9. Milan Rivers #2
I learned that he owned more businesses than he’d originally mentioned, although getting an exact number out of him was apparently impossible.
Every time I asked a question, he’d answer just enough to satisfy me before changing the subject or giving me another smart remark.
Somewhere between talking about work and arguing over whose life was more stressful, our food arrived.
I also learned that Vice had absolutely no respect for personal space when it came to food. He reached across the table for one of my fries, and I slapped his hand away.
“Don’t do that.”
He looked at me like I was the one being unreasonable. “You got all those fries.”
“They’re mine.”
“You ain’t gonna eat all of them.”
“That is not the point.”
“You stingy.”
I rolled my eyes. “I am not stingy. You have food.”
He waited until I looked down at my plate before reaching for another one. I pulled it out of his reach and pointed my fork at him.
“I will stab you with this.”
He laughed. “Over a fry?”
“It’s about respect.” Shaking my head, I slid two fries onto the edge of his plate anyway. “There. Since apparently you can’t afford your own.”
“Appreciate you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I hated to admit it, but I was actually enjoying myself. Somewhere between arguing with him and laughing at his ridiculous comments, I’d forgotten all about police reports, and the fact that someone wanted me dead.
I was still smiling when a woman’s voice came from behind me.
“Well, damn. Kaiden Vice Blackwell.”
Vice’s attention shifted past me.
Something about the way she said his name made me turn around.
The woman walking toward our table was beautiful, and there was no point pretending otherwise.
She was tall, dressed in a fitted cream-colored dress that looked expensive without trying too hard, and carried herself with the kind of confidence that came from knowing people noticed when she entered a room.
Her eyes went straight to Vice.
“Look at you,” she said, smiling as she reached our table. “I was starting to think you left Atlanta.”
Vice leaned back in his chair. “What’s up, Simone?”
So, this is Simone...
I didn’t know why my mind said it like I was supposed to know who the hell Simone was and who she was to him.
She leaned down and wrapped one arm around his shoulders, pressing a kiss against his cheek before straightening back up. The entire thing lasted maybe two seconds, but I noticed every single one of them.
Which was ridiculous.
Vice and I weren’t on a date… according to him.
Simone rested a hand lightly on the back of his chair. “You disappeared on me.”
“I ain’t disappear.”
“You stopped answering.”
“Sound like the same thing to me.”
She laughed. “See? Still an asshole.”
“Never said I changed.”
There was an ease between them that only came from history. Not somebody he’d met a few times. Not a woman who had randomly gotten his number and couldn’t take a hint.
They knew each other… Like, really knew each other.
I reached for my lemonade and took a sip, suddenly finding the glass far more interesting than it had been thirty seconds ago.
Simone finally looked at me.
Her smile didn’t disappear, and I appreciated that. The last thing I needed was some woman giving me an attitude over a man I wasn’t even involved with.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m—”
“Milan,” Vice said. My eyes shifted to him and so did hers.
An unreadable expression passed across her face so quickly that I almost missed it before her smile returned.
“Milan,” she repeated. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“Simone,” she said, extending her hand.
I shook it. “Nice to meet you, Simone.”
Her attention returned to Vice. “You look good.”
“So do you…”
“Thank you.” She smiled, and I couldn’t blame her because Vice had said it in that calm voice of his that could probably make a grocery list sound personal if he wanted it to. “You should call me sometime.”
Vice picked up his drink. “For what?”
I almost choked on my lemonade.
Simone stared at him for a second before laughing. “You know what? I forgot how irritating you could be.”
“That’s what Milan keep telling me.”
Now both of them looked at me. I sat my glass down and lifted a brow, “Why am I in this?”
Vice smiled and winked at me. “Just saying…”
Simone looked between us again, and this time I didn’t miss the curiosity in her eyes.
“Well, I won’t keep interrupting your lunch.” She touched Vice’s shoulder before stepping away. “It was nice meeting you, Milan.”
“You too...”
“I’ll see you later, Kaiden.” With that, she walked away. I waited until she was several tables away before looking at Vice, and he was already looking at me.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.” I shook my head.
“Yead, it’s something. You got that look.”
“What look?”
“The one you get before you start asking questions.”
I picked up one of my fries, although my appetite had suddenly vanished. “I don’t have any questions.”
“A’ight.”
I chewed slowly while Vice went back to eating like the conversation had ended. I tried doing the same, but my eyes kept drifting toward the front of the restaurant where Simone had disappeared. She was beautiful. Confident. The kind of woman who looked like she belonged on Vice’s arm.
I hated that I’d even noticed.
The thought irritated me enough that I finally looked back across the table.
“She was pretty.”
Vice barely looked up from his food.
“Okay…”
I frowned. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
He looked at me like he genuinely didn’t understand where this was coming from, while I did my best to convince both of us I was simply making conversation. The problem was, the more I tried to sound casual, the less convincing I became, and Vice noticed.
He pointed out that I’d been watching her ever since she’d walked away. I denied it, insisting I had only been looking in that direction, but judging by the grin on his face, he wasn’t buying a word of it.
“Don’t start,” he told me.
“I ain’t said nothing.”
“You don’t have to. Your face saying enough.”
“What my face saying?” I paused before continuing. “That you think I care who she is.”
“Do you?”
“No… hell, no!”
The answer came too quickly, sounding like a lie.
He studied me for another second before nodding like he’d reached his own conclusion.
“Then we good.”
I looked back down at my plate, trying to focus on my food instead of the ridiculous conversation we’d somehow ended up having. I didn’t care who she was. I had no reason to. Vice wasn’t my man, and whatever history he had with somebody else wasn’t any of my business.
So why couldn’t I stop thinking about her?
Before I realized what I was doing, the question slipped out.
“So… how do you know her?”
Vice looked up, and that grin made another appearance on hid face.
I already regretted asking and rolled my eyes.
“She my ex.”
That explained more than I wanted it to. The way she’d walked over so comfortably. The smile she’d given him. The way she’d looked at me before walking away.
I picked up my drink and took a slow sip.
“How long?” I asked.
“Three years.”
Three years...
Three years was enough time to build a life with somebody.
I hated that my mind even went there.
“What happened?” He just stared at me. I didn’t know if he was confused by my question or what. So, I repeated it a little slower. “What happened? Why did ya’ll break up?”
Vice leaned back in his chair, watching me for a second before finally giving me something.
“She wanted something I wasn’t ready to give her.” He looked serious as hell, letting me know that he wasn’t going to joke his way through this answer.
“What did she want?”
“Marriage. Kids. More of my time than I was giving her.”
There was no bitterness in his voice. If anything, he sounded like a man who understood exactly why she’d left.
“And you didn’t want any of that?”
“I ain’t say that.”
“Then what are you saying?”
Vice leaned back and looked at me for a minute before answering. “I’m saying wanting something and being ready for it ain’t always the same thing.”
That answer stayed with me.
For the first time since Simone walked away, I stopped thinking about how beautiful she was or how comfortable she’d been touching him.
Instead, I wondered what kind of man Vice had been with her. Hell, more than that, I found myself wondering what kind of man he was now.