Maia could be pushy and act like a mother hen, but she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. Even before Felicity had a chance to ask her what she came to ask, she knew the answer. Still, she needed to ask. After she got the answer she knew she’d get, she needed to vent.
“Do you remember mentioning to Kevin that I work for Fortune Investments?”
Maia frowned. “Why?”
Felicity relayed last night’s happenings to her friend.
Maia closed her eyes and for a moment she looked as if she might implode.
“Don’t hate me. We did talk about you working for the Fortunes. It was only in the name of me trying to fix the two of you up. I wanted him to know you had a good job, that you’re successful. I had no idea that he was working an angle. That’s just not right and I’m going to tell him that the next time I see him. Unless you want me to call him right now.”
Maia punched her pass code into her phone.
“No, Maia, don’t. I’m not mad at you. I just needed to know if it was some kind of a crazy coincidence or if Kevin purposely targeted me. I’d say it’s kind of half and half. You wanted to fix us up—that’s the coincidence half. He got interested in getting to know me after he found out I worked for the Fortunes.” Felicity shrugged.
“That little—” Maia called him a colorful word. “I don’t appreciate being used. I don’t fix up people very often, because when I do and it doesn’t work out or if it does work out and they have a breakup—or if something weird like this happens—” She threw her hands in the air. “I feel bad.”
“You shouldn’t feel bad,” Felicity insisted. “This isn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have told you, but I wanted to get to the bottom of it. Make sure I had the full story.”
Felicity followed Maia into the kitchen.
“How did the Beast take it?” Maia asked. “Was he mad at you?”
Felicity shrugged. “He wasn’t happy, but in true Austin form after he went off about Kevin, he surprised me by saying that he’d finally pinned down a time to talk to his father about creating that advertising position for me.”
Maia’s mouth gaped. “And?”
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s not definite. I didn’t see him after the meeting. That probably means that he doesn’t have any news for me. I’d think Miles would want to interview me before he offered me the position. But it’s way early for that. Austin just broached the conversation today.”
Maia laughed the sort of dry, humorless laugh she usually saved for conversations about Austin. She had busied herself in the kitchen, measuring water into a pan and setting it on the stove to boil.
“What’s funny?” Felicity asked.
“I just think it’s ironic that you say you’re leaving, and he tries to create a position to make you stay. He finds out you’re dating someone, and he starts acting even more beastly than usual.”
Ugh. And he found himself someone else to date. The thought made Felicity’s heart hurt.
“Just sayin’.” Maia measured rice from a storage container and added it to the boiling water.
“Yeah, well, don’t start reading too much into anything. He has a date tonight with Macks. I’d think if he was interested in me, he would ask me out. And not on a work date. Besides, I think he’s taking her to the ball. So...there ya go.”
“Then you go sit with Kevin at his table,” Maia said. She used tongs to pick up the chicken breasts that were on a plate on the counter and place them into a skillet to sauté.
“Well, I did tell Kevin I’d be his date.” Felicity watched her friend season the cooking poultry. “I’ll have to work some that night, but I’m sure he’s expecting me to sit with him when I can. But as far as Kevin goes, this is it, Maia. I’m not going to see him anymore. The only reason I said I’d be his date is so he’d buy the table and support the foundation. I feel kind of weird about that.”
Maia shook her head. “If Kevin can use you for business, then there’s no harm in you using him to get a hefty donation for the foundation. Or to get Austin’s attention. It’s good that you’ll have a date. That way you won’t have to sit there and watch him dance with that woman all night long.”
“I’m not exactly attending the ball as a guest. I’ll be busy.” Her stomach rumbled. She put her hand on her middle, unsure if it was hunger or envy that he would be holding Macks on the dance floor. “That smells delicious. What are you making for dinner?”
“Chicken and rice. Want to stay and eat with me?”
Maia’s cooking was always good and tonight Felicity needed company, so she wouldn’t sit in her silent house and brood over Austin being with Macks at her art opening, wondering if they’d go out for drinks or dinner afterward. If he’d stay at her place...or bring her back to his.
“I’d love to,” Felicity said. “I have a bottle of sauvignon blanc in the refrigerator. I’ll go get it.”
With the help of a good friend and a little liquid courage, she would make it through this night without being tempted to do a drive-by of the art show.
Felicity smiled to herself. Or she could forego the wine and take a little after-dinner drive to see what she could see.
After she’d added the date to Austin’s calendar, she’d done a little research and discovered Macks owned the Chanson de Vache gallery, where the show would take place. It was located in the artsy Warehouse District. Pictures on the website showed that the front of the gallery was floor-to-ceiling glass. She’d get a glimpse of what was going on by simply driving by.
Back at Maia’s house, she stowed the wine in the refrigerator. “Want to do something a little outrageous?”
Maia’s eyes lit up. “Always. What do you have in mind?”
Fifteen minutes later, they were in Maia’s car heading up Tchoupitoulas Street toward the gallery on Julia Street. Claiming she wasn’t hungry yet, Maia had gladly put aside her chicken and rice dinner to join Felicity on the adventure.
The reception was from seven o’clock to nine. There was a little less than an hour left.
“I didn’t realize it was so late,” Felicity said as they turned onto Julia Street. “We may have missed him.”
“Let’s drive by and see,” Maia said. “You know, Austin and I have never seen each other face-to-face. If you want, I could go in and scope out the scene for you, get a barometer reading of the situation.”
“Oh, there it is,” Felicity said as they pulled up to a stop sign at the corner. The car was directly in front of the gallery. There was no one behind them, so it gave them both a chance to look inside the windows. That’s when Felicity saw him. Austin was holding a glass of wine, standing by himself frowning at what looked like a giant red papier-mâché dress that might have come from the closet of Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts. To the left, was a similar dress in black and white.
From the looks of it, Felicity just knew that this wasn’t Austin’s favorite type of gig. Yet, he was still there—
A car horn sounded behind them. Before Felicity could look away, Austin looked toward the street and their gazes locked.
* * *
Felicity?
Austin blinked and the woman in the car was gone.
He gave his head a quick shake, blinked again. He was worse off than he thought if he was seeing her face when she wasn’t even there. It was ridiculous.
He pulled out his phone to text her and ask her if she was anywhere in the Warehouse District vicinity, but even if she said yes, what then? He couldn’t very well invite her to join him here at Macks’s gallery. However, he could ask her if she was busy, if she could meet him for a drink.
Right.
With a glass of wine in hand, he glanced around the gallery, trying to find something to distract himself so that he didn’t do something that he regretted. He took in the white walls that were dotted with framed art that was not part of this
art opening. Beta Perez, the artist that Macks was featuring this evening, was the creator of gigantic paper dress sculptures. There were five of them perched on the gray slate floors. Each one nearly grazed the fifteen-foot ceilings. Though Austin had made his rounds through the gallery, looking at everything, even the paintings and etchings on the walls, he marveled again at the sheer scale of the dresses.
He didn’t know anyone besides Macks and Beta, the artist, whom he’d met when Macks had introduced him after he’d arrived. Macks and Beta were both talking to people, as they should.
While sculptures weren’t Austin’s style, and he couldn’t imagine where someone would put a piece of art that big, someone was bound to fall in love with them. Wouldn’t they? Why else would Macks have offered Beta a showing? He hoped she sold everything they were showing tonight and others that were specially commissioned.
And dammit, he was still thinking about Felicity and how he could be in the middle of a crowd like this and she still felt like his safe place. What would be the harm in seeing if she wanted to meet for a drink?
He drained the rest of his wine, took his phone out of his pocket and started to compose a text to her when Macks walked up.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to talk to you much tonight, but I am the host.”
“No apology necessary, I understand. Duty calls and you seem to be very good at what you do.”
She batted her eyelashes at him. He noticed they were unnaturally long and sweeping. Macks was a beautiful woman, but Felicity wore just enough makeup to look pretty and pulled together. Austin couldn’t help but think about how he preferred Felicity’s natural beauty to Macks’s worldly glamour.
“Why, thank you, kind sir,” Macks said.
“I’m almost ready to kick out the stragglers who are only here for the food and wine. After I lock up, we’re moving this party to Masquerade so we can dance. I’m driving. You can ride with me. Just the two of us.”
Something he was learning about Macks was that she did love to be in the driver’s seat. For that matter, so did Felicity, but she had a way of making him feel as if he was along for the ride, whereas sometimes, Macks made it feel as if she’d tied him to the back bumper and was dragging him.
“Where is Masquerade?” he asked.
“It’s in Harrah’s.” Macks laughed. “Oh, dear, don’t tell me you’ve never been dancing at Masquerade.”
Austin chuckled. Okay, he wouldn’t tell her. He also wouldn’t mention that Harrah’s was near the river, not too far from the French Quarter, at which she had turned up her nose the other night when he’d invited her out for a drink with his sister and Chaz.
In all fairness, Harrah’s was a nice hotel where she wouldn’t have to risk sullying her expensive heels as she might on Bourbon Street, but just as she hadn’t been up for going out the other night, tonight he just wanted to go home.
“Austin Fortune, you do live a sheltered life.” She reached out and toyed with his tie, keeping her gaze trained on it as she spoke. “That’s one of the many reasons I will be so good for you.” She kept her head angled down but glanced up at him through her eyelashes.
He wanted to take a step back, but she had him cornered. If he did, he’d bump one of the gigantic paper dresses.
“Sounds like fun, but I’m going to call it a night. I have a long day tomorrow.”
Macks stuck out her bottom lip and she continued to tug on his tie. “I wish you would come.” Her voice was uncharacteristically childlike. “All work and no play make Austin Fortune a very dull boy.”
Austin snorted.
Macks flinched and dropped his tie. She took a step back. “What was that about?”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “My sister said the exact thing a few days ago.”
“Well, there seems to be a theme happening here. However, make no mistake, I’m definitely not your sister.” Once again, she looked up at him through her lashes in that coquettish way that seemed to be her signature flirt move. “Come out and play with me tonight, Austin. I promise you’ll have lots of fun.”
His mind flashed back to Kelly and how she’d been so damn persistent, not taking no for an answer until she’d managed to get him exactly where she wanted him. He’d rather be a boring guy than get duped again.
Fool me once, shame on Kelly and her lies and manipulation. Fool me twice, shame on me. Thanks, but no thanks, I’m not playing.
While Macks came from a good family that had been in New Orleans even longer than his family had, there was something about her slightly overbearing ways that triggered his relationship post-traumatic stress. Macks was a sexy woman and he had a pretty good idea where they’d end up if he went dancing with her tonight.
While he found her attractive, there was no danger that he would fall for her. She simply wasn’t his type. She was too pushy, too spoiled and high maintenance. A one-night stand would only complicate future business matters.
Since he had no intention of them being anything more than friends, he needed to leave before things got more awkward.
“Good to see you tonight,” he said. “But I really do need to leave now.”
Macks leaned in for a good-night kiss, but Austin stepped to the left, taking care not to knock into the huge red dress sculpture. He set his wineglass on a tray the caterer had set against the wall. The two of them were not going anywhere. No sense in leading her on.
Macks seemed to understand that because she was suddenly all business.
“Thanks for coming tonight, Austin. Please let me know if I can help you or Fortune Investments with any art needs in the future.”
After Austin stepped out into the balmy night, he pulled up Felicity’s number and texted, Are you up for a drink?
Before he reached the car, she had replied, Sure.
Chapter Nine
When Felicity walked into the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel, Austin was already waiting for her. When he saw her, he smiled and lifted a glass of amber-colored liquid in greeting. If he’d realized she was the woman in the car outside of Chanson de Vache gallery, he certainly didn’t look irritated about it. If he was, surely, he wouldn’t have invited her for a drink.
Their gazes were locked as she walked toward him, taking her time, happy that she’d put on a dress and let Maia mess with her hair, making it look stylishly uncoiffed in a way that Felicity would’ve never been able to accomplish if she’d been left to her own devices.
Of course, there was another matter that she couldn’t overlook. Austin had gone to Macks’s art show earlier that evening, but now he was sitting in the back corner of a cozy hotel bar waiting for her.
The thought was empowering.
When she reached the table, Austin stood.
“Thanks for coming out on such short notice,” he said as he helped her settle herself on the plush chair that was next to his.
“Everything okay?” She held her breath, plunging into the question without second-guessing herself. If he had realized she’d been in the car and he had an issue or a question about it, it was best to get it out of the way straight away.
“Everything is fine.” He knocked back the rest of his drink.
“How was the art show?”
He grimaced, shrugged. “It was great, if oversize paper dresses are your thing.”
He motioned to the server and explained the show’s concept to Felicity as he waited for the server to come over and take Felicity’s drink order. She ordered a Sazerac, since the famous rye whiskey libation was the drink of the house as well as its namesake. Austin ordered another one, too.
“The art show sounds very Alice in Wonderland–esque.”
Austin chuckled. “I definitely felt as if I’d drunk the shrinking potion and fallen down the rabbit hole, which, according to the artist’s statement, is exactly what she intended, but I don’t want to talk
about that right now.”
She loved the feel of his gaze on her. In a split second, she tamped down the temptation to ask him where Macks was and why he wasn’t with her, but why invite the woman to wedge herself between them if she wasn’t there?
Okay. If this was her chance, she was not going to blow it by talking about Macks or suddenly becoming awkward and difficult to talk to. The two of them had never had trouble making conversation. Why was her mind going blank now?
“This is a nice little spot.” Even if she had to grab onto the obvious, it was better than talking about the weather. “You know, despite the number of times I’ve been to the Roosevelt Hotel on errands for the ball, I’ve never been in here.”
“I’m glad we’re here tonight,” he said, and it made her heart thud a steady cadence that sounded an awful lot like me too me too me too in her own ears. “So, how are you?”
“I’m fine. Fine.” She glanced around the room at the huge mirror behind the bar that reflected the moody lighting, the elegant woodwork and art deco murals. She felt suddenly shy, again at a loss for words. Not really knowing how to navigate the intimacy of the situation, should she dive into business discussion, which was comfortable territory? It wasn’t very conducive for relaying the vibe that she was open for less business-y talk, or no talk at all...because she wouldn’t mind one bit if he wanted to maybe, say...lean in and kiss her.
The thought made her breath hitch and Austin must’ve noticed because he squinted at her as if trying to assess if he should ask her what she was thinking. But he didn’t. Instead, he surprised her with something totally unexpected.
“Good,” he said. “And I’m about to make your night even better.”
“Oh?” The word squeaked out. Because, again, she lost her breath at the thought of him leaning in and tasting her lips right here in front of everyone in the Sazerac Bar, in the Roosevelt Hotel, where next weekend they would host one of New Orleans’s most exclusive charity balls.
Austin cleared his throat. “On my way over here, my father called. He wants to interview you about your ideas for advertising Fortune Investments.”
A Fortunate Arrangement Page 11