He barked out a laugh. “Okay. Sure.” Then his smile faded. “Monty. Do you really believe you’re the father?”
“Yes.”
“Have you been drinking? Please, you can tell me.”
I scratched the back of my neck and stood, placing my hands on his desk. “Why is that so hard to believe? Let me ask you, do you know who the father is? Does Laura?”
Rock opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He shut it and then pointed at me. Finally, he tilted his head and said, “No, we don’t. She won’t say who the father is. Why would she not tell us it was you?”
“Because she has no idea it was me.”
The color drained from Rock’s face. “Did you, uh . . . roofie her?”
“No. Why does everyone think I did that?”
“Who thinks you did that?”
“Hamish. I told Hamish what happened last week. He came to that conclusion to. But once I explained the details, he told me to tell her I was the father.”
“I’m listening.” Rock sat back in his chair, clasping his hands together.
“It was at the Jingle Balls Ball. Remember, I told you James locked me naked in that closet?”
“Oh yeah. I called your phone, but he answered. Hamish had shown up at The Blue Spot unannounced, directly from a trip in Aspen. I told him you two needed to get back as soon as possible so we could discuss the investment with Hamish.”
“That’s when James finally let me out of the closet. Before that, I was stuck . . . but I wasn’t alone.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Julia was working the coat check for the ball. If you don’t believe me, ask Laura; she got her the job because she was helping cater that night. I know this because Julia told me while we were both locked in the closet.”
He held up his hands. “Even if you were both locked in together, how does she not know it was you? Did you wear a mask the entire time?”
“No, it was pitch-black in that thing. I caught a glimpse of her as she came in the closet; that’s how I know it’s her. Besides, she told me in the closet her name was Julia. But she never got my name, and based on the fact there wasn’t a hint of recognition on her face at Nathan’s party, I suspect she never saw what I looked like.”
“And you two had sex?”
“Yes.”
“But she didn’t know what you looked like. That just seems unusual.”
“You obviously don’t know Julia that well. She’s rather carefree when it comes to sex.”
Rock stared past me, contemplating my story. “Why haven’t you told her?”
I walked to the fire, staring at the flames, trying to come up with an answer that didn’t make me out to be a coward. “I’m scared of losing her.
There was no other reason for it. If I told her now, she’d hate me for not being honest. She made it clear that lying wasn’t tolerated at dinner the other night.
“I understand,” Rock remarked.
I turned in surprise. He was loyal, hard-working, and would do anything for the people he cared about, but he was rarely sympathetic. Rock was one of the most judgmental people I knew.
“You do?”
He nodded. “I wasn’t the most honest person with Laura when we first met. I was afraid if I told her how I felt, she’d hate me for it. The last thing I wanted to do was hold her back. If you tell Julia, you’re afraid she’ll be angry you didn’t say something from the beginning, that she’ll never let you see Nathan.”
I had only seen him once, and I worried that would be the only time I ever got to lay my eyes on him. What would he look like at one year of age or five or ten? Would he look more like me or Julia? Or perhaps a combination. I feared I’d never know.
“I was so shocked at the birthday party that I said nothing. And then each day that ticked by that I never spoke up made the guilt grow and grow. I was all set to tell her on Saturday, but everything that came out of my mouth was word salad. I couldn’t articulate what I meant. I talked about saving her and making us a family; of course, she thought I was a wacko.”
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Rock had come over to the fireplace.
“I don’t think there’s anything I can say to make it better. This is your secret to reveal. But I hope you understand when you tell her, there is a risk she’ll walk away, taking Nathan with her. The one thing I’ve learned about the Nutters women is they’re stubborn.”
This conversation with my brother didn’t help me feel better about Julia, but I was glad I told him. The more people who knew, the lighter the weight became on my shoulders.
“I need to tell her. But there are a few things I need to put in place before I do. Will you help me?”
Rock gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Always.”
Family. I was glad Julia and Nathan had that, even if she wouldn’t end up including me in that group.
Chapter 20
Julia
“WHY IS THE MUSTARD pink?” Laura asked, hovering over my shoulder for the fifth time this morning.
“I thought it would be modern. Call it salmon mustard.” I held up the spatula, letting the pink goop drip back into the metal bowl.
She frowned. “That sounds disgusting and looks about as bad.”
My shoulders fell and so did the spatula into the bowl.
“Then I give up. I’m obviously not cut out to work in a kitchen.”
I was thankful Rock was willing to relocate me to another area of The Blue Spot when I told him on Monday that I didn’t want to work for his brother anymore. It was now Tuesday, and I was ready to quit—again.
Working for Laura was the last place I wanted to work. More like the second-to-last place. The first place I had no desire to work was plumbing. The Blue Spot had its own plumbers because some of the pipes in this place were old, and they had problems every day.
I didn’t think there was enough money in the world that would have me working with poop all day and night. Backed-up toilets during the day and filled diapers at night. No, thank you.
Laura suggested working in the kitchen, and here I was, relying on my sister to get me a job again.
“It takes time. Everyone here either went to culinary school or has worked for years in a professional kitchen to learn these skills.”
Years? Oh no.
I turned to my sister and said, “I love you, but if I have to do this for years, I might end up in jail for murder.”
I gave my sister credit; working in a kitchen was tough work. It was sweaty, stressful, and chaotic—all the things I hated.
“What about boiling water? Is there a job in the kitchen to do that? I’d be willing to watch water boil.”
“Come here.” Laura wrapped her hand around my shoulder, pulling me toward the exit of the kitchen.
Once we were out in the hallway, I felt some relief. It wasn’t even lunchtime, and the kitchen already felt like a sauna.
“I don’t want you to be unhappy. I love being a chef and creating food that brings smiles to faces. I revel in the kitchen's chaos, trying to find order . . . It’s like solving a puzzle. But your life is already chaotic with Nathan and trying to fit in at The Blue Spot that you don’t need even more.”
I sighed. She was right. I might not have been like my sister, but she got me. She knew what made me tick.
“Why don’t we talk to Sylvie? She works in guest services but also helps in HR. She might know how to help.”
“Yes, please. Can I take off this suffocating coat now?”
Laura rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yes.”
I unbuttoned the chef coat my sister let me borrow and gave it back to her. She told me to follow her down the hallway, but instead of turning right into the dining area, we made a left to a set of elevators. There was only one, and it looked old with a brass gate that had to be pulled aside once the elevator showed up.
“Does this thing work?” I asked once we stepped inside the dark wood-paneled elevator. There weren’t buttons to the different flo
ors on the panel by the elevator door, but a lever that Laura lifted.
“This is one creepy elevator.”
I was about to add another comment but kept my mouth shut when the elevator jumped, sending my heart to the floor. Moving to the back, I flattened myself against the wall and hoped the cables holding this thing up didn’t break.
Once the door opened to our floor, I pushed my sister aside, pulled open the brass gate, and jumped onto the blue-carpeted floor. I had never been so happy to be off an elevator in my life.
“I will take the stairs back down. Not getting in that thing again.”
She chuckled, but the laughter soon died as she came to a stop. Laura was staring at something over my shoulder. I turned to discover James and Monty coming out of a door.
They hadn’t noticed us yet, and I glanced around the area to see if there was a place we could hide. The only option was the deathly elevator. I wasn’t that desperate.
Monty noticed us first and grabbed James to stop. My heart thudded in my chest. It wasn’t just my heart pounding, but my clit too. Why did I have to be so attracted to the guy?
He was good in bed and smart and funny, but that didn’t mean he was good for me. He had some grandiose vision of himself that involved me being at his feet, relying on him for everything.
While the control thing was hot when he was whipping out his cock, it wasn’t as sexy with everything else in my life.
“Mr. Diaz,” I said, pursing my lips.
“Ms. Nutters,” Monty said in a super sexy, gravely tone.
He looked tired, but it added to his attractiveness. He was nerdy-hot before, and now he was bad boy nerdy—a powerful combination that my vagina liked.
“Monty, James, we didn’t expect to run into you two here.” Laura stepped in front of me, shielding me from Monty.
James’s eyes slid to the side toward Monty.
“I needed to inform Sylvie that I’m heading back to the West Coast. So, I don’t need an assistant.”
“Oh, you’re leaving?” I asked, surprised at the disappointment I felt about that news.
I should have been glad he wasn’t going to be here. But I wasn’t.
“Yes, he has to go. Big nerdy happenings at his company. You know, computer stuff,” James said with a confident grin.
“Okay. Good. I’m glad. The rich get richer. So important for the world,” I mumbled, unable to hold back my irritation.
He was the creepy asshole but only got a slap on the wrist. Off to jet across the country to make more money while I struggled to do the right thing. I had to make a decent living to support my child, so I had to take anything I could get.
James’s smile faded, and there was an uncomfortable silence.
What did I care? It was time for people like Monty to hear the truth since they went blindly through life doing whatever they pleased without ever having to worry about the consequences.
“I’m on my way to seek another job from another wealthy person because that’s life. Always in their debt just to survive. But this time, I will be the one deciding what I’m willing to do and not do. I’m not expecting some rich guy to decide it for me.” I pushed my hands on my hips and glared at Monty.
James snorted. Monty glanced back toward the door he left. I bet he wanted to run back in and hide.
“Look, Julia, what I said on Saturday was a mistake. I know that now. The whole thing. I was confused by the entire situation and reacted poorly.”
I was a mistake. A bitter laugh bubbled up. His words cut me hard, but I wasn’t surprised. He was the reason I never sought a career like my sister. I saw how easily her old boss fired her, despite her talent, all because she got in the way.
The wealthy and powerful didn’t care about your talent or if you were a perfect fit for a job; they only cared about control. Once they knew you were out of their control, they threw you aside.
That was why I always worked odd jobs, just enough to get by.
“Definitely a mistake. If it wasn’t for Nathan, I wouldn’t even be standing here.”
Monty’s brow furrowed. “You think Nathan is a mistake?”
“No, not in a million years. But working for you was. I knew weeks ago I shouldn’t have come on the interview, but everyone sang your praises. Even Jami, and she had only met you once at the party. I believed them over my gut. But that’s not happening again.” I turned to my sister. “I’m sorry, Laura, I know you worked hard to help me, but I don’t think I can work here anymore.”
Laura reached out, grabbing my arm as I turned away. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ll do what I always do, find an hourly job to pay the bills. If I have to work two or three jobs, I will.” I glanced over at Monty. “Because it’s better than working here.”
Laura released my arm, and I glanced around until I saw a stairwell sign. Moving away from them, I followed the arrow until I found the door to the stairwell.
It was an old staircase with wooden stairs, but the enclosed space was humid due to no ventilation.
I made it down a few stairs before I heard the door open behind me. There at the top was Monty.
“Are you following me, or are you afraid of that elevator, too?”
“Both.”
I stopped at the landing between the floors, wiped my brow of sweat, and turned to face him as he made his way down.
“There’s no point in following me. You’re leaving for the West Coast. I’ve made it quite clear I never want to see you again. I don’t know what’s left to say.”
My arms folded, readying myself for our last goodbye. He may have been strange, but a part of me liked him. He took a chance on me with the job, letting me talk to Hamish on the phone during my interview when he didn’t have to.
I guess that was what was so confusing. If he only wanted to play Superman with me, then why take a risk like that? And at meetings, why would he ask for my opinion?
And that confusion was tearing at my heart. I wanted to believe he was a good man, that he wanted me for me, not because it would up his ego.
He placed his hands on my shoulders, and I felt that spark from his touch. That damn electricity that no man had ever created in my body, not until Monty came into my life.
I hated to say goodbye to it, to him, but I wasn’t about to risk being with a man who only wanted to use me.
“I know you don’t want to see me anymore, and I don’t blame you. If I had been honest from the beginning, all the hurt and confusion would have never happened. That’s my fault. And I’m working to change that.”
“Yes, being honest that you have a hero complex would have been helpful. But I guess admitting it is a big step.”
I didn’t know much about the psychology around that issue, but I knew talking about it was a step forward.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I don’t have a hero complex. If anyone has that problem, it would be Rock, and even I don’t think he’s that bad.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
He took a deep breath and said, “I’m Nathan’s father.”
Chapter 21
Julia
“YOU’RE INSANE.” I PUSHED his hands away and turned toward the stairs leading down.
“I swear it’s true, Julia.”
I wasn’t about to stick around to hear his delusional ramblings. I heard his footsteps running after me.
I stopped on the last step before another landing and turned to him. “Okay, if you’re the father, then does he have a birthmark on his arm or thigh?”
He threw his hands up. “How am I supposed to know that? When I saw him two weeks ago, he was bundled up in blankets.”
Monty was right, but it still didn’t make him any less insane.
I moved to a door and quickly opened it, not bothering to look back. No way I was losing time by checking how close he was.
When I left the stairs, I noticed I was near his office. The last place he would look for me was in his office. He
would assume I wouldn’t go there, but he’d be wrong. As I turned into his office, I checked to see if he had followed me.
Nope. I heard him call my name, but he didn’t know where I was.
Looking around, I ran around his desk and was about to go into the bathroom, but I heard footsteps outside the door. I dove under his desk and tried to be as still as possible.
Desperately, I held my breath as I heard the door close, but it was difficult as I took small gasps of air. Once these boobs shrank back to normal size, exercise would be a top priority.
My heart rattled in my chest as I heard footsteps move across the room. I covered my mouth with my hands to muffle the sound of my breathing.
I knew I was acting ridiculous, hiding from him under a desk, but he was crazy. What would he do next? Claim to be the president of the galaxy?
Right now, nothing about him would surprise me.
He sat in his office chair, and I knew it was Monty. I recognized his expensive leather shoes.
“I know you’re under my desk, Julia,” Monty said but didn’t bother to look.
“I’m just taking a breather.”
“Mmm.”
We sat there in silence. I lowered my hands as my breath was under control, and he knew I was here, so who cared if he heard me? Monty waited in his chair, his feet planted to the ground.
“What makes you think you’re Nathan’s father? You saw him once, and I’d think I’d remember having sex with you. I mean, before these past few weeks.”
“I did the math. We had sex in early December. At the Jingle Balls Ball.”
My eyes widened. How did he know that? Wait a second. I told him I had a one-night stand with Nathan’s father at the charity ball.
“Nice try, Sherlock. But I already told you about me hooking up with Nathan’s father at the Jingle Balls Ball. You’ll have to do better than that.”
“You never saw his face, did you?”
“Of course I did . . .”
My smirk faded as it hit me. I had no idea what he looked like. Over the past ten months, I kept telling myself I saw something. A nose or his eyes. But now that I was concentrating on that night, I realized I never saw a thing. Not even his cock.
Surprising the Billionaire with a Baby (Blue Ridge Mountain Billionaires Book 2) Page 12