Page 12 of Best In Class
“I couldn’t stand it if I’ve lost her forever.”
Lev finishes his beer, then looks at me dead on. “Then tell her the truth.”
My gut twists.
“What the fuck are you afraid of?” Lev asks in exasperation when he sees my expression.
“Everything,” I murmur.
The only thing heavier than the guilt is the fear that telling Luna will only confirm what I’ve always been afraid of, that I was never enough for her in the first place.
“Of course, I find you here,” a voice calls from behind me and saves me from answering Lev.
Gabe Rhodes and I have known each other for a long time, as I worked on a couple of Rhodes hotels on the East Coast, including their flagship one in New York.
I give him a quick hug. He joins us at our table.
“Aurora said she, Luna, and Stella are coming here for drinks…so no surprise Dom’s here,” Gabe teases.
“In his defense,” Lev remarks lazily, “I suggested the Alley Cat, so he doesn’t have an ulterior motive.”
I ignore him.
Luna will be here, I think giddily.
Okay, so maybe I’ve been half stalking her since I came back to Savannah. Finding ways to be with her while she looks at me like I’m a serial killer.
Lev thinks I’m torturing myself.
He’s right. I am.
I perk up when I see Stella, Aurora, and Luna come into the Alley Cat.
She predictably sighs when she sees me. I smile. She makes me happy. Even when she’s pissed with me, being around her makes me happy.
Talk about being whipped!
I wish she’d give us a chance. Maybe Lev is right. Maybe I should tell her what happened. Maybe….
“Seriously, Dom, you’ve got to get a life,” Stella mocks when I stand up and hug her.
“I didn’t know.” I raise both hands, palms out. “Lev suggested meeting here.”
I give Aurora a quick hug. I recently got to know her—she’s not from the old days, and she looks exactly like the kind of woman I’d see Gabe with, the antithesis of his ex-wife, who was a fucking nightmare. Aurora, in contrast, is soft, gentle, full of joy, and with a spine of steel. We connected as soon as we met, probably because we’re both half-black in a lily-white Savannah world.
Then I turn to Luna. “How are you, Moonbeam?”
She lets out a long breath and mutters, “Fine.”
I can smell her. She’s changed her perfume, which makes sense; she’s not a teenager anymore. She now wears a light rose Jo Malone. She used to wear Marc Jacobs’ Daisy when we were together. I think the rose suits her better. I think everything suits herperfectly.
What’s that song aboutwhen a man loves a woman?
Since Stella’s husband, Noah, will be joining us, we move to a larger table. I sit next to Luna. We order drinks and some snacks—everyone is talking and laughing. It’s an easy Friday evening after work.
“The meeting went well yesterday.” I make small talk with Luna.
“Yes. I think we have an excellent project team.” She isn’t always a bitch to me, sometimes, she’s too tired, especially after a long day, and then she just treats me like someone she knows but doesn’t dislike.
