Chapter 42
42
Opal
Draven Kent was out of my budget when it came to hiring a contractor to help me transform what was a dingy, empty space into what is now a soggy game bar.
Thankfully, the only soggy part of the bar is the floor, and Draven’s crew is on their way to help clean it up. The plumber he had on speed dial must have lived just a few blocks from Turquoise Crown because he was here with his tools in hand in no time flat. The leak is fixed, and from where I’m standing with a small amount of water beneath my shoes, the crisis has been diverted.
Aunt Hildy headed straight for home the moment we got here.
“I can’t thank you enough,” I say to the contractor who came to my rescue. Technically, it’s William’s rescue since he was the one who called him.
Draven flashes me a smile. He’s handsome in a rugged, works hard with his hands, kind of way. “It’s my pleasure, Opal. I love the concept of the bar. I’ll drag my brother down here one night once you open.”
I finally smile for the first time in what feels like hours. “That would be great. The first round of drinks will be on the house.”
The repairs for tonight will be too. I wasn’t planning on shelling out extra for an emergency water pipe leak, but I have enough of a cushion in the bank account I set up for the business to make it work.
He rests both hands on his hips. He’s about the same height as William, with shoulders that are just as broad. They greeted each other with a handshake followed by a side hug, so I can’t tell if they’re friends or if their connection is more business related. Not that it matters. Draven raced over here. If I were depending on my contractor, Lenny, to ride in to the rescue, I’d still be waiting since he has yet to return my call.
“You’re going to challenge your brother to a board game?” William laughs. “How is Griffin?”
“Very happily married,” Draven says with a smile. “Leave it to a divorce attorney to find the love of his life in his office.”
William’s gaze darts to my face before he looks at Draven. “How are you doing?”
The shift in his tone is subtle, but it’s noticeable enough that Draven turns to look at him, too. “I’m good. Working hard. Hanging out with my girl every chance I get.”
“Draven has a daughter,” William clarifies for me before he pats Draven’s shoulder. “She’s the one you should challenge to a board game. She’s smart as a whip.”
“That she is.” Draven glances at the floor before he levels his gaze back on me. “My crew will be here right away, but I’m going to get started on getting this all dried out. If these were hardwood, you’d be looking at weeks of work.”
I glide my shoe over the concrete beneath my feet. I briefly debated having it tiled over, but with a few decorative throw rugs, it fits the aesthetic I was going for, so I left the floors as is.
“I’ll take the rugs to my shop to dry them,” he says. “I’ll have them back well before you officially open.”
“Thank you,” I say. “You saved the day.”
He smiles. “I’m glad to help. Besides, I couldn’t say no to William after everything…”
“After everything we’ve been through,” William interrupts. “On the basketball court.”
I scratch behind my ear. “You played basketball together?”
“Play,” Draven clarifies. “We meet up sometimes on a court near where we live. William’s place is only a few blocks from mine.”
“You live in Brooklyn, too?” I ask.
Draven opens his mouth to say something, but William pats him on the chest as he starts talking, “Opal was at my apartment last night. The damn elevator was broken again, so we had to hike up all three flights. Remember when you told me you could find someone to get it fixed for good in no time flat, but the super of the building told me to tell you to go to hell?”
I try to follow that. Judging by the confused expression on Draven’s face, he’s finding it just as hard to understand, but then I see the moment recognition hits him. “Right. That fucking thing is still not working?”
“Never has. Never will.” William laughs.
Draven stares at him a beat more before he lightly shakes his head. “It’s time to roll up my sleeves and get these floors dried.”
He literally pushes up the sleeves of the dark blue sweater he’s wearing to his elbows.
William shrugs out of his suit jacket. “Count me in for cleanup duty.”
“There’s no need.” Draven shakes his head. “I’ve got a couple of guys on their way in. We’ll work through the night to get this place back in tip top shape.”
I know what that means for me. It means I need a large cup of coffee because I have to hunker down here for the night.
William pockets one of his gold cufflinks before rolling up the left sleeve of his button-down shirt. “I’m helping, Draven.”
Draven glances at him with a nod. “You’re not dressed for the job, but something tells me that doesn’t matter to you.”
I stand in front of both of them, unsure if I should offer to help, too. I have no idea what that will entail since Draven already lugged in an industrial vacuum and a pile of what looks like oversized towels.
William’s gaze catches mine. “Why don’t you head home, Opal? We’ve got this covered.”
It’s a suggestion I want to jump on, but it feels wrong to leave a man I just met tonight and the man I’m trying to avoid at all costs alone in my bar to take care of this mess.
“I know you have reservations about contractors, but Draven is the best in the city, and I’ll be here until he’s ready to call it a night.” He steps closer to me as he finishes rolling both sleeves of his shirt. “Go home and get some rest. I know it’s been a long day for you.”
I almost break inside because there’s nothing but compassion in his voice and his eyes. I shouldn’t trust him, but I do.
“If you give me the keys, I’ll lock up,” William offers. “I’ll meet you out front at nine a.m. to hand them back to you. I’ll bring a tea for you. Organic orange but not too hot.”
All of my emotions get stuck in my throat, so I just nod.
He truly is too good to be true.
He stalks toward me until there’s little distance left between us. He leans down to press a soft kiss on my forehead. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”
I shift back so I can look into his eyes. “Your help means a lot to me, William.”
We stand like that, staring at each other as Draven sets off toward the back of the bar.
Intensity swirls around us, and I feel an unexplainable urge to kiss him, but I stop myself by dropping my gaze to my tote bag. I fish around in it until I find the extra set of keys I had made when I had keys cut for Aunt Hildy.
William holds out his hand, so I drop the keys in it.
“I’ll see you at nine a.m.,” I promise. “If you or Draven need anything before that, you’ll call?”
His gaze slides over my face as he tries to read my expression. “You bet.”
I close my eyes briefly, suck in a breath, and tack a small smile on my lips. “Goodnight, William.”
“Goodnight, Opal,” he whispers before he steps back, granting me the room I need to get around him so I can walk out of my bar.