There was nothing Shawn Spencer hated more than the emerald green tie that threatened to cut off his air supply. He wasn't a fan of the black shoes or sharp jacket that hugged his body too tight.
"You look good, kid." Henry, Shawn's father, commented. "I've wanted to get into this place for years." Henry said with wide eyes at the snooty country club that he and his son were now members of. Only the top of Santa Barbara's society were even allowed on the grounds.
"When do we get to leave?" Shawn said with a thumb pointed towards the door they had just come through.
"Come on, Shawn. You need to appreciate where the Spencers are now." Henry growled but kept the pleased smile on his face as he watched the other members mingle. "Go meet some friends, or sit by the open bar if you want to be a buzz kill."
"Why didn't you tell me there was an open bar?" Shawn scoffed and loosened his tie just enough so he could comfortably breath.
"And kid... how about you do us both a favor, and don't do anything stupid." Henry let go of his son's arm with an all too serious glare. This was his thing, and Shawn hated being dragged along like he had a reason to care. He absolutely planned on doing something stupid as soon as he possibly could.
Shawn quickly made his way to the beautiful bar counter which was carved, rich mahogany. The whole place just screamed "money".
"Can I help you, sir?" the bartender asked with the fakest smile Shawn had ever seen. Even this joker was in a bowtie and black vest that probably cost his whole first paycheck.
"That depends. What do you have back there?" Shawn asked with a popped eyebrow.
"Perhaps I can offer you one of our fine brandies, or maybe an aged, smoky scotch?" The bartender matched Shawn's eyebrow pop.
"Is beer a thing here, or do I have to brown bag my own? Got any absinth? We could get a party started with that." Shawn suggested with more attitude than Monkey Man was used to.
Monkey Man stood there with his jaw dropped, not sure how to respond to this kind of behavior which was unheard of in the country club.
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"Would you look at those idiots, Julie?" Declan Rand chuckled humorlessly at the two newest members of the elite. "Coming into money doesn't make you one of us, does it darling?" He asked rhetorically.
Juliet O'Hara's eyes scanned the crowd of suits and dresses before easily picking out the sore thumbs. Henry Spencer laughed too loudly at someone's comment that wasn't all that funny. Her eyes shifted again to Shawn Spencer, the son. He had devilish good looks that belonged here, but his electric razor stubble and slightly messy hair didn't fit the suit and tie. Neither did Juliet ever recall seeing someone drinking a Guinness beer before come to mind.
She watched the new arrival a little too long. He must have felt her gaze, because it wasn't long before his hazel eyes fell on her crystal blues. Juliet didn't get the light bow or half nod of respect she expected. Not from Shawn Spencer. Instead, he acknowledged her presence with a cocky smirk and a sup nod. He really didn't belong here, Juliet mused. But man, would he be fun to watch.
"Declan honey, I'm going to go to the bar and get a little drink. Is that okay?" Juliet asked with a tight smile. She hated that she had to ask her fiancé for little permissions such as this, but she knew what would happen if she didn't.
"Why of course, Julie." Declan chuckled, keeping his eyes on Juliet's father, who smiled and raised his own tumbler at the young couple. "Be a dear and bring me back something too? You know what I like." Though posed as one, it wasn't a question. It was a politely worded order.
Juliet smiled again and excused herself. She slowly parted the sea of ties and corsages until she reached the bar. She could have chosen anywhere at the bar to request her drinks, but she felt like she had to sidle right up next to Mr. Shawn Spencer.
Shawn didn't fight the desire to check out the ridiculously hot blonde next to him. He did do it out of the corner of his eye instead of fully turning his head and staring her down from head to high heels. That was gentlemanly, right?
"Like what you see?" Juliet whispered, never taking her eyes off the various bottles that lined the back shelf.
"Am I allowed to say yes when a third of your ring finger is covered up with an engagement ring?" Shawn said just as quietly. It would have been hard for someone with his perceptiveness to miss the dark haired man with the chiseled facial structure that was currently staring daggers into Shawn's heart.
"Compliments never hurt." Juliet smirked, though she knew he couldn't see it. She was the hottest thing here in her stunning black dress and she knew it. Her drinks were in hand and she knew she had to take her leave. "Just remember that Juliet told you, 'Old Money doesn't get along with New.'". She repeated what might as well have been the clubs motto.
Shawn smirked to himself and took another sip as she left and sauntered back to Declan and her father, Frank.
"Were you just talking to Juliet O'Hara?" Henry was right next to his boy in an instant. "Remember when I told you to not do anything stupid?" he nearly hissed at the young man that couldn't care less.
"Old Money doesn't get along with New, dad." Shawn repeated what he had just heard, and decided it was about time for him to go home. He had to steal one last glance at the gorgeous Juliet O'Hara, however.
Juliet was looking at Shawn from the corner of her eye as well, laughing politely at some cheap stocks joke of her father's. When she caught Shawn's final glance directed at her eyes instead of her tiny hint of cleavage or the perfect skin that just poked through the small slit of her dress from her knee to her ankle, her fake smile gained only an edge of sincerity.
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The car ride home was a lot more quiet than Juliet would have liked. She wasn't a fan of her fiancé by far. Their engagement was a socially political move and she knew it. Frank's empire combined with Declan's. They would be the deepest pockets in Santa Barbara. The quiet though, was tell tale that she messed something up.
"Is everything alright, sweetie?" Juliet asked in the softest voice she could muster. She knew his temper, there was nothing sweet about it.
"We'll talk in the house." Declan replied coldly. It wasn't a house, it was a mansion. A gated mansion that served as Juliet O'Hara's own personal prison.
Juliet expected him to yell at her for an hour or two about some stupid little thing. She walked up to the house and unlocked the door, ready for whatever little tongue lashing Declan had in mind.
Declan closed the door behind him. And locked it. Juliet turned around slowly, not used to this new development. "Declan?" she dared to question.
His face had the fakest smile she had ever seen in their house. Well, his house. It was all in his name, everything "they" owned. "Julie, who's your new friend at the club?" He knew damn well who it was.
"My new friend?" Juliet tried to play dumb. Who are you talking about?"
"Don't spoon feed me that shit!" Declan yelled. "Shawn Spencer!" Declan cursed his name. "We are better than him. Our families found this city and made it what it is. He's some new peon that means nothing! You will not dirty our names by associating with Spencers." he seethed.
"It was only passing comments at the bar, Declan." Juliet scoffed, not understanding his overreaction.
Declan was in her face in a second, looming over her much smaller frame. She shrank back but didn't break eye contact. "You are my fiancé and soon to be wife. You are not to talk to other men outside of your family. Are we clear?" His voice was low and dangerous.
"Are you kidding me?" Juliet challenged at the stupid demand. Declan's hand reared back, ready to strike. "We're clear, we're clear!" Juliet back peddled to save herself from a fierce back hand. They had had so many fights, but he had never threatened to hit her.
"Good." Declan said simply as he smoothed out his suit coat.
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Shawn laid on his bed, just staring up at the ceiling. His tie and coat were somewhere on his floor. His shoes never made it to his room and his shirt was untucked. Not being a total asshole when he really wanted to be was a lot of work.
His eyes closed and images of that damn country club flooded his mind. The perfectly cut grass and the cobble stone path that lead to the beautifully carved double doors. In his head, the doors opened of their own accord and he saw the people mingling within. Fancy suits and dresses he couldn't imagine wasting that much money on.
His mind floated past all of those people he knew were fake as toupees. He stopped right in front of Juliet, focusing on her sweet face. He picked up the slightest change in her, though.
Her smile. It was plastered on her gorgeous face. Everyone else was happy to be there because it meant they had money. But Juliet... her eyes even screamed help me.
Shawn's eyes fell to the hands he hadn't paid that much attention to at first. Her fiancé was gripping the life out of Juliet's poor, soft hand. She didn't even try to entwine their fingers. She didn't want to be there.
And then there was him. Shawn Spencer, the New Money that made it obvious he didn't care to be there. Of course she would be drawn to him immediately. She had to keep up pretenses, that he wasn't worth her time. People would be watching, especially her obviously jealous fiancé.
Shawn's next question: Why did he care about any of this? What did that place matter? He still lived in his apartment that used to be a dry cleaners. His Uncle Jack's inheritance was just kind of their, half in Shawn's savings and half in Henry's. Shawn was about the easy life, not the fancy life. The easy life was so much more fun!
As much as he hated that stuffy crap factory, he had something to occupy himself with the next time Henry dragged him back there. It was definitely going to be with him kicking and screaming, but he would go back.
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Taking a shot at a new story. By my usual rule, the first chapter is really short.