AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Celebrating what?”
Gage paused for a second, then said, “The new year, of course.”
Matt wasn’t a fan of the holiday season, so it hardly felt like a reason for celebration. Then he glanced back down at the dance floor. “Who is that man dancing with Liza Moretti?”
Gage followed the direction of Matt’s finger. “Oh. That’s Miles Williams. Joey’s cohost on ManPower.”
Joey Moretti had landed his own TV show and had been traveling the country for the past two years filming episodes.
“I met him last year at Keeley, Rafe, and Gio’s Christmas party. Great guy. Lot of fun,” Gage went on to explain, unaware of how much Matt hated his description of Miles. Especially when he looked back toward the floor, watching as the man’s hands drifted lower, not quite on Liza’s ass but not quite on her back either.
Matt saw red and, for a split second, he imagined himself marching down to the floor and dragging Liza out of the other man’s arms.
Fortunately, the song ended, Liza and Miles stepping apart and leaving the floor. Matt relaxed, only until he realized the two of them were climbing the stairs, headed for the VIP section. Liza made a beeline for the bar, she and Penny laughing as they talked to the bartender.
She hadn’t noticed him yet, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she’d be as carefree when she realized he was there.
They hadn’t seen each other since the night of the gala.
Liza thanked the bartender for her drink, then turned around. Her gaze met his in an instant, and he watched a myriad of expressions cross her face—surprise, desire, wariness, sadness, and then—the one she stuck with—anger.
That one surprised him because he couldn’t think of anything he’d done that night that would make her angry with him. She was the one who’d walked out, not the other way around.
Their gazes remained locked across the room, and he wished he could tell what she was thinking.
Given the fact none of her male relatives had done much more than give him a cursory glance when they walked into the VIP section, he assumed she hadn’t told anyone about their night together. Because he was certain Luca and Joey wouldn’t be happy to discover he’d taken their cousin to bed.
Then, he felt his own temper kick up when Miles joined her at the bar, stealing her attention away from him. Her annoyance over seeing Matt vanished when she talked to Miles. Toward him, she was all smiles and flirty looks.
Matt fought to unlock his jaw.
“Hey, Mr. Russo.”
Matt recognized the voice and forced his gaze away from her, turning to acknowledge Toby and Rich.
“Matt,” he corrected. Matt had told both men to call him by his first name countless times over the past year. Because, while they were still employees, they’d also become two of Gage’s closest friends, so the three of them were running into each other more frequently at social occasions, like tonight.
“Matt,” Rich said, grinning as he did so. Matt didn’t hold his breath that the name change would stick. Next time they ran into each other, either at work or socially, he would be Mr. Russo again.
“Happy New Year!” Toby’s volume was a shade too loud. Clearly, he was as sober-ish as Gage. Both men attempted to make small talk about Enigma, about their excitement at being in the VIP section. Gage joined the conversation, the three men determined to draw Matt into a discussion about the new Dr. Who. Matt listened with half an ear, nodding when appropriate even though he didn’t give a damn about Dr. Who, Dr. What, Dr. When, or Dr. Fucking Why.
Eventually, the three men finally excused themselves, seeking out Penny to settle some debate about their last Dungeons and Dragons game night. Now, as always—when it came to Gage’s friends—Matt felt as if he’d just engaged in a conversation where he didn’t have a clue what any of the words meant, even though they’d been spoken in English.
Glancing back toward the bar, he was surprised to discover Liza wasn’t there. Surveying the area, he could see she’d left the VIP section. Foolishly, he was relieved when he spotted Miles, sitting at a round table with Joey and Luca. Turning back to the floor, he wondered if she’d gone back down to dance, but she wasn’t there either.
He waited a few minutes more, then gave himself a mental kick in the ass for hanging around in hopes that she would return. He had no business talking to Liza. Time to cut his losses and get the hell out.
Matt crossed the room to say goodbye to his brother, who had claimed a quiet table in the corner, opting to sit alone versus socializing.
“You’re going to miss the ball dropping,” Conor said.
Matt snorted. “That’s not something I’ll miss. Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year, Matt,” Conor said.
Matt walked downstairs, fighting his way through the crowd to the front door. Handing his ticket to the valet, he stepped away from the entrance, tugging his jacket closed at the front. The temperature had dropped significantly since he’d arrived at the club, and flurries were starting to fall.
Shoving his hands in his pocket, he was surprised when he noticed Liza, leaning against a light pole about halfway down the block. She appeared to be lost to the world, deep in thought.
