by Suzie Nelson
Danica’s heart sank when she heard the loss in Shelby’s voice. It was true that upper-class New York society could be judgmental and racism was still evident even if one hoped it wasn’t, but she didn’t believe that Blake would overlook Shelby for any of those reasons. “But Blake isn’t like that and he wouldn’t want you to feel that way. From what Jordan’s told me, Blake has done everything possible to get away from the privileged billionaire lifestyle and make it as a self-made man. You might feel like you don’t belong but I’m 100% confident that Blake doesn’t feel the same.”
Shelby appreciated Danica’s vote of confidence but it wasn’t enough when she had a whole lifetime of evidence to show that ethnically diverse women finish last. Danica was the epitome of everything society wanted women to be - white, slim, blonde and with gorgeous blue eyes but at least her heart was in the right place.
“I’m sure that Blake honestly thinks that he doesn’t see any racial or economic lines when he is with me, but they are there none the less. Anyway, I don’t even know if he feels the same. We are talking like he’s just waiting for me to ask him out like at school, when we have no idea whether he likes me or not. He probably just sees me as a friend and that is fine.” Shelby knew that the conversation was getting pretty deep for a dress fitting and she wanted to brush off all discussion of her and Blake.
“How could he not be interested in you? You are drop dead gorgeous. I would kill to have curves like you!” Danica picked up her handbag from the chair as she admired Shelby’s tiny waist in her animal print playsuit.
“Oh, hunny, you don’t need to kill, you just need to eat!” They burst into laughter and Shelby thought about how ironic it was that society’s pinup girl wanted to look more like an immigrant.
“Well, I would put good money on the fact that Blake likes you more than just a friend. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you two got married after me and Jordan.” Danica winked as they headed to the door.
“That is some very wishful thinking, Miss Cliffe. Let’s just focus on getting you down the aisle in your perfect dress first, then we can look for my husband.” The pair hugged each other and Danica waved as she headed out into the car park. Shelby stood by the exit and watched as Danica pulled away in her silver Mercedes unaware that her questioning had touched a nerve with Shelby.
Chapter 2
“Hey man, it’s good to see you.” Blake patted Jordan on the shoulder in an affectionate way and stepped into the lobby of Jordan’s penthouse apartment.
“Blake, what an unexpected pleasure. What are you doing on my side of town?” Jordan was happy to see his younger brother as it was a welcome distraction from his normal tiresome days of business meetings. They headed over to the open-plan living room where there were several gray couches and plush poufs.
“Oh, I had a meeting with this new artist just a few blocks away so thought I would drop in and see how the wedding plans are coming along. No Danica today?” Blake’s eyes scanned around the room but he couldn’t see any sign of his brother’s fiancé.
“She’s at her dress fitting with Shelby actually. I’m sure they are in wedding heaven over there talking about the big day. Can I get you a drink?” Jordan started to pour for himself a glass of sparkling water from the mini-bar in the corner of the room.
“No thanks, I’m just stopping by.” Blake was always comfortable around Jordan, he never felt like he needed to put on a pretense or talk money. From a young age, the pair had been inseparable and as adults, nothing had really changed except the directions their careers had taken them in. “I was wondering if you had patched things up with Edward yet?”
Jordan lifted an eyebrow as he was surprised that Blake would mention their older brother Edward. It had been several months since Jordan had spoken to his financial investor brother. They had fallen out when Edward had intervened in Jordan’s business affairs. Edward had taken it upon himself to release a press statement that blamed Danica for a deal that had gone bad with Jordan and then he had made a few lewd comments about her which resulted in him receiving a broken nose from Jordan. After that, neither of them had tried to contact each other and they were both happy in their mutual silence which left Blake stuck in the middle.
“Come on, Blake, you know what he did. Why would you think that I would suddenly start talking to him again?” Jordan had resigned to the position that he wasn’t going to forgive Edward until he came and apologized to Danica, face to face.
“He came to a show that I was at and he was asking me about the wedding. He didn’t know the date or where it was being held, or anything. I just thought you might want to sort things out before you walk down the aisle?” Blake didn’t care that much about being stuck between the two arguing brothers as he didn’t have much love for Edward either. Throughout growing up, Edward had been pushy, always trying to force his will on the brothers in order that they could monopolize the New York finance world without any concern for their actual wishes. He had mocked Blake when he announced that he was going to start his own record label and even tried to sabotage Jordan’s fashion label by buying shares in a rival company but it still didn’t sit well with Blake that Edward wouldn’t be at Jordan’s wedding.
“He doesn’t know anything because I don’t want him there.” Jordan took a gulp of his water and then looked at Blake like his reasons were obvious. “Why on earth would I want him there when all he’s going to do is to bitch about Danica and make jokes about having a good prenup?”
Blake looked up at the chandelier that sparkled in the daylight and he knew he couldn’t deny Jordan’s reasoning. “Yeah, that does sound like Edward but it just feels wrong that your own brother isn’t going to be there. I mean, if mom and dad were alive they’d want us all to be together. To celebrate together.”
Jordan sighed and made his way over to sofas. “I know but mom and dad aren’t here and they haven’t seen what Edward has become. If he comes and apologizes to Danica for everything he did, then he is more than welcome at the wedding. But until that happens, he’s not coming anywhere near her.”
Blake couldn’t fault his brother for the way that he wanted to protect Danica from any hurtful words that Edward would say and it did seem fair that Edward should apologize. “Fair enough, just promise me you won’t break my nose if we ever fall out!” The pair laughed as Jordan took the seat next to his brother.
“Now enough of me, tell me what’s going on in your life? Have you got some new artists?”
The pair talked for a while about the new talent that Blake had found for his record label and how the music industry was changing. They were completely at ease in each other’s company and anyone would be forgiven for thinking that they were twins. They were both average height, slim but with an athletic figure, and with dark short hair. They shared the same brown eyes with flecks of amber which they got from their mother but Blake had a softer jawline than Jordan. Blake usually wore a simple T-shirt and jeans as he didn’t like to conform to Jordan’s more professional business attire but neither brother tried to force their own ideology on each other.
“And how about the love life? It’s been a while since I have seen you out on a date or talking about a lady friend – is there no one special?” Just like Danica, Jordan had been watching his brother with Shelby and wondering why they hadn’t taken their friendship to the next level.
Blake shrugged his shoulders and tried to keep it cool under questioning. “Nop, I’m not seeing anyone at the moment. I haven’t been fortunate enough to meet the woman of my dreams yet.”
Jordan wasn’t satisfied with Blake’s deflective answer and he wanted to find out what was holding his brother back from pursuing a relationship with Shelby. “Well, perhaps she is right in front of your face? You spend a lot of time with Shelby, hell, we all practically double date together. Is there nothing more to your friendship?” Jordan could see the cogs of Blake’s brain turning and he hoped his brother trusted him enough to be open about his feelings.
> “Shelby’s great but I don’t think I’m her type.” Blake wished that he had asked for a drink as he now felt vulnerable without a distraction or something to play with while his nerves fluttered.
“What do you mean? She doesn’t like the handsome, successful, billionaire types?” Jordan nudged Blake’s elbow to make him realize how ridiculous he sounded.
Blake smiled knowing that his brother only wanted the best for him but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that Shelby wasn’t romantically interested in him. “Well, thank you for the compliments, Jordan. I had no idea you felt that way about me.” Blake laughed as Jordan pushed him a little harder.
“Oh, stop trying to avoid the question. You know that you are a catch and have a lot to offer whoever you end up with. Shelby would be blind if she couldn’t see that, so tell me truthfully, what is stopping you?” Jordan stood up and headed back over to the bar to refill his glass as he realized that the intense questioning had got a bit serious.
Blake stood up and followed behind him thinking that he could do with a stiff drink. “I’ve tried. I’ve flirted with her and given her hints that I’m into her but she never reciprocates. I’ve even paid for some of her fashion shows and invested in her company but I don’t even get a kiss on the cheek for all my efforts.” Blake had never intended to pump so much of his time and money into Shelby’s business but he genuinely thought that she had great talent and he wanted to see her succeed. “Pour me a scotch, will you? All this talk is making me thirsty.” Blake perched himself on the edge of a stool as Jordan fixed him a whiskey in a crystal cut glass.
“Does she know that you’ve done so much for her – business wise?” Jordan was surprised to hear that Blake had invested money into Shelby’s company and he didn’t think that was the right way to win over a lover.
“She knows that I have publicized the shows and used my contacts to create some hype but I don’t think she knows about the investments. It started off as a harmless anonymous contribution to get the first show up and then one thing led to another and I found myself using one of our umbrella companies to invest so that she could open the studio.” Blake ran his hand through his messy brown locks as he was frustrated with his own dilemma. “If I tell her the truth she’s going to think that I tried to buy her and she’ll doubt her talent but if I don’t tell her and she finds out, then it will be over anyway.” He looked up at Jordan hoping that his older and wiser brother might have a way out of his mess but Jordan just looked at him with sympathy.
“You certainly put yourself between a rock and a hard place.” Jordan handed Blake his drink and then started to pour one for himself. “Shelby doesn’t seem like the type of woman that would like to have her career handed to her and you’re right, she really is a very good designer. I think the best you can do is to tell her now - it might ruin your friendship and stop any potential relationship. Or it would be best to just keep quiet and hope she never finds out?” Jordan didn’t like not having better advice for his younger troubled brother but he couldn’t see any alternative.
Blake took a swig of his scotch and gave out a loud sigh. “I don’t even know if there will be any relationship. She doesn’t flirt with me or give any sign that she’s interested. Sometimes I feel like I’m just hanging around her hoping that one day she might see me in a different light but I know it’s pointless. She’s a passionate, creative designer that wouldn’t want to be with some boring rich white guy.”
“Blake, stop talking shit for Chris’s sake!” Jordan hated to see his brother this low as he had no idea that Blake’s feelings for Shelby ran so deep. “You know that the money doesn’t mean anything. If she can’t see the great guy you are, with or without your wealth, then you shouldn’t want her anyway.” Jordan had never had such a real conversation with Blake before about romance and just as he was speaking he realized that he sounded like some character out of a Rom Com. His advice was still heartfelt but he felt slightly uncomfortable offering cheesy one liners to his own brother.
“Now drink your scotch. Things are getting far too girly up in here, if we don’t change the subject soon we will both be getting our periods!” Jordan cringed at his own joke knowing that he sounded silly trying to be manly. They clinked their glasses and started a new conversation about baseball.
***
“So how was your dress fitting?” Jordan put the New York Times on the bedside table and watched as Danica readied herself for bed. This was his favorite time of the day when he got to watch his gorgeous woman undress and cover her skin with moisturizer.
“You know, I can’t tell you anything about my wedding dress.” Danica gave him a cheeky smile as she unbuttoned her jeans and dropped them to the floor.
“You don’t have to tell me what it looks like, I know it’s a white dress. I’m just asking if everything went ok with Shelby,” Jordan continued to happily watch as Danica peeled of her T-shirt and stood there in just a black bra and knickers.
“Oh, you think it will be a white dress, do you? Perhaps it will be green or blood red or even gold.” Danica reached for her tub of moisturizer and started to smooth her legs and arms with the white cream.
“As long as it’s what you want, my love, it can be purple with yellow spots!” They laughed and Danica crawled into bed and tucked her legs under the cover.
“Why are you asking about Shelby? Are you concerned that she won’t be able to design a dress good enough for me?” Jordan had never asked about her dress before, so Danica couldn’t help but wonder if Jordan was really asking about Shelby.
“Of course not, I know she is going to make you an amazing dress…I just...it was just a question. That’s all.” Jordan put his arm around Danica and she willingly snuggled up next to his warm skin.
She looked at his face and could tell that he wasn’t telling the whole truth so she pushed him on the subject. “Jordan, I know you better than you think. You never just ask a question. Come on, what is it that you really want to know?” She looked up at him with her big round blue eyes and Jordan knew that he was not going to get out of the conversation without revealing something.
“It’s just that Blake was here earlier and he mentioned Shelby.” Jordan didn’t want to give up all his information so easily but he also couldn’t help but share everything with Danica.
“Oh, he did? And what did he have to say about her?” Danica smiled as she could feel excited butterflies flutter within her stomach.
“Well, he didn’t really want to talk about it, to be honest, but I kinda forced the conversation and now I wish that I hadn’t.” Jordan looked away and sighed as he thought about how dejected Blake looked when talking about Shelby.
Danica lifted herself up on her elbows and became suddenly concerned. “Why? What did he say?” Her tone had now changed from playful to anxious and she really didn’t want to hear anything bad about her new favorite friend.
“He likes her, obviously, but he’s made a mess of the whole thing. He started out with good intentions publicizing her shows but then he started pumping money into it without her knowledge.” Jordan already knew how Danica was going to respond so he carried on talking so that she couldn’t interject. “He knows that it isn’t what she would have wanted but he did it to get her company off the ground. But he clearly likes her a lot, way more than what I thought and for some reason, he believes that she would never be interested in him.”
Danica settled back down next to Jordan in the nook of his arm as she calmed her nerves. “For someone who’s made himself very successful, he isn’t too bright, your brother.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Jordan turned slightly and started to run his fingers through Danica’s long blonde hair.
“Well, the money obviously isn’t a good thing. Shelby believes her designs have launched her career with just a little help from Blake’s encouragement but the main reason he isn’t too sharp is that Shelby likes him too.”
“She does?” Jordan now got excited at the possibilit
y that Blake could end up with the woman he wants.
“Of course she does. We’ve seen them together - they can’t keep their eyes off each other but she’s also convinced that he would never like her.” Danica pulled the cover up over her shoulder as she could feel a small chill in the room. “She thinks that he won’t want her because of her poor upbringing and immigrant background. I told her that Blake isn’t like that but she thinks he’ll end up with someone that comes from money, not from Mexico.”
Jordan shook his head disappointed with how silly both Shelby and his brother were being. “That’s ridiculous. Edward is like that and would certainly vote with his wallet and not his heart but Blake…no, Blake couldn’t care less about those things. You should have seen him today, he looked completely lost. He’s head over heels in love with her.”
Danica could feel her eyes getting heavy with sleep but she didn’t want to drift off without finding a way to make Shelby and Blake realize that they were made for each other. “Well, perhaps we could help them out?”
