Bound to the Billionaire Playboy

Chapter 6: All Aboard the Crazy Train

Declan

“Not long enough, I'm afraid, Isabel." Then I turned to Trent. “I'll see you at home. I trust you can find a way?"

“Come on, Declan...." Isabel ran her fingers along my chest while sliding her other arm up my shoulder while leaning in, pooching her lip out into a perfect pout. “Don't be like that."

I took both of her hands firmly into mine and lowered them. “Isabel, give it a rest. That no longer works on me."

I turned to walk away, but she caught my arm. “Declan, let's talk."

I yanked my arm away, nearly causing her to fall off her five-inch stilettos, attracting the attention of the patrons at the bar. “Isabel, we have nothing to discuss."

I smirked as I looked around at the men eyeing her with interest. She was dressed in the red dress cut up to her thigh and her blond hair was done in perfect waves off to the side, her makeup done to perfection, reminding me of the old-time starlets, so different from Henley's natural beauty.

“Oh, I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding someone to occupy your time. But I'm done listening, and I'm done playing your games." With that, I turned and walked out the door.

She scoffed loudly behind me, but her stilettos weren't clattering on the floor behind me. “Well! I never!"

I hurried out and nodded to the valet as I waited. He hurried off as I shoved my hands into my jeans, moving my suit coat to the side as I inhaled the evening air, clearing my head.

Isabel was so full of herself, so fake with her false eyelashes that practically caused a tsunami on the other side of the world every time she blinked, and her long, red acrylic fingernails that I had thought were so sexy when I'd first met her. Now, she reminded me more of a blonde Jessica Rabbit than an ex-fiancé or potential wife.

As crazy as it sounded, the more I thought about it, the more I knew I wouldn't find anyone like Henley.

“Are you okay, man?" Trent asked behind me as he walked out.

I nodded, giving him a weak smile. “I'm fine. “Go ahead back in there. It's just not my scene anymore."

He nodded. “So, what are you going to do?"

Get Married. Settle down. If I said that to Trent, he'd think I'd have lost my marbles for sure. But the more I was on the dating scene, the more I knew what I didn't want.

I shrugged. “I'm not sure."

“Well, in that case, leave it to me." He took my keys from the valet when he pulled up and handed him a hefty tip as the valet looked between us.

I nodded to him, and he walked away. Then I scoffed at Trent. “Not my Jag! And this was your idea in the first place, in case you forgot!"

“Nope! I didn't." He slid into the driver's seat, undeterred." Then one corner of his lips curled into a smile as he raised his eyebrows. “Uhm... I think you'd better get in unless you want to call a cab."

“Then I may just have to report my car stolen."

He lowered his head and raised his eyes, giving me a skeptical look.

I let out a deep breath as I slid into the passenger seat and buckled up. “Try to keep it under the speed limit." I looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. “You crash it, and you bought it."

A broad smile spread across his lips. “Deal!" Then he spun out, fishtailing the rear-end as he spun out, pulling out onto the main road.

At that moment, I knew I'd just said the wrong thing. “Slow down or pull over right now!"

He scoffed as he looked over at me, looking at me as if I was the last crazy person on earth. “Since when did you become so... so... mature?"

I couldn't help but laugh. “Since I grew up." I shrugged. “You should try it sometime."

“No, thank you!" But he slowed down anyway, much to my relief. I didn't feel like dying tonight. Despite my mood after seeing Isabell, I didn't have a death wish.

“So, what's up?" Trent looked at me and then back at the road, keeping one hand on the wheel.

“What?"

He lifted one shoulder. “I mean, usually, you don't let Isabel get to you like that. Why tonight?"

I scoffed, looking out the window. Then my head snapped back to him. “Because I'm tired of her games, Trent! And most of the women I meet are that way. Trying to see how big they can make their boobs or how much Botox or cosmetic surgery they can get before they look exactly like Barbie! And they have a plastic personality to match, and all the while in search of the perfect man with the perfect title and the perfect bank account with the perfect friends with the perfect connections!"

Trent looked at me as if I had lost it for sure. “So? You used to like those things before. Remember how we used to joke about how much bigger the girl's boobs could get before they exploded and started flying around the room?"

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Well, I'm done. I want off this roller coaster. I want something real."

Trent shook his head as he pulled into a quiet bar. “You're losing it, man." Then he slid the car into park and handed me the keys. “I mean, you're losing it." Then he motioned with his head toward the bar. “It's time we had a chat." He got out of the car and headed toward the bar but looked back at me when I didn't budge. Then he held his hands out to his sides as if asking, “Really?"

I rolled my eyes and then got out and locked it up.

The bar was dimly lit when we walked in, and there weren't many people there. But instead of sitting at the bar like we usually would have done, he sat at a table and motioned toward the bartender for two beers.

The bartender nodded and brought them over himself. “I'll run a tab, and when you're ready to go, just let me know."

“Thanks." I took a swig of my beer and set it down, and so did Trent.

“Okay, now spill."

“What?"

Trent shook his head and took a swig of his beer. “What the h*ll is going on with you, man? You see Isabel, run like a bat out of h*ll, and now you're talking like a crazy person about women making themselves up to look like Barbies! I mean, what the h*ll?" Then he leaned in conspiratorially. “I mean, you're not turning gay on me. Are you, man? Hey, it's cool if you are. You can tell me."

I leaned in, unable to resist, and batted my eyes. “Why? Are you interested?"

He took me in, completely serious, and then burst out laughing as he pushed my arm. “Get out of town, Mate! You had me going for a bit! Now, what the h*ll is going on?"

I let out a deep breath, laughing as I shook my head. “You wouldn't understand."

“Try me."

I looked at the condensation sliding down my beer, gathering my thoughts. “I don't know. But I guess I'm ready to think about settling down. I looked at Isabel tonight, and she just looked... fake. Also, I remembered everything she put me through, and I couldn't even remember why I had been with her in the first place." I shrugged. “All I could think about was just... getting away from her."

“And the hot chic you met?"

My head snapped up. “What're you talking about?"

Trent shrugged, his lips curling into a knowing smile. “You said you had a hot date tonight, and then when I came home, you were sitting in your castle drinking... alone. Something you used to hate to do! Now, who's the lucky girl, and does she know yet?"

I huffed. “I just met her."

“What?" He rolled his eyes. “You mean to tell me that you're losing it over a girl you just met?"

“Shush!" I looked around, and everyone in the place was looking at us.

But Trent could have cared less. “Declan, you're ready to get down on your hands and knees and beg some girl that you've just met to marry you?"

I stood and threw down some money. “I knew I shouldn't have told you."

“Sit down."

“Who the h*ll do you think—"

“Declan, sit down!"

I scoffed. “Don't ever talk to me like that again!" I stared down at him, my fists balled at my sides, but then relented and did as he asked.

Then he leaned in conspiratorially. “Declan, man, you have to think about this before making such a big decision."

“I know, but—"

“But if you love her," he said, holding up his hand to stop me. “Then go for it."

I stared at him in disbelief. “Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?"

He shrugged, calling the bartender over for two more beers, then he slid him one of my bills and told him to keep the change.

I rolled my eyes, but Trent pretended not to notice.

“Declan, it's not every day that you meet someone you'd consider spending the rest of your life with." He finished his old beer and slid the empty bottle toward the bartender when he came with the new ones. “So, if she's the one, then go for it... no matter how crazy it sounds or what anyone else says."