“Madison,” Margot said.
Suddenly I was alone, standing in front of the mirror. He was gone. I’d imagined it. I met Margot’s eyes in the mirror, and she raised her brows at me in question. I stood up straight and cleared my throat to get control of myself. My heart pounded in my chest, and I swallowed thickly as I made my way back behind the curtain to change. I hung up the gown, dropped down onto the small chair in the dressing room, and ran my hand down my face. What the hell was wrong with me? I needed a dress to go to a ball with Bryan, and here I was daydreaming about Sean.
I was losing my mind for sure. I shook off the image of Sean from my head and the feel of his lips on my neck and headed out to meet Margot.
I handed her the dress and she studied me, concern lining her face. “You okay?” she asked.
I forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”
***
Thursday night I came home to an incredible smell coming from my kitchen. My mouth watered as I followed the trail of deliciousness. Liam was chopping a tomato, a dish towel tossed over his shoulder. His hands moved quickly as he diced.
“Have I told you that you are my favorite little brother?” I asked, lifting the spoon from the pot of tomato sauce on the stove to steal a taste.
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
Liam had been working a lot in the past few weeks, so I hadn’t seen much of him. I was grateful we would have a chance to at least share a meal together. I missed him.
“How’s the bar?” I asked, leaning back against the kitchen counter as I watched him chop vegetables.
“Good.”
I pushed off the counter to grab a glass from the cabinet and the bottle of wine from the fridge. I poured two glasses and handed one to him. “That’s good,” I said as I settled back against the counter.
“Well,” he said, setting the knife down on the cutting board in front of him. “Jack mentioned something today that got me thinking.”
“What’s that?”
“He’s thinking of selling the bar.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, he told me today he’s been thinking more and more about retiring and it may be time to sell.”
“What about Drew and David?” I asked. “Won’t they take over?”
“They both have their own careers.” He shrugged. “Besides, it was Jack’s dream, not theirs. He doesn’t want to burden them.”
“Has he had any offers?”
“A few, but he says he isn’t going to sell to just anyone. It has to be someone who loves the place as much as he does.” Liam took a sip of his wine while absently studying the kitchen wall. I could see the gears as they turned inside his head.
“Why don’t you do it?” I asked.
“Do what?”
“Buy the bar.”
“What?” he scoffed.
“Buy the bar. You love that place. You know it like the back of your hand. You’ve already been running it pretty much on your own for almost a year now. Why not buy it yourself?”
“You’re serious?” he asked.
“Of course I am,” I said as I set my glass down on the counter. I turned to face him. “Liam, working at The Den makes you happy, happier than I have ever seen you. You love that place, and you’re like a son to Jack. He would be over the moon to see you take it over. It would be like keeping it in the family.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have that kind of money. I can come up with maybe a quarter, but that’s it.” He shook his head like the idea was completely ludicrous.
“I can help you,” I said without hesitation.
“What?” He whipped his head toward me, his eyes wide. “No, Maddie.”
“I can help you. I have some money put away and I haven’t even touched my divorce settlement. I can help you with the down payment, and you can get a loan for the rest.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” he said, going back to chopping his vegetables.
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” I placed a hand on his arms and he stilled. “I believe in you. You’ve been searching for something to make you happy, a career that you love. This is your chance to make that happen. A chance to own your own business, to make it something special, to be successful in your own right, not in a way that Mom and Dad mandate.”
Liam braced his hands on the edge of the counter and dropped his head, taking in a deep breath before slowly letting it out.
“You really think I can do this?” he asked, finally turning his worried eyes toward me.
“I do.”
We stood in the kitchen, staring at each other as he contemplated my offer. He took a deep breath and ran a hand down his face. He slowly exhaled and watched me closely through his fingers as he thought.
“Well then,” he said. He threw his arms open wide. “I guess we’re buying a bar.”
“We’re buying a bar!” I shouted and wrapped my arms around him. He enveloped me into a hug and swung me in a circle around the kitchen.
Liam and I spent the rest of the night eating and discussing ideas for the business plan. I made a list of contacts to get the ball rolling on a small business loan. Liam was excited, but a little nervous to pitch the idea to Jack. I knew he had nothing to worry about. Liam was the perfect guy to carry on Jack’s legacy.
***
I’d attended the Queen of Hearts Ball several times before the divorce. Since Mother was on the board my presence was mandatory, which meant an evening spent pretending to be the doting dutiful daughter and putting up with Michael’s incessant whining about when we could leave.
Tonight felt different. I was on the arm of an extremely handsome man who’d spent the entire ride there telling me over and over how beautiful I was, causing my face to heat and an uncontrollable smile to take over my lips. Bryan was a true gentleman, which was something I was used to. I’d spent my life surrounded by men who were raised to pull out your chair and open doors, but those things were mostly done out of habit or obligation. Bryan seemed sincere as he offered me his arm to escort me into the room.
Mother had outdone herself this year. The room was beautiful. Deep red roses decorated every available surface. Black table cloths covered the tables that were set with clean white china and crystal stemware. Waiters dressed in black pants and red waistcoats offered hors d’oeuvres and champagne to guests dressed in shades of black, white, and red.
Bryan led us to our table in the center of the room. We took a seat, nodding hello to the other people at our table, all of whom had seen the other side of sixty some time ago. I smiled at the woman to my right, who was in her eighties if she was a day. She clutched her purse to her chest like she was on the wrong side of town instead of an elegant ballroom although she may have been on to something. There was more than a few criminals in this room, so I couldn’t really blame her.
Dinner was served, and we ate delicate portions of pork tenderloin and asparagus. The food was nothing to rave about. At functions like this, food was considered a distraction between cocktails.
After dinner we made the rounds. Even though I was there as Bryan’s plus one, I’d spent the better part of the evening introducing him since the same people attended this event almost every year. My jaw hurt from clenching my teeth behind my fake smile as I addressed my mother’s insufferable friends.
“You seem tense,” Bryan said.
I let out a long breath. “I’m sorry. These things tend to bring out the worst in me. I feel like an organ grinder’s monkey.”
He laughed and took the glass from my hand. “How about something a little stronger than champagne?”
“Yes, thank you.” I sighed and smiled as I watched him head toward the bar.
I scanned the room and spotted my mother holding court by the bar as my father nursed what was no doubt his third whiskey of the evening. My sister Evelyn stood behind her in a sleeveless black gown, her mousey brown hair piled high on top of her head. When she spotted me, she leaned down to whisper in mother’s ear.
> Mother’s head snapped up, and her eyes locked with mine. A smile lit her face, but anger filled her eyes as she excused herself from her audience and headed my way.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“Madison, darling,” Mother said when she reached me. She leaned in, pretending to kiss both of my cheeks. “What are you doing here?” she asked through her teeth. Her bright smile never faltered even though she was less than happy to see me.
“It’s wonderful to see you too, Mother.” I clenched my teeth and smiled through the pain.
“I already told you that it would be best if you sat this one out.” She put a hand on my arm in a mock motherly gesture.
“I came with someone.” I wrenched my arm from her grip.
Her eyes widened. “Who?” she asked.
“Me,” Bryan said. A bright smile spread across his face as he handed me my drink and slipped his arm around my waist.
“May I present Bry…” I started.
“Mr. Townsend,” Mother said, reaching for his hand. “It’s wonderful to see you. I wanted to thank you again for your generous contribution to the foundation.”
My attention volleyed between the two of them. I was stunned. They knew each other?
“You are very welcome, Mrs. Sinclair,” he said, releasing her hand. He pulled me in tight against him.
She looked between us, and I saw a strange look pass across my mother’s features. I had never seen it from her before. It looked almost like pride. “I had no idea you knew each other,” she said, giving me a scolding look.
“Yes. Madison was kind enough to join me at the last minute.”
“How lovely.” Mother appraised us together as if she couldn’t possibly believe that this beautiful, successful man would choose to spend time with me.
“She is, isn’t she?” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my neck. Mother’s eyes brightened, and I could see her excitement at the prospect of a relationship between Bryan and me. Great. No doubt I would hear about that later.
“Well, I must make the rounds. We should set up a lunch,” Mother said.
“Sounds like a plan,” he replied.
“Wonderful. I will set it up with Madison.” Mother smiled, staring awkwardly at us before she excused herself.
When she was gone I turned to face Bryan. “What was that?” I asked.
“I’m sorry if I over stepped. It seemed like she needed to be put in her place,” he said as a wicked grin spread wide across his face.
I couldn’t help but return his smile. “You realize she’s planning our wedding as we speak.”
Bryan dropped a warm hand to the small of my back, leading me away from my family. He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear as he spoke. “Well then, I hope she goes with the live band. DJ’s can be so tacky.”
Suddenly my skin began to heat beneath his touch. My reaction surprised me since I wasn’t really all that attracted to him in the beginning, but after that little display with my mother and spending this time with him, I was warming to the idea of seeing where this flirtation could go.
As the night went on, I started to relax from both the champagne and Bryan’s company. He was charming and sweet, making me laugh as he told me stories of disastrous charity events he attended in the past. One in particular, about a woman who was outbid for a diamond broach that once belonged to Princess Diana by none other than her husband’s mistress using his credit card had me cackling so loud, I drew the attention and glares of several of the people around us.
We continued to laugh, but quickly made our way into the next room, away from the stares of the uptight attendees who were clearly not having as much fun as we were. All in all, the evening was turning out to be quite a success.
We made our way toward the sound of the band that floated through the ballroom. Couples floated across the dance floor gracefully, as if carried by the melody. Bryan excused himself to grab us a refill from the bar. I stood at the edge of the dance floor, swaying to the rhythm, my eyes closed as I relaxed and let myself be swept up in the music.
“That’s some dress, beautiful.”
I froze. My eyes went wide. Was I imagining it? Hell, it had happened before. I squeezed my eyes closed tight, hoping to clear the sound of his voice from my head.
I could feel him step closer. His breath warmed the back of my neck as he spoke. “Every man in the room is wondering what lies beneath this thin silk,” Sean whispered. He leaned in, his breath tickling my ear, “but I already know.” He softly and discreetly dragged a knuckle down my spine, causing me to quickly suck air in through my teeth. My back went ramrod straight as he chuckled, obviously amused by my reaction.
I spun around and was met with that heart-stopping smile. My God, he looked good. The fantasy of Sean in a tux had nothing on the reality. The smooth black fabric of his jacket hugged his shoulders and made them seem broader and more angular. He wore a silver tie that brought out the striking gray color in his eyes that seemed amused by my obvious appraisal of him.
“What are you doing here?” I managed to choke out.
“I was invited.” He took a step closer, and I retreated to keep some distance between us. This situation had disaster written all over it. My mother was here. Bryan was here. I looked around for any sign of them and did my best to come up with an excuse to leave.
“You seem tense, babe,” he said as a devilish grin spread wide across his lips. He knew he had me cornered and seemed to be enjoying watching me sweat. Asshole.
“I’m here with someone,” I blurted.
“I know,” he said. “I saw you with him earlier. He seems a little old for you, don’t you think?” That devious grin took over his face again, making me want to smack it off. I straightened, deciding to stand my ground. I am an adult. I made the conscious decision not to see him anymore, and I was here with someone else. So we ran into each other at a party? Big deal. It was bound to happen sooner or later, right?
I saw Bryan coming toward us, weaving through the crowd with a drink in each hand. I swallowed thickly, stood up straight, and braced myself for the shit storm of awkward that was about to hit me.
“Here you are,” Bryan said, handing me my drink. I took a large gulp, my eyes watering as the liquid burned its way down my throat.
Bryan turned, noticing Sean was standing there. He nodded and took a sip from his glass. “Sean, glad you finally decided to join us,” he said.
Wait, did they know each other?
“I’m here, as promised,” Sean replied, his voice full of acid.
I kept looking between them, confused at their cold exchange. So not only did they know each other, it seemed that they didn’t particularly like each other.
Bryan straightened finally and turned his attention to me. “Well, I see you have met my lovely date, Madison.” He said as he placed his hand on the small of my back. I flinched as I watched Sean’s eyes follow Bryan’s hand. “Madison, this is my son, Sean.”
His what?
I did my best not to react, while inside I was dying. I had to be dreaming. Things like this didn’t happen in real life. This was the plot of one of those daytime soap operas, not my life. I was on a date with Sean’s father! I had slept with Bryan’s son! Father and son. Son and father.
Sean offered his hand to me, which I cautiously took. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madison,” he said, doing a way better job of pretending we hadn’t seen each other naked than I was at the moment.
I struggled to catch my breath. “Yes. Pleasure,” I said, the only response I could choke out. I needed air, or water, or a DeLorean. Anything to get me far, far away from this insanity.
“I’m glad to see you’ve come to your senses,” Bryan said. His passive aggressive tone surprised me.
“Not the time or the place,” Sean said through a fake smile. Bryan returned it with a smirk and drained the rest of his scotch as the band began to play opening bars of “Fly Me to the Moon.”
Sean smiled at me and
held out his hand. “Madison, would you care to dance?”
I looked back at Bryan, not sure what to say or do. He gave me a small nod, and I took Sean’s hand and let him lead me on to the dance floor.
When we reached the center of the floor he pulled me in close, his fingers brushing against the bare skin at the small of my back. My eyes snapped up to his, scolding him for his hand placement.
“What?” he asked. He pulled me closer. “There aren’t many places on your body that my hands haven’t already been,” he whispered.
“You’re an asshole,” I muttered.
“You’re here on a date with my father, but I’m the asshole?” He chuckled. He didn’t seem angry, but if I’d learned anything about Sean it was that humor was his first line of defense. He was hurt and joking about this ridiculous situation we’d found ourselves in was how he hid it.
“I swear, Sean. I had no idea he was your father. I would never have agreed to come tonight.” I looked into his deep gray eyes and my heart broke as I took in the sadness I found there.
“I know, beautiful,” he said. “You don’t have it in you to be cruel.”
We danced quietly for a few more bars, neither of us sure of where to go from there. After a few more moments, I had to ask, “So what do we do?”
“That depends on you,” Sean said.
“I…” I stammered. I was at a complete loss. I couldn’t exactly break things off with Bryan, not that there was really anything to break off in the first place. Eric had said to keep him happy, and I doubt finding out that I had slept with his son would make him very happy.
“Madison?” Sean looked down at me, a frown distorting his beautiful face. “You can’t keep seeing him.”
“I…I don’t really have much of a choice,” I said.
Sean pulled away slightly, his face twisted in confusion. “Are you serious?”
“We are in the middle of an extremely important development deal.”
“So what, you’re dating him for work?”
“No,” I said. “We aren’t dating at all.”
Choosing Happy (Madison Square #2) Page 23