Jessica laughed. "Seriously...you haven’t completely run this guy off yet. I knew that you had something for him! And to think that we used to laugh at his nerdy profile on findinglove.com! Oh, that cracks me up!" I hastily jumped out of the bath, dressed, reapplied my makeup and met him at the coffee shop. After the day I had, it was worth the effort to meet Seth. I needed it.
Chapter 6
Seth wasn't waiting on me this time. For the first time, I was the one sitting in the corner, eager to see him come through the door. I was sipping on a warm chai tea when he walked in. His gray Superman shirt stood out like a sore thumb. There was no denying that it was Seth. His nerdiness was strong, but he had a heart of gold.
"What's up?" He asked, his tone cool.
"I'm just chilling with a cup of hot chai tea," I smiled. "Thank you for meeting me. I always enjoy your company."
My comment seemed to make him somewhat shy. I thought we had grown past the shyness in our friendship. "No need to thank me. Likewise." He sat across the small table from me. To break the nervous tension, I decided to get straight to the point.
"Well, I just wanted you to know that you were right about Ashton." I cleared my throat, trying to shift the large lump that had planted itself firmly in the center of it.
"How so?" He looked perplexed. His calm reaction and few words made it more difficult to share my news.
Clutching my cup of tea with both hands, I continued, "He has an estranged wife and never told me. Even worse, the ladies in the office found out about our relationship."
"You mean that he is married?"
"Yes," I confirmed quietly.
"Wow. He betrayed you."
"Very much so. Everyone else knew that he was going through a nasty divorce except me. We even had a deep, heartfelt conversation a week or two before the London trip about how he had never been married and how his ex-fiancée got cold feet right before the wedding. I believed him. He never mentioned that he married someone else."
"It's because he had something to hide."
"Right," I let out a deep breath. "His wife wants half of his estate but he is refusing to give it to her."
"Mmhmm..."
"He told me that if his wife knew about our fling, she could hold that against him in court and win the money anyway."
Seth held up his finger for me to pause as he spoke to the barista. "If you don't mind, bring me a small cup of coffee please. Thank you," he smiled kindly. He looked back to me. "And do you think that's the whole story, Alexis?"
"I don't know? I wanted to believe the best. I always choose to see the good in people. Even though I sensed something was off with the entire ordeal, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt."
"Because you have developed feelings for him," he said. It wasn’t a question.
I didn't want to admit to Seth that I had developed feelings for Ashton when I was also developing feelings for him. This was not going anywhere positive. Then, I recognized that I was the confused one. Was Seth my emotional rebound? Or was it real with him and fake with Ashton? Sex made everything complicated when it happened outside of true love.
"I don't know that I did, Seth. I wanted to, but now I'm wondering if it was more of an exciting adventure than anything real." I was accepting blame for my wrong actions. I hoped that Seth would recognize my good intentions.
The barista set his coffee on the table with a few cold French Vanilla creamers. "Thank you," he told the barista.
"French Vanilla is my favorite creamer," I changed the subject.
"Yeah? It is one of my faves as well," he agreed while pouring them into his cup. "So, um, you're confused with whatever emotions you had toward Ashton, eh?"
I didn't know how to respond. "I didn't have any feelings toward him in the beginning. I just thought he was very charming and kind. The George Clooney look-a-like that noticed me."
He shook his head. "Ah, I see. It was definitely the lust factor then."
That term never sat well with me, but he was right. "I suppose you're right with that one." I felt so ashamed. "Is it possible to develop feelings for more than one person?" I couldn't believe that I said that out loud! It caught him off guard.
"I don't see why it couldn't be possible. I mean, that has been the theme of many great love stories." He took a hot sip of his coffee. "Well, now that this has happened, what are you going to do?"
I sighed. I hadn't really thought much about it. "Well, it's still fresh. My first reaction is to not return to the office and find some other job. Perhaps continue full time with teaching Yoga at the YMCA or something. Unfortunately, I would still have to see him. Then again, I'm not sure it's the best idea to walk away from it all. I'm not really sure yet."
He pursed his lips as if he were thinking very deeply. "You will figure out what's best for you. In the meantime, are you interested in seeing movie with me? The latest Superman movie is out. That's why I wore this shirt. It pays homage to the story." He pointed to the Superman cartoon on his shirt with immense pride. I shook my head and laughed.
"You really have a way of relieving my stress. I would love to. Let's get out of here." We grabbed our beverages and walked to the movie theater.
Chapter 7
The movie theater was pitch black with hardly a soul in sight. It seemed as if we had the entire theater to ourselves. "I thought superhero movies were always popular?" I wondered out loud.
"Oh, they are. The big crowds have already watched it. Plus, it’s a weeknight. It came out two weeks ago. The only thing I ever knew about Superman was that he could fly and that he had a negative reaction to something called Kryptonite. Then, Ashton crossed my mind. He never expressed an interest in superheroes. With him, life was always about business, luxury and, well, sex. It dawned on me that I was missing out on the fun but simple experiences with him. Perhaps it was the age gap.
"Oh okay," I replied, unsure of what else to say. An awkward silence came over the room. "Where are the previews?"
"I think they're having film issues," he chuckled. "Either way, I'm glad because I hate watching previews. I'd rather it go straight to the movie."
"Hmm. Yeah, I have to agree." I kept my focus on the black screen. Suddenly, a low rumbling sound emerged from the walls and the Superman emblem appeared on the screen. "Ah, there it is," I raised my voice. I couldn't hear Seth's response but I felt his hand encircle mine. I looked at him, trying to discern what he was doing.
"Is that okay?" He asked.
Talk about confusion! However, I went with the flow and thought that perhaps this was just the new beginning to another chapter. "It's okay," I replied. He gripped my hand tightly.
"Enjoy the movie. If you have any questions, I probably have the answers," he laughed. I loved how relaxed his presence made me. Something about him just made all the worries and stresses of the world melt away. Whenever I started to feel shame for holding another man's hand, I thought of all the lies and trickery that Ashton had pulled on me. I deserved better, and I knew it.
Throughout the entire movie, Seth held my hand. He never caressed it or did anything further. It was simple but sweet. I enjoyed the fact that he didn't try to make another move like Ashton would have if we were in an empty theater. Seth's actions made me feel special, not simply something that made him lust.
"Well, that was a surprise ending!" Seth said as he stretched his arms wide into the air. I stood up to stretch my back.
"Yes, it was. I can’t believe that I didn’t get bored! Superman isn't all that bad!"
"You mean you actually enjoyed it?" He chuckled.
"Yeah! Totally!" I smiled brightly. He opened the door for me as we exited the theater. The day had been so strange. Earlier that day, I was happy after a successful trip to London and beginning to feel more secure about my feelings for Ashton. Then, the bombshell about his secrets exploded. The day ended with Seth at a movie theater. This was emotional whiplash to the extreme.
"May I walk you home? It’s dark, and it
would make me feel better."
"Thank you, Seth. I would love that." He walked me home without holding my hand. I didn't ask him what that was about, and he didn't bring it up. It did give me a new insight to how life could be if I let the Ashton chapter go completely.
Jessica was finishing dinner when I walked in. "That was a long coffee," she grinned.
I glared at her. "Girl, you have no idea. This has been the strangest day I I've ever had." I set my purse on the table.
"Okay, you've got to tell me now. What happened?!" She was glued to me like I was a series on TV.
"I went to the movies with Seth, and he held my hand throughout the movie. Nothing else happened. It was just simple and sweet and now I’m more confused than I was before!" I took a deep breath.
"Wow," she whispered, her eyes as wide as could be.
"Is that all you can say? Help!" I pleaded.
She walked to the couch and sat. "Girl, I wouldn't do anything romantic with Ashton after what you've discovered today. He doesn't deserve it. He should've been honest with you or not pursued you to begin with. As for Seth, what's the rush? You will figure that out in time. It sounds like he is really sweet and gentle with you."
I joined her on the couch. "I think so too. I think I will go into the office tomorrow, but I've already emotionally detached myself from the situation. I have to keep it strictly professional."
"What if he wants to talk things out?" she asked.
"I will listen to what he has to say, but I'm turned off by the entire ordeal. I need to step away."
"Do what you have to do, that's what I say," Jessica added. She grabbed the remote and started to flip through channels. I lounged back and tried to ease my mind after the rollercoaster of the day. Then, my phone buzzed. I expected it to be Seth but was wrong. It was Ashton. I had such a sour taste in my mouth from seeing his name appear on my phone that I swiped it off of my screen. I didn't even open the message. I just didn't care.
Chapter 8
I went into the office the next day. Tuesdays were usually my long days since I taught Yoga in the afternoon with Ashton. However, I had decided to cancel my Yoga class for the night because I needed a break from the drama. I knew that Ashton would use that time to give me even more excuses. I didn't want to deal with that.
In the office, I did my best to wear a smile and behave as if nothing had happened. Instead, I chose to focus on Seth and his kindness towards me. Ashton occasionally wandered through the office looking miserable. I ignored him. I refused to acknowledge or speak to him unless it was absolutely necessary. I didn't want to be rude but avoided being overly nice. The ladies were on high alert every time they saw Ashton coming and then studied me for my reaction. If anything, it made me angrier with him because he was the cause of my embarrassment. I was at fault for falling into his charming ways.
"Alexis, I need to speak with you in the office," his voice came over the intercom system. Oh? He couldn't send an email or text? He had to make it public? I knew they would probably eavesdrop from outside the door. There was no telling how many times they had before! I took a deep, shaky breath before I opened his office door.
"Yes?" I asked politely.
"Shut the door behind you, please," he said softly. I shut the door and stood with my arms crossed at my waist. "Please, have a seat." I sat in the chair across from him. His eyes were heavy and moist. "I can't lose you," he said. "If I go public with this relationship, it will give that woman all the ammunition that she needs. She wouldn't only attack me; she would attack you as well."
When he put it that way, it made sense. As much as I hated to admit it, I could feel myself being persuaded. "Go on," I prompted.
"I've worked many years to build this business, brand and way of life. I cannot sit back and let a bitter woman take it all away from me. Can you see why I felt the need to hide you? She is already succeeding in pulling you away from me and there's not much more that I can do!" He was whispering but forcefully. In spite of myself, I wanted to believe everything he was telling me. "Alexis, I have developed strong feelings for you. You've become a critical part of my life. I don't know that I can easily see the start of a new life without you somewhere in it." I sat there, frozen. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t find the words to answer him. My thoughts were cluttered with confused. "I could fall in love with you. That's how serious I am. I do want a family someday. I’m not getting any younger!"
"I don't know, Ashton. I begged you to tell me something—anything—to explain the bizarre behavior and the reason you were hiding me. It made sense every time you explained yourself, but somehow, you still weren’t telling the truth. How do I know that you aren't doing the same thing now?"
He put his face into his hands. "I guess you won't know. I know my word isn’t worth anything to you after all of this."
"It's called selfishness, Ashton. Selfishness. You could've prevented us from getting too involved if things were truly this bad with your estranged wife. Now, I'm the one that's left feeling betrayed. You pursued me. You lavished me with extravagant opportunities, chocolates, and money. Sometimes, you even forced your money on me. I’m not going to lie: I loved it sometimes, but, other times, I felt uncomfortable taking money from you." I was saying more than I meant to. I actually said too much and immediately regretted it.
"I wasn't trying to be anything but nice. Perhaps my attraction to you was selfish. I just didn't want to lose something that was potentially wonderful due to a very toxic situation. I'm sorry," he sounded depressed.
"Look, I've said too much. I appreciate the apology, I truly do. I just think it would be best if we carry on from here in a professional manner. I'm sorry, Ashton. It's just how I feel." I held my hand out to shake his. He stared at me with long, heavy puppy-dog eyes. After a long moment, I pulled my hand back, realizing that he wasn't going to shake it. "I've got to get back to work if you don't have anything else for me sir."
"No, nothing more. Nothing more," he muttered.
"Okay then." I returned to my desk. Seth's name popped up on my phone.
How are things at the office today? Hope all is well.
I smiled as I thought of the healthier future in front of me.
The Billionaire’s Release Book 6
Bella Rayne
Chapter 1
The conversation with Alexis replayed through my mind all week. She truly seemed over our fling. In the back of my mind, I had a feeling it had to do with Seth. How could I blame her though? The late summer breeze was warm against my face as I casually drove through the streets of Hillsboro. People stared at my red convertible as I cruised by them. I was always flooded with a sense of pride when others noticed the fruit of my success. I winked at one lady, and she grabbed her chest and blushed a deep red.
Cruising down Main Street, I came across a familiar backside. Anger coursed through me when I noticed she was holding hands with the guy next to her. It was Alexis and Seth. They were strolling down the sidewalk together, talking and laughing. My fury would not allow me to continue my drive without doing something.
Keep it together, Ashton. Keep it together. I thought to myself as I pulled my car into the curb. I had to interrupt them.
"Fancy running into you two," I forced a grin when I greeted Alexis and Seth. She quickly pulled her hand out of his.
"Ashton!" She exclaimed nervously. Her face was anything but relaxed. I had never seen her so terrified.
"Hello, sir," Seth smiled, “nice to see you again." He held his hand out to shake mine. I didn't want to shake his hand but reminded myself that he was half my age and that I didn't need to cause a scene. My reputation was already at stake with my estranged wife trying her best to destroy me.
"Likewise," I replied smoothly. I breathed deeply and slowly, trying to contain my irritation. My eyes turned to Alexis. Silence lingered for what seemed longer than was strictly necessary.
"We are enjoying the beautiful day and browsing through the shops. What are you doin
g today?" Alexis spoke in an overly happy voice. I knew she was hoping that I wouldn't create a bigger scene than I already had. I wondered what her intentions were with Seth. I wondered what was truly going on.
"I've been cruising in Ol' Red...you know, out and enjoying the beautiful day. The only thing I'm missing is a hand to hold. I suppose I should go find one. You two enjoy the rest of your day!" I drove away, hoping that my words would inch under her skin. I parked my car between two larger one a few blocks down and seethed as I watched them wander down the sidewalk and disappear through the bright red door to a cafe.
Ah, he even opens the doors for her. I've got your number, buddy. I burned with jealously. There was something about Alexis that drove me insane. She had remarkable beauty and poise that was perfect for reigniting my brand. The sex was even more remarkable and left me wanting more. I decided to send her a text message.
I apologize if with my sudden appearance was inappropriate. Enjoy your time with your friend.
I didn't care to see the response. In fact, there wasn't a guarantee that she would reply at all. The message was merely damage control—I didn't genuinely believe anything I sent her. After admiring my designer shades in the rear view mirror, I shifted into first gear and continued to cruise down Main Street. Alexis and Seth were seated in the window of the dainty little coffee shop, chatting as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Regardless of my anger, I knew I needed to keep it under control and keep Alexis in my circle. The more I pressured her, the more she would resist. I decided that it was best to sit back and let her come to me. Besides, with our history, I knew the pattern would continue: she would confront me one way or another. Seth simply did not have was the ability to seduce and charm like I did. Riding back to the mansion, my phone beeped.
Your wife needs an answer. Things can be settled civilly or not. Your choice.
I shook my head as I read the message. Just like when we were married, my wife knew the perfect time to attack. Who didn't want my money, business and brand?
Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance Page 142
