Once Carmen stepped into the elevator, I turned and headed back inside my apartment. Billie and Lincoln had finished eating, so they were sitting in front of the television watching a kids show. As soon as she saw me, Billie raised an eyebrow and crossed the room to meet me.
“Is everything all right?” she asked with a concerned expression. “You look angry.”
“I’m okay,” I told her with a small smile. “Just a small issue. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Billie seemed to understand. She nodded her head and then returned to Lincoln’s side before leaning down and kissing the top of his head.
Linc doesn’t need Carmen anymore, I thought to myself with a smile. He has Billie now.
35
Billie
All throughout work that day, Quentin and I had been so busy that we’d barely had a minute to talk to one another. Every time I saw him, however, I noticed that he had a worried expression on his face and it concerned me. I wanted to help ease his pain, but I couldn’t do that unless he let me in first.
At lunch, I headed toward Quentin’s office and knocked before letting myself in. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there. My heart sank as I realized I probably wasn’t going to get a chance to cheer him up today. With a sigh, I closed the door and headed downstairs toward the kitchen where Tracy was working.
“Hey Marco,” I greeted the head chef with a smile.
“Good afternoon, beautiful,” he replied. “Looking for Tracy?”
“As always,” I joked.
“She’s having her break outside. She should just be finishing up now,” he informed me.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick.”
I darted past him and toward the back door. When I walked outside, I noticed her right away. Tracy was looking down at her phone, not paying attention to the door opening or me stepping out. It was clear that she was texting her boyfriend. Every now and then, she grinned and it was infectious. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous since I’d barely had any time for Quentin today.
“Hey, Tracy, didn’t you know your break is up?” I called out with a smile.
The blonde looked up from her phone and rolled her eyes. “As if you’d ever go telling on me,” she remarked.
“You never know. I could be a real snake in the grass, a double agent,” I teased as I stepped closer.
Tracy put her phone away and turned toward me. “Well, you are dating the boss, I guess… But you’re the nicest person I know. That would be impossible,” she commented. “Anyway, what brings you down here?”
I let out a sigh. “Is there any way you could whip something up for me this afternoon? I’m having trouble with…” I looked over my shoulder and lowered my voice. “Quentin.”
“Oh,” she replied, seeming shocked. “Of course, what’s going on? Did you guys fight?”
I shook my head. “Oh, nothing like that. He’s just a little down and I wanted to cheer him up.”
“Okay, that sounds good. What do you want me to make?” she asked.
I thought for a moment before an idea came to mind. “How about a cake?”
Tracy nodded. “That’s child’s play. Just come pick it up when you’re finished with your shift, okay?”
I nodded. “Thanks, Trace. You’re the best.”
“I know, I know.”
After giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug, I raced inside to eat my lunch and get on with my day. I didn’t see Quentin at all during the afternoon and it made me worry that something might have happened. I had practically bitten my bottom lip raw as I worried about him, but I couldn’t help myself. After all, he’d become so important to me now.
When five o’clock came, I still couldn’t get in touch with Quentin. As I’d promised, I went downstairs and picked up the cake from Tracy before heading home to feed Lucky and take her on a quick walk. Just as I was about to text Quentin and ask to meet up, my phone started ringing. I checked the caller ID and smiled. It was him.
“Hello, Mr. Popular,” I answered with a giggle.
“Mr. Popular?” he questioned.
“Well, I had such a hard time reaching you today, I could only assume you’re in high demand,” I replied.
“Unfortunately that’s true with some people I’d rather never see again,” he lamented. He sounded sad and tired and I wanted to comfort him more than ever before.
“Quentin, are you ready to talk to me about all this?” I asked, biting down on my lip.
“Yeah, I think so,” he agreed. “Can you come here? I know you’ve been to my place so much, but it’s hard with Lincoln and everything--”
“It’s fine,” I told him, cutting him off. “I’ll be over as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay,” he replied. “And bring Lucky.”
I paused. “Why?”
“She’s comforting and I need comfort right now.”
I laughed and nodded. “Okay, okay. Sounds great.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone so I could start getting everything ready. It wasn’t long before I had my overnight things together and stuff for Lucky. I hurried into the car and drove across town while my mind raced about Quentin. I felt so much better once I arrived and I let out a sigh of relief when Quentin opened the door to me.
“Quentin,” I said in greeting before reaching out and hugging him close despite all my bags.
“Billie,” he replied before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Let me help you with your bags.”
The two of us managed to wrangle the bags and Lucky inside. Lincoln was already tucked away in bed, so Quentin and I sat down on the couch with Lucky napping in between us. Quentin was petting her fur gently as he looked down at the floor and I could tell that whatever he wanted to talk to me about was hard.
“It’s okay, you can take your time,” I told him with a reassuring smile. I reached out and took his hand in mine.
Quentin nodded, a pained look crossing his face before he took a deep breath and began to speak. “This morning, it was Carmen at the door,” he explained.
My eyes widened and I wasn’t sure what to say. My mind was racing. “Wh-what did she want? Is she here for Linc?” I asked, my voice coming out in a panicked rush.
Quentin scoffed. “Of course not,” he replied, shaking his head. “I think I’d feel happier if she was. I’d love for Linc to have a good relationship with his mother, but it’s never going to happen. No, she was here to ask for more money.”
“Money?” I asked. “What does she need more money for?”
A guilty look passed over Quentin’s face and he sighed. “Well, normally, I’d say it was for clothes or alcohol or something else, but…”
“But?” I prompted.
Quentin looked me directly in the eyes. “She… She was pregnant.”
My lips parted in shock and my eyes widened. “Wow… That’s… Wow,” I stammered.
“Don’t worry, it’s not mine,” Quentin rushed to add. “I haven’t seen her in years, let alone…” He trailed off and groaned. “Still, it feels wrong to abandon her in her state. After all, it’s not the child’s fault that their mother is an awful person.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand. “That’s difficult. I’m sorry.”
“There’s… There’s something else,” Quentin said in a pained voice. “I never went into detail about Carmen. I don’t like to speak badly of people, especially someone like Lincoln’s mom, but… I think you should know.”
“Okay. Tell me, Quentin,” I implored, leaning in close and listening intently.
“The night I caught Carmen cheating on me when I came home… It… It was while Linc was in the hospital with pneumonia,” he explained, his voice croaking as he began to sob. “He was dying, Billie, and I was so… so scared that I was going to lose him. While I was spending night and day at the hospital by his side, Carmen was doing whatever she wanted. She never came to visit him. She didn’t care. What kind of person could do that to their child?
Then, when she realized that she had been caught, she ran off with the guy. Turned out he was younger and richer than I was. She never even called to ask about Linc. Not once.”
Seeing Quentin so broken and sad brought tears to my own eyes. After spending so much time with Lincoln, I couldn’t imagine Carmen acting that way. If anything happened to Lincoln now, I’d be beside myself with worry. I couldn’t carry on like nothing was wrong. It seemed… barbaric.
“I’m sorry, Quentin. That’s awful. I could never do that to my own child,” I told him, shaking my head. “Just picturing it now is enough to make me worry and Linc is such a wonderful child. I can’t imagine someone as important as his mother not caring for him in that situation. It’s… It’s awful.”
“Well, that’s because you’re actually a good person,” Quentin told me wth a small smile despite the tears.
I couldn’t hold back anymore. I cried, tears flowing down my cheeks as I grew overwhelmed from everything. Hearing about what Quentin and Lincoln had gone through just broke my heart and I knew that no matter what, I had to make them both happy. They deserved that much
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Quentin asked, reaching out to cup my cheek. “There’s no need for you to cry too.”
“But… But…” I stuttered as the tears kept coming. “You - both of you - you deserved so much better than that. Not only wasn’t she there to help Lincoln when he was sick, she also didn’t support you when you were exhausted and worried sick that something would happen to him. I… I want to make it up to you. I want to make things better for you.”
I spoke with confidence as I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard again. Despite the fragile nature of the conversation, Quentin managed to laugh.
“Wh-what’s so funny?” I asked as I reached up to dab at my wet eyes.
“You,” he answered immediately. “You are incredible. You came into my life and turned everything upside down. I never thought I could have someone like you in my life. I… I didn’t think I deserved it. I’ve always wanted a love like my parents and my grandparents before them and now… Now, I think I’ve found it, Billie. I… I love you.”
I gasped. It was the first time we’d said the words properly and I could feel my heart racing in my chest. “I love you too, Quentin. I might have even loved you from the very first time I met you,” I confessed in a rush of air.
Quentin grabbed my hands in his and pulled me close. “I promise, Billie, I won’t let anything get in the way of us. I won’t let Carmen come between us or the memory of any of my past relationships. I have some trust issues and some insecurities, but if you support me, I’m sure we can overcome anything.” He smiled brightly and I felt like swooning. “I’m going to take care of this whole Carmen thing once and for all. I won’t let her get in the way.”
I could only nod. A thick lump was forming in my throat as emotion overwhelmed me.
That night, I slept at Quentin’s again. We didn’t make love, however. Instead, the two of us cuddled close and gazed into each others eyes happily as the moonlight streamed through the curtains. With our whole future ahead of us, we fell asleep feeling safe and loved.
Work was easier now that Quentin and I had talked things out. The day passed quickly and I’d managed to sneak into his office for a few quick make out sessions in between meetings. Overall, I was in a fantastic mood. I didn’t think anything could rain on my parade, but alas, I was wrong. Just before lunch, I realized I’d left my purse in the car. I hurried down to grab it so I could get a drink with Tracy in the lounge. However, as I was crossing the gravel, I was met by a surprise.
“Well, it certainly looks like Quentin’s lowered his standards a lot these days,” an unfamiliar voice said from my right as I crossed the parking lot.
I turned, wrinkling my brow in confusion as I looked at the stranger. It wasn’t difficult to guess who she was. She fit the description of Quentin’s ex-wife exactly and her belly was big and round. It was clearly Carmen. What she was doing here, however, I had no idea.
“Look, whatever business you have with Quentin is between the two of you. I don’t want to get involved,” I said quickly as I tried to hurry past her toward my car.
“Oh, but clearly you do,” Carmen continued as she followed me. “You don’t think I know you’ve been playing Mommy to my son?”
That stopped me in my tracks. Anger bubbled up inside me and I turned, glaring at her. “Well, someone had to,” I hissed. “Quentin told me all about what you did to him, what you did to both of them. Don’t come crying to me because you fucked up.”
Carmen laughed and she looked a little crazy. “Do you really think I give a crap about either of them?” she spat. “No, I don’t care at all. I just want what I’m owed. I was his wife. I gave him a child. I deserve everything he can give me.”
I scoffed. “You’re delusional. Quentin doesn’t owe you a thing.”
“You might think that, but I’m sure he doesn’t. In fact, I bet he’d take me back in a heartbeat if I wanted him too,” she sneered.
I couldn’t believe her. “That’s a lie.”
“Well, you can either give me the money yourself or I can seduce him and you can find out that way,” she threatened, taking a step closer to me.
It was an empty threat and I knew it. Quentin had told me that he wanted to be with me and not her, but it didn’t stop my nerves from shaking. I hated how she was determined to come between us. Why couldn’t she just leave us alone?
“Even if I had enough money, I wouldn’t give it to you,” I told her.
“Oh wow, broke and fat, huh? Quentin ended up with a real winner,” she said with malice. “Seducing him should be a piece of ca--”
“That’s enough!” a familiar voice roared from somewhere behind us. I turned just in time to spot Quentin marching toward us with a murderous look on his face. As soon as he arrived, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and glared at Carmen.
“Oh, please, Quentin, you can’t be serious,” Carmen groaned, rolling her eyes. “You’d really choose her over me?”
“A thousand times over,” Quentin answered straight away, tightening his grip on me. “I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my whole life. I plan to marry this woman and seeing you disrespect her like this is winning you no favors.”
My jaw dropped. “M-marry…?” I managed to utter.
Carmen rolled her eyes. “Your loss, Quentin. I’ll find another way to get money out of you.”
“No, you won’t,” Quentin growled. “I can smell the alcohol on you, Carmen. You’re really still drinking when you’re this pregnant? You disgust me.”
I hadn’t noticed it before, but now that Quentin mentioned it, I did smell vodka coming from Carmen’s direction. I was horrified at her behavior. Wasn’t she thinking about her poor child?
“I… I can’t help it,” Carmen stuttered. “My boyfriend left me. Drink is all I have.”
“No, it’s not, Carmen,” Quentin argued. “You have a child now, a new child. You have a chance to start afresh and I suggest you take it. If you don’t stop harassing me and Billie, I will file a restraining order. You lost all rights to my money and property the day you left me. Go now before I call the police and for God’s sake, stop drinking for the sake of your unborn child, whoever’s it is.”
Quentin steered me away from her and back to the building. I hadn’t picked up my purse from the car, but it didn’t matter right now. I was just glad to be away from that awful woman. I hugged Quentin close as we walked and buried my head in his shoulder.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “She said some awful things…”
“I’m great,” I told him with a big smile. “With you by my side, I’ve never felt better.”
Epilogue - A Few Months Later
“Is this the last one?” I called out from the door of Billie’s Range Rover as I held a heavy carboard box in my arms.
“Um… Yeah, I think so!” my girlfriend replied. She was stood to
one side, sipping her latte from a paper cup as she regained her breath from all the running around she’d been doing.
“Okay, great.” With a big grunt of effort, I began to walk into the apartment building toward the elevator and up to the apartment. Once I reached my door, I slid the box inside where my parents were waiting to help with the move and watch Lincoln and Lucky.
Billie was still waiting outside, no doubt enjoying the warm weather we were having, and it worked perfectly with my plan. As I emerged once more onto the street, I looked upward and noticed that the sun was shining brightly, making Billie’s deep brown hair shine beautifully. I tapped the hidden box in my pocket and headed toward her.
“You’re a liar,” I began with a secretive smile.
“Wh- what?” she stammered in response, turning her big brown eyes to me. She was wearing a baggy, old t-shirt and a pair of well-loved jeans since we were lugging boxes for most of the day. It wasn’t a flattering outfit by any means, but I thought Billie looked gorgeous in anything.
“There’s another box we forgot about,” I told her, still smiling at her. Her eyes were wide and her lips were parted. She looked so adorable when she was confused and it only solidified my desire to make her mine forever.
“Where?” she replied before turning away from me and peering back inside her car. “I can’t see anything.” She pressed her face close up to the window and looked from side to side, trying to find the box I was talking about. Watching her struggle to find it only made my smile wider.
Taking the opportunity to surprise her, I dropped down onto one knee on the pavement and took the little blue Tiffany’s ring box out of my jeans pocket. I waited for a second to see if she would turn back on her own, but of course, Billie was still preoccupied looking inside her car. I couldn’t help laugh a little at her obliviousness.
Forbidden First Times: A Contemporary Romance Collection Page 59