~Aaron~
The girls were a couple of miles away from me, holding hands, whispering to each other, and giggling.
And me? I was trailing behind, far enough to give them space but close enough to keep an eye on them. My gaze stayed locked on them, even as my phone stayed pressed to my ear.
“Denzel…” I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face as I tried to focus on the call.
I’d been on a call with one of the few friends I had-also a business associate-when Joan and Rhoda decided they were going out.
Joan had been right earlier. There was a lot I needed to handle after flying out here abruptly from Brooklyn.
My company wouldn’t exactly crumble without me, but there were certain clients I was supposed to meet with. Ones who expected me to handle their matters personally.
“Man, it’s blackmail. He’s been extorting money from the poor girl. All you have to do is wipe the video, and that’s that,” Denzel said, his voice carrying that same confident tone he always had.
I leaned against a nearby post, mulling it over. Blackmail cases were nothing new; clients often came to my company for help with things like this. After all, we were one of the best tech and cybersecurity firms in New York.
“I’ll think about it and get back to you,” I finally said. It was the best I could give him right now, and he’d have to take it.
Denzel was cashing in on a favor I’d promised him years ago, and while I owed him, this wasn’t a decision I wanted to rush into.
Across the road, I noticed two men walking toward Joan and Rhoda. Something about them made me slow down, my focus sharpening. I kept walking, though, until Rhoda suddenly threw her arms around one of them in a hug.
I stopped for a second, grimacing. People still hugged like that?
With a sigh, I shoved my phone into my pocket and closed the distance between us.
“We were just talking about you,” Rhoda said when I got closer. She was clinging to the man’s arm, her face lit up like she was genuinely happy. But when her eyes met mine, her smile faltered.
I’d hate to admit I felt bad for a second, but I quickly pushed that aside, focusing on them instead.
My eyes flicked from Rhoda to the man beside her, sizing him up.
He caught my attention right away. Blond hair, blue eyes, long lashes that almost looked fake. He had the sort of look that suggested he wasn’t from New York, but more importantly, he didn’t look like much of a threat.
The man stepped forward, extending his hand. “Hi, I’m Lucas. I assume you’re Aaron?” he asked, his grip firm but unassuming.
Oh. So this was Lucas-the one Rhoda had gone to see that night. The one who’d been part of the chaos that followed. I shook my head slightly, refusing to let those memories rise.
How did he know me? Rhoda?
“Rhoda talks about you a lot. I’m her, uh…” He trailed off, glancing at her, silently asking for help.
“Friend,” he finally said, and I arched a brow. Friend? Sure.
“Nice to meet you,” I muttered with a curt nod, my gaze flicking briefly to Joan.
Jesus Christ.
Joan was smiling-smiling at the man accompanying Lucas while he touched her arm. She leaned into his touch, her smile widening. I had never seen her smile like that, not even at me.
And now? She was smiling at a man she’d just met.
“I’m Nico. And what’s the name of a pretty damsel like you?” the man asked, making me scrunch my nose.
Cheesy lines. Joan didn’t need a man who relied on lame pick-up lines to win her over.
Meanwhile, Lucas and Rhoda had become engrossed in conversation, leaving Joan outright flirting with… Nico, was it?
For a second, jealousy bubbled within me before I squashed it. I wasn’t jealous. I was irritated.
“Joan. But you can call me Jo,” she replied, playfully sucking a finger into her mouth.
I let out a low growl before I could stop myself, the sound catching Nico’s attention.
His smile faltered, and he glanced from me to Joan and back again, some of his confidence draining away.
“Who’s the guy behind you?” he asked, his voice quieter now, as if lowering it would make me disappear.
Not a chance.
Joan sighed, glancing over her shoulder at me before answering.
“Nobody. He’s just my friend’s brother,” she said, and I glared at the back of her head.
Really?
Nico hesitated, shooting another glance my way. I tilted my head slightly, my eyes sending a clear warning.
“He looks… uh, kind of scary,” he mumbled, taking a step back.
Joan pursed her lips, clearly unimpressed.
“You’re scared of him?” she asked, her tone laced with disappointment.
The guy tried to recover, shaking his head and opening his mouth to speak, but she raised a hand, cutting him off.
“Nice talking to you, Nico. Hope we see each other again sometime,” she said, brushing past him with a dismissive air.
The guy lingered for a moment, his gaze darting to me one last time before he shook his head and walked off.
Coward.
“Stop scaring away the guys,” Joan said once she reached me.
I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral.
“He wasn’t the one for you,” I said simply, and she cocked her head to the side.
“And you are?” she shot back, her voice sharp. I didn’t answer, and she didn’t wait for me to.
Her green eyes blazed for a moment before cooling into something distant.
“Stay away from me, Thompson. Would you?” she said, and without giving me a chance to respond, she turned and walked away.
I stood there, watching her retreating figure, my thoughts racing.
My brain worked to piece together what I’d been avoiding all along.
The truth hit me like a punch to the gut.
I couldn’t stay away.
Because one taste of Joan wasn’t enough.
And it never would be.
My life was officially screwed.