A Touch of Raspberry

Chapter Three

     She didn't answer for a moment. "A few days ago, I compared our relationship to a bowl of raspberries. Did you know that?" Stasia laughed. She peered at Beau upside down, her hazel eyes bright and twinkling under the light.

     Beau looked away, swallowing. He was completely caught off guard, and now he didn't know what the right thing was to say. Stasia hadn't laughed like that in years. An unreserved, honest, happy laugh.

     An air of freedom coated Stasia's looks tonight, and she was too compelling. Too tempting. That was when Beau realised he'd had too much wine. If he was thinking about Stasia Needmore being attractive, his stupid brain was clearly not switched on.

      "Why would I care?" Beau said defensively. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms against his chest as he eyed Stasia.

     His wife laughed again, but it sounded flat and less earnest. She took another sip of wine, lifting her head up from its dangling position to do so. 

      "I suppose you wouldn't. Care about me, I mean." Stasia clarified. Her mouth pursed, turning down at the corners. She looked heartbreakingly sad.

      For a moment, Beau ignored the fact that Stasia was generally rude, and at best apathetic. As he watched the realisation pierce his wife's beautiful face, Beau felt a twinge of pity.

     Stasia oversaw one of the most financially successful businesses in the world. But who was there to take care of her, at the end of the day? It would've been him. Should've been him.

     Three years ago, Beau would have answered honestly that he was Anastasia Needmore's biggest support. Beau was always there to soothe her aches in a hot bath, massage away the tension in her shoulders. 

      But when it came down to it, marriage ate away at the best parts of their relationship. When they were emotionally in tune, everything was perfect. But somewhere, dissonance crept in and tore them apart.

     Weakness was never Beau's failing. He weathered everything that life threw at him. Except for his marriage's failure. So could he not be there for Stasia now?

     Beau gently took her glass and placed it on the table. He was surprised when Stasia didn't resist the gesture straight away. Instead, her fingers loosened from the glass willingly. 

      When she looked up at him for an explanation, Beau gently suggested to her, "Maybe that's enough for tonight."

     Stasia nodded reluctantly and sat up in her seat, sighing. She tipped her head back, letting her hair fall back in a waterfall of soft brown. Beau stared at it for a moment too long before he looked away.

     Stasia's eyes looked like they'd been dipped in honey by the moonlight. They were a sweet shade of brown that Beau only remembered from years ago. 

     "Oh, this is so embarrassing." Stasia said lightly, covering her face with her hands. The smile that flitted across her expression startled him.

     Beau frowned. She was embarrassed about getting drunk? "What?" he asked, to clarify what his wife really meant. Even though she generally wasn't an open book, when Stasia drank, she became more talkative.

     Stasia peeked through her fingers as she confessed, "It was his back. I don't know why, but it was weirdly attractive yesterday. When he stepped out of the shower, I mean. But don't tell anyone."

     Traces of jealousy slid into Beau's heart as he processed his wife's admission. Who on earth would Stasia see yesterday in the shower? 

     There were private showers in Stasia's office suite, in case she worked late nights... was she having an affair on the side?

      Beau frowned and pushed away the thought. Regardless of his wife's feelings, which Beau normally didn't care about, Stasia was vulnerable right now. He needed to take care of her. Even if Beau was still trying to remember why.

     He was being a decent person. That was his reason to care for Anastasia Needmore.

     "Do you want to go home?" Beau asked Stasia softly, his mind spinning with the events of the night. Stasia shook her head stubbornly, but Beau simply arched his eyebrows at her knowingly, and she crumbled.

     Stasia sighed, flicking back her long hair over her shoulder. "I don't want to go home yet, but I don't want to be here anymore." she eyed the wine with simultaneous appreciation and aggravation.

     "That's okay." Beau said without thinking. He wondered how he was supposed to deal with Stasia Needmore when she interacted with him like a normal person, as opposed to her typical dragon persona.

     "Why can't you be like that with me?" Suki whined to Alex out of the blue.

     Both Stasia and Beau's heads jerked in their direction. The engaged pair were watching them avidly, like Stasia and Beau's relationship was being served to them on a platter there and then. Their lives were truly a telenovela recently; the story would make for good entertainment.

      "How about we split off?" Beau suggested out of the blue. Alex's jaw dropped. His mind worked quickly as he latched onto an excuse, "Because I need to wait for Stasia to get sober. Obviously. You guys should spend some time together, we'll catch up later."

     Beau winked at Alex, who looked surprised. But then the latter shrugged, taking Suki's hand and entwining their fingers as he stood up. His supermodel fiancée looked enquiringly at Alex, and her fiancé explained to Suki, "I think they need some time alone."

      "I'm not drunk." Stasia protested. She was about half a minute too late.

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