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The nerve of Malcolm. He was the one who threatened us first. He tried to blackmail me. Why was he back in Chicago?
It didn't matter. He wasn't part of my life anymore. Even if our paths were bound to cross at some point again, I’d have to learn to deal with it.
I stepped into the coatroom, closing the door and taking a deep breath.
“You've got to be kidding me.”
I startled, then opened my eyes wide. My asshole of a tablemate was leaning against the wall, glaring at me.
“Here we go again.”
Chapter Three
Dom
I unhitched myself from the wall. What had gotten into this woman? No way in hell had she not spilled that drink on me on purpose. No one could be that clumsy. I’d half expected her to ask for my number so she could “return” the shirt after she took it for dry cleaning.
"You want to convince me that this isn’t a coincidence?"
She stared at me. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You followed me in here."
She blinked, stepping away from the door. "You think very highly of yourself, don't you?"
"Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."
"Why, thank you. I didn't know I needed it. I'm so eternally grateful." Her voice was full of irony.
"What are you doing here, then?" I asked.
"It's a secluded room. I wanted some time to myself. Why are you hiding in here?"
I exhaled sharply as I took in her body language. She seemed different than before. Sad.
Don't even go there, Dom.
She was a fucking beautiful woman, but that was beside the point.
"Who said I'm hiding?" Though I was. The event was beginning to get crowded, and on the way from the bathroom to the ballroom, I’d been hit on by four women.
"Well, I am," she said. She'd been full of fire before. And although now she tried to give me shit, too, something was different about her. I was certain of it.
"Why?" I asked.
She raised her hands and dropped them again in resignation. "My ex-fiancé and the best friend he cheated on me with are attending the event tonight. When I saw their names on the guest list, I thought I could face them. Spoiler alert: I was wrong. I hoped that drinking some champagne would help. But even that didn't work out in my favor, since I poured it all over you. They cornered me before I had the chance to grab another glass."
That completely took the wind out of my sails. There was no way in hell this woman was lying. No one could come up with this story on the spot.
She glanced away, and I realized she was tearing up.
"Fuck," I exclaimed. "You really didn't do that on purpose?"
"No." Her voice shook. She dabbed at her eyes.
"I apologize for being a total asshole to you." I replayed the whole scene in my mind. "Damn."
She looked up at me again, a wide smile on her face. "Well, this is quite a way to meet someone. I'm usually running my mouth, but I think this is a first, even for me. I didn't even introduce myself before telling you my life story." She stretched out a hand. "Reese Maxwell."
