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He lifts his shoulders. “I have to get dressed up when meeting with my father. It’s really annoying.”
“Okay,” I answer, still feeling a little whiplash. He’s completely different than at the lunches. More relaxed. Looking over at Stephanie, I motion to her. “Oh, this is my friend, Stephanie.”
She smiles politely, but I can see the interest already fading. “Hi,” she says, waving.
He gives her a friendly nod, then looks around the place. “This is incredible, Cece. You weren’t lying about XS being an inspiration.”
“Thanks.” I motion for him to follow me back over toward the bar. “I’m thrilled with how everything came out. My father likes to think this is a little fad I’m in or something, but I’m going to prove him wrong. This is my proof of concept.”
“Nicely done,” he says. I can’t help but take in his extremely casual attire again. He chuckles, forcing me to meet his eyes. “Yeah, I know. Rich, business undergrad, in Chucks and a ten-dollar pair of jeans.”
I cringe. “Sorry. It’s not that it’s bad, it just caught me by surprise.”
“Truth be told, most of my life is already laid out for me, and there’s not much I can do about it. At least with the clothes, I can dress how I want most of the time and feel comfortable.”
He shrugs with a smirk. There’s something about his words that are heartbreaking. It reminds me of the small conversation he was about to start earlier today when his father cut him off. I guess I’m lucky that I have the privilege I do in life, and my father has never tried to control me if that is indeed what he’s saying.
I’m about to bring up said halted conversation from lunch, when the music dies down, and I hear Maddox’s voice on the speakers. “What’s up, party people?” he yells out, earning a cheer from everyone. “How badass is Luxe, right?” Another cheer. “I’m gonna get back to the music in just a second, but I had to give props to the one and only, Cecelia Mavin.”
All eyes switch from staring at Maddox to turning around and looking at me at the bar. My mouth drops, and my gaze burns a hole through Maddox. Either he doesn’t recognize the murderous death stare I’m giving him right now, or he’s flat-out ignoring it. Most likely, the latter.
“She’s gorgeous, amiright?” He chuckles, earning several hoots from the crowd. “But don’t let the pretty face fool you. She’s the brains behind this operation. Cece is poised to become a powerhouse, and Luxe is just the first step. And she was so determined to make sure that this nightclub offered only the best of everything, that’s why she hired the King of Bad as its inaugural resident DJ. So, let’s give it up one more time for the amazing Cecelia Mavin!”
The cheers are the loudest yet, but my gaze never falters from Maddox. He nods to me, then gives me a wink, before lifting his headphones back over his ears and turning the music back up.
Stephanie is laughing next to me, and I shake my head, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Wow, okay,” Winston says, chuckling. “Looks like someone’s going above and beyond to get your attention.”
“He’s just upset that I shot him down tonight.”
Another laugh. “It doesn’t look like he’s going to be giving up very easily.”
“No, it doesn’t.” My eyes stay on Maddox, and he looks up for just a moment. He gives me another nod and smirk, which actually inspires one out of me.
“Aaaaand I guess I’m out of the running.”
My head snaps to the side, feeling a little embarrassed. “Winston, I’m sorry. It’s nothing. He’s a rock star, and he’s been—”
“Nothing to be sorry over, Cece. Honestly, I …” Looking away, he rubs the back of his neck. “Damn, I’m going to sound like such a loser.”
“What?”
He looks over my shoulder, and I glance back, noticing that Stephanie isn’t paying us any attention. He lowers his voice so only I can hear him. “Okay, this afternoon? When I came out and asked to meet up with you tonight?” I nod, unsure where he’s going with this. Rolling his eyes, he shakes his head. “I only did it because my dad forced me to.”
“Excuse me?”
“When you left the restaurant, your father didn’t say anything, but mine did. He said I needed to go after you and prove to you that I’m the right guy.”
“Wow.” I’m taken aback by not only the gall of his father to put him up to it, but that Winston followed through. “Winston, I’m sorry, but that’s … pathetic.”
He drops his head between his shoulders. “I know.” Lifting it back up, he holds my arm, almost pleading with me with his eyes before he speaks. “Cece, you don’t need me to tell you how incredible and talented and everything else you are.” He chuckles. “It seems like you’ve got a resident DJ to do that for you. And I didn’t come here tonight to try and woo you and prove to you how awesome I am. I …” He looks away, staring at the ground.
The music and lights swirl around us, and it’s such a party atmosphere, with people talking, yelling, drinking, and living it up. But right now, it feels like I’m on the ledge of a building with a guy I barely know, waiting to see if he’s going to jump off or calmly step down and back to safety. He seems so torn.
“I agree with you,” he continues. “It’s pathetic. I just … damn it, I just do everything that man says, and I have no way out of it. I’ve lost girlfriends because he said they weren’t good enough. That they didn’t come from a wealthy enough family. I’ve lost friends because their parents weren’t CEOs. I don’t know what to do! The man controls every aspect of my life, and I have nothing if I’m not Winston Thornhurst the third,” he says his name with flair and lowers his voice. “So, yeah. I’m a loser and an idiot. Sorry.”
Turning around, he heads toward the exit. I watch him for a moment, then look back at Stephanie. She wasn’t paying attention to anything and is now flirting with the bartender. Winston walks through the door, and I feel guilty. Like he just jumped, and I did nothing to stop him.
Hurrying after him, I find him in the hallway outside of the club, waiting for the elevator. The frosted glass walls glow from the lights inside, and the thumping of the music still plays, but it’s muffled out here.
“Winston,” I call out to him. Turning around, he gazes back at me, still lost. “Come back.”
He pauses for a moment as the elevator dings. The doors open, and he glances back at them, seeming to decide if he should leave or take me up on my offer.
“Come on,” I encourage. “I could always use another friend. Especially one with the connections you’ve got to luxury properties in the Bahamas.”
I smile at my joke, hoping he takes it as such. Cracking a grin, he does, and the elevator closes. “Thanks.”
