by Vivi Holt
He headed in the direction of the kitchen. Eve’s mouth fell open and she turned in a slow circle to take in her surroundings. She’d never seen such a stunning apartment. A swimming pool glistened outside a set of large, glass doors. And beyond it, the city skyline darkened a horizon painted with the oranges, pinks, and yellows of the setting sun. The kitchen was all white with splashes of gray and silver. Everything was decorated with perfect unity and symmetry.
She smiled and, leaving her suitcases by the door, followed her new husband.
“So, what do you think?” he asked as he filled a coffee pot with water.
“It’s amazing. I can’t believe you live here.”
“And now you do as well.”
Her mind hummed with questions and thoughts tumbled over one another as she tiptoed around, investigating and analyzing everything she found. Why did a man who owned an apartment like this need an email-order bride? Bianca had told her he was well off, but she hadn’t imagined this. She couldn’t have imagined it. He came from old money, Bianca had said. But to an Australian that was practically meaningless. Nothing in Australia was old, apart from the indigenous culture, and certainly not the money.
She peered in the doorway of a bedroom she assumed was hers and found a woman unpacking her suitcases. The woman was short and rotund with a bun of thick, black hair on the back of her head. Her dark eyes shone as she smiled at Eve.
“Hello, Mrs. Russo,” she said. “My name is Josie Gonzalez, Mr. Russo’s housekeeper.”
Eve nodded. “Pleased to meet you, Josie.”
She made her way back to the kitchen, unsure of what to do with herself. It was so strange to be in someone else’s apartment without even the task of unpacking to occupy her.
John greeted her with a mug in an outstretched hand. “Coffee?”
She nodded. “Thank you. Um…Josie is unpacking my bags.”
“Great.”
An iPad was plugged into the wall on the kitchen counter. John unplugged it and carried it to a long, elegant, glass-topped table that looked out through the glass doors and across the swimming pool. He sat at the table and opened the iPad case.
“It’s just that…I don’t really know what to do with myself. I’m not used to having someone else take care of me.”
He glanced up at her with one eyebrow arched. “I’m sure you’ll get used to it.”
“Okay.”
She sipped her coffee, feeling completely out of place. She’d learn to deal. Just like he’d said. How hard could it be to have someone else taking care of you, anticipating your every need? It was the kind of life most people dreamed of. Sure, it made her uncomfortable now, but in time she’d learn to accept it.
She leaned against the counter and her fingers drummed on the side of the mug.
She’d get used to all of it. Being married to a stranger. Living in a new city in a penthouse apartment. Having staff to drive her around, unpack her bags, and who knew what else. It would become normal. In time. She sighed, missing her run-down, quirky apartment, and wondering who’d taken up the lease and was living there now. And who had been given the executive chef position at Sanbury's? She wished she knew, but she didn’t. All she knew was, it wasn’t her.
Chapter 6
John pushed open the door to the restaurant and stepped inside. Candlelight flickered, casting moving shadows against the walls. The soft sounds of a string quartet crooned through subtly placed speakers. The restaurant was packed, reminding John of one of the reasons he’d left the city years earlier.
They’d spent the afternoon with his parents who’d been shocked and irked that he’d gotten married without their knowledge. But Eve soon put them at ease, engaging them in conversation, apologizing for what they’d done, and explaining it away as the impulsiveness of two people in love.
Before long, they’d been laughing and joking along with her, and he’d watched the whole thing in awe. They loved her already, he could see that. And she’d promised they’d visit New York more often, which put their concerns to rest and won them over completely.
He picked his way through the tables, following the hostess as she headed for a long table set against the far wall. Behind him, Eve reached for his hand and held onto it, the feel of her skin on his making his breath catch.
They’d been married a week and already he was growing accustomed to having her around. Their time together so far, getting to know each other, had gone even more smoothly than he’d hoped it would. She was easy to get along with and spent a good deal of time exploring the city alone while he was at the office. So, when they ate dinner together at the end of the day, they had plenty to talk about: him about business, her about architecture, history, museums, or restaurants she’d discovered that day.
He found he enjoyed her company, and it surprised him.
But, so far, they hadn’t done anything more physical than accidentally brush up against each other in the kitchen when pouring bowls of cereal. Her hand in his felt strange, yet right at the same time. It was all for show, he knew that. She was playing the role of doting wife, and holding hands was just part of the ruse.
This was their first public outing as a married couple, and so far, he had to admit that having her there with him made the idea of facing up to his past a little easier to stomach.
The hostess stopped beside the table and indicated they should sit. He worked his way around it until he located two empty seats, nodding, and waving hello to people as he went. Then he and Eve sat, side by side. He reached for a water glass and sipped it, his heart thundering. Were they there yet?
He scanned the table and his heart dropped when he saw them. They were deep in conversation with each other. Shonda threw her head back and laughed in that deep, dusky way she had that’d always brought a smile to his face in the past. Now it just felt as though a knife were stabbing him in the gut. So much time had passed, he’d hoped it wouldn’t hurt to see her.
Her black hair was cropped close to her scalp, her eyes made up with dark eyeliner. Shimmering blush coated each cheek and her lips glimmered with a hint of pink. She was stunning, as always. He swallowed another mouthful of water, then set his glass on the table and turned to face Eve.
“You okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “Fine.”
“What’s wrong?”
“That’s my ex-fiancée over there, with her husband. My ex-best friend.”
Eve’s eyes widened. “Oh.”
He smiled. “It’s fine. I should be able to face them. It’s been five years since it happened. That’s why I came. I want to move forward with my life and let go. Forgive and forget.”
She nodded. “That’s good. Healthy. You should do that. And you’re going to get the chance to be the bigger person right now because they’re coming over here.”
His stomach twisted into a knot and his throat dried up. Great. He’d known this would happen, that he’d have to face them. But did it have to be now? He wasn’t ready. He needed some time to work the room and do what he did best before he faced the two of them and their domestic bliss.
“Hi Johnny,” said Shonda behind him.
He spun in his seat and pasted a smile to his face. “Shonda. How are you? Tony, good to see you.”
He stood and held out a hand to shake Tony’s, then kissed Shonda on the cheek.
“This is my wife, Eve,” he said. His heart thundered as the words sprang from his mouth. He’d never said that before out loud, it felt so strange, yet good. Better than he’d thought it would.
Eve smiled and shook hands with them both, the perfect combination of ease and grace. He studied the curve of her lips, the smooth curls that fell over one shoulder, the way her red dress clung to her curves. He hadn’t noticed before how beautiful she looked tonight, he’d been so caught up in his own fears and anxieties. She was gorgeous. He laid a hand on her arm and she glanced up at him, cheeks pink.
“Wife?” exclaimed Shonda, eyebrows arching. “When did you get
married?”
He chuckled. “It’s very new.”
“Wow, congratulations,” added Tony, glancing back and forth between the two of them. “I’m happy for you, man.”
“Thank you.”
A drop of sweat trickled down his spine beneath his shirt. “And how are you two doing?”
“We’ve got two kids now,” replied Tony, looping an arm around Shonda’s shoulders, and pulling her close.
“That’s right. You guys didn’t waste any time.” John laughed. It was hot in the restaurant. He should’ve worn something cooler. Just imagining the two of them in their retro-inspired townhome with their children pottering about the place, cooing and giggling made the knot in his stomach tighten.
Shonda was avoiding eye contact. Perhaps she felt as uncomfortable about the exchange as he did. Maybe more. After all, it was she who had cheated, she who left. He’d always wondered if she felt bad about it, though she hadn’t seemed to at the time. Instead, she’d blamed him for never being around, for always working. He’d been building something, working toward taking over his father’s company, and she didn’t understand how much time and effort that took. She’d never understood him.
The sudden realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. She hadn’t truly loved him since she’d never known him. Not the real him. They weren’t good together. They’d fought a lot, always arguing over the simplest of things. But he’d loved her. At least he’d thought he had. They’d grown up together, attended the same school and he’d fallen for her in the school yard when he was fourteen years old. She’d been so beautiful and sophisticated to his teenaged mind, and so out of reach.
But even after so many years together, she’d stayed out of reach. He’d felt as though he was always fighting to get in, to earn her love.
A weight lifted from his shoulders as he watched her exchanging small talk with his new wife. He’d always believed they were meant to be together, but now he understood for the first time that they’d never have worked. She’d figured that out years before he did. If they’d married, he’d still be striving for her love and feeling as though he couldn’t meet up to her expectations. Relief washed over him.
He slid an arm around Eve’s shoulders and watched as regret flickered across Shonda’s face. She glanced up at him, her eyes dark with pain.
Tony and Eve fell into an easy conversation as John searched for the right words.
“Hey Shon,” he whispered. She met his gaze, her face guarded. “It’s okay. Let’s leave the past in the past. You and Tony are good together, and I’m happy for you.”
A smile crept over her lips. “Really?”
“Yeah, sure. I’m sorry I was such a jerk about the whole thing. You were right, we weren’t meant for each other.”
Her smile widened. “Johnny, it is such a relief to hear you say that.” She reached out a hand and squeezed his arm. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “I hope the two of you are very happy together.”
“We are,” she replied, gazing up at his former friend.
He’d lost them both. His two best friends. All at once, because he’d been too blind to see they were perfect for each other. He should’ve let her go years earlier when the arguing worsened. Instead, he’d worked harder to please her, and it’d never been enough. Never could be enough.
“Hey, let’s dance.” Eve interrupted his thoughts, grinning up at him.
“Dance? I’m not much of a dancer…”
She ignored his protest. Instead, she grabbed his hand and tugged it, leading him onto the dance floor to one side of the restaurant. A few couples swayed slowly back and forth in time to the music, arms wrapped around each other, faces huddled close as they spoke together in whispers.
John slid his arms around Eve, pulling her to him. Her body pressed to his and his heart rate accelerated. She melded against him perfectly, her head fitting just beneath his chin. She leaned on his chest and he could hear her humming along to the melody, her voice faint and low. It brought a smile to his lips.
She glanced up at him, her smile reaching her blue eyes. They sparkled in the dim lighting. “You survived.”
He laughed. “I did. Thanks to you.”
“No. I’m sure you would’ve been fine on your own. But I’m glad I could be here for you if it helps.”
He rubbed one hand around the small of her back, feeling his body respond to her being so close to him. “It does help.”
“I’m glad.”
“This is nice.” Her hair tickled his chin.
“You dance well for someone who doesn’t enjoy it,” she said.
“I guess I enjoy it when it’s with someone special.”
“Is that me?” She quirked an eyebrow.
He held his breath a moment. What was this? They had an arrangement. Was he taking it too far, flirting with disaster? He wasn’t supposed to feel things for her. She was his wife in name only, a companion to spend his time with. That’s what he’d promised her, what she’d relied on when they’d signed the contract. If he changed things, she might leave, might want to end things before they’d really had a chance to develop.
“Of course,” he replied. “You’re my wife.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she laid her cheek back against his chest, her gaze fixed straight ahead. He inhaled slowly. He had to be careful. Careful with his feelings and with his words. Because even though they’d only known each other a short time, he was already getting used to having her in his life, and he didn’t want anything to interrupt that.
He wanted to get to know her better, to give them a chance to make something of their marriage even if it would never be anything more than a friendship. All his doubts and fears over the agreement had evaporated within the first few days of their marriage. She was just what he’d been looking for. He needed her in his life. And the last thing he wanted to do now was to scare her off by changing the terms of their arrangement.
Chapter 7
Eve stretched out on the couch. She reached for a laptop beside her on an end table and set it in her lap. She glanced at her watch. Eleven o’clock in the morning. She’d finally finished the green card paperwork for the immigration attorney. Now all she could do was wait. Her eyes landed on the enormous diamond on her ring finger and she played with it idly, still growing used to its weight. A gold wedding band encased her finger above the diamond, and she ran a fingertip over it, feeling its smoothness.
With a sigh, she sat up and stretched her arms over her head.
She was bored.
She hadn’t been bored in…she couldn’t remember the last time she was bored. For years, all she’d done was work herself to the bone to achieve her goals. And she’d always had a lot of goals. Goal-oriented is what her favorite teacher, Mrs. Jones, had called her in high school. Which was a gentle way of saying driven, ambitious, competitive, and singularly focused.
Sitting around in a billionaire’s condo, while relaxing, wasn’t exactly her idea of a satisfying time. She wanted something to do. No, needed it. Her skin fairly crawled with the desire to get out and do something. But what?
They’d flown back from New York in John’s private jet a week earlier, and ever since then, she’d hardly seen him. He worked all the time and spent a good part of each week in some other city or even another country. She couldn’t keep up with his schedule, not that he told her much about it.
She sighed and stood, staring out across the pool. Too bad it was February, otherwise she could’ve gone for a swim. The pool was covered now, maybe she’d spend most of the summer in it, assuming she was still in Atlanta.
It was strange to think that she was married, living in Atlanta, and that she’d be there all year. It’d all happened so quickly, like a whirlwind, that she still hadn’t really wrapped her mind around it. It felt as though she were on vacation. Alone. Not married to a billionaire she barely knew. She’d seen more of the housekeeper than she had of John since she moved in with
him.
Still, she was due a vacation. She hadn’t had one since she left Australia three years earlier. And now that she’d slowed down, she felt tired. Bone tired. Like she’d been up for three days straight, working in a field kind of tired. She yawned, her eyes heavy. The more lying around she did, the more tired she seemed to feel. Wasn’t that the opposite of how it was supposed to be?
Perhaps she should get out more. She’d already done every walking and bus tour of Atlanta she could find, and learned about the city’s history, visited the architectural and historical landmarks in Inman Park, as well as the city’s impressive aquarium. She’d joined eighty other tourists on a bus ride out to Stone Mountain, where she’d climbed the mountain and gazed across the city.
She’d never been on quite so many outings or spent so much time on her own before and was starting to get lonely. It was a feeling she’d grown accustomed to when she first moved to New York, but something she’d avoided ever since by surrounding herself with people and filling her schedule with activities.
She reached for her cell phone and dialed.
“Hi, Sally,” she said.
Sally paused before replying. “Well, if it isn’t my long-lost sister. Thought you forgot about us.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “Nope. Just wanted to call and tell you the good news. I’m married.”
“What?”
Eve smiled smugly. It wasn’t often she managed to genuinely shock her worldly sister. She wanted to revel in the moment for just a little longer.
“Yep. Married. My name is Eve Russo now. I’ll text you my new address when I hang up.”
Sally laughed shrilly. “I didn’t even know you were dating anyone. I guess that’s what happens when your darling sister disowns you, huh? No bridesmaid’s dress for me…”
There was a hint of pain in Sally’s voice and Eve’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t expected that. “I’m sorry, Sally, we eloped. No bridesmaids at all, I’m afraid.”
“Forget it, I hate those dresses anyway. They’re so…girly.”
