Masquerade Part 1 by Valerie Francis

Author:Valerie Francis [Francis, Valerie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780994014153
Publisher: Fifth Hammer Books, Inc.

Chapter 8

Isla walked the block to the Crow's Nest pub alone. It had been months since she'd been there, and the owners had renovated during her absence. They'd worked with the building's original architecture, removing walls to open up the space, and they'd exposed original brick behind the bar to give it a warm, yet chic feel. The lighting was just right — dim enough to feel private, yet bright enough to avoid feeling dingy. She liked what they did with the place. In fact, it was nothing short of brilliant.

Her colleagues were at the back of the bar, blending seamlessly with the other thirty-somethings in the room. All executives-in-waiting and all in costume. Before joining them she stopped at the bar to order a whisky sour from a girl in bunny ears. As she reached into her purse for some money, a voice behind her made her jump. It was Joe.

"Let me get this one," he said.

"That's not necessary."

He smiled when she looked at him — the small, intimate smile she knew so well. The one that brought out the tiny lines at the corners of his blue eyes. His dark hair had been ruffled by the wind and she had to resist the urge to touch it. As confident as ever, Joe leaned an elbow on the bar and faced her. "How do you like the renovations here?" he asked.

"It's a fantastic job."

He nodded. "They turned out well. We managed to showcase quite a bit of the original design." He ran a hand along the edge of the wooden bar top. "And this was salvaged from an old schooner."

Isla rolled her eyes. "This is your work?"

"Yes, ma'am. Another quality project by Joseph Kelly Construction."

Yet another of his business dealings she'd known nothing about. There were so many things about him she hadn't known. Isla craned her neck in search of the bartender bunny. She was going to need a double.

"You look beautiful," said Joe, leaning in.

She did her best to ignore him.

"You're wearing the bracelet I gave you."

Without a word, Isla took it off and dropped it in his hand.

"Isla —" said Joe, his voice far less cocky than it had been before. "I'm sorry."

"It's too late for that," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. The pain in her heart was unbearable. "It's over, Joe. Sign the papers."

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