Bravo continued. “Gwen and your father made quite the exceptional pair. They used to dance, you know? If ever I was out with them and a song came on, Gwen would be on her feet begging to dance. It didn’t matter where they were. If your mother wanted to dance, your father would make sure it happened. He would take her hand and lead her to any open space they could find, and the two of them would dance together song after song, regardless of who was watching. They became the talk of the town. It became expected of them if they were seen out in public. I think your mother loved it because it gave her an excuse to wear all her fine dresses. Your father loved it simply because she did. And he was not a good dancer. Do you remember?”
“Vaguely.”
Bravo nodded. “The man had no rhythm. None at all. He was like an overcooked noodle when he moved. Lucky for him, all eyes were on Gwen. It was like he didn’t exist. I found myself wishing I could find a love like theirs on more than one occasion.”
I was wishing for that exact thing right then and there. “What else can you tell me about them?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t know where to begin, son. Your father was a good friend. A trustworthy man. He was passionate about his business and his creations. He adored his staff. Somehow, he managed to devote equal attention to his work and his wife. Then you came along. He never loved anything the way he loved you. I wasn’t around much after that. Your dad didn’t want my influence around his son, you understand. I respected him for it. I knew Gwen wanted the same thing. I have lost many friends because of who I am, but your father still called me every now and then to see how I was doing. Maybe to see if I was still alive. He worried about me, you see. He tried to talk me out of the mob several times. I don’t think he quite understood how the whole thing worked. I couldn’t walk away. Walking away would get me killed. Your mother knew, though. She used to tell me your father was just a worrier. He worried for everyone except himself.”
“I remember,” I said.
“And your mother was a singer. She performed on Friday nights in the lounge. You would have been too young to ever see her, but she was a delight. No matter where your father was in the building or what he was doing, he was always there for each and every one of her shows without fail. It astounded me. She was his top priority. I think she sang to him, rather than for her audience.” There was a brief moment of silence. “I still wish I could find a woman like Gwen.”
Talking about my parents was making my jaw ache. “The casino,” I said to change the topic. “Is it something you would be interested in taking over for me?”
Bravo shifted in his seat and eyed me. “It wouldn’t be a bad investment.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question.”
“It isn’t a decision I wish to make right away. You need to give a man some time before he leaps into a business like this. There could be repercussions. If the public knew I was the one you sold it to, they might boycott the place.”
“Would you change anything about it?” I asked.
“Why change something that is outperforming all its competition?” Bravo asked, one eyebrow arching dramatically.
“Then perhaps you could run it, but I would still own it. Or you buy out half of it.”
“It depends,” Bravo said. “Why do you want to sell it, anyway?”
Telling all this to Bravo felt odd, but I didn’t suspect him of any foul play. He had been my father’s close friend. I knew he didn’t wish any ill intentions upon me. “I need to get away from this place. I need to live my life. The way I see it, this was my father’s dream, not mine. I’ve done it justice, I think, in the time I’ve spent here. Now it’s time for me to pursue my own dreams. I’m tired of giving up the things and people I want for this place.”
“The girl,” Bravo said knowingly.
I refused to meet his eye, but I nodded.
“She has left an impression on you, then,” Bravo said.
“More than an impression. She’s ruined me.”
Bravo chuckled and rested his chin on his knuckles. “A woman with that sort of power doesn’t come around often. It sounds to me like you might have found your Gwen.”
I stared at the mob boss.
“Love is a tricky thing,” Don Bravo said, getting to his feet. “No one can tell you what to do, Greyson. You already know it. You’ve probably known it for a while now. Do what your gut tells you. Trust it. That’s what your father did, and it granted him the most wonderful life. He was a happy man. He was fulfilled. He did not deserve the death he met, and neither did your mother. They were wonderful people. It just goes to show that you never know what could happen. If this casino isn’t your dream, let it go. Chase the things or the people you really want. If it’s the girl you want…” Don Bravo trailed off as he turned to the door. He looked back over his shoulder at me as he prepared to leave. “Call me if you decide to sell The Citrine.”
I nodded, and he left.
Meek stepped in a few minutes later and stood with his back to the door. He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded me skeptically. “What was all that about? I don’t like him just dropping in like that unannounced. I thought this whole thing was behind us.”
“Don’t worry, Meek,” I said. “I think he’s a friend.”
“A friend? Really? Don Fucking Bravo?”
I nodded. “I know it sounds crazy, but he knew my parents. I think he might be the one I sell the casino to.”
“I’m not working for that ass hat,” Meek growled.
“You’re a free man, Meek. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. But I don’t think he’s as bad as you believe him to be. Talking with him was actually kind of pleasant. He told me some things about my parents that I didn’t know.”
I smiled as I thought of my mother and father dancing in the middle of a restaurant to a song they had probably never heard before. My mother would probably go out wearing one of her pleated dresses that she loved so much. I had caught her twirling in the living room a few times when I was young, and she had taken my hands and spun with me. I cherished those simple memories.
That was what I wanted. I wanted to make memories like that of my own.
My phone rang. I grabbed it out of my pocket. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered anyway.
“This is Greyson,” I said.
“Hi, Greyson. This is Renee. Skylar’s sister.”
My heart started pounding in my chest. My palms were sweaty. All the hair on my arms stood up. “Renee. Hey. Is everything okay? Is Skylar all right?”
Renee didn’t answer me at first. I could feel her hesitation through the line. She was nervous about something.
Meek was staring at me with wide eyes.
“Renee,” I said again. “What’s going on?”
Chapter 36
Skylar
I paused to look at my reflection in the full-length mirror to the right of my front door. I was wearing my pale blue scrubs and sneakers with arch support. My hair was tied up in a tight knot on top of my head. I had tamed the flyways with some hairspray and the palm of my hand.
I looked so different from the girl I had been in Las Vegas. This was the real me. The nurse me. I sighed and grabbed my lunch bag and went to open the door. Right before I turned the deadbolt, someone knocked on the other side.
I opened it up to reveal Renee. She was standing with her hands clasped in front of her. “Hey, sis,” she said, taking in the sight of me. “Are you leaving for work?”
“Yeah, my shift starts in forty-five minutes.”
“It only takes fifteen minutes to get to the hospital,” Renee said skeptically.
“I know, but I like to be early. You know that.”
“Half an hour early? What do you do for half an hour?”
“Usually I just read my book,” I said.
Renee shook her head. “You are so weird.”
“Well, we both know that already.” I laughed. “What’s up?”
“I w
as hoping I’d have a little bit more time to sit down and talk to you,” Renee said. “It’s important, and I want you to really hear me.”
I knew she was serious. Her expression was tight, and she was wringing her hands in front of her. “Okay, come in. We can sit down for twenty minutes.”
Renee followed me inside. We sat down in my living room, and she drew her knees up to her chest. She was making me nervous as she looked everywhere but at me. Finally, she took a deep breath and lifted her gaze to mine. “I know you’ve convinced yourself that Houston is where you need to be, but I think you really need to consider the option that you don’t have to stay here. Don’t let your job or me keep you in a place you don’t have to be anymore.”
“Where would I go besides here? I love it here.”
Renee gave me an exasperated sigh and shook her head. “You’d go back to him.”
I had been trying my best not to think of Greyson too frequently. It was a difficult task. “My opportunity with Greyson is over. I need to move on. The only way I’m going to do that is by keeping busy with work. I want to spend more time with you and Nikki. It will help me get my life back on track.”
“It sounds to me like you’re giving up because you think it’s easier than trying.”
“Wow,” I said, a little shocked by her forwardness.
“All I’m saying is not to give up hope. Not yet.” Renee got to her feet. “I’ll get out of your hair. Have a good day at work, okay? You know, at the job you love, even though everyone there treats you like garbage?”
“Renee,” I scolded.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m only speaking the truth. You give so much to that place.”
Renee left, and I sat alone in my living room with her words ringing in my ears. She thought I had given up. She was also giving voice to my own deepest thoughts: no one appreciated me at my job except for my patients.
***
I arrived at work fifteen minutes early. It was the first time I had shown up with less than thirty minutes to spare. No one said a thing despite my routine being the exact same for the last seven years. I was just that invisible.
Instead of dwelling on how little my coworkers cared about my being there, I focused my energy on my patients. I checked on Gloria’s file and saw that she had been discharged from the hospital the previous morning. Her surgery went well, and I had helped her through the toughest parts of her recovery. Today, I would spend my time doing the same thing with over a dozen patients.
I went into room after room and helped patients get out of bed and into their chairs. From there, we did bathroom runs. One at a time, I helped each person into the bathroom and then back to their seats to get ready for their lunches. It was mandatory that all recovering heart surgery patients ate their meals sitting up in their chairs. It was a manageable way for the staff to make sure that they were getting up at least three times a day. The movement encouraged faster healing, which meant we would have more open beds for the next six patients that came into our ward each and every day.
The first half of my day wasn’t glamorous. As I sank into my seat to take a break, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Renee had said to me that morning.
I looked over at the other nurses. They were all chatting happily amongst themselves. Some were laughing and telling jokes. Each of them seemed like a valued member of the team, which perplexed me because I was the hardest worker on the ward without a doubt. I was also the one who covered the most shifts. That was probably the only time any of them ever spoke to me, when they needed someone to come in and work a shift for them.
I had been the reason many of them were able to take random weekends off here and there. I was the reason they were able to partake in family vacations and weddings and events. If I hadn’t been willing to offer my time for them, they would have had to keep on working, just like me.
After doing everything I could for my patients and my coworkers, I still felt underappreciated.
I put my lunch down and got to my feet. No one looked over at me as I approached the group of ten chatting nurses. I stood on the outside of their little circle with my arms crossed and waited several minutes just to see if one of them would acknowledge me.
When they didn’t even turn their chairs to invite me into the group, I cleared my throat. Still nothing.
So I coughed louder until I caught one of their eyes. Then, one at a time, they all grew quiet.
“Uh, hey, Skylar,” one of the male nurses said.
“Hey,” I said. I let them all squirm in the awkward silence for a while longer. I wasn’t the girl who was going to let anyone put me in a corner anymore. I knew my worth was more than that. Everyone’s worth was more than that. “Are any of you going to bother asking me how my vacation was?”
They all exchanged uneasy glances.
Clearly, no one was willing to take the initiative, so I kept talking. “My trip was great. Thank you for asking. I met some wonderful people. It was the first vacation I have ever taken. Ever. Know why? Because all I ever do with my time is come to this place and work my ass off. Then, when I get a break, I sit by myself because no matter how much I tried in the beginning, you guys weren’t willing to let me into your little clique. Well, I don’t want to be part of this now. I can see all your true colors. I even know what all the patients say about you behind your backs.”
I planted my hands on my hips. They all looked shocked. I was glad for it. It felt good to finally speak my mind and tell them all just how shitty they had made me feel.
“Anyways,” I said. “Thanks for the chat. I feel much better now.”
I turned around, packed up my lunch, and resumed my work routine. For some reason, time went by faster after I had given them all a piece of my mind. They avoided me like I was a walking, airborne virus for the rest of my shift, and I kind of enjoyed the way they nearly pressed themselves against the walls every time we had to pass one another in the hall. I kept my chin up and ignored them the whole time.
When my shift was done, I gathered my things, threw them over one arm, and strode determinedly out of the ward and toward the elevators.
I took a sharp left and fell completely still when my gaze fell upon a man with dark hair, blue eyes, and a bouquet of white roses.
Greyson spotted me, and he stopped walking, too.
Time suddenly felt like it was standing still. I was only dimly aware of people weaving around me as they came around the corner. All I had eyes for was Greyson.
He had a sly smile playing on his lips. He was clean shaven and nicely dressed in dark jeans and a long-sleeved black button-up. The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and a dark gunmetal watch flashed at his wrist. It was probably worth more than my annual salary.
The heels of his boots echoed on the linoleum as he came toward me. I was still paralyzed. I couldn’t move or blink. I was incapable of doing anything other than gaping at him.
When he drew up in front of me, he chuckled deep in his throat. “For some reason, I’m more attracted to you in the scrubs.”
“Shut up,” I whispered.
He grinned, leaned in, and kissed me. The hand holding the flowers went to my back, and he pulled me into him. The kiss was fierce and desperate, and I dropped everything I was holding at my feet to throw my arms around his shoulders and hang off of him as he kissed me.
When he pulled away, he kept his arm around me. “I was an idiot to ever let you go, Skylar. A massive idiot. I should have fought harder to keep you. I have been looking for someone like you my entire life. I just didn’t know it. But now, I do. And I’m not going to give up on us. Not this time.”
Chapter 37
Greyson
I wiped the tears from Skylar’s cheeks with my thumbs. “Please tell me these are happy tears?” I asked, cupping her chin in one hand and tilting her face upward so I could stare into her bright green eyes.
She nodded furiously and sniffed as the tears continued to come. “I can’t believe yo
u’re here.”
“Well, believe it,” I said. “Because I am. And I want to take you to dinner tonight. Are you off now?”
She nodded again.
“Good,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “I have a change of clothes for you in the car, and I made reservations at one of the top restaurants in Houston. Some fancy steakhouse called Pan’s. You will be my date, won’t you?”
“Of course, I will,” she said, the corners of her mouth finally curling up in a smile as I pulled her into the elevator with me.
As soon as the doors closed behind us and we were alone, I pressed her up against the wall, cupped her cheek in my hand, and kissed her. I ravaged her with my mouth, and she kissed me back desperately. One of her legs lifted to wrap around mine. She hooked her foot behind my knee and held herself against me as we explored each other’s mouths. It had only been a week since I kissed her, but it felt like it had been ages that we had been apart. Being so close to her again felt right.
When the doors opened, neither of us cared that there were people staring. I took her hand once more and led her out through the front doors where a limo was waiting for us at the curb. I opened the door, and she got in ahead of me.
Once we were inside, I tapped on the glass partition to tell the driver to go. We pulled away, and I grabbed a powder blue gift bag from under the seat and handed it to Skylar. “Your outfit for the evening.”
She took it from me and peered inside. “You didn’t have to buy me something,” she said as she reached into the bag. Then she gasped when the dress was free. It was a silky black little number with a plunging back and scalloped neckline. As soon as I saw it in the boutique window, I knew Skylar had to have it. I bought it before Renee had even called.
“Thank you,” Skylar breathed, holding the dress against her chest. “It’s lovely.”
“Put it on,” I said.
“Here?” she asked, her eyes widening as she looked out through the windows at pedestrians on the sidewalk and other traffic passing us by.
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