To Love and to Cherish

by Gina Robinson

  "You heard about that?" I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup, trying to soak up some warmth. It was cool inside in the air conditioning. Or maybe I was just cold in my soul. Of course Dex knew about the email. He knew everything.

  "Justin told me everything—about the email and walking in on you and Lazer."

  I frowned. "Everything from his point of view, I imagine."

  "Yeah," Dex said. "But I defended you. And Britt. I gave him all the logical reasons Britt wouldn't have sent that email. It just didn't make sense." He detailed them for me.

  "Your logic is impeccable." I smiled just a little. Dex was always right on target. "She didn't. Ophie did."

  "Why doesn't that surprise me?" He took a sip of coffee and looked deep in thought for a minute.

  I explained what had really happened. How Ophie had overheard Britt and me at lunch that day. And then sent the email from Britt's work computer. How she'd set Lazer and me up time and time again. And how Jus had walked in on something totally innocent.

  "I admit that I was attracted to Lazer in the beginning. I mean, my 'marriage' to Jus was sudden and kind of sprung on me."

  I lowered my voice and leaned close to Dex so no one else could hear. "It was just a business arrangement. And I'm human. But I fell in love with Jus. It's almost impossible not to."

  I sighed. "What hurts so much is that he jumped to conclusions. Yes, I know from the outside it looked bad. But he knows me. He knew how I felt about him. Yet he didn’t trust me. He didn't hear me out. He just walked away." I blinked back a tear.

  "You told Lazer you'd always love him," Dex pointed out. "That's more than a little condemning. Not easy for any guy to hear."

  I nodded. "I was telling Lazer that, yes. But I wasn't finished. I was telling him I'd always love him like a friend or a brother. But Jus was the guy I'd always love. Hearing the whole thing makes all the difference."

  Dex nodded. "Justin has always been insecure where you're concerned. Can you blame him?"

  I took a deep breath. "If he and I are ever going to stand a chance together, he has to get over it. Looked at in a different light, he's way above me now, isn't he? With all his money? And the way I've fixed him up, he's hot. Women want him." My laugh was bitter. I paused, debating with myself for a second. "Jus is going to divorce me."

  "That's been a given since the beginning," Dex said in his typical deadpan tone.

  "No. I mean now." I swallowed hard. "Harry came to see me and warn me. It was nice of Harry. He wanted to give me time to get a good lawyer. For the baby." I kept the rest of what Harry had done for me secret, as he'd requested. "Don't tell Jus."

  "Wouldn't dare."

  "Your turn," I said. "What is going on here in Reno? What have you and Jus been up to?"

  His eyes lit up and his voice grew excited as Dex filled me in.

  "You caught her?" I paused, trying to figure out my warring emotions. "I'm relieved, of course. On the other hand, if she really is silenced, there's no reason for Jus not to proceed with the divorce now. Like Harry said he would."

  I thought about the letter again. But that was the old Jus who would have done anything to keep me. This Jus, the one who'd walked out on me? I'd come to Reno to stop Ophie from causing more trouble. To talk to Jus and try to get him to see sense. Now, though, circumstances had changed. It was up to him to decide what he wanted to do. Time to set him free. Not that he needed that power from me. He had it all on his own.

  "What about tonight? What's all this about Ophie drugging Justin?" Dex asked.

  I filled him in on the details.

  "You threw her out by her hair?" Dex actually grinned. He found the whole thing incredibly funny. "That's a catfight I'm sorry I missed. Way to go, Lala! I knew you had some good fight in you."

  "Well, I caught her riding my husband. What else was I supposed to do?" I shook my head. "See what I mean? My first instinct when I walked in on them wasn't to condemn Jus, but to defend him." I swallowed a lump in my throat.

  Dex reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "What are you going to do now?" Dex tilted his head, studying me. "Do you love him?"

  "Crazily, I do." I laughed. "Do you remember in college when you told me I should marry him? He was just a scrawny, nerdy kid then." I laughed. "Well, I guess you were right. But times have changed. It's up to him now, not me." I paused. "Any advice for me?"

  He shook his head and dropped my hand. "This is all your call, Lala. I'll back you up no matter what you decide. You know that."

  I nodded. "I know."

  I stared past him out the dark windows, seeing only what was in my mind's eye. It would be daylight soon. Time for a fresh start.

  "I think I'll go home." I nodded, more to myself than anything. "Yes, I'll go home."

  We sat in silence a second.

  "If past history is any indication, Jus won't remember anything of this when he wakes up."

  My phone buzzed. I had a text from the doctor. "Jus is going to be fine," I told Dex. "Roofies, as suspected. They're going to keep him for observation while he sleeps it off." I paused. "You'll tell him I was here. And what happened?"

  "Yes, absolutely." Dex frowned. "You're leaving now?"

  I nodded again. "When Jus finds out what happened, he'll be embarrassed. Maybe ashamed. In shock. He trusted Ophie. He's going to feel betrayed and hurt. I don't need to see that. I have no sympathy for her.

  "He needs time to himself to think and sort things out. To figure out what he wants now." I paused again. "He's going to have to come back to me. If that's what he wants. I'll be in Seattle. He knows where to find me."

  I grabbed my purse and brought up the menu on my phone.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Calling for a jet home and a ride to the airport." I winked at him. "And as soon as the sun is up, I think I'll call Sunshine Sheri and give her the scoop of the season."

  "About what?" Dex asked.

  "About Ophie." I laughed darkly. "The news is going to get hold of this story. I may as well get my side out and make an ally out of an enemy."

  "You're an evil woman, cuz." He looked at me with admiration when he said it.

  I shrugged and laughed, softly. "Aren't I, though?"

  * * *

  I went back to Seattle, picked Data up from Magda, and moved back to my West Seattle apartment in a single suitcase. Partly to make a point to Jus that I didn't give a damn about his money. Partly because I needed time to think.

  Enough money made life easier. Too much made it both more luxurious and harder. But cash, by itself, didn't make life wonderful and worth living. Love and people did that. My apartment was warm and homey and, most of all, completely mine. Totally affordable, at least for the time being with the rent paid up for another nine months. And I had enough room for a baby. At least until the baby got a little older.

  When Carl saw me coming in wheeling a gigantic suitcase and carrying Data, he rushed out of his office and gave me a hug.

  "I saw Sunshine Sheri's show this morning about all the loonies who make up shit about sleeping with billionaires. I'm real sorry about what his assistant did. Looks like you're the hero of the story."

  I shrugged modestly. "Sheri did a nice job with the story." I think she'd even redeemed herself with Magda, who asserted she'd never liked Ophie. And would now be watching Sheri's show again.

  "She's doing a whole segment on your husband's assistant tomorrow." Carl's gaze took in my huge suitcase. "Didn't work out with the billionaire?" His voice was full of sympathy.

  "Hiding from the media attention the story caused," I lied. Well, actually, told a half-truth. The same one I'd told my parents and everyone. "Until it blows over. Jus is out of town cleaning up the fallout and dealing with business. I got homesick rattling around the big penthouse. And tired of the reporters outside the building."

  I stroked Data behind her ears and cooed to her before looking back at Carl. "I'd appreciate it if you kept it quiet that I'm back. Unless you want camer
a crews hanging around here, too."

  "Absolutely. Speaking of secrets, are we going to be seeing that big, divorce-paper-serving guy again? 'Cause I can give him the heave-ho next time he shows up here if you want. Or deny that you're here." Carl was hard to fool.

  I squeezed his arm. "I hope not." And I meant it. "If he shows up, though, show him in." I let go of his arm.

  Carl nodded. "You got it, kid."

  Data gave a happy yip.

  Carl talked baby talk to her, which was hilarious coming from such a big guy, and scratched her beneath her chin. "By the way, I'll need a pet deposit."

  "Charge it to Jus," I said. Well, why not? He owed me for sitting for his dog. Though some might say I'd illegally taken custody of Data.

  After parking my suitcase and calling that settling in, I dove headfirst into my duties running Justin's charitable causes. The sample sale and gala was less than two weeks away. It kept me so busy I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on my circumstances.

  Jus and I didn't speak or communicate. Every day I expected one of two things to happen—either to be served with a summons to Harry's office to finalize our divorce, or to receive a huge bouquet of flowers and an apology from Jus. Neither came. Each day passed quietly.

  I heard through Britt that Jus fired Ophie. Though Jus managed to suppress the exact details of what had happened, the scandal spread through Flash amid a flurry of speculation. People couldn't believe what she'd done. Most people had known or suspected she was in love and obsessed with Jus. But that she would go so far was almost beyond belief.

  Ophie was charged with various crimes, including assault.

  The second-quarter numbers came out, and surprisingly Wall Street responded with a glowing assessment that sent stock prices soaring and made Jus a billionaire several more times over. I thought, cynically, that I deserved a share of the increase. Not that I wanted it. I didn't want anything from Jus except his love and financial support for the baby.

  I had the beginning of a baby bump now. I couldn't help thinking Jus would have loved to see it. Maybe he did see it. Maybe he followed me online. Just in case, I posted pictures, hoping he was still keeping track of me.

  * * *

  Justin

  I'd screwed up. Bigger than I ever had. Trusted the wrong woman. Didn't believe the right one. By the time I got out of the hospital, talked to the police, gave my statement, finished up some business, and returned to Seattle, Kay had moved out of the penthouse. With my dog. I didn't blame her. I'd expected it.

  I didn't need time to think. I knew what I wanted. The same thing I'd always wanted—Kay. And now our baby. I was embarrassed and humiliated. I needed to win her back. I needed to make a grand gesture so she believed I was genuine. And I needed to do it when it was clear I no longer needed her for cover. That I had no ulterior motives.

  Business took me out of town for over a week. And that was fine by me. The penthouse was too quiet. Even Magda had gone silent and sullen. She blamed me for the way things were.

  I finally worked up the nerve to open Lazer's present. It was a special limited edition of his game. With a special level where I was the hero who saved the princess Kay. And she showered me with affection. And we lived happily ever after together. So, yeah, that game had been his way of apologizing.

  Lazer called while I was in Paris on business.

  "I wasn't sure you'd take my call," Lazer said when I picked up.

  "To be honest, I should have called you," I said. "I owe you an apology. I jumped to conclusions—"

  "Ah, hell, shut up, Justin," Lazer said. "I'm the one calling to apologize. What you walked in on that day was completely innocent, but I'd given you enough reason in the past to take it wrong. I'm a shameless flirt. You know that."

  "Really? I hadn't noticed."

  Lazer laughed softly. "Look, I'm sorry, Justin—"

  "Enough said. Bygones," I said.

  "I heard about Ophie," he said.

  "Who hasn't?" I sighed. Sunshine Sheri had had a large segment on her show about it.

  "Look, I don't want to pile on, but I have to apologize on that front, too. I inadvertently aided Ophie's cause when I lent Kayla my intern Andrea. I meant it as a goodwill gesture to help Kayla out."

  Sure he did. He'd been keeping an eye on me and hoping to get closer to Kay. We both knew it. I let it drop.

  "Andrea later confessed to me in tears that she felt partly responsible for what had gone on," he said. "She was in awe of Ophie's competence and skill and considered her a mentor. Ophie often asked about me and my schedule. Since Andrea was friends with my OA, and part of my team, she had access to my calendar. She fed it to Ophie, not realizing she was using it to throw Kayla and me together.

  "Ophie was obviously trying to set us up. She got lucky that day you walked in on us. That was unfortunate timing. I'd been telling Kayla how happy I was for you two. And she was telling me how much she loved you." He paused. "I don't want to be the reason you two broke up. She loves you. Don't be an idiot about this, Justin. Get her back."

  Chapter Nine

  Kayla

  I had to get a new dress for the big sample sale. All those tight dresses from Italy were getting a little too snug in the waist. The few that might have worked I didn't have the heart to wear. Fresh starts and all. So I bought one from Flash. Which seemed appropriate, given the event.

  The big sample sale event was on Saturday, September sixth. Which happened to correspond to what would have been our three- month anniversary, or mensiversary, or whatever you wanted to call it. I was glad I had the event to keep me occupied. It was better than dwelling on my sadness and heartache. Better than sitting home crying over what might have been.

  Saturday morning I got my hair done and went to the spa and had a manicure and pedicure. Jus hadn't cut my allowance or cancelled my credit cards, so why not?

  The evening of the gala, I planned to dress with care. You never knew who would show up at one of these events. Maybe even Jus.

  It was wishful thinking, but just in case he did show up, I'd had a mensiversary cake made and decorated with that custom cake topper I'd had made.

  * * *

  Justin

  I stared at my reflection in the mirror above the sink in my bathroom, beard clipper poised. A razor on the counter next to the sink. Grand gesture, I thought.

  From the very beginning Kay had hated this beard. Her one marriage stipulation had been that I would get rid of it. Because of her soft heart, she'd settled for a good trim. The last few weeks I'd been depressed. I hadn't cared about my appearance. Now it was time for more than a trim. If I was going to get the girl back, I needed to do it barefaced. I put the closest guard on the clipper and went to work.

  * * *

  Kayla

  We held the sample sale at a local hotel on the water in downtown Seattle. It wasn't far from the Flashionista offices.

  People lined up for the sample sale hours early. I had my staff of Flashionista volunteers on hand and ready for our grand opening. Some of them were going to act as cashiers. Some, mostly merch buyers, were going to be fashion consultants to shoppers, and some were personal shoppers for clients who either couldn't attend in person or who had handicaps or disabilities. And, of course, I had several of our photographers on hand to record the event.

  The personal shopper and fashion consultants were my idea to add to the fun of the event. I had had the prop department and the merch people actually arrange the sample sale items so they looked nice and mirrored a high-end department store. Usually the sample sale was like one big garage sale with everything piled in boxes for customers to rummage through. I had also curtained off an area of the grand ballroom to act as a makeshift dressing room in case people wanted to try things on. That, too, was new.

  After the sample sale to the general public, there was a benefit dinner with an auction for some of the best, most expensive, most exclusive samples that I'd talked the vendors into donating. Samples they'd usual
ly ask for back. Like expensive watches and fine jewelry.

  Britt and the merch buyers and I had pulled those earlier and combined them with donated trips and vacation packages to make some really fabulous, enticing things to bid on at dinner. They should bring a good price. As I'd worked on this event, I kept thinking of how much the money would mean to children like Sophia and parents like Vicki.

  During dinner, we were putting on a fashion show with items pulled from the sample sale. Diners could bid on the outfits. One of our models for the Doggy and Me line called in sick at the last minute. The poor dog was sick and had to be taken to the vet. I was going to have to step in.

  I called Andrea and asked her to pick up Data and bring her to the hotel just before dinner. I'd booked a hotel room for the night for convenience. If necessary, Andrea could stay with Data in my room until she was needed.

  And, finally, there was a contest to see which sample sale shoppers could put together the best outfit made up entirely of items from the sale. We took pictures to show during dinner. The dinner audience was going to vote on their favorite. The winner got a hundred-dollar Flashionista gift card.

  It was all going to be great fun. As the closer, Justin was supposed to present the hospital with the earnings from the sale. That had been the original plan. I'd sent him an invitation and a reminder. But he hadn't responded. I was prepared to step in.

  I dressed casually, but fashionably, for the sale in flat canvas shoes and jeans. All my volunteers were nervous and excited. At the top of the hour, I gave the command. "Let the shopping begin! Open the doors."

  * * *

  Justin

  I got my hair cut and dressed in a suit Kay had had hand tailored for me in Milan, along with a custom shirt. Italian suit. Italian shoes. Italian cologne. Italian charisma and charm? That was open for debate.

  I took one last look at myself in the mirror, hoping she liked what she saw. Without the beard, I looked like a high school kid again. More like that geeky college guy she remembered. This could backfire on me big time. If Kay didn't like what she saw…