On the Ropes (Windy City Nights)
Page 9
Not that Luke had been a monk over the last ten years. He’d done a fair amount of fucking, but never with anyone he had ever considered special. Luke’s own schedule had been brutal these last ten years too and the truth of the matter was no one, no matter how famous or outwardly beautiful, compared to his princess Abbey.
Luke needed to know what he was up against though. “I know I should have asked before, but is Abbey seeing anyone?”
Jake shook his head. “Not that I know of, and Cassie hasn’t said anything about a man in Abbey’s life.”
Luke’s stomach grumbled. He needed to eat something. He needed more in his stomach than pain pills, breath mints, and a few pulls of beer.
Jake stood and Luke followed suit. “Luke, thanks for the dove release. Cassie was thrilled. But you’ve got to stop with the gifts. It’s too much. I mean it.”
Luke walked toward the door leading to Fellowship Hall and snacks. “Jake, get over it. You know I’m a simple guy. I don’t own twenty homes and a hundred fancy cars. It makes me happy to spend some money on my friends and family. What else am I going to do with it? And soon I’ll have a new little niece or nephew to spoil.”
Jake smiled at the mention of his new baby. He let out a breath. “How about you tell me about all these secrets you’re obviously keeping and then maybe I’ll relax on the gift giving?”
Luke laughed at his big brother and shook his head. Jake wouldn’t let it go. “Sorry, man, you need to trust me. Come on, I’m starving.”
“I really hate you right now. But don’t overdo it. We’re doing dinner up well at Antonetti’s tonight.”
Luke had no intention of stuffing himself on snacks. He loved Antonetti’s. Cucina Antonetti’s had been an Elmhurst staple for years and one of Chicagoland’s favorite Italian restaurants. It was one of Jake and Cassie’s favorites and when they decided on their wedding date, both Luke and his Uncle Darren contacted the owner Carlo Antonetti to ensure they had an available banquet room. Luke smiled to himself. Not all of his wedding-related gifts had been obvious. Jake and Cassie didn’t need to know.
With the ceremony behind them, Luke could now refocus on Abbey. He’d told her earlier she wouldn't be able to get away from him and he meant it.
Chapter Six
Abbey stood outside the entry doors of Cassie and Jake’s banquet room at Cucina Antonetti’s. She was still irritated after her heated conversation with Luke in church after the ceremony. Why did he continue to push her? She had made herself perfectly clear. She wasn’t interested in being Luke’s plaything for the weekend. It hurt her to know that he thought so little of her. That he thought she’d help him cheat on his famous girlfriend. She had no intention of becoming tabloid news.
Abbey’s phone chimed inside her evening bag with another text message. Her stomach clenched. Besides Luke being an ass, Tom Murphy wouldn’t stop texting her, begging her to let him attend the wedding to make Luke jealous. Playing those kinds of games didn’t interest her at all.
So far her reboot weekend was off to a terrible start. Not wanting to deal with Tom’s barrage of texts which she would not read for at least the rest of the weekend, she stepped into their banquet room.
She smiled as she looked around the room. The room’s dark hardwood floors and wood-paneled walls gleamed. The matching wood bar appeared well stocked, with the bartender doing a last-minute inventory. Cassie and Jake opted for an unlimited open bar, which Abbey knew would be would be well frequented throughout the night.
The room was filled with tables of eight that were draped in bright white tablecloths and napkins with printed dinner menus on top of each place setting. The chairs were covered in white satin covers with cornflower-blue bows tied around the middle of the chair backs. The florist and her assistants were finishing up by putting the white and cornflower-blue centerpieces at each table. The long rectangular head table with large captain’s chairs for the bride and groom had a gorgeous elongated centerpiece that coordinated with the smaller guest table centerpieces.
Abbey went to her chair at the head table, placed her evening bag on the seat, and sighed. Another one of Luke’s bright ideas was to have Leah and Heath sit next to Cassie and the two of them sit next to Jake. Young Amy was sitting with her parents. Abbey took a deep breath and rolled her neck. It would be all right. After dinner was over, she could ditch Luke and kick her reboot weekend into high gear.
Cassie stood in the entryway, smiling as she inspected the room. Abbey went over to her and smiled back. “It looks amazing doesn’t it?”
Cassie’s eyes glistened and she nodded. “Yes, it’s even better than I imagined it.”
Abbey heard her phone chime again and growled. She’d just turn the damn thing off after they sat down to dinner.
Cassie gave Abbey a sidelong glance. “Everything all right? Jake told me about your argument with Luke in church after the ceremony.”
Abbey should have known Jake would tell Cassie about their argument. They told each other everything. There was a time when Luke and Abbey shared everything too. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“It’s not just Luke. Tom Murphy’s insisting on being my date to your wedding to make Luke jealous. I’ve been telling him no all day, but he won’t let up. What if he shows up and makes a scene?” That last thing Abbey needed was to bring that kind of drama to her sister’s wedding. She also wasn’t sure about Tom’s true intentions. Now that Abbey was no longer working at OSG, she didn’t want Tom to think he could pursue her. She wasn’t interested in any way. The thought of being with Tom Murphy made her shudder. Man-whore.
Cassie’s brows went up and her eyes danced with excitement. “Tom Murphy’s cute. Why not have him be your plus one? We have plenty of room for another person. Reboot weekend, remember?”
Abbey shook her head. Absolutely not. “No way, not Tom. That’s just disgusting, no matter how cute he is. He pounces on anything with a vag,” she explained.
Cassie laughed, causing Abbey to laugh a little too. “Well, that’s what you’re looking for this weekend, right? Just some fun, not a marriage proposal. Tom’s perfect for that, don’t you think?”
Technically, yes, Tom would be perfect for Abbey’s reboot weekend. He was all about having fun. But they worked together, used to anyway. She knew too much when it came to Tom. He was a total pig and although he was attractive, she wasn’t attracted to him at all. Which meant he couldn’t be her plus one.
“Oh yeah, he’s all about fun. Maybe too much fun. But I’m not attracted to him, Cassie. So no, I’m not inviting him.”
Hannah Hailey and her assistant dashed into the banquet room and did a scan of the setup. Her assistant straightened the table place cards, brushing lint from the table they were arranged on. Hannah moved the wedding card holder on the gift table and sprinkled white and cornflower-blue rose petals on top of it. She quickly sprinkled rose petals on the on the place card table.
“Would you like petals on the head table too?” Hannah asked Cassie.
Abbey and Cassie both turned to look at the head table. The head table centerpiece was set along the front edge of the table and was about half of the length of the table itself. Other than the place settings, there were no other decorations. Rose petals would make a lovely finishing touch.
Cassie looked at Abbey and she nodded. “Yes, I think petals on our table would look so pretty. Thanks, Hannah.”
Hannah sprinkled petals along the head table and took another quick look around the room. She nodded to herself, seeming pleased with the arrangements for the night. She came to Cassie and Abbey and smiled brightly. “I think everything is set and ready to go.”
“Thank you for everything, Hannah, and your mother too, of course.” Cassie and Hannah hugged briefly. “And you and your assistant are staying for dinner, right? I’m sure you noticed your table place card. It’s a shame your mother isn’t available.”
“Yes, I’m staying. Thank you for the invitation. I love the food at Antonetti’s! My a
ssistant can’t. He and his boyfriend have another commitment. As for my mother, she’s already back at the office working on another event. She normally doesn’t attend events we plan.” Hannah frowned for a quick moment then replaced her frown with a happy smile.
Maybe mother and daughter don’t get along so well, Abbey wondered. How sad since Hannah had worked her ass off today. She agreed with Cassie. Hannah should stay and celebrate all her hard work.
Cassie nodded. “I’m glad at least you’re staying then. I have you seated with Pastor Jenkins, his wife and a few others. I think you’ll enjoy yourself tonight.”
“I know I will. I’m going to check in with Carlo Antonetti about the food real quick, then I’ll be ready to relax.” Hannah dashed off. If anyone needed to relax, it was Hannah. Abbey didn’t know how she did it. She and her mother had been going full steam all day.
Cassie leaned in to Abbey. “Apparently from what Jake said, there are sparks flying between our Hannah and Rocco. I already had them sitting at the same table but this just got much more fun.”
Abbey shook her head at her sister. She wasn’t surprised though. Cassie was happy and in love and she wanted everyone else to be too. Thoughts of love brought her own thoughts back to Luke. How she wished her heart would get on board and move on. The hole Luke put there when he’d betrayed her was still there. She hoped her reboot weekend would be a turning point to get on with her life where Luke was concerned.
“So back to you and Luke. What were you arguing about?” Cassie asked.
Abbey sighed, wishing Cassie would let it go and Luke would get lost. When Luke hadn’t been able to make the rehearsal, she had selfishly hoped he wouldn’t be attending the wedding either. No such luck.
“Really, Cass? Do we have to do this right now?”
Cassie nodded at her. “I’m the bride, remember? I get whatever I want today.”
“Thanks a lot. Using the bride card on me, huh?” Abbey smiled at her sister. She couldn’t be mad at Cassie, not today at least. “He’s been coming on strong. I don’t even know what the hell for. He’s with Brenna Sinclair, probably married to her if what I’ve heard is true.”
Cassie shook her head. “No, he’s not married, Abbey. We’re certain of it.”
She wanted to believe Cassie. But what difference did it make? If Luke wasn’t married, he was still dating Brenna, which meant he was looking to cheat on her and Abbey would not go along with that plan. But why did the prospect of Luke not being married give her a spark of hope? Because you’re an idiot, that’s why.
“Okay, if you believe that, fine. But he’s still seeing her though. So he’s still the lying cheating jerk he was when we were together back then. Which means, I’m not interested. We’ve been over for ten years. He sure thinks a lot of himself if he thought he could breeze into town and expect me to just—”
Cassie put a hand up to stop her from continuing. “Look, whatever this thing is between Luke and Brenna Sinclair it’s … not like we’re all being led to believe on TV and the tabloids. I don’t think it’s anywhere near serious or if they’re even really together at all.”
Abbey didn’t know what to make of that. It made no sense. “What do you mean? They’ve been together for three years. There are pictures of them kissing and cozy all over the place.”
“Oh, I know that. But I don’t think those pictures are real either. Or what they’re supposed to represent.”
Abbey’s brain couldn’t process what Cassie was trying to tell her. “How can you be sure? Those pictures looked pretty convincing to me.”
Cassie sighed. “I’m sure for a few reasons. First, Luke doesn’t look at Brenna the way he used to look at you. Second, the pictures that have been taken of them seem staged. They both have brutal schedules. It’s like they came together from wherever they were to get some shots acting affectionate, then they went their separate ways until they got together to have more pictures taken. Most importantly, we’ve never met her.”
That surprised the hell of out Abbey. “Really? What about the string of blondes he’s been seen with over the years before he got together with Brenna?” Luke had been seen with several well-known blonde celebrities over the years until he started seeing Brenna Sinclair three years ago.
Cassie shook her head. “We’ve never met any woman Luke has supposedly been with, including Brenna. Isn’t that odd, considering he’s been with Brenna for three years?”
Abbey felt like she was in the Twilight Zone. She didn’t know what to make of any of this. “I don’t know what to say, Cassie. And why should I care one way or the other? We haven’t been together in years. Luke can do whatever he wants—except me.”
“I think some of Luke’s relationships and especially this thing with Brenna have been more about publicity than anything else. It’s good press for the Cobras and it’s brought a lot of attention and donations to the Cobras Children’s Foundation. You know how important the foundation is not only to Luke and Darren but to the organization as a whole.”
Cassie had a point there. The children’s foundation meant everything to Luke. Abbey herself had donated generously over the years. The foundation did wonderful work with disadvantaged children. They arranged for housing, meals, after-school programs, college scholarships, and more. Many of the players spent time with the kids too. The foundation made a difference.
If what Cassie was saying were true, and Luke wasn’t actually involved with Brenna Sinclair, that didn’t mean Abbey needed to hook up with him this weekend. There was too much bad history, too much baggage. If she let loose and had some fun, it would have to be with someone other than Luke. Abbey chastised herself for feeling disappointed at the prospect of not sleeping with Luke. Fucking him good as Luke used to say. She needed a drink to calm her mind and take the edge off, then she could continue with her reboot weekend.
Jake strode into the room with a goofy grin on his face. She and Cassie couldn’t help but laugh. “It was my turn with the top hat.” He kissed Cassie on the cheek and placed a gentle hand on her stomach. “Hello there, my beautiful wife.”
Cassie placed her hand over Jake’s on her stomach. “Hello to you, my silly husband.”
Abbey’s eyes welled up. A tinge of jealously took hold. Cassie and Jake were so happy and in love. She didn’t want to begrudge them their happiness, but she wanted the same happiness for herself.
Jake turned to the bartender. “Hey, my man, hors d’oeuvres are ready for cocktail hour. Are you ready to roll?”
The older gentleman behind the bar, with gray hair and a friendly smile, gave Jake the thumbs up. “Yes, sir! Ready whenever you are.”
“All right then. We’ve got a few guests sitting on the leather couches against the wall right outside the doors here and a few others milling around. Luke and Heath are chatting people up. Leah’s glued to Heath’s side.” Luke waggled his eyebrows.
Abbey had to hand it to Leah. When she wanted something, she went after it. “You think they’ll get together this weekend?”
“I hope they give it a try, for both their sakes,” Cassie said.
Jake took Cassie by the hand and led her to the banquet room entry doors so they could greet their guests as cocktail hour began. Abbey went to the head table and took a couple singles out of her evening bag. She cringed when she heard her cell phone chime as she walked away from the head table. She ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and dropped the bills into the bartender’s tip glass. With her drink in her hand, she joined Cassie and Jake.
For the next several minutes Abbey helped Cassie and Jake greet their guests. She knew many of the guests already and was introduced to those she didn’t, including several of Jake’s single college buddies and co-workers. Feeling a little buzzed from her strong drink, she considered a few potential candidates for her reboot weekend. She tried not to, but she’d looked for Luke a few times. When she’d found him, he winked and smiled at her. That made her heart flutter and her pussy slick. Damn him and her body!
She smiled as Mrs. Antonetti and Carlo Antonetti, her oldest son and current owner/manager of the three-restaurant chain, approached. Mrs. Antonetti, a lovely Italian-born woman in her mid-sixties, was a dead ringer for the famous Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida. Carlo was a handsome man, about six feet tall with a nice build, thick, wavy, dark-brown hair, and chocolate-brown eyes. Abbey noticed Carlo held a small white envelope in his hand.
Mrs. Antonetti double-cheek kissed Jake and Cassie. “Congratulations! Thank you for share your special day with us,” she began. Abbey found her accent and broken English adorable and smiled. Mrs. Antonetti held out a hand and Carlo placed the envelope in it. She handed it to Jake. “This is little something for you. Come back after honeymoon for date night. Bring pictures, okay? Don’t say no.” Could the woman be any sweeter?
“We won’t say no,” Cassie assured her. “We’ll come back with plenty of pictures to show you. Thank you.”
Carlo smiled at Abbey and she smiled back. She thought see saw interest in his eyes. Maybe her night was looking up. Go reboot weekend!
Mrs. Antonetti smiled and looked between Cassie and Abbey. “Your sister?” she asked Cassie.
Cassie smiled and nodded. “Yes, and she’s single too!”
“Cassie!” Abbey was mortified. She didn’t need Cassie’s help. She felt herself blush.
Mrs. Antonetti elbowed Carlo in the ribs lightly. “See? She pretty, no?”
“Ma!” Carlo blushed and shook his head. He looked up at Abbey and mouthed sorry.
Abbey noticed Luke marching over toward her with fire in his eyes. His long strides quickly ate up the space between them.
Oh shit. He’s pissed.
****
That was it. Luke was done. It was one thing to watch Abbey be hit on by some of Jake’s college buddies and a few of his co-workers, but it was another to watch as Mrs. Antonetti try to play matchmaker for her son Carlo with his Abbey. Not a fucking chance.