by Cee, DW
“All the properties are up and running, thanks to you.” I reached over and squeezed her hand. “The coffee business is solid, thanks to Niles and Alexander. My life is back to being a duke-in-training, learning from the best.”
“What about Victoria?” she asked.
I found it odd that she would ask this question. “What do you mean?”
“Sorry, Michael. I’ve been a bad friend. I never congratulated you on your engagement. I know it was months ago and I swear, I tried several times to call you, or even text you, and it never happened.”
Here it was—an opening. “Is it my imagination or have you been avoiding me the past year or two?” She stared at me with guilty brown eyes. “I know I haven’t kept in touch as I should have, but the few times I thought I’d meet up with you, you were never there.”
“I’ve been busy,” she whispered. She knew that I knew she was lying.
“Too busy to celebrate Grandfather’s birthday?” I questioned.
“I spent the morning-half with him before leaving for a wedding in Dubai.” I quirked an eyebrow at that statement.
“All right. We’ve been friends too long for this runaround. Just tell me where I went wrong and I’d like to fix my half of our friendship. I assume you’re of the same mindset, and are willing to restart our friendship? Did you find another best friend? Are you seeing someone? What’s going on in your life, Chloe? Lately, you’ve stopped talking to everyone who loves you.”
She was quiet. “I don’t know where to begin, Michael. There’s so much to say and yet I feel it’s useless to say anything.” I saw tears in her eyes. I must have done something really bad for her to turn so emotional.
“I tell you what. I need to hire you for a wedding. Can you work exclusively with me for a month?”
That’s when the tears fell heavily. What the hell?
Chloe: Revisiting History
“Michael, I’m sorry.” I couldn’t stop crying. This was what I’d feared. This was the reason I had avoided the Benningtons as soon as it was announced that Michael was getting married. “I can’t do your wedding. Please, don’t ask this of me.”
“What???”
“That’s why I’ve stayed away from you and your family since your announcement. I can’t do your wedding, Michael. If you’ve ever considered me your friend, please, please, please…” Damn. What a mess I’d created.
“OK. Calm down. Once you’re of sound mind and you clean up your snotty face, let’s continue this conversation.” Michael half-laughed at me.
I stopped crying immediately. Michael was right. We were in the middle of a very classy restaurant, and here I was bawling about not wanting to plan his wedding. Was I really in my thirties, whining like a toddler?
I blew my nose, cleaned my face, and made an utter embarrassment out of the both of us. “All right. I’m good,” I told a laughing Michael. “Don’t laugh at me. People are looking at us because you’re laughing so loudly.”
“Oh? They’re looking at us because of me?” He laughed even louder. “I’ve missed you, Friend.” He stepped around the two-top, sat next to me and pulled me in for a sweet hug. “I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard in a very long time.”
“Glad to be of entertainment,” I spoke grudgingly. I had to admit, my crazy show was over-the-top.
“Chlo-No, when I spoke of a wedding, I was talking about Grandfather’s wedding, not my own.”
“What? Grandpa Harry’s getting married? What the hell? Why didn’t anyone tell me about this? I didn’t even know he was interested in anyone.”
“Calm down.” We, or better said, I, was attracting attention again. “Can you leave Paris for a few days?”
“Yeah. When did you need me to go back to London?”
“As soon as we finish our meal, and it’s not London we’re heading to.” I must have looked completely baffled. “We’re headed to LA.”
“What?” I was so damn confused. “OK. I’ll start eating. You start talking.”
“Grandfather is lonely. He has been for a long while, and I’d like to do something about it.”
“I agree but what can you do?”
“Roland Ascot died a few years back.”
“I heard…” I saw where this was going. “You’re brilliant, Michael! I love how much you love Grandpa Harry.” There was something indefinable in his eyes when I made this statement. “I’m in. Tell me what you need me to do.”
That’s how we ended up in Los Angeles, sipping an Arnold Palmer in Jake and Emily’s backyard.
“I cannot believe how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other, you jetsetter, you.” After many heartwarming hugs, Emily and I were in each other’s company again. “Thank you again for the wonderful birthday presents for the kids.”
“Did they like them?”
“Are you kidding me? Ellie wears her designer yellow dress any chance she gets. Being in uniforms at school, her choices are limited during the week. As for James, he’d been saving up for the Lego Star Wars Death Star, so you can imagine his surprise when it landed on his doorstep.”
“I’m thrilled they like their gifts. James’ gift was easy, but Ellie’s gift took a little searching. There aren’t too many proper dresses for that in-between age. It’s either too frilly or not enough fabric.”
“There they are now.”
Four stunning kids walked toward us. Elizabeth Reid, with her jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes, looked sixteen more so than her real age of twelve. She appeared tall for her age, but it was hard to get beyond the beauty. She was gorgeous! James Reid, the oldest, had the most serious look of the four. He was tall, lean, and classically handsome. He resembled his mother as his sister resembled her father.
JR reminded me of a football player. Though he was a year younger than the twins, he was almost as tall as James, but looked to outweigh him. He was solidly built, looked more like James’ twin than Ellie did, and had a huge grin on his face. Anyone would feel instantly comfortable with this kid. The youngest was absolutely adorable. If I remembered correctly, he was less than two years younger than JR. He was a replica of his father and his sister. Emily, the superwoman that she is, accomplished the feat of having four kids within four years of one another. It made me almost swoon thinking about the chaos.
“Kids, say hello to Mr. Bennington and Miss Darcy,” Jake introduced us.
“You can call us Michael and Chloe,” Michael said.
“Chloe?” Ellie asked and flailed her body at me.
“Loee?” James questioned and joined in the hug.
“Eeee?” JR added and placed his arms around all of us.
“Who’s she, Mom?” Ian had no clue who I was, regardless of the birthday gifts I’d sent every year since his birth.
“Don’t I get a hug?”
All three kids stopped and stared at Michael until Emily said, “Remember Mr. Bennington? He lives in London and he was here with his grandfather for Grandpa Roland’s funeral.”
We could all tell they had no clue, but they courteously gave him a hug.
Emily told the kids to get their homework done so we could all enjoy the evening together, and like good kids, they whined, argued, protested, and bickered with one another before leaving for their rooms.
“They’re so beautiful, Emily.” I sighed watching them walk away from us. “When did they grow so big? I can’t wait to talk to the kids after they’re done with their homework.”
“By the look in Ellie’s eyes, I could tell she wants to talk to you, too. She always says, ‘Chloe’s job is the coolest job, ever! I’m going to ask her if I can be her apprentice.’ Of course, it’s said right before she tells all of us she’s going to be a heart surgeon like all the Reids on this block.”
“I’d love to have her as an apprentice! Send her my way one summer.”
“Maybe after you’ve married and had a kid or two, I’ll send all my kids to London to babysit for y
ou,” Emily winked.
I had missed Emily. We became friends when we discovered that she and the duke were neighbors in New York. Since then, I had made it a point to keep in touch with her. Whenever there was a wedding in LA, Emily met me for lunch or dinner. She always invited me to stay with the family at their home, but I’d always declined. Something about Reid Place still made me uncomfortable.
Suddenly, all this happiness made me sad. I was thirty-five, alone, and lonely. I hadn’t been on a date in months. I felt like an old maid. I was too old for marriage and a family now. Even if I were to meet a man, marry right away, and try for babies, there was no guarantee I could produce children.
This was what I had been avoiding. I didn’t want to be surrounded by other people’s love. It was when I felt their happiness, that I felt my loneliness.
“You all right?” Michael whispered. “You want to get out of here?” I shook my head no, and then yes, and then a no again. My friend was perplexed and amused. “I hope you enjoyed your twelve-hour nap on the plane, Chlo-No. You and I have a lot to discuss tonight.” That threat had me worried, now.
Groan! I purposely slept on the plane to avoid this talk. It helped that I hadn’t had a good night’s rest in months. Maybe I could stay at Emily’s instead of heading back to the duke’s LA home.
Michael: Delightful History
“How is it that you come all the way to Reid Place, and I have to hear from Elizabeth that you’re in town?” The most beautiful blonde walked toward me…with her mother!
“Hello, Laney Reid.” I stood up to embrace and kiss my once-love. Donovan Taylor shook his exasperated head. “How have you been? You look just as beautiful as the day you broke my heart.” I added to bug the hell out of her husband.
Laney laughed. “Hi Chloe!” She went over and hugged her as if she were a long lost sister. “It’s been too long, but I’m glad you’re here with Michael.”
“Mama. Who is that?”
I didn’t know what came over me. I reached over and plucked this little blonde from her standing position and held her in my arms. “You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. Do you remember me?”
“No.”
“Your name is Delilah Rose?”
“Yes, but only my daddy calls me Delilah. You can call me Lilah.”
“I can’t call you Delilah?”
Her head shook from side to side. “That name is only for Daddy.”
“Your daddy has always been a thorn in my side, Lilah. Has he ever told you that he’s a pain in the—”
“OK!” Donovan took his child away from me. “I knew I was justified in not liking you!”
We all laughed while Lilah asked, “Daddy, was he going he to say you were a pain in the assinine?”
The laughter grew. “Where did you learn that, Baby?”
“Henry and Scottie say that to me all the time. What does that mean, Daddy?”
“That means your brothers are going to get their assinines kicked for teaching my princess foul language.”
“Thank God she’s a spitting image of you, Laney, and not her father.” I decided to add to the pretend bickering.
“Watch it, English. You’re on my soil, my territory.” Donovan Taylor threatened me as he kissed his beloved daughter.
Watching the Taylors made me open my eyes to the realities of my life. At age thirty-six, I was alone. My parents were happily married. My sister was crazy in love with her husband and new baby. Niles and Elaine almost neglected the family because they couldn’t leave their honeymoon stage. Soon, even my ninety-five-year-old grandfather would be in bliss. What was wrong with me? What had I done with my life until now?
“Hey. You all right?” Chloe whispered the same words I’d spoken not five minutes ago. “Should we get out of here?”
I wanted to leave but we were here on business. Today wasn’t about us. It was about grandfather and the rest of his life.
“Chloe!” Jane Davis ran to her with her outstretched arms. “God! Where have you been? I think the last time I saw you was at our wedding. Why haven’t you kept in touch?”
“I’m sorry, Jane. I can honestly say my life has been nonstop crazy. Introduce me to the three handsome boys tailing you.”
By the time we sat to dinner, Nick and Bee had also joined the adult table. The kids rushed through their dinners and went inside to watch a movie.
“Why aren’t you married, Michael?” Laney sat to my right and Bee to my left. Laney started the inquisition. “Don’t you want a family?”
“Since you broke my heart, Laney Reid, no woman seems to want me. Take Bee for instance. She left me for Nick.”
Bee rolled her eyes. “Your heart was never available for me, Michael.” She leaned in, as if to tell a secret, which had Laney joining in the leaning. “What about Chloe? I thought you two were in love with each other. What happened?”
“Yeah, what happened? She’s still single. You’re still single. Isn’t marriage the foregone conclusion between you two?” Laney stated.
“How about you and Chloe plan Gram and Harry’s wedding, and Laney and I’ll plan yours and Chloe’s wedding?”
“What a great idea, Auntie! We Taylors are so smart!”
The two ladies were congratulating one another, overriding anything I had to say.
“What do you say, Michael? Shall we start printing the invitations? What day is good for you?”
I whispered back, “Don’t you think I should find a bride before you print the invites?”
“Her name is Chloe Darcy, Michael Bennington.” Laney whispered a little too loudly. I saw Chloe turn her head toward us. I shook my head to let Chloe know it was nothing important.
“Mama,” Delilah Rose was back in our midst. “The movie’s scary.” She climbed on her mother’s lap.
When Elizabeth Reid was little, I thought she was adorable. In comparison to her cousin, Lilah blew her away. She looked like an actual doll with big blue eyes and the most beautiful blonde hair.
“Lilah,” I called. She looked at me. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like a princess?”
Her delight was unmistakable, her smile, undeniable. One day, any man would vie to make her his queen.
“My daddy calls me Princess Rapunzel because I have long yellow hair.”
“Well, I think you’re the most beautiful princess I’ve ever seen.” I loved seeing this little girl smile. It was a shot of sunshine in my dull life.
“What is it with you and the women in my life? Why must you flirt with all of them?” Lilah’s daddy interrupted our tête-à-tête.
“Why must you always interrupt my relationship with the women in your life? Lilah and I were having a lovely conversation. Can’t you stay lost a little longer?”
“Come to Papa, Baby.” Lilah jumped on her daddy’s lap. “I love you my sweet girl.”
“I love you too, Daddy.” She responded with words as well as her body as she hugged her father with all her might.
I decided here and now, I wanted a wife and as many children as she’d be willing to hand me. I wanted a Delilah Rose.
Donovan stood up and took his baby girl back into the house to join her cousins. While I was wrapped up in Lilah, Laney and Bee were smiling at me. “What?” I asked.
“You so need a family, Michael.” Bee spoke first.
“Go back to his grace’s mansion in Bel Air and make babies with Chloe immediately!” Laney commanded. “You two will produce beautiful children.”
I was almost tempted to agree with Laney about us producing gorgeous kids. I wasn’t stupid enough to say so, of course. What I did agree on was that the night was late. Chloe and I had much to discuss.
“If we’re all in agreement about Grandfather and Estelle, can we get back together tomorrow and discuss the specifics?” Everyone agreed with me. “Where can we meet so Estelle doesn’t get suspicious?”
Emily said, “I’ll have Mom and Dad ta
ke her out for the morning. Why don’t you join us back here around nine? I believe we are all available tomorrow, right?” She asked the doctors and lawyers in the group. “No one is on call tomorrow, Saturday?”
“Not me,” was the consensus from everyone.
“Perfect. We will see you tomorrow,” I said to everyone and then turned to Chloe to ask, “shall we go?”
She didn’t seem to want to leave Emily and Jane. Alas, she had no choice since our beds, separate ones of course, were about forty-five minutes from here.
