A Billion Reasons (Wish 8)

36 - Dowry

Monty wanted to attend Sloane's wedding with Sofia. Instead, Gray watched him straighten his tie, while he wished Sofia's soft warm hands were doing it for him.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Um, kryptonite is getting married."

He shrugged. "I'm married. She's my past."

"And your marriage isn't a charade. You're lashing out at the old man for having the blow queen on her knees in front of him, not you?"

"I stopped being stupid months ago. He won't be there."

His decision to marry Sofia was impetuous, but she made him happy. She filled the loneliness, the void. His heart was mending because of her. When she fought with him, her fiery temper was hot as hell. She refused to let him tell anyone he had a wife, not even Oliver.

The person he wanted to tell was his father. His father had been hiding from social events, but he was on Monty's back at the office. In the week he had been home, he strolled into the office around ten each day. He was well into his draft of the Africa chapter. However, Montgomery kept popping in. One morning, he caught him on the bike.

"It smells like a locker room."

"I'll shower. How's Jessica?"

"She likes you. God knows why."

Monty could suggest a few reasons but kept them to himself.

"Can I help you?"

"Since you hate the office so much. I have a list."

Monty slowed his peddling. He and Sofia hadn't discussed traveling. He didn't want her leaving him.

"Get cleaned up. I want you at lunch with me."

He had never had lunch with his father. He meant never. In Monty's memory, the man didn't eat lunch at home. Growing up, lunch was almost normal - peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, or soup in the kitchen.

He slowed to a cool down. He had ridden for fifty minutes. "What time?"

The old man looked at his watch. "Be ready in ten minutes or I'll have that thing removed from my building."

Monty nodded and waited until the old man walked out of his office before dismounting. He was ready in eight because he had slipped his tie off and pulled his shirt over his head without unbuttoning it completely.

He earned a scowl from his father when the old man appeared a half hour later and Monty looked at his watch.

"I could have been working, but I've stood around waiting for you."

He almost broke into hysterical laughter after he slid out of his father's chauffeur-driven car and followed him into the restaurant. It was a restaurant Trista had reviewed. Although comically, the real joke was Jessica waiting at a table.

He watched his father greet her formally, as if his dick had never been inside the bitch. He took a sarcastic approach by greeting her charmingly with a kiss on the cheek. He had enjoyed dancing with her but had no respect for her.

"I hear you and Trey separated. You must be devastated."

Her eyes bore into him. "He was never faithful."

Monty chuckled because everyone but the quiet woman across from Jessica knew the truth about her fidelity. He took the seat next to Jessica.

The woman was a younger lawyer working with Jessica. Whenever he observed them, which wasn't often since he hid in his office, he felt sorry for her. Honestly, he wouldn't have noticed her if not for Jessica's attitude towards her. It didn't bode well for the young attorney, because he had a parental gene that caused him to look at women. Regardless, he steeled himself for a boring lunch.