by Sierra Rose
They went directly to a high-rise hotel and checked in. She noted they were registered to separate rooms. After they left their bags, they went to the restaurant to meet with their associates. Mr. Gibbons was waiting alone, sipping a cup of coffee. He stood to greet them and Bella hugged him warmly.
“Will Jason be joining us?” she asked.
“He’ll be along shortly. He had a family matter to attend to.”
“I hope he’s well, and Maggie, too.”
“I’m afraid not, Bella. Maggie’s had a very unexpected health problem, and we find that now may not be the time to transition the company.”
“Oh no! I’m so sorry, Dave. Is there anything we can do? I mean, I’m sure you two are helping with the twins—”
“We’re doing what we can. Right now, he needs to focus on Maggie and not worry about anything else. I’m sorry that our deal fell through, but, really, now is not the time,” he said, obviously distraught. Bella patted his hand.
“Of course not. I mean, clearly we came to LA to try and negotiate a deal, but that was before we knew that Maggie had a troubling diagnosis. Will you excuse me?” she said, stepping out and dialing Jason Smith, “Jason, it’s Bella. Look, I don’t want you to come. We spoke to Dave briefly, and he didn’t go into detail, but it’s obvious you have a family emergency, and we can table everything until a better time, no problem. My prayers are with you and Maggie. You’re welcome,” she said and dialed another number, reaching Greta.
“Greta, it’s Bella. I need flowers, gorgeous lilies sent to Mrs. Smith and a gift certificate for a day spa, manicure, pedicure, massage. I want a guarantee they’ll perform the services in her home if she prefers. I want the gift card in a basket with one of those Teavana gift chests, a cashmere robe and slippers, a couple of glossy magazines and a Jo Malone candle. I need it there yesterday. Thank you.”
Bella returned to the table, and Dave stood when she arrived, “I just got a text from Jason. He said you were extremely understanding. I appreciate that under the circumstances.”
“We’re family, Dave,” she assured him, “This isn’t about money. It’s about uniting JS with Smith-Gibbons but more than that, it’s about all of us sharing the umbrella. Now stay and have coffee with us and tell me what Will and David did over break.”
He went to hand her his phone to show her pictures. At the same time as her, Harvey reached for it, and their fingers touched. A chill shot down Bella’s spine. He looked at her as their gazes momentarily locked. They had grabbed for the phone at the same time. She laughed it off, and he let her have the phone.
But there was something magical about his touch. She had never felt this kind of chemistry with anyone before. It was hard to stay focused around him. She hit a button and lost the picture.
“Here, I got it.” Dave took back the phone. He relaxed visibly and showed pictures from his photostream of the boys rock climbing, and of himself and Patty taking the boys to Universal Studios and eating at the Mellow Mushroom.
“These pictures are absolutely adorable,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“They’re so lucky to have such a close relationship with their godparents, Dave,” Bella said. “I’m sure it’s helping them a lot right now.”
“Yes, well,” Harvey began, clearly impatient, “do you think we could hammer out an interim agreement and get it to Jason so he can sign it without having to be in on the negotiations?”
“I’m sure Harvey didn’t mean to be callous. He’s only trying to take business matters off Jason’s plate at such a difficult time,” Bella put in, giving him the side eye.
“Indeed. I want to make things easier for all of you. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know,” he said awkwardly.
“You could back off, Mr. Carlson. I know you flew here to close the deal. I also know that pressure tactics aren’t going to work. We’re staring down the barrel of what could be a terminal diagnosis and nothing you threaten could alarm us in the least.”
“What about a lawsuit? Squandering Will and David’s inheritance on legal teams and the cloud of litigation hanging over what could be Maggie’s—” Harvey said.
Bella gripped his hand, trying to make it look casual, but she dug her nails into his palm until he shut up.
“Are you threatening legal action during a family health crisis?” Dave said, his expression dark. Bella bit her lip.
“No. Certainly not. Harvey was just giving an example of the way JS would never treat a member of our family. No one will be permitted to trouble you with business matters during this difficult time. Harvey wouldn’t stand for it, would you, honey?” she said, sugar in her voice.
“Right. Family,” he said in what was practically a caveman grunt. She giggled nervously and waved the waiter over, ordered a large café mocha and a dessert sampler for the table to share. Harvey looked up from his email when Dave exclaimed, “You won’t believe the picture I just got!”
He held out his phone so they could see the photo of a wan-looking Maggie in a new pink cashmere robe, smiling and surrounded by her basket of goodies, “Jason says it’s done her a world of good already. She was so surprised. I really, I can’t thank you two enough,” Dave said. Bella smiled modestly.
“You’re most welcome. As Harvey said, any little thing we can do, just let us know. Now, Harvey, I think it’s time for you to give Dave what you brought for the twins.”
“What?” he said, and she slid her eyes to the tote bag she’d carried in. He nodded and put it on the table, “here, these are for Will and David.”
When Harvey opened the bag, he was as surprised as Dave was. Inside were two prototype tablets from the next generation of JS electronics, “Yeah, we’re definitely not circulating these to the public. Not even the industry insiders have seen one to review it. These are top of the line. The new touchscreen has holographic capabilities—we’ve tweaked the oleophobic treatment chemicals that prevent fingerprints because they were interfering with the three-dimensional image generation. Like, if Will plays Minecraft—“
“He does. Oh, he does,” Dave chuckled.
“Well, he can swipe diagonally and bring up a three-dimensional model of his creation to get a better perspective on how to expand and build or navigate his landscape. The STEM possibilities are endless, but the Minecraft app is where you’ll see the quickest payoff—there and those MMORPGs, where you can do thirty seconds of 3-d to locate your escape route or finesse your defensive strategy,” Harvey said, warming to his topic.
Dave took one tablet and looked at it, thin and sleek in brushed copper, and nodded in appreciation of its fineness, “This means a lot, Mr. Carlson. That you trust our boys with a prototype. I thank you on behalf of their parents as well.”
“Could you get us a few comments from them about the user interface, the ease of generating a holo, and, if possible, how annoying the fingerprint issue is? Because we’d love a little focus grouping from our target demo. Their opinions would really help us refine the product ahead of the launch,” Bella said.
Harvey shot her a look that said she was going overboard, but Dave was eating it up. He loved the idea of his godsons having input on the flagship product in the electronics division of JS. In fact, she could practically see him investing emotionally in the company and the success of this product in particular. Because she had made it a family matter. And hadn’t she told Harvey ages ago that the Smith Gibbonses were all about family and caring and legacy? Yes, yes she had.
“I just got another shot of Maggie. Let me Bluetooth it to your phone. She’s looking at some kind of magazine and the caption says she’s waiting for her facialist to arrive. I think she’s really having a holiday with this surprise you sent her. Thank you so much,” Dave said.
“We’re so happy she likes it. Listen, I’m going to go have a bubble bath myself in the spirit of things. You two boys feel free to discuss business without me,” she said with a wink.
“Or you could go wi
th her,” Dave said with a raised eyebrow.
“Excuse me?” Harvey replied.
“It’s hard to miss, the two of you being a couple. And I remember when you two dated years ago. It was in all the papers. You used Bella to clean up your image, and it worked. Everyone loved her. She was America’s sweetheart. And I could see by the videos TMZ put on television how crazy you were about her. Like when they snuck up on you when you were taking a midnight swim, laughing, kissing, and splashing each other. Even when we went to corporate, and you were obviously at odds, you were still together. Anyone can see that.”
“We’re not,” she overheard Harvey saying. “We were together once a long time ago. That’s ancient history.”
“I think you should reconsider that since the chemistry is obvious. I’m not sure that Bella thinks that it’s history.”
She walked toward the bank of elevators determinedly, blinking back the mist of tears that threatened to fall. She knew better. That didn’t mean her heart had come to terms with it yet.
He came up from behind. “You saved the day. Thank you.”
“Well, it’s my job.”
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“The simple fact is that I can’t work with you. You touched my hand, and I lost all my focus. This is why I put in my notice. I want to be friends with you, but I can’t work with you. Falling for the charming boss is the easiest thing to do. After all, I’ve done it twice now. Once as a housekeeper, and once as an executive.”
“But the sex this time was amazing.”
“A little afternoon delight up against the photocopier?”
He shot her a devilish grin. “C’mon, babe. That was hot.”
She blew out a breath. “Okay, so maybe it was. And those memories are why I have to start somewhere new. It’s why I had to start looking for a new position.”
He winked. “I can think of plenty of positions we can try.”
She chuckled. “We’re in the friend zone, mister.”
“I’m sorry if I seemed angry. But I feel like I lost you and it hurts, so I lash out. Or blatantly ignore you. My world crashed into pieces when we fell apart. And maybe I’m taking it out on you. You’re resuming your life as usual, and I have this huge, gaping hole in my heart. The rejection, the pain, the loss, it hurt so bad, I could hardly breathe. I don’t think I can survive this kind of pain. I cared about you more than any other woman I’ve ever dated. You walked into my life and made me realize why it never worked out with anybody else. You were my best friend, my lover, and my partner. I know it didn’t last long, but it meant everything to me. And I’m sorry marriage wasn’t on my radar. I can’t apologize enough for that. I know what I lost, and I want to kick myself every day for it. I lost the most precious thing in my entire life.”
Her eyes welled up with tears. “I experienced the heartbreak myself. Break ups are hard.”
He touched her face. “You’ve changed my life, and I hope we can stay friends.”
“Of course. You are the children’s father. Nothing will ever change that, and you’ll always hold a special place in my heart. Our relationship was one of the biggest blessings in my life. We have two beautiful kids.”
“We sure did make beautiful children.”
“We sure did. I don’t know how I’ll ever move on. You’re a hard act to follow, Harvey.”
“These things take time, but I know we’ll get through this.”
“Wanna take the same cab back to the hotel?”
He smiled. “Sure.”
Chapter 9
Upstairs in her room, her solo room with its one lonesome queen-sized bed, she drew herself a bath and emptied half a jar of citrus bath salts into it miserably. Then, remembering that the company was paying, she called room service. In no time, she had a latte and a huge muffin. The sugary streusel topping on her crumbly muffin tasted like heaven. It was just what she needed: a long hot bath and a big delicious pastry to drown her sorrows. It was a consolation muffin—the carb-loaded monstrosity she gave herself to make up for losing Harvey with such spectacular finality.
Wrapped in the decadent white bathrobe provided by the hotel, she lay on bed sipping red wine and watching the end of a Nicholas Sparks movie, all alone, her damp hair in a messy bun. She thought that she was one pair of yoga pants from being a mom cliché before age thirty. She sniffed, partly because the movie was tragic, and partly because she felt sorry for herself. She’d already called her kids and they were off at Caden’s soccer game. She wasn’t used to the silence, the loneliness, no matter how many years she’d been on her own—when the kids were asleep in their beds, she lacked adult company but she wasn’t really alone. She was with her family where she belonged.
Right now they felt very far away. She couldn’t help thinking about Maggie and her twins—what would happen to Corinne and Caden if something happened to her? She’d always assumed that her sister Madison would take them, that her own hefty life insurance policy would get them through college, but that wasn’t like having a parent, like having a mom. If Maggie could get cancer, could be teetering on the edge of a terminal diagnosis, what was to prevent the same from happening to Bella herself? The thought of leaving the twins, of being unable to take care of them broke her heart and her self-control splintered. She burst into sobs, tears coursing down her face.
When a knock came at the door, she tried to quiet herself to hiccupping sobs and opened the door, looking down, moving aside to admit the cart with her macaroni and cheese dinner. Instead of a serving cart, however, she opened the door to Harvey Carlson. He took one look at her and charged into the room, pushing past her.
“We need to talk,” he said softly.
“I know. I shouldn’t have ordered such a fattening dish. I should’ve went with the salad. Thank goodness you came here to stop me from eating all that hot cheesy goo.”
A slight smirk spread across his face. “That’s the Bella humor I remember.” He then noticed she had been crying. “Hey, are you okay?”
She shook her head, trying to suppress a shuddering sob. He took her by the shoulders, his face all seriousness, “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I—I—I—I’m going to die and leave the babies all alone,” she managed to sputter out before burying her face in her hands and weeping.
“Oh my goodness, Bella, what’s wrong? If you can tell me what’s wrong, we can get you the best care. I went to Wharton with a guy who’s one of the top administrators at Johns Hopkins now—” he said. She shook her head and hiccupped.
“I’m not s—s—sick, Harvey. Not now, at least.”
“You’re not? Then why are you dying? What are you talking about?” He sat down on the edge of the bed, took a drink out of her wineglass on the table.
She retreated to the bathroom and blew her runny nose.
“I’m sorry,” she managed hoarsely. “I was just thinking if Maggie can get so sick so fast and leave those boys without a mother, I was thinking what would happen to Caden and Corinne if something happened to me. It’s morbid, I know, but it’s something a mother has to think about, especially a single mom,” she sniffed, “I’m sorry I freaked you out. I didn’t answer you very well. I was too upset.”
“So you’re not actually dying?”
“Not currently, no.”
“Okay, good. I came to see if you wanted to go out to dinner, but now it seems…”
“Like a bad time to take me out in public,” she said with a watery laugh. “I know I carried on and I shouldn’t have. I just got upset. I’ll be fine. It’ll all be fine.”
“You know the kids would be okay. Not that they don’t need their mother, because they do, but they have me, too.”
“They don’t even know you. They wouldn’t be comfortable just moving in with you if I died!”
“Well, then don’t drop dead, okay? We should do something about the fact that they don’t know me. Like maybe an introduction, a play date.”
“Yes, yes, we do. I’m sorry,
I just—”
“Go from zero to sixty in one second like always? Yeah. I remember. I wasn’t saying I wanted you to die so I could swoop in and take the traumatized motherless children back to my lair. I mean they should know me. I want to know them. And not just as someone they see occasionally. I don’t want to be a guest star in this.”
Bella shook her head. “I want you to be in their lives,” she said, breaking into tears again. “You’re such a good man, and they need you more than anything.”
“I know I don’t know them, but I love them with everything I have.”
“I know you do.”
“I feel this powerful love and bond. I never knew you could love a stranger this much.
“That’s what I thought during my pregnancy.”
“There are places in my heart I didn’t even know existed until I met them.”
“They opened up my heart too, and I love them unconditionally.”
“I’ve never been a father before…”
“They deserve your love. And I want you to drown them in it.”
“Bella,” he said. “I know I’m far from perfect but when I look at the beautiful kids we created, I know I finally did something perfectly right. You and the kids are the greatest things to have ever happened to me.”
“Oh, Harvey.”
“I love, you, Bella.”
“I love you too.”
“I don’t know what happened to us,” she said. “We used to be so happy, and then I lost you, and it about killed me.”
“It about killed me too.”
“You think I just left without giving it much thought. But it shattered my world, and I wept for months. I missed you more than anything.”
“My biggest mistake was letting you go. I should’ve come after you.”
“I should’ve told you.”
He wrapped an arm around her, his whole body telegraphing patience and calm while she stormed and wept. He rubbed her back in slow circles. At last, her tears subsided, leaving his shirtfront wet from her weeping. Her breath came in short gasps as she tried to settle down. She clung to the fabric of his shirt, wrinkling it probably beyond repair. He kissed the top of her head soothingly. Soon, everything in her cried out for his comfort. She couldn’t stop herself. She looked up at him, her parted lips trembling only inches from his. Everything she felt was in her eyes, every unspoken longing, every declaration of love, every long, fearful night without him showed on her face.
