Then & Now

by Kimberly Lowe

  “So?” He asked slowly giving her the floor.

  “Well…” Where do you start with something like this? Telling someone you didn’t love them anymore wasn’t something you dive into. “Umm….Okay. I’ve been thinking a lot about—No, wait. I don’t want to start this way. Err…I want you to know that…No that’s not right either. Oh, I know. See—”

  “Sophia, are you trying to tell me about you and Tristan?”

  His question took her by complete surprise. “What?”

  “You’re trying to break it to me softly. But really you’re just rambling.” He quirked the side of his mouth up.

  “How did you know?” Her question was barely a whisper as she eyed him carefully.

  He exhaled a long breath while he leaned forward on his arms. “I saw you yesterday in the parking lot with him. I saw the way you looked at him, Sophia. It’s been way too long since you have looked at me that way.”

  She cleared her throat trying to keep from crying. “Yes. Yes it has.”

  “Don’t get upset, baby girl.” He smiled sympathetically. “We both knew this wasn’t going to last. Hell, I was counting the days until you figured out that it was my mother’s idea for us to get married and not me.”

  She nodded shocked at her reaction to his comment. It should have stung to hear; though it didn’t. She was actually relieved. A weight she hadn’t realized she been carrying lifted off of her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, John. This shouldn’t end this way.”

  “Are you kidding? This could’ve ended a lot worse.” He chuckled. “Like ten years down the line, with three kids, a house, and pure hate for each other. No, I’m glad it ended the way it did.”

  She had to laugh at the irony. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But still.”

  “Honestly, Sophia, I’m stunned at the fact that I’m happy for you.” He admitted with a small shrug. “I saw the way he was looking at you too. At least I know I’m losing to something that has a chance.” He winked and suddenly her heart was comforted.

  “I will always love you.”

  “So will I, baby girl. So will I.”

  “I keep thinking that I should be more upset with this. But I’m not.” She confessed feeling a little guilty about the raw truth.

  He nodded. “I know. I feel the same way. When I found out about you and Tristan I was pissed at first. But then…” He shrugged.

  But then he was thankful. He didn’t have to say it. She knew; just looking at his face she knew.

  She sighed, feeling the air for the first time in years. “Now, what?”

  He glanced out the window then back to her. “Now, you go your way and I go mine.” Pointing to where he had just glanced, he smiled.

  Fallowing his finger she saw Tristan with an arm full of purple Calla Lilies, heading towards her apartment. Her heart swelled at the sight.

  “Come to think of it,” John started, bringing her back to their conversation. “You’ve never looked at me like that.”

  No. He was right she hadn’t. Because out of all the first they had shared, Tristan was the first to have her heart completely.

  Racing across the street, Sophia slowed when she saw the gorgeous Scott standing in front of her home. “Hello.” She smiled eyeing the beautiful flowers he had cradled in his muscular arms.

  His heavenly eyes darted behind her and stayed fixed on something.

  She turned to see John watching them as he climbed into his truck. She waved and when he waved back, she twisted back to see Tristan’s handsome face. “I’m all yours now.” She informed him. “What do you plan to do with me?”

  His face went from concerned to delighted. “First I’ll give ye these.” He said handing her the bouquet. “Then, I’ll give ye this.” Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out an envelope.

  “You’re not going to pay me again are you?” She teased, taking the large envelope.

  “Just open it.”

  Balancing the flowers against her arm and chest she opened it carefully. Inside were two plane tickets to Scotland. Her eyes shot up to his. “What…”

  “Now that ye’re mine, I figured I should hold up to my promise to take ye to see yer grandfather.” He stated nonchalantly.

  “Oh! Oh!” She squealed as she threw her arms around him nearly dropping the Lilies.

  “And maybe have ye meet my family.” He added softly.

  Leaning far enough back to look at him she studied his face. “You want me to meet your family?”

  “Well, I kind of told my mother that when I found the girl who would own my heart, I would bring her to meet the family. And if I don’t I know she’ll hunt us down.” Although he said the words lightheartedly she saw the truth in his eyes.

  Kissing him with her entire heart she held onto the one man she knew that held all her lasts.

  Alethea

  Alethea Eneas played with the corner of her jacket with utter embarrassment coloring her cheeks. This couldn’t be happening to her. How in the world did she even agree to this? Maybe it was because part of her didn’t really think this would happen to her.

  When Leya Davis, her best-friend, presented the idea a month ago Alethea just laughed it off. But when the date to brother’s engagement party grew nearer and her sister’s continuous calls about the men she could set her baby sister up with, Alethea panicked. This landed her here at a charity bachelor auction, staring at the program filled with dangerously sexy men.

  She was completely out of her element. For Leya this was just another day among the rich and powerful. “So, are you biding on eighteen? I think you should.” She wiggled her eyebrows as she took a pull from her expensive wine glass.

  Glancing over the image of Number Eighteen, an attractive firefighter who worked with the humane shelter, Alethea felt her palms grow moist. “I don’t know.” She mumbled meekly.

  “Oh, come on. This is the kind of man you take home to mother.” Leya waved the program in front of her with a teasing smile.

  She let out a soft groan as she thought of her family. To make a long story short she was Greek and to anyone who watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding should understand completely. She was pushing twenty-five and she wasn’t even close to finding Mr. Right, which was absolutely unacceptable. If she walked into that engagement party without a man, her family would crucify her.

  Normally, she would let her sister, Mytrice set her up. Though over time it had proven to be a huge mistake. Mytrice was a model that had every-attractive-man with a pulse panning over her, and for some unknown reason she felt the need to set up her frumpy sister with what she considered rejects. And there was no way she was going to sit though another party with some guy who only wants to talk about Mytrice and how good she looks.

  Sighing modestly, she fell back into her chair. With Mytrice it was entirely different story when it came to the family and getting married. Her face had graced the cover of her mother’s favorite fashion magazine, which caused their mother to become the most envied woman in their little town and everyone just assumed that one day Mytrice would marry some rich guy who would be perfect.

  Every other word out of Gina Eneas’s mouth was how proud she was of her eldest daughter. Oh, she was proud of Alethea as well, only her degree in anthropology wasn’t as exciting as being an international super model. As her mother so eloquently put it, she was the one with the brains not the beauty.

  She wasn’t jealous of her sister; in fact she was very proud of her. It was just a little daunting to stand next to something so perfect. Especially when so-called boyfriends only dated her to get a little closer to that perfection. This made the whole bring-a-serious-boyfriend-home a constant paranoia that she wasn’t so sure she would ever grow out of.

  That made this crazy idea of buying a date so convincing at first. The thought of no attachments, no care if he ended up in her sister’s bed, and to have her parents and family off of her back for the night, seemed like a good idea. But as she looked over the programs she really didn’t t
hink this was going to work out.

  “Oh! There he is!” Leya set her glass down, twisted in her chair for a better view, and then clapped with delight. “Get ready to bid. He’s cuter in person.”

  Swallowing the lump that had formed in the back of her throat, Alethea thought quickly over the best excuses to get her out of there as quick as possible.

  “If the bid goes higher then what you can afford I’ll cover you.” Her friend said over her shoulder as she kept her eyes on Number Eighteen.

  If she was going to chicken out she should do it now. Although, nothing came to mind. It was as if all of the excuses she had originally come up with had suddenly sounded stupid.

  “Thea! Bid!” Her friend growled. “That porcelain fake over there is beating you at the quick.”

  “I think we should go.” Alethea breathed. “This was a dumb idea. My parents would see right through this.”

  “Thea, stop it. No one will know. They’ll ask him a few questions then move on to the next big rumor of the evening.” Leya snapped. Out of all her friends Leya was the only one who got it. She was raised in a Greek family. Although they were not related by blood, they had been raised together because they were Greek and in a Greek community family’s band together. “Will you just bid? Or do you need me to do it?”

  Before Alethea had the chance to tell her friend no, the auctioneer called over the crowed. “Sold!”

  Letting out an exasperated breath, Leya threw her hands into the air. “Perfect, Porcelain Phony won.”

  The fact that she had chickened out at last minute and lost her bid on Bachelor Number Eighteen was relatively funny. It worked without much effort and her friend was steaming mad about it. Holding back a grin, she slowly gathered her things.

  “Now, what?” Her friend asked totally oblivious to Alethea’s plans of making a run for it.

  Unfortunately, her traitorous eyes wondered to the one program that had caught her attention from the moment she sat down. Bachelor Nineteen. An unbelievably sexy CEO of Eagleridge Security, whose dark-chocolate eyes had her weak even from the colored copy.

  Everyone knew about Eagleridge Security. It was the largest security company in the tri-state area. Mostly known for the bodyguard’s they hired out for Hollywood and Las Vegas parties, Eagleridge Security was a multibillion dollar organization. According to her sister everyone who was anyone hired a guard from them. This explained why she thought she needed a bodyguard although there was no threat to her.

  Apparently, having a big mean looking guy following you around made you someone.

  Shaking her head out of the outrageous thought, she gave his picture a closer look. She had wanted the man from the moment she saw his profile on the auction program, though she would have never made a bid on him. She would do the man a favor and let a more attractive woman bid.

  She just didn’t imagine that more attractive woman to be Leya. And she definitely didn’t suspect her to scream out the most ridiculous bid of the entire night, sixty thousand dollars.

  Snapping her head up at her friend’s sudden outburst, Alethea’s eyes connected with the beautiful, shocked ones on stage. Those eyes shifted between her and Leya as if he wasn’t sure who had called out the high number. He was probably hoping for the stunning redhead that sat next to the tactless brunette, who suddenly wanted to dive under the table.

  After a stunned silence, the auctioneer slowly raised the gavel and attentively called “Sold.”

  “Thank-God!” Leya announced bluntly. “Now, I can get the hell out of here.” Standing up without any further hesitation, she began to walk to the waiting room where she would meet her “date”.

  Alethea sat there a little staggered, was well as little jealous of her friend’s vibrant actions, and completely upset with herself for being so incredibly timid. If she even had an ounce of her friend’s vivaciousness…well, she would have a man and not be at a stupid bachelor auction.

  “Thea, come on!” Leya beckoned over the entire room causing everyone, including the bachelor to turn towards Alethea with dropped jaws. Though they were auctioning off men, this was a higher class of women and they did not appreciate Leya’s behavior, even though she lived among them. Hell, she was probably wealthier than most the women there.

  Not wanting any more attention drawn to her, Alethea jumped up and practically ran after her friend. At first she honestly thought her friend had “won” him for her own attentions, until she pulled Thea back to where they were going to meet the unreasonably-gorgeous businessman, and told her of her devious plans of giving him to her.

  “You would have never done it yourself.” Leya stated knowing all too well that it was the truth. “I’ve been watching you gush over his picture all night. And when you didn’t bid on eighteen…” She shrugged allowing Alethea to fill in the rest. This wasn’t too hard. Her—too wealthy for her own good—friend had decided on Bachelor Nineteen to be Alethea’s date.

  Here she was waiting for her “date” that her friend had “won” for her, feeling completely sick to her stomach and wanting to run for her life out the door. Unfortunately, she knew Leya would drag the poor guy to her door demanding them to go out on a date. Oh, God, help her.

  Jace Kamber winced at the woman who shouted the unrealistic number. She was exactly what he feared he would end up with. She was the reason he fought his partner and best friend Tyler Williams—the one and the same who started this ridiculous tradition—tooth and nail to come. Though now Ty was getting married and most of the men from their security team were either married or found a good reason to worm out of this nightmare, left him to be auctioned off like a piece of meat.

  Although the auction was for a good cause, to help raise money for children with cancer, he really didn’t want to be here. In fact he should have just donated from his own pocket and called it good.

  As irritating as Ty’s argument was, he was right. The auction definitely raised a lot of money for organizations like this one. Which left him to suffer through this, because Ty knew of his soft spot for kids, and there was no way Jace would let a kid down, especially a sick one.

  “Thank-you so much, Mr. Kamber.” The young, cheerful woman who ran the charity benefit, smiled pleasingly. “Every man you have ever sent us from Eagleridge Security has made high bids. Although I must say, none has gone as high as you.” She giggled.

  Not really knowing what to say to the flirtatious blond. He smiled back with a small nod. He had never been a ladies’ man. In fact the only woman he had ever crushed on was in his first year of high school and he never got the chance to ask her out.

  Since his mother had thrown him in Military school—after a pathetic fight that a kid next door had started—he never really had a shot with the opposite sex. He spent the rest of this high school years in an all boy Military school, graduating at the head of his class. From there he joined the Marines, which he spent six years before being honorably discharged for an injury, that wasn’t severe but enough to end his services.

  That’s when he met Tyler, who had been discharged for the same reason, though his injury was far more severe. Third degree burns cover most of Ty’s torso and legs after a burning beam fell on him as he tried to save a fellow officer. The officer he saved was treated for little to no injuries, and had been exclusively grateful and unreservedly wealthy, giving Ty a huge retirement settlement.

  After a few conversations with Jace he found a new calling which was to start a security team that only had the best, which were mostly other men who had been discharged for honorable reasons; like injury.

  Now, Tyler just walked around with a stupid grin on his face that his woman had plastered there ever since she had said yes to marry him. Jace was pretty sure Ty didn’t even notice his scares anymore, nor did he think of the life he had before Vivian came walking threw his door.

  Jace was happy for his friend, he deserved it. But he wasn’t about to fallow him down the aisle. Not if he could help it. Women just didn’t make sens
e to him. He could blame his mother for taking him out of the norm and throwing him into an all boys’ Military school in nowhere Maine. Though if he was truthful with himself he would admit the school wasn’t his problem.

  Don’t get him wrong, he liked women. Loved all the sallow curves, soft skin, sensual smells, and he is always willing to go exploring each and every inch of a willing female. He just didn’t know how to relate to them. One night stands throughout his Marine years did just fine by him. Even now, his hours took up a lot of time leaving no time for serious relationships.

  This by the looks of the woman who “won” him that might be all she wanted as well. He could keep that thought open, if she kept that mouth shut. He preferred his women witty, not superior. The way she called after her friend, was tasteless.

  Straitening his shoulders he head in the direction the woman had indicated. He might as well get this over with. He entered the dimly lighted room, with a weary outlook. Hopefully it would go smoothly. Doubtful; but maybe.

  All the couples were pared off talking quietly in different corners of the room. Some women giggled playfully, while others tried the coy approach. But not one of them caught his attention like the one in the back, who looked as uncomfortable as he felt, arguing quietly with the woman who had “won” him.

  Ironic, fate, luck, anyone of those words could’ve described that moment. He had to stop and really get a good look at her before he could go any further. He just couldn’t believe it; Alethea Eneas his first and only crush was standing only a few feet away.

  A soft chuckle eased out of him while he took her in. Thea was the only woman he was ever able to relate to. He always loved her cunning wit and brilliant charm. The same skip to his heartbeat that he had when he was a teenage boy, had him standing there staring just like he used to in high school. She looked exactly the same.

  He never quiet understood what the other guys in his class saw in her sister. Thea was just as, if not more beautiful than her sister. He had heard that Mytrice had become a model, which hadn’t surprised him in the least. She had always been the kind to demand attention. But what he found interesting was that Thea could easily give her sister a run for her money and yet she turned mostly to school. Maybe that’s what he found so attractive about her.