Unstoppable: A Sweet Romance (Jersey Girls Book 2)

by Lisa-Marie Cabrelli

  Had she really quit? Was she angry that she wouldn’t be working directly for him? Was she just devastated that Phil had broken up with her? All he knew was that she had justified her reputation for emotional instability. He had learned a lot about women in the past few months of living with Nandita and loving Claire, but he couldn’t solve this Maureen mystery. He needed Claire’s help.

  He looked to her and smiled. In his life before her, he had hated coming home. He had stayed at the office as late as he could because his beautiful apartment was empty and depressing. Now, even though he still worked too late and too hard, he couldn’t wait to open the door to Claire’s smile and Nandita’s constant chatter.

  Claire ran over, pulled his briefcase out of his hands, and threw her arms around him. She pressed her body against him and his heart did a little jump in his chest.

  “I missed you today, babe,” she whispered into his neck, her warm breath tickling his skin. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer.

  “You cannot even imagine how badly I missed you today, Claire. It was a challenging day.”

  She pulled away and gave him a sad face, pushing her lower lip out in a pout. “Maureen and Sally were here earlier. Maureen said you wanted her to be Ron's secretary, so she quit. What happened?”

  Satish dropped a kiss on the top of her head and let go of her reluctantly while he shrugged out of his coat and went back to the door to hang it up. “Wanted her to be a secretary? What is she talking about?” He crossed to the couch, grabbing Claire’s hand as he passed before pulling her into his lap.

  “She asked me not to talk to you about it, but I know she must have made a mistake. She said she heard Annie talking to someone in the bathroom about there being an opening for Ron’s secretary. The two of them were laughing about how you were going to demote her, and then, during your meeting, you told her you had news about a job with Ron.” She ran her hands through his hair at the base of his neck and he tried not to get distracted. “She said she quit.”

  Satish sighed. “She did quit. I told you about the job with Ron; it’s not his secretary opening I was talking about, but this incredible project lead opportunity. It was perfect for her. I’d finally convinced Ron that she was reliable and emotionally stable, and then she fell apart in front of me.

  “I had to make excuses to Ron when she didn't show up to their first meeting this afternoon. The job starts in two weeks. I know I can persuade her not to quit, but I’m not so sure if I can risk my reputation by pushing forward with this. Do you think she can handle it?”

  Claire snuggled in closer to Satish’s lap and tucked her head under his chin. “I know she can handle it, babe. She just needs to get her confidence up, that’s all. She will be amazing. You are wonderful for looking out for her and working so hard to move her forward, by the way. I know she’ll feel terrible about the way she acted once she understands. Maybe you could give her another chance?”

  Satish put his hand under Claire’s chin and lifted her face to his. “You are a loyal friend, and it is quite clear that you have impeccable taste in people.” He gave her a smirk, and she laughed and stuck out her tongue. “Seriously, Claire, do you know I would do anything for you? You have my heart in your tiny hands and it’s yours forever.” He moved his lips to hers and kissed her deeply. He was just starting to consider a quick lie down before dinner when he heard a throat clearing behind him. He jumped guiltily, and Claire slid from his lap to sit beside him on the couch.

  “Hello, Nandita!” he said a little too brightly. “How was school today?”

  She wandered over and flopped into the chair opposite them. Satish frowned at her outfit. He tried not to be judgmental, but he couldn’t help considering what his father would think of her very short skirt and tank top. She had changed in the three months she had been living with him. At first, she had seemed more relaxed, freer, and more joyful, but after she had started university, her light had seemed to dim a little. He knew she loved her newfound independence from the strict rules of her father’s household, but he was also worried. Suddenly, he had become a parent.

  Nandita had made her preferences clear when she ran from their father all the way to the US. Satish had worked hard to make sure she could stay, but when he enrolled her in school, he hadn’t considered the enormity of his decision. Contrary to Nandita’s opinion, she was still young and impressionable. Her life in India had been so sheltered and protected that, even at eighteen years old, she was still naïve. He was struggling with the compromise of keeping her safe, yet giving her the freedom she so craved. The situation and his constant self-doubt were the only sources of tension in his relationship with Claire, who thought he was too strict.

  “How is your world history course going?” Satish asked as he moved to the kitchen and filled the kettle.

  “School’s fine. Classes are fine. Although, I think I would have lot more focus if I lived on campus.” This was another battle Satish was fighting. He did not want Nandita living away from him—not yet.

  He ignored her comment, and she expected him to.

  Claire got up and followed Satish into the kitchen, collecting utensils so she could start setting the table for dinner. “Nandita brought home a new friend today.” She had her back to the girl as she shot Satish a funny look. “Her name’s Misty.”

  “Speaking of Misty,” Nandita said from across the room, “she’s invited me to a party tomorrow night. She wants me to stay over—her roommate is staying with her boyfriend, so her bed is empty. I have an early class on Wednesday, so it works for me.”

  Satish looked at Claire, who gave him an almost imperceptible shake of the head. “Well, I don’t know her, Nandita. I haven’t even met her, yet.”

  “If I lived on campus, you wouldn’t know any of my friends.” Nandita tucked her feet under her legs and sat a little straighter. Satish knew she had a rebellious streak, but he had never expected it to be directed at him.

  “You don’t live on campus, Nandita—you live here. I gave a promise to our father, who I have let down in so many ways, as you know, that I would keep you safe. I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know where you are.”

  “You’ll know where I am: I’ll be at school. Nothing can happen to me there, Satish. I would be safe.”

  Claire moved to the cabinets and started taking down the plates. He appreciated her careful silence, because he knew she didn’t agree with him on this subject. She thought Nandita should be allowed to live on campus, but he didn’t think she was ready.

  “I’m not discussing it with you right now, Nandita. I will consider the party invitation and let you know my decision tomorrow morning before you leave for school. I am not thrilled at the idea of a party on a school night.”

  Nandita huffed loudly, stood, and went to her room.

  Satish put both of his hands on the granite counter and took a deep breath. He heard Claire put down the plates and felt her arms wrap tightly around him. She rested her head on his back and took a breath, as if to speak.

  “Could we talk about it later, please?” he asked quietly. Claire removed her arms and rubbed his back gently before moving back to start setting the table.

  Was he being fair to Nandita? Didn't she have enough sense not to make rash and impulsive decisions? Probably, but he wasn't quite ready to let her go.

  10

  The Angel

  Maureen paced on the sidewalk in front of Claire’s Boutique, blowing into her hands to warm her fingers. The September air had turned chilly, and a frosty breeze from the river was sneaking through the buildings and straight up Maureen’s short skirt. What had she been thinking when she’d let Sally talk her into this outfit? She had been thinking Magnificent Mo, Magnificent Mo, repeatedly in her head, but the mouse in Maureen was a strong, little thing and here she was, five minutes before the dinner party, considering running back to her apartment and changing.

  She had been hovering at the corner of the building when she saw Satis
h and Nandita turn the corner and head toward her. Dipping behind the wall, she had watched as they turned into the doorway. She’d heard Tod’s voice, just audible over the city noises, through the intercom as they were buzzed inside and she had breathed a sigh of relief when they had disappeared into the stairwell.

  Of course, Satish would be here—Sally had even said she was inviting him. Why had she conveniently forgotten that fact? Claire had been calling Maureen all day, but she’d been ignoring every distraction, so she could practice for tonight. She had been eating up the “Make Every Man Want You” article and she was pretty sure she had the flirting part down. Here was Satish, though, to add to the complication.

  She couldn’t flirt with some strange guy in front of Satish! She had thought a lot about Claire's points about the disaster in the office, and maybe she had misunderstood. If she had, then she’d made a bigger fool out of herself than she’d imagined. Maureen had decided to call him and beg for his forgiveness, but she wouldn’t be able to speak to him here. If he thought she was flighty before, he would most definitely think she was, if she sat there, flirting all night.

  That was it. This whole thing was a bad idea. She would go home, change, and stop this foolishness. As she turned, her breath was knocked from her chest when she walked directly into a cashmere coat wrapped around a slim, strong body. She felt a sharp pain in her lower rib cage and looked down: a tanned hand was wrapped around the neck of a bottle of wine that had just slammed hard into her. Why couldn’t she breathe? She tried to grasp the little bursts of oxygen that her spasming chest muscles were allowing in, but nothing happened, and she was making this horrific noise, like a dying seal. She could not breathe. Was she going to die?

  She sank onto the pavement, grabbing her chest and rubbing it hard, which made absolutely no difference, other than pushing her cleavage up and out of the already dangerously low-cut top. Her vision started to get a bit blurry, and she began to imagine her funeral and question why she hadn't gone to church, like her mother had told her to, when the face of an angel appeared before her. He had a strong jaw, green eyes like pools of fresh water in hidden grottos, shiny brown hair perfectly coiffed, and full, flushed lips. Yep, she was definitely dying. He even had a halo.

  “Sorry, I was looking for the door numbers,” the angel said, and Maureen looked at him in confusion as her vision blurred further. Why would an angel be looking at door numbers? “Don’t panic. You’ve had the wind knocked out of you. It happened to me skiing last year.” Angels skied? “Just lean over and put your head between your knees to open up your chest.”

  Maureen did as instructed and her heart chilled out a bit with the thumping as she felt blessed oxygen flow into her. The dying seal noise faded, and her vision began to clear.

  “I should have been looking where I was going,” the angel spoke again, his voice as smooth as the silk panties Sally had insisted were necessary for her transformation into magnificence—the same silk panties that, Maureen was mortified to realize, were currently on display.

  She shut her legs quickly and tried to struggle to her feet. There was no graceful way to sit in this skirt without a chair. The angel offered his free hand to help her up and then he reached around to brush the dirt off the back of her skirt. Was he touching her butt? She blushed deeply. He noticed and gave her a slow smile. His eyes traveled down her body, from the rose sequined tank top revealing way too much cleavage for Maureen’s taste, to the black silk mini and velvet strappy sandals.

  “Great outfit,” he said, brushing the dirt now on his hand onto the front of his cashmere jacket.

  Maureen had never seen a more beautiful man. He was like a young William Baldwin with all of the oozing charm. Was it William Baldwin? She felt her face go red again as she stuttered, “I couldn’t breathe.”

  The angel laughed, “I could see that!” He turned back to the building and stared at the numbers on the wall again. “Ah, there it is,” he turned back to Maureen and his eyes flashed, making her weak in the knees. “Well, sorry again. Have a great night!”

  She tried desperately to think of something that would make this angel stay in her presence, but her mind was as blank as the Bolivian salt flats. She uttered a quiet, “Bye,” and leaned over to pick up her purse from the sidewalk. She was brushing herself off, while bemoaning her lack of wit and spontaneity, when she heard a familiar tinny voice. Was that Tod? She looked up in surprise as she heard a buzzing noise and the angel disappeared into Tod’s stairwell.

  Holy cow! The angel was Brad.

  11

  Dinner At Eight

  “Can’t say I blame him, Claire. I didn’t like the look of that Misty chick, either.”

  “He didn’t even meet Misty—just said he didn’t want her out on a school night and didn’t want her staying on campus. She’s a freshman, for God’s sake, Sally. I’d be pissed off, too, if I were her!” Nandita glanced toward them, making Claire realize she wasn’t whispering, anymore. She lowered her voice again. “He just can’t relax.”

  “Give him time, Claire. She just started school and he doesn’t know what to expect. He’ll snap out of it.”

  “Snap out of what?” Tod had appeared behind Sally. He reached for a carrot and Sally slapped his hand.

  “Are you a guest?” Sally asked. “I don’t think so. Now, go and get Nandita a Coke. Brad and Maureen will be here soon.” Claire saw Tod give Sally’s butt a squeeze before he walked away and she smiled to herself. Cuties.

  She jumped as the door buzzer went off and heard a male voice over the intercom as she headed to Satish with his wine. She had to admit this was fun, like their own private soap opera. Would the shy, but intelligent and beautiful girl win over the rich and charming avowed bachelor?

  Boy, was he charming.

  Tod ushered Brad through the loft door, shaking his hand as Sally dropped her bag of carrots on the counter and came sauntering forward. “Brad,” she lifted her eyebrow at him and offered her hand, as though she were royalty. Claire glanced at Tod, but he grinned at her. He’d seen it all before; this was Sally. Brad played along and offered Sally a sweeping bow before dropping a kiss on her hand.

  “We meet again, Princess. If only I had seen you first, you would be mine. All mine.”

  Sally turned. “These are our friends, Claire and Satish.”

  Satish stood and cleared his throat. He shook Brad’s hand firmly. “Glad to meet you, Brad. This is my fiancée, Claire.” She smiled at the use of the word, since Satish was shy about revealing their relationship in public and rarely even used the word “girlfriend.” Brad had brought out the possessiveness in him, though—this kind of cocky, self-assured, confident guy was so far from his own personality. Claire could tell that, with one sentence, he was already rubbing Satish the wrong way.

  “Charmed, Claire. Tod certainly knows how to surround himself with beautiful women. It’s great to meet you both.” Brad was struggling with his expensive cashmere coat as he continued talking. “What a beautiful night it is tonight. It was just chilly enough for me to get out my favorite jacket. I love the fall; it reminds me of new beginnings. It always seems that, any minute, something wonderful could appear on the horizon.” The left sleeve of his coat caught on something, maybe his watch, but a helpful pair of tiny, gentle hands appeared and untangled him. Nandita handed him his coat as he stepped back, silenced.

  Claire felt Satish darken beside her and she reached out to grasp his hand and give it a squeeze. Sally looked over at Claire with panic in her eyes. Tod smiled, clueless, and Brad slowly drawled, “Well, who is this?” He took Nandita’s hands in his and she stared up at him.

  Nobody moved. Tod looked expectantly at each of them, one by one. When it was obvious that no one was going to speak, he stepped forward. “This is Nandita, Satish’s little sister, who has come to study in the States.”

  “Well, Nandita,” Brad said, “the States is certainly graced by your presence. I hope you are enjoying your stay.”

  Cl
aire caught Sally’s eye and made a discreet gagging gesture. Sally winced and looked worried. This wasn’t exactly going to plan.

  Nandita and Brad were still holding hands and smiling at each other when the buzzer rang again. “Oh, great,” Sally rushed to the intercom, “Maureen’s here!” She called over to Brad in a strained voice, “You’re just going to love Maureen!"

  12

  Chicken

  After the angel—no, Brad—saved her life, it had taken her a few minutes to get her breath back. She was still pacing outside the apartment, considering her rapidly dwindling options. She couldn’t go up there and have dinner with that guy! He was so out of her league that it wasn’t even funny. What could they possibly have in common? She had nothing to offer a guy like that. She would go home, change into her pajamas, and call Sally with some excuse.

  Leprosy, that was it—she had leprosy. Was leprosy even a thing, anymore? She would have to look it up when she got home and figure out how she had contracted it. She turned on her heel and headed toward Washington Street. Just as she turned the corner, though, her phone rang.

  “Maureen, where are you?” Sally was whispering in a bathroom or something. Her voice echoed. “He’s here and you’re not, and I need you here.”

  “I’m not coming, Sally. I have, um, leprosy, I think.”

  “Maureen, leprosy was eradicated like a bazillion years ago. Nice try. We are all waiting to sit down to dinner. Get your magnificent ass up here!”

  “I’m not magnificent, Sally! He will know that as soon as I walk in!”

  “Maureen, I want you to listen to me and listen to me closely.” She heard the click of a door and a voice in the background.