by E. L. Todd
Her eyes softened. “You have pretty eyes too.”
“Thanks.” I held her gaze and didn’t look away. “Appearance is only a small fraction of who you are anyway.”
Her eyes softened for a moment before they returned to normal. “Since we’re both bored and sick of this, why don’t we just talk about something else instead of each other?”
“Who said I was bored?” I asked.
“I could tell the moment you sat down.”
She could read people pretty well. “I was. I’m not anymore.”
She ignored my response. “What’s your favorite movie?”
I took a moment to form a response. “The Sopranos.”
“Not a movie.”
“It’s still my favorite.”
“I like that show too.”
Really? I didn’t know any girl who’d seen it. “What’s your favorite?”
“Star Wars.”
Did I hear her right? “Huh?”
“Star Wars.” She said it slowly this time, like I was mentally disabled.
“Are you sure?” I blurted.
She smirked slightly. “I’m pretty sure…”
“Sorry, I’ve just never heard a girl say that before.”
“What’s not to like about it?” she asked. “It was far ahead of its time, and it was executed so well. The story was wonderful, and the effects were amazing. It’s a classic and always will be. I understand why it has such a cult following.”
I realized my jaw was hanging open so I closed my mouth. “That’s cool.”
“Do you like Star Wars?” she asked.
“Duh.” I laughed.
“My dad and I used to watch it every Christmas break. It was a tradition.”
“Do you have a brother?” I asked.
“Yeah. Why?”
“He doesn’t share that tradition with you guys?” I asked.
She shrugged. “No. He’s never liked it.”
That was a paradox. She liked an American classic, but her brother didn’t.
“Do you have a brother?” she asked.
“An older sister.”
“Are you close?”
“No. She’s annoying.”
She smirked. “I think she’s supposed to be, by definition.”
“She says I’m annoying too, so the feeling is mutual.”
She nodded then looked at the timer.
That hurt a little bit. I wasn’t sure why. “Which guy has been the most annoying so far?”
She glanced at Theo then turned to me. “Hmm…”
“Someone is worse than Theo?” I asked with a laugh.
“Asking if I’m into anal isn’t annoying,” she said. She looked past my shoulder toward the guy in the rear. “That guy collects Barbies.”
I raised both eyebrows then snuck a peek. “He told you that?”
She nodded. “And the sad part? He said it like it was something I should be impressed by.”
“Any guy who collects dolls, other than Santa, is creepy.”
“No, even Santa is creepy. That guy breaks in to your house through the chimney, eats your food and drinks milk that’s been sitting out for who knows how long, and then puts presents made by elves, aka slave labor, under a tree that probably has several spiders living in it.”
I tried not to laugh. “Not a fan of Christmas, I take it?”
“Actually, no. But that’s beside the point.”
“Why do you hate Christmas, other than all those compelling reasons?”
Her smile suddenly vanished and so did her humor. “I just do.”
I knew there was more to her story than that, but I didn’t press her on it. “Who else is weird?” I asked. “Just so I know who to steer clear of.”
She looked around again. “The guy in the long-sleeved shirt is married.”
“Why does that make him annoying?” I blurted.
Both of her eyes widened. “I don’t mess with married men, and I’d judge any woman that does.”
I didn’t mean to get into a moral debate with her. “How do you know he’s married?”
“My family knows his wife—distantly. He has no idea I know.”
“Are you going to tell her?”
She shook her head. “It’s not my place.”
“So, you judge him for cheating, but you won’t do anything to stop it?” I asked incredulously. “That makes a lot of sense.”
Her eyes burned a darker shade of green. “If she married him, then she’s probably in denial or she’s foolish enough to believe what he says. What difference will my revelation make?”
I shrugged. “If my best friend’s wife was cheating on him, I’d call him up immediately and tell him the truth.”
“Well, this woman isn’t my best friend—completely different situation.”
“So, if a guy messed around on your friend over there…” I glanced at the blonde then turned back to her. “You’d do something?”
She leaned over the table, keeping her voice low. “If I saw a guy messing around on my friend, I’d kick his balls so hard he wouldn’t be able to reproduce.” She said it with threat in her eyes. “Then I’d make him tell her himself.”
I liked her spunk. She was a fearless woman. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “You have a thing for my friend?”
“No,” I blurted. “I’m having a good time with you.” I shouldn’t have said that since I hardly knew her, but she was really cool. “And I have a feeling you’re a lot more beautiful than she is, despite the praise you give her.”
“I’m not,” she said firmly.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
She stared at me then opened her mouth to say something, but she suddenly changed her mind.
“Are you going home with anyone tonight?” I asked bluntly.
“Just my purse.”
Judging by her words and attitude, it seemed like she hated male attention. She was constantly trying to get out of the spotlight. She was only in social situations because she was forced to be. The only explanation for that was astounding beauty. She was one of a kind, I could tell just from talking to her. Even without looking at her face, I was attracted to her. I pictured how she looked, beautiful full lips and a fair face. Her blue blouse and the table hid her curves, but I imagined how they looked in my mind’s eye.
“Who are you going home with?” she asked. “Met anyone you like?”
The normal way I’d get a girl is by hunting her down. I relied on my looks and charm. But my biggest weapon wasn’t at my disposal, hidden by a mask. I’d have to take a different approach with her. I had to be different from all the other guys that gawked at her as she passed. “No, I haven’t.”
Her pupils dilated then returned to normal quickly. Judging by her small reaction, she expected a different answer to come out of my mouth. She knew I was into her, that I wanted to see her again.
Well, think again.
“What’s your name?” I asked. “You never told me.”
She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “Beatrice.”
She came from money. I could tell just by hearing that name. “And your last name?”
“Satini.”
She was Italian. “Any relation to the Satini family of winemakers?”
She smirked slightly. “You already know the answer, I can tell. What’s your name?”
“Conrad.”
“Interesting name,” she said. “What are its origins?”
“Heart of Darkness. Have you read it?” I knew her answer would be no.
“Yes. One of my favorites.”
She surprised me at every turn.
“Your father named you after the Congo, the deadliest place on earth? Full of marauders and murderers?”
Her intellect was sexy as hell. Most of the girls I spoke to were just plain dumb. “My father wanted to give me a strong name, knowing I would be a man strong enough to survive a heart of
darkness.”
She nodded slowly. “He sounds like an interesting guy.”
“He’s annoying.”
She laughed lightly. “Both your sister and father are annoying?” she asked incredulously.
“And my mom too,” I said. “I forgot about her.”
She laughed again.
“Switch!”
No! I didn’t want to leave her. I wasn’t sure if I would talk to her again.
Beatrice stared at me, waiting for me to get up.
I tried to seem indifferent that our time together was over. I rose slowly, dreading an uneventful conversation with a boring chick.
“Come on, hurry up.” The host grabbed my arm, ready to drag me to the next table.
“Actually, I want him to stay.” Beatrice stood up and looked at the host.
What did she just say? Was she allowed to do that?
The host smiled. “I see.” She pulled out the chair for me and let me sit down. “You pass, then?”
Beatrice nodded.
The guy who was supposed to see Beatrice next skipped one seat over.
I returned to the chair as the host hit the timer again.
Beatrice stared at me, back to her indifferent façade. “As you were saying…”
“I don’t remember what we were talking about, actually.”
“What’s your last name, Conrad?”
“Preston.”
Her eyes flashed in recognition. “You’re a Preston?”
I knew she recognized my name the moment I said it. “Yeah.”
She nodded slowly. “Are you going to take over the company when you graduate?”
I would normally say yes. Girls liked security. Being a billionaire was exactly what they wanted to hear. But I knew Beatrice was different. I took a gamble and went a different direction. “No.”
She stared at me for a moment, her eyes a brilliant green. “No?”
I shook my head.
“Then what do you want to do?”
I went with the truth. “I don’t know. But I don’t want to work for a corporation.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I’d given the right answer. “Are you going to be a partner in the wine business?”
“No.”
I had no idea why, but that defiance and independence was hot as hell. “What do you want to do instead?”
“Law school.”
Seriously, she was amazing. “Are you getting your bachelor’s in political science?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of lawyer do you want to be?”
“I want to work for the DA—put jerks behind bars.”
My throat went dry. “You know they don’t make shit, right?”
“I’m aware of that,” she said hotly. “Everyone thinks money will make them happy and solve all their problems. Well, it won’t. And I get more satisfaction out of my passion than the amount in my bank account.”
I was dying for her to take off that mask. In my mind, she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Perhaps her personality had given me unrealistic expectations of how she would look. Even so, I needed to know. “I feel the same way.”
“You don’t know what your passion is?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“What do you like to do?”
“Play basketball,” I blurted.
“Well, I don’t think you should go for the pros,” she teased.
I chuckled. “They would shut me down pretty quickly.”
“What else do you like to do?”
“Hang out with my friends.”
“You sound well-rounded,” she said sarcastically.
“Like I said, I don’t know what I want to do.”
“Your father knows this?”
“No. But I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “One should never assume anything.”
I didn’t know what that last comment meant so I didn’t have a response. I stared into her eyes, unable to look away. Everyone else continued with their conversations, their quiet voices reaching us. Did she ask me to stay because she was into me? Or did she ask because I was the only bearable date she’d met that night? I wished I could just ask her, but I knew she was complicated and cryptic. I had to play by her rules if I wanted to play the game.
“What year are you in school?” she asked.
“Senior.”
“Me too,” she said. “I’m surprised we’ve never crossed paths before.”
“Maybe we have.” I pointed to my mask. “We just don’t recognize each other.”
“I would remember a name like Conrad.”
“And I would remember a woman who loved Star Wars.”
She laughed then grinned, showing perfectly straight teeth.
“Where are you going to law school?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Hopefully here.”
“I’m sure you’ll get in.” I didn’t need to see her transcripts to know she was a diligent student. It was implied in her mannerisms and personality.
“You make a lot of assumptions…”
“I can read people pretty well. And what they don’t say is more important than what they do say.”
She tilted her head to the side in interest. “Perhaps.”
“Assumptions are good—sometimes.”
She stared at me and I stared back. I would’ve given anything to know what she was thinking. Those green eyes were breathtaking. If the rest of her was just as beautiful, I’d be all over her. But it sounded too good to be true. How could a woman be so perfect? She had to have a flaw. There had to be a scar on her face, something to make her human.
The blond woman clapped her hands. “Okay, that ends our session. I hope everyone had a good time. The bar is still open if you want to continue to mingle.”
I was relieved I didn’t have to make small talk with another chick. Just the idea gave me a headache. If I hadn’t met Beatrice, this night would have been a total waste.
“Well, it was nice talking to you,” Beatrice said.
Was that her polite way of dismissing me? “You too…”
She stood up then grabbed her purse. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
She still hadn’t taken off her mask. How would I know how to find her again? It was difficult to hold myself back. I didn’t like playing games with women. I always said exactly what I wanted. With Beatrice, I felt like I was playing a very difficult game of tennis. “Yeah…” It took all my strength to rise out of my chair and walk away. If I hit on her, she would just say no. I had to do this right.
Beatrice walked away and headed to her blond friend. Theo trailed to me and pulled off his mask when he reached me.
“Was that as shitty for you as it was for me?” Theo asked.
I still wasn’t sure. I ignored him and stared at Beatrice.
“You hit it off with her?” he asked.
“I think so.”
“You think?” he asked incredulously. “She asked you to stay at the table, didn’t she?”
“But I’m not sure what that meant.” I watched Beatrice speak to her blond friend. “Take off the damn mask already.”
“Oh…” He nodded. “Still trying to figure out if she’s hot, huh?”
“Something like that…”
The blonde took off her blue mask then tossed it on the table. Then she fluffed her hair. I didn’t even bother to look at her face.
Come on…
Finally, Beatrice grabbed the front of her mask then pulled it off. Her hair went with it, making it slightly messy. She ran her fingers through it and quickly fixed it. When my eyes settled on her face, my heart stopped.
The green eyes I’d been staring at all night were familiar. I’d seen them before, just on a different night. Her full lips finally came back to me, and that smile suddenly became familiar. Her prominent cheekbones and beautiful face were easily recognizable.
“Isn’t tha
t the same girl…” Theo trailed off.
“That we saw at the party,” I finished. “Yeah…”
“Wow. What are the odds?”
“Yeah…what are they?” I stared at her like a psychopath, memorizing every detail of her face. She put every other girl I’d been with to shame. Her beauty was unparalleled. Not a single woman in the room could rival her. Her perfection was untamed. And the fact that she was beautiful underneath only heightened my attraction to her.
I wasn’t the only one who noticed her charms. Like a herd of cattle, men swarmed to her and made conversation. She was surrounded on all sides. She tried to be graceful about it, offering a small smile and trying not to be rude, but I could tell she felt suffocated.
“Aren’t you going to ask her out?” Theo said.
I wanted to. But this was no normal girl. How did someone like her pick a guy like me? She literally could have whomever she wanted. And it was pretty clear she resented the overwhelming attention. She would only be attracted to a man that gave her the space she wanted.
Guys continued to make their moves, and she slowly moved toward the door.
“Dude, she’s leaving…”
I had to act fast. If I didn’t do something, she would be gone. Without thinking, I ran after her and followed her outside to the sidewalk. Some guy was still talking her ear off, saying they should have dinner.
“I really need to get going…” She flashed him a smile before she unlocked her car.
“There’s this great place in Boston. Let’s go out next weekend.” The guy followed her all the way to the door, chatting away.
“I already have plans,” she said politely.
“Another night?” he asked. “Because I’m available whenever you are.”
Man, this guy was desperate. I could tell Beatrice wouldn’t be into that. I headed to her side and stopped in front of her, my shoulder touching her admirer’s.
Beatrice turned to me and narrowed her eyes in suspicion, probably expecting me to ask her out.
I pulled off my mask then stuffed it into my pocket. When I looked at her, I saw her reaction. Her eyes widened as she took in my features. Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to gasp in surprise. I didn’t know her well enough to understand every response she made, but I could tell she was pleased by my appearance. The attraction burned in her eyes. She finally shut her mouth and continued to stare.
