by Sandi Lynn
“Yeah.” He nodded his head. “Actually, I do.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed as I leaned back in my chair.
“She’s coming to dinner with us tonight.”
“What?” He laughed. “How the hell did you manage that?”
“It saves me the trouble of trying to find someone. She was here, so I took advantage. The only problem is, she said she’d go with me on one condition.”
“What’s that?” He smiled.
“She wants me to take her to the Empire State Building tomorrow. Supposedly, this is her first time in New York and she’s only going to be here a month.”
“Tourists.” He shook his head. “So I assume you’re taking her?”
“Nah. I just told her I would. I’ll bail out tomorrow morning.”
“Bro, that’s really being an asshole. She’s doing you a favor tonight. The least you can do is take her to the Empire State Building.”
“The answer is no, my friend. I just need her for tonight and then I don’t have any plans to see her again.”
“Why? She’s smoking hot.”
“You’re right, she is, but she’s really off. She’s strange and overly nice. Plus, she seems like the type that would get attached really easy. I don’t need that shit.”
“My bad. I didn’t think being nice was a turn-off,” he spoke. “And even if she did get attached, she’s only here for a month.”
“Doesn’t matter. My luck, she’d permanently move here.”
“Alright.” He sighed. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. I cannot wait to see how this unfolds tonight.” He grinned before walking out of my office.
The car pulled up to her apartment building, and when I stepped inside, I took the elevator up to the seventh floor. As I stepped off the elevator and went to knock on her door, a young woman in the next apartment walked out.
“Hi.” She smiled.
“Umm. Hi.”
“So you’re the one taking London to dinner tonight.” She grinned as she looked me up and down.
“I’m taking her to a business dinner. It’s not a date or anything.”
“Didn’t say it was.” She smiled. “Consider yourself lucky. She’s awesome.”
I narrowed my eye at her and slowly shook my head.
“How do you even know her? She just got here yesterday.”
“We met on the elevator this morning and I invited her in for coffee. She’s awesome.”
“Yes. You already said that,” I spoke.
“I have to run. Have fun on your date.”
“It’s not a date. She’s doing me a favor,” I shouted as she walked away.
Suddenly, the door opened and I swallowed hard as London stood before me. She was dressed in a black dress with three-quarter-length sleeves and a small slit up the side. Her hair was straight compared to the wavy look I’d previously seen her with. She was stunning.
“I thought I heard you talking to someone,” she spoke.
“Your neighbor.” I pointed.
“Oh. You met Sharlene? She’s so sweet. We had coffee this morning after I got back from your office.”
“Yeah. She felt the need to tell me.”
“Come on in. I just have to grab my purse.”
I stepped inside and looked around. I was actually shocked she was staying in something so nice.
“Nice place you have here,” I spoke.
“Thanks. The pictures online really don’t do it justice. I’m ready.” She grinned.
We walked out of the building and climbed into the back of the town car I had rented.
“Fancy, Mr. Prescott.” She smiled.
I gave her a small smile and then went over the rules for the night.
“There are a few things I need to go over with you and I want you to listen to me very carefully. We’re having dinner with Don Bradbury, CEO of Bradbury Meats Ltd. His company is worth billions.”
“I know Bradbury meats,” she spoke.
“Good. He prides himself on being a family man. His company is run by all of his family. He’s been married for thirty years and has six children. Family is everything to him and when he found out that the ad executive at his former ad agency was getting divorced because he cheated on his wife of ten years, he dropped them immediately. He’s a very Christian man and goes to church every Sunday. So I need you to just go with the flow tonight. Don’t talk. I’ll do the talking. You just sit there and smile.”
“You do know that you’re lying, right?” she asked.
“Yeah. And? It’s a multi-million-dollar account. A little white lie isn’t going to hurt anyone.”
“I’m really excited to see the Empire State Building tomorrow.” A smile crossed her lips.
“Why? So you came all the way to New York for that?”
“And other things.”
“Like?” I asked with an arch in my brow.
“I want to see every part of Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, a Broadway play, the art museum, Times Square at night, Grand Central Station, and a few other places.”
The car pulled up to Grammercy Tavern and I climbed out first. The driver walked around and helped London out of the car.
“Thank you.” She smiled at him.
When we walked inside, Scott and Madison were already seated.
“There he is.” Scott smiled.
“Hey, Scott. Hello, Madison. I’d like you both to meet London Everly. London, this is my friend and partner, Scott, and his wife, Madison.”
“It’s nice to meet you, London.” Scott smiled as he gently shook her hand.
“What a beautiful name,” Madison spoke. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” London spoke with a grin on her face as we took our seats.”
God, I prayed she could pull this off. The reason she came to New York was to sightsee. There was no way being a freelance artist she could afford to travel the way she did. Something was up with her and I was going to find out what it was.
Chapter 7
London
Damien Prescott looked incredibly sexy in his black suit, white dress shirt, and black and purple tie. I only agreed to go to his business dinner because there was something about him that drew me in. Maybe it was his rudeness or his mean nature. But I believed that, deep down, there was a good man inside him. He was a man who was addicted to his work and didn’t appreciate life that was around him. He was conceited, arrogant, and just an overall dick, but something told me that it was all a façade. All he needed was some time away from his demanding work schedule to see what life was really about and what really mattered most. I had a small thought that maybe while I was in New York, I could help him.
“So, London, I don’t see a ring on that pretty little finger yet.” Mr. Bradbury smiled. “What are you waiting for, Damien?” he asked him.
Damien chuckled.
“We are definitely talking about it. She knows she’s the love of my life and I can’t live without her. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
“Yes.” I brightly smiled. “We’re just waiting for the perfect time.”
“There is no perfect time,” Mr. Bradbury spoke. “How many kids do the two of you want?”
Damien glanced over at me.
“Four.” I grinned. “A nice even number.”
“Four is an excellent number.” Mr. Bradbury beamed. “Dana and I planned on four and just when we thought we were done, two more surprised us. But it was God’s will that we bring six children into the world. Who were we to argue?” He let out a jolly laugh.
“Yes, you can’t argue with God’s will.” I smiled. “When he has a plan, there’s nothing in the world that you can do to stop it. What’s meant to be is meant to be.”
“That’s right, young lady.” Mr. Bradbury held up his glass. “You’ve got a real keeper, Damien. I suggest you hurry up and put a ring on that pretty little finger of hers before someone swoops by and snatches
her away from you.”
Damien gave him an uncomfortable smile.
“Don’t worry about that, Don. I plan on it.”
Dinner was over and we said our goodbyes to Don and his wife, Scott and Madison. Climbing into the back of the car, Damien shut the door and let out a deep breath.
“You did good, London. Thanks. I love how you threw in the part about God. That was a nice touch.”
“It’s true.”
“Yeah. Okay.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I better get you home. It’s late. By the way, I’ll have to meet you at the Empire State Building tomorrow. Say around eleven?”
“Sure. That’s fine.”
“I have a meeting early in the morning.”
“On a Saturday?” I asked.
“Yes. Regardless of what day it is, my work doesn’t stop.”
I had a feeling inside me. The same feeling I always got when I knew a guy was lying to me. He said he’d meet me at the Empire State Building at eleven, but I knew, deep down, he wasn’t going to show at all. I’d get a text message around ten forty-five from him saying his meeting was running late and he wasn’t sure what time it would end.
“You work too much.” I politely smiled.
“So you’ve told me before,” he spoke.
The driver pulled up to my apartment building and Damien climbed out first so I could get out. He held out his hand to help me from the car and I refused it.
“I can get out myself. Thank you for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I casually smiled and walked away.
“London?” I heard him call my name before I stepped into the building.
I turned around and looked at him as he stood by the car.
“Thanks again for tonight.”
I gave him a small smile and a nod as I walked inside and went up to my apartment.
The next morning, I climbed out of bed, let out a long yawn, and headed to the kitchen to make some coffee. Leaning over the counter as I waited for my coffee to finish brewing, I thought about how excited I was to see the Empire State Building. To some, it was no big deal, but to me, it meant the world. Even if Damien didn’t show, I wouldn’t let it ruin my day. It was probably best he didn’t come anyway because I didn’t need his comments and negativity. Being physically alone in the world was something I was used to and being alone was how it had to be. I did, however, have friends all around the world. People who followed my blog and my journey. Five hundred thousand to be exact.
After finishing my coffee, I took a shower, got dressed, and headed to the Empire State Building. When I arrived, it was ten fifty. At ten fifty-five, a text message came through from Damien.
“I’m sorry, but I’m still stuck in this meeting. Not sure how long it’s going to last. Maybe another time.”
“No worries. I didn’t expect you to come anyway. Have a great day.”
“What do you mean you didn’t expect me to come?”
I smiled as I read his last message and tucked my phone into my purse. Life would go on without Mr. Damien Prescott in it. I took in everything the Empire State Building had to offer. As I stood on the 86th floor observation deck, I looked out at the huge city as a feeling of peace washed over me. Life was happening all around me and the only thing I could do was smile at it all.
“Pretty cool, eh?” a man who was one of the uniformed personnel asked as he stood next to me.
“It is.” I smiled as I glanced over at him.
“First time here?” he asked.
“Yeah. It is.”
“You haven’t seen anything until you see it at night. Come back after ten p.m. You’ll be happy you did.”
“Thank you. I will.” I smiled.
“Have a nice day, ma’am.” He tipped his hat.
“You too.”
I spent a total of three hours there exploring and taking pictures. Before heading out, I grabbed some lunch and then a coffee from Starbucks. When I reached the streets of the city, I pulled my phone from my purse and noticed I had three text messages from Damien.
“Hello?”
“Why didn’t you respond to my question?”
“London, this is very rude not to text me back.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. He was calling me rude?
“Mr. Prescott, I just left the Empire State Building. I was there to see the sights, not be on my phone. Priorities. And replying to your text message wasn’t a top one.”
“Seriously? Are you serious? It’s called common courtesy.”
“Are you being hypocritical right now? Because I believe you don’t reply to half the women who text you.”
He didn’t respond and I hailed a cab back to my apartment. When I stepped off the elevator, I stopped halfway down the hall when I saw Damien standing in front of my door.
I sighed.
“Damien, what are you doing here?” I asked as I slid the key into the lock.
“I came to have a little chat with you because I don’t particularly like your attitude.”
I let out a light laugh as I stood there with my hand on the doorknob.
“You think this is funny? I don’t put up with women talking to me the way you do.”
“And I don’t put up with lying men either. So please do us both a favor and move along.”
I opened the door, and when I stepped inside, my feet were covered in water.
“What the hell!” I exclaimed as I looked down. “Oh my God.”
“What the hell is right,” Damien spoke as he looked down at the carpet. “It looks like you had a flood. Did you leave the water running or the washer on?”
“No! Nothing was on when I left.”
I walked further into the apartment while Damien stood outside in the hallway. I looked around and found the entire apartment was flooded.
“If you’re just going to stand there and watch, I suggest you leave,” I spoke with irritation.
“Fine. We’ll talk about this another time.”
He began to walk away, and I slowly shook my head.
“Shit,” he spoke as he took off his shoes and walked into the apartment.
“I thought you left.”
“Be quiet please,” he said as he looked around. “It looks like a pipe burst. You better call the people you’re renting from right now.”
I pulled my phone from my purse, called the lady I was renting from, and explained to her what happened. She told me to hang tight and that she was calling the building manager right away.
“London?” I heard Sharlene call from the doorway. “Oh my god, it happened to you too. I just got home and my apartment is flooded.”
“The building manager is on his way up.” I sighed.
“This happened a few years ago and I had to move into a hotel for two months,” she spoke. “I can’t go through that again.”
Russ, the building manager, walked into the apartment wearing tall rubber boots.
“Damn it.” He shook his head. “I know you’re renting this place from Carly, and I’m sorry to say you’re going to have to collect your things and leave.”
“For how long?” I asked.
“I really can’t say. The last time this happened, it took about two months to get the apartments cleaned and restored.”
“Okay. I’ll go grab my suitcase. Good thing I haven’t unpacked yet.”
It was also a good thing that I had my suitcase lying across a lounge chair in the bedroom. I went into the bathroom and collected some personal items, threw them in my suitcase, and zipped it shut.
“Damien, can you please carry this for me?” I shouted from the bedroom. “I don’t want to wheel it in all that water and it’s quite heavy.”
He walked into the bedroom, picked up my suitcase, and carried it to the hallway.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Where are you going to go?” Sharlene asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to find a hotel for a couple nights and look for a new Airbnb to rent.”
“With me?” he asked with surprise as he pointed to himself.
“Yeah. I’m sure you live in some fancy schmancy penthouse with an extra bedroom or five. After all, she did do you a favor last night.” She bopped her head from side to side. “Now it’s your turn to repay the favor. It’s called paying it forward.”
Chapter 8
Damien
What the fuck was with these people and their paying it forward?
I couldn’t believe this woman. The nerve of her. Who the hell did she think she was?
“Sharlene, it’s okay,” London spoke as she placed her hand on her arm. “I’ll be okay. This is just a little setback, nothing I can’t figure out. Trust me, this is nothing compared to what I’ve been through.”
London gave her one last hug and started heading towards the elevator. I followed behind.
“Where are you going to go?” I asked.
“I don’t know yet. When I get down to the lobby, I’ll look up some hotels on my phone.”
We reached the lobby and she took a seat in one of the chairs and started typing away on her phone.
“I guess I’m going to go. Good luck with everything,” I spoke.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” She softly smiled at me.
I took in a deep breath, tucked my hands in my pants pockets, and walked out of the building. While I stood at the curb and signaled for a cab, I couldn’t stop this gnawing feeling inside me. I didn’t need this. My mind kept remembering what she said to Sharlene about how this was nothing compared to what she’d been through. I had no idea what that meant, and I didn’t want to know. In fact, I wanted to wash my hands of London Everly. A cab pulled up to the curb and I climbed inside.
“Where to, buddy?” the driver asked.
I sat there for a moment and didn’t answer him.
“Hey, buddy? Are we gonna sit here all day?”
Fuck.
“Stay right here. I’ll be right back,” I firmly spoke.