Aqua had been right. The trail led them right up to the door of some very powerful people in the United States government. That fact that the fraud did not go all the way to the Oval Office was the only consolation. Other than that, mayors, district attorneys, chiefs of police and even Senators were implicated in the greatest money laundering scam in the United States. Drug money belonging to the most powerful cartel in South America had been washed through the system and covered up by corrupt officials.
The discovery landed Aqua a job offer with ‘The Office’ for triple her previous salary. She faced one of the biggest decisions of her life—back home to Burnt River or stay in New York and write her own ticket to the success she thought she’d always wanted.
* * *
“Come on, Aqua. You can’t be serious.” Chaz took a sip of whiskey and swirled the liquid around in his mouth.
“Yeah, I am, Chaz.” Aqua took a moment to study her surroundings. Chaz had invited her to a celebratory dinner at the Old Homestead Steakhouse on 56th Ninth Avenue.
They’d wrapped up their case and decided a celebration was in order. At first, she had been a little surprised when he had dragged her past a nondescript brick façade and a kitschy sculpture of a cow outside with the caption “We’re the King of beef.” Chaz had sworn that the oldest steakhouse in the city was the temple of carnivore heaven. You could almost feel the history emanating from the walls, and the classic, dark wood décor spoke of days long past. There was an air of superiority here—it fit Chaz well.
“What about us?” Chaz took another sip.
“There is no us, Chaz.” Aqua stopped short of rolling her eyes. There wasn’t any point in lowering herself to his level or insulting him. Aqua didn’t look at him. Instead, she watched the burly waiters with meat-slab forearms move about the clubby establishment with the carpeted interior and the gold-leaf ceiling.
“Didn’t you enjoy working with me?” Another swig from his glass followed the words.
“Of course, I did.” She thought about cautioning him against drinking too much, but she wasn’t his mother, so she took a deep breath and was about to dive into all the reasons why when their server approached their table.
“One prime porterhouse for the lady and the Gotham rib steak for the gentleman.” The man who looked like a butcher placed the plates with surprising elegance on the table and nodded to the young man standing behind him. “Joe has the sides of cream spinach and country potatoes—enjoy. Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“I’ll have another, please, and you, Aqua?”
“Nothing more for me.”
“Come on, Aqua, it’s a celebration. Live a little.”
The incredible hulk, butcher look-alike waiter arched his eyebrows. “A celebration? Would champagne be in order, sir?”
Aqua jumped in. “None for me thanks, and I think my friend here is all set, too.”
Chaz sighed and shook his head, “Let’s go with a nice red.” The waiter left as quietly as he’d arrived. “Really Aqua—Are you my mother? Come on, I know the guy and I always get a table and an incredible discount when I eat here.” Chaz drained his glass. “He’s a member of the Sherry family that founded the place.”
Before Aqua devoted her attention to the mouthwatering piece of meat on the table in front of her, she slid her hands across the table, taking Chaz’s in hers. His eyes widened with surprise.
“Chaz, you know that we would never have worked out. When I left New York, I was hurt, but now I knew that it was the right thing.” Aqua pulled her hands away and picked up her knife and fork. It was time to redirect. “My mom would kill me if she knew that I was eating half a cow.” She started cutting the meat that fell away like butter.
Chaz chuckled. “Yea, she probably would.” He paused. “I have changed, Aqua,”
“Your wine, sir,” said the incredible hulk returning with a bottle of wine. Immediately, he busied himself with opening the bottle.
“Scott, do you mind? I am trying to have a conversation here,” snapped Chaz.
The hulk sniggered. “I better let the lovely lady do the tasting. There’s nothing like a Californian Camus red to soften a lady’s resistance.” The hulk winked at Aqua. She rolled her eyes.
All Aqua could think of was Blake. She wished it was Blake with her here right now. She still missed him like crazy. It pained her that he had not contacted her once, but then again, she’d been unable to reach out to him while she was on assignment. She couldn’t help but wonder what he thought about meeting Chaz at Evie’s Diner and the role he had played in her life. They hadn’t spoken with each other since. Who knew? Blake might think she had been two-timing him the entire time. But then again, what did it matter.
“Ma’am?”
Aqua looked up. “Oh, I am sorry.” She picked up the glass. The cabernet sauvignon from the Napa Valley assaulted her. It had a very dense opaque purple color. After overcoming the need to remain captured by the ripe bouquet, the wine tasted full-bodied and filled the mouth with strong tannins and a long finish. “Oh my, yes, this is very good,” said Aqua with a gasp.
“Yeah, this bottle has pretty good staying power and depth. God’s nectar, if you ask me,” said the hulk refilling Chaz’s glass. “Go easy, will ya, Chaz.” With those words, his friend marched off, finally leaving them alone.
In the meantime, Chaz had devoured nearly half of his steak. He ate like an Ethiopian on steroids. Could it be that he was nervous? “You love that guy, huh?”
“Love who?” Aqua started to blush. She had hardly touched her food.
“That guy in the café back in Burnt River.” Chaz washed down the meat with some more wine.
“Blake.”
“Yes.” Somehow, the meat had given Chaz some of his usual confidence back. Aqua watched as his eyes followed an attractive woman on her way to the restroom.
Aqua shook her head. “You will never change, Chaz.” Forcing the thoughts of Blake to the back of her mind, Aqua decided that she was going to enjoy this steak. She took a bite and groaned with pleasure. “Sorry, mom, but this sure beats your tofu patties with chickpeas.”
“What was that?” Chaz was still caught up in the oscillating backside belonging to the woman who moved past their table. He had totally forgotten his earlier question about Blake and Aqua was more than happy to keep it that way.
“That woman is married.”
“So?”
Aqua shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You are such a cad, Chaz. I am just happy that you are no longer my problem.”
“Yeah, well, I had to try to get you back.” Chaz’s eyes grabbed hers and held them.
“Why?” she whispered.
“I guess it’s just what I do. I like you, and I respect you. That doesn’t happen often.” He popped the last bit of meat into his mouth and smiled contently. “I guess I might also like the challenge,” he said with his mouth half full.
Aqua had never seen a man get over a rejection as fast as Chaz. He was insufferable. For a moment she remembered the wise words of Mr. Weiker, and she decided to be curious about how Chaz had gotten that way. After she had taken another bite of her porterhouse, she lifted her glass. “To us, Chaz. May we both find happiness wherever we go.”
“To us, Aqua.” Their glasses clinked, and Chaz’s eyebrows furrowed. “We could go back to your place after and have a little rumba-samba for old time sake.” He winked. “No strings attached of course.”
“Of course, no strings.” The hopeful look on Chaz’s face made Aqua laugh out loud, drawing the attention of several tables around them. “That was tongue-in-cheek, Chaz. You know better.”
She felt a shadow cross over her face and rubbed her forehead to hide her reaction. “Hey, are you okay, Aqua?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Don’t look now, but we have a friend at 1 o’clock. I’m hoping it’s a coincidence that one of our esteemed Senators has chosen the same restaurant that we did tonight.”
“Hm. You’re right.
Time to get our check and leave. There’s no point in tempting fate.”
From what Aqua could tell, the subject paid no attention to them or their table. Chaz let his friend know that they needed to leave now, and quietly. Apparently, that sort of thing wasn’t all that uncommon at The Old Homestead Steakhouse, and their exit seemed to go off without notice.
* * *
“Chaz, you really didn’t need to walk me back to my place.” Aqua protested for the umpteenth time—the two had polished off another bottle of wine at a wine bar on their way back to Aqua’s apartment. Aqua was grateful that she hadn’t indulged in the digestives at the same rate Chaz had. The man was practically legless as he swayed up the last few steps toward the impressive entrance belonging to Aqua’s temporary residence.
“Sure, I did,” he slurred. “It’s what a gentleman does, you know.” He swayed on his feet in front of Aqua and barely managed a wink. “But don’t expect me to bring you right to your door. In this state, I would take advantage of your virtue.” He wagged his finger at her.
Aqua smiled a sad smile. “Okay, Chaz. I will keep that in mind.” She looked at the near twenty paces back to the waiting cab. “Are you sure that you don’t want me to escort you back to the car?”
“Nah, I can handle that,” said Chaz as he took two steps and then stumbled, but managing to sit down.
“Oh my God, Chaz. Are you okay?” Aqua rushed to his side. She knelt down beside him and was relieved to hear him laughing.
“I think I shouldn’t have had that last Cognac.”
“I think I agree with you on that one.” Laughing, Aqua pulled on his shoulders. “Come on, Chaz, help me out here?”
“May I?” asked a familiar voice.
“Blake?” Aqua spun around, dropping Chaz back onto the stair. She held her hand to her mouth, mortified that she’d dropped Chaz when she heard Blake’s voice.
“What are you doing here?” she croaked at Blake and then turned, “Oh my gosh, Chaz, I’m so sorry.”
“Your mom and dad told me that your project in the City was finished, so I thought that you might have the time to show me around town.” Blake did not wait for an answer. He nodded toward Chaz. “A bit too much, huh?”
“You could say that. I was just trying to help him down the stairs after he insisted on seeing me to my door.”
“I’m sure he did.”
Blake heaved Chaz up. “Come on, man. Let’s get you to the taxi.” Aqua watched Blake help Chaz back to the taxi, talking to him the entire time. She assumed he was assessing Chaz’s state while supporting him as though he weighed nothing. Blake gave some money to the cabbie and then turned back and walked toward Aqua.
Aqua was still in shock that Blake was in New York. Her stomach was in knots. Was she dreaming? Was she drunk? She thought of Blake and what he had told her about New York. He had made it abundantly clear that he was not a fan of the city. Then why was he here? Aqua couldn’t believe the first answer that came into her head. “Does he still love me?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I do.”
She shook her head and looked up, still wondering if it was real.
“Can we go inside?” He asked.
“Yes, yes of course.”
Chapter 17
Blake whistled as he walked around the two thousand square foot pad with a great view of the city. “This is quite the place.”
“It’s not mine. This place was temporary for my assignment, rented by my former employer, and I have to vacate in a few days.”
He looked at her curiously, but she had nothing more to say.
“How are you?” He asked, his eyes assessing her.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was neutral, and she leaned against the wall as he turned to take in the city view from the living room windows. “I’m not drunk if that’s what you’re asking. I stopped at two to three glasses of wine, but Chaz consumed the bulk.”
“I can tell you’re not drunk, Aqua. I'm asking about you.”
“I’m fine, Blake, really I am. It’s been a busy assignment, with little time left for anything else, to be honest with you.” She realized that probably didn’t offer what he was looking for, but if he expected more, he should have reached out to her with at least a few hours warning. She could transition quickly, but this was more like a complete about-face from where she had been emotionally just minutes before.
“I had this whole speech prepared for this moment, Aqua, but now all the words seem inconsequential.” Blake crossed the room and steered her toward the chaise lounge, dragging a chair close. He waited until she was settled, until he had her eyes, and then he continued. “You are not an easy woman, Aqua. I will tell you that.” He lifted his hand when she opened her mouth to protest. “However, this entire mess was not your fault…I spoke to our parents, Aqua, both sets.”
“Okay?” she had no idea where this was going.
“I had a very candid conversation with them.” Blake leaned in closer. “Unfortunately, my talk with your parents was only a week ago and I had to make arrangements for coverage for my practice or I would have come here sooner. Fortunately, a good friend of mine is in transition from being a SEAL doc to figuring out what he wants to do when he grows up, and he was able to cover for a few days.” His eyes smiled. They were shining.
“You would have come sooner?” She tilted her head at him, confused, and looked away to hide the hopeful tears that were threatening.
Blake gently cupped her chin and moved it back toward him. “No more hiding, Aqua.” He let several seconds pass, his eyes devouring hers. “My dad finally admitted that he hadn’t exactly been friendly to you--ever. He confessed that he had meddled and told your parents that we could never make it as a couple because our backgrounds were so different.” Blake shifted in his chair. “So I guess to some degree our both of our parents were in on trying to keep us apart. But I guess you suspected that?”
“Yeah, I did. That, and the way you spoke about my parents...” Aqua shrugged. “It was too much.”
“I understand that.” Blake frowned. “So, your boyfriend, huh?” Blake tipped his head toward the outside where Chaz had been moments before.
“Ex. Very ex, from before I returned home.”
“I see. Why don’t we grab a drink somewhere and talk? Or have you had enough already?” She could see his eyes assessing her, and it angered her.
“I’m fine, Blake, and I had only a few glasses of wine. I’m not incapacitated in any way, if that’s what you’re suggesting, but no, I don’t want to have a drink with you. I fail to see how that would change anything, or what has changed, and I don’t think we can blame our parents interference in our lives for what transpired between us before I left Burnt River.”
She stood and walked toward the windows, pausing when she reached them.
“Fair enough, Aqua.” Blake agreed, joining her by the windows. “We can’t blame our parents, but I think we can and should consider how their influence orchestrated situations and pressure that would not have otherwise existed.”
“You said some pretty terrible things about my parents.”
“I did, out of anger, and misunderstanding. I’m sorry.”
“What would change, Blake? Your feelings toward their way of life won’t change, and I’m not sure I can get past that.”
“You used the words former employer earlier. Does that mean that you won’t be staying in New York?” He took a step toward the bar at the far left corner of the room.
“Yes, that was the deal. I do the one job for them and head back home.” Aqua walked toward the bar until only a hand’s width separated she and Blake. She opened the Champagne chilling in the ice chest and filled two flutes.
“Thanks.” Blake lifted the glass to his nose and inhaled. “It smells great. You were expecting a celebration tonight?”
Chaz and I went out to celebrate the successful conclusion of our case. He brought this with him and I put it in the ice bucket before we left.
; “I see.” Blake tilted his glass in Aqua’s direction. “To us.” Without waiting for her he clinked his flute with hers and took a sip. “Mm, very good.”
Aqua arched her eyebrows. “To us?”
“I love you, Aqua, even if you were out with a former boyfriend tonight.”
“It was platonic.”
Blake frowned. “He was more than a little drunk, but he appears to be a nice guy.”
Aqua didn’t hide her surprise. “What? Why would you say that? You hardly know the man.”
Blake moved closer. “Before he left, he told me that you still loved me.” He placed his hands on Aqua’s shoulders. “And I believed him. Of course, he also added that you were making a big mistake.”
Aqua made no effort to step away from Blake. His eyes held hers like a vice. She had missed him desperately. “Why a mistake?” She frowned.
Blake laughed again. “He said that you were losing out on a great relationship with him and that he was the best man for you, but then I realized that he was joking around. Chaz said I should do everything possible to get you back, and if I didn’t, I would lose out like he had.” Blake arched his eyebrows. “Was he right?”
“That you would lose out if you didn’t try… yeah for sure he was right about that. But, Blake… how can we be together if you don’t respect my family, and your family thinks I am unworthy of you?”
“Oh, don’t worry about my mom and dad. They have fair warning and know full well that they had better not try to come between us ever again. I made it abundantly clear that I love you, and they accepted it after I told them I was considering moving to New York, if necessary.”
“You said that? You would do that?” Her eyes filled with wonder.
“Yeah.” Blake moved closer until his mouth hovered by Aqua’s ear. She could feel the heat of his breath brush over her skin. “I have to admit that it’s one of the reasons why I am here.” His deep voice sent electrical shocks down Aqua’s spine. Her body protested when he moved away.
“I had to make them see that I was serious. I said that if I couldn’t convince you to come back to Burnt River with me that I would stay in New York with you.” He sniggered. “Of course, I didn’t tell them about my conversations with your parents. Not until later that is.”
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