Chapter 22
Chester
“You’re broody today…” said Will, looking over at me from across the white-clothed table, the fountains outside putting on a show behind him.
“Mmm,” I grunted before taking a sip of champagne.
“You’ve hardly touched your food.”
I shrugged, looking out at the fountains and all the tourists lined up to watch water wave in the wind to a song probably by everyone’s favorite diva from the nineties. The dull sound of a familiar melody pressed against the large, floor-to-ceiling windows of the restaurant.
“It’s lobster. Expensive lobster,” said Will, nudging at me again with his words. “Your favorite.”
I looked back at him, sitting across from me with his brows raised in question just under his long, shaggy hair.
“You need a haircut,” I muttered.
He rolled his eyes and leaned forward, grabbing a roll from the basket between us and taking a bite.
“I know what you need. You need a good lay.” He pointed at me, while holding the roll.
I thought about Juliet and just how good that lay had been a few nights ago.
I couldn’t place my finger on why it felt different the second time around, but I had never felt that in tune with anyone.
Ever. I never wanted to try to make that emotional connection, but my mind and my body, and hell, maybe even my heart were doing it all on their own.
Maybe it was because we had been slowly getting to know each other after spending more time together. All the flirting and peep shows had been mixed in with actually working together, and we did it well. We made a good team. But now…
Now, all that was destroyed by some mystery pain in my ass with a vague but menacing message.
I had their email memorized by now, their words leaving inky stains in my brain.
They had ruined whatever I had going with Juliet.
And my cold demeanor to protect us both had pushed her away.
I wondered what she was thinking. Probably that she regretted everything.
“Earth to Chester,” said Will, snapping his fingers. I looked at him and then saw the waitress waiting expectantly in a too-tight corset and pouty red lips.
“Can I get you another bottle of champagne?” she asked, coyly tilting her head.
“I’m good, thank you,” I said with a shake of my head, knowing exactly what was going on behind her playful hazel eyes.
It came with the territory of showing up at one of the nicest restaurants in Vegas, wearing an expensive suit, with an even more expensive tab.
But I wasn’t interested in taking her back to my suite.
“And you?” she asked, turning to Will, who was in faded jeans and a black short-sleeved tee. I had to pay the hostess a hundred bucks to let him in the restaurant because he was against dress code, and had left his wallet at the venue.
“Nah, I’m good, sweetheart. I can’t get too drunk. I have a show tonight,” he said with a braggy smile.
“A show?” she asked, putting her hand on her hip and eyeing him up and down curiously. “Let me guess what you are…”
“A magician,” I said with a smirk, taking another swig of champagne.
Will shot me a look before turning back to the waitress, who was still trying to put two thoughts together in her too-bleached head.
“A comedian?” she asked.
“I could be. I could be anything you want, sweetheart,” said Will with a shrug.
The waitress giggled, adjusting her black circular tray on her hip.
“What are you?” she asked. “Really.”
“A musician.” He grinned up at her.
“So bad news…” she said with a smile that looked like she was more than okay with that.
“Maybe.”
“I’m watching you,” she said, wagging a finger at him before turning away. “You too,” she added, her eyes landing on me and falling to my lips and lingering a second too long.
“Not interested,” I said bluntly.
She looked taken aback, and with a slightly disappointed look on her face, she turned and sashayed away with a sway of her hips that had Will’s eyes nearly popping out of his head. I rolled my eyes at him. Falling right into her trap.
“Dude, what is up with you?” he asked, turning back to me. “She was nearly eye-fucking you.”
I waved him off and downed the rest of my champagne.
“You can have her,” I muttered, setting a wad of hundreds on the table. “Can we go now?”
“Fine,” said Will, popping one more forkful of lobster into his mouth. “I have to get to the venue anyway.”
We walked out the restaurant and through the sprawling casino that smelled of cigarettes and was chilled to an almost icy temperature.
I sulked as we walked in silence. I knew I was moody and taking it out on Will, or anyone else in the surrounding area.
It wasn’t fair to my friend, but he was just collateral damage on what felt like a plane going down in flames.
I hadn’t told him anything about sleeping with Juliet again, or the borderline threatening email I had received.
“You sure you want to go tonight?” he asked finally, as we exited out the sliding doors and walked out toward the Las Vegas strip that was lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Yeah,” I said, putting on a forced smile. “When was the last time we were in Vegas together?”
“Five years ago?” he guessed, looking a little more at ease now that I was saying more than one-word sentences and grunts.
“Sounds right. For that business conference or something…” I said.
“Right.” He nodded. “Remember those two cocktail waitresses from the club?”
I groaned.
Will laughed out loud and slapped me on the back. “You were so drunk, you passed out face-down on the couch.”
“That was the last time I had Jaeger,” I said, shaking my head and making a gagging noise.
“You left me to entertain them,” he said with a grin. “And that was my first threesome.”
I rolled my eyes. “So glad my pain could be your pleasure.”
“And pleasure it was!” he said proudly. “I wonder what we will get up to tonight!”
“I’m just staying for the show and going back to the hotel,” I said.
“Boooring.” He sighed.
“It’s been a long day,” I said, pressing the button on the traffic light as we waited to cross the street toward the hotel that Will was playing at.
“Hey, I thought the meeting went well today?” he asked, a hint of worry in his voice, bringing musician Will back to silent partner Will. It was funny how easily he could slip between the two juxtapositions.
“It did. Practically signed, sealed, delivered,” I assured him.
“Good.” He nodded.
We entered the hotel lobby, the ceiling covered in chandeliers so large, you couldn’t see the plaster above. We continued walking the white marble floors toward the venue that had a line out the door and wrapping through the right side of the hotel.
“Are they all here for you?” I asked, raising an impressed brow.
“Nah. I’m just the opener. I bet no one knows me,” Will said with a shrug. “Not yet,” he added with a smile tugging at the corner of his lip.
We walked toward a side entrance where security let us to the dark backstage area. We navigated our way through, trying not to trip over cords and drumsticks and amps. I looked past the red velvet curtains and out toward the venue that looked to be already full.
“This is pretty big, man,” I said.
“I know.” He nodded nervously, picking up his guitar from a nearby stand. It was the same one he’d had since college. “I better get warmed up. Find a spot at the bar.”
I gave him a slap on the back and headed for the side stairs.
I pushed through the crowd of people all eagerly trying to get closer to the stage, overdressed, as usual, in a sea of ripped denim and different shades of black shirts.
Luckily, I found a lone seat at the bar and ordered a glass of the most expensive scotch they had.
As I took a long sip, the strum of Will’s guitar filled the room, causing a roar of applause and excited yells.
He didn’t introduce himself, just went into song, and had the crowd in the palm of his hand almost immediately.
It was the song Juliet and I had danced to at the club back in New York, and a rush of memories from that night came back to hit me like a damn baseball bat.
It was funny how music could do that to you.
Take you back to a time and place, haunting you with vivid memories like the way her blonde hair swayed under the club lights as she danced her body into mine.
I took another long sip of scotch, downing the rest of the drink, and raising my hand for another.
With a new frosted tumbler in hand, I pulled my phone from my jacket pocket to see if I had any texts or emails from her, but it was radio silence. Had I expected anything different? I had shut her out, and with no explanation. She probably hated me now. I couldn’t blame her.
As Will switched to a more upbeat song, my phone buzzed in my hand, and I eagerly looked at it, hoping Juliet had somehow read my mind all the way from the East Coast. But it wasn’t her.
Instead, it was an unknown number and I had a sinking feeling that whatever had just come through was far from good.
I slid my thumb across my phone’s screen and opened the message.
There was a photo attached that I tapped to enlarge.
I peered down, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness of the screen in the dim venue, and the dark image on my phone.
It couldn’t be…
I looked closer.
That was my building. Brandfield Enterprises.
And there, in the window, was Juliet with me cupping her breasts and taking her from behind, our faces contorted with pleasure-filled moans.
What the fuck?
I zoomed in on the picture, and my stomach churned with nausea, because despite the picture being captured from surveillance footage at night, I could still make out our faces clear as day.
Despite being on the top floor of the highest building in that area, the camera was aimed upward, and clearly had a professional zoom.
I quickly closed out of the picture and went back to the message where there were three dots bouncing on the screen. I waited with bated breath for what message was about to come through.
Unknown: You can either go along with my demands, or this will be plastered on every tabloid in America.
“Fuck!” I yelled, slamming the marble bar top with the palm of my hand, and despite the loud music, garnering the attention of a few surrounding people. I ignored their curious glances and read the message again.
I quickly typed in the unknown number into the browser on my phone, but nothing came up. I was being blackmailed. While not the first time in my career, but this was the first legitimate threat and this time, they were armed with photographic evidence.
This would definitely kill that government contract I had worked so hard toward.
Even worse, this could get me ousted from my own company.
The board would see to that. Without a leader, it would tank.
Even if I found a replacement, my reputation and the company’s reputation would be tarnished.
Our stock value would plummet. Deals would be pulled.
If Will was willing to step in to save the dumpster fire, there’s no saying if he could even save it.
It felt like the venue’s walls were closing in on me.
In an already claustrophobic setting, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I set a couple hundred dollar bills on the bar top and got up from my barstool.
I pushed through the crowd toward the exit doors, as Will’s guitar and voice faded away.
Another show where I left early, but he would have to understand if I told him what was going on.
I would have to tell him. He was my business partner, and I had just ruined everything.
Outside on the sidewalk, I breathed in the cool night air and opened the message on my phone. I needed to respond this time. I had to find out what they wanted. If there was a way out of this. My company was at stake.
Me: Who is this?
Unknown: I’ll meet you in your office in two days. 7 AM.
Me: You didn’t answer my question.
Unknown: Two days.
I sighed frustratedly and returned my phone to my pocket, then looked up and down the sidewalk, trying to figure out the direction of my hotel.
I needed to get back there and think. I spotted the tall, glass building to my right and headed in that direction.
On my way, I texted Will, who would not see the message until after the show.
Me: Had to leave. Explain later.
Also, on the walk back to my hotel, I called my pilot to let him know I would need to leave earlier than expected. I wanted to be on my jet on the first flight out tomorrow morning. I needed to get back to New York. Being a thousand miles away made me feel helpless.
I also needed to figure out a way to tell Juliet…
That might be the hardest part about this.