I think I’ve proved that. My clients always come back to me, and my services are booked in advance for the next year. I know deep down I have nothing else to prove and I know if I took a step back, the talented designers who work alongside me would be able to do a great job, but it’s just not me. Why would I have worked so hard to get to where I am if I just wanted to slack off and hand my work off to others? If that’s all I’d wanted to do, I could have taken a more corporate role but the thought fills me with horror. Being stuck in an office all day and never getting to do anything creative is my idea of hell.
I make a few more calls and then I check the time. I have about twenty minutes before I have to meet the others and I pick the phone back up to make one more call. I listen to it ringing and then a female voice asks how she can direct my call. I give her my name and the name of my client and she asks me to hold for a moment. Dreadful hold music fills my ears.
My hotel room door bursts open and I glance up in annoyance as Sebastian comes bounding in, calling my name. I cover the mouthpiece of the phone in case my call goes through and hiss at Sebastian to shut up.
He just laughs. He comes further into the room and shakes his head when he sees me on a call. He marches to the desk and bends down. He sticks his hand behind the desk and the line goes dead in my ear. Sebastian straightens back up and grins at me, showing me the cord he’s just disconnected from the socket.
I slam the receiver down and get to my feet. I’m taller than Sebastian and I stand over him, glaring at him in frustration and anger. “What the fuck are you playing at Sebastian?” I demand as I step closer to him, my anger showing.
Sebastian ducks out of my way, but he’s still laughing and waving the cord, taunting me. It’s like he wants me to punch him or something. “Relax Chance. You’re more uptight than Dad. I know you think Kimberley and I won’t last, but I’m telling you, she’s the one, and—”
“What makes you think I think you and Kimberley won’t last?” I interrupt him.
“Because I’ve spent so long playing the field,” he says.
“Only because you were trying to get over her in the first place,” I say. I know that’s not the real reason he thinks that. I can see it on his face. I rack my brains, trying to think of anytime I’ve said something that he could have taken to mean I thought him and Kimberley were doomed. I can’t think of anything. “Come on Seb. Why do you really think that?”
“Well, the whole love and marriage thing isn’t really your thing is it?” he says.
“Not at all,” I agree. “But that doesn’t mean I think it’s not for everyone. You and Kimberley are made for each other.”
“So, why aren’t you taking this seriously then?” Sebastian demands. “I’m only ever going to have one stag party and you can’t stop working two fucking days for it?”
Maybe, he has a point. Yeah, he does. But that doesn’t excuse him cutting off one of my calls not once, but twice today. He had no idea who those calls were to, and even once he saw my client’s name on the screen on the plane, he had no idea how he would react to being essentially told to fuck off. He could have cost the firm a lot of business.
“Fine. I’ll stop,” I say.
“Good.” He grins then shakes his head. “I honestly can’t believe we’re in Vegas and I’m having to impose a no working rule. The hard part should be convincing everyone it’s over and they have to go back to work.”
“Whatever. I’ve told you I’ll stop. Now, do me a favor, and stay the hell out of my room, otherwise you’re not going to live long enough to marry Kimberley.”
“Ooh, fightin’ words.” Sebastian grins. “Bring it on, bro.” He’s dancing around the room, his fists up.
I try to stay mad at him, but I’m laughing at his antics.
“Ah see, you can smile without your face breaking,” he teases me and stops dancing around. “We’re going to have a couple in the hotel bar before we head out. Are you ready?”
Before I can answer, Matt steps into the room. “Why is Sierra downstairs in reception?” he asks me.
Fucking hell. This is just getting worse. She was meant to sneak in without either of my brothers or Bradley seeing her.
Both Matt and Sebastian are staring at me now, their eyes burning a hole into my guilty face, waiting for an explanation.
“Look, I agreed not to work for this weekend. But that doesn’t mean shit can just be left to not get done. Sierra will be taking care of a few things for me while we’re here, that’s all,” I say.
“It takes your work obsession to a whole new level when you can’t go on a stag night without bringing your assistant along.” Matt smirks.
“I’m glad you think this is funny,” Sebastian says. “Do you have any idea how much trouble I’m going to be in now?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You think Kimberley will be jealous because Sierra’s here?” I ask.
He laughs and shakes his head. “God, no. But Bernie will. She’s pretty much my best friend and I told her she couldn’t come out here with us because it’s a guy thing. She got it, but it’ll be a whole different ball game if she finds out about this.”
“It’s not like she’s here for the party,” I defend. “And besides, hen parties are always rowdier than stag parties. She’ll have a much better time with the girls.”
He shrugs. “Just
