Page 94 of The Mastermind
“I’m in the mood for champagne . . .”
“I like the way you think, my dirty girl. I love the way you feel”—my hands lingered on her ass—“smell, and taste.” My lips lingered on her neck, inhaling her floral scent.
“I learn from the best.” She poked me in the ribs. “You’re the dirtiest man I know, but you’re my dirty man.”
I veered back to look at my woman. She wore a light blue dress with gold sandals, looking like a serene seashore. I threaded my fingers through her dark, wavy hair that cascaded down her back. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe she was truly mine.
“We should get going before it gets too crowded,” she said. “I want a good spot to sit so we don’t have to stand.”
“We could watch from my office. There’s a little balcony that overlooks the event, and we’ll park in Starke Vision’s small garage.”
“Oh, right!” Her eyes gleamed. “I forgot about that. We can go up to your balconyafterwe wander around. There’s something special about immersing yourself in the music, smelling all the yummy foods, and admiring the art and live performances on foot. There’s magic on the ground too.”
She was right. Looking at the event from above was nice, but being part of the crowd couldn’t be replaced.
She cupped the side of my cheek. “Do you realize that it’s the first time we’ve gone to WaterFire together?”
“I do.”
I could see the symbolism for both of us. Different traumas had kept us from this beautiful place that was full of fire, full of life. For me, the trauma was living in a home without love, dwelling in the dark, surviving a murder attempt, and witnessing a homicide that still haunted me. For Audri, it was also surviving a murder attempt, dealing with the guilt that she had indirectly killed her father and pet, and fighting a trauma that stemmed from that event.
We were both flawed and fractured in so many ways. Perhaps those fragments had lured us together and made us whole.
Now we were both ready to take part in this beautiful celebration, which had once given us hope. Though danger, deception, and greed still lurked in the air, I shoved them away because nothing was going to taint this event for the woman who had captured my heart.
CHAPTERFORTY-SIX
AUDRI
Hand-in-hand,Remi and I strolled along the Riverwalk, which was packed with families. The city of Providence had done a fabulous job renovating its downtown area. It looked like a small version of Venice, where families, joggers, and artists crowded the bridges, and rides in gondolas brought the river alive with fire and light. Laughter boomed, and the creative energy sparked like fireworks.
My body buzzed with the vigor of the celebration. I could almost feel my heart bursting in awe, wondering why I hadn’t engaged myself in this powerful event.
“There’s way more people than I remember.” I squeezed Remi’s hand.
“This kind of event draws more people to it every year.”
“I guess we just stood by while life went on.” I hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
“We went on in our own way.” Remi brought my hand to his lips, a gesture I loved from him. “But we’re back now.”
We arrived at the Memorial Park and stopped by the railing to look at the river filled with basins of fire. The scent of pine and cedar swirled around me, evoking an unforgettable emotion. A flotilla of performers floated by in torch-lit vessels. I looked over at Remi, who appeared contemplative. Something was worrying him, but I didn’t want to bring it up tonight. This was our night.
Maybe he was worried about me and the recent situation with my uncle. He shouldn’t be. I would figure out a way to deal with it. I had to tell Grayson. I didn’t want my burden to be Remi’s. He already had too much on his plate with his own family issues. He said he’d help me, and I knew he would, but my problem should not eclipse his life.
Remi looked like an art spectacle for the college girls who walked by and a group of women around the picnic table not too far from us. He stood out like a mesmerizing art installation that begged to be seen and studied.
“Aw, look, Remi!” I spotted a musician playing a guitar with his young grandson. “They’re adorable.”
I dragged him through the crowd to get closer to the duo. When the song ended, I tossed some bills into the bucket that read,For the young musician in training.“You guys are amazing!”
Remi tossed him a generous amount of cash, which had the little kid giving him a hug.
“Show off,” I said.
Remi shrugged. “They were excellent and deserved it.”
We made our way down the sidewalk, and Remi’s gaze landed on a church in the distance. It had a nice steeple with a gorgeous stained-glass window. I couldn’t believe something dark had occurred there.