His nostrils flare and then he hurls himself towards the elevator.
“What the hell was that about? What happened in there?” I ask once he’s gone.
Damien fills in the holes, his face grim. “The board voted nine to ten to suspend him over that tape. They said that it was hearsay. But I know a lot of them are looking at him differently and definitely are going to do some digging. He’s going to take things up a notch now. It’s coming close to the CEO vote.
He’s going to think like he’s got nothing to lose.”
Kylian comes around and hugs me from behind. “Then let’s give him a fight.”
My-Linh steps in next to Damien and lays her head on his arm since she’s so short she can’t reach his shoulder. He wraps his arms around her and drops a kiss on top of her head.
It makes me smile, and I do the same with Clarissa just as Kiara moves next to Kylian and he follows suit.
Kingsley looks at all of us like we’re crazy. “Look at you three, all whipped.” He’s joking, but it’s true.
Kylian shrugs, “Not me. I’ve always been husband material. Not my fault it took Kiara so long to come around. Why My-Linh loves Damien is anyone’s guess”-he grins when she pokes her tongue out at him-“and Clarissa, well, we all know why she’s with Matthias.” His eyes flick down to my groin.
Clarissa looks him dead in the eyes and says, “Guilty.”
And then all seven of us laugh, laugh until we forget that Gerry just threw down the gauntlet, and work is about to get just that much harder.
But we know that if we do it together, we’re going to be okay.
CLARISSA
M
atthias and I decide to walk back to the club, while the others grab a bite to eat before joining us there later. I see-saw between utter exhaustion after everything that’s happened today, and
feeling more energized that I have in a long time.
Matthias is here with me, his hand in mine as we walk in silence.
After Damien’s visit the other day, I couldn’t get his voice out of my head. He’d said something that I needed to hear that we all make mistakes. Matthias had forgiven mine, maybe I needed to do the same with him.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks when we’re about a block from the club.
“That your brother is very wise.”
“I wouldn’t call Kylian wise, so much as just talkative,” he jokes.
I roll my eyes. “I meant Damien. He came to see me the other day.”
“Does My-Linh know?”
I shrug. “I have no idea. But I don’t think she’d care. I think that in that relationship Damien is the jealous one, not My-Linh.” He laughs, nodding. “No, he said something that made me realize that we deserved a second chance.”
We reach the club, and I lead us around the back.
For the longest time, I couldn’t come back here without replaying the night with Patrick in my head.
But it turns out that it took having Matthias with me to vanquish those demons.
***
“To Clarissa and Matthias!” Kylian shouts, lifting a glass in the air.
Music plays around us, but it feels like it’s just us sitting at the bar. Matthias’s family had been nice enough to free my table when a big group showed up and now we’re crowded around the end of the bar, no doubt annoying James by messing up his carefully organized system.
“And to Malt, a happy three-month anniversary to Clarissa and her team,” Matthias adds.
I’ll drink to that. I gesture to James and once he’s done serving his order, he comes over with another bottle of Japanese whiskey in his hand.
He holds it out to Kylian, who empties his glass and holds it out to my bartender. “I heard you’re the Hibiki expert around here,” James says. “If you’re around later, I’ll get out a bottle I have hidden in case the boss and her boy toy decide to drink themselves stupid again.” “Ooooh,” Kiara says, and gives me a wink.
“Wait, ” I glance at Matthias who just shrugs. “How did you know about that?” I ask James.
“How did I notice when eight thousand dollars of liqueur goes missing?” he laughs. “That’s what you pay me for. But I did get a delivery today.” He goes to the other end of the bar and comes back with an ice press. The same one Matthias had told him about. “I guess I can forgive you guys if you keep these gifts coming.”
Matthias grins. “It’s not a gift, it’s a bribe. If you ever want to get out of here, our bar, Bottle, in
London could use your influence.”
I punch Matthias in the arm. “Hey! Stop trying to steal my bartender.”
His hand comes around to cover my mouth as he leans in closer to James. “Don’t listen to her. She’s actually thinking of getting rid of you. Says you cost too much. And-ow!” he yelps, pulling his bitten hand away from my mouth.
James laughs and returns to his conversation with Kylian while Matthias rubs his hand, giving me a hurt look.
“I would never steal from you,” he sulks.
“No?” I pretend to hug him, and reach into his pants pocket, pulling out two Caramello Koalas.
“Then what’s this?”
“That… is not… what you think it is. I took them so that you would…er, have something to eat…um, if you needed it.”
I scrunch up one of the empty wrappers. “And this one? Where’s the koala?”
This time there’s no scramble for an explanation. “I ate it, and I enjoyed. Trust me, I’m going to need my energy for later.” His lips graze against mine when he whispers, “I have a lot of time to make up for.”
A sparkler lights inside my stomach as I take a sip of my drink to hide my blush.
“Mr. Baxter, are you in lust with me?”
The depth of feeling in his eyes makes me shiver as he holds me close, and it’s just the two of us in a crowd of bodies. “No, darling, I’m desperately and unequivocally in love with you.” And when I say the same to him, I know that it’s forever.