by S. Nelson
“I’m starving,” Daria complained, placing her empty glass on the bar, only to wave off the bartender when he asked if she wanted a refill. It seemed as if she wanted to keep her wits about her as well, no doubt the handsome man to her right being the sole reason.
“Did they say how long before they can seat us?” Hal asked, taking a long pull from his bottle of beer.
“We were told an hour and a half when we arrived,” Daria answered, smiling up at Hal before coyly fiddling with her hair again.
“Then we better order another drink,” Hal suggested, tapping the wooden surface to get the bartender’s attention.
“I guess I could have another. It’s not like any of us are driving, right?” My friend giggled, and the sound was unexpected.
“Maybe you shouldn’t.” I tapped her arm, the corner of my mouth quirking up. I wanted her to be in the right frame of mind whenever the time came for her to decide whether or not she’d be leaving with Hal. I didn’t know the guy; therefore, I didn’t trust him, even if he was Max’s younger brother. I’d always look out for my friend, as I knew she would do for me. Even if her version of looking out for me was actually her pushing me toward Max, as was what had happened the last time we ran into Max at a bar.
“I’m fine,” she responded, turning to give her order before engaging back into conversation with Hal.
“How was work?” Max asked, looking at my lips a little too long before slowly perusing my body. His heated stare had me doing a bit of my own admiration, completely forgetting he’d even asked me a question.
“What?”
“I asked you how work was.” His smile disarmed me.
“Oh . . . it was fine.” I swiveled in my seat, my leg brushing against his. “You’re quite unnerving, Mr. Colter,” I teased, although I was completely truthful.
“Is that so?” Max placed his hand on my knee and squeezed. “Wait until we get home.”
Home. What an odd yet wonderful sentiment. We didn’t live together, yet I couldn’t help picturing that very same thing.
I opened my mouth to respond but was distracted when someone close by called out my name. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it, not until I peered around Max and saw the culprit who was standing twenty feet away.
Cambrian Halloway.
Gorgeous.
Famous.
Former client of the firm.
Eternal flirt.
Hell of a nice guy at heart.
“I thought that was you.” Cambrian sauntered over to our group and flashed everyone his movie star smile. A lot of A-listers were fake, repeatedly putting on a front for the public, but Cambrian wasn’t like the others. He was a genuinely good guy, always concerned about the well-being of others. So much so, he’d started a charity to help the underprivileged youth in his hometown of Los Angeles.
As he approached, I hopped off my seat to give him a cordial hug, accepting his kiss on the cheek in greeting. From the corner of my eye, I saw Max tense, but when I reached back to place my hand on his arm, he relaxed some, still wary of the man no doubt.
“How are you?” I smiled, remembering the last time I saw him, which was only a few months prior when he’d come in to meet with my father about some questions he had pertaining to the setup of his charity.
“Great. The premiere for my latest movie was a few nights ago. I think it went well,” he surmised, glancing at each person in our group.
A tight smile was plastered across Max’s face as he intently watched Cambrian, like a predator planning its strategy. Hal seemed intrigued by our new guest and Daria’s surprised expression was rather comical. While Cambrian was famous, he didn’t affect me like he did everyone else. The man was gorgeous, true, but the specimen who really revved my engine was standing next to me.
“I’m sure it’ll be another box office hit,” I replied, conscious of the fact our encounter was still only between the two of us.
“Which I’m sure you won’t see.”
“You know it’s not because of you,” I joked. “I just don’t have much time to watch movies.”
“How do you two know each other again?” Max interjected, taking a step forward. He and Cambrian were the same height, the movie star having a slightly smaller build. I reached forward and interlocked my fingers with Max’s, and when I tried to subtly pull him back toward me, I failed.
“Her father helped me out with a few legal things. Alina and I would chat while waiting for him to actually show up for our meetings.” Cambrian turned his attention from Max to me. “He was always late,” he chuckled.
“That’s his strategy. Keep the famous ones on the hook. Makes him appear more important, I suppose.” I was being completely honest, although I believed he thought I was joking.
There was an awkward pause as I gathered my wits. “I’m so rude,” I acknowledged. “Cambrian, this is Max, my—”
Max cut me off in order to assert himself. “Boyfriend,” he finished. At least he had the courtesy to extend his hand.
Trying to ignore Max’s show of dominance, I turned toward the other people in our party. “And this is my friend Daria, and Max’s brother, Hal.”
Surprisingly, after the official greetings had ended, Max invited Cambrian to join us.
“Thanks for the offer but I’m waiting for someone.” A small crowd started to form, but he barely noticed. “So what do you think of this place?” He looked to each of us for a response, and it was Daria who answered.
“It’s nice. Although if we don’t get seated soon, I’m going to have to gnaw on my arm.”
“Well, let me see if I can do something about that,” he offered, signaling toward one of the waitresses. She approached but acted as if seeing him wasn’t a big deal, when in fact I knew it was. Or at least I thought it was.
“We’re okay,” Max said. “We can wait.”
“Nonsense. What good is being part owner if I can’t help out a friend?” It then dawned on me why the waitress hadn’t been too affected by seeing Cambrian. She probably saw him quite often.
“You’re part owner?” I blurted, as if it was unheard of for celebrities to have their hands in the restaurant business.
“Yeah. So far so good.” Cambrian turned his head, searching the crowd of people. “Aww, here comes my date.”
All of us followed his gaze, and we collectively gasped. Max out of annoyance. Me out of slight disbelief, and Hal and Daria because being star struck apparently was the theme that evening.
I tried to swallow my jealousy as Amber Sotter sashayed her way toward us, her long dark hair flowing down past her ample cleavage, her legs appearing even longer in her tight mini skirt. Everyone’s eyes followed her because she was, well . . . Amber Sotter. But mine watched her every movement because I didn’t trust her, and my instincts were confirmed when her eyes suddenly zeroed in on Max.
Max
JEALOUSY WAS A funny thing. It played on people’s self-doubts. It ruined relationships. It made people second guess other’s intentions. Yet, even for as harmful as it was, to experience the emotion was human nature.
Mine appeared when men admired Alina, in particular, the man standing in front of us. The infamous Cambrian Halloway. He hadn’t acted inappropriately yet, but he was a red-blooded male, and I had no doubt what ran through his mind when he looked at my woman. For now, I wouldn’t say anything, which was hard to refrain from because all I wanted to do was shout at him to leave. For him to take his date and disappear.
Speaking of . . . as Amber approached, I sensed Alina’s body language change. She sucked in an uneven breath and stood taller, her eyes narrowing more with each step the Hollywood starlet took.
“Great,” she mumbled, edging closer to me, tightening her arm in mine.
“Calm down, sweetheart,” I whispered, quickly covering her lips with mine in an effort to soothe her.
“I don’t like her,” she grumbled.
“And I do Halloway?” At the mention of the man,
Alina frowned.
“What did he ever do to you? He’s a perfectly nice man.”
“Did he ever ask you out?”
“What?” she replied, a hitch appearing in her steely composure.
“You heard me. Did he ever ask you out?” I repeated.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Aww,” I challenged, “so he did?”
After a moment, she sighed. “Fine. Yes, he asked me out, but I declined.”
“And why was that?” I knew I should’ve stopped with the twenty questions, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Because I had just started seeing Chris.”
We were still whispering back and forth, so our conversation was kept private, but it was harder to do with the realization that Mr. Big Shot had pursued my woman only months prior. “Besides, I wasn’t interested.”
“Oh yeah, and why’s that,” I huffed, realizing my reaction was completely irrational.
Alina turned to fully face me and leaned up on her tip-toes. “Because I was waiting for you.” Any jealousy still racing through me dimmed, the reminder she felt for me what I did for her. “Now, let’s get this over with because I want that woman gone.”
It seemed Alina and I shared many of the same emotions.
“Maxton Colter,” Amber purred, brushing her breasts against my arm as she kissed the corner of my mouth, a brazen act considering she saw Alina draped on my arm.
“Mrs. Sotter,” I curtly replied, stepping back to ensure space between us.
“You’re always so formal, Max. You know you can call me Amber.” She flicked her gaze from me to Alina, looking her up and down before returning to blatantly stare at me. I almost felt bad for Mr. Famous.
“And how do you two know each other?” Halloway grabbed Amber around the waist and pulled her close.
“Max used to be my lawyer. That was until he decided to branch out on his own. Hopefully you’ll still represent me.” The devious smile curving her lips made me shake my head. Anyone with half a brain could see right through the woman, yet most didn’t tell her no. Well, I sure didn’t fall into that category.
“Sorry, but I’m not handling divorces any longer.”
“But you are venturing into entertainment law, correct?” She cocked her head. “I just might need some legal advice.”
A whirl of movement next to me alerted something was going to pop off if Amber didn’t leave shortly.
“And how is it you know so much about Max’s business ventures?” Alina gritted, trying to appear civil and unaffected by the woman’s shamelessness.
“I know people. Besides, he’s leasing one of the many buildings I’ve invested in. I’m not just a gorgeous face, honey. I do have some brains.”
“In your bra maybe,” I heard Daria say under her breath. Luckily Amber hadn’t heard her, which only would’ve made our encounter much more awkward.
“Wait. What?” I asked, dumbfounded by her claim.
“Yeah, what?” Alina parroted, suddenly glaring at me. I hadn’t gotten around to telling her the news because I wanted it to be a surprise. I was even planning on asking her to join me, but the new revelation was going to surely put a damper on the invite.
“Yes, silly,” she cooed, reaching out to touch my arm. I backed away. “Didn’t you get the contract?” The conversation had quickly steered into uncomfortable, and all I wanted was for both her and Halloway to leave immediately. Thankfully the movie star didn’t only have a pretty face. He had some wits about him, enough to pick up on the building tension.
“Why don’t we leave them to their dinner?” he swiftly asked Amber, leaning down to kiss her temple. He then looked over at me. “Your table should be ready any minute.” Stepping forward, he lightly kissed Alina’s cheek. “It was great to see you.” He smiled before ushering Amber away. While I didn’t like his lips anywhere near Alina, I was grateful he took the lead and left.
Although, when I turned to look at the woman suddenly fuming next to me, I had reservations about them leaving so soon.
Alina
“HOW DID I not know you were such a hot shot?” I’d been reapplying my lipstick when I stopped and looked at my friend in the mirror. Daria smirked back at me like she’d just found out the juiciest bit of gossip. Which essentially she had, if one was into that sort of thing.
“What are you talking about?” I played dumb, but she saw right through me.
“Uh . . . the fact you know Cambrian Halloway, enough for him to walk up to you and start talking. And let’s not forget Amber Sotter. Hello?” Her brows shot up to her hairline, an annoyed expression distorting some of her features.
“I thought I told you about Cambrian,” I aloofly replied.
“You know damn well you didn’t.” Daria pulled out some gloss and applied a single coat. “And Amber?”
Sudden fury coursed through me and I threw my lipstick into my clutch. “Don’t get me started on her.” The hitch in my voice revealed how much I couldn’t stand her, all without truly knowing her. Then again, I knew all I had to from simply watching her interaction with Max. She thought since she was rich and famous she could snag any man, and I wasn’t going to lie, there was a part of me that believed she could take Max from me.
“She does seem like a bit of a brat if you ask me.”
“That’s an understatement,” I fumed. “Besides, I don’t like the way she blatantly throws herself at Max.”
“Slut!” my friend exclaimed, which made me laugh, releasing some of the tension I’d been carrying since laying eyes on her. “Besides, Max couldn’t care less she was there. The man only has eyes for you. Lucky bitch,” she mumbled, winking at me before she grabbed my hand and pulled me from the ladies’ room.
As we walked out into the hallway, I was surprised when Max was standing nearby. “Our table is ready. I told Hal I’d come get you two since we’re towards the back. Thankfully, it’s a little more private. Quieter, despite the crowd.”
Max interlocked his fingers with mine and began to lead the way. Leaning in close, he whispered, “I was going to tell you about the office space, but I didn’t—”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” I tried to pull my hand from his, but he held on tight.
“Fine. We’ll talk about it later, back at my place.”
“I’m spending tonight at home.”
“Okay then. We’ll talk at your place.”
Daria spotted Hal and walked ahead, giving us some privacy.
“You’re not understanding, Max.” I finally snatched my hand from his. “I’m going to my place, and you’re going to yours.”
“Alina. Come on.” He angled his head to study me. “You’re being unreasonable.” Maybe I was, but I needed time alone to sort through some things.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but I cut him off. “Let’s just rejoin Daria and Hal. Besides I’m starving.” I strode toward the table without another word and took the seat across from my friend.
“You okay,” she mouthed.
I nodded. I wasn’t about to dive back into what was stressing me out when in fact, I should be trying to relax and have a good time. In addition, I didn’t want to give Hal the wrong idea about me, that I was some sort of brat, giving his brother a hard time because another woman had riled me, even though that was exactly what had my hackles up.
As the evening wore on, some of the earlier discomfort waned, which I was sure had something to do with the additional two glasses of wine I consumed. Max had a couple drinks as well, watching me out of the corner of his eye every now and then. The conversation flowed between the four of us, and I ended up having a good time.
When we finished, we filed outside, Max pulling his brother off to the side only to rejoin us quickly afterward.
“Why don’t I see you home, Daria,” Hal offered, throwing his arm around her waist, a move she most certainly didn’t mind. She smiled up at him and nodded.
“You don’t min
d, right?” she asked me.
“No, of course not. Have fun.” I leaned in to give her a hug. “Be careful. He seems nice, but you don’t really know him.”
She didn’t say anything back, just rolled her eyes before giving me a wide grin.
After they left, another cab pulled alongside the curb. Max reached for the door and opened it, encouraging me to enter with the sweep of his arm. After he’d settled into his seat beside me, he gave the driver only one address. His.
“I told you I wanted to go home.” Even though the evening turned out to be lovely, I still needed time away from him. The conversation about him leasing an office from Miss Diva herself would have to wait until the light of day when I had more emotional strength to handle it properly.
“Still?”
“Yes, still.” Some of my earlier feistiness returned. “I’ve not changed my mind.”
“But we had such a good time. I know you’re probably still upset, but—”
“Of course I’m still upset.”
“Well, if you would’ve let me explain back at the restaurant, you would’ve known I was just as surprised as you that she’s part owner of the building I’m interested in.”
“Have you signed the lease agreement?” The cab driver took a turn a little too roughly, and I slid across the seat, bumping into Max.
“Hey,” Max shouted. “Slow down, man. We’re not in a hurry.” The cabbie didn’t respond.
Once I’d righted myself, I asked, “Well?”
He sighed. “No, I haven’t.”
“Are you still going to?”
His silence gave me my answer. Leaning forward, I gave the driver my address as well.
“Alina. You don’t understand. The space is perfect, exactly what I need. And the price is ideal, especially since I’ll be sinking a lot of money into furnishing and advertisement.”
My phone rang, the volume startling me before I dismissed the call.
“What I do understand is that she’ll be there all the time.”