by Lily Foster
She groaned, breaking the kiss to look over at her phone on the nightstand. “Nine-thirty. I have a ton of arrangements to make this morning. Gotta hop in the shower.” She rolled over and got up, tossing her long, brown hair over her shoulder. Veronica looked like a dream. I watched her ass sway as she made her way across the room. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes dark with desire. “Are you coming?”
“I’m taking a late flight on Friday night so I’ll be back in New York early on Saturday morning. Spend the day with me?” She bit her lip, looking uncertain. I stopped dressing with my jeans only half-way up my thighs. “What is it?”
“It’s Henry’s birthday on Saturday. Will you come with me?”
I needed to sit on that for a minute, saying nothing as I finished getting dressed. “Do you think they’re ready for this? I’m assuming this is going to be a big family get-together.”
She came closer, placing both hands on my chest as she raised herself up on her toes to plant a quick kiss on my lips. “I’m scared too,” she said, “but I’m with you now.” I wanted to roar and beat my chest like the king of the goddamn jungle at the sound of those words. “Family is everything to me, so if we’re going to do this…”
“I’m in. Just maybe warn Jake first…And your uncle…And shit, Tomasz too.”
“Good idea.” She smiled wide, teasing me now. “Wow, this might be the first time I’ve ever seen you rattled, Dylan.”
“I’ll get you back,” I said, pinching her perfect ass. “It’s fall fundraising season in Manhattan, sweetness…Can’t wait to see you in some fancy up-do and an evening gown.”
She pushed against my chest, laughing. “As if!”
“Oh, you’ll be on my arm, I can guarantee you that. Consider November eighteenth your coming out party. That’s Margot’s big night…The Fresh Air Fund’s annual fundraiser. That’s still my mom’s baby.”
Her smile dropped. “Really?”
I used her words as I cradled her face in my hands. “If we’re going to do this...” Dropping a kiss on her forehead, I thought about everything that could potentially go wrong. Visions of a drunk, knife-wielding Cecilia quickened my heartbeat for a nanosecond before I squelched those ridiculous concerns. “Don’t worry, my mother is already a fan of yours.”
“She knows about me…About us?”
“No, but she made a comment about how close you and Rachel seemed, and how fortunate it was for Rachel to have such a devoted mother figure in her life now that Kasia’s gone. Believe me, she’ll adore you.”
Veronica looked down at her feet then, but she couldn’t hide the smile that my mother’s compliment triggered. “I like your mom.”
“And don’t worry,” I said, tipping her chin up so we were eye to eye, “I’ll make sure to keep the wolves at bay, all right?”
“Your ex will be there.” I nodded. Grimacing, she asked, “Mel?”
“Yes, but I promise you, she’ll behave.”
She shrugged. “I don’t really give a flip about her anyway.” She sat on the bed, pulling socks on before she donned her fuzzy shearling boots. Looking up at me, she asked, “Was Kasia friends with Mel?”
“Ah.” I mulled that over for a moment. “They weren’t friends, no. Kasia pretty much loathed her when they first met.”
“My cousin was a good judge of character.”
I sat on the bed next to Veronica, taking her hand. “She was, and she had no reason to like Mel back then. Mel could act like a stuck-up bitch at times, and she’s also jealous by nature…Likes to be the only pretty girl in the room. And,” I paused, shoring myself up, “I screwed Mel here and there back in the day.” Veronica’s eyes locked on mine. “Mostly before I met Kasia, but I, uh, cheated with Mel once.”
“Wow, with her?”
“Yeah,” I said, shaking my head. “Totally not worth it.”
She looked at her phone again. “I wish we could erase the last five minutes of this morning.”
“I know. I don’t want to leave things on that note either. C’mon,” I said, tugging her up off the bed with me. “It’s five to…You’ll be late.” I followed her inside the store and waited for her to open up. “Veronica, I feel like I have to be one hundred percent honest with you, and sometimes, like just now, that’s gonna suck balls. But I think it’s the only way you’ll ever really trust me.”
“That did suck balls.”
I shook my head thinking: And so will this. “In the spirit of full disclosure, I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow morning with Winery Girl.”
She braced her hands on the sides of the register. “Gia?”
“Her name is actually Georgianna. She introduced herself to me as Gia.” I tilted Veronica’s chin up. “That’s what piqued my interest.”
“I’m just gonna go vomit right now.”
“She’s been lobbying for me to take an interest in one of their subsidiaries. I looked into it and I’m not biting…Just giving Spectra the courtesy of a sit down so I can formally decline. She was pushing for a dinner meeting but I insisted on breakfast.”
“And tonight?”
“Tonight I’m having dinner with my college roommate, his wife and their three children.” I leaned in to kiss her and was grateful that she let me do it. “Tonight I’ll be missing you.”
I guess I could get used to this.
Dylan told me to expect someone at noon today, a personal shopper who worked for his family. I protested at first, but really, I had nothing to wear to an event like this. Kasia generally designed more casual clothing, so the pieces I had from her older collections wouldn’t cut it. There wasn’t one thing in my closet that could pass for formal wear.
I didn’t like the experience at first. I didn’t care for Diana, this bossy chick who was no more than thirty, eyeing me in my bra and panties, inspecting me from every angle as she determined which gowns to select from the garment racks that now crowded my living room. She pinched me in at the waist when things were too tight, plumped my tits up in some dresses, tapped my tummy and simultaneously pushed my ass in to encourage me to stand up straight. She manhandled me.
But damn, standing there in the crimson red satin halter gown she decidedly told me was “made for your body,” I was suddenly in awe of the woman. There was nothing to it, no beads, no dazzle. But the way the fabric outlined my curves, and the cut of the top, exposing more shoulder, skimming along the sides of my breasts and then dipping down to expose more than half of my back—the effect was tasteful and sinfully sexy at the same time.
“Classic and demure…It’s your body that takes this dress from a Bentley to a Lambourghini.” Stepping me into a pair of black, strappy heels, she directed my gaze towards the mirror. “Evan and his girlfriend will be here at five…Hair and make-up. Tell Evan I said natural wave.” Standing up, she gathered my hair into a soft, low ponytail that draped over one shoulder. “Better, I’ll send him a picture,” she said as she snapped away. “You don’t want to look like those stuck-up brats with their overdone up-dos. You’re young and sexy, so let’s go with it.”
By the time hair and make-up were done, it was nearly seven and Dylan was due any minute. I wished I was one of those city girls you imagine, the ones with chilled champagne always on standby in the fridge. I was battling a case of giant-sized butterflies, their wings fluttering wildly in my belly, and I could use a sip of something right about now—anything.
Tonight I feared all eyes would be on me, with not so much as one friend in the room besides Dylan. Well, I reasoned, the Farrells would be there, and I did know Darcy, but that was about it. Some of Kasia’s others friends would be there, Rene and Caitlin for sure, but I didn’t really know them all that well. And I sure as hell couldn’t predict what any of them would think about Dylan going after Kasia’s much younger cousin. Guess I’d find out soon enough.
Deep breath, I told myself when I heard a knock on my door.
Dylan literally took a step back when I greeted him. He took me in, his look
softening as he stepped forward again, tracing one finger lightly along the side of my face, continuing down to where my hair draped over my shoulder. “You’re breathtaking.”
“You like it?”
“I,” he shook his head, pausing, “I feel incredibly grateful right now and incredibly lucky. You always look gorgeous, baby, but right now? No one could even come close to you. I almost feel bad for the other women…Every eye is going to be on you tonight.”
“Keep talking like that and I’ll probably trip and fall on my face as we enter the room. I’m a nervous wreck as it is.”
“Hmm…I should let you sweat it out. You did leave me alone in a room with Tomasz and Michal at Henry’s birthday party. That was pretty mean.”
“I left you? I was watching over Hyacinth if you remember correctly, and she was trying to feed Chuck a piece of sushi.”
“Whatever, I felt like a piece of sushi in a shark tank that entire day.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, because Dylan did look like he was breaking out into a cold sweat once or twice that afternoon. But it all worked out. He was already a rock star in Rachel’s book, but my cousin Michal’s boys were also in awe, the oldest one a star lacrosse player like Dylan had been. I think he was escaping from the adults when he organized those impromptu lacrosse and soccer games, but whatever the reason, he made friends with all the little ones as a result. And he didn’t really need to worry; all of the adults were more than cordial. Even Tomasz kind of, sort of came around. After pulling me aside early on in the day for a heart to heart that could be summed up on his part as: What the hell are you thinking?, Tomasz, at my insistence, gave him the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know if Dylan would ever earn the level of acceptance Jake seemed to have been granted right off the bat, but I could say that after last weekend I wouldn’t hesitate or stress over bringing him around my family.
I felt like we were a couple.
The thought alone made me sigh, made me feel lighthearted and content.
“Come on, gorgeous, we cannot be fashionably late tonight, and the longer we stay in this apartment, the more I’ll want to hike the bottom of that dress up and eat you.”
“You better keep comments like that to yourself tonight, mister.”
Wrapping my shawl over my shoulders, he said, “I always keep everything about us, every hot and sexy little thing about us, to myself.”
I was glad I took the champagne Dylan offered me on the ride over to The Plaza, loosening me up some, because nothing could have prepared me for the barrage of camera flashes and paparazzi that descended on us as we exited the car. Unlike other times, when I noticed Dylan would just walk by a lone cameramen without even so much as a nod of recognition, tonight he stopped and granted them full access. He had his arm wrapped around me, his hand resting intimately on my hip as he turned us from the direction of one photographer to another, giving them all a chance to snap us.
“Who’s the knockout, Cole?” one yelled above the rest, to which he answered, “My girlfriend, Veronica Petrov.” They all started yelling questions then and the flash of the cameras became constant. He ushered us inside once he dropped that line, and in response to my wide-eyed stare, he shrugged, brushing me off. “What? That is you name and that’s who you are.”
“Veronica, that dress is stunning,” Mrs. Cole said, air-kissing me on both cheeks. Dylan arranged for the four of us to go out for a casual dinner last week, which I was so grateful for in this moment. It made me feel more relaxed knowing I had two more people in my corner tonight. And while Dylan was being pulled in ten different directions the second we walked through the door, I barely knew a soul in the room. Picking up on my discomfort, Mr. Cole nudged me gently and handed me a champagne flute. “I’d like to tell you that one day you’ll look forward to attending these events, but I won’t lie to you.”
“Don’t listen to Vince,” Mrs. Cole said. “This is a wonderful cause. It’s the only big event I still care to be associated with.”
“Vince, Margot…Who is this beautiful creature? Have you adopted another child?”
Margot’s face stiffened. “Bunny.”
Bunny leaned in for a kiss from Vince, which he gave her, but his manner was stiff and uncomfortable too. The woman went right on making small talk, acting as if she didn’t notice the sudden chill in the air. “You two are looking fantastic, as always.” Vince moved in closer to Margot. Both smiled but neither felt the need to return the compliment. Undeterred, she kept at it. “We missed you over Labor Day. I can’t believe you came back to New York so early.”
Now Margot’s smile seemed genuine. “I used to love the Vineyard but it just doesn’t feel the same to me anymore. Actually,” she looked to Vince, “we’re thinking about putting our place up for sale. Dylan isn’t interested in keeping it either.”
At the mention of Dylan’s name, the woman’s smile thinned and she turned back to me. “I’m sorry…I’m Bunny Tate, and you are?”
Vince took a slight step forward, as if he was shielding me. “This is Veronica Petrov. She’s a friend of Dylan’s.” Looking to me, Vince added, “Bunny is a very old friend of the family’s.”
“And I’m Dylan’s mother-in-law.”
Margot’s tone of voice sounded concerned when she asked, “How is Cecilia?” but the look on her face told me she was anything but.
“She’s doing well…You know this year’s been difficult, but she’s soldiering on…She’s traveling, doing charity work.”
“And the gallery?”
Bunny literally beamed, tilting her head. “She’s in the process of selling it.”
Margot sipped at her champagne, her tone clipped when she commented, “I’m sure the business isn’t worth much, but that property alone will net her another nice windfall.”
Bunny’s look told me she was gearing up for a comeback, so I took that as my cue to escape. Looking to Margot and reading understanding in her eyes, I said, “I see a friend, excuse me.”
“Darcy,” I said, tapping the woman’s shoulder, praying it was actually her.
“Oh my God! Veronica!” She took my hands in hers, backing up a step to take me in from top to bottom. “You look so,” bringing her gaze back up to me, she smiled, “grown up.” Turning to the group she was with, she made introductions. “Tom, you remember Kasia’s cousin, Veronica, don’t you?” Then she introduced me to her brother, Luke Donovan, and another drop-dead gorgeous guy named Mick. With their six-foot-plus frames in tuxedos, chiseled jawlines and bright, white smiles, they were like a Brooks Brothers advertisement come to life.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to catch you at that silent auction last month. The twins came earlier than Rene and Caleb expected, so I was on duty.”
“How are they, and how’s Rene feeling?”
“She’s great…Nothing slows that girl down. And the babies are beautiful. Two boys and now two girls.”
“Two sets of twins…That sounds like a lot of work.”
“Caleb works from home one or two days a week and the boys are in school full-time now, so that helps. And tonight my parents are there babysitting. Rene and Caleb bailed at the last minute. I think they just wanted to have a quiet dinner alone instead of all this,” she said, gesturing around the room.
Darcy’s husband Tom looked out over the crowd. “Veronica, I have someone you have to meet. My younger brother is around here somewhere. Terrence just finished law school and he’s moving to the city next month.”
“Um,” I hedged, looking around for Dylan, feeling awkward.
Darcy nudged my side. “Terrence is twenty-seven, gorgeous, and like seriously, the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”
I wanted to whisper to Darcy that I was here with someone, but I didn’t have the chance. Tom, trying and failing to curb his laughter, tapped my shoulder and gestured towards a man who was making his way towards us with a pissed off look. With jet black hair and blue eyes, the boy was striking, but he still didn’t hold a candle to Dyl
an.
Towering over his brother, the man I assumed to be Terrence said, “Would have been nice if you told me this thing was black tie, jackass. Your pants are wedged in my ass crack right now and this jacket…” He shook his head, looking down at the cuffs that were definitely more than an inch too short.
“Terrence!” Darcy tugged on his hand and shot him a look that said: Mind your manners! “I want you to meet someone.” She shook her head, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Ohmigod, I actually just realized you two have already met!” She was still smiling, but her eyes told me she was missing her dearest friend. “Kasia came down to the beach with you and Olivia once when you were…I don’t know, maybe nine or ten years old. Do you remember, Veronica?”
I laughed. “You know what? I actually do! There was sandbar or something that day and I remember Olivia came running out of the water with—”
“Those tiny little crabs on her fingers.” Terrence was looking at me with a wistful smile, his gaze raking over me before he met my eyes again. “I remember that too.”
“Poor thing!” Darcy had her hands up, wiggling all ten fingers. “I remember she was screaming her little head off. How is Olivia?”
I guess Kasia hadn’t filled Darcy in on my family drama. “She’s doing well. Olivia’s a sophomore at Columbia.” I wanted to add: She’s the good daughter.
“That’s great. And I know you’re running Alex and Henry’s entire operation now…That’s impressive.” Maybe Darcy was aware of my situation because that seemed like an obvious effort on her part to steer the conversation away from college talk. I felt myself beginning to perspire when she kept right on with the matchmaking. “Terrence, where is your new apartment?”
“I’ll be on Eighty-first and York...What about you?”
“I have a tiny one bedroom above the store I manage on Seventy-first and Madison.”
“You’re living large…I’m cramming into a crappy fourth floor walk-up with three other guys. I thought my living situation would get better after school but the rents are insane in this city.”