by Cee, DW
That was news to me. “When?”
“When your grandmother would go visit her family in Australia, I’d come here the times I didn’t accompany her.”
“Did it feel like you were cheating on Grandma to be here?”
The duke stared off into the mountains outlining his windows. “My heart cheated on your grandmother since day one. This is what I don’t want for you, Michael.”
“What do you mean, Grandfather?”
“I brought you here so you could meet with Donovan Taylor and be assured that Laney was being well loved. It was pure coincidence and luck that she walked in on our meeting.”
“So you don’t have any legal issues with Sir Ascot?”
“The issue I have is with you…as well as with myself. Don’t grow up to be me. It’s not fair to the woman you marry. It’s not fair to your children. And it sure as hell isn’t fair to your heart. Let Laney Taylor go. She’s with a good man.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “Thank you, Grandfather. The sight of Laney in her husband’s arms was like a poker in my eye, but a good one to see. It didn’t hurt to see her so pregnant.”
“I wish I’d seen Estelle with Jerry. It might have helped me let go a lot sooner.”
“We’ll both be all right, won’t we?” I asked.
“You have a long road ahead of you. I want you to take a good look at your life and those who’ve always been important to you. Don’t burn bridges that will be hard to repair.” I knew where the duke was going with this conversation. I pretended as if I didn’t.
“Can we head back after a night’s rest, Grandfather? All the work you’ve bestowed upon me is going to keep me busy for a long while.”
“You know I’ve hired Chloe to redecorate?”
Damn! Chloe. How to repair that London Bridge that fell (again) between us?! “Yes. You’ve explained.”
“Have you talked to her?”
“Not yet.”
“Have you talked to her about all the work that need to be done to the properties?”
“Not yet.”
Grandfather eyed me with disapproval. “What the hell have you been doing if you haven’t talked to the person who’s to work side by side with you?”
“I didn’t feel it was necessary to talk to her just yet. I’ll call her when we get back.”
“Make sure you do.” Grandfather admonished. “There’s a bridge I’d keep intact if I were you.”
This was one hell of a bridge I needed to cross—assuming she hadn’t cut off her end, already.
Chloe: “Stressed”
“Chloe. Come see me immediately.” That was the voicemail that awaited me this morning. I was in trouble.
“What’s wrong?” Cat asked when she heard me sigh.
“The duke wants to see me.”
“I thought you liked the duke. Why the long sigh?”
“Because I’ve been avoiding him and his entire family. I was supposed to do some work for him, but I’ve flaked out.”
“So is this about the duke? Brendan? Michael? Or all of the above?”
I groaned at the thought of all three men. “The duke will be fine once I begin the work he’s asked me to do. Brendan…I don’t know what to think of your boyfriend’s cousin since he’s lived in China for the past six months. I thought something might happen with us, then boom—he’s off to the other part of the world.”
“He did invite you to come visit him.”
“I know. Honestly, I didn’t think it’d be a smart idea to travel thousands of miles for a man I haven’t even kissed.”
Last I saw Brendan, we were on our way toward a first date. Next thing I knew, I was hijacked by His Grace, and Brendan by his company. A lone text claiming I’ll be back soon kept me company for six months.
In fairness to Brendan, the one time he was in town, I was away visiting family. He asked if we could see one another, but our schedules never allowed us the luxury. We also didn’t know each other well enough to try too hard.
“What about Michael?” Cat asked.
“I haven’t talked to him since last summer. He’s yet to call and explain why he never picked me up at the airport, though it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why.”
“What happened with Michael and Laney?”
“According to Ruby, she left him for a childhood love. She’s happily married and very pregnant—with twins!”
“That hussy works fast. Wasn’t she seeing Michael just a few months ago?”
“Something like that...all I know is she’s happy and he’s not. I don’t think he’s over her.”
“Are you over him?”
I looked at my roommate, aghast at her question. “What’s there to be over with? I’m only pissed because he dropped our twenty-five year friendship over some girl he met on the plane. Who does that?”
“Brendan is coming home tomorrow.” Cat treaded lightly.
“I know. He emailed today.”
“What do you think of him?”
What did I think about a man who flirted with me from the second I met him? “I’d spoken with him thrice before being separated for six months. I don’t know what to think.”
“Daniel says Brendan’s still interested. It’s just that crappy job of his. He can’t get any time to pursue anything or anyone.”
I sighed. “Maybe this is for the best. I’m almost done with the Kent’s homes. It’s time to face the music with His Grace.”
“And Michael, too?”
“Hell no, Girlfriend! Michael and I are strangers to one another until he calls and grovels.”
“Grovels, huh?”
I stuck to my guns. “Begs, grovels, eats shit—take your pick.”
“I pick, ‘eats shit!’” We cracked up. “Speaking of eating, how about we go out? I’m starving.”
“Sure. Let me make this call to His Grace, first.”
“A good friend of mine told me to ‘beg, grovel, and eat shit’ when in trouble with someone. I think you should take her advice.” The pillow hit her butt on her way out.
Damn. This was a hard call to make. I’d let down the man who gave me the perfect job. It was now or never. I needed to put on my big girl panties and face the music.
“Yes?” That was not the best way to be greeted.
“Hi Grandpa Harry.”
“Where the hell have you been?” Another not so very pleasant way to be greeted.
“I’m right here.” I attempted to sound like a cute five-year-old.
“Would here be London? As in thirty minutes with traffic, fifteen without, from where I live?”
“Uh-huh,” I squeaked.
“Are you done with the Kent’s homes?” That was the excuse I’d given Niles, Michael and Ruby’s cousin, to give to His Grace on why I couldn’t work for him just yet. By the sarcastic stress in his tone, he didn’t buy it.
“Uh-huh.” Since the cute five-year-old act wasn’t working, I tried being the scared five-year-old.
“Pack an overnight bag and come over to Belgravia, now!”
This was not a man to mess with—though I’d tried for the last six months.
“OK.” Right now, I was being my true self—a scared shitless twenty-six-year-old.
Quickly shoving an outfit in a bag and putting on my best work clothes, I ran out the room in record time.
“Where are you going?” Cat’s head spun watching me run around our tiny apartment.
“Grandpa Harry wants me over at Belgravia immediately. I don’t know if I’ll be home tonight. He told me to pack an overnight bag.”
“You’ll miss Brendan.”
“I’ve missed him the past six months. A few more days won’t change anything.”
“Where shall I tell him you’ve gone?”
“To work?” I was being an arse, albeit a cute arse—or so I thought.
“Whatever. Don’t blame me if he comes chasing after you.”
>
“I won’t hold my breath.” Those were my last words before hailing a black cab straight to Belgravia.
“Finally…” His Grace, The Duke Harry Bennington, my pseudo-grandfather, had actually opened the door himself and waited for my groveling to begin.
“I’m sorry!” I gave the duke the biggest hug, though he wasn’t the hugging kinda man. “Sophia Kent made me work on her homes, then she had me decorate her husband’s office, and if that wasn’t enough, she had me decorate her kids’ treehouse. Who the hell has a treehouse in England? That’s so American.”
Grandpa shook his head slowly letting me know he wasn’t buying it. “Is it done? You have time for me, now?”
“Yes! I will devote all my time to you and your properties. Where do I start?”
The duke’s face looked unhappy! “Haven’t you and Michael been in contact with one another?” I mimicked the shaking of the head. “You mean you haven’t spoken to my grandson since…”
I finished his sentence. “Since I left LA.”
“Shite!” I took a jump back. “What the hell is the matter with him?”
“Um…” I tried to defend Michael. “He was probably busy getting drafts finished, permits pulled, bids looked over…you know I’m the last one on his long list.”
“Did you bring an overnight bag?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To Michael.”
Shit. I didn’t want to see Michael. I wasn’t prepared to see Michael. What a nightmare! “Where is Michael?”
“Finneas,” the duke called.
He moved so quickly, I didn’t get to ask where it was that we were headed. Once on his plane, I asked, “Where is Michael?”
“At the villa.”
“As in Florence…?” The duke nodded.
Hell! I was headed to see my best friend.
What a stressful situation!
Chloe: “Friends”
I have always loved Florence! Every time I visited the duke’s villa, I dreamed I was a princess living in Tuscany. To be honest, I felt the same way every time I traveled to his Fife castle, too.
There was something about the scenery that made my heart feel peaceful—no matter that I was headed into a tumultuous homecoming. The boy who promised he’d love me forever, the man who promised to pick me up from the airport, twenty plus years of friendship—all down the drain over the course of six months.
I hated the thought of being forgotten. After all these years, our friendship meant so little, he had no reason to pick up the phone and just chat. We used to chat all the time. When he lived in Boston, he flew into LA at least once a month and we’d hang out and chat. We were good friends. Dammit! We were the best of friends! How does one go from that to being strangers?
“Here we are,” the duke announced as we pulled up to his grand villa. As luck would have it, I locked eyes with the man I dreaded seeing. “I trust you have some catching up to do?”
“Er…”
Thankfully, Ruby interrupted our “reunion.”
“Grandfather.” Ruby slammed her body into her grandfather’s. “And look who’s with him.” Then she gave me the same treatment. “Chloe! Where’ve you been? How come you haven’t returned any of my calls? I was hoping to take you with me on that damn Arctic tour.”
I tried to keep a stern face for my meet and greet with Michael, but I couldn’t do it with Ruby. “Why do you think I’ve been avoiding you? Niles told me about the bet you lost. I knew that was why you were calling ten times a day.”
“No hello for me, Chlo-No?” Chlo-No… That was what he called me all through life because I was born on Christmas day. There had been no Chlo-No for the past six months, especially not on the day the name was christened. “It’s good to see you.”
“Yeah.” I hated the obligatory greeting. “I hear a lot has happened in your life since we last spoke?”
“I have a long list of ‘I’m sorrys’ for you, but if I start now, the duke might be a little upset we’ve ignored him.” I was fine with the automaton apology…until the kiss happened. Michael took me off guard with his kiss.
Since we came into puberty, whenever Michael had that look in his eyes, that look of a teenage boy who wanted to shed his teenage purity, he’d kiss me on my temple. Not my lips, not my neck, not any other body part, but my temple was his body part of choice. It was clear to the both of us what he was thinking and what he wanted from our relationship when he touched that very non-erotic part of my body.
Faltering back a step, I stared at him while the introductions continued. After ignoring me for so long, I didn’t expect this kind of a “re-acquaintance”. Damn Michael Bennington! Only he could dissolve months of vexation with one touch. I hated him.
“Grandfather, this is Jane Reid and her fiancé, Max Davis.” I turned away from Michael to listen in on Ruby. “Jane looks a lot like someone you once knew and loved, huh?”
“It’s very nice to finally meet you.” Jane Reid spoke with the duke, and I couldn’t help admire what a lovely couple she and Max Davis made. The masochistic side of me wanted to understand her relation with Laney Reid. But, I decided to ignore my urges.
His Grace walked away without saying much, if anything at all for some reason. I decided it would be most prudent to follow him.
“Chloe. Wait.” Michael grabbed my arm. Simultaneously, Jane addressed Ruby while staring at me for some unknown reason.
“I need to thank you for introducing me to Antoni Villa,” Jane said. Ruby beamed at the compliment. “If you and your family are in town, I’d love to invite you to our wedding, if that’s not an uncomfortable situation with Laney being married and all.” Laney Reid…
“We would be honored to attend. Plus, it’ll give my grandfather something to look forward to since your grandmother will be in attendance.”
I followed the duke’s rude behavior and walked off without an answer. There was no reason for this woman to invite me to her wedding. I also had no reason to see who it was that replaced me within a plane ride.
“Chloe. Stop.” I sure as hell couldn’t walk fast enough. “Will you give me a moment?” Michael pulled me back and had the gall to sound exasperated. “One minute.” Now he was demanding. This future duke was trying to pull rank on me. Well, it wasn’t going to work. He was not my duke. “I know we have a lot to talk about…”
While he started his monologue, I picked up the call that came in. “Hello?” I didn’t have to raise my head to see Michael looking flabbergasted. Probably no one in his young life rudely interrupted him and ignored him.
“Chloe?”
“Brendan?”
“Yeah. It’s your long lost roomie. Are you busy? Can you talk for a bit?”
“Sure. I can talk. I have nothing going on.” I felt the seething over my head. “What’s up?”
“I just landed in Paris and I wondered if you’d like to join me here for a day…or two or three?”
“Paris? You went from China to Paris? What happened to London?”
“Well, I have the week off and there was a flight heading to Paris. I thought, ‘what the hell?’ I’d land here, call and invite you, and hope for the best. If my invitation isn’t enough, Cat and Daniel are on the TGV, crossing the English Channel as we speak. Whatcha’ say?”
“I say yes.”
“Yeah?” Brendan sounded surprised at my quick answer. “So I shouldn’t have invited my cousin and his girlfriend? You would have said yes regardless?”
Giggling, I answered, “I’m in Florence right now so I need to do a bit of juggling before I reach Paris. I’ll text you my info when I have it.”
“Sounds good. I’m glad you agreed, Chloe. This’ll give us a chance to catch up on the last six months.”
“I just hope I remember what you look like. See you later.” I giggled some more until I saw the duke-like frown on Michael’s face. It was grim
and ugly, if one could ever call Michael ugly.
“You’re leaving? You just got here. Who’s Brendan?”
“Yes, yes, my roommate.”
“You’re living with a man?” The grim and ugly made a turn for the worse.
“Two, actually. If you’ll excuse me.” My attempt at cutting him off was of no use.