Page 25 of Players Like Us
She hadn’t liked that, had cussed him out, told him to stay out of her life and leave her alone. And then in case he didn’t understand how angry and disgusted she was with his presence, she’d told him what to do with his intentions. He’d turned and walked out the door and out of her life.
Or so she thought until today.
But the man who’d sat in the booth at Matilda’s wasn’t the Neal Alexander she’d seen in her apartment. This one was as polished and professional and as untouchable as his brother. This man wouldn’t want distractions or annoyances to interfere with his work, and he’d no doubt get rid of both. She’d just finished her second helping of hummus when Dominic called. Rachel sipped small breaths, prepared for the sendoff. Sorry this didn’t work out, but we’ll pay you for your time and work. Sure, they had a contract but it wasn’t like she’d hire a lawyer and force Dominic to pay what he’d agreed to if she completed the work. But even if she had money for a lawyer, which she definitely didn’t, she wouldn’t do it. This sendoff would be Neal’s doing—except it wasn’t a sendoff at all.
In fact, it was anything but that, and she wasn’t the one stepping away from the project.
I’ll be working with you from now on. Neal said you’re quite capable of handling this yourself, and he’d just get in the way. So, let’s schedule a time to get together.
Regret seeped through her as she once again recalled the harsh words she’d flung at Neal that morning, the accusations that were based on nothing but anger and hearsay. She’d always thought of herself as a freethinker, a nonjudgmental person who believed everyone deserved another chance. Wasn’t that one of the reasons she was so attracted to bad boys? They were fun, they messed up, they enjoyed life and they just needed somebody to fix them. What she didn’t realize until the fourth or fifth relationship gone bad was that these people didn’t want to get fixed or make amends. They enjoyed living on the edge, living for the moment, disrespecting anyone who told them they had to follow rules.
But did she know that about Neal Alexander? Had she witnessed him since high school in any capacity that indicated he didn’t care about others, didn’t care about rules? Sure, he acted like he was nothing more than a rich playboy with too much time on his hands and too little to care about... If that were true, why had he agreed to work with her on Matilda’s? He could have walked away from Dominic’s request, but he didn’t. And why had he warned her about staying away from Simon Bainbridge and men like him? Why had she seen him chatting with the waiters as though they were his friends, and why had Dominic talked about Neal with admiration and respect? None of it made sense unless the man wasn’t who he wanted everyone to think he was...and the biggest question of all was why.
Two days later, the invitation from Tate and Charlotte Alexander arrived in a silver-embossed envelope.
It’s a surprise!
We hope you’ll help us celebrate the 33rd birthday of twins, Meredith Reese, and Neal Alexander...
Rachel read on, noted the event was fourteen days away, in Reunion Gap, at Tate and Charlotte’s home. How could she not attend her sister-in-law’s birthday celebration? Would Neal show up or would he make excuses for not attending? If she hadn’t spent time with him, she’d guess a no-show would indicate he couldn’t be bothered. But now she realized that not attending wasn’t about inconvenience at all. No, the difficulty would be returning to Reunion Gap with judgments from the town, especially from his own family. Oh, Rachel certainly understood family judgment and criticism.
She’d like to ask Dominic if he knew anything about Neal’s surprise party, but she wouldn’t because even if the man did know, he wouldn’t tell her. Her gut told her Dominic and Neal were good friends despite Neal’s insistence that he only visited the restaurant for the food.
The invitation said Meredith and Neal’s birthdays weren’t until next month, which provided the perfect cover for the surprise. Rachel wasn’t thrilled about heading back to Reunion Gap, but she couldn’t avoid her parents or her brother until her life was perfect. Would that ever happen?
Questionable. Of course, they’d ask about a job and no way was she telling them about Claudia’s, but she could share about the restaurant gig at Matilda’s. That was impressive. And while Simon Bainbridge had most likely been the one to get her the introduction, it was her brother’s words about being ready when opportunity arose that pushed her forward. Rachel had spent so many years fighting everything Daniel said, that she’d often ignored him.
But this time, he’d been right.
16
Reunion Gap
The evening before the birthday party
Neal had been summoned home. No explanation other than his brother’s terse Do this for your sister. The dates are not negotiable.
Okay then. No, Hey, how have you been? What have you been up to these days? Nope. Big brother didn’t operate that way, but why should he when he thought he was dealing with a fool who was incapable of understanding the hidden message. Do not screw up. Do not disappoint. Heading back to Reunion Gap right now was not on Neal’s can’t-wait-to-do-this list. It was nowhere in his universe, but he was not going to disappoint Meredith. And besides, he needed to get out of the city for a few days, needed to get away from everything that reminded him of her.
Beef carpaccio. Tangerines. Dark-roasted coffee. Red halter dresses. Roses. Slender hands. Red lips. Auburn hair. Dangle earrings. Silk. Soft sighs. Throaty laughter.
Matilda’s.
Yeah, that last one had become his own personal torment. No way was he sitting in the booth Dominic had dubbed Neal and Rachel’s. He only ventured to the place when Dominic confirmed she would not be there. Why hash up old memories that would serve no purpose but agitate him? And when that was over, the sadness would creep in, smother him, followed by regret. The regret always won out. Regret that he hadn’t been up front with her about a lot of things… Regret that she hadn’t chosen him when it mattered.
He’d rolled into Reunion Gap twenty minutes ago, drove past the family house and almost puked. People called the place majestic, palatial, awe-inspiring, but they’d never lived in it, never been subjected to Harrison Alexander at the head of the dinner table. Yeah, nothing like having every bite critiqued, every comment scolded.
Tate’s place wasn’t a palace or anywhere near majestic, but it was big, classic, and had his sense of style and taste. But there were some interesting choices to the décor like a six-foot wooden giraffe in the corner of the living room, a string of multicolored glass globes hanging from one end of the ceiling, and red accents. Lots of red accents from candle holders to picture frames, even vases. Well done but still...not what Neal would have considered Tate’s choices. And dog beds? He’d counted three on the main floor.
No doubt Tate’s new wife had a say in these. Interesting. Neal made his way to the row of windows in the sunroom, took in the area outside: the inground pool, the stone patio, the flowers. So damn many flowers. He squinted, took a step forward as he homed in on what looked like a hammock. His brother in a hammock? The visual was humorous and impossible to imagine. And was the—
“Hey, Neal. Thanks for making a point to get back here. I appreciate it.”
Neal swung around, spotted his brother, and forgot all about humor and hammocks. Tate stood before him, formidable and unapproachable as ever in tan slacks and a navy-striped shirt. Huh, no jacket? No tie? Maybe he was learning to relax, and maybe his wife was part of that. And the dog. Who didn’t find a way to relax when a dog was involved? “You do remember the part in our conversation where you ordered me back here, right? Something about not ‘breaking our sister’s heart’ and disappointing her...again.” Neal eyed his brother. “Or was I imagining that conversation?”
Tate shrugged. “I offered my perspective; the choice was still yours.”
That made Neal laugh. “Right.”
