24
Charlotte
Muse was located in Manhattan in an old building that was completely rehabbed on the inside. It had soaring ceilings, exposed brick walls, glossy hardwood floors, and beams running overhead. The artwork on the walls was abstract and oversized; the tables were all chic and dark wood with real leather padding. Soft jazz music flowed through the surround system in the walls, and there was a giant, round freestanding bar in the center of the establishment that was comprised of mostly glass.
Cavalli Overcraft had been a serious business major for several years, with aspirations of working with the stock market. He even graduated with honors. Max and Cavalli were on the fast track to becoming corporate stars when Cavalli decided that the pressure and stress of the corporate world wasn’t what he wanted out of life.
So he quit his job and went to culinary school to study his secret passion: food. Once he was finished, he put his business knowhow and connections he made while working in New York to good use and opened up Muse, where he was not only the owner, but the head chef.
The upscale setting yet relaxing atmosphere had people flocking to this place, and the food kept them coming back.
Most people thought Cavalli was completely insane. Secretly, I admired him.
Even though Max continued on with his career in the corporate world, he and Cavalli remained friends, and I would go as far as to say that Cavalli was probably the only real friend Max had.
Besides me, of course.
So when Tucker asked me if there was anyone Max would trust with the flash drive, I immediately thought of Cavalli.
“Nice place,” Tucker said as we walked inside the building.
“Remember, you’ve been here before.” I reminded him. Now that I knew he wasn’t really Max, it was so completely obvious I couldn’t help but worry someone else might realize.
“Should I have called ahead for a reservation?” he asked, leaning over to whisper in my ear. His breath brushed over the outside of my ear and I wanted to groan.
You’d think an entire night of nothing but sex would satisfy me for a good long time. It only seemed to make me crave it more.
“It’s still early enough we shouldn’t need one,” I said, pushing aside my cravings to focus on the matter at hand.
We didn’t have to wait long when a hostess dressed completely in black escorted us to a table on the far side of the room, behind the bar. She handed us each a menu and then went off, leaving us alone.
“Cavalli always comes out of the kitchen to talk with the guests. He’ll see us and come over, and we can find out if he has it then,” I told Tucker.
“I’m starving,” he complained, looking over the menu.
I was hungry too. I hadn’t eaten a thing all day. “We’re here. We might as well eat.”
After we ordered (a fresh green salad with shrimp for me and a steak for him), we sat there in silence, not really knowing what to say. It seemed like we’d already experienced a lot together, yet I hardly knew him at all.
“Max never talked about you,” I blurted, because clearly I couldn’t think of a more polite way to be rude.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Tucker said, acting like my abrupt statement was normal. “We haven’t been close for quite a few years.”
“But why?” I questioned. “I thought twins were inseparable.”
He half smiled. “We were as kids. But kids grow up. And Max and I were nothing alike.”
“You’re in the Marine Corps?” I asked, thinking about the tattoo on his arm.
“I was. I just got out last month. I was in about six years.”
“Why did you get out?”
“I felt like it was time to move on. I was tired of being told where to live, what to wear, what to do.”
“Sounds stifling.”
“No more stifling than the life you’re living.”
His words cut into my chest and caught me by surprise. “My life isn’t stifling.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “If you say so,” he said, picking up his glass of iced tea. After he swallowed, he made a face at the glass. “I can’t wait to get down South.”
“You’re going down South?”
He nodded. “Should be there now.”
“Where?”
“Jacksonville, North Carolina. My buddy Nathan just moved there with his wife Honor. He used to be in the Corps too. We’re opening up a private investigative firm. We already have some work the Corps hired us for.”
“I’ve never been to the South before.”
“It’s warmer, the people are friendlier, and they know how to make a glass of sweet tea.”
I could tell he was anxious to get there, to be in a place he really wanted to be. For some reason, that left me with a hard feeling in my stomach.
“So what happened between you and Max?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It’s mainly my fault. He went off to college, became a big shot here, and I joined the Marines. He was always the golden boy out of the pair of us. The one who was going to be the most successful.”
“I’d say serving your country is pretty impressive.” I refuted. He almost sounded like he thought Max was better than him. Max never acted like he was better than anyone; he always treated everyone equally.
“It wasn’t always easy.” He got this faraway look in his eye.
“Did you ever go overseas?”
“Twice. Both of them war zones. I saw more than I cared to. A lot of good men died. Some of them my friends.”
The waitress arrived then, causing us to halt the conversation. I couldn’t help but sit there and think about the horrible things he’d likely seen. I didn’t expect him to keep talking when the server walked away, but he did.
“Our convoy was attacked one day while en route to a new base. They blew the hummer in front of us right off the ground. Ripped it all apart. The guys inside died instantly.”
I gasped and automatically reached across the table and laid my hand across his. He looked down at our joined hands silently for a moment and then glanced up.
Thinking I did the wrong thing, I began to slip my hand away. He flipped his over and captured my retreating fingers, slipping his through mine and giving them a squeeze.
“The driver of the hummer we were in stopped and the three of us got out, looking for the threat, for the men who killed our brothers.”
“You got out!” I demanded. “Why didn’t you speed away?”
He gave me a level look. “We don’t leave men behind.”
I nodded.
“The hummer that was hit lay about fifty feet away, and I ran to it while the others covered me. It was on fire and charred, but I had to be sure no one was left alive. The smell of their burning bodies… it’s something I’ll never forget.”
I shivered, trying to picture a bunch of men in the center of a war zone, strapped with weapons and uniforms, traveling across the sand while bombs and gunfire aimed to take their lives.
“While I was checking the hummer, the one we had been riding in took a hit. The hit hadn’t been head on like the previous one, and the passenger side of the vehicle blew out, causing it to roll. It rolled right over Govern, the man who’d been driving.”
I set my fork down, unable to eat. “Then what happened?”
“Connors was standing out in the open, completely vulnerable to attack. So I left the cover of the burning hummer and raced toward him, meaning to cover him while he ran to safety. There were snipers up in a cluster of rocks not too far from where we were and they were picking us off with ease. Anyway, my movement distracted the shooter and the next shot went wild, bouncing off the sand in front of us. When I reached Connors, the sun glinted off the scope of the sniper’s gun and I lined up a shot. I’ll never forget that moment… My eyes connected with the man trying to kill us, and we stood there frozen for long moments, staring each other down through the scopes on our weapons.”
“Tucker,” I whispered, tears fillin
g my eyes.
“We pulled the trigger at the same time.” He blinked and looked up at me. “My bullet killed him. His bullet would have killed me, but Connors knocked me out of the way, taking it instead.”
I gasped, thinking how incredibly close he had been to death. “And Connors?” I asked, praying to God he was okay.
“It was a gut shot,” he said, grim. “He wasn’t able to walk, so I carried him. I walked for ten miles before someone found us.”
He carried a bleeding, injured man for ten miles through the desert, and every step he likely wondered if it would be his last. What kind of mental consequence did a situation like that have on a person?
“Did he die?” I whispered.
“It was a close call, but no, he didn’t. He’s still alive. He got out of the Corps after that and he lives out in North Dakota with his wife and son.”
“You saved his life.”
“He saved mine first.”
Tucker glanced down at our joined hands and then glanced back up. “That experience changed me. Watching men I cared about, men who I considered family, die… It left an imprint on my soul, something that will always be there. I kind of broke away from people after that. I didn’t get as close. I let relationships, like the one I had with Max, slip away. It was too hard to be close to people, too hard to love them.”
“What about Nathan?” I asked, thinking of the friend he mentioned before.
He smiled, a genuine smile that lit up his eyes. “I’ve only known Nathan a couple of years. He kind of just became a fixture in my life. He understands war. He has scars of his own. For quite a while, it was just me and him.”
“Didn’t you say he’s married?”
“To a writer. He saved her from being kidnapped. She wrote a book about it. They’ve been together ever since.”
I felt my eyes go wide. “Are you talking about the book they made into a movie? Text?”
He grinned. “You’ve heard of it?”
“Everybody has heard of it.”
He chuckled.
“I can’t believe you’re friends with Honor Calhoun,” I said in awe. I loved her books. Well, when I got the time to read.
“It’s Honor Reed now,” he corrected.
The waitress came by and seemed concerned neither of us had touched our food. I assured her it was wonderful; we’d just been talking. She didn’t seem convinced when she walked away.
“I shouldn’t have let my relationship with Max suffer. I spent all that time avoiding being close to him, afraid that I might be killed on my next deployment, that it would only hurt him worse…”
“And then he died,” I whispered.
“Yeah, and now I have a gut full of regret as well as a hole in my heart.”
“If it makes a difference. Max never seemed angry at you. He never seemed like he felt betrayed.”
“Thought he never talked about me.”
“He didn’t. Not really. But I would have known if your distant relationship hurt him.”
“Thanks,” he said lightly, expelling a breath.
I don’t know if my words brought him any comfort, but I sincerely hoped they did. He’d been through a lot and it seemed that he didn’t need anything else to think about in the dark of the night.
A man wearing a pristine white coat approached the table, and Tucker stiffened. I looked up and smiled. “Cavalli!” I said so Tucker would know who it was we were talking with.
Cavalli’s face broke out into a wide smile. “Max! Charlotte!” he said, stopping beside the table. Tucker offered his hand and the two men shook before Cavalli leaned over and kissed my cheek.
“I have to say I am surprised to see you here. It’s so early in the day. I thought you two workaholics didn’t leave the office until at least seven.”
“Well, both our calendars were clear this afternoon so we decided to be spontaneous,” I replied.
Cavalli smiled. “Well, when the server told me we had guests not eating, I was alarmed! I thought there was something wrong with the food!”
“The food is perfect. We were just talking.”
Cavalli glanced over at Tucker and I held my breath, wondering if he was going to realize it wasn’t really Max. “Long time no see, Max! How’s the corporate world treating you?”
Tucker smiled. “Busy as ever, Cavalli. The restaurant looks great. Looks more successful than the last time I was here.”
I watched Cavalli for signs he thought something was off. He didn’t appear to notice anything. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Cavalli smiled. “I got out of the corporate world so I wouldn’t have to work so much, but here I am working just as much as ever. Who knew running a restaurant was hard?”
Tucker grinned. “When you’re doing what you love, it isn’t work.”
“Ah, you speak the truth, my friend.” Cavalli agreed.
Something inside me twisted at Tucker’s words. I shied away from the feeling because it made me uncomfortable.
“I need to ask you something,” Tucker said, his tone turning more serious.
“Of course,” Cavalli replied, pulling over a chair from a nearby table and sitting down with us.
“It probably won’t make sense, and I’m sorry, but I can’t explain right now. I will when I’m able. But it’s important.”
“You know I will help you if I can.”
I stared at Tucker. In that moment, he didn’t just look like Max, but he sounded like him. Max was always so earnest when he spoke. He was always so straightforward. I admired that because I always knew what to expect.
Before Tucker continued his conversation, he gave me a small look, obviously noticing I was staring. I cleared my throat and took a sip of my water.
“Have I recently given you anything for safekeeping? A flash drive?”
To his credit, Cavalli didn’t act as if the question was loony. He seemed to take it in stride and my heart began to pound in excitement. He must’ve known what we were asking about!
Justice is coming, Max.
Cavalli sat back in the chair and regarded Tucker for a long moment. “What’s this about? Are you in trouble, Max?”
“I wish I could explain,” Tucker said, sitting forward.
“No,” he answered. “You haven’t given me anything for safekeeping. I haven’t seen you in weeks. Don’t you remember?”
Tucker smiled. “Of course. I just need confirmation.”
Cavalli sat forward. “Max, you know if you need help, I will be there.”
Something shifted behind Tucker’s eyes. Sorrow perhaps. And then it was gone. “You’ve been a great friend to… to me. Good friends are hard to come by these days and you’ve been one. Thank you.”
He was thanking this man for being so good to his brother. For being there for him even when he wasn’t. I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes and I pushed them back.
Tucker carried a lot of guilt inside him. For the men who died that he couldn’t save. For his brother who he pushed away and now would never get to tell he was sorry…
I wondered what other pieces made up the man that Tucker was. I wanted to know them. I wanted to know everything I could about him. I realized I wasn’t just wildly attracted to him. He didn’t just make my pulse race… I liked him.
Cavalli smiled. “Nothing you wouldn’t have done for me.” He stood and clapped Max on the back. “Meal’s on the house.”
He planted a light kiss on my cheek and then went back to the kitchen.
We sat there in charged, disappointed silence.
“I wasn’t here when he needed me most,” Tucker said quietly.
“Well, I was here and didn’t even know he was in trouble.” I added.
“The flash drive’s not here. We need to keep looking.” He pushed away from the table and stood. After dropping a generous tip on the table, he walked away without looking to see if I would follow.
Sometimes his mood swings gave me whiplash.
I looked around the r
estaurant one final time, remembering the last time I was here. It was with Max. We came for dinner, we talked about work a lot, but we had some good laughs too. That dinner was the last date we’d ever have.
Tucker reappeared beside the table. I tilted my head back to look up at him. “You okay?”
I nodded, swallowing thickly.
“I’m sorry I was an ass.”
I felt my lips pull up. “That was difficult for you, wasn’t it?”
“What?”
“Apologizing.”
“I usually prefer to deliver my apologies in a different way,” he said suggestively. The desire that waved off his body literally melted me to the floor.
I didn’t know how to respond. Most men I talked to, most men I interacted with, were not even half as sexual as Tucker was. It was like he thought about sex every three seconds.
Thankfully, I was saved by my ringing cell in my bag. I pulled it out, noting on the screen it was my mother. I would have let it go to voicemail, but I needed a way out of this conversation.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, putting the phone up to my ear.
“Charlotte! How are you, honey?”
I stood from the table and followed Tucker across the polished floor toward the exit.
“I’m good, but I’m actually in the middle of something. Could I call you back in a bit?”
“Of course. I just wanted to tell you that I’m late mailing out your latest box.” I almost groaned out loud thinking about the monthly box my mother always mailed me. The boxes I always had to go retrieve from the UPS store.
Wait.
The UPS store. The note left on my door.
“You haven’t sent it yet?” I asked curiously.
“No, honey, and I’m sorry. But I found the cutest little slippers online. They will be just perfect for you on cold nights… but the color I wanted was all out of stock so I had to wait for them to come in. They arrived today so I will be mailing your box within a day or two.”
Tucker held open the door to the outside and I stepped through, out onto the cold New York City sidewalk. If my mother hadn’t sent me a package, then who did?
“Mom, I’m going to have to call you back,” I said quickly, not waiting for her to say good-bye before disconnecting the call.
Tricks Page 15
