by Claire Adams
"Come on, let's get you into the shower and put some food into your stomach." She dragged me out of bed, stripped me down, and shoved me under the spray of a cold shower. The blast of icy water shocked me out of my groggy hangover, and I rushed to turn the temperature up.
"You stink and you look like shit. Get cleaned up and meet me in your kitchen," Angela insisted in the same capable tone she would use when we used to work together. She had always been superb at her job. She never took any crap from me and had a way of making sure things got done with excellent precision, and this was no exception.
She handed me a bar of soap and closed the door behind her as she left. I had to admit the hot water washing away all the spilt booze, sweat, and vomit from my grimy flesh felt good, even though my head was pounding.
I put on some fresh clothes and as I got downstairs, Angela handed me a huge glass of water along with several Extra-Strength Tylenol. No sooner had I finished the pills than she handed me a steaming cup of very strong coffee along with a plate of dry of toast.
"How is it?" she asked as I tried not to choke on the thick brew.
"Good," I lied and took a huge bite of toast. God, I was starving. When was the last time I'd eaten? As I chewed, I looked at her quizzically and said, "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" she shot back me with her usual fire. "You've got a company to run. We're in the middle of a lawsuit. Shit's falling down all around us, and the CEO and owner has been missing for three days. I figured someone better come over here and fish you out whatever muck you'd slipped down into, and it looks like I'm not a moment too soon."
"Three days?" I couldn't believe it had been so long, yet the pain of Kayla leaving me still felt like it had just happened. I looked down at my chest expecting to still see blood gushing from my open wound, but there was nothing.
"So, what the hell happened? Did that girl leave you?" Angela didn't pull any punches. I had thought I had done a good job of keeping my feelings buried, or at least hidden, but she saw right through me. Was it as apparent to everyone else?
I started to deny it, but she shot me a glare and I had no choice but to tell the truth. "Yeah. Since the night of the press conference, she'd been pressuring me to commit to her, and I kept having to explain that's not who I am. She couldn't accept it, so she left."
"So you started drinking and haven't stopped since." It was an observation, not an accusation.
"I'd been missing out on a lot of parties since I was with her. I needed to make up for some lost time," I said with false bravado, but Angela didn't buy it.
"Yeah, a party of one. I hope you didn't do anything to make it hard for her to take you back."
"Why would I want to do that? I've got tons of girls falling at my feet."
"Yeah, but none of them are her." She was rubbing it in, and it was starting to piss me off.
"So what? You don't even like Kayla," I grumbled.
"No, but any girl that can steal you away from me deserves some respect. I may not like that wholesome-girl-next-door thing she's got going, but it's clear that you sure as hell do."
"What are you talking about? I like women of all types: vixens, athletes, petite, curvy. As long as she's got tits and an ass, I'm game to fuck any girl."
"Is that what I was?" Angela shot another zinger at me, and I felt the color rise in my face.
Hiding behind my coffee mug, I said, "I was with you longer than any relationship, except for when I was with Gwyneth back in college. I'm just not capable of settling down with anyone. I'm a born player."
"Yeah, but you never felt for me what you felt for her. I saw the way your eyes lit up whenever you looked at Kayla, and when you talked about her you were practically beaming. I was no match for her right from the start; you two are meant for each other."
"How can you say that? She and I have only been going out for a few months," I said, feeling defensive.
"It's obvious. I've been working with you for a long time and I've seen you with a lot of women, including myself. You've never lit up inside the way you do when you're with Kayla. She's the first girl to touch your heart and actually get inside that barrier of yours. Let down the walls. Let her in. Go for it."
"That's not me. I'm a bachelor." I couldn't stop clinging to who I used to be. It was pure stubbornness now, but I couldn't surrender.
"Then why did you drink yourself into a coma when she left you?" Angela asked pointedly, and I had no answer. She placed her hands gently over mine. "Maybe it's time you stop fighting this and admit that you love her. Give her the commitment she wants from you."
"Why the hell should I do that?" I asked. I tried to put a surly edge in my voice, but I just sounded broken and defeated.
"Because it's obvious it's what you want, too. Your playboy days are over. Now, go make things right with Kayla so you can come back to work. We miss you."
She gave my hand a squeeze and prepared to leave, but when she tried to let go, I kept holding onto her manicured hand. Our eyes locked as I whispered softly, "Thank you, Angela. For everything."
"No problem. I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. The office is falling apart without you, and Stan is going nuts. I'd better get back to him before he completely loses it."
"Do you think he could do without you for a little bit longer?" I asked, giving her my best puppy dog look.
"Maybe? What did you have in mind?" Angela looked weary.
"I've got to plan something big to win Kayla back and I need your expert help."
"You've got it." She grinned, and I told her my plan.
"Do you think it will work?" I asked worriedly.
"No girl could say no to this, and if Kayla does, then let me know and I'll say yes to you," she laughed. It gave me the boost of confidence I needed to carry it through. I just hoped she was right.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kayla
"He hasn't called you yet?" my mother sounded genuinely surprised. Conversations with her over the phone had become a regular thing since my breakup with Mick, and I really valued being able to turn to her, especially at times like these. She clucked into the phone and said, "I thought for sure he would have called by now."
"No," I said sadly. "But why would he? I told him it was over between us if he wouldn't commit. You should have seen the look on his face. I guess I don't really have a right to expect him to call. After all, I broke up with him. He was just expecting things to carry on as usual."
"When a girl brings a man home to meet her family over a three-day weekend, it's clear she's expecting the relationship to be going somewhere. He's not a kid. He's a man of 42 who runs a major business and has billions of dollars. He knew what he was getting into when you brought him home to meet us. He can't play dumb now and act like you blindsided him. He'll see the errors of his ways and come back to you. Just give him time. He'll call."
My mother sounded so certain, but I knew better.
"I'm not sure I even want him to call," I confessed. I heard her gasp on the other end of the line.
"What are you saying? Why on earth not? He was handsome, charming, and the way he treated Tommy and got along with everybody — it's like he was already part of the family. How can you not want him to call?"
"Whose side are you on?" I asked, making her cluck with chagrin.
"I'm sorry. You know I'm on your side. I just know how much you really loved him, and I want what's best for you."
"Well, that's why I said I don't know if I really want him to call. I told Ethan I loved him, and he didn't say it back. Then, I said I couldn't keep seeing him if this relationship wasn't going anywhere and he refused to commit to me. It's been a week since I walked out on him and he hasn't called. If he loved me, he would have shouted it out right then. If he had wanted to commit to me, he would have done it by now."
"Oh, sweetheart. Maybe he's just one of those guys who needs time to miss a girl before he can admit his true feelings for her." My mother sounded sympathet
ic on my behalf and it touched me.
"Thanks, Mom, but I don't know if that's the kind of man I really want. I want a man who knows he loves me and isn't afraid to shout it out. I want a man who is willing to commit to me, not because of some ultimatum, but because that's what he truly wants, too. I think if Ethan does call me again, I'll be better off just hanging up the phone and not even taking his call."
"Oh, sweetheart, are you sure about that? I saw the way you two looked at each other. It was the same way your father and I used to look at one another, and we've been happily married 30 years. I really think you just need to give Ethan more time."
"Thanks, Mom, but I really think he's had enough time." I glanced at my clock and gasped. "Speaking of time, I have to go. I'm having dinner tonight with Vick Bruckheimer."
"You're dating someone new so soon?" My mother sounded aghast, and it made me giggle.
"Not quite. He's an old friend of Ethan's, and he's got a girlfriend. She'll be there, too. I told them both I was worried about how Ethan was doing since I'd heard that he hadn't been going to work half the week and they asked me to meet them tonight to talk about it. They sounded concerned, too; but no matter what they say, I'm not going to go back to Ethan just to get him out of some kind of blue funk. He has to want me back, and he has to be willing to commit to me to do it."
"Good for you, sweetheart. Stay true to your heart," my mother encouraged me and we said our goodbyes.
I didn't know where Vick and Gwyneth were taking me for dinner that night, but judging from the last place they wanted to meet, I had a feeling it would be someplace fancy.
Ethan had given me a blue cocktail dress before we broke up as a gift. I'd never worn it, and it seemed like an appropriate choice. It wasn't the kind of thing he'd be able to return to the store since it had been tailored specifically for me, and I knew I wouldn't want to wear it to a date since it had come from an ex-boyfriend, but dinner with friends felt okay.
The shimmering bodice with a low V-cut neckline hugged my curves perfectly, showing just enough cleavage to be alluring without crossing the line into vulgar. When a black luxury sedan pulled up in front of my apartment, I was ready to go.
"Where are we going, Vick?" I asked as I climbed into the back seat and the door shut and locked behind me.
"You'll see," a female voice said, and I was startled to find Ethan's former assistant Angela Stratham sitting beside me, looking very classy in a little black dress with her red hair swept up in an elegant bun.
"What are you doing here? Where's Vick and Gwyneth?" I cried out in surprise. I remembered thinking that she didn't like me very much, and when Ethan had told me she had transferred to a different department, I had been relieved. I couldn't imagine what she was doing there now.
"Don't worry. They're picking up your family from the hotel and taking them to the hospital," Angela stated simply, as if this was common knowledge, but I was shocked and horrified.
"My family is here? You mean when I was speaking to my mother on the phone just an hour ago, she was at a hotel? And what hospital? Is someone sick or hurt? Is Tommy okay?"
I was firing off questions without giving her time to answer. With a gentle laugh, she placed her hand over mine to calm me. "Everyone is fine. No one is sick or hurt. Just meet them at the hospital and everything will be explained."
I tried to get her tell me more, but Angela wouldn't say another word as the driver took us through the city streets to the new hospital across town. A huge crowd was assembled outside of the building with a press conference stage set up, complete with a podium of microphones.
Angela guided me onto the backstage area behind the platform curtain where I found my entire family standing there. Everyone looked terrific in new clothes and with new haircuts.
"Mom! What are you doing here?" I embraced her happily, careful not to wrinkle the new dress she was wearing.
"Ethan flew us out here as a surprise. I wanted to tell you on the phone earlier, but he had sworn me to secrecy, and you know I never break a promise."
"But why would he bring you all out here like this when he and I aren't even speaking to each other?" I was baffled.
Just then, Ethan appeared on the opposite side of the stage. He looked incredible in a black Armani suit with a gray and blue striped tie that brought out the colors of his complex eyes.
I didn't realize how much I had missed him until I suddenly caught sight of him and was reminded of just how handsome and sexy he was. It took all my willpower not to run across the stage and embrace him. I longed to tell him I was sorry I had ever broken up with him and that I didn't need a commitment as long as we were together.
But that wouldn't have been being true to myself, and in the long run, I would have regretted it, so I forced my feet to remain planted in their place, no matter how much my heart ached.
Ethan locked gazes with me from across the distance and my breath caught in my chest over the meaningful exchange. Then, he drew in a breath and strode to the podium in the center of the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming on such short notice. I've asked you here today because I have several important announcements to make. First, I would like to introduce you to a brave and intelligent young man, Mr. Thomas Brandt. Tommy, please come out here."
Ethan held out his arm in welcome as Tommy rolled his wheelchair onto the stage. My little brother looked both nervous and excited as we all held our breath in anticipation of what could possibly be about to happen.
Ethan was speaking into the microphone at the crowd. "I recently had the pleasure of meeting with this young engineer and hearing his ideas on how motorcycles can be used to enhance the therapy of people with muscular dystrophy. I took some of his ideas to my engineering team at Speed Motorcycles and they are going to look into developing some of them.
“To thank Tommy for his ingenuity, I am creating a grant through this hospital to provide top-level medical care, treatments, and therapies to patients with muscular dystrophy, and I want Tommy to be the first recipient. Any care you need will be provided for free through this grant, either at this hospital or through sister hospitals across the country, including the one in your hometown. Your family will never have to pay another dime for your care, and I promise the same for thousands of other youths in your same situation."
"Are you serious?" Tommy gasped and I had to hold back tears as Ethan hugged my youngest brother.
"I am. The world needs more people like you, who are thinkers and problem solvers, and I don't want my money to just sit idly in some bank account when it could be making a real difference in someone's life. You reminded me of the importance of helping others, and I wouldn't feel right if I didn't pay you back in some small way."
"Thank you so much!" Tommy was crying now, and so was I. Everyone in my family was.
The paparazzi reporters out in the crown blasted Ethan with questions about his new grant program and how patients could qualify for it, and what great designs his company would now be working on thanks to Tommy.
Ethan answered them all with intelligence and charm, but then one reporter from the front shouted out, "You said you had more than one important announcement to make. What is the other one?"
"The second announcement is even more important to me than the first." Ethan cleared his throat and looked rather nervous as Tommy cleared the stage and my family circled around him, hugging and kissing him happily. I was proud of my brother and very happy for him, but I couldn't take my eyes off Ethan and continued to watch his speech, spellbound.
"As everyone knows, I have long been a committed bachelor with a well-deserved reputation as a playboy and womanizer. Some of you have even said that I will never find love. Well, I'm here to tell you tonight, and announce to the whole world, that I am ready to commit to something else. I have found love, and her name is Kayla Brandt."
I wasn't sure I had heard him right over the gasp of the crowd. My ears must have been playing some kind of trick on m
e, but then I saw Ethan lock eyes with me as he held his hand out to me and beckoned me onto the stage.
"Kayla, I've been a fool and I've treated you like a real jerk. I don't blame you for walking out on me. I don't deserve you, but I'm trying to change that. I want to be a better man — one who deserves to have a woman like you in my life.
“So, this gift I'm making to Tommy and to other patients with muscular dystrophy is only the first of many. I pledge to spend the rest of my days finding positive ways to make a difference in the world and to give away my money for good. Everything you do is about being true and kind in this world, and I want to be the same.
“I'm not entirely unselfish, though. I hope that in doing this that one day I can win your heart again, and when I do, this time I'll cherish it the way I should have from the start, and never let you go again."
I couldn't believe what Ethan was saying, and in front of all these reporters for all the world to hear. Blinking back fresh tears of joy, I choked back a sob and said, "So, does this mean you're willing to commit to me?"
"Yes. A billion times, yes." He didn't hesitate for moment. He got down on one knee and pulled out a jewelry box from his inside jacket pocket. Stretching it out to me, he said, "This isn't an engagement ring, because we've only been dating a month and I know that's too soon to get married, but it's not too soon for me to know that you're the girl I can see myself having a future with. In fact, you're the first and only girl I've ever felt that way about. So, if you'll accept this token of my love, I vow to be committed to you and only you from this moment on."
With trembling hands, I opened the black velvet box and gasped at the contents inside. It was a gold locket on a chain, and as I nodded my head yes vigorously, Ethan slipped the necklace around my neck as the crowd behind the press applauded noisily and the paparazzi went crazy, shouting out at him from below.
Ethan pulled me into his arms and I saw that tears were brimming in his stormy, gray eyes. Then we kissed, long and slow and deep — the kind of kiss that takes your breath away and makes everything around you disappear.
