Page 14 of Ruthless King
That got a small chuckle out of me. I always found it hard to say no to Julia. Even when we were roommates at Juilliard, and she wanted to sneak her then-boyfriend, Weston, into our dorm room, I couldn’t refuse her. Once again, I caved. “Okay, I guess I can come for the weekend, but I’m not sure how much fun I’ll be.”
It turns out getting your heart broken makes for one hell of a pickup line. Not that I was trying to pick anyone up or get picked up, for that matter, but when Julia and I showed up at Club Max Friday night, she made it a point to let the bartender know I was nursing a broken heart. I could have rung her neck. After that, it seemed that every guy and a few girls who stopped at the bar also came by our table to offer condolences and phone numbers.
When I turned down the third offer to exchange numbers with the hot guy at the table next to ours, I excused myself to the ladies’ room. The bar was full of sexy guys, but I wasn’t interested. The only guy I wanted had walked away without even a goodbye. When I walked into the ladies’ room to find it empty, I slumped down on the futon and began scrolling through my phone, unsure what I’d hoped to find.
As if my fingers had a mind of their own, they typed in the words without my consent. When the familiar Instagram page opened up, there he was. Tall, sexy, dangerous. His dark eyes were focused on something. Not something, I realized, but someone. My gaze skated across to a woman standing beside him. She had dark hair that fell just below her shoulders and brown eyes that looked like melted chocolate. She was close enough for me to notice his arm slung around her neck, a dangerous smirk on his face. I couldn’t be certain, but he looked drunk.
Hot tears threatened to escape my eyes as I looked at the bottom of the post and noticed the date stamp. It was two days ago. The fucking bastard didn’t waste time moving on.
Suddenly, the room spun, and my breathing became erratic. Digging my inhaler out of my purse, I clutched it and, for a moment, imagined what would happen if I didn’t use it, but let the attack take me. I had never had any self-destructive thoughts before, but in that moment, I just wanted to stop feeling, and that thought frightened me. I barely made it to the toilet before losing the contents of my stomach. I hadn’t eaten much since leaving the hospital, so I was surprised I had anything to purge, heaving into the cold porcelain. When I was sure I was done and wouldn’t pass out in my weakened state, I pulled myself up and splashed cool water on my face.
Finally getting my breathing under control, I stood gazing at the reflection in the mirror. I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me, although I could no longer be considered a girl at thirty-two. My blonde hair hung loosely around my face like a discarded mop. My usually bright emerald eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, and my face was tear-stained and sallow.
Uncontrollable laughter erupted from my mouth as I took in my appearance. I was a pathetic little mouse who couldn’t return to where Julia was waiting. My happy-go-lucky friend was trying to give me a distraction from my hurting heart, and here I was having a meltdown of epic proportions in the fucking bathroom. Lucy said when you look sexy, you feel sexy, except the black mini skirt I was wearing did nothing to stroke my ego. The mile-high heels I wore tonight were abandoned half an hour in, and I kept pulling my crop top down to cover my belly until it stretched so much that it was unsalvageable. It belonged to Julia. Sorry, Jules, but that crop top is now a knee-length skirt.
I tried to look the part, but when your heart is shattered into a million pieces, you really don’t have the drive to play it, too. I knew I could do this. I had spent the better part of my life playing the part, and I played it well.
I smoothed my hair back from my face, applied a fresh coat of lipstick, and after straightening my skirt and trying to fix the ruined top, I wedged my swollen feet into the stilettos and walked out the door.
When my eyes scanned the bar area, I noticed Julia wasn’t alone. A handsome blond was sitting on the barstool facing her. He had one arm draped around her and the other resting on her thigh. As I approached them, she threw her head back, laughter pouring from her red-stained lips as he whispered something in her ear. She was pulling out all the stops tonight. When her eyes met mine, she shoved a glass of something clear in my hand and pulled me in for a hug.
“Oh my God, Molly, where have you been? It’s karaoke night. I signed us up, and we’re next.” She could barely contain her excitement. Her words stunned me.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” No way was I going to embarrass myself by getting on any stage and baring my soul, even if it was supposed to be fun. I loved my friend, but she’s as wild as they come. Nothing held her back from a good time. I just needed to be more like Julia.
After seeing Courtland’s Instagram post with that girl on his arm, my resolve needed an adjustment. I downed the drink in one gulp, wincing at the burn as the liquid coated my parched mouth. I felt instant relief. Leaving the empty glass on the bar, I grabbed her arm, pulled her up to the stage, and we chose the perfect karaoke song.
My mother loved country music, and These Boots Are Made for Walkin was one of her favorites, and tonight we rocked it. Julia and I shook our asses and shimmied our way around the platform while people had their phones out, recording the entire performance. When the last note stopped, everyone stood to their feet, whooping and hollering, and for a moment, it felt like home instead of the middle of Manhattan.
When we made our way back to the bar, blond guy was still sitting there nursing a beer, and another man sat to his left. He was just as gorgeous as the blond, except his hair was a little darker. When we got within speaking distance, Julia introduced me to blond guy, whose name was actually Trevor. We shook hands and then he turned and introduced his friend, Luke. He took my hand and lightly brushed his lips across my knuckles while humming a low tune. When his eyes met mine, they were the bluest I had ever seen. He looked like a Greek god. Chiseled jaw, straight nose, and a killer smile. His chestnut hair fell to his shoulders and swept across his forehead. “It’s so nice to meet you, Molly.”
I nodded and stood frozen in place, trying to find my voice. “You, too, Luke.” The guys ordered another round of drinks as Julia and I made our way to the ladies’ room.
“Well, what do you think of Luke?” Julia was beaming. I mean, I only met him five minutes ago. Not sure I could form the most accurate opinion in that short time, but I tried to give her the most honest answer.
“From the few minutes I actually talked to him, he seemed nice enough. What about Trevor? Do you two know each other? And what about Ben?” From the way they were all over each other, it appeared this was not their first encounter. She cleared her throat. “He has a daughter who is in one of my classes.”
My eyes went wide. “Julia, how old is she?” She cast her eyes toward the floor, not knowing how to answer my question. When she remained silent a few seconds later, I broke the silence. “You know I love you and only want you to be happy. Please be careful. That’s all I’m saying on the subject.”
She smiled and nodded. “I am happy. Hey, we’re just having some harmless fun, and Ben and I are just friends with benefits whenever I’m in Stone Creek.” Her words sparked desire deep in my belly.
The rest of the evening went by smoothly. We drank more than we should have, and I was sure I would feel it tomorrow morning. It turned out Luke was an excellent distraction from all things Courtland. He was a corporate lawyer for a big-shot Wall Street mogul. When he talked about what he did, it didn’t sound as boring as I had first thought. We shared a few dances before I caught Julia’s attention and announced I was calling it a night.
I had driven tonight, so Luke offered to walk me to my car. When we stepped out into the night air, a chill ripped through my body, causing me to openly shiver. On instinct, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. I immediately tensed under his touch.
He didn’t appear to notice my change in demeanor because he didn’t release his hold until we made it to my car. I opened the door, and before I could get in, he took a step closer. “Molly, I had a good time tonight, and I’d like to see you again. Could I take you to dinner while you’re in town?”
It may have been my heels, but I stumbled forward on his words. He reached out and caught my arm, steadying me. “I’m sorry. Yes, that would be nice.”
Moving his arms to my shoulders, he pulled me in closer and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. My eyes closed on instinct, and when he pulled back, I couldn’t help the feeling of melancholy. After he bid me goodnight, I drove back to my hotel, lost in thoughts of midnight eyes, a straight nose, and a chiseled jaw, whose name wasn’t Luke.
Chapter 11
Molly
Ihave never had much trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, but last night was a first. For the past twenty years, I was asleep sometimes before my head hit the pillow. Granted, my sleep patterns have been erratic and filled with nightmares from long ago. For many reasons, I just couldn’t turn my thoughts off. My mind wandered back to the bar and seeing that Instagram post, to the Karaoke performance and the kiss.
Luke seemed nice enough, but my heart had just taken a hit, and I wasn’t in a good headspace to start up something long-distance. That’s why I decided, against my better judgment, to pay Mr. Courtland King a visit to his office. He owed me answers, and I intended to make myself a permanent fixture until I cashed out.