by Krista Lakes
“Oh, Leo is it?” I teased, holding out the name for emphasis. “Bastian's business partner?”
“Damn it,” she cursed quietly, narrowing her eyes and glaring at me. From up front, Elijah laughed. “Shut up, Elijah,” Charlotte growled, kicking the front seat. It just made Elijah laugh harder and me worry about the leather with her shoes.
“We're here,” Elijah said, pulling into the parking lot and stopping. It was a small dirt lot with an open air bar on one end with a restaurant and some small shops adjoining it. A dolphin statue stood in front of the restaurant, squirting water up into the sky and looking playful. It had all the charm of a small town bar and I already liked it.
Charlotte grabbed my arm and dragged me into the bar. It was nice and comfortable, but definitely full of more locals than tourists. Luckily, Charlotte headed to the back where it was open to the ocean, choosing a seat that was obviously her favorite.
The sun had set and twilight was twinkling across the warm waters of the Caribbean as the lights in the bar flickered to life. A server came up and grinned at Charlotte.
“We'll take two of the dinner specials and two drink specials,” Charlotte told him. He didn't even write it down before heading off to the back. I looked over at her uncertain. I wasn't a picky eater, but Charlotte didn't know that about me yet.
“Trust me,” Charlotte said, full of self confidence. “You'll love it. The restaurant next door is run by Lucia's sister who, if you can believe it, is actually an even better cook than Lucia.”
“I'm not sure that's possible,” I replied, which just made Charlotte grin wider.
“Plus, the drink special is this rum thing that they only make here. It's amazing and they have a two drink maximum, but you'll want more,” Charlotte continued.
I decided to just go with it. I would have a lot more fun if I just let things happen instead of trying to control everything. I was just beginning to learn that I didn't even have as much control over the things I thought I did, anyway. This wasn't an appraisal. I could be spontaneous and have fun.
I relaxed back into my chair, looking out at the night falling across the water. It was beautiful. Looking in the other direction, I could see Elijah sitting at the bar drinking a soda and flirting with the bartender. He nodded when he saw me. I smiled back. He took his job seriously, but even he was going to have a good time.
“So, Leo, huh?” I asked, tucking my hand under my chin and watching Charlotte struggle not to turn bright red.
“I was really hoping you'd forget,” she mumbled. “I need a drink.”
“Tell me about him.” I smiled, doing my best to charm her. She stared at me for a moment and then gave up her inner struggle.
“He's tall, dark, and handsome,” she started, a cautious grin creeping on to her face as she thought about him. Her mouth twisted slightly. “And Bastian's business partner, so strictly off limits. Besides that, he thinks I'm just Bastian's minion. I'm not even sure he knows I'm female.”
“Ouch,” I replied. “At least you would look cute in those blue overalls.”
Charlotte giggled as she shrugged. “Such is the life of a personal assistant. Now, you on the other hand...”
“No, no, no.” I shook my head vehemently from side to side. “No.”
“What?” She asked, her eyes going wide and innocent. “You're telling me you don't want to know that his favorite color is yellow or that he likes his eggs scrambled and orange juice without pulp?”
“No!” But I couldn't help it. I filed that information away and hoped I could use it at a later date. I couldn't let Charlotte know that, though, so I shook my head more fiercely, feeling my hair whip around my shoulders. Besides, he was a billionaire. He could date super models. He probably did date super models. Super models probably asked him out. Me? I got dumped for a big-chested blonde. He wouldn't want me. I wasn't anywhere near billionaire material.
“Charlotte, right now he's my employer. Even if I did think he was hot, and I'm not saying I do, I can't. Do you know what my dad would do if he ever found out I even thought of flirting with a client?”
“So you want to do more than just flirt, huh? What if he wasn't your client?” she pressed. I could see where her thoughts were going, and I couldn't stop the blush that seeped out from my spine and crawled up to my ears. The things I would do to him... The way those gray eyes would light up, and how he would smile at me...
I did my best to glare at Charlotte. I didn't trust myself to actually say anything. He was a billionaire and I wasn't even sure I was good enough to even think of dating.
“Fine, fine.” She waved her hand through the air like she was giving up, but then leaned forward, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “He also likes two sugars and no cream in his coffee.”
“Charlotte!”
“Just saying,” she said with a all-too-knowing shrug. “It could be useful information.”
I shook my head, exasperated. The worst part was that I wanted to know everything she told me. I wanted to know more. But he was my billionaire employer and I was fairly certain she was crazy. He could have anyone. Why would he want me?
“Do you try and set your brother up with every girl you meet?” I asked her, glancing around the bar and hoping our drinks came soon. I needed something stiff.
“Nope,” Charlotte responded with a grin. “Just the ones that make him smile.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “I even caught him humming last night after he made you those sandwiches. He never hums unless he's really happy.”
Unfounded hope surged in my chest and pressed against my ribs to the point of pain. I wanted to believe her. I wanted him to like me like I liked him.
“That could be anything,” I said dismissively. As much as I wanted it to be true, I knew there were a million reasons for him to be smiling that didn't include me. “He could have just gotten a good weather report for his paddle-boarding the next day. Or his new paddle-board shipped from Billionaire Paddle-boarders Emporium.”
“Right...” Charlotte rolled her eyes at me like I was thick. “Sandwiches with a girl he won't stop staring at and the humming is all in my head. Seriously? Billionaire Paddle-boarders Emporium?”
She looked at me, begging me with her eyes to believe her. I wanted to. I wanted to believe that the billionaire had a crush on me.
“You really think he likes me?” I felt like a sixth grader. All I needed now was to pass her a note to give to him that read, Do you like me? Yes or No? I shrugged, trying to play it off. “Besides, he's said all of three words to me. And two of them were during my dad's heart attack.”
Charlotte smiled and leaned back confidently in her chair. “My brother is a tough nut to crack. He has trouble trusting people. After his parents died, he didn't have anyone until he found me. And even then, it was him protecting me from the world. No one was there to protect him anymore.”
I stared at the table in front of me, trying to figure out the riddle that was Sebastian Belrose. I had a girl with all the clues sitting in front of me, but I didn't dare ask. I wanted to find out his secrets from him.
Charlotte leaned forward and I looked up. “He's a great judge of character, but he's slow to trust. The fact that he made you that particular sandwich is actually a pretty big step for him. Honest. He likes you.”
I opened my mouth, wanting her to explain how a sandwich was a big step. I wanted to believe her, but at the same time, I had been burned so badly in my last relationship that it was hard for me to believe that a sandwich meant something. Two years of love and devotion hadn't meant a damn thing, so I couldn't help but wonder what a sandwich did.
It was just then that the waiter arrived with our food and drinks. On the plate before me was some sort of pastry that smelled absolutely fantastic. I poked it with my fork, releasing steam and even more mouth-watering aromas.
“What is this?” I asked Charlotte, taking a careful bite. It was absolutely divine. The crust was light and fluffy while the inside was a curry-flavor
ed beef that melted in my mouth. “It's so good!”
Charlotte grinned and stuffed a big bite into her mouth. So much for her diet. “It's a Jamaican Patty,” she explained through her mouthful of food. “They make them even better here than the ones in Jamaica.”
I swallowed my bite and took a sip of the drink. Charlotte had been right to order for me. A combination of orange juice, rum, and a combination of fruit juices I couldn't decipher hit my mouth. It was strong, but I barely could taste it over the fruit juice. I could see why there was a two-drink maximum on them. It would be far too easy to drink them all night and never realize how much alcohol was in the glass.
“Amazing, right?” Charlotte asked, licking her lips. Somehow, the petite girl had managed to stuff almost the entire patty into her mouth.
“Mm hmm,” I responded, not wanting to talk. All I wanted to do was shovel more food into my mouth, with possible breaks for more drink.
“So, anyway,” Charlotte continued after a moment of chewing. “Bastian.”
“Do I really want to know this?” I asked, pausing to take a sip of my drink.
“The last time he got close to someone, she ripped his heart out and stomped on it with cleats. He had fallen hard for her, but she was just stringing him along.” She shrugged. “It was before he got rich, but he's the kind of guy that's good to have around so she led him on a leash. The two of them had very different goals. He wanted a family and she wanted fun.”
“He wants a family?” My stomach did a little happy dance. I wanted a family. I had always wanted a family. Maybe a little bit of travel before having kids, but I wanted the white picket fence and everything that came with it. I wanted it, but my heart was still to fresh from being stomped on to believe I would ever get it.
“Yes, and from the stupid happy look on your face, you do too, so that's good.” Charlotte took a big sip of her drink. “Anyway, the girl was sleeping around on him. Everyone saw it coming but him. It was a big part of how Kindling Dating was started.”
“I thought you said he just did the logistics?” I stared down at my empty plate and wished I had more. That had been absolutely fantastic.
“Leo and Gabriel had the original idea, but he was the one who turned it into reality,” Charlotte explained. I liked that she used her hands to talk. It made her easy to read. “He wanted to make sure that people found the people they were looking for instead of just randomly hoping to run into someone compatible.”
“Does he use the service himself? I mean, if that was his goal...”
“Honestly, he's too busy,” Charlotte replied. “We both are. And, since he deals with the inner workings of it all, he's rather jaded on the whole thing. It's lost a lot of it's magic for him.”
“I could see how that could happen,” I replied, licking my fingers. “He would see all the failures and why people didn't work out. It probably helps him make the whole thing work better.”
“It does, but at a price,” Charlotte admitted. “Honestly, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see him look at a female and smile.”
I rather liked him smiling at me, too. I took a sip of my drink, feeling a happy burn deep down in the pit of my stomach. “Enough about Bastian for now. Tell me about this Leo person.” I waggled my eyebrows at her, ready to find out more about her secret crush.
Charlotte's face paled and her eyes went wide as she looked into the bar behind me.
“Are you okay?” I set my drink down, thinking I had made a serious error. I wanted her to be my friend. “You don't have to talk about him if you don't want to.”
“No, no...” she whispered, shaking her head but staring past me. “He's here.”
“What?” I turned to see an attractive man in nice khaki's and a polo shirt walking up to the bar and greeting Elijah. He was tall, but well built with untamed hair and big eyes. He was definitely a looker.
“Oh, he's cute,” I murmured appreciatively.
“He's mine,” Charlotte growled. As soon as she said the words, her eyes went wider and she clapped two hands over her mouth.
“Relax, tiger.” I giggled, a little loopy from the alcohol in my drink. “I'm still gun shy and he's not my type.”
Charlotte dropped her hands. “Oh, god. He's coming this way...”
I giggled again. For being a spitfire billionaire's assistant who seemed like she could handle anything, a cute guy walking in her direction sure had her vexed.
“Hello ladies,” said the man, coming up to our table. Charlotte looked like she might throw up. “May I join you? I don't want to intrude, but it's a busy night at the bar.”
I looked around to see that every table had a patron. Considering how good my drink was, I wasn't surprised.
“You're not intruding at all,” I replied smoothly. Charlotte's eyes were about ready to pop out of their sockets. “Please join us.”
I heard a metallic ping and Charlotte's lips thinned. I tried not to giggle, but I realized she had meant to kick me and had kicked the table instead. Served her right.
“Are you okay, Charlotte?” Leo asked, pulling out a chair and siting down.
“Fine,” she replied, her voice just a little too squeaky as she glared daggers in my direction. “I just bit my tongue.”
“I'm Ava, by the way,” I said, holding out my hand across the table and smiling. “You must be Leo.”
He stood to shake my hand, like a gentleman, and I immediately liked him even more. “Ava Fairchild? The woman who is running the appraisal at the mansion?”
“That's me.” I smiled as he sat back down. “I'm glad to finally meet you, Leo. Charlotte has only nice things to say about you.”
The kick from Charlotte connected this time, her heel digging into my shin. I managed to keep a grim smile as I glared at her. Those heels were truly wicked. She glared right back as we faced off in a silent battle of eyes.
“Have you eaten?” I asked, tearing my eyes away from Charlotte. “The special here is amazing.”
“I have actually, but thank you,” he replied politely, apparently oblivious to the kicks Charlotte was sending me under the table.
“What are you doing here?” Charlotte's voice came out squeaky and incredibly high. I was surprised Leo heard her at all. If he didn't know that she had the world's biggest crush on him, then he had to be the most oblivious man on the planet.
“I was in the neighborhood,” he replied nonchalantly. “And since I was coming out for the auction anyway, I thought I might come a few days early.”
“You flew out to a remote Caribbean island two weeks early because it was in the neighborhood? I want your job.” Damn, those drinks were stronger than I realized.
Leo looked over at me in surprise.
“Sorry.” I held up my empty drink. “Watch out, these things are strong.”
“I think I actually need another,” Charlotte said quickly. She raised her hand and caught the waiter's attention, signaling for another round.
Leo glanced back and forth between the two of us, obviously evaluating the sanity of staying with us. I couldn't blame him. We both looked a little crazy.
“That and with the new app launch, I figured it would be one less conference call with Bastian,” he explained, making the trip sound a little more logical. “Gabe is ready to murder both of us because we keep messing up the video feeds.”
Charlotte laughed, but it came out far too loud and forced. I could barely believe how nervous she was. The waiter set down two drinks, one in front of me and the other in front of Charlotte. She immediately sucked down half of hers in one anxious gulp. It didn't help that her phone started to ring.
“Here, Leo. Have mine. I haven't even finished my first one yet.” I pushed my new drink over to Leo as Charlotte held the phone up to her ear and hissed into it. Her embarrassed expression turned to worry.
“Ava, it's for you,” she said, holding the phone out to me.
“Excuse me,” I replied, taking the phone and standing up. I went to the
corner next to the water where the sounds of the bar were just a little quieter, but I still had to press my finger into my ear to hear. “This is Ava.”
“Miss Fairchild? This is Dr. Verner.”
It was as if I were dunked in ice water. All the warm tipsiness of the alcohol was gone and suddenly all the colors in the room were too bright and yet had no color.
“Is my dad okay?” I whispered.
“He's having another episode.” Dr. Verner's voice was calm, and that was good. If he had sounded even the littlest bit stressed, I would have screamed. “I doubt we'll even have to shock his system, but I wanted to keep you apprised of the situation.”
“Episode...” I gasped, trying to comprehend what was going on. It was hard to breathe.
“I'm fine, Ava,” my dad shouted from the background. “The doctor is just being cautious, sweetie. Don't worry about me!”
“Should I be there?” I asked. Panic rolled in my stomach, threatening to bring everything back up. Dinner didn't taste so good anymore.
“He's doing fine at the moment,” Dr. Verner assured me. “I can speak with you in the morning.”
I looked over at Charlotte and Leo sitting at the table. They looked so blissful, with Charlotte turning a fantastic shade of crimson and purple as she attempted to speak with Leo. She looked happy, though. I knew I would be the most miserable company if I stayed.
“I'll be there in just a little bit, “ I promised. I would worry and fret if I stayed. Better for me to go home where at least I could see the cause of my worry. “Thank you, doctor.”
I hung up the phone, staring at it for a moment and holding onto the railing overlooking the ocean. My knuckles went white and I had to force my lungs to inhale. This couldn't be happening. Not again.
I walked back to the table in a daze. Charlotte looked up, her face full of concern. “What's wrong?”
“That was Dr. Verner,” I whispered. I didn't want to say the words aloud. If I didn't say them, maybe they wouldn't be true. Maybe my dad would just be sitting at home playing on his tablet and be totally fine. “He's at the house with Dad.”
