She gasped and pressed her palm to her chest, like a woman in an old movie having heart palpitations. “I am your mother. I’m not going to stand here and let you talk to me that way.”
“Good. Then leave.” I crossed my hands over my chest and strode across the space to the foyer again, knowing she’d follow me. Once I reached the front door, I yanked it open and gestured for her to leave, not caring that I was letting in the cold March air.
Mom strode out, her chin raised in a haughty position as she passed me. “Aubrey, when you’re ready to talk to me like an adult again, call me.”
She clicked her way down the stairs to her waiting town car. Her driver held open the back door, and she slid in as delicately as her years of Miss Manners training allowed her to.
I shook my head and slammed the door behind her.
Stomping back to my living room, I grabbed a pillow and screamed into it.
Why couldn’t she understand Greg and I were through? Why did she insist on trying to make me feel bad about the fact I’d stood up for myself and made a decision that was actually good for me?
Frustrated, I grabbed my purse and phone and walked out the door, letting the presets call Caroline as I fired up my small SUV a few minutes later.
“Aubrey? Is everything okay?” Caroline’s concern poured through the phone.
I took a deep, steadying breath. “Did you see the paper today?”
Caroline sighed. “I was hoping you hadn’t. How are you holding up?”
“Honestly, even more vindicated in my decision to drop his ass. I sort of wish Mindi wasn’t degrading herself to such low standards, but it’s not my problem anymore.” I took a beat to really take note of how I was feeling. I really did feel free and relieved. “Want to go shopping?”
“Um, sure. You sound like you’re on a mission.”
“Yeah, I’ve got some things in mind.”
She shuffled something around on her end of the line. “I can be ready in ten.”
“Good. I’m picking you up.” I hardly cared about Greg and Mindi’s engagement—they could’ve printed in the paper she was pregnant with his octuplets and gotten the same lack of response from me. Really, all I wanted was something to take my mind off the urge to call Chuck and vent about everything.
“I know just the place to go.” Caroline shuffled some more.
“You swear I’m not interrupting something?”
“Nothing that can’t wait a few days. I’ll be out front waiting for you in ten.” She hung up, and I circled the block a few times, looking for a way to kill ten minutes.
As promised, Caroline waited on the curb, and I barely pulled to a stop in front of her building before she hopped in and grinned at me. “What’s our budget today?”
I laughed. “The budget is whatever it takes to get where I want to be. Where are we shopping?”
“There’s this great new boutique on Sixth. Or we can always hit up the favorites.” She turned in her seat and looked me over. “Something’s different about you. Did he call?”
“No. I’m just done waiting for a man to complete me.” I grinned and pulled into traffic again, heading toward Sixth Avenue. Caroline would undoubtedly push me to try on a hundred different things anyway, and I’d leave with next to nothing, but that was part of the fun of shopping with Caroline. “I was thinking about getting my hair cut too. Do you think you could call Antonio and see about getting me an appointment?”
“A haircut and new clothes? Either this article bugged you more than you’re claiming, or something else is going on.” She looked at me pointedly and poked me in the arm. “Spill.”
“Mom came by before I called you. She’s still got it in her head that I need to somehow reconcile with Greg, get back together with him so that it can be our June wedding instead. I sort of told her off. And now I’m feeling pretty good about myself, and I want a new outfit and to do something crazy. It’s either hair or finding a tattoo parlor. Your pick.”
Caroline let out a raucous laugh and threw her hands in the air. “Girl, you’re crazy! I love it.” She pulled out her phone. “Can we dye your hair a bright color your mother would disapprove of?”
I pursed my lips, thinking about it. “Sure, why the hell not? You only live once, right?”
We spent the afternoon going from shop to shop, hurrying through the chilly New York air. By the time we were done, she’d talked me into two sweater dresses, a new pair of knee-high boots, and a shorter, bob-style haircut with a few hidden pink highlights that I could either play up by curling it, like Antonio had done, or more or less hide by leaving it straight.
“Oh my god, you look amazing. Just like this new musician I found. You have to hear her music, she’s going to blow your socks off.” Caroline grinned.
“New musician?”
“Yeah. She goes by Bex, totally a single-name act like Cher. She’s still way underground, only playing a few gigs here and there, but she’s got rainbow-colored hair and a nose ring. I should see if she’s playing tonight. We could go rock out.”
“I think I’ve had about all the excitement I can handle for the day. And before you ask, no, we’re not getting my nose, or anything else, pierced.” I ran my hand through my hair. “You promise I don’t look like the old lady trying to fit in with the hip, young crowd?”
“Aubrey, you’re thirty-two. Not a grandma. And quite frankly, if my grandma wanted pink hair, I’d be all for it.” She ruffled my curls and laughed again. “You look awesome. Your mom’s going to shit a brick, and probably try to have you committed, but I love it.”
I wrapped my arm around her. “How about some dinner, and maybe a walk around Central Park for a while before we go home? I may not need to go rock the night away, but I’m so not ready to call it a day yet.”
“Dinner and drinks. A woman with pink hair should have drinks!” Caroline grinned and pulled me toward the subway. “We’ll come back for your car later.”
“Well, a woman hanging out with a woman with pink hair should have drinks too. Where are we going?”
“The hottest spot in town, obviously.” Her face lit up. “Or, more likely, our favorite place near Central Park. Which, because you’re there, is totally the hottest spot in town tonight.”
I froze. “We can’t go there tonight, Care. Greg and Mindi are having an engagement party.”
She slapped her forehead and gasped. “God, could I be any denser? Of course, we can’t go there.” She pulled out her phone. “Okay, where do you want to go? I’ll make a reservation right now.”
I shrugged. “Maybe this is just a sign that we should call it. Go somewhere closer to home for dinner.”
“Aubrey.” Caroline stopped mid-stairwell and put her hands on her hips, forcing people to swerve around her. “You cannot give up on this awesome day we’re having just because some dick is getting married and thinks he can rent out your favorite spots in the city to rub it in your face.” She reached out and linked arms with me, making us an even bigger barrier for pedestrian traffic. “I know just the spot to take your mind off things. They make the best Mai-Tais in the city.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I swear, you come up with a ‘best in the city’ for every single place you take me.”
“And have I ever steered you wrong?” She grinned and pushed me onto a train.
I didn’t have time to register which line we got onto before the cars lurched forward.
Caroline tugged me out of the train in the heart of Manhattan, just blocks from Central Park. She hardly let me get my bearings before she pulled me into a nearby restaurant with an atmosphere that screamed young and hip. The décor was bright, bold colors, and more of the tables were bar height than regular seating.
“Caroline, you gorgeous creature, what brings you to my door tonight?” A man with a slight French accent approached, arms held wide before he enveloped Caroline in a hug.
“We need a table for two, Jean Luc. This is Aubrey, and she needs one of your famous M
ai-Tais.”
Jean Luc turned his attention to me and pulled me into a hug just as enveloping as the one he gave Caroline. “Oui oui, the finest table and two Mai-Tais coming right up.” He pulled away, squeezing one of my hands and one of Caroline’s, then snapped at the host and shouted a table number.
We were seated near the kitchen, and before we even got menus, drinks appeared with the promise of appetizers to follow quickly behind.
“Okay, are you part of some sort of mafia or something? How the hell do you get this kind of service?”
“Jean Luc’s sister is a fashion designer. She was having trouble making a name for herself in the city, and was about ready to throw in the towel and head back to Paris to work a few more years under one of the great French designers, when I stumbled upon her work. I helped get her hooked up with a manufacturer who got her into some of the big-name department stores, and eventually into her own storefront.”
I shook my head, in awe of her skill. “You just helped some stranger you hardly knew.”
“Celeste’s work spoke for itself. And if I recall, a certain someone at this table took a chance on me. So, if anything, this is your fault.” She grinned and picked up her drink. “To Aubrey Jones. The most kickass woman I know.”
I clinked my glass with hers, but said, “You know, it’s bad luck for the person being toasted to drink on the toast.”
“Did Mommy Manners teach you that? Drink your damn Mai-Tai. I’m ordering you another one.”
I rolled my eyes and took a swig of the strong rum drink. Coughing, I asked, “So what are we doing after this? Because if I have more than one of these, I’m going to need some time before I can drive.”
“We’ll get some food in you, and then we’ll decide. And if we really need to, we’ll send you home in a cab. Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud. Let loose. You have pink hair, for crying out loud!”
Food kept coming from the kitchen, even though no waiter ever stopped long enough to take an order. Caroline just smiled and accepted each new addition to our meal in stride, until I felt like I might physically burst if I ate even one more bite. “Okay, I need to walk off the booze and all that food. Let’s go to the park and give money to street performers. My mother hates it when I do that.” I grinned widely and pulled out my wallet. “Is there a bill somewhere under all these plates?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll settle up with Jean Luc later. Come on, let’s go to Central Park.” Caroline winked and grabbed her purse. “Unless I can convince you to go out dancing.”
I shook my head. “The only dancing I do is alone in my house. No one needs to see that.”
She shrugged and linked arms with me. “I disagree. But we’ll go for a walk. Maybe one of your mother’s friends will be out and about, and someone’ll send a picture of your new sassy hair to Mommy Manners.”
“She’d probably have a heart attack. Here, snap a pic.” I pretended to hand her my phone, pulling it away before Caroline could actually cause my mother cardiac distress.
The night air had cooled even more than I had expected, and our walk didn’t last long before both of us were too cold to keep going. Instead, we caught the subway back to the block where my car was parked, and Caroline hugged me briefly.
“I’ll pick up my shopping spoils tomorrow, okay?” She grinned and pointed at a line down the block. “I’m going to go check out that club over there.”
“Be safe. Call me if you need anything. No matter how late it gets.”
She promised she would, even though we both knew she wouldn’t, and then she hurried down the street. I watched as she flirted with the bouncer and slipped into the warm club fast enough for the whole line to make an uproar, and then I headed back to the garage where my car was parked.
Out of habit, the last thing I did before bed was double-check missed calls and text messages, just in case my phone had neglected to let me know Chuck had called. But still, there was no sign of the man.
I set my phone on the nightstand and rolled over, staring at the darkened ceiling. Sleep felt more elusive than ever, and I don’t know if it was the rum, or the article in the paper, or what, but I picked my phone up again and took a deep breath as I hit the call button on Chuck’s contact information.
I listened to it ring. Once. Twice. I half-hoped he wouldn’t answer, that it would just ring to voicemail and I could hear his voice one more time. I swore to myself I wouldn’t leave a message, just let him think it was a misdial or something.
But then, I heard the lilting tones of a female voice. “Hello?”
I pulled the phone away from my ear for a second, just to doublecheck I’d dialed Chuck and not someone else, like Caroline, but his name was emblazoned across the screen. “Uh, hi, is Chuck there?”
It had to be one of his sisters, or maybe his mom. That was the only explanation, right?
“Oh, he can’t come to the phone right now. Can I take a message?”
“Liling?” I asked hopefully.
“Oh, no, I’m not one of the Wright girls. At least not yet.” Her proclamation washed over me like a cold shower. I knew that voice. Vanessa. The tall, willowy blonde model.
I hung up and threw my phone across my bed, watching without much care as it bounced off the end and landed on the floor. Vanessa. Were they together? Did she finally get her wish and land a Wright? I had to admit, it made perfect sense. No wonder he hadn’t called or texted. He’d moved on. With someone as in the public eye as his sister or his parents. Someone who lived in Aspen, or at least grew up there.
What would he want with someone like me, a woman who couldn’t even manage to keep the man who’d proposed to her? No, he was better off with Vanessa. They’d have tall, beautiful kids, and probably a winter wedding that Donna Wright would plan.
And I’d be alone. Forever alone, because I clearly wasn’t cut out for this dating thing, and I definitely had no business getting married. I was better off spending my days building my business, leaving my mark on the world in the form of beautiful, high-end houses that everyone in the Northeast wanted to get their hands on.
28
Chuck
I lost track of the number of drinks I’d had by the time I decided I’d had enough of the party. Liling was off talking to her friends, laughing and having a good time, and I figured it was for the best for both of us if I just took my leave.
The only thing was, I couldn’t find my phone. I had my wallet and my keys, but my phone wasn’t in my pocket where I always kept it.
I wandered the suite, checking anywhere I might’ve left it, and was just about to give up and ask the bartender to call it when I saw it. In Vanessa Howard’s hands.
“Vanessa! What the fuck are you doing with my phone?”
She grinned and leaned forward, practically spilling out of her skin-tight dress. “You’ve been such a sourpuss tonight, I thought I’d give you something better to think about.” She held it out. “Scroll through those, see if we can’t get your motor running again. And call me later. I’ll show you the goods in person.” She winked at me.
I barely refrained from just throwing my phone away and starting over with a brand new one. The last thing I needed were photos of Vanessa on my phone. I even went so far as to crop her out of any pictures I had of her and Liling together.
Instead of tossing my phone in the nearest garbage, I pocketed it and made one more round of the party. Liling was out on the balcony, with some young male model or actor type flirting heavily with her. Liling’s eyes were more of a cry for help than anything else. I knew when my sister needed out of a situation.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Hey, beautiful. This guy’s not giving you any trouble, is he?”
She leaned on me and grinned, batting her eyes at me. “Oh, Chuck, you’re always so protective.” She giggled and gestured at the guy in front of her. “Have you met Darryl? He’s going to get his big break any day now.” Then she pressed her palm to my chest and plac
ed her head on my shoulder. “And, Darryl, this is my boyfriend, Chuck. He’s an astronaut.”
Darryl rolled his eyes and skulked off, his lip curled up in a sneer.
“Thanks. He spent the last twenty minutes trying to convince me that he’s going to be the next Brad Pitt, just as soon as his movie gets funding. As if.”
I hugged her close. “I was going to take off, but I can stick around for a while if you need more of your protective older brother.”
“No, I’m okay. I was going to head out soon anyway. I should get some beauty sleep before they stick me on a plane tomorrow.”
“Where are you headed again?”
“Brazil. Some designer’s got a new line of bikinis. I know I should know whose clothes I’m modeling, but I just can’t keep up. It seems like it changes by the minute. At least I’ll get to thaw a little before Jonah’s party. You’re going to that, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. I never miss a family birthday.” I grinned and kissed her cheek. “Send me pictures, okay? And none of you in some skimpy, almost nonexistent, bikini. Real pictures.”
“Hey, I don’t design the stuff. I just wear it. But I promise, I’ll do at least a few touristy things and send you selfies.” She hugged me again and smiled. “It was good seeing you out tonight. You were almost your old self. Almost.”
I smiled, though it felt false even to me. “Well, kid, I promise, by the time you come back, I’ll be one hundred percent Chuck again.”
“I hope so. I wouldn’t mind seeing that guy I ran into in Glenwood again. That Chuck seemed downright ecstatic.”
Seducing the Runaway Bride (The Wrights Book 1) Page 19
