The kitchen walls were dotted with grease stains and were so dark he couldn’t tell if it was the color of the wall or the stains. A container of cleaning solution sat on the counter along with a cloth. The small window had a crack on the lower left corner and some white duct tape over a part of the broken pane. The carpet was old and tatty. Nothing seemed to be new in the joint. It looked as if frozen in a bad time warp capsule from the 1980s. Amber was staying there? His heart fell to the ground. A sinking feeling slammed into him.
The room was the size of a guest bathroom at Romero Manor, his family’s estate. In fact, it was the size of his own bathroom at his penthouse condo on the lakefront. No way in hell was he going to leave Amber there. This was no place for a woman and her growing baby.
“What?” Amber said as she walked into her apartment. She appeared nervous and bit down on her lip, rubbing her belly. “What is it?” she asked, gaping at his expression.
“Since when have you lived in a…bachelor pad?”
“Since I lost my job at the embassy, I had to downsize. And oh, I know the window looks bad. It happened recently. Someone must have tossed a rock and it hit the window. I’ve already gotten some estimates from a glass replacement company to have that replaced. It should be done by the end of the week. I know it doesn’t look like a palace but it’s not like I have to pay rent or anything.”
“But doesn’t your aunt own and live in a nice house on the east side?”
“Well, yes. But she has tenants there, so…it’s not an option for me. Aunt Mavis said I could use this space until I get myself back on my feet.”
“How sweet of her,” Jules said in an acid tone, his voice laced with charming sarcasm. To say he was gutted or appalled was an understatement. Why didn’t her aunt just shove her in a dungeon or a prison cell? It would have probably been a step up from this place. He had seen farm animals live better than this!
Jules didn’t want Amber to feel bad so he altered the subject a bit. “Speaking of getting yourself back on your feet, you should be off your feet right now. Here, why don’t you sit down while I get your things?” He guided her down on what looked like a sofa bed.
“While you get my things?” she echoed, sitting down on the couch.
“Yeah. I don’t think you should stay here tonight, not by yourself, Amber.”
“Oh, no. I’m not going through that again. Being told what’s best for me without my input. My ex already put me through the spin cycle with that controlling vibe! I don’t think you should be telling me where I can stay, Jules.” Amber’s cheeks turned red. “Listen, I’m sorry. All you’re doing is being so nice to me and I really appreciate it, Jules. I really do.”
“I know you, Amber. You’re not used to living like this. Look, most of your things are still in boxes.” And who could blame her? He wouldn’t want to unpack in this crappy excuse for a residence.
“I know. I haven’t had the time to get myself sorted out.”
“But how long have you been staying here?”
“Too long,” she admitted, looking around, shaking her head. “You’re right, Jules. You know me too well. I’ve had a pretty rough time after I lost my job at the embassy, and well, my savings ran out in no time. The rent on my condo ate up most of my available cash. I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford living there too long. I’m thankful Aunt Mavis allowed me to stay here.”
Glad her aunt allowed her to stay here? Doesn’t she mean, she’s appalled her aunt forced her to live here?
“But don’t you own the café?” he asked her.
“I do. Sort of. My parents left it to me in their will but I was underage at the time and Aunt Mavis had taken over. Of course, when I reached the age of majority, I didn’t think I could run the place so I gave her control over the facility so I could go college. Aunt Mavis was all too happy to take over this place permanently. Still, if it wasn’t for her, the café would have closed down and it would have been sad since it was my parents’ dream. Right now, it’s running on a deficit. I mean most people these days head to Starbucks for their next caffeine fix. The mom-and-pop businesses aren’t exactly thriving in this economy.”
“I hear ya.”
“Besides, if my aunt wasn’t around I would have found someone else to help me run this place just to keep it open.”
“I know.” Jules knelt down beside her. “I didn’t mean to sound so…controlling earlier, Amber. I don’t know what the hell got into me. I’ve seen your old place and it was nothing like this. I knew this wasn’t you. So, Mother Amber, what do you want to do?”
She smiled. “That’s better. Thank you for your support, Jules. I would love to leave here but…”
“Consider it done.”
Before she could say anything else, Jules swiped his phone out of his pocket and made a quick call. “Hey, Dion, I’ve got you on speaker,” Jules said, giving him the heads up. “Listen, is the 1201 still available?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Good. You remember Amber, right?”
“Yeah,” his brother Dion said on the other end of the phone. Since the Romero family owned multiple real estate investments around the city and across the greater Toronto area, it wasn’t a huge undertaking to find Amber a cozy suite that would be appropriate.
“Well, she’s looking for a place. I thought that one would be great for her. Listen, I have to take care of a few things. Do you think you could have one of the girls look after it for me?”
“Sure thing, man. By the way, how did that meeting go last week?”
“Oh, it came. And went. It’s a nice facility. I had to leave the meeting early but Brenda has taken all the available info. I’m not making any rash decisions yet.”
“Good. Well, keep me posted. And oh, yeah, don’t forget the dinner next week.”
“The dinner?”
“Yeah, you know how Gramps will feel if we miss one of our family dinners. Complete with a sermon.”
“Oh, right. I wouldn’t want to miss that.”
The Romero family gathered a few times during the month for a great feast at the estate to keep everyone together. Since most of their jobs and businesses were spread out virtually all over North America. Toni Romero, the patriarch of the Romero dynasty, had instilled family values first in his grandsons and insisted they do everything to keep the family unit close and strong.
He often told them if they were too busy for friends and family, then it meant they were too busy!
“Listen.” Jules turned to Amber after he’d finished his phone call. “Would you like to come to dinner next week at the estate?”
“Oh, Jules. That’s so nice of you to offer. But I really don’t want to impose.”
“You’re not imposing, Amber. Come on. Besides, you’ve met Gramps before. He really likes you. And he appreciates what you did for Venus and Carl. He said he’ll be forever in your debt.”
Amber seemed to give serious thought to the invitation. “Okay, I’ll let you know how I feel. I mean, I do have my days, you know.” She grinned sheepishly.
“Of course.” Jules had to remember that Amber was pregnant and from what he’d seen of his sisters-in-law Lucy and Maxine, it could be one heck of a mood swing one after the other. “Anyway, you must be hungry. Let’s go get something to eat and then we’ll talk about getting you settled in your new apartment.”
“My new apartment? It’s new?” she gasped.
“Well, yes. Remember, we own quite a few condos by the waterfront.”
“I know. It sounds, great really it does. I’m just…speechless. Jules, I don’t know how I’d ever repay you.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?”
He saw the look of disappointment that flashed briefly on her face. Friends. He said the F word. But wasn’t that what she’d wanted all along? Well, maybe she was having second thoughts. Or maybe it was the hormonal changes the instructor mentioned earlier in the prenatal class.
Support, Jules. Amber needs your support.
Your undivided emotional support.
And that’s what he was going to give her. Nothing less.
* * *
It was one heck of a long day, but later that evening, Jules’s soft hands covered Amber’s eyes as he stood behind her in suite 1201. “Okay, you can open your eyes,” he said, removing his hands.
She opened her eyes and her jaw fell open. “Jules!”
“You like?”
“Jules…I…I love it but…this is too much,” she refuted. The fresh leather smell wafted to her nostrils as she glanced around at a lovely set of expensive-looking soft leather couches. Movie-style recliner seats and a large screen TV filled an entire wall. It was like a mega home theatre.
“While we were dining, I had the boys at the club set this up.”
“You shouldn’t have.”
“Please. It’s nothing.”
“But it isn’t nothing, Jules. This stuff must have cost a fortune.” Amber reminded herself how Rex tried to own her in so many ways. First, it starts with the ownership thing then it leads to much more.
“Please, Amber. Don’t think about the cost of things. Having comfort shouldn’t come with a price tag.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” she teased him. Amber recoiled from her own comment. Oh, she wished she could take back her words when she saw a pinch of disappointment shadow Jules’s expression.
“Listen, Jules. I…I’m s-sorry. I really do appreciate all you’ve done. It’s just that things are moving so fast in my life right now.”
“I just want to make sure that you and baby are fine. Okay?” His voice was stern.
“Okay,” she whispered. Just then she yawned and the infectious motion touched Jules and he yawned, too.
“Oh, and what’s this?” she said making her way over to the open kitchen. It was high-end designer fridge with a TV on it and an ice-maker. No biggie since she’d seen one before. But there was a computer monitor embedded on the screen.
“Oh, it’s just a smart fridge.”
“Just? What does it do?” Amber opened the fridge.
“Well, for starters, I think every home should have one. It uses a light sensor to scan the kitchen to see if anyone is present then powers down the electricity if not. Anything that saves the environment is all good for me.”
“Hmm.”
“And it also, get this, can let you know when food expires.”
Amber whipped her head around to face him. “Shut up!”
Jules laughed at her astonishment. “Yeah, you just need to scan every item that you buy and place it inside as usual. It knows the location of the food item and will let you know it’s time to remove it.”
“Wow! I’m…just wow.”
“Yes, you are just…wow!” he repeated, flashing her a knowing grin. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I am?”
“Yeah, just seeing you so happy and beaming like that really illuminates a room. You deserve it.”
“Thank you,” Amber replied modestly.
Why was it always hard for her to take compliments and to accept gifts from people? Was it because of what she’d been through in her life? Having to humble herself in the care of relatives who really didn’t want to be burdened with her when she was orphaned? She needed to learn to quiet the doubts flooding her mind and simply enjoy each moment. And that’s what she was going to do.
Later during the night, Amber slept fitfully. Her mind drifted again…
She was in the backseat of the Honda Civic hatchback with her younger brother who was falling asleep and practically leaning on her shoulder, drooling.
“Yuck! Brian, wake up!” Amber had cried out, but her parents didn’t hear. Her brother, adorable as he was, couldn’t help it. She didn’t move him; she just allowed him to continue drooling all over her cool new cardigan. She rolled her eyes and shook her head gazing out at the pouring rain.
It was late at night. Cold and dark, a torrential downpour crashed down on the windows of the car as her father drove through the flooded roads. They had just spent the weekend at the family’s rented cottage up north.
“Slow down, Errol,” her mother told her father. Amber knew her mom was always cautious.
“We’ll be fine,” her father responded. “I know what I’m doing, Jacie. I’m a driver.”
“Yes, but the roads, Errol. Slow down.”
Her father turned to her mother. “Just let me drive, won’t you?”
Just then bright lights flashed in front of them, and their father careened into the other lane. The loud honking of what appeared to be a tractor trailer startled them. Her brother woke up.
Amber screamed. Her father swerved back to his lane and narrowly averted the accident. They pulled over to the side in the heavy rain so that her father could catch his breath and calm his nerves.
“You okay, pumpkin?” her dad asked after turning back to face her. Her mother had apparently covered her face with her hands.
“Yeah,” Amber lied. Her heart was pounding hard and fast in her chest by then.
Little Brian rubbed his eyes and opened them up. “What happened?” he asked, his voice soft and small.
“Nothing. Your dad just got a little sidetracked.” Her father pulled out a map from the glove compartment. Her mother turned her head away to face outward at her side of the window.
Her mom wasn’t speaking to their father. It was going to be one of those nights—again.
He looked at the map. “Okay, it looks like I made a wrong turn off the main road where the lights were out.”
There were blackouts along the way due to the storm. Most of the roads looked dark, terrifying. Amber grabbed hold of her brother and they clutched each other in the backseat. She was thankful she had the protection of her parents. What if they were alone in that wooded area? Not that they could ever be left alone. Brian was only four and Amber was twelve.
“Okay, I know where we are now,” her father said, looking at a landmark sign that was illuminated by his overhead lights. “Let’s roll.”
He turned on the ignition and proceeded to drive away. Just then, she heard the screeching of brakes and a car was swerving on the road headed towards them. Was the driver out of control?
She couldn’t see much. The rain was pelting. Her father tried to see through the windshield as the wipers madly rushed from side to side trying to keep up with the rain.
The car was coming right at them at they were pulling onto the road from the ditch.
It was coming right at them…
Amber screamed and bolted upright in bed. Her heartbeat pounding hard and fast in her throat. Her blood vessels constricted in her body. She could feel her baby move around rapidly inside her. She nervously turned on the bedside light. Thank God, she was at least in a nice secure apartment. But she felt alone. Very much alone.
She picked up the phone on the nightstand and called Jules. But she swiftly hung up, realizing it was two o’clock in the morning. Oh, God! What was with her? She was a nervous wreck. Again. The anniversary of her family’s death was approaching. It was always like this. Would Amber ever escape the torment of that night? Trouble was, she couldn’t remember much else after that. She didn’t want to recall a single detail. She couldn’t remember any more and maybe that was for the best.
Amber got up and went to the kitchen. Admiring, along the way, the beautiful marble stone countertop and the stainless steel appliances that housed her smart fridge and smart everything in that home.
She made herself an instant green tea with her Tassimo machine. Jules had spoken to her about not having too much coffee since she was pregnant, which was fine with her. He was such a sweetie.
Looking around her environment was certainly a mood picker-upper. Everything was so calming and soothing in its cream and earth tone colors. The ginormous screen TV was built into the wall and so was the compact, elite looking fireplace beneath it. The floor was professionally finished oak hardwood and highly polished. The walls were
painted in an off-white sheen and adorned with calming artwork of nature, beautiful pictures. Gorgeous and healthy green plants also graced her suite. But how long would she be able to stay there? She was grateful for Jules’s generosity. She just wished she could actually repay him.
About five minutes later, the phone rang. Amber glanced at the digital display clock on the fridge as she sat in open-spaced kitchen on a seat around the breakfast island. “Who could that be?”
“Jules Romero calling,” the disembodied voice sounded from the telephone speaker.
She quickly got up and answered the phone.
“Jules?”
“Amber, you okay? You tried to call me?” His voice was tired but strong. Alert.
“Oh, it’s okay…I’m fine. I didn’t realize the time.”
“I’ll be there in a second,” he told her without giving her the chance to rebut.
“You didn’t have to come here, Jules,” Amber said later when he’d arrived at her door.
“You called for a reason. It’s not a big deal.”
“Really? You’re something else, you know that? You’ve done so much for me and-”
“What happened?” he quizzed, leaning in closer to her. Amber caught the irresistible scent of his cologne again. God, he was gorgeous and her hormones were going wild for him. She fought the urge to wrap her arms around him and give him a good hug and pull him to her, ripping off his shirt. Jules was strikingly handsome and extremely tall and fit, she noted as he towered over her, giving her a loving grin.
“I just had a bad dream.”
“It must have been one heck of a bad dream, Amber. Come on now. It’s me you’re talking to.”
“I know.”
Amber shared some parts of the dream, so grateful that she was able to get it off her chest and talk about her fears, her guilt over surviving the accident and wanting so badly to be a good mother to her little girl.
The Billionaire's Baby (The Romero Brothers, Book 5) Page 5
