The Client: A Second Chance Romance

by Hazel Parker

  “Awww,” Audrey and Sasha say simultaneously.

  Arabella knows that she should feel sorry for Corbin—and she does. But, she also can’t help but feel hopeful. She hopes that if he’s ready for love, then maybe he’s ready to forgive her. Maybe he’s ready to open up to her. Maybe?

  Off screen, a guy asks Corbin: “Who’s your celebrity crush?”

  “Summer Hill.” He laughs.

  “You like brunettes?”

  “No, I don’t have a physical type. I have a personality type. I like strong, independent women. I like creative women. Entrepreneurs.”

  “Women who don’t need you financially.”

  “Exactly. I need to know that she’s with me for me...and not for my money.”

  Arabella pauses the video. It freezes on his gorgeous grin and twinkling hazel eyes. She feels like he’s looking right at her, even though she knows that he’s not.

  “So,” she looks at Sasha and then Audrey, “he wants an independent and beautiful woman. Someone like Summer Hill or Dana Devonne.”

  “What a tragedy. What happened to her.” Audrey shakes her head.

  “He’s been through a lot. He needs someone caring, empathetic, kind,” Sasha says.

  “Preferably a single mom.” Arabella adds: “Or someone ready to be a stepmom. Since he’s a single dad.”

  “Someone who wants to live in the suburbs. Princeton is not New York City,” Sasha says.

  “Someone who will honor Dana Devonne’s legacy,” Audrey ticks off their requirements on her left hand. “Right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, Arabella, Audrey, and Sasha go through her database. They look for attractive single moms who are entrepreneurs. They narrow the pool down to twenty-four eligible bachelorettes. Then Arabella picks up her phone to call Corbin. She holds Audrey’s hand while she waits for him to answer. The phone rings four times. Just when Arabella thinks it’ll go to voicemail, Corbin picks up:

  “Hey.” He sounds out of breath.

  “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “Just exercising. What’s up?”

  “I forgot that you jog.” She remembers a sweaty Corbin wearing a soaked white t-shirt clinging to his muscles. She remembers his black jogging pants hanging off his pelvis. He was beautiful—is beautiful. She loved running her hands over his abs.

  “Arabella?” Corbin pants. “Are you still there?”

  Sasha pokes her in the side and whispers, “Say something.”

  “Uh, yeah, Corbin. I’m, uh, just calling to say that I’ve selected a group of amazing women for you to pick from.”

  “Good.” He pants.

  “The mixer will be in twenty-four hours, per your request.” Her heart races at the sound of him panting. She remembers the times he spent panting with her.

  “Uh-huh.” The sounds of feet pounding on a treadmill is heard in the silence.

  “Be ready at nine tomorrow evening at Carlyle’s.”

  “Why nine? I said 24 hours.”

  “Umm, because…” She looks at Sasha and then Audrey before quickly saying, “Tucker was asking when he would see you and Chloe again, and I was thinking that maybe we could all have dinner tomorrow and then put the kids to bed before the mixer.” The words come out in one long stream.

  “He was asking for me?” Corbin sounds softer. Where he was distant and distracted before, now he sounds present and interested.

  “Yeah.” Arabella’s eyes tear up. What is she doing? Why is she fixing him up with other women? Why can’t she just tell him to date her? Why can’t he see that she’s the one for him?

  “Dinner at seven. Bedtime at eight. I don’t want to make it a late night. Chloe gets up early in the mornings. We like to have breakfast together.”

  “We do too.”

  A pause full of feelings unsaid ensues. Arabella doesn’t ask Corbin to think about dating her. Corbin doesn’t ask Arabella how does he forgive her for hiding his son.

  “See you tomorrow.” Corbin’s voice is brisk. He hangs up before she can say goodbye.

  Sasha and Audrey are listening.

  “Well, that went…” Sasha looks to Audrey for help.

  “Well?” Audrey shrugs her shoulders.

  “So, dinner with the ex?” Sasha shakes her head.

  “Bad idea,” Audrey says.

  “Why?” Arabella moves away from her friends. “Tucker wants to see Corbin.”

  “Who else wants to see him?” Sasha asks.

  “Ladies, I asked you here to support me.”

  “And we are.” Audrey reaches to hug Arabella who steps back.

  “But, we have to be honest with you.” Sasha steps towards Arabella. “What kind of friends would we be if we just blindly agreed with you?”

  “I need your support,” Arabella begs her friends with her eyes.

  “And we support you.” Sasha wraps her arm around Arabella’s shoulders.

  “We just need you to be real. With yourself.”

  Arabella nods. She knows that her friends mean well. She knows what they mean. She knows that if she goes into this mixer pretending that she doesn’t want Corbin to choose her, then she’ll set herself up for an even bigger disappointment when he chooses one of the amazing women she’s invited to his mixer. She’s setting herself up for heartbreak. At the very least, she could see it for all that it is and all that it is not.

  Her legs feel weak. She reaches for a chair and collapses into it. She’s glad that she’s decided to do the right thing and find the best possible match for Corbin. She’s glad that she’s decided to acknowledge that she still wants Corbin—still loves Corbin. But she acknowledges that she doesn’t have the right to ask him to be with her. She already broke his heart once. She doesn’t want to do it again.

  *****

  The next night at seven on the dot, Corbin shows up with Chloe at Arabella’s townhouse. Tucker runs to the door and yells, “Daddy!” Corbin bends down, swoops his son up in his arms, and hugs him tightly.

  The fatherly love warms Arabella’s heart. Chloe marches inside and extends her arms up for Arabella to pick her up. Arabella laughs, stoops down, picks up Chloe, and hugs her. Chloe smells like strawberries. Her skin is soft as a baby’s. Arabella smoothes out her dark hair, which is in two little pigtails with pink ribbons tied around them.

  “Luz did my hair.” Chloe cuddles into Arabella’s arms.

  Arabella’s heart expands at the sight of Corbin carrying Tucker. Luz trails behind them and closes the front door.

  “Dinner’s ready!” Ana calls from the kitchen.

  Luz walks around the four towards the dining room. She helps Ana place the dishes onto the dining room table setting for four. Luz and Ana eat in the kitchen. Their chatter is heard intermittently as the housekeeper enters and leaves the kitchen carrying water or apple juice or coffee.

  To onlookers, the four look like a happy family. Enraptured, Corbin listens to Tucker’s stories about dinosaurs. Enchanted, Arabella listens to Chloe’s stories about rainforests. In the natural rests in the ebb and flow of the dinner conversation, Arabella’s eyes drift over Corbin’s gorgeous face. She takes in his model-like good looks, his athletic frame, his strong hands. She watches the way he slices his steak, the way he cuts his baked potato, the way he sips his coffee. Everything he does exudes confidence.

  She wants to run her hands along his bespoke suit. She wants to run her hands through his manicured hair. He seems to have gotten it done for the occasion. He catches her staring at him multiple times. The first time he looked away. Resentful. The second time he looked back at her. Annoyed. The third time he raised his eyebrows. Curious. The fourth time a smile threatened to spread across his face. Amused.

  Arabella knows Corbin well. She knows when he’s happy—when he’s horny. His eyes dance across her low cut little black dress. She always dresses for a date on the nights of her mixers. Part of her brand is being as attractive as the potential dat
es, but being professional and off-limits.

  For years she prided herself in being a great catch. Now, she wants Corbin to catch her. She wonders if he feels the same way.

  “Bedtime.” Corbin claps his hands. His cuffs rise, and a white-gold diamond encrusted watch catches the light.

  “Nice watch,” Arabella says.

  “Thanks.” Corbin picks up Tucker. “It was a gift from Dana.” He perches Tucker on his right side.

  “Sleepover, Daddy?” Chloe looks expectantly at her dad.

  “That’s right. You and your brother are having a sleepover tonight.” He reaches down and scoops Chloe up into his left arm. He carries his two children down the hall, up the stairs, to Tucker’s bedroom where a second race car bed has appeared.

  “Mine is blue!” Tucker yells. “Chloe, yours is red!”

  Chloe nearly jumps out of her dad’s arms to run to her race car bed. She jumps on the comforter, burrows under the sheets, and squeals with delight.

  Corbin takes off his blazer. Arabella’s heart pounds at the sight of him taking it off. He catches her watching him. She blushes. She tells herself to get control of her feelings. She can’t blush like a teenager every time he looks her. He smiles. She can’t tell if it’s pity or genuine. She feels like he’s trying to make her feel comfortable. She almost wishes that he’d go back to yelling at her. Nice Corbin is breaking her heart.

  After he reads his children a bedtime story, they beg for a second one. Then Ana and Luz come in to read the same story again to the siblings. Arabella and Corbin kiss their children goodnight.

  Both impeccably dressed, Arabella and Corbin walk side-by-side down the hallway and down the stairs. She resists the urge to reach out and hold his hand. He resists the urge to take her in his arms.

  “I’ll see you there.” Corbin turns to look into her blue eyes at the door.

  “Huh? Yeah.” She pulls her coat out of the closet.

  “Allow me.” He takes her coat and holds it up for her. She slips her arms into it. He adjusts it on her neck as he did so many times in that past. His hands rest on her shoulders. She stands still. Afraid to lean forward. Afraid to lean back.

  “See you soon.” His voice is husky.

  She turns around to look into his eyes. He whips around and avoids eye contact. Quickly he unlocks the door and leaves.

  She’s glad that she’s wearing her best little black dress. She’s glad that she asked him over for dinner. She hopes that she can stop herself from staring at his gorgeous face during the mixer. She doesn’t want to mess things up...for him...for herself...for their kids.

  *****

  An hour later, deep into the mixer at the trendy brewery in Palmer Square, Arabella is a tight ball of nerves. The air conditioner is blowing, but she’s breaking out in a sweat. She’s mortified. She keeps dabbing at her forehead with Corbin’s white handkerchief from the other night. The occasional pop song by Dana doesn’t help her mood. Arabella feels like The Princess of Pop is looking down on Corbin. She wants to do the right thing. She wants him to be happy. She wants him to be with her. Would he be happy with her...again?

  She shakes her head to chase away the thoughts of reconciliation. She doesn’t have the right to ask that much of him.

  Standing at the bar drinking a bottle of cold water, Arabella watches Corbin chat and joke and flirt with the many successful and beautiful women she invited to the mixer. It’s tearing her apart. She sees him lean toward a dark-haired beauty and then sees the woman throw her head back and laugh. Arabella’s stomach tightens. She fights the impulse to run over and stop the conversation.

  She texts her girls.

  Arabella: Help!

  Sasha: What’s wrong?

  Audrey: What’s happening?

  Arabella: He’s flirting.

  Nora: Isn’t that the nature of a billionaire mixer?

  Arabella: Yes. But, it’s killing me.

  Sasha: Tell him.

  Arabella: I can’t.

  Audrey: What’ve you got to lose?

  Arabella: My client. My dignity.

  Nora: Do you even want him to be your client?

  Audrey: And pride cometh before the fall.

  Arabella: No @ Nora.

  Sasha: So, tell him.

  Arabella: When?

  Audrey: Before he picks a date.

  Nora: How will you feel if he picks a girl and she isn’t you?

  Arabella: Sick.

  Sasha: So, tell him.

  Arabella: Okay. Okay. Wish me luck.

  Sasha: Break a leg.

  Audrey: Good luck!

  Nora: You don’t need luck, girl.

  Arabella rings a cowbell at the bar. The ladies turn to look at her. Some say, “Awwww.” Some giggle. Corbin smiles at them and looks over at Arabella.

  “Okay, Mr. Goode.” Arabella walks up to him. She looks out at the restaurant full of beautiful women in all shades of skin color and lengths of hair and body shapes. “It’s the moment of truth. Let’s go chat. Ladies, hang tight. Have some more wine. We’ll be back. Mr. Goode will pick his date. See you all soon.” She waves at the ladies.

  Corbin nods his head. He doesn’t trust himself to speak. He feels a flood of emotions. Emotions he’s been keeping at bay since he saw Arabella a few days ago. He feels tense, trepidatious, and timid. He feels his heart beating. Three words are coursing through his veins. He’s afraid of these words. Afraid of what they’ll do to him. Afraid of what he’ll do.

  Out of habit, Arabella laces her arm around Corbin’s. He allows her to take his arm. She guides him to a booth at the back. The same booth where they had their first encounter after four years.

  “Here we are...again.” Corbin slides into the booth.

  Arabella slides in.

  His eyes dart down to her cleavage. He smiles warmly at her.

  “How much have you had to drink?”

  “None.” He drapes his arms along the rim of the booth. His jacket sleeve slides up. His jeweled watch catches the light. His eyes darken.

  Arabella clenches her thighs together. This is not going the way she planned.

  “Who do you pick for your first date?”

  “This is tough. I need your help.” A smile dances across his face.

  “Okay. Who’re you looking at?”

  “It’s between two.”

  “Who are the two?”

  “I’m not good at names.”

  “What do they look like?”

  “A blond and brunette.”

  “Okay. From their body language, could you tell who really wanted you?”

  “The blond.”

  Arabella’s heart skips a beat. She stares directly at him. She wonders: is he talking about her? Is he playing with her?

  “What makes you feel that way?”

  “The way she looks at me. The way she blushes when I look at her.”

  “Okay. You don’t remember her name?” She swallows.

  She wants him to pick her. She also wants to be professional. She doesn’t want to lead him to pick her. She wants to be fair...to him...to the clients. She wants to do the right thing. But what is the right thing? What should she do when she feels herself falling for the guy whose heart she broke years ago? Does she declare her love to him? Does she disappoint her clients waiting to date a billionaire? Does she risk his rejection...again?

  “Yeah.”

  “You do?”

  He nods slowly. His eyes are earnest. He leans towards her. He starts to say something. He stops. He swallows. Runs his hands through his perfectly wavy dark brown hair.

  “Arabella—”

  “Corbin—”

  She wants to know what he’ll say. She doesn’t want to know what he’ll say. “Why did you want this mixer?” Arabella’s voice cracks. She restrains herself from crying or yelling.

  “Chloe has been asking me about finding a girlfriend. She doesn’t want me to be lonely.”

  “Corbin, this mixer will only work if you’re op
en to it working. Your daughter wants you to find love. You say you want to find love.”

  “I do.”

  “Then open your heart.” She brings her hands to her chest.

  “Maybe this was a mistake. I have Chloe...and Tucker now. I don’t have time to date.”

  “No time? You have Luz to help raise Chloe. I have Ana. You have a chef and a housekeeper and chauffeur and...what else? A gardener? You have time. Don’t use your daughter as an excuse to stop you from making time for yourself. What do you want?”

  “I want—” He stops himself. “What do you want?”

  “Huh? Me?” She shakes her head.

  “Yes, you. Arabella Wilder. What do you want?” He leans closer to her. Brings his arm down from the top of the booth. Glides the back of his knuckles down the length of her arm. A trail of goosebumps rises where Corbin’s hand touches her arm.

  “This is isn’t about me. This is about you. You… you...” Her voice catches. She wants to plunge on. But the last time she took a leap of faith, he crushed her. She stares at him wondering what he’ll say. “Forgive me.” Her voice comes out in a whisper. “Please, forgive me. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “After Dana died, I didn’t want to love anyone else again. I didn’t want to feel anything again. It hurt too much. Losing Dana. But, I had Chloe to take care of. She was my reason to get up in the morning. My reason to make pancakes and bake cakes like Dana did…” His eyes take on a faraway look. He seems to be reliving a memory. “Then, I read somewhere that on the other side of our greatest pain is our greatest joy.” His eyes search hers. “You were my greatest pain.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I know.” He takes her hand. “So, I got a therapist. Started doing yoga. Meditation. And I was finally able to feel the pain. Now I’m ready to let love in.”

  “Corbin, do you forgive me?” Her voice is husky.

  “Yes.”

  “Can we try again?”

  “Yes.” He loosens his tie and clears his throat. “I promise to never lose my temper again.” He runs the back of his hand down her cheek.

  “I promise to never keep another secret from you.” She cups his face. The rough hair of his 5 o’clock shadow sends shivers up her spine. She remembers the feel of hair on her inner thighs. She wants him to kiss her...down there. She clenches her thighs.