by Drea Stein
“Smile, Caitlyn. Jeffrey always did photograph well.”
Caitlyn smiled in time for the next flash of light and guided Mrs. Biddle into the crowd.
“Will there be people you know?” Caitlyn asked.
“Of course. You won’t have to babysit me all night,” Mrs. Biddle said as they moved through the double glass doors into the restaurant proper.
“That wasn’t what I meant, Mrs. Biddle.”
“I think you should call me Adriana now. Mrs. Biddle sounds so formal.” It was on the tip of her tongue to say that was how Caitlyn preferred it, but she didn’t. Adriana was a client, after all, no matter how complicated their history.
“Fine, Adriana, may I get you something to drink?”
“Yes, let’s have champagne.” A waitress, hearing this, swished by, and champagne flutes were delivered to them.
“And now let’s see if we can find Tony,” Adriana said and moved nimbly through the crowd. Caitlyn smiled. The woman was in her element, surrounded by people, certain and confident, and any thought Caitlyn had had of her as old vanished. Gamely, Caitlyn followed, checking off faces she recognized. There were some actors here, not quite stars, but perhaps soon to be. A few people looked like they might be musicians, and there were quite a few others who looked like they belonged on the business side, as managers, promoters or executives.
Caitlyn was aware of more than a few men’s eyes following her through the crowd, and in spite of herself, she felt a warm flush, the automatic response to admiration. It had been a good thing, if only for her ego, to come here and to remember that she could still engage in the game of attraction without becoming too involved. She must remember to thank Heather again, tomorrow.
“There you are,” Adriana said and pulled Caitlyn closer.
“Caitlyn Montgomery, this is my nephew, Tony Biddle.”
“Hello.” It was necessary to shout in order to be heard above the noise of the conversation and the pulsing world beat music.
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Caitlyn said. “I’ve been to Daisies in London, and I loved it.”
“Thank you.” Tony Biddle was, as she remembered from their one brief encounter, a tall man, almost gauntly thin, tending towards baldness, for which he compensated by keeping his head closely shaved. He wore a slate gray turtleneck sweater and black wool trousers, topped off by a leather jacket and shiny, square-toed shoes. He had very white teeth, a tremendous smile, and his manner was warm and friendly, especially towards Adriana, whom he called Addie.
“And what are you doing here with my aunt?” he asked.
“I work for her at Queensbay Capital.”
“Ah, the money people.”
“That’s right.”
“Well, Addie was kind enough to help me with my restaurants.”
“Over your uncle’s objections, I might add,” Adriana said.
“Well, I’m sure he was right. Most restaurants fail.” Tony laughed, now able to enjoy the joke.
Lights swirled around them, and people started to dance. Waitresses passed around food and drinks; instead of being dressed in the traditional black and white, they were all stunning young women in red dresses that showed off various levels of décolletage. The whole place had the feeling of being inside a genie’s bottle, the high ceilings draped in fabric, the swirl of deep, rich colors.
“But you’ve managed to beat that record quite nicely,” Caitlyn said. “Quite an impressive feat.”
“Well, I need new investors for the next one. This time I want to go to Tokyo.”
“Have you thought about diversifying your portfolio, expanding your investment base, your access to capital?”
“Not really, but I bet you can help with that,” Tony said, following it with a wink to let Caitlyn know that she hadn’t gone too far.
“Of course I can. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, and we can talk further.”
Tony looked over at his aunt, whose eyes were already roving the crowd to see who else she knew. He laughed.
“She’s always matchmaking somehow. Sure, give me a call tomorrow, and we’ll talk. I’m familiar with your work, as they say. I have friends in London.”
Caitlyn smiled, hoping that they weren’t good friends, and took an appetizer. It was duck in puff pastry and absolutely amazing.
“Wonderful,” she told him, and he smiled.
“There’s Carlos Mitchell. I really must speak to him. Come along.” Adriana pulled Caitlyn’s hand, and they moved off through the crowd to an older man, whose jet black hair was accented by silver streaks at the temples, with a face set off by a craggy nose and wide lips.
He smiled when he saw Adriana, and introductions were made. Caitlyn soon lost interest as the two spoke about people she did not know. All the same, she was excited. She had managed to get a meeting with Tony Biddle. He was established, almost a celebrity and certainly knew a few. If she could sign him as a client, then he could well be a stepping-stone, an entrée into world of the young and rapidly rich. Tonight could be very valuable indeed. There were others here, the managers and the producers who needed her services and had access to the clients with the money.
Caitlyn glanced back at Adriana, who was still engrossed with Carlos. They had been joined by a small crowd, and not all of them old. Knowing she would not be missed, Caitlyn began making the rounds. She felt a surge of exhilaration. The hunt was on.
She was doing well, having latched on to someone she knew slightly, a London theater producer who just happened to be in New York at the moment. She managed to exchange cards with quite a few people before she turned around, startled.
“What are you doing here?” Noah said, his face hard to read in the muted lighting of the club.
“I could ask the same of you,” she said to him.
“Well, I was invited.” His eyes roamed over her, taking in her dress, lingering where it dipped low over her chest, and then traveled slowly up to her eyes.
“And so was I.” So there, she thought, but did not say it.
“You look amazing,” he whispered, leaning in, his lips brushing past hers so quickly that it could have been inadvertent, but as they pulled apart, she could still feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek, feel the wave of longing that washed over her. He wore a blue shirt, open necked, and a cashmere blazer. His hair was combed back, and he looked, compared to almost everyone else, very tan and golden in the sweeping lights.
“Don’t do that,” she said automatically.
“And why not? We’re colleagues, aren’t we? It was just a friendly gesture. Or can’t we even be polite to one another? What do you say? Why don’t we let bygones be bygones?” His voice was light, even, and he was smiling at her, but there was something else in his eyes.
“I came here with a client,” she said, feeling her face burning from where his lips had been. She had promised herself that, no matter what Noah Randall did, she would keep her distance. There would be no more throwing wine at him.
“Adriana?” he guessed.
“How did you know?”
“I was her back-up date if she couldn’t get you,” he said, smiling. His hand still held hers, and she pulled it away, aware that they were in a room full of people.
“How strange,” Caitlyn said.
“Really? Am I that bad?”
“That’s not what I meant. I thought I was her back-up. You came on your own?” Caitlyn asked, desperately wanting the answer to be yes, knowing that even if she didn’t want him, she didn’t want anyone else to, either. Childish, she chided herself, but she couldn’t help it.
“Yes. After all, I’m new in town, and you’re the only girl I know on this coast.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
He was looking down at her, tan, handsome, smug, even. Noah had always been cocky, able to walk in a room, look around and soon command the center of attention. But he was no grandstander. People – well, women, Caitlyn admitted to herself – had always gravitated to him
, which was why she’d been like an overeager puppy that summer. Sure, she’d done her best to play it cool, using every trick she’d picked up people-watching in Paris, but inside she’d been a big puddle of grateful happiness that Noah Randall wanted her. Ancient history, she reminded herself, and no reason to fawn over him now.
Before he could answer, Tony Biddle descended upon them with a glass of champagne in his hand. He grabbed Noah in a great hug.
“Everyone loves it. They keep asking me who the fairy godmother on this project is. So many people want to meet you. Come, come.” He gestured impatiently.
Noah looked at Caitlyn with a smile as he said, “Seems like I’m a wanted man,” and followed Tony through the crowd. Caitlyn was puzzled for a moment before she understood that Tony was referring to Noah’s involvement as an investor in the restaurant.
Alone now, she looked around until she spotted a group of women, one of whom she had met earlier. Caitlyn sidled up to them, hoping to join in their conversation.
“That’s Noah Randall.”
“He’s cute.”
“He’s that software entrepreneur. Heard he just sold his company and made a bundle,” another one said.
Caitlyn moved in ever so slightly, receiving tepid nods as she went into information-gathering mode.
“I thought he was from California. He was dating the director’s daughter, Lakota Reynolds, but they broke up.”
“Oh no, they broke up ages ago. You’re thinking of the brunette who was just in that movie that made everyone cry. He went to the premiere with her. Pictures, so cute!”
They mentioned the name of the movie, and Caitlyn remembered hearing about it. Unfortunately, the actress’s assets had gotten more attention than the actual movie.
“I hear he’s moving back to the East Coast.” That was news to Caitlyn. She thought he was here only temporarily while he sorted things out with the firm.
A tall, blonde woman looked at him speculatively.
“I heard he was here for a funeral,” another one said.
They all agreed he looked a little sad.
“I think I might go and comfort him.” The blonde pursed her lips, considering, and then plunged in.
Caitlyn almost said no and then stopped herself. Noah could speak to whomever he wished, and if this woman was his type – tall, tanned, blonde and with abs that could crush beer cans – then far be it from her to stop it. Caitlyn broke away from the group, watching as Blondie made her move on Noah, disengaged him from whomever he was speaking with and worked him out onto the dance floor. Caitlyn took another glass of champagne and watched as the vigorous dancer moved all over Noah.
He caught her eye once and looked almost as if he were pleading for rescue, but she shrugged. He was a grown man, a CEO, and if he could handle investors, employees and customers, he could surely handle one overbearing woman.
Caitlyn didn’t let herself be a wallflower, either. A nice banker, Kevin, who was still in his pinstripes, asked her to dance, and she said yes. After that, there were others, and the time passed until she checked her watch, saw it was nearly midnight and, realizing her feet were killing her, knew it was time to find Adriana.
She found her at a table, sitting with a group of people. “There you are, Caitlyn. You looked like you were having a lovely time out there.”
Caitlyn smiled. A few of her dance partners had insisted on getting her business card, but she sincerely hoped none of them would call. Her eyes strayed to Noah. He wasn’t dancing anymore, but the blonde was still draped over his arm. They stood at the bar, having a drink while Noah talked, the blonde’s gaze fixed on him adoringly.
As if he felt her eyes on him, he turned, looked in her direction and held her stare. He did nothing, made no gesture, just looked at her with such intensity, his jaw set, his face dark, that she felt him burning into her. It was an invitation. Caitlyn knew – she knew that if she just walked over there, the blonde would be history and that Noah would take her, be hers. The full realization of how much she wanted that to happen swamped her, and it took all of her willpower to gather Adriana up and hurry her out the door, forcing herself not to look over her shoulder, lest her resolve break.
Boss, Caitlyn told herself. Rich playboy, she said. She’d already made that mistake in London, and she wasn’t going to make it again. Not to mention that he was the boy who had dumped her ten years ago because she wasn’t ready. He was all of those things, and still, she wanted to throw her caution, her resolve to the wind, and go and find him.
“You seem to be in quite the hurry to go,” Adrianna remarked, her voice placid as Henry brought the car around for them. They were near the entrance with the fresh air pouring in and over her, and Caitlyn felt her body settle down, the hot flame of longing dying off.
She could do this. She just needed to stay out of Noah Randall’s orbit. He had to go back to California soon, to his real life. Queensbay, the firm, it had to be nothing more than a distraction for him, a distraction from his desire to build and grow things.
Caitlyn looked over. Adriana was staring at her, a shrewd and knowing look on her face. Caitlyn wasn’t certain how much of her and Noah’s history the old woman knew about. Certainly the fact they’d been a couple that summer hadn’t been a secret.
“You knew he’d be here,” Caitlyn said, her voice hoarse.
Adriana shrugged. “Perhaps.”
“What are you trying to do?” Caitlyn whispered, hearing the pain, the heartbreak in her own voice. Because that’s what it was. Noah had broken her heart when he’d left, when they’d had their last fight, and she hadn’t forgotten that pain.
“Maybe I still believe in second chances,” Adriana said simply and let herself be helped into the car by Henry. Caitlyn waited a moment and then followed.
Chapter 24
Caitlyn woke the next morning as dawn crested. She lay in her old bedroom, which faced the water, and watched from an angle as the sun rose, pushing light up over the ridge of hills that ringed the harbor. The light appeared from behind the spindly branches of the bare trees, turning them into black lines etched against the very pale sky. Cold air seeped in from the window she’d left cracked open, and she took a deep breath, savoring the fragrance of sand and salt water, mixed in with mud, the smell weakened by the strong fall wind.
In the summer, the whole scent would be stronger, and there would be more to it, perhaps a whiff of gasoline, the smell of barbeque. Instead, this morning she could smell fire, someone burning leaves.
She moved slowly as if testing herself. She did not have a headache, which was a good sign. She hadn’t drunk that much last night and was glad of it, since she’d been avoiding her runs along the beach, a normal but silly reaction to finding Maxwell dead upon it. But she shouldn’t keep putting it off any longer. She needed to reclaim her beach, from both the dead and the living. Caitlyn pulled on her warm running pants, a turtleneck and a fleece vest.
Setting off from the drive, she took her traditional path, finding her stride a little rough after her time off. She didn’t really like the exercise bit, but it was something she had to do, she reminded herself. It got a little better after the first mile, and she started to zone out, focusing only on her breathing and putting one foot in front of the other.
She had to pass Sailor’s Rock, but it wasn’t until she rounded the bend for the final stretch that she saw him standing there against the sky, hair blowing. She guessed he had made it home last night after all. She looked away quickly, eyes straight ahead of her as she ran towards home. She had as much right to be on the beach as anyone else.
“Caitlyn,” he called, the name stretching out with the wind. She debated whether or not to keep going, but he called her name again. She stopped and slowly walked over to him, wishing she were strong enough to keep running, but knowing only that she wanted to go to him. Avoiding him wasn’t working when he seemed to be everywhere. She would need to find a better way to keep her distance from him.
Chapter 25
Noah had a feeling she’d be here; in fact, he was waiting for her. He hadn’t been quick enough to see her leave, had wondered if she’d left with the guy in the suit, the banker who’d been all over her all night.
She was breathing heavily, beads of sweat across her forehead.
“So, you got home all right?” she asked casually.
“Alone, but no thanks to you,” he smiled faintly. He hadn’t expected it to be so hard to watch Caitlyn dancing with a parade of bankers, their grabbing hands on Caitlyn’s bare skin. He had watched one of them escort her off the dance floor with his hand on the small of her back, skin touching skin. But he couldn’t very well make a scene every time Caitlyn danced with someone, so he had paid attention to the blonde, whose name was Jennifer. She had given her number to him, but he threw it away as soon as he left. He’d had enough of women like that. He drove home with the windows open to clear his head.
“You?” he asked, equally as casual.
“Yes, the car took us home to Adriana’s, and then I drove back from her place.”
“Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“Relatively,” she said, though something flashed across her face. “Did you?”
“It was business. A little different than an all-night coding session with a bunch of college-aged kids, but not bad.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.
“About the club?”
She nodded. “And everything. Everyone was all abuzz about you. Software entrepreneur, moving back to the East Coast, investing in things left and right. It sounds like you’ve been quite the busy boy.”
“I’ve been trying to keep busy,” he said. “Tony’s a nice guy. I thought since I planned on spending more time here, it would be nice to have a place to go, you know, someplace where everyone knows my name.”
“So you decided to open a club? Surely there are better and cheaper ways to find friends. Not that you seem to have much trouble with that.”