by E. J. Noyes
“You’re splutterin’ worse than that car of yours when I start it up. Spill.”
Goddammit. Head leaning against the window, I confessed, “Audrey and I are datin’. Officially.”
Mama’s squeal was so loud I had to move the phone away from my ear. They probably heard her at the front desk. “Oh, baby! I’m so happy for you two.” She was moving around the house, her shoes echoing on polished wooden floors, then muted on the rugs. “I told you. Didn’t I tell you? What happened?”
“I asked and she agreed. It’s still new, Mama and we’re just trying it all out.”
“Well. I want you to think long and hard about this, baby. I like her, she’s good for you. Please try,” Mama pleaded.
Christ. Like me dating was a math test I had to study for. I swallowed annoyance. Annoyance stemming from knowing she was right. “I will.” The words still came out tersely.
“You still doin’ therapy?”
I sighed. “Yes, Mama.”
“Don’t take that tone with me, Isabelle Renee.”
“Yes, Mama. Sorry, Mama.”
“You know I’m right.” She was smiling, I could tell. “You deserve to be happy, but it’s not just going to fall into your lap.”
I mumbled my agreement, and made my escape. “I have to go. I’ve got a lunch meeting.” After quick I love yous, I hung up before she could sneak more advice.
* * *
Despite my imminent lunch plans with Mark, when I went searching for him, I realized he wasn’t even in the office. Tamara had no idea where he was, which was bothersome because she always knew his whereabouts. That was her job. I called him, slightly irritated that he hadn’t even come into the office yet, and he was vague about what he was doing. The message was clear. Not interested—lunch was off.
To add insult, the last thing he said before hanging up was, “I can’t make the AWL thing tomorrow night. Sorry, you’ll have to go stag.”
Like hell I will.
Seething, I hung up on him and called Audrey. “Thanks for the flowers, honey, they’re gorgeous. How soon can you get to Tribeca?”
“Middle of the day booty call?” she asked hopefully.
All my anger about Mark disappeared on hearing her voice. “No, I’m taking you to lunch.”
She met me at the restaurant an hour and fifteen later, in a blue woolen midi dress that clung to every delicious dip and curve. Watching her weave through tables I was conscious of almost everyone else watching her as well. My stomach curled with that wonderful smug feeling of knowing the woman other people were admiring was with me. It was disgustingly shallow because I knew that she was far more than just the sum total of her physical attributes. But her physical attributes were fucking amazing, and all mine.
I stood on trembling legs. “Hello, beautiful.”
“Hey.” Her cheeks were flushed, eyes wild. The bruising was easily covered by makeup and the graze on her chin was lightly and fully scabbed over.
I kissed her deep and slow. It was a childish gesture of possession but I wanted everyone to know she was with me. I could almost imagine the collective groan of her admirers. When we parted, her eyes were dark with desire and I had a fleeting thought of engaging in that middle of the day booty call after all. “Thanks for meeting me.”
She grinned, settling in the seat proffered by the waiter who’d appeared seemingly from nowhere. “Thanks for inviting me.”
I waited until she’d been poured a glass of champagne and we were alone again. “Hungry?”
“Yes.” Her seductive purr left little doubt about what exactly she was hungry for but something felt a little off. Her usual house cat serenity seemed to have morphed into something more like a jungle cat. She was restless.
I brushed my thumb lightly over the corner of her mouth. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
She looked startled that I’d asked. “Yeah fine. Just been lying around home, thinking.”
“What’s on your mind?” I took her hand, squeezing lightly.
“Everything.” She laughed softly. “The usual.”
“Well I have one more thing for you. How do you feel about attending a gala with me tomorrow night?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I feel very good about it.”
“Excellent.” Despite my pleasure at having her with me, sudden realization caused an alarmed twinge in my neck. Steph was old Boston money. She knew how to act, what to wear and moved easily in my circles because she was born to them. In some ways she fit better than I did. But Audrey…Audrey wasn’t used to events with rich and sometimes awful people.
My mouth went dry. “Have you been to an event like this before? It’s black tie.”
“Yes, I have attended black tie before. I’m also not a complete novice at buying clothes, you know,” she said patiently. “See? I’m wearing some now.”
I unlocked my phone and quickly sent her a contact. “Go here this afternoon and I’ll ring ahead. They’ll help you. Put it on my account.” I’d slipped into Overbearing Fiend territory.
She didn’t even look at her phone which had just buzzed with my message. “Iz. I’ve got this. Trust me please and stop trying to Pretty Woman me.”
I glanced at my phone then back to her. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I just…” I dropped my phone into my bag. “I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
Audrey deftly steered me away from my organizational meltdown. “Iz, with you beside me, I’ll never feel more comfortable.” She leaned close and kissed my nose. “I love that you’re so worried, but trust me. I’ll be fine. I’ve been to plenty of highfalutin exhibition openings with my mom. I can schmooze with the best of them.”
“Okay then.” A sip of champagne helped to push some of the nerves aside.
“How’s your day been?”
“Busy, boring, better now.”
She smiled, brushing the edge of her thumb along the pristine white tablecloth. “I…have you told Mark about us yet?”
I set down my glass. “Not yet.”
“Why not?” she asked evenly.
“Because we’ve been dating officially for less than twenty-four hours, and I haven’t seen him today.”
“Oh. But you’re going to tell him, right? He’s going to know we’re together if I attend this thing with you tomorrow night.”
“Yes of course I’ll tell him, eventually, when the time is right.” Mark wouldn’t know anything about tomorrow night because he didn’t care enough to check the columns to see what had happened at the latest galas and parties.
Audrey’s tongue smoothed along her lower lip. “Is there really a right time? You’re not breaking bad news to him.”
“No it’s not bad news,” I agreed.
“Are you ashamed of me?” She brought her thumbnail to her mouth as though she was going to gnaw the corner, then pulled her hand away to rest on the table. “Ashamed of us and what we’re doing?” The change in her was palpable, as though she’d turned from a confident woman into a small child desperate for approval.
“Christ, no!” From the corner of my eye, I saw the waiter abort his approach. Big tip for you, pal. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I tried for something a little more articulate. “I’m not ashamed of us or this relationship, or how it was before. Audrey, I just…I’m not ready.” I didn’t know how to tell her something that I didn’t quite understand myself. There were so many reasons I didn’t want to tell Mark, all jumbled up into one great big do not want.
Quietly, Audrey said, “You hiding this kind of makes me feel like a dirty little secret.”
My mouth gaped open and I spluttered before answering, “You’re not that, not at all.”
“No? Why then?” Her hands tightened on the neatly folded napkin beside her plate. “I just don’t get it, Iz.”
I rubbed my eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by tiredness and something that felt a lot like fear. She deserved an answer, so I plucked one morsel of truth from the maelstrom, hoping she would acc
ept it as the full reason. “I don’t want him treating you weirdly because we’re together.” The words he’d said the day after he found out Audrey and I had slept together echoed in my head. If she accepts, then she’s unprofessional.
“That’s between him and me, Iz. You can’t control what he does or how he acts.” She stared intently at me. “I don’t like feeling…unimportant. You know, with my dad, I got used to just being shoved in a room and ignored.” At my soft gasp she hastily corrected herself, “Metaphorically.”
“You’re not unimportant. Quite the opposite.” That tingle spread through my limbs again. Not alarm but like it was trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t quite nail it down.
“Okay then, maybe you don’t understand where I’m coming from? When we were just…casual or lying to ourselves about what we were doing, then it was acceptable, Iz. Because I had no right to ask that from you. But now…”
“No, I get it. I understand.”
She straightened, drawing in a breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up in public. I don’t want this to turn into an argument, sweetheart. Especially not here.”
I forced a smile. “Kind of feels like it already has.”
Audrey took my hand between both of hers, her thumbs playing over my fingers. “No. This is just a discussion.” She looked up at me. “The first of many truthful ones I hope we’re going to have over the years.”
“Years?” I squeaked. I hadn’t dared hope but there she was saying it.
“Yes.” She offered nothing else and her seemingly unshakable faith that she’d still want me in months and years pushed a little of the uncomfortable feeling aside.
I glanced down at our joined hands. “Okay. If it’s important to you then I’ll tell him Monday. I promise.”
“Thank you.” She picked up her champagne, watching me intently. A small smile graced her lips. “What do you recommend for lunch?”
“Everything.” I indicated subtly to the waiter and he came over immediately. Suddenly not very hungry, I tuned out as he began a well-practiced speech.
Audrey was right, of course. I needed to tell Mark. He deserved to know. I let a little of my unease come up to the surface and acknowledged that I was afraid Mark would think she “wasn’t good enough” or that he might be difficult, and be unable to separate Employee Audrey from Best Friend’s Girlfriend Audrey. Because she was always going to be his employee. And just once, I wanted something that he wasn’t somehow involved in.
“Iz?”
“Hmm?” I looked up, noting two expectant stares. “Oh right. I’ll just have whatever you’re having. Thank you.”
The waiter nodded and left us alone again. Audrey followed his departure and when she spun in the seat to face me again, she seemed unnecessarily contrite. “I’m sorry that I brought the mood down. I just wanted to be honest.”
“No it’s fine. Honesty is good. I guess I’m just getting used to this new dynamic and all.” I let my hand rest on the table, palm up and she slid her hand into mine.
With her free hand, Audrey reached for her champagne. She made a deft subject change. “Do you think we would be together if we hadn’t met in the bar?”
My thoughts sped through the possibilities but I couldn’t arrive at an answer. I settled for, “I’m not sure.” Audrey said nothing. I exhaled and tried to elaborate. “I want to say no, to pretend I have some shred of professionalism but you’re so persuasive I may have given in if pushed.”
“Persuasive huh.”
“Very.” I bit my lower lip gently. “I do know I would have spent all our time together checking you out.”
“Of that I have no doubt.” Her grin was fully formed now and smug. “You wouldn’t have made a move? Propositioned me.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Christ, no! Not at all. I would have thought about it constantly, but no. I wouldn’t have asked. I…couldn’t have. You?”
“Probably, though only if I was sure I had another job to go to. Just in case.” She winked.
“Honey, I would never fire you for that.”
“Of course not. It’s Mr. Hall who does the hiring and firing, right?” she said teasingly.
“Right.” Twisting my champagne glass on the blindingly white tablecloth, I looked at her. “I still can’t help but feel that you knew right from the start.” My statement was matter-of-fact rather than accusatory.
“Knew what exactly?”
“That I’d cave. Give in and want more.”
Her answering smile was slow. Audrey reached under the table to run her fingers over my thigh. “Come on now, Iz. Nobody could know that for certain.”
I tensed under her touch, trying to focus on what she was saying rather than how high her hand was moving. “Maybe not, but I feel like you got there long before I did.”
“I hoped and I wished, but I didn’t know. Not for certain, but I thought if I just let you be, treated you the way you deserved, showed you the possibilities then maybe, just maybe you’d want more of what I was offering.”
“Well it worked.” Meeting her eyes, I saw that contemplative glint again. It disappeared when I smiled at her and admitted, “I’ve barely thought of anything else for the past couple of months except how much I wanted there to be more. I’m sorry it took me so long to find the courage to admit how I felt.”
“Well, we got there in the end.” This time when she looked at me, her gaze was bright. Expectant. Open.
“Yes we did,” I said softly, squeezing her hand. “So we’re good?”
She flashed me a genuine smile. “Better than.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The next day, Saturday, we enjoyed a lazy morning in bed followed by a long breakfast on my balcony. Since we’d made ourselves official, there was lightness in me, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. I hoped it would be permanent. Audrey read the paper, and I worked as we poured each other coffee and passed things back and forth.
I looked up from my tablet to watch her drizzling honey over fruit. Her forehead wrinkled with concentration, lower lip captured between her teeth. Audrey caught me staring. “What?” She sucked honey from her thumb.
“Nothing, sweetheart. Nothing at all. Except you’re beautiful.” I took her hand and filled her in on our plans for the day. “Christopher will be here at three with his hair and makeup girls. If you want, they can do yours too.” I worded the offer carefully, not wanting her to think I didn’t trust her. “I know you’re fine but it takes some of the stress out of getting ready. You can just drink champagne and let them do all the work.”
Audrey was silent for a moment, her thoughtful face in place. “You’re right. That would be great.” She pointed at her face. “They’ve probably got some pretty heavy-duty concealer.”
“You don’t need it.”
“Flatterer. What are we going to do until he arrives?” she asked innocently. She tried to hide it, but a smirk slid out.
I returned her cheeky grin. “I’m sure we can think of something.”
After an hour in bed, we relaxed quietly with limbs intertwined. I rolled onto my side, head propped in my hand. “You know, I’m fairly certain everyone is going to be stuck to your side tonight.”
“Yeah?” She drew the word out. “And why’s that?”
I climbed over to slip back between her legs, resting my forearms on her hips. “This stunning body, and that gorgeous face.” My hands slid up to cup her breasts, fingers sliding over her nipples.
“Just remember who gets to take it home,” she said softly. Her thighs closed around me, heels coming to rest against my calves.
I kissed her abdomen, running my nose over her soft skin. “I’m sorry if it’s awful.”
“What? The oral sex you’re clearly about to give me?”
I pinched her nipple gently. “No. The gala.”
Audrey ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t care, Iz. I’d spend a week making small talk with strangers if it meant I could stand by your side in pub
lic.”
I glanced up at her, smiling. “Really?”
She gave me a lazy smile of her own. “Really.”
Blinking to stop the tears prickling my eyes from falling, I made my way down between her thighs.
* * *
Thoroughly relaxed after hours in bed, I had bottles of Krug waiting in ice buckets when Christopher arrived with “his girls” in tow. Impeccable in Armani, he gave me a double cheek kiss and swanned into the room. His self-appointed role was, under the guise of supervising, to drink my champagne and make me laugh.
He peered around then made a beeline for the booze. “Are you ready, sweetness? And where’s my second project?”
I’d sent him a text earlier to tell him Audrey would need hair and makeup too. His response was typically exuberant. OMG!? Is this THE woman?! Dying. Emoji. Emoji. Emoji.
My response to his response was short. Behave.
Never. Kiss emoji. Very rude emojis.
“She’s finishing her shower.” I poured myself a small glass of champagne and settled in a chair. Makeup cases were opened, more champagne distributed, compliments swapped. Christopher lowered his voice to just above a stage whisper. “I’m very excited to meet the object of your affections, Isabelle. Though I must confess I have concerns about someone who chooses their own attire.”
I leaned close, matching the pitch of his voice. “I’m quite sure she’s fine. Not everyone needs as much assistance as I do.”
His peals of laughter lingered as he sauntered to the stairs to call up, “Audrey? We’re desperate for you, darling.” Then a humorous aside of, “Isabelle in particular.”
She came down in a silk dressing gown and was immediately handed a glass and set upon by Christopher. He topped up my champagne, waving the bottle in Audrey’s direction. “Audrey. I must thank you for everything you’ve done for my sweetie here.” The man had no filter. I swiveled my eyes in his direction as he bustled on. “She’s glowing. I haven’t seen her skin look this good since the Dead Sea mud mask. That shit was amazing.”
I grinned at him. “Are you quite done?”
