Sexy Six

by Ahren Sanders

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the sixth annual Greater Miami Foundation Dinner, hosted by the reigning Super Bowl Champions!”

  Loud cheers and applause erupt around the room, with the loudest coming from the team, which takes up an entire section.

  He goes on to mention the numerous local charities that will benefit from this year’s donations and reminds all patrons of the silent auction in the other room. He also thanks the vendors for all their help in making this night a success. Finally, he straightens and gives the band the signal to get ready.

  “We’ve had a special request tonight. Nick Bennett has asked to kick off the festivities by leading the first dance.”

  The room goes quiet; most of the players are in on my plan. I stop beside Bizzy’s chair and watch her eyes grow wide in recognition. Her face starts to heat as a small smile slips across her lips.

  “Mr. Bennett has requested that his, and I quote, ‘favorite girl in the world’ join him.”

  Bizzy starts to giggle as I extend my hand, and she slides hers into mine. Shaw’s body goes stiff, and he audibly growls. Fire blazes in his eyes as I tuck Bizzy’s hand in my elbow and lead her to the dance floor.

  The song plays, and we spin around as we have so many times to the chords of “My Girl”.

  As we dance, players, coaches, and trainers cheer us on. The one person not cheering is Shaw. His lips are sealed tight, the vein in his forehead bulging.

  I make a point to wink at him again before twirling Bizzy.

  “Why do you do this to him?” She does a poor job of hiding her own amusement. “You’d think the prank on the boat would have taught you a lesson.”

  “Let’s not talk about that. Besides, he needs a dose of his own medicine.”

  “You know we’ll be there before you even run onto the field. I made him promise.”

  “That’s not good enough. I want to enjoy the morning with my family. It’ll help settle my pre-game nerves.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I decided about ten minutes ago.”

  She throws her head back laughing as the last chords of music die down. Shaw’s on his feet in a flash, but his boss is faster, rushing to the dance floor. I kiss her quickly on the cheek then deposit Bizzy in his arms as the next song starts. He spins her like a pro, bringing her back to him and leaning close to her ear to say something.

  Her eyes land on mine and grow in surprise as she realizes I’ve orchestrated this whole thing.

  She shakes her head, still smiling. I slink to the side behind a few of my closest players who shield me as I watch man after man cut in and dance with Bizzy. Even my coach takes his turn.

  She graciously accepts each dance, knowing most of the men. The dance floor fills with others as the band keeps the music going. Everyone seems to be having fun except Shaw. He’s glaring at every man with a tick in his jaw. Finally, Mathis breaks in as my little prank comes to an end.

  I almost fall on the ground when Shaw finally sees his opportunity and stalks to Bizzy, slinging Mathis to the side and gathering her in his arms.

  She tosses her head forward, leaning their foreheads together, and kisses him lightly, whispering something. Tension visibly leaves his body as he holds her tight and slides her down his front, swaying with her.

  “Thanks a lot, asshole.” Mathis comes to my side, rubbing his arm. “Next time, it’s your ass getting the tail end of that.”

  “You okay?” I slightly sympathize because I’ve been on the receiving end of Shaw’s stronghold many times.

  “Yeah.” He gives me a cocky grin. “You were right. That was worth every second. I thought he was going to come out of his skin.”

  “Hang tight.” I go to the bar behind us and order two whiskeys then carry one back to him.

  He takes it readily and raises his hand in a toast. “To another kickass season with a ring and a championship!”

  We tap glasses, and I swallow down the liquid. Feelings of content and happiness wash through me as I scan the room. Everyone starts to let loose as the real party begins.

  My body freezes when my eyes land on the woman in the corner. She’s nearly glued to the wall, standing next to an enormous painting of the city skyline. When our gazes meet, I inhale deeply… It’s her.

  Those violet eyes pierce into my own as my heartbeat quickens. Her lips part as one hand covers her chest. All the noise, all the people, the entire celebration going on around us disappears as I stare at the woman who touched my heart and then disappeared without an explanation.

  A look of recognition washes over her face, and I swear her eyes shimmer. I blink slowly, trying to regain my senses. Every nerve ending in my body lights on fire knowing she’s here. So many scenarios run through my mind, but they all come to a screeching halt when I open my eyes and she’s gone.

  I shove my glass at Mathis and start to move until he latches onto my elbow, turning me to him.

  “Man, what’s happening? You’re pale.”

  “She’s here. I saw her. She’s here,” I repeat in desperation.

  “Who?”

  “Grace. My Grace…”

  He stills, blowing out a deep breath. “Oh, fuck,” is his only response.

  Oh, fuck is right. It’s been two years, but I’d know those eyes anywhere.

  Grace

  It was him. GOD, after all these years, it was really him.

  I race through the long hallway to the elevator and pray I can hold it together until reaching my car. My heart thuds against my chest as I run for my life.

  STOP BEING SO DRAMATIC, GRACE! I chastise myself and force my movements to slow, getting into the elevator and smiling at the lady perched on a stool running the elevator service tonight.

  When we get to the ground floor, a security guard insists on escorting me to my car and smiles sweetly when I thank him, locking myself in.

  Only when he walks away do I let the true internal freak-out take over.

  This is your fault, you idiot! You knew he’d be here! His team is the main sponsor! He’s a celebrity in this town!

  I should have left after the band announced his name, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. The second he stepped onto the dance floor, I stopped breathing. He is still the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. Watching him on television is nothing compared to seeing him in person. He’s taller, broader, and more muscular than he was. His dark hair is longer, but his eyes… his eyes cannot be denied. They are still the most piercing blue topaz I’ve ever seen in my life. And until they landed on me, they were glowing.

  Tonight was a huge night for me, for the gallery. My job was simple yet so important. It was the chance for me to impress some of the wealthiest patrons of the city and dazzle them with my knowledge of the art on display.

  I did a damned good job, too, until the dancing started. Then I sunk into the closest corner and watched the man who stars in my dreams take the dance floor. Envy rushed through me seeing him with Bizzy.

  I know they are only friends, but I wished it were me in his arms as he laughed and spun her around the room. He openly shared his close relationship with Lizbeth Hastings, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see them together.

  I read online that she recently married his brother, and by the looks of the man wrapped around her on the dance floor, they are very much in love.

  My mind wanders to Nick again, wondering if he has a woman in his life. From what I saw, he was alone tonight, but that doesn’t mean anything. Men like him have women flocking to them. Rich, famous, successful… it’s the perfect combination for a Miami socialite to latch onto.

  He was opposite of me in every sense of the word, but I still found myself drawn to him. But what about now? Would we have chemistry? Are we even compatible?

  Then again, I haven’t seen him for two years—two long, agonizing years. It seems I’ve lived a lifetime since he walked away from my apartment that night.

  That night… memories swarm my head, and the fee
lings come crashing back to me. Images of a younger Nick Bennett pop into my mind, and I’m transformed back to the twenty-two-year-old girl who’d had the best date of her life and the promise of more to come.

  Time doesn’t matter. The puttering of my heart tells me as much. It’s amazing what the mind suppresses and how, with only one glance, all the feelings return.

  The touch of his hand on my cheek, the brush of his lips, the cocky wave as he left…

  I lay my head on the steering wheel and try to calm my panting breaths.

  Tears sting my cheeks as I start the car and force myself to drive home.

  Pain sears in my chest as I remember the way he looked at me the last time I saw him. Then the sound of his messages for three weeks after I went home. His voice changed with each message, going from concerned and sweet to finally resignation.

  I thought a quick text would help explain I was in the middle of a family situation. It was a stupid move and a lame excuse, but at the time, it seemed like the best course of action.

  I never heard from him again.

  Chapter 2

  Nick

  I walk through Shaw’s office and stop at Gail’s desk, lifting her out of her chair in a bear hug. She slaps at my back, mumbling something into my shirt as she tries to squirm away.

  When I put her down, she straightens her blouse and pinches one cheek roughly. “Such a showboat.”

  “Not at all, just glad to see you.”

  “Glad to see me or trying to gain an ally?” She slants her head with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

  Gail has been Shaw’s assistant since he started at the agency. She’s an extended part of our family, and he couldn’t make it one day without her. Even if she doesn’t admit it out loud, I’m convinced I’m her favorite.

  “Nah, he’s already cussed me out, but it was worth the verbal beat-down to watch him. You should have seen it!”

  Her face spreads into a wide motherly smile. “I wish I could have been there.”

  “Is he busy?” I glance over my shoulder at Shaw’s closed privacy blinds.

  “Never too busy for you. He was on the phone, and I suspect it was with Bizzy because he closed the blinds on his own.” She winks, and I grab my stomach in disgust.

  “Stop! I don’t even want to know what that conversation could have been about. Those two are ridiculous.”

  “Being in love is not ridiculous. Still, you should probably knock first,” she warns, pushing me toward his door.

  I knock then poke my head through when Shaw yells to come in.

  “Got a second?” I close the door and go to his sofa.

  “This is a surprise. Everything okay?” He stands and comes around the desk, leaning against the edge.

  “I need a favor. An off-the-books, keep your mouth shut, don’t breathe a word type favor.”

  He raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “I’m listening.”

  “I need to find someone, someone special.”

  “Anyone specific or are we talking blind date type of thing?”

  I jerk my head at him, wondering what the fuck he’s saying. Then it hits me. “No, you dumbass. It’s someone from my past, someone I lost touch with, and I think she’s in Miami.”

  “Oh.”

  “You thought I’d come to you to find me a date? Are you insane?”

  He shrugs. “Stranger things have happened.”

  “Well, this isn’t like that.”

  “What is it like?”

  I fall back and tilt my head to the ceiling, knowing I’m going to regret this. “I met a girl in college. We had a great date, and then she disappeared. Something happened, but I don’t know what. I never saw her again until the Foundation Dinner a few nights ago.”

  “You want me to find a girl you had a date with? Is that code for fucking?”

  “No, asshole! This is different. We met at a party and spent the whole time talking. By the end of the night, I asked her out. The second night, I took her on a date, and it was much the same. The chemistry was insane. You know I didn’t date, but she was the exception. She was incredible. When I left her, we had plans for the next night. Except, I never saw her again. She didn’t answer her phone, and by the third day of not hearing from her, I learned from her roommate there was a family emergency. I received one text then not another word. Then came the draft and graduation, and I got caught up in the hype. But I never forgot her.”

  “Why would she be in Miami?”

  “I don’t know, but I saw her. It was a brief second, but there’s no doubt it was her.”

  “It’s been a while since you left Tallahassee, and you were drinking. Are you sure it was her?”

  I raise my face to him, trying to calm my irritation. He’s asking logical questions, sane questions, but there’s only one way to make him understand. “Usually, I’d agree with you. Her hair was different, her clothing was different, and she looked professional, more mature. Regardless, I knew the instant I saw her. It could be two years or ten. It was the eyes… She had violet eyes that can’t be forgotten.”

  “Jesus the eyes…The fucking eyes.”

  He knows exactly what I’m saying, considering he’s obsessed with Bizzy’s ice blue-grey eyes. “I guess us Bennett brothers have a commonality.”

  There’s another knock at the door, and Mathis strolls in without waiting for an invitation.

  “This is a private meeting,” I grumble.

  “Now, it’s a party of three. I couldn’t miss this.” He goes to the chair facing the desk and turns it so his focus is on me. “You tell him yet?”

  “Most of it.”

  “Wait? Mathis knew and I didn’t?” Shaw questions.

  “Yeah, I told him after it happened. When nothing came out of it, I never talked about it again. Besides, you were busy.”

  “Mathis was in medical school. Can’t get much busier!”

  “I’m the cooler brother.” Mathis doesn’t skip a beat, egging him on.

  “That’s fucking questionable, considering I worked a miracle to keep his ass in Miami so Mom and Bizzy didn’t kill me. Not to mention, you received the largest—”

  “I get it.” I raise a hand to stop his impending tirade. “But seriously, I knew you had other things on your mind, and it actually slipped one night while I was drunk.”

  Mathis slaps his hand over his heart and leans back dramatically, adding to my growing aggravation. Shaw bursts into laughter, going to sit.

  “We’re kidding with you, Nick. Mathis gave me a head’s up you may need something.” He glances at his watch then back to me. “And it’s been almost forty-eight hours. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Now, it’s their turn to exchange a look that I don’t like one bit. Before I can say anything, Shaw starts firing questions.

  “For one, I need more to go on than her eye color. What’s her full name? What do you know about her? Age? Height? Overall description?”

  Everything comes rushing back. “Her name is Grace Monroe. She’s somewhere around my age… twenty-five, maybe twenty-four. I’d guess she’s about five-five. Her hair was a rich shade of brown with streaks of auburn shining through. It was long, straight, and silky, going to the middle of her back. To say her eyes were violet is an injustice. They were so many different shades of purple.

  “She had a southern accent, not from around here. She mentioned living close to Tallahassee, a small town in South Georgia. I didn’t get too many details, but I believe she was an Art Major. The two times we were around each other, our conversation was all over the place. We joked about the stupidest stuff, everything mindless. She took my mind off the upcoming draft and all the pressure I was under. More than once, I found myself wondering what—” I stop talking and see both my brothers staring at me, their jaws hanging.

  “Holy shit.” Mathis whistles and leans on his knees. “You have it bad.”

  “Nah, I’m very observant.” I try to sound nonchalant but fail miserably. Replaying my words in my
head, I realize how much of a sap I sounded like. “Okay, I admit, this girl got under my skin.”

  “So why didn’t you approach her the other night?”

  “I looked away for less than a second and she was gone, but I think she saw me, too.”

  “She saw you and ran? Maybe that should be your first clue.”

  “Don’t be an asshole.”

  They both glare at me with shit-eating grins until I start to squirm in my seat. “You both need to stop fucking looking at me like that. I’m regretting my decision to ask for your help.”

  “Give us a break. I personally have been waiting for this day for a very long time, even more so since I fell for Bizzy. All your comments are going to come back to bite you in the ass. I can’t wait to tell her.”

  My body stiffens. “You can’t say a word, Shaw. You neither, Mathis.” I point between them. “No one can know until I find Grace. I’d like to talk to her first. She may not remember me. Hell, she may be married. This has to stay between us until I get more information.”

  Shaw raises an eyebrow at me questioningly. “You’re not going to tell Bizzy?”

  “Not yet. She knew about Grace and our date, but when Grace disappeared, I blew it off, pretended it didn’t bother me. If Bizzy knew how often I truly thought about Grace, she’d have scoured the campus searching for answers.”

  “This doesn’t seem like a bad thing, and I thought you two didn’t have secrets.”

  “We don’t, well, not usually.” I try to think of how to explain. “You’re married to her, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but she’s a bit protective of me.”

  “No fucking shit,” Shaw and Mathis both mutter.

  “But it’s more than that. You both know she thinks I’ve always been too focused on her, especially in college. So, I never told Bizzy because it would be another reason for her to feel guilty. She always said I paid too much attention to her and not enough on me.”

  “I get it completely,” Shaw agrees.

  He, of all people, understands how Bizzy’s mind works. Even all these years later, she’d likely find a way to feel guilty about Grace’s disappearance.