by Alina Jacobs
Liz tried to block her friend from looking at the pages. "Those are private!" The much taller woman easily reached around Liz and grabbed several of the pages.
"Hot tamales." She snorted. "You don't need any more convincing to go after Wes—you already have your wedding with the man planned!"
"Don't mock that!" Liz cried, trying to scoop up the scrapbooking pages.
"This is the creepiest, most elaborate scrapbook I have ever seen," Anastasia said as she perused the pages she had managed to snag.
"I'm never letting you in my apartment again if you're just going to make fun of me," Liz said. "I like scrapbooking. There are plenty of business books that say you should do something creative."
"Creative? This is borderline stalkerish," Anastasia said. "But fine. I suppose everyone needs a hobby." She left the scrapbook pages and went to rummage around in Liz's closet. After a few moments, Anastasia pulled out a basic black dress.
"That's boring," Liz said.
"It's stylish," Anastasia corrected. "You'll look great. Wear nice underwear and a pushup bra."
"I don't think anything's going to happen," Liz said.
Anastasia smirked at the blush on her face. "Of course you do."
"I don't want to make him think I'm, you know, too slutty."
"He's a Holbrook," Anastasia said. "Didn't Grant have Kate taste his Bratwurst like the third day he met her? And Carter, well, we all know what happened there. By that metric, you and Wes are practically an old married couple."
Liz contemplated one of the scrapbook pages. She had carefully cut out a picture of Wes and Kal and decorated around it with blue and silver ribbons. A caption read, The only thing he loves more than me is his American Akita.
"Maybe I'm idealizing him or putting him on a pedestal," Liz wondered aloud.
"Of course you're idealizing him. He's the perfect man. Now hurry up, and put this on," Anastasia said, holding out the dress.
Liz slipped the dress on and allowed Anastasia to zip her up and rearrange her boobs to sit up high.
"Your' cantaloupes look amazing," Anastasia remarked. "I wish I had a rack like that."
Liz examined herself in the mirror. "Are you sure it isn't too boring?"
"If you want some color, you can wear these," Anastasia said and pulled out a pair of magenta heels that Liz had forgotten she bought during one night of drunken online shopping.
"I can't wear that! I'll look like a stripper."
"No, you won't," her friend said. "Now, are you going to wear your hair up or down?"
After Anastasia fixed Liz's hair into a messy bun on the side of her head and carefully made up Liz's eyes for a sexy smoky look, Liz stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom. "Do you think I look okay?"
"You look ravishing," Anastasia said. "You'll be married, with all your scrapbook dreams coming true in like three months tops."
After waving goodbye to Anastasia, Liz waited in the lobby for Wes to arrive.
"Have a date with your mystery man?" Osman asked her. "You tell him, if he breaks your heart, he has to answer to me."
Liz laughed. "He's perfect. He wouldn't do that."
"That's him now, I believe," Osman said, opening the door for Wes.
Wes handed her a large bouquet of flowers in an array of blush and crème colors.
"This is a beautiful bouquet," Liz gushed. "No one's ever bought me flowers like this."
"I'll have them sent up to your condo and put into a vase," Osman said, taking the flowers from her with a smile.
Liz thanked him then put her hand on Wes's offered arm. It felt natural to lean on him and let him pamper her.
"You look amazing," Wes murmured in her ear as the chauffeur opened the car door.
"So do you," she said and kissed him lightly on the lips. She was taller with the heels, and she didn't have to reach far to kiss him.
"Where are we going?" she asked Wes as she snuggled against him in the car.
"Natsuki, that Japanese restaurant."
"I heard about it," Liz said. "Grant always raves about it."
She felt Wes stiffen.
"Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean—"
"Don't worry about it," Wes said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "Grant is my problem, and we'll work it out. Eventually."
Liz wanted to ask him about his father and how his family was coping with the bombshell revelation about Wes's real parentage, but she didn't want to ruin the evening. She needed to have a perfect night and a perfect date with her perfect man.
The restaurant was magical. The lighting was understated, the music wasn't too loud, and the servers brought them drinks and tiny plates of snacks as soon as they sat down.
"Cheers," Wes said. "To you. You're the only woman for me." Liz felt a rush of pleasure, and her face broke into a smile.
Wes looked at her softly then selected a piece of dried shrimp with his chopsticks.
"I can't believe you want to be with me, especially after I stole your company," Liz said in a rush. "It' seems like a movie, you know, like it's not real."
His face seemed to freeze for a second but then relaxed into an easy smile. She must have been imagining it; it was the sake. She never could hold her alcohol.
"I'm over it, honestly," Wes said. "Also, it wasn't your fault. You were just following orders."
"Right," Liz said. Except she knew it was actually her fault. If she hadn't set up the shell companies over the past year, it never would have happened. It was also her suggestion. Grant didn't know enough about the particulars of business financials to have thought of it himself. She didn't want to bring it up though. She didn't know if Wes didn't know or if he knew but didn't care. It seemed better to keep the information to herself, just until she was sure he was truly in love with her.
Liz took a sip of her drink and a few slivers of seaweed. She looked at Wes and smiled. Then her face fell. "Oh no…"
Wes's face darkened as he turned around. There were Grant and Kate. Grant's eyes narrowed when he saw them, and he headed in their direction, leaving a confused hostess and a furious-looking Kate in his wake.
"Since she's dressed like that," Grant growled as he approached their table, "I'm going to assume that this is not a business dinner."
"I can explain," Liz stammered.
Wes stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. "There's nothing to explain," he said to Grant. "Liz and I are on a date as two consenting adults. I don't believe there's a problem here."
"No, there actually is very much a problem."
"Don't you dare!" Kate said, grabbing Grant's arm. "I will not be banned from this restaurant because you don't have any self-control!"
"He's up to something nefarious," Grant protested.
"Enjoy your dinner," Kate said as she pulled Grant away.
Liz and Wes waited a moment as they watched Grant and Kate walk to their table, clearly arguing. Liz looked to Wes, and they both started laughing, trying to be quiet about it.
"I bet they spend the entire evening talking about us," Liz whispered to Wes. He looked over then gave her an impish grin.
"Let them. I'm exactly where I want to be."
22
Wes
Wes loved being out with Liz. She was fun but not in an annoying childish way. The dinner had been entertaining, and Wes didn't want the night to end, so after they left the Japanese restaurant, he took her to a bar a few blocks over. As soon as they walked in, he fielded the appreciative looks from the men inside.
"How's your dog?" Liz asked after he helped her up onto the tall stool.
"He's fine. He's enjoying the toys you sent."
"I bet he doesn't like being in the city. He can't enjoy that small apartment. You need a bigger one."
"Yeah, I should," Wes replied, "but my stay in Manhattan is only temporary until my company transitions fully under Holbrook Enterprises's control. Besides, Kal has a dog walker come by twice a day as well to play with him."
&
nbsp; "You're not like the other billionaires," Liz said, resting her head on her hand and looking up at him from under her eyelashes. "No fast cars, no big penthouse apartments."
"I like to invest the money back into my company," he said. But that was heading toward dangerous territory. Fortunately, the bartender set their expensive cocktails down. "If I'm not like other billionaires, you're not like other girls."
"I'm not?" Liz asked. She sounded almost gleeful.
"Of course you aren't. You have a job—and it's not some vanity job. You're respected in your corporation. You're not obsessed with finding a rich husband." Her smile seemed to slip slightly. But maybe it was the lighting. "You aren't some conniving gold digger. You're smart, and we can have a normal conversation."
Liz leaned over and kissed him.
He could taste the slight bitterness of her cocktail. "What was that for?" he asked when she pulled back.
"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."
He leaned over and kissed her again, reveling in the fact that he could.
She seemed flush.
"Have another sip," he said, pushing her drink toward her.
"I feel like you're making me drunk to take advantage of me," Liz said with a laugh.
Wes raised an eyebrow.
"Just kidding," Liz said as she took a sip. "I know you wouldn't do anything like that. Grant and my brother are wrong about you."
"Are they?" Wes asked. "I'm sorry for what I said that first time I met you," Wes told her. And he meant it. He was sorry; he was sorry before he knew he was infatuated with her. "I know better than to treat a woman like that. I don't normally act so aggressively."
"I know," she said. "You were having a bad day."
"Why are you so understanding?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "No one is perfect. Besides, you've more than made up for it," she said, waving an arm around and almost hitting him in the face. "Whoops, I guess I did have a lot to drink."
He paid for the drinks then helped her into her coat. When the car stopped in front of her building, he stepped out to open the door for her.
"You should come up," Liz said after he kissed her with admittedly somewhat-drunken abandon.
He smoothed a tendril of hair out of her face. He let his hand slowly move up her thigh.
"Do you want to come up?" she asked.
Yes. "No, you're too drunk." And I'm still supposed to break your heart.
Back at his apartment, Wes slowly undressed. He wished Liz were there. He thought about her sitting on the bed, watching him undress. Then he would slide her out of that dress, undo her hair, and fuck her slowly against the pillows. He wondered what she was wearing under the dress.
She's your target, he told himself. Maybe she didn't have to be. It was the Holbrook's' fault. Liz didn't have anything personal against him. She clearly liked him and wanted to be with him. The Holbrooks were the ones he should be after.
"Kal, no. Stop it!" he yelled at the dog as the Akita picked up one of his dress shoes and started chewing on it. "Come back here! That is not a toy." Wes chased the dog around the apartment. Kal abruptly stopped, dropped the shoe, perked his ears, then started growling.
The doorbell rang.
Wes slowly opened the door. "Robert?"
"Wes!" he said, pushing inside. "Can I come in?"
Kal growled.
"Nice doggy," Roger said, reaching out to pet the dog. Kal snapped at his hand.
"Sorry," Wes said. "Akitas are territorial. Kal, out." The dog ignored him. Wes made an annoyed noise and asked, "What are you doing here, Robert?"
"We're neighbors!" Robert exclaimed, throwing his hands out wide.
Wes looked at him.
"I moved into an apartment a few floors down," Robert said. "Now we can flesh out our plan more easily."
"Fantastic," Wes said. Wes was not looking forward to Robert inviting himself to his apartment anytime he pleased.
"How was the date?" Robert asked as he puttered around Wes's kitchen, making coffee.
"It was fun," Wes said, unable to stop the smile spreading on his face.
"Don't let yourself become too complacent," Robert warned. "Remember the plan."
"Yes, yes, I know," Wes replied.
"Good. Just making sure you're committed."
"I am. I promise." Robert smiled, then he pushed a button on his tablet and swiped through some pictures. "Look at this! I've been working on some new designs for weapons."
Wes flipped through the drawings as Robert talked.
"I think these could be linked to robots somehow. Not the big ones, but small ones. The ones you have been tinkering with."
Wes hadn't had the time or the inclination since the takeover to work on his robots. Now he was consumed with thoughts about Liz.
"It would potentially help against an ambush situation," Robert said. "I've also been working on some new explosives that can be made with common ingredients you could find out in the field. Then it would make the drones even more useful."
"That isn't useful at all. None of those Special Forces guys are going to sit in a hut in the middle of Nigeria and make a bomb."
Robert laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right, but it's fun. Everyone needs a hobby."
Wes looked at Robert, suddenly registering what he was saying. "You're making bombs in your apartment?" Wes yelled. "Two floors below me?"
Robert smirked. "I'm careful."
"Damnit, Robert."
"I need something to take my mind off things."
"You could get arrested."
Robert shrugged. The coffee maker beeped, and Robert poured himself a cup as he bounced on the balls of his feet. Kal stood a few feet away, growling.
"When was the last time you slept?" Wes asked.
"I don't sleep."
"You need to take better care of your health."
"I don't care. I want the Holbrooks to be ruined. They stole from me. They stole from us. I'm doing this for you, Wes. You're like a brother to me." He wrapped an arm around Wes. "We're going to fix this. Liz and the Holbrooks are going to pay."
23
Liz
Liz floated through the morning after the date. She slept in, since she had returned to her apartment so late. Surely, she deserved a day off from the gym.
Work was boring. The excitement of the takeover was wearing off. Now she was faced with the tedious task of figuring out how to move employees and assets around. She had a meeting with Wes and Grant that morning about the consolidation.
"Hi, Wes!" she gushed.
He barely smiled at her as he sat down and flipped through the notes she had prepared. Wes seemed angry and cold. Gone was the warmth from the date last night. Grant was also unhappy. She had two unhappy Holbrooks to ruin her morning.
Putting on her best professional face, Liz stood up straight then launched into her presentation. She talked mainly about the consolidation. She'd had more time to run analysis, and she needed to share the specifics with Wes.
It was hard to stay focused with Wes looking at her. His expression was icy, and something dangerous lurked beneath the surface. Maybe dating someone she was working with wasn't such a good idea.
"I'm sorry about the employees," she reiterated. "We'll try to take care of them, but sometimes business is business."
"Of course it is," Wes said. "We'll need additional discussions with Svensson Investment. They are the main private-equity partners. They will need to have a say in how the company assets are handled. I have a meeting with them later today. I'll bring it up."
As Liz packed up her laptop and papers, Grant walked over to her and crossed his arms. "So. You're sleeping with the enemy?"
"He's not an enemy," Liz said, brushing him off. "He's your brother, and he's part of Holbrook Enterprises now. Also, I'm not sleeping with him. We only had drinks."
"And dinner," Grant countered. "You can't trust him."
"He's fine," Liz argued. "He's nice."
; "I don't care. You need to cut it off." She felt trapped by Grant's intensity. All the articles written about him or any of the Holbrook men would wax poetic about how forceful they were and what an impression they made on the reporter.
Liz knew the one thing that would keep Grant off her case. "I'm telling Kate if you don't stay out of my personal life," she threatened.
Grant drew back as if she'd slapped him. Liz smirked and walked out of the conference room.
She had a long lunch scheduled with Brandy. It was time to plan the gender-reveal party.
"I feel like I'm going to my execution," Liz said to Allie once she was back in her office.
"You can say no."
Liz shook her head. "I can't. I'm not like you. Also, my parents are hosting the party, and my mom said she wanted me to have some say in what was happening with the event so Brandy didn't show up with a flock of storks or something ridiculous."
"She should at least have a party planner."
Liz grimaced then tried to smooth her features. She didn't want wrinkles. "Brandy ruined her relationship with every decent party planner in the area. None of them will have anything to do with her.
"It's a gender-reveal party. It can't be that bad," Allie said. "None of those women from Weddings in the City will do the party?"
Liz shook her head. "Their main wedding planner, Holly, is the one who quit the day of Brandy's wedding. She's bad-mouthed Brandy all over town, and no one will plan any event for her. Speaking of which, can you please make themed cocktails? A blue one and a pink one?"
Allie sighed. Liz knew she had tried to leave her bartending days behind her, but she still made the best cocktails around. "Blue drinks are so disgusting. They never taste good," Allie complained.
"Brandy's going to want it. I know she is."
Allie sighed again. "I'll see what I can do."
Liz met Brandy at a restaurant a few blocks away.
"Sorry I'm late," she said to Brandy. The woman was sitting at a table with a glass of mineral water in front of her, and she angled her cheek to air-kiss Liz in greeting. "You look great," Liz said. And Brandy did. She was still tall and lithe, and Liz could barely tell she was pregnant. "They have good salads here."
