by Sara Celi
“Natalie.”
They shook.
“So, I take it that you’re one of my son’s…friends.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“These days, my son has a lot of friends.” My father shook his head. “Perhaps you’ve heard of his illustrious reputation.”
“I have.”
My father’s gaze met mine, then Natalie’s. A smirk curled his upper lip. “And you’re okay with that?”
I stepped close to Natalie, suddenly feeling more than a little bit protective of her. She didn’t know the kind of man my father could be when he wanted to make a point. “She is. And really, do we have to do this here?” I turned to Lenora. “Wonderful to see you again.”
“You, too, darling.” She moved forward to kiss me on the cheek, and when we finished embracing, she glanced at Natalie. “And so fantastic to meet you, as well. What a big night for Luke.”
“Big night?” Natalie cocked her head. “What do you mean, big night?”
Lenora looked at me, then back at Natalie. “The award, of course.”
“What award?”
“The one for—”
“It’s nothing. Nothing.” I gave Lenora a look, and she didn’t bother finishing her sentence. I placed my hand on the small of Natalie’s back. “I think they’re serving appetizers by the pool. May I get you one, Natalie?”
“Certainly,” she said.
The two of us said goodbye to my father and Lenora. A few minutes later, Natalie and I had a place at a cocktail table draped with a black linen cloth. About ten feet away from us, the rectangular indoor pool glowed with white lights that set off the tropical landscaping. Lenora and my father stood across on the opposite side, engrossed in conversation with David Clarke, a billionaire investor in Hollywood films, and May Jones, David’s new fiancée. Most of the partygoers had moved outside, and a few dancers from Miami performed salsa routines on a small stage at the edge of the pool.
“What award?” Natalie asked after taking a miniature tuna tartare off the tray of a passing server. She popped it in her mouth. “Tell me.”
“It’s hardly an award.” I cleared my throat. “Just something they do for the donors sometimes.”
“And you’re a big one, right?” She cocked her head. “An important one.”
“Everyone in here is.” I gestured at the crowd, a blur of evening gowns and perfectly pressed tuxedos. “That’s how Palm Beach works.”
Natalie took another canape, this time a bite-sized slice of brie cheese wrapped in puff pastry. “I’ve heard.” She bit into the pastry.
“I’m sorry about my father. He can be a little—blunt.”
“You can be, too.”
I laughed. “Touché.”
“Honestly, there is no need to apologize.” She finished her appetizer. “You should meet mine. He’s worse.”
“Tell me about him.” The words stunned me—I hadn’t made that request to any woman since Faye. But Natalie was different than all the rest of them. I wanted to know everything about her, every small fact about her family, her childhood, and her life.
Natalie meant something to me.
She shrugged. “My dad is hardly in my life. My parents divorced when I was three, and he moved to Jacksonville, where he works as a commercial real estate agent. My mom tries her best to stay away from him. Says he’s toxic. I honestly don’t know. He never acted too interested in getting to know me beyond just the surface.”
“That must have been so hard for you—the divorce.” I took her hand in mine, and a smidgen of the pain and rejection she must have felt seemed to permeate into me. “If it was anything like my parents…divorce can be hell.”
“It was horrible. Disgusting. They did everything they could to hurt each other, even when there was no money at stake.” She raised her eyebrow. “Of course, I’ve read a little about what happened to your parents.”
I nodded. “When it happened, the newspapers in New York wrote about it on and off for year.”
The corners of her mouth turned down. “I’m sorry, Luke.”
“I came to terms with the fact that my father is colorful. Some men trade in their cars every few years. He does that with women.”
“And you? People say that you’re the same way…when it comes to women, at least.”
“I was.” I cleared my throat. I had a past, and I knew it. “But recently, I’ve started to realize that’s no way to live.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but then Grace Andrews, the co-chair of the event, called out to the crowd over the PA system and asked everyone to move into the grand ballroom for dinner at the program.
I offered Natalie my elbow. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”
We followed a long line of partygoers through a series of double doors and into a room that easily fit hundreds of people. Circular tables filled the space, and each one featured a large centerpiece of blue flowers that offset gold-rimmed china and the first course of our meal. I placed an arm around Natalie’s waist and led her to Table 5, located in the center section of the room. We found two open seats and took our places.
“Wow,” she whispered. “This is beautiful.”
“It is.” I nodded and looked around the room. For the first time, I was really seeing the place, and I regretted taking it for granted. How many times had I been at a party like this? Too many times to count. How many times had I disregarded the fact that not everyone lived like this? Too many times to count on that, too. We sat in a room of one percenters, but I’d never thought about them that way before. I’d just let it all drift by me, hardly awake at all. And, if I wanted to be honest with myself, that habit had only grown worse since I’d moved to Palm Beach.
“You’re right.” I took my water glass off the table and raised it in her direction. “This is something special, and it is high time I stopped forgetting that.”
She offered me a smile. “I’m glad I made you think about it.”
I was just about to take a sip of water when Aaron caught my eye. He walked toward our table with Maryanne Plunket. When he reached us, his expression softened.
“So glad we could make it,” he said as the two of them claimed the open seats next to ours. “Going to be a wonderful night.” He extended a hand to Natalie. “I’m Aaron Shields.”
Natalie laughed and shook it. “Natalie.”
“So, you’re the one who’s got Luke all tied up in knots.”
“Tied up in knots?”
“I’d say so.” Aaron laughed at his own comment, then turned to Maryanne. The three of them made small talk. When he finally sat down beside me, he leaned in to my shoulder. “She’s hotter than I expected,” he said in a low voice.
“As if you’re looking.”
“I might not be looking, but I can still look.” Aaron clapped me on the bicep. “And she’s something.”
“I think so, too.”
“Did I see your father at Table 10?”
I nodded.
“I thought he hated Palm Beach.” Aaron picked up the breadbasket from the table, dug out a pretzel roll, and passed the basket to Maryanne. “He hasn’t been here in years.”
“I thought so, too. When I told him about the gala last month, he said he wouldn’t be able to make it because he had to close a deal in Ireland this week. I had no idea he was coming.”
Aaron’s nostrils flared. “Interesting.”
Our table filled up, and the main program began. Servers presented us kale salads for the first course, while the band played background music from a stage in the center of the room. After the salads, we enjoyed a main course of surf and turf, along with baked potato and more bread. About fifteen minutes later, Grace asked the crowd to give her their attention.
“We’re doing a lot of great work here tonight,” she said. “I’m happy to say that The Children’s Fund Read With America Initiative has raised more than one million dollars this evening, and that those funds will go so far in furthe
ring reading programs for at-risk students across the country. To date, the RWA program is working with two hundred fifty schools along the East and West Coasts. We soon hope to expand those efforts in the Midwest.”
The crowd applauded, and she grinned.
“But, I’m also happy to say that we’re not done with our efforts this evening. In fact, one of our most generous donors spearheaded the efforts to improve and expand our gala this evening. And I’m happy to say that donor is with us in this room.”
My breath caught in my throat. Aaron gave me a nudge.
“Will Mister Luke Rothschild please stand up? Luke, I know you’re here, and we can’t thank you enough.” The crowd began clapping again, and I glanced around the room. Many people were staring at me. Reluctantly, I stood from my chair.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Luke Rothschild is one of our most ardent supporters, and last year, because of him, Read With America expanded to Florida, and into forty-five new schools. Several of those schools have become our most successful, and in one case, a failing school that had a literacy rate of twenty-five percent last year, now has eighty-five percent of students reading at or above grade level.” Connie stepped away from the podium and clapped; the rest of the guests followed her lead. “Mr. Rothschild, will you please come forward so that we can formally recognize you?”
I swallowed, plastered a smile on my face, and made my way to the front of the ballroom.
Everyone else clapped and cheered. I didn’t. I sat there in shock. A million dollars raised? A million? Responsibility for improving literacy in forty-five Florida schools? Who was this guy?
“Clap, honey,” Aaron said over the dull roar of acclimation.
“Right. Of course.” I put my hands together, still shocked, and leaned over to him as I began to clap. “I just had no idea he was this generous.”
“He is.” Aaron lifted one shoulder. “And I tell you this, he won’t be happy about this attention. He doesn’t like it.”
“Why not?”
“Luke prefers to do things in private. Less questions that way. Less to worry about. Just being a Rothschild is a hard enough.”
“I can see that,” I said, watching as Luke walked up the dais steps and shook hands with Connie. I glanced in the direction of the table where his father and stepmother sat. I couldn’t read the expressions on their faces. “It seems like everywhere we go, someone knows him—or thinks that they do.”
“And that’s only half of it.” Aaron laughed. “Not to mention all the pressures. He can never live up to his father’s expectations. Never. No matter what he does.”
The applause died down. I still felt stunned and overwhelmed as I took in the sight of Luke standing in the center of the podium. Connie handed him the microphone, and he took a deep breath before he addressed the crowd.
“I appreciate the accolades,” he said. “But I don’t deserve this at all, and I don’t seek out this kind of publicity. I just believe in this mission, and I have for a while. And really, tonight isn’t about me in any way. It’s about all of you—and I want to challenge you to consider over the next few days what you can do to change the outcome for someone in this community. For me, that comes with education.”
Luke said a few more words, then gave the microphone back to Connie. When he returned to the table, I couldn’t help but stare at him.
“What?” he whispered.
“I didn’t expect this,” I said as Connie signaled the band and invited the guests to dance. “Not at all.”
“I didn’t expect it, either.” He held out a hand. “Want to dance?”
I tried to bite back a smile, and failed. “What if I say no?”
“Then I’ll be devastated.”
I took his hand. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”
I didn’t have a chance to talk to him about the award until about two hours later, as we drove away from the estate in the McLaren. Once we reached the street, I decided to bring it up. “So that’s why they fawned over you at the reception a few weeks ago.”
Luke brought the car to a stop at a red light on South County Road. He kept his attention on the street. “Yes.”
“You’re the biggest supporter they have, aren’t you?”
He still didn’t look at me. “Yes.”
“And for how long?”
The light changed to green. “Long enough.”
“And why did you get involved in this?”
“What is this?” He accelerated and began to move the car through the light traffic. “An interrogation?”
“No.” I laughed. “Yes. I’m just surprised. You seem really involved in this group, and I just wondered why.”
He gave me a sideways glance. “It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure I can follow.”
“When I was a kid, I had trouble reading. A lot of trouble. It wasn’t anything that couldn’t be fixed, but I was slower. It didn’t come easy, and I needed extra help. In fact, I got held back in third grade because I had trouble reading on grade level.” Luke laughed to himself. “And trust me, it wasn’t the kind of thing my father wanted to deal with; it didn’t fit into the kind of story he wanted people to know about our family. A man like him sees his children as assets and his wives as interchangeable. An only son with learning problems didn’t fit into his lifestyle. I guess that’s the best way to put it.”
“Wow.”
“We Rothschilds are good at painting a beautiful picture of ourselves, but it’s not that great when you get close up.”
“But you did get help, right? I mean, you seem fine now.”
“Thanks to my mother.” Luke pressed the turn signal on the car and changed lanes. “I don’t really like talking about it.”
“I can tell,” I whispered.
He didn’t speak again until he stopped the car at another light. “I’m sorry. That was curt. I’m just…sometimes, I still have trouble opening up.”
I took his hand. “It’s okay.”
“Good.” He squeezed my palm. “Do you want to come back to my place?”
“Yes.” I regarded him. “But only if you tell me about your mom.”
He chuckled to himself. “Fair enough. But I’m warning you, Natalie. You might not like what you hear.”
“Try me.”
“Okay.”
The light changed, and Luke drove the car through the intersection.
“She died almost a decade ago.” He glanced at me, and our gazes met for a brief second. “The first of two major deaths in my life, and she was a really wonderful person. Shrewd. Knew what she wanted. After she died, my life fell apart, in a way. I didn’t handle it well. Then I met Faye, and she died, too…”
“And somehow you ended up here.”
“My mother loved Palm Beach. She came here as much as she could, and in the end, she was here almost six months out of the year. I can’t blame her for that.”
I took his hand. “And because of what you went through, you decided to devote your time to Read With America? That’s amazing.”
“Plenty of children in our country don’t have the advantages that I do, and when I heard about the charity, I decided I’d help any way that I could. Seemed like one way that I could get over my grief.”
“Did it help?”
He shrugged.
“You never cease to surprise me, Luke.”
He drove the McLaren onto a side street, one that would take us to his oceanfront home. “Same to you, Natalie.”
“That was really selfless what you did. A lot of people are going to benefit from your generosity.”
“I sure hope so.” Luke drove the car into the driveway and cut off the engine. When he turned to me, he narrowed his eyes. “Do you realize how sexy you look in that dress?”
“No.” I moved closer to him so that our faces were only inches apart. “I don’t think I do.”
“Good enough to eat.”
The tone of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I knew what
was coming next, and I wanted it—badly. “Well, what are you going to do about that?”
Luke slipped his hand around the nape of my neck and I gave myself over to him. Our lips met, and he kissed me with force, devouring me with his touch. I returned his caresses and our kisses deepened. It didn’t take long for something to stir in the deepest part of my body, and he left me breathless with his touch.
“Do you want me here?” I asked when I had the courage to break away. “In the car?”
“No,” he murmured. “Upstairs.” His forehead touched mine. “I’m going to take you upstairs and make love to you all night. I’m not going to stop until you scream.”
“Good,” I said. “I expect no less.”
The following morning, an incoming call on my phone woke me just before eleven. I rolled over and silenced the ringer, hoping it wouldn’t disturb Natalie, who lay naked in the bed beside me. When I saw the name on the phone screen, I let out a soft groan.
No way would I be able to avoid this one. At all.
I tumbled out of bed with the phone in my hand and punched the answer button. Holding it to my ear, I padded into the hallway and asked, “Dad? Is everything all right?”
“Perfectly fine.” His deep voice boomed through the receiver. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Nothing, I…”
Goddamn it, why was I always such a pussy around him? I could be a man about everything else in my life, so why not with him? I shuffled into one of the guest bedrooms I never used and closed the door. “Did you have a nice time last night?”
“I certainly did.” He grunted. “And I must admit, I like what I’m seeing from you down here. You’re doing great with this Read America deal.”
“Read With America,” I muttered. “And it’s an initiative.”
“Right. That. I think it’s a good place to put some of the foundation’s money. We certainly have the room.” He paused. “I’d like to see you this afternoon. You and I need to talk about a few things, including your future with our companies.”
I winced. Something about his tone of voice had me on edge. He had a way of forcing things and bullying people, even when he wasn’t trying to do so, and I felt it through the phone. He wasn’t really asking, he was demanding.
