My eyes narrowed, and as the waiter leaned over the table to refill our waters, I snatched the phone out of his pocket.
“What the—” he yelped.
I looked over the phone. Sure enough, the video recorder was going, and had been taping the entirety of the dinner.
“You want to explain this?” I asked, holding up the camera, the waiter's face turning a dark red.
“It's, um, I, uh…”
He was at a loss.
“Was he recording us?” asked Cassidy.
“Sure was,” I said.
I felt a tinge of anger flash through me. Part of me wanted to throw the phone out of the window and give this kid the talking-to of his life.
“I'm so sorry, Mr. Cole,” he said, finally finding the words. “It's just that all those sites are trying to find out anything they can about what happened with you and Nina, and they're paying big money for anything that anyone can get their hands on. And when I saw you your date sitting in my section, I couldn't say no. I'm so sorry; I'll delete the video right now.”
I set the phone on the table as I thought the matter over. Cassidy watched me carefully, curious as to what I was going to do next. It was clear that the waiter was just a kid who wanted a little extra money, not some vulture. He was likely telling the truth about the money being too good to resist. But at the same time, I didn't want to give the gossip blogs the satisfaction of breaking the story about Cassidy and me.
“How much are they paying for a video like this?” I asked.
“Um, enough to make sure I don't graduate college with any debt,” he said.
“Give me a number.”
He leaned in and whispered a number into my ear. My eyes went wide at just how high it was.
I reached into my briefcase and pulled out my checkbook. With a few quick strokes of the pen, I filled it out.
“This check is for what they're offering you, plus half again to delete that video.”
“Are you…are you serious?” the waiter asked.
“As serious as it gets.”
Then, I turned to Cassidy, who had a warm smile on her face.
“And we might as well put it out there,” I said. “Film this.”
I gave the phone back to the waiter and moved around the table, wrapping my arm around Cassidy. The waiter, his hands still shaking, held up his phone camera.
“Hello, everyone,” I said. “I'd like to introduce you all to Cassidy May, the woman I love, and the mother of my children.”
“Children?” asked the waiter.
“We're having triplets!” Cassidy exclaimed, beaming.
The waiter's eyes went wide.
“Now, you can all stop wondering. Turn off the computer; put your phone away. Go for a walk or something.”
I made the “cut” gesture, and the waiter stopped recording.
“Feel free to post that wherever you want,” I told him. “And we’ll take two crème brûlées, please.”
The waiter nodded and dashed off.
“That's one way to get rid of a rumor,” said Cassidy.
“Gotta beat them at their own game,” I replied.
With that, I leaned in and kissed Cassidy. I was ready for whatever might come.
Chapter 24
Cassidy
Six Months Later
“You ready to go?” Rhys asked from downstairs.
I'd just gotten comfortable, and being eight months into my pregnancy meant that even the small act of getting out of my seat was no small feat. But it was the night of the premiere of our cruelty-free line, so unless I wanted to be carted around the San Bravado Convention Center in my easy chair, I was going to have to be a big girl and get to my feet.
“I'm coming, I'm coming,” I said, placing both hands on the armrests and heaving myself up.
I waddled out of the upstairs study and slowly made my way down the stairs. It had been a month since Rhys and I had moved into the gorgeous estate just outside of town that he'd bought for us, and taking the stairs in my bloated state was something that I was still getting used to.
When I finally made it down to the living room, I spotted Rhys leaning against the wall, a glass of wine in his hand and a tablet in the other. He was dressed in an impossibly stylish tuxedo, his hair slicked back and his overall look just as dashing as ever.
“Can you believe they're still trying to figure out what happened between me and Nina?” he asked with a laugh. “You'd think they'd have better things to talk about than yesterday's news.”
I looked him up and down, flashing him a disapproving but good-natured glare.
“Are you really reading the tabloids?” I asked. “I thought you were above such things.”
“I don't know,” he said, turning off his tablet and tossing it onto the nearby couch. “They're kind of fun.”
“You just like reading about yourself, you little egoist,” I said with a smile.
“What can I say? I'm the most interesting subject I know.”
I walked over and gave him a playful swat on the chest, savoring for just a moment how hard his chest felt through his tuxedo. Then, I lifted a finger up to his wine glass.
“Yes, yes,” he said. “I know that we agreed to both abstain in solidarity, but I couldn't help it tonight. I needed something to take the edge off before the show.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “Does that mean that the great Rhys Cole is…nervous?”
“I'm not nervous,” he said. “I'm just eager and ready to do it. You know? More like ‘night before Christmas' anxious than anything else.”
“I'm sure,” I said, giving him another swat.
I turned my eyes to the wine. It was ruby-colored and delicious-looking. I licked my lips at just the sight of it.
“Let me get a smell, at least,” I said.
Rhys held out the glass and I took a long whiff, taking in the scent of rich, fragrant fruit.
“God, I'd kill for a glass of this stuff,” I said, coming back to my senses.
“Just a few more weeks,” said Rhys.
He stepped back and looked me over in my evening wear. I'd long passed the point of being able to wear normal clothing, and my outfit for the night was a custom-made blue gown that accommodated the massive belly bump.
“You look gorgeous as hell,” he said. “If it's any consolation.”
“You're just saying that,” I said. “I feel like a whale wrapped in silk.”
Rhys placed his arms on my shoulders and pulled me close.
“I don't fib about how beautiful you are,” he said, his voice low and sensual.
“Then what do you fib about?” I asked.
He gave me a sly look before planting a soft kiss on my lips.
“I'll be lying tonight when I tell anyone who asks that there's no place I'd rather be than the show tonight, when the real answer is in bed with you.”
A hot blush ran up my neck.
“Such a charmer,” I said.
At that moment, one of the babies kicked, and I had to shoot out my hand onto Rhys’s shoulder to brace myself.
“You all right?” he asked, his voice heavy with concern.
“Just a little kick. Or three little kicks, from the feel of it.”
Rhys gave me a look of concern.
“You know, you don't have to go to the show.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “You and I have been working on this line since the day we met. There isn’t a chance I'm going to miss this.”
“We could always tie the dogs to your easy chair and have them drag you around the place.”
“No way,” I replied. “They'd get all the attention.”
As if on cue, I heard the skittering of eight paws across the tile floor of the kitchen. Moments later, Roscoe, the lab puppy that had taken a shine to Rhys at the shelter, and Miley, an older border collie from Rhys's shelter, came rushing into the room. Big dog smiles on their faces, they rushed up to me and jum
ped at my legs for attention.
“Down, kids!” said Rhys, squatting down and giving them some enthusiastic pets. “I swear, they've got a sixth sense for knowing when they're being talked about.”
“They'll fit right in the San Bravado social scene, then,” I joked.
“Okay,” said Rhys, taking a glance at his silver wristwatch. “Time to put these guys out back and head out. You ready for this?”
“More than ready,” I said.
We said goodbye to the dogs, let them out in the backyard, and summoned our limo. Ten minutes later, the car arrived and Rhys and I headed out to greet it.
“You sure about this ‘sharing a limo with Nina’ thing?” Rhys asked. “It's no problem getting our own.”
“The more the merrier,” I said. “And she's not the only one we're going to be picking up.”
“That's true,” said Rhys as he opened the side door to the limo and gestured for me to head in.
“There are my two lovelies!” cried Nina as we entered.
She threw her arms around us, nearly spilling a bit of her champagne on my dress.
“Evening, Nina,” said Rhys.
“So good to see you,” I said.
As I plopped down, I saw that Nina had brought a guest. Seated next to her was a gorgeous young man with a face sculpted from marble and probably the nicest head of hair I'd ever seen. Aside from my own man's, that is.
“This is Giuseppe,” said Nina. “He's from Sicily and he, ah, doesn't talk much. But I didn't bring him for his lively conversation skills, if you know what I mean.”
Giuseppe flashed a model-quality smile as Nina planted a kiss on his cheek.
“Shall we collect the rest of our entourage?” asked Rhys.
“Let's do it.”
We zipped through the city, picking up Erin and her now-fiancé Ryan, Maria and the rest of my design crew, and a few more friends of Nina's and Rhys’s. By the time we arrived at the convention center, there were so many of us packed into the back of the limo that it was already starting to feel like a party.
Before long, the limo arrived at the convention center. A red carpet awaited us, the paparazzi flanking it, their cameras and questions at the ready. Rhys was still the more seasoned of the two of us when it came to dealing with the media, and I let him take the lead.
“Okay, everyone,” he said, placing his hand on the door handle and turning towards the dozen or so of us packed into the limo. “Get your game faces on. It's going to be a zoo out there, so just stick close and follow me to the backstage.”
We nodded, and Rhys pushed the door open. Instantly, noise and camera flashes filled the air. We filed out onto the red carpet, the walkway up to the convention center already packed with a who’s-who of the San Bravado elite, all making their way up to the towering front doors of the building.
The press shouted out all sorts of questions, some about who I was wearing, and some far more personal than I was willing to consider answering.
“Let's give them a little bit of a show,” Rhys whispered in my ear. “A little meat to keep the wolves occupied.”
I let out a chuckle as he slipped his arm around my waist. We stopped in our tracks and did a little posing for the cameras. Looking at the rest of our group, I saw that, of course, Nina and her boy toy were lapping up the attention. Erin and Ryan had wide, surprised expressions on their faces, and I could tell that however much they might've mentally prepared for the press onslaught, it wasn't nearly enough.
“Mr. Cole!” one of the reporters shouted. “You and Miss May's line has already shattered sales records for a cruelty-free line, already becoming one of the top collections of the year. To what do you attribute this overwhelming success?”
Rhys didn't miss a beat.
“Two things: the eagerness of the public to embrace a cruelty-free line, and the skill and passion of my partner.”
He pulled me close and gave me another kiss, the camera flashes firing off in a frenzy as soon as his lips touched mine. But as he kissed me, I couldn't help but note just how strangely the word “partner” hit my ears. It seemed like an ill-fitting way to describe what Rhys and I had between us, especially with me being the mother of his kids. It was like a slightly classier version of “baby mama.”
But I put it out of my head as quickly as I could, instead focusing on the moment at hand. The next question, however, brought the issue into stark clarity.
“Miss May, what's next for you and Mr. Cole? Is there a marriage in the works?”
I didn't know what to say. The question was so blunt that all I could utter was:
“I, um, I don't know.”
It was far from the most polished answer. But Rhys was quick to step in and pick up my slack.
“Questions like those are like asking how the movie's going to end before the lights in the theater even go down,” he said, a slight smile on his lips. “Why don't we let the evening get on; maybe some of your questions will be answered before the night's out?”
I didn't know what to make of this, but before I had a chance to give the matter too much thought, Rhys took me by the hand and led our little group into the main hall of the convention.
Once inside, free from the frenzy of the press, Rhys and I were subject to another barrage of questions, this time from the city's elite, who wanted to know all about our fashion line—not to mention our relationship.
“What a couple,” said one of Rhys's billionaire contemporaries, his fortune having been made through some tech start-up or other. “Any chance of knowing when you two are going to be planning the next step in this relationship of yours?”
“I know!” said Tawny, the indie singer who Ethan—Rhys’s head PR guy—was dating, her outfit a stunning goth-style dress. “I mean, if this is what you two can do for a fashion show, I can only imagine what a wedding would look like!”
“Just focusing on the here and now,” said Rhys.
Ethan flashed us a knowing glance.
The rest of our group was happily fraternizing here and there, while I was starting to feel overwhelmed. Between the anxiety and the stresses on my body from the babies, I was in need of some quiet.
“Let's head backstage,” said Rhys, as if reading my mind.
We sidled through the crowd, offering a little obligatory small talk here and there as we reached the doors leading backstage.
“How you feeling?” asked Rhys, the two of us taking a seat among the flurry of models and designers putting the finishing touches on the outfits.
“Excited, but nervous. And kind of like I'm going to explode.”
“That's pretty much par for the course for a first show. Next one should be smoother.”
“I'll start thinking about the next one when we get through tonight.”
“Hey, just think about it this way: If you can handle a fashion show when you’re over eight months pregnant, the next one will be a walk in the park.”
I smiled at this reminder of our family-to-be. Leaning in, I gave him a soft kiss on the lips.
“I love you,” I said.
“And I love you,” he returned.
Travis’s voice snapped us out of our momentary retreat.
“Mr. Cole? Miss May? The show's ready to begin, whenever you are.”
“Thank you, Travis,” Rhys said. “You ready to do this?” he asked me.
“Ready as I'll ever be,” I replied.
“Oh,” said Rhys, “and I made sure not to include any fog machines in the show. Never can be too careful with those things.”
I gave him a playful slap and we were off. Rhys led me out of the dressing room and down a dimly lit hallway. Through the walls, I could hear the low chatter of the crowd as they took their seats and awaited the main event.
Finally, we reached the area directly behind the stage, which was hidden from the audience by a large, lavender-colored curtain. Assistants and stage crew bustled here and there, and the models lined up in their places. I took a peek out from behi
nd the curtain, the number of people in attendance causing me to stagger a bit.
“Something wrong?” asked Rhys.
“There’s just…a lot of people out there,” I said.
“It's the event of the season,” he replied as an assistant darted in front of us and touched up my makeup and fitted us with wireless mics. “You should be happy; after all, they're here for you.”
“Mostly you, though,” I said. No way this many people would come to a Cassidy May opening.”
“My name might help get them through the door, but it's your work they're here to see. And you saw the presales for the line—they're unprecedented. Remember what I said about taking compliments so long ago, back on our first date?”
“Accept them graciously, or people might think they were wrong to give them to you,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
“That's right. Though, I'd never regret saying anything nice about you, my love.”
I blushed, and Rhys leaned in to give me a kiss.
“You both ready?” asked Travis.
I took a deep breath.
“Let's do this,” I said.
The announcer introduced us, and Travis led us towards the stage. My heart jumped up into my throat as I stepped through the curtain, but luckily, Rhys was there to take me by the hand and make sure I didn't become too overwhelmed.
We stepped into the front of the stage, camera flashes going off all around us. And in the front row I spotted the friendly faces of Nina, Erin, Maria, and all the rest, and felt a little bit better. There had to have been over a thousand people there, all of their eyes on me and Rhys.
“Thank you all so very much for coming,” said Rhys.
“It's a pleasure to see you all here tonight,” I said, a little surprised to hear my words come out of the speakers around me.
We had agreed beforehand that Rhys would be the one to do all of the talking, so he went right into it. He described the history behind the line, the reasons why he'd decided to start a cruelty-free collection, and of course, a little about how he and I met.
“Now,” he said, “I know the question on all of your minds. Cassidy and I have been smashing business partners; there's no doubt about that. But there's been a bit of our life where our partnership has been…less than formal. Before we begin the show, I'd like to remedy that particular situation.”
Accidental Triplets - A Secret Babies for the Billionaire Romance (San Bravado Billionaires' Club Book 4) Page 15
