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Zara whistles. “Does that mean things are really over between you and Owen?”
I don’t want to answer that question. Saying it out loud is too painful. So, I ignore her and click over to the next spreadsheet that needs to be fixed.
“Sore subject. I get it. Tell me about Tobias. Rumor is he’ll be here tonight.”
I push my chair away from the screen and look at her. “He’s changed so much.”
“Oh, that’s right! You were childhood friends.”
“He used to be so fun. Something happened along the way, and he’s turned into a serious grump.”
Zara frowns. “Hasn’t Owen grown more serious as he’s gotten older?”
I lean back in my chair and stare at her. “Not the same way Tobias has. Owen still has a sense of humor and enjoys playing pranks. They’ve just gotten more elaborate. Sure, he’s serious about things like security, but deep down, he’s still Owen.”
I press the lever on a candy dispenser. “Tobias would never do this.”
She takes the candy I hand her and looks at it.
“Oh. My. God. I’m giving him so much shit about this when I see him. Why have I never seen these before?” She pops the chocolate in her mouth as I dispense a handful for myself.
“When we first got to Las Vegas, he wanted to play tourist, so we booked a room on the strip and walked it for three days. He became obsessed with the M&M store. You should see the office at his house. He’s got every M&M decoration you can think of. I like chocolate after we do an intense scene and, on our grand opening night, he brought these out during after care. My dispenser has stayed full ever since.”
The candy is personalized with mine and Owen’s names on some and a diamond playing card symbol on the others. The diamond represents Owen’s symbol at the club. Each of the four owners has a unique one. I couldn’t bring myself to pack the dispenser and take it to London with me, for fear that it would upset Tobias, so I told Owen to take it. I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that he hasn’t moved it yet.
Zara puts a hand on her heart. “That is the sappiest thing ever. Men are competitive. Tell Tobias about this, and he’ll do something even better.”
I make a face, and she groans.
“Forgive me. That’s manipulative and uncalled for. I got a little too good at that in my line of work.”
Zara used to be a full-service escort, but when she married Luke, she transitioned to other forms of adult work. I don’t understand all the details and I never ask. But Luke is happy with whatever they’ve compromised on, and that’s all that matters to me. Luke wasn’t lying about me being like a sister to him.
“It’s fine. I’m just… confused right now. Tobias is intriguing to me. Which is a good thing since we’re supposed to be getting married. But I’m still deeply in love with Owen. It’s made a mess of my brain and my heart, and nothing feels right. Nothing but these spreadsheets anyway.”
Zara stands and smiles. “I should get out of your hair. We’ll talk tonight after we open.”
I let her go with the promise of a drink later and put my headphones back on. By the time I’m finished untangling the mess Grace has made of the books, it’s nearly time for the club to open. I make a quick change into a black mini dress and slip the charm bracelet I’ve carried with me all this time on my wrist. Tonight, it’s heavy.
Tobias has an official profile and will be able to enter the club without trouble when he arrives later tonight. I’m nervous about his visit. But for now, I push that out of my mind and head into the heart of the club, where I’ll walk around and greet people I’ve missed and catch a drink with Skylar and Zara.
***
Owen
I almost miss the owners’ meeting before the club opens because I got caught up in a conversation with Hunter Novak. It’s not often that the boss wants to meet with me, and I take that as a sign of his trust in me. But he caught wind of me using the largest suite in the building. I’ll shield Bellamy from that little detail. He didn’t seem to mind when I explained the situation.
I’m anxious about tonight. Why I agreed to let Tobias come, I have no idea. That’s not true. I know exactly why. Because if I didn’t say yes, he would have insisted Bellamy stay at the penthouse with him, and I want another night at the High Card with her.
The owners’ meeting is short, thankfully, and when we come out of Matteo’s office, Bellamy is waiting for me, but she looks nervous, twisting a stray curl around her finger.
“What’s wrong?”
She bites her lip, and I cup her jaw. “Spit it out, love.”
“Don’t be an asshole tonight.”
I narrow my eyes. “Excuse me?”
