Page 4 of Anton
As the evening wore on, Derrick gave me a subtle nod, signalling that it was time for the buffet to open. A deep breath steadied me for what was next. Approaching the microphone, my heart raced, hoping to project confidence despite the alcohol warming my cheeks.
“Hello, everyone!” The steady tone of my voice cut through the ambient noise as I glanced over the crowd, the faces of familiar friends and clients lighting up the room. “I just wanted to thank you all for coming tonight and for being a part of my life. It’s a privilege to celebrate another year with each of you.” A pause allowed me to scan the room for Anton, my voice faltering as I continued. “Every one of you has played a role in making this journey special for me, and I can’t express how much your friendship and support means. Let’s keep making beautiful memories together!”
The applause was warm and inviting, a gentle reminder of the love surrounding me. Derrick shot me a proud grin from the corner, and gratitude swelled within me for his support, though it was fleeting as the hollow ache returned.
To combat the effects of the alcohol, Claire insisted I eat something. Stuffing my face with my favourite pastries—a delightful array of cream-filled éclairs and fruit tarts—each bite provided a fleeting distraction, a momentary escape from the gnawing feeling that Anton would rather stand alone than share a moment with me.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips, the weight of the evening settling back onto my shoulders.
Just then, Claire leaned in, her voice low but conspiratorial. “We’re off to the loo,” she whispered to Gracie, who was deepin conversation with the others at our table. Without waiting for a response, Claire grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the VIP bathroom.
“What’s going on with you and Anton? Spill!” she demanded. I knew she’d figure out there was something more to my upset tonight than simply Anton friend zoning me. I hadn’t told her what had happened between us this week. I usually told her everything and like the best friends we were, we’d spend hours dissecting the situation, but this time I’d kept it to myself, too embarrassed and upset to talk about it.
She tapped her foot and raised her eyebrows, and I knew there was no getting out of it. I sighed in resignation.
“Obviously, I told Anton how much I liked him not long after we met, and he said he didn’t want anything more than friendship. Fine, I accepted that. I really did, Claire, but you know, yourself, he’s been sending really mixed signals ever since he kissed me on New Year’s eve. So, I finally plucked up the courage to ask him out again last week, and he rejected me. Then, when we were out for Derrick and Nick’s engagement meal the other night, Anton kissed me again, and it was great. It really was. We were both panting hard when he broke it off, but then, he mumbled something about it being a mistake, and left. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough,” I told her, on the verge of tears.
“Aw, babe, I’m so sorry!” Claire said, hugging me tight.
“What’s wrong with me, Claire? Why doesn’t he want me?” I sobbed.
“Nothing. There is nothing wrong with you at all. It’s his issue and his loss. You have to stop letting him drag you down. You are a strong, independent, successful woman. You are a great catch. If he doesn’t see that, then that’s his loss, not yours. Now dry your eyes and fix your makeup. This is your night, and I refuse to let him ruin it for you!” she said firmly.
I nodded, sniffing as I grabbed a tissue from the fancy box near the sinks and blew my nose then dabbed my eyes.
“Seems we’re both doomed to obsess over guys we can’t have,” she sighed, doing a comical little dance before rushing into a cubicle. “Got to pee,” she shouted, slamming the door in her hurry to do just that.
I laughed and suddenly felt lighter. I might not have the man I longed for, but I had one heck of a great friend. As I fixed my makeup, I decided that Claire was right. I had to stop letting this thing with Anton interfere with my happiness. Tonight was my night and there was still a couple of hours left before it was over.
“It’s your birthday, screw those guys and their issues. Let’s dance, have some fun, and then get plastered,” Claire said, grinning wickedly.
“Hell yeah!” I replied, matching her grin. This was my party, and I had a reputation for being the life and soul of the celebration, a skill that made me a successful event planner. I should be in my element, not hiding away in a bathroom, pining over a man. “Let’s go tear this place up!”
With each step toward the dance floor, I pushed aside thoughts of Anton, reminding myself that tonight was about celebrating me. My life hadn’t been an easy one, and I’d worked hard to get where I was in my twenty-nine years. I was going to bloody well celebrate it. No more moping around. “Enjoy your party,” Anton had said. Well, I’d do just that. I would enjoy the hell out of my night and show him exactly what he was missing.
CHAPTER 2
ANTON
SAME NIGHT – MARCIE’S PARTY
Standing on the balcony overlooking the dancefloor, I nursed my half-full bottle of beer, stealing glances at Marcie from the corner of my eye the same way I had since walking away from her after our conversation. My concern about coming had been unfounded. She hadn’t slapped me or thrown me out of the party. I’d hurt her the other night, but at least she still valued our friendship. The fear that she might hate me had been gnawing at me, and I couldn’t have borne that.
I left her so I could chat with my best friend, Ash Rominov, and his brother Mikhail, but unease lingered over refusing her invitation to sit with her. Even now, I longed to take her up on it, but I couldn’t keep leading her on.
My eyes scanned the club I knew well. Glitz was owned by the Rominovs—Russian mafia, Bratva. Mikhail Rominov was the pakhan in the UK, and I’d grown up with him and his family. They were one of my biggest clients and even considered me family, too, just as I did them. I regularly provided extra security for the events here, many of which Marcie often planned.
My gaze latched on to her assistant, Derrick, who had planned the party tonight in her honour. He was chatting with Nick and some of my men, who were also here as guests thisevening. Nick waved to me and I gave him a nod. I contemplated going over and joining them, but that would mean not being able to see Marcie, and so that was not happening.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be in her vicinity and not be able to see her for long. As I was about to turn my attention back to her, I noticed Luca arriving. Luca Orlov was another close friend of mine.
When I was talking with the Rominov’s earlier, they’d expressed their concern that Luca hadn’t arrived yet. Luca was Bratva like them, but he was also the Head of Entertainment for their entertainment venues, including Glitz, and Miki’s best friend. He’d had to drive down South to deal with a situation at another of their other clubs, but he’d been expected back earlier. Since he always showed up as early as possible anywhere Claire was supposed to be, we all thought it odd that he’d been so late to arrive.
Luca saw me on the balcony as he climbed the stairs towards the VIP area and headed my way.
“We were beginning to worry about you. Miki has been asking where you were,” I said.
“The situation at Platinum took me longer than expected and then I got stuck for a while in traffic,” he replied.