Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 142

McKenzie

Before I could find a napkin to get my lipstick off his cheek, an older Hispanic man in a suit came rushing up to us. “Mr. Masterson! Thank goodness. We’d like to kick off the proceedings now, and I thought you could give your speech pre-dinner. You’re always so good at introducing the organization and our mission, and Fernando, sadly, just came down with the flu. He’s heading out the door even as we speak.”

“Mr. Nieves,” Will said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t give yourself a heart attack, please. If Mr. Garcia is ill, of course, I’ll take his place.”

“Thank you.” Mr. Nieves looked as though he might cry with relief. “We had it all so planned out. I was just so worried no one would be able to fill in for him. You know how awful I am at speeches.”

Will smiled. “Yes, but you have many other wonderful qualities, Mr. Nieves. Now, let me just get my fiancée back to our table, and I’ll be right with you.”

The organizer nodded. “Oh… you have a smudge on your cheek, Mr. Masterson.”

Will grinned down at me. “I kind of thought so.”

“Would you like me to get a wet napkin?” Mr. Nieves asked.

With a shake of his head, Will said, “I actually rather like it right where it is.”

“Oh. Yes, of course.” Mr. Nieves smiled at me. “You are a very lucky young lady.”

“I know,” I replied. “And I would love to hear more about Comunidades en Común later.”

“Please, sit with us. Keep McKenzie company while I’m giving my speech,” Will said.

I smiled. This person, at least, seemed to be sincere. A man who was exactly what he appeared to be. “I’d like that very much.”

“Really?” Mr. Nieves puffed up a bit. “I will happily keep you company, Miss…?”

“Kent,” I provided. “McKenzie Kent.”

“Miss Kent. I am Mr. Alonso Nieves. I’m so pleased to meet you.” He shook my hand with both of his.

“I’m pleased to meet you as well.” See, Ike? I can be perfectly polite. Suck it!

Will escorted me back to the table with Mr. Nieves trotting beside us. Once I was seated, Will kissed my forehead. “Don’t let Mr. Nieves steal your heart away while I’m gone.”

Mr. Nieves laughed. “As though I could at my age!”

“Are you sure you want to go up there with my lipstick on your cheek?” I asked.

“Absolutely. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Will nodded to Mr. Nieves, Leopold, Gwendolyn….

… and Bran, who decided to join our table. “Looks like there’s a free spot.”

Will’s expression soured as Bran settled a buxom blonde in hot pink in one of the chairs then took the last one.

“Her name is Sheila.” Bran winked at me. “Oh look, no more chairs for Will. Pity.”

“Mr. Lockwood! It’s such an honor,” Mr. Nieves said quickly. “Please, don’t worry. I will be doing my duties as host. I’m only saving Mr. Masterson’s chair until he is finished giving his speech.”

At the mention of his speech, Will went to do his duty, glancing back at me several times.

“Really? What happened to Mr. Garcia?” Bran asked with what I could tell was false concern.

“He has taken ill,” Mr. Nieves replied. “Poor man.”

“Here?” Sheila piped up in a nasal voice. She looked around. “Do you think it’s contagious?”

“I’m sure it will be fine, dear,” Bran said, waving a hand.

Sheila wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to get sick.”

“Mr. Garcia left immediately so as not to expose you,” Mr. Nieves assured her.

“If he was sick, he shouldn’t have come at all.” Sheila sounded quite miffed. “But then, his kind always spreads disease.”

A dissonant ringing started in my head. “‘His kind’?” I repeated.

Bran was already scowling at Sheila, but she didn’t pick up on it.

“You know.” Sheila waved in Mr. Nieves’ direction. “His kind.”

The ringing stopped as something snapped in my head. Mr. Nieves drooped, clearly too polite to correct her, or maybe thinking it wasn’t his place.

As the fiancée of William Masterson the Third, and, more importantly, a decent human being, I had no such qualms. “Well, aren’t you just a classless, ignorant—”

“I think Sheila was just leaving,” Bran said, his voice as cold as ice.

Sheila’s head whipped around from me to Bran. “But, darling, didn’t you hear what she said about me?!”

“Yes, and I’ve stopped her before she really lays into you. I apologize, Mr. Nieves. Sheila will not be showing up at any more of your functions—or anywhere on the circuit, for that matter,” Bran said.

“What?! What are you talking about?!” Sheila squawked.

Now Leopold and Gwendolyn were paying attention. “I say, dinner and a show,” Leopold chuckled.

“Sheila, I think our relationship has run its course. You have embarrassed me and done undue damage to my reputation. And I don’t ever want to see you again. Anywhere. So take the last hundred thousand dollars I gave you and go prey on the elderly on the west coast.” Bran was no less cold. “Do you understand?”

She paled then stood and tossed down her napkin. “I can’t believe you’re casting me aside for a bunch of wetbacks.”

I wished I still had champagne to dump on her. I eyed Bran’s scotch.

His lips twitched ever so slightly, and he pulled it back toward him. “Mr. Nieves, would you mind getting security to show Miss James out?”

“It will be my pleasure, Mr. Lockwood.” Mr. Nieves stood, and, with his head held high, went to get security.

I didn’t believe it was a coincidence when two burly Hispanic gentlemen in all black came wandering back with him, both glaring death at Sheila.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she grumbled.

“Bye-bye now,” Bran said. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Sheila protested loudly as the two Hispanic security guards took her by each arm and escorted her out. Everyone in the room, which must have been filled with a hundred people, stared.

“Well, that was entertaining,” Will said from the podium in front. “On that note, I’d like to welcome you to the twenty-seventh annual dinner for Comunidades en Común.”

The audience clapped.

“This really will be something to listen to. Will makes the best speeches,” Bran murmured to me as though nothing had happened.

“Oh, quite,” Leopold agreed. “It’s almost a blessing that Mr. Garcia became ill. He does drone on so.”

“I would have liked to have heard his speech, too,” I said defensively.

Mr. Nieves smiled at me.

“Probably not.” Leopold was oblivious to my censure, apparently.

“As you know,” Will continued, putting paid to the conversation, “this organization has been working diligently in Central America for all twenty-seven of those years. What started as a small school in one Honduran village has turned into a multi-country initiative, incorporating healthcare, food support, and housing as pillars upholding the ultimate goal of elevating families out of poverty through education. I wish Fernando was here to tell you about the hard work of the early days, dengue fever, polluted water, and leaky roofs. He was there, boots on the ground, helping with all of it. All of us who are now involved couldn’t be more honored to be here tonight, celebrating the twenty-seventh-year milestone that started in one little village.”

The audience clapped.

Will winked at the room. “Of course, we’re not here to just eat dinner and reminisce about old times. We’re also opening our wallets, as well as our hearts, to this great organization that they might continue and even expand their work. Tonight, we have silent auction items which many of you may have already seen and bid on along the tables there.” He pointed to the tables lining the walls.

I’d been so preoccupied with the other things happening around me that I hadn’t noticed the tables. I wondered if he and I should see what was being auctioned and make some bids. It seemed only polite.

“Dinner will be served in the next fifteen minutes, I’m told,” he continued. “Then we will have the main auction event of the bigger items. I’m expecting some enthusiasm here, people.”

Everyone laughed.

“Good, now that we have an understanding, let’s enjoy some great food, good company, and the great many items we’re all about to go bid on.” He gave a charming smile, glancing around the room until his eyes fell on me.

I knew immediately it was his fake smile. I tensed with concern.

Will stepped down and came back to the table to a round of applause. Mr. Nieves stood up immediately, still clapping.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Masterson. A great speech, as always,” he praised.

“Thank you, Mr. Nieves. It’s always an honor and a pleasure.” Will sat down next to me and draped an arm around the back of my chair.

I put a hand on Will’s thigh while Mr. Nieves excused himself to go coordinate the dinner service. “Will?” I whispered.

He stroked the back of my neck. “It’s okay, honeybee. We’ll talk about it later.”

When we were alone, no doubt. Still, as they laid plates in front of us, I could tell he was really disturbed. He didn’t touch his food.

“That’s quite the stamp you have on your cheek, Will,” Bran teased from across the table.

Will nodded, absently pushing pieces of steak around his plate.

“You know what,” I said, standing. “I might need to powder my nose. Will? Would you like to show me where to go?”

He glanced up at me then nodded. “How remiss of me. I’ll take you there.” He offered me his arm, and we walked away.

I could just hear Bran behind us, chuckling to Leopold. “You know they’re not going to the powder room, right? Somebody’s about to get lucky.”

Leopold chortled right back.

I decided to ignore them and hoped Will would, too. If he did overhear them, he didn’t show it.

“What’s wrong?” I asked once we left the main hall. “You seem really upset.”

He paused, then tugged me away from where the bathrooms were clearly labeled with brass plates. We walked across the marble floor to a different room, one that was laid out as though it could host a very small wedding reception.

Will didn’t turn on the lights. He just lifted me and sat me on the edge of a table.

Was he hoping to get lucky? “Uh… Will….”

He wrapped his arms around me and dropped his head on my shoulder. “I just gave a speech about elevating children out of poverty, knowing full well we’re kidnapping those same children and selling them into slavery. I feel like such a hypocrite. Hell, I feel like I need a shower.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess I would, too,” I responded after thinking it over. I ran my fingers through his hair, wondering what I could possibly do to comfort him. “You’re not like Ike. You’re never going to be like him.”

“Grandfather wants me to be. He’s going to make me do this dance until he breaks me,” he sighed.

I clutched his head, my fingers tangled in his hair. “He’s not going to break you. We’re getting out, remember?”

Will paused far too long for my liking, so I kicked him in the shin.

“Ouch!” He winced. “McKenzie!”

“And let that be a lesson to you,” I told him. “If you keep giving up hope, next time, this heel is going to go right in your balls!”

He laughed and hugged me tighter. “Okay, okay. I was having some pretty dark thoughts, but as usual, you knew just what to do to drag me out of it.”

“Exactly.” I stroked his hair again.

After a long silence, he said, “We will get out. Together.”