‘He’s still staring.’
‘Yup.’ A little devil poked at me and I gave him a cheeky wave. Maybe he’d just think I was being friendly after he stepped in with his obnoxious colleague or maybe he’d remember that we knew each other. I wanted him to, I realised. I wanted him to figure out it was me and I wanted to see how he’d handle it. Would he continue ignoring me? Would he be angry and give me a piece of his mind?
‘Let’s stand over here.’ I pulled her over to a little space between the seating where you could admire the view without encroaching on anyone’s privacy. ‘Would you mind getting us another drink?’ I pulled out a couple of bills from my wallet for my round. ‘If he does recognise me, it’ll be the perfect opportunity for him to come over, won’t it?’
‘Same again?’
I nodded and tipped the last of it back, handing her the empty glass. When she was gone, I glanced back over at Stephen. He wasn’t staring anymore; some woman was sitting on the edge of the coffee table practically leaning into his lap and taking up all his attention. I crunched down on my peppermint candy cane and turned towards the view instead. The balmy air lifted tendrils of my hair and cooled my face as I leaned on the wall, little lights swimming like luminescent algae along the river of traffic below, as I waited…and waited.
Keisha returned with our drinks. We chatted about the genuine research she was doing for a historical novel she was plotting, while sipping the sweet alcohol. I looked over and caught Stephen’s eye a couple of times but he stayed right where he was. I went to fetch the drinks the next time and I thought I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked up toward the bar.
I skirted someone who was pushing their chair out, and the buckle on my sandal slipped, the strap sliding down and catching under my heel, making me stumble. A hand caughtmy elbow and stopped me from falling for the second time that evening.
Stephen appeared beside me. Mr Tall, Dark-Haired and Handsome. Neatly laundered, with perfect posture and the face of a Calvin Klein model.
‘Why hello, Mr Cartwright.’ I appraised him with barely concealed satisfaction. Iknewhe wouldn’t be able to resist coming over. ‘You finally decided to come say hi properly.’ I righted myself on my stupid sandal and still barely came up to his shoulder.
‘Hello, Ms Kingston.’ A smile touched the edge of his mouth, but his expression didn’t soften. There was a coiled tension in his body as he stood near me, despite the hands he’d slipped into his trouser pockets. So, he was trying toappearrelaxed. ‘I didn’t realise it was you earlier.’
‘I didn’t think so. Would you have left me victim to your friend’s attentions if you had?’
‘He’s not a friend.’ He darted a glance over my shoulder towards the group he was with but looked away quickly, furrowing his brow at his shoes. ‘And he was being extremely rude – why would I have subjected you to that?’
‘I dunno. Revenge maybe? For the whole New Year’s Eve thing.’
His brown eyes flicked back up to me. I’d forgotten how rich their colour was: coffee and chocolate, but there was something a little feverish about them too tonight. Probably alcohol, though he didn’t seem that drunk. ‘You win some, you lose some,’ he replied with an enigmatic shrug of his shoulders and I felt a bite of disappointment.
Indifference – the worst of all forms of regard. I hadn’t mattered enough to hurt his pride. But I summoned a blithe smile. ‘It’s big of you not to mind losing.’
He gave a small laugh and leaned in closer. He smelt like my cocktail tasted and had nearly the same effect on my brain. His voice pitched low as it neared my ear. ‘It’s easier to accept when I know the loss wasn’t entirely mine.’
My senses returned as he stepped back again. ‘Oh wow, you thinkImissed out?’
‘It was a noble sacrifice for the sake of your friend’s happiness.’
‘Oh my God, your ego,’ I spluttered.
‘Don’t be such a hypocrite.’ He tutted. ‘You thought I would be aggrieved because I didn’t get to spend a night withyou, didn’t you? Why is it so hard to imagine I would think the same?’
My mouth flapped open.
‘Goodnight, Noelle, enjoy the rest of your evening.’ He winked at me and walked away.
Chapter Nine
Stephen
Between the unsuccessful attempt to find my father and the endurance test that was drinks at a ridiculous height on Fifth Avenue, I was sluggish the following morning. I hadn’t even stayed that long. When Patrick left, I joined him; it had given us some one-on-one time so I could assess where we were at, and allowed me to depart before Georgina’s hands started wandering so obviously the rest of the team couldn’t help but notice. Although, considering Logan’s comments that ship may have already sailed.
And, of course, there was the fact that I’d bumped into Elle.
I’d known it was possible. New York City had a population of around eight and a half million, but I understood the Laws of Sod thoroughly. She lived here, I was going to be living here for the summer, and she’d made a fool of me; it was inevitable I would run into her at some point.
My mouth kicked up at the corner involuntarily as I remembered her outraged expression at my parting shot. I’d forgotten how much fun it was to spar with her. I’d forgotten how rounded and delicious her figure was. How her grey eyes sparkled with mischief and intelligence.
No. That was a lie. I hadn’t forgotten at all.
I’d been disappointed when she’d stood me up on New Year’s Eve and I’d felt like an idiot because she’d used my attraction to her to get the information she wanted for Beth. The definition of thinking with the contents of my trousers rather than my brain. Once the sting to my pride had receded though, I couldn’t help admiring the cunning of it. Not that I couldeveradmit it to her but…she’d been right about Beth and Nick, after all.
