The Real Adam Brightman. Roz Fayrer

chest as if he’d been sucker punched.

      ‘Of all the gin joints in all the world… you can turn around and walk the hell out of this one,’ he demanded.

       Chapter Two

      ‘You’re usually halfway to oblivion by now, but it looks like you’re slowing down in your old age, Adam.’

      ‘What are you doing here, Talia?’ Adam asked through gritted teeth.

      ‘I’m giving you a helping hand,’ she replied, sitting down gracefully on the small leather pouffe on the other side of the small table.

      Adam tried not to drink in the sight of her, but the year since he had last seen her seemed to have treated her well. Her half Indian, half American heritage coloured her skin a tantalising caramel, and the thick tresses of hair that had once hung so perfectly between her shoulder blades were now almost reaching her elbows. His fingers rubbed together of their own accord, as if remembering the feel of the silken strands within his hands.

      Huge, wide eyes, the colour of midnight and sin starred back at him. It was her eyes that she was known for around the world; that had first captured the notice of a model scout on the streets of New York. And the fact that they came in a package that most women would kill for had only helped. Impossibly long legs and a gamine body that, outside of a catwalk, would be a disadvantage to most women but made her that much more desirable, sat before him as poised as ever.

      Already he could feel the envious stares of the male occupants of the bar, clashing with the jealous glares of the women around them. He could almost feel the anger from the corner of the bar where the woman he had rejected earlier sat.

      Talia was dressed in a dress that hugged her like a second skin. It slashed across her neck, leaving her shoulders bare, and covered her body all the way to her knees. It wasn’t overtly sexy though. And that was one of the things he’d always enjoyed about Talia. Her class.

      Talia pushed the glass of whiskey towards him as he set the empty glass he had just finished down. The low lighting of the bar glinted off a diamond ring on her fourth finger and he cursed.

      ‘Congratulations are in order,’ he said, nodding to the ring.

      She smiled, ignoring the bitter tone in his voice. The smile was genuine, not the fake one he had seen on the billboards across the world for whatever product she was modelling at that time. ‘Thank you.’

      ‘How did you find me?’ Adam asked, changing the subject as quickly as possible.

      ‘Your exploits are all over Twitter, sweetheart,’ she replied. ‘Really Adam, does the world need to know that you’ve seduced the Swedish swim team?’

      ‘It was the Austrian team and only three of them. And not all at the same time. Two were together, but the third came later… if you’ll excuse the pun,’ he replied, adding a roguish smile that felt awfully fake even to him.

      Talia scoffed and he felt the wave of her breath against the skin on his neck.

      ‘I appreciate the effort Talia, but you should go.’

      She nodded, but stayed where she was. Almost in defiance, he picked up the fresh glass of whiskey, holding her gaze as he swallowed a mouthful, and put it back on the table.

      ‘I know what this day means to you Adam. I’ve seen what it’s done to you in the past. Your defences are down, and this is the one day you can’t maintain that playboy, don’t give a crap façade.’

      ‘So you’ve come to rub it in?’ he asked, surprised by the curiosity in his voice, rather than the anger he expected to feel. ‘As you said, you’ve seen enough of it before, so why are you back now? Sticking the knife in that little bit more?’

      ‘No,’ she replied, shaking her head, and the light caught the strands of hair that fell over her shoulder in the wake of the movement. ‘No, not to stick the knife in. I’m happy Adam, I’ve found myself… a little. Some of the past hurts have been healed.’

      ‘So, what’s this? The final piece of the puzzle? Lay the past to rest before your wedding day?’

      ‘Isn’t that what you’re doing here?’ Talia asked, one immaculately shaped eyebrow raised, reinforcing the question.

      ‘I’m not getting married anytime soon,’ he said, ignoring the pit in his gut as it hollowed out. Pinpricks covered the skin beneath his shirt. ‘How did you really find me, Talia?’

      ‘Lucca Chatsfield called. Told me that you were staying here.’

      Adam let the curse lose from his tongue, sending Lucca to hell and back.

      ‘Just because he’s found happiness with a princess, doesn’t mean he gets to interfere with my life. Doesn’t mean we can all be fixed, Tali,’ he bit out angrily, not even noticing that he’d used the name only he had called her. ‘Besides, since when were you and Lucca such bosom buddies?’

      ‘He was always a likeable rogue.’

      ‘Likeable rogue is one way of putting it. I’m not sure that you’d be so kind to me.’

      ‘Well, he seems to be happy with Lottie.’

      ‘Who would have thought it. The Playboy and the Princess.’

      ‘It works better than the Media Mogel and the Model ever did.’

      The bark of laughter that erupted in his chest couldn’t be contained and Talia’s smile eased a bit of the ache in his heart.

      ‘We had some good times,’ he said, trying to keep the defensiveness from his tone.

      ‘We had a lot of good times,’ she soothed.

      He leaned back in the leather chair, and his gaze shifted away from her to take in the whole bar. The world came rushing back, and he noticed Daniel looking over towards Ally. Adam’s eyes narrowed and for the first time, he took in the undercurrent lying awkwardly around Ally and her companion. The man’s hands were on her, and despite Ally’s attempts to put distance between them, the man wasn’t taking no for an answer.

      ‘Excuse me,’ Adam said, cutting off Talia’s response, standing up and weaving his way between tables and customers. He noticed that Daniel was doing the same, coming from the opposite side, and as they drew closer, the voices from Ally’s table grew louder.

      ‘This isn’t part of the-’

      ‘Screw that, darling, when I pay for something, I get it,’ said the man who had seriously overstepped the mark.

      ‘And when a lady says “no”, bud, it means “no”.’

      Although his eyes were focused solely on the man, in his peripheral vision, he saw Ally glance up between him and Daniel.