Adjournment (The Fate Series) (6 page)

I’m not outside anymore, there’s no reason to scream.

“He never left the city… he was just going home to his wife… I’m such an idiot,” she sobs from the chair next to the couch.

I stay silent as I hang my bag and jacket on the hooks that sit on either side of an oval carved-frame mirror and slide off my shoes to kick them under the thin table that sits under the mirror. She continues on as I walk through the small foyer that leads into the open living room and eating area, and I toss my scarf on the back of the couch that also serves as a room divider.

“How were you supposed to know that?” I retort as I walk down the short hall that leads to Lexi’s room on the left and the kitchen archway on the right. Turning into the kitchen, I grab wine glasses from the cupboard then place them on the breakfast bar that separates the kitchen from the living room. Pulling out a bottle of wine from the wine chiller, I lean back against the counter to uncork it. From where I’m standing I can see Lexi sitting in a chair to the right of the couch. She’s stopped crying and now just sits there staring at the coffee table in front of her.

So a little Lexi backstory. She also hasn’t had the best of luck with relationships. Her first big breakup was awful. They had dated somewhere around a year and were ‘in love’ but really it was more ‘she was in love with him’. One night he called to tell her he made reservations and that he had some exciting news for her. She was thinking proposal, he wasn’t. My first thought wouldn’t have been engagement. Unless the man was so full of himself that he would consider it good news for me to marry him. Anyways that’s where she took it… silly girl. In the end, the big night was to tell her he been cast for a movie somewhere in Australia. See, now that is exciting news. Well for him, not so much her. I never had the misfortune of meeting him since we were both shadowing different makeup artists at the time and had just moved in together. However, I knew something was up when he never came to see her new apartment. What guy doesn’t want to christen every surface of a parent-free home? Then there was the never wanting to come out with us. Why? You have a hot-ass girlfriend who you don’t want to sleep with in her new apartment or watch shake her ass on a club dance floor? I’m getting off topic, as you can see I’m still annoyed with that because I had to pick her back up off the floor when he was gone. Dick.

Because of this I adopted a strict rule against becoming involved with any actors, new or old, or crew for that matter. The movie will end, you both will be hired on a new set and long distance relationships don’t always turn out like they do in the movies. This newest catch of hers, and I say that lightly was… he was a… huh, I have no idea what he did for a living come to think about it.

Do I just not listen when people talk to me?

After pouring the wine, I re-cork the bottle and slide it back into its temperature controlled home. This wine chiller has been one of the best investments we ever made. At the time, Lexi liked the idea of it but didn’t think we needed it. Now it’s always stocked.

“Just in case we have company.” We always have company.

House rule—you drink it you replace it!

Which would work out great if it wasn’t us constantly draining the supplies. No, we don’t drink all the time. Just when we have a hard day, or a long day, or a day off, break up, or celebration. Come to think of it, we do drink a lot, but it’s wine, and wine is good for you. Someone—once said. 

Walking back into the living room, I give Lexi her wine. She reaches up, grabbing the glass from my hands, and tips her head back, draining it in a few mouthfuls.

“OOOOH NO! Tomorrow is our last day of shooting. You can drink crazy after that.” My responsible side is shaking her head in disapproval.

Kill joy.

“Okay champ I think that’s enough.” I reach for the glass.

“What the hell Sid, where are you going with my life support?”  she asks, clutching to her wine glass like it’s the tube to her survival.

“Our last day is tomorrow, and we have to be there before sun-up. We can celebrate and angry drink after that.” I reach in again for her glass.

Glaring at me skeptically for a minute, she nods and gives it up.

“You’re right, he ruined my night, but I won’t let him ruin the enjoyment of the last day!” she says with more excitement than I thought she could muster.

“How was your date with… Pat was it?” She tries to hide her smirk.

Don’t play dumb with me… you know what his name is.

“Patrick. And it was…”

Thinking back to the assault, I gag.

“Ouch, that bad?” She frowns.

No, it was much worse. For the sake of your broken heart I won’t tell you how terrible you are at playing matchmaker.

“Oh yes—that bad. I think the worst part was when I realized he looked like someone I know.” I glare down at her, tapping my foot against the floor.

“Really?” She quickly gets up. “That’s strange.”

Look at her – thinking she is deceptive.

“Yes it is. It’s strange though because you set the date up, and you’re also the one who got to pick where we went for breakfast.” I watch her nervously move about the apartment with no rhyme or reason to what she is doing or where she is going.

“In my defense I didn’t know he would be there when we were there, I also didn’t think Patrick looked like anyone.” She turns toward me with her hand on her hip. This is her attack stance. “Hey, would you like to check out the gossip section of the paper? I see your best friends have made it in again, they didn’t even get into trouble this time.”

A standard feeling of rage creeps over me as she begins to tell me about their irresponsible escapades of the previous weekend.

“You’re a terrible liar!” I shout, walking over to the counter with the glasses.

“I’m not lying, they didn’t get into trouble. You should be proud. They might be growing up.” She gives me the worst innocent look I’ve ever seen. With wide eyes I stare at her in shock. “What? I’m sorry, Sid. You have a type, and it just so happens to be him.” She slams the paper down in front of me. “You know he’s at the Gala right now, and from what I read he hasn’t been showing up with dates to anything.”

I don’t have a type… and if I did it certainly would not be Simon McAllister. I’ve learned my lesson.

“I think I’ve seen enough of him for one day,” I mutter.

I’ll wait until she turns before I steal a glance.

When her back is to me I give it a quick peek. There he is with his two identical brothers on either side of him.

Yes, he is a triplet. Because God thought, why just make one?

With the exception of a few incidents over the years, I’ve managed to avoid all contact with them, but it’s really hard not to hear about them when they’re always being talked about.

You’re probably interested in getting to know the men that I loathe so much. Well fine, you’re just lucky I’m in the giving mood right now.

Chase, Simon, and Dean McAllister, otherwise known as The McAllister Triplets, can be compared to what happens when you breed evil. Over the years they have used their devilish good looks and charm to get everything and anyone they want. Well almost… my sisters are too clever for them. Which is why they live in California. I’m getting off topic though.

As you’ve guessed by now they are the playboys of the city, and from what I see, they live for it. Sporting a new woman every night to show off and flash around, then never calling them back. No, they haven’t changed over the years. But it doesn’t hurt the same way it did back then. As usual all the women are the same, they have that same dream I once had, that they will be the one to change them. Unfortunately for the women, they find out they’re nothing special by morning when the guys have left them and moved on to their next round of victims. See, nothing has changed.

My sisters used to tell me of this switch technique they would pull in college… unfamiliar with it? Well… it’s when they pretend to be each other to ditch the poor unsuspecting girl without having to feel bad. Although I’m pretty sure Chase and Simon are void of all human emotions. Despite the fact that they are identical, they each have their own characteristics to help tell them apart… that is if you know them well enough. If you don’t, they’ll use it to their advantage.

To an unfamiliar eye they are every bit alike with their short ink black hair that falls perfectly in their faces… I’m convinced they do it so women will attempt to fix it.

Attention whores.

Their unnaturally dark blue eyes cast a hypnotic hold on anyone ill-fated enough to look into them and always have a hint of sinister that dances through in the most alluring kind of way. To finish off the look their hard-bodied build and tan skin is always covered with designer suits that are perfectly fit to tease and make women want to rip their clothes off.

I mean, if you go for guys like that…

I remember my mother telling me once years ago that they wear the suits because Chase thinks they need to look professional in the city. I think they wear them because it gives off the idea that they are the puppet masters of their world and ours.

So now that you have a good visual, look closer—past the dazzling white teeth, past the charm-laced air that pulls you into to them, and far past the way they manage to leave a girl breathless by just saying her name—and you will see they aren’t that much alike.

They each have very distinct characteristics which were inherited from their father who passed away when they were young. My mother’s friend, pain-in-the-ass Judith, always used to say how their father Jack passed his best traits on to each boy. If you are lucky, or unlucky, enough to get to know them deeper you’ll see. For instance, Chase, the oldest and the Senior Principal Partner for McAllister Architectural and Design, has always been what most of you consider your satisfactory Alpha male. He is diligent in movements, never reveals any sort of emotion, and controls situations at all times. He always carries their father’s pocket watch on him, which is a family heirloom. You’ll know you’re about to be dismissed, because he takes it out. He wears his suits properly, the way men should; and above all always knows how to charm people into doing what he wants. Not just women though. He can calm any situation, which I imagine comes in handy for dealing with Simon since Chase is usually the one being quoted in the paper when he is sent to clean up Simon’s messes. Though there is one woman that can bring him to his knees, leaving him stuttering like a teenager. I was lucky she just happens to be my oldest sister, Morgan. The mere mention of her name can cause the man’s brain to melt right out of his head. It was always fun to watch. The Chase seen in the paper or around town would be a completely different man if Morgan lived here.

Moving on to Simon, the catalyst for every reason they wind up on page six, he’s known for being a complete trickster; he will find your weaknesses and use them to his advantage. While one of them holds your attention over here, Simon is typically carrying out whatever his plan might be over there. It works well for him, especially when it’s the secretary of their rival architectural firm.

While Simon is equal with Chase in every part of the company, he is a carpenter who focuses on “livable art”. Well, he used to. His pieces were constantly referenced in articles and magazines. Not that I have kept tabs on them or read any of the articles or anything. Well not all of them… Although, it’s been a long time since I have seen one. That might have something to do with running a company though.

As I mentioned, he wears his suits in more of ‘just rolled out of some model’s bed’ sort of fashion. Simon is much less serious and has yet to meet a woman who can knock him off his stupid smug horse. There was a time when that thought would have crushed me to admit. Now I can’t wait for the day she shows up.

Finally we come to Dean. Sweet, weak, nerdy Dean. He would be the perfect match for my sister Molly.

His downfall? His brothers.

He is naturally left to blame for what happens when Simon’s plans go awry since he is the quiet one.

His forte? He is a landscape architect, working predominantly on parks and homes in the Hamptons. Keeping in fashion with the other two he wears a suit, but unlike his brothers with their long thin ties, Dean prefers bowties and plaid shirts.

Don’t make that face, something about the way he wears them makes them work perfectly in conjunction with his black framed glasses, leaving a very sexy, very nerdy man for women to gaze upon. When I was younger I read in horrifying detail how Molly reacts when she sees him.

It’s gross…

“And he hasn’t been seen with anyone because he has no one left to date,” I reply to Lexi.

“Except for you that is,” she quips. “Let’s go out for some frozen yogurt.” Her voice is filled with humor as she pulls on her jacket.

I look up to see her beaming smile. “I’m mad at you, and frozen yogurt isn’t going to fix it,” I shout, walking past the photo to put my shoes back on.

“But we’re going.” She stands watching me.

I can hear the sarcasm in her voice, but I choose to ignore her.

“Well since you offered to buy who am I to say no?” I grab my bag and coat.

“Ah, this is my make up for setting you up with a doppelganger?” She frowns, opening the door for us.

“So you did do that on purpose. I knew I...” I shriek, shaking my head as we wait for the elevator.

She is the worst liar.

“No, but now that I think about it they do look alike. Another thing they have in common, he approached me about you, said he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. Which would be the third thing they have in common,” she informs me.

Turning my head, I look at her in bewilderment. She bites her lip, not willing to look at me when the elevator dings and the doors open for us.

I hate elevators… I’m always afraid I’ll get stuck in them, and it wouldn’t be with some hot guy who wants to have sex, it would be with Lexi who I would want to kill or worse… Simon.

She clears her throat and begins to talk. “Did you want to toss him onto the table and rip his clothes off?” She laughs still biting her lip.