by Linda Verji
The lines creasing Javier’s brow became even more defined. He waved the housekeeper out of the room before turning his attention back to April. “What’s up?”
“Um… I… uh…” April stumbled over her words. This was turning out to be harder than she’d expected. Her gaze lowered to her lap as she wiped her suddenly moist palms on the skirt of her sun-dress. “I wanted to-”
“Is it that bad?” Javier cut into her stammering.
She snuck a nervous glance up at him before finally saying, “Um… I think we should stop hanging out.”
Javier blinked, then blinked again. “What?”
April swallowed. “I think we should stop hanging out.”
He watched her for an uncomfortably long time. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to string you along.” This time she met his gaze straight on. “I don’t want to keep getting your hopes up that we might eventually end up dating.”
“I told you I understood that you weren’t interested in something deeper.” His gaze earnest, Javier sat forward with his elbows on his knees. “That’s why we agreed to be just friends.”
“But that’s not all you want, is it?” She studied him. “You’re still hoping that this friendship might lead to something more. That’s why it needs to end. I can’t give you more. Not now. Not in the future.”
Even to her own her ears, her words sounded cruel. But it would’ve been crueler to lie to him.
“Where is this coming from?” Javier thrust his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. “When I left we were doing so well.”
April’s eyes lowered to her lap as she shrugged. “I guess I just had some time to think.”
“No. No. This doesn’t make sense. Something must have happened to make you do this.” Javier shot up from the bench to pace the length of space in front of it. He came to a stop in front of April. “It’s Roman, isn’t it?”
At the mention of Roman, her stomach immediately knotted and her eyes flew up to meet Javier’s. “What?”
“He got to you, didn’t he?” Javier’s eyes narrowed on her face. He must’ve seen something in her face because he barked, “I knew it. That son-of-a-bitch.”
“This has nothing to do with Roman,” April protested.
“It does,” Javier insisted. He plopped back to the bench and leveled an angry look at her. “What did he tell you? Did he tell you that he loved you? He doesn’t. He’s only saying because he doesn’t want you and I to be together.”
“Did he tell me wh-” April stopped speaking as the full impact of what Javier had just said hit her right in the face. Javier’s words implied that he and Roman had spoken about her. Those words implied that Roman had told him that he loved her. Confusion and shock lanced through her as questions raced through her thoughts.
Was this what they were both trying to keep from her? Was this why Javier had been so agitated when he’d come to see her after his and Roman’s confrontation? Had Roman really confessed that he loved her? To Javier? The same person he’d told that she was a gold-digger? Did this mean that he’d realized his feelings for her way before the night of the wedding? Or were his words just another attempt to keep her to himself. What the hell was going on here?
Unaware of the confused thoughts pummeling April, Javier continued, “I told that selfish bitch to shut up.” He smacked one fist against his open palm as he ranted, “I told him to keep away from you.”
What? Was this what Roman had been talking about when he’d ambushed her by the ladies’ restrooms? Had he kept away from her because of something Javier had said? April’s hand flew to her mouth as her thoughts became even more muddled. She felt like someone who’d caught a movie when it was halfway done and was now struggling to catch up with what had happened in the previous minutes.
Finally noticing her confusion, Javier scooted forward on his bench, closer to her. “You can’t believe him, April. He’s a liar.”
“Mm.” She nodded, but she had no idea what she was even nodding to.
“Don’t fall for him,” Javier pleaded, his eyes feverish with desperation. “Did I tell you what that asshole said? He said that you were a groupie. That you were a gold-digger.”
If she were in her right mind, April would’ve called him out for tattling on his friend. But all she did was say, “I know what he said.”
“You do?” Javier frowned. “Then why are you dating him?”
“I’m not dating him,” she said
“Then what’s the problem.” Javier’s face lit up in a sudden grin that was just as disconcerting as his burst of temper. “You and I can just keep hanging out and-”
“No, we can’t,” April cut him off mid-sentence. “Like I said, you’re expecting more than friendship from me, and I can’t give you that.”
He tapped his chest. “I’m okay with you not giving me more.”
“You’re okay with it now.” She explained, “But eventually you’ll get frustrated, then you’ll end up resenting me for not returning your feelings. And I’ll end up resenting you for expecting more from me than I’m willing to give.”
“You don’t know that,” Javier protested.
“I do.” She had first-hand experience of loving someone who didn’t love her back. “I know my feelings for you, and I know they won’t change. A year from now I’ll still think of you as just a friend. Eventually, our friendship will sour because you’ll feel like you’ve wasted all that time chasing me – or worse, I might decide to date you out of pity. Either way, it will still end with us breaking up and hating each other.”
April paused before adding, “I’d rather just stop now while we’re ahead, while we can still part with some friendly feelings.” She smiled ruefully. “Trust me when I say that this is the best thing for us.”
Javier gave her a pained stare. “It doesn’t feel like the best thing for us.”
Eventually, he’d get over her, April reassured herself as she left his house. Maybe she could’ve stayed as just a friend with him, but she knew better than anyone that her presence in his life would only make it harder for him to get over her. If she was absent from his life, it would be easier for him to forget her and move on to a woman who deserved him, a better woman, a woman who wasn’t in love with another man.
But even as she hailed a cab, she couldn’t help comparing hers and Javier’s friendship to hers and Roman’s relationship. The parallels were undeniable, and she had to wonder if Roman’s newfound feelings were just pity. What if she’d worn him down until he’d now decided to throw her some crumbs?
She didn’t want that kind of love. What woman did?
*
ON THE OTHER side of town, Roman was also thinking of April.
Appearances to the contrary, he hadn’t given up on her or gotten tired of pursuing her. As intense as their last argument had been, he refused to admit defeat. She was too important to him. Unfortunately, right now she was too upset and, justifiably, angry at him. For that reason, he’d chosen to suspend his efforts to convince her to forgive him until she was in a more receptive mood. Meanwhile, all he could do was continue to wallow in his misery and hope against hope that her anger subsided soon.
The sound of his phone ringing yanked him out of his thoughts. He picked the gadget off his desk to check his screen. He frowned when he saw who was calling but he picked up anyway. “Hello?”
“Let’s meet,” Javier said sharply.
“Why?”
Javier snapped, “Get to Nox right now, you asshole.”
Roman pulled his phone from his ear and stared at it. Was this little boy kidding him? Who exactly did he think he was talking to like that? His dog? Roman pressed the phone back to his ear and responded coolly, “I’m busy. If you need to talk to me, then you know where to find me.”
“You don’t want me to come find you,” the younger man threatened. “You better get your ass here or I’ll come to that lame, sorry ass, ain’t all that restaurant of yours, and kick your ass.�
�
Roman wanted to throw the threat back in Javier’s face, dare him to kick his ass. But the thought of the punk causing a commotion at Tellers was enough to still Roman. He huffed, “Fine. Give me fifteen minut-”
Javier hung up before he even finished the sentence.
What the hell was that about? What was Javier so mad about?
With another annoyed sigh, Roman stood and grabbed his suit jacket before heading for the door. Within ten minutes, he was driving into Nox’s parking lot. Immediately, he spotted Javier. The young man was leaning back against his car with his hands thrust aggressively in his pockets. When he spotted Roman, he straightened to his full height. Roman parked his car into an empty spot then made his way to Javier.
Javier, as it turned out, was timing him.
The moment Roman got close enough, the young man crooked his elbow and shot his arm out. Roman had no time to react. One second he was staring at Javier and the next his face was exploding with pain as Javier’s fist connected with his jaw. Roman staggered backwards and cradled his jaw as intense pain shot through the whole left side of his face.
“That’s for the last time you punched me,” Javier bit out as he glared at Roman. He cocked his arm again. “And this is for stealing April.”
Roman’s instincts came alive then. He ducked the fist before it could slam into his face. In one smooth move, he threw out his own arm. His punch caught Javier in the torso and the younger man doubled over in pain. With a pained groan, Javier slumped to the ground on one knee. And just like that the fight was over.
“Fuck!” Javier coughed as he clutched his stomach. “Fuck.”
“Is this what you were calling me for?” Roman, who hadn’t been expecting the fight, let alone for it to end so soon, glared at the fallen man. “To fight?”
“Fuck you,” Javier cussed as he gingerly stood. Roman stiffened and readied himself just in case the man decided to have another go at it. But Javier only leaned back against the car and closed his eyes. Almost under his breath, “Selfish bastard. You can’t even let me get in one punch when you’ve already won.”
What? Roman frowned. “What the hell are you mumbling about?”
Javier opened his eyes to glower at him. “You won.”
“I won what?”
“You won April.” Javier seemed to deflate as he sighed. “Man, I tried to get that girl. I tried. Are you into some voodoo type shit? Because that’s the only thing that can explain how you’ve got her so wrapped around you.”
It would’ve been a lie to say that Roman’s heart didn’t leap at Javier’s defeated expression, or that his senses didn’t start dancing at the thought that there was now no one between him and April. He barely managed to keep his face expressionless as he said, “April’s not a prize that can be won.”
“Bullshit!” Javier retorted, but there was no sting to his word. Wagging his finger at Roman, he complained, “You played dirty though. You said you wouldn’t touch her but I know you did something to her while I was away. She wouldn’t even look at me straight in the eyes when she was breaking up with me. What did you do?”
Roman wanted to deny that he’d done nothing but there was no point, so he said, “I’m sorry.”
“Shove your sorry where the sun don’t shine,” Javier bit out.
Surprisingly, Roman felt a thread of sympathy for the other man. It wasn’t Javier’s fault that he’d gotten caught in between Roman and April. He moved forward to pat the younger man’s shoulder. “You’ll find someone else.”
“I don’t want someone else.” Javier roughly shrugged Roman’s hand off his shoulder. He exhaled sharply as annoyance crossed his features. “Damn! I’ve never lost a girl to another man before.”
“Think of this as a lesson in how life works.” Roman consoled, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
“You should put that in a book,” Javier retorted sarcastically.
Despite himself, Roman laughed.
“Don’t laugh.” Javier gave him a disgusted look. “You’re only making me want to punch you again.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Roman lifted his palms in surrender. Curiosity driving him, he hesitantly asked, “What exactly did April say about me?”
“Ask her yourself,” Javier snapped. “I’m not about to play Cupid to you two.”
Quiet settled between the two men for a long uncomfortable while. But eventually, Javier straightened from his car. He jerked open the driver’s side door but before getting in, he turned to Roman. “Let’s stay away from each other for a minute. I don’t think I can see your ugly face without wanting to plant one on it.”
“Fair enough,” Roman agreed. This was as close to a ceasefire as they were ever going to get to, and he was willing to take it.
It was only after Javier had zoomed away and he was alone that Roman finally grinned. Now, he was glad that he’d come when Javier had called. He didn’t even care that his jaw was still throbbing, it was a small price to pay for the hope that Javier had given him. He didn’t know what April had told Javier, but apparently it was enough to make the younger man think that Roman was still in the game – and winning it.
If that wasn’t hope, then Roman didn’t know what was.
No, he definitely wasn’t giving up on April. But this time, he wouldn’t tell her how he felt about her. Words had proven to be useless in breaking the barricades she’d put around her heart. This time, he’d show her that he wasn’t just toying with her. That he really loved her.
CHAPTER 20
April studied him as he sat opposite her, pawing through the paperwork she’d brought him. Despite her best efforts to forget that Roman had told Javier that he loved her, she couldn’t forget. The thought that Roman might actually have feelings for her played in her mind, teased her and tested her assertions that he was only toying with her. Was he just saying that he loved her to keep Javier away? Or did he genuinely mean it?
“Can’t we just get a long table instead of more smaller ones?” Roman dragged her from her thoughts. She found him looking at her with a questioning look. “It’s cheaper, and you guys won’t have to use so much effort moving them together when large groups come in.”
“You’re right about it being cheaper and more convenient but,” she explained, “we can’t predict how large the groups are so unless we’re buying several tables of different lengths it doesn’t make sense. Also, what about on the nights we don’t have groups in? Will those long table just stay empty? No couple will want to be seated at that long table alone, or worse with strangers.”
Roman twisted his lips as he stared at the sheet of paper in his hands before he finally sighed. “Fine. It’s in. What about cutlery? Why is it in the budget?”
“Because we don’t have enough,” April explained. They spent the next hour going through each list item in the budget she’d created. But even as they spoke, she couldn’t help searching his face for answers to questions that had nothing to do with the budget.
Did he love her? Or did he not love her?
If she wasn’t looking at him so keenly, she probably would’ve missed the discoloration hidden within his stubble. It was almost as if someone had punched him. Instant panic lanced through her. His jaw was just fine on Monday when she’d last seen him – who could he have fought with in the space of two days? Since she’d started working at Tellers, he’d only gotten into one fight. The one with Javier. Had they fought again? Javier wasn’t in the best frame of mind when she’d left his house yesterday so it was quite possible.
Guilt ballooned within her. If Javier had punched Roman, it was because of her. As much as Roman wasn’t her favorite person right now, she didn’t want him hurt. Concern joined the guilt. Was he in pain? Should she offer him a cold pack? Painkillers?
Stop, she gave herself a mental slap. She and Roman weren’t in that kind of relationship anymore. It wasn’t her job to worry about him. If someone had punched him, then he probably deserved it. Determined to pretend th
at she couldn’t see that discoloration, she focused on their discussion. “If we’re getting the tables, we’ll need to order more seats too.”
“Don’t we have some in storage?” Roman asked.
“Ah!” She tapped her forehead. “I forgot those.”
“Check first to see how many we have then we’ll decide if we need to order more,” he said. “What’s with this order for uniforms?”
“We only ordered standard sizes for the servers,” she explained. “But we have some plus-size staff now and a few who are just too slender for the standard sizes.”
“Ah! I see.” He nodded. “These costs are too high though. See if we can find a supplier who is a little cheaper.”
“Okay.” She jotted it down in her notebook.
She managed to ignore the bruising on his jaw right up until she stood to leave. But the angel on her shoulder tapped her with its halo and she found herself asking, “What happened to your jaw?”
“My jaw?” He touched it lightly. “I walked into a door.”
Her eyebrows shot up. Since when did people start walking into doors with the side of their face. It only increased her certainty that his bruise had something to do with Javier. Fresh guilt spurted through her. “Have you taken painkillers for it?”
“It doesn’t hurt that much.” A sudden smile lit up his face. “Are you worried about me, April?”
“No. Of course not. Why would I be worried about you?” The words tumbled from her lips in a rush. Feeling flustered, she added “I’m just asking because you’re my boss and I… and I… I should leave.”
Before he could ask her anymore questions, she scrambled out of his office. It was only once she was outside that she drew in a shaky breath. Way to go, April, the devil on her shoulder laughed at her. Good job acting like you don’t care about him.
She didn’t care about him, she insisted as she descended the stairs. She didn’t care about him.
But it seemed that Roman was determined to show her that he cared about her. It wasn’t in anything he said, it was in the things he did. First it was his behavior in the restaurant; sending servers to make sure she’d eaten, reminding Vina to save a plate for her, taking on some of the responsibilities of being host. Usually, he chose just one or two tables to focus his attentions on and spent the night chatting with their occupants and eating with them. But now, he was on his feet almost as much as April, helping diners order drinks, checking to make sure they were served.