Ardent Strangers

by Samantha Kately

  Jay hisses, “Good luck with that, Snow.”

  I shake my head and shoot a glare over my shoulder. Beside a laughing Jay, Rayne nods my way and whispers, “The billionaire. Go the billionaire!” He grins as if he’s solved the world’s problems in all of five words.

  I turn and jog after Aaron who has already exited the room. Three minutes later we are walking out of the glass doors of Channel 3. A black limousine is parked directly in front of the building, and I hardly need to guess who’s inside.

  As I start toward the limo, Aaron feels like a rock dragging at my heels, unable to be cut loose. Why couldn’t he let me come out here alone? This is the last time I’ll see Nathaniel in, who knows… There are things I need to know, things I can’t say in front of Aaron. Maybe that’s precisely why he followed, why he doesn’t want me talking to Nathaniel alone.

  Hunt exits the front passenger door, leaving me to assume that Brewster or Hamada must be behind the wheel. Hunt opens the rear door, holding it open with a regimented purpose. Nathaniel steps out from the backseat, hair neat and gleaming, looking far too tempting in his black tie and silvery-grey suit. I start to smile, but he walks straight up to Aaron. “Are we alright?”

  Aaron grunts gruffly.

  “Are you?” Nathaniel adds, eyeing his friend closely.

  Another grunt, milder this time.

  Nathaniel nods, then decides to pull Aaron into a hug, Aaron reciprocating with a meagre pat on the back. “Look after her, okay. But not too well.”

  Aaron pulls out of the hug, smiling. “No need to rush back. I’ve got it covered.”

  “I bet you have.” Nathaniel smiles, but his eyes are carrying a warning.

  “I am listening, you know,” I say, several feet away. “And I can look after myself.”

  Nathaniel turns to me. “Speaking of which, I’m loaning you Agent Hunt until I can find a replacement for you. Agent McLachlan, your second agent, will be with you by tomorrow.”

  Oh no. I’d forgotten about the security. “Ah… Thanks?”

  He laughs and turns me toward the car where Agents Hunt and Brewster are leaning against the bonnet, sipping coffee. “You’ll get used to them. Just wait, they’ll be as familiar as your shadow before you know it.”

  I eye him skeptically. “I don’t think they’re that stealthy, but okay.”

  “Thank you. I know you’re not fond of the idea, but it makes leaving easier if I know Hunt is with you.”

  It makes leaving easier…

  Damn, I was right. This is it. The end. Tears prick my eyes, and I feel like stomping the ground and throwing a tantrum. He can’t do this! Not after he convinced me to wait for him! He simply leaves me with one of his agents so he can go with his conscious clear—his debt to the woman who saved him paid.

  “So, this is goodbye, then?” I ask, my voice cracking.

  “What?” His brown eyes flash with hurt. “No. Not unless you want this to be goodbye?”

  I give a small shake of my head, then my heart races into panic mode. When I glance back Aaron is already gone.

  “Angel, you scared me for a second,” Nathaniel murmurs, bringing my hand against his chest. I follow easily, my free hand landing on his shoulder, his other hand shifting around my waist as if we are about to set off into a waltz.

  “Sorry.” My nose bumps the side of his throat, and I breathe in a heady mix of aftershave that reminds me of Nathaniel. Sliding my hand up to his neck, I fiddle with his man bun, which I’m pretty sure I destroy completely as his hair falls around his face.

  “What are you doing to me?” He asks, smiling.

  “Me? Nothing!” I peer down, wondering if I subconsciously sabotaged his man bun just to see how good it looked untied. Bad move. Tonight, I will be falling asleep with him looking like this. Even his throat is sexy: stylishly unshaven with a hint of his Adam’s apple above the knot of his tie. Then I spot a smudge of my crimson lipstick on his collar and I groan quietly. I’m continually messing up everything around this man.

  “What is it?”

  “My lipstick,” I say, nodding toward his collar. “Sorry.”

  “Wasn’t there a song about that?”

  “Ha-ha.” I look up at him and glare. “For future reference, I hate that song.”

  “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

  “Why?” I laugh.

  “Bribery, of course. Or if you choose Aaron I can swap the wedding march for that song, and I’ll be sure to have an endless expanse of commando flowers for the guests to throw at you as you walk down the aisle.”

  “You wouldn’t?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve recently learned that commando flowers are a priceless commodity. If anything was going to remind you that you chose the wrong man that flower would be it.”

  I should make a witty comeback about hideous flowers, but he’s got me thinking. What if I do choose the wrong man? “And then what would I do?”

  “Run down the aisle and into my arms? Confess your undying love…?”

  I snort a laugh. “You’re at my wedding to Aaron?”

  “Didn’t you know I’m best friends with the groom?”

  They’re still best friends? Aaron never mentioned that. “You are, huh?”

  “I’m the best man. The bonus is you wouldn’t need to run very far.”

  “How considerate.”

  He smiles down at me. “For you, always.”

  Blushing, I whisper, “And then what?”

  “After Aaron graciously steps aside and gives us his blessing?” His mouth twists to the side, a multitude of emotions passing through his eyes. “I’d whisk you away in a heartbeat.”

  “You would, huh? Poor Aaron.”

  We exchange an uncomfortable look.

  “Yeah,” he murmurs.

  I close my eyes and see Aaron breaking down the time capsule wall in a fit of desperation, then Nathaniel’s smile lights up my mind, followed by his tears as he broke down on the bridge. I open my eyes and smooth out his lapel, while he watches me quietly. “One of us is going to get hurt in the end,” I breathe. “You know that, don’t you? Maybe all of us.”

  “I know.”

  Nathaniel links his arms around me, drawing me against his body. I wish I could say that I pull back, but I melt against him. Beneath the suit I can feel the body of a boxer, lean and ripped, making me all kinds of hot. His lips skim my cheek and I moan softly, then kick myself for being swept away. He laughs to himself, then continues taunting me with those lips that are now moving toward the corner of my mouth. If I move up and right we would kiss.

  “I should go,” he whispers.

  “I should, too.”

  Time seems to slow as he lifts his hand to my face and carefully shifts a long wave of hair from my eyes, the way a groom would pull back a veil. I gulp slowly. The impulse to kiss him is worse than before.

  “Good luck for Sunday,” he says.

  My heart flutters into stage fright mode. “I forgot. You’re not going to be there!”

  “But I do have a surprise guest to take my place.”

  “Who?” I ask, wishing I had Aaron’s interrogative skills.

  “Surprise, remember? But this guest did tell me some useful information.”

  “Yeah, what’s that?”

  His smile turns mischievous. “I’ve heard that whenever you’ve receive gifts from suitors in the past you’ve dumped them on the spot.”

  “Um… actually, that’s true.” Actually, that’s not true. There’s been one exception. Aaron did give me those flowers and he’s still here—just.

  “Needless to say, I haven’t bought you a single thing. Until now.” He must see my trepidation, because he squeezes my hand. “I promise this is very unconditional. You don’t owe me a thing.”

  We’ll see about that.

  He delves into that secret pocket inside his jacket and retrieves a thin jewelry case. I take the case, fearing that I’ll feel obligated to choose him if the present is too gr
and.

  “Go on,” he murmurs. “I promise it won’t bite.”

  “Ha.” I pry open the case and can’t help but smile. Dangling from a necklace, golden angel wings shimmer in the sunlight, the detail of each feather as delicate as the wings themselves. The angel’s body is a clear crystal, possibly a diamond.

  I peer up at him. His eyes shift happily over my face, and I find it impossible to refuse him. I fumble with the box, trying to free the necklace, when he relieves me of it.

  “Allow me,” he says.

  My breath catches as he sets the necklace around my neck, his fingers giving me tingles as he adjusts the wings against the base of my throat. He stands back and looks at the whole effect—the necklace and me together at last.

  I touch my throat, feeling the arc of each wing and the fine engraving of lines.

  A present like this can’t be unconditional.

  “You don’t like it?” he asks.

  “Um… it’s beautiful. Probably the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me, but—”

  “Evangeline,” he says, clasping my other hand. “You can tell me you never want to see me again if you like, but please take the necklace. I need to know you’re wearing it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s not just a necklace,” he says, shifting closer. “I had it made especially for you. I designed those wings and that diamond myself, and—”

  “You did?” Okay, now I officially love these wings.

  “—there’s a tracker inside. It will beep on your end and send a signal to me if Le Papillon is in range.”

  “Oh.” Maybe it’s not meant to be as sentimental as I thought. The bad feeling returns. “Nathaniel, why would I need a tracker for your prototype?”

  He sighs heavily. “I have reason to believe that it might have you in its sights. I don’t know if you know this, but an ex-employee stole six of the prototypes from my office.”

  “You mean Laura Barnes?”

  “The very same.”

  “And you think she’s coming after me?”

  “It’s possible,” he admits. “Will you promise me that you’ll stay close to Aaron and the agents until we’ve worked this out?”

  How can this be happening? Again? First Jeremy, now Laura. I think the woman hated me as soon as I walked out of Nathaniel’s hospital room.

  “What about the police?” I ask.

  “They’re already on the case, and I have my security and tech people trying to track the Papillon prototypes, but they need to be active to give off a satellite signal. Now all we can do is wait.”

  “Nathaniel, I’m so sorry.” I glance around the street, anywhere but him. “She told me to stay away.”

  “Evangeline, no. Her issues are with me. But I’ve put you in the spotlight, inviting you to the park, the hotline. If she wanted to hurt me I think you’d be the thing to do it.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Very.” He steps forward and cups my face. I can’t help it, my lips part, as do his. I step closer, wishing I could hold him and kiss him whenever and however I choose. But there are complications everywhere.

  “Until next time.” Nathaniel presses a kiss to my cheek, which is gone all too quickly. He approaches the two agents at the front of the limo, shakes Hunt’s hand, and before I know it Nathaniel is sliding into the back seat and slamming the door.

  My new shadow feels so much larger, and I see our reflections shining off the tinted windows—Hunt with his shaven head, suit and sunglasses, standing off to my side. For some reason this bothers me so much that I want to tap on the window and return the agent, but the limo is already pulling away.

  Great. Now Nathaniel is short an agent because of me. If anything happens to him I’ll never forgive myself.

  I’m worried about him. When did I start to worry about him?

  “Miss Lockhart,” Hunt says, “are you alright?”

  “I…” I turn to him and find it in me to nod. “Yep. Let’s go inside.”

  He gives me one of his crooked smiles, but it barely lightens my mood.

  It’s not long before we are walking back into the conference room. Friday is the only one walking around the room as she rocks her newborn in her arms, but Abigail’s crying is as strong as ever. Friday gives me an anxious smile when I realize someone is missing. I return to my seat and see Aaron’s letters in a neat pile at the far end of the sofa. I pray that he hasn’t left the building entirely.

  Emma approaches, followed by Zach and my shadow Agent Hunt.

  “Hi Eve.” Emma takes Aaron’s seat and waves a hand at Zach. “Meet your new mentor.”

  I think I must frown because Zach is no longer smiling.

  “You were expecting Hudson?” he says.

  “Um… You’re great,” I say quickly. “Really.”

  He lifts his cap and sweeps his fringe to the side. “You’re sure about that?”

  “Sure.”

  “Good. ‘Cause I’m pretty much your only option.”

  “Oh.” Wow, that’s brutal.

  He smirks. “You have no idea how hard it was for us to agree on a mentor for Ardent Strangers, do you?”

  “I don’t see why. Aren’t we just like any other act?”

  Picking at her nail polish, Emma warns, “Zach—”

  “No, she should know,” he says. “I’m not working with someone and then lying behind their back.”

  Lying? What the…? “Okay, tell me.”

  But I never find out anymore, because Friday hurries over to us with a screaming baby in her arms.

  “Eve,” Friday says. “Do you mind taking Abigail for me? I really need to use the bathroom. She’s been fed, changed, and everything, and she will not stop crying!” She shakes her head, her brown eyes glistening. “I need a break, and she likes you.”

  “Of course,” I say, not wasting a moment to take the wrapped bundle into my arms. “Take your time.”

  “Thanks.” Friday looks like a weight has been lifted as she leaves the room. Abigail looks up at me, tears flowing, her little mouth open in a larger-than-life scream. How can something so small produce a noise this loud?

  I rewrap her flannelette blanket nice and tight, then hold her to my chest. I check that her delicate mouth is above my shoulder as I cradle her head and rub her back in tiny circles. I shush quietly over and over again. The crying continues. Emma joins me in rubbing Abigail’s back. Zach shifts uncomfortably on the spot.

  “Do you want to hold her?” I ask him.

  He grins awkwardly. “Nope, you seem to be doing fine. She’ll probably start crying again if I take her.”

  I look down at Abigail and discover she’s asleep. I smile broadly. Emma stops rubbing Abigail and we breathe in relief.

  “Phew! Good team work there.” She laughs, then leans in to see the gentle flutter of Abigail’s eyelashes. “Isn’t she adorable?”

  “Yeah, you say that now that she’s asleep,” Zach says.

  “She’s gorgeous,” I say, kissing the top of Abigail’s head and breathing in that baby smell which is all sweetness. I don’t think there is anything quite like it.

  “So as I was saying,” Zach continues, “Emma’s sister wants you gone from the show, and for Aaron to be a solo act.”

  My jaw drops.

  Emma buries her head in her hands, then glares up at Zach. “I’m warning you.”

  “Your sister?” I ask Emma. Oh no, don’t tell me she’s related to… The red curly hair, porcelain skin, petite build… “Skylar?”

  Emma nods. “We had a meeting a few minutes ago. Aaron and Hudson are still talking with her. She’s a bit upset.”

  “Emma threatened to fire her,” Zach adds.

  “You’d fire your own sister?”

  Emma winces. “I’m trying not to. Believe me. Skylar angry is not fun.”

  “Wow. Why does she hate me so much? I’ve barely spoken to the woman.”

  Zach leans forward, eager to share. He points to the
closed door of Emma’s office. “Aaron’s in there now trying to fix what Nathaniel said, you know, when he approached the judges table. Hudson and I couldn’t believe it.”

  “Well, what did he say?”

  “I can’t quite remember his wording, but basically he threatened to get Skylar fired if she continued her line of questioning about your ex, and if she continued to attack you throughout the competition he would leak to the tabloids how she has a vested interest in Aaron as they used to have a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement. Supposedly, Aaron wanted more at one time, but she didn’t. Now, it seems she’s changed her mind. She wants more and he doesn’t want anything to do with her. She’s blaming you.”

  I flinch in my seat. Aaron has been with that witch of a woman! How many ‘friends with benefits’ does Aaron have?

  Unfortunately, Zach seems determined to include every excruciating detail. “Especially since you’ve also got Nathaniel Blake giving you necklaces and security at a moment’s notice. You should’ve seen her face when Nathaniel nearly kissed you before and Aaron told her to go away.”

  “You saw that? And Aaron?”

  “Yep.”

  Oh no. Aaron must hate me. I look to the office door. “But she’s still in there.”

  “Ah, yep. Hudson won’t let her mentor Ardent Strangers because he found out about her history with Aaron. When Nathaniel told us, I thought Hudson didn’t care. But Hudson’s pissed. You know how he mentioned that brunette while interviewing you, how he married her in Vegas? Well, that only lasted a few weeks. Months later, Skylar has returned to being a redhead and pretends that Hudson is a complete stranger. He’s gutted. Completely. There is no way Hudson will mentor Aaron now.”

  So much for Ardent Strangers ever touring with Hudson’s band in the US. Not that I care right at this minute.

  Speak of the devil, the office door opens and a disgruntled Aaron exits, followed by Skylar and Hudson who disband to opposite sides of the room. Emma and Zach take this as their cue to leave. Aaron barely seems to notice. He picks up one of his unopened letters and breathes heavily.

  I rub Abigail’s back, wondering whether to say anything at all. “Aaron?”

  A short grunt in response as he rips open another envelope.