by Jade Webb
I force a smile to my face and look over at Yael, her cheeks flushed either from the compliment or more likely, from the moment we had just shared. Either way, I decide that I could get used to seeing that adorable red hue on her cheeks every day.
“You look incredible.”
“Thank you,” she says, shrugging her shoulders. “This dress is gorgeous.”
“It’s not the dress,” I whisper, so only she can hear.
Isabel shoots us both a curious look before rolling her eyes and propping an annoyed hand on her hip. “Dad?”
“Right,” I tell her, swallowing a deep breath and forcing my body to calm the fuck down. “Let’s get going.”
23
Yael
“Caviar, miss?”
“Um, excuse me?” I ask, caught off guard. My question annoys the waiter, who is clearly fighting the urge to roll his eyes at me.
“Would you like some caviar?” he asks again, repeating the question more slowly.
I bite my lip to suppress a laugh, shake my head, and offer the waiter a smile. In return, he offers me an irritated, tight-lipped smile and continues his work around the room. I can’t believe they are serving caviar at this thing. I thought that was something they only did in movies.
I clutch my hands nervously in front of me and crack my knuckles. I didn’t quite realize how incredibly out of my league I was. I have never, ever been to an event so glamorous. There are hundreds of people here, all dressed in beautiful ball gowns, their necks dripping with diamonds. It’s a far cry from the kibbutz I had spent my childhood, where formal attire was considered jeans without any holes and a pair of Teva sandals.
I look around the room, trying to find Lawrence. We had spent an incredibly awkward car ride here, which thankfully had been interrupted by a business call Lawrence had to take. He had apologized profusely, but I had been relieved at not having to spend the whole twenty minutes sitting in silence. Or worse, actually talking about the fact that we had almost kissed. Again. I would literally cut off my left arm to avoid having that discussion. Because what could I say? Gee, I know I keep telling you not to kiss me, but unfortunately my body hasn’t gotten that memo and I just want to climb you like a monkey and do horribly naughty things to you so I can stop waking up each morning with this hollow ache in between my legs because I am in desperate need of getting laid.
Yeah, most definitely a conversation I do not want to be having any time soon.
So, when we had arrived thirty minutes ago, I had completely panicked and made up a pathetic excuse to run to the ladies’ room. After giving myself a pep talk in the bathroom stall, I had forced myself back out. Unfortunately, I had lost Lawrence, my only lifeline here. I haven’t had a knot this big in my stomach since I was twelve years old and my father unceremoniously dumped me in the desert with a compass and a water bottle and instructions to find my way home. Even then, I knew I had the skills needed to get me out. But here? This was a whole different battlefield.
I do my best to ignore all the curious stares, but it’s hard. After I had entered with Lawrence, I had instantly noticed the pointed, curious looks and the staring. Especially from the women. Obviously, he is a gorgeous man with a fat bank account, but in the protective bubble of our world back in the house with Isabel, it was easy to forget that he was the heir to a billion-dollar fortune.
God, that sounds ridiculous. How do you “forget” someone is a billionaire? I’m nervous as shit, and as much as I hate to be alone with all these glaring vultures, the thought of being alone with Lawrence scares me more.
I force my feet to move, and to walk through the large hall, keeping an eye out for Lawrence and doing my best to will myself not to fall over and break my ankle in these heels. I had been practicing wearing these shoes all day, but I’m still out of my element in them. I feel like a newborn gazelle, unsure of how to use my legs, and ready to tumble over at any minute.
I finally catch sight of Lawrence and I feel myself slow my steps. He’s engaged in conversation with a woman with beautiful, dark brown hair loosely braided down her back and decorated with diamond-studded clips that sparkle in the dim light. She’s wearing a burgundy gown with an intricate, lace-encased back that hugs her curves and gives her an almost regal appearance. As I slowly walk toward them, I feel a pang of jealousy hit me when I watch her hand grab his arm as she bends over, the two of them laughing at something he said. Though I know it’s unreasonable, a part of me just hates the idea that another woman can make Lawrence laugh with such abandon.
As if he can sense me watching, Lawrence tilts his head and catches my eye. A wide smile crosses his face when he spots me. He gestures with his chin for me to come over, and I reluctantly close the distance between us.
“I was worried you had run away,” Lawrence says as I join the duo. Now closer, the woman is even more beautiful than I had realized. Her beautiful dark hair contrasts with her flawless skin and striking green eyes. She stands with the confidence of a woman who has everything figured out. Her eyes widen as she sees me approach and she shoots Lawrence a curious look. Great, another woman who is obviously not pleased I am here with Lawrence.
“I was thinking about it for a while, but then someone offered me fish eggs and I asked myself, ‘How could I not stay?’”
The woman laughs and offers me a warm smile. “You told me she was beautiful, but you didn’t say she was so funny,” the woman says, swatting Lawrence lightly on the arm.
Lawrence rolls his eyes and offers me an apologetic smile. “Yael, please meet my baby sister, Gabby. She thinks that because she’s in law school, she knows everything. But you can feel free to ignore her like I do.”
And as much as I hate it, I instantly feel a wave of relief wash over me. His sister.
I reach my hand out to shake hers. “It is so good to meet you.”
“Yael, that’s a beautiful name. Lawrence tells me you’re from Israel?”
I hold back my surprise at the idea of Lawrence having even mentioned me to his sister and nod my head. “Yes, up north. Outside a small town called Binyamina.”
“Well, maybe one day we can go for a visit. You would love to go to Israel and see where Yael is from, wouldn’t you, Lawrence?” she asks, batting her eyes at her brother and drawing a scowl from him. She ignores him, turning back to me. “So, tell me, how have you been handling Lawrence? Hope he hasn’t been boring you too much. All the poor guy does is work and have tea parties with little Isabel,” she teases.
I smile as Lawrence grumbles and takes a long sip from his glass of champagne. Before I have a chance to answer, a handsome man with dark, wild hair suddenly approaches and snakes an arm around Gabby’s waist. Gabby offers him a dazzling smile, and the man presses a light kiss on her head. Gabby leans into his embrace, a content smile on her face. The man smiles at me and offers his hand.
“This must be Yael. I’m Liam,” he says. His voice has a light trace of an accent that I can only imagine is a small percentage of his charm. The look in his eyes and the possessive arm he keeps around Gabby help paint the rest of the picture of a man devoted to his woman.
I reach out and shake his hand. Again, I’m surprised to find that they both have heard of me. Has Lawrence been talking to his sisters about me? “Nice to meet you.”
A pang of jealousy hits me when I see how effortless Gabby and Liam look, locked in the other’s embrace, seemingly oblivious to everything around them. They look so serene and comfortable together. I slant my gaze to the side and watch Lawrence out of the corner of my eye. He smiles at something that Liam says, but the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He almost looks a bit…sad. I lose myself in watching him, and only when his eyes find mine and he realizes I’m looking his way, does the sadness leave his face. He offers me a quick wink, one so subtle I’m sure I imagined it. But I know I didn’t, and I feel my stomach tighten at the gesture reserved just for me.
“So, Yael how long have you been in the States?” Gabby asks me, pu
lling me away from my thoughts.
“Just under one year,” I answer.
“And are you thinking of going back soon?”
“I don’t think so. Besides my father, I don’t have much family. And I really like living in California. The food is much better here, too.”
Gabby laughs. “So, you could see yourself living here for the long term, then?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
She tilts her head and offers a conspiratorial smile to Liam, who just rolls his eyes down at her.
“And if you were to stay, you would want to stay in this area?” she asks, her questions growing more and more pointed.
Liam lets out an exasperated sigh and wraps his hand around Gabby’s. “Gabby, if you’re done interrogating her, I would like to dance with you now.”
Gabby’s mouth drops open. “I was not interrogating her. I’m merely asking her a few questions.”
“Yeah, yeah, babe. Let’s go.” Liam half-drags Gabby to the dance floor, leaving me alone with Lawrence. I shift my weight, suddenly feeling uncomfortable—a feeling I’m getting far too accustomed to.
“Yael, about earlier…” Lawrence starts, his green eyes searing into mine.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” I quickly say, the words leaving my mouth before I can pull them back. I catch an almost-imperceptible flash of disappointment cross Lawrence’s features and pull the smile off his face.
“I want to talk about it,” he says.
I bite down on my lip and drag my eyes away from his intense stare. “It was a mistake. We can’t do that again.”
I hear him draw an intake of air and I look back at him. His face is stony, and he looks cold and distant.
“You’re right, Yael. It was my mistake. If you would excuse me,” he says, downing the rest of the contents of his glass before dropping it on a passing waiter’s tray and picking up a new one. He walks away, his posture stiff as he fades into the crowd. I suddenly realize how alone I am here, and how incredibly out of my element. I don’t belong here.
I turn to find the nearest exit when I feel a hand on my arm. I look over to see Gabby, a concerned look in her eyes.
“Did my brother abandon you?” she asks, a light tease in her voice.
I let out a frustrated sigh and knot my hands in front of me. She looks at me, her smile drops off, and she says, “Oh.”
Something about her concerned expression and her familiar green eyes instinctively tells me that she is someone I can trust. “I think he hates me a little,” I confess.
Gabby’s eyes pop open as she vehemently shakes her head. “No, no he doesn’t. Trust me.” She gently guides me toward the edge of a room where she brings me to sit down on a small settee. “Yael, my brother is…” She looks up at the ceiling, trying to pull the right word. “Protective. We grew up in a world where you didn’t know who you could trust. All our lives, Law did everything he could to protect me and Daphni. He would give his life for us. He had Isabel when he was really young. He was a mess at the time—he hung out with terrible people, would party all the time, and he didn’t give a single thought to the future. He met Fiona and they were like this explosion. They just brought out the worst in each other. And then when Fiona got pregnant, he just changed. He became dedicated to Isabel, completely changed his life around. But Fiona didn’t. She would disappear for weeks at a time, coming back just to collect money. Law knew that she couldn’t be around Isabel, especially when he knew that she was using drugs. So, he gave her an ultimatum and she picked a monthly payout, rather than getting help and being a mom to Isabel. It broke Lawrence, and even though he was always distrusting, after Fiona he became even worse. All he cared about were me, Daphni, and Isabel. His world became so much smaller.” She pauses and looks intently at me. I wonder how I hadn’t immediately recognized her as Lawrence’s sister when I see the way her emerald eyes catch the light. They are an identical match to her brother, and also as open and expressive as his. “Until you came around,” she finishes.
“Me?” I ask, unable to hide my surprise.
“Yael, obviously Lawrence is a man and has his…needs that he takes care of. But never, not since Fiona, has he even mentioned a woman. And then suddenly, every phone call with him it’s ‘Yael this’ and ‘Yael that.’”
“He talks about me?”
Gabby smiles and nods her head. “Yeah, he does. So I’m pretty sure he does not hate you.”
I let out a frustrated moan. “I’m so confused. I don’t know what I’m doing. Or even what I want.”
Gabby places a comforting hand over mine. “Please, we’re all confused ninety- nine percent of the time. And no one ever knows what they’re doing. What you need to be asking yourself is how you feel.”
I shrug my shoulders in defeat. “He’s my boss. I can’t afford to look at him any other way.”
“Well, he definitely doesn’t see you as his employee,” Gabby says, her voice playful.
I can’t help but smile and give her a gentle shove with my shoulder. “I’m not good at all this stuff. Never was,” I admit.
Gabby chuckles. “Trust me, neither was I.” Her gaze finds Liam across the room. He’s talking with Lawrence, who keeps tilting his head to watch us. Even from here, I can feel his gaze on me when he sees me watch him. “When I met Liam, I was determined that I would never fall in love. All I wanted was to focus on my career. But, you can’t plan for love.” Her smile grows larger as she watches Liam and Lawrence approach. When Liam comes to her, she rises up from the seat and links her arm in his. He gazes down adoringly at her, and it kicks me in the gut when I realize that there’s a part of me—a part that I had buried deep inside me—that wants that kind of love, too. And as I look at Lawrence, I can’t help but wonder if he wants that, too.
24
Lawrence
“So, Yael sounds like an interesting woman.”
I nod absently, only half-invested in the conversation with Liam. Even from across the room, Yael is distracting me. She’s sitting with Gabby, their two heads leaning in closely as they whisper. God knows what they’re talking about. I swear I’ll kill Gabby if she shows her that picture of me hosting the tea party with all of Isabel’s stuffed animals. Her and Daphni will never let me live that one down.
“And you know, it was crazy that we found out just an hour ago that Gabby is pregnant with sextuplets. It will be difficult for her with law school, but she’s thinking of dropping out and becoming a back-up dancer for Daphni anyways,” Liam continues.
“Yeah, crazy,” I mutter back as I swallow the remainder of the contents of my glass. Only then do I jerk my head back to face Liam. “Gabby’s pregnant?”
A wide smile crosses Liam’s face as he quirks his brow. “So, you were paying attention, then?”
I shake my head. “Sorry, man. Just a bit…distracted.”
“Distracted, right,” Liam says knowingly. “Been there before, mate.”
“It’s not like that,” I tell him, shaking my head. “She doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Well the way she keeps sneaking glances back here tells me something different.”
I quickly turn back around to find Yael watching me. When she sees me, she quickly turns her head and responds to something Gabby said. Had she been watching me?
“Doesn’t mean anything,” I mutter.
Liam finishes his drink and takes my empty glass, depositing them on a nearby cart. “Well, I beg to differ. And while you two mope around all night, I want to dance with my lady. Let’s go, Law.”
Liam gently shoves me forward as he strides toward Gabby and Yael, still focused on their conversation. I trail behind Liam like a lost schoolboy. When we reach the two girls, Gabby smiles radiantly at Liam, and I’m hit with a wave of gratitude that my sister has found love. Gabby is one of the kindest, most caring people I know. She’s always looking for ways to give back, but had always kept this impenetrable fortress around her heart. She had few friends and h
ad always thrown herself into her school work, sacrificing everything to make sure she was always the top of the class. She never wanted anyone to discredit her successes as thanks to her family name. And with all the hard work and hours she spent studying, no one would ever be able to make that claim. She deserved to be happy, and I was thankful that she had found the person who gave her that happiness.
“May I have this dance?” Liam asks as he extends a hand to Gabby. She beams up at him, before placing her hand in his and following him out to the dance floor.
I awkwardly stand in front of Yael, a wave of a hundred different emotions washing through me when I look down at her. I’m mad at her. I want her. I want her to need me as much as I need her. I hate how she doesn’t.
After a moment, I drop down into the seat left empty by Gabby, I slide my hands down my thighs, overcome by awkwardness and not knowing what to say. “Enjoying yourself?” I ask her.
She shrugs and toys with the stem of the champagne flute in her hand. When she looks up at me, I feel the breath hitch in my throat. She’s so beautiful. It still takes me aback how much I’m fascinated by every inch of her, from the slight curve of her nose to the sprinkling of freckles left over from her days in the sun. And when I catch the hint of sadness in her eyes, I instinctively wrap my hand around hers, wanting to comfort her.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her.
“I feel like a fraud here,” she answers, her voice sad and soft.
Shaking my head, I reach for her small hand and wrap my fingers around it. “You’re not. You belong here. With me.”
Her pulse thrashes against her delicate neck. I want her to say something. To confirm my words. That she does belong here.
“Lawrence, I need to tell you something—”
Before any more words can leave her mouth, a dark shadow crosses over us. Reluctantly, I turn my head to see Peter standing above us. His face is tinged red and his tie is askew. Instantly I realize he’s blitzed. And seeing as I spent many a night with him, drunk off his ass, I know that when Peter is drunk, he wants to fight.