“No,” I say, so loudly Naomi jumps.
“No what?”
“No, it’s not okay if I move on. It’s not okay to have a future without you. You are my future.” I try to take her hand, but she slips away. I guess that’s my answer. It’s not me who’s moved on, it’s her.
Manhattan gets bigger and bigger as we approach. Naomi gets up and puts her hands on the window, sighs. There’s a foggy patch on the glass in front of her and she draws a jagged heart in it, then wipes it away. I screw up all my newfound courage and join her. I exhale on the glass and draw a perfect heart with the letters N and B inside of it. I take her by the shoulders and make her look at me.
“Please Naomi. Don’t quit. That’s what they want us to do. Don’t you see? If we give up, they win. I don’t know what it is that they want, but it must be pretty important if they’re going to all this trouble.”
She sighs again, but then her face softens and she reaches out her hand and runs it through my hair. There’s a lot of product in it, and I’m worried for a second she’ll get stuck. This makes me smile and to my surprise she smiles back.
“You have a hell of a gel habit, slick.”
“One of the hazards of being a model. At least I don’t wear guyliner.”
She laughs. “You know what? I could use an escort up to LaLa’s. You think Manny could set us up? Maybe tomorrow? I need to go back to work and try to find out more information about Broderick. I don’t want him getting suspicious before I find out what he’s up to with Viktor’s family and this real estate deal. But we could meet around lunchtime? Maybe we could take her out. She is one of those ‘ladies who lunch,’ if New York Magazine is to be believed.” She ruffles my hair and drops her hand.
The ferry docks violently and we both lose our balance for a moment and for a delicious instant, our bodies come together. Then we head toward the exit. “I’ll call him right now,” I say. Manny doesn’t pick up so I leave a message. There are cabs lined up by the dock, and I put her in one. “I’ll call you when he gets back to me.” I say good night, but before I can close her door, she pops back out and throws her arms around me.
“I don’t know what we are right now, but it feels good to have you on my side in all this. Thanks for the adventure and dinner.”
“I didn’t exactly buy you dinner. Broderick paid for it.”
“Yeah, and he’s going to keep paying for everything he’s done to me—to us. Goodnight Bradley.”
To us. I love the sound of that. Are we an ‘us’ again?
“Goodnight, Naomi.” I close her car door, shove my hands in my pockets, and start my long cold walk home. Then I hear her again in my head: to us. Suddenly I’m not cold at all anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Surprise Darren!
NAOMI
Friday, February18th
Too bad that Darren Broderick is a bossy, self-serving ass because otherwise, I would enjoy my new job as his assistant. Time flies by, my mind is kept occupied with facts, dates, figures, and calls. I relish this new busy vibe after years of staring at green screens and placing stock trades. Because of the closed snow days, associates, partners, and clients are flooding my phone, fax, and messages with questions. I barely get the coffee made, the equipment humming, and the blinds adjusted before Darren is next to me, like toilet paper stuck on my shoe sole. He hugs me from behind, rests his chin in my hair, and plays a good game of being a fiancé in love. I have to let him; I don’t want him to know I don’t trust a word he says.
A few hours in, I try to get a peek in his private files, and once I’m so close to opening the center drawer in his mahogany desk that when he calls my name, I give out a little scream of surprise. I entertain the idea of slowly slipping my hand in his front pants pocket for that little file key he keeps there, but give up the idea when I think about how that might end up, with my butt in the air and me kneeling on his desk. No thanks, slimy guy who probably did my mother, no way. I manage to scan his contact list in his cell, but I don’t recognize any of the names, except for two. Chase…and surprise of surprises…Viktor. Why does Darren Broderick have Viktor Slotzky’s phone number?
After three coffees, I’m wired. My mind is racing with questions about Bradley’s friend Viktor. Can I trust anyone?
I avoid Darren’s hovering, he’s like a helicopter on a battle mission, until the minute I reach across his desk for a file, and he grabs my hand and squeezes.
“What the hell Naomi? Whose ring is this?”
I panic. I look down and sure enough, in my rush to get ready this morning, I absent-mindedly put on Viktor’s engagement ring. Inspiration strikes and I casually reply, “Oh, I took yours off to apply lotion and slipped this one on by mistake.”
“Don’t think you can play games with me Naomi. Whose ring is this?”
I sit on his desk, cross my legs so my skirt rides up high on my thighs, lean over and whisper, “Jealous?”
Before I can stop him, Darren pulls me down on his lap and kisses me hard, like a cattle brand. It hurts. I feel like he’s trying to suck out my will so he can replace it with his. I pinch him and he slowly pulls back.
“Don’t get all torqued out of shape, my aunt gave it to me.”
“I didn’t know you had an aunt…who…what’s her name?”
He’s lying. I can see it in his shifting eyes and red blush. I nuzzle his neck to throw him off balance, and hit him with my best shot, “Why, my mom’s sister, Mrs. Lucille Rochefort De La Cologne. She asked me to call her LaLa. You must know her, she’s been involved in the buying, and selling of most of Manhattan, why I’m meeting her for lunch today.”
Darren looks stunned, like a shot him with a Taser and I grin. I jump out of his loose hold and stand up.
“Yes, she’s a fountain of information about everything in the development business, and of course, she knows all my mom’s history and dirty secrets. She’s going to fill me in on a hot affair my mother had today at lunch. Some blonde guy, younger. I’m burning to know what that sanctimonious bitch was up to.”
I’ve never seen Darren so off his game. He starts to speak, then stops and buzzes his office intercom. Then, he rudely waves me out of the office as if I’m some gnat that just crawled in-between the window screen.
I go through his private office door, but I don’t shut it completely. I lean against the wood and catch Darren’s deep voice growling into the speaker.
“Stop her today!”
“Get your ass up here.”
“How the hell should I know?”
“If you had been doing your job…”
“Dammit it Chase, just do it.”
He slams his open palm down hard against his desk and I decide eleven thirty or not, I’m leaving for my meeting with Bradley and my aunt before Darren could come after me. I could feel the malicious mood he’s in and his flash of temper makes me wonder what he’s capable of if he doesn’t get his way.
I grab my coat, purse, and phone. I glance down and check my messages. Bradley called. He hopefully has our lunch date with my aunt set up for today. I have to escape before Chase arrives and follows me. I softly close the outside door and almost grab the first opening elevator, then instinct kicks in and I slide around the corner, just as Chase steps out of the elevator and heads towards Darren’s office.
I turn, reach the stairs, and fly down them, trying to keep my heels from hammering into the marble steps. I have to get out of here and find Bradley.
I don’t want to show up empty handed. I stop at a street vender and buy a dozen red roses for my aunt with Darren’s platinum card. I smirk rationalizing, that kiss he forced on me was worth at least ninety bucks.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
An interesting development
BRADLEY
Friday, February18th
Thanks to the sangria, sea air, and forty-minute walk in the freezing cold, I fell asleep as soon as I got to Manny’s last night. That means I woke up this morning as soon as
the late-winter sun came sneaking in through the skylights and smacked me in the face. So yeah, it’s early. I think about last night and have to smile. That one word: us. Maybe we really are going to be okay. I just have to get Viktor straightened out and that’s not going to be easy. He’s pretty thickheaded and stubborn.
I text him and ask if he wants to get a coffee. He gets back to me a few minutes later.
Sure bro. @company condo. Meet me here around 10.
Huh. I guess he’s giving Naomi some space. That’s a good thing. I would hate to have to break all this to him at her loft, surrounded by all her stuff and that incredible Naomi scent, freesia and cedar (freedar? Ceesia?) I make an espresso and scroll through my messages. There’s an email from my bank that a deposit was made this morning to my account. Hallelujah. It’s only eight-thirty, but I’m getting antsy. I just want to get this over with. I figure it’s about a half hour walk to the condo. So what if I get there a little early? He’s up anyway.
I shower and dress, then throw on my black Burberry overcoat and head out into the cold, sunny morning. On Fifth Avenue, the traffic is already thick. Honking horns, people yelling in every language possible, the music of the streets fills my ears. The crisp air already smells of roasting nuts and falafel. I stop at an ATM and withdraw some green. It feels good to have it in my hands again. I feel so flush, I stop at Ess-a-Bagel and buy a couple of everythings with a smear and extra lox. Maybe I can distract Viktor with food.
By the time I get to the courtesy condo, it’s around nine-fifty. A leggy blonde’s walking out as I approach and she holds the door for me. I go right up to his floor and knock. And knock. And knock. Finally I hear cursing in Russian. The door opens a crack and Viktor’s enormous head appears. When he sees me, he gets a weird look on his face. Something between panic and anger.
“I said ten, bro,” he growls.
“Dude, it’s like, ten of. What’s the problem? Ten more minutes of sleep aren’t going to make much of a diff.” I thrust the bag of warm bagels under his nose. “Besides, I brought us breakfast.” His mouth tugs up on one side at the smell of the food.
“Alright. Just give me a sec.” He steps aside and lets me in. “I don’t have any coffee, so we have to go out. Let me throw on some clothes.”
“Yeah. Cool.” I sit down and page through a Sports Illustrated that’s lying on the couch. From the bedroom, I think I hear a woman’s voice, but I can’t be sure. I hear Viktor talking and I yell out, “What?” He doesn’t answer, so I start reading about March Madness and then I hear it again. He’s definitely got a woman in there. I’m a weird combination of relieved and angry. He’s cheating on Naomi and that pisses me off. On the other hand, maybe he’s moving on. I knock on the bedroom door.
“In a minute,” he barks.
I go back to sit on the couch.
“I know you have a girl in there,” I yell over my shoulder.
“It’s the TV.”
That’s when the door flies open and Luba glides out into the room, completely naked.
“Hello daahling,” she drawls. “See, Viktor, I told you Bradchka would be happy to see me.” She plops down on the couch next to me. Viktor comes out with a blanket and throws it on top of her. She pushes it onto the floor. “I don’t need that, dahling, I’m soooo hot,” she says to me, running her hand up my thigh. I jump up like I’ve been bitten by a snake. “Oh, don’t be that way, Bradchka. I’m so happy you’re here. It’s been my fantasy for a while now to have you and Viktor in bed together. My two dark men with pale Luba in the middle like a sex Oreo. Come here to Luba, I will make you hot too.” She pats the place I just vacated.
I look at Viktor, who is an alarming shade of red. He stares at Luba. “I. Told. You. To. Stay. In. There.” His teeth are clenched as are his fists and I’m worried now that he might hit her. I’ve never seen him hit a woman but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t.
I need to defuse. “Hey Luba, why don’t you go get dressed while I talk to Viktor?” But she’s having none of it. She stands up, caressing her breasts and licking her lips. “Come to Luba, my Russian prince. Once Viktor sees us together, he will not be able to resist. Isn’t that right?”
Resist what? Killing us both? “Sorry, not interested.” She lunges for me and I dodge left, leaving her sprawled across an ottoman.
“Okay, I see, we play the games first?” Luba slides off the ottoman and onto her hands and knees. She makes growling sounds. “I am the hungry lioness, coming to find my juicy gazelle, grrrrr.”
Jesus.
I guess Viktor’s had enough. He stalks over to her, picks her up, and carries her into the bedroom, depositing her on the bed.
“Oh yes Viktor! You know I love the rough stuff. Come on Bradchka…” Viktor slams the door behind him, muffling whatever she was saying. He throws on a coat and mutters, “Let’s go.”
I follow him out the door and into the elevator. We are silent the whole way down. I remember the bagels, but I don’t see any way of going back right now. Outside, he says to the ground, “I said ten. Why couldn’t you wait?”
“Don’t lay this on me, dude. You’re the one cheating on Naomi. Aren’t you engaged? Not cool, man.”
“I didn’t plan it. It’s just that KuKu hasn’t been in my bed lately and Luba was here last night and we finished off the vodka.”
“So what. I’ve finished vodka with Luba and still managed to not screw her.”
“Yeah, you’re so perfect. You only do the little sisters of your best friend.” He’s looking at me now, fists clenching.
“Hey, I don’t know what anyone told you, but nothing happened with Natalia. We made out a little then fell asleep. Once I found out she was your sister, she was off limits.”
Viktor stops clenching his fists. “You’ve never lied to me before.”
“And I’m not starting now. I swear I haven’t been with your sister.”
Relief spreads across his face and I realize he must have been holding all this in. But that still doesn’t excuse his behavior with Luba. Naomi’s been beating herself up with guilt over not returning Viktor’s feelings and here he is offering himself up to the first legs that open for him.
I put a hand on his shoulder. “You have to tell her, you know.”
“What? Are you crazy? I’m not telling her about any of this. She’s still my KuKu and I am going to marry her.”
“My friend, it’s over. If you don’t tell her, I will. C’mon. You don’t love her. You can’t even give her some space with all the stuff she’s going through without cheating on her.”
He walks on and I follow in silence. Steam puffs out of his mouth like a train engine. He stops and lights a cigarette, offers one to me. “I can’t tell her, man. It’s going to rip her apart. Ever since that asshat—you—cheated on her, she’s been down on herself.”
“Uh, I wouldn’t worry about that. We cleared that all up at dinner last night.” It’s a low blow, but I can’t resist.
“You had dinner with my KuKu? She said she had a meeting.”
“She did. With me.” It feels good to be the alpha dog again.
But then Viktor gets that beaten-dog look on his face, same as when we were kids and his dad was about to smack the shit out of him. I feel guilty for throwing that up into his face.
“Okay, you tell her. She’d probably rather hear it from you anyway. Honestly bro, I’m pretty sure she’s still in love with you.”
He throws his butt into the gutter and wanders off in the direction of the condo. I’m left standing there, finishing up my smoke, and wondering how the hell I’m going to tell Naomi this new development.
My phone buzzes. It’s Naomi and she wants to meet in ten minutes in front of LaLa’s. I flag a cab going uptown and try to come up with a plan.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Finding it again
NAOMI
Friday, February18th
The cab pulls to a stop in front of me, as I’m standing outside of LaLa’s magnifi
cent building, and I get that thrill of excitement again. Every time I see Bradley my heart does funny things. Who was I kidding? I was still madly in love with the guy. He wasn’t even cheating, we were set up. I mentally kick myself and bite my lip with force; you want him, then go after him. Don’t let a fear of being like your mother ruin your life anymore.
I smile, approach him and we stand on the busy sidewalk, just breathing each other in and I see it! That look in his eye, that old want and desire, and it hits me; Bradley might still love me too.
Without losing this moment I snuggle into his arms and kiss his neck.
“Thanks for meeting me here, doing this with me Bradley.”
“Sure, listen Naomi, we are about half an hour early, I have something to tell you, c’mon.”
He grabs my arm and muscles me inside a coffee shop next door, passes the server and orders two black coffees and slides us both into a back booth in the corner. He’s different, more confident, even forceful and I like it. I feel his bicep and joke, “You’ve been working out slick.”
Bradley grins and looks into my eyes, serious now. He starts to speak, fiddles with a yellow sweetener wrapper; then as he clears his throat, the server plops down two coffees and devours him with her eyes.
“That all sugar?” She smiles, flipping her hair forward.
“That’s all cinnamon roll, now buzz off,” I snap and Bradley barks out a laugh.
Bradley & Naomi, ...To Me & You (Vodka & Vice, the Series Book 2) Page 8
