Lucky Charm (16 page)

As she waited for her drink, Annabel took in her surroundings. From what she remembered of the floor plan, the club had three floors with different types of music to be played on each one. The décor was a combination of industrialism and Goth, with brass stairwells, winding metal chandeliers
,
and freeform metal ornaments that looked like tree branches or deer horns, protruding from the ceiling and the walls. Stephen Vargas used the same architect in all of his clubs
,
and this one was no exception. Stephen Vargas’s choice of décor was not her cup of tea, but who was she to criticize? So what if it made her feel like she was on the set of a Tim Burton movie
?
S
he was clearly not the target audience
,
a circumstance that did not preclude her from writing brilliant advertising copy for the place
. I
f she could do that, she could make it through the next couple of hours.

Just as she felt the onset of a cramp in her left thigh from the torture device she was sitting on, Annabel saw Lilly flutter into the room.
“
Flutter
”
was definitely the word of choice to describe Lilly’s entrance
. S
he had always been at ease in settings like these, but tonight there was something else, or to be more precise, someone else, to add extra spring to her step. From the way Lilly clung to the dark-haired man on her right, Annabel instantly knew that he must be Simon. For one, his handsome looks matched Lilly’s description verbatim, but more importantly, Annabel had never seen Lilly so vibrantly happy with any other guy. Usually
,
Lilly rarely engaged in displays of public affection, but
now she looked
content lean
ing
into Simon’s should
er
,
as his hand rested on the small of her back. Upon spotting Annabel, Lilly waved, and she and Simon headed toward her.

“Annabel, this is Simon
.
Simon, this is my best friend, Annabel,” Lilly made the introductions. She was dressed in a silver shimmering dress
(
her own creation, no doubt
)
that hugged her model-perfect body in all the right places.

“Very nice to meet you, Annabel. Lilly has told me so much about you.” Simon smiled
.
H
e was dressed in a simple, but perfectly tailored black suit and a maroon shirt, which he wore tieless. His voice was mid-baritone
,
and he spoke with a reserved, almost shy demeanor.

“Likewise.” Annabel liked Simon instantly
. H
e was not at all the smug finance guy she had expected to see. What do you know – a shy banker, she mused, thinking that Simon was the perfect counterweight to Lilly’s bubbly personality.

The three of them were engaged in a friendly chat when, out of the corner of her eye, Annabel noticed a familiar figure approaching. Clad in black jeans and a black shirt that stretched tautly over his broad, muscular chest, it was none other than Stephen Vargas himself. His curly mane was carelessly slicked back
,
and his smoldering dark eyes looked right at her.

“Annabel, I’m so glad to see that you could come.” Stephen flashed his dazzling smile as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. His hair brushed lightly against her face
,
and she sensed a faint whiff of his cologne
,
something strong and masculine.

“Hi
,
Stephen
. T
hank you for the invitation. It’s a great party.” Annabel wondered what
had
prompted him to kiss her on the cheek
. N
o doubt, gestures like these were second nature to a man like Stephen Vargas, but she would have much rather preferred a handshake. “These are my friends, Lilly and Simon,” Annabel made hasty introductions to fill in the awkward pause.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Stephen smiled at Lilly and shook hands with Simon. “I hope that you are enjoying the party.”

“It’s absolutely smashing,” Lilly confirmed. “The décor is incredible.”

“Thank you, but I’m afraid I can’t take much credit for it
. M
y architect designed it all. And
,
of course
,
I have to thank Annabel for the wonderful work that she did to get the word out about the place.”

“I’d say she did more than just get the word out!” Annabel heard Pa
i
ge’s voice behind her. “Hello, Stephen! What a marvelous party!” Paige swooped in next to Stephen. She was w
earing a midnight blue sequin
dress that fit her like
a
second skin and patent navy heels
. A
tiny satin navy clutch dangling from her wrist completed the ensemble.

“Thank you, Paige.” Stephen smiled. “But I have to say that if it weren’t for your agency, it would not be nearly as great.”

“Ah, you are being too kind!” Paige waved her hand. “All we did was add a fancy wrapper
. Y
ou already had a great product.”

“I guess I can’t outflatter a flatterer.” Stephen winked. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to make the rounds. I hope to see you later?” Stephen held his eyes on Annabel as though the question was directed specifically at her, and even though she was certain that it was unlikely, she had no choice but to nod. It was not as if she had any interest in Stephen Vargas
. G
uys like Stephen were all too predictable, and Annabel was not about to become his flame de jour, but he was a client, so she had to be polite.

“Well, I have a date tonight, so I’ll be going,” Paige announced after Stephen left. “I trust you’ll stay a while, Ann
.
I wouldn’t want Stephen to think that both of us upped and left. And frankly, I don’t think he’ll notice my absence.” Paige winked.

“Sure, Paige, no problem. We’ll stay for a couple of hours,” Annabel assured her boss, wishing she were back in the safety of her apartment
. B
y now the crowd had grown larger
,
and she felt completely out of place among the lanky models in barely-there glitzy dresses and the pompous men who accompanied them, eyeing all the other women appraisingly, as though deliberating whether they wanted to trade in their current models for an upgrade.

“Great
.
I’ll see you at the office on Monday. Toodles!” Paige hurriedly made her way through the crowd.

Must be some hot date
, Annabel thought
. I
t felt truly depressing to think that her forty-two-year-old boss had a hotter love life than she did.

“More drinks!” Lilly waved her empty martini glass. “We need more drinks. What are you having, Ann?”

“Just a cranberry juice for me.”

“Simon, could you
get us two lychee martinis, please?” Lilly turned back to Annabel as Simon went to get the drinks. “You are going to have a real drink
,
and we are going to have a good time tonight. You promised, remember?”

“But this is a work function
.
I have to remain in control.”

“Don’t even try this nonsense with me
. Y
our boss left
,
and when the cat is away, the mice come out to play! Besides, I’m not saying you should get drunk
. J
ust loosen up a bit.”

Simon returned with the two martinis for the girls and a scotch for himself.

“To a great night out!” Lilly announced the toast, as they raised their glasses. “Do you want to check out the dance floor?” Lilly suggested.

Annabel shook her head. “You two go ahead; I’m fine right here.”
A
mix of house and techno filled the room, and even if the prospect of being a third wheel were not enough of a deterrent in itself, Annabel had no idea how to move to this deafening concoction of sounds
anyway
.

“We are not going without you.” Lilly took a sip of her drink. “Didn’t you tell me that girl Janine was supposed to come too? I was kind of curious to check out your nemesis.”

“I thought so, but so far so good. Although I’m surprised
. S
he sounded like she was dying to go. Ah, I spoke too soon.” Annabel frowned
. A
few steps ahead
,
she spotted a teased mane of blond hair bobbing up and down
. T
hat walk and that shade of platinum could only belong to Janine. “Speak of the devil,” Annabel whispered.

“Annabel! I’m so glad I found you!” Janine squealed as she made her way to
the
three of them. “Hello, I’m Janine
.
Annabel and I work together,” Janine chirped as she moved in closer, her eyes flashing at the sight of Simon.

“Nice to meet you, Janine. I’m Lilly
,
and this is my boyfriend, Simon.” Lilly slipped her arm through Simon’s proprietarily.

“Nice to meet you, Janine.” Simon nodded slightly at Janine.

The
music changed to a slow song – a rare occurrence at any nightclub
.
Annabel could sense Lilly itching to get out on the dance floor, and, more importantly, get Simon away from Janine.

“Go,” she whispered, “the two of you should dance
.
I’ll be fine.”

“O
kay
, just one dance,” Lilly assured her as she tugged Simon onto the dance floor.

“He sure is hot,” remarked Janine as she jealously eyed Lilly and Simon on the dance floor.
“They look great together
,” Annabel added sharply.
“
Y
ou can tell they are really into each other.”

“Oh, I don’t know
.
I think he could do better.”

Just as Annabel was about to come up with a cutting remark to Janine, she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around and saw Stephen standing beside her.

“Hello,” he said somewhat awkwardly. “Sorry it took me so long
.
I got detained. I was beginning to worry you might have left.”

“Oh, it’s no problem
,
really
.
T
his is a great party,” Annabel gushed, stunned by Stephen’s unexpected attention.

“Would you like to dance?” Stephen asked.

Annabel balked at the suggestion, mortified by the prospect of unveiling her dusty dance moves next to Stephen
,
who looked like he was dancing even when he was merely walking.

“I’d love to dance!” Janine cut in before Annabel could answer. “Ann here is engaged, but I’m not!”

Stephen glanced at Annabel’s left hand, which she hastily tucked behind her back
. S
he was not about to discuss the break
up of her engagement with Stephen Vargas.

“I’ll see you later, Annabel.” Stephen’s smil
e faded as he followed Janine to
the dance floor.

“What was that all about?” Lilly asked when she and Simon returned from the dance floor. “Why is Stephen dancing with the skank?”

“How should I know? He is a free man
,
and if you ask my opinion, she fits his usual taste.”

“I need to go powder my nose,” Lilly announced curtly. “Annabel, come with me.”

“Why wouldn’t you dance with Stephen?” Lilly demanded once the two friends were within the safe compounds of the women’s bathroom.

“What makes you think he asked me to dance?” Annabel retorted.

“Because I was watching you.”

“What, you can read lips now?”

“No, but I can read body language. He likes you, Ann. Did you see the way he looked at you?”

“Lilly, he looks this way at anything that moves and happens to wear a skirt.”

“Well, he didn’t look this way at me or at Paige, or at Janine
,
for that matter.”

“You are with Simon
,
and Paige is a bit old for him, don’t you think? Come on, the last thing I need is to have a fling with Stephen Vargas
. T
he man is a walking cliché!” Annabel retorted, certain that Stephen Vargas was way out of her league
. S
he had seen the pictures of the gorgeous women he had dated and dumped plastered all over the Internet
,
and she did not want to join the long list of his conquests.

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit judgmental? Ever heard an expression ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’?
”

“He is not a book
. H
e is a cocky, overly smug man who thinks that he is entitled to anything he wants. And he is a client
.
I don’t sleep with clients.”