by Zante, Lily
The rest of the day turned out to be full-on hectic.
Ordinarily, it would have been a crazy day even if she hadn’t been away for the wedding. But now, given that she’d been out of the office for almost a week, and was suffering from jet-lag, it was hard going. This, on top of the Pembroke deal, meant she couldn’t afford to set a foot wrong.
“How did it go?” Her friend, Erin, swooped out of thin air and stood facing her. Kay looked up. “Well,” she replied. “Considering how this morning started.”
“I hate to tell you but you look like death.”
“Thanks for the lifting my spirits. I’m still jetlagged.”
“Lunch later?” Erin asked, pointing her pencil at her. Lunch today wasn’t going to work. Lunch anytime this week wasn’t going to work. She had documents and presentations to review, and subsequent corrections and recommendations to make. All of a sudden a vision of her lying on the velvety sand on Kawaya flashed through her mind.
It was hell being back here. Hell, hell, hell. The cold, dull misery of New York in October fared badly against the sultry heat, sun and sand, and cocktails.
Talking of cocktails, she remembered the smokin’ hot bartender.
Seeing him again would bring a smile back to her face.
“I want to hear all about the wedding,” Erin hissed. “Let's go for a drink later.”
Kay considered the offer. She wanted to go out but these next few days were crucial and she was mindful of Geoffrey’s offer to handle meetings with the client for the next few days while she recovered from her vacation mode.
It was already tough trying to prove she was as capable as any man of doing this job. Working in a male-dominated environment, she had learned to handle the attention, and the dismissive comments, had learned to develop a thick skin and to take these things in her stride. More importantly, she’d learned to hide it when things hurt her.
With the passing of time, her skin was getting thicker, anyway, and she was able to withstand a lot more of the pressure, and the sometimes chauvinistic attitudes of her fellow colleagues. Not many things upset her anymore, and she had learned to give as good as she got. Over time, she had learned to deal with men who assumed that she was useless at her job, men who often joked that she had only been given the job because of the length of her skirt’s hemline.
In that way, she surprised men. It was easy enough to see the shock on their faces. She was good at what she did, and soon kicked to the curb any hesitation others might have had about her ability to do the job, and survive in the tough world of investment banking.
It wasn’t work she sucked at. Only matters of the heart.
“Today’s out of the question,” she said. “It’s going to be a late night.” She knew already that she would be having dinner at her desk, and then going over material with analysts and senior bankers. Sometimes these things could go on for hours. She wasn’t going to get home before midnight most nights this week. “But Friday might be good. Plus, I need to catch up on my sleep.”
“And I need to hear about that wedding.”
“I promise to tell you as much as I can,” said Kay, staring at her screen and trying to force her mind to focus. Post-vacation blues were a nightmare and the idea that Savannah was having the best time ever on that island—just her and Tobias, and no Jacob—made her more wistful.
“Can’t you even show me a few photos from the wedding?”
“We weren’t allowed to take any. Sorry.”
“Friday, then,” said Erin, and spun around on her heels and left.
By the time Friday came around, she was back to her normal self, and the jetlag had worn off. Her productivity levels were high again, and she had caught up on everything. She and Erin were able to leave work early.
They jumped into a cab and headed for the bar where Luke worked, though Kay kept quiet about him. She prayed he would be working at the bar tonight because seeing him would make the end of the working week that much sweeter.
“This better be good,” Erin said. “What’s this place called again?”
“The Oasis.”
“I’ve heard of it,” said Erin, and looked as if she was scrambling for details. “Does it have a club in the basement?”
“That’s the one.”
A short while later, they were sitting upstairs in the rooftop terrace of the bar. “This is cool,” said Erin, glancing around the room. Kay agreed. It was. She’d been here once or twice before, with Savannah, but hadn’t paid as much attention to the place back when she hadn’t even met Luke. She looked around the room, hoping for a glimpse of Luke.
“Why do you keep looking around?” Erin asked. Her friend knew her well, so there was no point lying about it. “Wait,” she said, grabbing her wrist and not giving her a chance to reply, “Did you arrange to meet someone here? Am I…am I your gooseberry?”
“No!” Kay replied, then shook her head for emphasis. “It’s not a date exactly, it’s just that one of the bartenders from the wedding works here.”
“That’s why we’re here?” Erin’s brows pushed together. “I knew it. Which one?” she craned her neck around the bar, scanning the clientele.
“It doesn’t look like he’s here,” Kay replied, feeling the heavy weight of disappointment. Seeing Luke had been her reward at the end of a tiring week.
“You had a holiday romance and you’ve said nothing to me until now?”
Kay turned around to set the record straight. “It wasn’t a holiday romance, and there’s nothing to tell—except for the wedding details which I’ll get onto when we’ve ordered our drinks.” She glanced over at the bar again, hoping that a miracle might have transported Luke to it.
“Why don’t you ask one of the servers if he’s working tonight?” Erin suggested, examining the drinks menu.
But she couldn’t do that. It would smack of desperation. And what if Luke had a girlfriend now? Who was to say he’d been telling the truth on the island? She certainly hadn’t been, even though she considered her secretary lie to be tiny in comparison.
When a server came over they ordered cocktails. Kay reined in the temptation to ask when Luke might next be in. Even if she wasn’t fully able to strictly follow Savannah’s ‘man-free edict’, she had to at least give it a try.
While they waited for their drinks, Kay told Erin as much as she could remember about the wedding. “You can’t tell anyone. I’m sure people don’t care, and it’s no big deal, but Tobias is a nice guy, and believe it or not, I feel like I’m doing the dirty telling you.”
“I won’t tell a soul,” replied Erin, with a degree of solemnity that looked fake. The server set down their cocktails and disappeared as discreetly as he’d appeared, leaving Kay to spill everything. She told Erin about the four day wedding extravaganza, and answered the many questions she had.
“Wow,” was her friend’s response at the end. “You lucky thing. You should have stayed out there for another week at least.”
“The newlyweds are using the island for their honeymoon.”
“I bet they christened every part of it.”
“It’s huge,” Kay replied, recalling her days there. “It would be a heck of a lot of christening to do.”
“She’s a lucky woman, your cousin.”
“I know.”
“But still, it sounds awesome. I don’t know how you managed to return to work and get on with things. I know you like to prove you’re as good as the guys, but after what you’ve described. I’m amazed.”
“The Pembroke deal is huge, and I’m lucky that he let me have a few days off at least. Plus, I don’t want Geoffrey thinking I can’t handle it. I have to prove myself every goddamn day.”
“I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes,” said Erin, chewing her lip as if the problem were hers. “How come you’re in charge of the Pembroke deal? It’s huge.” Then, as if she’d realized her mistake she quickly added, “I mean, it’s about time, too. He’s passed you over too many times.”
<
br /> Kay nodded in agreement. “Maybe he wants to give Geoffrey something big, but he knows I’ll kick up a fuss if he bypasses me again. I can’t mess this up.” Geoffrey was a brown-noser, and Remington, for all his authoritarian sensibilities, seemed to like that.
“You won’t,” Erin said, reassuring her. “But this is going to eat into your life, as if the bank doesn’t already own your soul.”
“Tell me about it,” Kay replied, sipping her cocktail and draining the glass. There was still no sign of Luke, and she was beginning to wonder if this was a waste of her time, being here, being hopeful.
“What’s his brother like?”
“Whose brother?” she asked, looking around the room once more. And there he was. Those tattooed arms were hard to miss, and he was dressed in his usual, black pants and a black t-shirt. She only caught his side profile, because he was talking to somebody—an older woman. The two of them walked over to a table in the far corner, behind Erin, and sat down.
“His brother?” Erin asked. “What was he like?”
“Whose brother?” She forced herself to look at Erin and not let her gaze wander over her shoulder. Luke was in her line of vision. Easy to see, and easy for her to become distracted.
“You’re not even listening to me,” Erin wailed. “Tobias Stone’s brother.”
“Oh, him. He’s nothing like Tobias Stone, that’s for sure.” Her gaze started to wander again, and if she wasn’t careful, Erin would figure out that the object of her fantasies was sitting only a few tables away. She liked the advantage of looking at him, without him seeing her, and decided to keep the news to herself. The last thing she wanted was Erin to have an orgasmic shriek if she pointed him out to her.
“And?”
She forced herself to shift her gaze from Luke and the woman, and back to Erin. “And…there’s nothing more to say. He’s not as nice as Tobias. In my opinion, he’s nothing but a womanizing douchebag.”
“Did you meet him?”
There was no way she was going to own up to making out with him. “It was an island, Erin. I couldn’t avoid running into him.”
She glanced at Luke again, and couldn’t help wondering about the woman he was with. Was she a friend, or a work colleague? And why was Luke sitting down at the table with her, with folders and a pen? Why wasn’t he behind the bar? He was also dressed differently to the others; not for him the standard white shirts and bowties.
Maybe he was the head bartender, if there was such a thing.
She vaguely recalled Erin saying something to her. “Really?” she replied, turning her full attention back to her friend.
Erin set down her cocktail glass. “Who are you eyeballing?” she asked, before turning around to look. She turned back to her. “Who?”
“Nobody. Sorry. I’m really worn out, it’s been a hard week. I’m just glad to be here, and not at work. I feel as if I spend more time there than at my own apartment.” Then, “What’s going on with you?” she asked, giving Erin her total attention. She listened on as her friend told her about the latest gossip in her department. Ordinarily, office gossip would have taken up her attention, but it was difficult to remain interested given the gorgeous hunk sitting several tables in front of her. Every so often, she would glance over at Luke, trying to decode his body language to see how friendly he was with the woman who sat beside him.
“Is that the time?” Erin gasped, looking surprised.
“Why? Are you rushing off?” Kay asked, incredulous. She had planned to spend the evening here. The last thing she needed was to be abandoned by her friend in a busy bar on a Friday night. How desperate would that look, especially since she would no longer have Erin’s as a shield to hide behind?
“I’m supposed to be catching a movie with my roommate.” Erin downed the rest of her cocktail in one and put her coat on.
“Ugh,” wailed Kay. “I was hoping we could catch up.”
“Not that you’re in the talking mood much,” her friend replied.
“Can’t you stay for one more drink?” With Erin gone, Luke would see her, and he would know how pathetic she was to have come here alone.
“Sorry. I was supposed to be at the theatre by 8. Shit, I’m late.” She grabbed her handbag. “Have a good weekend. See you on Monday.”
Feeling exceptionally exposed without the cover of her friend, Kay ordered a mocktail mojito, convincing herself that the absence of alcohol would help her stay resilient, should Luke come over and say hello. He looked to be deep in conversation with the woman, and given the evidence of the folder and pen, her hopes rose.
Maybe the woman was his boss? It didn’t look as if she was his anything, other than work-related. For starters, the woman wasn’t remotely fashionable, not with that plain-looking blouse, and dark hair that hung like limp lettuce from her head. And she appeared to be older than him.
The server delivered her virgin cocktail, and she sipped it slowly, becoming increasing conscious that she was alone, and the bar was getting noisier and busier with time. She sat back stretching her legs out under the table, her back sinking into the soft leather of the sofas, and tried to divert her attention away from Luke, and instead looked around the bar.
It was different here; understated gorgeousness, and a breath of fresh air from the usual contemporary looking bars that she was accustomed to. No slick mirrors or polished glass surface, and no shiny tiles. This place provided an exotic experience, with its snug sofas and lampshades. With the cushions and the heaters, it didn’t feel as if it was Fall.
Then, she saw Luke’s companion getting up. She got her things together and headed for the exit. Luke slowly got to his feet, and checked his cell phone while still standing at the table. Kay watched him, hoping he would sense that he was being watched and look up at her. Instead he glanced at his wristwatch then shoved his hand back into his trouser pocket and continued looking at his phone.
She sat up straight, lifting her body so that she was taller in her seat, but even though she was only a few tables away, he still didn’t see her.
How could he miss a woman sitting alone at a table in a place full of people? Was she that invisible to most men?
Maybe that was her problem.
Maybe it was only the jerks and assholes that she attracted.
Instead, he made his way to the bar where he spoke to some of the guys there. Staring at his back, admiring, half-lusting over the span of his shoulders and his upper body, she swallowed. Here, in a normal setting, away from the island, from the sun and the sea, and the sand, he seemed twenty times more attractive to her.
Her heart sank when he then put on his jacket.
He was leaving?
She couldn’t let him leave, not without him knowing she was here. As he headed towards the exit, she got up and rushed over to him, meeting him as he walked through the door. She tapped him on the shoulder, forcing him to turn around.
“Hey.”
He tilted his head, as if not quite recognizing her at once.
“Luke, isn’t it?” Remember me?
“Savannah’s cousin?” he asked, slowly, angling his head. “Kay, right?
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. He did remember her.
The fact that he said her name, gave her some relief. “Hi,” she said, now feeling slightly self-conscious. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Fancy that.” The corners of his lips quirked upwards.
“I wanted to check out your bar,” she told him. As if she had only come here to admire the architecture and interiors. He wasn’t stupid. “I came here with a friend from work.”
“Great.”
“It’s a cool place, this.”
“You like it?”
“It’s different.”
“How so?”
“Sitting here, I feel like I’m in an exotic place, not in New York.”
“The owner would take that as a compliment.”
“Be sure to pass it on.”
“Will do.”
>
She waited for a sign, for something, anything. Any sign to indicate that he might be interested in her. Her chest swelled with hope.
“I was curious to see where you worked.”
“Yeah, well. This is me. This is the place where I work.”
Now would have been his chance to show interest. He could have at least seemed a little enthusiastic at the fact that she had sought him out. He could have asked her why she was curious to see where he worked. In that way, they could have flirted and gotten things moving.
But she was getting nothing back from him. No signs, no interest, none of that flirtation from the island. She felt stupid.
“How come you dress differently to the other bartenders?” she asked, glad to have something not-quite-ridiculous to say.
“I’m in charge of the other bartenders.”
“I assumed as much. You seemed busy earlier,” she poked the question at him, “I wasn’t sure if you were in a meeting or something, with that lady.”
“You mean Marie?”
“Marie?”
“She’s … my … manager.”
“Your manager,” she replied, sounding happier than was normal for such a reply.
“Yeah. She’s a … she’s a great manager.”
The conversation was stilted, and nothing like she had expected. On the island he had been so much friendlier, so different. It was as if there were two sides to him. “Good to see you again, Kay, but I need to go.”
“Are you going already?” she asked, wondering what time he started his shift.
“It’s been a long day.”
“I was hoping to catch you behind the bar and ask if you could make that nice cocktail again.”
His eyebrows pushed together, and she could tell that her desperate request hadn’t exactly left him enamored. “The cocktail?” He’d forgotten already.
“The one you made for me at the wedding reception. The Slow Comfortable Screw Again—”
“Right,” he said, cutting her short, making her feel even more stupid for taking up his time. “You want that?” He looked completely disenchanted with the idea. She knew then that she had made a huge mistake.