Vinnie coos, “Look at my girls.” Claudia and I laugh as Vinnie holds his hands in front of him, feeling the love. Then his irritation shows. “Your ex is a loser with a capital L. This is the best thing that could happen to you. Mark my words.”
Claudia replies, “Let’s hope.”
She looks at me, and I ask, “So, about that burger? Room service?”
It’s amazing what you can get at any hour, even in Paris, if you flash the big cash. The four of us have shared our dinners, laughs, and stories while sprawled out in Vinnie’s large suite. It’s been an unexpected ending to an eventful day, but it’s been good. Relaxing, and I haven’t felt truly relaxed since Marfa.
Watching Danny, I wonder if every night with him will always be this easy, this… wonderful. I’m betting seven million it is.
Vinnie stands and starts swooshing toward the door. “I need my beauty sleep and we still have lots to discuss in the morning with the campaign.” Looking at the clock, he corrects, “Lunch. Since it’s two in the morning, let’s just meet for lunch instead.”
“Call me when you wake up and let me know what time you want to meet,” I say.
After goodbyes full of hugs, love, and smiles, Danny and I go back to our room.
I brush my teeth and get ready to go to sleep, and then we swap places. I’m exhausted—the day draining, both emotionally and physically. While I lie in bed, I think about the journey we’ve taken. The bad has been dragged up because of unhealed wounds. But lying here, I take a freeing breath, releasing all the bad history and breathe in the future that awaits us.
Danny climbs into bed next to me and immediately molds his body to mine. “With a grin like that on your face, you have me curious what you’re thinking about.”
Taking his hand, I hold it to my chest, loving the feel of his arm around me. “Not thinking. Feeling. I feel my heart beating for the first time in years. Like really feel it. I feel alive and full of hope.” Lifting my hair up, he kisses the back of my neck. I whisper, “You’re the only one who ever broke my heart. You’re also the only one who could piece it back together until it was whole and beating again.”
“I’m sorry I broke it. If I could change how things played out, I would.”
“So would I. If we would have had improved email or even Skype back then, we could have kept in touch better than we did.”
“It killed me some nights when I couldn’t call you, just to hear your voice again. Damn phone cards never did work well in other countries.”
“No matter what, you still deserved better than how I left.”
“You had a job to start—”
Turning in his arms so I can face him, I say, “No job was worth losing you over. I lost myself without you and thought you had found yourself without me.”
“You were wrong. I never had a life without you. For years, I’ve been searching for something that I stupidly thought I could replace.”
With a light laugh, I rest my hand on his neck. “You were wrong.”
“I have no doubt that you’re the stronger and braver of the two of us.” He smiles so gently that I can’t help but return it.
The passion, the determination that builds inside, I can’t hold back any longer. “I’ll fight for us this time. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”
He kisses me softly. Then with our foreheads pressed together, he says, “Thank you for showing me the way back.”
“I didn’t show you. Your heart led you. Straight back to mine.”
“You’ll always be home to me.”
We don’t make love. We don’t fuck. We hold one another and whisper gratitude for each other. You’ll always be home to me. His words comfort me until my eyelids grow heavy and I fall asleep.
Lunch with Vinnie is fabulous, just like him. He can’t be more pleased with the photo shoots and I can’t wait to see how the campaign turns out. When we return to the hotel, Claudia is checking out. Her flight is earlier than ours. She runs over and hugs me, and I hug her because I have a soft spot for her now that I’ve gotten to know her better.
With her suitcase in hand, she hugs Vinnie and tells him she’ll see him in New York. She’s about to go, but makes sure to tell me, “I think you and Danny are an amazing couple. Hold on tight to each other.”
“I intend to.”
“He’s special, and not just because he’s a supermodel.” She laughs. “Don’t tell Danny I called him that. I know how much he hates it.”
“I won’t,” I reply, grinning. “Good luck, Claudia, and safe travels.”
“Bye. Oh, and thanks for the burger last night. It was amazing. I’ve not felt this good in years, but maybe that’s not from the food, but the company.”
Vinnie blows her a kiss and turns to me. “I’ll pay the buyout fee.”
My jaw drops open. When I gather myself back from the shock, I say, “What? No way. You can’t do that.”
“That money is nothing to me, but everything to you. I can’t stand the thought of you and Model Danny fighting for your love through the court system. That would be so retro, late 80s/early 90s courtroom drama-ish. Oooh, maybe Chris Hemsworth can play Danny in the movie.”
“Slow down there. Let’s hope this never sees a day in the courtroom or we’ll really be screwed.”
“The offer stands, and now I’m leaning toward the other Hemsworth, Liam, for Danny’s role. But it would be a shame to cover up his blue eyes with contacts. Oooh, maybe Josh Duhamel. He’s ridiculously dreamy.”
I hug him, so grateful to have this man in my life. “Thank you for everything, including making me smile. I can’t accept your money though. I’m working on something and hopefully it pans out.”
“I’m intrigued.”
“More details on that soon, but for now, we should get ready to leave. Our flights are in three hours.”
“Yes, real quick though, and this is important.” I stand before him waiting to hear what he has to say. “Who will play you and me in the movie adaptation?”
“My dear Vinnie, please never change.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders. “I’m doing my best to stay the same, but the world is a changing, my sweet Candy girl.”
34
REESE
In the middle of Charles de Gaulle airport, I try not to cry and be the ridiculous lovesick woman who can’t manage a proper goodbye without snot-sobbing. It’s silly. I’ll see him soon. But not soon enough. Like in the next ten minutes, or hour, or day like I want. Standing before my past and my forever, I never realized they were one in the same. Until now.
“Don’t forget me,” I say, throwing myself into his arms once more and holding on like Claudia told me to.
“I never have.”
I smile, though it’s small, it still counts because he’s the one who made me smile. After one more kiss, I say, “I love you.”
“Don’t look so sad when you say it. Love should only be spoken from a happy heart.”
“I’m more happy than I appear. I’ll just miss you.”
With his finger under my chin, he lifts my head up. “Always hold your chin high and look on the sunny side.” He grabs me, tightly clinging to me as I did him a minute earlier. “I’ll miss you, baby.”
Purple-encased hands and arms envelop us both. “I’ll miss you too, my favorite dynamic duo.”
Both Danny I stay where we are, but slide one arm each around Vinnie. “Come on, don’t be sad. Reese will be right next to you the whole time.”
Vinnie sniffles. “But what about you? When do I get to be with you, Model Danny?”
Danny’s arms go into the air. “Everybody good? I’m good.”
Vinnie flings himself at him. “Hug me.”
With a shaking head, Danny looks at me. I frown at him, and mouth, “Hug him.”
He does, making me smile. I see his lips tugging upward despite his best efforts to stop them… until Vinnie turns his head to catch my eyes. From wrapped around Danny’s torso, Vinnie spreads his hand
s apart, and gobsmacked says, “Oh my Mary! Candy, you were so right about him. Lucky girl!”
As soon as he realizes what Vinnie means, he steps back. “Okay. Okay. That’s enough. We all have flights to catch.”
Laughing, I step up, kiss him on the lips, and step back again, keeping it casual like we see each other every day. Putting the vibe out into the universe that this is what I want with him. To kiss him like I’ll see him in an hour and for it come true.
I adjust my bag on my shoulder and give him a little wave goodbye. “See you soon.”
“See you soon,” he says, keeping it casual for me, and maybe for himself.
Turning around, I start walking away because it will gut me to watch him. But I can’t resist and look back, just once. There’s more distance between us than I expected and I realize he walked away at the same time, probably for the same reasons.
I thought it couldn’t get worse. Leaving Danny to go back to New York was plenty painful. Dealing with a lawsuit that cost him millions because of me, is awful. The guilt levels me to the ground.
But when I sit down in first class and ask for a magazine to read, and the flight attendant gives you a selection, one featuring a photo of you mid-orgasm on the cover, suddenly the money even seems minor. Grabbing the tabloid from her hands, I search for the date. Today. That means it’s been on newsstands in America for a few days. My heart sinks, as if it could go any lower, as I stare at the little photo on the top right corner of Danny and me in Marfa.
Desert.
Chair.
Me straddling Danny.
Head back.
Mouth open.
Fuck.
Bryker. The traitor.
“Oh God.” I cover my mouth in horror as I stare at the eye-catching headline—The Model and The Mistress.
Vinnie looks over. “What?”
I point, unable to speak.
“Huh? Ohhhhhh.” He grabs the magazine from me and flips it open to the feature inside. “There are four more photos.”
“Oh God.” I cover my eyes now, mortified.
“Wow, these look great. Have you ever considered going into porn? You really are pretty when you come.”
“We must never speak of this again.” I grab the magazine from him and whack him on the arm.
“That will be hard to do when it’s national news. See how hot he looks. God, his eyes are so intense, so… virile.”
The back of my head hits the seat and I close my eyes. “Danny is going to flip out.”
“Danny should be giving copies to everyone he knows and create a Facebook account for them. Or, even better, make an Instagram account. I’ll stalk you there. These photos are incredible. How much do you want for them? I could sell a million dollars worth of perfume by just Photoshopping a bottle right there in the corner.”
“Vinnie, I’m not kidding.”
“Neither am I. This is nothing. It’s a corner with a leading headline on a trashy rag. Everyone knows these magazines make shit up.”
My phone rings. When I pick it up from my lap, I see Danny’s face, a pic I took of him shirtless back in Marfa and saved as my screensaver. “Hi.”
“Reese, have you been to the newsstand today?”
“No.” I swallow hard. “Why?”
He pauses. “Your flight’s about to leave. Do you have Wi-Fi on your plane?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sending you a photo. A magazine cover. You might want to email your lawyers while you’re in the air. I know you’re about to take off, but contact me if you can. Don’t stress. We’ll handle this together.”
“I’ve just seen the photos. There was a copy of the magazine on my flight. I have to go, but I’ll email you as soon as I’m in the air.”
“Okay. I love you.”
No matter what’s happening in our lives—chaos or peace, I will always smile when he says that to me. “I love you, too. Be safe.”
“I will. We’ll talk soon.”
I pay for the Internet service offered, and we email several times over the course of the flight, but by the time Vinnie and I land back in New York, I’m not stressed, I’m not freaking out. I’m not even worried. I’m filled with a whole lot of I don’t care. Vinnie is right. These photos are hot and make me feel sexy. If that makes me slutty in some people’s eyes, I think I can deal with it.
In the car ride, I look at the magazine again. Vinnie made us stop so he could buy a stack. I stopped arguing with him when I realized he was still going to do it whether I protested or not. They are really sexy and I need to wear that dress more. It’s very flattering through a stalker’s lens. “You really think I’m pretty when I come?”
Vinnie bursts out laughing. “The prettiest.” He pulls an envelope from his satchel and hands it to me. “Speaking of pretty, I have a pretty offer for you. I hope you consider it.”
I open the envelope, pull the Vittori letterhead out, and start reading. Shocked, I stare at the letter. “You’re offering me a job?” It took me years to finally land a large account, and Vittori no less—one of the biggest brands in the world. I love Vinnie. My life is better with him in it. Now I have a chance to make my career better. Klein has beaten me down mentally for years, but I was doing what I was told I had to—serving my time, so to be given this opportunity… My happiness lumps in my throat.
“Not just any job. Marketing Director. I need one. You need a job. It works out.”
“Vinnie,” I say, tears threatening, “I’m so touched. I can’t believe you want to hire me.”
“You’re the best person for the job and I think you’re a creative genius. This campaign has gone so smoothly and I enjoyed it. I haven’t had this much fun in years. My line is inspired by the colors of the desert, the grays of the city, and the blues of Paris. I’ve already started sketching and I think this may be my best line yet. I owe that all to you, Candy girl.”
“You don’t owe me a job and I don’t want to take advantage of our friendship.”
“You’re not. You’re the most qualified candidate I could wish for.”
Wiping the corner of my eye when a tear slips, I tilt my head back to keep any more from falling. I’m not sure Vinnie understands how much his confidence in me means. Vittori. I could be working for Vittori.
The car comes to a stop outside his building and the sadness from our looming goodbye builds in my chest.
“Just read the offer over and get back to me when things calm down with the lawsuit, which by the way, I’m still willing to cover the payout, if you want.”
“No. I can’t take that much money. We’re working it out, but thank you. From the bottom of my heart for the offer, but mostly for your friendship.” We hug just as the door opens. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Remember Leo, the bartender?”
His eyebrows waggle. “Do I ever.”
“We talked when I was in Paris. I have his number and he’s definitely interested in walking the runway for you. He’s new to this, so I said you’d be happy to give him some pointers.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?”
“No, but by looking at the salary you’re offering me, I’d say you love me a lot.”
He laughs. “It’s true. I do.” As he’s getting out of the car, he says, “Thank you for your friendship as well, Reese.” With no over-the-top hand gestures or facial expressions, I can tell he speaks from the heart.
The next morning I talk to Danny when he finally gets home. “The photos are out there. We’ve already decided to pay the settlement, so they won’t work against us now in the case. We’re admitting what we did from the get-go.”
My reasoning makes him pause, needing time to process it. “You’re okay that they printed them?”
“No. I think we should sue the magazine for printing them and Bryker for selling them, but I don’t want to stress about this. I’d rather let our lawyers handle it so we can focus on our future.”
His smile is heard through his words. “I’m liking this
new Reese. That’s so easygoing of you. Well, the non-suing part. What changed your mind?”
“You’ve changed my mind, about everything. You’ve been right all along. I’m choosing to look on the sunny side of life. It’s much warmer there.”
“Yes, it is.” I hear him exhale, relieved. “I know we’re supposed to see each other in six days, but how do you feel about coming out here sooner?”
Practically swooning, I ask, “You miss me?”
“All day long and don’t even get me started on the night.”
“I almost like us being apart just so we can have reunions like this,” Danny says, lying on his back with me lying on top of him.
“Me too.”
His fingers slide into my hair and down my back before they work their way back up. “I like us together more.”
“Me too.” I sit up and carefully maneuver to the side of him on top of the dining room table, snuggling into the nook of his arm. “This table is hard. Wanna move to the couch?”
“How about a shower? The party started an hour ago.”
“It’s LA. Everyone’s fashionably late here.”
He gets off the table and scoops me up into his arms. “Glad you’ve adapted to the local customs.” He attacks my neck with kisses, nips, and licks. While I’m kicking and giggling, he says, “That means we’ve got time for another round in the shower.”
My laughter stops when my eyes meet his. Oh! My heart starts thudding in my chest from the intensity revealed in the caramel centers of his eyes. The man’s insatiable. Fortunately for him, I feel the same.
I kiss his forehead and his temple, lower against the scruff of his jaw, even lower to his neck. His breath deepens as his skin heats beneath my lips.
He carries me into the bathroom and asks, “Against the mirror or in the shower?”
“Shower.”
Setting me down on the rug, he steps into the large shower stall and turns on both showerheads. The body jets start after a push of the button and the water falls from the large panel above that makes me feel as if we’ve gotten caught in the rain.
Vote Then Read: Volume I Page 286