by Lee, Nadia
* * *
Pete dumped the trash in the big bin in the kitchen—no need to stink up the entire floor—and went to an empty private call space and shut the door. It was a small room, just enough for a tiny functional desk and a chair. A phone, a few pens and a cream memo pad with a discreet, embossed OWM for Omega Wealth Management on it were the only other items.
What the hell had that been about?
As far as Pete knew, his sister had a great marriage. Gavin showered her with luxury and extravagance, the kind of things women all dreamed of but rarely got in real life. People at the office had started a betting pool on what Gavin would get her for their anniversary. No one had guessed a private jet, which made the pot swell for the next round.
So why in the world had Gavin acted like he wanted to test Pete’s loyalty?
Leaning against the desk, Pete pulled out his phone and dialed Amandine.
“Hello?”
“Amandine.”
“Hey, Pete.” Her voice was sleepy but warm as usual, and he took a big breath. It didn’t sound like anything was wrong.
“You…Uh…” He shifted. He’d called her out of sheer panic, but now that everything seemed okay, he didn’t know what to say. “Are you going to divorce your husband?” was random and inappropriate.
“Yes?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice and see how you were doing. We haven’t talked in a while.”
“Pete, it’s almost midnight. You’re working too much.”
Was that disapproval in her voice? “I know. I’ll try to make some time to see you this weekend or the next.”
“I’d like that.”
“You…uh…going to bring Brooke too?”
“Doubtful. I don’t think she’ll be working as my assistant much longer.”
The world seemed to freeze for a moment. “Well that’s a shocker. She’s quitting?”
“Not exactly. It’s kind of complicated.”
Aw, shit. He hated it whenever women said, “It’s complicated.” It’d be easier to resurrect the dead than to figure out what made something “complicated” for women.
“Maybe we can talk about it in person later,” Amandine said.
“Okay.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll text you with a date and time.”
“Great. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Good night.”
Pete put his phone back in his pocket and sighed. See? He’d been worried for nothing. Gavin had been testing him, and he’d said the right thing.
But why was Brooke quitting? It better not be because she and Amandine were having issues. He’d adored Brooke since high school. His feelings for her hadn’t subsided even after all those years, but Brooke had never seen him as anything more than her best friend’s little brother. Sadly for him he’d never had anything going for him to make her see him as a man.
Things were different now though. He was older, with a stellar career, money and more confidence. His plans were coming together. All he needed was a little bit more time to make sure everything was ready…but he had to make sure. He knew he’d only get one shot at convincing Brooke.
Whatever situation was brewing between Amandine and Brooke, it had better not ruin his plans to get the woman of his dreams.
* * *
Gavin didn’t get home until after midnight. Poor Thomas. Gavin made a mental note to call for a limo service next time and let his driver go home early. Otherwise Thomas would never get to see his children grow up.
There was still only one light on at home. Guess nobody got the memo his wife was leaving him, so there was no reason to have only one light anymore.
He went inside. Amandine might be sleeping in the bedroom. He might be able to talk her out of the rash decision. If he was lucky, maybe—
What the hell was he thinking? Amandine wouldn’t change her mind because of a post-midnight chat. He needed a plan.
What if Pete’s right? What if you’ve killed her love?
No. That couldn’t possibly be true. Their marriage was still salvageable.
“Gavin,” Luna said the moment he stepped inside the foyer.
“Luna, what are you still doing here?”
“Waiting for you.”
“You could’ve called.”
“Amandine took her things in the afternoon.”
He felt like he’d been kicked in the head. Moved out? Completely? He should’ve run after her at La Mer. No, scratch that. He should’ve never let her go in the first place. “I see.” He pressed his mouth together then forced a smile for the housekeeper’s benefit. “Is that all?”
“No. I found this in the bedroom when I was cleaning.” Luna handed him an envelope.
He glanced down, not recognizing the logo on it. “What is it?”
“I don’t know. But it looked important.”
“Thank you. I’ll take care of it.” He put it in his breast pocket.
Luna shuffled her feet.
“Yes?” he said, doing his best to keep his voice low and gentle. It wasn’t her fault his life was falling apart.
“Would it be all right if I sleep in one of the guest rooms tonight? My kids are staying at their cousins’.”
“Sure. Feel free. Good night.”
“Good night, Gavin.”
As Gavin went up to the second floor, dread filled his gut. How would he bear the sight of a half-empty suite? She had—
He stopped short at the open door and blinked. What the…?
Amandine had supposedly taken her things, but nothing seemed to be missing from the room. The pink and ivory music box he’d bought her a month after they’d gotten married was still on the night table, and he knew Amandine loved playing it when she read before going to bed. Her silk night robe was draped over a chair. For some reason it reminded him of a lavender colored corpse.
He went to the closet. All her dresses, blouses and pants were still in there, along with her shoes. What had she taken then?
He started the conveyor. It showed him everything, including his own clothes, until it got to the section that used to have her old things. Those were gone.
He went into the bathroom. All her toiletries were still there…but not her favorite brush, which she’d had for years.
So she’d taken her old things back? Why not take her new clothes as well? Was it because he’d mentioned the prenup? Or because she wanted a clean break, with nothing from their life together to remind her of him?
He rubbed the back of his neck. The muscles there felt like obdurate pebbles under his hand. The prenup was specific about how she’d get nothing except the presents he’d given her during their marriage. She was entitled to take the Mercedes, the private jet…and all her designer clothes and shoes.
Question answered.
Sighing, he poured himself two fingers of bourbon and surveyed his surroundings. Having her things still in the room made the situation even more painful. It felt like she’d come out of the bathroom at any moment, or maybe from her newly finished studio and say, “Look, if you finally understand how angry I was then it’s all good. Now come kiss me.”
He shook his head. The key to being a successful investor was the ability to separate reality from wishful thinking, and Gavin was very good at it. Too good to believe that Amandine would magically appear now.
He put the drink down and walked to the studio on the other side of the mansion. When she’d mentioned converting one of the unused bedrooms, he’d hired an architect and construction crew instead. She deserved better than a spare room.
The studio’s walls were made of round glass panes that formed a cylindrical shape with a huge skylight in the ceiling. The architect had said the design would maximize the light, and Amandine had agreed.
“Want to add or change anything?” Gavin had asked, while the architect waited.
“No. I like it as is.” Amandine had smiled. “Thank you.”
She’d used the studio for only two weeks.
; Gavin turned on the light. The glass walls showed shadowed darkness on the other side. There was only a single lonely canvas in the room. Must’ve been too big to fit into her car. A bed sheet covered it.
A musician friend had told him that artists might lie with their words, but not through their art. If he looked at the piece, would he be able to figure out what was in her heart? He’d never seen any of her works before. She’d never offered, and he’d never asked.
He pulled the cloth off.
The work was all pink, yellow and red swirling and mixing in the bottom half of the canvas. But there was no paint on the top half. Gavin gazed at it, trying to put a name to the odd sensation he got from the colors and patterns. If someone had simply described the shades used, he would’ve assumed the painting would be delightful, even coy and playful. But that was completely wrong.
Bleakness. Despair. False cheeriness.
Gavin looked away, then stared at Amandine’s art again. His mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. The work truly conveyed darkness.
Damn it. Why was she unhappy? He’d given her everything.
Where and how had he gone wrong?
Most importantly, could he fix it? If so, how?
He returned to the bedroom. As he shrugged out of his jacket, he heard something crinkle and remembered the envelope. He pulled it out and opened it. Then his heart stopped for a moment as a black-and-white print showed a little dot.
On the side it showed the date of the sonogram and weeks and days of…
Gavin’s fingers shook.
Amandine was pregnant.
Gavin picked up the bourbon he’d poured earlier and downed it. His heart hammered, and his gut burned. Amandine had known she was pregnant at least a day before their anniversary. Why hadn’t she said anything about it?
Maybe she wasn’t in the mood after you stood her up.
It didn’t matter. A baby changed everything. It was the most precious thing he could ever create with Amandine, and it gave him hope. He could win her back. Whatever had made her say yes to his proposal couldn’t be completely gone. If he’d somehow messed up so bad he’d lost her love, he’d find a way to get it back.
He called her.
“’Lo?” came her sleep-slurred voice.
“Where are you?”
“Gavin?”
He could hear something shuffle in the background. Where was she?
“You know what time it is?” she said, her voice low but forceful. “It’s one. Most people sleep at this hour.”
“If you didn’t want to talk about our baby at one in the morning, you should’ve said something earlier.”
A pause.
“Hello?” Had she hung up on him?
“It’s not important,” she said finally.
“A baby is definitely important.”
“Gavin—”
“You acted like we were through, like there’s nothing worth fighting for in our marriage. Well, a baby is not nothing.” It was a miracle, something he’d longed for but hadn’t been sure if Amandine had wanted. Which was why he’d never broached the subject.
There was a pause. “Meet me at Wong Lotus tomorrow at eight if you want to talk. Don’t be late. I won’t wait for you, and I won’t reschedule.” She hung up.
* * *
In Brooke’s apartment, Amandine sat up and stared unseeing in the dark. The thin cotton sheet on Brooke’s bed was nothing like the silken ones she’d shared with Gavin, but it was comforting to hold onto as she tried to process what had just happened.
How in the world had Gavin found out she was pregnant?
Brooke stirred next to her. “Who was that?”
“No one,” Amandine said.
Brooke mumbled something unintelligible and turned over, burying her face in her pillow.
Amandine focused on breathing. She could barely remember what had been said. Everything had been a blur once he’d spoken of the baby.
“Our baby.” Those had been Gavin’s words. Was he planning to use her pregnancy as some kind of a bargaining chip?
And Wong Lotus at eight. Why had she picked a restaurant so close by? She didn’t want Gavin to know where she was staying.
But odds were it wouldn’t matter. Given his track record, he’d probably stand her up again. Most likely the complications the baby might pose bothered him, since he wanted her out of his life fast and clean. He would be relieved once he realized that she had no intention of dragging out their marriage due to some false hope.
Sitting in the darkness, she put a hand over her heart, which felt like it was being sledgehammered into pieces.
Chapter Seven
WONG LOTUS WAS only a few blocks from Brooke’s apartment complex. Amandine walked slowly, giving herself some time to think and fortify herself for the battle to come.
Amandine and Brooke had discovered the eatery years ago, but Amandine had never been there with Gavin. Wong Lotus was in a small strip mall with beige walls and an old, tired roof made of dark brown shingles. The owners hadn’t gone for the usual funky Asian font on their sign. Simple red block lettering said “Wong Lotus Authentic Chinese” against a back-lit rectangle of white plastic. It wasn’t the kind of place someone like Gavin would ever think of eating at. If he’d gone from rags to riches she might have taken him, but he had been born into the Lloyds, who were just as blue-blooded as the Fairchilds and quite wealthy to boot.
“Right on time,” came Gavin’s voice.
She started, looking up to find her husband standing in front of the restaurant door. “You’re early.”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting a bit.”
Good. “How’s it feel?”
“Calm.” His gaze swept her from head to toe. She was wearing a sleeveless navy-blue tunic and a pair of matching shorts, both old and frayed around the hems. Her feet were bare inside scuffed brown cogs.
Meanwhile he was in another of his European suits—gray silk and expensive—with wingtips that showed no sign of wear and tear. His burgundy red tie popped, the only slightly flamboyant color on him, but it looked great, drawing her gaze to his solid, muscled chest.
Damn him. Why did he have to look so irresistible?
Gavin opened the glass door to the restaurant, and the aroma of fat, rich sauces and meat hit Amandine hard. She waited for nausea to follow, but it didn’t. Hmm. No morning sickness just yet.
A tall, bony Asian kid about eighteen or so bustled toward them. His black T-shirt said “I Believe in Chinese Food” against a bright orange fireball. Black jeans and beat-up tennis shoes completed his ensemble.
“Hi guys. Table or booth?”
“Booth,” Gavin said, giving the kid a once-over.
The waiter took them to a booth in the back corner. A vinyl sheet covered the table, and they slid onto brown vinyl seats. The waiter set two copies of the laminated menu down. Gavin glanced over his, his face expressionless. Amandine didn’t need to look to know what she wanted. “Egg drop soup with wonton, lobster Cantonese and shrimp, beef and pork fried rice.”
Gavin gave her a veiled look over the menu and said, “I’ll have the same.”
She rarely ordered lobster Cantonese since it was the most expensive item from the restaurant, easily over eighteen bucks a pound, but Gavin was paying, so why not? Her baby would enjoy the crustacean. The booklet from Dr. Silverman’s office said fetuses could taste what their mothers were eating.
The waiter placed a big pot of oolong tea and two small white teacups in the center of the table and disappeared.
“I hope it’s good,” Gavin said, looking around the cheap interior dubiously.
“Just because the waiter isn’t tuxedoed doesn’t mean the food is terrible. We unwashed masses want to splurge and eat out once in a while without going broke.”
His mouth flattened.
She ignored his disapproval and started serving tea. The cup was surprisingly light; then she remembered: the place didn’t have real china. They used melamine, which showe
d years of hard use in the scratches and the original white fading to a gray-tinged beige.
“Okay. Who told you I was pregnant?” she said, pushing a full teacup his way.
“No one. Luna found this in the bedroom.” He waved the envelope with Dr. Silverman’s clinic logo.
Crap. She hadn’t meant to leave that behind. “Give it back.”
“No. I plan to make a scrap-book.”
“You?”
“I’m sure Hilary can find somebody who’s skilled.”
Amandine shook her head. “The point is that you take the time to do it. Otherwise it has no meaning.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t have to do everything ourselves. We have to spend our time wisely.”
“The way you spent it wisely on our anniversary?”
“Amandine, I already explained—”
“For a guy who never claimed to be nice, you sure are nice.” To Catherine.
Hating herself for feeling jealous, Amandine crossed her arms. Gavin had told her point-blank he wasn’t a good guy before they’d fallen into bed together after Catherine’s wedding reception. At the time she hadn’t particularly cared, mindless with desire. But since then she’d seen glimpses of his sweet and generous nature, and it went beyond the standard annual donations to worthy causes. Sure, the local fire department and police adored him for the hundreds of thousands of dollars he’d routinely donated like clockwork every year. And he visited the Art4Kids classrooms when he could because it was a cause dear to his heart.
But what she remembered the most was what he’d done for their gardener, Aggie Smith, when her husband had lost his job and then been diagnosed with lung cancer. Unbeknownst to Gavin, Aggie and her husband had also lost their health insurance, and they couldn’t afford the costly treatment necessary to save his life. When Gavin found out, he paid for the procedure himself. Said a lack of money was a piss-poor reason to make a widow out of her.
Then without telling anybody, he took the money that he would’ve spent on Aggie’s insurance premiums since she’d started working for him—she’d declined coverage as her husband’s company had provided it—and in a few months with a series of calculated moves turned that into two million dollars and given them the entire sum.
