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Mid-way through the next set of dances the two tables began to shout at each other drowning out the music, a nearly impossible feat, but they managed to do it. Gus the bouncer was immediately in the middle of the situation, but he wasn’t getting the results they needed so…I stepped in.
Stupid move I’m sure many of you are thinking but it beats the alternative…running. It didn’t take long to get them back into their seats, especially not with a little twist of the arm here and there and once I had them there, they shut up. I could feel Rafe’s gaze burning through my back, but I couldn’t look at him. If I did, I’d find concern etched on his face for sure and that would be my undoing.
“Listen up. If you want to go beat each other up over a dumb, yes I saiddumb, game then fine have at it…outside. You may not care about having to clean up blood, but I do, and no one here wants to watch you imbeciles go at it. Most of the people in here are interested in what’s going on up on the stage and not whether you think your team’s going to beat theirs or if you have a better whatever than they do. So either sit there and shut up or get out…I know which one I hope you pick.”
I turned and walked away as Sam sent me an approving look and Tony flashed me a thumbs up. Yeah, I still had it but now I had to show Rafe that I was fine, when truthfully each of these little tirades left me a bit shaken.
“Another beer?” I ask jutting my hip towards him slightly.
“No…do you always handle situations like that?”
“Worried about my safety? Don’t be. I have a black belt in karate, and I’ve taken dozens of self-defense classes.”
“So if someone tried to cop a feel…”
“I’d show them exactly how unwelcome their advances were in the simplest way possible. I’m not stupid Rafe and I don’t walk into situations unless I know I can find a way out.”
“Does that go for relationships too?” he asks watching me closely, too closely for me to lie.
“Usually…I don’t like feeling trapped. I use a rope when I go mountain climbing, I make sure the equipment is sound when I’m ziplining, I pack extra batteries when I go camping…I…”
“You like being prepared but you weren’t prepared for the attraction between us.”
“Not even close,” I admit. “I honestly had just reminded myself that I wasn’t looking for a relationship, of any sort, and then…there you were, and things changed.”
“And you’re looking for a way to resolve it. Is that why you didn’t want to help out tonight?”
“Huh? Oh, you think that I thought if you saw me wearing this, you’d instantly turn lustful and try and ravish me or something?” I tease because secretly it’s what I had thought and what part of me wanted.
“Something along those lines. You tried to be something you’re not at dinner last night and it didn’t quite work but there’s nothing saying that you couldn’t have cooked this up with someone else to try and get me to back off.”
“Yes, I wanted two girls to come down with the flu and the third to break her leg just so I could dress up like this and send you packing,” I say sarcastically with a little laugh that puts a hint of color on his cheeks. “No, I just…maybe I didn’t want you to see this part of my life. Not everyone can accept it.”
“Your parents?”
“They have no idea, and I don’t plan on telling them anytime soon. I figure I’ll wait until after the first grandchild arrives for that. At least they’ll be too thrilled about it to question my past choices.”
“You want kids?” he asks me, and I wish the floor would open up beneath my feet so I could disappear.
“Someday…I suppose everyone does.”
“Not everyone. It’s why my ex is my ex. She didn’t want Maggie in the first place, but I convinced her to have her because I’d always wanted to be a dad. I thought she’d feel the same way once the baby was here, but I didn’t turn out that way. Once Maggie was born, Donna took off.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell him softly seeing the pain and anger of that in his eyes. I don’t think any of the pain is because of Donna leaving him, but for her leaving their daughter and I can totally understand that. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to have a man walk away from me and my child. God, a child is something I really don’t need to be thinking about right now. “Look I still have a ton to do before this place closes. Why don’t you head back to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the night? I’ll get Tony to drop me off later.”
“I’m not leaving Ame. I’m staying right here until you go. Besides,” he adds with a grin, “I like watching you work.”
“You just like watching my backside.”
“True, but I also like knowing that I’m the one who gets to spend time with the real you while the people in here, other than your friends, only get to see the act.”
“You’re too clever sometimes,” I tease as I walk away.
How can he read me so well? We don’t know each other but still…he’s got my number while I’m still struggling to find his. So far, the only things I really know are he loves his daughter, hates his ex and…he knows me.
Chapter 9
The next few weeks sped by quickly. We were constantly going back and forth between St. Louis and New York, and it was hard to remember where I was half the time when I woke up. Rafe had started taking Diamonds apart and by the end of the week, they should be in a position where they will either sink and Rafe can scoop up the company for pennies on the dollar or else they’ll tap into an unknown back up, and we’ll simply have to find something else to bring them down with, because now that we’ve started, we’re not stopping the takeover bid.
