Moore Than Forever (30 page)

As they walked down the path toward the main hotel, the resonant sounds from the party on the terrace intensified. Entering hand-in-hand, about fifty guests milled about, enjoying drinks as white-gloved servers threaded through the crowd with silver trays of hors d’oeuvres.

Looking at one another with bright smiles, the realization was upon them - it was really real. Without a word, they both began to laugh and simultaneously uttered, “Showtime,” their smiles becoming wider. And then the guests descended upon them.

Working the crowd, still hand-in-hand, Mia spied a couple standing near the bar. Excusing themselves from the people to whom they were talking, she led Schooner toward the bar.

“There’s someone I’m dying to have you meet,” as they got closer, Mia yelled out, “Rob, Joni,” and a couple at the bar turned around.

Hugs, kisses and handshakes, Schooner had spoken to Rob Ryan on the phone several times, but this was his first opportunity to meet Mia’s old friend.

As Mia and Joni caught up on news of the children, Schooner had the opportunity to say something he’d waited over a year to say, “Thanks for being a really good friend to her during some really hard times.”

“We both needed each other,” Rob confessed. “Sheehan was a pig, but I do have to thank him for Mia and that ultimately led me to Joni.”

“Sheehan was the teacher? The one Mia ended up with?”

“She told you about him?” Rob could barely contain his sneer.

“Yeah and she told me how it ended, too. What an ass.” Schooner had a natural distaste for the man, but was glad that Mia didn’t end up with him permanently.

“The guy was just a player. He was a good teacher though, and Mia and I learned a lot and became much better writers.”

Schooner clapped him on the shoulder, “Well, I can’t thank you enough for always being there for her.”

“No problem, man. I love her. I’m just thrilled she’s happy and in a good place and that you two ended up back together.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me. Excuse me a sec, I need to go greet someone who just came in from out of town,” and Schooner took off across the deck in long-legged strides.

Seth approached Mia and did a once-over on her, “You look good, the make-up people did a nice job.”

“Thank you. Wow, an actual compliment,” Mia teased.

“Well, I did choose the make-up artist.”

“Who’s got the kids?” Mia asked, starting to look around.

“Last I saw,” Seth was surveying the crowd too, “both of them were with your parents and Schooner’s parents.”

“Ok good,” Mia felt relieved. She saw Schooner over the crowd in an animated conversation. He was surrounded by Yoli, Debbie and a man whose back was to her.

Feeling her stomach jolt, it was something in his lean stature, the angle at which he held his head, that triggered a barrage of tears to flow unchecked from her eyes.

Looking at her and seeing the tears, “Oh no you don’t,” Seth chastised, “you’re ruining your make-up. I could kill you, BBC.”

Mia appeared not to hear him and the tears continued in rivulets down her cheeks forming light colored riverbeds in the make-up that had been applied to her face. Seth turned to follow Mia’s line of sight and identify what had set off the tears.

Gasping, he grabbed her bare upper arm, digging his fingers in, “Oh my God, who is he?”

It was as if Mia didn’t hear him.

“BBC,” he snapped, “who is that man? And why have you kept him from me?”

Wordlessly, she grabbed Seth’s hand and began to drag him across the expansive deck. Coming up behind the man, Mia let go of Seth’s hand and wrapped her arms around the stranger hugging his back.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” she repeated through her tears.

Twisting around, he negotiated her to the front of his body, pulling her into a tight embrace. “It’s ok,” he whispered into her hair.

“It’s not ok, I’m so sorry,” Mia continued to cry into his sport coat, “I was a terrible friend.”

Seth stepped in, “Why don’t you two come with me, we need to do a little make-up repair,” and he led Mia and the stranger toward the main building.

Mia finally looked up at the handsome ginger and grey haired man to find him smiling down at her, “I have missed you so much and I was always too embarrassed to try and find you after what I had done.”

“Shhh,” he calmed her, “Rosie and I always knew exactly why you did what you did.”

Mia smiled, “Is Rosie here?”

“No, she couldn’t make it but she sends her love and the message, ‘It’s about fucking time’”.

Mia laughed through her tears.

Finding a bride’s powder room, Seth led the three of them in there.

“Sit BBC,” he ordered and then turned to the man and with his most charming air, introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Seth Shapiro, BFF of the crazy one here.”

Reaching out a hand, “Hello, I’m Henry Clark, an old lost friend of the crazy one.”

“Have you and Schooner been in touch this whole time?”

Henry nodded, “Pretty much.”

“He never told me,” Mia shook her head not understanding why.

“Keep still,” Seth was blotting her makeup with little sponges that were kept in crystal bowls on the marble counter. “Good, now look up. Raccoon does not suit you.”

Henry smiled at Seth and Mia’s rapport. “I think he stayed mum about it so that he could surprise you.”

“Well, this was a huge surprise. I am so happy you are here and having you be here to see me and Schooner get married, it’s just so, well, it’s so right.”

“Yes, it is,” nodded Henry, smiling, “I’m just so glad he found you again. Rosie and I knew she did something. She played it so cool, she didn’t even go after him right away, just acted like a concerned friend, dated a football player a few times and just pretended that she was ‘there for him’ when you broke his heart.”

“Bitch,” snarled Seth, finishing off the repairs on Mia’s face.

“She married Beau,” Mia was smiling at Henry.

“Think about it, Mia,” he laughed, “in your most vindictive moment you never could have come up with anything as awful as those two together. That is totally karma at its best.”

There was a knock on the door of the powder room and Henry got up to unlock the door.

“Everything ok?” It was Schooner.

“Yeah, come on in, we’re just catching up.”

Coming through the door, he locked eyes with Mia, “You ok? I probably should have told you. I just wanted it to be a surprise,” he smiled sweetly at her, his eyes conveying concern.

“That it was, Pretty Boy.”

“Does she know the other half of the surprise?” Schooner asked Henry.

“Not yet,” Henry’s handsome face radiated pure joy.

Both Seth and Mia stared at Schooner with a look saying, “Spit it out.”

Putting a hand on Henry’s shoulder, “I’d like you to meet the new Executive Vice President of West Coast Operations for L9.”

“Oh my God,” Mia jumped up and hugged Henry. “Congratulations. You’re taking Yoli’s role?”

“Well, I don’t know that anyone could actually take Yoli’s place, but I will be heading up the west coast.”

“We’ll all be working together,” Seth interjected.

Henry smiled at him, “It appears we will be.”

Seth grabbed Mia by the arm, holding her back as Schooner and Henry exited the powder room, “Why did you keep him from me, BBC?”

“I wasn’t intentionally keeping him from you. I haven’t seen him since I was sixteen.”

“He is really handsome,” Seth was gushing. “Do you think he thought I was good looking?”

“How could he not, Princess,” Mia laughed.

“He doesn’t seem to be here with a significant other. You know I can help him get up to speed on all the west coast promotions,” Seth’s intensity was starting to hit a fevered pitch.

“I’m sure he’d appreciate it. Come, let’s go back outside and enjoy my rehearsal dinner,” Mia took one last look in the mirror to make sure she looked ok.

“Don’t worry, no one missed you, BBC.” Seth linked arms with her.

Mia laughed, “Thanks for making me feel so special, Princess.”

Chapter Fifty-eight

Everywhere he turned all night, she was there. Who was she? The word that came to mind when he looked at her was exotic. Rare, exotic and beautiful. He shook his head at the odd thought.

And now she was standing on the far end of the deck, talking to his sister. Every time she moved, her long silky mane swayed with her. She was shapely, not like the girls he’d been with on the beach all summer who’d starved themselves to bicycle rail thin. This girl was soft and curvy and had an ass that was making him hard just looking at it. He couldn’t get the vision out of his head of what she would look like riding him, her long silky hair brushing his chest, full breasts bouncing and more than anything, the thing that was making his cock twitch was the thought of his hands on her gorgeous ass as she took him in deep.

Who was she? And why was she here at his dad’s wedding? Surmising that she was from Mia’s side, he assumed she wasn’t a relative based on her mixed ethnic look.

With plates in hand, she and Holly headed to a table where Jared was already seated. Zac headed over to one of the food stations where prime rib was being carved and got a plate.

“Zac,” Portia came running across the deck, all smiles.

“Hey Po, are you hungry?”

The little girl nodded, “I want shrimp.”

“Oh you do, huh? Well, you’ve got expensive taste for a four year old. Let’s put some on my plate and then we’ll go sit down to eat.”

Loading his plate with shrimp, he picked up Portia with his free arm and made his way to the table where his sister was sitting.

“Hey Cretin,” Holly greeted him as he sat down with Portia in his lap.

Looking around the table, Portia’s eyes grew wide with delight and she flung herself out of Zac’s lap and ran around the table straight to Zac’s object of desire.

“Lily,” she shrieked, hugging the girl tightly.

Lily pulled Portia into her lap, hugging and kissing the toddler, “It’s so good to see you.”

“How do you know my sister?” Zac asked, totally surprised by what was unfolding before him.

“I was with your dad and Mia in Africa. I’m Liliana Castillo.”

“Zac Moore.” How fortuitous, Zac thought, my little sister is going to get me an in with this hot, golden-eyed girl.

As the evening wore on, a frustrated Zac was shocked that Lily Castillo paid no more attention to him than she did to the bus boys filling her water glass. She wasn’t particularly interested in anything he had to say. When she mentioned to Holly that she was attending Yale in New Haven, he chimed in that he’d be just two hours up the road in Boston. She didn’t bother responding.

Zac hated the way this girl was treating him. Who did she think she was? And that air of dismissive superiority. Chicks didn’t dismiss him. He dismissed them when he was done. From sixteen year olds on the beach to forty year olds in a pool cabana, no female had ever cast him off without so much as a second glance.

Zac Moore had never been so intrigued by a girl in his life.

Mia joined them at the table and immediately fell into a deep conversation with Lily about their experience in Zambia and future work that needed to be done. They discussed the new foundation that Schooner was forming and how all their lives had been irrevocably altered by the trip. Sitting there quietly listening, Zac learned that Lily didn’t want to go back to Yale, but wanted to return overseas to assist in the work that was being done.

“I understand both sides of it,” Mia was nodding her head. “Your parents want you to have the choices that a degree from Yale will afford you. It doesn’t mean that you can’t go back or that you shouldn’t go back, they’d just like to see you do it with a degree under your belt.”

“I’m so much happier there. I feel like what I’m doing means something. I have an immediate impact.”

“That’s not going to go away, Lil. And think of the stronger impact you can have with your degree. I can absolutely see you with USAID helping to change policy. This is not a choice of one or the other. You can have both.”

She listened to Mia intently, hanging on her every word, and Zac could tell she saw Mia as some sort of mentor, but he could also tell that her heart was not set on staying in college. Whatever they had all experienced together over in Zambia had touched her very deeply. This girl was very intense and serious, so different from anyone he’d ever met.

Sitting back in his chair with a look of practiced interest, he was transfixed on the luminescence of her creamy skin, fantasizing about putting his mouth all over her and trailing his tongue up her arm to her neck. He wanted to hear her giggle with delight and realized he’d never heard anything remotely approaching a giggle or a laugh out of her all evening.

When the party broke up, she went off in search of her parents without so much as a backwards glance at Zac. He felt empty at the lack of her presence and wanted to run after her. But he didn’t, knowing he would try again tomorrow.