Having Billie around made life feel like it was Christmas every day. She made everything seem brighter, happier, more special. Whenever she spoke, I couldn’t hold in my smile. I wanted to be around her all the time and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to tell her to move in, to marry me, to make this official once and for all. I never wanted to let her go.
But I resisted. After all, I didn’t want to scare her off.
“I should get going,” Billie told me with a smile as she picked up her bag from the couch. “Lincoln will be home any minute and I don’t want him getting any wrong ideas about us.”
I pouted like a toddler who’d just had his favorite toy taken away. “But I want you to stay,” I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine.
A bright pink blush spread across her cheeks and it was so cute. “I know you do, but we can’t just think about ourselves. What about Lucky and Lincoln? Besides, we both have work in the morning.”
“Lucky and Lincoln are fine,” I assured her, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. “And I can take you to work again tomorrow. It’s not a problem.”
Billie sighed and I could see the wheels turning in her mind. She was considering it.
“I like being able to hold you when we fall asleep. I’m used to it now. Don’t deprive me of it,” I teased with a smirk.
Billie tutted and rolled her eyes playfully. “You make it sound like you want me to move in!” she cried with a chuckle.
A moment of silence passed between us before I spoke again. “Maybe I do want that,” I finally said.
Billie’s eyes grew wide. “R-really?” she asked.
“We’ll need to talk about it properly and go over all the details, but… I’d be open to it. What about you?”
Her face broke out into a bright smile and she leaned in to kiss me. “That sounds like a great plan.”
Before I could say anything else, my parents and Lincoln came busting through the door. Lincoln was holding a bag which was no doubt filled with presents and a piece of paper. He held it up with a big grin and rushed toward Billie and me.
“Daddy! Billie! Look what I made!” He held up a finger painting he’d made of a dinosaur. It was hardly Picasso, but he’d clearly had a lot of fun making it.
“Wow, Linc. That looks great! Want me to put it on the fridge?” I asked him.
“Yes, please!”
I took the paper from him and made my way straight to the kitchen to hang it up. By the time I got back, he was already settled on the couch with Billie, insisting on watching a science documentary.
“Well, we’d better be heading on home,” my dad said as he took a step toward the door. “But we’ll see you in the week for dinner?”
“Yes. You’ll have to bring Billie along too,” my mom interjected with a look toward my new companion. “We’d love to get to know her more.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll see what I can do,” I answered, ushering them toward the door. “Thanks for taking care of Linc today. I’ll see you soon.”
“See you,” I called to them as they left the apartment.
After that, Billie and I made dinner together. She taught me how to make ratatouille which Lincoln really enjoyed despite normally despising vegetables. When everyone was finished, we moved back toward the living room to watch Blue Planet.
“Nana and Papa took me to see some fish bones today!” Lincoln told us excitedly as he patted Lucky’s head. “There were dinosaurs there too! The ocean is really cool!”
Learning about the fish from the documentary, Lincoln was in his element. I interjected every now and then to add any trivia I knew about for him, but it wasn’t much. I was just as new to the subject as he was really.
Soon after, Lincoln was ready for bed. As I walked him toward his bedroom, Lucky hurried along at my feet beside me. It seemed we’d started a new bedtime ritual and as I tucked Lincoln into bed, Lucky was quick to curl up beside him. It was so unapologetically domestic that it tugged on my heartstrings and I knew that I’d do anything to keep this happy little family together. Anything.
The next day, the four of us were eating breakfast in a calm, peaceful silence when the buzzer rang.
“Excuse me, one second,” I said with a smile before standing and heading to the door. It was unusual for Mandy to ring the buzzer, but I assumed she must have forgotten her key. Without thinking, I buzzed her up and waited at the apartment door for a knock. As soon as it came, I pulled the door open with a smile, only for it to fade almost instantly.
It wasn’t Mandy at all. It was Carmen. Carmen, my ex-wife, stood on my doorstep heavily pregnant and looking desperate.
My jaw dropped and I quickly stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind me. After all, I didn’t want Lincoln seeing his mother was here when all she was interested in was money. Thankfully, Lincoln was no doubt distracted by Billie and Lucky, talking about the school day ahead or munching on his cereal. He was happy right now and I would do anything to keep it that way.
“No,” was the first thing I said to her as I shook my head. “Absolutely not. Whatever this is and whatever you want, it’s a no.”
“But you haven’t even heard what I have to say,” she argued. Her blue eyes were moving wildly and her usually well-styled blonde hair was pulled back into a messy bun. She didn’t look like the woman I knew, not at all.
“I don’t need to, I know what you want from me. It’s what you’ve always wanted, Carmen,” I spat before pinching the bridge of my nose. “You have no right to be here. You signed away your rights to Linc and me when you signed those divorce papers. You know this and yet, you still come here.”
Carmen looked up at me desperately and clutched a hand to her full belly. “I need help, Quentin… Please,” she begged.
For a moment, I felt my resolve sway. She had tears in her eyes and looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. It was awful to see her that way and the fool inside me wanted to help her, no matter what might have happened between us in the past. After all, I had loved her once, back before she’d broken my heart and lost my trust.
The memories came flooding back once more of those horrible days I’d spent with Lincoln in the hospital. He’d been so small when he’d contracted pneumonia. He looked so tiny and helpless in that incubator. That had been the same time that Carmen had been sleeping with someone else, using my distraction to her advantage.
Rage bubbled within me. I had reminded myself what a conniving snake Carmen was and the memory of my son almost dying while she didn’t care at all only made me feel more and more furious. I clenched my fists tight and took a step into her space.
“Carmen, you were the one who cheated on me. You were the one who didn’t care whether Lincoln lived or died. You were the one who chose money, sex, and alcohol over the two of us. You told me the last time I saw you that you wanted nothing to do with me or Lincoln anymore,” I practically growled. “You’re lucky I didn’t call the cops the second you arrived to get you off my property. Leave now. I won’t give you anything.”
With watery eyes, Carmen let out a long sigh before turning and walking back down the hallway. Seeing her walk away once more wasn’t easy, even if it had been my choice this time. I didn’t relish turning her away, but I couldn’t waste any more time on her. I had my priorities to think about and they were Lincoln and Billie.
Once Carmen stepped into the elevator, I turned and headed back inside my apartment. Billie and Lincoln had finished eating, so they were sitting in front of the television watching a kids show. As soon as she saw me, Billie raised an eyebrow and crossed the room to meet me.
“Is everything all right?” she asked with a concerned expression. “You look angry.”
“I’m okay,” I told her with a small smile. “Just a small issue. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Billie seemed to understand. She nodded her head and then returned to Lincoln’s side before leaning down and kissing the top of his head.
Linc doe
sn’t need Carmen anymore, I thought to myself with a smile. He has Billie now.
35
Billie
All throughout work that day, Quentin and I had been so busy that we’d barely had a minute to talk to one another. Every time I saw him, however, I noticed that he had a worried expression on his face and it concerned me. I wanted to help ease his pain, but I couldn’t do that unless he let me in first.
At lunch, I headed toward Quentin’s office and knocked before letting myself in. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there. My heart sank as I realized I probably wasn’t going to get a chance to cheer him up today. With a sigh, I closed the door and headed downstairs toward the kitchen where Tracy was working.
“Hey Marco,” I greeted the head chef with a smile.
“Good afternoon, beautiful,” he replied. “Looking for Tracy?”
“As always,” I joked.
“She’s having her break outside. She should just be finishing up now,” he informed me.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick.”
I darted past him and toward the back door. When I walked outside, I noticed her right away. Tracy was looking down at her phone, not paying attention to the door opening or me stepping out. It was clear that she was texting her boyfriend. Every now and then, she grinned and it was infectious. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous since I’d barely had any time for Quentin today.
“Hey, Tracy, didn’t you know your break is up?” I called out with a smile.
The blonde looked up from her phone and rolled her eyes. “As if you’d ever go telling on me,” she remarked.
“You never know. I could be a real snake in the grass, a double agent,” I teased as I stepped closer.
Tracy put her phone away and turned toward me. “Well, you are dating the boss, I guess… But you’re the nicest person I know. That would be impossible,” she commented. “Anyway, what brings you down here?”
I let out a sigh. “Is there any way you could whip something up for me this afternoon? I’m having trouble with…” I looked over my shoulder and lowered my voice. “Quentin.”
“Oh,” she replied, seeming shocked. “Of course, what’s going on? Did you guys fight?”
I shook my head. “Oh, nothing like that. He’s just a little down and I wanted to cheer him up.”
“Okay, that sounds good. What do you want me to make?” she asked.
I thought for a moment before an idea came to mind. “How about a cake?”
Tracy nodded. “That’s child’s play. Just come pick it up when you’re finished with your shift, okay?”
I nodded. “Thanks, Trace. You’re the best.”
“I know, I know.”
After giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug, I raced inside to eat my lunch and get on with my day. I didn’t see Quentin at all during the afternoon and it made me worry that something might have happened. I had practically bitten my bottom lip raw as I worried about him, but I couldn’t help myself. After all, he’d become so important to me now.
When five o’clock came, I still couldn’t get in touch with Quentin. As I’d promised, I went downstairs and picked up the cake from Tracy before heading home to feed Lucky and take her on a quick walk. Just as I was about to text Quentin and ask to meet up, my phone started ringing. I checked the caller ID and smiled. It was him.
“Hello, Mr. Popular,” I answered with a giggle.
“Mr. Popular?” he questioned.
“Well, I had such a hard time reaching you today, I could only assume you’re in high demand,” I replied.
“Unfortunately that’s true with some people I’d rather never see again,” he lamented. He sounded sad and tired and I wanted to comfort him more than ever before.
“Quentin, are you ready to talk to me about all this?” I asked, biting down on my lip.
“Yeah, I think so,” he agreed. “Can you come here? I know you’ve been to my place so much, but it’s hard with Lincoln and everything--”
“It’s fine,” I told him, cutting him off. “I’ll be over as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay,” he replied. “And bring Lucky.”
I paused. “Why?”
“She’s comforting and I need comfort right now.”
I laughed and nodded. “Okay, okay. Sounds great.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone so I could start getting everything ready. It wasn’t long before I had my overnight things together and stuff for Lucky. I hurried into the car and drove across town while my mind raced about Quentin. I felt so much better once I arrived and I let out a sigh of relief when Quentin opened the door to me.
“Quentin,” I said in greeting before reaching out and hugging him close despite all my bags.
“Billie,” he replied before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Let me help you with your bags.”
The two of us managed to wrangle the bags and Lucky inside. Lincoln was already tucked away in bed, so Quentin and I sat down on the couch with Lucky napping in between us. Quentin was petting her fur gently as he looked down at the floor and I could tell that whatever he wanted to talk to me about was hard.
“It’s okay, you can take your time,” I told him with a reassuring smile. I reached out and took his hand in mine.
Quentin nodded, a pained look crossing his face before he took a deep breath and began to speak. “This morning, it was Carmen at the door,” he explained.
My eyes widened and I wasn’t sure what to say. My mind was racing. “Wh-what did she want? Is she here for Linc?” I asked, my voice coming out in a panicked rush.
Quentin scoffed. “Of course not,” he replied, shaking his head. “I think I’d feel happier if she was. I’d love for Linc to have a good relationship with his mother, but it’s never going to happen. No, she was here to ask for more money.”
“Money?” I asked. “What does she need more money for?”
A guilty look passed over Quentin’s face and he sighed. “Well, normally, I’d say it was for clothes or alcohol or something else, but…”
“But?” I prompted.
Quentin looked me directly in the eyes. “She… She was pregnant.”
My lips parted in shock and my eyes widened. “Wow… That’s… Wow,” I stammered.
“Don’t worry, it’s not mine,” Quentin rushed to add. “I haven’t seen her in years, let alone…” He trailed off and groaned. “Still, it feels wrong to abandon her in her state. After all, it’s not the child’s fault that their mother is an awful person.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand. “That’s difficult. I’m sorry.”
“There’s… There’s something else,” Quentin said in a pained voice. “I never went into detail about Carmen. I don’t like to speak badly of people, especially someone like Lincoln’s mom, but… I think you should know.”
“Okay. Tell me, Quentin,” I implored, leaning in close and listening intently.
“The night I caught Carmen cheating on me when I came home… It… It was while Linc was in the hospital with pneumonia,” he explained, his voice croaking as he began to sob. “He was dying, Billie, and I was so… so scared that I was going to lose him. While I was spending night and day at the hospital by his side, Carmen was doing whatever she wanted. She never came to visit him. She didn’t care. What kind of person could do that to their child? Then, when she realized that she had been caught, she ran off with the guy. Turned out he was younger and richer than I was. She never even called to ask about Linc. Not once.”
Seeing Quentin so broken and sad brought tears to my own eyes. After spending so much time with Lincoln, I couldn’t imagine Carmen acting that way. If anything happened to Lincoln now, I’d be beside myself with worry. I couldn’t carry on like nothing was wrong. It seemed… barbaric.
“I’m sorry, Quentin. That’s awful. I could never do that to my own child,” I told him, shaking my head. “Just picturing it now is enough to make me worry and Linc is such a wonderful child. I can’t imagi
ne someone as important as his mother not caring for him in that situation. It’s… It’s awful.”
“Well, that’s because you’re actually a good person,” Quentin told me wth a small smile despite the tears.
I couldn’t hold back anymore. I cried, tears flowing down my cheeks as I grew overwhelmed from everything. Hearing about what Quentin and Lincoln had gone through just broke my heart and I knew that no matter what, I had to make them both happy. They deserved that much
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Quentin asked, reaching out to cup my cheek. “There’s no need for you to cry too.”
“But… But…” I stuttered as the tears kept coming. “You - both of you - you deserved so much better than that. Not only wasn’t she there to help Lincoln when he was sick, she also didn’t support you when you were exhausted and worried sick that something would happen to him. I… I want to make it up to you. I want to make things better for you.”
I spoke with confidence as I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard again. Despite the fragile nature of the conversation, Quentin managed to laugh.
“Wh-what’s so funny?” I asked as I reached up to dab at my wet eyes.
“You,” he answered immediately. “You are incredible. You came into my life and turned everything upside down. I never thought I could have someone like you in my life. I… I didn’t think I deserved it. I’ve always wanted a love like my parents and my grandparents before them and now… Now, I think I’ve found it, Billie. I… I love you.”
I gasped. It was the first time we’d said the words properly and I could feel my heart racing in my chest. “I love you too, Quentin. I might have even loved you from the very first time I met you,” I confessed in a rush of air.
Quentin grabbed my hands in his and pulled me close. “I promise, Billie, I won’t let anything get in the way of us. I won’t let Carmen come between us or the memory of any of my past relationships. I have some trust issues and some insecurities, but if you support me, I’m sure we can overcome anything.” He smiled brightly and I felt like swooning. “I’m going to take care of this whole Carmen thing once and for all. I won’t let her get in the way.”
Dear Boss: A Single Dad Office Romance (Forbidden First Times Book 3) Page 20
