Two
Noa
Honestly, I didn’t understand how that was an issue, but he’d been so adamant about it that I didn’t question him.
Although my book tour was over, the new release was still sitting at the top of the bestsellers lists, and he was still wanting to keep our engagement a secret.
It was starting to make me feel insecure.
I’d dealt with that emotion most of my life, and I hated it.
But there it was, starting to taunt me with things.
Like what if he had changed his mind? What if I’d said yes because I thought that I was supposed to?
What if we broke it off? Would we still be able to work together?
I’d ask Ransom’s advice, but he’d tell me that Arden only thought with his dick. He was probably bored with my cunt and ready to move on. Yeah, that didn’t help matters. I shouldn’t have gone there in my head.
Arden’s hand on my lower back fell away the moment we stepped into the exclusive club that my name had gotten us reservations to in Washington, DC.
He hadn’t told me that, but when we’d arrived at the door, the large, muscular man in a tuxedo who stood outside asked for a name.
Arden gave them Juliette Romeo. The man had checked his smart tablet, then allowed us inside.
The music wasn’t overly loud so you could hear yourself talk, and the speakeasy feel of the place was nice.
I liked it. We slipped off our coats and handed them to the girl at the coat check before following the hostess toward our table.
She stopped at a corner table that had a step up into its own little private, enclosed space.
The seating was two navy-blue velvet sofas that were connected and came out like a V-shape with a round, mirrored table in the center.
There were even curtains pulled back and tied that I assumed was for complete privacy, if required.
Arden slid inside first, sitting all the way toward the center, where the two sofas connected. I followed him, but didn’t sit too close, like we normally did. I could read his body language, and he wasn’t inviting me to.
“I’ll bring the rest of your party as soon as they arrive,” the hostess informed us. “Jaquel will be your server tonight and should be with you shortly.”
Arden nodded his head, and the hostess smiled, then left us.
“Nice,” he said as he surveyed the area around us. “Impressive, don’t you think?”
“Yes. It’s lovely,” I agreed.
“It’s important that she’s impressed. She works in the White House. Her family is a wealthy one from Mississippi. She has connections.”
Mississippi? Why hadn’t I known that already?
Because I hadn’t asked much about her. I wanted to ask what part of Mississippi, but I didn’t.
Arden didn’t know I had grown up in Mississippi.
I’d not ever told anyone that, other than Jellie.
There was zero chance that I’d know this woman or she’d know me.
He’d said wealthy family, and I hadn’t known anyone from one of those. Well, except for Ransom.
Anyway, what kind of connections did Arden hope to get from her? He was an editor. Did it truly matter that she had wealthy, powerful connections? I had none of that, yet readers didn’t care. My books had sold regardless. Wasn’t that all that mattered? I didn’t ask him all this, but nodded.
These were things he’d told me more than once.
I wasn’t sure why he felt he had to keep telling me about her.
He’d yet to mention her name, saying she was using a pen name and hadn’t decided on it.
Because of her position within the government, she couldn’t let her real name get attached to the book.
Apparently, he didn’t feel that he could trust me with that information either.
Which stung. But then I had my secret, too, so I had let it go.
His not telling me her name was giving me justification for continuing to text with Ransom and not telling him about that relationship.
I glanced at him just as his face lit up, and a smile that had won me over years ago spread across it as he stood up.
Turning to see the elusive new author he was so intent on impressing, I barely glanced at the platinum-blonde beauty when my entire body tensed up at the man standing just to her left.
Ransom Carver. The grown version. The one I’d seen on the Instagram posts his distillery often shared with him in it. Yes, I stalked it like a weirdo so I could see what he looked like. But the in-life version was more of a jolt than the pictures had been.
Holy hell, was it fair that the man had gotten more heart-stoppingly gorgeous with age?
There was a whooshing sound in my ears as I sat there, unable to look away.
His eyes locked on mine, and I wasn’t sure if this was a nightmare or a fantasy.
But it had to be a dream. I’d fallen asleep at some point.
That had to be it. This could not be happening.
“Juliette.” I heard Arden saying my pen name, but it felt distant. Then his hand touched my arm, and I snapped out of my frozen state and turned to look at him.
He gave me a tight smile with a warning in his gaze. “Juliette, I’d like you to meet Opal.” He said her name, then hesitated as he glanced back at her.
“It’s fine,” she assured him in a lovely voice that I instantly hated. Why? That wasn’t fair. But the envy that was stirring in my chest couldn’t be helped. She was like all the others. Stunning. Beautiful.
Wait … had he said Opal? My gaze swung to her, and I studied her closer. Ransom’s sister’s name was Opal. He’d said she lived in Washington, DC.
Holy shit.
I stood then and extended my hand, hoping the sheer relief wasn’t all over my face as I smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Arden has told me wonderful things about your manuscript. I look forward to reading it when he gives me the chance.”
Not looking at Ransom was like fighting against a magnetic force. My eyes wanted to soak him in. Ten years was a very long time to go without seeing someone you spoke to almost daily. I was doing my best to manage it.
“Yes, you too.” Opal’s tight smile didn’t meet her eyes as she quickly shook my hand, letting go of me as if my touch had scalded her, before sliding into the booth until she was as close to Arden as I normally sat.
The way she smiled genuinely at him wasn’t lost on me. But I didn’t care. At least not right now. There were bigger things to worry about. Or should I? Maybe I should just say something like, It’s been a long time, Ransom . No. That would be awkward.
“This is my oldest brother, Ransom,” Opal told Arden, not even glancing my way. “Thanks for adding him to the reservation at the last minute.”
Arden shook his hand. “I’m glad to get to meet some of your family.”
Ransom’s hand swallowed Arden’s, and his tanned hand made Arden’s appear pale and almost feminine. I stopped looking at their hands before someone noticed my weirdness and tried to prepare for what to say to him.
Did he realize it was me? I knew I’d changed in the past ten years, but wouldn’t he still see me? Maybe not. I started to open my mouth and extend my hand to shake his when he sat down, not even glancing my way.
Unsure what to say, I dropped my hand and took my seat again.
Why had he done that? It was odd, wasn’t it?
Rude even. Confused, I studied him for a moment while crossing my legs and settling back against the sofa.
I’d learned to mask my true feelings and reactions while dealing with readers.
It was a self-preservation of sorts. Drawing from that, I hoped I appeared unfazed by his obvious brush-off.
When I had imagined seeing Ransom again, I had always fantasized that he’d finally see me like he had the pretty girls in high school.
His gaze would be appreciative, and he’d give me the look of interest that he had given so many others.
But no. It seemed in all my growing and changing, I still remained beneath his standards. That soured my stomach.
I didn’t know this side of Ransom. I knew the one who texted me. The friend. Him I liked.
This Ransom I found I did not. He was rude and elitist. As was his sister, I was beginning to think when I glanced at her to see her giving me a look of distaste.
What had I done to this woman? I’d never met her. I didn’t typically cause people to dislike me on sight. I was friendly, polite, tried to always be kind. But she hadn’t given me the chance to so much as speak before she made up her mind about me.
Like her brothers, Opal Carver was the kind of stunning that turned heads.
“This is Juliette Romeo. I’m sure you’ve seen her books on displays. She’s one of our top-selling authors,” Arden told Ransom—I guessed since Opal already knew this. He must be trying to smooth over Ransom not shaking my hand. That was embarrassing, but he meant well.
“Odd name,” Ransom’s deep, husky voice said.
My eyes snapped up from the table where I’d been staring at the glass of water the server had set in front of me to meet his. The smirk on his face and coldness in his gaze were unsettling. I swallowed hard against the tightening in my throat.
“It’s a pen name,” I replied, unable to smile.
“Your writing must be better than your ability to choose a name for yourself,” he drawled.
Opal appeared to have hit his leg as she bit back a smile.
Great. I was in high school all over again. Being made fun of by the popular kids. Awesome.
“It means something to me actually,” I replied, wishing like hell I’d chosen another name now.
The sorrow that came with every word he spoke felt as if someone I cared for had died. And in a sense, they had. Ransom was killing the guy I’d thought I knew. Revealing someone ugly in his place.
He didn’t ask what it meant, which was fine since there was no way in hell I was telling him who I was now. Screw that.