Tess spoke in my place "And you suggest that why?"

Cordelier simply replied "I saw him checking out Jose'"

"I wasn't checking out the bartender" I exasperated

"Conrad?" she tilted her head to the left squinting her eyes at him

'No." I lied further, I had to.

"Good cause there's not much there." She emphasized her point by brandished her palm at the outline of his body from the distance then introduced herself. She walked engaging us in conversation helping us avoid what was going to be an awkward entrance into a social circle we never knew at foreign grounds. She sat us down at the bar as did she. She swirled her chair around elbows rested against the ivory colored marble bar space and announced "these are our guests Liam and Tess." She pushed her elbows off the board, bit her lip and looked back at the boys and added "Tess here was our head girl over at constant's."

"Tess Luthor?" Conrad spoke with a hand stretched to shake my sister's and grinned deviously "My sister was obsessed with you." Cordelier gasped and kicked her brother's kneecap as their peers roared with laughter. She spoke in defense "but after you made my class run two miles you can bet my obsession ended there"

With that all boys got up and came over to greet Tess trying to get in her good books. She's always had that effect on people.

"We've heard about you Miss Luthor, it's good to finally meet you." Conrad said taking Tess's hand into his own and laid a soft butterfly kiss on it like a gentlemen from a Jane Austen novel. After the other two boys followed suit each saying something to outdo the other before him it was ridiculous but Tess loved it she was blushing the tint on her ears couldn't be hidden. And I wasn't the only one who saw it Cordelier did too and she chuckled even more when our eyes met.

"And the shorter twin Mathew and Luke is stupid one..." Conrad cut in on his sister's sentence saying "don't be nice to them they crashed this scene."

"Apparently the Beauforts lack gratitude." Mathew teased giving me a fist bump

Luke gave me another "They should be thanking us, we brought the help" I followed his gaze to the bar

"The help was just for Conrad couldn't you find me at least one..." her sentence was cut by her phone ringing which she mouthed "Amanda" to her brother before she practically leapt out from the bar area.

"Anyway it's good to meet you; it's also good to know that I should only come here with an invitation." I mocked

Conrad replied "Not you Luthor, you can come anytime. I'd like that."

When he finished that he smiled at me and my heart beat picked up a pace, heat rose up to my ears and quickly Tess jumped in "we can get drinks yea?" The bartender I'd been checking out asked what drink I wanted. As if she was set to embarrass me Tess yelped with a thumb in my direction "bring him a hot bartender!" both bartenders smiled, almost as if they knew my little secret more heat rose up to my ears and the three boys too clocked out to understand the suggestion called out to the bartenders ordering the same drink I was about to have.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with all of hanging out and getting along as if we'd know each other forever and sipping on weak cocktails keeping in mind that we had dinner with the parents after their golf matches. Usually I would've spent a good amount of time wondering how much game dad was giving away for his prominent opposite player's benefit to boost their ego but not today, not now. I was simply too focused in being a part of Conrad's life even if it was just for this weekend but still it was great and I knew it wouldn't; last so I wanted to take it all in. Make this a new happy place to help me find sleep at night instead of counting sheep.