by Portia Moore
“Rose will call you tomorrow morning with information about a place for you to live,” Jackson says, cutting through the silence.
“No, Jackson,” I try to protest. “I can do this on my own. I want to do this on my own…”
“Kate is our only shot at getting Alex to tolerate us, if not forgive us,” Jackson says resignedly. “We need to just do what she says. I want my son back, and I know you want things to be better between you and Alex, too. For the baby, if nothing else.”
I nod silently. He’s right, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
“How are you getting home?”
“I called an Uber,” I say quickly. “It’ll be here soon.”
“I can drop you off…” he starts to say, but then quickly thinks better of it. “Maybe that’s not the best choice, given everything. I’ll wait with you, though. Let me know when you make it back to Parker’s.”
“Okay,” I tell him, and we stand in silence until the car arrives.
It’s a beautiful day, but I feel as if I’m suffocating.
Even by the time I get back to Parker’s apartment, I’m still completely stunned by what happened. It all happened so fast—and I don’t know how to feel about it. On the one hand, I can’t help but feel grateful that I’ll have some support. Kate is far from my biggest cheerleader—I’m sure she hates me even after knowing I didn’t know Jackson was married, but she loves my baby already, that much is clear. This will be her first grandchild, and I can tell that she’s excited about it, no matter the circumstances.
But the whole ordeal made me feel like a child myself, like someone that the grownups had to swoop in and save, and I hate that feeling more than anything. I feel small and embarrassed, like a kid who misbehaved, and if they plan on treating me like that, I know how that’s going to go. Kids don’t get to make decisions for themselves; you’re just told what to do and then disciplined when you don’t follow the rules.
I walk into Parker’s apartment and shut the door behind me heavily, tossing my keys and purse onto the couch as I settle into it and let out a sigh. Maybe it’s not so bad, though. Maybe if I’d had levelheaded adults around me making choices before this, I wouldn’t have gotten into this mess…but on the other hand, being controlled has never gone well with me. I know myself well enough by now to know I get reckless when I feel trapped, and so it’s just a double-edged sword. Leave me to make my own decisions and inevitably fuck up, or tell me what to do and then I rebel.
The whole thing is a mess.
I reach for my phone with a sigh, knowing I should call Melissa back. I have at least a dozen missed calls from her already today, and I can hear the exasperation in her voice from the minute she picks up the phone.
“Madison! Why aren’t you answering your phone? I shouldn’t have to call my sister twenty times just to get ahold of her, especially with everything that’s going on…”
“I’m sorry—” I start to say, but she cuts me off.
“When are you going to tell Mom about the baby?”
I scramble for an excuse—I haven’t told her yet because I don’t want yet another person trying to tell me what I should do. But I know that isn’t going to fly with Melissa. “I wanted to wait until I was further along, in the clear. I don’t want to get her excited if something happens,” I say wearily, wishing already I’d just let Melissa go to voicemail again.
“You’re not being fair to Mom,” Melissa says sharply. “She’s going to want to be a part of your pregnancy, no matter what.” And then her voice softens. “We both would, Madison,” she adds. “Madison…” She hesitates, and she doesn’t sound like my irritable sister anymore, but someone who’s genuinely worried about me. “I’ve got some money saved. Beyond what I had saved for the wedding, I mean. I could loan it to you, and that would help you get settled in Chicago.”
I can’t help but laugh. There’s the Melissa I know again. But it also makes me feel guilty, knowing that she’s willing to do so much to get me back home with her and our mother. And the offer is very, very tempting.
If it’s a choice between staying here and going to Chicago…if I really have the choice—well, here it’s dealing with Kate, who is plainly and rightfully furious with me, and Jackson, who is going to just go along with whatever Kate says in hopes that she can fix things between him and his son. I’m no longer anyone’s real concern. It’s just the baby and what he or she means to Kate. If I weren’t pregnant, I know good and well none of them would give a damn about me. Including Alex, as of right now.
On the other hand, Melissa genuinely seems to want me back home, and I know my mom feels the same way. Neither of them were ever thrilled about my settling down in New York. Melissa can be difficult at times, and my mother is probably going to be overbearing as hell about the baby, but the idea of being back home, in my familiar city with my family sounds a million times more appealing than being put up in one of Jackson’s apartments to incubate.
But if I go back to Chicago, I know I’ll never get Alex back. I’ll have alienated Kate completely, and I know how much Alex values her opinion, I’ve seen it in action. He loves his mother deeply, and he’s incredibly close to her. If I have any chance of repairing things with him, it hinges on whether or not she’s willing to go to bat for me. And that means staying here and falling in line.
“Madison?” Melissa pipes up in my ear. “Did I lose you?”
“No, no,” I say quickly. “Look, I can’t decide anything right now. But I’ll come home before I have my first appointment next week, okay? I want to tell Mom in person, anyway.”
“I’m holding you to that,” Melissa says firmly. “In fact, I’m booking your flight right now. I’ll pay for it, but it’s going to be booked today. No getting out of this.”
“Okay,” I say, and I can’t help but laugh again at Melissa taking over.
With my whole world in upheaval, it’s good to feel like at least some things never change.
Chapter 7
Present day
Alex
The birthday event is becoming even bigger than I expected. Jade wants to meet with the staff to go over details, and I’ve realized that not only is it going to take my usual core staff to pull this off, but anyone else I can call in as well. I expected to have more time to build a team before Jade wanted to have the first official meeting, so my days prior to it are spent calling anyone who’s worked with the catering company before, with Casey helping to go through the list and check off those who’ve done a good job, those who are the best, and the ones we don’t want to call again.
Unfortunately, this also means my plan not to hire Kristen for events is completely out the window. I try to push my concerns about it away and remain professional because Casey was right when she said she was one of the best servers we’ve got. She always works hard, which is something we’re going to need for a high profile event like this, and she’s gorgeous on top of it, which doesn’t hurt.
She’s gorgeous like Madison is, I think, and then shove that thought away because it makes a lump come to my throat and my chest ache. The pain of what happened might have dulled since the night of the reception, but it hasn’t gone away. It still feels like a kick to the chest when I think about it too hard.
So I just don’t. Or at least I try my best not to.
Thankfully, Casey has stepped up in her assistant role in a major way, taking up as much slack as she possibly can. I haven’t told her what’s going on, but I know she’s caught on that I’m not one hundred percent okay, and she hasn’t asked any questions, just dug in and worked hard next to me. As everyone assembles for the meeting that morning, she starts speaking while I take a seat, looking over the assembled group of servers and bartenders.
“Alright everyone,” Casey says, pushing her strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder and looking intently at them. “This is a huge event. It’s for a social media influencer’s twenty-first birthday, so you can bet that it’s going to be crazy, and everyone h
as to be on their game. It’s going to be busy, full of people who think a lot of themselves, and everyone’s going to be getting drunk, so you need to be professional, quick, and do your best work. There are perks for you beyond just the paycheck too. This is going to be a star-studded event with lots of influencers and talent scouts and maybe some celebrities, so those of you who are wanting to break into creative fields might get the chance to do some networking. But remember, the job comes first.”
She takes a step back, and I look at her gratefully as I stand up. “Thanks for showing up, guys. I know it’s short notice, and I know this meeting is an inconvenience, as most of the jobs we do just require a meeting the morning of. But the pay for this is well over what a usual gig is, and if we pull this off, I’m going to be able to guarantee more jobs like it for you all in the future. So we need to put our best foot forward and wow everyone, just like I know you can.” I look over the assembled group, and they all nod enthusiastically. I can tell several of them are excited, and I’m reminded of why I enjoy my job. I’ll miss parts of it when I’m able to open my own bar one day.
There’s a buzz of chatter, but it quickly stops when the door opens and Jade walks in. She’s dressed less formally today, in high-waisted jeans and a flowy light blue silk top, her chestnut hair shiny and pulled into a high ponytail. I’m struck again by how beautiful she is.
“Welcome all, I’m Jade,” she introduces herself. “I represent Blaire Kensington, also known to many as Kensy girl, the client whose birthday party you’ll be servicing. I’m really happy to meet all of you, and I just want to go over a few things.
“This is probably going to be a more challenging crowd than you’re used to. Blaire can be high-maintenance, and a lot of her friends are too, and you’re all going to have to use a lot of professionalism and stay calm in a demanding atmosphere. I trust that Alex has picked people who can handle this. It’s going to be busy and crazy, lots of people letting loose and having a great time. I also expect you to be able to cut people off if need be, bartenders. Blaire expects high quality, so I want you to bring your A-game. Make this an Instagram-worthy event.
“Alex has told me a lot of you are working towards getting your foot in the door in creative industries, and I’m here to tell you that there will be a lot of people there who will notice you. Celebrities, talent scouts, other influencers—these people can make or break your career, so make sure you look your best and do your best, and who knows what can come from this? Maybe I’ll be working for you one day!” She walks back and forth as she speaks, her eyes lighting up and her tone getting everyone excited, and I can feel the general thrill from the group. This is a way more high profile event than they’ve ever worked before, and much more exciting than bartending for hedge fund managers’ charity dinners and some of the other stuffy events we’ve done.
She takes a handful of questions from some of the servers, and I’m impressed by how approachable she is, even as she maintains her professional demeanor. She’s friendly but slightly aloof, but charismatic enough that everyone is leaning forward, excited to hear more about what she’s telling them. She’s good at this. Maybe I should be taking notes.
Afterward, she comes up to talk to Casey and me once the rest of the employees have filtered out. “Well, I feel good about this,” Jade says, her ponytail swinging as she smiles at me. “And this is your assistant?”
“Yes, this is Casey Thompson. Casey, you already know this is Jade. And yes, Casey is my assistant. And a damn good one too,” I say, and see her beam with pride.
“I’m glad I hired you,” Jade says. “You both seem to work well together, too. How do you know each other outside of work?”
“We all worked together,” Casey says, laughing, and I remember that she and Madison were good friends when Madison still worked here. “Me, him, and his girlfriend Madison helped us a lot; she was behind Alex’s social media presence. She cleaned up his Instagram and stuff, made it a lot more marketable.” She says it seamlessly, without it being obvious, but I can tell that she’s trying to let Jade know I’m taken and realize I’m going to have to let Casey know at least a little of what’s been going on.
“Oh yes, I’ve heard about his talented ex,” Jade says, and Casey looks at me sharply. “Anyway, would the two of you like to come out for a drink with me to celebrate? I think this is going to be the start of a new direction for you in this business.”
Casey looks a little shaken but nods. “Sure, I can do a quick drink.”
I’m not exactly in a celebratory mood, no matter how promising this event is, but I know with a client like this, drinks aren’t so much a request as an order. It’s all part of the game, and I know how to play it with the best of them. I just don’t want to right now. But I smile at her. “Sure thing, I’d love a drink.”
“Wonderful.” Jade gives me a pleased smile. “I’ll meet you at the Vine in an hour?”
Casey turns to me as soon as Jade leaves, her eyes wide. “Alex, what happened with Madison? You didn’t tell me! No wonder you’ve been off.”
“We broke up,” I say shortly. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh, Alex.” Casey’s face fills with sympathy. “It can’t have been that bad, right? I know Madison loves you so much. Can’t you two work it out? Sometimes people break up over something that could have been fixed. I mean, relationships are really hard work and—”
I shake my head, cutting her off. “We’ve got more important things to focus on right now than my personal life, Casey,” I tell her as nice, but firm, as I can. “I’m sure you can understand that.”
I see her face fall a little, but she nods. “Yeah, I get it,” she says. “Let’s go meet Jade, then. I can’t stay long, though. I have an audition later that I need to get ready for.” She glances over at me. “I’m sure Jade won’t be heartbroken if I have to leave early,” she says, rolling her eyes.
It’s obvious what she’s hinting at, but I just ignore it and open the door for her, following as we go catch an Uber over to the bar where Jade will be waiting for us.
Vine is a place I’ve been often, a sleek and modern bar that’s always packed with patrons but has several tables tucked away in little nooks, perfect for private conversations or dates that want to feel romantic. Jade is at one of those, a martini already in front of her, and I order a Manhattan while Casey gets a glass of rose, and we sit down.
“Oh, you made it!” Jade says happily. “I can’t tell you how excited I am,” she continues as we settle in. “You know, I started out bartending too, back when I was in college and just interning at public relations firms. I wanted to emphasize with your employees how vital an event can be for their careers because I got scouted at one just like this. I was helping assist with putting the event together, and the client was so impressed that they introduced me to some of their friends—and it just took off from there. Now I manage several high-profile clients. But,” she says, her voice turning serious, “this is the biggest event I’ve ever coordinated, and the most tricky client.” She’s looking at me as she speaks, her eyes narrowing as she talks emphatically. “This is a really, really important event. It’s the first big one that I’ve handled for Blaire, and if it goes well, I can’t even convey how many doors it can open, for me, for you—for your staff. It’s vital that we pull this off together.”
I glance over at Casey, who is sipping on her rose with an expression that says she isn’t even a little bit impressed. She looks slightly annoyed. She sets her wine glass down and glances at her phone. “I’ve got to go,” she says quickly, as soon as Jade lets up a little and there’s a break in the conversation. “I’ve got that audition. Jade, it was nice to meet you. Alex, can you walk me out, please?”
“Sure,” I say, glancing at Jade. “I’ll be right back.”
Casey lets out a sigh as we walk away from the table, and I follow her out to the curb as she waits for her ride. “Alex, you know she’s into you, right?” she asks, her tone d
ry as she glances up at me.
I shrug. “Lots of clients like me,” I tell Casey, dismissing her worries. “I’m charming.” I flash her a winning smile. “See? Trust me, it’s nothing.”
Casey doesn’t look convinced. “Just remember, mixing business and pleasure isn’t going to be good for any of us, especially if you’re on the rebound. A lot of the staff are hoping the promises they heard today are going to mean something. If you piss Jade off because you guys hook up and she wants more, it’s going to make this all crash and burn.”
I glare at her. “Come on, Casey,” I tell her as the car pulls up to the curb. “I’m an adult and a professional. I wouldn’t risk my dreams or everyone’s livelihoods by doing anything stupid. Don’t worry, Jade’s only a client. Nothing more.”
“Good,” is all Casey says as she gets in the car, and I watch as they drive away.
I head back in, weaving through the crowd, and see Jade still sitting at the table, waiting expectantly for me to return. She looks mildly amused as I sit back down with my second drink and orders another for herself as well before glancing over at me. “I don’t think Casey is a fan of me,” she says lightly, raising an eyebrow.
I shrug. “Casey’s got a lot on her mind,” I assure her. “She doesn’t mean to be rude, she’s just been auditioning a lot lately along with working long shifts. But she’s a great worker and has been a huge help to me lately.”
Jade smirks. “Are you sure her attitude doesn’t have anything to do with her being friends with your ex?” She leans a little closer to me, and I can hear the hint of flirtation in her voice. Casey’s right about one thing, she’s not super broken up that Casey had to leave.
