When I was done, I walked back down the hallway to the table when I heard a voice a few feet to my left, saying, “Excuse me,” and the sound of anoofas two people bumped into each other. One of them stumbled to the ground with a tray full of drinks.
The server was sprawled on the ground with five drink glasses oozing liquid on the floor, some of them shattered, while the nearest ten restaurant patrons gasped and drew back from the steadily growing mess on the floor.
I saw the server, whose back was to me, groan while the other man got up and leaned against a nearby table, his hand on his chest. The server tried to get up, bracing himself against the floor, palms going dangerously close to shards of glass. I walked up to him and held my hand out, which he took. I helped him stand up, slipping just a little on the messy floor as he put his weight on my palm. Another server rushed up to us, instructing the guests to step back while they cleaned up the glass and liquid off the floor.
“Are you okay?” I asked with a quick glance at the broken pieces of glass on the floor.
I picked up the tray, just as he straightened and patted down his suit. He looked up at me, and I saw cold blue eyes. Familiar eyes.
I stiffened as I registered that Kyle Whitby was here.
Not in Texas. Very much here in New York.
From the thin line of his lips, he wasn’t happy to see me either.
“I read about the change of ownership at The Galley,” he said with a backward glance to where Rishi was making his way to us in the crowd. “And about Mr. McKinley,” Kyle said. “If you know what’s good for you, Ava, don’t bring up the past. Let it stay buried.”
Just as another server came up with a bowl to pick up the glass shards, Kyle grabbed the tray from me and walked away.
Rishi reached my side. “Are you okay?” he asked, a frown on his face as led me away from the spot.
I drew in a deep breath and nodded, my heart thudding. I’d seen Kyle, and he was determined to silence me.
I met Rishi’s gaze and stepped aside to let a few guests pass on their way to their tables.
“I saw Kyle,” I said, my voice breaking as the deeply held memory resurfaced for a breath of air. Like a piece of molten lava rock rising to the surface of the ocean after years. “The man who embezzled from my mom’s restaurant. I saw him now.”
Rishi cursed under his breath. His eyes widened at that, and for a moment, I believed I saw through to another Rishi. One who, beneath his flippant and flamboyant side, cared. Would feel for you and feel vulnerable if you were hurt.
I couldn’t handle that. I didn’t want another person inmy life who I could get attached to or who could get attached to me.
“I’ll speak to the host,” he said. Dropping me off at our table, he disappeared.
He came back in ten minutes, looking disgruntled. “Kyle’s disappeared,” he said, sounding regretful. “He abandoned his shift right away. But don’t worry, Ava. We’ll call the cops. I’ll take care of you.”
I nodded, feeling weak. I’d wanted to find Kyle, but now that he was close, I was starting to believe I needed to get as far away from him as I could.
36
DESMOND
For the next two nights, Ava stayed over with me. It was an order from me, and while she disliked being told what to do, this time, she listened to me. Kyle was in New York, and Ava couldn’t risk staying in her home anymore. Certainly not after my last visit, when I had seen that her front door was wobbling, held in place by only one hinge. I’d notified the police, who had already been completing their investigation from when we pressed charges and had issued a summons for Kyle, requiring him to appear in court. None of which really had me at ease where Ava was concerned.
On the third morning, Ava got her cup of coffee in the kitchen while I decided to shower and get ready for work. Ten minutes later, I stepped out of my bathroom, half dressed, just as Ava walked in with my cup of dark roast. I grinned and accepted it gratefully, giving her a peck on the lips.
“What are your plans for this evening?” I asked, downing my coffee and setting the cup aside while she leaned against my dresser, rubbing her eyes.
I hated that I could see signs that she was worried, that she hadn’t slept well, and I wanted to do everything in my ability to make it better.
I avoided talking about Kyle because I knew it bothered her and I didn’t want her to start her day thinking about him.
She walked up to me and put her hands around my neck, clasping them tightly. “I’m meeting Gabi and the others for dinner today.” She smiled up at me in apology. “Sorry. I know you were hoping we’d have dinner together. But my friends and I made a pact that we’d never forget each other even if we are caught up in a passionate, whirlwind romance that temporarily knocks our socks off.”
I grinned wolfishly. “I was hoping to convince you that I’m a mature, responsible man looking for a serious relationship, not a whirlwind romance.”
“Do you hear me complaining?” she asked with a grin as she helped me button the rest of my shirt up.
I turned around and found my suit jacket and slipped it on, something occurring to me as I looked in the mirror and saw Ava pulling on her black pants to go with her white work shirt. Over the past week, more of Ava’s work clothes had found their way to my home, and my only objection was that she hadn’t brought more of them over. I never liked dropping her off at that dilapidated apartment she lived in.
