Chapter 59 Just One Night
Leaning back, Ashley fixed her gaze on Christian Brin with a cold smile, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't take a liking to me, Christian. You're not my type, you will ruin my appetite."
Christian teased her, “Oh, so you're into guys like Damian? Mr. Poker Face who can't muster a second expression, irritated, turns into a walking glacier whenever he's annoyed. Got a thing for Eskimos, Ashley?”
Ashley replied, “Women like those aloof and domineering men, giving orders from up high, with an entourage of lackeys at their disposal. It’s the distinct charm of a person with integrity.”
"Ah, I get it now; you're a masochist, who enjoys a little discomfort.”
Deep inside, Ashley cursed him, calling him a nutcase!
As the time passes by, Ashley somehow endures a torturous fifteen minutes of awkward conversation with Christian, with no sign of Damian.
Could it be that he's not coming?
Christian glanced at his watch, probably finding his Vacheron Constantin piece more appealing than ever. “Five minutes left, Ashley. Prepare yourself mentally.”
Ashley’s heart raced, worried about what Christian Brin might do next; with his reputation, anything was possible. “Why the panic? You and Damian are best of friends; he wouldn't leave you hanging.”
Christian Brin wished he could speed up time by the minute; he was itching to teach Ashley a lesson!
“If Damian doesn't show up, we'll just have to change the game.”
Ashley rolled her eyes.
Christian Brin suggested nonchalantly, “One night with me.”
His tone was as casual as if he were asking to borrow a broom from a neighbor.
In the world of the wealthy, swapping partners among friends wasn’t uncommon, but today it was like throwing eggs on her face. “Why don't you repeat that when Damian is around, Christian?”
Christian playfully stroked his nose, deep in thought. “Damian... He wouldn’t let anyone pick up even the trash he's thrown away, but that's what makes it thrilling. Now, if I go behind his back, would he kill me in a rage, or get rid of you to blow off steam?”
At that moment, Ashley's distaste for Christian reached its peak, and not wanting to spend another second around him, “Pick out your graveyard before you bite the dust, because then there'll be no place to bury you if you don’t!”
Christian laughed heartily, “Worried about me?”
“As a matter of fact, the dead deserve respect.”
Lifting his glass, Christian staggered over and plopped next to Ashley, “Even as a ghost, I'd be the life of the party.”
Pushing him away, Ashley retorted, “Next time, douse yourself in cologne; the stench of a scumbag is suffocating.”
Christian had the almost irresistible urge to pry her mouth open and pour down a bottle of wine to see if it might soften her stubbornness. It was at this very moment that the private room's door swung open.
In walked Damian.
Observing the scene before him, it didn't take Damian long to piece together the situation. Christian wasn't the one in trouble; rather it was Ashley, seemingly backed into a corner.
Taking a few steps inside, his tall figure cast a long shadow under the light, his face painted with a mix of despise and indifference. "What's the matter now?"
The word "now" dripped with impatience.
Ashley knew she couldn't pretend as though she was uninvolved, but with a clever twist, she deflected the blame back on Christian. "Yeah, Mr. Brin seemed quite eager to locate you. Care to fill us in, Christian?"
Christian flung Ashley a fiercely resentful look but stood his ground. "Just playing a high-stakes game of Truth or Dare with Ashley. She picked 'dare'.'"
Such a scenario was too absurd to believe, and Damian wasn't buying it, "Fancy ‘dare'? Wanna go another round?"
Ashley's back tensed, feeling as though every joint in her body had stiffened, "It's getting late. Maybe some other time?"
"No postponing. Let's do this tonight!"
Christian patted the sofa beside him, "Damian, it's been ages since we've pulled an all-nighter. Let's pull Hayden into it."
Ashley, anxious to avoid further complications and considering Amelia and Harold's precarious circumstances back at home, interrupted, "Hayden's on shift. We're short-handed for mahjong tonight."
Christian clicked his tongue, "Jade's back in town. Let's call him up."
Damian settled himself in the middle of the long couch, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a discarded cigar in the ashtray. He pulls out a cigarette, "You want to call him to beat you up?"
"Jade treats me the best."
"That's right, tough love."
Christian rubbed his cheek nostalgically, "A spanking means 'I love you,' and a scolding means 'I care.'"
Ashley wasn't in the mood for their display of one-upmanship and just wanted to leave this mess behind when she overheard Christian change the subject once more. "Heard your grandpa threw a lavish feast for Trinity at the house. Are you two a thing now?"
Ashley glanced sideways at Damian. That was fast.
Damian was nonchalant in response. "Who did you hear it from?"
Christian was vague, "Oh, you know, that guy."
Damian didn't bother to inquire further. In their tight-knit community, such gossip was circuited by many, and Christian had his fair share of fair-weather acquaintances in the Bezos family too.
Damian, resting his elbow on the sofa arm, allowed the smoke from his cigarette to curl leisurely upwards. "Why are you still here?"
The message was for Ashley, clearly wanting her gone.
Ashley reached for her purse; she'd been looking for an exit anyway, "You guys... continue. Excuse me."
Christian Brin cut her off, "Forgot something? Your song hasn't been sung yet, and it's all queued up for you."
His gaze carried an unmistakable threat; skipping the dance was fine, but not the song,
Damian said nothing, which was as good as consent.
On the high-definition screen was the MV "Wiggle."
Christian shoved the microphone into Ashley's hands with a smirk, "Think you can make a fool out of me, Ashley?"
Ashley clenched her jaw. "Don't push me too far!"
"Push you? With me, 'too far' doesn't exist."
Ashley gave a sweet smile, then, amplified by the microphone, she said, "Singing's boring. How about a dance, Christian? Don’t tell me you can't."
Christian silently swore.
And then Ashley added, "Hayden is bored with the night shift. Let's give him a video call and liven things up with some dancing. And as for Jade, I think I still have his WhatsApp."
Ashley scrolled through her phone.
She was still gambling, a bet that Christian would care enough about his image not to want to create a scene that his friends might make fun of later.
She was also hoping that Damian, who has always been self-conscious, wouldn't want his ex-wife to be made fun of in public.
One second... two... three... Each beat seemed to pound on her heart.
But Damian didn't intervene.
Christian smirked to himself; he knew his buddy wasn't so blind that he couldn't see right through a woman, even after these years.
Tightly squeezing her phone, Ashley, aware that every word she uttered next could determine her fate, "Found it. Jade's is as discreet as ever, no Status."
Damian, who had been watching with detached amusement, finally spoke up, "Start up a group chat."
Christian and Ashley both looked at him as he sat back in a cloud of smoke, "Aren't you starting a video call? Make it a group call."
