by Nadia Lee
“I work for a law firm, you know!”
“Marvelous. Then you’ve heard of Rosenbaum, McCracken, Wagner and Associates. I’ll have one of the partners call.”
She paled at the mention of one of the top law firms in the state and finally turned and left, one of the security men following closely behind. Hilary winced at the name dropping, but if it ended the show…
Mark turned to Hilary, and his gaze softened. He tucked a wayward tendril behind her ear. “You all right?”
Unable to speak, she nodded and pulled away from him. Thankfully, he released her. She smoothed her hair with trembling fingers as she tried to process what had just happened. Had she just been confronted by her boyfriend’s fiancée? Oh god. It was so obvious why Walt had promised to propose to Hilary.
She was an idiot with the worst judgment when it came to men, and they could tell by just looking at her. She was so naïve, she’d believe anything they said.
Just like her mom had gotten into trouble. Was it genetic?
There had to be something about her that broadcast how stupidly gullible she was. She’d chosen Walt with such careful consideration and thought. He was supposed to have been the one, her perfect man.
How could she have been so wrong?
“Hey, you look really pale. You need to sit down?” Mark said, laying a hand on her shoulder.
Aware of the audience, she forced a neutral tone and took a step back. Her mistake with Walt had blown up at work, but she wouldn’t let it affect her career. “Thank you for your help. It probably would’ve gotten a lot uglier without you.”
He smiled. “No problem. Sorry how it turned out.”
“No, it’s not your fault.” It was all hers.
“So…about my family party—”
“What?” She clutched her stuff in front of her like a shield. “No!”
Then she ran out as fast as she could.
Chapter Two
Dumbfounded, Mark stared after Hilary, who had somehow managed to sprint across the lobby in those shoes and vanished. What the hell was that about? Women never said no to Mark…especially after he’d heroically saved them. And getting rid of that psycho fiancée definitely counted as heroic. He’d even threatened to unleash the lawyers. Should he have threatened to do the same against Walt as well?
“Hello? Anybody home?”
Mark looked over to see his older brother walking toward him. “What are you doing here?”
“I saw you standing in here, staring at nothing like a fool. Since you didn’t see me wave at you from the outside, I figured I’d come in and get you.” Iain looked a lot like Mark—the height and the build were exactly the same—and they both shared the dark good looks of their parents. The only real difference was their eyes.
They walked out of the steel, glass and marble monument to power and money that was the Omega Wealth Management building. The sidewalks were thick with people striding purposefully by. Probably they all had somewhere to be, someone to be with…unlike Mark and his empty penthouse.
“You forgot about the party tonight, didn’t you?” Iain said suddenly.
“No…”
“Good. It’s gonna be a blast.”
“…but I’m not going.”
That brought Iain up short. “Why not?”
Mark shrugged. “What’s the point? It’s not like I’m going to find somebody who can keep my interest for more than a few weeks.”
“Well if you don’t go, for sure you never will.”
“‘Full of young, loose women and great booze’ does not describe a setting conducive for finding that woman,” Mark said, recalling their conversation that morning and tossing the two selling points for the party back at Iain. “If you want to go, go. You’re old enough to not need a chaperon.”
“Don’t be a dick. I’m just trying to watch out for you and get you a date for the family party since your best friend won’t.”
Gavin Lloyd would never go out partying when he had the love of his life to go home to. Mark felt a slight ache at that. Jealousy? No. He was happy for his best friend. But he wished he could have the kind of relationship Gavin had.
Maybe it was longing…
“Okay, you need to stop with that look,” Iain said.
“What look?”
“That weird look you’ve been getting ever since Gavin reconciled with his wife and his brother got married.”
“It has nothing to do with them.”
“Then is it Shane?” Iain said, referring to their youngest brother, newly set to marry his high school sweetheart.
Mark didn’t respond. The snack he’d had earlier was sitting uncomfortably in his belly, but he was happy for all three of them. He was.
“Forget them,” Iain said. “You have the kind of female companionship every man would kill for, going from one stunner to the next. Sure, the grass always looks greener on the other side, but it’s not that green once you cross over. So what do you say to that party? Let’s go!”
Mark shook his head.
“You can’t go to the family picnic solo.”
“Don’t worry about that. I already found somebody.”
Iain raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You did?”
“Yup.”
“Who? Anybody I know?”
“Hilary Rosenberg.”
Iain burst out laughing. “Get outta here.”
“No, I’m serious.”
“Hilary Rosenberg, as in Gavin’s secretary Hilary Rosenberg?”
“She’s his executive administrative assistant,” Mark snapped. Didn’t anybody know Gavin would rather fire half his analysts than Hilary?
Iain snorted. “Whatever. Stop joking around.”
“Iain, read my lips. She and I are going together.”
“But she’s so…not your type.”
Mark scowled. Hilary had said the same thing. “Okay, smart guy. What is my type?”
“Young blondes in their early twenties with tight asses and huge tits.” Iain cupped his hands in front of his chest. “Fake or natural not an issue.”
Mark’s scowl deepened. He was pretty sure he’d dated some brunettes and redheads along the way.
“Mom’s not going to believe you’re dating her. She’s going to set you up with that girl she wants you to marry. What was her name again? Katarina Luther or some such?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard she’s great marriage material,” Iain said. “Just the kind of woman Grandmother would approve of. Mom’s trying to marry all of us off, you know. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a list of candidates with my name written on them.”
“Why is it so hard to believe that Hilary and I are an item?”
“If you are, then you’ll pass the Inquisition, but you know how Mom is.” Iain checked out a particularly leggy brunette walking past them. “She’s going to grill both of you on things that all genuine couples would have done because she won’t believe it’s real. First date. First kiss. Presents. Likes and dislikes. It’ll be worse than dealing with immigration.”
“Immigration?”
“Yeah. A friend of mine married a girl from Vietnam, and to get the spouse visa they had to answer some really detailed questions to prove they didn’t marry just to get her the visa.”
Mark narrowed his eyes. Iain was probably right. He knew their mom better than anybody else.
“Hey, if you guys are really dating, fine. But I’m warning you if you’re doing this to get out of her setting you up with Katarina.”
Iain was right. Mark would have to do something to pass the motherly inquisition. No big deal. He would date Hilary for real for a month. She was a stunner, and she was single now. And most importantly, he liked her.
She’d probably said no because she was confused and hurt and angry at the male half of the population. Totally understandable, given the circumstances. She’d feel differently after a little wining and dining.
If not, he’d simply remind her she’d already sa
id yes in the elevator. Given his experience with women and several months’ worth of watching Hilary… How hard could it be to win her over?
* * *
Hilary stumbled along the city blocks, past office buildings and the alleys that separated them. Some people turned away at the sight of her; others openly stared. The thick exhaust from cars filled her nose and mouth with grit and tears blurred her vision, but her feet moved forward like they knew exactly where she needed to go.
A Lexus pulled up next to her and honked. She turned toward it almost violently, thinking it might be Walt. Instead, it was her best friend Josephine Martinez. “Hey, girlie! Want a ride to Z?” Her voice was cheery as she lowered the window. Successful freelance personal shopper to the rich and famous, Jo was a stunner who dressed like a goddess. She took one look at Hilary’s face, and the easy grin vanished. “Whoa. Okay, get in.”
Hilary climbed into the luxury car. Jo placed a hand with purple-tipped fingers on her shoulder. “Are you all right? What happened?”
Hilary’s lower lip trembled. “He’s engaged.”
“Who?”
“Walt.”
“What?” Jo opened and closed her mouth a few times, then finally said, “Okay, start from the beginning. I’m totally lost.” A car behind her honked, and she pulled into the traffic, rolling her eyes at the driver behind her.
Hilary drew in a shaky breath for courage, then told her friend a condensed version of the nightmarish scene in the lobby. Her stomach knotted so hard, it felt like her lunch would come back up. “How could I have not known that he’s already engaged? It should’ve been obvious. I should’ve been able to see it.”
“Nobody saw it. He was slick. I mean, I didn’t even think he was a scumbag, and you know me.”
“But—”
“He was always bailing on you, saying he needed to save a baby. Who could’ve known it was something else?” Jo plucked a tissue from a box she always kept in her car and offered it.
“Thanks.” Hilary wiped her tears, then suddenly pounded a fist on her thigh. “Ah, I should’ve known! I should’ve been more careful! All my life, I’ve seen how men weasel into relationships. I saw how my mom and aunt ruined their lives over a worthless man, and I’ve had my share of jerks. There should be an asshole profile in the computer here.” She tapped her temple hard enough to make herself wince. “But somehow I still pick them. What are the odds of selecting a scumbag out of all the sweet baby-saving pediatric surgeons in the city?”
Jo patted Hilary’s hand. “Not every doctor’s noble, even if he’s a baby doctor.”
“You mean they aren’t noble when I pick them.” Hilary blew her nose. “I thought Walt was the one. He has everything—a good job, good education, an even temper…”
“A fiancée…”
“Yeah,” Hilary said, sadness replacing her anger. “And a fiancée.”
Jo squeezed Hilary’s hand. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not your fault. He’s the bad guy here.”
Was he truly? Hilary tried to swallow through the hot lump stuck in her throat. She made a fist around the tissue, her hand shaky. What if this was his first time cheating on his fiancée? Maybe it was Hilary who had somehow inspired him to stray. Maybe he just knew… He could tell Hilary was the kind of woman men screwed on the side and had fun with, but wouldn’t marry or do any of the respectable things that men did with undamaged goods.
At the next red light, Jo pulled out her phone and started typing rapidly.
“Who are you texting?” Hilary asked.
“Kim, so she knows we aren’t going to be at Z.”
“We’re not?”
“We’re going to my place. You’re going to spend the night, vent all you want and get some sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll help you get dressed. I’m going to make sure you look awesome.”
“Does it matter?” Hilary worked for one of the richest and influential men in the world and dressed like a perfect administrative assistant. None of it made any difference. Her true nature might be too strong to cover up.
“Looking like a million bucks is the first step. You don’t want to look pathetic over something like this. Don’t worry, I’m not going to put you in anything sexy. Something tastefully gorgeous should do the trick.”
“I don’t know.” All Hilary really wanted to do was crawl under a rock and play dead.
“You work for Gavin frickin’ Lloyd. So you’re going to dress like the woman who deserves to be the guardian of his inner sanctum. And trust me, nobody’s going to feel anything except contempt for Walt. You just wait and see.”
Chapter Three
Hilary walked into the office the next day in the outfit Jo had helped her select. Jo was right. Hilary still had to work there and face people. She’d rather not look like some pathetic loser right after the spectacle.
A fat pathetic loser, the voice of the blonde whispered.
Hilary’s steps gained speed. At least her girls were real. That had to count for something, she thought, desperate to cling to anything even remotely positive about herself.
The security guards in their navy uniforms nodded as she walked past, scanning her security badge at the entrance. One of them was a substitute for the old-timer, Billy. She was sure Billy would hear about it the moment he returned.
Sally Smith was already at the main receptionist’s desk, the ever-present sleek bluetooth headset in her left ear. In her mid-twenties, she was short and pert, with Betty Page bangs and a small nose that made Hilary want to push it like a button. She was wearing a pale green and white dress that looked great on her stylishly toned body. Hilary had never seen Sally look less than fashionable.
“Good morning, Hilary.” She gave Hilary a big grin and a broad wink. Huh. What was that about? Sally had no doubt heard about the incident from the day before, and she was too sweet to do anything except commiserate and offer support…except the grin and wink didn’t. Hilary was certain there wasn’t anything special going on that day, and she didn’t know what could be making Sally react like that at the sight of her.
“Way to go, Hilary,” said another administrative assistant, carrying a couple mugs of coffee to her station. Both of them were emblazoned with the unofficial company motto: a bright red “Short or Long—Who cares? I Win!”
Ooookay. This was just weird. What was going on? Was she getting some kind of secret bonus? A corner office? What was the deal?
Finally she reached her desk, which barred people from entering her boss’s inner sanctum…and stopped short at the sight of a giant basket of pure ivory orchids and towering boxes of gourmet European chocolates.
There was a card at the bottom of the display. “You gotta be kidding,” she muttered. The extravagant present had to be Walt’s attempt to get Hilary to return the bracelet he’d given her on their first anniversary a few weeks before. Encrusted with diamonds and pearls, it had no doubt cost him a fortune. She ripped the card from the package. Her anger subsided as she skimmed the message:
Remember—you said yes.
–Mark
She tucked the note back into the envelope and bit her lower lip. This was not what she’d expected when she’d walked out on him. Regardless, she hadn’t been kidding when she’d said no in the lobby. Everything had changed when Walt turned out to be a two-timing bastard.
A few moments later, Gavin came in. Dark complexioned from his Italian heritage, he wasn’t handsome the way Mark was, but his dynamic personality and intelligence made him stand out. He was in another of his crisp European suits, setting the standard for what everyone else at the firm wore. Outside of law firms, OWM was probably the only company in L.A. that had its workers routinely show up in suits.
A grin lit up his face. She’d noticed that he was smiling more often these days. “Good morning. Wow.” He whistled. “Walt must’ve missed something big.”
“It’s from somebody else. Walt and I are through.”
“Oh? Well, sorry to hear that.” Gavin tilted hi
s head, studying the gorgeous boxes of gourmet chocolate. “So who are these from?”
“A friend of yours, as a matter of fact. Mark Pryce.”
His brow creased briefly. “Hmm.”
“What?”
“Well. I’m just wondering… Are you two dating or something?”
She narrowed her eyes. What had Mark told her boss? “Why? Do you find it unbelievable that we might be dating?” Could her boss tell too that she wasn’t the kind of woman men dated for real?
Gavin’s gaze snapped to hers. “Unbelievable? No, it’s just…”
“Yes?” You’re too fat and come from a totally fucked up family. The kind you see on trashy shows like Jerry Springer.
“You know what his girlfriends are called, right?”
She folded her arms. “As a matter of fact, I don’t.”
Gavin pressed his lips together. Hilary frowned. This dithering wasn’t like him. Finally he said, “Quarterly Girls.”
“Quarterly Girls? What does that even mean?”
“He’s never dated anyone for more than three months.” Gavin shrugged uncomfortably. “And three months out of a year is…”
“Ah. The epithet fits.”
“Yes.” Gavin rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guy. So it’ll be fun while it lasts. But don’t expect anything more. You understand what I’m saying?”
“Of course.” She flashed him a quick smile, relieved he hadn’t noticed what an enormous screw-up she was. “Don’t worry. We aren’t dating. I’m not even sure why he sent the stuff in the first place.” He’d probably deluded himself into thinking that he could change her mind.
“Okay, I’ll butt out.” Gavin said, a frown still creasing his forehead. “You’re smart, so I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”
* * *
