3. Kate
Kate
I should’ve known I’d be the center of attention the second I walked in. Not because I wanted to be, but because I couldn’t help it. Bayview was a town that kept receipts—and right now, mine were catching fire.
"You okay?" Claire asked as I scanned the room.
"I’m good." A lie, maybe. I took a sip of my mojito. "No drama tonight."
"Famous last words," Sara muttered, already halfway through hers.
That’s when I felt it.
The unmistakable tingle across my skin. That buzz in the air like static before lightning.
I looked up—and locked eyes with him.
Dark suit. Darker stare. Every inch of him poured from a bottle labeled danger. And he was watching me like I’d stolen something from him.
Because I had.
His attention. His restraint. Maybe even a piece of his pride.
I held the stare a second too long, then looked away with a smile like I hadn’t just felt my pulse spike in my throat.
"Let’s dance," I said suddenly, downing the rest of my drink.
Claire grinned. Sara whooped. We slid onto the floor, and the band kicked into overdrive.
I moved.
Not to seduce. Not to perform. Just to feel. Arms in the air, hips rolling to the beat, hair loose and wild. For a few minutes, I forgot the weight of the looks. Forgot what I was hiding. Forgot him.
Until I didn’t.
A sudden chill rolled down my spine, right as a shadow passed behind me.
I turned—and there she was.
The exotic woman who was at his table. In all her artificially perfect glory. She wore skin-tight white, like she was auditioning for a yacht commercial. Long, straight black hair, flawless bronzed skin, and the kind of makeup that screamed professional lighting crew.
She looked me up and down, slow and deliberate. Her lips curled into a smile made entirely of venom.
“Stop staring at my man.”
“Excuse me?” I said, not missing a beat. “I have no idea what or who you are talking about…”
Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, you do. Stay away. I’m not playin’.”
I arched a brow. "Oh honey, he was never yours to begin with."
Krystal stepped closer, voice low. "Michael doesn’t chase women, you know."
"No," I said with a smirk. “But he craves the ones who run."
Her mouth opened, but before she could fire back, Claire looped her arm through mine, leading me back to our booth before a catfight emerged in front of the entire bar.
“Need a new drink?”
"Perfect timing."
As we walked away, Krystal’s heels stabbed into the floor like gunshots.
"That went well," Claire said once we were in the hallway.
I laughed, but it came out shaky.
I turn my back to Michael’s table and lean in toward my girls, trying to pretend I don’t feel his stare burning into my skin.
"Kate, you seriously just caused a scene without saying a single word," Claire said, fanning herself with a cocktail napkin. "The tension in here? It’s like a season finale cliffhanger."
"Thanks," I said dryly. "So glad my tragic love life doubles as entertainment."
“I’ll bet no one gets to him like you do," Sara added. "And you two haven’t even been on a real date. That’s power."
I gave them a tight smile and lifted my glass. "Well, maybe not a date... but I’ll never forget last Fourth of July."
Claire and Sara leaned in. Mindy, just arriving, slid into the booth like she knew she was late to something good.
"Don’t tell me you’re going to be modest now," Claire teased.
"What? You really want the full replay of my one-night almost-affair with Bayview’s most dangerous man?"
"Yes," Mindy breathed.
I looked down at my drink, swirling the ice. The memory hit me like a jolt.
"I was dodging that handsy French guy, remember? The one who thought 'no' was an invitation. I ducked out, looking down, trying to disappear into the crowd. And then—I ran into someone. Hard."
They didn’t breathe.
"It was Michael. On his way to some VIP yacht party for Mystic Moon. We locked eyes and... it was like the universe just clicked into place. He didn’t ask my name. He didn’t say anything. He just took my hand and led me through the crowd like it was the most natural thing in the world."
Sara exhaled. Claire mouthed damn.
"He took me down to the marina, punched in the dock code like he’d done it a thousand times, and helped me onto his yacht.
Popped a bottle of champagne and handed me a Crystal flute like it was a fairytale.
First thing he ever said to me was, 'To meeting you, the woman of my dreams—alive in the flesh. '"
They all swooned.
"He kissed me—slow and deep, like he was tasting every part of that moment. And when the fireworks started going off above the boat, it felt like they were meant just for us."
"And then?" Claire whispered.
I smirked. "Let’s just say things got heated. Lips everywhere. Hands exploring. And when his fingers slid up my thigh and?—"
"Stop," Sara said, fanning herself. "If you finish that sentence, I’m going to spontaneously combust."
"Relax," I laughed. "Most of it didn’t happen. Well... not all of it."
They groaned.
"I still think you could win him back," Claire said.
I shook my head. "Look at her. That Krystal chick? She’s like J.Lo and a Bond girl had a baby. Meanwhile, I’m here trying to remember if I shaved above the knee."
"That’s on you, Kate," Sara said. "You never gave him a reason. You left. You never even told him why. And now you’re punishing yourself by shutting everyone out."
"I know," I whispered. "But how do you let someone in when you already found the person? The one you dream about before you’ve ever even met them. That kind of chemistry? You can’t fake it. It’s like... the universe is on fire the second you meet."
Sara rolled her eyes. "That’s called lust, sweetie."
"Mock me all you want, but I felt it. Still feel it."
"You should at least let someone else in, Kate," Mindy said. "It’s not fair to torture yourself."
I exhaled hard. "I need to cool off. Freshen up. Reapply some lip gloss and... get a grip."
I slid out of the booth, cut through the dance floor, and made my way to the back hallway toward the restrooms. I moved fast, needing a minute before I unraveled.
Inside the stall, I leaned against the door and took a few shaky breaths.
"What the hell did you expect, Kate?" I whispered. "He’s not a monk. Of course he moved on."
But knowing it didn’t make it easier. Seeing him with her? It was like being punched with a velvet glove. Pretty, but it still fucking hurt.
I wiped my face with a tissue and stepped out to the sink.
And there she was again.
Krystal. In the flesh. Fluffing her hair in the mirror like she hadn’t just ambushed me on the dance floor.
"You're back. It's Kate, right?"
I didn’t flinch. “Kathryn. Only friends call me Kate."
Her smile was all teeth. "Touchy. You know, Michael just kissed all my lip gloss off on the way over here. Can't keep his hands off me. Soon enough, I’ll be calling me Krystal Waters."
My smirk was instant. "I’d say congrats—but there’s no ring, so as far as I’m concerned? He’s still fair game."
I turned on my heel, tossed my hair, and walked out before I said something that would’ve gotten me banned from Pier 19 for life.
Back at the table, I dropped into my seat and took a long sip of Claire’s drink.
"Thanks for the backup, ladies. Just had a run-in with Krystal Kitty."
"Krystal Kitty?" Mindy blinked.
"Yep. Amazon Barbie who walked in with Michael."
"Spill. What happened?"
"Later. I need a stronger drink first."
Claire narrowed her eyes. "That bad, huh?"
"She asked who I was. Told me he’s off-limits. Then dropped the whole ‘soon to be engaged’ bomb."
Sara snorted. "She’s bluffing. She knows exactly what you do to him."
I wasn’t so sure. And that’s what scared me most.
"Kate, you’ve only been gone three months. She’s only trying to intimidate you."
Sara was trying to be comforting, but I could see the question in her eyes. The same one I’ve been avoiding in my own.
"I know," I murmured, swirling my drink, letting the condensation drip onto my fingers. "I just wish there was a way to keep what I’ve built... and have an affair with him, too. But he’s a mob guy. I mean what if I want to break up with him and he like ties me up in a warehouse or something?”
“Hawt,” Mindy, snipped her Cosmo.
I rolled my eyes.
Claire raised a brow, but didn’t interrupt. For once.
"When I left for the Carolinas, it wasn’t just to clear my head. I thought maybe if I could breathe different air, wake up without wondering if I’d run into him at the marina, or at Market Street... maybe I could get over this weird attraction.”
“Nothing weird about it. The man is a walking screaming orgasm. In fact, I’m going to order one.”
“Mindy!” I shook my head as we all giggled. It felt good being out with my girls.
“Continue?” Sara pressed.
"Didn’t work. I spent the whole time checking Mystic Moon' social feed, wondering if when he’d show up on Krystal’s arm again, trying to convince myself I was better off. That he was just a summer mistake I never should’ve made."
My fingers trembled slightly as I grabbed the stem of my glass tighter.
"I didn’t just leave because I was scared of what I felt. I left because I knew if he ever found out who I really am—what I’m connected to—it would ruin him. Or me. Or both."
"So you ghosted?"
"I ran. Call it what it is."
There. I said it. The truth burned a hole in my chest, but it was out now.
"I thought I could come back stronger," I said, forcing a smile. "Like I’d stare him down and feel... nothing. Be cool, confident, untouchable."
Claire smirked. "And how’s that going for you?"
"Clearly," I sighed, "I'm doing great. Only fantasized about him taking me home tonight ever since I walked in.”
They burst out laughing, and for a second, the weight lifted.
"Let’s go, salsa ladies," I said, raising my glass in mock toast.
We hit the dance floor again. I tried to lose myself in the rhythm, in the music, in the glow of being back. I took off my shrug and let my cami hug my sun-kissed skin, let my hair whip around as I danced. But even as I moved, I felt him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Some part of me knew this night wasn’t over.
Not even close.