Page 58 of Embrace the Darkness
The next day was spent in ratty sweats surrounded by everything I could find containing chocolate while vegging out in the movie theater on one of the fluffy couches. Jamie had been gone when I'd woken this morning. Both he and Stefan were working away from home today and I'd been left alone to entertain myself. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. I was independent, but with how hormonal I was, my moods were giving me whiplash. One minute, I was going stir crazy, dying to get out of the house and the next minute, all I wanted to do was lie down. I was a hot mess.
I ended up in the movie theater with an armful of what I calledhappy food. It was all junk that would probably go straight to my ass. Each bite of ice cream, cookies, and chocolate candy bars was bittersweet.
Brody found me that afternoon in a sugar-induced haze, covered in cookie crumbs and candy wrappers while watching a sexy romantic drama. It was just getting to the good part where the sexy rich man was showing the young innocent girl hisplayroom. Oh yeah, things were about to gethot! I wasn’t getting any right now, so I had to live vicariously through the two fictional characters on the screen.
Brody walked into the room with his cell at his ear. He took in the train wreck that was me and the mess surrounding my prone body. I’d eaten a whole pint of cookie dough ice cream and a whole box of chocolate chip cookies, not to mention ten fun-sized chocolate bars.
The corner of his lips twitched. “I found her. She’s in the theater.” Brody looked to me. “Your father wishes to speak with you,” he said, holding out the phone.
I took it and brought it to my ear. “What?” It came out harsher than I intended, but my hotmoment was being interrupted. And Brody was standing in the way!
I barely heard an audible sigh coming through the phone as I tried to look around Brody to see the screen. He had busied himself by scooping up the mess on the floor. Chuckling while shaking his head, he pulled a candy wrapper from my hair.
“Maura?” Stefan said calmly, drawing my attention back to the phone.
“Yes?”
“You didn’t hear a single thing I just said, did you?”
Uh…he said something?
With my silence, Stefan got his answer. “There will be a car waiting for you outside in two hours. Get ready. You’ll be joining me for dinner.”
“Have you become a masochist since I’ve been gone?” I asked seriously. “I’ll be shitty company and I won’t feel bad about it. In fact, I might enjoy it. I just need to stay home and not come into contact with the human population. It’s safer for everyone that way.”
“I certainly didn’t miss your flair for the dramatic once a month, that’s for sure,” he mumbled but was still clear enough for me to understand.
“Are you trying to pick a fight?”
He sighed again. A clear sign I was trying his patience. “Put on a dress. We’re going somewhere nice.” It wasn’t a request. “There’s a bakery next door that has the best chocolate cake. We can get some after.”
I chewed on my lip as temptation chiseled away at my cranky mood. He didn’t play fair.
“The cake better be worth it,” I murmured and hung up the phone.
Despite feeling bloated, I picked out a skin-tight black cocktail dress with sheer lace cut outs around my ribs and above my breasts. I paired the dress with ruby-red pumps.
Two of Stefan’s goons who I didn’t know but recognized from them following Stefan around were waiting for me outside next to a black Escalade. It was a silent car ride with the two goons up front and me by myself in the back. From what I could tell through the heavily tinted windows, we were headed downtown. After a twenty-minute drive, we pulled up to a fancy steak house in the center of downtown.
The valet in front of the restaurant quickly jumped up to open my door, but Stefan’s goon riding in the passenger’s seat hopped out and stopped him from touching my door.
They take their job way too seriously.I mentally rolled my eyes while I waited patiently for the goon to open the door. He held out his hand and I took it. Once my feet were planted on the ground, I walked ahead toward the entrance of the restaurant. People waiting by the valet stared, probably wondering who I was and why I needed a bodyguard.
The restaurant was elegant inside, decorated with black wood, gold accents, and burgundy painted walls. It was busy. Every table was occupied with dressed-up people and more waiting in the lobby.
When I didn’t see Stefan seated anywhere, I approached the hostess. Before I could utter a word, she grumbled, “Do you have a reservation?”
Hackles rising, I wanted to be a grump back at her. Then I glanced around. It was busy and she’d probably been dealing with impatient assholes all night. So I tapered my anger down. “I’m meeting my father here. Stefan Quinn?”
The hostess’s back snapped straight and she gave me a forced smile. “Yes. Would you please follow me?”
With my goon in tow, we followed her through the dimly lit restaurant. I scanned the room and still didn’t see Stefan anywhere. I looked ahead and saw she was leading us toward the back of the restaurant. We came upon a set of black painted doors with floor to ceiling mirrors on either side of them. The wall of mirrors had rust looking spots blemishing them, making the glass look aged or antiqued.
The hostess opened one of the doors, holding it for us to enter. My goon went in first before I followed him. Inside was a private dining room with a ten-seater table in the center and a rustic golden chandelier dangling from the ceiling in the center. The whole room was walled with windows, giving a view of the street where cars passed by and inside the restaurant where everyone was eating. Those antique mirror walls outside were two-way mirrors. We could see everyone dining in the restaurant, but no one could see us.That’s cool.
Seated at the head of the table was Stefan and seated to his left was Jamie. Both looked dashing, dressed to the nines in their tailored suits. Standing guard along the far back wall and near the entrance were two more goons. Seated to Stefan’s right was an older gentleman in his late fifties. I didn’t know who he was, but as I took in his white chef's jacket, I had a good guess.
Stefan and Jamie both stood when I entered, and the older man followed suit.