Page 31 of A Brilliant Spring

“I know. It’s hard being in the same room as Brandt and Rhys, isn’t it?” Again, I can’t let this false strength break, or we’ll both be broken together.

“Uh, no. I was off thinking about work.”

“Oh,” she says in a small voice.

The server comes back, placing our food in front of us and filling my glass with more white wine. She places a bottle of sparkling water on the table for Riley. Riley rubs her stomach now without even realizing it, and she’s doing it now as she fills her water goblet. A small breathy sigh escapes me as I pick up my wine and drink half the glass. The bright, fruity taste leaves a lingering note of hope on my tongue.

•••

When we’re almost finished eating, I realize I’ve spent the entire night fretting over whether Brandt and Rhys have noticed us, or if they’ve left yet. But I’ve not allowed myself a single peek to see if they’re here. Truthfully, I don’t need to turn around and look, because my skin still tingles with his presence. My body vibrates on the same frequency as his, and when we’re in the same room, our bodies charge the air, like rubbing your socked feet on the carpet, causing static electricity. The tension between us is so thick that it suffocates everyone in the room until we’re the only two standing.

So, no, I definitely don’t need to look. I know he is still here. I feel him all around me.

“Elissa?” A deep, resonant voice fills the air. My eyes slide to my right and up, and there’s one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen. He has dark chocolate hair, clear, wide, light eyes, and stubble that covers a firm jaw. He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place where I know him from. “It’s Theo,” he says with a wry smile. And then it clicks. He’s the guy my mother wanted to set me up with the other week. Now it all makes sense. Theo Greenbelt is the son of the philanthropists in my parents’ circle. His wide shoulders are a stark comparison to the tapered torso I can make out from his form-fitting charcoal Armani suit.

“Oh, Theo!” I push my chair back and give him a quick, friendly hug. “It’s been years since I’ve seen you,” I say. The last time I remember seeing him, he was a geeky fourteen-year-old with thick-rimmed glasses and braces. He was adorable then, but not like the man he is now. He certainly had a glow-up.

“Yeah, I know,” he chuckles, and it’s a sweet, robust sound. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in the news, to be honest.” A slight flush creeps across my face. “I heard about your father. I’m sorry. I know you weren’t very close, but I’m sorry anyhow.” He’s still the sweet little kid at heart I knew back then. I give him a soft smile.

“Thanks, Theo. And regarding those headlines you’re talking about, I’m not sure what you mean. I was, am, an angel,” I joke, fluffing my hair over my shoulder. Riley is still sitting down when she clears her throat. “Oh, meet Riley, my best friend.” Theo takes Riley’s hand in his and presses a kiss to the back of it like she’s a princess, and I swear she swoons. Her cheeks flush and her eyes shine.

“Nice to meet you, Riley.” His voice is friendly and warm before he shifts his attention back to me. Riley quirks her brow and gives me a knowing smile, chuckling to herself. “Elissa and I used to be forced to hang out together whenever her parents made her come to Toronto in the summers,” he says, and I notice something shifts in his eyes. His pupils dilate and his gaze fills with hunger. My heart patters, and it feels like I’m getting kicked in the chest by a horse. I can’t even stand another guy looking at me this way anymore. I just wish it was the man behind me across the room.

“Well, Riley and I should get back to our dinner,” I say softly. I try to break the goodbye to him gently so I hear nothing back from my mother about my rudeness.

“Oh, sure. Of course. Maybe we can meet up one night and really catch up.” It’s not a question he asks, it’s more like a promise. One that I’m going to have to eventually break because I’m nowhere near ready to date anyone, even as a favour to my mother. The only man I want is over there. All this brooding over Brandt has the song Issues by Julia Michaels echoing in my head. Yeah, I’ve got issues. But I need him. Fuck.

“Yeah. That would be lovely,” I say, just like other women do when they insincerely mean it. Part of me is disgusted at employing the same tricks I’ve seen my parents use time and time again. I move to Theo to say a polite goodbye just as his hand wraps around my lower back, tugging me in close. I circle my arms around his shoulders in the most platonic way possible, and kiss him on the cheek like my mother does with me. A quick brush of the lips against the cheek and a “mwah” noise. I feel his body stiffen slightly at the clear line I’ve drawn, but it’s for the best. Besides, I really don’t want to give him false hope. I can’t do that to him. He really is a great guy, but I know he’s just not for me. “I’ll see you around, Theo. Give your mother my love,” I say. His handsome head nods, a small, regrettable smile on his face.

“See you around, Elissa.”

He walks off, and I suddenly feel this searing, burning pain burrowing into my back. Like a drill bit spinning around, sparking, growing hot from metal grinding on metal. I know immediately that Brandt just saw our exchange, and my heart sinks like a boulder in my chest. Now I definitely refuse to look in that direction. I stand frozen in place until Riley calls my name.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she asks. Her head turns slightly and I’m sure she sees the anger that I feel. “Oh…” That’s all she says. I slowly sit down, pull the napkin off the table, let it rest in my lap, and pick up my fork and knife to continue eating.

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Brandt

What the fuck have I done?

Has she moved on?

No, she couldn’t have. She doesn’t do relationships.

But then why was that guy mauling her with his eyes? Like he knew her. My heart feels like it’s being ripped out of my chest, and I wonder — how many times can someone’s heart withstand this type of pain and torture? She’s supposed to be mine.

I’ve been avoiding going to Black & Wells over this past week, sending one of my assistants in my stead. I can’t bear to look at her right now. Just thinking of that other guy, with his hands on her body, makes me see red. I don’t even know if they’re anything, but I just can’t look at her without being consumed with wondering if she’s moved on. It’s better if she’s out of sight, then she’s out of mind. Except, my mind is always on her. What the fuck did I do?

My fingers curl into tight fists, crinkling the paper on the table in front of me. A sharp blow to my ribs shakes me from my spiralling thoughts. Shifting my eyes, I see Rhys giving me a stern look. His eyes narrow in an angry glare, spearing me on the spot. Suddenly, I feel eight pairs of eyes trained on me, waiting expectantly. Shit.

“I’m sorry. Continue,” I grumble, my heart rate speeding up from my stupidity. The men and women gathered around the table shift uncomfortably in their seats and look at each other with eyes that say, “Is he okay?” Fuck no, I’m not okay. Rhys clears his throat.

“They want to know what you want to do with the stock that’s been dropping in the tech sector. Specifically, Harrington Tech. With the CEO gone, it’s dropping significantly,” Rhys explains in a low voice out of the side of his mouth. I straighten my posture, adjust my suit jacket, and fiddle with the platinum Rolex on my wrist.

“Buy up to thirty percent more,” I say resolutely. Murmurs and whispers break out across the table, and the suits look at me as if I’ve gone insane. “Take advantage of the dip in the market. They’ll go up again. They’re the leading tech company and we’re second. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity. And I doubt it’ll be down for long. It’s just the initial shock.” My tone comes off more irritated than I hoped, but I am irritated. With them, for looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. With myself, for losing my mind over Elissa again. The meeting continues, and it takes everything in me to focus on the agenda at hand.

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