Page 97 of Mistaken Prejudice

“Of course,” he said while pointing at his empty glass, asking a nearby waiter for a refill. “Miles wanted you here, and so did we. It seems like you make him very happy.”

“He makes me happy,” I said without hesitation.

“That’s good.” He pointed at me with his now filled glass. “Make sure you keep that smile on his face.” It wasn’t hard to miss the threat behind his joke, but I wasn’t worried. I had no intention of ever doing the opposite.

“You’ve got no reason to worry, sir.”

As if he knew we were talking about him, Miles waved at me, calling me to join him on the dance floor. I put down my drink and was about to go when Elliot stopped me, his hand on my wrist.

“Andrei.” His kind eyes seemed nervous and uneasy. “Has Miles done anything weird lately?”

Where did that question come from?

I stood in silence, trying to understand what Elliot meant by his question, when Daniel intervened.

“Elliot,” was all that he said, but it was enough for Elliot to let go of my wrist and shrug his stress away.

“Yes, yes. I know.” He shook his head before locking eyes with me again. “But if anything ever happens, please come talk to us. Okay?”

“What do you mean by ‘anything’?” I asked with half a smile, still confused by his question.

“It’s just, if you feel something is different, tell me. Miles is a very passionate boy, very innocent, and how do you say, inexpérimenté.”

Inexperienced? Innocent? Your Miles sucked my dick in a public bathroom. More than once. Not that I was going to say that.

“I just know how a first relationship can be…”

“Okay, I will,” I promised, even though I wasn’t sure what I’d just agreed to or why. But at that moment, Miles started calling my name and my world, once again, zeroed in on him.

Chapter 29

Andrei

“Let’s have a drink before we go to my room,” Miles offered after I parked his Maserati in their garage. Because he drank during the wedding, I was the one who drove us back home. Some people were possessive when it came to their cars. Not Miles. He often left the driving to me, which was epic.

I’d loved cars since I was young, but I never dreamed I’d be driving one of the machines I was obsessed with as a kid. I didn’t have money for bubblegum, let alone a toy car, so to own an actual car seemed as impossible as flying to Mars.

“Okay.”

I hung the key on the wall, where they kept them, and whistled as I passed Daniel’s sick new Lambo.

By the time I reached the kitchen, Miles had already pulled two wine glasses out of the cupboard and put them on the counter.

“Red or white?” he asked as he scanned their wine fridge, and I shook my head.

“None,” I said.

“You’re right.” His eyes gleamed. “I prefer champagne as well.” Without another word, he grabbed my hand and forced me to follow him around the house until he stopped in front of a large wooden door. I’d never been to this room before, but I knew it was Daniel’s home office.

“Dad keeps the best bottles in the wine cooler he has in his office. You know, gifts he got from clients and stuff,” he explained as he opened the door and walked in while I stayed on the threshold. I felt uncomfortable entering his office without his knowledge. Not only was he Miles’s dad, but very soon, he’d be my boss. Well, sort of.

“Come on, what are you waiting for?” Miles asked impatiently, and against my better judgment, I entered the room.

Daniel’s office was striking like the rest of their house, with high ceilings, bright woodwork, indoor gardening, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking their yard.

By the far wall was a black wine cooler stocked with liquor. The shelves had built-in lighting that illuminated each bottle with a glowing white light that made the wall look like an art exhibit.

“Dad likes expensive liqueurs,” Miles explained as he took out a golden bottle with a luxurious-looking label. “It’s vintage. A thousand dollars a bottle.” He chuckled as he held it in his hand.