“You work there too, Brooke?” she asked.
“Yes, currently I’m looking at potential clients for the retail units in a development in New York,” I replied, taking Robert’s lead and only giving the basics.
“It sounds exciting,” she added.
With the meal coming to an end, we moved back to the lounge with our coffee. I felt that Robert was a little distant, his smile a little forced, he didn’t like her I thought and I hoped that Travis hadn’t picked up on that. Whether Robert liked her or not was irrelevant, if Travis did, then he would have to go along with it, for his sake.
“Well, thank you for a lovely meal and it was good to chat to you but, Travis, I need to get back. Poor mum has been with Harley all day,” Caroline said.
We walked them to the front door, leaving Evelyn upstairs clearing up and said our goodbyes.
Shutting the door I turned to Robert. “You don’t like her, do you?”
“There’s something about her I’m not sure of, instinct,” he said.
“Evelyn, what did you think?” I asked as we wandered back up.
“I like her but I worry what will happen when she finds out about him, you?”
“The same I guess. I do like her, she’s funny, easy to talk to but like I said before, she has a child, I don’t think it will be easy for her if she finds out about his past. If they become serious, he can’t keep that a secret forever.” I hoped for Travis’ sake we were wrong.
After Evelyn had left and we had settled on the sofa, I asked Robert about the phone call he had taken.
“It was Franco, he and Luca had argued, for the first time in years. Luca won’t tell him anything but Franco is convinced, like Lucia, that Luca has got himself involved with the Albanians and something has gone wrong which is why he has committed to give them the building contract, maybe as a means to compensate. I don’t like it one bit, if there’s an agenda, I want to know what it is.”
“What will you do?”
“We’re going there soon, if he won’t tell me then I’ll let him know I don’t want his contractors. If he wants to buy the properties from me he can, but I’ll choose my own teams.”
“What did Lucia mean about the Albanians, being very bad people?”
“You don’t want to know. If Luca doesn’t like my decision, well that’s just tough. I don’t think he’ll fight me on it because he knows he wouldn’t win.”
“Will this delay the building?”
“Probably, but to be honest, I would rather know exactly who I am dealing with and why. If that means a month's delay then so be it.”
“Back to Caroline, this instinct thing, what do you mean?” I asked.
“I get a gut feeling about things. It’s served me well in the past and I always listen to it. I remember it started when I was kid, I was going to cross the road with my mum, we looked both ways, obviously, but then something told me not to cross and I hesitated. A few seconds later a motorbike came speeding around the corner, it would have hit us. I didn’t hear it coming, I just knew something was wrong. I can tell you many examples, my mum used to say I had good instinct.”
“It’s like a sixth sense then,” I said.
“I guess so but then I think everyone can sense danger before it happens, it’s whether you listen to it or not that makes the difference. It was the same when I saw you that day, in reception. Something told me that I had to follow you, to get to know you.”
“I hope you didn’t think I was dangerous,” I said.
“At first I did. Not dangerous in the sense that you posed a threat to me but dangerous in that I knew you would get to me, get under my skin and you did.”
“What did you think, when you first saw me?”
“I was blown away, to be honest I couldn’t speak,” he laughed. “I looked into your eyes and something happened inside. I can’t really explain it but I just knew, right at that moment, I would marry you, I would have you forever. It’s like I’d been waiting for that moment all my life and finally it happened, fucked my head up though. Everything I went through all of a sudden made sense, if my parents hadn’t died, if I hadn’t run away, I wouldn’t be right here, right now with you,” he said with a smile.
“Do you really see things, when you look at people?”
“I don’t see things. I guess I feel something, I get a sense of good or bad, that’s all.”
“Spooky. Shall I tell you something about when I first met you? I’ll be honest, I told Sam that looking at you was like looking at the devil himself. It’s the colour of your eyes. I guess, in the past people needed to be scared of you in some ways, it’s what kept you safe.”
“You’re not scared of me though,” he said.
“Not now, I think what I was more scared of was my reaction to you. It’s like there’s a magnetic force, it pulls me to you. I feel like I’ve loved you before, I already knew you. Maybe we met in a previous life,” I chuckled.
He stroked my face, pushing my hair behind my ear, “We’re both lucky. I doubt many people find their soul mates. What we feel is more than love. Maybe you’re right, maybe we’ve met before.”
Chapter Twelve
Robert and I travelled to work together, parking in the underground car park and were greeted by security.
“Good morning Mr Stone, Mrs Stone, Travis.”
I smiled, I liked the sound of my name, Brooke Stone. It was like it was meant to be. Leaving Robert, I headed off to my office and my desk. I was the first to arrive so fired up the coffee machine and my computer. Today, we should receive the proofs from the wedding photographer and I was excited to see them, to relive that evening. I thought about whether to send one to my parents but was still deliberating on that.
People started to arrive and I was pleased to see a few smiles, receive a few good mornings, maybe people were warming to me, finally. I met with Pete, it was good to see that we were on the same track and he talked through how they would normally approach potential retailers. I told him about returning to New York and that I thought it would be good to look at the existing stores. It would help us decide if the companies would be looking for a new location or not.
Returning to my desk, Jess picked up my coffee mug to refresh it. Before she did I saw her look at my hand, at my wedding rings and she smiled.
“Coffee, Mrs Stone?” she asked, causing some of the other guys sitting near us to look up.
“It’s still Brooke and yes, thank you,” I smiled back.
I guessed it would not take long for people to find out and I wondered if this would change how they acted towards me.
“You got married?” Bailey asked. He sat opposite me.
“Yes, on New Year's Eve,” I replied.
“Oh wow, tell us about it then,” he laughed.
“Well, it was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t know myself until the morning but it was wonderful,” I said.
“Oh, sounds so romantic, have you got any pictures?” Jess asked.
“I am hoping the proofs will come today, I’ll show you.”
“So are you staying with us for good? It's fun working with you,” Bailey said.
“Thanks Bailey, to be honest I wanted to move around a bit, learn about the whole company. I have to work and I have already been warned it’s unlikely I would get a job anywhere else. I don’t want anyone to think I just walked into it. I want to start at the bottom and earn the respect of people here.”
“I can imagine it’s not easy for you, but who cares what people think. Blimey, if I married the boss I would expect a job right at the top,” he laughed.
This was a turnaround. “Well, I camped out in Marketing for a while, no-one spoke to me. Once I’ve finished this project, perhaps you can teach me what you do, with the lettings?” I asked.
“Of course we can, we’re a bit different down here to the arty farties upstairs,” Jess said as she left for the kitchen.
“Is that why you sat here?” Bailey asked.
“Yes
, I don’t want people to think I’m getting any special treatment.”
“Some will always think that but I wouldn’t let it bother you,” he replied before answering his ringing phone.
“So where did you come from?” Jess asked when she returned with the coffees.
“Kent, just outside London. I came here on holiday to catch up with my friend Sam, he’s one of the arty farties upstairs,” I laughed.
“Oopps!” she said.
“Oh don’t worry, he would love the title. Anyway, I fell in love and here I am.”
“That is so cool, it’s like a fairy tale,” she replied and I was reminded of a comment Robert made some time ago.
“Yeah, it is,” I smiled, and I got the happy ending, maybe there is a fairy godmother I thought.
My phone buzzed, Robert had texted asking if I wanted to join him for lunch, the proofs had been emailed to him. I collected my bag and headed upstairs.
“Good Afternoon, Brooke, or should I call you Mrs Stone now,” Gina said with a laugh.
“Hi, Gina and Brooke is fine, how did you know?” I asked.
“Oh I knew ages ago, sorry. I have to apologise for being so rude last time you were here. I had the table plans and all sorts on my desk. I was terrified you might see them and spoil the surprise. Did you have a great day?”
“It was amazing, a total surprise. I can’t believe how many people have kept it a secret.”
“I kept these for you, I thought you might like to have them,” she said as she handed me a large envelope.
Inside was one of the invitations that Robert had sent out, a reply card, his handwritten list of guests, table plans and his notes. He had the most gorgeous handwriting, bold and italic. I noticed that there was no ceremony address on the invitation. I asked Gina about that.
“Only a handful of people knew in advance. Mr Stone didn’t want the location to be leaked so we sent a text the night before.”
“Sam bought me a memory box, I can put these inside. That’s really sweet of you.”
“Well, I just thought, you probably wouldn’t have seen them otherwise. It’s always nice to keep these things.”
I put them in my bag and walked towards Robert’s office. He was on the phone but smiled as he saw me and I quietly opened the door and took a seat.
“And their response was?” I heard him ask his caller. “Good. Are they worried there’ll be a law suit? Well, that’s great news, let me know of any progress,” he said before replacing his phone.
“That was the lawyer. They had an immediate response from the editor of the newspaper, an apology for the article. They’re going to print a retraction and at the moment they’re worried I might sue,” he told me.
“That’s good news, will you sue them?” I asked.
“No, just the threat is enough. Anyway, come here and look at these.”
I moved behind him and he opened up an email, it was the proofs from the photographer. The pictures were wonderful, there were some of Sam and me as we arrived, Robert and I walking back down the aisle and the rest were unposed, informal shots of our guests. My favourite had to be one of us out on the terrace with fireworks exploding above us. I was looking up, eyes wide and Robert was looking at me. The love he had for me, clearly showing on his face.
“I didn’t realise half of these had been taken,” I said.
“I copied the email to you, you just have to let him know what you want. We’re also off to New York next week. Gina is sorting out a schedule for the kids, they won’t travel with us but we’ll meet with them in the evening. Evelyn will accompany Ted, help him keep them under control,” he laughed.
Gina came in with some lunch and tea for us and we sat and discussed the trip. She told us that she had booked a tour on a boat around the Statue of Liberty, a mini bus to ferry the kids around and dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe on day one. She had details of museums for them to go to and a city tour for day two before flying back home. She had booked all our flights and accommodation and she gave me the schedule. It looked like the kids would have an amazing time. Once Gina had left, I turned to Robert.
“People downstairs know we got married. Jess, the girl I sit with noticed my rings,” I said.
“Are you worried about people knowing?” he asked.
“Of course not, I thought you might be,” I replied.
“No, Jonathan has already had loads of calls from the press asking for verification.”
“How did they know?” I asked.
“I imagine someone told them,” he laughed.
“So what has Jonathan said?”
“Just that it is true. Robert Stone married Brooke Stiles on the thirty first of December in a small ceremony with close family and friends, something like that anyway. It won’t take long for people to realise. It's public knowledge that you’re with me so announcing we’re married won’t make any more of a difference. What are you worried about?” he asked.
“Only, if there’s anyone else in the past, I don’t want to be your weakness. Joey said I was your Achilles heel.”
“And Joey is dead, so don’t worry about it,” he replied. “Now, residency papers for you to complete.”
He gave me a huge wad of forms to read through. “What if I don’t get residency?” I asked.
“Won’t happen, you got your work permit easily enough.”
“Mmm a little too easy I think,” I said as I rose, lunch over. I gave him a kiss and headed back to my desk.
I opened the email and texted Sam who came rushing down. Introductions made, Jess, Bailey, Sam and I looked at the proofs.
“Oh wow, look at your dress, it’s stunning,” Jess said.
I flicked past some, not wanting to explain who every guest was but Sam made me stop at each picture he was in of course.
We finished off our day and I headed to the foyer with Jess where Robert was standing with Travis. I said goodbye to her before we headed to the car and home. After we had changed out of our work clothes and with Evelyn and Travis with us, we looked back through the photographs. We studied a lovely one of the four of us, which would have to go on the memory wall for sure. There wasn’t a bad picture and I emailed the photographer, I wanted them all in an album and some framed. The kitten, now named smudge because of the little white patch of fur on her chest, was playing around our feet as we sat at the breakfast bar for dinner.
“Who will look after her while we’re in New York?” he asked, looking at the cat. Robert was so not an animal person.
“I asked Taylor if she could, it’s only for a couple of days, she said she didn’t mind. Either her or Petra will come here a couple of times during the day, feed her, change her litter tray and all that.”
“Just make sure security know then, so they can get in,” he replied.
“Can we talk about the gates? Could we have an intercom so I can let people in and out myself?” I asked.
“I don’t think so, what if it wasn’t who you were expecting. This way security know who is here. It’s easy, Brooke you just phone through and they’ll check then let them in.”
“What if I want to go out?” I said.
“Then Gary drives you, please don’t fight me on this. Your safety is not something I’m going to compromise on, anything else, but not that. Listen, Sam and Scott can come and visit you here any time you want, just call security, they’ll let them in.”
“What if Gary isn’t here?”
“If you are here, then Gary will be too.”
“Surely he gets holiday, time off every now and again?”
“When he does, it will be Travis.”
I knew there was no point in pursuing this conversation, I wouldn’t win. If Robert had made his mind up about something, there was no changing it. At least he said Sam could come over whenever I wanted him to. I missed the two of us just snuggling on the sofa and chatting or watching TV together.
****
The next couple of weeks passed. I went to work each day and
little by little I made friends with the people on my floor. We had the press releases ready, initial contact made with potential retailers, all we were waiting on now was a start date for the build, something that couldn’t happen until Robert had spoken with Luca.
The evening before our trip Evelyn helped me pack our bags. We would only be away for a couple of days. Gary and Travis would accompany Robert and me and the kids with Evelyn and Ted would fly separately. I had asked why we would not all travel together.
“One, they would drive me nuts, second, it’s for their security as well,” Travis had told me.
He explained that these kids were vulnerable and some very naive. What Robert and Travis did for them was private, they didn’t need for a reporter to see them all together and want to know why. It was publicity that neither wanted for the kids sake as well as theirs.
We woke early the following morning and once dressed, headed off to the airport. Kerry had sent me a text, she was so excited. Most of the kids had never travelled before and the thought of getting on a plane and seeing a different part of America was sending them into a frenzy already. I had arranged that I would spend the day checking out the stores, then I would meet with Kerry the second day. We would go to the site and I could explain what I was working on, spend the day with her before we headed home.
“Baby, I don’t want you with me when I meet Luca. He might suggest that we dine out, the four of us but I’ve already told him we have plans, okay?” Robert said as we made our way to the airport.
He wasn’t sure how his meeting with Luca would go and it seemed that he wanted me as far away as possible.
“Will we get to see Franco and Sofia?” I asked.
“We need to play it by ear. Let’s see how today goes first, we might stay on another night and meet them then.”
“What about Lucia, she wants to meet for lunch, what should I do?”
“I think that would be fine. If she’s out of the way, that might be better, meet with her.”
Robert was taking this meeting seriously, he was expecting trouble and I began to worry a little for him.
Fallen Angel, Part II Page 20
