One Night

Chapter 30

Edwin

I strode through the familiar layout of the dimly lit bar, my usual spot at the end of the counter already waiting for me. The bartender, a mustached older man named Jasper who had been working here as long as I had been dining here, glanced up as I approached and greeted me with a knowing nod.

“Evening, Alpha Brooks,” he rumbled, already reaching for the bottle of fine whiskey I preferred. “The usual?”

“Please,” I replied, slipping onto the leather barstool and casting a glance around the restaurant. My gaze landed on the jazz singer at the far end, a woman wearing a sparkling red dress who always had a lovely voice but had declined my advances before.

It was a weekly ritual for me, coming here to unwind after a long week—the same drink, the same meal, the same seat, the same solitude. I had been coming here for years and had never changed my routine.

But tonight, as Jasper set the glass in front of me and put in my order for a medium rare ribeye, I couldn’t help but notice the curious glint in his gaze.

Here we go, I thought to myself. Jasper knew at this point not to bother with conversation, but it seemed I wouldn’t be so lucky tonight. I had already earned a few glances earlier when I had been walking in with Audrey on my arm, and although I had left her with Claudia, the glances had stuck.

“So,” he began, leaning casually against the bar, “I heard you caused quite the commotion with the Luna of Silverbite

earlier.”

I arched an eyebrow, taking a slow sip of my drink. “Did you now?”

Jasper chuckled dryly. “Look, I don’t want to pry. But one moment you were marching over there, and the next a girl was being dragged out by security.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I had hoped that that little incident had gone mostly unnoticed, or at least that my involvement in it had, but apparently not.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” I said, sliding Jasper an extra tip in an attempt to get him to shut up.”

“Hmm.” Jasper glanced down at the money, chuckled, then slid it back to me. “No need, Alpha. Message received loud and clear. I was just curious.”

With that, the bartender turned and walked away. I let out a small sigh of relief and sipped my whiskey, letting the amber liquid burn a path down my throat. Finally, peace…

“Edwin!”

The sound of an all–too–familiar voice grated against my ears, causing me to grimace. I didn’t look up, but I didn’t need to; I recognized Audrey’s voice well, and besides, she was already sliding onto the seat next to me.

“I’m so glad I found you,” she said, waving the bartender back over. “I thought you left. Gin and tonic, please and thank you.”

I opened my mouth, fully prepared to tell her to buzz off so I could enjoy the rest of my solitary evening in peace. But the words died on my tongue as she turned toward me, quite literally beaming from ear to ear.

Dammit. She was cute.

“I take it your meeting with Claudia went well?” I found myself asking before I could stop myself.

Audrey’s face lit up, and she eagerly began rifling through her bag. “It went amazing!” she gushed, withdrawing a crisp document and thrusting it toward me. “She offered me a contract on the spot. Can you believe it? She wants to commission me to design something new.”

7:40 PM 1

Chapter 30

I blinked, my gaze momentarily drawn to the way her fingers trembled with barely contained excitement. Clearing my throat, I accepted the papers and skimmed over the contents. “Well, I’ll be,” I murmured, unable to keep the hint of pride from creeping into my voice. “Nicely done, Miss Thatcher.”

Audrey beamed, her eyes shining with joy. “I know! I’m still in shock, to be honest. Claudia Klein is one of my biggest design inspirations, and to have the chance to work with her directly…” She shook her head, letting out a giddy little laugh. “I just can’t believe it.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her infectious enthusiasm. “You must be thrilled.”

“I am!” she exclaimed. “I’ve always loved Ms. Klein’s work. She’s my biggest hero, next to Brooks Designs of course, and it broke my heart when I found out that she had stopped designing clothes. But now, to find out that she wants to start again and that she wants me to work with her…”

Audrey paused, letting out a contented sigh. “It’s like a dream come true. Gosh, I’m already thinking about the fabric… She wants to have the design ready in the fall, so I’m thinking a hand–knit Angora sweater with a matching beret, and tailored wool trousers, and… Ooh, maybe a waistcoat with buttons up the front and a blouse underneath…”

All I could do was sit there, shocked, as Audrey prattled on about her design. It wasn’t until a few minutes later, when she paused only to breathe and saw me sitting there with my mouth hanging open, that she clapped her hand over her own mouth.

“I’m so sorry,” she gasped, her face suddenly turning a bright shade of red. “I’m doing it again… Aren’t I?”

“Doing what?” I asked, although I already knew the answer.

Audrey shook her head and averted her gaze to her lap. “I tend to ramble when I’m excited about something. I know it’s annoying-”

“It’s not.”

Her eyes snapped up to mine, her lower lip quivering slightly as she murmured, “But it’s-”

“It’s not,” I insisted, sipping my whiskey. “I’m glad to see you so passionate about it. It’s just surprising to hear you talk so much, that’s all.”

“Oh.” Audrey paused, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she fiddled with her fingers in her lap. Then, lowering her voice slightly, she leaned in a bit closer. “I have you to thank, really. If you hadn’t brought me in here, I never would have been able to prove that Linda stole my design.”

I felt a faint warmth creeping up the back of my neck at her words, and I quickly averted my gaze, taking another sip of my whiskey. “Nonsense,” I muttered. “I was merely-”

“No, really,” Audrey insisted, her hand coming to rest lightly on my forearm. “I can’t thank you enough, Edwin.”

The touch of her warm fingers through my sleeve sent a jolt of electricity up my arm, and I found myself once again captivated by the bright blue of her big eyes. For a long moment, we simply stared at each other in charged silence, the rest of the world fading away. I felt something stir deep inside of me, something that wanted…

“Ahem. Ribeye, medium rare.”

Jasper’s gruff voice suddenly broke the spell, and I hastily pulled my arm away, clearing my own throat awkwardly. He set the rich steak in front of me and handed Audrey her gin and tonic. She carefully sipped at her drink and averted her gaze toward the jazz singer.

As I began to cut into the meat, however, I noticed how she was eyeing my meal. I paused, my fork raised to my lips, and felt a pang of guilt when I saw the way she licked her lips with anticipation.

With a shake of my head, I cut the steak in half and plopped it–unceremoniously–onto another small plate in front of her. I nodded toward it, shoving the plate closer to her. “Here. Eat.”

“Edwin, you don’t-”

2/3

Chapter 30

“Eat,” I said, raising my glass. “You deserve it.”

Audrey blushed, gently clinking her glass against mine. I returned my attention to my meal, popping the rich meat into my mouth. Audrey, blinking at me for a moment longer, did the same–her cheeks puffing out and her eyes lighting up delightedly as she chewed and swallowed.

We ate in a companionable, contented sort of silence after that, the only sound that of our cutlery scraping against our plates.

And all that time, I had to hide my smile behind my glass of whiskey.