Scarlett P.O.V

I elbow my way in between two blondes standing at the bar to get my drink from the bartender before making my way back through the sea of people still waiting for their orders. Some of the faces I recognize, while the others not so much.

But either way, loads of people turned up to celebrate the night's festivities. A lot more than expected, to be honest.

The 66th birthday of The Rook's beloved head of security and my grandpa's good friend, Oscar Little, shouldn't have garnered this much attention. And fortunately, the staff at Brunson's bar and grille were accommodating.

A lull falls over the crowd as a waiter rolls a silver cart from the kitchen. The three-tier white cake on top has so many candles it's a wonder how it doesn't set off the smoke detectors.

A lone voice begins singing Happy Birthday, and everyone else quickly joins, drawing Oscar's attention. His jaw drops as his wide-blown eyes travel from the flaming monstrosity to his friends and co-workers, then back again. The man to his left helps him to his feet as the waiter stops a short distance away from the booth. While the singing continues, Oscar stands there with a frothy brew and a bashful smile on his weathered face.

Once the song ends, Oscar blows out the candles, and everyone claps.

It takes a minute for the noise to die down, and as soon as it does, Oscar speaks, "You guys really made an old man very happy tonight. I can't reme..." his voice cracks, and behind his oval frames, his eyes rapidly blink as he fights back his tears.

"We love you, Oscar." A deep voice shouts from the back, eliciting another round of cheers and whistles from everyone.

"I love you guys too. And I just want to say I can't remember the last time anyone did something like this for me. So thank you... All of you for coming and making this a joyous occasion that I'll forever remember and cherish." He lifts his beer in salute before taking a drink.

I finish the rest of my wine as everyone else does the same with their own drinks. Just as another round of cheering begins, I set the glass on a nearby table and head over to him.

I'd been waiting in the wings long enough while he spoke to the never-ending line of guests.

He sees me coming and welcomes me with open arms. The light musk of his cologne tickles my nose as he softly embraces me. "Hey, how are you?"

"Good, good." I step back. "What about you? Are you enjoying your party?"

"Yeah. How could I not? The boys went all out." His eyes twinkle underneath the lights as they take in the decorations. The large Happy Birthday, Oscar! banner over the door, and the gold streamers and balloons placed throughout the bar. "Really made me feel special."

I nod. "Well, I'm sure Dale has something even better planned for your birthday."

His smile falls at the mention of his stepson, and I wish I could take it back. "Doubt it. I haven't seen him in months. Last I heard, he was shacking up with some woman down in Austin that's separated from her husband."

"Oh."

Way to kill the mood, Scarlett.

Dale had come from his second marriage. But other than that, he had no children of his own. Nor any living blood relatives. And he was estranged from his two ex-wives. My mom, dad, and I were probably the closest thing to family he had left. Aside from Dale, of course.

I'd once overheard a conversation between him and my grandfather, of him saying he'd been the only good thing to come out of his second marriage. But that was years ago, and maybe things had changed.

Suddenly remembering the gift bags, I thrust them toward him, hoping they would turn things around. "Here."

He tentatively takes the bags, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "What's this?"

"Gifts. F-from me and Penelope. Who couldn't be here tonight because of a family emergency, but she wanted to make sure you still received your present." I stop myself from rambling and take a deep breath. "Anyway. Enjoy."

"I will." He starts to open it as someone calls out for him across the bar. "Uh... I should go see what that's about."

"Go, go."

He holds up the bags. "Thank you."

"No problem."

I watch him for a bit before slipping through the mass of hot and sweaty bodies until I reach the back.

I'm nearing the bathroom when someone grabs my wrists and yanks me around. I come face to face with a man I've never seen before. He's no taller than me, but the wide berth of his shoulders and massive biceps make him appear way bigger.

"I thought that was you." He says, swaying a bit as the pinkish tint of his pale cheeks darkens almost to the shade of his hair. "Out with the girls, are ya? Bullshit! You're here to meet that bastard, aren't ya?"

I try to snatch my arm from him, but his grip remains firm. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Don't act like you don't know. I know you're cheating on me!" His words come out slurred, making it even harder to understand his thick Southern accent.

"What? Cheating?! I do-"

"Stop denying it, Clara!" He moves closer and closer still until I can smell the alcohol seeping from his pores. "I've seen all the messages and half-naked photos you've sent to other men on your phone."

"Listen, my name isn't Clara. It's Scarlett. Now let me go!"

His eyes widen to epic proportions as he fights through his drunken haze to clearly see my face, but he still doesn't let go. Suddenly someone grabs his free hand and twists it back, making him drop to one knee on the cold hard floor. A pained cry escapes his twisted lips as he looks up at the man. I stifle my gasp when I realize it's Luciano.

"You heard what she said. Now let her go." The firm tone of his voice leaves no room for arguments.

"Okay, okay." He quickly releases me, and I move to stand behind Luciano.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

It takes me a second to answer as I gently massage the angry red fingerprints left on my wrist. "Yes."

"You heard her. She's fine. Now let me go." The man says while trying to pry Luciano's fingers from his arm.

With his lips twisted in a sneer, Luciano lets him go. "Get out of here!"

The man scrambles to his feet and rushes down the hallway. When he disappears around the corner, I turn to Luciano. "Ugh, I can't believe this is the second time you've come to my rescue. Like I'm some damsel in distress or something."

Even though I pretended I couldn't change my tire when we first met, that didn't mean I always wanted him to see me as some helpless being.

He chuckles shortly. "It must be fate."

I scoff. "Some fate."

A little spark of electricity passes through me as he suddenly takes my hand in his. Taken by surprise, all I can do is stare at him with my lips slightly parted as his thumb moves across my wrist in maddeningly slow strokes.

"Should we head back to the party?"

I swallow hard. "You can if you want, but I'm not. After this little incident, I'm no longer in the mood to celebrate. So I think I'll just head home."

Besides, I'd already done what I needed to do. Nothing was keeping me here.

"No. Stay. Don't let that guy ruin your night."

"I don't know. It's been a lo-"

"How about we have one drink together? And if you still want to go. I won't stop you."

I pause to contemplate it. The offer is tempting. Damn tempting. While he'd fixed my tire, we hadn't spent much time getting to know one another. It'd been all business with a bit of mindless chitchat. And after I'd driven away after thanking him, I'd been slightly disappointed.

But now, as fate would have it, another opportunity presented itself.

"Fine." I finally answer. "But just one."

He smiles and nods before gesturing for me to lead the way down the hallway. I dutifully oblige, and he falls in step beside me.

"So, how do you know Oscar?" I ask.

"He uh... came up to Flintwood, looking for financial advice, and I helped him out. For free, of course, since the problem was pretty simple."

I slowly nod, smiling. "Wait. Flintwood? Do you mean the large accounting firm in The Rook?"

"Yes, I work there."

My eyebrows shoot up. "Really?!"

"Yeah. Why? Don't I not look like an accountant?"

"No!" My eyes sweep across his face. He was handsome enough to give a few actors a run for their money. But it wasn't just his facial features that made me skeptical about his job. But his upbeat demeanor and his body. It didn't reflect that of a person sitting behind a desk for endless hours pouring over files. "At least not any accountant I've ever seen."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You should."

A beat of silence passes between us as we continue down the hall. Just as we near the corner, I stop and whip around to face him. "Hold on. How come you didn't mention you would be here tonight?"

"Because... I wasn't sure if I was coming or not."

"And what might I ask was the determining factor that led to your decision?"

He steps closer, leans down, and whispers in my ear. "You."

My lips part in a silent gasp as I stare unblinkingly at him. Luciano moves in closer, so close I can feel his warm minty breath fanning across my lips. He gently brushes his lips against mine, and when I don't refute him, he slips his tongue inside for a deeper taste.

But before he can, loud voices carry around the corner. We break apart just as two men appear.

Shit, shit, shit!

Slightly lowering my head, my hair falls forward, hiding my blushing cheeks as I rush back to the bar. I can feel their burning stares every step of the way.

Oh, god.

What the hell had come over me?

Why didn't I push him away?

For the second time in less than a week, the alcohol I'd consumed had loosened my inhibitions and clouded my judgment. I wasn't ever drinking again. Heaven only knows what could happen a third time.

This was our second encounter, and I knew nothing about him apart from his name. But I couldn't deny he was one helluva kisser. A small part of me wants to go back and pick up where we left off. Maybe he could be the one to end my prolonged dry spell. After all, what was the harm in one night of reckless fun?

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Thank you for reading!