by Lulu Pratt
She’s obviously in a mood again this morning and I don’t want to do anything to set her off. I don’t know what it’s going to take for her to snap out of this downward spiral, but she needs to figure it out fast. My energy is completely spent and my hands fumble with the clasp on the purse while Magdalene mumbles under her breath.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said what’s so damn good about this morning? Nothing, that’s what. Nothing about it is good at all. Jacob is gone with Heath. Can you believe that? Heath came by and took my son for a little ‘quality time,’ so he says. So, there you go, you didn’t have to rush back from your obviously very eventful date. I’m not running a hotel here by the way, you can’t just pop in whenever you feel like it.”
I step forward and drop the purse on the couch next to Magdalene. “I know you’re upset, but you know me better than that. I went on a date during my time off, and I’m sorry if you expected me home earlier. I’m here now, and once I get cleaned up I’ll be happy to help you with whatever you need.”
“Help? I don’t need any help with anything. Look at us,” she says, her words slurring. “These men call and we just go running. Men with money always want to call the shots and pull the strings even after you move on. They never want to let go until they’re done with you. These assholes always find a way to weasel their way back into your life, even when you don’t want them there, and they’re ruthless about it. They don’t care how they do it or who they hurt in the process.”
My eyes follow her trembling hands as she fills up another glass of wine and brings it to her lips.
There is no us. You are the one who runs to Heath whenever he calls. Don’t include me in your little shit show of dysfunction.
How many glasses has she had? Has she even gone to sleep or has she been up all night getting hammered?
“Money,” she says, waving her hand around, splashing wine on the couch.
I’ll obviously have to clean that up later.
I want to pluck my eyes from their sockets to avoid rolling them at Magdalene. I should feel sorry for her, I know that, but she’s giving me every reason to side with Heath right now. For once, Heath did the right thing by taking Jacob with him for the day, because Magdalene clearly needs to pull herself together.
“Money,” she says again, “makes them think they can do whatever they want. They think they can buy and sell you just like that.” She snaps her fingers to help drive her point home.
“You want to know something? It’s not worth it. It’s never been worth it. No matter what you tell yourself, no matter how many apologies and excuses he makes, none of it’s worth it. They think they own you… like you should be drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Sure, I live in this lavish condo, but Heath’s already threatened to take it away from me just because he can. He thinks he makes all the rules.”
I try to focus on Magdalene, but I’m scanning the living room and kitchen and I want to walk over and shake her. Last night before I left for my date, I made sure to leave everything in pristine condition, and now everything looked out of place. Dishes are piled up in the sink, there’s a puddle of either juice or wine in the middle of the floor, and of course the fresh stains all over the sofa. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she’d had a party while I was away.
I leave for a few hours and all hell breaks loose. What on Earth did she eat that required so many dishes? She can barely boil water.
Magdalene takes another gulp of wine and runs her fingers through her bone-straight hair. “We’re toys to them, Jade. They pick us up and put us down just like Jacob does with his blocks. They’ll do anything, say anything, and use anyone to get the toy they want back. Does that seem fair to you? Do you like being reduced down to being a Tinkertoy to these assholes?”
She starts to get up from the couch, but loses her balance and plops back down. The rest of the wine in her glass empties all over the sofa.
You could have at least drank white wine instead of red.
I grab my shoes and start inching my way to the stairs. Any other day, I’d take the time to cater to Magdalene and watch her lick her emotional wounds, but today is not that day. I had a great date, a wonderful night and an even better morning and I’m not about to let her ruin any more of it. The mess in the kitchen and living room will stay right where it is for now, and I’ll deal with it later.
“I’m going to head upstairs and take a shower. Get some rest, Magdalene, I’ll come down and check on you later,” I say.
She mumbles something incoherent and empties the rest of the wine bottle into her glass. I shake my head in disgust, unable to hide how I feel any longer. I hope she sobers up sooner rather than later, because this isn’t the Magdalene I know. I don’t know who the hell this is, other than a sad shell of a woman.
I cover my mouth and try to keep the yawn from escaping. Despite the restful sleep from last night, I still feel exhausted, and desperately want to relax and unwind before Jacob comes home. I walk over and stand in front of my window wondering where Asher is and if he can see me. As if he’s reading my mind, my phone rings, and I reach to answer.
“Hello, beautiful,” he says.
I smile and lean against the window. “Hello, Mr. Jordan,” I say.
“I see you’ve made it home okay. Look over to your right a little and give me a wave.”
I look over and squint to the room with the telescopes. Asher’s standing there waving and I laugh before waving back.
“What are you about to do?” he asks.
“Well,” I say. “I’m going to take a long hot bath and relax for a little while. Jacob isn’t here right now, so I have some time to myself.”
“So, you could have stayed with me a little longer,” he says.
“Actually, I definitely need to be home. Magdalene is here and she’s an absolute mess. She’s drunk and rambling on and on about men and their money. I have no clue as to how long she’s been like this. I’m going to get settled and then see if I can get her sobered up a little, because right now, she looks terrible. But that’s my concern, not yours. What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“I’m exhausted, so I’m going to take a shower and rest up too. I would let you go, but I’m enjoying the view too much,” he says.
“Is that right? I think I can arrange something for you before I jump in the shower. Stay tuned,” I say before ending the call without warning, knowing he’ll watch me for an explanation.
Slowly, I reach for the hem of my dress, wiggling my hips to free my curves. The fabric glides up over my thighs and I pause for a moment, making sure Asher gets an eyeful. I turn around and bend over just enough for the dress to ride up beneath the curve of my ass.
Knowing he’s watching me makes the experience ten times better. I’m able to forget all about Magdalene in her drunken stupor and the mess she left all over the house.
I can only deal with one thing at a time right now and I’d much rather it be Asher.
I turn back to face the window again, but this time I slip the dress over my head and hold the fabric up to cover my breasts. Asher hasn’t moved an inch from his telescope, and I wonder just how close and personal he can get with his scope. My hands lower slowly to reveal my breasts and I stop midway down my body.
That’s enough of a show for now. Anything more and I’ll end up right back in his penthouse.
I blow him a kiss and wave goodbye before pulling the drapes closed and heading into the bathroom for a hot bath. I’ve been on a roller coaster ride of emotions all within the span of twenty-four hours. First, I have the wonderful date with Asher only to wake up to learn we made front page news. Then I hit the low of my morning after coming home and witnessing the aftermath of Magdalene’s heartbreak.
Maybe I’ll be able to convince Magdalene to take a shower and let me comb her hair. I think she’ll feel better once she starts looking like her normal self.
I relax in the warm water and immedia
tely change my mind. These aches deserve a long hot bubble bath, and right now is the best time to do it since I don’t have to rush and do anything just yet. The place is a mess and my boss is a wreck, but I need this time to focus on me and my needs right now. One thing I do know is that the world won’t end if I take an hour to unwind. I sigh and slip down into the scorching hot water, my tense muscles instantly relaxing. My morning has been an eventful one and it’s not even noon yet.
Chapter 26
ASHER
THE LEAKED photo made me realize I have some loose ends to tie up and they needed to be resolved immediately before anything else gets out. Thanks to Jade and her little striptease, what should have been my relaxing shower ended up being a cold one. I have business to take care of and I can’t do it with an aching erection. My mind races as I sit down at the desk in my home office and dial the private number that has come in handy on several occasions before.
“What’s going on, boss?” asks Nathan.
I wanted to place the call to the head of my security department while I was still home. Not to say I’m paranoid, but the last thing I need is for anyone to overhear and sell the job I’m about to give Nathan to the media. They’re already hot on my heels and out for blood by any means necessary. At least at home, I know for sure my line is secure, and there’s no risk of being exposed. I wouldn’t trust this task in anyone else’s hands other than Nathan’s. He’s been my right-hand man behind the scenes for a very long time.
“Well,” I begin, nervously tapping the desk. “I need you to check on something for me and, naturally, I want to keep it as private as possible. This needs to be discreet and resolved quickly.”
“Just a second, let me grab a notepad,” Nathan interrupts me. “All right, go ahead.”
I inhale and let the breath out in one slow steady stream. “Some eighteen months ago, I dated Magdalene Martez. It was a brief relationship, if you can even call it that, and she quickly moved on to my friend Heath Vanguard. The problem is, there’s a child involved named Jacob, and no matter how many times I go over the dates, the timeframe still leaves me with some doubts.”
There, finally. I got this burden off my chest to somebody else. I still need to break the news to Jade, but I need all the facts first.
“I asked Magdalene about Jacob’s paternity when I first learned of her pregnancy, but she basically blew me off and assured me that Jacob wasn’t my problem. She said Heath was going to take care of them both and I let it go.”
I hear Nathan flip the page over in his notebook and I pause for a moment to let him catch up.
“I need to know for sure,” I explain. “His paternity could derail other things going on in my life and I can’t live with the doubt any longer. If he’s my son, I want to be in his life and take care of him, but if he’s not my son, I want to know that too. The facts are important, so I need to make sure I have all of them before I possibly ruin my current relationship.”
“Leave it to me, boss,” says Nathan. “I’ll discreetly consider everything and find out Jacob’s paternity. I just need to do a surveillance and figure out their daily schedule.”
“Would it help if I get something with his DNA? Something like his hair, perhaps?” I ask. “Time is of the essence and I want to move this along as quickly as possible.”
“Sure,” says Nathan. “If you can get close enough to get his hair, that would be great. It’ll help me out tremendously since I won’t have to trail him and wait for the right opportunity. Once you get the sample, I’ll send it over to my lab connections and sort this thing out for you.”
I push my chair back from desk and stand up. “All right. As soon as I have it, I’ll let you know because I need this test to be top priority.”
“No problem. I’ve got it covered, so don’t worry about a thing. I’ll be in touch if I’m able to gather any pertinent information beforehand,” says Nathan.
“Before I let you go, I have one more favor to ask,” I say.
“Go for it. I’m all ears.”
“I take it you’ve seen the photo of me and Ms. Sinclair circulating all over the internet…”
Nathan clears his throat several times and takes a deep breath. “Yes, sir. I’ve seen it.”
“That’s a problem. There’s nothing I can do about the photo, but I want you to take whatever you need from my emergency account and make sure that no one will leak Jade’s identity. The cost is a non-factor. I don’t care if they hound me, but I want her left out of it. I’m lucky they didn’t get a clear shot of her face.”
“Like I said before, I’ve got it covered. Ms. Sinclair is in good hands and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her information from getting into the wrong hands.”
Even though I pay Nathan handsomely to be available whenever I need him, I think he deserves a bonus for all the extra work I’ve asked of him lately.
We say our goodbyes, I take a quick shower, and grab my briefcase as I make my way out the door and down to my car. Amelia has been calling nonstop, demanding I come in and take care of some of the paperwork I’ve been blowing off for these past week. In truth, I think she just wants help battling the influx of phone calls coming in.
“Take me to the office, Ed,” I say.
He nods and closes the door once I’ve settled into the back seat.
I wait for him to get into the driver’s seat. “Last night, did you see any photographers hanging around the gallery?” I ask.
Ed glances up at me in the rearview mirror. “No, sir. I saw the picture first thing this morning and I hate that it happened, especially on my watch. While I’m no Nathan, I do try to look over your shoulder when we’re out, Mr. Jordan. If I would have seen anybody hanging around taking photos, you know I would have gotten rid of them for you.”
“I know,” I say, acknowledging his use of my formal name, a clear indication of the seriousness if I’d missed it in his tone.
I sigh and stare out the window for a few moments before my vibrating cell phone grabs my attention. The number isn’t saved, but the digits do look vaguely familiar.
“Hello?”
“Well, hello there,” says a seductive and inviting voice.
My jaw tenses immediately and the urge to throw my phone out the window causes my fingertips to tingle.
Magdalene.
“Hello, Magdalene. How can I help you?”
“It’s been a while,” she says. “I thought I would give you a call and see how things are going.”
I loosen my tie and shake my head. “Great. Everything is great.”
She must have seen the photo and put the pieces of the puzzle together, because there’s no way this is a coincidence.
“What have you been up to lately?” she asks.
“Not much,” I say. “Listen, I’m heading into my office and can’t really talk right now. I’m doing well, and I hope you are too. Take care.”
I end the call before she has the chance to utter another word.
Shit.
I’ve been lucky up to this point but I think that’s about to come to an end. I need to get my hands on a DNA sample from Jacob as soon as possible. The least I can do is ensure Jade he’s not my kid. That should at least give her a silver lining.
What if Magdalene says something to Jade before I do?
I reach for my phone and consider dialing Jade’s number. Even though I don’t have the paternity test, I can still explain what went down with Magdalene. But I really don’t want to come clean without the proof. I know the minute I mention our past, the timeframe will come off suspicious. Before Jade has a chance to suspect anything or jump to conclusions, I want to have all the answers available.
For now, I’ll have to bide my time until I get the information I need, or until Magdalene says something. How did I get mixed up in such a mess? The tabloids and gossips sites will have a field day if they find out about this faux love triangle.
We pull up in front of my building to a sea of reporters posted outs
ide. I’m met with a firestorm of questions as soon as I open the car door.
“Who’s the mystery lady?”
“Is it serious?!”
“Are you officially off the market?”
“Mr. Jordan!”
I keep the expressionless look on my face as I wade through the reporters, microphones and cameras.
“Make sure you all do not cross this line!” I hear Ed yell behind me as I turn around to face the crowd. I point down at the clearly marked line indicating where my private property ends and where the public property begins.
I made sure a long time ago to clearly indicate how far the press can come onto my property and the second one of them crosses the line, they’ll be arrested for trespassing without question.
I stroll into the building without giving a statement about the picture or my relationship status.
They’re like vultures, so I know they’re going to keep hanging around, fighting for the tiniest morsel of information.
Amelia meets me at the elevator as soon as it opens to my floor. Her face is red and she’s fanning herself with a stack of papers.
“Thank goodness you made it!” she says, out of breath. “This stress is giving me hot flashes, and I’m in no mood for any of this nonsense today. Did you get rid of the swarm of reporters downstairs?”
“No,” I answer absentmindedly, walking into my office as I struggle to focus my mind on business. “I did show them the line though.”
Amelia shakes her head while rolling her eyes. “You and that damn line. You do realize that just keeps them off your property, but doesn’t make them go away, right? I can’t even make it out the building for lunch without them surrounding me with questions.”
I smile as I set my briefcase down on my desk. Amelia has been around for several of my media explosions in the past, so I know she’s familiar with the drill. I also know she’s using them as an excuse to order food for delivery from her favorite restaurant.
“Well, Amelia, I can’t handle the thought of you missing your lunch because of those reporters, so why don’t you order something on your company card,” I say.
