Evie placed a final touch of basil on the steaming dish of creamy mushroom pasta, the scent rising in rich waves that filled the penthouse kitchen. The candles were lit, their flames swaying gently in the air-conditioned breeze. A bottle of red wine waited beside two glasses. She had even laid out the linen napkins which was something she knew Tommy always appreciated.
She smiled, smoothing down the front of her dress. Tonight, she wanted peace and norrmalcy.
Something soft to distract from Allison's venomous glare and the anxiety that had lingered since their last conversation.
She glanced at the clock and squinted at the time. Tommy should have been home by now.
Frowning, she reached for her phone and dialed his number. It went straight to voicemail.
She tried again but it was the same result.
"That's weird," she muttered under her breath.
Maybe he was just running late. Or maybe he'd forgotten his charger. That happened sometimes… right?
Evie stared at the screen of her phone for a few seconds without saying anything. And then she sighed, typing out a quick message.
Hi, babe? Where are you? Dinner's ready.
She stared at the screen some more after the message indicated delivery, willing the three little dots to appear but there was nothing.
Another ten minutes passed but there was still nothing.
She sat down at the dining table, picked up her glass of wine, and stared at the opposite seat, which remained stubbornly empty.
Something felt very... off.
***
Meanwhile, across the city, in a softly lit café with glass walls and velvet booths, Tommy Mackenzie was not alone. He sat across from Alexa Donovan in the high-end café, arms crossed, irritation evident in the tightness of his jaw. He was glad that it wasn't a popular restaurant that was familiar among the people he knew.
Already, he was dreading the faux politeness that he would have to portray before he left.
Alexa, on the other hand, was all smiles. She arrived fashionably late, her presence commanding attention as she slid into the seat across from him.
She was dressed in a gown that hinted at her curves without revealing too much, even though the neckline was far from modest.
"Tommy," she purred, "it's such a pleasure to finally meet you."
Tommy gave her a polite nod, standing to pull out her chair before resuming his seat.
Alexa tilted her head. "And you're such a gentleman too."
Her eyes flared with what looked like deepening interest as she gave him a very thorough once over.
It was obvious that she wasn't thinking polite thoughts.
Tommy remained impassive. "Look, I'm sorry you wasted your time, but I'm not interested in anything. I'm just here because of my mum."
Alexa let out a soft laugh and raised the menu to hide her mouth. She perused the options briefly and raised her eyes up to stare at him.
"They have the most extensive collection of wine here. Did you know that?" She remarked innocently.
"No offense but I don't particularly give a sh*t about any of that." It sounded like Tommy was biting through the words.
Alexa beckoned a waiter over. They arrived hastily.
"I'll take a bottle of Château d'Esclans' Garrus," she pronounced the name with the practice of someone who had spent enough summers in Provence.
"Sure thing, ma'am."
They sat in tense silence for a couple of seconds before the waiter arrived with the bottle of wine.
Alexa gestured and the wine was uncorked. She poured a moderate quantity into her glass and raised her eyebrows at Tommy inquisitively.
"No, thanks," he responded curtly. "Can we talk about what is important now?"
She shrugged, swirling the wine in her glass. "Have it your way. Hmm... well, I'm not here out of any duty to anyone. I'm here because I want to be."
Tommy's brows furrowed. "I don't think you understand. I'm not available for anything even vaguely romantic."
"Why not?" She batted her lashes. "Is it because of your 'fiancée'?"
She made air quotes around the word, her smirk sharp in a way that indicated disdain. She didn't even try to put up a facade.
Tommy's expression darkened. "You agreed to this knowing about her? Who the f*ck does that?"
Alexa's smile didn't falter. "Your mother assured me she was of no consequence. She called her a gold-digging nobody. And honestly? I'm not exactly bothered by a lower-class wallflower."
Tommy scoffed. "Jesus, I see why my mum likes you. You're really a piece of work."
Alexa leaned forward, her manicured fingers brushing the rim of her wine glass. "She really does like me, doesn't she? I guess a lot more than you're little fiancée,"
Tommy's patience snapped. He pushed back his chair, rising to his feet. "You know what? I was planning on being polite until you revealed yourself to be a real b*tch."
Alexa's eyes narrowed slightly at the insult, but the smirk remained.
"There's no point in this," Tommy continued. "Goodbye, Alexa."
As he turned to leave, Alexa reached out, grabbing his wrist firmly.
Tommy froze.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She brought his hand up, her lips curving into something dangerously close to amusement.
"I'll see you soon," she murmured, blowing him a kiss.
Tommy jerked his arm free and strode out of the café, not bothering to look back. He felt dirty and irritated with the whole meeting. The only thought he had was that he needed to get home.
To Evie.
He missed the flash of a camera as an undercover paparazzi snapped furiously. The café wasn't as obscure as he thought it was.