Arrangement with a Billionaire (Bad Boy Billionaire Brothers Book 1) COMPLETE

Chapter Thirty-Three - Comforting

Chapter Thirty-Three

The rest of dinner went surprisingly smooth. Isla's father didn't say too much, and he glared and scowled even less. It was probably because he'd just heard about how his daughter had told Arturo, the favorite son of his rival, to fuck off. Isla was willing to bet all of her favorite jewelry designs that, that was it.

What else could it be?

Looking back on it, it did sort of make for a funny dinner story. It showed her father that his daughter had some balls, for one thing, which worked out as far as he was concerned. It also gave her mother a few romantic ideas about her daughter and the new boyfriend, which also benefited this story Isla and Arturo were spinning.

Isla didn't have any false ideas that her father would be upset when he found out that Isla and Arturo broke up, for when that event actually happened, but now Isla was starting to get worried that her mother might actually be a little on the heartbroken side when it came time for Isla to reveal that she and Arturo were no longer dating. She was starting to give Arturo a couple of dreamy glances.

Oh well. Isla thought it was adorable how her mother was crushing on her fake boyfriend, but she'd get over it. Isla's father was still a handsome man, and he would comfort her sufficiently, while at the same time grumbling threatening things to Arturo that would get any other man thrown into prison in this day and age.

When the dessert plates were taken away, coffee and alcohol was offered. This was something that Isla could tell impressed her father. He was a man who enjoyed the best whiskies. It was one of the stereotypes about rich men that her father fell into.

Isla carefully watched the way her father spoke with Arturo, and was on edge every second, thinking that someone would eventually mention Baciami Boutique, and that in turn would lead to a fight, but it never came up.

Arturo and Isla's father spent their time talking about business practices instead. A subject that came a little too close to Baciami for Isla's comfort, but both men seemed at ease with the subject. They discussed the weather, favorite cars, and Arturo even made mention of some of his best plans for the company now that his, "asshole father was out of the picture."

Even mentioning Arturo's father seemed to shock Isla's own dear old daddy enough that he could only nod his head as he swirled his drink.

"I see," he said, and then said nothing else.

The air around them was awkward for only a minute before the conversation started back up. Isla's mother asked more questions about Arturo's brothers, still clearly trying to get a feel for how family oriented he was, and soon even all that came to an end.

It was nearly midnight by the time Isla's father got to his feet, and declared it was about time for him to take his wife home.

Isla released a heavy breath she'd hardly realized she'd been holding. Only her mother seemed to notice.

It must have been something of a guy thing that happened next, because even though Isla could still tell how much her father was still barely tolerating Arturo, they walked together several feet ahead of Isla and her mother.

Isla's mother leaned in to whisper. "He seems like a nice young man."

Isla bit her lips to keep from laughing at that. "When you say that, it makes you sound kind of old."

"Hmm, don't make me mess up your pretty hair because I will smack the back of your head if you're not careful."

"Right," Isla said, hardly threatened by the warning, but still knowing that her mother would follow through if Isla annoyed her too much. She whispered back. "So, you really like him?"