by Lily Kate
“What’s Chris doing here?” Sasha whispers, the panic gathering in her eyes. “This can’t be good.”
“The jerk is probably trying to buy the property out from under Chris,” I say, the pieces finally connecting.
“But it’s not for sale.”
“Look at Chris.” My point is proven as the man moves at the pace of molasses across the room, leaning on every table along the way. He can barely see the floor under his feet through his thick-lensed glasses. “This is prime real estate, and sooner or later—”
“Don’t say it,” Sasha murmurs.
“Sooner or later, Chris will want to retire, or sell, or move on from the property. I’ll bet you this guy is trying to get a jump on it, or at least a read on the situation.”
“Well, he can’t do that.”
“I’m not sure we can stop him.”
“There’s got to be a way.” Sasha peers up at me through big eyes. “If our rent gets jacked up, neither of us can afford to stay here. And that’s if they don’t kick us out first.”
“Let me find out what’s happening.” I once again move from behind the counter, but this time I’m stopped by another figure coming through the door. One of the last people I’d ever expected to see here. “Leo?”
Brad’s business partner looks up and spies me from his spot near the front entrance. “Hey, you’re Lexi, right? Brad’s friend.”
I nod as Leo extends a hand, and we shake. “What brings you around here? Can I get you a table?”
“I’m actually meeting a few friends.”
“Oh?” I glance around the restaurant, but there’s nobody waiting for another party, as far as I can tell. There’s a younger couple, an older trio of ladies, and a group of regulars.
“Right over there.” To my horror, he nods toward Bill and Chris. I must look surprised because he clarifies. “Business meeting.”
I try to mumble a response, but it comes out garbled. So, I skip the response and pull him to the side while I think. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, what’s wrong?”
I glance up at Leo, who’s handsome in a Ken Doll sort of way. He lacks the ruggedness of Brad, and he’s far too manicured for my taste. “Do you know what’s happening over there?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I know Bill is in real estate, and Chris...he’s my landlord. I don’t like the idea of them discussing business.”
“I’m shocked this is coming as a surprise to you.”
“Which part has you shocked?”
“The part where Brad didn’t tell you about this.”
“Hold on...” I pause, my chest constricting. “Brad knew about this?”
“It was his idea. He knows Bill from school or something a long time ago.”
“High school,” I mumble, suddenly recognizing the upperclassman who’d been years ahead of me. “But why?”
“Our gym is feeling a little bit tight in our home base. We’re looking to expand to a second location.”
“A second...what? Not here!”
“You’ve gotta admit, it’s a great location.”
“But what about me? What about Sasha?”
“I’m sorry, I could’ve sworn Brad had said he’d talk to you about this. You haven’t heard?”
“Nope.” I pop the ‘p’ extra hard, leaving the word to hang there. “Uh, sorry to put you in an awkward spot, but do you know if this is a done deal? Am I losing my diner?”
He shifts from one foot to the next. “It’s not a done deal. That’s what today is all about. We just need Chris to agree.”
“He won’t, will he?”
“Look at him.” Leo tilts his chin toward the corner where Chris is digging in his nose with a handkerchief. An alarming amount of hair sticks straight out of his ears. “I hope to be retired at that age. All I need to do is convince him.”
“But my diner!”
“I’m sorry, it’s nothing personal.” Leo takes a step back, raises his hands. “I respect you, and your business, but it’s just that. Business.”
“Just business,” I repeat. “Right.”
“I’m really sorry to blindside you like this. Like I said, I figured Brad would’ve told you first. You guys are together, aren’t you?”
“We’ll have to see,” I say through gritted teeth. “Thanks for the information.”
“I suppose this makes things awkward now.” Leo slaps a hand across his forehead. “I came here figuring you’d already known about this. Otherwise, I would’ve picked a different place.”
“No, go ahead and take a seat. I’m actually finishing up here and my assistant is going to take over.”
As Leo walks away, I storm back to Sasha and hook her arm through mine, dragging her into the back office. I take one look at the couch, am reminded of the too recent prom night events, and pull her into the back alley.
“Well, hello, whiplash,” Sasha grumbles. “What’s going on?”
“That’s Brad’s business partner,” I say, pointing back inside. “Leo.”
“And? I mean, I suppose he’s kind of cute in that really slick sort of way, but he’s not my type. I prefer a tad more rugged.”
“No! He came here to tell me that Brad and he are expanding their business.”
“That’s great!”
“Yeah, I’d think so too, but they’re expanding right into Minnie’s.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I said. What?”
“No, seriously. They can’t do that.”
“Apparently they’re trying to work out some deal with Chris to send him into early retirement, and by the looks of their little pow wow over there, it’s working.”
“The bastard!”
“Chris isn’t the problem! I mean, technically yes, he’s a problem, but he’s not my biggest one!”
“True. Leo is an asshole if he’s the one who scheduled the meeting here, and... oh.” She looks up, her eyes flickering with pain as she surveys me. “Brad.”
“Bradley,” I correct. “He didn’t breathe a word of this to me!”
“Do you think there’s an explanation?”
I give her a stern stare, and even she relents and shrugs off the suggestion.
“There’s no way he can explain this away.” I cross my arms, torn between wanting to punch the wall and needing to spare my energy to give Bradley a piece of my mind. “What was he thinking? Do you think he was waiting to tell me until he slept with me?”
Sasha’s still not looking convinced, and this annoys me.
“What?” I lash out at her, and instantly regret it. “I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you, but this sucks.”
“Maybe you’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting? I’m on the verge of losing my business and my livelihood. Do you think that was his plan this whole time? Gee whiz, maybe if Lexi loses her career and can’t afford her own apartment, she’ll have to move in with me.”
“I really don’t think—”
“I specifically told him that I didn’t want to sleep together until we could be sure things would work out. Or at least give it a fair shot. Do you call this a fair shot?”
Sasha seems too hesitant to give me any sort of real answer.
“Maybe Leo convinced him that this is all just business,” I say, continuing on my rampage. “That kicking his best friend, and now girlfriend, out of her workspace is just a business strategy.”
“I really don’t think—”
“Hello, honey,” I say, mimicking a high-pitched voice. “I just lost my diner today, but don’t worry, it’s fine. It’s just business. Now give me a kiss and let’s go paint together.”
“Paint?”
“I’m frazzled, okay? I couldn’t think of anything else.”
“Breathe.” Sasha finally corrals me against the wall, her hands pinning my arms to my sides. “Breathe in and out, and in and out. Just a few times. For me. Please.”
I huff and puff until s
he looks appeased. “I’m still upset.”
“Of course. And you have every right to be upset. But listen to me for a moment.”
I exhale long and slow, then huddle my arms around my body. “Okay, fine. I’m listening.”
“Brad seems to be completely enamored with you—we can all see it. Didn’t he tell you he loved you?”
“Yes, but—”
“Fine. And you told him back?”
“Yes, but—”
“A yes or no answer is all I need,” she chastises, and I fall quiet. “You two love each other. He’s head over heels for you. When you said that you didn’t want to have sex for months, that didn’t deter him in the slightest.”
“Maybe it was all part of some stupid game.”
“No, I really don’t think so.”
“Then what do you think?”
“I don’t know what to think.” Sasha finally winces and steps back. “I admit it looks bad, and I admit Brad has a lot of explaining to do. But I just can’t believe he’d go through with this knowing how much it would hurt you. He worked so hard to get you; he wouldn’t ruin it like this.”
“Well, apparently he did.”
“What if he didn’t know?”
“Nope. Leo said he was surprised Brad hadn’t told me. Then Leo apologized for being here because things were probably going to be awkward.”
“What’d you tell him?”
“I told him to take a seat. What else was I going to say? My mind’s not working at full capacity. I said my shift was almost over and my assistant is taking over.”
Sasha stiffens. “Who’s your assistant?”
“Please, please, please,” I beg. “Please help me.”
“I’m not good at any of this stuff!”
“You don’t need to be. I’m going out of business anyway. Slap some toast on a plate and call it a day.”
“Lexi...”
“I have to go talk to Bradley.”
“Call Rick,” she says with a sigh. “I’m going to need backup.”
“I’ll get Rick to pop over. I don’t think I should be long.”
“Where are you going?”
“Home. He’s already back from work.”
“Fine, but Lex, I think you should listen to what he has to say.”
“Not only did he agree to expand into my place—even if it doesn’t go through, it doesn’t matter. He went behind my back. That’s not what a team does, or a partner, and especially not a boyfriend.”
“I just think if you love him, and if he loves you, you both deserve a chance to talk, and you both owe the other a listen.”
“Fine. But don’t hold your breath.”
Chapter 30
LEXI
I’m at the apartment complex, banging on the button for the upward elevator when I see him. Bradley Hamilton, traitor extraordinaire.
He parks his car out front, pulls something from the passenger’s seat—a brown paper bag—and begins his trek toward the front of the building.
I take a few steps toward him, stopping only to hold the door open for a fellow tenant with arms full of groceries. The woman thanks me, and I nod and force a smile. By the time I look up, he’s gone.
Bradley Hamilton vanished on me. I jog down the front steps, glance up and down the sidewalk—still nothing. I peep into his car, but he’s not there, either.
His car is still here, though, which obviously means he didn’t drive off somewhere else. The only way to get into the building is the front doors, and he certainly didn’t come through there. I should know. I’d been the one holding the door open.
So where...
I catch a glimpse of a tall figure just before he spins around the edge of the building. Bradley is moving at a fast clip, long legs carrying him so fast I’d need to jog to keep up. Clearly, he doesn’t want to be seen.
A bolt of anger hits me as I realize he’s trying to escape. That’s the only explanation. He saw me holding the door open—which came as a big surprise since I’m supposed to be at work—and he went the other way. Very, very quickly.
His only mistake was not realizing I’d been looking for him.
With this jolt of understanding, I rush around the building, trading in my walk for a jog when I turn the corner. The jerk is using my own secret weapon. The service elevator.
I’m almost sprinting by the time I make it into the corridor, and it’s way too hot to be sprinting. Not only that, I’m in jeans with my Minnie’s t-shirt, and it’s suffocating. I’m not built for running. I’m built for shuffling food to and from the kitchen, and I’m built for eating it.
Which is why my face is probably red, and sweat is likely dripping from my forehead as I burst into the hallway to find the doors to the elevator just starting to close.
I dive between them, feeling more athletic than I’ve ever felt in my life, and do an awkward sort of crumble and roll to land in a ball at Bradley Hamilton’s feet.
It’s not exactly the entrance I was going for, and instead of looking all James Bond cool, I probably looked more like an out of control octopus sliding around, limbs flailing in all directions.
“Jesus, Lexi, are you okay?”
Brad reaches over and extends a hand. I swat it away, and instead haul myself to my feet, grabbing the elevator railing for support. When I stand, I pull a lock of hair out of my face, dismayed to find it’s stringy and gross. This is the reason I hate running.
“No, everything’s not okay,” I tell him. “And obviously you know it, too, skulking away from me like a weasel.”
“What are you talking about?” His voice sounds confident, but his eyes give away a hint of guilt. “I’m not sneaking away from you.”
“Right. You make a habit of always using the elevator in the back of the building that works about half the time?”
“Eighty percent of the time,” he says. “And yes, I use it more than you’d think.”
“Well, it sure as hell looked like you were walking up the front steps until you saw me there.”
“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Brad finally pulls the hand he’s been hiding behind his back and reveals the massive brown paper bag he’d nabbed from the front seat of his car. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t think you’d seen me, and I didn’t think you’d be home yet. Wait a second. Why are you home?”
“You think this is about some stupid surprise?”
“Stupid surprise?” Now, he’s actually starting to look indignant. “Stupid surprise? I’m sorry, I just thought it might be a fun treat. I didn’t know you’d be so offended.”
“A fun treat? Not offended? Really.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The surprise made itself very public at my restaurant this morning.”
“Uh, I think you have the wrong surprise.” Bradley gestures again toward the huge paper bag. “This is the surprise I’m talking about.”
“What is that?”
“I got us a bunch of hamburgers and milkshakes and fries—the works. I was going to surprise you with a candlelight dinner on the balcony. You know, a throwback to the food that brought us together in the first place. It’s almost the four-month anniversary of us getting trapped in the elevator together.”
“You can keep track of that,” I say, attempting to recover from my surprise and hold a steady voice. “But you can’t keep track of telling me important information that might affect, oh, a little thing like my livelihood!?”
“I’m confused. Are these burgers offensive? We can do something nicer tonight if you want.”
“Oh, I don’t think we’ll be doing much of anything tonight. Leo told me everything. You can stop playing dumb.”
It’s now that I realize neither of us ever actually pressed the button to go upward. We’ve been sitting here in a metal box on the main floor which, in retrospect, is lucky. Now, I can leave.
I press the door open button. “You don’t have to set the table for me.”
Brad blocks th
e entrance physically, jamming the door close button over my back. I duck and dodge, trying to slip out from underneath his limbs, until his arms circle around me and he drops the paper bag on the floor. With his elbow, he hits the button for our floor, and it’s not until the elevator starts to climb that he releases me.
I look up into his eyes, realizing that not long ago, I’d been staring into those chocolate brown gemstones with love. Awe. Amazement that this incredible specimen of a man had picked me to love, to cherish, to savor. He’s spoiled me and held me close, broken down walls that had taken years to build. And because of that, he’s weakened me.
He weakened me to the point where I’d believed this might be the real deal. The love that poems and songs lament about, the love that others looked upon with envy and desire. The sort of love that would last a lifetime.
My eyes prick with tears as I look up at him, at the confusion in his eyes, as I desperately fight the urge to cry. “How could you?”
“What did Leo explain to you?”
“Please, don’t play me for a fool. If it’s business, it’s business. Just... let me go.”
I move to stand behind him so I’ll be ready for an exit when the elevator stops at our level.
Bradley reaches over and, before I can react, hits the emergency stop button.
“What are you thinking?” I turn to find him standing all too close to me, his familiar scent playing games with my emotions. I want to crumble against him, to beg him to make my problems go away. But I can’t, not when he is the problem. “We have no service in here!”
“Good.” Bradley’s disposition changes. His voice is no nonsense, and his eyes are leveled at me. “Because we obviously need to talk.”
If I weren’t already so upset, I might even be scared, or worried that I had this all wrong—doubting myself. But I can’t seem to make sense of anything through my fury at Bradley Hamilton crisscrossing all over my heart in a matter of days.
“What is this about?” Brad takes a step toward me, but I hold up a hand to block his progress. “Did I do something to upset you? And what does Leo have to do with any of this?”
“Why, Brad?” I raise a hand, silently pleading for him to explain. “Why did you ever think I wouldn’t realize that you were trying to take over my business? The building, at least. Expanding? Yeah, I heard all about it.”
