Fated Encounter

  Fated

  Encounter

  Lesia Reid

  © 2005 by Lesia Reid.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.

  First printing

  ISBN: 1-4116-4827-7

  PUBLISHED BY LULU PRINTING www.lulu.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  Dedicated to my husband Tom, My Friends Chris from the UK; Samantha — UK;

  Mudh — Singapore; Lourens — South Africa

  Thanks to my adopted nieces Laurie Alexis and Louselie Alexis who helped me to get into the mind of a child if I wasn’t there already! “When’s retired over?”

  - Louselie Alexis (six years old)

  Chapter 1

  Two minutes late for work and Travis Benton was going to chew her out. Deana cringed as she saw the hefty diner owner making his way towards her. She could almost see steam coming from his ears. Two minutes, and he would chew her out for the better part of an hour. She dropped her bag in the long desk of the office and started for the door. Better to head him off. If he cornered her in the office, she would have more explaining to do.

  “You’re late!” Travis Benton said.

  “I’m sorry,” Deana said. “I had no one to look after Joey.”

  “I hope you didn’t bring him here,” Travis said. “I do not run a baby sitting service.”

  “It’s only for a few hours. He will sit in a corner and sip a shake,” Deana said.

  “He better not be sitting there if I have customers waiting,” Travis said. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” Deana said, hurrying towards the cash register.

  That was her job at the diner, manning the cash register and making dessert cakes and pies. After spilling coffee several times and breaking a dozen or more plates, Travis had confined her to the cash register.

  He shouldn’t be mad at me, she thought, it’s my day-off. She would not be late and have to rush Joey here if Ivy had not called out sick. He should be grateful; instead he was going to rag her out over two goddamn minutes that were hers anyway. She was missing night school for this. Joey would have sat quietly beside her in the class tonight. He normally stayed with her friends Thelma and Carlton Wayne, but they had a family emergency.

  Deana pinned her nametag to her blouse as she moved towards the register. She glanced briefly in Joey’s direction; his head was down in his books. Good, she thought.

  Sebastian Torrance stopped at the diner every other Wednesday evening to get pastries for his mother’s reading club. The dig was not a favorite joint of his. Years ago, when he was in college, he and his friends used to hang out at the diner. As youth gave way to responsibility, they drifted away.

  Save for Bridget discovering the new pastry counter there, he would have been home preparing for his friends Jaime and Mack. His mother’s book club met every other week and he obliged her when she asked him to pick up a cheesecake on his way home. She would spend ten hours in the gym for the next two weeks working off the guilt. As long as she was doing that, she wouldn’t complain that he forgot to call or that he forgot to book her flights for vacation or visit his father’s grave or whatever else parents found to complain about. He would never understand it. And Alexis Torrance, his mother, certainly did not stir him into wanting to be a parent any time soon. And even that she complained about.

  “You’re almost forty, when are you going to get a serious girl and start making some grandchildren.” He could hear her voice now as he stood two places back in line. When Alexis was in his head, there was nothing else he could think about. Perhaps he should go on that date Jaime arranged. It couldn’t hurt.

  The problem was, Sebastian didn’t feel thirty-five, and he hated dating. Inevitably his dates get around to “so you are Sebastian Torrance,” and he hated that. He longed for anonymity. Dating was futile. He would look at the woman and know immediately the night would end in one of two ways, a quick rumble in the sack or a promise to call that never happened.

  But Sebastian always took care. A brief interlude was never at his place. It was either her place or the penthouse of one of Torrance Towers or some other luxury condominium Torrance Construction owned. He always kept a penthouse, a tradition he inherited from his father, as a respite from life or as room for out-of-town guests. Now, he steels himself for Alexis’ question tonight. And when that is done, he will meet with his best friends Jaime and Mack and indulge in pizza, poker, play video games or watch basketball and forget about mummy-dearest. Maybe, he mused. Sebastian knew he’d have to be drunk or dead to forget one of his mother’s lectures.

  “How may I help you?” The soft voice like water gently rolling down a mountain slope pulled him from his thoughts. She was an angel. He had never seen this woman here before. She smiled at him and repeated the question.

  “Oh-ah,” he paused, forgetting why he was in line.

  “Sir?” she asked.

  She was beautiful. She didn’t wear makeup, not even a hint of lipstick. Her shiny black hair hung loosely around a perfect face. She had a fairly evident widow’s peak that gave her face a heart-shaped look, beautiful olive skin and dark eyes that held mystery. Her lips were slightly full, and curved at the ends as if she was smiling. Sexy mouth, he thought. Her neck was long and he thought about what it would be like to nibble at the skin there. He felt a stirring in his belly looking at her and thinking about kissing her neck. Oh the fantasies I will have tonight, he thought. He smiled without thinking about it.

  “How may I help you?” she asked again.

  He felt foolish and looked around. “Ah, raspberry cheesecake,” he said. “That’s my favorite. Will that be just a slice or the whole pie?” “The whole pie, please.”

  She pulled a box from the refrigerator, placed it in a bag and then on the counter. “Is that all, sir?”

  “Ah, yes. I’m Sebastian.” He handed her his credit card. “I’m Deana. I will need to see some ID.”

  “Are you new here?” he asked.

  “No, Wednesday afternoons are not my usual shift. Please sign here.”

  He pulled his driver’s license from his wallet. She checked signatures and the face. Handsome devil, she thought, and what a sexy mouth. She handed him the receipt and the credit card.

  Deana seldom checked out any of the customers. Most of them had their wives, girlfriend, boyfriend or some significant other. Those who did not fall in that category either acted or thought they were better than her. The last category also thought she should feel privilege when they would occasionally ask her for a date.

  Now, she briefly checked out Sebastian Torrance. He was at least six feet tall, had still but violent blue eyes that seemed to be smiling at some vicious joke. His black hair was thick and fashionably curled at the nape of his neck. There was the slightest hint of gray just around the temple. This added sex appeal to his already handsome look. Deana managed to fit all these details into a ten second scan before handing back his driver’s license. But that mouth, she thought and smiled.

  “Have a good evening.” She handed him the bag and he stepped out of line.

  Sebastian didn’t leave immediately. He stood slightly mystified looking at the woman.

  Deana continued to the next. She finished the cash-paying customer and had a few seconds to breathe before seeing Sebastian staring at her, his receipt still in hand.

  “Deana!” It was Travis. “Did you give Mr. Torrance the wrong price?”

  Lord God, she swore under her breath. This was not the day to screw up. She knew Travis stuck her with th
is call-in because she’d taken two unscheduled evenings off last weekend. She needed this job and no matter how good her cheesecakes were, she was sure Travis would give her the boot in a second.

  “Is there a problem?” Deana turned to the customer, but Travis was already barreling his way to the front of the diner.

  “Sorry Mr. Torrance,” Travis was apologizing. “Let me take care of that for you.”

  “Everything is okay,” Sebastian said, feeling foolish.

  “Are you sure?” Travis asked.

  “Yes.” The voice was more impatient than he intended, even though Travis didn’t seem to notice.

  Travis breathed a sigh of relief and gave Deana the evil eye. She ignored him and waved to Joey who was sitting in the corner doing his homework. Sebastian followed her gaze. The boy was the image of the woman. He waved with a big smile on his face and a pencil in his hand. Sebastian turned and instinctively looked at her hands. No ring, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders before he realized he was dreading her being married.

  Sebastian walked out the restaurant, looking back only once. He could see that his temporary lapse of control had gotten the young woman in trouble.

  “We should go to Cronus diner,” Sebastian told Jaime and Mack. “No pizza tonight?” Jaime asked.

  “We could get a sandwich there,” Sebastian suggested. “Come on.”

  Reluctantly, Jaime and Mack got into Sebastian’s car and they drove to the Cronus Diner.

  Deana was playing hostess when Sebastian and two other handsome gentlemen walked in. This was a slow evening and she could manage both the seating and the register at the same time. She showed the men to a corner booth big enough for six. They were seated just behind Joey.

  “Your server will be with you in a minute,” she said.

  “Can you be our server?” Sebastian asked.

  “I’m afraid—”

  “Mr. Torrance.” It was Genie Thompson. This was not her area, but she ran to the table. Deana turned to see Travis beckoning for her.

  “Genie will take that table,” Travis said. “Let Becky know.” “Okay.”

  Becky pouted at the news. Deana knew the only reason servers pouted at a missed customer was either they were celebrities or great tippers. Deana couldn’t care less. She had seated them close to Joey so if she needed to she could always use them as an excuse for being over at the table. Besides the Torrance trio, there were only two other tables with patrons and no one waiting for the register. Deana took the time to sit across from Joey and review his homework.

  “Are you done yet?” Joey asked.

  “Just another hour,” Deana said. “Do you want to go sit in Travis’ big chair? It might be more comfortable.”

  “No, that’s boring. Can I have another chocolate shake?” “May I,” Deana corrected. “And yes you may. But if you start to get sleepy, let me know. I’m sorry about this, Joey.”

  “It is almost nine,” Joey pouted. “I could have stayed home and watch TV or played video games.”

  “And the police would put me in jail,” Deana said. “Let me get that shake.”

  “I’m a big boy,” Joey complained. “I know what to do if the house is on fire and I know not to let anyone inside.”

  “I’m, sure you do,” Deana replied. “But for now, you are my baby and I can’t leave you home alone.”

  “I am not a baby, Mom.”

  “Even when you’re a hundred years old, you’re my baby. One chocolate shake coming up, okay?”

  Joey pouted but nodded as Deana got up from the table. Sebastian couldn’t help overhearing the conversation. He was interested in everything about Deana.

  “I know why you are here,” Jaime said as soon as Genie took their order.

  “Yeah?” Sebastian said.

  “The hostess,” Jaime said. “It’s funny how a beautiful woman gets you out of the house.”

  “You got me,” Sebastian said. “Her name is Deana.”

  “Are you talking about my mom?” Joey asked, hearing his mother’s name.

  The three men turned to look at him. He was a cute kid. He looked even more like his mother up close. His hair was a tad long and lay in an unruly heap on his head. He had the same dark eyes, the defiant chin and jet-black hair. Where her lips were slightly full, his were.

  He’s going to be a heart breaker someday, Sebastian thought. “Is she your mom?” Sebastian asked, pointing to Deana who was seating a couple in the smoking section of the restaurant.

  “Yes. She’s making my chocolate shake.”

  “Where’s daddy?” Sebastian asked.

  “You mean il figlio di puttana? I don’t know.”

  The men raised their brows simultaneously. Italian, Sebastian wondered if the boy knew what it meant. It was spoken with an impressive Italian accent. “What does that mean?” Sebastian asked innocently.

  “You don’t know?” Joey asked wide-eyed, but the tone carried a hint of ‘you must be stupid’.

  “No.”

  “It means the bastard, but I cannot say that. Mom will get mad and say merda which is even worse.” Deana came with a small glass of chocolate shake. She was surprised to see Joey talking to the men. He knew better than to fraternize with the customers, worse, they were strangers

  “I’m sorry if he’s disturbing you,” she said. “Joey, I told you not to talk to the customers.”

  “But he was—”

  “No buts,” she said firmly. “Finish your homework so I can look at it tonight.” To Sebastian and company she apologized again.

  “Sorry for getting you in trouble,” Sebastian said to a sulking Joey. “Want to sit with us?”

  “No, I’m not to sit with strangers. Anyway, I have all this multiplication to finish. Why are you talking about my mom anyway?”

  “Sebastian here,” Mack pointed to Sebastian, “likes her.” Joey stared at Sebastian as if appraising the man. He thumbed his nose, but said nothing.

  “Come on over here,” Sebastian said.

  “Are you crazy? I would be grounded. I don’t even know your names.”

  “Sebastian Torrance,” Sebastian said. “These are my friends, Jaime and Mack.”

  “I’m Joey Lang. Now I have to do my homework.”

  “We can help you with that,” Sebastian said.

  “You don’t look too bright to me,” Joey said.

  The men started laughing. Deana saw them. Joey was turned to their table and them to his.

  “I don’t know if you are bad men,” Joey said.

  “If we were bad men,” Mack said, “we would be in jail.”

  “Not true,” Joey said.

  “We can’t hurt you,” Sebastian said. “Your mom is right over there.”

  Genie returned with their drinks and frowned as the men were turned towards Joey. What was the kid up to? Travis would kill Deana if he ever saw this.

  “Joey,” Genie said after setting the drinks on the table. “You know you’re supposed to be doing your homework.”

  “I’m almost finished,” he said, lifting the book so she could see. “They started it.”

  “Guilty,” Jaime said to Genie. “Tell him we are not bad men.”

  “Did he say that?” Genie asked. “Joey, these men are very decent men. They are not bad men.”

  “Okay,” Joey said.

  Genie smiled at the men apologetically. She moved quickly to the cash register to warn Deana.

  “Deana Joey is—”

  “Oh Lord,” Deana swore as she saw Joey joining the men at their table, book and pencil in hand. She started for the table, but one of the customers was ready to leave. She rang up the bill as quickly as possible, forgetting her customary smile and thank you, all the while eyeing Joey.

  Three minutes later she was running over to the table before Travis could see what was happening.

  “Joey! I’m so sorry, gentlemen. This is not like him, he’s usually very well behaved. I am—.”

  “It’s nothing,” Sebastia
n said. “If you want to know, he really didn’t want to come, but it was better than turning to talk with him. It’s no problem.” “Yes, but he’s not—”

  “Suppose to talk to strangers,” Mack concluded. “I am Mack Vernon, this is Jaime Davis and you’ve met Sebastian Torrance. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Your names don’t make much of a difference to me,” Deana said lightly. “I don’t know who you are which means you are strangers.” The three men exchanged shocking looks. They were used to being recognized almost everywhere they went in Boca Raton, especially Sebastian. And if not the faces, certainly the Torrance name was famous enough.

  “I’m sorry about this,” Deana said again. “Joey, say goodnight to the nice gentlemen and let’s go.”

  “You’ll be at the front,” Sebastian said. “We won’t run away with him. And if you don’t know who we are, Travis does. And we promise not to hurt him, scout’s honor— and we were really scouts.” The fierce blue eyes were smiling now.

  A ring at the cash register meant a customer was waiting. What a hell of a day, Deana thought, excusing herself. She was leaving her eight-year-old son with a bunch of strangers, she was running around the diner like a lunatic and Travis was coming into the dining area.

  Travis gave her a mean hard stare and shuffled his way over to Sebastian’s table when he saw Joey with them. Deana knew he was measuring the words in his head, and was thinking whether to fire her or not, short shift or no short shift. But Sebastian and team seemed to calm Travis’ nerve and though Travis scowled at her when he got back from the table, he didn’t utter a word.

  To her surprise, Sebastian and company were still in the driveway when she got out of the diner at the end of the night.

  “I didn’t get your full name,” Sebastian said.

  “Deana Lang,” she said. “Thank you again for not letting him be a bother. He’s usually very good at following the no strangers rule.”

  “Do you have number I could call you some time?”

  “I’m happy you entertained my son, but—”

  “Okay,” Sebastian said, getting the message. “Here is my card. If you ever have some free time, give me a call. We could do lunch, maybe dinner one evening when you’re not busy.”