Daniel exchanged a look with Michael. They grinned at each other. “You’re the treasurer, Michael.”
Michael coughed. “Our investments have done well. Last time I checked we were at about three-and-a-half.”
“Thousand?” Sabrina asked. “Well, that’s not bad for a little prize.”
“Million,” Michael corrected her.
Sabrina’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Three and a half million? Oh my god! That’s crazy.” She visibly swallowed. “How many bachelors are still in the club?”
Daniel grinned. “All of them.”
Though he was sure that there’d be a change in the membership roster sometime in the near future.
“Myself, Michael here, Zach of course, Paul Gilbert, whom you’ve met, Jay Bohannon, Xavier Eamon, Wade Williams, and Hunter Hamilton. Did I forget anybody?”
Michael chuckled. “I think that about sums it up.”
“And they’re all still bachelors, because of this club?”
Daniel laughed. “I’m not sure about their reasons, but yes, they’re all still bachelors.”
“What do I hear about bachelors?” a voice came from behind them.
Daniel turned and stretched his hand out to greet his old friend Zach, noticing that he looked just as successful as he was. Some people’s success was written in their faces; Zach’s success was imprinted on his whole body: the way he moved, the way he held his shoulders, how he spoke, and how his eyes took in the world around him. Zach’s charisma was undeniable, his good looks undisputed, despite the nose that had been broken twice and the dark eyes that could make him look like the devil incarnate.
“Happy birthday, buddy!”
“Hey thanks! Good to see you, Daniel! Glad you could make it.” Zach’s gaze strayed past him to Sabrina. “You brought me a birthday present? You shouldn’t have!”
Daniel groaned. “Hands off her. This is Sabrina, my girlfriend. Sabrina, this is Zach.”
“Thank you very much for the invitation,” Sabrina said, smiling and taking his proffered hand. “Happy Birthday!”
Zach held her hand for a few seconds longer than Daniel thought was necessary.
Spotting a waiter carrying a tray with champagne glasses, Daniel saw an opportunity to occupy Sabrina’s hands with other things. “Can somebody get a drink around here or are you too hard up to serve your guests anything decent?”
Chuckling, Zach let go of Sabrina’s hand and waved to the waiter. “Drinks for my friends.”
Daniel plucked two of the glasses from the tray and handed one to Sabrina.
“Thank you,” she murmured and led the glass to her lips, taking a small sip.
“Come, guys, meet the rest of the gang. Looks like almost everybody was able to make it this year,” Zach said and motioned them into the large living room that boasted a stunning view over New York.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows that led to a large terrace, the lights of the city sparkled in the dark.
Next to Daniel, Sabrina stood still. “Wow, this is stunning.” She turned her head to Zach. “You have a gorgeous place.”
“Thank you,” Zach answered. “It suits me.”
“How long have you lived here?” Sabrina asked, and Daniel was pleased to see that she seemed more at ease than before.
“Only a couple of years. I bought this as a shell,” Zach explained.
“A shell?”
“Yes, basically only the outside walls were here. I brought my architect in and had him design the interior space. It’s the only way you really ever get what you want: you’ve gotta do it yourself. Isn’t that right, Daniel?” Zach grinned at him.
“That’s why we do what we do.” Daniel squeezed Sabrina’s hand, making her look at him. “I’ll give you the tour. Zach won’t mind, will you?”
“You know the lay of the land.” He winked at Sabrina. “Don’t let him corner you in the bedroom. If you guys aren’t back in five minutes, I’ll send a search party out.”
Daniel laughed and put his arm around Sabrina’s waist, leading her away.
“Your friend is quite direct,” Sabrina whispered once they were out of earshot.
“He always says what he thinks.” He cast her a sideways glance as he steered her through the crowd in the living room. “But he’s not vicious. He likes you.”
“How do you know?”
“He wouldn’t make jokes if he didn’t. Zach can be quite reserved when he doesn’t like somebody.”
Michael coughed. “Our investments have done well. Last time I checked we were at about three-and-a-half.”
“Thousand?” Sabrina asked. “Well, that’s not bad for a little prize.”
“Million,” Michael corrected her.
Sabrina’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Three and a half million? Oh my god! That’s crazy.” She visibly swallowed. “How many bachelors are still in the club?”
Daniel grinned. “All of them.”
Though he was sure that there’d be a change in the membership roster sometime in the near future.
“Myself, Michael here, Zach of course, Paul Gilbert, whom you’ve met, Jay Bohannon, Xavier Eamon, Wade Williams, and Hunter Hamilton. Did I forget anybody?”
Michael chuckled. “I think that about sums it up.”
“And they’re all still bachelors, because of this club?”
Daniel laughed. “I’m not sure about their reasons, but yes, they’re all still bachelors.”
“What do I hear about bachelors?” a voice came from behind them.
Daniel turned and stretched his hand out to greet his old friend Zach, noticing that he looked just as successful as he was. Some people’s success was written in their faces; Zach’s success was imprinted on his whole body: the way he moved, the way he held his shoulders, how he spoke, and how his eyes took in the world around him. Zach’s charisma was undeniable, his good looks undisputed, despite the nose that had been broken twice and the dark eyes that could make him look like the devil incarnate.
“Happy birthday, buddy!”
“Hey thanks! Good to see you, Daniel! Glad you could make it.” Zach’s gaze strayed past him to Sabrina. “You brought me a birthday present? You shouldn’t have!”
Daniel groaned. “Hands off her. This is Sabrina, my girlfriend. Sabrina, this is Zach.”
“Thank you very much for the invitation,” Sabrina said, smiling and taking his proffered hand. “Happy Birthday!”
Zach held her hand for a few seconds longer than Daniel thought was necessary.
Spotting a waiter carrying a tray with champagne glasses, Daniel saw an opportunity to occupy Sabrina’s hands with other things. “Can somebody get a drink around here or are you too hard up to serve your guests anything decent?”
Chuckling, Zach let go of Sabrina’s hand and waved to the waiter. “Drinks for my friends.”
Daniel plucked two of the glasses from the tray and handed one to Sabrina.
“Thank you,” she murmured and led the glass to her lips, taking a small sip.
“Come, guys, meet the rest of the gang. Looks like almost everybody was able to make it this year,” Zach said and motioned them into the large living room that boasted a stunning view over New York.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows that led to a large terrace, the lights of the city sparkled in the dark.
Next to Daniel, Sabrina stood still. “Wow, this is stunning.” She turned her head to Zach. “You have a gorgeous place.”
“Thank you,” Zach answered. “It suits me.”
“How long have you lived here?” Sabrina asked, and Daniel was pleased to see that she seemed more at ease than before.
“Only a couple of years. I bought this as a shell,” Zach explained.
“A shell?”
“Yes, basically only the outside walls were here. I brought my architect in and had him design the interior space. It’s the only way you really ever get what you want: you’ve gotta do it yourself. Isn’t that right, Daniel?” Zach grinned at him.
“That’s why we do what we do.” Daniel squeezed Sabrina’s hand, making her look at him. “I’ll give you the tour. Zach won’t mind, will you?”
“You know the lay of the land.” He winked at Sabrina. “Don’t let him corner you in the bedroom. If you guys aren’t back in five minutes, I’ll send a search party out.”
Daniel laughed and put his arm around Sabrina’s waist, leading her away.
“Your friend is quite direct,” Sabrina whispered once they were out of earshot.
“He always says what he thinks.” He cast her a sideways glance as he steered her through the crowd in the living room. “But he’s not vicious. He likes you.”
“How do you know?”
“He wouldn’t make jokes if he didn’t. Zach can be quite reserved when he doesn’t like somebody.”
