Complete Indelible Love Series

by Cee, DW

  “Stop by. The twins have been asking for you.”

  “You mean that mini-slavedriver has been asking for Nick?”

  “Yeah. Something like that.” Jake chuckled.

  We walked into an onslaught of kids greeting us at the door. The twins, along with JR in his walker, raced to the door. Jake greeted each child with a flurry of hugs and kisses, and their favorite, raspberries. Then, I got my greeting from all three kids who had their arms up, asking for a spin. I did as was requested with the little imp, Elizabeth Reid, asking for seconds and thirds. Little Audrey was over in the corner wanting to be a part of the action but not invading our space, so I went over and gave her the same ride. All I asked was that these kids not drool on top of my head.

  “Hi Nick.” Rather than Sarah, it was Lily who had come over with Audrey.

  “Hey. What brings you here?”

  “My sister promised Audrey a playdate with the twins, but got an interview for a job. So, I offered to be the nice auntie and bring my favorite niece all the way over here.”

  “Lily, I just talked to Sarah and Charlie, and they’re coming this way for dinner. I assume now that you have another single person, you’ll stay for dinner?”

  “I suppose?” She looked at me and I had no answer for her.

  “Nick, would you mind going to the grocery store for me? I invited Donovan, Laney, Max, and Jane to dine with us and where there is a Laney at the dinner table, there must be steak. I’ll start on the side dishes.”

  “I thought they were going out.” I informed Emily.

  “They’ve decided to dine with us instead. Would you mind, Nick?”

  “Not at all, but what about all the kids?”

  “Jake’s home, and I’m sure Laney and the gang will be here soon.”

  “You want to join me?” I asked Lily, who nodded a yes.

  “What have you been up to since we last saw each other?” We started with the “what have…” simultaneously, but whereas I stopped talking, Lily continued.

  “Just school. I haven’t had time for much else. And you?”

  “The same but with work. I have a new boss and these days, I’m really not enjoying it. I’ll stick it out as long as I can, but I may have to change jobs if this situation doesn’t get any better.”

  “Sorry to hear that. Will you stay in LA?”

  Lily was quiet for a while. “I don’t know. I guess it depends where the job is located. I don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing right now.”

  “How’s Bee? I assume you two are back together?” Now it was my turn to stay quiet. “Um, Bee is in London again.”

  “Work?”

  “Yeah.” I didn’t want to explain much else.

  “Bee’s ex-fiancé, Beau, works with me a lot of times, and he told me Bee was a fantastic woman.”

  “Yeah? Why did they break up?”

  “He said he was too immature for her. She was focused and on her way to bigger and better things and he was always stagnant.”

  “She dumped him because he had no direction? That doesn’t sound like Bee.”

  “No. I don’t think that was it. He didn’t exactly say but I got the feeling that he did something very wrong. Beau told me that he hurt a good woman, badly.”

  “Oh.” Was that what I had done?

  “And he also said that she was kind enough to walk away without seeking any sort of revenge or retribution.”

  “What the hell?”

  “That’s what I thought,” Lily agreed. “You never asked Bee about her ex?”

  “No. We never got that far.”

  “May I ask you one last thing about Bee?”

  “Sure.”

  “Are you in love with her?” Was I? I seriously had no clue how to answer that one. “By your silence, I’m going to assume either you’re too shy to admit your love for her, or you like her, but don’t love her, and thus are having a difficult time answering me.”

  “Is there more to this?”

  “There is.” She took a big breath, and then said the next sentence practically in one breath. “After our last meeting I thought you might’ve called me. I know everyone kisses on New Year’s, but I thought I felt something between us. When you didn’t call, I assumed you either got back together with Bee or you just weren’t interested. To make this long story a little shorter, I’m interested in you. I think we have good chemistry that could blossom into something. If you and Bee are no more, I’d like to ask you out. If you and Bee are still dating, then forget all that I’ve said. But there! I’ve said it. It’s off my chest. Now, the ball is in your court to do what you will.”

  Damn!

  February 10, 2014 BEE: Love Attempted

  “You are the funniest unemployed college grad I’ve ever met!” Josh and I had met in the past, but today was the first time we’d spent any alone time. I had a quick meeting in Rome with a possible client, and Laney suggested I look him up and have him show me the sights. According to Josh, he was more than happy to help “family”—albeit a distant one.

  “I think I like hanging with you almost as much as I enjoy hanging with my future sis. You and she have a lot in common.”

  “Are you freakin’ kidding me? She’s like five inches taller than I am, at least twenty pounds slimmer, and definitely prettier than I am. She’s as beautiful as my new niece.”

  “Well...Laney is a little hard to beat in the beauty category. Not even Jane, my future sister, and Emily, my almost sister, are as pretty as Laney.”

  Another disheartened admirer. “Did you get your heart broken, too?” I teased. “My nephew is one lucky man!”

  “He was an asshole to her…” Josh stopped talking when I gave him a stink-eye. He only laughed and kissed me on the cheek like a little boy. “Thowry!” He imitated our favorite little girl. “How are your nephew and his lovely wife?”

  “They are in bliss. Between the marriage and the twins, they couldn’t be happier.”

  “Does she look pregnant already?”

  “Oh yeah she does. She’s got a cute little protruding belly.”

  Josh commented, “I’m sure even that looks good on her.” I was about to give him the stink-eye again when he added, “Just saying…can’t a man express his opinions? I know I’m not in America anymore, but this is a free country, isn’t it?” I had to laugh.

  “What shall we do today, unemployed college grad?”

  “I don’t know. Where would you like for me to take you? I think I understand the city pretty well now, so I’d be happy to play your tour guide as long as you play my sugar mama today. I assume all attractions and meals are on you?”

  This kid was cute. “How about we start at the Vatican? I’ve never been there before.”

  “Are we standing in the long line, or will you pay extra so we can cut to the front of the line?”

  “They have such a thing?” By the way Josh was nodding his head yes, I assumed he was correct. “How can that be? Isn’t that unethical for a church to offer a cut-to-the-front-of-the-line deal?”

  “I don’t know and I don’t care, as long as I have a sugar mama who’s willing to pay for it.”

  The phone rang while Josh was explaining about this city within a city, and I had to stop him so I could talk to Ruby.

  “Hey Ruby. What’s going on?”

  “Bee. It’s me, Michael. Are you still in Rome?”

  “Hi Michael.” It made me happier than I thought it would to hear Michael’s voice. “Yes I am still here.”

  “Good. Rubes and I just landed at the airport. Let’s have lunch. If I send you the name and address of this restaurant, will you be able to find it?”

  “I won’t, but Josh will.”

  “Who’s Josh? You’ve got a man in Rome, too?” At first, Michael sounded annoyed, but the second question explained he was only kidding.

  “I’ll see you soon.” I brushed off his questions. He would learn soon enoug
h who Josh was.

  “Who was that? And what will I know?”

  “Michael and Ruby are here, and they want to meet for lunch. Let’s go, tour guide.”

  Apparently, we weren’t far from the restaurant so we walked over and waited for the Benningtons to arrive. During this time, I gave Josh a recap of how the Benningtons were a part of our extended “family.”

  “It’s odd to see everyone drinking mid-morning. That’s just not done in LA,” I said while sipping Chianti at 10:30am.

  “Bee!” Ruby’s shrill voice carried through the restaurant.

  “That’s Ruby?” I didn’t know whether Josh ‘s surprise was a good thing or a bad thing. “Wow! She’s hot!” I guess it was a good thing.

  I greeted Ruby and Michael and introduced everyone. Once we figured out who was who was who, and how we were “related” to one another, we lost Ruby and Josh immediately. The two struck up an immediate attraction.

  “Hey there, Stranger.” Something about the way Michael looked and sounded was different today. I couldn’t put a finger on it, but today was not our usual “longtime no see.”

  “Last I saw you, you were going out on a date, and next thing I knew, you had disappeared for days.” I knew Michael had to go away on business for a few days, but the timing of it all seemed like he was running away from me. “For all I knew you could have gone off and married this girl after one date. You did seem quite excited to go out with her.”

  Michael denied it. “I did not.”

  “May I remind you, you said she was the first girl who’s been on your mind since my niece?”

  “She hasn’t been the first girl on my mind since Laney left.” Once again...that weird feeling was there. “I got back from my grandfather’s estate, and you were gone without a word. You Taylor women have a tendency to leave me and go off to Italy.” Michael was now laughing.

  “What brings you and Ruby to Rome?”

  “You.”

  “Me?”

  “A very pretty woman who shares your last name told my sister that you have a big birthday coming up.”

  “That Laney Taylor has such a big mouth.”

  “When do you head back home?”

  I wondered if he asked me this because he didn’t want me to go home, or because he wanted me to go home. Something about Michael going out on a date, Nick not reaching out at all, and me turning the big 3-0, made me incredibly insecure. It took me back to my childhood days when I wondered who would love me. I hated thinking about those days. Thirty years later, I still felt alone and unwanted.

  “After I am done here, I’ll pick up my stuff and be out of your hair. I’m sorry I overstayed my welcome.” How had I become this vulnerable?

  “Shit, Bee,” Michael complained, “you know that’s not what I meant. I wasn’t trying to kick you out.”

  “I know.” I tried to laugh off the melancholy.

  Michael was unhappy. “You obviously don’t believe me. Where are you staying? Are you staying with Josh?”

  “No. I’m staying at a hotel not too far from Josh.”

  “Josh? If you can spare a few days, would you like to spend the week with us at my grandfather’s home in Tuscany?” Michael interrupted Josh and Ruby.

  “Hell yes! I’d like to spend the week with you in Tuscany.” I’d never seen such a huge smile on Ruby’s face. The two were obviously hitting it off.

  “And I assume you can spend the week with us as well?” I appreciated the invitation, but I really wanted to be alone this week.

  “I should get back to the States and start working on the new line.”

  “Bee, that’s all you’ve been doing since you got here. You worked the entire time in New York, you worked the entire time in London, and now you’re working in Rome. Let’s go have some fun. Laney is not the only one with a grandfather with a beautiful villa in Tuscany.”

  “Come on, Bee.” Josh was unnecessarily begging. It wasn’t as though he couldn’t go without me. “I won’t go if you don’t go…and I want you to know I really want to go.” This kid was awfully cute.

  I looked at Josh and asked, “Do I have a choice?”

  Josh asked Michael, “What time and where should we meet you?”

  That was all it took for Josh to rush me through lunch so we could go to our respective places and pack.

  When we met Michael at the train station, he had purchased four seats on the speed train and we were comfortably ensconced in our private cabin. Josh and Ruby could not be bothered; they wanted nothing to do with us.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but my parents will be at the villa, and possibly even my grandfather.”

  “Michael, why would I mind? It’s their home. I’m the intruder here.”

  “Did you sell a lot of clothes in Rome?”

  “I did. I signed on a big chain in Rome; they were interested in one of my lines; the trip out here was well worth it.”

  “Good.” I could tell Michael wanted to further our conversation, but something made him stop. I was glad he didn’t bring up what I thought was the inevitable.

  The duke’s villa in Tuscany was magnificent! I had never seen something so overwhelming in my life. The villa was a customary Italian style mansion times FIVE. There were rows and rows of grapevines in a vineyard too vast to see from one end to the other. The only way to figure out their property line was to look at the olive trees that dotted the edges of the estate.

  “How does one get this rich? Please do tell the secret so I can maybe one day own something of this magnitude.”

  Michael laughed at what I did not realize was humorous. “I’m sure way back one of my ancestors stole this Villa from an Italian Count or Prince when England raided Italy. This has been in the family for generations, and as unfair as life is, you have to be born into this kind of wealth. I don’t know too many people who earn enough money nowadays to afford this height of luxury. Our generation can thank our ancestors because we have added absolutely nothing to the Bennington name.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing you are realistic. You and Ruby are very grounded for the kind of wealth you grew up in. I think I could live this kind of life,” I joked, “except it’s too damn cold in Europe.”

  “It’s cold everywhere, but in Southern California.”

  “True.”

  “Can we finish the conversation that started a few days ago?”

  Shoot! This was the exact conversation I did not want to finish. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  “I want you to hear me out. Don’t interrupt unless I ask you a question.” Michael realized the abruptness and rudeness of his tone. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

  “What’s on your mind?” I gave Michael the freedom to speak.

  “I know I am not your first choice, and you know that you are not my first choice.” I didn’t know what to make of that statement. How was a girl to feel when a guy started the conversation by saying I was not his first choice? Was that better or worse than a man who told me I was his first choice right now, but might not stay his first choice forever? These were some crazy dilemmas in my life. “That came out completely wrong,” he apologized. “Maybe I should start with a question. What was going through your head when I was leaving for my date the other night?”

  “I was thinking…”

  “Perhaps that wasn’t very gentlemanly of me to ask you to answer first. Let me tell you what was going through my head. At first, I was excited to go out with Helena. She’s attractive, she is from a family my grandfather would approve, and she seemed very into me when we met at the party. But when I tried to leave you at home, something didn’t feel right. It felt like you and I, though we aren’t in love with one another, have a chemistry that could be explored. I’ve been thinking about you and our situation this past week, and the simple solution I had was that maybe we should try dating. I know you don’t love me, and I want to make it clear that I don’t love you either.”
>
  This was the oddest proposition I’d ever had. Was I to laugh over this situation or should it have made me cry? “You don’t make for a convincing argument, Michael. You don’t love me, I don’t love you, and we’re both more interested in somebody else, so why would we consider dating?” What Michael said was so absurd it made me wonder who was crazier—Michael for suggesting it, or me for discounting it.

  Michael decided to laugh at his own inane suggestion. “Do me a favor and just think about it? You and I have a great friendship, and I think we have just enough chemistry to make this possibly work. I’d like to try and see where this goes?”