Secrets, Lies & Imperfections

by Pamela L. Todd

  It took me a minute to get what she meant, until I remembered my own reassurance that I wasn’t jealous over the eager-eyed security guard. I smiled and leaned over to kiss her again. “Exactly.”

  “Now give me my damn Lemon Drop already. I want to go dance,” Cassidy said, shooing me away with a wave of her hand.

  “You’re lucky you’re cute,” I said, pointing my index finger at her.

  “Whatever, Hamilton. Hurry the hell up.”

  After serving her her drink, I told Cass I’d find her in about half an hour. She gave me a wave and disappeared into the crowd. In the end, it was closer to an hour before I managed to escape the bar. It was pretty much an abuse of power when I said I was going on a break, but hey, there have to be a few perks to being the boss.

  I found Cassidy on the dance floor, shaking her hips to a song that became my new favorite. She spotted me over her friend’s shoulder and smiled, and I swear to all that is holy that my heart fucking melted.

  “Hey,” she shouted over the music.

  “Hey, having a good time?” I asked, leaning over to press my lips to her ear.

  Cassidy nodded. “I’m having a blast. You run a good club, Hamilton.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  She gestured to the girl in front of her, tall, model-thin with a face that looked as if it would crack if it gave more than a smirk. “This is Cora, Cora, this is Seth. My boyfriend.”

  At her declaration, I slid my arm around Cassidy’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Boyfriend, huh? When did that happen? You chew my ass out for calling you my girlfriend.”

  Cassidy scowled at me. “Well, you are, all right?”

  “All right,” I said, smiling and kissing the side of her head.

  Cora’s eyes flickered between Cass and me, and she extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  I took her hand. “You too.”

  “Ugh, I need to pee. Wait here?” Cassidy asked me.

  “Sure thing,” I said with a nod, hoping to hell and back that there wasn’t a line. I hated nothing more than making idle chitchat.

  “So. You’re the guy,” Cora said once Cassidy was out of sight. She scanned me from head to toe and some kind of expression passed over her face. It was slight, barely imperceptible. If I had to guess, she was heavy into Botox already.

  “I’m the guy,” I confirmed, smiling. Just because I couldn’t get a read on her didn’t mean I’d be rude. Even if the only reason was she was friends with Cass.

  “She never mentioned you were a Hamilton,” Cora said, shifting a fraction closer to me.

  And…there it was. That look on her face? It now read as opportunity. I gave a noncommittal shrug. “Why would she?”

  She came another step toward me. “I suppose I get it. I’d want to keep you all to myself, too…especially if I was a girl like Cassidy.”

  A lesser person could have taken that statement in innocent terms. Cass isn’t a flashy girl. She doesn’t intentionally draw attention to who she is or what she’s doing. But I’d been around enough women in my life to know that the one in front of me right now meant that in less-than-innocent terms.

  I folded my arms across my chest. “Meaning?”

  Cora gave me a look that was partway playful, part her meaning should have been obvious. “Meaning, she’s Cassidy. And you’re Seth Hamilton. Everyone in this town knows who you are, especially the women.”

  Was she just concerned for her friend?

  “I get why you’re with her. You can, and do, have anyone you want. Someone like Cassidy must be almost refreshing. But it won’t be long until you move along to the kind of girls you really like.”

  Okay, my pissed-off levels started to rise. This girl knew nothing about me, and the fact that she had the balls to stand in my fucking club and judge me had my hackles bristling. “It’s not like that with Cass.”

  Cora shrugged. “For now. But seriously, she’s done good for a chubby girl, landing you—even if for a short while.”

  Wait. Wait a goddamn fucking minute. My eyebrows pulled together. “What did you just say?”

  Her lips twitched, as though she enjoyed pointing out Cassidy’s supposed shortcomings. “That’s what you like about her, isn’t it? That she’s not your usual type?”

  “Let me make something clear,” I said, stepping into Cora’s space. My muscles tensed and almost trembled as I held back the raw anger that coursed through me. “I’m with Cass because I want to be, because she’s the most incredible person I’ve ever met. I’m not trying something new. I’m not intrigued because she’s different. You don’t know me. You have no fucking clue who I am or what I like.”

  Cora peered up at me, the corner of her lips curving up in what I suspected was as big a smile as she was capable of. “I’m not going to tell her anything. You don’t have to try and convince me. I can come back here tomorrow night when she isn’t with me. We could get to know each other a little better and I can show you the type of girl you’re missing out on while you mess around with her.”

  “When you leave here tonight with my girlfriend, don’t come back. I never want to see you in my fucking club again, you vicious whore. If you try, you’ll find yourself on the shit list in every half-decent club in town. Am I clear?”

  “What’s going on?”

  I turned at the sound of Cassidy’s voice and saw her face pinched in confusion. Wow. There must not have been a line.

  “Cass,” Cora said. The tone of her voice had me snapping my head around to look at her. Her eyes were large and round with shock, her lips turned down as though she was seconds away from crying. “Can we go?”

  “What’s wrong?” Cassidy asked, her eyes flickering between Cora and me.

  Cora glanced at me. “Nothing. I’m just not feeling well. Can we go, please?”

  “Yes, as soon as you tell me what the hell is going on.”

  I opened my mouth to tell her exactly what had happened. Unfortunately for me, Cora beat me to the punch. “What happened is Romeo here barely waited until you were gone before asking me to meet him when you weren’t around. I’m so sorry, Cass.”

  “What?” Cassidy asked. She turned to me, and the lance of pain was clear in her eyes. “Is that true?”

  “Is that true?” Cora exclaimed. “I’m your friend. Why would I lie to you? You know what kind of reputation this guy has, right? Everyone knows Seth Hamilton likes as many girls as he can get his hands on, and he doesn’t care who he hurts to get them.”

  Cassidy let out a small gasp, as though someone had physically taken a knife to her chest.

  I couldn’t do anything. What the hell could I say? Everything Cora said was what everyone knew about me. Why on earth would Cass believe a single word I said in my defense? No one believed the guy over the friend in situations like these. Especially a guy like me. My own family doubted me. Why shouldn’t she?

  “Cass, it isn’t true,” I said quietly. I had no idea what good my word was to her.

  Cora huffed and gave me a scathing look. “For Christ’s sake, Cassidy, look at him! He can barely even be bothered to defend himself.”

  Cassidy ran a hand through her hair. “I need to get out of here.”

  “No, Cass, wait—” I started, taking a lunged step to her. Panic shot through me that the second she walked out of the club she was also leaving my life for good.

  She held up her hand, halting me in my stride. “Seth, I need space. Do not follow me.” Her face was hardened and I knew that it wasn’t because she didn’t care, in fact, it was just the opposite. She cared too much…and she didn’t want me to see it.

  I could only watch as Cassidy turned on her heel and pushed her way through the club. Cora stayed long enough to give me a smug, victorious look, before following after Cass.

  My earpiece crackled as someone accessed my channel. “Hey, boss? We need your butt back here,” Ashley said. “The bar is swamped.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was jump be
hind a bar and serve drunken assholes. It took everything in me not to charge after Cass and beg her to hear me out. Forcing myself where I wasn’t welcome would only make things worse.

  With a weary sigh, I made my way back to the main bar. It was only when I turned to face the sea of customers did I realize that it wasn’t actually that busy. It was crammed with bodies, but manageable. None of the staff were floundering, no one seemed flustered or desperate for a break. My well-oiled machine was running smoothly.

  “Whoops, guess it was a false alarm,” Ashley said, trailing her hand across my back as she moved past me.

  Whatever control I had on my anger snapped in that second. I grabbed her wrist to yank her back to me. “Let me make myself fucking clear. I am the boss here, which means I tell you what to do. I am not a man you think you can manipulate. I am not interested in petulant, conniving little bitches like you. Waste my time again, and your ass is out the door. Do you understand me?”

  Ashley’s eyes flitted across my face for a heartbeat or two before she gave me a sickly sweet smile. “Sure thing.”

  I had no interest in whatever bullshit she was selling. My mind was full of Cassidy and what damage control I could do. Muttering under my breath, I left the bar area and stalked through the club to my office.

  There was no word from Cassidy that night. I must have stared at my damn phone from the second I sat down at my desk until it was time to close down the club. I tried calling her once I was in my car, but it went straight to voicemail.

  It crossed my mind to go to her apartment, but even I knew that wasn’t fair. That was her space, her safe haven. She didn’t need me barging my way into it and demanding she hear me out.

  I would just have to be patient…even if it did kill me to do so.

  Jesus, I couldn’t even imagine how she was feeling. We’d only just recently spent an amazing night together where she’d told me something I’d guess she’d only ever told a handful of people. Then her so-called friend drops the bomb that I hit on her. Even the most secure person in the world would take some time to get their head around that. But she would get her head around it. She’d let the dust, and her emotions, settle, and realize that I wasn’t capable of doing that to her…right?

  Cassidy didn’t answer any one of the texts I sent her over the next few days. And when her phone stopped going straight to voicemail, it rang and rang and rang, with no hope of answer from its mistress.

  She gave me nothing but radio silence for the rest of the week and that gave me a horrible ache in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t even sleep. I’d never felt anything like it before, and I struggled to even put a name on it. The more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that it was just…loss. I’d already lost her, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

  On Friday night, on the eve of his wedding, I was sitting in the living room enjoying a cold beer with Blake. He hadn’t wanted a bachelor party or a celebration of any kind—let alone for his last night of supposed freedom. So we sipped our beers and watched the fight on TV.

  A little before midnight, my phone chimed on the couch cushion beside me. Expecting it to be another stupid update from one of the guys at work, I didn’t rush to pick it up. But when I saw the contact on top of the message, my heart leaped into my throat.

  Sliding my shaking finger across the screen, it opened into Cassidy’s text.

  Probably goes without saying, but I won’t be there tomorrow…please give Marley my apologies. I hope I haven’t messed up the numbers for food etc.

  That was it? That was fucking it?

  She doesn’t talk to me for fucking days, and that is what she sends me?

  “Something wrong?” Blake drawled.

  I looked down and realized I had my phone in a death grip and if I’d been in slightly better shape, the thing would probably have buckled. “She’s not coming tomorrow. Sends her apologies for screwing up the numbers.”

  Blake was silent for a moment. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Good.”

  He blew out a breath then gave a quiet laugh. “Well, you gave it—”

  “I swear to fucking God, Blake,” I said quietly. “If you say I gave it my best shot, or it lasted longer than you expected, then you’ll be greeting your bride tomorrow with a broken nose and missing teeth.” Before he could say anything else, and before I made good on my threat, I got up and headed upstairs to my room.

  Well.

  I guess that was that, then.

  Should I be grateful I got to have her as long as I did? Was it meant to take me to better things, now that I know I should expect better? No more one-night stands, relationships from here on out.

  But how the hell do you move on from perfection?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  To say I woke up in a pissy mood would be putting it lightly. Totally lightly. Severely lightly. I’d tossed and turned relentlessly the night before, gut-churning anxiety keeping me from any true rest. When Blake and Marley were going through their shit, I’d told Blake that he was letting the best thing to happen to him slip through his fingers…but wasn’t I doing the same?

  I’d tried, hadn’t I? The night it happened, I’d tried to tell her that it wasn’t true. She hadn’t wanted to hear it. If she’d believed the lie then, why wouldn’t she believe it now? I’d known Cass and I were a long shot, always had. With my past and reputation, it was impossible not to know that. She’d always look at me like Seth Hamilton—rich playboy with a penchant for lots and lots of sex with lots and lots of different women.

  My phone rang as I was making a pot of coffee, and for half a second I thought maybe it was her and she’d changed her mind.

  Nope.

  Caller ID said it was coming from an office inside The Oasis.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Seth Hamilton? Max Airman. I understand today is busy for you personally, but I require an urgent meeting with you. Can you be at the hotel in an hour?” Max Airman, as in co-owner of The Oasis, sounded as brusque and dismissive as my dad usually did. Must be something about owning hotels.

  I blinked. WTF? I’d met Airman all of once, and I hadn’t warmed to the douche. What the hell could he want on a Saturday? But still, even an idiot like me knew not to bite the hand that fed me. “Of course I can, sir. I’ll be right in.”

  My head was a scrambled mess by the time I was making my way to Airman’s office. Between the lack of sleep, the agonizing over Cass and now wondering what Airman wanted, I was next to useless.

  Airman’s PA showed me into the conference room when I arrived, and quickly closed the door behind me. Airman sat on one side of the long desk and beside him was Henry, Marley’s boss and the other owner of the hotel. And also a middle-aged balding dude who looked vaguely familiar.

  “Mr. Hamilton, thank you for coming in so quickly,” Airman said as I took a chair in front of the threesome.

  “Not a problem, sir. What can I do for you?”

  “First of all, let me introduce Nigel Parker from legal. I should also make you aware that our conversation is being recorded,” Airman said, gesturing to the tape recorder in the center of the table.

  My stress levels went from moderately high to through the roof.

  “I’m not going to beat around the bush here,” Airman said as he opened a manila folder in front of him. “It’s been brought to our attention that there have been some discrepancies with missing alcohol in the club.”

  Aw, shit… “There were, I admit, some irregularities. But I handled it. I spoke to the team and it was taken care of. It hasn’t happened again. I put it down to some staff members incorrectly inputting orders on the register.”

  Airman closed the file and leaned back in his chair. “I have the records here, Seth. It’s all there in black and white. It’s a lot of money’s worth of liquor that’s missing. More this week than ever before.”

  I cleared my throat. “This week?” I’d been distracted, sure. But had I re
ally been so distracted that I’d missed this again?

  Airman nodded. “Thousands of dollars’ worth, in fact. And that isn’t staffing issues. That’s theft.”

  My head felt light, dizzy. I sat forward in my chair and looked Airman dead in the eye. “I can assure you, sir, that I will get to the bottom of this. I’ll speak to each staff member individually and see what they know. I’ll find the thief.”

  “That won’t be necessary. Last night one of your employees brought this situation to our attention. She claimed that you’re overly friendly with the customers, going so far as to kiss women across the bar while you’re working, and you’re quick to hand out freebies to your friends. She also says that when she tried to talk to you about it, you grabbed her arm in front of several witnesses and threatened her job.”

  Ashley. Fucking whore, Ashley.

  Airman sighed. “There isn’t any alternative here, Seth. We were prepared to overlook this and give you a second chance. But after much discussion, we decided that we couldn’t do that simply on the basis of who your father is. It wouldn’t be ethical, and frankly, we don’t need the bad press if this gets out.”

  “So I’m out?” I asked.

  “Yes. Frankly, after seeing the bruising on the girl’s arm, you should be thankful she isn’t pressing charges,” Airman said, eyeing me with so much contempt I wanted to smack it right off his fat ugly head. “I’ll need your employee ID, keys and security card. Right now.”

  I stood quickly, shoving out of my chair with so much force it almost toppled. I pulled all the items out of my pockets and tossed them onto the table. “If I was to offer you any advice, it would be to check back in on the club. It might take a week, it might take months, but your thief will emerge again. And I won’t be back when you figure out that it wasn’t fucking me.”

  Not waiting to hear their response, I stormed from the building and out into the hot Nevada sun. I dropped onto the curb and fisted my hands in my hair. Jesus Christ…had that seriously just happened? I’d made a mistake and underestimated Ashley. And apparently pissed off the wrong person when I, rather passionately, told her to back the fuck off.