Mr. Big Shot: An Enemies To Lovers Romance (Kinda Cocky Book 1), стр. 47
“All the stops, and then some,” I sighed.
I twirled for myself in the mirror, then paused. Did I really want to go to that thing? Did I really want to meet up with the man that shattered my heart in one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen? I mean, I had no idea what Zane was thinking. For all I knew, it was another one of his romantic gestures before tossing me into the trash can. And if I gave into it before getting burned again, I’d only have myself to blame for it.
What if this is real, though?
I cursed the hopeful part of me. It was that part of me that had always gotten me into trouble in my past. Hope that my boyfriend back in high school was telling the truth about our future got my heart shattered into bits once we graduated. Hope that my best friends would stick around after high school turned my world upside down once Roxy and Kelly went to Stanford. Hope that my life would finally get back on track was obliterated once the manufacturing plant I worked for was shut down without notice.
Would that really be any different?
What do you have, if you don’t have hope?
My mother’s voice echoed off the corners of my mind, and it brought tears to my eyes. The tears grew heavy, and I had to wipe them off my face. I sniffled as I stood there, studying how beautifully the black dress framed my body. How shapely those heels made my legs. Even the jewelry accented things about me I hadn’t noticed. Like, how long my neck really was, how dainty my ears were, and how petite my wrists had become.
“Ah, damn it,” I hissed.
I snatched up my purse and made my way for the front door. After looking up the address for the Venetian, I plugged it into my phone’s GPS. Pulling out of the parking lot, I drove slowly, keeping one eye on the road and the other on my map directions. Finally, I arrived at the place where Italy met America.
“Wow,” I whispered.
The cream-colored and pale-yellow outside boasted an ornate face clock that counted down the time until I’d be burned again. The black wrought iron railing that separated the Venetian’s bridge from the river beneath called to people who still believed in romance. I passed couples kissing and taking pictures of themselves together. I passed by an elderly man presenting a lone, beautiful rose to the love of his life. I made my way inside and was greeted with the smells of freshly-baked bread and olives. Smells that carried me into a place I’d never visited before.
Then, I heard my name.
“Miss Karina Rosehill?”
I slowly turned my head. “Yes?”
A man in a black suit walked up. “If you will, please follow me.”
I furrowed my brow as my heels clicked behind the man in the all-black suit. Now, I was convinced more than ever that it was Zane. But why? What in the world was he up to? I slid my purse up my shoulder and clutched it tightly. I drew in deep breaths, preparing my speech as the man led me outside.
I followed him all the way down to a lone gondola.
“After you,” the man said.
He held out his hand for me, and I gladly took it. I didn’t see Zane anywhere, and I had to admit that it made me feel better about things. The man helped me into the boat, and I sat down on the small bench inside as I gazed around Vegas’ rendition of Venice. The gondola took off, and my eyes jumped from building to building. People waved at me from the window of their hotel rooms, and I watched as others sipped on everything from wine slushies to cream sodas.
The sound of the water that parted away from the gondola took me back to Hawaii. I lost myself so much in the world around me that I didn’t even think to look up.
Until I heard his voice.
“Her name was Lindsay.”
I jumped at the sound of Zane’s voice as my eyes whipped up. He was standing behind me, paddling the boat. It was him standing at the helm of the thing, maneuvering us softly down the waterway.
“Zane,” I said breathlessly.
“My ex’s name was Lindsay, and we were together for three years before I proposed.”
I decided not to say anything and just let the man have his say since he had gone to great lengths to get my attention for one last time.
“She was perfect for me in so many ways. And, in some other ways, completely wrong. But, we worked at things, and we made things better between us. One of the things we did together was purchasing my vacation home in Hawaii. She loved that place, Karina. Lindsay was in love with Hawaii, and even had dreams of us retiring early and living out our years there.”
I nodded. “It sounds so magical.”
“It was. She was. But, one night I decided to do an old-fashioned date. Something romantic, you know? I gave my driver the night off and went to pick her up. I had reservations for us at this steakhouse she adored, then I had plans for us to have dessert on my plane while flying to Italy. She always wanted to see Italy.”
“That sounds so romantic, Zane.”
He stopped paddling, letting the water current take us.
“After the steakhouse, we were driving to the tarmac. She was full of wine and laughter, and happiness. And she got a little handsy with me. Not a lot. But, just enough to be distracting. Just enough for me to take my eyes off the road and look over at her. To drink in her beauty, you know.”
I didn’t know where the