*****
Chloe looked ravishing in a dark purple evening dress that bared her delicate shoulders and accentuated her tiny waist and shapely figure. Her hair was swept back into a loosely curling bun and chandelier earrings glinted on her ears. “Chloe?” Stephen said, sounding surprised, but Janine stepped forward and said, “Oh no, dear- you’re just in time.” She turned to Stephen and said, “I invited Chloe- I thought we could talk a little bit about the wedding now that some crucial members of the party are here.” She smiled at Alex and Dan, but the two of them were too busy staring at Chloe to have heard her. Dan recovered first and hurried forward, smiling at her as he said, “Let me take your coat.” Chloe smiled gratefully as she handed her coat to him, and then Stephen said, “Welcome, Chloe- we were just about to sit down for dinner.”
Throughout dinner, Alex tried not to stare at Chloe, but he was unsuccessful. Sometimes though, he caught her looking at him too and it made his heart soar. There were other times though, when he saw Dan and Chloe exchange a look, and that’s when he would feel envy raise its ugly head in the pit of his stomach. He spoke to Janine happily, not showing any signs of his anger towards his little brother. Dan on the other hand, chatted away to both Chloe and Janine, his charming demeanor seemingly effortless. As they finished eating, Stephen proposed a drink or two in the garden, and they all headed outside. Alex lingered back as he waited to walk Chloe out into the garden but before he could, Dan had linked his arm through with hers and was guiding her. In a childish move, Alex called out to his brother and said, “Dan- I heard Dad calling you.” He waited for Dan to gently disentangle his arm from Chloe’s before he quickly darted up to her and gallantly said, “Don’t worry I’ll walk you out.”
Chloe was caught off guard by the attention she was receiving from these two gorgeous men, and deeply aware of the changes her body would soon go through she decided to make the most out of it while she could. Once they were out in the garden, she looked around at the stunning display of flowers and exotic plants, woven through with fairy lights and a large fountain in the center. Alex poured her a glass of wine, but she suddenly looked very flustered as she said, “Oh no- um, I don’t think I should-” and she let go of Alex’s arm quickly. Alex tried not to look too disappointed as he said, “Oh, just a glass- it won’t do anything.” But Chloe quickly shook her head, feeling herself go redder in the face as she said, “No, thank you- I just don’t drink.”
Dan, meanwhile, hurried to his father and said, “Dad- you were asking for me?” As soon as his father heard his voice, he jumped and Dan was mortified when he realized that he had just interrupted Stephen and Janine in the middle of a fierce make-out session behind some bushes. He backed away quickly and then balled his fists as he saw Alex and Chloe together in the distance- it dawned on him what had just happened. “Oh Alex you bastard,” he muttered to himself, “Oh man- you’re going to wish you hadn’t done that.” He grabbed a wineglass and poured its contents into his mouth, quickly reaching for another. Shaking his head to clear it, he stormed over to where his brother was, but suddenly, another idea dawned on him and he stopped halfway. He would let his brother have tonight because in the end, it would be Dan who would get everything.
After dinner was over, Janine and Chloe left together and Stephen retired to his bedroom. Dan walked over to Alex, who was still nursing some wine as he sat on the porch overlooking the garden. “Brother,” Dan called out in a sing-song voice before he sat down heavily in one of the porch chairs. Alex rolled his eyes and said, “You’re drunk, Danny.” Dan grinned and said, “You bet I am.” Alex ignored his brother and took another sip of his wine, settling in deeper into his chair. “Say, Alex- speaking of bets,” Dan started to say, and now curious, Alex turned to his brother and raised an eyebrow as Dan said, “Care to place a little wager?” Alex smirked and said, “This should be good- go on.”
Dan sat forward in his chair and poured himself some more wine, pouring his brother another glass too even though Alex tried to refuse. “Remember what Dad said- about only one of us inheriting the company?” Alex nodded, taking a sip despite his earlier refusal to do so, and shrugged as he said, “Yeah- so?” Dan grinned and said, “Well- instead of battling it out why don’t we let something else decide for us?” Alex downed his drink and nearly laughed out loud, “You’re insane, brother. Get some sleep- you’ll have a huge hangover in the morning.” Dan shook his head and said, “No, Alex- I’m serious. Let’s play a little game- come on, you love games.”
Alex got up and said, “You want me to do a coin toss for the future of Bennett Industries?” Dan shook his head and said, “No Alexander, not a coin- a girl.” Alex turned to his brother, looking at him as though he had lost his mind. “A girl?” Dan licked his lips and said, “More specifically, Chloe. I see the way you look at her, you want her because I want her- I know what you did tonight to get some time alone with her, so let’s make it more worthwhile. Whoever can get into Chloe into their bed first- well, they win not only the girl, but the company too. The loser bows out of the race. What do you say, brother?” Alex pictured himself cutting a ribbon in front of his new CEO’s office, with Chloe on his arm, and he grinned, “You’re on.”
*****
Chloe got home and slipped out of her dress, letting it fall to the floor as she walked over to the mirror in her bedroom. She stood there, in her underwear and examined her body, turning this way and that. Looking at her smooth, toned stomach, nobody would be able to say that she was pregnant- but for how long? Her cousin Shelly had started to show at three months, but she had seen pictures of her own mom at six months and barely a bump. Chloe placed her hands on her belly and tried to feel something other than regret. She wanted to grow this baby inside her, and to give birth to it- but what about after that? Would she give the child up for adoption or keep it? Chloe wiped up away the tears that were coming thick and fast, and she smudged eyeliner all over her face in the process.
She really wished she could drink some alcohol to calm her nerves, but she knew she couldn’t. She reached up behind her and unclasped her bra, letting her breasts bounce out freely from their fabric and underwire prison. They felt sore and swollen, and even though her cleavage had looked great in her dress, the discomfort was worse than she had imagined. She wondered if Alex and Dan would still be interested in her if they knew the truth. Both men were incredibly gorgeous, and each had his own qualities that drew Chloe in, but she knew that with the secret she was growing in her womb, a future with either of them was impossible. Besides, those two were millionaires, who would one day inherit a multi-billion dollar company- and she was just a secretary. Still, she had a cake-tasting with Alex to look forward to tomorrow.
When she awoke the next day, she waited until ten a.m. because she knew she would start to feel like sick around that time. At exactly ten, like clockwork, she started to feel queasy. She dragged herself off her bed and onto the bathroom floor, where she clutched the toilet and threw up. The porcelain bowl was soon becoming her best friend- she knew that no matter who else stayed in her life for the next year, at least the toilet bowl would always be there for her. After she had thrown up, she brushed her teeth and dressed extra carefully, knowing that Alex would pick her up by noon. Half an hour later, when she walked up to her desk, she saw a giant bouquet of white roses waiting for her there. Taken aback, she slowly walked up to it and examined it, admiring the velvety petals of the flowers before he found the card.
Chloe- you looked beautiful last night. I can’t begin to describe how important you are to me.
Chloe stared at the card, bewildered. There was no signature and she blushed- it could be from either of them, she thought to herself, and decided that she would try and subtly find out from Alex if he had sent them. She put the behind her desk for now though, she didn’t want Stephen to see and think that she was too distracted to do her job. She drafted out a few emails and scheduled some meetings for Mr. Bennett before the elevator dinged open again and
a smiling Alex walked towards her. He looked incredibly handsome in a crisp white button-down shirt and khaki colored pants, and he beamed at her when he came nearer. “Ready?” he asked, offering his arm to her. She nodded and smiled, turning off her computer as she rose to leave with him.
He led her downstairs to where his car was waiting. She tried not to look too impressed with the limousine, but the truth was that she had never seen such luxury before, and certainly hadn’t ever been in a position to enjoy it. There were two long seats inside, facing each other, and Alex sat down across from her. She looked around the spacious interior and inwardly gasped at the mini-bar and TV screen. “Would you like a drink?” Alex asked and once again, Chloe had to pretend that she didn’t drink. He poured her a glass of water instead, and she accepted gratefully.
They got to the hotel and Alex helped her out of the car, taking her arm as he led her inside. “Hello,” he said at the reception, “We’re here for the- uh-” he looked at Chloe who smiled and said, “The Benett-Green wedding preparations. We have an appointment with Chef Rousseau?” The receptionist asked them to follow him, but before they could a loud voice called out, “Wait for me, brother.” Alex felt the blood in his veins run cold as he turned to face Dan, looking exceptionally pleased with himself as he approached them. “Hello, Chloe- you look beautiful as always.” Chloe smiled brightly and said, “What are you doing here?” Dan shrugged and said, “I remember you two mentioned this, and I thought why not drop by and surprise my big brother? We don’t get to spend any time together, and I miss hanging out with you.”
Chloe clasped her hands together and exclaimed, “Oh that’s so sweet! Well come on, Dan- you in the mood for some cake?” Dan took Chloe’s arm and said, “Oh I have an immense sweet tooth- I’d kill for some good dessert right now.” He walked through the door with Chloe, leaving Alex standing rooted the spot, seething with rage. He couldn’t believe that Dan had actually crashed his alone time with Chloe. As he stood there, watching his brother charm his way into the cake-tasting, he realized that Dan was serious about the bet. Fine, if he wanted to play it that way, Alex would rise up to the challenge.
*****
Right after the cake-tasting, as Dan was speaking to Chloe, Alex pushed his way in between them and faced Chloe as he said “Would you like to go to dinner with me?” Chloe stared at him open-mouthed and glanced at Dan for a second before she said, “I- of course. I’d love to.” Alex smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back as he led her away, discussing when they could go out. Dan’s face turned an angry purple and he hung back, plotting to smother Alex in his sleep. He steadied himself and then jogged up to them as he said, “Hey Alex, if you’re going to the office, mind if I hitch a ride?” Alex glared at him and pointedly said, “I’m not going there.” Chloe glanced up from her phone and said, “Yes we are- I have to go back to work, remember?” Dan smiled brightly at her and said, “Great.” Alex scowled and said, in a bitter tone, “Yeah- great.”
As he sat in the car, he tried not to look too annoyed with Dan, but he couldn’t help it- his brother was absolutely infuriating. “So- I mean the chocolate fudge was a surefire winner, right?” Dan said, with a huge goofy grin on his face. Chloe laughed and said, “I ate so much I thought I would get sick- it was delicious.” Dan glanced at his brother and said, “Alex isn’t really a fan of chocolate- never has been. Isn’t that right, Al?” Chloe turned to Alex and said, “How can you not like chocolate? That’s so weird.” Alex shrugged and said, “I don’t know, I mean I just never liked the taste. I don’t really have a sweet tooth.” Dan laughed and said, “Alex also hates puppies, balloons, and jazz. But that’s my brother for you- having fun isn’t really his thing.”
Chloe gawked at Alex and said, “Are you serious? Why don’t you like any of those things? Jazz too?” Alex threw Dan a nasty look as he said, “I don’t hate jazz- I just don’t like how the saxophone sounds. And I’m fine with balloons- it’s balloon animals that freak me out.” Chloe shook her head, “Wow- guess he was a fun child, huh?” She joked to Dan, who smiled widely and said, “Oh, you have no idea. I was the complete opposite though- rolled around in mud, played with every dog I saw on the street, I mean I was the coolest kid at any birthday party.” Chloe laughed, making a snorting sound as she did. She covered her face with her hand and turned red.
Alex smiled and said, “Did you just snort?” Chloe turned red as Dan said, “Wow that was something,” he mimicked her and she turned redder. “I think it’s adorable,” Alex said with a smile. Chloe lowered her hand and said, “Really?” Alex nodded and said, “You look even prettier when you blush.” She laughed again and Dan quickly said, “Yeah- adorable,” but this time, it was him who couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. He looked out of the window and tried to keep his face neutral as he heard Chloe giggling. He was still angry that Alex got to ask her out first, and he wondered how he would convince her to go out with him if she was already dating his brother.
He looked over at her- God, she was beautiful. The sunlight glinted on her blonde waves and her blue eyes were bright and animated as she spoke. As he watched her, he forgot all about his resentment towards Alex and he simply looked at her. She suddenly turned to look at him and he started, “Sorry?” He said, and Chloe gave him a strange look before she said, “I was just telling Alex that I loved the flowers.” Dan frowned- he hadn’t sent her any flowers, which meant that Alex had. He balled his fist angrily and looked away again. Alex glared at his brother- since he hadn’t sent the flowers, Dan must have. He scowled and poured himself a drink.
Chloe’s plan had failed- neither one of them said who had sent the flowers and she drummed her fingers against the surface of the bar as she waited for someone to say something. She realized that the whole situation was highly strange- they were brothers, for God’s sake. Chloe knew that they were both interested in her, and normally she would have never have gotten herself caught up in this mess, but these days she felt reckless. She felt that with the child growing in her, she was living on borrowed time, and soon, she would have nothing else to think about but the baby. She only had another month or two to enjoy being a young, beautiful, single woman without a care in the world. After this, she would lose her figure, and her social life would become eclipsed by her child’s needs.
She decided to have a little fun with it- it wasn’t anything serious. She knew the brothers would return to their respective cities soon after the wedding, and she would go back to being the boring secretary. So she leaned forward in her seat and tossed her hair back as she looked at the two men in her company. Alex, with his thick brown wavy hair, hazel eyes, and quiet demeanor was the perfect gentleman, and a successful businessman to boot- any girl would trip over herself to be with him. Dan, on the other hand, with his bright green eyes, short dark hair and cheekbones chiseled to perfection was the epitome of the All-American Guy with football star looks and an easygoing charm- guys like this were revered in every Hollywood chick-flick. Chloe placed a hand on Alex’s knee and smiled at him, while she stretched out her leg and touched Dan’s foot with hers. She had the choice of two handsome, extremely wealthy men- why should she let the opportunity slip her by?
*****
When Chloe met Janine later that afternoon to update her about the wedding cake, she casually mentioned that she had a dinner to go to tomorrow night. “I’m just so upset- I had the perfect dress but the dry-cleaners messed up and it shrank in the wash,” she lied- there had never been a dress, but it seemed to work since Janine looked horrified. “Oh, that’s happened to me more times than I’d care to admit- oh sweetie, I know the feeling. Tell you what, I have some old dresses that are too small for me anyway, why don’t I have my driver bring them over for you later today?” Chloe clutched her hand t her heart and said, “Really? Would you really do that? Oh God, you’re a lifesaver!” Janine waved a hand and said, “Please- it’s no trouble. I have a beautiful aquamarine evening gown that’ll look just stunning on
you.” Chloe thought she might explode with happiness as she smiled brightly and thanked Janine.
The dress was truly beautiful- it was a strapless gown the color of the ocean on summer days, with a cinched waist and a long flowing skirt made of a divine gauzy material. There was white embellishment on the neckline and tiny detailing with pearls and diamantes. Chloe held it up to her, feeling like a princess as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. “It’s perfect,” she whispered to herself, trying to imagine what Alex would think when he saw her in it. She felt bad for playing on Janine’s liking for her, and promised herself she wouldn’t ever do something like that again.
On the evening of her date with Alex, she was getting dressed, tying her hair half-up when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Dan: Hey good luck on your date tonight. I was wondering if I could meet you tomorrow? Need to discuss some wedding stuff.
Chloe felt something flutter in her stomach as she read it, and she quickly typed back: It’s not a date, it’s just dinner. And yes, I’d love to meet up. Drop by the office tomorrow around 2?
She didn’t know why, but she had felt it absolutely necessary to let Dan know that she consider this a date with Alex. She wanted to keep her options open, and she was having hard time choosing between the two. Feeling more nervous than before, she wondered if she should change out of her dress- it definitely screamed date, and she wasn’t sure what this was, but it wasn’t a date.
The Abduction Page 23
