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“I definitely see that.” And then he proceeds to touch a few of my hair strands.
Gracefully, I turn closer to the bar. I hope this is enough to tell him I’m not all that interested.
I should be interested. I want to be interested. But there’s no sexual appeal here, even though he is attractive. I need more, like genuine sparks or maybe even tension. Some kind of energy.
“Thank you for the drink.”
He gives me a flirty smile before I peek at Stella. She’s in full conversation with the other gentleman, who is tall enough to not feel small under her ballerina gaze. And she’s already midway through her cocktail.
I squeeze my hardball glass and swipe my hair out of my eye. It would be nice to meet somebody this summer. Preferably someone closer to my age, someone who has something in common with me.
“What do you do?” Edward probes.
“Oh… I’m an artist. I run an art studio for children.”
He nods approvingly and takes a quick swig of his gin on ice.
“That sounds really fun. Here, in New York?”
“Yup, right here in Brooklyn. What about you?” I find myself hollering as the swanky bar tunes grow louder.
Adjusting his collar, he says, “I’m a surgeon.”
“Oh, wow. What kind?”
I’m truly not wowed, but by society’s pressure, I ought to be. I’ve clearly been around too many women, specifically in my family, who’ve been trained to find excitement in the potential of a wealthy man.
“Trauma.”
Oh, dear god.
“That sounds like a handful,” I respond.
I have no better words for him. I’m hoping the alcohol will flavor this conversation.
“I’m here at a conference this weekend. Any chance you can show me a bit of Brooklyn?”
He’s got to be married. I glance at my phone before skimming the bar. I thought maybe Stella was texting me, but there was a luring waft in the air demanding me to keep note of my surroundings. Nothing suspicious or anything threatening but maybe something powerful. There’s a peppery scent to it; it’s vaguely familiar and, yes, triggering.
¨So, where are you from?¨ I jump to ask, hoping he doesn’t circle back to his question anytime soon.
¨San Diego.¨ There’s a California pride to his response. It’s cute.
¨The healthiest city in America, huh?¨ I ask.
“You’re not the first person who brought that up.¨
The peppery waft grows thicker. I look closer at the faces around me. It feels like someone is secretly demanding my attention. Always sensitive to my environment, my body responds before my mind. I notice a huddle of people in the corner. An odd bunch, as their clothing choices are starkly different from each other, which is a telltale sign of a group of artists. This would be a spot for Brooklyn’s uppity artists to banter.
¨California reeks of health-conscious peeps. Good thing, right?¨
I snicker, but as I exhale, the air creeps right back into my mouth, full and peppery. Out of the fear of sneezing, I swallow. Glancing up, I find my eyes on the side profile of no one other than Alexander Matani. Alex. My fucking ex. The rumored, blossoming billionaire who snatched my heart and broke it eight years ago. The man who left me before my father died. The asshole who gave me trust issues and angst against Italian men. His family name is a curse to my family, and to imagine that Mateo literally spoke him up earlier.
Luckily, Alexander hasn’t spotted me. Thank God. He’s in the center of the happening artist circle. Of course, he is. One thing we passionately love together is art. He’s a sculpture collector, and if I’m correct, I hear he’s opening a museum in London this summer. I can’t stomach him. I try shifting my head lower, which means getting closer to the surgeon’s chest.
¨What kind of things are you trying to see in Brooklyn?¨
I honestly don’t care what Edward wants to see. I do, however, care if Alexander sees me. Equally, Alex reminds me of pain and pleasure. His attractiveness is stellar, and anyone that lays eyes on him can’t refuse it. Dark smoldering eyes, a strong nose that declares a strong downstairs, if you know what I mean, and a mouth that is fleshy and extremely flexible.Fuck, why does he have to be here?I should’ve hopped right up when Stella brought up this bar being snobbish. Of course, it is if ‘Billionaire Alex’ is here.
