by King, Imani
“Do you guys like having her around ?”
Declan nodded eagerly, while Alexander gave a single nod .
Well, it was now or never, he figured. There wasn’t much point in beating around the bush any more. Might as well get it over with before he lost their attention. Neither boy was known for their long attention span .
He took a deep breath and tried to smile, though he knew it probably looked as fake as it felt. “What would you think if I asked Trisha out on a date ?”
Both boys stared at him now. Declan furrowed his brow. Alexander’s frown deepened. Neither boy seemed to know quite what to think .
“Would that make her our new mom?” Declan asked quietly, making Alexander scowl .
Jonathan ruffled the boy’s hair. “No, not necessarily. She would be my girlfriend and still be your nanny. I really like her, but if you two aren’t okay with us dating, then we won’t. It’s up to you .”
Alexander was the first to respond. He shrugged and picked up his game controller again. “I don’t care .”
There was that feigned indifference again. Jonathan was pretty sure he cared more than he let on, but he let it sit for now. When Alex was ready to talk, he’d talk. Until then, there wasn’t much point in pressing things. And hey, at least he hadn’t completely dismissed the idea! That was a good thing, right ?
Declan looked between his brother and Jonathan, his little brow still furrowed. Jonathan could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he thought about everything. Then, finally, he nodded. “I guess it’s okay. I like Trisha. She’s nice and she plays video games and stuff with us !”
Well, apparently it wasn’t very hard to impress Declan. Alexander may have still been on the fence about things, but at least Declan seemed to be okay with everything. That was a step in the right direction at least. Besides, if Alexander changed his mind down the road, it wasn’t like he couldn’t break things off. It wasn’t like they were getting married .
At least not yet .
The boys were already in bed when Trisha came home that night. And, surprisingly, she didn’t come up to his room. He waited for a little while, then drifted off to sleep. When he went to work the next morning, her bedroom door was still firmly shut .
Jonathan just shrugged as he made himself some coffee. She must’ve worn herself out last night. And it wasn’t like they had to spend every single night together. They weren’t even dating, at least not yet .
But Jonathan planned to change that. After talking with the boys, he’d decided to ask her to the gala tonight. When he went into work, he had a grin on his face. Even the mountain of paperwork on his desk couldn’t ruin his good mood. Not today .
He cut out of work a bit early, much to Carla’s surprise, and decided to go shopping. He wanted to be prepared for tonight. Everything had to be perfect. If he wanted to ask Trisha to the gala, he wanted to be sure she’d say yes .
He slipped quietly into the house, careful not to alert anyone’s attention as he snuck up to his bedroom and laid out everything he’d bought. Then he changed out of his work clothes and headed back downstairs to the dining room. Gretta was just putting dinner out when he slipped into his chair .
“Just in time,” Gretta said, her lips pursed tight. She hated when he missed dinner. If she had her way, he’d be home for every single meal. Hell, if he had his way, he’d be home for every meal. Gretta’s food tasted way better than any takeout lunch ever could !
“Sorry, I had to take care of a few things.” He winked at her. “But you know how much I hate to miss your delicious food !”
“Mhm…” Gretta was obviously not convinced .
Jonathan had long grown used to her teasing by now. It’d become tradition at this point. Things just wouldn’t be the same if he didn’t have Gretta nagging him about missing her meals. Besides, it wasn’t like he missed her meals intentionally. They were delicious after all .
Dinner was a quiet affair, except for Declan who droned on about something or another. Just as he’d gotten used to Gretta’s treatment, everyone had gotten used to Declan dominating all conversations. Most nights it was more like he was having a conversation with himself. All in all, it was a pretty normal night .
Jonathan noticed Trisha didn’t seem to be in a chipper mood though. She’d catch his eye, then look away. He wondered if something had happened with her friends last night and made a mental note to ask her after dinner. He figured that would be better than asking while the boys were here. He didn’t want to bring up anything that might be sensitive with the boys around .
Alexander kept eyeing him as well, though at least he knew the reason for that one. Declan seemed to have moved on since their little chat yesterday, but judging by the way he kept looking between Trisha and Jonathan, he was still mulling things over. He made a mental note to talk to him, too, to help put his mind at ease .
Once they finished eating, the four of them cleaned up, then Jonathan sent the boys to go spend some time with their video games. Declan ran off without a second thought. Alexander eyed him for a moment, but when Jonathan smiled at the boy he nodded and followed his brother .
“How was your weekend off?” Jonathan asked, leaning against the wall. He kept his eyes on Trisha, studying her .
Trisha shrugged, then sat back down at table. “It was okay. But…. Can I talk to you for a bit, while the boys are busy ?”
“Sure.” Jonathan pulled out a chair and sat down. His instincts had been right, it seemed. Something was going on. “Is everything okay ?”
Trisha shrugged, then took a deep breath. She crossed her hands, then looked down at them. Clearly something was really bothering her. Now she had Jonathan’s full attention .
“I’ve been thinking….” She sighed. Trisha closed her eyes for a moment, her shoulders going slack. “About us …”
Jonathan’s heart sank in his chest. Just when he’d made up his mind, she was going to end things with him? He cursed himself for taking so long to make up his mind. But maybe he still had a chance…. Maybe he could still salvage things .
“What about us?” he asked, his mouth dry. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it kept coming back. He had to rub his palms on his pants to dry them. God, this was so much worse than standing in front of the board. He’d rather face a bunch of old bureaucrats any day .
She sighed again. At least it seemed like this talk was as nerve-wracking for her as it was for him. Somehow, that was just a little bit comforting to him. It meant he might still have a shot and fixing things, at least he hoped he did .
“The last few weeks have been great, really they have. But…” She sighed again. “I can’t keep doing this. Casual sex just isn’t my thing. It’s been amazing sex, really, but I need more than that from a relationship. I know that your kids have to come first and all, I get that. But if I’m going to be with a guy, I don’t want it to just be in the dark, behind closed doors .”
Trisha bit her lips and looked like she was on the verge of tears. Jonathan stood and offered his hand to her. Now he was sure he could fix this, at least, if he knew Trisha as well as he thought he did. “Come up to my room for a minute .”
She blinked, but didn’t say anything, letting Jonathan lead her upstairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her brushing away the tears that threatened to fall. His heart ached to see her upset like this, and he cursed himself for having waited so long to tell her how he felt about her .
When they were outside the bedroom door, Jonathan stopped and turned to face her. “Close your eyes .”
Trisha frowned, but did as he asked. Then, he led her inside carefully and closed the door behind him. He was actually surprised she’d come this far without asking him what the hell was going on .
He had a garment bag laid out on his bed, which he unzipped, though he left it closed for now. Then he picked up the bag next to it and pulled out a small box before walking back over to Trisha. “You can open your eyes now. You’re
not the only one who’s been thinking about our relationship .”
Jonathan took a deep breath. “I want things to be more than sex between us. You deserve more than that. Which is why I was hoping you would accompany me to AshCorp’s charity gala next week.” He opened the box and showed her the diamond necklace inside. “I was also hoping you’d wear this .”
Trisha stared wide-eyed at the open box. Her mouth hung open. Jonathan grinned at her, amused at seeing how shocked she was. Apparently she hadn’t been expecting him to want to stay together with her .
“It…It’s gorgeous,” she said at last. “I… I can’t take this. It’s way too expensive !”
Jonathan chuckled, then wrapped his arms around her waist. “Nothing is too expensive for you. Besides, I wouldn’t want you to feel underdressed at the gala. All the woman there will be showing off the fancy things they bought with their husbands’ credit cards. What kind of date would I be if I didn’t make sure you looked amazing ?”
“I’ll have to go out and get a dress then. I don’t think I own one.” Trisha grinned .
He hadn’t really expected her to own a dress. She’d never struck him as the dress kind of girl, which he liked about her. She didn’t dress like a slob, but she also didn’t spend all of her time and money on her looks. He liked how confident she was in her appearance. He liked how she dressed for comfort over style without sacrificing anything .
“I take it you’ll go with me then?” When she nodded, he leaned in and kissed her. “Then you’ll want this .”
He led her over to the bed to where the garment bag still lay. She looked at the bag, then at him. When he nodded, she slowly opened the bag, her eyes going wide again as she looked at the sleek emerald gown that lay inside .
“Oh my god!” She ran a finger delicately over the dress. She seemed almost afraid to even touch it. Then again, it was probably the most expensive article of clothing she’d ever owned. He made a note to buy her a few more nice things to wear once in a while, even if she did prefer a t-shirt and pants .
“You can pick it up.” He grinned at her .
Trisha nodded. Carefully, she picked up the dress and held it against herself. He’d chosen well, it seemed. The dress would look amazing against her caramel skin. Plus, it would match his eyes as well, letting everyone at the gala know she was with him .
It looked like he’d chosen the right size, too, judging by how it looked as she held it up against her body. “If we need to have it altered, we still have some time .”
“I think it should fit,” Trisha said, looking down at the dress. “It’s so beautiful. Where did you get it ?”
“There’s a store down the street from my office. I slipped out of work a little early to get it. That’s why I was almost late for dinner .”
Trisha’s eyes bulged again. “You don’t mean Claudia’s?” When Jonathan nodded, her mouth hung open. “But this had to have cost a fortune! I’ve seen the dresses there. They’re all ungodly expensive. I’ve never even known someone who’s gotten one of their dresses .”
Jonathan plucked the dress from Trisha’s hands. After carefully laying it back on the bed, he pulled her into his arms again. “I told you. I don’t care how expensive it was. I just wanted something pretty for you to wear next week. I hope you like the dress .”
“I love it!” she said immediately. “I’ve never seen anything so gorgeous.” She laid her head against his chest. “Thank you, so much .”
“Does that mean you don’t want to break up with me anymore ?”
Trisha nodded and Jonathan smiled. He was glad it hadn’t been too late to salvage things between them. He wasn’t sure what he’d have done if she’d still decided she’d had enough of him. But he didn’t have to worry about that any more .
“What about the boys?” she asked, looked up into his eyes. “What are they going to say ?”
“I’ve already spoken with boy of them and gotten their approval. Both of them adore you, Declan in particular. I think Alexander is still a bit iffy on the idea, but he’ll come around when he sees not much will be changing .”
Trisha nodded. Then, she stood up on her toes and kissed him. “You’re amazing, you know that ?”
“Not nearly as amazing as you are !”
23
Trisha
T risha’s heart threatened to leap from her chest as the limo pulled up in front of the building. There was a line of other limos, with photographers and reporters lining the entrance. She didn’t belong here. She belonged back at the manor, watching a movie with the boys .
There was only one car ahead of hers, and she thought she might faint. Why the hell had she agreed to go to the gala with Jonathan? Why hadn’t she turned him down? This was so far out of her comfort zone .
And yet here she was, in a dress that cost more than she’d ever seen in her lifetime, wearing jewelry that probably could’ve paid for the rest of her college expenses. She didn’t even look like herself, with her hair and make-up done to perfection. She hadn’t wanted to embarrass Jonathan, so she’d made sure everything was perfect before they’d left the house .
But that wouldn’t do any good if she passed out the moment the stepped out of the car. She could just see a picture of herself in a crumpled heap on the front page of the paper tomorrow. She’d never be able to live that one down .
It didn’t help that she still hadn’t told him about the baby. After he’d invited her to the gala, the words had gotten stuck in her throat. She wanted them to have at least one nice night together before she broke the news and risked everything .
After tonight, she decided, she’d sit down and tell him .
When Jonathan reached over and took hold of her hand, she turned to see him smiling at her. He squeezed her hand gently. “Take a deep breath. Everything will be okay, I promise .”
Trisha nodded, giving him a shaky smile. She wanted to believe him, but her body was in full revolt right then. Nothing short of popping a few Xanax was going to help her calm down right now. And with her being pregnant, that was out of the question .
Finally, it was there turn. The chauffer stopped the car, then walked around to open the door. Jonathan slid out first, then offered his hand to Trisha .
It’s now or never , she told herself. She took a deep breath, then grasped Jonathan’s hand and let him help her from the car. Immediately, she was assaulted by the blinding flashes of a thousand cameras going off at once .
She tried to smile as Jonathan slipped his arm around her waist and let her up the walkway. Her knees wobbled as she walked, but at least she didn’t topple over. Thank god for small favors, right ?
Once they were through the doors and her eyes were able to adjust, she felt much better. At least she’d made it through that little gauntlet. She had no idea how celebrities dealt with that kind of attention all the time .
It was insane !
Jonathan seemed to know exactly where he was going, so she let him lead the way. Soon, they were in a massive ballroom with people milling around. Everyone in there was dressed to the nines. She had a feeling every outfit, even those on the servers wandering about, cost way more than she’d ever be able to afford .
Once again, she wondered why she was here. Then she’d catch Jonathan’s eye and he’d smile at her and she’d remember. She couldn’t say no to him. When he’d shown her that dress and the necklace he’d bought, she wanted to melt into the floor .
He could’ve asked her to lead a mission to Mars and she’d have agreed to it .
As soon as they walked into the room, people started coming over to shake Jonathan’s hand. He introduced her to each person, but most of the names went in one ear and out the other. It was a wonder he was able to remember every single person. There was no way she would be able to .
A server approached and offered them each glasses of champagne. Jonathan took one, then looked at her curiously when she declined. Some alcohol would’ve gone a long way to helping her calm her ner
ves, but she wasn’t going to risk it .
Then a man and a woman walked over and Jonathan grinned. He embraced the man, the two of them patting each other on the back. Then he turned to the woman, dressed in a light blew gown, with curly blonde hair and a beautiful sapphire necklace. He took her hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed it. He reminded Trisha of a prince out of a fairy tale .
She giggled, then smacked him gently on the arm, shaking her head. “That’s enough of that, you !”
Jonathan nodded. Then, he slipped his arm around Trisha’s waist again and pushed her forward slightly. “Trisha, I’d like to introduce you to Timothy. He’s my best friend and the man in charge or R&D at AshCorp. And this is his wife, Sarah ,”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face and shaking Timothy’s hand. Then the woman gave her a polite hug .
“It’s a great to meet you,” Timothy said. “Jonathan has told me so much about you .”
Trisha looked at the floor. Jonathan had talked about her to other people? She could only imagine what he’d said …
Sarah walked to stand next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, it’s all been good stuff. Now how about I introduce you to the other women here? We’ll let the men mingle and do their thing .”
When Jonathan smiled at her, Trisha nodded. She let Sarah lead her away, her heart pounding as she did so. She’d expected to stay glued to Jonathan’s side the entire night, not being forced to interact with woman she’d never met before .
Sarah was friendly enough, though she still felt awkward meeting all the different women. These were all women who were completely different from here. They’d all grown up with silver spoons in their mouths, not having to work their asses off for every scrap they got .
But every once in a while, she’d look across the room and see Jonathan smiling at her and her heart would flutter. As long as he was here, she could do this. She wasn’t going to let a bunch of high society women get the better of her .
