by A. C. Arthur
Chaz rubbed a finger over his chin. Once he’d recalled Lenzo’s hostility on Friday and then again on Monday when Tobias fired him, Chaz figured the guy would have had to make only one phone call to get that story on the front page on Tuesday morning. When Chaz had left Riley’s office on Tuesday, he’d gone straight to the police to share his suspicions and they’d immediately followed up.
“Exactly. But the pictures... Lenzo said he bought those from the reporter who was fired after Ron’s tirade last week over an article the guy wrote.”
The article about Walt’s fiancée. Chaz cursed just like his uncle had.
“Can’t trust anybody these days.” Tobias sat back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Well, we’ve got a big night tonight so we have to put this behind us.”
“Got it.” Chaz agreed that tonight was a big night. As far as putting all this behind them, that was easier said than done.
“Your launch went well last night. Heard you got a record number of downloads or something like that.”
“Yeah, over forty-seven million in the first twelve hours.” The number was still incredulous to him. “The quick influx of downloads caused a few glitches but we were able to work those out fairly quickly. So it looks like a success.”
One Chaz hadn’t been able to enjoy. Valeria had decided to post his interview, after all, highlighting the parts where he insisted ChatMe was not a dating service. That was where she’d added the rumors that the social media playboy had finally fallen in love with his family’s number one enemy. Chaz had been tempted to call her and give her a piece of his mind. In the end, he’d refrained because what she’d published was true.
With that tidbit of knowledge, Chaz had left the office late last night and spent the rest of his launch day sitting in his apartment staring at the blinds he’d closed over all his windows because it reminded him of Riley.
“What do you plan on doing once this showing is over?”
Chaz shrugged. Working with his uncle had always been temporary, until the new men’s brand was launched successfully; now he pondered what his next step would be. “Hadn’t thought about it.”
“You were always a piss-poor liar, son.” Tobias chuckled and crossed his leg to rest an ankle on the opposite knee.
“Really. I haven’t thought about when I’ll head back to Miami.” Or if he would return to the life he’d had before coming to New York. For a minute, Chaz had thought there might be a reason for him to permanently relocate here.
He could easily work remotely from Manhattan or open another office in the city. One that could be used specifically as the ChatMe headquarters. But that plan had stalled in the water on Tuesday morning.
“And why is that? Because you got cozy with Riley Gold?”
The glare he sent his uncle must have expressed everything Chaz was feeling about him mentioning her name.
“Whoa there, don’t get defensive. I’m not calling her a thief anymore. You got to the bottom of all that foolishness. Which is why I’m gonna shoot straight with you right now.” Tobias smoothed down his tie.
“You’ve been walking around here with a long face all week. Last time I saw you looking like that was when that little boy you liked having over the house moved away.”
“His name was Caleb and we were twelve when his family moved back to India.” He’d been the closest thing Chaz ever had to a sibling or a family member his age.
“Right. Well, anyway, that’s how you’ve been looking. Like you’ve lost your best friend.”
Tobias had no idea how true those words were. Chaz had told Riley things he’d never shared with anyone. She knew him better than even his uncle did. She knew the real Chaz. And had walked away from him.
“I should get over to the venue,” Chaz said and started to stand.
“I’m not finished. Sit down.”
Chaz reluctantly did what he was told.
“You went and fell in love with a woman who you know you shouldn’t have.” Tobias held up a hand when Chaz was about to speak. “And she shouldn’t have fallen for you, either. Both of you knew better. You knew about the bad blood between me and Ron and, in turn, our families. But you went and did it, anyway. There’s only one explanation for that.”
Chaz leaned forward and frowned. “An explanation for falling in love?”
“No. An explanation for why, despite the odds and family members you knew would be against you, that you and Riley still found your way to each other. It’s called fate.”
“Come on, Unc. Don’t start with that nonsense.”
“Call it what you want, but if there’s one thing I know it’s love.”
Chaz laughed. He couldn’t help it. “You? The man’s whose been married eight times wants me to believe he knows about love.”
“I do. That’s precisely why I’ve been married eight times. You see people out here running around believing that you only get one chance. You fall in love and if for whatever reason you don’t stay there, you don’t get to try again. But you do.”
“And that’s your motto. Keep trying again and again until you get it right?”
Tobias shook his head. “You get it right for the time it lasts. That’s all you can be worried about. Tomorrow is not promised, so take what you can get now. My father used to tell me and your mother that. Why do you think she ran off and married your father when she was only eighteen instead of going to college? She was taking my father’s advice and now I’m giving that advice to you.”
“What are you saying?” Tobias had mentioned his mother and Chaz knew he was referring to Riley when he talked about love. The only two women to ever occupy space in his heart were being tossed in his face right now and Chaz didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to remain civil.
“If you love that woman, fight for her. Go through whatever hoops she wants you to, dance to her beat, stand up to her father and those Gold boys, but whatever you do don’t give up. The reason I keep getting more shots at love is simple, Chaz—I’m smart enough to remain open and available for it to find me. Now, if you’re smart like I believe you are, you’ll accept that love has found you and you’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to it.”
Tobias’s words played over and over in Chaz’s mind throughout the night and the celebration for their show and into the weekend when celebrations continued, but Chaz’s heart still ached.
* * *
Tiny flakes of white confetti rained down over the crowd as ten models wearing the first wedding gowns in the Golden Bride Collection traipsed the runway for a second time to a standing ovation. Following right behind them and walking like supermodels themselves were the three women designers and Riley.
They’d grabbed her backstage and insisted she come out with them to celebrate what her vision had created. The designers wore all-white ensembles while Riley had selected a wine-colored pantsuit and gold pumps for this evening’s show. Her smile was genuine, spreading across her face until her cheeks hurt and her heart thumped wildly as her mind screamed, You did it!
Lifting an arm to wave at everyone in the audience, Riley and the designers took a bow before turning and walking back. Her father and RJ were up next. Both dressed in dark suits and walking as if they, too, owned the runway, the Gold men gave the crowd their handsome smiles and appreciative waves.
But the moment Riley stepped down into the backstage area she was pulled into a tight embrace.
“I am so damn proud of you, Riley! So very proud!”
Riley pulled back and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thank you, Mom. Thank you so much!”
The Gold women hugged once more and then Marva eased her daughter away from the cheers, high fives and other celebratory reactions going on backstage. They stopped in front of one of the model tables all the way toward the back door and Marva took both her daughter’s hands, bringing them up to kiss.
Her mother was a beautiful woman with a glowing tawny-brown complexion and thick silver-streaked hair that fell to her shoulders in big, heavy curls. Marva wore a cream-and-gold organza gown from the RGold couture collection.
She smiled brightly at her daughter. “I knew you would find your space and shine as brightly as the star you were meant to be.” Marva’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“Thank you, Mom, for always believing in me. I couldn’t have done any of this without knowing that you were in my corner.”
Marva shook her head. “Yes, you could have. You were meant to do this. Your father may be the designer in this family and RJ the face that can sell anything we produce, but you, Riley, are the brains behind this company. Your analytical mind is what brought this entire collection to fruition. You saw the need, carved out a unique niche for our brand and soared with it. You, my baby, have done well.”
For the first time in days Riley felt full. Warmth spread from her chest to her cheeks and she squeezed her mother’s hands to hold on to all the emotion brewing inside. This was the moment she’d been waiting for—the validation she hadn’t realized she’d fought so hard to receive. While it wasn’t her father or even RJ for that matter, this was so much better. For some reason it meant more to have her mother—the woman who had always been Riley’s role model—say she’d done well.
“You know what would make this moment better, my darling?”
Oh no, Marva had slipped in a “my darling.” The nicknames her parents used for her had at one point seemed endearing. Now, as she knocked on the door of turning thirty, she’d learned those endearments usually came with pieces of parental advice she either didn’t want to accept or just didn’t want to hear. Tonight, Riley feared both were about to come.
“What’s that? All the champagne we’re going to drink at the after-party?”
As much as Marva loved good champagne, Riley knew that wasn’t what her mother was referring to.
“If you could celebrate two major accomplishments in your life at the same time.”
When Riley would have turned away, her mother held on to her hands. “Oh no, that’s enough running away, don’t you think?”
“I’m not running away. That’s not what I do, remember?” Riley had stood taller, squaring her shoulders as she stared back at her mother. The actions had come instinctively.
Marva could only shake her head. “My brave, cautious little girl. You’ve always fought for every inch, haven’t you?”
Riley resisted the urge to shrug but said, “I had to.”
Her mother pursed her lips and gave Riley a knowing nod. “That was your father’s fault for making you feel like you had to be even better than the boys. And my fault for not cutting Ron off earlier with that foolish behavior.”
“It’s nobody’s fault,” Riley said. Her father’s apology had come on Tuesday evening, after her mother had apparently spent the better part of that morning yelling at him for the way he’d yelled at Riley. In addition to being fashion royalty, her parents were pretty good at yelling and then making up later.
“Nonsense. If we hadn’t let you believe that all you needed to be happy in life was to succeed in your career you wouldn’t be in the predicament you’re in now.”
Riley attempted another smile. “I’m not in a predicament, Mom. I’m actually in the most wonderful moment of my life. We should get out front—I’m sure the reporters are swarming.”
That last remark completely gave away Riley’s fake bravado and she saw the moment her mother basked in the small triumph. Riley could do nothing but sigh.
“It’s okay to love him.” Marva’s voice was softer now, but Riley could still hear her over all the celebrating going on around them. “You don’t have to feel like you’re going against some ridiculous family honor.”
“I should have known better.”
“Nonsense. You should have done exactly what you did, reached for the love you deserve. If you love him, Riley, and he loves and respects you, that’s all that matters. None of this—not the accolades at work, my or your father’s validation or any amount of money—is ever going to be worth it if you don’t have someone you love to share it with.”
“Not every woman needs a man, Mom. We’re so beyond that in this century.”
“You need love. I don’t care what anybody says, you will always need love. Whether it’s from a man, woman or alien, you need to feel like you’re loved and respected for something other than the job you do. You need to feel that you, just being you, is enough to be celebrated.”
Riley had only felt that way once, or rather each time she was with Chaz. He never looked at her as Riley Gold, daughter of Ron Gold and his uncle’s archenemy. He’d told her from the start of their affair that they were not the feud.
“I pushed him away.” The admission that had burned in her throat for the past few days came in a soft whisper and Riley looked away, blinking furiously to keep tears from falling.
Marva released her hands, touching a finger to her daughter’s chin and turning her head so that she could look into Riley’s face. “Go back and get him.”
It was a simple statement...one that echoed in Riley’s mind like her mother had shouted it through a bullhorn. But that was impossible, at least right now. Her father and brothers were headed their way and the celebration in the old historic building they’d rented in NoHo for the show was about to be jumping with the Gold after-party.
* * *
An hour later, loud music combined with three glasses of champagne had given Riley another headache that she wished would go away. The party was in full swing and she’d managed to find a quiet corner to hide for a few moments.
She’d already spoken to fashion editors, posed for pictures with some of tonight’s models and nibbled on whatever hors d’oeuvres her mother had whizzed by and popped into her mouth.
“Be gracious. Keep smiling. Sell the product.” Ron had kissed her on the forehead in between giving his instructions. “And remember that I love you, my daughter. No matter how foolish I can be it’s just because I love you.”
Riley recalled the moment her father had found her after his walk on the runway and it made her smile. Her father was always going to have her heart.
With that thought Riley reached for another glass of champagne from the tray held by a server. She took a small sip and was grateful for having something to hold in her hands, which hadn’t stopped shaking all night. Her mother’s words played on loop in her mind. Those and the words Chaz had said to her that day he’d left her standing in her office.
Lights continued to shift with the beat of the music and the hundreds of guests they’d invited to the show danced and ate and drank their way into Fashion Week bliss while Riley stood by watching. That was when she saw him.
He walked through the door across the room wearing a dark-colored suit and button-front shirt open at the neck. One of his hands was in the front pocket of his pants as he stood there looking around the room, and Riley immediately pushed away from the wall where she’d been leaning.
Her heart beat to the rhythm of the fast-paced music and her fingers gripped the stem of her glass. He was here. Chaz had come to the RGF after-party when he hadn’t received an invitation.
She could leave now. Her clever little hiding place was adjacent to the exit door. All she had to do was take a few steps, push the bar on that door and she’d be free. But she didn’t do that, because freedom wasn’t waiting on the other side of that exit door; it was just more time in the shelter she’d created for herself after believing she wasn’t worthy of love.
Riley took a step forward. She inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly, reminding herself that she could do this. She’d proved herself to her family and the fashion world tonight, surely she could walk across this room and talk to one man. She took another step and a server almost bump
ed into her. Riley set her glass on the tray this new server carried and continued her trek across the room.
Chaz had walked down the few stairs from the entry and was now moving in the opposite direction. He seemed to be looking around the room, searching for someone. Riley’s heart beat faster and she picked up her pace, pushing past the people cluttering the floor until she saw Chaz walk into the lounge. She excused herself and hurried toward that space, fearful that Chaz would find another exit and leave.
She bumped into a photographer seconds before stepping into the lounge area and he held on to her waist to keep her from falling.
“I’m sorry,” Riley said, her hands going to the guy’s shoulders.
“No problem,” the guy told her and turned them around so that she was now standing in the lounge area and he was headed to the dance floor.
Riley was just about to resume her search for Chaz when she felt him right behind her. It was that heat that only they shared that warned of his proximity. The smoldering hunger that always started in the pit of her stomach before spreading throughout her body.
“Hi, Riley.”
His voice draped over her like a warm blanket and Riley turned slowly.
“Hi, Chaz.”
“Can we talk?”
“Definitely.” And because neither of them moved for the seconds after that brief exchange, Riley grabbed Chaz’s hand and pulled him through the lounge area and out into the front foyer.
There was significantly less noise and fewer people here.
“I was wrong,” Riley said the moment they stopped walking.
She released Chaz’s hand and looked at his surprised expression.
“I knew you wouldn’t steal from me and I should have spoken up. I should have been adamant about that and about who you are. But I was afraid. I thought it was happening all over again. The betrayal and the scandal—I felt like it was all coming back and I didn’t know how to handle that.”