Fragments of Us (A Contemporary Broken Hearts Romance) (Book Book 2)

by Vasser, LaShawn

  Braylee looked on between the two. Men and their pissing contests. It was old and tired. If this room had been full of women, the entire case would probably be wrapped up by now. At any rate, she thought the display was a fascinating showdown between Paul and Davis—if someone wanted to classify it as that. Something occurred to her, and she made a note on her pad. “Okay, gentlemen, let’s hope it doesn’t get that far. If everyone does their jobs, we should be able to get to the bottom of this situation. If there is nothing else . . .” She stood and smoothed down her white pencil skirt and started to put on the matching jacket. “There are a couple of things my office needs to follow up on.”

  The meeting broke up, and everyone gathered their things. Braylee hung back until everyone else had left, and she was alone with Davis. “There are a few more items I wanted to discuss with you, and I didn’t think you would want an audience.”

  Davis grunted. “You think I should step aside too?”

  “No. But I do think you should hire a PR firm.” She reached into her portfolio and pulled out a card and handed it to him. “In the past, you’ve dealt with JKS. They are good, but this requires a certain type of expertise. The people who work for Masterson and Holloway are the best.”

  “You really think it’ll come to this?”

  “When the FBI is involved, yes. They are going to dig so far into your past they’ll know the name of the woman who took your virginity. We are also living in a heightened political environment. If you’ve donated more money to one political party than the other, they might want to use you as an example. That brings me to my second point, have you talked to your family?”

  Davis shook his head no. “I never thought things would get this far.”

  Braylee placed a reassuring hand on his arm and smiled confidently. “Do it. They can be a great source of support. You and your family will get through this. Oh . . . and remember, you have one weapon that the government doesn’t.”

  Davis lifted a brow. “What’s that . . . the truth?”

  “The truth is a relative term. You have me, Braylee Hinsdale-Manchetti, attorney extraordinaire.” She was kidding but not really. “That’s why you hired me. I’ll do the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to. I just need you to be on top of things, and that includes preparing your family for the possible onslaught of negative press.”

  “My wife’s recovering from an accident. It’s not a good time to lay all of this on her.”

  Braylee closed her portfolio. “That’s right. How is she doing?”

  “Getting better with every day, but not a hundred percent.”

  “That was a nasty fall. But she’s resilient. African women used to have babies and go work in the fields the very next day. Like me, Nicole comes from an ancestral history of struggle. She’s tough. It’s in her DNA.” Davis agreed. Nicole was a fighter, but she had already been through too much. He wanted to pamper her, not make things more difficult.

  Braylee could see her words weren’t registering. “Davis, all I’m trying to say is it’s never a good time, but women have a high threshold to deal with bullshit when it comes to those they love. Talking to her might take some of the pressure off you. Just a thought. Anyway, I should get going. I’ll call you if anything significant comes up.” Braylee grabbed her purse and placed her portfolio underneath her arm, then walked out of the conference room.

  Davis stared into space, thinking. He knew Nicole was strong, but, for now, he’d give her just a little more time to get better before telling her about this situation.

  He checked his watch. It was already after 7 p. m. When he left their bed this morning, she had been sleeping. They talked over the phone a couple of times throughout the day, but she was still angry from the night before. He could really use a little of that closeness they used to share almost like the air he breathed. Unfortunately, Davis had missed dinner again. That definitely wasn’t going to endear him to her.

  As a matter of fact, she was going to be pissed—again.

  Chapter 10

  One Month Later…

  Nicole went to the Angel Foundation’s corporate headquarters to take a meeting. She hadn’t been back since her accident, and going up the escalators did stir up quite a bit of anxiety. However, she was able to get passed it with a few deep calming breaths. She arrived early for this very reason. However, she’d done it. She faced the fear of going back to the scene of the accident and conquered it.

  She greeted some of her colleagues who seemed happy to see her as she made her way into her office. Since Nicole mostly worked from home, her office was very small. Once inside, Nicole dropped her bags on the desk, sat down, and shut her eyes in an effort to collect herself.

  The phone on her desk buzzed shaking her from her reverie. Initially, Nicole was caught off guard since she hadn’t heard a land-line ring in so long it sounded foreign. She laughed inwardly and picked it up. “Hello. This is Nicole.”

  “And this is Dana!”

  “Dana? Why are you calling me on my office line instead of on my cell?”

  “Because you left it on your island at home. I called your cell phone first, and some woman named Teena picked it up.”

  Nicole quickly checked her purse, and sure enough, it wasn’t there.

  “Who is that? I thought your housekeeper’s name was Rozalyn, and she only worked on weekends.”

  “Long story short, Teena used to sit for us when Davis and I went on dates. She is now the full-time nanny.”

  “Ahhh . . . so he finally talked some sense into you. I think it’s a good idea.”

  “Ha. Ha. Funny. You know it definitely wasn’t my idea, but it’s also one less argument to have, so I agreed to it on a temporary basis.”

  Dana was thrilled to hear the energy in Nicole’s voice. “Good for you. Learning to pick your battles is so important. Anyway, the reason I called was to see if you wanted to go to lunch?”

  Nicole snapped her head around and out of her window as if she could see somebody from the 77th floor. Her voice rose with excitement. “What?! You’re here?”

  “In the flesh.”

  “My goodness! You should have said that first! For how long?”

  “Until the end of the month. I’m actually standing in your lobby.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope.”

  Nicole glanced at her watch. Her meeting was in twenty minutes. Still, she got up from her chair and started walking toward the doors and was snagged backward. Like a chain, Nicole was bound by wires. She giggled like a schoolgirl. “I’ll be right out.” Nicole hung up the phone and quickly made her way to the lobby. As soon as Dana and Nicole saw each other, they embraced in a fierce hug.

  Nicole spoke first. “It’s so good to see you.”

  “You too.” Dana pulled back slightly. “You don’t look like a woman who was at death’s door.”

  Nicole rolled her eyes. They both spoke in unison. “Davis.” And laughter ensued. After it died down enough for Nicole to form words, she tried to explain. “I was never that bad off.”

  “That’s not the way Davis described you. He had me picking out a mourning dress.”

  “You know that man can be overly dramatic when it comes to this kind of thing.”

  Dana disagreed. “No. Only when it comes to you and the kids.”

  “I can’t argue with that.” Nicole looped her arm into Dana’s. “C’mon. Let’s go into my office. I have a meeting at 10 a.m., but hopefully, when I’m done, we can go to lunch.”

  Once they were behind closed doors, it was as if they were trying to make up for all the in-person conversations they had missed over the past two years, which had been the last time they’d seen each other.

  “Davis didn’t really burn the flowers, did he?” Dana couldn’t believe it.

  Nicole laughed. “Yes. He did. One of our neighbors heard about our accident and figured something was off after noticing a big ball of fire in the backyard. Of course, Davis didn’t burn it in the
grill. That would make too much sense. He tried to pretend this silly exercise was about survival skills. He and Rayna put the flowers in a circle of rocks and then he showed her how to light it with just the items in the backyard. They turned the entire thing into a bonfire. So, the neighbor called the fire department.”

  Dana was doubled over laughing. “If Roman had Davis burning flowers, he must be kind of hot.”

  Nicole continued her own fit of giggles. She hunched her shoulders. “The ladies in the office seem to think so.”

  “You don’t think he’s good looking?”

  “Begrudgingly, I’ll admit, he’s kind of cute, but he’s also an asshole.”

  “Uh-oh. I remember you said that about Davis.”

  Thinking back wistfully on the night they met at the airport made Nicole smile. “He was when I met him. And sometimes he can still exhibit asshole tendencies, but Davis is an incredible man. But I swear he gets on my last nerves.” Absentmindedly, Nicole reached into her purse and pulled out a prescription bottle. She popped two pills into her mouth and took a long pull from her bottled water.

  Dana’s laughter slowly died on her lips. “Are you still taking prescriptions? Is everything okay?”

  Nicole tilted her head slightly from side to side. “Some parts of me are being stubborn.”

  “It’s been about six weeks since the accident hasn’t it?”

  “Yes, give or take a few days. However, I still have some pain in my neck and back.” She put the top back on the bottle and shook them. “But these bad boys definitely help get me through the freakin’ day.”

  Curiously, Dana looked on. “What exactly are those?”

  “These. They are Oxy.”

  Worried, Dana frowned. “Oxy? You’ve been on those the entire time?”

  Nicole put her hands up. “Stop. Please. I know what you’re thinking, but this is what the doctor prescribed after I left the hospital. I only take them when I need them.”

  Dana had just heard her say she took them every single day. That wasn’t a good sign, but she kept quiet. Well, not completely. “They can be very addictive. Be careful with those.”

  “Yes. They can. But I’m responsible and too smart to get hooked on drugs. Once I get over these injuries, I’ll stop taking them.”

  “Of course you are. As a doctor, six weeks is a long time to be on those things. You might want to consult your physician to see what else they can do for pain management.”

  Nicole laughed jokingly and responded sarcastically. “I will take your advice into consideration, Dr. Lasso.” When Dana didn’t laugh too, Nicole got serious. “Look. Please don’t worry. I know my body and my pain better than anybody else. I promise. When the time comes, I’ll stop taking them.” There was a soft tap on the door. Nicole was happy for the interruption. She looked up. “Come in.”

  Claire peeped her head through the door. “Your meeting is in five minutes.”

  Nicole nodded. “Thanks.” She turned back to Dana. “Stop worrying. I have everything under control.” She stood. “I’ve got to get going but should be finished in about an hour. Let’s meet back here say in two? That’ll give me enough time to make a few phone calls and tie up any miscellaneous things I may have missed while I’ve been on leave from work.”

  Dana stood too. “Okay. I’ll meet you downstairs at noon.” As she walked toward the door, her concern meter was still on full-tilt. Dana hoped the excitement and newfound energy that Nicole was giving off wasn’t because of those drugs.

  Chapter 11

  Nicole had been to the Clarks Tower twice in one week. She mumbled to herself, “Why can’t people value other people’s time?” Nicole was already irritated that she had to come back into the office this week for a task someone else should have been able to do, but now the person she was supposed to meet was late.

  She stood outside her office pacing back and forth. Periodically, she checked her watch. Where were they? Nicole wasn’t sure if it was her medication or what, but she was anxious. “Claire?” Nicole turned to her assistant who was exhausted from watching her walk in front of her desk. She was glad that her heels weren’t click-clacking. Fortunately, they were casual with soft soles.

  “Yes, Mrs. Chatham?”

  “Are you sure they said the representative was on their way? If I don’t leave soon, I’m going to be late.”

  “Yep.” Claire popped the p in her response.

  “Well, I’ll give them ten more minutes, then I’m leaving.”

  A slightly accented and deeply male voice responded from behind her. “I apologize for my tardiness, Ms. Chatham. An overseas call took longer than I expected.”

  Nicole recognized that voice. She closed her eyes, scrunched up her nose, and mouthed the words—DAMN. However, Nicole smiled when she turned to face him. “Mr. Abboud. What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted an up close and personal tour of the American foster care system.”

  “I have to admit; I wasn’t expecting to see you again unless it was in the boardroom of the Angel Foundation, not here at our KidCare offices.”

  “Rome. Please call me Rome.” He scratched the side of his head with a finger. “I live temporarily on the top floor of this building. I figured it was quite possible that I would run into you again.”

  “I didn’t know there were living quarters in this building.”

  He continued to flash her a million watt-bulb smile. “Yes, there are.” He glanced around. “Isn’t KidCare and the Angel Foundation the same company?”

  “No, they are not, but they share certain resources like these offices.”

  “Interesting. Well, I’m still pleasantly surprised that you are my point person.”

  Nicole didn’t believe him for a second. She folded her arms across her chest and lifted an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

  Of course, he was lying, but Roman would never admit it. If KidCare wanted his financial support, he had made it perfectly clear that they would only get it, if Nicole were available for the ride along and anything else he asked for. That was why his people phoned her boss to ensure that she would be along for this little adventure. “I was told someone from Children and Family Services would meet me.”

  “KidCare works closely with that government organization, but I am the representative for the day.”

  “Oh. I thought you only charmed men like me out of money. I didn’t know you worked this close to the ground.”

  “I don’t charm anyone for donations, Mr. Abboud.”

  “Rome. Please call me ROME.”

  She ignored him. “In answer to your question, I don’t usually handle the in-person visits, but apparently there was an emergency, and the woman you were supposed to be with today couldn’t be here. I’m stepping in because there was no one else available on such short notice. So, if you’re serious about what we’re doing today—”

  “I am.” He stared her down, challenging her doubts.

  Nicole quickly ran through all the reasons why she shouldn’t believe him. But then common sense kicked in. Why wouldn’t Mr. Abboud be serious about how his money is going to be used after donating ten-million dollars? She could only take him at his word. Nicole dropped her arms to her side. “We will go to a couple of the Children and Family Service offices as well as visit a few homes where we’ve placed several children.”

  Roman nodded. “Sounds easy enough.”

  She snapped. It was an automatic response when dealing with him. “Let me clue you in on a couple of things. One, this is not easy. And, two, determining if someone is telling you the truth is often harder.”

  He could tell by her clipped tone that she was referring to him. “I’m not a successful businessman because I am overly trusting, Nicole. May I call you that? Nicole?” Roman said her name like a soft caress.

  What was she supposed to say? Hell no? He had already been calling her Nicole. Why was he asking now? Technically, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Still, she narrowed her eyes. “Mr. Abboud, what
we are about to embark on is serious business. It is not fun and games. The quality of these children’s lives just might depend on us. And I . . .” She stressed the word. “I am not a game and won’t take too kindly to being played with.”

  “Rome. Is that so hard for you to say?”

  “You said your friends call you Rome, correct?”

  “Yes. So, please—”

  “We are not friends. I prefer to keep our relationship professional, and that means I will call you, Mr. Abboud. Understood?”

  He saluted her. “Understood.”

  Claire watched the back and forth between them with heightened amusement. There was a tension there that was undeniable. It was apparent that Nicole was going to have her hands full with Mr. Abboud.

  “Great. Now that you have set the rules and established the boundaries . . .” He checked the time on his wrist as Nicole stared through him. “We should probably get going. I wouldn’t want to make you late.”

  He was mocking her from her earlier statements. Nicole brushed past him toward the elevators. “I wish someone had told you that an Italian suit might not be the best attire for this field trip.”

  ******

  Nicole and Roman spent the entire morning at two Children and Family Service offices and then made two wellness care visits. They were riding in her car and hadn’t spoken very much after their last stop. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts.

  Roman was pensive. He stared ahead as he spoke. “I had no idea this could happen here in America. This country is rich. Some of the conditions these children live in are deplorable.”

  Nicole glanced at him, and her gaze softened. He cared. “Today was actually a good day—things can be and are often a lot worse. I’m just happy that the children we placed appear to have been matched with decent homes. It’s temporary, but, who knows, maybe it will even lead to adoption.”