Rendezvous with the Rival Chapter 2
Roused murmurs hit my ears from all directions like television static as the boring dude up on stage tried a second time to garner attention. While he utilized feeble attempts to wrangle the crowd, I attended to more pressing personal matters. The kind that would keep me up at night for weeks on end if I didn’t take action right here and right now.
My eyes scanned the perimeter of the room for a ghost, an unfortunate apparition who hadn’t haunted me for over a blissful decade. I kept loose tabs, sure, but I never reached out, liked, or commented. He didn”t, so why would I? There were rules for these types of non-engagements, and both of us kept our toes inside the lines all these years.
”Well, if it isn”t Bombshell Maverick.”
The old nickname sliced into me like a knife in my chest delivering the fatal blow. I was supposed to have gotten there first, but somehow, he moved quicker. I wouldn’t let it show; my face was a mask of ease and nonchalance. We were just talking.
But god, his voice got sexy.
I accepted my inevitable insanity prognosis and turned, expecting, or perhaps yearning, to see nothing.
Nope, unfortunately still sane.
What used to be a slim, athletic, pain-in-the-ass shot up a solid six inches into a tall, broad, sinfully stunning man with sumptuous chestnut-brown locks falling playfully onto his forehead. Long lashes framed his mischievous green eyes, and they affixed on me, peering straight into my soul. He looked so good, it was criminal. The odds were not stacked in my favor, that much was obvious.
Devil-may-care stubble made him look like he just rolled out of bed after a wild night; it wasn”t exactly a beard, but it wasn”t a day too long without trimming. Evan Lawrence wore intentional carelessness way too well. On other guys, it came across as slobbish, but on him… Godlike. The boy I once knew had acquired some intimidating masculinity, and I wasn”t sure how I felt about it.
Especially in that sharp, tailored graphite suit.
Ugh, help me.
I swallowed hard and sent up a quick prayer. I could pull off ”happy to see you”, probably.
”Evan? Evan Lawrence, is that you? Wow, what a surprise! It’s been ages.”
But not long enough.
Evan smirked and raised his champagne flute to his full lips. My traitorous eyes watched him swallow down the fizz in what felt like slow motion. What the hell did he have to smirk about, anyway? We”d only just spoken to each other; a greeting, nothing more. He wasn”t beating me at anything, except maybe growing up. The man hit the freaking genetic lottery.
But he called me by that stupid nickname. I didn”t use the one I had for him… Dickhead Lawrence. A prickle of sweat cropped up along my hairline. Did they crank the heat in here, or…?
Don”t show your hand. Keep it together, Shell, you got this.
”I”m here for work; I”m a bit of a journalist, you see. Raphael Teresse, the owner of this club, is quite young for his success. I’m here to interview him. Inquiring minds need to know all about the secret to his success.”
Evan looked awfully big for his britches, preening and showing off. He hadn”t changed at all.
And unluckily for him, I hadn’t changed either. The time had come to dust off my competitive side. It was my turn to smirk. I let Evan finish his dialogue, but as it turned out, I had an ace up my sleeve he didn’t bet on.
If you want to play, we”ll play, Evan.
”I know Raph. I”m here for work, too. Or, I guess I should say was.” I gestured around the impressive space. ”I”m a bit of a designer.”
I mocked his tone, and his mouth slackened. Gotcha. He didn”t know what to say.
Evan surveyed the space with a discerning eye. His gaze fell back on me, though, and my cheeks warmed under the weight of his judgment. His hot perusal roved over my body, but those intense green eyes lingered on my face. My pulse danced in my throat, thumping out an unnerved, annoyed rhythm.
”Is that so?”
Keeping my shit together, I preened like a peacock, my back straight and chest forward. Relaxed smile in place. I had him.
Take that, Lawrence.
The din was momentarily interrupted once again by the placid voice of Generic Dude. “… with a special thanks to designer Amelia Hall, and, of course, the man himself, Mr. Raphael Teresse!”
”It is. That”s my best friend they”re recognizing. Would you excuse me?”
I turned from Evan, cheering and clapping until my palms burned. The benign man on stage had just mentioned Lia and announced Raph. While I selfishly, indulgently, revisited my past, time had run out. I had to get my ass back over to the stage.
But Lia was gone. I scanned the room while Raph took the stage.
There you are.
Lia edged closer and closer to the exit door, back in the shadows. I frowned, but didn”t give chase. That poor girl gave it her best tonight. She deserved a getaway if that”s what she really wanted. But still…
The door banged when Lia pushed it, and I winced as it opened. Raph glanced toward the crash at the same time I took four huge steps forward, bumping into several startled people in the process.
Time for damage control. What were besties for?
Raph”s speech concluded before I”d formulated a plan, and everyone burst into enthusiastic applause. I couldn”t think, but I had to act faster than fast. The room lurched forward. The air was sticky and hot, pinging with electricity.
So many people swarmed Raph as he came down the stairs. Evan was probably close by, which made this worse somehow. I hoped he couldn”t get through. At least, not before me.
Raph wasn”t paying the reporters any attention, just smiling absently for photos and giving brief statements. The slightest pang of sympathy swam through me. His heart wasn”t in it. Even though his pain was his own doing, I still felt sorry for the guy. It was the opening night of his newest club, and he couldn’t even enjoy it.
I”d better put him out of his misery.
As I walked toward him, the sea of people parted to let me pass. The power I had with people really came in handy at times like these.
I was almost there when I spied Evan. So, he had made it over. Hopefully, Raph had answered none of his stupid questions. This was my turf, and Evan should just go back to the west coast, as far away from me as possible. There were plenty of people for him to interview over there. People who had nothing to do with me or my life.
”Lia”s gone?” Raph asked when I was within earshot.
I nodded, giving him my best ”tough bitch who won”t take shit” face. ”She didn”t want to endure seeing you here.”
Raph grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
”Yeah... I haven”t gotten in touch. But I need to talk to her. It”s complicated... Do you know where she is, where she might have gone?”
I crossed my arms and frowned. He wasn’t making a very strong show of regret or apology. It’s complicated. What wasn’t complicated about situations like these? Pathetic. “It”s only complicated because you made it that way,” I retorted, not trying to hide my lack of approval.
I wasn”t letting him off the hook that easily. He had to work for it if he wanted to get to Lia. Someone needed to look out for the girl in her time of need. I didn’t care if Raph was the man everyone wanted to talk to; to me, he was just the bastard who hurt my bestie. He deserved all the anguish I could dish out, plus more.
”I keep hearing that. Look, do you know where she is? I really need to talk to her.”
I rolled my eyes. Do better. ”That depends. Do you need her for your publicity bullshit, or do you need her for her?”
Raph met my eyes, and I stared him down while anger rolled off of me in thrashing waves. Many would cower under his scrutiny, but I never would, not when I was this pissed off. Raph needed to learn that he couldn’t mess with Lia, because he’d have me to deal with.
”I promise you, I”m trying to make this better. Please.”
He was sincere. I sighed, relenting. The tiny piece of my heart that rooted for romance cooled the fire that burned at the surface. If there was even a chance that Lia and Raph could make this work, I wanted them to try. Connections like theirs didn’t just happen.
”She didn”t tell me where she was going. If I had to guess, though, I”d say the beach. She”s been walking a lot after work.”
He turned to go, but I had to get one last word in.
“And Raphael?”
He looked back on his way to the door Lia had escaped through.
”If you fuck this up again, I”m making it my mission to make you miserable.”
I mean it, too.
Raph nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Thank you,” He said, then rounded to go.
People swarmed around us again, and I returned my attention to the buzzing party. Not even two steps away from the confrontation, and I almost ran straight into Evan.
”You really were involved. I thought you were bullshitting,” he said, his sexy voice dripping into my ears and flowing down my throat like the smoothest liquor. I was drunk on him already but I had to prove my mettle.
I closed my eyes and breathed. One, two, three…
”Of course I wasn”t lying. I wouldn”t lead you on, make you believe in something untrue. That would be unfair and cruel, wouldn”t you say?”
He tugged at the collar of his dress shirt. Good, I hope you’re so damn uncomfortable right now.
”Shell, I know what you”re getting at, and—”
I scoffed. ”Save it, Evan. It”s ancient history.”
”You obviously haven”t gotten past it.”
”Ugh. I so don”t have time for this. Have a swell evening, though.” I batted my lashes and walked off, putting an extra sway in my hips.
Screw you, Dickhead Lawrence.