“Ava, isn’t just anyone,” Lizzie responded.
“That’s right! I’m Auntie Ava. And I plan to spoil my little niece from the day she arrives.”
“She?” Mike crinkled his nose
“Yes, she,” I said sternly.
“What makes you so sure it’s a she?” he asked, still looking perturbed by the thought.
“Call it a hunch.”
“No way. I want a boy.”
“Whatever. You’ll love our baby no matter what it is,” Lizzie looked at him annoyed by his dismissal of having a girl.
“True. But I’ll love it even more if it’s a boy.” His playful grin spread across his face.
“Why don’t you want a girl?” I asked curiously.
“Girls scare me. I wouldn’t know what to do with a girl. Plus with a boy, I only have to worry about one dick. With a girl, I’ll have to worry about a lot more.”
That earned him an eye roll from both of us and a slap on the back of the head from Lizzie. Rhett chuckled and from the look on his face, I knew he agreed with Mike. Men. As if they were any easier to deal with.
“Enough baby talk. I want to see the place! Give me the grand tour.”
We had arrived early to Nouveau, Mike’s restaurant, so I had a chance to see the space and visit before the crowd descended on the place. The soft opening was by invitation only. Friends and family were invited along with a few high profile bloggers and food critics to help spread the word of the new restaurant.
Lizzie led the way to show us around the restaurant, while Mike returned to the kitchen to continue with food prep and helping his staff setup for the evening.
The space was long and narrow. As you entered the restaurant, there was a small hostess stand and waiting area. To the left was the main dining area, and straight back led to the kitchen and a small bar that was fully stocked of glass liquor bottles accented by concealed, soft glowing lights behind them.
The walls were adorned with white, subway tile contrasting well with the dark, walnut booths that formed a galley style seating arrangement. The booths had high backs, giving diners a sense of privacy. The tile, wooden booths and layout, along with the globe pendant lighting suspended above from an open structure, set the tone of the food to be served.
The restaurant had a trendy, hip café vibe. It was where fine dining met local diner. The plates served were upscale versions of favorite comfort foods with medium to high range pricing.
We ended our tour in the kitchen where we stood out of the way, watching Mike and his team of chefs work. They diced and sliced efficiently and effortlessly, preparing for tonight’s opening.
Mike was a natural leader in the kitchen. I glanced over at Lizzie as she looked dreamily at her man, watching him work confidently. As if sensing her gaze, he glanced up, winking at her, giving her his cute smile. I looked up at Rhett, who was holding my hand in his, feeling content in this moment with the man I loved and the friends I loved.
Rhett excused himself to make a few calls in Mike’s office off the kitchen, while Lizzie and I headed back towards the front of house. Guests were starting to arrive, and I wanted a drink from the bar.
I sipped my frilly cocktail at the bar as Lizzie sat glaring at my drink. “Maybe they can make you a virgin,” I offered.
She shook her head, “Nah. I’ll be fine with water. I’ll just squeeze a lime in it and pretend it’s a gin and tonic.”
“Suit yourself,” I polished off my drink, ordering another.
The place was filling up fast. Most of the guests I didn’t recognize. A few I had met from social events with Rhett. Lizzie and I remained at the bar chatting, while everyone milled about. Her face contorted to concern when someone caught her eye at the door. I turned to look over my shoulder to search for the subject of her troubled expression, finding Stephen and Amber standing just inside the door, looking around.
I don’t know why I was surprised to see them. He is, after all, Mike’s brother, and they have always been close. Of course he would be here on one of the biggest nights of Mike’s career.
I looked back over at Lizzie who was watching me carefully. “I’m sorry. I forgot to warn you they’d be here.”
I dismissed her apology, “Lizzie, I’m fine.” She tilted her head at me. “Honestly. I’m actually kind of glad they’re here,” I smiled reassuringly.
To show her I was fine, I decided to make the first move. I stood from my stool, heading to greet them. Lizzie waddled slowly behind me. Stephen smiled half-heartedly, his eyes full of unease. Amber flashed her pretty, friendly smile at me as she stepped forward, releasing Stephen’s hand to hug me.
“Ava!”
“Hi, Amber,” I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. “How have you been?”
“Great! It’s so good to see you.”
“You look beautiful and happy.” I smiled genuinely at her.
She glanced back, grinning at Stephen who was still standing like a scared puppy at the door. “I am happy.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I gave her arm a light squeeze.
I was honestly happy for her and for Stephen. I always thought they would be good for each other. Stephen finally stepped cautiously forward after hugging Lizzie hello. “Ava, it’s good to see you.”
“You too, Stephen.” We stared uncomfortably at each other.
“Amber, how about I take you to the bar to get a drink,” Lizzie interrupted our awkward silence.
“Sure, lead the way,” Amber agreed, smiling back at Stephen before they left us. We both watched them walk away before turning back to face each other.
“So-”
“Look-”
We started to talk simultaneously and then stopped. “Go ahead,” he said with a small smile.
“No. You go first.”
He nodded.
“Ava, I’m sorry…… Really, really sorry. For everything. For the night at the hospital. For the kiss and ruining our friendship,” he paused, looking up at the ceiling for a moment before looking back down at me. “I wish I could take it all back. I didn’t mean to hurt you….I thought…I thought I was doing the right thing that night. Sending him away. But now… now I just think I was being a jealous prick.”
I snort laughed. He gave me his smile he always gave to me. “I’m sorry, Ava. Will you ever forgive me?”
“I already have,” I smiled back at him. He hugged me to him, lifting me off my feet as I squealed. He placed me back down holding us arm’s length apart with his hands on my shoulders.
“I missed you, pumpkin.”
“I missed you, too. And thank you. For apologizing. I know you thought you were doing the right thing at the time.”
“I wish I could go back in time,” he dropped his hands from my shoulders, looking defeated.
“It doesn’t matter, now,” I told him, because it didn’t matter. He wasn’t the only one to blame. And Rhett and I were together now. That was all that mattered. “So…you and Amber, huh?” I grinned knowingly at him.
His sexy smile spread across his face as he looked past me in search of her. “Yeah. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“I’m excited for you. For both of you.” His smile faded as he continued looking past me and his body stiffened. I started to turn to see what had made his happy mood instantly vanish, but stopped when I felt Rhett’s hands grip my waist from behind.
“Stephen.”
“Rhett.” Stephen responded. Both men’s greetings making us all feel slightly on edge. I squeezed Rhett’s hand, trying to ease his tension. I wasn’t going to ever push them to be friends again. I had given up on that a long time ago. Before Rhett even had a real reason to dislike him. But I hoped they could at least be cordial.
“The place looks great,” Stephen said, looking around the restaurant.
“All compliments should be aimed at your brother. It’s his doing,” Rhett responded.
“Right. Well…I appreciate you backing him on it.�
�
“It wasn’t out of charity. He more than earned it. He’s a hard worker. I’m glad to have him as a partner.” Stephen nodded. “You should head to the bar. Lizzie and Amber are there. Drinks are on the house tonight,” Rhett said firmly, dismissing Stephen from our presence.
Stephen smiled tightly and started to move past us. He stopped, looking over his shoulder at us, “Rhett… for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I apologized to Ava already, but I felt I should apologize to you, also.”
Rhett turned, looking Stephen in the eyes, “I appreciate that.”
Stephen nodded his head once before turning to walk away, leaving Rhett and I by ourselves. Rhett looked back at me as I turned in his arms to look at him.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m more than okay,” I smiled up at him as I squeezed my arms around him.
“Good. Let’s get a drink and grab our table. There’s one reserved for us with your friends and my family. They should be here soon.”
“Lead the way,” I hooked my arm in his.
The food was fabulous. I over indulged in everything that was brought to our table. I’m pretty sure Mike had prepared everything on the menu for us all to try. We passed plates around, sharing them as we all ate.
The bartender kept our drinks coming, and with exception of Lizzie and maybe Rhett, we all had a pretty good buzz going on. It was so good to laugh with my friends, Rhett and his family. I even saw Rhett crack a small smile at some of Stephen’s jokes. Progress. But I wasn’t getting my hopes up.
I leaned into Rhett, feeling a little frisky from all the light hearted amusement and alcohol. My hand moved under the table around his thigh, brushing against him. His body came to attention. I grinned, biting my lip, loving what my touch did to him. He shifted, clenching my hand with his, restricting my movement. He looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. I smiled up at him unashamed. I wanted him, and I wanted him now.
“I think someone’s had a little too much to drink,” he said disapprovingly, but the mischief dancing in his eyes told me he wasn’t really upset.
“What can I say? I’m drinking for two,” I teased, putting my martini glass to my lips.
“Yep, it’s her responsibility as my best friend,” Lizzie, who was sitting next to me, interrupted our conversation as the rest of the table continued visiting.
He leaned in, “Not here, beautiful,” his husky whisper floated near my ear, “Meet me in the office.”
I sucked in a puff of air, butterflies fluttering in my stomach with excitement. I nodded. He kissed my head, excusing himself from the table to make a call. The next few minutes were the most excruciating minutes of my life.
After what I felt like was enough time, I excused myself from the table in search of Rhett. I started to make up what sounded like a legitimate excuse that I needed the restroom. Lizzie wasn’t buying it. “Just make sure you sanitize the area thoroughly when you’re done.” She winked, giggling.
I blushed, automatically glancing over at Rhett’s family. Thankfully, they were all too deep in conversation with Amber and Stephen to hear Lizzie eluding to my promiscuous endeavor. I flipped her the bird, blocking my crude gesture from the others before walking away. I heard her loud laughter roaring behind me.
I pushed through the swinging door of the kitchen. Mike glanced over at me. He smiled knowingly, nodding his head toward the office to point me in the direction of Rhett before returning his focus on the dish he was working on. Do I have “I’m horny” written on my forehead? I subconsciously rubbed my hand above my brow.
I maneuvered through the busy kitchen, making sure to stay out of the way of the staff rushing around. The office door was cracked open where I could hear Rhett on the phone.
I pushed the door open, closing it gently behind me. He was sitting at the desk. His elbow resting on his thigh, holding up his head, while the other hand held the phone to his ear. His previous flirty playfulness was gone. His body now stiffened with stress.
“I know. I’ll talk to her,” he released a weary sigh. “Let me know, if you hear anything else. Thanks for the call, Jackson.”
He hung up the phone, staring momentarily at the ground before he looked up at me with a troubled expression.
“Jackson?”
He nodded.
“What did he want?”
He leaned back into the chair, “Come here, babe. There’s something I need to tell you.”
My heart pounded hard against my chest. Panic obliterating my emotions from earlier. The last time Jackson called Rhett late at night, my father was being rushed to the hospital. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay? Is it Nana?”
“Nana is fine. Your family is fine. Come here,” he reached his hand out to me.
I walked hesitantly to him. Something was wrong. Something Jackson told him had him upset. He clasped my hand, pulling me onto his lap, brushing my hair away from my face.
“Has Chris contacted you? Have you seen or heard from him?”
Chris? Why would he be upset about Chris?
“No,” I said warily. “Why?”
“Ava, I’ve been keeping something from you…And I need you to promise to hear me out…”
What the hell was going on?
“I promise.” And I meant it. I had learned the hard way I needed to trust him and listen to what he had to say. If I had done that in the past, all the misunderstandings between us would have been resolved a long time ago.
“Chris’s wife left him earlier this year. He’d started drinking and becoming verbally abusive with her.”
“That’s terrible. That doesn’t even sound like Chris.”
“I know, babe. But he’s not the same man you might have known back then. He’s had a streak of bad luck from what Jackson has told me. He turned to alcohol and has been arrested a few times for bar fights.”
I shake my head confused, “I’m not sure how this concerns me. I don’t even talk to him. The last time I saw him was in the store.”
“When his wife left him, he started asking around about you. At first, it was innocent conversation with mutual acquaintances, but he eventually approached Emily. When she wouldn’t tell him where you were living, he got a little aggressive with her. Luckily, Jackson was there to intervene.”
“When was this?”
“Earlier this year,” he studied my eyes, watching as I connected the dots.
“That’s why….that’s why you moved to L.A. Why you came for me.”
He nodded. I stared at him processing it all. Was I mad? Was I relieved? This was the other piece of the puzzle. The reason he stopped waiting for me. The reason for his protectiveness. Was Chris the one that has been causing my paranoia?
“What are you thinking, beautiful?”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“Chris showed up to his ex-wife’s house drunk and angry a few weeks ago. He was yelling at her. Blaming her for ruining his life. He hit her –”
“Oh my gosh!” I gasped horrified, covering my mouth as I shook my head, “Is she okay?”
He nodded, “Their little girl walked in on it. As soon as he saw her, he took off. Nobody has seen him in a few weeks. He hasn’t been home. They don’t think he’s even in town anymore.”
“You think Chris is the one that drugged me?”
“I don’t know, Ava. He’s my main suspect, but I can’t be sure, yet.”
I nodded my head as I looked down at my trembling hands. He moved his hands to cup my face, lifting my eyes to his. “I won’t let anything happen to you, beautiful. My security team is looking into his disappearance, trying to track him down.”
I nodded weakly.
“Ava, if he ever contacts you, approaches you, if you see him….you need to keep your distance. And you need to tell me.”
“Okay.” I promised, nodding my agreement. I couldn’t stop thinking about his poor little girl. To see him hit her mother….the thought of it made my heart ache.
“Is a
nyone keeping an eye on his ex-wife and their daughter? What if he comes back after her?”
He slid his hands down my shoulders, resting them on my arms, rubbing them slowly. “The local police are aware of the situation and are keeping an eye on their house. But everyone is pretty sure he’s long gone.”
“Thank you. For telling me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I didn’t want you to worry, but with the potential of him now being in L.A….or here-”
“Rhett,” I touched his face in one hand, intertwining our fingers with my other, “It’s okay. I’m not mad. I understand why you didn’t tell me before.”
He leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. I slid my hand through his hair deepening our kiss. His tongue swept against the seam of my mouth. I opened, letting his tongue tangle with mine while shifting in his lap to straddle him.
His hand moved to the zipper of my dress sliding it down as I worked at the buttons of his shirt. I grinded on his lap, already desperate for him to be inside. There was a knock at the door. We ignored it. The door came slowly open. Shit. I forgot to lock it.
We both froze. Rhett wrapped his arms around me protectively, even though I was still fully clothed other than the back of my dress being unzipped.
“Cover your baby makers! I’m coming in,” Lizzie teased as she opened the door, pretending to cover her eyes, looking through the cracked fingers over her face.
“Lizzie, what the hell?” I laughed.
“Sorry to bust up your little love fest, but Rhett’s family is leaving. It was either this or I tell his family you two were playing hide the salami in the office,” her naughty grin glided across her face. “I figured since I had already seen the goods before, this was the preferred option.”
“Out!” I laugh-yelled at her. Wanting to throw something at her. Lucky for her, she was pregnant.
“I’m going,” she said with her hands up in surrender. She laughed, closing the door behind her.
“Well, I guess we should go tell your family goodbye.”
“I guess we should,” his grin grew wide.
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