𝘐𝘛𝘊𝘏 | 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯

SEVEN | BRUISES OFF THE PEACH

[ a/n: sorry if this chapter is chaotic and not great, it's kind of a filler to set up juicer stuff that happens later! ]

The first time Georgia noticed Kendall not wearing his wedding ring was only six months after they had gotten married and the memory pricked at her brain anytime he had the slightest chance of still parading himself around as an eligible bachelor. To her knowledge it didn't happen often, but she wondered about all the nights he went out, without his father or herself in attendance although recently he had seemed not to care what he did in front of her.

The air was stiff at the fundraiser gala, Kendall had been speaking to a woman that Georgia assumed worked with him, eyeing the both of them as he had barely spoken to her at all that evening.

"Sorry- What is it that you do?" Georgia interjected into their conversation, Kendall taking the moment to sit back and rest his hand on the back of his wife's chair, finally facing her. Her slim manicured fingers combed through the back of Kendall's hair, her gaze sharp as it met the other woman whose name she couldn't care to remember. "I'm just trying to understand why you're over here with us..and not at one of the other tables," She added, a slightly disgusted look drew on her face as she looked around the room, somewhat flaunting her own importance.

Ken moved forward, Georgia's hand dropping from his hair as he cleared his throat. "Anna works-"

"Let the woman answer the question on her own." Georgia sat up more, resting her elbow on the table so she could rest her palm on her chin, her ring glimmering in the light as the other woman looked to her. A small smile appeared on her slips as she watched her flinch in her seat. "Well?" she rushed, watching Anna try to find her words.

"I'm an anchor at ATN..." Georgia's face didn't move, a slight mutter of disinterest leaving her lips. "I'm sure you've seen me on there once or twice." Anna laughed awkwardly, causing the other blonde to shake her head.

"No...no I don't think I have." The arrogance that left her voice obviously made the other woman uncomfortable and she would be lying if she said that wasn't her intention.

The awkward conversation had ended once the woman left and Kendall gulped, a soft smile on Georgia's lips. As quiet as the woman had been at times, she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to claim what was hers. She didn't know Kendall's angle and she didn't care. She wasn't going to sit and watch whatever had been going on unfold in front of her.

Before either of them said a word they were greeted by a distressed looking Connor who had crouched beside Kendall's chair. "Uh, change of plans...Dad's gonna do his speech."

Assessing her husband's sudden change in demeanor and body language the woman took a drink of her champagne, knowing it was going to be a long night. As annoyed as she had been with him for flirting with someone else right in front of her, her palm rested against his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Connor hurried away before Kendall could get into much of a conversation with him, the younger brother standing from the table and finding his way to Gerri, leaving Georgia at the table alone as everyone else had been mingling at that point, pushed away by the interrogation of Anna she had started. These events bored the woman, she got tired of the false niceties and introductions to the same people she had met hundreds of times around the fifth time she had to do it. Luckily, this time her sister had been chosen by Connor to announce some of the people that were to come to the stage. Genevieve's bright smile and bubbly personality made it at least a little more bearable. Her focus had been interrupted by two men bickering behind her, turning to face Tom and Greg who looked like they were attempting to be quiet but were failing. As soon as they noticed the woman watching them the topic of conversation changed.