Page 50 of An Inconvenient Marriage
The waitress arrived with my third glass just in time to see Javier slip out of his leather jacket and hang it over the back of his chair.
Thank goodness she put my wine down in front of me before she realized who my lunch companion was. Because when she laid eyes on my brother, her hands flew to her face and a high-pitched squeak left her mouth.
“¡Qué susto!”she exclaimed, a little breathless. “You’re Esteban Alvarez.”
Javier, the player he was, flashed his teeth in a wide grin and spoke in a low, seductive tone, “And you’re too pretty to be serving tables.” He leaned in way too close to read the nametag just above her breast. “Salma.”
He practically purred her name, and all I could do was shake my head. Yet another way in which we were so different. Maybe our mother’s ordeal hadn’t scarred him like it’d done me. Maybe his take on sex and love was less tainted than mine.
If it was, I couldn’t be happier. The last thing I wanted was for my brother to struggle with the same demons that had me in a chokehold for most of my life.
But that hold would be gone soon.
Bringing my glass to my lips, I took a long sip of the Rioja Gran Reserva. This time, instead of just swallowing it down, I savored the taste. I swirled the glass, getting lost in the deep burgundy liquid as the flavor exploded inside my mouth.
One day in the not-so-distant future, Trent Stevens would be destroyed. Then I could finally stand in the spot where it all began and toast to my victory.
“Oh my gosh, thank you so much.”
I looked up in time to see Javier hand the girl a piece of paper. It was either his signature or his number. I couldn’t care less which. As long as he was being safe and responsible, he could do whatever he wanted.
Salma beamed at us both this time. “I’ll be back soon to take your lunch order.”
I waited until she was gone, then shook my head again and laughed. “You’re shameless.”
Javier leaned back and shrugged. “It’s harmless. Besides, without girls like her, I wouldn’t be relevant. And if I wasn’t relevant, my shows wouldn’t sell out anymore.” My brother grinned and jerked his chin toward the empty seat beside me. “So where’s Natalie?”
A sharp flare of jealousy shot through my body. Narrowing my eyes, I glared at my brother. “Why are you so concerned with where my wife is?”
Javier glared right back. “Because I know whose daughter she is. What the hell are you up to, Zacharias?”
I should have known better than to think he wouldn’t put two and two together. My brother was many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.
I just hoped I was a better liar. “I’m not up to anything. I met Natalie during a business meeting, and we hit it off.”
“Really?” Javier threw his head back and laughed.
It was obnoxiously loud, and I had to fight the urge to vault across the table and strangle him.
“Try again,brother.”
All I could do was stare. I was done lying to him but at the same time I didn’t have the energy to explain any of this. And dammit, I didn’t want him pulled back into something he’d clearly let go of.
Not fazed by my silence, he leaned forward. “Trent Stevens is a man you should stay away from. I don’t know—”
“You’re right,” I snapped without meaning to. “You don’t know shit. So, keep your damn nose out of it.”
Javier sighed. It was a sad, deflated sound. “I know holding on to a grudge for this long can’t be good for youandI know that dragging Natalie into this mess will only end up hurting you both. Her probably more than you.”
“Years,hermano. I have waited years for this.” Irritation rushed through my veins. I reached for my wine and took two big gulps, then set the glass down with force. “Why don’t you concern yourself with your show and worry less about my personal business.”
“Because your shit, is my shit, you idiot.” Javier drew in a deep, frustrated breath. “These stupid games always end up with someone getting hurt.” He pinned me with a stare. “You’re going to break that poor woman’s heart. Do you even care?”
Irritation was slowly making way for anger. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“That right there is my point. You’re so caught up in your revenge bubble, you can’t even see what’s staring you right in the face.” He sat back and dragged his hand through his hair. “I hate to tell you this, but even though Trent Stevens is the world’s biggest asshole, he’s not responsible for our mother’s actions.”
He shouldn’t have said that. My vision blurred, and white-hot fury bubbled through my veins. “Don’t!” I smacked my palm down on the table, not giving two shits when a few patrons looked up from their meals. “Don’t you dare tell me he was not responsible. If it hadn’t been for thatgilipollas, our mother would not have left Spain, and she definitely would not have taken her own life.”
