Blake straightened to his full height as he had a habit of doing around those he believed himself better than. His smile didn’t reach his eyes, and he turned his nose up slightly. “I’ll cut to the chase. You’re catering Alecia Rotherford’s party, and I can’t be outdone by that new money trash. I’m having a party next weekend, and I want you to cater it.”
Joe stared at him. Well, didn’t that just beat all? The man was out of his mind. He leaned out the door and looked up at the sky.
“What are you looking at?” Blake asked with a frown.
“Flying pigs. Nope. Don’t see any.” Joe turned his attention back to Blake. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Oh come on, Joe. That was years ago. Surely you can’t still be upset.” Blake leaned in and brushed some flour out of Joe’s hair. He took the opportunity to whisper in Joe’s ear. “You still look good, Joe.”
Joe’s blood boiled. The absolute nerve of the guy! “Are you serious?” The painful memories flooded back, washing over Joe and leaving him nearly shaking with anger. “I was in a coma for days! I was almost killed. Then to add insult to injury, you told your father I tried to sexually assault you! How could you do that to me? You took everything from me! My shop, my savings, my apartment, my reputation….”
“Hey, that wasn’t my fault. My father was the one who did all that.”
“And what did you do?” Joe demanded. “You did nothing! You said you loved me but you let him destroy me, destroy everything I’d worked so hard for.”
Blake shrugged. “In my defense, it wasn’t really all that much, Joe. Besides, if I’d told him the truth, he would have cut me off, and then we would have both been on the street. I had far more to lose than you.” His expression softened, and he put his hand to Joe’s cheek. “We had some good times, didn’t we? Remember our first Valentine’s Day at the Hilton?”
Joe remembered. It was the day Joe had fallen for Blake, believing everything Blake did for him that day had been because he cared. The limo that picked Joe up, the fancy hotel room filled with red roses and champagne. Blake turned down several invitations to extravagant parties to spend the night with Joe. They watched movies, laughed, and made love. Joe had never been happier, or more delusional.
“I remember,” Joe said quietly. “But that doesn’t make up for what happened after.”
Blake sighed. “You had to know it wouldn’t work out between us. I have a legacy to uphold. As the only heir, I was always going to have a wife, and have her children. You know my family, Joe. No one breaks with tradition. Does that mean I shouldn’t get what I need? You should be thanking me, really. If I had asked you to stay, you would have. And instead of this,” Blake motioned around him, “you would have had a penthouse and spending account. You wouldn’t have been happy.”
Joe couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Tears sprang in his eyes, and he quickly blinked them away. He wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction.
“So how much will it take?” Blake removed his wallet and took out a wad of cash, then put it in Joe’s hand. “Come on, Joe. You can use the money. Get some furniture for this place from this century.”
Joe threw the money in Blake’s face. “Get out of my shop, you son of a bitch.”
“Now listen here, you pathetic little nobody. I—”
Blake was cut off by Tom punching him square across the jaw. He reeled back, falling into the doorframe. Joe stood stunned, the murderous glare coming from Tom giving him pause. Blake scrambled to his feet and took a step forward. He came to a halt when something in Tom’s gaze and stance told him he better consider his next move very carefully. Tom’s silver eyes were hard as steel, his jaw clenched tight, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. He looked lethal, and certainly not a man to be trifled with. Joe had never seen this side of Tom. Was this a hint of the man who lay underneath?
“He said get the hell out.” Tom’s voice was low and grave, his warning less than subtle.
Blake straightened out his suit and glared at them. “This isn’t over. You’ll be hearing from my firm.”
Tom took a step toward Blake who took a step back. “I’ll be waiting.”
Blake quickly gathered up his discarded bills and stomped out of the shop. Tom locked up behind him. His expression softened the moment he turned to Joe.
“Are you okay?”
Joe opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He shook his head, trying his hardest to keep his emotions in check. After all these years, why the hell did the guy have to come back? He’d been doing so well, and now…. Oh God, what if it happened all over again?
“Excuse me.” Joe was finding it hard to breathe. He needed air. The garden. That always helped. Joe hurried out the side door into the garden and the cool night air. It couldn’t happen again. He couldn’t go through that a second time. Everything had been going so well. For the first time in a long time, it seemed like he was moving on with his life. Things were good. He was happy. Why now? Wasn’t once enough? Joe sat on the stone bench, unable to keep the tears at bay any longer.