Avoiding Intimacy (4 page)

Had she responded to his welcome?

She just smiled, deciding it would only sound dumb at this point.

He ran a hand back through his still damp hair and returned her smile. “Adam takes forever to get ready. Thought I’d come out here, so you didn’t have to wait alone,” John said, walking over to where she was leaning against the desk.

“Thanks,” she said, hating her natural instincts right now. She knew she could take him home in a heartbeat. If this were anyone else in any other situation, he would already be in her penthouse, and her tongue would be tracing those tattoos.

“So, what do you do?” John asked, smiling warmly.

“Uh…I’m in between work right now,” she said with an unapologetic shrug. “I try not to define my life by my career. Instead, I just enjoy living it.”

“To define is to limit. I get that,” he said with that smirk.

“Something like that. What do you do exactly that has you leaving for Japan?”

He shrugged as if this was the most boring subject, but he had brought it up.

“International business. I negotiate business transactions overseas for my clients who want to expand their enterprise globally.”

“Huh, sounds like a lot of work,”

Chyna commented. She had never wanted to work that much in her life.

“Yeah, it can be. I’m good at languages though. I’d love to be stateside a little bit more, and I’m working on bringing some global companies to the states, but I can’t really complain.”

She wasn’t complaining either. A successful

businessman

who

spoke

multiple languages and had tattoos? Where the fuck did he come from?

“Yeah, it must be hard to be away from your family and your girlfriend all the time,” she said, looking up into his hazel eyes. She knew it was a bad line, and he might even see through it, but damn, she couldn’t help herself. She was curious.

He chuckled softly, glancing away. Oh, he had picked up on it alright
.

“No girlfriend for me. Not much time, and I’m picky,” he said, returning his eyes to hers.

He could afford to be picky. She cleared her throat and broke eye contact.

Keep it together.

“Adam’s always been the girlfriend type anyway.”

“I noticed,” she said with a smile.

Adam was an excellent boyfriend. So nice
.
Too nice
.
Too good for her
.
“I’m just getting used to it.”

“To Adam or a boyfriend?”

“Yes,” she said. “I’m more of a party girl myself.”

“I can see that.”

What did that mean? And why did it look like he could appreciate a party girl?

“When you grow up in Manhattan, it’s just a way of life.”

“I can see that, too.”

Adam jogged out of the locker room then. “So, where are we going?”

Chyna broke away from John. When had they gotten so close, and why did it feel like they gravitated to each other?

“Somewhere with a bar,” she answered immediately.

Adam laughed, pulling her close and kissing her lightly on the lips. “Whatever you want.”

It was a promise.

They exited to the garage where Adam’s hybrid sat waiting for them. She slid into the passenger seat, feeling all the more awkward. She’d had her town car for as long as she could remember. She didn’t even know how to drive.

Adam veered into traffic as he directed them across town to a grill he swore by. He pulled into a line for a parking garage, and she tried not to roll her eyes. She hated waiting.

“Just valet the car,” John said with a clear hint of impatience.

Finally, someone who understood!

“It costs more,” Adam responded, not moving.

“But, it’s faster.”

“By only a few minutes,” Adam said, still not budging.

She had never seen him so stubborn.

Usually, he was relatively compliant.

“Come on, Adam,” she said, reaching out and touching his arm. “I’ll pay the fare.”

John muttered, “You have only a few years in which to live really, perfectly, and fully…time is jealous of you.”

“Always quoting Wilde,” Adam said with a shake of his head.

This seemed pretty common between them, and for some reason, it got Adam to move the car.

“Always,” John agreed. “The man knew what he was talking about.”

“He was a philandering, flamboyant extremist who saw the world through rose-colored lenses of beauty,” Adam quipped testily.

“Perhaps you should live no other way,” John said with a smirk as Adam pulled in front of the valet.

“Wasn’t he gay?” Chyna asked.

Both guys started laughing at once.

Chyna missed the joke.

“Yeah, he was,” John said.

Was she misreading the situation entire
?
Was John gay?

Chyna looked over her shoulder, turning around in the car to peek at John, who was still chuckling at her. Nope
.
No way
.
Not with that look
.
She could pick out desire like she had a fucking radar.

Adam handed the keys to the guy at the entrance and took a slip from him. The trio walked into the restaurant, and they were instantly ushered to a table. Chyna took off her long black pea coat and handed it to someone to hang for her. Both boys seemed to appreciate her figure, clad in a short V-cut sweater dress that hugged her curves like a glove. She couldn’t have picked a much better outfit for the occasion.

“You look great,” Adam said, kissing her cheek and running his hand across the small of her back before sitting.

“Thanks,” she said, seating herself across from him.

John pulled out a chair and sat down between them.

“I wish I’d known you had the weekend off,” Adam said, turning to his brother. “I would have taken some time off, too.”

“They were impressed with my latest find, so they gave me the time. Wasn’t expecting it to happen.”

“I don’t know why you don’t take all those clients of yours and start your own company. You’re too good to be where you are,” Adam told him.

“I’m doing perfectly fine, and anyway, the Global International name is well-known.”

“Wait, Global!” Chyna gasped.

“See,” John said, gesturing to Chyna.

“My mother worked through Global for a while when they were negotiating the Corsa fashion line,” she explained.

Global International was a huge conglomerate that demanded and received results. Her mother had worked with a partner, of course, but it was rumored that all of the representatives were incredible.

“My point exactly. Anyone who is anyone comes through Global. I’m good right where I am.”

“Who knew a Harvard MBA would get you there?” Adam said with clear admiration in his voice.

Chyna’s ears perked up. Harvard?

Was this guy for real? Her dad was a Harvard alum.

“God, you sound like Mom,” John said, running a hand back through his hair.

“Someone’s gotta do it. You hardly see her.”

“I hardly see anyone,” John said, just as the waiter arrived.

They all ordered drinks, and Chyna couldn’t wait to get her hands on her martini.

“Do you want me to be like Mom and tell you that you could have gone to Harvard too if you hadn’t followed in Dad’s footsteps to bum-fuck-nowhere liberal arts college?” John teased.

Chyna blushed for her boyfriend. She knew he was smart, and he probably could have a better job than where he worked at a small, private architectural company.

Adam just shrugged, unaffected on the outside. She wondered if he was seething on the inside. She would be.

“I still could, but then I’d have to take your claim as the perfect son. I’d hate to do that to you.”

John laughed good-naturedly. “Touché.

King’s to you, Fernand.”

Adam laughed even harder, but Chyna didn’t have any clue what they were talking about. Who was Fernand?

They

clearly

spoke

their

own

language. She didn’t have any siblings and couldn’t comprehend a connection like that. The closest thing she had found was with Alexa. Chyna wished she was here.

Alexa was the smart one, even if she was terrible with relationships. She could clue her in on what the fuck they were talking about. Chyna chewed on her lip and prayed for her martini to arrive quickly.

“Do you like movies, Chyna?” John asked just as the drinks arrived.

She sucked down a large gulp before answering. “I go to premieres sometimes.”

John quirked a smile at Adam. “Where did you find her?” He stuck his thumb out at Chyna.

Had she done something wrong?

“You’d never believe me if I told you,” Adam said.

“Try me.”

Adam shrugged, leaning one elbow on the table. He took a drink of his beer before answering. “She was drugged in a bar, and I kept some jerk from taking her home,” Adam told him. “Her friend showed me to her car, and we made sure she was alright. Everything else is history.”

He winked at her from across the table, and Chyna smiled. She liked the story. It was romantic in its own way.

“Our little knight in shining armor.

What’s your thing with saving chicks like that? Didn’t that happen with Christina, too?” John asked.

Um…who was Christina?

“Yeah, it did,” Adam replied, and then took another sip of his beer.

“Who’s Christina?” Chyna piped up, raising her eyebrows.

“My ex-girlfriend,” Adam responded slowly, looking at John, who was hiding a smile behind his own pint.

Chyna did not like that at all.

“And, the same thing happened to her?” she asked.

How come she didn
’
t know this?

Seemed like a pretty big misstep especially considering how they had met.

“Uh…yeah. Well, not the same thing. I didn’t save her. I just took her home when I saw her getting sloppy. ” Adam was practically squirming.

Chyna would have liked it if she’d had any clue about this Christina before this moment.

“That’s strange. When did you guys break up?” she asked, honestly curious.

“Chyna…” Adam said, reaching for her hand.

She let him take it, allowing him to console her. She wasn’t really mad, but he was so cute when he looked concerned.

“It doesn’t matter. It was couple of months before I met you,” he continued.

“That’s pretty soon,” she observed.

“Why did you break up?”

“Can we talk about this later?” Adam asked, glancing uncomfortably at John and the rest of the restaurant.

“It’s not a big deal,” she said with a shrug, trying to keep her cool. She didn’t get the whole ex thing, and she was trying to understand it. She wasn’t a rebound.

She knew that at least.

“Fine,” he agreed reluctantly. “She moved to D.C., for a job as a lobbyist and didn’t want a long-distance relationship. It was mutual. Long distance doesn’t work.”

“Huh,” Chyna muttered, trying to take another drink and then realizing she had finished the whole thing.

Yeah, long distance sucked, but she didn’t think it was completely out of the realm of possibility. She had never considered it, but Alexa was making it work. It felt like a cop-out excuse.

“I’m going to get another,” she muttered, standing abruptly. “Do either of you need anything?”

John shook his head, and Adam just sighed. She took that as a
no
and walked to the bar. She knew that she could have flagged down a waiter, but she wanted to process.

Chyna waited for the bartender to notice her. It didn’t take long. She had another martini in hand as quick as the bartender could shake it. She wasn’t even sure why she was worried. This wasn’t like her. He wasn’t with Christina now, and that was all that mattered. But, her Italian roots were rearing their ugly jealous head at the most inopportune time.

She just felt too unsettled with having just found out about the situation, and she couldn’t regain her calm. So, she did what she always did. She drank.

With her back to the table, she didn’t see Adam come up behind her, but she felt his strong, capable arms wrap around her waist, pulling her against him.

“What’s

gotten

into

you?”

he

murmured softly against her skin, kissing her bare neck.

“I don’t like not knowing things,” she told him, melting easily into his touch.

“Christina doesn’t matter to me, Chyna. That’s why it never came up. I’m not hiding things from you,” he said turning her around.

God, he was so fucking sincere
.
How could you not believe that face?

He leaned down and brushed his nose against hers. “You look beautiful.”

“Don’t try and sweet talk me,” she said, brushing back against his nose. “I’m too susceptible.”

He chuckled, kissing her pouty lips.

“Come back to the table. I’m starving.”

“Caveman,” she responded, slapping his arm lightly.

“Don’t make me throw you over my shoulder.”

“Oh, please do,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Adam laughed again, shaking his head at her. “Come on. I don’t get to see my brother too much. I think you’ll like him.”

If he only knew.

PRESENT