Chapter 8: Anyone Want an Annoying Best Friend, Going Cheap?

Declan

“Get your a** home at a decent hour tonight because we’re going out.”

I rolled my eyes after I looked at the text from Trent. “Not again,” I texted.

“Do not even think of backing again,” he texted back. “After what you pulled the other night, you owe me.”

“I don’t owe you a d*mn thing!” My breath came out in a rush as I made my way to the next patient’s room. “What time are you leaving?”

“About seven,” he replied. “And we’re taking the limo tonight, so dress up.”

I chuckled, feeling mischievous. “So, no jeans tonight?”

“Hell no! Dress to impress!”

I shook my head. “I’ll think about it. GTG! I’m going into a patient’s room.”

“Don’t be late!”

I was going to say something clever but clicked off instead.

Since we went out the other night and ran into Isabel, I wasn’t in a hurry to go out again. I had thought of texting Henley, but she had her whole life ahead of her and probably wasn’t ready to settle down yet. It wouldn’t be fair to saddle her with a man ten years older than her if she wasn’t ready for it. I sighed, not sure why I was thinking of settling down with her anyway. Since I kicked Isabel out, the thought of settling down with anyone hadn’t even crossed my mind... until I’d met Henley.

Get a grip, Declan. You’ll probably never see her again.

I pushed the thought of her from my mind as I took the patient’s chart down from the tray beside the room and studied it, forcing myself to concentrate on the task at hand.

***

I looked down at my watch, and it was six o’clock when I walked into the hospital parking lot. Just then, my phone buzzed. I chuckled when I looked down and read the message.

“If you don’t get your a** home right now, I’m coming to get you!”

“What is with you tonight?” I texted back. “Am I your date or something?”

“Yeah, you wish!”

“Actually, I don’t.”

“Just tell me you’re on your way.”

“I’m getting into my car now.”

“Fine. Just don’t be late.”

I laughed. “Man! Are you meeting a date for the prom or something?”

“Trust me. You’re going to thank me for this.”

I scoffed. “Yeah, like that’ll be likely,” I said aloud as I threw my phone onto the passenger seat and started my Jaguar. I pulled onto the main road a few minutes later.

My castle wasn’t far from the hospital, so I pulled up in front exactly fifteen minutes later. The long driveway was illuminated by low lamps that lit the way, adding to the ambiance.

Jackson was out front, polishing the limo in preparation for tonight. I had no idea what Trent was up to, and I had a feeling that I didn’t want to know. But he seemed so adamant that I go that I couldn’t let him down.

After parking my car in the garage, I walked out and headed toward Jackson. He looked up and smiled, taking a break from his waxing. “Good evening, Your Grace.”

“Good evening, Jackson.” A smile lit my lips as I leaned in conspiratorially. “So, do you have any idea what Trent’s up to?”

He nodded, smiling. “Yes, but I’m sworn to secrecy.” He shrugged. “Just go along with it.”

I nodded, smiling. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

He chuckled.

“So, I can’t bribe you?” I arched an eyebrow.

He shook his head, smiling. “I’m afraid not, Your Grace. Trent threatened me with life and limb... and my manhood.”

I burst out laughing. “Well, then I don’t blame you. If someone threatened my manhood, I think I’d want to keep it, too.” I let out a deep breath as I gave his shoulder a manly squeeze. “Well, I guess it’s time to go face the music.”

Jackson laughed. “I’m afraid so, Your Grace.”

I laughed, shaking my head as I walked toward the front door. It must have been good if Trent had even enlisted Jackson to keep the secret.

“Good! You’re here!” Trent shouted when I walked in, already showered and dressed in his dinner tux and reeking of expensive men’s cologne. “Hurry up and get ready.”

I crossed the room, never taking my eyes off his. “You threatened to cut off Jackson’s balls if he told me where we were going tonight?”

Trent smirked. “I knew it! You can’t stand for me to keep a secret from you! If I hadn’t sworn Jackson to secrecy, you would have gotten it out of him!”

I shrugged already heading down the hallway toward my room as Trent followed. “Of course! He’s been loyal to me way before you moved in here.”

“Ha!” he scoffed. “Well, tonight he’s loyal to me, and it’s killing you!”

“Go away!” I slammed the door in his face when I reached my bedroom.

“Be ready soon!” Trent yelled through the door. “We’re getting a bite to eat first before we go there!”

“Just order a pizza!” I shook my head as I undressed and quickly showered, not in the mood for Trent’s shenanigans.

But he was my oldest friend, and if he was this excited about going somewhere, then who was I to discourage him? He was the ultimate party guy and a lot of fun. But then again, I had been, too… until lately.

I don’t know what was getting into me lately. Maybe I was losing it. Who knows? Maybe a night out on the town was what I needed.

When I finished, I dried off, wrapped the towel around my waist, and headed toward my closet. After combing through my dinner suits and tuxes, I settled on my Seb Worsted Dinner Suit. If Trent was going through this much trouble to keep it a secret and was this nervous about tonight, then I had better do my part to impress.

James Bond, eat your heart out.

I slipped into the trousers but left my chest bare for the moment until after I ate. Even though I wasn’t a slob, there was no way I would take a chance on eating pizza in a tuxedo shirt, either.

“So, did you order a pizza?” I asked, stepping into the dining room.

“On the dining room table.” He scoffed when he turned around and saw that I still wasn’t dressed. “Really, man? Do I need to go in there and dress you, like a butler or something?”

“You even think of touching my Seb Worsted, and I will kill you with my bare hands.”

He smirked. “Well, that’s more like it. It’s good to see that you’re taking this seriously, at least.”

“F*ck you.” I headed into the dining room as Trent followed. “But when I saw you were being such a girl about it, I thought I’d do my part and take it seriously.”

He gave me a wink. “That’s my boy.”

“You wish.” I bit into a slice of Meat Lover’s pizza, guaranteed to clog the arteries, but at the time, I didn’t care. My stomach practically jumped through my throat for the pizza, hungrier than I thought.

Trent scoffed. “No, actually, I don’t.” He folded a slice of pizza and took a huge bite when some of the sauce dripped onto his white tux shirt, narrowly missing the dinner jacket. “Oh, man! Really?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s why I’m not fully dressed yet.”

“Man! Now I’m going to have to get dressed again!”

I quickly flipped open a cabinet door and handed him a plate. “Here. Use this and take off your shirt. Don’t get dressed until you’re finished eating, or you’ll go through your whole wardrobe.”

He mumbled obscenities under his breath as he threw the pizza onto the plate, set it on the table, and undressed from the waist up. “I’ll have to have Kinsey take this to the cleaners tomorrow along with my other dry cleaning.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “She’s your personal assistant! Not your maid!”

Trent was one of the best lawyers in Estrea and Kinsey was his Personal Assistant. I had told her more than once that she needed to put her foot down to Trent and have him pick up his own dry cleaning or pour his own coffee and get his own lunch. But she was too afraid of losing her job to stand up to him. He had worked hard to get to the top and was now a billionaire in his own right, one of the wealthiest men in Estrea, even though you wouldn’t know it to look at him at the moment.

He took a massive bite of his pizza and smiled. “She loves me. Would do anything for me.”

“Yeah, that’s real attractive. If only she could see you now.” I scoffed, watching him talk between bites. “She’s just too afraid of losing her job to say no. You don’t have a chance with her.” I set my plate in the sink and headed toward my room. “Don’t be too long. We’re leaving soon.”

Trent laughed from the dining room behind me. “Wow! How the tables have turned!”

I washed my hands and face, then dressed in my white tux shirt specially reserved for this suit, and then slipped into the tux suit and tied my bow tie. Then I slipped into my black Italian dress shoes I kept polished, just in case, and was ready. After combing my dark blond hair one more time and spraying on just a touch of my favorite cologne, I was ready for the evening.

All I had to say was this had better be good.