Chapter 4 HER

DAMIEN'S POV

I take a swig of the whiskey and feel the liquid blaze down my throat.

This thing fucking burns. It's just what I need tonight. With Dad in the hospital, I have to do all his work, including the kind that blurs the line between business and pleasure. When Julia told me I had to attend a party, at the mansion of a supplier for one of our companies, I knew I was in for a boring evening.

Not that I spend my time doing anything more exciting-the opposite, in fact. I prefer to stay back at the office and get some actual work done. But I know Dad would tell me social functions are important work as well, so here I am.

It's been one week since Dad had that mean heart attack. He's going home soon. I've hired someone to look after him-remind him to take his medication at the right times, advise him on his diet, maybe even get him to exercise a little, that kind of thing.

He's getting better, which is good, but I wish he'd get better more quickly so I could go back to visiting our out-of-state and international partners in person, rather than being stuck with video calls that lag and freeze every few seconds. Without close supervision, they gain the power to screw us over behind our backs. Sure, they may continue to behave out of the goodness of their hearts, but why risk it?

I nod and wave back at a man who's now approaching the bar.

Kelvin Skye, the son of my Uncle Jarred. Kelvin is not a cousin, though; he's just an acquaintance because we're not actually related. Uncle Jarred used to work for my grandfather and has continued to stay with the family after my grandfather's death.

"How about the girls, huh?" Kelvin grins as he takes a seat beside me at the bar. "Barkeep! One glass of whatever you have on tap!" Kelvin snaps his fingers.

The bartender scowls, but Kelvin doesn't notice. He's already busy ogling the waitresses passing by in their little lingerie. They all wear ridiculously high heels that push their tits and ass out.

One of the girls smiles when she notices Kelvin staring. She saunters over and holds out her tray, while also pushing her tits forward.

Giving Kelvin a flirty smile, she asks, "See anything you want, Sir?"

"Yes, but it's not anything on the tray." Kelvin smiles back at the waitress and raises his eyebrows once.

The waitress giggles and slaps Kelvin lightly on the arm. "Oh, you," she says.

Jesus, this is painful to watch. I down the remaining whiskey and slam the crystal glass down on the bar, making both Kelvin and the girl jump from the sudden noise.

"I have to go." Without waiting for a reply, I walk away.

Fucking Kelvin. I had a perfectly nice spot where I was relatively safe from the crowd, and he had to invade it. That's just like him. There's more than one bar in this big mansion, but of course he had to seek me out and take over my bar. I can't sit there and watch him awkwardly flirt with a girl.

Kelvin has no game, but he doesn't know it. Girls are only with him because of his family's money. I can tell because I know the signs of a gold digger. I've been dealing with them since I was old enough to notice girls.

They're always throwing themselves at me but I'm not interested in being their chump, so I steer clear of them. If they want my money, then they have to be my employees. I'm their boss and they have to do as I say or get fired. I have to protect myself, so I want things spelled out in legal documents, signed by all parties involved.

This has narrowed down my options to women who expect some form of payment for their services, women who want something other than just the pleasure of my companionship.

But I don't mind. I actually prefer it this way, so everyone knows exactly what to expect from each other. It's better than the alternative.

I wouldn't want to be Kelvin when the waitress is done with him. I don't particularly like Kelvin, but I can tell he thinks that girl actually likes him. It's never a pleasant thing to discover the truth, to find out you're just being used as a tool for buying designer stuff and climbing up the social ranks.

I wander the hallways aimlessly, letting the alcohol seep into my system, keeping a brisk pace to avoid being stopped for pointless conversations.

My shoes sink into the plush carpet underfoot. The paintings hanging on the walls blur past.

That's when I see her.