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“Sure you are. To a hundred-and-fifty seat restaurant on the Upper East Side. We’re standing in it now, as a matter of fact.”
I laughed, and clapped him on the shoulders. Zeke was a born-and-bred New Yorker, with a sardonic sense of humor. But I liked him—he was one of my few friends in a world where money and power isolated you from people. Zeke knew me from the old days when I was just a struggling bar owner in the East Village. The bond between us ran deep, and I knew exactly who to ask when I was considering opening a restaurant on the Upper East Side.
“Hey,” said Zeke, “I’ve got someone I want you to meet. New waitress. She’s been doing a trial shift with us this morning but I’m going to give her a job. She’s incredible.”
“She a hard worker?”
“Yeah. Was working at Bellaire—you know, the place in Brooklyn that just closed? She’s good, Alex. I think she could go far. You wanna talk to her?”
“Of course,” I said. I tried to talk to every new hire atThe Blue Orchid. I wanted to make sure they felt like part of the team.
“Hey, LOLA!” called Zeke. “Get up here!”
I froze. I didn’t even put two and two together right then—but that name. It was like hearing a familiar tune to which I didn’t know the words.
I watched, silently, as a redheaded woman rounded the staircase and made her way up the stairs. She was attractive, with slim hips and a graceful walk. And as she did, the scent of the perfume hit me again, and I looked into the wide, green eyes of the girl I’d met all those years ago.
“What is it, Zeke?” said Lola, laughing as she bounced up the last few steps to meet us.
For a moment, I thought it was a ghost. She hadn’t changed at all. Still just as beautiful as ever, her hair long and tossed over her slim shoulders.
But now the smile was quickly evaporating, and I saw Lola’s mouth open a little in shock as she stared at me. A dark, warm desire filled my body at her presence. But it was replaced by a sickly, cold feeling, tiny pinpricks of heat on my face, as the shock spread across our faces in tandem.
“You,” she said, almost silently.
“Alex Lowe,” said Zeke, oblivious. “Please meet…”
“Lola Ryder,” I croaked.
“Yeah, how did you—” said Zeke.
“I have to go,” said Lola.
“Oh,” said Zeke. “Sure. Well, it was great meeting you today. I’ll be in touch, okay? I’ll just get those files for you, okay, Alex?”
He turned and went into his office. I watched him go past.
Then it was just the two of us, alone on the landing.
“It’s been a long time,” I said.
But Lola turned. She went down the stairs and before I knew it, she was gone.
I went after her, my heart pounding.
Chapter 3
Lola
Ileft,walkingquicklyaway from them. I was in shock, and my legs were shaking as I stumbled down the stairs. Seeing his face after all these years had sent my head reeling. Alex Lowe had gained a couple of steel-gray hairs at his temples, but aside from that, he didn’t look different at all. The same handsome face, the same ripped, muscular body. The same cruel, piercing glare.
The bastard who’d left me without anything and anyone, a single mother alone in New York.
I stumbled through the dining room, onto the street. It was raining lightly, and the pavements were slicked as I jogged away.
I had to get to the subway, into a cab—anything. Macy was at home and I was going to pick her up from Sara’s apartment, hold her, cuddle her, and get as far away from the monster pursuing me as I could.
“Wait!” cried a dark voice, after me. Frantically, I broke into a jog and rounded the corner, nearly bumping into a couple wandering past with some designer bags. The money on these streets never ceased to amaze me.
