Goodbye Isn't Forever (2 page)

“Where’s
Alex?  Has she ‘pulled’ already?” Aleana Gadd asked as she rejoined their
table.  Nicknamed, Gaddy, by the girls, she was the only non-American of
the group of friends.  But being British had its upside when she needed an
edge over Alex.  Accents, especially British, were quite sexy. 
Equally as beautiful as Alex, Gaddy had no trouble with “pulling” anyone she
chose.  With a flash of her seductive smile and a toss of her long, black
hair, men seemed to fall at her feet.

“Gaddy,
why do you and Alex keep playing these crazy games?  What does it matter
who meets a guy here first?  Don’t you want to find someone for more than
a fling?” Drew McKenzie asked.  Tall and slender with dark brown hair, she
was the innocent of the group.  Spending her days as a high school
teacher, her outlook on life bordered on the half-full as opposed to the
half-empty.  If anyone kept the group of women grounded, it was Drew.

“Oh,
Drew, honey, you are still just too sweet,” Toni Mathers joked.  Blonde
and petite, Toni more than made up for her size in volume.  She possessed
an inquisitive personality that bordered on the outlandish.  A successful
career in journalism was the perfect outlet for her boisterous persona.

“And
innocent,” Kate Johns piped in.  She was the youngest of the group, but
wise beyond her years.  Her natural business acumen had resulted in her
being the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company.  Her business ventures
had her crossing paths with the Kensington and Gadd families in her early
twenties and the ensuing friendships with the daughters had proven to be
timeless.  All professional women now, the friends tried to get together
at least once a week to catch up and unwind from the stress of their lives.

Toni
grinned.  “Not so innocent, Kate.  The things she has told
me…ouch!  What was that for?” Toni asked, rubbing her arm.

“You
know why,” Drew glared at Toni.  “Didn’t I say, ‘do not tell’ before I
share my…my after dark…dalliances?” she whispered to Toni as a hint of red
stained her cheeks.  The fact that she could still get that embarrassed at
age thirty annoyed Drew endlessly.  She shook off her embarrassment and
looked back over to Gaddy.  “I am still waiting for your answer.”

Gaddy
ignored Drew’s question and focused instead on finding Alex.  She squinted
as she recognized Alex on the dance floor with a very good-looking guy. 
The music was still playing, but Alex and her partner weren’t moving. 
“What is she doing?” she asked, still staring at the couple.

“What
is who doing?”  Toni was craning her neck, trying to see whom Gaddy was
talking about.

“Alex. 
She is on the dance floor.  Not dancing.”

Toni
smirked, “Maybe our Alex is scoring, Gaddy.  Or have you forgotten what
that looks like?”

“No,
Toni, I think that I have a vague memory!”

Drew
and Kate couldn’t suppress a laugh at Gaddy’s answer.  At her return
glare, both friends tried to discreetly hide their smiles.

“Who
is that guy?  He is hot!” Toni yelled.

“Toni,”
Kate complained, “can you be a little louder?  Really, Drew, how do you
stand sitting beside her?  I’m amazed you can hear at all anymore.”

“Just
shut up, Kate, and look at Alex,” Toni retorted, still staring at Alex’s dance
partner.  Both Drew and Kate glanced in the direction that had Gaddy and
Toni mesmerized.

“Wow!”
Drew and Kate yelled simultaneously.

Toni
looked smugly across the table at Kate.  “See, sometimes I do have a valid
reason.”

“What?”
Kate momentarily took her eyes off the stunning man.  “Yeah, yeah,
whatever you say, Toni,” and returned her attention back to the dancers.

As
all four sat mesmerized by the two seemingly standing still on the dance floor,
they were oblivious to the woman that approached their table.  As she
looked from the pair, who apparently were unsure of the requirements of
dancing, and the four trance-afflicted women at the table, she addressed the
group, “I would offer to buy you popcorn while you watch your show, but I doubt
that any of you can close your mouths long enough to properly chew.  And,
Gaddy, for goodness sakes, darling, wipe the drool from your mouth.  The
best education that money can buy, but the proper use of a napkin still eludes
you.”

As
Judith Gadd, Aleana’s mother, spoke, all eyes slowly focused on her. 
Gaddy was the first to break out of her trance, if only to defend herself.
 “Oh, Mum, I have not drooled enough for a napkin, yet.  I do know my
limits!”

“Of
course you do, my darling.  Now, what is wrong with Alex?  Does her
dance partner not know the moves?  Or, whatever it is you kids call
it.  Looks like vertical making out to me most of the time.  All of
that grinding!  I’d say you would need to at least buy me dinner first!”

“Mum,
please,” Gaddy moaned.  She was mortified by what left Judith’s mouth
ninety-nine percent of the time.

Judith
glanced back at the frozen couple on the dance floor.  She only stopped by
to leave Gaddy the key to her hotel suite.  London was beckoning and she
couldn’t wait to tie up loose ends in Manhattan and spend some time with old
friends back home.  She sighed and with a wave of her hand, addressed the
table, “Scoot over, girls!  I might as well get comfortable.  This
looks like it could take a while.”

Alex realized that she was standing motionless in the
middle of some very avid dancers.  Some even appeared to be trying to
dance with her.  What was wrong with them?  Didn’t they realize that
she was not moving?  She knew that she should be doing something, but her
legs had suddenly became lead-filled.

What
kind of power did this man have on her?  She chanced a glance at her
companion and realized that he wasn’t moving, either.  Why had he led her
to the dance floor in the first place?

As
Alex slowly moved her arms from her partner’s neck, she felt them grabbed and
put back in place.  She didn’t have a moment to question the action before
she felt masculine lips touching hers.  Tentatively at first.  His
lips softly grazed Alex’s and his tongue snaked out and lightly rimmed the
blonde’s lips, asking for entrance.  Alex not only acquiesced, but let her
tongue seek his as well.  What started as a soft, exploratory kiss, soon
evolved into a sizzling and passionate meeting of tongues and lips.

“Oh,
excuse me,” one of the more vigorous dancers said as she bumped into
Alex.  The couple slowly pulled apart as Alex mumbled incoherently to the
girl.  Before she could get her thoughts together and say something witty
to her partner, she felt her chin being lifted up.  As her eyes focused on
the soulful brown of her companion’s, she was rewarded with a dazzling smile.

“Do
you want to get out of here?” he softly whispered.

“Yes,”
Alex heard herself reply.

He
suddenly smiled and with a purpose in mind, grabbed Alex’s hand and maneuvered
them through the maze of dancers toward the exit door.  Once they were in
full view of her friends, Alex dropped her companion’s hand.  “I’m sorry,
but I need to make a quick trip to the restroom.  I’ll just meet you outside,
if that is okay?”

If
the stranger found the sudden request strange, he didn’t show it.  “I’ll
just get my car and be waiting for you out front.” As the blonde turned to
leave, he called after her, “And Alex?  Don’t be too long.”  With
that, the man turned and headed toward the door.

It
was a full three steps that Alex took before she came to a stunned halt. 
She whirled around in time to see the back of his head as he walked through the
exit door.

Oh,
my God!  He knows my name!

Toni
had still been watching the couple as they left the dance floor.  The
mystery man had managed to keep his body turned just enough that a good look at
his face had been impossible.  But, something had seemed so familiar about
him.  His movements.  His walk.  She had seen them before. 
Not everyone could move with such grace and sleekness.  Like a lion or
tiger on the prowl.  That’s it!

“I
know him!  I know him!”  Toni exclaimed to no one in particular.

Gaddy,
against her better judgment, was the first to bite, “Who, Tone?”

Toni
looked around the table until she had everyone’s attention.  She couldn’t
wait to divulge her knowledge.  But, before she could drop the bomb, Alex
was there with news of her own.

“He
knows my name!” a breathless Alex exclaimed as she ran up to the table. 
“He bloody well knows my real name!”

As
Alex met each astonished stare around the table, only one looked back with a
self-satisfied smile.  Alex stared at Toni and raised an eyebrow.

“What
do you know, Toni?”

Alex
was already dreading the answer.  She would have preferred anyone knowing
other than Toni.  Her friends were an eclectic mix at best, but Toni was
the worst.  If she ever had the upper hand, she never let anyone forget
it.

“Who,
little ol’ me?  What could I possibly know that, oh say, no one else at
the table does?”

Judith
had been watching this little exchange with amusement.  Not many
opportunities arose when she could get the best of any of her daughter’s
friends, especially Toni.  And Toni, as a columnist for L. A.’s
Elite
magazine,
prided herself on knowing everything that was anything.  Oh, my, this was
going to be delicious!

“Oh,
Alex, darling, are you talking about Zand?  Zand Gabriel?  I didn’t
realize that you two had met, until I saw you with him on the dance
floor.  Which, by the way, I must suggest to Zand to learn some new moves,
or any moves for that matter,” Judith stated dryly.  “After all, he will
need them to keep up with you, my dear, Alex.”

As
she looked at her companions over the rim of the glass, she almost spat it
out.  The sheer shock on each of their faces was just priceless. 
Especially Toni’s.  Judith would have loved to jump on the table and do a
happy dance because she had succeeded in rendering them speechless.  But,
dignity wouldn’t allow it.

She
was British, after all.

Drew
was the first to respond to Judith’s bombshell.  “Zand Gabriel, Zand
Gabriel.  Where have I heard that name?”

“Where
haven’t you heard it, Drew,” Toni amended.  Now was her chance to
enlighten the group with her extensive socialite knowledge.

“Exactly,
Toni,” Gaddy smoothly interrupted.  “He owns that fabulously high end art
gallery in New York City.  Oh, what is it called?  Let’s see, it
reminds me of a lion.  The Den?  No, that’s not it.  Oh, what is
that place called?  Mum has bought several pieces from him.  The
place is just fab.”

“Well,
if you knew him, Gaddy, why didn’t you say something earlier?”  Toni
grumbled, still a bit perturbed that Gaddy and Judith had stolen her thunder.

“Actually,
I have never met him,” Gaddy responded.  Before Toni could question her
further, she added, “But Mum knows him quite well and talks about him all the
time.”

Toni
processed this information and couldn’t help adding, “So, Judith, what do you
think of New York’s most popular Casanova?  If half of the rumors are
true, he is going to need to move just to find someone that he hasn’t slept
with.”

As
Toni had hoped, everyone’s interest had turned to her.  Drew was the first
to respond.

“That
many, Toni?  Are you sure?”

“Of
course she is not sure,” Judith interrupted.  “You know how rumors
escalate.  I am positive…”

“But,
there is a basis for the rumors, Judith,” Toni argued.  “Maybe they are
exaggerated, but he is known for his prowess with women.”

“Have
you experienced it for yourself, Toni?” Judith countered.

“Well,
no, but,” Toni began.

“Speculation,
my dear Toni, pure speculation,” Judith smoothly concluded.  She was
beginning to tire of the conversation.  As she rose from her seat, she
glanced around the table and let her gaze settle on Alex.  “My advice to
you, my darling, is don’t believe everything you hear,” she momentarily let her
gaze dip toward Toni, “and keep an open mind.  I have always found Zand to
be just delightful.  You may find him to be that and, perhaps, much, much,
more.”

Judith
gave Alex a wink and patted her daughter as she passed by.  “Take it easy
on the poor, unsuspecting fools you ensnare tonight, Gaddy, and sweetheart, it
is called, The Lair,” she tossed back as she left.

Everyone
at the table was silent for a moment while each pondered what Judith had
said.  No one noticed as Alex mumbled, ‘bye, to no one in particular and
slowly left the table.

She
glanced at the exit that Zand had entered only minutes before.  She seemed
to struggle for a moment before reaching a decision, and, with a sad and
longing look at the front exit, she turned and took her leave out the back.

As
Zand sat waiting in his luxurious sports car, he was mentally kicking himself
for letting Alex’s nickname slip out.  He glanced at his watch.  Well
over fifteen minutes had passed.  Plenty of time to use the restroom, if,
in fact, that had been a legitimate excuse. Zand was beginning to wonder. 
He hadn’t been there long enough to notice if Alex was alone or with friends.

Damn! 
Zand was kicking himself for not being more observant.  That was something
that he prided himself on.  He had to have a good eye to be as successful
as he was.  But that was with artists.  It had become increasingly
easy to read new artists.

As
part of his research for undiscovered artists to showcase in his gallery, Zand
had, on many occasions, secretly attended functions completely unrelated to art
just to get a better glimpse of their true natures.  He had found that
many adopted a pseudo personality in the hopes of pleasing him.

That
was deception in his eyes, and Zand didn’t do business with deceivers, no
matter how talented they were.  A talented artist just had to be him or
herself.  He could deal with the arrogant and self-indulgent personalities
of the more talented ones.  In fact, he generally expected it.  Just
don’t pretend to be something you’re not.

But
wasn’t that something he did himself?  Zand sighed at his inner
tirade.  He wasn’t in the mood to second guess his motives.  He had
chosen this club with a purpose in mind.  He needed to relax and have a
drink and maybe dance a little.  Nowhere in his mind was the pick-up of a
stranger on the agenda.

But
that wasn’t completely true, Zand admitted to himself.  Alex wasn’t a stranger. 
Sure, it had been a long, long time since he had last seen her, but Zand had
never forgotten her.  She had grown into an incredible beauty.  An
image of a slender young girl with short hair and stunning eyes floated briefly
in his head.  If he had not had the foresight to search for Alex on
Google, he would not have recognized her.  Except for the eyes. 
Those beautiful and alluring hazel eyes.  They had changed Zand’s life
forever.  Did she know?  Would she remember?

Glancing
at his watch once more, Zand came to the disappointing conclusion that Alex
wasn’t coming.  He had her and then sent her running with the unwitting
use of her name.  Zand cursed again.  He had known that, if he ever
saw her again, he would have to tread carefully and not scare her off. 
Hadn’t he done just that!

Zand
put his car in gear and was about to leave his parking space when he noticed a
beautiful Mercedes sports car in his side view mirror.  It was approaching
slowly, as if the driver was searching for someone.  Instinctively, Zand
shifted back into park and turned away from the driver’s side window.  His
tinted glass was enough to conceal his identity, but he wasn’t taking any
chances.

His
increased heart rate was in anticipation that the driver was Alex.  The
car would suit her.  It was both beautiful and elegant.  As the
vehicle crept by, Zand chanced a glance out his window and was rewarded by the
side view of his blonde dance partner.  She was looking toward the
entrance of the club.  Zand knew that she was looking for him.  He
had not been able to get as close to the entrance as he had hoped, and now he
was glad.  He turned completely and watched the car get far enough ahead,
before easing out of his space and trailing behind.

He
wasn’t going to follow her because that wasn’t his style.  Besides, he
knew where to find Alex.  The internet was quite helpful.  But that
wasn’t what he wanted to happen either. No, that wasn’t part of the plan. 
He would wait patiently for a few days.  If Alex hadn’t changed that much,
Zand knew that she would seek him out.  That is, if she remembered.

Oh,
he knew that his looks had changed, as had Alex’s.  But the eyes
hadn’t.  Older and wiser, maybe, but still the same.

Did
Alex remember?  Zand wondered again.

He
would wait and see what Alex’s next move would be.  Patience was one
virtue that the blonde had not possessed then and Zand was hoping that she
didn’t now.  He knew exactly how to work that to his advantage.