Second Chances (4 page)

"Wasn't this afternoon great?" she asked, as she and Susan made their way to the hotel's revolving doors. "Working together the way we did, sharing. It was wonderful."

"Absolutely. I really felt like I belonged in our group." Susan paused on the sidewalk outside of the hotel, and the two women looked at each other. "So. Where to?"

"Ladies. Could we join you for dinner?" John joined them on the sidewalk, accompanied by Andrew, another member of their afternoon group.

"Of course," Karina said with a smile. "We're just trying to make a decision on where to eat."

"How about a vote? Who wants Chinese? Italian? For myself, I'd love some Thai food." Susan suggested.

"Thai or Chinese works for me," John offered. Andrew nodded agreeably.

"Does anyone know the city well enough to point us in the right direction?" Karina asked.

"I do," supplied an amused voice behind them.

Brian and Mark had walked up to the group during their discussions. "We'd just decided to head for an excellent Thai restaurant around the corner. Would you care to join us?" Mark suggested cheerfully.

With a genial smile, Brian seconded the invitation, his gaze lingering on Karina. She met his gaze confidently, and the warmth in his eyes grew more heated.

It took mere seconds to reach total agreement. Karina's heart bubbled with happiness. Falling into step between Brian and Mark, she stuffed her hands in her pockets and tossed back her curls. Good friends, good food, and a chance to spend more time with Brian. Life was good.

The group hurried along under a rapidly darkening sky. A heavy downpour had been promised, but that in no way dampened the spirits of those rushing into the busy restaurant, even as heavy drops began to fall.

"Just in time," remarked Brian as he removed his overcoat, gently shaking off the raindrops. He hung the garment on a large coat rack then turned to help Karina with her coat. Not meant for the rain, moisture had suctioned the material to her blouse, and her jacket was attempting to stay where it was. The touch of Brian's fingertips on her shoulders sent tingles down her arms, and Karina's heart pounded in her ears. In an attempt to keep the mood lighthearted she laughed as they struggled with the unruly lining. Brian's soft chuckle thrilled her to her toes.

The others were already following their hostess to a table. When Karina and Brian reached the group, she eyed the three empty chairs in a row before grabbing the middle one. She smiled impishly across the table at Susan, the only other female in the group.

"If we sit opposite each other then we can share the men between us."

"With such handsome men along, I think that's a fabulous idea," Susan said with a grin.

"In that case, I'm sitting beside Karina," Mark interjected with a wink. "We should have invited a few other women to balance things out."

"But as this isn't a matchmaking service and as some of us aren't single, it won't matter." John took the seat next to Susan. "The 'attached' ones are here, making yours the 'unattached' side."

"Works for me," said Brian as he took the seat next to Karina.

Andrew just smiled and took the last seat on the married side.

"Are you married, Andrew?" Karina asked, trying to include the shy gentleman in their conversation, all the while doing her best to ignore the overwhelming presence on her right.

"I was for ten years, but we divorced three years ago. Then I got lucky and met up with my current partner, Pam. What about you? You must have a boyfriend, don't you?"

"No, there's no one special in my life right now," she said, flushing. She turned her attention to Susan across the table, who appeared to be watching Brian very closely. The quick, secretive grin that flashed across Susan's expressive face sparked Karina's curiosity.

"Where do you live, Mars? Obviously, not here. Our men aren't so foolish," joked Mark. His hand was in the air trying to get their waitress's attention.

"I gather you're hungry, Mark," Brian teased. "Did you even take a lunch break today?"

"I'm starving. My stomach remembers this place. Have you all decided what to have?"

"No point in even looking, when I don't know what the dishes are." John nodded at the still-closed menu in front of him.

Karina opened her menu and saw what he meant. There was no shorthand explanation to go with the names of the entrees. Nor were there pictures of the dishes.

Brian turned to Mark. "I have an idea. You know the food. Why don't you pick six dishes for us to share? That way, everyone can try a little bit of everything."

"Easily done." Mark tilted his head towards the tiny woman now standing beside him. Together, they discussed the choices. The strange sounding names combined with the musical accent added a touch of far-off magic to the evening. Karina appreciated that they were in for a treat.

"Mark lived in Thailand for several months," Brian said. "He's quite a connoisseur."

"Wonderful! We're so lucky that we get to enjoy his expertise." Karina rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Always willing to try new foods, she'd only had Thai cooking a couple of times before, so to have an expert advise them on their meal was fun.

She glanced sideways at Brian and caught him staring back. At this distance, she couldn't help noticing how square his cheekbones were, matching his chin perfectly. God, those dimples. She didn't remember those. She turned away before she could reach over with her fingertip to stroke the natural recesses. She caught Susan's observant eye. With a toss of her head in the direction of the back of the restaurant, Karina silently suggested a trip to the Ladies' room.

Susan jumped up at the idea, her expression smug, bursting with the effort of holding back a secret. Karina followed closely behind.

"What are you smirking about?" Karina asked, certain she already knew the answer.

"Don't worry. I don't think anyone else noticed."

"Noticed what?"

"The attraction between you two. You obviously think he's cute."

"God, he's gorgeous. But I have to tell you, we have a history. Not much of one, but it seems like time didn't dull the attraction." Karina collapsed in an exaggerated swoon against the counter. They both burst out laughing.

When she'd regained control, Susan said, "And he's available. In many ways you complement each other."

"Really?" Karina said, her voice sounding a little desperate to her own ears. Disbelief warred with hope in her voice. Did Susan really see something? And more importantly, did she want to go down that path again? "He's confusing the hell out of me."

"Duh, meeting him again has obviously stirred things up. Let it develop." Susan bent closer to the mirror to check her makeup. "You two would be good together," she reiterated firmly. "See where it goes."

Karina wasn't so easily convinced. The pain of their last night together couldn't be so quickly dismissed.

"Let's head back before the men eat everything." With the door half open, Susan motioned Karina to move in front of her.

"Then we'd be hungry and have to find another way to appease our appetites." Karina leered comically, waggling her eyebrows as her ribald sense of humor made an appearance. "Instead of sharing dinner with the men, let's have the men for dinner."

Susan chuckled and lightly elbowed Karina in the side. "I'm on a diet, remember?"

"That's okay. I wasn't sure I wanted to share anyways!"

Still giggling, Karina retook her seat.

Mark sighed. "
Now
what are you two laughing about?"

The women shook their heads, grinning madly at each other.

Brian leaned in close. "Karina, I've listened to your laughter all afternoon, but nobody's let me in on a single joke. So, come on—give over. Please?" A wheedling tone entered his voice.

Susan jumped in to answer. "She was just commenting on having a man-sized appetite." Then she burst into peals of laughter at her inside joke.

"Well done, Susan." Karina smirked. "We'll make a comedian out of you yet."

The men just watched and shook their heads, before everyone turned back to the meal.

By the end of the evening, the warm cozy atmosphere of the restaurant had affected the ambience within the group itself. They strolled back to the hotel, replete and relaxed. Karina barely noticed that the light drizzle had turned to rain.

The street around them was quiet, devoid of both traffic and pedestrians. Empty storefronts seemed to wait for them in the gloom, watching them with dark, fathomless eyes. Despite the pleasant chatter happening around her, Karina felt a chill of nervousness run up her spine. She chided herself silently for being foolish; their group was large and fairly noisy. Nothing bad was going to happen to them. But then why did she feel such a sense of misgiving?

On the way up the long path to the hotel's entrance, Karina noticed a man on the opposite side of the street, standing motionless in the downpour, staring up at the front of the well-lit building. Rain pattered off his hat, dripping from the brim in a steady stream. His face was hidden in shadow, but something about him made Karina hesitate.

"I wonder what he's doing?" Karina jerked her chin in the man's direction. At that moment he turned his head, and she caught a glimpse of his profile. There was something familiar about it. Almost. The others, only intent on making it inside, barely glanced his way. "Maybe he's lost," she suggested, squinting into the darkness. "Do you think we should go and ask him if he needs help?"

"If he's lost, wouldn't he'd go and ask at the front desk?" Brian held open the door for her. "Come inside and get dry." He cast a glance at the stranger then shrugged. "If he bothers you, you can mention it to the hotel staff, but he's not actually doing anything. Besides, he'll probably be gone before they even get out there." His palm landed gently on her back, ushering her in out of the rain.

Looking one last time over her shoulder, Karina realized that she could no longer see the man.

The creepy stranger had already moved on.

***

Anger flashed, old and sharp, scraping Ian raw as it rose to the surface.

That had been Karina. From university. How could he forget her? He couldn't.

The same old bitterness choked him. She was another thing Brian stole from him. He snorted. The two suited each other. Both had made his life miserable.

And both appeared to be happy.

That just brought Mary to mind. His stomach twisted. She even refused to talk to him now. Said she needed more time.

His pain burned. He slammed it down deeper.

And sneered. Brian and Karina, huh? His research hadn't brought any hint of a relationship in Brian's life. No mention of Karina anywhere, and he certainly would have noticed.

He had a score to settle with her, too. He'd dig deeper now that he realized she was here with him.

The thought of the two of them being happy together twisted in his gut.

He'd wanted her something fierce back in university. She wouldn't give him the time of day back then. Wouldn't even give him a decent chance. Especially that last night when she'd left the pub with Brian. He'd watched them leave, had followed them to Brian's place and had stayed outside and waited.

But she never came out.

Apparently that relationship hadn't worked out back then. And Brian had married and divorced in the meantime. And didn't that thought bring a smile to his face.

He'd hated her back then. Hated Brian, too. But the emotions then were nothing to what he felt now.

But it wasn't enough.

Brian had taken Mary, his wife of seven years, away from him. There's no way Ian could let Brian have Karina too. Not again.

K
arina pressed the elevator button to head up to her room for the night. Warm, mellow and flushed from good wine and great company, the world looked bright and rosy.

"Karina?"

She stilled as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Brian. Turning to look at him, she couldn't help the intimate smile from blossoming forth. Why not? They were alone. Maybe now was a good time to pick up their previous conversation.

"Are you going up?" Brian pointed to the open elevator door.

Flustered, she watched as the doors closed in front of them. She shrugged, tongue-tied.

"Actually I thought maybe we could talk? Catch up on the last decade." A slow, sexy smile formed on his lips. "Come have a drink with me in the bar."

His words reminded her of the last time they were together. Did she want to go for a drink? Hell, yes. The silky tone of his voice and barely hidden suggestiveness slid into her blood, heating and speeding it as it thrummed through her system. She wanted to breathe. She would breathe. In a minute. When her world righted and her imagination calmed. Christ, he could always send her sideways like none other. Whatever they'd had in the past had nothing on what was happening now.