Love & Conditions (New York Billionaires Book 2)

34| Performance

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Performance

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Chapter 34: Performance (Jules's POV)

"Do you think you'd get an invite to their wedding then?" Alex asked Callum, nodding towards Christian and me. 

Dinner began barely fifteen minutes ago and Alex was crossing the line now. So far, he kept instigating conversations that would force Christian and Callum to butt heads or start arguing. Callum wasn't any better, he was entertaining all of Alex's remarks, saying all the wrong things to Christian in an attempt to make him snap. Christian had kept quiet so far but this was pushing it. 

"Well, I don't know. That depends on Jules, doesn't it?" Callum replied, shooting me a cheeky smile. 

"It won't be just my wedding, will it?" I replied, taking a breath and trying not to lose my temper. "Plus, we're here for yours and Naomi's wedding, Alex," I said, shooting him a glare. 

"Why don't we focus on that? The spotlight is on Naomi." I grinned at her, sighing and then downing the rest of my Chardonnay before taking Christian's glass as well. I felt his gaze on me until he asked a waiter to get two more glasses, nudging my knee with his beneath the table. Turning to him, I lifted my brows and took a sip from his glass. "Yes?" 

"It's okay," he whispered, "just let it slide. He's trying to piss me off." 

"I don't know how it's not working because it's certainly infuriating me." 

"Well, your hand in mine is a great distraction," he smirked. 

I smiled and leaned in closer to him. "Don't get on my nerves when everyone else already is," I said through gritted teeth before pulling my hand out of his while he chuckled, staring at me. I felt him moving nearer to press a faint kiss to the side of my head. Turning to him, I watched him act as though nothing happened and go back to eating. 

"Other than getting engaged, how've you been, Jules?" Callum asked, diverting my attention. 

"Good, Callum," I replied, nodding. "You?" 

"Great... So," he cleared his throat and focused on Christian. "What is it that you do again?" 

I leaned back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest, waiting for this dinner to end so I could murder Alex myself. He was the one responsible for setting this fire and adding all the unnecessary fuel to it. He was egging them on and I wasn't going to tolerate it for much longer. 

Christian glanced at me before taking a sip of wine and then putting the glass down, clearing his throat. "I own a multi-billion dollar real estate company, Callum. What did you think I do?" He lifted a brow, his lip quirking up into that smug smirk of his that I detested the most until this very moment. "Better yet, what do you do?" 

I lowered my head as a laugh threatened to escape me, one that was cut short by a gasp caught in my throat as Christian braced a hand on my thigh, his thumb stroking my skin over the fabric of my dress. 

"Christian," Alex warned. 

"Oh, was that rude to your guest? My bad," he smiled and then looked at me, caught me staring. I bit down on my bottom lip to suppress a grin and he winked at me while grinning, his dimple out on display.