My main focus as I sit beside her is getting my freaking breathing to steady itself. I try to facilitate the process by leaning down, putting my elbows on my knees. She watches me, her breathing erratic as well, but from her tears, I’m sure.
“Do you need a ride to get your car?”
“No, I’ll figure it out tomorrow,” she answers quietly.
“Did you bring your spare set of keys?”
“Yes, but I don’t feel like dealing with the flat tonight.”
After a moment, my eyes cut to hers. “Who’s the asshole that’s had his hands all over you tonight?”
Her jaw drops before she manages to pull herself straight up again, her perky tits following as her shoulders move back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I tilt my head closer to her. “The guy in the suit you were showing the clipboard to.”
She huffs. “He’s my boss—and his hands weren’t all over me.”
“Yeah, they were. Did he upset you?”
She sets those full lips into a straight line. “It’s really none of your business.”
I think I struck a nerve. But I need to know if the asshole is overstepping his bounds. I push on. “Is he bothering you?”
“Ben, it’s nothing I want to talk about with you.”
“Look, if you need someone to help you out, I can.”
“I don’t. He’s my boss and I can handle him.”
I sit up and press my palms against the bench. “Okay, but if you change your mind, let me know.”
“I doubt that; we shouldn’t even be talking.”
“Why is that, Bell?” I intentionally show her I was listening to her earlier, even though I prefer calling her S’belle or Red.
She wraps her arms around herself. “Come on, you know why.”
I take my jacket off, handing it to her. “Here, put this on.”
Her eyes stay glued to mine and when she doesn’t take it, I drape it around her shoulders. “Listen, what I know is that you and I had a thing a long time ago and, yeah, I acted like an asshole afterward, but that’s not who I am and I think you . . .”
She cuts me off. “That’s not what I meant.”
“What is it then?”
“Do I have to spell it out for you?”
“Yes, I guess you do. I’m really not dense, but I’m not catching your drift at all.”
She clutches my jacket and pulls it all the way around her. “Your ex-fiancé married my brother.”
“Yes, she did . . . but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk. They shouldn’t impact the two of us talking, especially when we’re thrown together in a work-related social situation.”
Her beautiful green eyes seem to soften. “I’m not mad about that, Ben. I went after you. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m not proud of who I was then, but that’s not who I am anymore.”
She lets her head drop until I lift her chin to study her face. “Hey, I’m not sure if I should say this. I really don’t know what’s considered right or wrong in this situation, but that night we shared—it’s one I’ve never forgotten.”
She places her hand over mine and at the gentle touch something surges through my body. I watch as she bites her lip and after a few seconds, she curls her fingers around mine. There are tears in her eyes and I’m not sure if they’re from earlier or fresh. She removes her hand and pulls her chin back as soon as the drops start to fall but the connection between us that threw me lingers on.
“About that night, I shouldn’t have done what I did,” she says in a shaky voice.
“Shhh.” I whisper to her and place my finger over her lips. “We don’t have to talk about the past.”
She shakes her head and more tears fall. “No, I want to,” she says, and I long to comfort her. I thought we were going to talk about her boss, but I guess she wants to talk about that night.
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” Sloan appears before us, slurring her words. She’s swaying as she moves through the darkness but stops to stand in front of us. I can tell in an instant by the redness under her nose that her wedding day wasn’t a day to forgo the cocaine habit.
Bell, thinking the comment was directed at her, responds. “Oh, sorry, Sloan, did you need something?”
Sloan smiles at her. “As a matter of fact I do,” she mumbles.
She sits in between us and places her hand on my thigh. Then she leans over and announces loudly, “I want you to come up to my room so we can have some fun again.”
I glance over at Bell whose eyebrows have scrunched together as her eyes follow Sloan’s fingers all the way down to the crotch of my pants. She throws my jacket in my lap then glares at me. “Are you kidding me?”
“Hey,” I call after her as she walks away, stomping her heels. “Hey, S’belle, wait!” I walk behind her grabbing her elbow.
I can hear Sloan behind us. “What the hell is going on?” She’s yelling, but I ignore her.
S’belle whirls around. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”
I can’t find any words to defend myself. I didn’t sleep with her, but we did do other things.
“I know you did, that day at the hotel. Sloan has made a few comments that I chose to ignore. But now I know for certain.”