Mr. Holt

Old Friends

When we re-enter the ballroom, Alexander's friend Kyle says, "Where were you?" with a wink at me and a smirk at Alexander.

"We're grown fucking adults now, Kyle. Can't we act like it?"

"You absolutely fucking can," he says with another wink at me. "Tell me, Savannah, is he everything the tabloids paint him to be?"

I glance at Lex and interlock my fingers in his. "What?"

"He's talking about all those trash magazines for women who are always writing articles about me."

"They are?" I say, my eyes bouncing back and forth between them. 

"Yeah," Kyle shrugs and says, "You know, about how your lover is some kind of love machine and whatever."

I giggle and bite my lip, my eyes looking up at Lex, who seems annoyed. 

Alexander rolls his eyes and says, "Why are you reading trashy women's magazines anyhow?"

"I'm not," Kyle says with a laugh. "My girlfriends do and they're always asking about my billionaire best friend. I feel very incompetent with women when I have you for a best friend, you know."

"That's not my problem. Maybe be better," Alexander says with a laugh.

"Fuck you," Kyle says.

I smile and clutch onto Alexander. "Well, I can confidently say he holds up to the reputation," I say, sliding my hand around him for a squeeze of his scrumptious backside. 

Alexander grins and leans closer to my ear, whispering, "I didn't know you felt that way about me."

"Baby, there are many things you don't know about me."

"Okay, now, knock off that whispering," Kyle says. "Didn't you just have enough of that wherever you just were for the last 10 minutes?"

I smile and look away with a blush. 

"Meanwhile, how's your dad been?" Kyle asks.

Alexander looks around the room and says, "I'm sure the greedy fucker is around here somewhere."

"Lex!" I say, squeezing his hand.

"What? Kyle knows exactly how my father is. Why should I pretend otherwise?"

I sigh. "He's still your father."

Alexander leans close to me and whispers, "And he's the reason you had to sign that contract you whined so much about."

"Xander!" a petite woman with a black pixie cut says, her arms outstretched. She flings her arms around him with a glance at me and says, "Were you not going to come and say hi to your favorite cousin?"

"Caylee, you are not my favorite cousin," Alexander says.

"Oh, stop teasing me," Caylee says, slapping Alexander's arm.

The woman standing next to Caylee outstretches her hand and says, "Hi, I'm Yvonne, Caylee's roommate. When I heard she was coming to her cousin's party, I just had to join."

Alexander reluctantly shakes the very excited woman's hand but says, "I don't remember extending any Plus Ones."

I smile and bite my lip. 

"You didn't, but you're so rich, cousin, I knew you wouldn't even notice."

"And I've admired you from afar for so long, I just knew it was time for us to meet," Yvonne says.

"Fantastic," he says. 

I know him well enough by now to hear the sarcasm in his voice and I hide my face on his shoulder with a small giggle and whisper, "Behave."

"Please let me introduce to you both Savannah...my fiance."

"Oh... you must be quite the lover for him to propose so quickly," Yvonne says, the smile on her face fading. "Caylee didn't say it was an engagement party."

I'm so tired of this shit now, that I hold up my hand and flash my ring. 

"It's very much an engagement party."

The gasps from Caylee and Yvonne from the size of my ring made me say, "It's 12 karats."

"Must be nice," Yvonne says.

"It is," I say, looking up at Alexander with a smile.

They walk away from us and Alexander wraps his arms around me, saying, "You handled that very well. I'm proud of you."

He kisses me and I say, "Well, having a 12 karat diamond on my finger to flash at all the naysayers really helps."

"Just wait until you have a baby in that belly. Women are going to be so jealous of you," he says, brushing his finger along my cheek.

I glance down at my tummy and say, "And how soon do you want that to be?"

"Why? Are you..."

"No," I say, shaking my head. "But I wouldn't mind." I lift up on my tip toes and kiss his lips.