THAT MAN: Holiday Box Set Books 1-5

by Nelle L’Amour

  Vera stood up. I followed suit, my gaze on Eddie.

  “Take care, man. And trust me, we’re going to nail that motherfucker.”

  Vera asked me if I wanted to grab a bite in the hospital’s cafeteria. Having not eaten dinner and drained, I readily agreed.

  Though cheerfully decorated for the holidays, there was something very depressing about having dinner here on Christmas Day. There were not many diners—just some weary looking doctors and nurses and a handful of glum-eyed visitors. Having a loved one who was sick in the hospital over Christmas must be very depressing. A pang of sadness hit me in the gut as I bit into my tuna fish sandwich. Vera had ordered the same along with two coffees.

  She took a bite of the sandwich and put it down. “Blake, I meant to thank you for the generous bonus. I was blown away.”

  I smiled. On top of her six-figure salary, I’d given her a hefty $50,000 bonus. She was worth her weight in gold. “You deserved it. Our Vegas affiliate is our number one station thanks to you.”

  Her smile widened. “I love what I do. And I love working with you. Thanks to the bonus, we’re finally going to be able to remodel our kitchen.”

  “That’s great.” I took a sip of my coffee.

  “Oh, I also want to thank you for the boxful of Power Ranger toys you sent to Joshua. He went bananas. He’s going to write you a thank-you note.”

  Joshua was her six-year-old son. Unlike my obnoxious twin nephews, he was a great kid. Polite and precocious. Despite her hectic, high-powered job, Vera had done a great job bringing him up. If I ever had a son, I hoped he’d be a lot like Josh. It would, of course, take a special woman to instill him with love and the right values. Jennifer’s beautiful face flashed into my head. My heart hammered. Fuck. I missed her.

  As if she were a mind reader, Vera asked, “How’s it going with Jennifer?”

  I could feel my face light up. “She broke up with her fiancé.”

  Vera high-fived me. “Congratulations.”

  “I followed your advice. Proved to her that Dickwick was not the right guy for her.” I wasn’t going to tell her how I did that. No way. That video I took of him and his hygienist was no one’s business. I sure hoped she wasn’t going to ask for details. Thank God, she didn’t.

  “And so…”

  My face heated up. Electricity coursed through my blood vessels and I could feel my cock stir. “I told her I loved her.”

  “Oh my!” A cheek-to-cheek smile spread across her kind face.

  I don’t know what made me do it, but I launched into my story of surprising her at her house in Boise. And chatted away about the time we spent together.

  “Blake Burns, you surprise me. You are quite the romantic.”

  I felt my face flush with embarrassment. Yup, the former Mr. Hook-Up was now a contender for the title, Mr. Romance. I inwardly had to laugh at myself.

  We finished our sandwiches and drank the coffee to the last drop.

  “Blake, where are you staying tonight?”

  Fuck. I hadn’t made any arrangements. Vegas hotels were probably booked up because of the holidays. I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t have a hotel reservation.”

  She smiled warmly. “You don’t need one. Stay at our place. We have a spare bedroom, and I’m sure Joshua will be thrilled to see you.”

  At first I hesitated, but then took her up on her kind offer. Besides, I wanted to be there in case fucking Springer showed up. Mental note: Make sure Vera has twenty-four hour surveillance.

  Vera’s house was a modest sixties contemporary located not far from the hospital. It was great to see her good-natured husband Steve with whom I shared a cigar and, of course, little Josh, who roped me into playing Power Rangers with him. I asked him if he liked SpongeBob.

  He rolled his eyes at me. “Uncle Blake, SpongeBob rules!”

  I immediately thought again of my beautiful tiger.

  After setting up security for Vera and her family as well as for Eddie, I called her. To my disappointment, her phone went straight to voice mail. I told her everything was okay in Vegas and that I would be heading back to LA in the morning. My last words: “I love you.”

  I went to bed in the small but comfortable guest room with my cell phone by my ear. I called Jen again and texted. Nada. I even tried calling her parents, but damn it, their phone number was unlisted. This Christmas Day, which had started out so great, had ended up with tragedy and uncertainty. Maybe I’d blown it with Jennifer leaving her so abruptly with little explanation. With a heavy heart, I finally succumbed to sleep.

  I woke up in the morning to the smell of fresh coffee. Though the guest bed at Vera’s house was as comfortable as could be, I slept like shit. All night long, I tossed and turned thinking about Jennifer, and having fucking Springer on my mind didn’t help. Before getting out of bed, I stretched my arm to the nightstand where I’d moved my phone. I quickly checked my texts and messages. Not a word from my tiger despite how many times I’d tried to contact her. For sure, I’d fucked up again.

  Feeling blue as balls, I staggered out of bed, did my usual morning routines in the adjacent guest bathroom, and then threw on some sweats. I could use a good hot cup of java. It wasn’t even seven o’clock. Having an active six-year-old in the house did not make for sleeping in. I remembered those days well. I was a holy terror. My parents were lucky they could afford nannies to run after me.

  Vera and her family were already at the breakfast table when I showed up. The kitchen was indeed a little run-down with old appliances and cabinets. I was glad Vera was going to be able to spruce it up with her bonus money.

  “Hi, Uncle Blake,” said Josh, playing with one of his Power Ranger action figures while eating his breakfast.

  “Hi, Josh,” I said with faux cheeriness.

  Vera’s husband Steve, dressed in pajamas, also welcomed me.

  Vera, wearing a long white silky robe that looked brand new, was at the stove stirring a pot of what must be oatmeal. Hearing my voice, she turned around. I noticed her robe bore the insignia of Gloria’s Secret—a small hot pink heart on the top pocket. Maybe it was a Christmas present from Steve.

  “Good morning, Blake. What can I get you?”

  “A cup of coffee would be great. And whatever you’re making.” Truthfully, I wasn’t hungry. I took a seat at the table, and Vera brought me both a mug of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal. I took a sip of the hot beverage and instantly felt the caffeine rush into my bloodstream. I took another sip and my spirits lifted a teensy bit.

  Just as Vera was about to join us at the table, the phone rang. She dashed over to a kitchen counter to pick it up. She listened intently and then broke into a smile.

  “Thank you for letting me know,” she said and hung up the phone.

  Still wearing a smile and holding a mug of coffee, she sat down at the table facing me. She was extremely pretty. She wore her blond hair short, and a combination of warmth and intelligence radiated from her toffee brown eyes. She was so different from the blond bimbos I dated. I mean, used to date.

  “Great news, Blake. They caught Don Springer.”

  My eyes lit up. “Where’d they find him?”

  She took a sip of her coffee. “The police picked him up at the airport.”

  “Thank f—God.” I managed not to say the f-word in front of Josh. Springer was lucky. Man, if I had found him, I would have cut off his balls and maybe cut out his heart. I could never forgive him for what he did to Jennifer. Or to poor Eddie.

  Vera’s husband Steve was also relieved.

  “Who’s Don Thwinger?” asked Josh, who had an adorable speech impediment because he was missing a front tooth.

  Vera ruffled her fingers through his sandy hair. “No one you know, mister. Now get going. Daddy’s going to take you bike riding this morning.”

  Finishing his milk, Josh jumped up. “Come on, Daddy. Hurry. Let’s go,” he shouted as he scooted out of the room.

  Steve rose from the table. “Got
ta go. Will I be seeing you later, Blake?”

  “Not sure. Probably not.”

  “Well good to see you, man, and thanks for the cigar.” He winked at me. “Don’t mess with my wife.”

  Steve knew about my reputation as a player, but he had a sense of humor about it. Moreover, his marriage was rock solid, and he knew I loved and respected Vera. She was more than a fellow employee. She was a dear friend and almost like a sister to me.

  “Don’t worry,” I said with a little laugh. He gave Vera peck on the cheek and followed his son out the door.

  Vera sipped her coffee. “I’m glad that’s over.”

  “Me too. Springer’s going to be doing a good amount of time.” Life behind bars would be better, I silently added. The fucking animal.

  Vera smiled. “Well, I guess you can go back to Boise and spend the rest of your holiday with Jennifer.”

  I twisted my mouth. “Can’t. Jennifer doesn’t want to see me.”

  Vera knitted her brows. “What do you mean?”

  “She hasn’t answered any of my texts or calls.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “She probably thinks I came to Vegas to see some babe. I didn’t tell her the real reason for splitting.”

  Vera rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Blake. Why didn’t you tell her?”

  “I was afraid to. She was with her parents. I didn’t want to upset them or her.”

  “Well, Blake, she’s a big girl and could have handled it. Call her again and tell her the truth. If you don’t, I will.”

  “It’s futile. She’s not going to pick up her phone. She’s stubborn that way.”

  “Well then, call her house.”

  “The number’s not listed.”

  “Blake, I’m sure you can get it from Mrs. Cho or your Human Resources person. It must be listed on some form she filled out asking for emergency contacts.”

  I twitched a smile. Vera was right. Why didn’t I think of that?

  Yup. Where’s there’s a will, there’s a way. I pulled out my cell phone from a pocket of my sweats and immediately speed-dialed Mrs. Cho’s home number. My super-organized secretary would for sure have it in some file. A glimmer of hope slithered through me.

  I nervously drummed the table with my fingers while waiting for Mrs. Cho to pick up. She did so on the second ring. Two minutes later, I had all the phone numbers associated with Jennifer’s parents. Both their home number and their cell phones. Spotting a loose crayon on the table, I scribbled them down a paper napkin. God bless, Mrs. Cho.

  “Bingo,” I shouted as I dialed Harold McCoy’s cell phone. I didn’t want to run the risk of Jen picking up the home phone and hanging up on me.

  As I anxiously waited for him to pick up, my eyes stayed riveted on smiling Vera. Her robe had given me another idea.

  If things worked out with Jennifer—man, they’d better—I was going to call Gloria and Jaime up next and ask them for a favor. Things were looking up.

  Chapter 10

  Jennifer

  I’d cried myself to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I felt worse than I did last night. Blake Burns had ripped my heart apart. He had told me loved me, given me the best twenty-four hours of my life, and then left me bereft. Yeah, some big emergency in Vegas. Maybe one of his bimbos was having a breakdown from Blake withdrawal or her breast implants were leaking. Or maybe he was summoned to a Vegas orgy. Calling Blake Burns.

  A sadness like I’d never known consumed every cell of my body. Why couldn’t I feel numb or angry? At least, if I were angry, I could make some decisions. I’d never felt this way when I broke up with Bradley whom I’d known for over five years. I hadn’t even known Blake for five weeks and the ache in my heart was unbearable. My eyes stung and my throat constricted. I could barely breathe.

  Slowly, I rolled out of bed and took small, unsteady steps to the bathroom. I could hardly walk. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked far worse than I thought. My eyes were red and puffy, my lips swollen, and my skin blotchy. I watched as another round of tears trickled down my face.

  Somehow, I managed to get downstairs. My early-riser parents were already seated at the kitchen table. They stared at me. Given what I looked like, I expected my mother to grow panicky and run up to me and give me a big hug. She didn’t.

  “Jan Lunden called me late last night. She took her granddaughter to a movie yesterday and told me she saw you there.”

  Jan was an old friend of my mother’s. A bridge pal. I froze.

  “She said she saw you with your fiancé. Kissing him.”

  Silence. The only thing that roared in my ear was my hammering heart.

  “I asked her what he looked like.”

  My heart beat faster.

  “She described someone that sounds exactly like Blake.”

  I could no longer hold back. I burst into sobs. A torrent of tears stormed down my face.

  My father spoke softly as I stood there heaving, bawling uncontrollably. “Jennie, please come here and tell your mother what’s going on.”

  I staggered to the table and collapsed into a chair. “Mom, I fell in love with Blake Burns and last night he broke my heart.”

  My mother was wide-eyed with shock. My father looked at me compassionately.

  “Now, honey, tell your mother who Blake is.”

  “My b-boss,” I stammered through my tears. I didn’t tell her he was the head of a porn channel. I glanced at my father. Did he know? His knowing eyes told me did. Please, Dad, don’t say anything. Please! I just didn’t need to make matters worse. My mother would have a stroke if she knew.

  To my relief, he said nothing as my mother jumped up. She grabbed a linen napkin and came around the table.

  “Darling, why didn’t you tell us?” She gave me a much-needed hug and dabbed my tears.

  “I don’t know. It’s complicated, and it all happened so fast.”

  The tears kept falling. I took the napkin from my mother and brushed them away.

  “But, darling, I don’t understand. Why do you think he’s hurt you?”

  “Mom, he’s a player.”

  A puzzled expression swept over her face. She didn’t know what that meant.

  “He dates lots of girls. I’m just one of them. He went to Vegas last night to see someone else.”

  Mom furrowed her brows. “What makes you think that? He seemed so serious when he took that call. He said there was a crisis.”

  My father responded. “I agree with your mother. I trust Blake.”

  How could he trust him after only knowing him for twenty-four hours? I loved and respected my father, but he didn’t know my boss the way I did. My father continued.

  “He gave me his word he wouldn’t hurt you. Jennie baby, I believe him.”

  Before I could say another word, a phone rang. I recognized the ringtone. My father’s. John Lennon’s “Love,” my parents’ wedding song.

  Retrieving it from the kitchen counter where it was plugged in and recharging, he spoke into it as he headed back to the table.

  “Yes, Blake, she’s right here. I’ll put you on with her.”

  Blake? How the hell did he get my father’s number? My heart beat into a frenzy. I was practically hyperventilating. My dad sat back down at the table and told Blake to “hold on.”

  “Dad, I don’t want to speak to him.”

  “I’m your father. Please hear him out.” He handed me the phone.

  I took a deep breath to fortify myself and swiped away my tears with my free hand. Trembling, I put the phone to my ear.

  “Hello.” My voice was small and shaky.

  His voice was loud and strong. The sound of it rattled me. He told me he wanted me to take the call away from my parents. He had something to tell me.

  “Okay.” I breathed out the word, and rising, told my parents I’d be right back. I moved into the living room and slumped onto the couch. I let Blake know I was alone.

  Blake: “Jennifer, you need to know the r
eal reason I went to Vegas.”

  Me: “And what might that be?” My quivering voice was dripping with sarcasm.

  Blake: “Don Springer.”

  The mention of his name stunned me into silence.

  Blake: “Jen, are you there? Can you hear me?”

  Me: “Yes.” My voice was just above whisper.

  Blake: “He beat up the producer of Private Dick.”

  I gasped and every muscle in my body tensed. I knew Blake couldn’t be lying. Not about something like that. Guilt stabbed at my heart. I should have trusted him.

  Me: “Oh my God. Is he okay?”

  Blake: “Yes, and they’ve got the motherfucker in custody.”

  A new round of tears assaulted me. Tears of relief and remorse.

  Me: “Oh, Blake. I’m so sorry.”

  Blake: “Sorry about what, tiger?”

  Me: “That I mistrusted you.”

  Blake: “You had the right to. I fucked up. I should have told you the truth. I was afraid.”

  Me: “I understand.” My man wanted to protect me, shelter me from the monsters of the world.

  Blake: “Baby, I love you.”

  Me: “I love you too.” Oh God, did I love him!

  Blake: “When are you heading back to LA?”

  Me: “The thirty-first.”

  Blake: “I have some Springer shit I have to deal with in Vegas and then I’m heading back. I want to spend New Year’s with you.

  A new year. A new beginning.

  Me: “Okay.” A squeak.

  Blake: “Send me your flight info. I’ll pick you up.”

  Me: “I will.”

  Blake: “Tiger, just know. I love you. There’s no one but you.”

  I fingered the gemstone heart around my neck and glanced at the snow tiger I’d left on the couch. With my free arm, I reached for him and hugged him tight against me.

  Me: “Blake, I love you too.”

  We ended the call, and I found myself crying more buckets of tears. Except they were tears of joy. There were no Scrabble words to describe how much I loved Blake Burns.

  Chapter 11