Ashley clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Not that I am one to say I told you so, but I did warn you that no good would come from having sex with Lucas Brasher. But let’s not get into all that, how are you holding up now that you’ve had the brush-off?”
Regina pulled out some ham steak and set it on the counter, turning toward the cabinet where she kept her bread and opening the door. “I’m fine, Ash, really. There are plenty of women who have raised babies on their own with little or no help from the biological fathers throughout the years; I’m pretty sure I can handle this. Besides, like I told you before, we used a condom, so this pregnancy should never have happened. But this is neither here nor there seeing as though The Powers That Be decided I was ready to be a mom at twenty-six-years-old.”
Ashley sighed. “Do you remember in health class how the teacher repeatedly told us that a condom was only ninety-eight percent effective in preventing pregnancy?”
Regina let out a sarcastic laugh, “Of course, I do! I’m not a complete idiot! That’s why I said The Powers That Be decided it was time for me to become a mother. We’ve talked about how much I wanted a family, and even though this may not have been the way I had always envisioned starting one, here it is. In any case, I’m not getting any younger, so I’m going to continue to think of this as a blessing instead of a curse. No matter what happens between now and the time this baby gets here, they are going to know how much they are loved.”
She placed her hand over her still flat stomach, a soft smile on her face as she informed her best friend of seven years how she planned on taking care of the child that was growing inside of her. Regina would never admit it to Ashley, but she was scared shitless of the prospect of raising a child, much less a child on her own. But she would put on a brave face and pretend that she felt much braver than she truly did.
The smile slipped as she remembered the last words Like said to her as he walked away three weeks prior, “How can you even be sure that child is mine?”
2
Regina stood in front of the full-length mirror in Ashley’s luxurious bedroom, looking at her reflection. The pale pink ballgown that her best friend had picked out for her made her milky-white skin seem a little paler than usual, and her blue hair seemed almost black in the dim light of the room. Running her hands down the length of the bodice, she noticed that it was formfitting enough to garner attention from the men attending the gala but not tight enough to cause her to worry about a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a dance. The floor-length skirt had a slit that came up to midthigh, showing just enough leg to be flirtatious but nothing that she would be too uncomfortable wearing.
“Damn, girl! I knew you would look stunning in that dress the minute I saw it. Grant won’t know what hit him when he sees you.” Ashley said as she looked over Regina’s reflection standing next to her own.
Regina turned her attention to the reflection so different from her own. “I don’t know, Ash. You don’t know think it makes me look to pale?”
Ashely wrapped her arms around her best friend pulling her into a tight embrace. “Of course not, honey! You are going to be the belle of the ball tonight and I promise you’ll be thanking me for setting you up with Grant by the end of the night.”
Regina pulled away, wiping at the tears that had started falling, “It’s a good thing we hadn’t started on my makeup or you’d be furious with me right now.”
Ashley laughed. “Nonsense! We’d be able to fix you up in no time. Now, tell me, how do I look?”
Regina gave her best friend a watery smile taking in the cream-colored formal gown that caressed the other woman’s figure, squeezing the waist just enough to show how small it was and spreading into a long skirt. Ashley’s caramel colored skin played peek-a-boo in the lace sleeves as she played with her hair waiting for her best friend’s opinion.
“As always, Ash, you look drop dead gorgeous. You’re going to have every man in the place panting to be next to you,” Regina stated.
Moving away from the mirror. “Where did you say your dad found these gowns?”
Ashley turned to look at her best friend. “You know how Daddy is, he likes beautiful things, and he can discover those things anywhere.”
Regina nodded her head in acknowledgment. “Fair enough.”
Taking a deep breath as she looked over the makeup and hair accessories that Ashley had laid out on her bed, Regina could feel the butterflies that had started fluttering in her stomach when she had climbed into her car now flying around as if they were seeking an exit. “What time does the breast cancer awareness gala begin?”
Placing her hand on her abdomen, Regina turned back to her reflection, noting with a small twinge of sadness that this might be the last time she would be able to wear a dress as tight as the one she had on before the swell of a baby bump would be noticeable.
Ashley watched her friend’s movements with a sad look in her eyes. “Wipe that thought from your mind, mama-to-be. You don’t have to worry about that for at least two, maybe, four more months. Now the gala starts at seven, but we won’t be arriving until seven thirty, because all classy women—”
“Show up fashionably late,” Regina finished for her friend.
Ashley laughed. “I take it I’ve shared this information with you before?”
Regina tilted her head to the side, pretending to think of an answer. “Oh, only every time I attend one of your galas. I’m ready for you to work on my hair and makeup now. The water works have been suppressed and while I can’t promise that they will stay that way for the whole night, I can promise that they won’t start again anytime soon.”
Ashley walked around her friend, taking in her appearance. “I’m thinking that we’re going to go for a natural look with you, light on the makeup and we should do an updo, not a ponytail really but just enough that it is off the back of your neck. And we can curl a couple tendrils on either side of your face, like a frame that will bring attention to your bright blue eyes. How does that sound?”
Regina smiled at her best friend, this was a side she loved to nurture in Ashley, the side that allowed her to be as creative as she wanted to be. She watched as sparkles seemed to appear in her friend’s dark eyes and the crinkles formed as Ashley smiled. Her caramel color skin seemed to glisten in the light of the room as Ashley moved about, picking out this shade of eyeshadow and that shade of eyeliner. This was a woman on a mission, one that would guarantee a new path in the life of her best friend, though neither of them knew just how much of a change was going to happen when they stepped off the bottom step.
3
Grant leaned against the wall next to the open bar, taking in the scene before him. He’d been attending O’Rourke’s soirees since the day he invested in the man and his business, but lately he found himself getting bored having the same conversations with the same people at every single one. Grant was looking from something different, exciting even, to capture his attention. Searching the crowded room for a face he’d never seen before he discovered it was the very same people he had socialized with not more than a week before.
Pushing off the wall and making his way to the bar, Grant nodded to the people trying to get his attention but avoided starting any conversations with anyone. He was intent on getting a drink and keeping to himself until his host’s daughter arrived with the tasty morsel she called a best friend. Once Grant had his drink in hand, he turned away from the bar and began to watch the crowd once more, searching for Ashley.
Their conversation at the bistro four days prior had not only piqued his interest, on many levels, about Regina but also lead him to believe that the attractive woman didn’t like to get out much. Ashley had informed the successful businessman that her best friend was coming out of an unhealthy relationship and wasn’t looking for anything serious. Which worked out great for Grant, of course, because he wasn’t looking to change his Most Eligible Bachelor status any time soon.
Moving his gaze from the sea of faces in front of h
im, it finally settled on the two women who were walking down the stairs to join the fray. Grant and Ashley’s eyes met, and she gave him an encouraging smile. Grant’s gaze moved from Ashley to her companion. He had been watching Regina for some time, hoping to be able to have a full conversation with her. Oh, they’d met before but had never truly talked, because the woman was always in a hurry to get somewhere. So, when Ashley suggested he add Regina as his plus-one for the party he was attending, Grant jumped at the chance.
Grant was used to getting his way and having women throw themselves at him, but Regina was different, and not in a bad way. She was polite when she had to speak with him, but if given the choice, she would keep her distance.
Tonight should be interesting indeed, Grant thought as he watched the women make their way to the bar where he was leaning.
“I should have known you’d position yourself at the bar, Grant,” Ashley said as she stood on her tiptoes to give him a hug and kiss on his cheek.
Grant released her and smiled. “Of course. This is the best vantage point to look over the crowd. You’re looking beautiful, as always, Ashley.”
Ashley giggled. “You make it sound like I never look bad. Let me introduce to my best friend. Grant this is Regina Salisbury, my best friend in the whole world. Regina, this is Grant Thompson, the benefactor who has ensured Daddy’s successes.”
Regina offered her hand to the man standing before her, she had been brought up to be polite, after all, but she didn’t know what Grant would do.
Grant took the offered hand, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he brought it to his lips. “You look lovely, Ms. Salisbury. I have to say I barely recognized you without your uniform. I must tell you, with you on my arm, I will be the envy of every man in the room.”
Regina met his gaze with a serious one of her own as she pulled her hand from his grip. “You’re too kind, Mr. Thompson. It’s especially kind coming from a man who comes into a diner and drops a hundred-dollar bill as a tip for a waitress who only brought you a glass of iced tea.”
Ashley gawked at the scene that was unfolding before her. “The two of you have met before?”
Grant continued to look at Regina as he answered Ashley’s question. “It just so happens that I had the good fortune to have lunch at the Souls Diner the other day, and Regina here was my waitress. She was very sweet and extremely attentive.”
Ashely turned to her best friend, a shocked look on her face and exclaimed. “How come this nugget of information didn’t come up while we were talking on the phone about the gala, Regina? I honestly believe this is the type of information that you would share with your best friend. You know what? Never mind, we’ll talk about this after the party.”
Her annoyed gaze moved between Grant and Regina. “I’m going to go look for Daddy. You two play nice now.”
Ashley spun on her heel and walked away in a huff, clearly upset that Regina hadn’t told her that Grant had been in the diner for a glass of iced tea. Regina couldn’t fathom why Ashley thought having the billionaire mafia boss drinking iced tea in her diner was so important.
4
Regina watched as her friend bounced off in the direction of the makeshift stage in the middle of the room where Mr. O’Rourke was standing, leaving her alone with the most dangerous and influential man in Chicago. Add all of that with his amazing, good looks, smoldering chocolate eyes and wavy jet-black hair and that spelled trouble for Regina. She was always attracted to the bad boys, dangerous men who called the shots and could end your life with one word. Regina never understood why that type always appealed to her, but she had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with a particular hunger she had deep down; one might even say it was the core of who she was.
Grant offered his arm. “Shall we do some mingling? It looks like Mr. O’Rourke is about to speak, so maybe we should get closer to where he and Ashley are.”
Regina reluctantly placed her hand on the offered arm and turned with the billionaire. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to at least make our way to the stage. I’m sure Mr. O’Rourke will be introducing you as the biggest donor to the charity this evening, and we certainly don’t want to miss that.”
Grant chuckled. “Is that chip on your shoulder about the amount of money I have and spend, or do you just not like me in general?”
Regina took a breath to answer his question when he interrupted her. “No, I mean, really, I want to know. Let’s get all of that out of the way while we walk to the stage so we can have a good time tonight, okay?”
As the two of them made their way to the stage and her best friend, Regina thought about Grant’s question. What was it about this man that had her so on edge? Was it his money, or was it the man himself? She didn’t need to think too hard to come up with the answer, it wasn’t the man or the money, but his values and everything he seemed to stand for that Regina had issues with. When Grant stopped walking so he could talk with a fellow businessman, Regina decided to tell him the truth about how she felt. She was hoping that by confronting him in a very public area, she would be able to get her point across without hurting his feelings or invoking his anger.
When Grant had finished his short conversation and returned his attention to Regina, she cleared her throat. “To answer your question, Mr. Thompson, I abhor everything you stand for. That is what this chip on my shoulder, as you so eloquently put it, is about. You have no morals or sense of decency. You walk around this town as if you own it, throwing money at potential problems to make them go away without making a mess. The only thing you care about is whether or not you can buy someone. Oh sure, you donate to charities and nonprofits to make yourself feel better or look good, but in the end, you’re still unethical.”
The businessman who had been walking towards them with an outstretched hand to speak with the billionaire suddenly decided he needed to be elsewhere when Grant’s welcoming smile changed into a cold, calculated look. “Mind your tongue, Ms. Salisbury. You need to ensure that you have all of the facts when speaking about things you know little about, lest you look foolish when you find the popular opinion is dead wrong.”
Regina scoffed and stood her ground, her voice rising slightly in her disbelief. “You’re seriously going to stand there and tell me that I’m wrong, that my facts don’t add up? That’s a ballsy move, even for you, Mr. Thompson.”
Grant gave the waitress an accessing look. “There is a lot more to me than you think, Ms. Salisbury. There are many sides to a person, some that are hidden from the world.”
The billionaire leaned closer to the waitress so he could whisper in the waitress’s ear. “Are you going to tell me that you’re not hiding something? Even from your best friend?”
Regina’s eyes widened in surprise as she stepped back from Grant, her hand moving from his arm. Her startled gaze searched the crowd until they found her best friend.
Ashley waved to the couple and gave Regina a questioning look when she saw how frightened she looked and the space that was between the billionaire and waitress.
The squealing feedback from the microphone drew Regina’s attention away from her best friend and back to the man standing in front of her, helping her regain her composure. “Why, here comes your big introduction now. Shall we join Ashley and her father on the stage?”
5
Grant watched as Regina and Ashley talked in hushed tones, waiting for Mr. O’Rourke to introduce him, so he could make the announcement he was sure would make his plus-one feel justified in her assumption of his character.
“Without further ado, I would like to introduce to you Mr. Grant Thompson. This man has not only donated the largest amount of money to our breast cancer awareness charity, but he has singlehandedly helped raise five hundred thousand dollars for Feeding America. He has an announcement that he has been dying to share with all of us. Now let’s give a big round of applause for Mr. Grant Thompson!” Mr. O’Rourke’s voice brought Grant’s attention from the women in front of him.
&nb
sp; The applause was deafening as Grant accepted the offered microphone and cleared his throat. “Good evening, everyone! Are we having a great time?”
This question was met with whoops and hollers, people stomped their feet to show how much they were enjoying the party.
Grant smiled, slipping into his public speaker persona, encouraged by the cheering he had received. “As Mr. O’Rourke stated, I have an announcement that I’m dying to share with you. But before I do, I need to have Mr. O’Rourke rejoin me on this stage as it concerns him. Let’s give him some encouragement with some applause, shall we?”
The people gathering around the stage clapped harder and screamed louder as if they were attending a rock concert instead of a charity event, but that was all of the encouragement Mr. O’Rourke needed to join Grant on the stage. Mr. O’Rourke waved at the partygoers, a smile lighting up his face as he walked toward the man that had called him back on stage. Taking his place by the billionaire’s side, he used the universal sign to have the crowd calm down.
Once the people had quieted down, Grant cleared his throat once more and spoke into the microphone. “Now that we have the host back up here on the stage I can share the announcement I have been waiting for the last month to share with everyone. I believe we can all agree that breast cancer and feeding the hungry are very important causes, and I am excited to share with you that we not only made our goal for tonight, but we were able to bypass that goal immensely!”
This news was met with thunderous applause and loud shouts. Everyone was happy to hear that the charity gala was a huge hit.
“Quiet down now. Don’t you want to hear my announcement?” Grant said with a chuckle.
Regina watched as the crowd reacted to the billionaire’s words and had to admit to herself how impressive it was for one person to control such a large crowd of people. Maybe she didn’t really have all of the facts concerning his character.
Supernatural Syndicate: A Limited Edition Collection of Magical Mafia Stories Page 42