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Lucas
Judging by Lina Astor’s almost genuine delight, Mayor Hulme was in the throes of a fantastic story. Chris stayed off to the side, his attention split between his mother and Lucas approaching.
“We’re all set.” Lucas clapped his hands together. “Bella’s out of the kitchen and —”
Glass shattered on the cement floor. Turning meant seeing; seeing meant knowing what happened. If he didn't turn around, he never had to know what happened.
"Thirty seconds," Lucas swore under his breath.
“Since you left Bells’ side? More like ten.” Chris dropped his flute into Daniel’s hand and strode to his sister.
Lucas, trailing only by a pace or two, said, “Remember when you said this would go fine?”
“I said no such thing,” Chris corrected.
“No, this afternoon at the office. You said this would go fine. No problems whatsoever.”
Flashes were going off from paparazzi and cell phones. People were murmuring. Fortunately, pillars and art pieces blocked many guests' view. But either way, this was not good. No matter what Daniel did to help stave off reporters or paparazzi, Bella's actions were going up everywhere at the speed of tweeting, texting, and other social media posts.
Daniel pulled out his phone to call security. Astor private security and, undoubtedly, any security within the art gallery.
“I was also complaining about how bat shit crazy my attempted womb usurper was. I believe I even called her murderous.”
Well, if Lucas ever doubted it before, he didn’t now. “She looks murderous.”
They couldn’t cross the gallery quick enough.
“Have you not learned anything? You can’t take your eyes off Bella.”
“Excuse me?” Lucas fought the urge to tackle Christian and said, “She’s been an adult the entire...”
That didn’t sound right.
“What I meant to say was...”
Lucas realized he was out of luck with ways to defend himself. Fine. He had a sibling, too, and knew how these arguments went. "You know what?" And as soon as they stopped next to Bella, Lucas wheeled on Chris. "You had the curator move the picture to the back of the exhibit."
Place the blame elsewhere. Classic sibling technique.
“You’re blaming me for this?” Chris squealed and grabbed Bella by the shoulders.
Lucas snapped one hand to Bella’s waist. “Yeah, I am.”
Bella rifled through her pockets, probably looking for anything to throw. Cell phones were a good weight and enough to hurt. Since meeting Bella, he’d witnessed her throw and break her fair share of phones. Keys worked well too. She’d even taken off and thrown her shoes at people, so he caught her wrist, sliding his fingers over her warm skin, and held her still. She clawed at his suit jacket for freedom.
“Warren, always a pleasure.” Lucas turned Bells away before she acted on any more impulses and led her away from Warren and towards the unforgiving crowd taking pictures.
Lina tore through the gathering crowds. Renewed flashes lit Bella’s face.
Chris buzzed around his sister, primping her hair. Daniel joined them, blocking the photographers as best he could while he and Lucas ambushed her.
“Hands off!” She smacked them all away from her jacket and hair.
"Bells. One photo. One little teeny tiny little photo op, where we're not throwing things." Chris used that same dazzling smile he wowed the board of directors with whenever they brought up a topic he hated. The same one he'd perfected on the women he took to bed. It worked on almost everyone except Bella. At most, it distracted his twin through pure annoyance.
When Bella turned on Chris, Lucas ripped apart the tie of her coat around her waist. Daniel tore the trench coat down Bella’s arms.
And they all froze because Bella...was an elf. She was missing her hat and ears, but she was definitely, undeniably dressed as an elf. Bright green dress trimmed in red with a white furry collar, faux buttons, and a black belt cinching her waist. The only forgivable item she wore was low hunter green heels.
This was literally a new level of hell.
Mere feet away, Lina gasped in unadulterated horror at her oldest child. “Oh, dear Lord. Is this some new form of punishment?”
Absolutely hands down, the best way to attract what little attention from the crowd they didn't already have. And Bella's mother constantly complained that someone needed to do ‘damage control’ on Bella when Lina couldn’t maintain her own composure?
"Merry Christmas, Mother," Bella said.
Then, of all the many things Bella could have done, she fucking curtsied.
This, right here, would give him the ulcer.
Lina Astor was at a loss for words.
Chris smacked his lips and said, “Mother sent dresses.”
“I told you I was working,” Bella shrugged calmly. Calmly! Like this was nothing.
“You agreed,” the panic raised Chris’ voice almost an entire octave higher than normal.
“I did no such thing.”
That was true. Bella had refused all the original invitations, and no one knew what Daniel said to get her in the car.
“Bells,” Christian seemed to debate the pros and cons of trying to cover the costume. Though what was the point when everyone in the gallery had seen her now? “Just one photo. No vulgarity...”
“Are you suggesting I don’t know how to conduct myself in polite society?” Bella feigned shock, then weighed every next word carefully against Chris. “It’s as if I wasn’t forced into Etiquette School.”
No one said a word. The mask, Bella's pissed off, and publicly famous scowl crossed her face.
Daniel broke the strained silence with, “Did you just throw wine on Mr. Warren.”
“It was not wine. It was a cranberry spritzer.” She fluffed her brilliantly blonde curls. “As if I’d drink when I’m planning to return to work!”
“Miss Astor!” Mayor Hulme said as he broke into their semicircle, oblivious to their drama. “How festive!” He grabbed Bella’s hand with vigor.
Bella flipped a switch. The bitter smile was gone, replaced with Astor charm. "Mayor Hulme. You know, we should make this quick. The children at Levvy Rec Center were super disappointed this little elf..." — oh my god, she curtsied again but cutely — "...had to run all the way here."
“My.” Hulme maintained his composure, even beaming at her. “We should have done this at the Rec Center! I haven’t been there since the ribbon cutting ceremony!”
Another server, not the woman Chris worked his charm on earlier, passed with new flutes. Chris stopped the woman with a touch of the elbow, took a flute, and downed the contents in three gulps before returning the empty flute to her tray.
"I'm CEO, and yet my sister will be the end of my career. Not because of an arrest or fight. Because of an elf costume."
Lucas grabbed his own flute and said, “Could be worse.”
“How?”
“The dress covers her...” Lucas gestured towards Bella’s lower half. “And she didn’t murder the mayor for not calling her Dr. Astor.” A miracle in and of itself.
"I'm not sure that helps." Chris' gaze flicked to his mother, and Lucas followed. Lina was already in the midst of damage control.