Elizabeth was meeting me today for lunch. I was late and hurried down the Strip to the Hard Rock Hotel. There’s a quirky little restaurant there called ‘The Pink Taco.’ They have the coolest tee shirts and really good drinks.
Perfect!
Once I arrived I approached the hostess and gave her a quick description of Elizabeth to see if she was waiting for me. After I learned that she wasn’t there, I wasted no time getting into my sin city frame of mind. The waitress took my order for a mojito and I positioned myself so that I could see Liz when she came in. Of course, while I waited I couldn’t help but eavesdrop—another beneficial talent I’d honed over time. Bits and pieces of conversations traveled to my ears as I enjoyed my drink. I’d learned much about people over the years by dissecting verbiage and learned that most people had an agenda, and most people are opportunists—just like me. I had done it for so long that it morphed into a beneficial talent that allowed me to eavesdrop on a conversation, to decipher what people really thought, and expose what they really were after. The ability drove my success when showing homes to prospective buyers. I peeled away the kind, acceptable words to unveil what they really loved or hated about a property. That was one of the reasons I needed a vacation; my head was filled with lots of bullshit. The best cure for that was alcohol, which I rarely indulged in at home but had in great amounts while on vacation. I was just about ready to order my third drink when I saw Liz rushing to the table.
“Where have you been?” I held up my empty glass. “I’m two ahead of you!”
“Sorry, Chica! The traffic was terrible!” She seemed a bit frazzled but launched herself at me to give me a hug. “I missed you!!!”
“Yeah, yeah. I haven’t been here too long.” I rolled my eyes.
Our waitress returned to the table. “I’ll have what she’s having,” Elizabeth pointed to my empty glass, “…and she’ll have another.”
“You’re going to get me drunk. I haven’t eaten yet.”
“So, we’ll fix that! As soon as she comes back we’ll order food.” Her bossy but animated expression matched the excitement in her voice. I loved being around her because she had a way of infecting people with joy.
“I am happy to see you!” I placed my elbows on the table and leaned in so she could hear me above the chatter. “What’ve you been up to?”
“I’m good!” She circled her finger over the top of my two empty glasses. “My guess is that this is why you’re in such a good mood.” Her sarcasm was playful and she grinned evilly.
“I needed something to take the edge off.” I shrugged. “All I’ve been doing is working.” I inhaled and let out a sigh. “You know all that shit in the paper about Marisol and her husband?” Liz nodded her head. “Well, all of her real estate transactions were done through me and my company. It was a real mess. We bought properties for her company—which I didn’t know was HER Company—and then, as soon as her husband came into the picture, he wanted them all sold immediately. Those two can be a real pain in the ass!”
A twinge of anger sparkled in her eyes. “When I saw that on the news I just knew it had something to do with your company!” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Was this connected with Marisol’s attack on Aria? When Marisol’s sister was killed?”
“Yes.” Though I spoke in a low tone there was a hard edge in my voice. “It’s all connected.”
“That’s what I meant! The paper didn’t give all the details but I remembered you saying that’s how you wound up in the hospital. I still can’t believe that you look as good as you do! Shit! You went through a glass window! It’s a wonder you didn’t need some plastic work.” Her eyes widened and her head went up and down, as she looked me over.
I laughed at her. “Now, how do you know that I didn’t have plastic work? You know how I feel about that! Do it, if it makes you feel better!” I held my glass high to toast that statement.
She grew more serious. “How is Aria? You said she was coming along really well.”
Her concern touched me, lightening my mood considerably. “She’s great. Wonderful as a matter of fact. She and Declan are expecting a baby. I’m going to be an Aunt!”
“No! Really?” She squealed, her excitement matching my own.
“Really! She also asked me to be godmother!” The memory of the day Aria asked me to stand for her daughter replayed happily in my mind. “She’s been my best friend forever; more like a sister really.”
“You have known each other a long time, haven’t you?” Her eyes softened, as did my heart.
“Yes.” I smiled at her. “We’ve known each other a long time. Aria’s family and mine vacationed in Ocean City every summer for two weeks. Her family owned two apartment homes side by side. The Skipjack and The Rosemont. We always stayed in the same building, her family in the upper apartment and ours in the lower one. I was really shy but Aria was very outgoing. I guess we were so opposite we attracted.” I took a sip of my drink as I recalled my childhood. “Looking back I’m sure Aria’s parents worried about her. We’d be playing on the beach while our parents watched and she’d walk up and talk to anyone and everyone. She offered hugs without reservation to complete strangers. There’s no way she’ll let her child do that. It’s too crazy these days.” Liz agreed “But if it wasn’t for Aria I might not have had any friends growing up.” I reached over to pat Liz’s hand. “Now I have two of them.”
The melancholy moment passed quickly. I didn’t want to dwell on the past. I was here to mix business with pleasure. Changing topic, we spent the next couple of hours filling each other in on our listings, sales, and the latest trends in style. The real estate convention that was providing the write-off for my trip started tomorrow. Once we’d finished catching up Liz and I arranged to meet in the morning for registration. After that our day was free to do whatever we wanted. Shopping, eating, and dancing were high on my ‘To Do’ list and, after an obligatory amount of work; I could do whatever I wanted.
God, I loved Vegas!
Falcon Grey sat at the Blackjack table when he saw a woman who looked familiar walking through the lobby. He would have called out to get her attention but a winning hand diverted him.
“Blackjack.”
With a smile on his face, the dealer pushed a crisp, clicking stack of chips in front of him. He cupped his large hand over the stack, swallowing it into his palm. Rising from the chair he tossed a shiny, purple one to the dealer.
“Buy yourself a good meal. I’d recommend Gallagher’s, but I’m sure you already know that.”
The man lifted his chin and nodded appreciatively.
After a quick glance around the room he found her again. So it was Paige! He watched her for a moment, his green eyes softening as he enjoyed the sight of her walking from the front desk to the elevator. The effect she had on him hadn’t diminished in the last few months. He put the remainder of chips in his pockets and discreetly adjusted himself. Yeah, his body remembered her. She was as beautiful as he remembered, although the last time he saw her she was bundled in layers of sweaters. The cute, yellow dress fell over her curves and swished back and forth as she walked. She provided an entertaining view with that sway, one that diverted him a little longer than he planned. The elevator doors opened and he tried to dodge through the crowd to get her attention, but just before he reached it the doors had begun to close. He got there when only a sliver remained open but she didn’t look up to see him, robbing him of the opportunity to make eye contact.
Dammit!
Frustrated, he twisted away and headed for the front desk. If he hadn’t been so focused on watching her he would have reached her before she went to her room. He closed his eyes for a minute then headed toward the front desk. The fact that he could get information on just about anyone was going to come in handy right about now and that knowledge made him smile. Being a security expert had its perks. He was well aware that hotel policy was to keep guest information confidential but his credentials were impressive, giving him a c
ertain amount of clout. Though he rarely exploited his authority to gain leverage, he only had to flash his badge and the hotel would be more than accommodating.
The short walk to the desk was enough time for common sense to kick in. He wouldn’t gain any points with her if he invaded her privacy. It would be a sensitive point for anyone and he didn’t want to give her a reason to be defensive with him, especially since he hadn’t seen her in a while. Shit!
She looked as good as he remembered. Hot, stacked, and blessed with curves he’d like to ride. They hadn’t seen each other since the Christmas holiday at his friends’ cabin up on Deep Creek Lake. She was easy to talk to. They hit it off right away and by the end of the weekend he was definitely interested. He’d meant to, but never got around to calling her because he was swamped with his new business.
MarSin Falcon, Inc. was a security firm he’d started with Carter Sinclair and another friend, Marcus Bainbridge. Recently, life had been crazy and time consuming. He seldom had downtime, but when he did, she had a way of creeping into his thoughts. It had been less than a year since the party but seeing her now brought all the pleasant memories back.
Carter and his girlfriend, Aimee, had planned something special during the holidays for their friends and family. The two of them had gone through a rough year and Carter thought a party would lift Aimee’s spirits. Of course he enlisted the help of both his partners, namely he and Marcus, and because they were such good friends they were invited to the party as well. It wasn’t just because they were friends though. He and Carter had known each other a long time. They’d met at a local bar when Falcon got out of the Army. He just wanted to have a few beers and a place to decompress and that bar was the first place he walked into. Most of the patrons were law enforcement or military. He ran into an old friend while he was there, Marcus. They caught up on each other’s lives like guys do and played a game of pool. Carter was there with Marc just hanging out and called to play the winner of the game. The three of them started talking and, before the night was through, they bonded over pool sticks and Budweiser. Their friendship only grew more solid throughout the years. He and Marc stood by Carter through some tough shit when his wife died, and they were also there to tease the hell out of him when Aimee came into town. She was a pretty little thing and loved getting her hands dirty renovating busted furniture. When they figured out she was the same model they saw in People magazine, they nearly shit themselves! Who would have guessed that grouchy ass Carter Sinclair could land someone as beautiful and sweet as she was but, then again, stranger things had happened. He couldn’t blame Carter one bit for falling for that girl. Hell, he would have tried to hit on her himself if Carter hadn’t threatened to rip his head off! By the time he and Marcus put all the pieces of the story together, Carter and Aimee had a solid thing going. When she first moved to Deep Creek she didn’t know her way around and was viciously attacked while walking through the thick forest. Carter felt somehow responsible and moved Aimee into his house while she recovered. When he couldn’t be with her he enlisted their help and he and Marcus looked after her like she was a little sister. If they had bowed out of her party she would have been hurt, and neither one of them could bear to see her upset, especially since it was the holidays. Aimee had a heart that was bigger than she was and she loved having people around her. Carter said the party would help her to heal. It was the first project she’d taken on in a long time and she insisted that he and Marcus attend.
That’s where he met Paige.
All the out-of-town guests had been invited to spend the weekend except himself and Marc because they lived nearby. They showed up when the party was in full swing. Once Carter put a beer in his hand, Aimee made introductions. He shook hands and accepted hugs—and then he met Paige.
From the moment he saw her he knew she was different. Under normal circumstances he would have checked out her tits and ass, but when Aimee introduced them the first thing he noticed was her smile. She had the most adorable dimples and he could have fallen head first into them. They should have been declared a lethal weapon.
Always on his guard, he shocked himself when he tripped over his own name when they were introduced. She had beautiful brown eyes with little gold flecks. They reminded him of warm logs in a fireplace. Her hair was pulled to the side in a ponytail that hung over one shoulder and nestled inside a fold of her sweater. She was reserved and even seemed a little shy. She tucked her head down and lifted her eyes when she looked at him, but he could tell by the twinkle in her eyes that the shyness was all an act. He’d never met anyone like her—sweet and sassy. With most women he usually had one thing in mind—a quick “wham, bam, thank you ma’am”—but this one was different. She was going to be trouble.
The first night of the party was the shortest part of the weekend. Most of the crowd was in from Ocean City—which, if you were from Maryland sounded like “downy ocean” instead of “down the ocean”—and all of them were friends. He and Marcus were the only outsiders but, soon, they felt like part of the crowd. By the time two in the morning rolled around, Carter said it was time to call it quits. Aimee would have played hostess all night but one look at her told you why Carter was shutting it down. She was worn out and it showed. One by one everyone excused himself or herself to go to their assigned bedrooms. They were an affectionate bunch and everyone hugged and kissed goodnight, saying that they’d see everyone in the morning. He and Marc got caught up in all of it too. Carter’s brother Declan, his wife, Aria, and Declan’s mother-in-law, Jeannie, said they’d see them at breakfast. As they started up the steps Paige came over to him.
Something inside him stirred; something he couldn’t identify. Again she tucked her chin down and peeked up at him through dark, thick lashes. She was a contradiction. She had a sassy mouth but blushed when she used it.
“Are you coming back tomorrow?” Her voice was soft, but a mischievous light shined in her eyes.
“I’m planning on it.”
“It’s a good thing. I’d like to get to know you Mr. Falcon Grey.”
The way she’d addressed him was playful. If she was trying to get his attention, it worked. He watched her backside swing all the way up the stairs and started on a strategy to get to know her better. When he showed up the next day the first thing she did was kill him with that smile. He asked her to take a walk with him after breakfast just so he could get her alone. Everything was going well until he ran into an obstacle, a guy named Blake Matthews.
When Blake arrived he acted like Paige was a claim he’d staked, and Falcon was unsure if he was treading on someone else’s territory. When he asked Carter about it he said that as far as he knew they were just friends, but to be on the safe side he asked Paige as well. She assured him that there was nothing between them. Blake, however, seemed to have a different opinion.
Falcon didn’t want to put a damper on the weekend, or make a scene at his friend’s house, so he proceeded with caution. They had a good time for the rest of the weekend but he kept an eye on Blake. Once the festivities were over everyone kissed and hugged and went their separate ways, promising to stay in touch. A week went by before he asked again about the relationship between the two and Carter again assured him there was nothing.
The New Year came and went and Falcon fully intended to call her. She’d written her number on the back of a business card for him and discreetly slipped it into his pocket. He sat it on the table beside his bed. His plan was to call her after the first of the year but business exploded. The MarSin Falcon reputation was spreading in a good way and he, Marc, and Carter had more work than they had hours. He fell into bed most nights but the business card reminded him every evening that she was someone he wanted to know better. As the days passed his phone call to Paige became another thing on his “to do” list. Life just kept getting in the way.
Until today.
When he was young his mom always talked about “signs.” If this happened, it was a sign; if that happened it was a sign.
A “sign” usually preceded anything that was supposed to happen. Maybe this was the kind of stuff she was talking about. Like, really, what were the chances of them being in Vegas, in the same hotel, at the same time?
Must be a sign.
Memories of his mom’s signs of fate made him chuckle to himself. What the hell? A sign? It was staring him right in the face. Fate was intervening and was giving him a license to get her personal information. After all, what good was it to be a resourceful man if you couldn’t use your resources?
As time went by he thought he’d never see her again and here she was. Heaven was giving him a second chance to be a nice guy and, maybe, get to know this woman. Who knew? She might be a good influence on his sorry ass. She sure as hell couldn’t make him any worse.
Must be a sign.
Spending time with Liz was always fun, but my feet were killing me. I couldn’t wait to stand under a hot shower. Although I was still relaxed as I strolled through the lobby of my hotel I wasn’t sure if the buzz in my head was from the noise of the machines or the residual effect of the Mojitos. Unlike the quiet of home, the Vegas environment was nothing but activity. Bells rang, machines chirped and whooped, and music played everywhere. It was exactly what I needed; a welcome change from my overextended existence. I loved my work but sometimes it could really be a pain in the ass. The pressure mounted when twenty-some contracts were going on at the same time. To say that it was chaotic would be an understatement and stress was not my friend. The headaches I got as a result always felt like a vise was around my head—and when I was doing too much and not getting enough sleep it became overwhelming, and it got nasty. A caustic pattern would emerge. My focus turned inward and I started mentally checking off boxes of self-incrimination. It wasn’t healthy, mentally or physically. It would graduate from perfectionism with my work and trickle all the way down to berating my personal life. Most of the time the professional part of my introspection was much more forgiving than the personal one. That part started as innocently as making sure my outfit was well put together. Unfortunately, it would end with me belittling myself for every flaw I thought I had. It could be very uncharitable tightrope to walk because, in my case, the balance between being fussy or self-abusive was a fragile one. At least it was a pit I recognized and, when I felt completely overwhelmed, the best thing I could do was kick my way out of the analytical darkness until I could see light again. So I went to the place where the lights shined the brightest.
Same/Difference (The Depth of Emotion #4) Page 2
