“My daughter doesn’t need to see that,” Giles called out across the room.
Noah made a face at his cousin. “I’m certain your daughter sees more than that before you swole your wife up.”
“Noah!” came a chorus from many of the women who had young children.
“Keep it clean, son,” Edward warned at the same time he smothered a chuckle. He plucked another gaily wrapped gift from under the tree. “Viviana, this one is for you from your bae.”
“What do you know about a bae, Dad?” Rhett called out.
Edward smiled. “I’m not so old that I don’t keep up with what you young folks call one another.”
Viviana was handed the small gift bag, and she removed the tissue paper and took out a square velvet box she suspected contained a piece of jewelry. An audible gasp escaped her when she saw the diamond-encrusted bangle. She handed Noah the bracelet, and he undid the double safety clasp, slipped it on her small wrist and secured it. Viviana held up her arm, and light from the overhead chandelier caught the precious stones as a hushed silence settled over the assembly.
“Well damn, brother,” Rhett said under his breath. “What’s next? A ring?”
Chanel landed a soft punch on Rhett’s shoulder. “Stay out of it.”
Viviana had bonded quickly with Noah’s sister. She was lively and upbeat and had a quick laugh. Chanel admitted she’d recently joined WDG and that it would take time for her to become familiar with the company which had afforded her a privileged lifestyle. She’d admitted she hadn’t had much time for romance and wanted to wait until she was secure in her career before getting involved with a man. And respecting Viviana’s privacy, Chanel did not mention her relationship with her brother.
The exchange of gifts continued well past one in the morning, and when concluded, the parents gathered their sleeping children and waited for the elevator to take them to their assigned suites.
Noah caught Viviana’s arm after she’d handed off Lily to Giles. “Please come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“Someplace where I can talk to you.”
She followed Noah as he led her down a narrow hallway to an area outside the gourmet kitchen that doubled as the pantry. The only light came from the one in the hallway. “What do you want to talk about?”
Pulling her against his chest, he lowered his head and kissed her passionately. “I want to thank you for the pen. I’ll use it whenever I have to sign off on a deal.”
Leaning back, she tried to see his features in the diffused light. “Every businessman or woman should have a pen that honors their success.” Going on tiptoe, she brushed a light kiss over his slightly parted lips. “And I’d like to thank you for the exquisite bracelet. I’ll treasure it always.”
“I had it engraved so you’ll never forget me or this date.”
“Why would you think I’d ever forget you?”
He angled his head. “I just hoped you wouldn’t.”
“There’s no way I could ever forget you, Noah.” She kissed him again. “Merry Christmas.”
Noah nodded. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
Viviana eased out of his embrace and retraced her steps, leaving him staring at her back. The day had been one of discoveries. She had been introduced to the entire Wainwright clan. The exception was Brandt and his very pregnant wife, Ciara, who was expecting their first child before the end of the year. Ciara, experiencing some contractions, had decided to stay close to home and had sent her and Brandt’s best wishes to everyone.
She took the staircase to the third floor and walked into the suite. Sitting on an armchair, she removed the bangle and read the inscription on the underside: Love Always, NCW-12/25/2018. Noah had also dated it so she could never forget when he’d given it to her. Viviana returned the bangle to the box and left it on the side table. It wasn’t a piece she would wear every day but only on special occasions. And the next one was coming up in exactly one week.
* * *
It was just an hour into the new year, and the mansion was aglow with lights as formally dressed men and women whirled around the ballroom to a live band and orchestra playing tunes spanning decades. Viviana smiled up at Noah as they waltzed around the dance floor. He was breathtakingly handsome in formal dress.
The sit-down, five-course dinner had been a rousing success as guests interacted with people with whom they might have not been that familiar. The chef and his staff had outdone themselves with grilled-to-order steaks, cedar-planked fresh salmon, and crispy orange Cornish hens. The waitstaff kept wineglasses filled and were quick to see to the needs of each of the dinner guests.
Edward and Christiane, seated at the head table, thanked everyone for coming and for their generous contributions to a worthy cause and announced that everyone would be given a thank-you gift before departing.
It had taken Viviana and Christiane hours to come up with a party favor on such short notice, and they had finally decided to contact a perfumer and had ordered boxed sets of sample fragrances for men and women. Christiane was overcome with emotion once the dinner concluded and everyone had stood up and applauded.
“My mother loves you, my family loves you and I love you,” Noah whispered in her ear. “And I forgot to tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman here.”
Viviana lowered her eyes. It had taken her a while to go through the formal gowns at her favorite boutique before she’d decided on a de rigueur, body-hugging little black dress, with a plunging neckline, wide bands crisscrossing her bared back and a generous slit from ankle to mid-thigh. Her only jewelry was a pair of diamond studs that had belonged to her maternal grandmother and Noah’s bracelet.
“That’s because you’re biased.”
“Hell yeah, I am.” He spun her around and around in an intricate dance step. “What can I do to convince you to stay a little longer? You can go back with me and Giles later on in the month.”
“Nothing, Noah. I’ve been away from home much too long lately.” When she told Noah she needed to return to The Falls, he’d made arrangements for her flight and ground transportation for the following afternoon. “And because I’ve put out a closed-for-the-season notice, folks will begin to notice that I’m not there. Even though I’ve alerted the sheriff’s office to check on my home, they can’t watch it 24/7. Wickham Falls, like so many cities and towns in the country, has a serious opioid crisis resulting in an increase in break-ins.”
“You can’t say I didn’t try.”
“You can be very convincing, but not this time, darling. After this dance, I’m going to head upstairs and try to get some sleep. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
Noah nodded. “I’ll take you to your room.”
* * *
Viviana disarmed the security system and closed the door to the B and B. Why, she thought, did the house where she’d grown up feel so strange? That’s when she realized she had been away more than she’d been there over the past month. That she had become accustomed to sharing a roof with Noah and with those he knew or was related to. Spending thirteen days in the magnificent greystone with his extended family had felt normal and natural when they’d embraced her without reservation.
To the Wainwrights, she was Noah’s girlfriend, and his mother had dropped hints that she wouldn’t mind having her as a daughter-in-law because she also wanted another girl. Viviana did not want to disappoint the woman by informing her that her relationship with her son was too new to talk about an engagement, marriage and grandchildren.
She left her luggage by the door and went about the task of opening windows to let in fresh air. After showering and changing into sweats, she planned to drive to the supermarket to restock the fridge and prepare dinner. Dusting and vacuuming all of the rooms and guesthouses would have to wait for another day.
* * *
Viviana had been back in The Falls for
almost two weeks when the doorbell rang, and when she opened the door it was to see someone she’d never wanted to come face-to-face with again.
“What the hell do you want?”
“May I come in?”
“No, you may not.” She’d caught glimpses of Myles Duncan from afar, but this was the first time she’d seen him close-up, and time had not been particularly kind to him. He’d gained weight, his hair was thinning and his short beard failed to hide his pockmarked cheeks. His dark brown eyes brimmed with anger.
“I came to tell you that I’ve decided to reverse my vote to approve your application even though I don’t like being blackmailed.”
“What! Why?”
“Please don’t play the innocent, Viviana. Your rich boyfriend threatened to expose an incident that was expunged from my record when I was a college student. I was accused of assaulting a girl at a frat party, and because she was drunk and couldn’t remember all that had happened, I was charged with underage drinking and expelled from the fraternity, and if I completed two hundred hours of community service, my record would be wiped clean. I suppose if you have enough money, you can get people to roll over on their mothers.”
Viviana felt as if her heart was beating outside of her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Noah wouldn’t blackmail you.”
A sardonic smile twisted Myles’s mouth. “It’s apparent you don’t know him. Your application has been approved, and when you come to the hearing next week, the chairperson will give you the letter attesting to this. And let your gangster boyfriend know we’ve also approved his application to build.”
Viviana stood there, numbly staring at the taillights of Myles’s car as he drove away. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably as she attempted to close the door. If what Myles had told her was true, then she knew her relationship would change. She remembered Noah saying to her, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll figure out something.”
She was very calm when she tapped his number into her phone. “Hey sweetheart. What’s up?” Noah asked when answering her call.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“Talk to me, babe.”
“I received word that our permits have been approved.”
“That’s wonderful news.”
“Is it?” she asked him.
“Of course it is, Viv.”
“No, it’s not when you resort to blackmail.”
There came a beat. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Viviana repeated everything Myles told her.
“You’re wrong, Viviana. I had nothing to do with blackmailing him into changing his vote.”
“Someone did, Noah. So, you better check out your people up there and get to the bottom of this. I don’t intend to repeat the underhanded tactics that my ancestors did to get ahead. I have to live here and you don’t, so right now I don’t want to have anything to do with you. We’re done!” She ended the call and threw the cell phone across the room. It hit the wall and landed on a chair.
Viviana wanted to cry but couldn’t. She wanted to scream, but her voice was locked in her throat. Not again, she thought. Just when she’d believed she had hit the mother lode with a man she could trust, he’d become like a snake shedding its skin, leaving the scaly object behind when he slithered away.
Walking into the parlor, she opened a bottle of port and poured a generous amount into a rock glass. She sat down and sipped the sweet liquid until she felt the tension leave her body. Then she curled up on the love seat, closed her eyes and cried. When tears no longer flowed, she promised herself it would be the last time she’d ever cry over a man.
* * *
“He’s on the phone and doesn’t want to be disturbed.”
Noah glared at his father’s administrative assistant and pushed open the door to the CEO’s private office. “Put down the phone, Dad.”
Edward held up a hand. “Wait a minute, son.”
Reaching over, Noah took the receiver from Edward’s hand and placed it in the console. “This can’t wait.”
Rage suffused the older man’s face. “Have you gone and lost your mind? That was someone willing to sell us several buildings in a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood.”
Resting his hands on the antique mahogany desk, Noah leaned close enough to feel Edward’s breath on his face. “What the hell did you do?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Edward asked.
“Did you get someone to blackmail Myles Duncan into reversing his vote?”
Edward crossed his arms over his crisp white shirt in a gesture Noah interpreted as protective and hostile at the same time. “I gave Duncan’s name to Kennedy, and he found out a lot of things about your girlfriend’s admirer. It appears Duncan had slept with a number of girls who’d had too much to drink, and couldn’t remember what he’d done to them.”
“So, you used the man’s sexual proclivities to blackmail him into changing his vote.”
Edward slowly shook his head. “You came to me with a problem, and I solved it for you. You’re a businessman, Noah, not a choirboy. And when it comes to business, there are times when you not only have to get your hands a little dirty but you also have to fight dirty. And I learned from one of the best street fighters I’ve ever known—Wyatt Wainwright. He built this empire to afford you and everyone that’s a Wainwright a privileged lifestyle other people can only fantasize about.
“Do you think you’d be able ride around in a car with a six-figure sticker price, or fly in private jets, or give Viviana a bracelet that cost more than some working-class stiff makes in two years if I hadn’t done things I had to do to seal a deal? No, son. So, don’t come in here with your holier-than-thou airs. Grow the hell up, or get out of the game.”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do, Father. I’m out. And I’ll stay out until you apologize to Viviana for what you’ve done. Now I know why Jordan wants nothing to do with WDG, and if you continue to emulate your father, you’re going to lose all of your children. You have a good day.”
Turning on his heel, he walked out and took the elevator down to the street. He pulled up the collar of his topcoat as he signaled for an approaching taxi. He didn’t want to go home, so he told the cabbie to just drive and he’d tell him when he wanted him to stop. He called Jordan’s office, and the receptionist told him Mr. Wainwright was in court and that he could leave a message. Noah told her it was okay and that he would reach him later at home.
Leaning forward, he tapped on the Plexiglas partition and gave the driver the address to the greystone on Fifth Avenue. Once he arrived, it took Noah less than an hour to pack his bag with enough clothes to last a week, and then he called a car service to take him to the airport where he purchased a first-class ticket to Charleston, West Virginia. He had a two-hour wait for the next flight out of New York with a connecting one in DC. He was leaving New York without saying goodbye to his mother or sister. He would leave it to Edward to explain his unexpected departure.
It was close to nine thirty when the taxi pulled up in front of the Wickham Falls Bed and Breakfast. There was a light on the first floor and several in upstairs bedrooms. He paid the driver and walked to the front door to face the most difficult test of his life.
Noah rang the bell and waited for Viviana to answer it. He rang it over and over until the door finally opened and he saw firsthand what she had gone through. Her eyes were swollen, and he knew she had been crying.
“May I come in?”
She blinked slowly. “Did you come to get your car?”
“No, Viviana. I came to explain everything.”
Her eyes narrowed. “There’s nothing to explain.”
“Yes, there is. Now, please let me in or I’ll yell so loud your nearest neighbor will hear everything I have to say to you.”
She opened the door wider.
“Come in, but you can’t stay.”
Noah dropped his bag and scooped her up in his arms, ignoring the blows raining down on his back and shoulders. He carried her into the parlor, sat on the love seat and settled her over his lap. “I want you to listen to what I have to say, and if you want me to leave, I will. But if I walk out that door, I’m never coming back. And our deal is null and void with no strings attached.”
Viviana didn’t move, not even her eyes, when Noah disclosed the confrontation between him and his father earlier that morning. She didn’t want to believe he had walked away from everything he’d worked for because Edward had believed he was doing the right thing not only for Noah but also for her.
“Are you really through with WDG?”
“Yes. The only way I’ll consider going back is if my father calls you and apologizes, and makes a promise never to blackmail anyone again And I’m going to insist the details of every deal be outlined during board meetings or I’m out. If not, then I’ll apply for a position with an architectural firm in Philly or DC. Once Edward said what he did, it reminded me of you when you talk about the Wolfes who took advantage of their workers by any means necessary to increase their wealth and power. I don’t want you to think I’m like them, Viv.”
“But your family is?” she argued softly.
“Think about what you’re saying. You’re judging me the same way folks here judge you. I’m only responsible for what I do and not what my family does. I’m going to pick up my car and check into a hotel up on the interstate. You have my number, so call me whenever my father contacts you. And if he doesn’t, then this is goodbye. And remember, I’ll always love you.”
Viviana watched him walk out, and something wouldn’t permit her to go after him. Maybe, she thought, it was better this way. No histrionics.
* * *
Viviana sat on the window seat in her bedroom watching rivulets of rain slide down the windows. It had been raining steadily for three days, and her mood matched the weather. It was more than six weeks since Noah had walked out of the house and her life. Mya had called, inviting her to come over, but she had used so many excuses that she struggled to come up with another. She didn’t want Giles’s wife to ask her about Noah because she didn’t want to bring the woman into something about which she might not have knowledge. Every family had its secrets, and Giles might not have made his wife privy to those closely held secrets.
Dealmaker, Heartbreaker Page 16
