“What’s upsetting you Alex? The fact that she’s there, or the fact you’re not?”
“Score one for the doctor.”
My insolence only seemed to make him more curious.
“I understand that you’re hurting, Alex.”
Fuck, we were like brothers—not by blood, but by choice. And he was right. Pain and resentment were at the forefront of my mind.
“If you’re trying to work out a way back to her, I have to tell you that at this point in time, it will only mess with your sanity.”
“You’re right. I’ve always known that she’s unattainable.”
I needed time to sort out my feelings.
“Is the ring still on her finger?”
It was a pathetic, last-ditch effort, and I knew it.
“As far as I know, yes.”
The gash in my heart felt exposed down to the depths of my soul. I knew I had to let her go. I couldn’t live with the constant uncertainties any longer.
“She’s made her choice.” I said, powerless and still in love. I downed the beer in one long draw.
“Alex, with time, you never know where life will lead you—or Madison. Your paths may cross again.”
The pull to keep hope alive was too strong. I wasn’t ready to give up entirely, not yet. I was glad I’d come. Theo had the ability to lurk deep within your soul and find the cancer eating you alive. Then he would expose it to the light, and you dealt with it.
“You’re right, buddy. You know me so well. Can you grab me another one of those beers? You’re going to need it after I tell you who called me today.”
***
I hadn’t put on a suit in ages, and I was pleased it still fit like a glove. I called Ben, giving him a head’s up about using my office. He said he would clean out the cobwebs, and dust, hoping he would somehow find my desk buried beneath the rubble.
Smartass.
I arrived thirty minutes early and headed straight for my office. He had kept his word. It was spit-shined and sparkling clean. It even smelled good. I ran my fingertips along the edge of the mahogany wood, triggering memories I’d buried deep inside.
My father, for one. I’d always thought I would be part of this company someday. I thought the lawyer I’d become would bring me the career gratification that was always just somehow out of reach. When I sat in the tall leather chair and heard a loud creek, I laughed to myself. It had been a while. Then I went to the supply cabinet and found a bottle of WD-40. Problem fixed. Pulling out my old familiar yellow legal pad for old time’s sake felt good. I opened my laptop and started typing.
***
Ben’s assistant knocked lightly on the door and peeked in.
“Janelle Rolex is here to see you.”
“Send her in, please.”
I stood and straightened my tie, then in walked Janelle.
She wore her wealth and stature well. She was a real beauty with her long, brunette waves and barely-there makeup. Her bright smile was warm and welcoming.
“There he is—temptation himself!”
“I could say the same,” I said, embracing her in a hug. “Please have a seat.”
I directed her to the luxury chair across from me, while I took my place behind the massive desk.
“I won’t lie, Janelle.” I lifted my pen, tapping it against my bottom lip. “You have definitely piqued my interest.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second.” She smiled. “Can we get the legality out of the way right off the bat?”
Fuck, she wanted to secure payment to ensure attorney-client privileges.
She slid a check toward me at the same time I slid across my contract. When she signed it, we both felt relieved.
“Okay, we’re official. Now, tell me, how I can help?”
I had racked my brain trying to come up with a logical reason for why she had called me. Obviously, she had just bought herself a lawyer, so at least I knew the direction we were headed in.
“Where do I begin?” she asked, taking in a deep breath. “Elizabeth—or Lizzy—we met on the Grand Cayman island about three years ago. We hit it off immediately. We had the same professional backgrounds, the same interests and zest for life. After weeks of fun in the sun, she was scheduled to go home to Texas, and I, of course, was here. I asked her to come stay with me, and she agreed.”
“And you didn’t find that too…easy, suspicious?” The attorney in me asked.
“I trusted her.”
Her words held a deeper meaning. The puzzle was beginning to form in my mind.
“Eventually, we fell in love. It was a surprise to me, too, Alex.”
“Understandable. You were in a consensual relationship with a woman. I don’t judge that. Go on.”
I looked into her eyes and saw genuine vulnerability, pain, and heartache. It was a feeling I was all too familiar with.
“I got her a midlevel job at my father’s company. She did well and received promotions solely based on merit.”
“Then what happened?” I asked, knowing this wasn’t going to have a happy ending.
“There was an internal audit, then an official investigation. It proved she had been embezzling money. She denied it, of course, but the truth will come out all the same. The evidence is too solid.”
“How much are we talking here?
“Over two million, so far.”
“I’m so sorry, Janelle.”
“I don’t think I have to tell you how the break-up played out.”
She looked like she wanted to cry, but she swallowed the lump in her throat just in time. Betrayal was a serious emotion, strong enough to bring down even the strongest of people.
“The new twist is that she wants to go public with our affair. It wouldn’t bother me personally, but my father and I have an understanding—only friends and family know about my sexual preferences. I would never go public with this, because there are serious consequences in place if I go public. If I leave the closet.”
From the look on her face, I could only imagine the worst.
“And there’s always the chance she’ll implicate me in the charges. Alex, I’m a trust-fund baby, and the sole heir to a Forbes list fortune, so what would my motives be?”
Finally catching my breath, the lawyer muscles in me warmed up. It was like riding a bike, and it all came rushing back.
“I’ll need all the files. The complaint, the charges, who’s leading the investigation, the evidence. Have charges been filed yet?” I didn’t bother waiting for an answer. “I need a chance to look over everything to give us a real edge. We’ll need to fight every angle before it happens—if it happens.”
I scratched my chin. Had I forgotten anything?
“I’ll have everything delivered to you today.”
With a glance at my Rolex, she smiled. “Nice watch.”
She fidgeted with the handle on her Gucci bag, stalling. I could see she was trying to work out just what to say next. There was something fragile about her, and that was a far cry from the Janelle standing before me, but it was exactly like the Janelle I’d once known.
“There’s just one last thing.”
“This is me you’re talking to, remember? Spill it.”
“I need you to be my beard.”
My jaw dropped as she continued.
“At least through the duration of the proceedings, no matter how it all turns out. I need my public image to scream heterosexual. It could work, Alex. You’re a single, handsome attorney from a fancy law firm. It’s believable that we could be a couple.”
“So, I’m suddenly the level-headed one in the relationship?”
“Funny. It would require some nauseating PDA on both our parts.”
I cringed at the images in my head.
“Things will move quickly if you agree to this. We have a charity event tomorrow, white-tie. My limo will pick you up at seven.”
“Wait, slow down. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m usually up for anything, and usually I�
�m pretty cool with crazy, but this? Pretending to have an imaginary relationship, or a make-believe affair? It sounds like it could go terribly, terribly wrong.”
“You can do this, Alex. We have a nice rapport, and we have a past.”
I gave her an irritated look.
“Okay, forget the past part.”
Despite my worries, the idea was beginning to take root. I wasn’t sure why I was considering it. It was the kind of a distraction I’d been looking for, however. It would force me to shut off my emotions, and in their place, I’d be part of a staged liaison.
“After all, once word spreads, the rest will be easy.”
She was still selling me, but what she didn’t understand was that I had nothing left to lose.
“I admit that I’m a man who acts on a whim.”
Janelle waited on the edge of her seat.
“Okay, I’ll be your pretend boyfriend—without the perks.”
She smiled and shook hands across my desk, sealing the deal.
Then she pushed the check closer, facedown, urging me to pick it up.
I did.
“Honestly, Janelle, legal fees are enough. And the other? I won’t accept money for that.”
I turned it over.
“Oh, okay. Well, maybe a new beach house would be nice.”
Besides, how hard could it be?
***
The white stretch limo pulled up at seven o’clock on the dot. Janelle was inside waiting when I climbed in.
“Don’t you look handsome.”
I was worried my tux may have had an inch of dust, but I was lucky that the dry cleaners had pristinely bagged it.
“You look lovely yourself.”
She smiled.
“Well, thank you. I thought I’d run through a few things so there won’t be any surprises.”
It was suddenly obvious that this was really happening. I swallowed and nodded in agreement.
“There will be cameras, so we want to utilize that to our benefit. A couple lip-locks should be in order.”
I nodded again, watching the world go by through the window.
“And no matter how exciting those kisses might be, you have to keep in mind that I bat for the other team.”
I was so in my head that I missed that fact that she was playing with me, joking around, taking the pressure off. I turned to her with a genuine smile.
“I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises.”
Maybe we could have some actual fun with this. I just needed to keep her as far away from my thoughts as humanly possible.
We pulled up to the event, and she was right: the camera flashes were blinding. I stepped out first, wrapping my arm around her hip, pulling her body into mine. At our first stop, I nuzzled her ear, pretending to whisper naughty things as she pretended to blush and giggle.
Our next stop was on the red carpet, where we shared a sweet kiss. We held it the perfect amount of time for the cameras to catch the smooch. Then it was one last pose before we went in.
“Go all out?” I whispered in her ear.
“Show me what you got,” she teases back.
We move into position, and I planted a solid lip-lock on her, slowly leaning her back, very Cary Grant–like, dipping her as I deepened the kiss. The cameras went wild. The photographers were shouting, and the flashes were blinding.
I lifted her up and pulled her into the gala with a grin on my face.
“Ew, gross,” she playfully whispered in my ear.
It took me by surprise, and a full-on belly laugh snuck up on me. I threw my head back in pure delight. Then I heard the camera shutters going off, and once again I was temporarily blinded by the flashes.
“I’m impressed, Alex.”
“Yeah, me too.”
I didn’t know I’d had it in me. This fun was contagious and addictive, and for a few brief moments, I had forgotten everything about her, just like that.
Chapter Seven
Madison
I was giddy as we made our way through the small warehouse where the new “Perry” brand was being developed. There was prototypes everywhere for distribution.
“We have basically two lines, Eden. The Elite, which will contain the equivalent of runway styles. Sacks and Nieman will carry those. And the selected pieces for the everyday woman.
“So, I had this thought.” Stopping at the doors leading to the design room, I reached for Eden’s hand. “I had this idea of silk screening one of the blouses and using one of your paintings as the pattern of design. You’re a fantastic artist, and you could even create an original piece if you chose to.”
“Are you kidding?” Her excitement bubbled over the surface. “Of course, that would be amazing! A real dream come true. Yes, I’ll do it!”
“Okay then, it’s settled.” We walked through the doors and saw a handful of people working at different stations on their original pieces. “This one’s almost complete. Try it on.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you! try it on.”
I pointed to the dressing room, which was really a shower curtain and a rod.
The canary-yellow fitted dress had a slight draping over the bustline, which created the right amount of cleavage, and the back had a sexy cutout sewn into the seam. The chiffon material flowed, giving the appearance of a high-low dress.
“I don’t have all day, you know!”
My enthusiasm getting the better of me.
“Oh, my God.”
“I heard that!”
She stepped out, and I pointed to the full-length mirror just a few feet away.
“Madison, this is… I love it… It looks so…”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“I want one,” she said simply as she twirled left then right, catching the movement in every direction.
“Of course. I’ll send you one as soon as I can have one made. Is the color right? I could change it.”
“It’s time you started to own it.” She beamed at me. “The color is perfect. Is this the Elite?”
“Yes, but there will be subtle style changes for my basic line. It will still have all the bells and whistles, just at a more affordable price. I would never leave out the everyday woman.”
We spent the next hour looking at the designs in progress and then we went off to lunch at The Pearl on the river, with its unforgettable view of the water. Then we headed back to my place.
It meant a lot to know that Theo had arranged this visit with Eden. She was like a sister to me. I treasured the peace I felt with her here. The new family unit had taken some getting used to, but in a good way.
“Tea, coffee?” I offered.
“Coffee, please. I’m just going to check emails, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. Here, let me clear off more room at the table.”
The late-afternoon sun’s rays were peeking through my drapes, giving her face an angelic quality. I sat two cups down and joined her.
“Theo misses me.”
Her smile told me everything I needed to know.
“Is it official? Has he moved in?”
I didn’t want to give my new friend the third degree, but I craved a family connection and wanted to be close to each of them in turn.
“Yes, his place is up for sale. My only hesitation was the future, but I’m pretty sure we want the same things now. I’ve always hoped to find what my parents had. I wasn’t planning on settling on anything less. I wanted it all, and I had to know Theo wanted the same.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more.”
Every damn day felt like I was just winging it, waiting for the ball to drop. I was willing myself to keep it together, waiting to hear from Steel or Theo with news—anything that would get me out of this mess.
“Whoa, holy shit,” Eden said, then quickly shut her laptop.
When she turned her face to mine, I knew by the sadness in her eyes that she was hiding something—and that it had something to do with me.<
br />
“Eden, please.”
My stomach tightened when she pulled up the website and I read the headline in big bold letters: Janelle Rolex’s new beau is a tickin’ bomb! Picture after picture of Alex stared back at me. His smile was blinding for all to see. He was more than handsome, wrapped up in another woman’s arms.
“Who is she?” I whispered through my pain.
She was pretty, and he was as charming as they came. There was proof in every photo that they were happy. I hated her instantly.
“I don’t know, Madison.”
Fat tears welled up in my eyes. Reality was slapping me in the face. He had clearly moved on.
“He has every right to be with someone else.” But that fact did little to comfort me. My misguided anger told me to rise above it, but it was so difficult. “He looks happy.”
I should have been happy for him, too. I had let him go, and he had flown away. Why was I so upset now? I had no right to feel any claim over him—not anymore.
“Madison, it’s Alex, and you know his adventurous ways. It may not be exactly what it looks like.”
But the fact remained that the pictures didn’t lie. His lips were on hers. Their bodies were intimately touching. There was no other explanation for their closeness. I would just have to accept it.
“No, Eden. You don’t have to spare me the pain. I caused this. It was obvious that I had to let him go.”
As a tear ran down my cheek, I closed the laptop, and with it, I closed my heart.
***
It was our last day together, and then my safety net would be gone. The feeling of someone watching out for me was comforting, and I savored the moments. When I dropped Eden off at the airport, we hugged and kissed each other, saying goodbye through our tears. I drove home in silence, a heavy burden on my shoulders between Graham and the investigation.
And then there was Alex.
***
When I arrived home, I was startled to find Graham waiting for me, sitting in my chair, overlooking the street. It was as if he’d known the exact time Eden had left, but that wasn’t what got my attention. He held my engagement ring between his two fingers, watching as it glistened in the sunlight. It was unsettling knowing that he had gone through my place.
Surviving the Storm (Surviving Series Book 2) Page 5
