Chapter 28

Rainey

While the relationship between Michael and I had been strained over the past week, today had been one of the better days. After working with him on some of the last-minute paperwork for the charity event, I felt good about our professional relationship going forward. He acted like a boss and not the man I’d almost slept with. I hoped that we’d be able to continue on that path in the future.

My curiosity about his conversation got the best of me. Which was why I called Tessa on the way home from work to go out to Kadia that night. I wasn’t sure what I was thinking, but I had to find out more about Michael’s secret phone calls. I wanted to put my mind at rest once and for all to see if Michael really had something going on with Natalia or some other girl.

At least then, I’d be able to let him go. Working in such proximity made it so hard to ignore his good looks. Since he agreed to break off whatever we were doing, it had to be for another woman. Otherwise, why did he agree to that arrangement so quickly? Did he think we had nothing going for us after not being able to sleep with me? Did I give him an easy way out of committing?

If that was the case then good riddance, but I wanted to at least check it off my list first by witnessing it for myself.

Tessa wasn’t a hard sell on going to Kadia since she went there at least twice a week anyway. I dreaded how I’d feel the next day, but it would be worth it to put my mind at ease.

Since she rarely went out before eight, I was able to make dinner for Tanner, put him to bed, and take a little power nap before getting ready.

Tessa arrived right around eight with several shirt options for me. I didn’t want to wear the same outfit that I had last time Michael saw me at Kadia. Then it would be obvious that I wasn’t a club-going girl. And if I didn’t appear as such he might wonder why I was there that night after clearly hearing that he was going to be there too.

I felt a little like a stalker, but I tried to push those thoughts away or else I might lose my nerve.

Tessa and I arrived at Kadia around nine. She’d insisted on primping way more than necessary. I knew within ten minutes of dancing that all the preparation would be destroyed.

“It’s not about what you look like at the end of the night,” she said. “It’s all about first impressions.”

I didn’t tell her the real reason I wanted to go: to spy on my boss. Michael had been a touchy subject for us since the day I called her about Natalia. She tried to pry a few times, and I told her it was over. It wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t the complete truth. That had become a habit for me lately. I’d kept my personal and professional life separate, and I wondered how long it would be until they were both affected by that divide.

Instead, I told her I needed a night off. And she obliged.

Once we got to Kadia, we skipped the restaurant upstairs and descended into the basement night club area. There weren’t any overhead lights, only the colorful strobe and blinking lights that pulsed to the beat of the music.

Tessa took my hand when we got onto the dance floor so she could get us through the throngs of people already gyrating to the music.

“I need a drink!” she said when we reached the bar area.

There was one stool available, and I took it. From that vantage point, I could see the door to the club, and I had a good view of the VIP areas that looked down over the dance floor in case Michael decided to take a back way into the club. The one in the corner was the biggest, and it was where I saw Michael and two men convening the last time I was here.

Tessa handed me a beer, and I took it, slugging down half of it before I took a breath.

“Thirsty?” Tessa asked with a devilish smile on her face.

“Very,” I said, winking at her.

She looked over my shoulder and squealed, rushing over to hug two of her friends. They had been there the last time, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember their names.

Tessa dragged them over to me. “Rainey, you remember Kate and Jason?”

“Yes!” I shouted over the music. “How are you?”

They said something but the music was so loud I couldn’t hear the answer. I nodded my head as if I heard and understood them.

A few of Tessa’s other friends joined the group in the ten minutes we were at the bar. I tried to include myself in as much as the conversation as I could while every few seconds, glancing at the door and VIP room.

Michael hadn’t arrived yet. Didn’t he say he was going to meet at eight? Had I misheard the day? I thought he said tonight. I wasn’t sure I could do two nights in a row here and still get enough sleep to function at work and take care of my family.

I ended up downing another beer in disappointment. A few minutes later movement from the VIP room above us.

I recognized the guy as one I saw last time. This had to be Michael’s brother, the one who owned the place. He leaned against the railing, looking down at the dancers. I nearly choked on my beer when I saw Natalia come up beside him. Her hair was pulled back, and her mouth was almost cartoonish with bright red lipstick. She looked like a Goth version of Jessica Rabbit.

I found it hard to believe that nothing happened between her and Michael. She was the epitome of a sexy, rich woman. They would dominate as a power couple.

The beer tasted sour in my mouth, and I put the bottle down and stood up from the stool.

“You want to dance?” Tessa asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

She went to her friends and gathered them together. I glanced around the room and saw a familiar person climbing the stairs to the VIP rooms.

Michael had arrived.

With one glance at him, my entire body shivered. Nerves twisted in my stomach and at that moment I wanted more than anything to crawl under the bar and stay there the rest of the night.

Tessa dragged me onto the dance floor, and I turned away from the VIP rooms in case he looked down. I pushed my hair down to shade my face from view.

I waited a few seconds and then glanced over my shoulder. I was on high alert and ready to whip back around if he saw me.

Instead, his focus was on his brother and Natalia.

He shook hands with his brother, and he embraced her. Then she backed away and gave him two air kisses. Then they burst out laughing.

I narrowed my eyes. What was that about?

They went further back into the room and sat. From that angle, I could only make out the tops of their heads. I wondered what kind of business was going on. Michael clearly hadn’t been lying about meeting his brother. But why was she there all of a sudden? It seemed too coincidental to me. She arrived in town and turned our budding relationship upside down.

Someone touched my arm, and I whipped around.

Jason held up his hands defensively.

“Sorry,” I said.

“Want to dance?” he asked.

“We are dancing,” I said.

He smiled and opened his hands to me. “With me?”

“Oh!” I said and took his hands. Smooth, Rainey. It was painfully obvious that I was a little rusty at being single.

Jason’s movements were awkward, and he kept thrusting at me with his hips. I didn’t want to offend him or Tessa so I sucked it up and hoped I could sneak to the bathroom after the song and hope he found another girl in my absence.

Every time Jason swung me around I caught a glance upstairs to see if there was any movement from Michael or Natalia. I didn’t expect them to start making out in front of me, but it would prove my point.

Jason leaned in, and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. I turned my head, and his chin bumped into my cheek. A sharp pain radiated from the point of contact.

He didn’t appear hurt at all. “You shouldn’t get too nosy about the owner’s business. He has ties to the mob, and you’re staring at little too hard.”

I leaned back and extracted my hands from his. Who did this guy think he was? It annoyed me that I made it obvious what I was doing.

“I work for his brother,” I said. “And I was just trying to catch his eye to say hello.” That last part was a lie. I wanted nothing more than for Michael to go about his night without seeing me there.

Jason’s eyes widened.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

“If you work for him, then you should know all about him.”

I laughed in disbelief. “What does that mean?”

Jason turned around and started for the bar. He didn’t even ask me if I wanted anything.

What had I said? At least I wouldn’t have to dance with him anymore. But I was supposed to be avoiding him, not the other way around.

I could tell Jason had been very interested in me, why the sudden change? Was it because I worked for Michael? Jason seemed legitimately freaked out. Was my boss someone I should be afraid of as others were? I fell back into the mindset that keeping our relationship professional was for the best. If he was connected with the mob as the rumors suggested, I wanted nothing to do with it.

I looked up again, and this time I met Michael’s eyes. He stood tall and mighty against the railing, and his eyes fixed on mine. Even in the mostly-dark room, I could imagine how blue they were. A tingling swept up across my back and neck as we stared at each other.

He gave me a curt nod and raised the glass tumbler in his hand to me. Then he downed the rest of his drink and turned on his heel toward the room again.

I slinked off the dance floor. I avoided Jason who was already back on the floor with some other poor girl. I saw he didn’t have many moves in his repertoire.

I moved to the far end of the bar where the VIP section wasn’t in view and took a steadying breath. The throbbing music didn’t help my mind process any of this. This had been a stupid idea. Why did I think it was a good idea to deliberately come to his brother’s club to see him?

Who knew what he was thinking about me at the moment.

If I left now, then he would know I came here just for him. Instead, I swallowed my pride and went back onto the dance floor, inserting myself in the middle of Tessa’s group of friends. They all welcomed me into their group. I let the music fill me and tried to forget how embarrassed I felt at that moment. I waited several more songs before I dared look back up at the VIP section.

Michael was there again, but this time I turned around quick enough that I hoped he hadn’t seen me staring.

Tessa’s friend, Marquis, took me by surprise and twirled me around. I laughed, and he caught me, pulling me close to him. He was a really good dancer and a good leader too. I was able to let loose for a while. Every time I looked up at the VIP rooms, Michael was still in the same spot, looking down at me.

I smiled to myself. He could keep looking.