Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jameson
“Did you ask Sinclair to meet us here?” Kalon asks as he glances over my shoulder.
“What? No.” I turn to look in the direction he’s staring.
I spot Sinclair immediately because she’s always stood out in a crowd to me.
Once, when we were sixteen, she asked me to meet her on the steps of the Museum of Natural History.
It just happened to be when a group of middle school kids rushed out the doors to line up for their school buses after a field trip.
I didn’t have to scour the hordes of faces to find the one I was seeking.
I spotted her immediately in the crowd. I stood there, staring at her, taking in how incredibly beautiful she was.
I’m the first to admit that I lacked courage back then.
The crush I had on Sinclair was a secret to everyone but Kalon. He swore he’d never tell a soul I was crazy about her. To this day, he hasn’t uttered a word to anyone.
“Her friend looks familiar.” He leans forward in his chair before he settles back down. “I swear I’ve seen her before.”
I push back the temptation to grab another look at Sinclair and the woman she’s with. “I don’t know any of her current friends.”
“As opposed to her ex-friends?” Kalon points at me. “Like you?”
I flip my middle finger at him. It’s immature, but it’s a classic move between the two of us. We’ve been doing it for years, but it’s always in jest.
“Should I invite them to join us?” he asks with a chuckle. “There’s enough room at this table for all of us.”
My gaze falls to the small circular table we’re sharing. “There’s not.”
He glances down. “You’re right. You’ll have to admire Sinclair from afar.”
I will if she ends up at a table in my line of sight, but that’s unlikely. Axel Tribeca is packed tonight. We had to wait around at the bar for twenty minutes before the manager came over and directed us here. Before we took our seats, Kalon ordered a bottle of wine. We’re enjoying that now.
“Forget that she’s here,” I say the words, even though the concept is foreign to me. I’ve never been able to forget Sinclair, even when I didn’t see her for years.
Kalon takes a sip from his wine glass. “I’m not a rude fucker, James. If she spots me, I’ll say hello to her.”
Of course, he will. Kalon may be ruthless in the business world, but he’s a gentleman at his core.
“Don’t make this more awkward than it needs to be,” I warn. “Once the thirty days are over, we’re listing Denia’s penthouse for sale and going our separate ways again.”
A full laugh escapes my best friend. “If you believe that, you’re delusional. Sinclair is back in your life. I think it’s for good this time.”
“You’re wrong.” I watch the movement of his eyes as they shift from left to right.
Sinclair and her friend must be on the move.
“Shit,” I mutter when Kalon pushes to stand, buttoning his suit jacket. “Sit the fuck down.”
He ignores me in favor of greeting the woman I didn’t expect to see tonight. “Hey, Sinclair. It’s good to see you.”
Great. Just fucking great.
“I thought that was you, Kalon,” Sinclair says from behind me. “This is my friend. Arietta Voss, this is Kalon Beaumont, and…” Her voice trails before she fills in the blank that she let hang in silence for a beat too long. “Jameson Sheppard. That’s you, isn’t it?”
I turn and glance back at her and her friend. “It’s me.”
Arietta elbows her way past Sinclair to take a spot next to our table. She extends a hand toward me. “It’s nice to meet you, Jameson. I’ve heard things about you.”
The way she enunciates the word ‘things’ piques my interest. I have no fucking clue if Sinclair has told anyone about what happened between us two years ago.
If I were a betting man, I’d gamble my money on a hard no.
Sinclair keeps her emotions close to the vest, but Arietta is looking at me like she knows something.
“What things?” Kalon asks as he watches me shake Arietta’s hand.
Arietta glances at him. “We’ve met.”
Kalon takes a half step closer to her. “Jesus, you’re right. You’re Dominick’s assistant, right? You work at Modica Wealth Management.”
Arietta’s left hand darts into the air. “I’m his fiancée now. We’re getting married.”
“That’s great news.” Kalon’s face beams with a smile. “I’ll have to send Dominick a congratulatory note.”
Arietta smiles. “He’d like that.”
“I’ll drop it off at the office this week,” he offers. “I’d like to buy you and your fiancé lunch to celebrate.”
“I’m in law school now,” she says softly. “But Dominick would appreciate that. He loves spending time with his clients.”
Client?
The pieces fit together. Kalon told me a few years ago that some guy named Dominick was handling his fortune, but I wasn’t paying enough attention at the time to absorb any of the details. I didn’t realize this Dominick guy was part of the Calvetti family.
It’s a small world.
“Our table is waiting.” Sinclair points to a table several feet away where one of the hostesses is standing with two menus in her hands. “It was good to see you, Kalon.”
Ouch.
She breezes past her friend to head toward their table.
“It was nice to meet both of you.” Arietta’s gaze volleys between Kalon and me before landing squarely on my face. “I’ll be seeing you again, Jameson. I plan on visiting Sinclair often while you two are living together.”
Why do I feel like the petite blonde with the sweet smile just threatened me?
“I’ll see you soon,” I tell her. “Enjoy your dinner, Arietta.”
“We will,” she says assuredly. “Sinclair has my number on speed dial, just so you know.”
She takes off, marching toward where Sinclair is already sitting.
“Arietta won’t let you pull any shit, James.” Kalon laughs. “You better treat Sinclair right, or her friend will be out for blood.”
I catch Sinclair’s gaze for a split second and grab that brief opportunity to toss her a grin.
The scowl she sends my way warms my heart because I caught her looking in my direction.
I take that as a win.