“I’ve just always been good with my hands,” he replied.
She realised her hand was still in his grasp, and neither had attempted to shift it. Finally, she removed it, clearing her throat. He must ’ve had the fridge on full blast, because his grip was icy cold.
“Well, um…that’s awesome,” she giggled. “I should be getting back. Thanks again for the save.”
“You’re welcome, but I must apologise. It was my fault you dropped it in the first place,” he said, picking up the tray.
“No, it’s ok. I thought it was bad karma coming to get me.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Well, it’s weird, but I don’t think I was actually charged for any of this,” Alex admitted.
“You weren’t,” he replied, smiling warmly again, showing impossibly white teeth.
“What? You…?”
“I signalled the bartender that it was on me. You’re a friend of mine, Alexandra. I would like you to turn up more often when you can. So consider yourself a guest when you do.”
There was a second’s pause before Alex went on tiptoe and placed a peck on Dante’s lips. “Thank you.”
Dante nodded and took the tray in his hand. “You lead on. I’ll take this for you.”
She took a few steps and rounded on him again. “This is going to sound really stupid, but can you say my name again?”
Dante’s eyes locked onto hers. Was that lightness around his pupils there a second ago? A pale green colour. Contacts? Or the lights above their heads maybe.
“Alexandra.”
She took a small sighing breath and continued walking. She couldn’t help it. That voice was chocolate for the ears.
She pushed past dancers and found the table. All three seemed to have forgotten she was gone, laughing immeasurably at a joke told by Ryan.
“Hey,” Alex said, sitting down.
“Where are the drinks?” Matt moaned.
“Nice to see you too. I had a little accident, but luckily my knight in shining armour came to my rescue.”
She gestured to the man in question, and Dante placed the tray down on the table.
“Good evening. I—”
Dante stopped mid-sentence, turning his head slowly towards Ryan, then Lauren, then back to Ryan again. All eyes at the table were suddenly on him. The air surrounding them grew cold. Alex could’ve sworn she saw Dante lean a little closer and give a small sniffing gesture towards Ryan, never keeping his eyes off him. What was a perfectly friendly look had turned into one of intense menace, just as he’d turned toward Ryan. Alex could not believe a person’s expression could change so quickly. Dante’s face had turned to stone. It was instantaneous. For a brief second, Alex thought Dante was going to leap over the table at Ryan and maul him.
“You right there, dude?” Ryan asked, noticing the obvious tension. For his part, Ryan looked completely bewildered.
Dante did not move for the longest time, staring Ryan down intensely, until he straightened. Dante turned to Alex. “Excuse me.” With that, he quickly disappeared through the crowd.
*
Dante closed his office door behind him. He crossed the gleaming black-and-white tiled floor to the desk at the centre of the room, which was placed atop a wolf-skin rug. The desk’s surface was covered with rosters, security and financial reports, expenses and two mobile phones. The far wall was actually a two-way mirror that overlooked the entire club on the floor below.
Dante had planned everything and it all had fallen into place. He felt Alex was ready. Even from afar, he could see her past haunted her. But that was because she only knew half the story of that night, when the lives of three people were changed forever. All because of him. Almost twenty-five years later and the very human feelings of guilt and responsibility had not eased. Nor would they, until he could tell Alex the truth and right a horrible, pointless wrong.
Which will require some light misleading, he assured himself, placing Alex’s purse on his desk. He had swiped it with those “fast reflexes” he’d mentioned. So fast, no one had noticed his movements.
He picked up his personal mobile. The phone contained two numbers and he dialled the first.
It rang twice before Michelle picked it up.
“Yeah, honey?”
Dante walked over to the mirror and look down and across towards Alex’s table, focussing on Ryan. This was unexpected. But Dante had to be sure.
“We have a problem.”
*
Matt, Lauren and Ryan all turned to Alex and exploded with questions.
“What the fuck was that all about?”
“Did you say something to him?”
“Did he say something to you?”
“Why did he leave?”
“What’s his problem?”
“Like I said, what the fuck?”
All Alex could do was raise her hands. “Stop, guys, enough! I don’t know any more than you do!”
“Dude, do you even know that guy?” Matt asked Ryan.
“I’ve never spoken to him in my life.”
“He looked at you like you rooted his mother or something. Thought he was gonna whack ya.”
“Bring him on. I’ll knock the cunt out twice before he hits the ground if he ever looks at me like that again.”
Alex looked at Lauren for several seconds before she noticed, and had a slight grin on her face when their eyes met. Lauren gestured to the bathroom and Alex nodded.
“’S’cuse us,” Lauren said.
“Little girl’s room.” Alex added.
Both girls slithered out of the booth and walked quickly towards the back bathroom just as Ryan was emphasising what objects in the club he would use in order to bash Dante senseless. When they were out of earshot, Lauren stopped Alex.
“Oh my god, can you believe it? This is incredible! Matt can get off your back now. I got Dante jealous!” Lauren squealed, hopping several times on the spot.
“What?” Alex asked, unsure whether Lauren
