When she finally looked at her reflection in the mirror, she smiled. She looked perfect. She had curled her hair and worn it in a side sweep giving her an opportunity to spot chunky silver studded earrings. The way the dress hang loose around her breasts and clung to her hips made her look like some sort of Kardashian…only hotter, she thought. Everything about her look was screaming glamour. She slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed a purse before she walked to the living room. She couldn’t help but think that she looked like some sort of bride.
“Maybe it’s all a little too white,” she thought as she walked to the living room. She sat on the edge of the couch and noticed the time. It was exactly seven. Just then she heard the doorbell ringing loudly, interrupting the serenity of the apartment. She stood up and walked to the door. A smile played on her lips when she saw Alex standing outside in a dark suit. “Does he own any kind of casual wear?” she wondered as she buzzed him in. She suddenly didn’t mind her all white attire at all. Alex looked just as glam as she did anyway. She walked to the door when she heard a soft knock on her door. She didn’t know why but her heart was beating fast. She almost felt the same way she did on the night of her senior prom when her boyfriend and long term crush Darrel Wilkins came over to pick her up. She took a long deep breath before she opened the door.
“Wow,” Alex said when he saw her. She looked at him and smiled.
“I could say the same thing to you,” she said as she looked at his perfectly dark slim suit under the black winter coat he had on. He stepped forward and gave her a quick kiss.
“Ready to go?”
“I’ll just get my coat,” she said before she walked in. She had a long maroon coat in her hands when she finally came back.
“Turn around,” Alex said as he took the coat from her. He held the coat for her as she slipped her arms into the arm holes. “Come on. We don’t want to be late for our reservation,” he said as he led her out.
“Yeah, about that,” she started as they began walking down the stairs. “How is it that I don’t remember making any plans?”
“I don’t know, you tell me,” he said. She raised an eyebrow as they walked out of the building. She almost gasped when she saw the town car in front of her building. She didn’t expect any less from Alex but a town car was too much for a simple dinner reservation. She looked at him and put her hand on the car, keeping him from opening the door. “What is it?” he asked as he looked into his eyes.
“You brought a town car instead of the usual…” her voice trailed off when she realized that nothing about Alex ever said ‘usual’ not even when he tried. “Why did you bring the town car, Alex?” she finally asked.
“Don’t be a party pooper baby. This is just dinner,” he said. She looked at him and shrugged. “Now you want to hold me ransom for wanting to spend a lovely evening with the woman I’m crazy about?” he asked.
She smiled and pulled her hand away. He opened the door for her and she got in, her mind still spiraling. She could still feel that something was amiss when they got to the restaurant. Like Alex was not being completely honest. Her suspicions had grown even more when she tried talking about it in the car and he, instead of answering her, put his hand up her skirt and caressed her soft inside thigh. She was trying hard not to moan out loud as he used his fingers to caress her moist pussy. She looked at him as the town car pulled up in the restaurant’s parking lot.
“You really wanted to keep me quiet, didn’t you?” she asked as he licked her juices off his fingers.
“No, I just really wanted to know what I am in for later tonight,” he said before he got out of the car. She straightened herself up before Alex opened the door for her. She stepped out and he slipped an arm around her waist. “The thought of your wet pussy is all I will be thinking about tonight. I hope you know that,” he said in a soft voice as they walked into the restaurant. She barely had enough time to answer him when she suddenly heard a loud roar of fifty plus people yell a loud ‘Surprise!’ Her grip instinctively tightened around his hand as she looked around the room. Everyone she knew was there. Her workmates, her boss, her assistant…even Jake and April were there. She turned around to look at Alex.
“What is this?” she asked as she looked into his eyes.
“Happy birthday, baby,” he said in a soft voice as he slipped an arm around her waist to pull her to himself. She was breathing hard as she rest her head on his shoulder. How could she have forgotten her own birthday? That almost never happened. Was this what her life had become? Was she so busy that she didn’t pay attention to what was going on in her life anymore?
Chapter 2
Cadence was looking at her boss like she had just said the craziest thing on earth. And in all honesty, Emily had indeed just said the most ridiculous thing Cadence had ever heard.
“What do you mean, you forgot your own birthday?” Cadence asked. Emily couldn’t help but hear the accusatory tone in her voice. It was like she had just announced the most ridiculous thing ever.
“Relax. It’s not like I just announced I’m a Republican or anything,” Emily said matter of factly as she bit into her taco. The two were having lunch at Emily’s apartment. After the party that ran a little later than she would have hoped, Emily opted to work from home. But she hadn’t been as productive as she would have hoped for. She had only worked for two hours and when Cadence came over, the work day had been transformed into a day of binge eating and lashing out at her boss for forgetting her birthday.
“Actually becoming Republican is actually something that I would forgive you for. This is bigger…it’s like forgetting Christmas!”
“Really?” Emily smiled.
“Okay, maybe you’re right. It’s not as bad as forgetting Christmas.”
“Thank you. Glad that you’re finally seeing things my way,” Emily pointed out.
“It’s worse,” Cadence said and Emily raised an eyebrow.
“What? I thought we were on the same page and everything,” she said but Cadence shook her head.
“Oh hell no. What you did is like Santa showing up at an orphanage with no toys. The disappointment on those poor children’s faces…devastating.”
“There is never a dull moment with you, is there?” she laughed before she bit into her taco again.
“I try to make everything as interesting as I can seeing as your life is so dull and everything,” she said as she reached for her grape soda. She took a long sip and looked at Emily. “So seriously, how exactly did the whole birthday thing slip your mind?”
“Caddie, can we just drop this?” Emily asked but Cadence shook her head.
“I can’t because I have been monitoring your schedule and I could have sworn I took over most of your workload. What the hell happened? How would something so small yet so important escape your mind?” she asked. Emily shrugged. “And to make it even worse, this was the first time in a long time that you actually had a man in your life to actually give you a reason to get excited about the day.”
“I can’t believe I have to say this but it hasn’t been as long as you are insinuating,” Emily said.
“What?” Cadence asked, feigning surprise.
Emily grabbed the grape soda from Cadence.
“I mean exactly what I just said.”
“Well, I have been your assistant for a long time and the only men I have seen you with…it was always business related. I highly even doubt if you’ve ever had a booty call,” she said.
“Actually, I have. A number of times,” Emily smiled.
“In this life or some weird fantasy that I should perhaps know about?” Cadence asked. Emily shook her head and took the now empty water glass on the table in front of her and poured some soda into it. “Wait, you are serious about this, aren’t you?” she asked and Emily nodded.
“I was a real wild one at some point in my life,” she said just as they heard the front door open. Their attention turned to the hallway where they saw a tired looking April walking in.
“Are those tacos? It’s eleven in the morning,” she said frowning.
“Well, it’s lunch hour somewhere in the world,” Emily said.
“That statement only works with alcohol,” April said as she kicked off her shoes. She sat down next to her cousin and reached for a taco. Emily smiled. “I don’t want to hear it,” April pointed out quickly before either of the girls had a chance to speak their mind. “Oh my God…these have to be the best tacos ever,” she said when she bit into her taco.
“I know, right?” Cadence asked a little too proudly.
“You made these?” April asked surprised.
Emily shook her head.
“Her boyfriend did.”
Cadence punched her arm playfully.
“Rogelio is not my boyfriend,” she said.
Emily couldn’t help but notice the childish tone in her voice. She loved it. Her sweet assistant was smitten and she didn’t want to admit it.
“Cadence has a boyfriend?” April asked, even more surprised. Cadence looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
“The fact that you sound all weirdly surprised makes me want to smack you right in the face,” she said.
April shook her head and reached for a napkin.
“No, don’t get me wrong…Cadence. It’s just that…you are a really bossy person and also a little proud,” she said as she dabbed the sides of her mouth with the napkin. “It’s kind of hard to imagine you with a man. Unless of course he becomes a puppy dog or something.”
“Now help me understand, how was that not meant to offend me?” Cadence asked.
“I mean, you call your boss by her last time as if you are some kind of slave driver in a plantation,” she pointed out.
“What? It gives me some sense of power,” Cadence argued.
“Your honor, members of the jury, I rest my case,” April said in a dramatic English accent.
Cadence rolled her eyes.
“What April is trying to say is that you can be a handful every so often, Caddie. That’s all,” Emily said in a bid to end the brewing feud.
“But still adorable,” April added.
Cadence wagged a warning finger at her.
“You are still not off the hook.”
“Well, no one really mentioned who this Rogelio is anyway.” April took another bite of her taco. “Because if you don’t want him, I'll take him,” she added with a smile.
“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Cadence asked.
“I do. But as soon as he tastes these tacos, I’m sure he will be okay with another man in my life,” April said.
“Rogelio owns a food truck downtown. He has been finding little excuses to come to the office just so he could sneak a peek at Cadence. And she likes it,” Emily teased.
“I think this is my cue to leave,” she said as she got up from the couch. She bent down to grab her soda and April slammed her hand on the paper bag containing the last taco.
“You better unhand that,” she said in a warning tone.
Cadence smiled and raised her soda.
“This is what I was reaching for, you hungry freak,” she said shaking her head. “And this from someone who was almost persecuting us for having tacos at eleven in the morning not too long ago,” she added before she took a long sip of her soda.
“So, are you heading back to the office?” Emily asked and her assistant nodded. “Would you clear these two files before you clock out?” she asked as she handed Cadence two of the files that were on the table.
Cadence nodded.
“Wait, why does she have to go back to the office if you are here?” April asked.
“Rogelio might be stopping by,” Emily whispered loud enough for Cadence to hear. Cadence’s cheeks were snow a bright crimson.
“I’m out of here,” she said as she walked to the door.
“Seriously, if she doesn’t take that Ramon guy, I will,” April said.
“You mean Rogelio,” she said and April rolled her eyes.
“I don’t need to know his name. All we’ll be doing is eating anyway,” she said.
Emily shook her head and smiled as she took a long sip of her soda.
“So, speaking of men in your life, isn’t Jake supposed to be coming in today?” Emily asked.
“Yeah but he still has a few hours before he lands. Gives me just enough time to get to the spa,” she said.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense if you went to the spa together?” she asked.
April nodded as she got the last taco out of the bag.
“Yes but this is my appointment. I need to do some landscaping, if you know what I mean,” she said.
Emily shook her head and got up from the couch.
“Please, say no more,” she said as she took one last sip of her soda. She stuffed the empty takeout papers into one paper bag and headed to the kitchen before she came back carrying a tablecloth.
“So enough with the whole my man…let’s talk about your man. Billionaire playboy Alexander Brewer,” April said as Emily wiped down the coffee table. Emily looked up in surprise.
“Billionaire what now?” she asked as she looked at April who used her free hand to reach for her phone. Emily did know about Alex’s past but the way April had said it made it sound like there was something more she should know about.
“There we go,” April said as she handed her phone to Emily.
“What is this? What am I looking at?” she asked as she looked at the phone.
“An article I came across on Perez Hilton’s blog,” April said as she took one last bite of her taco.
“What has Perez Hilton got to do with Alex?” Emily asked.
“Read on, dear cousin. Just read on,” April said.
“Where is he now?” Emily read the headline and then sat down.
Over the last few months, America’s favorite billionaire playboy Alex Brewer has been MIA. He didn’t even show up at the Hamptons White Party, an event he had been known to attend without fail. Brewer’s on again off again fling, Russian-American sports personality Lenka Lavrentyev was quoted saying “…I haven’t been keeping in touch with Alex of late. He’s been a little distant probably because of all his companies…”
However, we here at Perez Hilton have it on good authority that someone might have just made an honest man out of Alex Brewer. We don’t have her name yet but we do know that she is a civilian, a little curvy too according to this paparazzi photo.
Emily looked up at April and gasped in surprise.
“That’s me and Alex leaving a restaurant after dinner,” she said.
“I know. Be thankful they didn’t get a clear shot of your face otherwise you’d be having paparazzi at your doorstep twenty four seven.”
“But I am just a stock manager not some…Kardashian,” Emily said. “They wouldn’t be able to find me.”
“The only reason why paparazzo are able to find people is because they know people where it matters…friends in high places if you might. All they have to do is get your photo and get a friend who works down at the DMV – because they always have that one person working at the DMV – and just like that, every single piece of information about you is out there. Your name, your address, eye color…everything.” April leaned back against the couch and undid her pants button before she pulled down her zipper. “I think I ate too much.”
“You think?” Emily asked without looking up. She was looking at the blurred photo of herself on April’s phone. “They are at least right about one thing. I am curvy,” she thought as she looked at the photo of herself in a black and white dress and white heels.
“So, Ms. Carter,” April started as she looked at her cousin. “Are you indeed going to be making a decent honest man out of America’s favorite playboy?”
Emily rolled her eyes and handed the phone back to April.
“You need to slow down. We are a long way from making any kind of serious decisions,” she said as she walked to the kitchen.
April followed
her there and looked at her.
“Why does it sound like you are avoiding something, cuz?”
Emily was wiping down the counters, carefully avoiding April’s line of sight.
“What makes you say that?”
April looked at her and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Because I know you better than the back of my hand,” she said. Emily rested her hands on the counter and took a log deep breath. “And there it is. That thing you have been trying to hide from me for the past six seconds,” April said proudly.
“Okay if I tell you this, you cannot hold it against me or anything,” Emily started.
“Okay, color me intrigued,” April said as she pulled out one of the chairs and sat down.
Emily took another long deep breath. She looked at her cousin and could almost tell that April was about to burst with excitement.
“Simmer down, will you for God’s sake?” Emily said as she leaned on the counter.
“I’m trying to, I swear I am,” April said.
“Anyway, I have been getting these weird dreams,” Emily started. Emily could have sworn that she saw a twinkle in April’s eye. “About me and Alex.”
“I don’t understand. What kind of dreams? Sex dreams?”
“God, I wish,” Emily said with a sigh. “They are kind of…” she took a long deep breath. “You are in them and Cadence.” She started and April frowned.
“I’ve always known you were a little wild but that’s disgusting,” she said.
Emily shook her head and held her hand up.
“Will you stop jumping into conclusions long enough for me to make my point?” she said, her voice slightly raised.
April nodded and smiled.
“Okay, okay.”
“So, anyway the dreams, they are always about you guys telling me to be true to my feelings. Especially you, you tell me that I love him and I should tell him…I just don’t know what the whole thing is about,” Emily finally said.
This Was Meant To Be: BWWM Romance Page 13
