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“Yes! The most expensive one!” She waved her hand at me. “We’re celebrating.”
I pretended to take inventory of the obscene rock on her hand. “Wow. It’s gorgeous.” I tried to push my smile up higher, to give some resemblance of sincerity, but it wasn’t really in me.
“Make it two bottles!” The redhead in the corner added. “And strawberries. Do you have strawberries?”
“You’ve been watching Pretty Woman again, haven’t you?” The bride laughed.
“It’s a great movie.” The redhead sank a little lower in her seat. It wasn’t hard to figure out the hierarchy of these little groups.
“Two bottles of our most expensive champagne and strawberries if we have them.” I tucked the empty tray beneath my arm. “Anything else, ladies?”
“Oh! Daddy’s already putting the announcement in the Times!” The bride flashed her phone at her friends, leaving me completely forgotten.
“Two bottles of Dom Pérignon Oenothèque.” I slid my tray on the counter.
“Two?” Kristov’s eyes light up. It’s a ten-grand bill just for those bottles.
“Yeah. You can probably slip them some Brut, and they wouldn’t know the difference.” I pressed my hip against the counter. My feet ached from the long shift, but one more hour and I’d be able to get out of there and go home. Just in time to overthink and worry and obsess a little more about that headline and what my next steps were. Was I still safe here?
“You have another table that was just seated.” Kristov waved toward the few tables outside the VIP section given to me.
“Right.” I pushed off the counter. Saturday nights never stop, but I was distracted. “Looks like there’s another being seated now. I’ll get them both. Get those bottles for me?”
“Be ready by the time you get back.”
“Oh! Strawberries, too.” I called back to him as I backed out of the bar area, immediately bumping into a brick wall.
Strong hands wrapped around my arms, steadying me before I fell backward onto my ass on the edge of the dance floor. Once back on my feet, I turned around and came face to face with the fiercest frown I’ve ever seen.
Or recognized.
Ice shot down my spine, freezing every nerve on the way down. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe that news article messed with my brain.
But then he spoke, ruining my momentary delusion.
“You should watch where you’re going,” With one long finger, Dmitri lifted the name tag on my blouse. “Alex?”
I frowned right back at him. It had been two years. Surely, he’d forgotten all about me by now.
“Thanks.” It’s all I could figure to say. His eyes narrowed slightly.
I stepped back, away from his touch.
“If you want a drink, you’ll have to go to the bar.” I pointed to the crush of people waving their hands, vying for the attention of any bartender in their area.
His left eyebrow arched; thick and black, just like the beard covering his jawline. He looked exactly the same. My insides clenched. Even the same heat touched my cheeks as his stare lingered.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said.
“Okay.” I shook my head. I needed to get away from him before he realized who I was.
As I started to move away from him, he grabbed my arm again, this time pulling me around. His eyes move to my hair, then my eyes.
“Alex,” he said my name like he was trying it on for size. I wondered if it fit.
“Yeah.” I yanked my arm free. “I have to get my tables.”
“You look familiar,” he said, narrowing his eyes again. My mouth dried beneath his inspection.
