by Ava Harrison
As I’m putting the final layer of lip-gloss on, my cell phone rings. “Hey, Harper, what’s going on?”
“Where have you been?”
My forehead creases. “What do you mean? I haven’t been anywhere.”
“I stopped by your office.”
“Wow, checking up on me . . .” I laugh, poking fun.
“Why are you giggling? What are you up to? You know if you don’t check in every morning, I start to get worried.”
“God, Mom,” I tease. “I’m fine. Just stopped at a meeting this morning.”
“Oh, really? Are you okay? Is something happening? Is Drew treating you okay?” she asks.
“Yes, he’s treating me perfectly.” If she only knew just how perfect.
“Okay, good. I was kind of worried. But that doesn’t answer the question. Why the meeting?”
I’d love to tell her I have a lot of work to do, and I can’t get into it now.
“Listen, Harp. I’m running late because of the meeting, so I can’t talk now, but can I call you tomorrow?”
“A dinner tonight?”
“Not tonight, but tomorrow. Promise.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, but I really need to run. Love you.” I don’t wait for her to say goodbye before I hang up. I’m not trying to be rude, but I am running late, and I need to be perfect for his mother.
60
Drew
When I pick Bailey up, she literally steals my breath away. She didn’t even give me the chance to walk to her door like a proper gentleman. She came flying out the door as though someone was chasing her. Other than her adorably flustered look, everything else from head to toe is perfection.
I snap myself out of the trance I’m in just in time to fly around the car to open the door for her.
Leaning in, she whispers, “You smell so good.” She reaches up on her tiptoes and places a kiss on my cheek. Instinctually, I inhale her. If I smell good, then she smells divine.
“Did you just sniff me?” she asks.
“That sounds like something I’ve heard in a movie.” I chuckle. “Yes, yes I did just sniff you. It’s your fault for wearing whatever that is. It’s intoxicating, devil woman.”
She laughs. “Devil woman? What pray tell have I done to warrant that moniker?”
I stare at her for a few moments and take in the delicate angles of her face. Making my way back to her almond eyes, I smile.
“You have entranced me, Bailey, and I’m not sure what to do with it.”
She only smiles as she finally sits in my Jaguar.
The drive to my mother’s is silent. It’s a direct contrast to the excitement of seeing each other a few minutes ago.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Tilting her head to the side, Bailey says, “I’m petrified.” She bites her lip, obviously afraid of my response.
“I could lie and tell you everything will be all right, but honestly, I have no idea what to expect. My mother and I . . . Well, we haven’t had the best relationship over the past few years. She’s always been a very strong force. I wouldn’t say she was an absent mother, but she was authoritative and very busy. She wasn’t nurturing, but she wasn’t always cold either. I know I’m not making sense.”
I’m getting flustered. Explaining my conundrum of a mom is a challenge. Half the time, I don’t know where we stand or what her motives are. I’ve always felt loved by her, but I wouldn’t say we’ve ever been close.
Bailey shakes her head. “No, I get it.”
Such simple words and if they had come from anyone else, I’d have passed them off as words to placate me, but somehow, I know Bailey truly does get it.
“My father was a workaholic. But he loved my sister and me dearly. My mother, on the other hand, was too preoccupied with herself. I know now she did love me; she just didn’t know how to show it. Certainly not with words and cuddling.” She shrugs.
I want to make a joke at the cuddle mention, but she is so vulnerable at this moment. I don’t want her to take my jest the wrong way. So I just say, “Exactly. I wish I could prepare you for my mom, but who knows what we’ll get. She has always been very adamant about me dating someone from our country club or another trust fund girl.”
I cringe that I even mentioned it, and I see her face fall. She’s white as a ghost, and I know I’ve fucked it up.
“No, no, Bailey. It doesn’t matter what she wants. I want you. Just be yourself, and she’ll love you.”
Grabbing her hand in mine, I bring it to my lips. When she finally smiles, I give her hand one final squeeze of reassurance as we pull up to the front gate of the Lawson Estate. Looking at Bailey, I watch as her eyes go wide. I probably should have prepared her a little more for just how wealthy we are.
“What the hell? You didn’t say your father is Daddy Warbucks.”
I snicker at the reference. Not quite, but close. No need to petrify her further.
I take her up the stairs and pray I’m not walking her into a fire. I grab the handle, but the door flings open. Mother is standing on the other side in a pair of leggings and a long tunic. What. The. Actual fuck? My mother never dresses down. Never. I haven’t seen this woman in less than her Sunday best in my twenty-eight years of life.
“Drew. I’m so glad to see you.” Her smile is warm, and she looks sincere. It’s startling.
“Mother, are you feeling well?” I cock my eyebrow up in question. Perhaps she meant to cancel and forgot.
“Silly boy. I’m fantastic. I’m so glad you came. Don’t be rude. Come in, come in, and introduce me to this beautiful girl you have on your arm.”
Bailey smiles a hesitant smile and looks back and forth between the two of us. She has no idea what to make of this. That makes two of us. I just shrug. Not helpful, I know, but I think we are both out of our element today.
“Mother, this is Bailey Jameson. Bailey, my mother, Cynthia.”
“Drew Lawson, stop being so proper. It’s pretentious. I’m Mom.” She rolls her eyes at me. She actually rolls her damn eyes. I’m about to call Dr. Palmer. I think she’s having a stroke or started the downward spiral into Alzheimer’s. Either way, it isn’t good.
“Okay, Mom . . . Are you all right?”
She smooths down her chestnut hair. “Heavens, yes. Stop looking at me like that and get out of the foyer. Bailey doesn’t want to stand all day. Jeez, have you lost your mind?”
I might have.
In all honesty, I’m kind of feeling like Alice being thrust down a rabbit hole after ingesting a handful of whatever shrooms the creator of that story was on. Bailey looks at my dumbfounded face and laughs, and her laughter makes me laugh, which in turn has my mom laughing. What the fuck we’re laughing at is beyond me, but hell, it’s better than screaming.
“Bailey, come on in and have a seat. Would you like a glass of wine?”
“No, thank you, Mrs. Lawson, but I’d love a glass of water if I may.”
“Please, call me Cynthia.”
The evening continued with my mother fawning all over Bailey. We had a dinner of steaks and potatoes, nothing fancy. It was surreal and really nice if I’m being honest. I’m relaxed, and this is the first time I’ve been relaxed in my parents’ home in years.
The conversation is so easy between my mother and Bailey. I would have never guessed it in a million years. Bailey is one of a kind, but she’s not my mother’s kind. My mom pawned me off on girls like Alexa: rich, beautiful, and worldly. Bailey is beautiful and unique, and everything all of those girls weren’t, and I’m feeling like I’ve grossly misjudged my mom all these years.
They talk for what feels like hours about New Jersey, of all things. Leggings, music, cosmetics—you name it, they discussed it. I’d usually be bored out of my mind by now, but I’m not. I feel at peace. I’m completely captivated by both of the women sitting before me. For the first time, I can envision a life beyond the club, and it doesn’t scare the fuck out of me.<
br />
“Can you point me in the direction of a powder room?”
“Of course, dear. It’s down the hall and to your left three doors down.”
I jump up to pull her chair out for her, and my mother beams. She’s clearly proud. Bailey walks out of the room, and I prepare myself for the disappointment.
“She’s lovely. I adore her.”
“What’s going on, Mother? This whole thing . . . What’s your angle?”
“There’s no angle. I sincerely like her. She’s beautiful, funny, intelligent, but most importantly, I can tell you genuinely care for her. It’s the first time you’ve ever looked at a girl that way. She’s special.”
“She is. I do care for her. I love her.”
“Take it slow and make sure because I truly see a future with you two. She reminds me a lot of myself.”
I snort.
“I’m serious, Drew. There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I wasn’t always a wealthy heiress. I don’t think now’s the time to discuss it, but soon I’d like to tell you my history. It might help you understand more about me.”
“Did I miss any fun stories?” Bailey strolls in, completely oblivious to the revelations of my mother and my conversation.
“No, dear, I was just about to remind Drew of our annual gala. It’s a fundraiser that we do every year. I was hoping you’d accompany him?”
“I believe you just stole my thunder, Mom.” I chuckle at her enthusiasm. “But yes, Bailey, I’d love for you to be my date.” I give her my most charming smile and watch as the blush creeps across her cheeks. It’s time for me to get Miss Jameson home before I do things to her that would embarrass us both right here in front of my mother. This night just solidified in my mind that Bailey Jameson is mine.
61
Bailey
As my eyes flutter open, my thoughts filter back to dinner last night. Mrs. Lawson—Cynthia—is nothing at all like I expected. She was funny and warm and, most of all, not pretentious. I could see in Drew’s eyes that he was just as shocked by her behavior, and a warm feeling weaved its way through my body. Drew’s mom liked me.
I remember how his keen eyes were, probing hers all through dinner, waiting for her to slip but then how relaxed they seemed after I returned from the bathroom. I’m not dumb enough to think they didn’t talk about me while I was gone, but whatever was said obviously put him at ease, and that put me at ease.
When we arrived back at his apartment, I began to muse about it, but he quickly shut me up the way Drew always does with his filthy, domineering ways. And, god, was he filthy last night. The way he’s in tune to my body should be illegal. He had me screaming within five minutes of walking in the door.
I stretch my arms above my head as I yawn, wringing out every last bit of sleep I have left in my body. Moving my right foot off the bed, I go to stand, but as my foot feels the cold wood floors, two strong arms envelop my waist, pulling me back.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His husky voice tickles the back of my neck as he pulls my back flush with his chest.
“Bathroom,” I whisper. My breathing becomes shallow as I feel his tongue gently lick the shell of my ear. My heart pounds rhythmically against the walls of my chest.
“I don’t think so, Bailey.”
The authoritative way he says my name sends a chill down my spine. Slowly, I feel one hand unwrap from behind me and begin his descent downward, skimming my waist then my taut stomach all the way to my pelvic bone. My body is a live wire, sparking with each move he makes.
His hands burn my tingling skin, causing me to tremble all over. Drew’s fingers feel like the soft whisper of a feather, and I can barely breathe by the time they find their destination, the place I need him most. He dips one long finger inside me, and I’m so wound up, I gasp with ecstasy. The pleasure is pure and explosive, but it’s not enough. Not nearly enough to sate the hunger inside me.
Reaching my hand behind me, I find him hard and ready. He throbs in my hand, and in response, I tilt my hips up so I can feel him pressing against my ass. Swinging one leg over his hip, I open myself up to him, then guide the tip to where I need him most. As I welcome him into my body, I moan softly, adjusting slowly to the delicious intrusion. My world spins on its axis as he thrusts hard and deep inside. His hand still between us, he begins to rub in earnest, each stroke of his dick and fingers working together in a perfect symphony. I feel myself become tense with the need for release, my body arching closer to his.
Panting.
Throbbing.
Exploding.
I come undone as he jerks inside me.
Once our breathing regulates, I feel him leave my body as he turns to lie on his back. I miss the feeling instantly but quickly forget as his arms pull me around to lie on his chest with my head resting over his heart.
“Wow,” he says with an audible exhale. “I want to wake up every morning like this.” His hand reaches across and down to my chin. He turns my head up, causing my neck to strain, but it’s worth it just to see the look in his eyes. They drink me in, sated and dilated, but something else flashes there, and it makes me feel all warm inside.
By the time my phone rings, I’ve showered, dressed, and eaten. I look at the screen, and it’s Harper. I’d called her before showering, but now she’s ringing me back.
“Hey,” I say into the phone as I take a seat next to Drew on the couch. His leg is propped up on the coffee table, his laptop on his lap.
“Hey, what’s going on? Everything all right?”
“Yeah, of course, why?” I lean across the coffee table and reach for the coffee cup Drew had placed on it for me.
“Well, you don’t often call me so early in the morning, and after yesterday, I just assumed you—”
I cut her off before she can go on. I’m in a good mood, and I don’t want to hear one of her motherly lectures. “I’m fine. All good here. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping with me. I need a dress, and that’s more your thing.”
She doesn’t respond right away. Maybe she thinks I need her money? I don’t. I might not have a lot, but I have a few bucks saved, so I’m sure I can find something that would work.
“I would—I would love that.” Her voice cracks, and I realize she’s not pissed I asked her. She’s moved.
“Okay, so how about we meet in thirty minutes? Let’s say we meet at . . .” I trail off as I mentally think about what area has a lot of options. “Outside Macy’s.”
“Sounds great. Thanks for thinking of me.”
I hang up the phone with a huge smile on my face and peer over at Drew sitting next to me. He lifts his eyes from the screen in front of him and turns his attention toward me. His eyebrows rise.
“What’s going on in your head?” he questions, and I run my hand through my hair.
“I’m meeting Harper to shop.”
He closes the laptop and places it back on the coffee table. “And this is a problem because?”
“It’s not. But she’s always such a mother hen. Sometimes it’s overwhelming.”
“She loves you. It’s kind of cute,” he says as he leans forward, placing a soft kiss on my lips.
Standing on the corner of Thirty-Fourth Street in front of Macy’s, I wait. My foot taps nervously, and I pull my phone out to check the time. The party isn’t until tonight, but I’m starting to freak out about it. From the corner of my eye, I see Harper strolling toward me, her hips swaying with each step. Her lips turn up when she notices me, and she waves.
“Hey, Harper,” I say as she approaches.
She smiles brightly. “Look at you. You look so good. I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” She hugs me tightly.
“It’s only been a few days. I’ve been so busy.”
“What’s keeping you tied up?”
I chuckle at the image those words bring forth. She cocks her eyebrow at me in question, but she doesn’t say any more.
“I’ve been looking into schools, and I
think I’m going to apply for classes in the fall.”
“Bailey. Oh my god, I’m so proud of you! What are you going to do?”
“Whoa, slow down.” I laugh at her enthusiasm.
“I’m just so excited. You seem to really be getting your stuff together.” I see tears in her eyes, and I move toward her.
“Harper, is everything okay?”
“Everything is great. I just really miss you, and I mean it, Bae, I’m so proud.” Her words melt my iced-over heart. We may not have grown up close, but she has more than proven that there is nothing better than a sister.
“Don’t give me too much credit. I’m starting undeclared because I’m not sure what I want to do yet.”
She wipes her eyes. “You have time for that. What are you interested in?”
I contemplate her question. “I’m really enjoying helping Drew with the business side of the restaurant, so I’m thinking business, but we’ll see.”
She nods in agreement. “Whatever you do, I know you’ll be great. Is that why you wanted to meet?”
“Drew invited me to a fundraiser.” I pretend to rummage through my purse so she doesn’t see my eyes.
“Drew Lawson invited you to the Night of Hope Gala?” Her eyes widen with disbelief.
“And I met his mother.” My words are fast.
“You met his mother?”
I swear she could catch a fly in her mouth. It’s hanging so far open I’m afraid she might hurt herself.
“Yeah, why?”
“Bailey, no one meets his mother. This is huge!”
No one meets his mother. The notion makes me giddy inside. He did say he loved me.
