by Sandi Lynn
“Sounds good. I can send Carl to pick you up,” I spoke by mistake.
“Really, Gabriel?”
“Sorry. I’ll see you in about an hour. I’m up on the terrace.”
Caleb Quinn, my twenty-four-year-old determined-to-be-a-rock-star brother was against anything money. I guess you could say he had always been the black sheep of the family, at least in my father’s eyes. He hated wealth and wanted nothing to do with the upper-class society, including our father’s company. I was all business adventures while he was all about the music. He had music in his soul and it showed every time he picked up his guitar. Our father was a tough man with a dream of both his sons running the family company, and when my brother graduated high school and threw away a college opportunity to pursue music, my father practically disowned him, calling him a disgrace to the Quinn name. I didn’t care what Caleb did or didn’t do, he was my brother and I loved him.
“Hey, bro,” Caleb spoke as he leaned down and gave me a light hug before taking a seat across from me.
“Hey, Caleb. Drink?” I asked.
“You got any beer up here?”
I chuckled. “Only for you.”
I stood up from the couch and walked over to the minibar that sat on the terrace and grabbed him a beer.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” I asked.
“Eight a.m. Where’s Greta? I figured she would have been here since you just got home.”
I sighed. “I broke things off with her.”
“Wow. When?”
“A couple of days ago.”
“While you were in Seattle?” He laughed.
“I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Yeah. I get that. She was a whiner and very insecure. I never understood what you saw in her.” He held up his bottle of beer. “Here’s to both the Quinn brothers being single again.” He smiled.
“Touché.” I lightly tapped my glass against his bottle.
I was embarrassed by what happened at the airport and I debated whether or not to tell Caleb until he noticed I wasn’t wearing my watch.
“Where’s your watch? You never take it off.”
I took in a deep, relentless breath.
“You’re never going to believe what happened.”
“Don’t tell me you lost it.” He kicked back his beer.
“It was stolen.”
“Stolen? The maid at the hotel?” He cocked his head.
“No. By a woman who I met on the plane home and fucked in the bathroom in the sky lounge at JFK.”
A roar of laughter came from him.
“Shut the fuck up!” He continued laughing. “You left it on the sink and then she took it, right?”
“No. She took it right off my wrist, and I didn’t know it until I got in the car to come home,” I spoke with irritation.
“Jesus Christ, Gabriel. How did you let that happen?” He continued to laugh. “I mean, come on, bro, she just slipped it right off your wrist without you knowing?”
“Yep.”
“Damn, she must have been one hell of a fuck for you to space out like that. Just call her up and ask her for it back.”
“I would, but I don’t have her number.”
“Ah.” He finished off his beer. “Did you at least get her name?”
“Hannah, and that’s all I know about her except that she runs some women’s online retail shop. She doesn’t even live in New York. She said she’s only here for a couple of days visiting a friend.”
He tipped his empty beer bottle towards me. “You, big brother, got ripped off by a chick who’s sitting pretty with a thirty-thousand-dollar Cartier watch.”
“Do me a favor and don’t say a word about this to anyone. This little mishap stays between us.”
“Don’t worry. I’m way too embarrassed for you to talk about it.” He grinned. “Thanks for the beer.” He stood up. “I better get going. I have a few things to wrap up before me and the band head to L.A. tomorrow.”
I pulled a few hundred-dollar bills out of my wallet and placed them in Caleb’s hand.
“Gabriel, I don’t—”
“I don’t care if you don’t need it. Just take it. Please. I’ve been through enough today and you turning it down will make me feel worse.”
He let out a heavy sigh.
“Thanks,” he spoke as he hugged me.
“You’re welcome. Good luck with Sony Records tomorrow. I know you’ll nail a contract.” I smiled.
“I hope so. I’ll call you when I get back.” He flicked his finger under my chin. “Cheer up, buttercup. The bright side is you can afford to go out tomorrow and buy another one.”
I gave him a small smile, and as he was leaving the terrace, he turned and looked at me.
“I know it’s not actually about the watch, bro.”
I picked up the bottle of bourbon and poured one last glass for the night. As I stood and looked out at the East River in the midst of the brightly lit city, I knew he was right. It wasn’t so much about the watch as it was about the woman who stole it from me.
Chapter 5
Kate
When the cab pulled up to 16 East 84th Street, I got out and stared at the five-story brick building. It felt good to be home.
“Here’s your luggage, ma’am,” the cab driver spoke.
“Thank you.” I smiled as I reached into my purse and paid him along with a generous tip.
I rolled my suitcase behind me as I climbed on the elevator and took it up to my apartment on the fifth floor. Inserting the key into the lock, I pushed open the door and turned on the light switch in the hallway. Brown boxes were scattered all over the floor waiting to be unpacked. I had only been in my new place for three nights before I left for Seattle.
I moved from Chicago to Manhattan to be closer to my dad. When I was a little girl, we moved around a lot, never staying in one place more than six months to less than a year at a time. I never had any friends because we never stuck around long enough for me to make any connections with anyone. When I was eighteen, we moved to Chicago. My dad said that it could possibly be a permanent place for us, and if the job he was going to do in New York panned out, we could stay and I could go to college. But he got involved with the wrong people and it ended up costing him twenty years at Rikers Island.
I threw my carry-on bag on the bed and started unpacking it. Pulling Gabriel’s watch from the pocket of my cardigan, I held it in my hand and thought of him. A feeling swept over me and thoughts about our encounter in the bathroom sent shivers down my spine. In fact, it wasn’t just thoughts about what happened, it was thoughts about him in general. Shaking my head, I snapped back into reality and finished unpacking my luggage. I couldn’t think about him. I didn’t want to think about him. I had other things to do. Business. It was now always about the business. I had six rules I lived by.
Know your mark.
Listen and never look bored.
Never reveal your true self.
Never stay in one place too long.
Exit as smoothly as you entered.
Never fall in love.
Everything I did, I did alone. I didn’t trust anyone. How could I when I couldn’t even trust myself? This wasn’t going to be my life. Just long enough until I paid off his debt. I visited my dad once a month, no matter where I was. It was important to me and to him. He was all I had left in this world. I lived out of hotels most of the time and some of the time I rented an apartment week to week, depending on how long I was going to be in one place.
I had been lying to him for the past six years. He believed I had been living in Chicago working as a waitress in an upscale restaurant and paying my way through college taking part time classes. If he knew the truth, he’d be disappointed, and he was the last person I wanted to disappoint.
One Month Later
I placed the long burgundy-colored wig with the loose curls on my head and secured it in place. After popping the emerald green contacts into my eyes, I dressed in a l
ow cut, short black sleeveless dress and slipped my feet into a pair of Jimmy Choo peep toe black heels with red bottoms. Grabbing my red evening bag from the dresser, I hailed a cab over to The Plaza Hotel where Samuel Coldwater was picking me up. He believed I was staying there until I found a permanent place to live. I waited inside and watched out the lobby doors for his limo to pull up to the curb. Once I saw him climb out, I met him on the sidewalk.
“Amy, you look simply stunning.” He smiled as he took hold of my hand and brought it up to his lips.
“So do you, darling,” I spoke as he helped me into the car.
“I was going to come up and get you. You didn’t have to wait in the lobby.”
“I was ready earlier than planned, so I thought I’d save you the trip up.” I smiled.
We were on our way to the Champagne & Diamonds Winter Gala at the Mandarin Oriental that his company, Coldwater Enterprises, was hosting. It was a charity event for the support and development of a women’s center for specialty care. It was to be named the Celeste Coldwater Center after his wife, who passed away over a year ago.
“I want to give you something.” He smiled as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small blue box from Tiffany.
“Samuel, you shouldn’t have.”
“Just open it, darling.”
I untied the white ribbon and opened the box. Reaching inside, I pulled out a velvet blue ring box and slowly lifted the lid.
“Samuel. Oh my god. It’s beautiful.”
He took the white gold, round-cut pink diamond—encased with smaller pink diamonds—ring out of the box and placed it on my right ring finger.
“It looks gorgeous on you, Amy.” He brought my hand to his lips.
“Samuel, I can’t accept this. It’s too much. We haven’t known each other that long.” Tears sprang to my eyes. On command tears that I had mastered over the years. The same tears I used to use on my father when it suited the situation.
“Nothing is too much for you, darling. You’re very special to me and I want you to know just how much.” He caressed my cheek.
Leaning in, I brushed my lips against his.
“You’re special to me too. Thank you.”
The limo pulled up to the Mandarin Oriental and we stepped inside and headed to the grand ballroom where the event was taking place. Guests had already started to fill the room. All of the Manhattan upper class society was there. Women were dripping in diamonds and men reeked of Cartier, Rolex, and diamond cuff links.
“May I get you a glass of champagne?” Samuel asked.
“A glass of champagne would be nice. Thank you.” I smiled.
Samuel Coldwater, founder and CEO of Coldwater Enterprises, was worth millions. He was a fifty-five-year-old man who stood approximately six feet two with salt and pepper hair. He was in great shape for his age and a man who took his looks very seriously. I wasn’t the first woman he’d dated since his wife passed, but I was the youngest.
I walked around the room and mingled with Samuel’s guests, accidentally bumping into men who quickly forgave me with a glorious “I would love to fuck you” smile. A smile that would quickly turn to frustration once they discovered their wallet, watches, and other valuables were missing in the morning.
Chapter 6
Gabriel
I was standing by the bar talking to a friend of mine, Owen Gray, when a woman with curly brown hair in a red low-cut dress invaded our space.
“Hey there, handsome.” She smiled.
“Hello.” I smiled back.
“Is that bourbon you’re drinking?”
“It is. Would you like one?”
“I’d love one.” She batted her eyes. “I’m Tash Cummings.” She held out her hand with her well-manicured fingers.
“Gabriel Quinn,” I politely spoke as I placed my hand in hers.
Owen excused himself to the restroom and left me and Tash to talk alone. As she was going on about her ex-boyfriend, my eyes glanced around the ballroom in boredom. I needed to find a way to politely escape this woman. That was when I noticed a woman with long burgundy-colored hair in an elegant black dress headed towards the bar. She captivated me.
“Excuse me, Gabriel. Are you even listening to me?” Tash asked with irritation.
My eyes snapped back to hers. “Yes. I’m sorry. Please excuse me for a moment. A friend of mine just walked in that I haven’t seen in a very long time. We’ll catch up later.” I smiled as I placed my hand on her arm and walked away.
As I was walking towards her, she was stopped by another woman and they began to have a conversation. I halted a few feet back. That smile. I gulped. It couldn’t be. She finished her conversation and I followed behind her to the bar.
“What can I get you, miss?” the bartender asked.
“Tequila with a splash of lime, please.”
I could feel the anger rise through my body as I clenched my fists. I couldn’t let her see me. Not yet. Not here in front of all these people. I’d follow her and wait until she was alone before I confronted her and possibly killed her. I walked away to the other side of the ballroom, never taking my eyes off her, watching her every move. Samuel walked up to her and kissed her cheek. What the fuck? Was she with him? She hooked her arm in his as he led her to their table for dinner. I took a seat at a table with some friends of mine across the room, far enough away but close enough to keep an eye on her.
“No date tonight, Gabriel?” my friend Jordan asked.
“Actually, the woman I was supposed to bring has the flu. And speaking of dates, who is that woman with Samuel?”
“I have no clue, but he’s sure one lucky bastard. She’s gorgeous. I’d fuck her until my dick went numb.” Jordan grinned.
“All I know is her name is Amy and he’s head over heels for her,” Owen chimed in. “He bought her this gorgeous twenty-thousand-dollar pink diamond ring at Tiffany.”
“He told you that?” I asked.
“I was in there buying a bracelet for Kitty’s birthday and I ran into him. He was really excited to give it to her.”
“I see,” I spoke as I stared across the room at her.
Samuel got up and exited the ballroom. I suspected he was headed to the men’s room, so I followed him.
“Hello there, Samuel,” I spoke as I took the urinal next to him.
“Good to see you, Gabriel. Thank you for coming.”
“No problem. Anything for a good cause. I couldn’t help but admire your date tonight.”
“Ah, yes. That’s Amy. Isn’t she a beauty? She’s so smart and elegant. She’s a keeper, that one. I haven’t been this happy since before Celeste passed away.”
“Yes. She is very beautiful. You’re a lucky man, Samuel.” I smiled.
“I sure am, Gabriel.” He winked.
Kate
I was eating dinner, and when Samuel got up and excused himself to the restroom, I glanced across the room and saw a gorgeous-looking man in a black tux heading out the ballroom doors. What the hell? Shit. It couldn’t be. A nervousness settled inside me. What was he doing here? I needed to remain calm. There was no way he could recognize me. I looked totally different from that day on the plane. Different hair, different color eyes, and a different nose. But I couldn’t take the chance, so I needed to make an escape and get the hell out of there. I waited and watched as Gabriel and Samuel walked back into the ballroom together. Shit. What if Samuel brought him over and introduced us? I started to feel sick. I wasn’t just a fuck at the airport. I was the fuck who stole his thirty-thousand-dollar Cartier watch. Samuel took his seat next to mine and I gently placed my hand on his.
“I’m not feeling well. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to head back to the hotel.”
“What’s wrong, darling?” he asked with concern.
“Just a little lightheaded and my stomach doesn’t feel very good. I’m worried I may be coming down with something.”
“Then let’s go. You need to lie down and rest.”
“You stay,” I spoke. “This is your event and you’re the host. You just can’t leave.”
“But I’m worried about you.”
“Thank you, Samuel. I appreciate it, but I’ll be fine. If I need anything, I’ll call you.” I gently smiled.
“Alright. I’ll have Bruno bring the limo around.” He kissed my cheek.
Gabriel
I saw her get up from her seat and head out the doors of the ballroom, so I followed her. I assumed she was heading to the restroom, but she went outside the hotel doors and stood at the curb. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Carl to bring the limo around. I waited inside and watched as a different limo pulled up and she climbed inside, alone. As the limo was pulling away, Carl pulled up. I hurried and climbed inside, telling him to follow that limo but to be discreet about it.
Her limo pulled up to The Plaza Hotel and she climbed out and went inside. I needed to get her alone, so I planned to follow her up to her room. But before I could even get out of the limo, she came back outside and hailed a cab. What the hell was she doing?
“Follow that cab, Carl.”
“Yes, sir.”
The cab pulled up alongside the curb of an apartment building and she climbed out.
“Carl, follow her and grab the door when she opens it.”
Carl did as I asked and as soon as she entered the building, I stepped out of the limo and followed her inside to the elevator. This was my chance. The doors began to close, so I stuck my hand in between to stop them. When they opened, our eyes locked on each other’s. Emerald green instead of brown. It had to be her and if it wasn’t, I was in deep shit.
“Hello.” I smiled as I played it off as if I didn’t know her.
“Hello.” She looked away from me.
I stepped inside the elevator and noticed she pushed the button to the fifth floor.
“Which floor?” she asked.
“Same as you.”
She was nervous. I could smell it and I could tell by the way she stared straight ahead and lightly tapped her foot on the ground.