Page 18 of Business Temptations

“Where’s Clarissa?” Bailey asked Levi.

Levi looked around, able to see more since all three men stood taller than most of the crowd around them. “Here she comes,” he replied. “Martha and Joe tagged along.” Martha and Joe used to be Clarissa’s housekeeper and groundskeeper, before she sold the massive house that Clarissa inherited from her father. Now Martha spent her time cooking massive amounts of food for the local shelters. And Joe grew the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers that Martha used in her recipes. The couple acted more like parents than employees to Clarissa. They even lived on the farm out in the country with Levi and Clarissa and their two kids, although Joe and Martha had their own home. They doted on their “grandkids” just as biological grandparents would.

Martha and Joe, however, were currently out on the dance floor, doing some sort of swing step to the big band music.

With a playful smile, Levi took Clarissa’s hand. “Let’s show the old folks how it’s done,” and then they were out on the dance floor, swinging right along with Martha and Joe. Moments later, Sean and Kennedi joined in. But it wasn’t until the music slowed down that Matteo escorted Bailey onto the floor. The eight of them were having such a great time, laughing and being ridiculous, that they didn’t even care about the other guests in the ballroom. Well, seven of them were laughing. Matteo was too dignified to get wild with his dance moves, even if Bailey kept trying to tempt him.

The group only stopped when the band took a break. En masse, they gravitated towards a relatively quiet corner of the ballroom. Teasing and joking as a waiter arrived with drinks, scotch for the men and martinis for the ladies, who all preferred something more elegant than champagne.

It was about an hour later when Bailey looked up to see Tim heading towards their group.

Tim had filled out significantly over the past several years. He now worked out just as hard, if not harder, than Matteo and it showed. His tuxedo was filled out to perfection with all of his muscles perfectly displayed under the tailored suit. Plus, he had a more determined, hard, cynical look in his eyes these days. The excitement he’d felt at his initial discovery so many years ago had waned as he’d learned that the world wasn’t a fair place in which to create and innovate. There were constant threats of theft to his formulas and he’d gone from a smiling, eager young scientist to a contemptuous, determined businessman.

Tonight, however, his normally perpetual scowl was replaced by something more intense. Even Matteo noticed it. She felt his hand on her arm as they waited for Tim to approach.

Behind Tim stood another tall man, his presence exuding an aura of menace that sent shivers down Bailey's spine. There was a darkness to the man that unsettled her deeply, a feeling she couldn't quite shake. Instinctively, she leaned into Matteo, seeking refuge in his comforting embrace. Without hesitation, Matteo wrapped his arm around her, a protective gesture that eased her sense of alarm, if only slightly.

Tim exchanged words with the menacing man, gesturing towards their group. The man nodded sharply and began striding purposefully towards them, but his attention was suddenly diverted. His gaze snapped to the right, where Mandy, the director of her own accounting firm, was approaching from a different direction. Clarissa rose to her feet, waving eagerly at Mandy, who responded with a radiant smile, her hazel eyes sparkling with warmth.

A chuckle escaped Matteo's lips as they watched Mandy's eyes lock with those of the newcomer. There was an undeniable electric shock between them, a palpable tension that crackled in the air. But instead of the usual smiles of attraction and anticipation, their expressions were filled with a fierce intensity, as if they were poised for battle rather than romance.

"Interesting," Matteo remarked, his tone tinged with intrigue.

Beside him, Levi stepped up and muttered something under his breath, his words barely audible. "The title falls hard!"

Unfortunately, the urgency in Tim's demeanor demanded their attention, pulling their focus away from the captivating chemistry unfolding between Mandy and the enigmatic newcomer. Despite the allure of the moment, the pressing matter at hand required their immediate attention. “What’s up?” Bailey asked, reaching out to hug Tim as he joined their group.

He grunted slightly, then stepped back as well, doing the bro-hug thing with Matteo.

“We have a problem,” he explained.

“A problem?” Matteo echoed. “What’s wrong?”

Tim shook his head. “I’ll explain later,” he said, then angled his body slightly, bringing the stranger into the group. “Everyone, this is Sheik Zahir bin Aristi of Sidrina. He and I went to university together at the University of Virginia,” he explained, referring to his old alma matter.

“You can’t…?” Matteo began, but stopped at their friend’s intent gaze.

“Not here,” Tim interrupted. “But Zahir has more details.”

Sean and Kennedi inched closer, as did Levi and Clarissa. “Why don’t we get out of here?” Levi suggested quietly.

Martha nodded, leaning against her husband. “I think we should all head back to the house where I can whip up something to eat and everyone can speak more openly.”

The group agreed and moved en masse to the exit, much to the chagrin of the gala’s organizer, who was in a panic as she watched the most important guests of the night leaving before the fundraising even started.

Bailey made a mental note to send a donation to…she wasn’t sure which charity this event was for. In her mind, tonight had merely been an excuse to do a little networking and to connect with her friends again.

Now, however, she wasn’t sure what was happening. Tim was worried, more concerned than usual. And there was a sheik in their midst? An actual sheik? She glanced over at the man that was trailing along with them. As soon as she saw the man’s profile, she realized who he was. “That’s…!”

“Exactly,” Matteo replied.

“I’ll catch up with everyone later, then” Mandy called out, waving as everyone moved towards the exit. Bailey glanced back at the lovely woman who had built up her accounting firm into a powerhouse over the past few years. The woman had left a wildly unethical firm in order to create a new one that provided much better customer service. She was brilliant at taxes, and also shockingly adept at finding the numeric “needle” in a financial haystack and spotting financial predators.

Tim turned, spotting the young beauty. “We might need your expertise,” he said to Mandy. “Would you mind coming along with us?”

She hesitated and Bailey caught Mandy’s nervous glance towards the tall, dangerous looking man. He was staring right back at her and there was an intensity in his gaze that didn’t bode well for Mandy’s resistance.

She hesitated once more, glanced over at the other man and, whatever passed between them, convinced Mandy to agree. “Yes. Of course. I’ll follow everyone to Levi and Clarissa’s place.”

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