* * *
It’s late, near 2:00 a.m., and its been a great night. I should have gone back to my room hours ago but I’ve been having too much fun. I think I’ve met everyone in the world and these margaritas have gone down way too easily. I sit at the end of the bar, watching Henry laughing out loud as he dances on the dancefloor. He’s rap dancing… at least that’s what I think he’s trying to pull off. He’s dry, crass, and yet everyone seems to adore him.
He’s actually hilarious and nothing at all like what my first impression of him was.
I glance over and see Zavier watching me from his place in a group of men. I offer him a small wave, and he waves back before he comes over.
“You lonely over here?” he asks.
“A little.”
“Want some company?”
“Sure.”
He pulls up a stool and sits down beside me. “Is this your first plastics conference?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “Are they all this wild?”
He chuckles. “They get wilder every night. Wait till the end of the week.”
I giggle, and we fall silent.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” I say. His eyes meet mine. “The friend who dated Nathan. I mean, it was you.”
He presses his lips together and nods. “So, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” I smile. “We’re very serious. I know everything there is to know.”
He nods.
“You seemed surprised that I was dating him.”
He raises his eyebrows. “To be honest, I am.”
“That he’s with a woman?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs. “I just would have never thought…” His voice trails off. “You think you know someone, hey?” His eyes smile. “But I can totally see why.” He offers a playful chaser to the hit I just received.
“Forgive me if I’m intruding, but why did you break up?” I ask.
“Ah.” He smiles wistfully. “How long have you got? He’s a very mercurial man.”
“I know.” I smile as I sip my margarita. I should feel uncomfortable talking to Zavier, but I don’t. Not in the least. “Very much so.”
He stares into space. “I always felt like there was something off.” He frowns as if thinking back. “Like my gut was telling me to run.”
My stomach drops as I watch him. That sounds familiar.
“Why, did you catch him cheating or something, or…?”
“No. Nothing like that.” He shrugs. “When we were together, it was magical.” Nerves flutter as I watch the beautiful man in front of me. I get a vision of him and Nathe together.
“It was never a problem when we were together. It was when he left,” he says.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it started out great. We met, and it was all fireworks. We went away, like, four weekends in a row.”