Damaged 2 (11 page)

What
he said doesn't register at first, and then when it does I shrug and smile.
"Wait to see how many I throw around after we're together."

"Is
that a promise?"

There
are no maybes this time. I look at him in the mirror and nod. "Yes."

CHAPTER
15

Peter
takes my hands as we emerge from the elevator. Nerves flitter through my
stomach. This hotel is way posher than any place I've ever stayed. It's
daunting and makes me feel like my black dress is substandard. Peter is wearing
a suit that he had with him. The only reason I have the black dress is that I
anticipated needing it for my mother's funeral; otherwise we wouldn't be able
to get into the restaurant here. I didn't pack any cocktail dresses. Peter's
brother picked this hotel because he's been staying here.

Peter
explains, "Sean is in town for business, but he stayed longer than usual. He
hates New York. The guy shows up once a year and leaves as soon as he can." He
glances at his watch. I'm starting to think that Peter is intentionally
stalling, which is fine by me.

As
we exit the elevator, I can see the swank restaurant in front of us. I
hesitate. My feet slow, and Peter stops and looks over at me. I hate to state
the obvious, but someone has to say it. "We can't afford this, Peter. The hotel
cost a small fortune for the room. How are we supposed to pay for dinner too?"

"I'm
a Ferro, Sidney. We have deep pockets."

"But
you walked away—that money isn't yours anymore. The estate is your little
brother's."

He
pats my hand, "I have enough to last a while, so don't worry about it."

I
tease, "What, do you have a trust fund somewhere that I don't know about?" He
nods like it's nothing. "You're rich without being the heir?"

"I
was trying to separate myself from the Ferro name and make it on my own."

"And
I screwed that up." I lower my eyes to the floor as guilt chokes me. I ruined
his life.

Peter
lifts my chin and looks me in the eye. "You are exactly what I was looking for.
It wasn't isolation or even walking away from my family—it was you. I needed
you. I'd burn the trust fund and walk away right now if that's what it takes to
show you how much you mean to me." Peter looks toward the hostess, who's been
smiling at us from across the room, and then back at the elevator. "Come on,
let's go. Forget this. I don't need Sean for this." Peter starts walking away.

I
can't fathom what's going through his mind, but he tried to get this meeting
with Sean multiple times. Walking away now would be silly. I don't even know
what Peter hopes to gain by this meeting. I doubt it's going to be a hug-fest.
I don't move. He stops and looks at me. "Money doesn't matter to you, does it?"

"I
can always earn more. There are other things that are more precious. I guard
those with my life."

The
way he looks at me says everything. He means me—that he wants to protect me and
take care of me. This meeting with his brother has something to do with
protecting me, at least that's the way it seems. "Sidney, I have enough to get
us through this. Come on, let's get out of here."

I
shake my head and look back at the hostess. "No, this is what you wanted to do.
I already made a mess of your life. I don't want to do it again."

Peter
smiles at me. "You don't realize how much you're worth, how wonderfully perfect
you are. You saved me, Sidney. I can't repay that debt, ever. You didn't screw
up my life. You took a broken man and revived him. No one else could do that.
It was you, it's always been you, since the first time I saw you walk into that
little restaurant in Texas and you circled the floor. You have no idea how
lucky I felt that you sat down at my table. You're an amazing woman."

I
suck at receiving compliments, and that is the longest, most awesome compliment
I've ever gotten. I want to look away, but Peter leans in and kisses me
instead. It makes it easier to accept his words. I feel like all I do is take
from him, and that I don't give him anything back, but maybe that's not
accurate. I let the thought rest. I'll deal with it later. "I love you."

He
kisses my forehead and says, "I love you, too. You ready?" I nod and we walk
off to meet the craziest Ferro of them all—Sean.

CHAPTER
16

Peter
walks past the hostess, and says we're meeting someone. She offers to walk us
back, but Peter is already cutting across the incredible room. I'm not sure
where he's going until Peter slows as he comes to a table. Peter cuts through
the restaurant from the side and approaches a man with his back to us. Peter
must have circled the perimeter until he caught sight of his brother. I can't
see Sean, and I'm nervous. I can't imagine what this must be like for Peter,
but he seems unfazed.

There's
a woman seated across from Sean. I can see her perfectly. She's leaning
forward, with her dark hair spilling over her shoulders, saying something to
Sean when she glances up. She stops speaking and stares at Peter as we
approach. Peter is in front of me as we step up to their table.

The
grip on my hand tightens a little bit and then releases. I stay a step back as
Peter greets his brother. I wonder what they were like as children, if they
knew how tragic their lives were going to be. No child thinks that anything
like that will happen. The future is always bright; it isn't until you get
there that you realize it isn't.

Sean
introduces his brother to the woman at the table. "This is Pete Ferro."

Peter
corrects, "Actually, I dropped the Ferro part. It's Dr. Peter Granz."

Sean's
voice is deeper and more jaded sounding. "You took her name?"

Peter
nods. "It felt right after everything that happened." Peter changed his name to
hers after she died. That's so tragic and beautiful that I have to fight the
awwwhhh
that wants to crawl up my throat. I wonder what it does to him. Hearing her
name every day must remind Peter of the life that slipped between his fingers.

They
say a few more things before Peter looks over at me and pulls me forward. I've
been hanging back like a wallflower. The woman across from Sean has been
watching me, but she doesn't say anything to me. She's polite and asks if the
men are twins. She looks like a model. Her hair has no frizz and her makeup
looks like it was painted on by da Vinci. "This is Sidney Colleli."

Sean
stands and turns to look at me. At that moment I see the striking similarities
between the Ferro men. They look like photocopies, but Sean's eyes are
different, harder. He inclines his head to me. "Good evening, Miss Colleli."

"Please,
call me Sidney."

"Very
well, Sidney." Peter pulls out the chair next to Sean and my heart flip-flops.
Even if Peter doesn't think Sean is nuts, I'm not ready to breathe easy around
him. I lower myself in the chair and then Sean sits back down. Peter takes the
seat across from me and smiles. It's a look that says
don't worry
.

Sean
glimpses over at me and says, "This is Avery Stanz, my…" I wonder why he hesitates.
I look at the woman and an amused smile sparks at the corners of her mouth.

"Your,
what?" she says, as she leans forward and bats her eyelashes at him. Sean
narrows his gaze. I can't tell if they're teasing each other or if they have a
relationship that's in the weird middle spot where no one wants to be the first
person to call it what it is—dating.

Sean
continues to gaze at her without speaking. I shift in my seat and look over at
Peter. He gives me a look that says he has no idea.

Avery
smirks and makes the introduction for him. "I'm Avery Stanz, his favorite call
girl." She winks at Sean at the same time my face flames red. For a second I
think she's teasing him, but the look on his face says otherwise.

Sean
leans back in his chair, and he shakes his head. He's smiling, but I can't tell
if he wants to strangle her or hug her. "I spoke too slowly. Now you both know
how fucked up things have gotten and why I haven't left New York yet. I'm sure
you noticed the pattern shift, Pete. Everyone else has." Sean's eyes shift back
toward Avery as he's speaking. The look he gives her is so intense that I
can't look.

Peter
watches Sean but doesn't say anything. The silence drives me nuts, so I blurt
it out. "For real? Like you sleep with men for money?"

Avery's
perfectly pink lips switch from a coy, sexy grin to a big fat smile. She laughs
and looks over at me like she didn't notice me before. "Ah, here we go.
Sidney's my kind of girl—"

"I
don't do girls," I squeak, which makes Avery start laughing. She lifts her
napkin to her mouth to muffle the sound because it's way too loud for the
restaurant. People look over at us. I'm pretty sure my face caught fire because
there's no way blushing could possibly make it sting this bad, this long.

"Oh
my God, she blushes, too!" Avery drops the napkin and grins at me.

Sean
translates, "Avery blushes an abnormal amount for someone in her profession and
has a tendency to say whatever random thought flies through her mind. She
thinks you're her long-lost sister from the look on her face." Sean grimaces
after I hear a scuffle under the table. I think she kicked Sean.

"Shut
up! You'll scare her off," Avery teases.

I
lean forward and raise my hand, like I'm in school. "Can we stop talking about
me like I'm not here?"

Peter
tries not to laugh and flashes his baby blues at me as he covers his mouth with
his hand to hide the growing smile on his lips.

"Oh
my God. I love her." Avery stands and smooths her dress before walking over to
me. "You guys talk about boring man stuff. We're going to the bar to get better
acquainted." Avery touches me lightly, but when I don't get up, she threads her
arm through mine and pulls me.

"Um,
I don't do girls."

"Yeah,
I got that, sweetie." She's still laughing at me. "Come on. Let's leave the
boys alone so they can talk."

Oh.
Now I feel stupid—well, stupider. Avery holds on to me as we cross the room,
arm in arm, toward the bar. An old guy nods at her, and I wonder if they know
each other. A few male heads turn as we walk by. My dress is much more conservative
than hers, so I assume they're looking at her. I'd die to have her body. It's
all curves in all the right places.

She
leans in, and says, "Walking like this puts ideas in people's minds. Those
looks we're getting are for both of us. Wait until we sit down. Some hot guy
will ask for your number within five minutes." She winks at me right when we
get to the bar.

I'm
insanely uncomfortable, but I try to relax. This chick is just a person with a
weird job. She seems nice, really. I would have never thought she was a hooker
if she didn't tell me. I press my lips together. I have no idea what to talk
about. Avery chooses for me. "So you guys drove up from Texas?" The bartender
hurries over and Avery orders two shots.

Nodding,
I say, "Yeah, but I don't do shots."

She
laughs. "Neither do I. I'll claw my tongue like a cat in a second. Watch and
see."

I
can't read this woman. I can't tell if she's pulling my leg or if she's for
real. The bartender sets down two tiny cups of amber liquid. She plucks one
from the bar. Just as I lift mine, she clinks them together and says, "Mazel
tov. Here's to the fucked-up Ferro brothers." She knocks back the shot before I
can speak, and then makes the funniest expressions I've ever seen. Apparently
she wasn't lying about the not doing hard liquor thing.

I
can't help but laugh. She's got her mouth hanging open and is fanning it
frantically. Just as I'm about to do the shot, a man sits down next to me. "Hey,
beautiful, can I buy you a drink?" I turn and look at him. Holy shit, he's hot.
The guy looks like a
GQ
ad, complete with amazing eyes and sun-kissed
skin.

I
blink in shock and fail to respond. He looks over at Avery. "I'm sorry. Are you
two together?"

Avery
gives him a look with those dark eyes and leans into me as she places her hand
on my arm. "Yes, and I'm buying her drinks tonight. Scat."

The
man smiles at us with a look of sheer appreciation laced with lust. "My
apologies. Enjoy your evening." He slips off the stool and takes the walk of
shame out of the bar.

I
gape at her. "Why'd you say that?"

"Because
you think you're a fucking wallflower and you're not. Now you know. Hot guys
want you, even in that frocky thing you're wearing." She taps the bar and nods
at the bartender. He brings Avery another shot, but she doesn't drink it just
yet.

"It's
not a frock! I thought I looked cute." I look down at my dress. Is it that bad?

"You
look like a schoolmarm. It's the classic don't-look-at-me long black dress. In
Latin, it's called
guyus replantunus
." She grabs my long skirt and waves
it back and forth. "What is this? A broomstick skirt? Don't they show off knees
in Texas, or is that illegal?"

I
glance at her skirt. It's not tight but it's much shorter. I can see her
shapely thighs and so can every other person in the room. She notices me
looking and smirks. "I don't do women, in case you're still nervous about that.
Actually, I haven't been doing this very long, and Sean Ferro was my first
client."

"No
way, really?" My fingers tap the lip of the shot glass as we talk.

Avery
nods. "How'd you land the brother?" She looks behind us. We can see the two of
them from here. They're speaking with mirrored expressions. It's a little
insane how much they look alike.