Secret Keeper

by Harlan, Christopher

  She smiles. I have the two women that I love the most on either side of me, and some of the richest people in Manhattan across from me. This table represents the two sides of my life—the middle and the upper class—the world I was raised in and the world I moved into as an adult. It’s strange and wonderful all at the same time.

  “This is really fancy,” Penelope says.

  “I know. I’m pretending like I belong.”

  “Me too.”

  Just then the dinging of a glass interrupts all of the conversations in the room. Everyone looks over to Graham and Soraya.

  “Graham and I just wanted to thank all of you—our friends—for being here with us tonight. We’re leaving you geographically, but we’ll always be right here with you in spirit.”

  “And as chairman of the board!”

  The crowd erupts in laughter as Soraya continues, “That, too, but mostly we’ll be on a beach in the Hamptons, knee deep in diapers. But before all that, we wanted to thank you all for being tenants of our building, and for being our friends. We’ll miss you all.”

  Everyone claps and cheers. Soraya tears up as the room celebrates her and Graham, and then he takes over the speech making duties. “Everything she said. End of speech.”

  “Yeah, Graham!” I yell out.

  “Thank you, Dylan. The truth is, I’m not one for speeches—I’m more of a behind the scenes kind of guy. Those of you who know me know that already, but tonight I need to tell every single person at this table how much they mean to us, and how much we’re going to miss you. So please, raise your glass, and let’s break bread one last time together in this building. We’ll miss seeing you all every day. Cheers.”

  “Cheers!”

  We all eat and talk, everything is delicious, and the night winds down. Eventually everyone is starting to leave. Graham and Soraya are bidding their goodbyes to the rest of their friends, leaving the three of us in the dining room. Penelope looks at me and smiles.

  “Are you upset?” she asks.

  “About?”

  “Them leaving. What are you going to do for work?”

  “That’s an excellent question. I offered to be a high-end babysitter, but I think the commute from the Hamptons to Manhattan might kill me in less than a week.”

  “Yeah,” she jokes. “That wouldn’t be a good look either way.”

  “I’ll have you know that I’m a killer babysitter.”

  “I’d avoid that expression if you ever want to really babysit.”

  “I heard it as I was saying it but I couldn’t stop it.”

  Our hosts join us in the dining room again before Soraya pulls Nonna and Penelope away for some girl talk.

  As Soraya shows some of the baby stuff she got to Nonna and Penelope, Graham pulls me aside, into the very same room he told me I’d no longer have a job with him. I want to be sad that Graham is moving away, but my happiness about being able to sit here with Penelope tonight overwhelms all the other emotions.

  “Listen. I need to apologize.”

  “Apologize?” I ask. “For what?”

  “Look, on some level I feel responsible for everything you had to go through—the drama with Penelope, you having to use your savings to get her out a jam, all the stuff with Chandler.”

  “Graham, listen. I appreciate what you’re saying, but you had nothing to do with any of that except to introduce me to him. You were just trying to help me get a new job. I went after Penelope with open eyes—even when you warned me not to, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was a rough road, but I have no regrets whatsoever. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  He extends his hand to me and I shake it. “Thank you for saying that. I’ll still feel a little guilty if you don’t mind—at least until the kid comes, then I’m going to be so under slept that I won’t give a shit about you or your problems.”

  I laugh. “I understand. And look, everything worked out in the end, so there’s nothing to feel guilty about. Not that I want to think of or talk about him anymore, but what’s going to happen to Chandler?”

  “He’s fucked. I’m sure you wanted a detailed analysis, but in business terms he’s royally fucked. I know he lost his deal—the shareholders got scared at the legal side of things and pulled the deal. On top of that, I have it on good authority that his own shareholders are going to remove him as CEO, which means it’s back to the old drawing board. And that’s if he manages to stay out of prison. Best case, he’s going to be embroiled in one of the biggest class action lawsuits ever from all of the users whose data he sold.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. So like I said, he’s fucked.”

  “Couldn’t have happened to a better guy. Fuck him.”

  “Agreed. But you said something that isn’t completely true a minute ago.”

  “What did I say?”

  “That it all worked out. That’s not completely true.”

  “Of course it is. I’m with the woman of my dreams, and her evil ex is out of the picture. Life is good, man. What didn’t work out?”

  “Your business venture. That’s what.”

  I take a deep breath. It’s a regret I have, sure, but I haven’t given up yet. “Don’t worry. I made a choice and I’d do it all over again. I’ll make more money. I’ll get the funding and we’ll start our place together. I already talked to Jorge, he understands. He’s making good money with his place, so he’s willing to wait for me to get the funding together.”

  “I have a better idea. I took the liberty of making you a lunch date tomorrow with Morgan Edumunton. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

  Not only have I heard of him—everyone’s heard of him. Morgan Edumnton is a legendary venture capitalist who invested in some of the most successful food companies and restaurants in the country. Everything the man touches turns to gold. I guarantee you’ve eaten at at least one of his restaurants in the last month.

  “Are you shitting me?”

  “I shit you not, promise.”

  “But, why?”

  “Because there are a handful of people who can get him to return their calls—I just happen to be one of them. It’s not a card I’d pull very often, but in this case—your case—I’ve made an exception. I can’t promise anything, but pitch him your idea in the right way and who knows what he’ll offer you. If he starts opening his wallet to you, you’re starting off on the right foot, trust me.”

  “Graham, I don’t even know what to say.”

  “Say nothing. Just get the deal done.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And come to think of it, there is one way you could thank me—besides free coffee for life once you get up and running.”

  “That goes without saying,” I joke. “But what else?”

  “Let me help you move.”

  I look at him, puzzled. “I’m moving? I didn’t know.”

  “There are a lot of lessons waiting ahead. The first one is that you’re moving, and I’m helping you.”

  “Okay,” I say, super confused. “And where am I moving to?”

  “I hate to tell you, Dylan, but you’re standing in your new place. Yours and Penelope’s, that is.”

  “What?” I ask. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Well, we don’t need the place anymore, do we? What am I going to do, rent it out to one of those suits who was here for a little extra money I don’t even need? Nah. I owe you, whether you see it that way or not. Just let me relieve my own guilt a little. Welcome to your new place.”

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I’ve always secretly been jealous of Graham’s place—it’s easily the biggest and best apartment in the entire co-op, of course. “No way, man. This is nuts. You’re really giving me this place?”

  “It’s yours as of a week from now. Once you’re a rich and famous coffee entrepreneur you’re going to need a castle to go with your kingdom. Might as well take the best one.”

  I stop and think for a second, and even though th
is is an amazing offer I have one hesitation. “Just one thing.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is he still going to be living here? Chandler? ‘Cause as much as it’s been a dream of mine to have a place like this, I can’t have the guy who traumatized Pen living a few floors away.”

  He puts his hand on my shoulder and smiles. “You’re a good man, Dylan. And no, Chandler will not be living here anymore. I instituted a strict policy into my contracts, from the beginning, that forbids any sort of criminality. It’s a violation and subjects him to losing his place. Eviction has already started and I plan on telling him personally tomorrow. I doubt he’ll fight me on that, he’s got enough on his plate.”

  “Sounds great to me. Thank you again, Graham, for everything.”

  “You’re welcome. Now get out of here. Go tell her the good news and celebrate.”

  “Yes sir.”

  * * *

  After we leave, I can barely contain my excitement—about everything, but really about the place. I sound like a little kid on Christmas, and she just smiles at me while I rant and rave about how big my place—our place is going to be. When I’m done, she kisses me.

  “What was that for?” I ask.

  “For being you. You risked so much for me. I’m really happy that you’re finally getting your opportunity to do what you’ve always wanted to do. You deserve more than anyone I know.”

  “Let me tell you what I’m happy about,” I tell her. “That I get to be with you, at all. I don’t care about business ventures, or fancy apartments, or any of that shit. It’s nice, don’t get me wrong. I want to be able to give everyone the life they deserve, but at the end of the day, it’s all about being surrounded by the people you love. And I love you so much, Pen. That’s all that matters.”

  “I love you too.”

  I feel everything that I haven’t felt in a long time—happiness, relief, lighthearted, and it’s all because of her.

  Tomorrow I have the most important meeting of my life and I’m not even nervous about it.

  Things are looking up.

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  Meet Your Cover Model

  Scott Benton

  “Scotty B here! One thing I find fascinating is when I was in middle school, I was picked as the person to become an Abercrombie & Fitch model. I would have never thought I would be a model or be on the front of novels! It has been an awesome journey so far!

  I am a proud father of three, U.S. Navy Veteran and from the state of Louisiana. In my spare time, I try to spend as much time as I can with family and friends. I enjoy being outside exploring new places like pubs, coffee shops, and beautiful scenery. My favorite place to be is outside in the middle of nowhere by a lake with a camp fire going. I also enjoy going to concerts, shooting ranges and meeting new people along the way. I am a huge tattoo addict. My favorite tattoo I have is my crow and butterfly tattoo. If you ever meet me or see me, ask me about it! I would love to tell you the meaning!

  Another main hobby of mine is being a drummer. I have played for about 20 years now and have been in multiple bands. Who knows, you may see me on a stage somewhere down the road! One thing a lot of people don’t know about me is that I hold a 2nd degree black belt in Ku Kenpo. I was 4 years old when I started and practiced it until the age of 15. I also was able to play on one of the USA high school basketball teams in Switzerland. My favorite dog is a Great Dane. I have had 5 of them in my lifetime and would never consider another breed.

  I hope to meet everyone one day soon! Keep rocking and keep smiling! A smile can go a long way. Just because you had a bad experience that lasted a short period of time, doesn’t mean it has to ruin your whole day. Smile and push forward. You only live once. Leave this life with no regrets! Much love!

  Shout outs to my mom Sharon, for always getting me to where I needed to be on time and listening to me when I needed to talk. To my dad, rest his soul, for showing me how to work hard for what I wanted in life and to chase whatever dream I had. To my older brother Jason; thank you for being an amazing role model for me. Showing me that no matter how hard life is, you can find a way to succeed. To all my brothers from college; thank you for welcoming me in with open arms and showing me brotherhood. To Jennifer and Shauna; thank you for giving me the opportunity to get into this book world. To all my boys on Terrace View: Rob, Will, Rev and Sean, even though there were crazy times you guys were always there for me. To Isabel, Dean, and Anthony; thank you for being there for me through everything.”

  You can follow Scott on the following platforms:

  Facebook—> www.facebook.com/scottybmodels

  Instagram—> instagram.com/tattedscottyb

  Thank you for taking the time to read my work. If you’d like to keep up with my new releases, deals, discounts, and other cool news, make sure to stop by my website.

  www.authorchristopherharlan.com

  Also by Christopher Harlan

  www.authorchristopherharlan.com

  HEA Contemporary Romance (standalone novels)

  The Three Kiss Clause

  The Me That I Became

  HEA Contemporary Romance (series & duets)

  The Wordsmith Chronicles (contemporary)

  Knight (book 1)

  Colton (book 2)

  Grayson (book3)

  True North (book 4)

  North (book 5)

  A Series of Savage Gentleman (MMA romance)

  The Savage Gentleman (book 1)

  The Savage Sinner (book 2)

  A Savage Redemption (book 3—coming soon)

  New York City’s Finest (Police romance)

  Calem (book 1)

  Jesse (book 2)

  Quinn (book 3)

  Noah (book 4)

  Riley (book 5)

  The Impressions Duet

  Impressions of You

  Impressions of Me

  Young Adult (standalone novels)

  Away From Here

  The Sick Parents Club

  Acknowledgments

  First, a huge thank you to Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward for giving myself (and all of the participating authors) a chance at something amazing. You guys are the best!

  To Dan Piedade, for facilitating all of the logistics with all of the authors—that man needs a vacation and a stiff drink for all this hard work!

  To the ARC teams (both my own and those in the Cocky Hero Club ARC group) who took the time to offer their reviews, you have my endless appreciation.

  To my people—Stephanie Albon, Lauren Lascola-Lesczynski, and Cassy Roop, for making this book into an actual book.

  And last (but certainly not least), to all the readers. None of this is possible without you taking time out of your busy lives to read these books. I’m forever grateful to all of you!