One of them is Antonia, the college student from earlier,and the other one is Chloe.My last hook up from about a month ago. They both stare at me with that glint in their eyes that says they'll be up for anything with me. Preferably physical, and with less clothing.

Fuck my life.

This is getting really old.