“Not exactly your own,” Connor said with a small smirk. “More of a team thing.”
“Yeah—for now, big boy. I’m pretty sure after you see how well I run it, you’ll be handing the business over to me in no time,” he joked. “Besides, you’re already busy with all of your other investments. I’d gladly take it off your hands.”
Connor laughed, but it felt cold. I hadn’t known his laughter could feel so chilled. “Roe Real Estate is my firstborn. I’d never give it away,” he said and it was clear he meant it.
I didn’t have a clue why Jason was even pushing the idea. He should’ve been grateful for the opportunity he’d been given, but then again, he had been drinking. Whenever Jason drank a lot, his personality shifted a bit. I loved him a little bit more when he was sober.
I couldn’t stop staring at Captain—Connor. It appeared the past two years had been good to him. He seemed even more built, his hair was groomed perfectly, and he had a very nice beard. He wore a designer suit ten times better than most of the individuals in attendance that night, and his eyes…
His eyes were still glued on me.
It appeared neither of us could look away, and I didn’t have a clue what to think about it at all.
My heart began to race, pounding against my rib cage, and I forced my stare away from Connor to avoid Jason picking up on any of my awkwardness. “Well, um, it was nice to meet you, Connor. But I was actually on my way to get a breath of fresh air. So if you’ll excuse me.”
I gave Jason a tight smile before hurrying off, tripping over my own feet and almost falling face-first in my high heels. Within seconds, a pair of arms caught me, and I looked up to see those blue eyes once more. Every hair on my body stood up straight as Connor stopped me from falling. I felt the heat in my cheeks as he held me.
“Sorry,” I muttered, still flustered like no other.
He pulled me up to a standing position and smiled. That one felt more real, the kind of smile I remembered from him in the past. “Not a problem.”
“She’s a bit clumsy sometimes,” Jason commented, walking over to us. “Just watch your step a bit more, will you, Aaliyah? I don’t want to have to make a trip to the emergency room,” he joked before turning to Connor. “How about I get you a drink, and we go over some details about a few things?”
That was my sign to keep walking away before Connor could see how humiliated I was.
Unfortunately for me, before I could make my way out of the room, I was ambushed by some associates of Jason, and I was cussing at myself for not keeping my head down more.
It was the first night I’d been around anyone who Jason knew on a work level, and they all overwhelmed me. I felt out of place, the black sheep in a way. They looked at me differently and spoke to me as if I were the most naïve person alive. Not only that but they also had a way of being catty with smiles plastered across their faces.
“So, Amanda,” one woman stated, giving me a smug smile.
“Aaliyah,” I corrected, giving them the fake smile they were giving me.
“Oh, yes, sorry, that was the last girl. So, Aaliyah, it’s nice to see Jason with someone who has a normal body type. One can only date so many supermodels.” She pursed her lips, and her evil partner in crime joined in.
He nodded once. “Here’s hoping this marriage lasts longer than the last two!”
Cringeworthy laughter from all involved.
“I think it’s good he’s finally thinking of settling down. Though, it does seem a bit rushed, don’t you think?” another woman questioned.
The man leaped back in. “Well, you know what they say, the only thing Jason jumps into faster than weddings is divorce.”
They all laughed again, having the time of their lives as they mocked me.
“I’m sorry, I was just going to head—” I tried to cut in, but they weren’t having it.
“How old did you say you were again, Alice?” the first woman asked me.
“Aaliyah,” I hissed, annoyance filling me up inside. “And I’m twenty-four.”
“Oh, so young! I swear, Jason makes them younger and younger each time,” she commented. I parted my lips to defend myself, but the guy dived into the conversation before I could.
“Well, good for you, Aaliyah. You’re living the new American dream. With Jason, money is no longer an issue, and I know you gen Z kids don’t want to work. You ever think of starting a blog? Maybe a YouTube channel?” Insert mocking laughter here.
“Actually, she’s an employee at one of the biggest magazine lines in the world, Wayne, unlike you, who still lives with your parents,” a familiar voice said, joining the conversation.
The amount of comfort that hit me as I turned to see Marie was astronomical.
She gave me a wink before turning back to the judgmental crowd. “And Ruby, isn’t it true that your husband just filed for bankruptcy? Perhaps you shouldn’t cast stones when you already have rocks in your own garden.”
Ruby huffed and puffed but didn’t say anything in response to Marie. It was clear who the queen bee was, and Marie Rollsfield sat on top of the throne. She stood like royalty, and the bullies retreated as if they were unworthy to take in the same air as her.
“A word of advice, love,” Marie said, turning to me with the brightest smile. “Don’t ever let peasants intimidate you. You are more than they could ever dream of becoming.”
“I’m quickly learning that I don’t think I really fit in with this business side of Jason’s world.”
“Good,” she agreed. “These people are animals. You don’t need or want to fit in with this world.” She gave me a sideways hug. “But you do fit in with our family, and that’s all that matters. I always wanted a daughter.”
If she knew how much I’d always wanted a mother, too…
“What about Jason’s business partner, Connor? Is he one of the good ones?” I asked, trying to seem nonchalant about it but curious about what kind of business person he was.
“One of the most genuine human beings in this world. He’s a good person—which isn’t common to come across in our world. I’m a bit shocked that the dark side of the business hasn’t crushed him yet, but he always seems to make mountains out of molehills. It seems he has angels in his corner. I’m glad Jason is working with him. Even though Jason is older, Walter and I hope Connor can be a bit of a mentor to him. He has a good head on his shoulders. With his help, Jason can do big things.”
I smiled, pleased with the knowledge that Connor was just as good a person as he had been when I crossed paths with him two years earlier.
Marie lightly nudged my arm and whispered, “Now, go get your breath of fresh air before the hyenas come in and attack again.”
I smiled. “How did you know I was running to get some air?”
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t forget, I was you once upon a time—the outsider brought into a world unknown where people judged me for my looks, for my skin tone, for my lack of finances. I remember needing a few quick escapes from time to time. If you go to the left, take the elevator to the rooftop. The view is beautiful. Just remember, when you take those breaks, strengthen that invisible crown of yours and remember who you are, and remember you have a whole team in your corner now.”
9
Connor
If you looked up the definition of people person, you would find a picture of me smiling ear to ear. I prided myself on my extrovert ways and how I loved meeting people of all types. One of my superpowers was my ability to find common ground with anyone and everyone—except for Jason-fucking-Rollsfield. When it came to my disdain for an individual, he was at the top of my list. He was the only one on the list, honestly.
The unstable hothead had recently been placed in charge of running our West Coast division by yours truly. Thankfully, now he wouldn’t be in New York, and I wouldn’t have to cross paths with him as often as I had over the past few months, but knowing he was taking her with him to California sent a silent rage throughout my whole syst
em.
How in the world had an asshole like him landed a woman like her?
Her.
Red.
My Red.
Not mine, but still.
My thoughts began to flood with anguish as the realization that Aaliyah was his settled inside me. Even worse, I thought about how he hadn’t even flinched when she tripped. He had stood there like the disappointment that she was and then passive-aggressively put her down instead of asking if she was all right.
How did she think that kind of treatment was okay? Surely, she knew she deserved more than someone like Jason out of life. I stood at the bar with him as we waited for our drinks, and like a creep, my eyes darted across the room, looking for her. She stood with a group of wealthy individuals, ones Aaliyah was too good for. I knew each one of them. They were all snakes, but Aaliyah appeared too nice to walk away from their trap.
I noticed the hesitant discomfort weighing heavily on her shoulders as she engaged with them, and my sudden sense of protection shot through the roof. I took a step in her direction but I stopped the moment I saw Marie move into the situation. The moment that happened, Aaliyah’s shoulders relaxed, and an authentic smile spread across her lips.
Good. She seemed more at ease. Unlike her dick of a son, Marie was a good person. I knew she was standing up for Aaliyah based on how the rats scurried away. Once they were all gone, it was as if the light came back to Aaliyah’s eyes, and she began to shine once more.
Aaliyah.
What a perfect name for her. It was very fitting and beautiful. She was beautiful, even more so than two years before. Her long, now ombre hair was in microbraids and had golden string woven throughout. She wore a skintight black satin dress with a high slit highlighting her long brown legs with her gold high heels. With those heels, we were almost eye to eye with one another.
Her eyes…
Still as powerful as they were back then.
“Did you hear me?” Jason asked, patting me on the back.
I broke my stare away from Aaliyah and turned to take the drink from Jason. The smile I hadn’t even known I was wearing as I stared at Aaliyah evaporated once I looked at him.
“Sorry, what were you saying?” I asked even though I didn’t care. I wanted my stare to move back to her. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to ask how she’d been. I wanted to ask her why out of seven billion humans on the planet, she’d chosen him.
“I said did you notice the bombshell to your left wearing the blue dress?” he said, nodding in that direction.
I turned to spot the person he was looking at, and the minute my eyes landed on her, I wanted to claw my eyes out. “That’s Rose, my new intern, and she’s only nineteen. She’s barely of age.”
“But she is of age.” He smirked and nudged me in the arm. “I gotta tell you, old Jason would’ve been all over that woman if he had the chance.”
“She’s a girl, not a woman. A bit young in age, don’t you think?”
He shrugged. “I’ve dated younger.” He paused and tossed his hands up in the air. “They were always at least eighteen. I’m not some creep.”
Could have fooled me.
“Besides, I wasn’t pointing her out for me. I’m a happily taken man. I was pointing her out for you, big guy. Plus, with her being your intern, I bet she’d do anything to please you.” He nudged me again, and I wanted to slam my fist into his face.
God, Red. Why him?
I rolled my eyes and looked away from Rose. “That’s disgusting, unprofessional, and completely out of line, Jason. And I hope you don’t plan on running the company in that manner when you get out west.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there, buddy. I was just joking with you. From the rumors, it appears you don’t date much. I was just trying to be your wingman.”
He was drunk, already stumbling a bit, and I could tell that with a few more drinks in, he’d be his normal mess of a self.
“I’m good, Jason.”
He tossed his hands up in surrender. “All right. Suit yourself.” He glanced once more in the direction of Rose, and I watched as his eyes moved up and down her figure. What a piece of scum. He caught me watching him, and he smirked. “Just looking, not touching.”
He walked away, and the second he turned away from me, my stare moved back to Aaliyah—at least where she had been, but now she was gone. I looked around the space, on a mission to spot her, but she was nowhere to be found.
“Looking for someone?” a voice said, breaking me away from my search. I turned to see Walter approaching me with a smile on his face. Since Walter and Marie had adopted Jason, they shared none of his facial characteristics, which I was thankful for. If Walter had looked like his son, I’d have wanted to punch him on the regular.
“No. Just surveying the event. Seems to be going well.”
“I’m just thankful the photographs were taken before Jason got hammered.”
I snickered. “You noticed, too, huh?”
“I always do. I don’t want you to think this is any representation of how he’ll perform once he’s in California. After hours, he’s a mess at times, but during business, he’s levelheaded.”
I wasn’t sure who Walter was trying to convince—me or himself.
Instead of commenting on how incorrect Walter was about his son, I smiled and lied. “I’m not too worried.”
“Good. Plus, after the wedding, I’m sure he’ll settle down from his old habits, be the husband Aaliyah deserves.”
The wedding.
I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Jason, the scum of the earth, had somehow landed Red as his wife-to-be. He didn’t deserve her. Honestly, I wasn’t certain any guy deserved her. Even though it’d been so long, I hadn’t forgotten how she made me feel that night. Hell, after our Halloween night of escapism, I’d had dreams about the girl for weeks.
The one who got away.
Really, though? After our intense soul connection and deep, meaningful conversations, she ended up with Jason? Jason. Jason Rollsfield. The man who thought global warming was a myth. The one who’d pissed on the Washington Monument. The one who had spent a few nights in jail for groping a police officer’s butt.
Yeah—that was the man she was choosing.
Christ, Red. We taught you better than to settle with Jason.
I couldn’t stop trying to figure out how she’d ended up in the position she was in, but hell, there we were.
“Speaking of the wedding…I have a favor to ask you,” Walter said. He brushed his hand against his fully gray beard then pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Aaliyah and Jason decided not to have groomsmen or bridesmaids of any kind for the ceremony, but there is the issue of the night before—the bride and groom aren’t supposed to see one another. Now, normally, I wouldn’t think anything of Jason spending the night alone, but I know he gets anxiety at times, and I don’t want him to freak out the night before his big day. So, I was thinking, perhaps he can stay with you that night? You can have some guy bonding time.”
I blinked a few times, trying to comprehend exactly what Walter was asking of me. “You want me to keep him on a leash?”
“To be frank? Yes. I don’t want him ruining this one this time around. The last two Vegas crash weddings left a bad mark on his name, but Aaliyah is different. She’s a good girl, and she could be really good for Jason. So think about it as an IOU from me to you, Connor. If you do this for me, I’ll do something for you.”
And he could be very toxic for her.
“I can do that. Not a problem,” I agreed, knowing an IOU from a person like Walter would come in handy.
“Also, I heard about the Brooklyn property—shame. We’ll get them next time, though.”
He nodded once then walked off, leaving me alone to down my whiskey before venturing off through the crowd. I got stopped a few times for conversation, and I engaged, even though my mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: Red.
I found her on th
e rooftop.
Her eyes were shut as the late-night breeze swept across her skin. Other people were on the rooftop, but I wasn’t paying them any mind. In my head, she was the only one standing anywhere near me.
She looked beautiful. It wasn’t that I was looking, but holy shit, I was looking. She could’ve walked out wearing a trash bag and still been the prettiest woman alive.
The more I thought about it, the more irrationally irritated I grew about the fact that the following week she was going to walk down the aisle and marry Jason. Was I in the twilight zone?
Nothing makes sense anymore.
I hesitated a few moments before building up enough courage to walk in her direction. “If memory serves me right, you owe me two dollars,” I said as her back was to me. She jumped, looking startled as she turned to see who was standing behind her. The moment she realized it was me, her eyes grew gentle, and she smiled.
“Hi,” she said as she breathed out.
I smiled. “Hi.”
I took a few steps in her direction as I began taking off my suit jacket, then I placed it around her shoulders. She slid her arms into the sleeves, and it hung against her, clearly too big but somehow exactly the right size.
“Thank you,” she said. Her voice was sweeter than I remembered, and I remembered it being pretty damn sweet. She wrapped her arms around her small frame and kept smiling. A soft sigh fell from her full lips. “Hi,” she repeated.
I chuckled and nodded, taking a few steps closer. “Hi.”
“So…” She swayed back and forth in her heels. “This is weird, right?”
“Very.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Did you somehow know that someday I’d partner with Jason in order to cheat the universe and force us to meet again?”
She laughed, and I loved it. “Shockingly, no. This seems to be that fate thing you were going on about all those years ago.”
Fate must have a sick sense of humor if it decided to bring Aaliyah back into my life by pairing her with Jason.
Eastern Lights Page 11
