by Haley Oliver
"They don't want to play with me."
His response shocks me. "I'm sure that's not true. Why do you think that, Henry?"
"Because my dad's rich and theirs isn't."
I nearly drop my ice cream. That was not the answer I had been expecting... and it's definitely not one I'm going to accept. "I've never heard such a ridiculous thing in my life," I tell him outright. "Who told you that?"
"My old nanny."
My temper flares hot enough to melt the scoop of mint chocolate chip I'm holding in its cone. "That woman..." I take a deep breath to keep myself from saying something I'll regret. "... she had some funny ideas," I finish. "I'd like to meet her one day."
"No you wouldn't," Henry says.
"Well, one of us is going to do some meeting." I stand up and settle his ball in front of me. Before he can cry out in protest, I launch it toward the hill with a well-aimed kick. Henry goes barreling after it, and by the time he reclaims it, two other children, a boy and a girl who look like they could be siblings, have circled him.
I sit back down to watch, feeling self-satisfied, but also a little wary of what I've done. What if I'm wrong? The results could be disastrous to a little boy's self-esteem. Will they accept him, or was his old nanny right in telling him the two worlds don't mix? I certainly don't know a thing about it. I may be the adult in this situation and I can pretend that I carry all the wisdom, but if I'm being honest, I really have no idea about the world a child like Henry inhabits. I grew up on the other side of the tracks. None of my friends lived in a penthouse, that's for certain.
What would I have done, had I met a boy like Henry Sway at the park? Would we have been friends? If not, I'd like to think it wouldn't be because of his father's net worth.
I watch as Henry immediately appears to start up a game with his new companions. I smile to myself, until I notice my melting ice cream start to drip down my fingers. I follow Henry's lead and chow down. By the time he returns, he's looking red-faced and exhilarated. I worry that maybe ice cream was a bad choice, for the both of us, but he appears too happy to notice any stomach complaints. "Let's get one more ice cream for your dad," I say, "and then I'll take you home."
* * *
Daniel Sway has been drifting in and out of my thoughts all day. I try to figure out if it's more than usual as I fish out my keys to the penthouse. Now he's my boss twice over, and I spend most of my hours outside of Sway International in the company of his pint-sized twin. Of course it makes sense that I think about Daniel more than usual...
"It's open!" a voice booms from inside. I stick my keys back in my pocket and push the door open. Henry goes barreling past me with the ice cream we bought for his father.
"Dad!" Henry exclaims. "Dad, we had such a good time at the park!"
"Did you?" Daniel inquires, sounding surprised. Evidently, he's never seen his son in such a heightened state of excitement before over a humble park visit. I round the corner, and nearly drop my purse in surprise.
Daniel is standing in the kitchen with an open carton of chocolate milk in his hand, but the fact that he's obviously drinking from it isn't what's causes my alarm. It's the fact that he's standing there shirtless, his bare torso glistening with a thin sheen of sweat and his rippling muscles pronounced from exertion. His dark blond hair falls in sweaty tangles across his curious eyes. He regards me, completely unaware of his own half-nakedness... or pretending as though he's unaware.
I ignore my first instinct, which is to grab the wall and hold myself upright. I equally ignore my second instinct, which is to hold my purse out like a shield in front of my eyes to banish this vision from my sight. Too late. It's burned into my retinas, and sure to be keeping me up at night for weeks to come.
"Oh, would you like me to put a shirt on?" Daniel grins, and I realize my silence might just be the most revealing response of all.
"Yes. Please," I say.
"Okay, right after I finish my ice cream." Daniel accepts his cone happily from Henry and gives it an experimental lick. "Mmm, mint chocolate chip. Good choice, son." He ruffles Henry's hair, then holds the cone out in my direction. "Should we give the nanny a taste?"
"She's already had one!" Henry proclaims. "It's her favorite, too, dad."
"Yes, I've had quite enough, thank you. I'll see you two tomorrow." Blushing, I turn away from the softly chuckling Daniel and let myself out.
Chapter Six
Daniel
"Henry, wait up! Don't run on the tarmac!" Valerie calls as my son bolts ahead of us. The gorgeous bird looming ahead of us is something to behold. Silhouetted by the early morning sun, how can any boy resist abandoning his adult chaperones and sprinting to meet it?
I lean closer to Valerie with an undisguised grin. "This is also called a 'runway'," I remind her as we approach my private jet. Henry gives a delighted squeal as he runs up the stair car and vanishes inside.
Valerie shakes her head, evidently exasperated with both of us. "How long is this flight again?"
"About seventeen hours, give or take an hour." I hike up my sleeve to check my watch, then offer my hand to help Valerie up the first step. She glances sidelong at me, and appears to actually toy with smiling. She accepts my help and takes the lead. I frown behind her back at the single solitary piece of luggage she carries. I have never known a woman to carry a single, small weekender with her into a projected week-long trip to the tropics.
Maybe I'm just used to women who are high-maintenance, which Val is not. Confronted with someone so practical, so down to earth, I'm not sure what to do with myself. Lately, I've had a strong desire to lavish gifts on her.
"Wow! Isn't this plane cool, Valerie?" Inside the jet, Henry darts between windows and cranes himself to look at the view. Valerie passes her bag to the lone flight attendant with a smile and goes to join him.
"It sure is something," she agrees, tipping her head to check out every inch of the jet's interior. I wave the attendant off when she comes for my briefcase, watching the two of them with rapt attention. This is the first time I've invited either my secretary or my son to fly with me on the jet, and I'm soaking in every minute of their enjoyment.
As the youngest of the three Sway siblings, I spent a lot of my life chasing after other people's approval... and my efforts were met with mixed success. By the time I turned twenty-one, I decided I didn't care anymore. It's too much energy and too much heartbreak trying to keep up with expectations you were never destined to fulfill because your two older brothers already met them years ago.
Still, I wonder if I haven't accidentally invited along the only two people in my life I still care about impressing.
I settle into one of the plump leather chairs and recline back with a contented sigh. I let the sound of Valerie's conversation with Henry lull me as I drift into a well-earned doze. I had a late night, and so did my companions. Henry roused me around three AM, shouting and crying in the throes of a nightmare. I wonder if it was all the excitement of traveling to Tahiti that got to him. When he still proved inconsolable an hour later, I called and woke Valerie for advice.
To my surprise, she wasn't the least bit put out about it. In fact, she came over at once. I brewed us a pot of coffee as she set up a makeshift bed on the couch with Henry, replete with more pillows and blankets than I had guessed my bachelor pad actually contained. She soothed him with an unending stream of conversation, bad jokes and ridiculous stories as I sat in the armchair across from them, watching in silence, raptly listening despite myself. My secretary really is Wonder Woman.
I don't know what I'd have done last night without her.
The plane takes off. I crack an eye open, curious when I detect a lull in the conversation. Henry has settled in with his headphones and gaming system, and Valerie...
Valerie is sitting in the chair across the aisle from mine, white-knuckling the arms, digging furrows in the leather. I raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Afraid of flying?"
"No," she replies testily. Her words are c
ompletely strangled.
I stifle a chuckle. "I didn't think you were afraid of anything."
I'm surprised she would agree to attend Owen and Amanda's wedding if it puts her this out of sorts. Gabe is going, of course, accompanied by his loyal secretary, Jane Fox. Our middle brother, Nate, is staying in the city to hold down the fort in our absence. I'm not as close to Owen as Gabe is, but we've gotten closer collaborating on several deals in the past few months and I'd feel like a heel if I declined his invitation. Besides, there's no reason to pass up an excuse to sun myself on the beach for a week. I left it to Valerie to pick my gift for them from their registry.
"Hey." I lean out of my chair a little to get a better look at her. "You're white as a sheet. Would you like a drink or something? Just to take the edge off?"
"Yes, please."
"I should've offered earlier." I signal the flight attendant that we need drinks, and she disappears into the back. "Nate isn't too fond of flying. Do you usually hit up the bar before a trip?"
"I've honestly never been on a plane before."
I'm glad the flight attendant hasn't come around yet, because I would have spat my drink out over the aisle at this admission. I straighten a little, blink excessively, lace my hands. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly over the near-silent purr of these incomparable engines. What?"
"Don't make fun of me," Valerie complains as our drinks arrive. "At least let me get a head start on feeling better about this."
"About what? About being miles in the air?"
Valerie groans and sips her drink. I watch, completely amused at her expense, before it occurs to me to wave to the stewardess. "Keep 'em coming."
"No, don't. I don't want to show up to Tahiti hung over." Valerie groans and drops her head into her hand, as if she can already feel a headache coming on.
"And water," I advise our stewardess. "Come on, Val. It isn't so bad. Have you tried looking out the window?"
She groans, and I decide to help the process along. I join her on the other side of the aisle, sinking into the chair across from her, and push up the shutter. "Look," I insist.
"No way."
"You can't be afraid of flying if you've never flown before," I reason. "Trust me, you're going to love the view. I know you better than you think."
Valerie exhales a long breath through her nose, then looks outside. The wing of the jet cleaves through clouds, shredding them like cotton candy. She cranes closer to look down at the water laid out below. "Wow," she breathes.
"Right? Was I right, or was I definitely right?" I accept the second round of drinks from the stewardess, smiling to myself, and offer one to the preoccupied Valerie. "Still need this?"
"No," she admits.
She sits back, mouth quirking in amusement. "You know, I'm not sure big-time executives are supposed to share a drink with their small-time secretaries."
"You also know I march to the beat of my own drummer." I glance across the aisle at Henry sitting several seats back. He's sunk back into his seat, his headphones askew, his mouth open as he dozes peacefully. He needs it after the night he had last night—the night we all had. "Thank you again for coming over last night," I mention finally. "I have no idea what I would have done without you there."
Valerie toys with her straw, and her face colors the same way it always does when something I say catches her off guard. Strange, but when I go out of my way to lay on a compliment, she deflects it so easily. It's the comments I don't curate beforehand that seem to surprise her most. "You underestimate yourself, Mr. Sway," she says finally. She takes a dainty sip of her drink and then holds it away, regarding me like I'm some specimen she had previously mistaken for being common and is now fascinated by. "I think you're simply frightened of being a father."
"No kidding," I mutter. I indulge in another long sip of my own drink.
"You're scared that you're going to somehow fail Henry, but you're actually really good with him."
"Not nearly as good as you are."
"That's only because you treat him like a friend," Valerie explains. "It's no fun being the disciplinarian. Believe me, I know. But kids his age and beyond... they don't know how to structure their lives, or their responses to what might upset them. They appreciate rules and guidance. They find it comforting and safe. They may not ever thank you for it out loud, but that's what it means to be successful. That's what it means to be a parent."
"Sounds like you had some pretty stellar adult influences growing up," I mention.
Valerie snorts. "Hardly. My parents were always what you'd call 'emotionally absent' people, if not physically absent. Dad traveled all the time trying to make ends meet, and Mom... well, juggling five kids exhausted her. She checked out pretty early on and left us to our own devices."
"Leaving you in charge?" I guess. I can't imagine it panning out any other way.
Valerie fixes me with a surprised look. But she isn't giving any more away. Not yet. "What about you?" She unwraps a finger from around her glass and points at me. "What were your parents like growing up?"
"Mom was fine. Still is," I say. "But I don't think she ever wanted to be a mother. My brothers and I were effectively raised by our various nannies. None of them lasted very long. I... may have had a hand in that."
"You don't say." Valerie's face dimples in a huge smile. I catch my breath. I've never realized she had such cute dimples. How is it I've never seen her smile so deeply as to bring them out? I silently vow to try harder to evoke that smile from her.
"Looking back now, though, I regret what a terror I was. Those poor women didn't deserve it. No one did," I admit. "But the way my family was set up... it's like everything was a competition between me and my brothers. There was no brotherly love encouraged there, only rivalry. It's only as I got older that I realized that the competitive rivalry was only still existent in me. My brothers were taking on the world, and I was still punching at the shadows they cast. I've tried to clean up my act since then." I lift my eyes and lift my glass. "Maybe you can tell me how well I'm doing."
"I think you're doing a whole lot better than you think." Valerie toasts me, then adds, "In all aspects."
We both glance again at Henry. I wonder if there's anything more angelic on this earth than the sight of a peacefully sleeping child. "What were his nightmares about last night?" I wonder.
Valerie looks back at me. "You should ask him."
She sets her drink down and rises, pulling her coat off the back of the chair. I'm guessing she intends to wrap Henry in it. Wish I would've thought of that. There's something about watching her mother him, though, that causes my feelings for her to surge. It kicks my pulse into overdrive and I have no idea why. I'm a thrill seeker, and there's nothing safer, I think, than watching a woman dote on a child. Then why does it always affect me so profoundly to see Valerie do it?
The plane jolts, and Valerie pitches sideways with an alarmed little cry. I react on impulse. I reach out as she falls, and catch her securely in my arms as she drops into my lap.
We stare at each other as the plane rocks beneath us. Her cheeks go from rosy to deeper scarlet, and she rests her hands on my chest. "... thanks," she mentions. "I've got it now. Really."
The plane heaves again, and my arms tighten around her waist. I'm shocked at how incredibly good it feels to hold her. "This is some pretty bad turbulence. Just give it a minute."
"I don't know if that's a good idea," she whispers. I admit that I don't know, either. I don't want to see Valerie fall, but I'm also wondering if enjoying the feel of her in my arms isn't crossing some line—some invisible barrier. But aren't I known for crossing lines? Why should a little physical contact suddenly seem like a step too far?
The coat lies crumpled and forgotten on the floor. Valerie breathes in, and I realize I haven't inhaled or exhaled properly since she fell into my lap. As the jet settles, I loosen my hold and look away, slightly confused by my own feelings. "You did a pretty good job considering this is
your first time flying," I mention. "Turbulence is nothing to worry about. The plane's hit a few air pockets is all."
Valerie chuckles and pushes a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. I'm sorely tempted to rearrange it. She was right. Not a good idea. "I know what turbulence is, Mr. Sway. Believe it or not, I wasn't raised under a rock."
"I believe it. You're savvier than I am in some regards."
"It's called growing up on the streets and not being a billionaire." Valerie extracts herself, and I help to lift her up. She pauses to pick up the coat and continue on her intended course. I watch her go, my heart thrumming erratically, wondering at the sudden rush I'm experiencing. I'm no stranger to adrenaline. Outside the office I live for the feeling. Mountain climbing, bike racing, skydiving, I've done it all.
So where is this coming from all of a sudden?
Valerie. Having her around doesn't just help settle my wilder temperament. It excites it in a different way. I decide I might need to do some further research into this Valerie thing.
Bring on Tahiti.
Chapter Seven
Valerie
"Please tell me this is not your room!" Jane's jaw practically hits the floor as I let the girls in to check out my new digs at the hotel.
I blush with embarrassment. "Well, technically you're correct. It's the room I'm sharing with Henry."
I still remember the first moment I saw the Intercontinental Resort glowing like a fairytale palace over the dark meridian blue of the ocean. I stopped short, and Henry bowled into my legs. He sidled around and ran past, unable to contain his excitement. When his father joined us, Daniel surprised me by saying nothing about my jaw-dropped expression. He just let me absorb the moment, without a quip or teasing comment, as he appeared to study me himself. Maybe he's finally starting to understand the fact that I will never get used to such decadence.
