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Everyone turned in the direction his mother was facing to find a slender, dark-haired woman walking toward them. She walked with the grace of a pageant queen, swinging her hips with every stride.
“Melisa darling,” Mrs. Johnson spoke first. “You remember my son.”
“Of course, I do,” Melisa spoke, eyeing Dereck as if she could see through him. “Hello, Dereck. It’s been a long time.”
“Melisa here just returned to Connecticut as a new district attorney.” Dereck’s mother was standing upright and Melisa adopted the same posture.
“That’s amazing,” Dereck said. “Looks like you’re on your way to fulfilling your dreams.”
Melisa confidently showcased her figure, subtly accentuating her curves. She was dressed in a tasteful, low-cut long-sleeved blouse paired with stylish, cropped linen pants and comfortable wedge sandals. Some of her hair fell to her face in gentle waves and she kept tugging at it, placing it behind her ear.
“Well, not all of them,” the woman said not trying to hide that whatever plan she had involved Dereck.
“Hi there. My name is Taylor, and this is Alina.” Taylor extended her hand to the woman. “How do you know Dereck?”
Alina wanted to slap Taylor but restrained herself. If she was honest, she too was curious as to their relationship.
“Dereck and I were high school sweethearts,” the woman tugged some hair behind her ears again. “Isn’t that right?” Alina didn’t like the way she eyed him, but Dereck didn’t seem to mind the attention.
“Dereck, I was thinking that you could take Melisa to welcome back dinner,” Mrs. Johnson probed, but Dereck was hesitant.
“I have to return to New York soon,” Dereck said, looking at Alina at the corner of his eyes.
“Oh, won’t you please find some time for me?” Melisa clung to Dereck and stroked his arms, her eyes saying what her words weren’t. “I would love to catch up with you.”
Alina shifted from one foot to the other, making herself smaller.
Taylor was right, she should not have hesitated the discussion with Dereck. If so, she could have introduced herself as his girlfriend. That would have surely deterred Melisa. But without the title, what claim did she have to Dereck? What right did she have to scold Melisa’s behavior? Still, she couldn’t just stand there and watch as this woman fraternized with him. It was causing the rage to boil over within her.
“Dereck, can I speak to you for a minute?” Alina interrupted the conversation. “Now.”
Her nose was flared and her body rigid as she led the way away from the crowd. Alina found a spot just outside the balcony where she could talk to Dereck undisturbed and turned around to face him. Her hand was folded into a fist now, and her gaze was unrelenting.
“Are you seriously going to let that woman put her hands all over you?” That was not the way Alina intended to start the conversation, but the words slipped out of her mouth. There was no taking it back, so she continued. “Have you no respect for me?”
“You,” Dereck’s voice was harsh. “Who are you to dictate who I allow to touch me?”
Alina’s eyes were bulging now. “Are you serious, Dereck? We had sex only minutes ago.”
“Exactly,” he blurted. “We had sex. That was all.”
“You can’t seriously mean that.” Alina’s jaw dropped and her shoulders slumped.
“Listen, Alina,” Dereck’s voice dropped to a calmer tone. “The past two days have been amazing. It reminded me of all the things I love about you. But if I am honest, I don’t think I can be with you again after what happened between us.”
Though Taylor had warned her that could be a possibility, Alina was not ready to hear the words from Dereck. It tore at her, weaving havoc on her heart. In an instant, her eyes were filled with moisture, but she dared not cry, not here. She would wait until she was far away from there before a single tear dropped from her eyes.
* * *
Dereck only intendedto have one drink, but that led to another and before he knew it, he had already consumed five shots. The hurt and betrayal in Alina’s eyes haunted him. He kept telling himself that it was not his fault, that she was the one who ruined their relationship with her deceit, but it didn’t make him feel any better. He had hurt her today.
“Another one,” he told the bartender, who took away the empty shot glass.
“What are you doing Dereck?” He heard her voice but ignored it, grabbing the drink as the bartender rest it on the counter in front of him.
Dina grabbed her brother’s hand and took the shot away from him, drinking it herself all at once. Dereck shook his head and ordered another drink, but said nothing to her.
“Tell me you’re not seriously drinking in here because of that woman.” Dina stood at an angle, forcing Dereck to look at her. “You did the right thing, you know. She doesn’t deserve to be with you. That woman was stupid to come all the way up here after what she did to you.”
