A Night of Secrets and Betrayals

Through the open door came a gust of wind that spread napkins across the floor. But it wasn't the wind that made Mia's breath catch in her throat - it was the woman who stepped inside, shaking rain from her umbrella.

For a heart-stopping moment, Mia thought it was Olivia. Same height, same elegant stance. But this woman had red hair, not black, and when she turned toward the bar, her face was foreign.

Mia let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Next to her, Derek relaxed too - a tiny movement she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been watching him so closely.

"Expecting someone?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual.

Derek's smile returned, smooth as honey. "Just noticing how jumpy you are, Mia. Guilty conscience?"

"You still haven't told me how you know about Ethan."

"All in good time." He signaled Jake for two more drinks. "First, I want to hear your version of the story."

"My version?" 

"Everyone has their own truth, don't they?" Derek's eyes sparkled with something that might have been amusement or might have been danger. "Like how Olivia probably tells people you stopped being friends because of a boy. But we both know that's not the whole story, is it?"

Mia's hands shook slightly as she accepted the fresh martini. "You talk like you know a lot, but you're just fishing. Anyone could have read about Ethan in the old newspapers."

"The press," Derek said softly, "didn't mention the purple bracelets. Or the fire. Or what really happened in that basement."

The glass nearly slipped from Mia's fingers. Nobody knew about the basement. Nobody except her, Olivia, and...

"Who are you?" she whispered.

"I told you - I'm Derek." He touched her hand gently, and despite everything, Mia felt warmth spread from that point of contact. "And right now, I'm just a guy having drinks with a beautiful woman. The rest can wait."

Something in his voice made her look up. The dangerous edge she'd glimpsed earlier was gone, replaced by real warmth that made her stomach flip in a way that had nothing to do with fear.

"Tell me something about yourself," he said. "Something that has nothing to do with old memories or purple bracelets."

Mia knew she should leave. Every sense screamed that this man was dangerous. But the way he looked at her made her feel seen in a way she hadn't in years.

"I collect vintage postcards," she found herself saying. "But only ones with terrible puns written on them."

Derek's laugh was rich and sincere. "Show me your favorite."

Before she knew it, Mia was pulling up pictures on her phone of her most ridiculous finds. Derek matched each one with stories of his own - like the time he tried to learn dancing and ended up breaking his grandmother's priceless vase.

"Did she kill you?" Mia asked, laughing.

"Worse. She made me take pottery classes to make her a new one." Derek shook dramatically. "I was the only adult in a room full of kids. They all made perfect bowls while mine looked like something a drunk elephant would make."

Hours slipped by like minutes. Mia found that Derek had traveled to thirty countries but still got lost in his own city. He learned that she could repeat all of "The Princess Bride" from memory and once tried to teach her cat to play fetch.

"How did that work out?" he asked.

"The cat taught me to fetch instead." Mia showed how she now automatically picked up toys whenever her cat dropped them. "I've been thoroughly trained."

Their laughter mixed with the jazz music playing softly in the background. Other customers came and went, but in their area of the bar, time seemed to stand still.

Jake stated last call, and Mia was shocked to see it was nearly 2 AM. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself this much.

"Walk you to your car?" Derek offered.

The rain had stopped, leaving the streets gleaming under the lighting. They walked slowly, neither seeming eager to end the evening.

"You know," Derek said as they reached her car, "you have a beautiful laugh. You should use it more often."

Mia felt her face warm. "Maybe I just needed the right reason to laugh."

Derek stepped closer. The street was quiet except for faraway traffic and the gentle drip of water from awnings. He smelled like rain now, mixed with that intriguing cologne.

"Mia," he said softly, "I'm going to kiss you now. Unless you tell me not to."

Her heart raced. She knew she should say no. This man knew things he shouldn't. He was scary. He was hiding something.

But when he cupped her face in his hands, all those thoughts melted away.

The kiss was gentle at first, then deeper. Mia felt like she was falling and flying at the same time. Her hands found their way to his chest, feeling his heartbeat through his shirt.

When they finally broke apart, Derek rested his face against hers. "Come home with me," he whispered.

Mia knew this was crazy. Knew it was risky. But for the first time in years, she felt alive.

"Yes," she said.

Derek smiled and opened the passenger door of his car - a sleek black vehicle that probably cost more than she made in a year. As Mia slid into the leather seat, her phone buzzed.

A text from an unknown number: "Don't trust him. He knows where the body is buried."

Mia's blood ran cold. She looked up at Derek, who was walking around to the driver's side, his face hidden in shade.

What had she just agreed to?

But before she could change her mind, Derek was beside her, starting the engine. "Ready for an adventure?" he asked, his smile making her heart skip despite her fear.

Mia glanced at her phone again, but the message had disappeared. Had she dreamed it?

As they pulled away from the curb, she caught a glimpse of someone watching from the shadows of a doorway - someone whose outline was strangely familiar.

The person raised a hand, and moonlight glinted off something purple wrapped around their wrist.