Chloe- you looked beautiful last night. I can’t begin to describe how important you are to me.
Chloe stared at the card, bewildered. There was no signature and she blushed- it could be from either of them, she thought to herself, and decided that she would try and subtly find out from Alex if he had sent them. She put the behind her desk for now though, she didn’t want Stephen to see and think that she was too distracted to do her job. She drafted out a few emails and scheduled some meetings for Mr. Bennett before the elevator dinged open again and a smiling Alex walked towards her. He looked incredibly handsome in a crisp white button-down shirt and khaki colored pants, and he beamed at her when he came nearer. “Ready?” he asked, offering his arm to her. She nodded and smiled, turning off her computer as she rose to leave with him.
He led her downstairs to where his car was waiting. She tried not to look too impressed with the limousine, but the truth was that she had never seen such luxury before, and certainly hadn’t ever been in a position to enjoy it. There were two long seats inside, facing each other, and Alex sat down across from her. She looked around the spacious interior and inwardly gasped at the mini-bar and TV screen. “Would you like a drink?” Alex asked and once again, Chloe had to pretend that she didn’t drink. He poured her a glass of water instead, and she accepted gratefully.
They got to the hotel and Alex helped her out of the car, taking her arm as he led her inside. “Hello,” he said at the reception, “We’re here for the- uh-” he looked at Chloe who smiled and said, “The Benett-Green wedding preparations. We have an appointment with Chef Rousseau?” The receptionist asked them to follow him, but before they could a loud voice called out, “Wait for me, brother.” Alex felt the blood in his veins run cold as he turned to face Dan, looking exceptionally pleased with himself as he approached them. “Hello, Chloe- you look beautiful as always.” Chloe smiled brightly and said, “What are you doing here?” Dan shrugged and said, “I remember you two mentioned this, and I thought why not drop by and surprise my big brother? We don’t get to spend any time together, and I miss hanging out with you.”
Chloe clasped her hands together and exclaimed, “Oh that’s so sweet! Well come on, Dan- you in the mood for some cake?” Dan took Chloe’s arm and said, “Oh I have an immense sweet tooth- I’d kill for some good dessert right now.” He walked through the door with Chloe, leaving Alex standing rooted the spot, seething with rage. He couldn’t believe that Dan had actually crashed his alone time with Chloe. As he stood there, watching his brother charm his way into the cake-tasting, he realized that Dan was serious about the bet. Fine, if he wanted to play it that way, Alex would rise up to the challenge.
*****
Right after the cake-tasting, as Dan was speaking to Chloe, Alex pushed his way in between them and faced Chloe as he said “Would you like to go to dinner with me?” Chloe stared at him open-mouthed and glanced at Dan for a second before she said, “I- of course. I’d love to.” Alex smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back as he led her away, discussing when they could go out. Dan’s face turned an angry purple and he hung back, plotting to smother Alex in his sleep. He steadied himself and then jogged up to them as he said, “Hey Alex, if you’re going to the office, mind if I hitch a ride?” Alex glared at him and pointedly said, “I’m not going there.” Chloe glanced up from her phone and said, “Yes we are- I have to go back to work, remember?” Dan smiled brightly at her and said, “Great.” Alex scowled and said, in a bitter tone, “Yeah- great.”
As he sat in the car, he tried not to look too annoyed with Dan, but he couldn’t help it- his brother was absolutely infuriating. “So- I mean the chocolate fudge was a surefire winner, right?” Dan said, with a huge goofy grin on his face. Chloe laughed and said, “I ate so much I thought I would get sick- it was delicious.” Dan glanced at his brother and said, “Alex isn’t really a fan of chocolate- never has been. Isn’t that right, Al?” Chloe turned to Alex and said, “How can you not like chocolate? That’s so weird.” Alex shrugged and said, “I don’t know, I mean I just never liked the taste. I don’t really have a sweet tooth.” Dan laughed and said, “Alex also hates puppies, balloons, and jazz. But that’s my brother for you- having fun isn’t really his thing.”
Chloe gawked at Alex and said, “Are you serious? Why don’t you like any of those things? Jazz too?” Alex threw Dan a nasty look as he said, “I don’t hate jazz- I just don’t like how the saxophone sounds. And I’m fine with balloons- it’s balloon animals that freak me out.” Chloe shook her head, “Wow- guess he was a fun child, huh?” She joked to Dan, who smiled widely and said, “Oh, you have no idea. I was the complete opposite though- rolled around in mud, played with every dog I saw on the street, I mean I was the coolest kid at any birthday party.” Chloe laughed, making a snorting sound as she did. She covered her face with her hand and turned red.
Alex smiled and said, “Did you just snort?” Chloe turned red as Dan said, “Wow that was something,” he mimicked her and she turned redder. “I think it’s adorable,” Alex said with a smile. Chloe lowered her hand and said, “Really?” Alex nodded and said, “You look even prettier when you blush.” She laughed again and Dan quickly said, “Yeah- adorable,” but this time, it was him who couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. He looked out of the window and tried to keep his face neutral as he heard Chloe giggling. He was still angry that Alex got to ask her out first, and he wondered how he would convince her to go out with him if she was already dating his brother.
He looked over at her- God, she was beautiful. The sunlight glinted on her blonde waves and her blue eyes were bright and animated as she spoke. As he watched her, he forgot all about his resentment towards Alex and he simply looked at her. She suddenly turned to look at him and he started, “Sorry?” He said, and Chloe gave him a strange look before she said, “I was just telling Alex that I loved the flowers.” Dan frowned- he hadn’t sent her any flowers, which meant that Alex had. He balled his fist angrily and looked away again. Alex glared at his brother- since he hadn’t sent the flowers, Dan must have. He scowled and poured himself a drink.
Chloe’s plan had failed- neither one of them said who had sent the flowers and she drummed her fingers against the surface of the bar as she waited for someone to say something. She realized that the whole situation was highly strange- they were brothers, for God’s sake. Chloe knew that they were both interested in her, and normally she would have never have gotten herself caught up in this mess, but these days she felt reckless. She felt that with the child growing in her, she was living on borrowed time, and soon, she would have nothing else to think about but the baby. She only had another month or two to enjoy being a young, beautiful, single woman without a care in the world. After this, she would lose her figure, and her social life would become eclipsed by her child’s needs.
She decided to have a little fun with it- it wasn’t anything serious. She knew the brothers would return to their respective cities soon after the wedding, and she would go back to being the boring secretary. So she leaned forward in her seat and tossed her hair back as she looked at the two men in her company. Alex, with his thick brown wavy hair, hazel eyes, and quiet demeanor was the perfect gentleman, and a successful businessman to boot- any girl would trip over herself to be with him. Dan, on the other hand, with his bright green eyes, short dark hair and cheekbones chiseled to perfection was the epitome of the All-American Guy with football star looks and an easygoing charm- guys like this were revered in every Hollywood chick-flick. Chloe placed a hand on Alex’s knee and smiled at him, while she stretched out her leg and touched Dan’s foot with hers. She had the choice of two handsome, extremely wealthy men- why should she let the opportunity slip her by?
*****
When Chloe met Janine later that afternoon to update her about the wedding cake, she casually mentioned that she had a dinner to go to tomorrow night. “I’m just so upset- I had the perfect dress but the dry-cleaners messed up and it shrank in t
he wash,” she lied- there had never been a dress, but it seemed to work since Janine looked horrified. “Oh, that’s happened to me more times than I’d care to admit- oh sweetie, I know the feeling. Tell you what, I have some old dresses that are too small for me anyway, why don’t I have my driver bring them over for you later today?” Chloe clutched her hand t her heart and said, “Really? Would you really do that? Oh God, you’re a lifesaver!” Janine waved a hand and said, “Please- it’s no trouble. I have a beautiful aquamarine evening gown that’ll look just stunning on you.” Chloe thought she might explode with happiness as she smiled brightly and thanked Janine.
The dress was truly beautiful- it was a strapless gown the color of the ocean on summer days, with a cinched waist and a long flowing skirt made of a divine gauzy material. There was white embellishment on the neckline and tiny detailing with pearls and diamantes. Chloe held it up to her, feeling like a princess as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. “It’s perfect,” she whispered to herself, trying to imagine what Alex would think when he saw her in it. She felt bad for playing on Janine’s liking for her, and promised herself she wouldn’t ever do something like that again.
On the evening of her date with Alex, she was getting dressed, tying her hair half-up when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Dan: Hey good luck on your date tonight. I was wondering if I could meet you tomorrow? Need to discuss some wedding stuff.
Chloe felt something flutter in her stomach as she read it, and she quickly typed back: It’s not a date, it’s just dinner. And yes, I’d love to meet up. Drop by the office tomorrow around 2?
She didn’t know why, but she had felt it absolutely necessary to let Dan know that she consider this a date with Alex. She wanted to keep her options open, and she was having hard time choosing between the two. Feeling more nervous than before, she wondered if she should change out of her dress- it definitely screamed date, and she wasn’t sure what this was, but it wasn’t a date.
When Alex called her a little while later, she put on her sheer cover-up and glanced at her reflection again- she had kept the dress on because it was far too beautiful to not wear, but she decided to make it clear to Alex that they were just going out as acquaintances. When she answered the door, however, her heart skipped a beat. Alex was wearing a well-fitting charcoal suit and he was holding a large bouquet of flowers; he looked drop-dead gorgeous, and Chloe forgot all about keeping things professional. “Hi,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly. She thanked him for the flowers, looking quickly at the note- the handwriting was very different from the one she received earlier. She closed the door behind her as she walked with Ale to his car.
Alex had remembered his brother’s liking for the elaborate, and to one-up him before he even had the chance, Alex decided to wow Chloe with the most expensive and luxurious date he could think of. He had dipped into the Bennett trust fund and Met museum for the night- they would dine surrounded by famous artwork and then he would give her a private tour of the place. He was proud of himself for thinking that up- he would show Chloe that Dan was wrong about him, he wasn’t always boring and stiff, he could do grand gestures just as well as anyone else, if not better. As he walked Chloe to the car, he said, “You look breathtaking, truly.” Chloe smiled and said, “You don’t look so bad yourself.” He grinned at her in the moonlight and said, “I just- there’s something about you, it’s almost like you glow, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to stay away.”
Chloe looked away and bit her lip. “What is it?” Alex asked gently. Chloe shook her head and climbed into the car. Alex followed her in and said, No really, tell me- is everything alright?” Chloe smiled and said, “OF course- I was just wondering where we’re going tonight.” Alex sat back in his seat with a smug look on his face and he said, “It’s a surprise- you’ll see.” He ran his fingers through his wavy hair, pushing them off his face and Chloe felt torn between him and Dan. She also knew that there never be anything serious between her and either of them- she was pregnant with another man’s child, for God’s sake. She kept forgetting that after nine months, the pregnancy would be over but she would have a child.
As the car pulled to a stop, Chloe glanced out of the window and turned to Alex, confused, “The Met?” she said, “I thought we were going to dinner?” Alex smiled at her, his eyes twinkling as he helped her out of the car. “I wanted to do something for you- something special.” He led her in and she gasped as she saw the lights strung up across the ceiling and the little table in the middle of the great hall. A uniformed waiter smiled at them and ushered them to the table, where Chloe looked around wide-eyes before she sat down. “Are you serious?” She whispered to Alex, and he smiled as he said, “Would you like some wine?” Chloe sat up and shook her head, becoming quiet suddenly, “I don’t drink,” she said slowly, and Alex shook his head, “Of course- I forgot.” The waiter handed her a menu and even as Chloe read through it, she didn’t register any of the words, since her mind was still on the pregnancy and all the lies she had to constantly tell.
*****
The date went well; Alex was terribly nice throughout it and the food was delicious. After dinner they went exploring the museum and try as she did, Chloe just couldn’t get excited about it. She kept thinking about the wine, and she knew that Alex really didn’t care that she wasn’t drinking, but she felt horrible about lying to him about it. She was tricking him into liking her, just like she had tricked Janine into giving her the dress. Suddenly, Chloe wanted nothing more than to go home and cry her eyes out. She fought the urge, pasting a large, fake smile onto her face and acting like nothing was wrong- but it was taking an emotional toll on her. As Alex was showing her his favorite painting in the whole world, Chloe smiled and said, “It’s beautiful, Alex- but isn’t it getting a little late? I have work tomorrow.” Alex nodded, “Of course- shall we?” He offered her his arm and she took it absently, glad that the date was nearly over.
As they were sitting in the car, and the chauffeur drove them towards Chloe’s apartment, Alex reached out and held her hand. “Are you sure you’re alright- you seem really distracted.” Chloe smiled slightly and said, “I think I’m just tired- my sleep schedule is really messed up and I’ve been a little under the weather.” Another lie- she looked out of the window and felt the tears coming. She held them back and said, “I’m sorry I haven’t been very good company this evening- the museum and the dinner, it was all so lovely.” Alex smiled and said, “It was my pleasure- and don’t worry, you’re always good company.” Chloe smiled, feeling incredibly sad but hiding it as the car pulled over outside her building. “Thank you, Alex- I know I seemed far away but I truly had a wonderful time.” Alex opened his mouth but Chloe had already the car and shut the door behind her as she walked away. He wasn’t sure if he ought to follow her, but as he saw her disappearing up the stairwell he knew she didn’t want him to come upstairs. He told the driver to drive him home.
As soon as Chloe unlocked the door to her apartment, it was as though a dam had burst and all the tears she had been holding back started streaming down her face. Soon, she was leaning against the door, crying uncontrollably. She dragged herself to her couch, falling onto it and her dress spilled out all around her like sea-foam. She was crying desperately when a sudden pain shot through her abdomen. Surprised, she stopped crying for a second and held her stomach, groaning out loud with pain. Her first thought was to make sure she wasn’t miscarrying, but she didn’t know how to do that. She picked up the phone and called Maria, but the call went straight to voicemail. Chloe started to panic- she knew she should call an ambulance or something but she had no insurance plan.
She tried dialing Maria again, but as it went through to voicemail once more, she started to cry again, panicking as she thought of who else she could call. She saw Dan’s number in her log, and without thinking, she called him. As it started to ring, she panicked and nearly hung up, but before she could she heard him answer, “Hello?” Choking back t
he tears she groggily said, “Hey Dan.” She wiped away her tears wondering what she could say to him as he worriedly asked, “Chloe- is everything alright? What happened?” Another wave of pain swept over Chloe and she bit back a groan as she said, “Dan can you come over?” She heard keys jangling on his end as he said, “Send me your location- I’ll be right there. Stay with me on the phone.”
Chloe shook her head, crying silently as she hung up, feeling terrible for making Dan come all the way for her, especially after she had just been on a date with his brother. She considered calling him again and telling him that he didn’t need to drop by, but she knew it was too late now. The pain subsided, but she continued sitting on the couch miserably until there was a knock on the door. “Chloe?” Dan’s voice called out, and Chloe sat on the couch, not wanting to get up. She staggered slowly onto her feet and shuffled over to the door, opening it to reveal Dan standing there in his pajamas and a jacket thrown on.
He stared at Chloe and she realized that she probably had mascara running down her face as her hair fell down her back and shoulders messily. “Sorry,” she said thickly, “I look like a mess.” Dan stared at her for a second before he smiled and said, “You look like a mermaid.” Chloe smiled too- despite everything, she felt really glad that he was there. She moved aside to let him in and said, “You actually just left and came over when I asked you to?” pointing at his pajamas. Dan nodded and said, “You sounded like you were crying, so I mean I had to- what happened?” Chloe sighed and said, “You want some coffee or something? I’m going to make myself some.” Dan blocked her path and said, “Let me make it- you look you could use some rest.” Chloe smiled gratefully- he was being so nice to her and suddenly, she was crying again. “Hey,” Dan said softly, cupping her chin while wiping away the tears with his other hand. Chloe just sobbed harder and buried her face in his chest as he held her.
Ways in the Guardian: A Menage Romance Book Collection Page 51
