Then there was Logan. My stomach sunk to my ass when I recalled my jealous reaction to her sleeping with him. And Lissa. Her former best friend.Fuck,I’d fucked that up, too.
There was a heck of a lot working against me and nothing to clue me in on winning her affections back. But I was a determined son of a bitch. Somehow, I knew I would end up back in her world again.
As the night progressed, I finally got to catch up with Mike, who was rightly surprised to see me. I was introduced to Eden's mom; a nice lady, though I could read on her face that she had no idea who I was but was too polite to ask.
By now, the place was teeming with folks who most certainly were not from New Haven or the surrounding towns. They stood out like a loud beacon with their perfectly coiffed hair, long limbs, plump lips, and clothes that could feed a small village. I didn't recognize any of them, but from how they held themselves, I knew a few were well-known.
Luckily, I hadn't spied Mila Mills and hoped Sofia intercepted Eden's matchmaking. Not that I thought for one moment that Mila frickin' Mills would take an interest in me. I swear I read somewhere that she was dating some fifty-year-old playboy actor.
It wasn't long before I started to relax and enjoy myself. The free booze certainly helped, but I also found myself getting caught up meeting new people from all walks of life; chatting with Mike and meeting his friends, some of whom I'd worked with. Heck, even Simon was entertaining. He commandeered the dance floor and started doing a lot of "slut drops," as he called them. Sofia had found herself a handful with him, although she didn't seem to mind with the circle she’d encouraged to gather around him.
As my night started to wind down, I stepped out to the back patio for some fresh air and to sober myself up a bit. I wasn't completely drunk, but I was probably one drink away from putting on a Simon 2.0 on the dance floor.
The space was empty except for a small group huddled in the corner. Eden, Sofia, and Simon. Along with Mila Mills.
Shit.
I’d seen her around, and we’d even been part of a group that danced on the floor together. But so far, we hadn’t yet been introduced. Not that I thought she was hankering to meet me.
Before I could double back inside, Eden spotted me. "Brian!" She indicated for me to join them so I plastered on a polite smile and tried not to trip over my drunk feet. I wasn't interestedin Mila, but that didn't mean I wanted to faceplant at a supermodel's feet.
"Have you met Mila?" Eden fussed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mila, this is Brian. He owns his own construction business, plus he's a really great guy."
I internally cringed at how obvious she was, but I politely nodded at Mila. She was holding a cigarette in one hand and a glass of wine in her other. "Nice to meet you, Mila. Trust you're enjoying your visit."
She leaned forward and completed some sort of quick air kiss before leaving behind a cloud of perfume and cigarette smoke. Her lips curved in a slow smile before her eyes trailed down my length in a lazy perusal. "I'm lovin' how friendly everyone is. This is such a cute town."
"Brian's actually from New York," Eden disclosed. My cheeks flushed by how much Eden was pushing for a connection. "He's been here for a few years, though."
"Oh, really? Whereabouts?" She took a long drag of her cigarette before turning her head and blowing the smoke away from the group. Since I was downwind, it simply blew back at me.
"Originally from Queens, but I lived all over. Last place I stayed was out in Long Island. Did you live near Eden?"
She nodded before sending Eden a teasing glare. "Yeah, she abandoned me." Her face melted into a smile, and I could see why brands beat down her door to work with her. "I miss her, but I can totally understand why she moved. Barron's a dream, and her family’s here. Plus, New Haven isn't far away from New York. Provided there are no accidents on the freeway." She rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her wine.
"Oh no! Was there one today?" Sofia asked. Her back was pressed against Simon's chest. His arms were banded around her shoulders, his chin resting on her head.
"Yeah, I was supposed to be at Eden and Barron's by four but didn't get in until seven. I was stressing out because E had a makeup artist that I missed. Luckily, some kind soul pointed me in the direction of M&M Hair Design, and these two gorgeous ladies helped me out. They honestly saved my ass."
My ears pricked up at her words. Did she just say M&M Hair Design? That was Maria's salon.
Simon grunted, his brow furrowed in thought. "M&M Hair Design?" he mused over Sofia's head. "Now, why does that sound familiar?"
Sofia dug her elbow into his stomach before turning her head to send him a withering stare. "It's Maria's business."
My spine stiffened, surprised that Sofia knew Maria.How?I’d never seen them together before or heard her mentioned.
"Oh." Simon's voice was sheepish, and a flush bloomed on his face against the warm porch lights. He pressed a kiss onto the top of Sofia's head before murmuring something in her ear.
An unsettling shiver slid down my back. I didn't like the tone of his voice or the guilty flash that glided down his features.
"Maria!" Mila exclaimed with a point of her cigarette at Sofia. Ash flicked down at her feet. "That's her. She was lovely. I could tell she was dog tired, but she stayed open late to help me out."
"Shoot," Eden interrupted with a grimace, her phone in hand. "I gotta check on Mom and Mike. She wants to head out."
"Oh, let me come and say goodbye." Mila stabbed her cigarette in the ashtray provided before dusting her hands off. "My driver's picking me up early tomorrow."
She bid us farewell by dusting us with her air kisses, murmuring how she was pleased to have met us and couldn't wait to see us for the wedding. Her hand lingered on mine as she leaned in close to kiss me, but I could only manage a distracted smile.
