by MK Harkins
***
I’d always hated New Year’s Eve, and this year would be no different. I had to “move on” with my life, so a date had to be staged.
I pressed the intercom. “Todd, would you come in here, please?”
He poked his head in the door. “What’s up?”
“I need to find a date for the New Year’s Eve party.”
His eyebrows bunched together. “Is this your plan to help Jain?”
“Yeah. She needs to see I’ve moved on. Even though I never will.” My shoulders dropped. I was dreading this.
“I don’t know about this, Braydon.” His brow bunched even more.
“You weren’t there. You didn’t see her. I need to do this.” I was resolute.
“Okay. I’ll help. What do you want me to do?”
“Ask around some. Find out about Angela’s closest friends. I’ll pick one of them. If I have to do this, I might as well have some fun pissing off Angela.”
Todd snickered. “I’d love to see Angela get her comeuppance.”
Two nights later, I pulled into the private gate of the waterfront mansion owned by the Thompsons. I was escorting their daughter, Tiffany, to the party. Tiffany. Even her name sounded fake. Who would name their child after a jewelry store?
I’d hoped to meet her directly at the party, making sure the paps got their pictures. Then I’d leave. But it wasn’t to be. Tiffany had informed me that she was a proper girl, and she wouldn’t “meet up” with any man at a party. I had to respect that, so I agreed.
The Thompson’s were old money with archaic traditions. Apparently, I had to meet her dad, as well. This night would be a nightmare, at best, so I didn’t mind a little extra effort. I would escort their precious daughter to the party. She’d get some press and recognition for being my rebound girl. Jain would have closure, and everyone would be happy. Except for me.
I walked to their front door, dressed in a tux and holding a corsage. I was greeted by their butler and escorted into the library. It was impressive, to say the least. I ran my hands over some of the classics, wondering if they were first editions. I pulled my hand back before someone came into the room. I didn’t want to get caught pawing their valuables.
A throat cleared. “Mr. Decker?” I turned to see an older man approaching me.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m Tiffany’s father, Gerald. You can call me Jerry.”
He seemed like a good guy. I felt a little guilty for the ruse.
“Pleased to meet you, sir – Jerry.”
“I have two questions. First, what are your intentions toward my daughter?
Second, why did you ask her out?
I looked him straight in the eye. “My intentions are honorable. I promise you, your daughter will be safe. I won’t touch her. I’m going to give you an honest answer for the second question. I asked your daughter out to make one of her friends angry.”
I heard a loud laugh come from behind me.
“I knew it!” Tiffany had entered the room. She clapped her hands together. “This will be so fun – a revenge date.”
She was the typical blonde-haired, perfectly-polished beauty I used to date, but there was something different about her. I thought it was her eyes. They sparkled with vivacious excitement.
“I guess you and Angela aren’t close?” I asked.
“Oh, we’re close, all right. We grew up together. She introduces me as her best friend.” She smiled. “But she’d stab me in the back the first chance she got. You know that expression about keeping your enemies close?” She covered her mouth and laughed.
Maybe this night wouldn’t be so bad.
I turned to face Jerry. “Are you okay with this? If not, I’ll leave now.”
He gave me a good-humored smile. “I wanted to make sure you didn’t lead Tiffany on. Tiffany already clued me in to what was possibly going on. I wanted to see if you’d be honest about it. I’m happy to see you’re on the up-and-up.” He shook my hand again.
We said our goodbyes and headed for my car.
I opened the car door for Tiffany, and she hopped in. Once I got behind the steering wheel, the rapid fire questions started.
“I knew she did something to you. Can you talk about it?”
“Not really.” I didn’t even know this girl. I didn’t feel comfortable giving her my life story.
“That’s all right. I don’t need to know. Do we get to kiss on this date?” Her eyebrow quirked up.
“No. Not even when the clock strikes twelve.” I couldn’t even think about kissing anyone but Jain. I could do a fake date, but not that.
“Okay,” she answered cheerfully.
My stomach dropped. It reminded me of Jain.
“Can you do me a favor?” I asked. “Can you refrain from saying okay? It reminds me of someone.”
“Oh, that Angela. She really did a number on you, didn’t she?” Her eyes were wide, questioning.
“Yeah. She got me good,” I answered.
“Won’t the girl you’re pining over be upset you’re going out with someone else?”
“I’m doing this for her, so she can move on.” I didn’t know why I was so honest tonight.
She laid her hand on her heart. “That is so romantic. You’re letting her go because you love her so much.” She paused, wiping her eyes. “I hope I find someone to love me like that.”
She sighed. “Don’t mind me. I always get sentimental on New Year’s.”
I assured her, “Don’t worry about it. You’re nothing like Angela, so I’m sure you will.”
“That is the best compliment you could give me. Thank you so much. You know something, Braydon?”
“Yeah?”
“I think we’re going to be great friends.” She was quite lovely when she smiled.
“I agree.”
We entered the party fashionably late. It was the party of the season, with all the rich and famous on the guest list.
Tiffany whispered in my ear, “We can hold hands, right? I don’t want this to be a brother/sister date.”
I laughed. For the first time in five weeks, I laughed. “Yes. Holding hands I can do.”
She slipped her hand into mine and introduced me to all of her friends. The photographers went crazy with their cameras, trying to get as many shots as possible. I was still seeing spots three hours later when the clock was about to strike twelve.
“Come here, quick.” She dragged me toward the women’s bathroom.
“What the hell?” I asked.
“We can’t let everyone see us not kiss. We’ll give them some gossip. Is that okay?”
Everyone would believe we went in for a quickie.
“What about you? I don’t want your reputation to be ruined.”
She laughed and patted my arm. “Believe me, my reputation will soar after this. I’ll have so many dates I won’t know what to do with them. It’ll be like the George Clooney syndrome. All the girls he left behind did really well. Don’t you worry about me.”
“I don’t know, Tiffany. I want Jain to be able to move on, but I don’t want to hurt her.” What was the right thing to do?
“I know this is tough. I’ll give it to you from a woman’s perspective. If I were trying to get over someone, really get over them, the thought of them in the bathroom with another woman would do it. Otherwise, I might hold out hope. Does that make sense?”
It did. It made perfect sense. “If you’re good with it, let’s go.”
I could never undo this. The pictures would be everywhere. Tiffany and I going into the bathroom then coming out ten minutes later. Jain would hate me. But she’d be able move on for good. I kept picturing her so frail and sick. I could do this for her.
The ten minutes we spent in the bathroom seemed like forever. People kept knocking on the door, laughing. It was all a big joke to them.
Once we entered, though, Tiffany became solemn. “I’m sorry for what Angela did. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you
.”
My eyes welled, and I nodded.
“She’s been going around ruining lives for as long as I’ve known her. She’s due for some karma. We have eight more minutes. Let’s plan something good for her.”
We spent the better part of our time in the bathroom plotting revenge. We decided the best way to deal with Angela was to expose her. A few well-placed articles in the gossip rags about what she did should do the trick. Angela was all about appearances. Once her true character was exposed, she would need to drop out of sight…at least until the furor died down.
“I do have a question about Angela,” I asked. “You probably know her better than most. What do you think motivates her?”
“I would guess it’s a combination of too much power and wealth. She’s always had everything at her fingertips. If she doesn’t get her way, she throws a tantrum and Daddy fixes it. She has everything any human would ever need to be happy, but she doesn’t appreciate it. All she talks about is wanting more. With that kind of attitude, I don’t think she’ll ever be satisfied. Sometimes I think she creates drama to entertain herself. She’s a bored, ungrateful, spoiled brat.” She laughed. “Is that motivation enough for you?”
THIRTY-EIGHT
Jain
“I’ve always hated New Year’s Eve, Colin. You know that.”
He sat on the end of my bed, begging me to go out with him. “I know, but you need to get out and enjoy some fresh air. You’ve been cooped up in this room for a week now,” he insisted.
“I’m still sick.” I thought I’d try that excuse.
“The fever broke three days ago. I’m not falling for it.”
“Where do you want to drag me? I don’t want to go to some fancy party.”
“How about a movie and a glass of champagne at midnight? Sound good?”
“What movie?”
“Ugh! Jain, get up and take a shower. I’m taking you out. Who cares about the movie?”
“I don’t want to see romance. Can we go to an action flick?”
“Yes! Anything. Now get a move on.” He pushed me into the bathroom. He could be so bossy.
Midnight rolled around, and, I had to admit, it was fun to get out. We went to a Matt Damon movie filled with non-stop action. It was the ideal distraction to keep my mind off everything.
We were seated at a quiet bar, sipping our champagne, when the clock struck twelve. We clinked glasses and said, “Happy New Year,” at the same time. I then proceeded to break out into tears.
“I’m sorry, Colin. I thought I was all cried out.” Poor Colin. He didn’t know what he got himself into when we became friends.
“It’s okay. Here, rest your head on my shoulder. Cry all you want.” He soothed.
“I don’t want to cry anymore.” I cried.
We both laughed a little. Irony.
I straightened up. “I’m going to drink two more glasses of champagne, get a little tipsy, and sleep it off. You in?”
He smiled slowly and nodded. “I’m in.”
***
Note to self. Hangovers are not fun. After Colin and I had finished our three glasses of champagne, we thought it would be a good idea to have a few shots of tequila. Oh, the agony. My head throbbed as I turned over in my bed. Every hair on my body seemed to be screaming in pain. My temples throbbed, my eyes were gritty, and they burned. I made a vow to never drink again. But it did numb the pain for a few hours. That was dangerous. If I didn’t feel so horrible, I’d be tempted to drink again. No. I’d suffer today and get on with things without the aid of alcohol.
“Knock, knock.” Colin tapped on my door.
“Please have coffee in your hand.” I groaned.
“Your wish is my command.” He sat on the edge of my bed with the precious cargo in a cup.
“You’re a saint. Thank you.” I took the warm beverage from his hand and sipped gratefully.
“I knew you’d need it when you finally woke up. Did you know it’s ten a.m.? I’ve checked in on you three times this morning.”
“How did you know I was awake this time?”
“I heard the groans.” He chuckled. “Are you in a little pain?”
“Try a lot of pain. Like tons and tons of excruciating, horrible, debilitating pain. Don’t ever let me drink again.”
“Deal.”
“I’m going to peel myself out of bed and take a shower. Do you want to stay and watch the rest of the Rose Parade? After, we can catch the Rose Bowl. Have we made bets yet? Who’s playing?”
Colin tipped his head back and laughed. “Oh, Jain, I love you.”
“What?” I drew out the word. I was teasing Colin, and he knew it. Sports were his world, aside from his job. We spent every weekend watching one sport or another. I was out of it for the past month, but I did know who was playing.
“Meet you in ten.” I grabbed my shower supplies and hoped the warm water would relieve the pounding in my head. The coffee hadn’t made it into my system yet, so I grabbed some Tylenol from the cabinet.
Feeling refreshed and a little better, I went to meet Colin in the living room where we watched TV.
“What’s going on? Why aren’t you watching the parade? You know its tradition.”
He shifted and avoided eye contact. “Let’s start a new tradition. I don’t feel like watching TV today. I think fresh air would be good. We could take a ferry to Bainbridge Island and feed the seagulls. Wouldn’t that be fun?” His attempt at a smile faltered. Something was wrong.
My eyebrows shot up. “You want to miss the Rose Bowl?”
He shrugged. “You know, you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”
Now I knew something was off. I walked to the TV to turn it on.
“Don’t, Jain,” he said quietly.
I turned it on anyway. There was a commercial playing.
“What don’t you want me to see?” My stomach was plummeting fast.
He paced back and forth while he ran his fingers through his hair, making a mess of it.
“This must be bad. You’re messing up your hair,” I joked.
He wasn’t laughing. “Sit down, Jain.”
This was not good.
“It’s Braydon.” His face was downcast.
I shot up; panic filled my heart. “Colin! Did something happen to Braydon? Is he hurt? Is he…” I couldn’t say it.
“No. No! I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
I fell back on the sofa, letting the relief flow through me.
“It’s just that…” He stopped.
“It’s just that what?” I asked
“There are a lot of news stories on the entertainment shows about him today. He went on a date last night.”
“And?”
“That’s it. There’s just a lot of talk and gossip about it.” His eyes sank into mine. He knew what this would do to me.
“It’s going to be all right. I can handle it.” Could I?
He took both my hands. “I would do anything to take this pain away from you. I’m so sorry.” His eyes were glassy, just like mine.
We watched the game like we always did, but it wasn’t the same. I cheered in all the right parts. I clapped and booed when appropriate. We both knew I was putting on an act.
The minute Colin went back to his condo, I reached for my laptop. I knew I would regret it, but I had to see it with my own eyes. I typed his name in and braced for the impact of the pictures and the news about his date.
Braydon Is No Longer Broken!
Braydon Decker, the well-known bachelor billionaire, has moved on to greener pastures. After a nasty break from his scientist girlfriend, Jain Parker, he is showing the world he
has moved on and is ready to party.
On his arm for the New Year’s Eve Gala at the home of Morton Carter, an esteemed philanthropist, was young socialite Tiffany Thompson. They made quite a stir when they ducked into the restroom during the twelve o’clock countdown. It appears they didn’t want an audience for their celebratio
n. It seems The Bad Boy Billionaire is back to his old tricks.
Below the article was a picture of Tiffany and Braydon. She was beautiful, and they were holding hands. Braydon’s face was turned away from the camera so I couldn’t see his expression. Tiffany looked happy though. I hoped she was nice. I knew Braydon and I were over, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to be miserable. I touched my fingers to the screen, caressing his face.
“Goodbye Braydon,” I whispered.
THIRTY-NINE
Braydon
I still wanted Jain. It had been two months, and the yearning hadn’t decreased one iota. Colin and Martin would be in my office any minute, and I was excited. They saw her every day, and I knew I could get at least a little information from them. I had to play it cool though. They couldn’t know how much I was hurting. They might slip when they talked to Jain. This was the first time in my life I’d done an unselfish act, and I didn’t want to mess it up.
Todd walked into my office. “Bastion Medical is here.” He studied me closely.
“I’m fine, Todd. Did you want to sit in on the meeting?” I knew he was waiting for an invitation.
“Sure. I’d like to hear what they think of our ideas for the fundraiser.” He pulled another chair over by the two I’d already placed in front of my desk. He leaned closer. “Will it be hard to see Jain at the fundraiser? When I scheduled it for Valentine’s Day, I had no idea things would work out this way.”
I had to keep Todd on board with what I was doing. Otherwise, he’d keep questioning me. He didn’t see her on Christmas. My presence in her life was killing her. I knew I had to stop the suffering for at least one of us.
Julie buzzed the intercom. “Your eleven o’clock is here.”
“Send them in please, Julie.”
Colin and Martin walked in with large smiles on their faces. We did the usual greeting, and they took their place in front of my desk.
Todd asked, “Have you had a chance to go over the schedule for the fundraiser?”
