by Juniper Hart
Okay, she thought, inhaling deeply. I’m among my friends. This is good. I can move forward and forget about Ryan. He’s not worthy of my attention anymore.
She permitted a smile to fall onto her face as she exhaled slowly and opened her eyes. This was going to be a night to remember, and she would make sure of it.
The sleek white car stopped in front of La Tortuga, and the driver scrambled to open the door before Audrey could claw her way out. One after the other, the girls stepped out from the interior of the limo; Audrey first, pushing everyone aside, followed by Maddy, Stella, Christine, and Ava. Brooklyn was the last person to exit, and she straightened her dress over her shapely thighs, glancing with interest around the front of the restaurant.
It was her first visit to the swanky Mexican joint, and she was relishing the luxurious exterior. A string of red chili lights illuminated the palms lining the red carpet that led toward the glass doors.
On one side of the pristine entranceway, a tuxedoed doorman waited patiently for them to approach, a smile plastered on his face.
They can’t pay him nearly enough for this, Brooklyn thought, smiling to herself. No matter how bad I think my life is, he must hate smiling at drunk women all night and turning away people who aren’t on the list.
She immediately thought of her job at the pharmaceutical company and cringed. It wasn’t like she was living the life of glamour, either, but she pushed that thought aside. She was here to have fun, and she was determined to make the most out of this night.
“Come on,” Stella urged, linking her arm through Brooklyn’s. “Audrey’s already inside, and God knows what ruckus she’s causing.”
Brooklyn allowed herself to be led toward the restaurant, a serene smile on her lips. The champagne had successfully done its job, and she let the feeling of ease spread through her deliciously.
“I’m starving,” Stella commented, echoing Brooklyn’s own thoughts. She tried to remember the last time she had sat down for a real meal.
Since she and Ryan had split up, Brooklyn had eaten at her desk, in her bed, and over the kitchen sink, and the only things she had actually eaten for the past four weeks had been sandwiches, granola bars, and chips. This dinner would taste glorious compared to the measly snacks she had devoured.
The doorman nodded at them, and for a second, his plastic smile seemed genuine as his dark eyes raked over Brooklyn’s tall, lean frame in her crimson dress. It gave her a spurt of confidence, and Brooklyn raised her blonde head, meeting his eye. She winked coyly at him, causing a blush to stain his cheeks.
I’ve still got it, she thought confidently as they made their way into the restaurant. Audrey was complaining loudly as the hostess tried to maintain her patience with her.
“They’re coming! Just seat us!” Audrey growled. “They have eyes! They can figure out where we’re sitting!” She turned back and pointed at the late arrivals, grunting. “See? They’re right here! Can we sit now, please? I’m starving to death! The headlines will be terrible if I pass out on your floor!”
Brooklyn and Stella exchanged an amused glance as they were brought into the dining room.
“The food here is excellent,” Stella told her as they wove their way through the festive but dimly lit restaurant. “Have you been yet?”
Brooklyn shook her head, her eyes trailing along the luxurious setting. She couldn’t remember the last time she had treated herself to such a lovely outing.
I should do this more often, she told herself.
It seemed that the entire establishment was only brightened by candlelight and string bulbs in red and white. The effect was hypnotic; rhythmic Flamenco music pulsated through the speakers, quietly but full of bass. It almost made Brooklyn’s undulated hips swing while she walked, as if the acoustics gave her confidence.
“I mean, my stomach is going to curse me in the morning from all the spice,” Stella continued. “But it’s well worth it. Everything is made fresh, and…”
Stella’s voice filtered out of her head as Brooklyn’s eyes rested on a man dining alone, an entire booth to himself.
She wasn’t sure exactly what drew him to her. Perhaps it was the fact that, despite his towering frame, he seemed lost in the twenties-style booth as he sipped from a brandy sifter. Or maybe it was the powerful magnetism of his dark attractiveness.
What is he doing all alone? Some woman is missing out on the date of a lifetime, she thought ruefully. She wondered what it would be like to be sitting across from a man like that, and in her mind’s ear, she could somehow almost hear the sonorous tones of his voice, like he was in her head.
He seemed to feel her eyes on him, and he raised his eyes to rest on her face. When their gazes locked, Brooklyn felt her heart stop for a moment. Even from the distance between them, Brooklyn could see the glittering golds, greens, and browns in his irises. She was struck by a peculiar sense of déjà vu as she paused mid-step to hold his stare.
“Brooklyn?”
Stella had stopped to look back at her in surprise, and she felt herself blushing.
“Coming,” she said quickly, turning to follow Stella and the others to their booth—not before she cast one final look to the dark-haired man dining alone, though. He continued to stare at her, and Brooklyn found herself smiling at him, but he only gazed after her with a perfectly stoic expression on his face until she could no longer see him.
“What are you grinning at?” Audrey yelled, and Brooklyn shifted her eyes toward her half-drunk friend, who was seated in the middle of the booth, surrounded by the other women. She hurried forward to join the table, feeling embarrassed that he had been caught staring at a stranger as she slipped into the end spot.
“I’m sorry,” Stella murmured in her ear, and Brooklyn looked at her with a frown on her face.
“For what?” she asked. “This is perfect. I am already having a wonderful time. You guys are the best.”
“No need for sarcasm,” Stella retorted. “We couldn’t have known.”
Brooklyn’s brow furrowed even more in confusion.
“Known about what?” she asked. “I wasn’t being sarcastic.” Stella lowered her blue eyes and muttered something Brooklyn didn’t hear. “What?” she repeated, a sudden apprehension seizing her gut. Stella raised her blonde head and stared at her with concerned blue eyes.
“You didn’t see?” she whispered, and Brooklyn realized a hush had fallen over the table as everyone glanced worriedly at her.
“See what?” Brooklyn demanded, looking around. “What the hell is going on?”
But as the words escaped her lips, she saw exactly what had silenced her friends.
Ryan was sitting in the center of the restaurant upon the raised pedestal, his eyes fixated on Brooklyn. His mouth was pulled into a grimace of anger as he muttered something to his blonde date. Her head also jerked around to gape in Brooklyn’s direction, her expression growing into a sneer of malice.
Ryan was here with Elena, the woman with whom he had cheated on Brooklyn.
In all the restaurants in San Francisco, at all the possible times, on the first night I have felt strong enough to leave the house, Brooklyn thought. He has chosen this very night to come with the woman he cheated on me with! What are the chances of that happening? Why does the universe hate me?
A bottle of champagne was chilling tableside, and slowly, Brooklyn’s apprehension became a wave of bile as she studied the scene with more scrutiny. Her eyes met Ryan’s and he immediately lowered his gaze, reaching to cover Elena’s hand with his. But Brooklyn had still managed to see it.
No, she thought flatly. No, I did not see that. He wouldn’t be so cruel.
She knew, however, that her eyes weren’t lying to her.
Elena wore an engagement ring, and not any engagement ring. In fact, it was the same one he had given to Brooklyn and then taken back from her.
2
He really did not want to be there, but like almost everything else in Cassius Williams’ life, it w
as a chore that needed to be done.
I loathe this country, he thought, glancing around the restaurant again. His mood, though, had lifted considerably after watching the stunning blonde with the long, elegant legs and the alluring aqua eyes, wearing a gorgeous scarlet dress, enter the restaurant. Sitting alone in his booth, his view of her was obstructed by an indoor palm and an elevated level of tables, but that didn’t stop Cassius from trying to catch another glimpse of her.
The one thing I will say about Californian women, he thought wryly, is that when they dress up, they do it right.
Cassius had been in San Francisco for four days, tying up some last minute real estate deals before he headed to New York and then home to Australia. It had been typically uneventful, but Cassius was not looking forward to New York any more than he had been looking forward to the west coast. At least he knew that, in a few days, he would be on his island, removed from everyone else the way God had intended him to be.
He had considered dropping in on Anders while he was on the East Coast, but he decided to play it by ear. He would much rather be done with this abysmal country. He had no idea how his brother Anders lived in what Cassius thought was the armpit of the earth, no matter how Anders justified it with the monstrosity he called his condo.
But that was none of Cassius’ business. Long ago, he had learned not to interfere with the comings and goings of his brothers, and they had learned the same of him. It was much easier that way.
Over the centuries, they had drifted further away from Misty Woods, leaving old King Rui to his own devices. The brothers came and went at their father’s request, but they all kept their distance from their demanding patriarch, knowing that Misty Woods came with a dark curse. It was not as if running away separated any one of them from the woes that Opal had ingrained in them and in their kingdom hundreds of years ago. Yet over time, the princes has learned to bury the darkness that followed them in their own way.
Even if it did resurface at the worst of times.
“Can I get you something else, sir?”
Cassius’ attention shifted to the server, who eyed him with interest, an unmistakable twinkle in his dark eyes. Cassius knew the look well: it was an open invitation, implied in the words, Can I get you something else, sir? He got it from air hostesses, servers, and massage therapists all the time. Anyone who found themselves in his authoritative presence wanted something from him, offering themselves in return, and Cassius took immense pride in figuring out what it was.
Sometimes he was happy to reciprocate, but usually he left well enough alone.
Even so, the buff male server, who had introduced himself as Charlie, was not Cassius’ type. His type was sitting just out of view, tantalizing him with her presence.
He had been captured by more than just her blazing beauty, though—Cassius felt as if he had met her before, and he wondered if perhaps he and the blonde knew each other. It was entirely possible; after all, he had met thousands upon thousands of people in business and in his long, unending lifetime.
Yet Cassius was sure he would have remembered this woman.
“I will take a brandy and the bill,” he answered, and Charlie nodded, remaining a moment longer than necessary to gaze at him.
It was unsurprising for Cassius to evoke such a reaction. He was attractive by anyone’s standards, and even if one did not know who he was, he was bound to catch the eye of the most casual of passerby. His hair was thick and dark, a curly, burnt honey kept stylishly cut, though a stray curl always found its way to the center of his forehead. He was reminiscent of a linebacker, with broad shoulders, a wide chest, but a narrow waist. From behind, however, his derriere rocked any pair of ridiculously priced pants in his closet.
The waiter finally moved away, and Cassius’ hazel eyes were free to roam back to where he had seen the luscious blonde disappear. Before he could extend his neck muscles further, he was distracted by a furious redhead storming toward the center of the restaurant.
“You have some goddamn nerve!” the woman spat at a man seated diagonally across from Cassius. The man’s date looked up, her mouth falling open.
Uh-oh. He got caught by his wife, was Cassius’ initial thought, but as he continued to watch, he could see something else entirely was happening.
“What are you doing here, Ryan?” the redhead screamed, and Cassius realized that she belonged to the same table as the blonde he had seen.
“Get lost, Audrey,” the man growled. “I can eat wherever the hell I want.”
“Come on, Ryan,” his date pleaded, and Cassius heard the worry in her tone. “Let’s go.”
“No!” Ryan snapped. “We have no reason to leave. If they don’t like it, they can leave. We were here first!”
“You better listen to her,” Audrey slurred. Even if her tone hadn’t given it away, Cassius could almost smell the alcohol on her breath from his booth. “Or she’s going to get her ass kicked harder this time ‘round!”
“Are you threatening her?” Ryan roared, leaping to his feet, his eyes blazing with anger. “I should arrest you right now!”
“I’d love to see you try, you piece of shit!” Audrey yelled back, advancing toward him. “Just give me a reason to smash your arrogant face!”
The hostess hurried over to the table, followed by a manager, and that was when Cassius saw the blonde woman approach the table, trying to gently grab her friend.
“What seems to be the problem here?” the hostess asked.
“This asshole is the problem!” Audrey screamed. “You let anyone in this shithole?”
“Audrey!” the blonde snapped. “Come on, let’s just go back—!”
“No, Brooklyn!” Audrey snarled. “Just because you won’t stand up to this dickhead doesn’t mean I won’t!”
Cassius’ eyes were focused on the beauty in the scarlet dress as she tried to decompress the situation. Other girls joined the table in a wave of nervousness.
“Oh, my God!” Audrey screeched suddenly, reaching down to snatch up the hand of Ryan’s date. “Is that Brooklyn’s engagement ring?”
“Audrey!” another blonde woman snapped. “You’re making a fool out of us all. Let’s go!”
But Audrey was incensed, and she raised her hand to slap out at someone, although Cassius was not entirely sure who in her wasted state.
Brooklyn caught her wrist.
“Stop this!” she hissed. “Let’s go!” She yanked her friend’s arm and dragged her away from the table, the others casting Ryan scathing looks before following her.
“I’m coming back for you!” Audrey yelled at the man’s date, and Cassius found himself leaning forward with interest. “You too, you cheating dick!”
Brooklyn turned to tighten her grip on her irate friend, and as she did, her eyes caught Cassius’. He watched as her cheeks turned purple in shame before she pulled Audrey out of sight and toward the entrance. The harem of women followed them.
Before Cassius could realize it, he was on his feet, going after them.
“Mr. Williams!” Charlie called after him, but he held up a hand to indicate he would return without turning around.
The group had congregated near the front doors, a mass of angry voices. Cassius remained away from them, close enough to them to still be within earshot, but separated from the group enough to look like he was expecting someone.
“—believe you! How drunk are you?” the blonde without a name raged at Audrey. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Me?” Audrey cried. “She is wearing Brooklyn’s engagement ring on her finger! How can you sit back and watch that?”
“So much for a night out to forget about that asshole,” a petite girl muttered, but no one heard her. Another girl yelled out to Brooklyn, who was walking away from the scene as fast as her heels would take her.
“Where are you going?” one of her friends demanded. “You can’t leave! The limo will be back in—”
“Are you kidding me?” Brooklyn screamed, spi
nning to glare at the group. “You expect me to what? Go out and party? Go back in there and have dinner?”
“Yes!” the group yelled back collectively.
“Brooklyn,” implored a brunette. “You can’t let him get the best of you. You’ve already given up too much of yourself to him.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Maddy,” Brooklyn muttered, but Cassius could see that her friends were getting through to her.
“Don’t let him win again,” Maddy begged. “Please. We miss you.”
Brooklyn stared at the lot with wide, unhappy eyes. Despite the clear pain in her gaze, Cassius was struck at the luminous sea of color in it. Instantly, he realized what her irises reminded him of: his home.
Her eyes are exactly the same color as the Coral Sea, he thought.
“I’m not going back in there,” Brooklyn firmly stated. “I’ll go to Palazzo, but I’m not stepping foot back in that restaurant again.”
“Agreed,” one of her friends said quickly, stepping forward to take her arm. “We’ll find somewhere else to eat and then we’ll go to the club, okay?”
Brooklyn still seemed reluctant to go, but she allowed her posse to flock around her—like the bunch of hens they appeared to be—and embrace her comfortingly.
“I’ll deal with you later,” she told Audrey, but the redhead seemed unconcerned by the threat.
“After we have had our fun, you will have forgotten all about me,” Audrey replied flippantly, and Cassius almost laughed aloud.
Wow. Whomever that woman ends up with is in a world of trouble, he thought, chuckling to himself as the girls vanished into the parking lot. He wondered what it would be like to have a friend like that—someone who wasn’t afraid to confront those who had hurt her friend in the middle of a busy restaurant. He half-hoped he never had to find out while simultaneously being impressed by her tenacity.
“Mr. Williams, there you are! Is everything all right?”
The handsome server appeared at his side, his brow knit with concern. Cassius nodded.
“I just needed some air,” he replied. “I’m coming back to the table now.”