Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Sienna
I pushed through the revolving door of Bistro Moderne, the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling garlic hitting me like a wave. Vanessa was right behind me, chattering excitedly about finally having a day off from the hospital.
“I swear, if I have to look at another chart or deal with one more entitled patient, I might—oof!”
I stumbled backward, colliding with Vanessa as I ran smack into what felt like a brick wall. A familiar, cologne-scented brick wall.
“Sienna?” Fury’s deep voice sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine. I looked up, meeting those warm brown eyes that had been haunting my dreams lately.
“Fury,” I managed, trying to keep my voice neutral. “Fancy bumping into you here.”
He chuckled, steadying me with a hand on my arm. The touch sent sparks shooting through my body, and I jerked away like I’d been burned.
It was then that I noticed the woman standing next to him. Tall, blonde, and gorgeous in a way that made me want to crawl under a rock and hide. She looked like she’d just stepped off a runway, all legs and perfect hair and a smile that could probably stop traffic.
“Oh, uh, let me introduce you,” Fury said, clearing his throat. Was it my imagination, or did he sound a bit flustered? “Sienna, this is Olivia Hartley, my real estate agent. Olivia, this is Sienna Marquez, talent coordinator at Club Privé. “
Olivia extended a perfectly manicured hand, her smile never wavering. “Pleasure to meet you, Sienna.”
An awkward silence fell over us, broken only by Vanessa clearing her throat behind me. “Oh! Sorry,” I said, stepping aside. “This is my roommate and best friend, Vanessa Rodriguez.”
More pleasantries were exchanged, but I barely heard them. My mind was too busy spinning, trying to make sense of the scene before me. Fury and Olivia, looking like the perfect power couple. The way they stood just a little too close to each other. The slight rumple in Fury’s shirt that suggested it had spent the night on a floor somewhere.
“Well, we should get going. I’m about to sign the rental agreement for our new office building,” Fury said, breaking into my thoughts. “It was great running into you, Sienna. Vanessa, nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Vanessa replied, her tone warm, but her eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced between Fury and me.
As they walked away, I noticed how Olivia’s hand rested on the small of Fury’s back, guiding him through the door. It was such a slight gesture, but it spoke volumes.
“Earth to Sienna,” Vanessa’s voice cut through my haze. “You okay there? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I shook my head, plastering on a smile that felt more like a grimace. “I’m fine. Just hungry. Let’s get a table.”
We were seated quickly, the bustling lunchtime crowd providing a welcome distraction from my tumultuous thoughts. I buried my nose in the menu, pretending to be deeply invested in the difference between the Ni?oise and Cobb salads.
“So,” Vanessa said, her tone deceptively casual, “that was the famous Fury, huh?”
I looked up, meeting her knowing gaze. “Famous? Hardly. He’s just Gavin’s new money guy.”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And I suppose that’s why you looked like you wanted to claw that Olivia woman’s eyes out?”
“I did not!” I protested, but even I could hear the lack of conviction in my voice. “She seems... nice.”
“Nice,” Vanessa repeated flatly. “Right.”
I sighed, setting down my menu. “What do you want me to say, V? That I’m jealous? That seeing Fury with some leggy blonde bothers me? Because it doesn’t. It can’t.”
Vanessa reached across the table, placing her hand over mine. “Sweetie, it’s okay if it bothers you. You’re allowed to have feelings, you know.”
I pulled my hand away, suddenly finding the tablecloth fascinating. “I don’t have feelings. Not for Fury, not for anyone. I can’t afford to.”
“Sienna,” Vanessa said softly, “we’ve been over this. You can’t keep punishing yourself for what happened with Ralf. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Can we not do this right now? Please? I thought this was supposed to be a fun lunch to celebrate your day off.”
Vanessa sighed, but nodded. “Okay, okay. I’ll drop it. For now. But we’re not done talking about this, missy.”
I rolled my eyes, grateful for the reprieve. “Yes, mom.”
Our waiter arrived then, a welcome distraction. We placed our orders—a Cobb salad for me, the duck confit for Vanessa—and settled into easier conversation. Vanessa regaled me with tales from the ER, each story more outrageous than the last.
“And then,” she said, barely containing her laughter, “the guy says, ‘But doc, I swear, I just slipped and fell on it!’”
I choked on my water, laughing despite myself. “No way. People actually say that?”
Vanessa nodded solemnly. “More often than you’d think. It’s like they forget we’ve heard every excuse in the book.”
As our food arrived, the conversation drifted to safer topics – Vanessa’s latest yoga obsession, my ongoing battle with the ancient coffee maker in our apartment. But even as I laughed at her impression of our sweet neighbor, Mrs. Goldstein, I couldn’t shake the image of Fury and Olivia from my mind.
Why did it bother me so much? It’s not like I had any claim on him. Hell, I barely knew the guy. And yet...
“Sienna?” Vanessa’s voice broke through my reverie. “You still with me?”
I blinked, realizing I’d been pushing the same piece of chicken around my plate for the past five minutes. “Yeah, sorry. Just... thinking.”
Vanessa’s expression softened. “About Fury?”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I nodded. “I just... I don’t get it, V. Why does it bother me so much? I’ve seen plenty of guys come and go at the club. Why is he different?”
Vanessa reached across the table, squeezing my hand. “Maybe because he’s the first guy in a long time who’s gotten past those walls you’ve built up. And honey, that’s not a bad thing.”
I shook my head, pulling my hand away. “It is a bad thing. You know what happened. I can’t do this.”
Deep down, I knew she was right, but admitting it felt like opening Pandora’s box. If I acknowledged these feelings for Fury, where would it end? I’d spent years building up my defenses, carefully cultivating an image of the tough, no-nonsense talent coordinator who didn’t need anyone. Could I really risk all that for a guy I barely knew?
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” I said, forcing a lightness into my tone that I didn’t feel. “He’s clearly moved on to greener pastures. Did you see that Olivia woman? She looked like she stepped out of a Victoria’s Secret catalog.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Please. That woman had ‘high maintenance’ written all over her. Besides, didn’t Fury introduce her as his real estate agent?”
I shrugged, stabbing a piece of avocado with more force than necessary. “So? Doesn’t mean they’re not sleeping together. You saw how cozy they looked.”
“Uh-huh,” Vanessa said, her tone skeptical. “And I’m sure that’s why Fury looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up when he saw you. Because he was so proud of his conquest.”
I blinked, replaying the encounter in my mind. Now that she mentioned it, Fury had seemed... uncomfortable. Embarrassed, even. But why would he be embarrassed unless...
No. I shook my head, banishing the thought before it could take root. It didn’t matter. Whatever Fury did or didn’t do with Olivia was none of my business.
“Can we please talk about something else?” I pleaded. “How’s that cute doctor you were telling me about? The one with the dimples?”
Vanessa’s eyes lit up, and she launched into a detailed account of her latest interaction with Dr. Dimples. I let her words wash over me, grateful for the distraction.
But as I sipped my water, my mind wandered back to Fury. The way his eyes had widened when he saw me, the slight flush that had crept up his neck. And underneath it all, that undeniable spark of... something between us.
What if Vanessa was right? What if I was reading too much into things? And even if I wasn’t, did I have the courage to do something about it?