Yup. He’d reached new lows alright.
Ambi was gorgeous, as always. She had a red vintage coat on that had a set of gold buttons at the breast, nipped in at the waist, and ended in pleats. Her hair was done in some fancy braid that trailed well down her back. She’d left a few wisps down at the front to frame her beautiful face. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold and she clapped her gloved hands, totally oblivious to the inner turmoil that was turning him inside out.
God, did she have to be so blindingly beautiful? Did she have to smell so damn good? Did she have to be so indifferent to him?
“Good to see you made it,” Ambi said politely as she glanced around the hall.
The building was huge, a modern square thing that was black and white on the outside with red accents. The yard was probably manicured in the summer, but the snow blanketed any appeal that might have had. Trees were planted here and there, almost as an afterthought. The inside, from what he could see, was designed to be as white and cold as possible. Glass railings, white tile, and white walls made the place so sterile that it could have been a hospital.
His father would find the place appealing. Maybe that’s why Trey hated it.
“Of course I made it. Why would I not make it? I was the one who said that I wanted to see the hall before I committed to it.”
Ambi brushed at her hair before she remembered that it was braided and dropped her hand away. She tugged at her black leather gloves instead, ripping them from her hands and tucking them into the pocket of her coat.
“Really? I find it hard to believe that you’d be willing to commit to anything.”
Something wild and irrational built up in his chest. Ambi wasn’t looking at him. She’d hurled the insult so casually, almost like someone drawing back a bow and firing an arrow straight into the sky. Somehow it fell and hit the intended target right in the bullseye.
Trey studied his shoes while his chest compressed his lungs into the point of total incapacity. Breathing was apparently going to be a no-go.
“Anyway, I have a few backups if you don’t like this one,” Ambi went on, oblivious or uncaring.
No, she wasn’t either of those things. She wasn’t oblivious to what she was doing. She was doing it intentionally and he deserved the beat down. He’d left her five years ago. It wasn’t exactly what she thought, but it was enough of what she thought that she was justified in her rage. He’d pretty much forced her into this when she’d made it more than obvious she wanted nothing to do with him. He’d kissed her when he had no right to her body or her personal space. He’d stolen something that wasn’t his. No matter how much he wished he could undo all the shit from the past, it was already done.
“Right. Well, lead the way,” Trey choked out. His voice sounded almost normal, a little harsh, but Ambi just nodded.
She walked off in the sea of white, her flat-soled boots scraping across the white tile. His heart thundered in his chest as he followed her. Ambi led the way up a set of stairs and down two narrow hallways before she finally came to something marked Ballroom A.
Trey guessed she planned a lot of events at the Centre, seeing as she was showing him around herself and there was no manager or staff in sight.
The room was done in neutrals. More white tile. White walls. A huge bank of floor to ceiling windows made up the far wall, letting in sunlight. It was magnified on the white. At least it was bright and airy. There was even a small second level, overlooking everything.
God, his father would love this place. Everyone would. They’d all be impressed by how pretty and new and future forward it was.
Did it make him a huge fucking asshole that he wanted to request a hole in the wall dive instead?
“Well?” Ambi turned, eyes glistening naturally, the sunlight from the windows playing over her features, highlighting the delicate curl of her cheekbones, the fullness of her lips, and the slope of her jawline.
He cleared his throat when his heart stuttered painfully, but he didn’t say anything. Ambi swallowed hard, obviously unnerved by his silence. She took a step back, then another, putting distance between them. It didn’t matter. He still felt like she was inside of him, flowing through his veins. His throat closed up.
“Okay, well, the place has excellent food. The catering is actually affordable, even though it’s pretty high end. There are some great menu choices and they do all the options like vegan, vegetarian, gluten free- anything people need. They have a great bar system. Drinks are generally six dollars a piece so people won’t likely be getting smashed. It’s very professional and the place is classy, so you don’t even need to bother with spending money on decorations. It’s well within the budget.”