As Beau stepped into Grazia, Suki's favored restaurant, the golden lights stringing the walls immediately captured his attention. The place was opulent and expensive, which matched Suki's taste in clothing well. Her black cocktail dress and emerald jewellery stood out starkly against the backdrop of business suits.

      Stasia didn't have time to change after work, so she came in her work suit. It was a pink affair to match her heels. Diamonds lined her ears, wrists and neck. 

     Beau watched as Stasia's honey eyes lifted, observing the décor as her perfect eyebrows raised in surprise. His wife was clearly impressed, and he hated that he was watching her, so Beau forced his eyes to wander around the restaurant as well.

     As the quartet sat to eat, each facing their respective partners, Alex smiled at the group and asked, "Isn't this the best?"

     Beau made a noise in assent, watching as Stasia returned Alex's grin politely in his direction. Suki and Alex's smiles seemed natural and genuine, whereas Beau thought that Stasia's cheerfulness was somewhat overdone.

     Most of Beau's shock over Alex and Suki's engagement was due to his belief that they were only casually dating. In the last few months, while Suki was touring Europe, the quartet only met up occasionally. Typically Suki would drop by once a month, then she'd pick up and leave again, leaving Alex alone and miserable once again. Beau wondered when their relationship found the time to bloom into thoughts of marriage.

     Beau's experience with marriage was sour, but there was hope for Alex. However, given that Suki and Stasia were close friends; the two being similar in their wild temperaments and tall ambitions, Beau doubted Suki and Alex's relationship would still be smooth sailing after a few years. Not that he wanted to be a pessimist.

     Beau watched as Stasia smiled at something Suki said, taking a sip of her red wine. Occasionally, his wife's eyes flicked to Alex and she would study him like he was a bug in an insect collection. 

     Beau knew that Stasia's analytical, sharp-as-a-dagger mind was flurrying to dissect his feelings towards Suki. She was probably plotting to end their engagement. Else she was likely scheming with some other nefarious intention in mind.

     But when Beau let his mind wander, his eyes would trail away from the sharpness in Stasia's eyes to the curve of her neck, the fullness of her mouth. The jewels in her ears made her brunette hair shine like copper. 

     As Stasia laughed at something Suki said sarcastically, Beau wondered what their relationship would have been like if his wife wasn't a conglomerate heir. Then he berated himself for doing so, realising how pointless it was. 

     Work was Stasia's first priority. At least, that was Beau's perception of things. He never could read his wife properly. Secrets dangled around her like the jewels she wore.

     "Isn't this great?" Alex was saying as Beau tuned back into the conversation. Alex smiled, looking every bit like a golden retriever. "It's been ages since we went out together.

   Suki propped her chin elegantly on her hands, smiling at Stasia. "I'm just glad that Stas took out the time for us. And Beau, of course." she glanced over at Beau with a slight smile.

      "We always have time for you, Suki." Stasia replied warmly. Beau wondered why Stasia couldn't direct the same love towards him. Then again, he'd stopped making any efforts for friendship years ago.

     "Their desserts are raspberry themed." Suki informed the group with enthusiasm. As she picked up a menu, her well-acquainted eye perused it critically.

     Stasia coughed while drinking her wine. Beau patted her bare back without thinking, then he immediately regretted his brash action. They never had physical contact. Beau couldn't remember the last time he'd intentionally touched Stasia.

      As Stasia surfaced, her eyes watering, she glared suspiciously at Beau. "Why did you do that?"

     Alex watched them with wide eyes. Only Suki appeared vaguely clued in, from the way her eyes narrowed fractionally. 

     Beau cleared his throat, loosening his tie as his mind spun in circles. Then he suggested meaningfully to his wife, wondering if a nudge with his elbow would be too conspicuous, "Because I love you, sweetheart?"

     Stasia frowned, taking another sip of her wine. "Right." she replied in a clipped, forced manner. Her wine was disappearing in gallons by the minute. An exaggeration, but Beau wondered if this falsehood would slowly bleed into truth.

     Alex and Beau eyed each other nervously. Stasia sighed and put her wine glass down on the table, looking at the hanging lights surrounding their isolated table. Suki pursed her red lips, her dark jewelled eyes staring through the windows to her friend's soul.

     "Do you want to go to the bathroom?" Alex asked Beau awkwardly. Beau shrugged.

      Beau and Alex got up from their seats and strolled away, walking in search of amenities. They left two of the most powerful women in the world eyeing each other warily.

*

     Suki Waterhouse could be terrifying sometimes. 

     Stasia would know. She was Suki's prime target for intimidation. 

     Whenever Suki felt that Stasia was hiding something, her eyes would grow steely cold. The way they gleamed under the light now, like indestructible obsidian, told Stasia that she was in severe trouble.

     But Stasia never cowered to a simple glare. She was a conglomerate CEO, a businesswoman with words to supplement her claws. Stasia tossed her hair back lightly, raising an eyebrow as she shrugged at her best friend. "What's wrong, Suki?"

     The tall young woman raised an elegant eyebrow back, taking a sip of her cocktail. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

      Stasia was used to these politics. A restaurant with friends wasn't a common battleground, but Suki Waterhouse could make a sunny field into a weapon of destruction.

      What Stasia wasn't prepared for was Suki's hand tentatively reaching for hers, brushing her fingers over the back of Stasia's hand. Stasia looked up into Suki's eyes, which were brimming with sympathy.

      "What's going on, Stasia?" Suki asked, the concern tangible in her voice. "I know that Beau's putting on a show for Alex and I. But I've known you for too long to be fooled. Is your relationship on the rocks again?"

     Stasia chuckled bitterly, knowing the game was up. "Try for the last three years."

      Suki sucked in a breath. "I didn't know. When I last visited for more than a month, both of you were in love."

      Stasia allowed a pained, reminiscent smile to flutter over her mouth. "That feels like another lifetime, Suki. I barely remember what it was like when Beau loved me."

       Suki watched Stasia with the pain that only a close friend could feel, as she watched her struggle under the strain of a thousand memories washed away by time.

        Stasia's expression fragmented for a moment into shards, so that Suki could peek through the icy wall into her interior. Stasia was alone in this for years. That much was easy to tell. The rest of it was more complicated.

       "That's a reality of my marriage I have to face." Stasia exhaled. She gripped Suki's hand for a moment, then drew herself up again. "And I don't want pity for it."

       "No pity. Got it." Suki nodded sharply. She frowned, her garnet-red lips glimmering in the light of the romantic candle lights surrounding the friends. "Where's our men?"

     Stasia sighed, tossing her long gorgeous hair over her shoulder. Hundreds of pounds' worth of top-drawer hairspray kept her locks perfectly in place. Money was an easy substitute for love, but it left a hole in Stasia' heart. "Who knows. Maybe we should go on a date without them."

     "You'd like that." Stasia's friend crooned teasingly, tossing a flirty, winning smile out. Stasia only raised her eyebrows, a tiny smile on her face.

     Given this was supposed to be a double date, the two empty seats really appeared to be a setup for Suki and Stasia instead. If Beau didn't show up in the next two minutes, Stasia was going to bury him next to Alex. That way, they could be together no matter what.

    She took another sip of her wine. This was going to be a long night.

    After a long conversation about shoe shopping, Beau and Alex finally made their appearance. Alex rushed straight over to Suki, giving her an adoring kiss on the cheek. Stasia watched Suki's besotted smile with envy.

    When Beau approached Stasia, their greeting was far less cordial. Beau nodded at Stasia, and she gave him a slight tilt of her head in response. He sat next to her, exhaling softly as he picked up his refilled glass.

     Beau turned to Suki, acknowledging her small good deed as he sipped from the full glass of red wine. "Thanks, Suki."

      Suki eyed him oddly, then smiled. "Oh, I didn't re-fill your glass. That was courtesy of your lovely wife."

      Beau looked startled as he glanced surreptitiously in Stasia's direction. Stasia forced herself to stare straight ahead, sipping from her glass as she waited for a response.

       "Thank you." she heard Beau's low voice murmur. He didn't sound bitter, or resentful. Stasia couldn't bear to find out if that held true to his expression.

      "Don't mention it." Stasia muttered back. She could perform decent gestures like that still. Being civil wasn't difficult. Even if their companionship was teetering on the verge of indifference.

     The night was awkward, as many of their prior dates were. Suki and Alex were cosied up as new fiancées, whispering endearments into each others' ears. Meanwhile, Stasia and Beau awkwardly sat next to each other, pretending they were each in their own respective world.

So Stasia drank herself into a stupor to stop the odd jolts of jealousy and pain from rushing into her chest every second or so.

*

     Beau only woke from his reverie in the restaurant when he felt a featherlight touch on his wrist. He glanced over at Stasia's fingertips, ghosting his skin. His gaze travelled from her hand to the woman's eyes, which were looking beseechingly into his.

     Stasia giggled, a fountain of laughter that coursed through Beau's veins, dipping them into a pool of warmth. He shook his head, forcing himself to remember. He disliked her. She wasn't pretty, her laugh was not warm, and he didn't like her.

      Stasia twisted in her seat so that she could lie across her chair's arm, tipping her head so far back that Beau worried she'd fall and break her head.

     He looked to Suki and Alex for assistance, but their lips were apparently occupied. Briefly disgusted by the amount of tongue he was witnessing, Beau turned back to his wife. He sighed, unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt to cool himself down as he asked Stasia succinctly, "What is it?"

     She didn't answer for a moment. "A few days ago, I compared our relationship to a bowl of raspberries. Did you know that?" Stasia laughed. She peered at Beau upside down, her hazel eyes bright and twinkling under the light.

     Beau looked away, swallowing. He was completely caught off guard, and now he didn't know what the right thing was to say. Stasia hadn't laughed like that in years. An unreserved, honest, happy laugh.

     An air of freedom coated Stasia's looks tonight, and she was too compelling. Too tempting. That was when Beau realised he'd had too much wine. If he was thinking about Stasia Needmore being attractive, his stupid brain was clearly not switched on.

      "Why would I care?" Beau said defensively. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms against his chest as he eyed Stasia.

     His wife laughed again, but it sounded flat and less earnest. She took another sip of wine, lifting her head up from its dangling position to do so. 

      "I suppose you wouldn't. Care about me, I mean." Stasia clarified. Her mouth pursed, turning down at the corners. She looked heartbreakingly sad.

      For a moment, Beau ignored the fact that Stasia was generally rude, and at best apathetic. As he watched the realisation pierce his wife's beautiful face, Beau felt a twinge of pity.

     Stasia oversaw one of the most financially successful businesses in the world. But who was there to take care of her, at the end of the day? It would've been him. Should've been him.

     Three years ago, Beau would have answered honestly that he was Anastasia Needmore's biggest support. Beau was always there to soothe her aches in a hot bath, massage away the tension in her shoulders. 

      But when it came down to it, marriage ate away at the best parts of their relationship. When they were emotionally in tune, everything was perfect. But somewhere, dissonance crept in and tore them apart.

     Weakness was never Beau's failing. He weathered everything that life threw at him. Except for his marriage's failure. So could he not be there for Stasia now?

     Beau gently took her glass and placed it on the table. He was surprised when Stasia didn't resist the gesture straight away. Instead, her fingers loosened from the glass willingly. 

      When she looked up at him for an explanation, Beau gently suggested to her, "Maybe that's enough for tonight."

     Stasia nodded reluctantly and sat up in her seat, sighing. She tipped her head back, letting her hair fall back in a waterfall of soft brown. Beau stared at it for a moment too long before he looked away.

     Stasia's eyes looked like they'd been dipped in honey by the moonlight. They were a sweet shade of brown that Beau only remembered from years ago. 

     "Oh, this is so embarrassing." Stasia said lightly, covering her face with her hands. The smile that flitted across her expression startled him.

     Beau frowned. She was embarrassed about getting drunk? "What?" he asked, to clarify what his wife really meant. Even though she generally wasn't an open book, when Stasia drank, she became more talkative.

     Stasia peeked through her fingers as she confessed, "It was his back. I don't know why, but it was weirdly attractive yesterday. When he stepped out of the shower, I mean. But don't tell anyone."

     Traces of jealousy slid into Beau's heart as he processed his wife's admission. Who on earth would Stasia see yesterday in the shower? 

     There were private showers in Stasia's office suite, in case she worked late nights... was she having an affair on the side?

      Beau frowned and pushed away the thought. Regardless of his wife's feelings, which Beau normally didn't care about, Stasia was vulnerable right now. He needed to take care of her. Even if Beau was still trying to remember why.

     He was being a decent person. That was his reason to care for Anastasia Needmore.

     "Do you want to go home?" Beau asked Stasia softly, his mind spinning with the events of the night. Stasia shook her head stubbornly, but Beau simply arched his eyebrows at her knowingly, and she crumbled.

     Stasia sighed, flicking back her long hair over her shoulder. "I don't want to go home yet, but I don't want to be here anymore." she eyed the wine with simultaneous appreciation and aggravation.

     "That's okay." Beau said without thinking. He wondered how he was supposed to deal with Stasia Needmore when she interacted with him like a normal person, as opposed to her typical dragon persona.

     "Why can't you be like that with me?" Suki whined to Alex out of the blue.

     Both Stasia and Beau's heads jerked in their direction. The engaged pair were watching them avidly, like Stasia and Beau's relationship was being served to them on a platter there and then. Their lives were truly a telenovela recently; the story would make for good entertainment.

      "How about we split off?" Beau suggested out of the blue. Alex's jaw dropped. His mind worked quickly as he latched onto an excuse, "Because I need to wait for Stasia to get sober. Obviously. You guys should spend some time together, we'll catch up later."

     Beau winked at Alex, who looked surprised. But then the latter shrugged, taking Suki's hand and entwining their fingers as he stood up. His supermodel fiancée looked enquiringly at Alex, and her fiancé explained to Suki, "I think they need some time alone."

      "I'm not drunk." Stasia protested. She was about half a minute too late.

*