Page 131 of The Worst Best Man

He picked up his glass and shocked them both by starting to laugh.

Frankie looked at him like he’d lost his damn mind. “How can you laugh at this? I’ve just humiliated your entire family? Your PR bill is going to be astronomical this month alone.”

But he couldn’t stop laughing. He had Franchesca Baranski in his corner. No smarmy competitor, no wicked stepmother, no idiot brother had scared her off. She stuck. And her fierce loyalty now extended to him.

Just as his heart belonged to her.

“Aiden, stop laughing and start thinking about how much damage I just did. I assaulted someone on video. And if that isn’t bad enough, now everyone knows that your girlfriend is a waitress.”

“Was,” he corrected her. “You got fired.”

She gasped so hard he thought she might fall off her stool. “It’s not funny!”

“There is no one like you in the world, Franchesca. I’m so glad you’re mine.”

“Aide! What do I do? Am I going to get sued? Do I have to apologize? Because fuck that. Do you know how long it’s going to take me to pay off my credit card on just the development center’s income?” She put her head down on the bar, her dark curls spilling over like a waterfall.

“Franchesca, you’re not getting sued.”

“Did you watch the end of the video when he starts howling about lawyers?”

Aiden sighed and pulled out his phone. Twelve missed calls. He skipped the ones from his mother, father, and Oscar and dialed his PR firm.

“Michael,” he said by way of greeting. “Hold on while I conference in Hillary.” He called his favorite of the family’s attorneys. “Hillary? I’m on the line with Michael. Here’s where we stand. I want a countersuit prepared and ready to file if this Goffman asshole is stupid enough to proceed. I also want a statement prepared that says Ms. Baranski and I are weighing the idea of pressing charges for assault. She felt physically threatened by his overtures and handled the situation as best she could to safely diffuse the threat.”

Frankie gaped at him.

“I’d like to further add a statement about Kilbourn Holdings’ recent stand on sexual harassment and bullying. Some standard wording about how this behavior won’t be tolerated whether in a business or social setting, and we are proud of Franchesca and women like her who stand up to outdated patriarchal behaviors and call them out for what they are. Antiquated customs intended to value one sex over the other have no place in this day and age.”

“Got it,” Michael announced. “I’ll coordinate with Hillary, and we’ll get you a draft before it drops tomorrow morning.”

“Good. Make sure you mention that Ms. Baranski is repped by Hutchins, Steinman, and Krebs.”

“Looking forward to kicking some ass,” Hillary announced.

“Thank you for the overtime,” Aiden said and disconnected the call. His phone was already ringing again. It was his father. He ignored the call. Two texts popped up on the screen from Oscar. They were screenshots from other gossip blogs.

“Your dad is going to hate me even more,” Franchesca moaned.

“The only Kilbourn you need to be worried about is me. And I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself. And I also owe you an apology. Our relationship is the reason you’re dealing with this, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am for that. But I will make it right.”

“Oh, God. You’re not going to kidnap him, are you?”

“Do I look like Elliot?”

She gave him a ghost of a smile. “So, you’re really not mad?”

“I’m furious. But not at you. Never at you.”

“You hide it well. I feel it, I blow up, and then I spend a day or two regretting it.”

Her phone buzzed on the bar, and she picked it up, wincing. “Oh, God. Brenda, my boss. I can’t lose that job, too.”

“Let me pay off your credit card.” Aiden knew it was a mistake as the words were coming out of his mouth, but he could do this for her, give this to her.

She was already shaking her head. “Uh-uh. Nope. Not happening.”

“You know it’s nothing to me,” he argued.