With a sigh, I pushed off my bed and padded across the apartment toward the kitchen. Lucky was running along beside me, eager to get her breakfast, so I fed her quickly before making myself a cup of coffee and then settling down on the couch. I didn’t flick the TV on, however. My own head was enough drama on its own, I didn’t need anymore.
It was difficult. If yesterday was anything to go by, it seemed we were bound to come crashing together no matter what – or where for that matter. But there was nothing good that could come from it. Even if I didn’t have my mother’s story to worry about, I’d heard from multiple sources that Quentin was seriously loaded. He was most likely a billionaire if what everyone said was right and that meant he was way out of my league. After all, I was just a small-town girl with mediocre looks who’d been bullied all her life for being overweight. There was no way Quentin was interested in the long haul with someone like me.
On top of all that, I was supposed to be focused on starting my career and getting caught sleeping with my boss was certainly going to end it. Quentin had such a sweet little boy too, I didn’t want him getting caught up in whatever mess this was between us. No, I didn’t want to see him get hurt.
“It’s settled then,” I told myself as I sipped my coffee. “No matter what, I can’t let myself get involved with Quentin anymore. No, I have to resist. For everybody’s sake.”
With that mantra being repeated in my head, I got a few chores done before finally getting ready and heading in to work after lunch. I inhaled deeply as I parked up my car outside and then strode toward the familiar building. Quentin must be inside, I thought to myself. He didn’t need to be off site today. I checked his schedule. Maybe… Maybe I can just avoid him?
With the intention of hiding out in my office all day, I entered the building and climbed the stairs until I reached my destination. It wasn’t hard to keep my mind off Quentin. As soon as I sat down at my desk, I had a reply from the auditors I’d e-mailed yesterday on top of a million other e-mails with invoices that I needed to check.
“Just what I need,” I whispered to myself as I tapped away at my computer.
Just as I was getting into the swing of things, I heard my office door creak open and my eyes darted up in panic. Thankfully, it wasn’t Quentin. It was Peter.
“Hey, Billie, good to see you,” he began as he poked his head in the door. His expression was grim and he shook his head. “I just wanted to give you a heads up. Stay away from Quentin today. He’s on the war path.”
“Oh?” I couldn’t help but feel curious. Surely our little romp yesterday couldn’t be the cause?
My mind was flooding with questions, but Peter had already ducked out and closed the door behind him. Since I wasn’t exactly planning to go and ask Quentin about it himself, I resolved to keep my head down for the rest of the day and focus on crunching numbers instead.
It worked pretty well. I didn’t hear anything from anyone else for a whole hour as I focused on invoices and pay cheques. That is until I heard the one voice I had been dreading: Quentin’s.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Quentin practically roared outside my office, loud enough that I could hear his voice crystal clear even through the walls. “Carmen, you’re really pushing your luck here, don’t you think?”
He paused and I couldn’t hear anyone else’s voice. He must be on the phone, I surmised as I pursed my lips. But who the hell is Carmen? The thought continued to play on my mind as Quentin’s voice permeated my office once again.
“I’ve already told you no, Carmen!” he yelled. “You were the one who walked away in the first place, don’t you remember? You signed the papers. You are not getting another cent from me.”
It was clear that he wasn’t going to stop anytime soon and I wondered if he would really want everyone knowing his private business. Besides, he clearly needed someone to calm him down. Why did I think I was the right person for the job?
Before I could stop myself, I was already up and out of my chair. I headed for the door just as he was about to walk past it. His face was red with anger and his eyes were closed. His eyebrows were furrowed and his expression looked like he was in pain. I couldn’t resist. Something inside me needed to help him, to comfort him.
I grabbed his arm and he looked up at me. I gave him a sympathetic smile before waving him inside my office. He nodded once and followed me in. I closed the door behind him and I could hear the faint chattering of a woman on the other end of his phone call. I gestured to a small couch in my office before grabbing a spare cup from my desk and filling it with some of my bottled water. I walked over to Quentin and handed it to him before returning to my chair. I tried not to listen to the conversation, but he wasn’t exactly subtle.
“You’ve already squeezed more than enough money out of me, Carmen. I’m not going to give you anymore. Not when you’re just going to need more in six months. No, I’ve had it,” he spat, his grip on the cup tightening. “I’ve heard enough. If you seriously want to keep pestering me about this then I’ll get my lawyer involved. Don’t think I won’t!”
Quentin angrily smashed the end call button and then tossed his phone to one side. He sighed and dropped his head into his free hand. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I just sat at my desk, but my mind wasn’t on work at all. I watched Quentin as he began to calm down. He took a sip of water and then took a few relaxing breaths.
Eventually, he stood from his seat and let out a sigh. “Thank you, Billie,” he whispered, sounding defeated.
More than anything, I wanted to rise from my seat and rush over to comfort him. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and convince him that everything was going to be okay. I never wanted to see him looking so lost and angry ever again. If I had my way, I’d kiss that sad look off his face… But I couldn’t. It was a bad idea. So, instead, I gave him a small smile before turning back to my computer and looking over my e-mails.
Quentin took the hint and left quietly, leaving his cup behind. As soon as he was gone, I let out a huge rush of air that I didn’t even realize I’d been holding in. My head dropped down to my desk and I let out a groan of disappointment. Why couldn’t I just act normal? Why did he make me act this way? I questioned. They were good questions, but I knew I never had an answer.
After a few seconds, I pushed myself back into an upright position and looked at my computer screen. I took a deep breath and began to type a response to one of my many e-mails while reminding myself don’t fall in love with the boss, Billie.
22
Quentin
The afternoon hadn’t exactly gone the way I’d planned. An unexpected phone call from my bitch of an ex-wife had thrown a real wrench into the works. Then on top of that, I’d been caught off guard by the sight of Billie. When she’d opened her office door, I was surprised to see her. I hadn’t even noticed I’d wandered that far along the corridor. If she hadn’t pulled me to one side, I’d have probably ended up disturbing everyone sitting in the lounge. Seeing her beautiful face had gone a long way to make me feel better, but I knew that was wrong. Billie didn’t want to get wrapped up in my complicated life. No, she was better off without me.
I sighed and sunk lower in my chair, feeling miserable, before finally deciding to start making phone calls. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and found the first person I needed to call.
“Mandy? It’s Quentin,” I began in a gruff, exhausted voice.
“Mr. Wendall! Is everything okay? You don’t sound very well,” the nanny replied with concern lacing her tone.
“I’m fine. At least, I’m fine physically,” I explained as I rubbed a hand over my face. “Listen, I’ve run into a bit of an issue with Lincoln’s mom and I need your help.”
“Oh.” She sounded shocked. “Of course, Mr. Wendall. I’m here to help in whatever way I can.”
It was the response I needed to hear and I let out a sigh of relief. “Great, thank you, Mandy. I doubt she’ll try to drag Li
nc into all of this, but just in case, I need you to make sure that you don’t let anyone into the apartment besides me and my parents. Okay?”
“Okay, that’s easy. I don’t really ever do that anyway,” she agreed.
“Wonderful. Thank you so much, Mandy,” I said as I began typing on my computer again, bringing up some old personal e-mails regarding my divorce. “Like I said, I doubt she’ll get Linc involved, but better safe than sorry.”
“Of course, I understand.”
As I hung up, I crossed another item off my mental to-do list before bringing up yet another phone number to call. In the end, a whole hour had passed by the time I’d finished calling Mandy, my parents, and my lawyer to bring them up to speed on this new development with Carmen.
“She can’t seriously be asking for more money!” my dad had said. “The nerve of her.”
“She was the one who cheated, she shouldn’t have gotten anything, let alone what she already had off you,” my mom argued.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Wendall. The divorce settlement is ironclad. There’s no legal way Carmen can obtain any more money or assets from you,” my lawyer had assured me.
I was feeling a whole lot better about the situation overall now, but the nagging worry in the back of my mind told me that this wasn’t over. Carmen had always been cunning when she needed to be. Sadly, I hadn’t known that before I married her. With a huff of resignation, I did my best to push that bitch from my mind and focus on my work.
It was impossible though. As soon as Carmen was out of my mind, I thought of Billie. Billie who had been so calm and attentive while I was screaming and shouting like a teenager. Billie who hadn’t asked any questions or pried. Instead, she gave me a drink and somewhere quiet to calm down. It was a rational and levelheaded approach which was something I wasn’t used to with previous lovers. Most women had been magnets for drama - Carmen included, of course - but Billie wasn’t like that. She helped me without asking for anything in return and in that moment, I realized just how badly I’d fallen for her.
No. That’s not a good path to go down, Quentin, I told myself sternly. Do you really need to go jumping into bed with another woman after seeing just how fucked up your marriage became? It was unfair to compare Billie to Carmen, but ultimately, the reality check was enough to get me to cool my jets.
“Lincoln comes first,” I whispered to myself with an assertive nod. I had to remember where my priorities were and not let them get confused like they had been too many times before. Women would come and go in my life, but Lincoln was one of a kind.
I made a decision then and pushed up from my seat decisively. Before Billie, I hadn’t had sex in two years and I’d coped well enough. My hand could do the job just fine and that’s just the way it would have to be from now on too. I marched out of my office and straight towards Peter’s. After rapping on the door with my knuckles a few times, he called me in.
“Quentin, is everything okay?” he asked. “You sounded mighty pissed when I heard you earlier.”
I closed the door behind me and sighed. “It’s fucking Carmen again, Peter.”
He let out a chuckle. “Well, I’m pretty sure the entire building knows that from how you were yelling her name earlier,” he teased with a wry smile.
My face fell into my hands and I groaned. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I can’t believe I went off like that and at work of all places. I must have sounded like an idiot,” I said with a sigh.
“It happens, buddy,” Peter said, quick to reassure me. “I’m just teasing you. No one really cares. I’m sorry Carmen’s causing trouble again. Seems like she can’t leave well enough alone.” Peter leaned back in his chair and tossed a pen from one hand to the other. “What did she want this time? Don’t tell me she wants custody of Linc?”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “As if. She’s run out of money and started demanding more from me. She said she’s going to sue me for alimony even though she’s not entitled to any since she cheated on me.”
“That’s rough,” Peter said sympathetically and winced. “What are you gonna do?”
I sighed. “Right now, I’m going to spend time with Linc and try to forget about this whole mess.”
“Sounds like a good idea. If you get any calls while you’re out of the office, just send them my way, okay?”
I grinned. “You’re the best, Peter.”
“I know, I know.”
With the reassurance and support I needed from my best friend, I left work for the day and headed home. Once I arrived, I sent Nanny Mandy home early with a bonus for a good job before packing up a few of Lincoln’s toys and some spare clothes into a bag.
“Daddy, what are you doing?” Lincoln asked, tilting his head to one side in a cute display of curiosity.
“Well, Daddy was thinking maybe we should go spend some time at the park. What do you say?”
Lincoln’s eyes lit up and he rushed forward to hug my legs. “Oh, yes! Yes! Thank you, Daddy!” he cried happily as he began bouncing up and down in excitement. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”
“Okay, okay,” I replied with a laugh. It felt good to be in the presence of someone so innocent and pure. There was nothing Lincoln enjoyed more than an adventure out in the wilderness and I had to agree with him. It was one of the things we shared and as soon as we stepped foot into our local nature reserve, I took a deep breath in of fresh air and felt instantly calmed.
“Shall we go for a hike, little buddy?” I asked, pointing toward a trail that led into the woods.
“Yes! Dino wants to go for a hike!” Lincoln replied as he held up his favorite toy.
“Well, we can’t disappoint Dino now, can we?” With a relaxed smile on my face, I began a slow walk toward the start of the trail with Lincoln hopping along beside me. After such a terrible start to the day, I was so at peace out here in nature. It always did put a smile on my face. Well, nature and Lincoln, my wonderful, amazing kid.
23
Billie
My hands rummaged through my purse until I found the small stash of make-up I kept with me every day. It was just some core essentials like mascara, concealer, and a nude lipstick, but it always did the job of brightening my spirits during a rough day. Today, I was feeling more on edge than usual because I hadn’t seen Quentin since his angry phone call two days ago. I should have felt relieved that I was getting the chance to stay away from him, but my heart ached for him.
What happened with Carmen? Is he okay? Should I ask Peter? Is it my place to ask anything? Those questions swirled around my head all morning and it was making me sick. I tried so hard to focus on the positives as I tapped away on my keyboard a little absentmindedly. No Quentin means no sex, no sex means no complications, no complications means a better life, I reiterated to myself.
It didn’t work, however. No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop myself from missing him. I was already in far too deep and it scared me.
My phone rang and my heart skipped a beat. Quentin? It was the first thought that came to mind. I hurriedly grabbed my phone from my purse and shoved my make-up away. However, disappointment overwhelmed me when I saw that it wasn’t my boss. It was Carla.
I took a deep breath and hit the ‘answer’ button. “Hey, Carla! Is everything all right?” I asked breezily, attempting not to give away how crappy I felt.
“Yes, doll! Everything is fabulous as ever!” she replied cheerily. “I was just calling to see if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight? I know you said last week you wanted me to meet your new work friend and I thought to myself: There’s no time like the present!”
I smiled. Carla had quickly become a very good friend of mine and her constant positive attitude was always refreshing. It was surprising since Carla was actually a widow. Despite only being in her forties, her husband had died from a sudden heart attack. While she might flirt or make comments about men, she’d never dated anyone since. It was safe to say, however, that the tragedy had taught her to seize every m
oment in life.
“Okay, that sounds great,” I agreed. “Where shall we go?”
“Rumor has it a new Japanese place has opened up just outside of town,” Carla suggested.
I screwed my face up. “Ew, no. Raw fish? Yuck!”
Carla tutted at me. “Not all Japanese food is raw, Billie!” she corrected. “You’ve got a lot to learn about the big wide world girl.”
“Well, can I learn about it in a nice cozy French cafe?” I teased with a laugh.
Carla chuckled. “Okay, fine. We’ll go to that little French place around the corner from our house. Just make sure you tell Tracy to get there for seven. I’ll call them up now and let them know we’re coming.”
“Perfect. See you later.”
“Sayonara, Billie!” Carla called with a laugh before the phone disconnected.
I rolled my eyes. “That woman is a menace,” I muttered to myself, but the smile on my face said everything about how much affection I felt for her. I carried on with my work for a few more minutes while I daydreamed about French onion soup when I heard a knock on the door and suddenly, Peter was peeking in.
“Sorry to disturb you, Billie,” he began in a polite voice.
“Oh, it’s no problem at all,” I replied with a kind smile. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know there’s a staff meeting tomorrow morning,” Peter began with a nod. “Everyone is going to be there and its at nine o’clock sharp. Make sure you wear comfy clothes.”
“You got it,” I responded before the last phrase caught up to me. Just as I was about to ask him what he meant by ‘comfy clothes’, Peter had already disappeared again. I shook my head and tried not to think too much about it. Instead, I opted for focusing on my work and getting the essentials out of the way so I could go downstairs and invite Tracy out.
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