She fluffed her red hair and sauntered away. Did she somehow know that my eyes searched the crowd for Roxy? It didn’t seem likely …
A small queue waited in front of the table. And then all at once, just like that night at the club, the crowd parted to reveal a path to my true north.
Standing behind the table, handing out bags of popcorn, there she was. Roxy.
My Roxy.
I’d never felt instant possession like this. Not ownership of her, nothing close to that. She owned me. She could bring me to my knees with the crook of one finger. It hadn’t all been in my head. Those feelings of destiny were as strong as the night we met.
She glanced up and looked around, as though someone had called her name. I tucked myself behind a truck to avoid being seen. I needed a minute to collect myself. I felt like I’d waited a lifetime for this moment. I had to play it just right. Like an accident? No. Best to be straightforward. We were destined to meet again. I was just expediting the universe’s machinations.
I peeked out to see her again. Take my fill. Her beauty was like a halo around her. How was it possible that the crowd had not stopped to just stare at her? Gone was her short skirt and leather jacket. Her body art was hidden under a business suit and her hair was up, fringe perfectly edged. Seeing her again inflamed the thousand thoughts I’d had on repeat since we parted. My fingers twitched at my sides, desperate to pull down the length of her hair as I brought her mouth to mine. I wanted to peel that suit off of her and kiss the sweet skin underneath.
But mostly I just wanted to talk to her more. I wanted to learn about her career at the Lodge. How she spent her days and who her friends were? I was desperate to know everything about every moment that led up to our paths crossing. I needed to understand the magic of the stars aligning.
Taking a deep breath in, I made my way to her table.
Chapter 8
Roxy
“We’re low on the artisanal nuts,” I said to Vincent.
I made a mental inventory of what snacks were left. We’d been working the event for over an hour, and the line had remained steady with about five to ten people at all times. My initial nerves started to settle as the crowds kept coming. This was the first event Vincent had watched me plan and host, so every detail had to be perfect. I hadn’t taken into account how much people loved free food and we were running low. It felt like most of Green Valley had shown up to have a relaxing evening under the summer night. This evening was an opportunity for the people of Green Valley to enjoy a fun night out all the while promoting the many activities at the Lodge.
So far, so good.
I’d even begun to relax around Vincent a little. He wasn’t exactly chatty but neither was I, so we worked side by side only talking when we needed to. And that was A-OK with me.
“People love their nuts,” Vincent said as he handed the last bag to a bearded hulk of a man.
I think it was Everett Monroe. Talk about a family with good genes. He took the bag, opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it, walking away with a shake of his head. What’s in the water here? Between those Monroe brothers and the Winstons, Green Valley had more good-looking men per capita than any other city, I was sure of it. I’d have to bring that up at the next SWS meeting.
I shot a look to Vincent to see if he’d been joking but his face remained serene, so I kept my raunchy response at bay. “That they do,” I said neutrally.
“I’ll start more popcorn.” Vincent reached for the next bag of kernels. “You know, I started out at the front desk too,” he said as he dumped the kernels into the little pot.
“Oh?” I asked.
“I think it’s very impressive not only what you’ve done here tonight but for the Lodge. I can tell your career means a lot to you.”
I hid my face, hating how my cheeks heated at the compliment. “Thank you, sir,” I said, then cringed at my use of the honorific. Where was this man in the hierarchy of the Lodge? I wondered if he even knew with all the sudden changes. I respected that he didn’t want to give me a promotion without knowing me. Even though it sucked. At least he was making an effort to get to know me. Maybe he was starting to see me as something close to a peer.
I had to be careful. If he learned about my past, he wouldn’t be so eager to promote me up the ranks. As I helped person after person, checking in on local families, interacting with the visitors staying at the Lodge, I maintained a professional persona. Nobody said anything about me being that Roxy Kincaid. However at one point, Scotia Simmons made a comment about how glad she was “I turned my life around.” Thankfully, Vincent had been busy helping out and didn’t hear her. Soon, I started to relax and just get lost in the transactions. Hand out popcorn, pimp Lodge. I could do that.
“This has been a really great event, Roxanne,” Vincent said when the movie started and the line finally stopped.
It was so weird to hear him call me anything but Roxy after spending the last few hours chatting with him. But he’d
