A Billion Reasons (Wish 8)

31 - Man up

The Whitby's were not ones to drop by, but Monty wanted to see firsthand how his mother was feeling. She wasn't one to miss an invitation, but she didn't attend Jon and Tori's engagement party. Celia hadn't answered his calls or text messages. Occasionally, he could be a dutiful son to his mother.

Honestly, his mother didn't miss much. The evening had a strange vibe. Monty tried to put his finger on it. He thought it might have been the sudden engagement after Tom surprised everyone with a wife and baby.

He had seen Tom at Whitby Enterprises. The younger man had been away for years but looked at him like he didn't trust him. Monty didn't know how to become legitimate without revealing Trista.

His old man insisted they arrive at the party together. When he told Gray they needed to swing by for his father, his friend shook his head.

On the short ride to the Petersen's, Montgomery harped on Monty. Apparently with Jonathan's engagement, his father accelerated his plans to find him a wife. From the backseat, Monty watched Gray's jaw tighten.

They were the last to arrive, and he felt a lot of eyes on him. He felt so paranoid he didn't pick up a flute. At his first chance, he slipped out to see Sofia who had the cushy job of watching Sage's sleeping son.

"How's the party?"

"It's more boring than ever."

"I think you're lucky dancing and..."

"We should dance."

She shook her head. "I don't belong."

"You know I don't care what people think." He held out his hand. "Here then."

They were in an upstairs sitting room near to the room recently redecorated as a nursery.

She placed her hand in his and he held her closer than he would any woman downstairs. He hadn't expected to feel an intense physical jolt. They had hugged and kissed each other's cheek, but he kept attributing the fondness he felt for her to friendship. His body reacted differently. It took all his resolve not to pull her against his growing erection. This desire wasn't new. She had appeared in some of his dreams. Waking hard with memories of her inviting curves was a blessing and a curse. Not dreaming about Sloane was refreshing, but Sofia worked for him.

"I should probably go back before I'm missed. When's your next flight?"

"Monday morning to Phoenix and then on to Las Vegas."

"Right. How could I forget? You'll be in Sin City."

"Rosa is convinced I'm working for a criminal."

Monty laughed. "All on the up and up. Thank you."

He kissed her check and slipped back to the party. He had his customary dance with Jessica, and not long after his father told him he was ready to leave.

It was cold and smelled like snow. As Monty let himself in through the service door, he remembered his childhood Mondays playing alone until Trey and Ted led him through the woods.

He heard his mother as he approached the parlor.

"I have buried my head in the sand for years because you were discreet. Now I'm a laughingstock. 'Poor Celia'."

"You are a Whitby."

"The name alone doesn't demand respect. You certainly don't deserve any. My God! A video!"

"It's nothing. Trey Hayes wanted out of his prenup. I heard he has a bastard running around."

Monty was having trouble connecting the dots. He stepped in. "Mother, I was concerned you weren't well."

Montgomery said, "An example of disrespecting the Whitby name."

"Stop insulting your son."

"Stop coddling him. He's a man."

Monty looked from one parent to the other. "Obviously, I walked in on something."

"You'll hear elsewhere. Your father was caught with your old girlfriend with his pants down."

His gut turned sour. He was afraid he might retch. Weakly, he said, "Sloane?"

"No, darling, Jessica."

Monty's mouth dropped open. He wasn't sure which surprised him the most, his mother tying him to Jessica or his father's affair with her.

"I've known about him and women for years."

"What? You weren't supposed to."

"I saw him on top of my maid. I was old enough to know what was happening, but young enough to be disgusted."

His mother gave his father a look of icy disdain. "Why couldn't you be discreet?"

Monty felt a thickness in his throat as he processed the situation. "She's your attorney."

The older man stared at him. "I'm surprised you noticed. You rarely bother to come to work."

Monty put his hands up. "I'm there and I've submitted a report on every entity you've asked me to visit. I haven't traveled for myself in months."

"Why aren't you traveling now?" His father glared at him.

"I have it well in hand." Needing to get out of town, he added, "I'll be spending the week in Las Vegas."

"When you return, I want to discuss a suitable mate. It's time to think about the next generation of Whitby's. I have a woman in mind."

"Oh no! You will not arrange my son's marriage. You are not your father. Monty will marry anyone he wants."

"I don't trust him to choose wisely."

"Wisely? A woman from the right family who he will never love."

"If he hadn't messed it up with Sloane."

"Don't you dare! I loved her, but thanks to you, I wasn't emotionally equipped for a relationship."

"Always back to me. Man up."

"You need to watch what you say, old man. I know the only reason I was born was to take over your precious company. The thing is, you can't force me to do anything. I'm an adult."

"I can stop your gravy train."

"I know this is hard to believe, but I have my own income which supports me."

His father stared at him in disbelief. "It's probably not legal. You and the hoodlum you call a chauffeur."

"Don't. The man you're referring to is my best friend, and he has more honor in his pinky than you. I'm out of here. I hope you are very happy with Trey's wife. She gives one hell of a blow job. Sorry, mother."

He tore out of the house at lightning speed. He didn't know it was possible to hate anyone so much. As soon as he returned to the condo, he booked a flight early the next morning to Las Vegas. Gray had gone to see his mother for her birthday. He could meet him later or not. Monty just needed to get as far away from his father as possible.