by Raquel Belle
“Oh, yeah everything’s fine. We got him the Benadryl and everything. I’m driving to your place to drop him off, if that’s okay?”
I sighed, the relief dizzying for a moment. I collected myself and then pulled out of the restaurant’s parking lot. “Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks,” I said, still unsure about his tone. My heart beat quickly in my chest, but I focused on getting home.
The guys were hanging out in the hallway, speaking in low voices when I walked up. I looked at my dad first and studied his face for signs of an allergy attack. “Are you okay? No swelling? Is your throat okay?” I asked.
He waved off my concern. “I’m fine, it was just a little tickle in the throat is all,” he said gruffly.
I nodded, and he took the bags of leftovers out of my hands. “Go ahead and let us in. Mark and I were having a nice talk,” he said.
I glanced at Mark suspiciously. He grinned at me like an innocent little kid. I relaxed, surely if he knew about the miscarriage already, he wouldn’t be smiling at me. I unlocked the door, grumbling about my dad not being able to take a hint. Of course, he studiously ignored me.
“Come on in Mark,” Joe said loudly.
I rolled my eyes and walked straight to the kitchen to put the food away, I left Mark’s out on the breakfast bar then stomped to my room and slammed the door like I was a teen all over again. So much for a nice first night out with Joe. I tossed my purse on the bed and kicked off my boots to put in the closet along with my coat. There was a knock on my bedroom door, which I ignored, but either my dad or Mark was being persistent.
“I’m fine. I don’t want to talk,” I called.
“You’re being rude, you know,” Joe said. I opened the door, ready to lay into my dad, but Mark stood behind him. His hands were in his pockets. He looked sheepish and uncomfortable. I immediately felt sorry for him. I mean, me throwing a fit would make anyone awkward.
“Dad, you said that you were having a conversation with Mark, so he’s your guest. I’m tired. I think I’m gonna turn in early,” I said. “Thanks for dinner, Mark,” I added, and he nodded. His lips were pressed together. I closed the door then found my noise-cancelling headphones on my nightstand and put them on. Not caring that I was being dramatic, I listened to music and read in bed, until I fell asleep.
Chapter Eleven
Mark
I woke up expecting Stephanie to be next to me. When I rubbed my eyes, I realized I’d been dreaming about her. Shaking my head at myself, I got up trying to get myself together. The night before had been odd. I wasn’t sure where I stood with Stephanie anymore, after she so clearly didn’t want me to tag along with her dad or go to her apartment. But my conversation with Joe had been hopeful. Ultimately, he said that he’d forgive me for hurting her once she did. It only added fuel to my fire to know that he still, in some way, wanted us to work out.
Usually, Saturday mornings I’d go boxing with Neil, but I was still mad at him and was more likely to flatten him in the ring rather than listen to our coach. I opted for a quick run on the treadmill in the basement, and afterwards, took a quick shower and changed. It was about eight in the morning when I finished. I wondered if Stephanie was up already. I was in the kitchen taking ingredients out of the fridge for a smoothie when I decided to call her.
“You know it’s Saturday, right?” she mumbled.
“I see you’re still a morning person,” I said, chuckling. I braced myself on the counter and glanced at the clock on the stove.
“During the week, I have to be. On the weekend, I can be my true self,” she said, still grumbling.
“How about I bring you guys some coffee and scones?” I offered. Stephanie stretched. I heard the little moaning sound she made, and then she sighed. More than anything, I wished it was me lying beside her that she could stretch against.
“That sounds good actually,” she said. I quickly started to put the fruit and veggies away and walked to the front of the house for my boots, coat, and car keys.
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I said. We ended the call, and I hurried into the garage for my car. When I pulled out, I was surprised to see snow on the ground. Light flurries fell from the sky. Yeah, winter had definitely come.
Halfway to Steph’s favorite European bakery, Neil called me. My hands tightened on the wheel. I took a deep breath and answered. “Yeah?”
There was some static on his end and then his voice came through clearly. “You skipping class this week?” he asked. As if it were any other day, and everything was peaches between us.
“I’ve got better things to do,” I said.
Neil snorted. “Come on, are you still mad about the whole Stephanie thing that happened years ago?” he asked.
“As you can tell,” I said, my voice deadpan. “Anyways, I’m busy. Nothing is on fire, right?” I paused, Neil didn’t respond, so I hung up. The bakery came up on the right. I had to circle the block a couple of times before I could find parking. Then the bakery itself was packed. Luckily they hadn’t run out of anything yet. Her favorite coffee shop was closer to where she lived then, which was lucky. I wasn’t knocking on her door until nine.
Joe opened the door. He wore a nonchalant grey flannel shirt and jeans. The old man still had a full head of hair. It was impressive. “Oh, hey, Mark. What are you doin’ here?”
I shook his hand and he stepped aside, so I could walk in. “I have coffee and scones. It’s Steph’s favorite.” Joe looked impressed.
“I’d hate to think that I’m messing up your game plan,” he said.
I walked into the kitchen and set everything down. “Don’t worry about it Joe,” I said. “You’re on my side, so I can use all the help I can get.”
Joe turned the coffees around and picked a caramel macchiato. He took his coat that had been hanging on the back of a bar chair and shrugged it on before picking up his coffee.
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Mark. I’ll be on your side when she is,” he said. Joe took his coffee out to the balcony in the living room and shut the door behind him. I watched, as he turned on the balcony heater and kicked his feet up on the cocktail table. I glanced at Stephanie’s bedroom door in the hall and walked over on a whim. I knocked.
“Is coffee here?” she called.
“Yeah, coffee’s here,” I said, smiling. She opened the door. Her hair was in a bun at the top of her head. She wore an oversized sweater, leggings, and thick socks.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” I said.
Steph snorted. “Sure, all I did was brush my teeth and put on socks,” she said. I wanted to kiss her, but I was unsure of where we stood.
“Can we … go on a real date tonight? If you’re not doing anything with your dad?” I asked. Stephanie took a deep breath, and walked into the kitchen. She first grabbed a cup of coffee, then opened the box of scones and snatched a packet of honey butter.
“He wanted to go walk on one of the nature trails in the city. Then I was going to watch a movie with him later on,” she said. “I guess it depends on when we get back.”
“Has your dad ever seen the Olympics?” I asked.
She tilted her head at me, as she spread butter on the scone. “The national forest?”
“Yeah, I could get us a helicopter tour over the forest and we can get a cool view of the Olympics,” I offered. Stephanie’s confusion deepened, then she looked at me incredulously.
“It’s no big deal, Steph,” I said, and smiled.
“I forgot. You really are a … billionaire, huh?” she said.
I laughed and nodded my head. “Yeah, I am. I know a guy, so I’ll book him right now,” I said. Stephanie watched me with wide eyes, as I called the usual helicopter service JNM used when we had meetings to get to in a hurry that were across town or state lines, even. Luckily our favorite pilot, Usef, was available in an hour, and the weather was in our favor too that day.
“This is going to be an adjustment,” Stephanie said, when I walked back to her in the kitchen. I s
at at the bar and sipped my coffee.
“How come?” I asked. The sliding door into the living room opened, and Joe stepped in.
“Don’t mind me … I’m just getting one of those scones,” he said. “Morning Steph,” he added.
“Morning, Pop,” she said. “Mister money bags here got us a helicopter tour of Olympic National Forest,” she said. Joe looked confused for a moment, as if he’d also forgotten that I had money.
“Well that’s nice of you Mark,” he said after a minute of his surprise. “Sounds fun, too,” he said.
“Well, I’m gonna get ready. The tour is in an hour, Pop,” Stephanie said. Even though the holidays were around the corner, and her dad had every right to visit her, I wished we could have more alone time together. I tried not to think about that kiss we had, but it was impossible not to. When I thought about it, all I wanted to do was find an opportunity to kiss her again. It was like we were in high school or something, but my mistake put us where we were. I was lucky she came around to giving us a shot.
I sipped my coffee while Joe went outside to turn off the heater and grab his cup. He stopped in the kitchen only to set the cup down, then he went to his own room to change, I guessed. I ate while they were getting ready. Then I drove us to the hotel that Usef was set to land on.
As soon as Joe met the pilot, he recognized a fellow veteran, and they clicked immediately. Usef had him sit in the copilot seat of the helicopter. I could tell Stephanie was glad Joe had found a friend. The entire time we were in the sky, her eyes were outside on the views of the city we flew over, and then the forest, like a little kid who was visiting Disneyland for the first time. It was worth the trip to see her having so much fun, and I knew that I was the only one who could do something like that for her.
When we touched down on the hotel after, I helped Stephanie out of the helicopter, and she kept hold of my hand until we got back to the car. I spent the day with them, and then we caught a movie, and finally went out to eat. It was a good day. When we got back to her place, I stopped by the front door, and Steph stepped into the hallway once Joe was inside.
“Today was really fun. Thanks for everything,” she said.
“Anytime, I mean it,” I said. She smirked and then bit her lip. I smiled right back. “So, can I pick you up around eight?” I asked. She nodded. “Wear something nice. We’ll be fancy tonight,” I said.
“How fancy?” she asked.
“Like cocktail dress fancy,” I said. As I turned to walk away, she tugged on my hand and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I gave her a mischievous look and stole a kiss from her. I wanted to set the tone. I was done with being cautious, and I knew she was willing to try again. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her close and deepened the kiss. We knew each other well even after the gap in time, and our lips easily fell into a rhythm. She put her hands on my chest to break the kiss, and I let her go, reluctantly.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, my voice a bit husky. I tried to keep her eye contact, but she kept glancing down, as if she were shy for some reason.
“Yeah, see you tonight,” she said, as she stepped inside. I couldn’t help the huge grin on my face. Finally, we were making headway.
***
I was taking her to an exclusive lounge downtown. There was everything to do there: drink, eat, dance. It was a classy place, romantic too. I was back at her apartment building and riding up the elevator. I texted her once I was outside her door.
Stephanie stepped out in a form-fitting, black dress and grey, fur coat. Her hair was loosely curled around her shoulders, and she wore killer, silver heels. “Hey,” she said and looked up from the clutch in her hands. That’s when I noticed the top of the dress. It had sleeves and a turtle neck, but the cleavage part was cut out of the dress. I tried not to look like I was staring at her boobs, but … I stared at her boobs.
“You look amazing,” I said.
She locked the door and smiled up at me. “You clean up nice too. I love that suit on you,” she said.
I offered her my arm and she looped hers through it. “So, if you love this suit on me, and I wear it every day, will that eventually mean you’ll love me?” I teased.
Stephanie laughed, but she didn’t answer right away. “Where are we going?”
We reached the elevators, and I pressed the call button and looked down at her.
“Stop staring at me … you’ll make me blush,” she joked, as the doors opened. We stepped inside, and I pulled her against me. I dipped my head to kiss her neck—her perfume was delicate and bright. “Mark,” she pushed me away playfully, and I put my hands in my pockets.
“Sorry, I’ll try to behave,” I lied and then leaned towards her and nibbled her neck a second time. She smiled and put her hand over my face, so that I’d leave her alone.
“You never answered my question,” she said pointedly.
“We’re going to eat, drink and be merry,” I said. I didn’t tell her where we were going until we got there, and she saw for herself. The lounge had two levels. The second was where our table was reserved. It was the quieter dining setting. There was a second bar, and we had a good view of the stage below and the dance floor. A band was just getting started on their set, playing jazz classics. The singer was crooning Stella by Starlight, by Ella Fitzgerald.
“This place is sexy,” Steph said while taking it all in. The dress code was strict—everyone was dressed in cocktail attire to match the lounge’s music aesthetic. If it wasn’t jazz, it was swing, or jazz-soul.
I smirked at Steph and half nodded my head. “That’s the point. They have really good food here, though,” I added.
Steph quirked her brow at me. “So you’ve brought other women here before, huh?”
I knew she was teasing, but I knew better than to compromise myself. I smiled. “Jimmy recommended this place, actually.”
“How is Jimmy? And Neil?” she asked. A server came by to pour water and take our drink and appetizer orders. I played with the edge of my menu.
“Jimmy is good. He hasn’t changed, which is a great thing. Still cool and funny,” I said, smiling. “Um, Neil is also the same, which is a bad thing ...”
Steph drank from her water glass and shook her head. “He won’t change until life forces him to. Maybe the right woman?”
I laughed. “Steph, you’ve been saying that since college. Problem is, he doesn’t keep any girl around long enough to see if they’re the right woman or not. It would take a force of nature,” I added. The song changed, something more up-tempo. I soon recognized, The Lady is a Tramp.
“I miss them though. Maybe we should all hang out one night. I could invite Leena too,” she said. Steph’s eyes brightened as if she was thinking about us all hanging out like we were all still in college.
“You guys and that Principal Shane?” I asked, teasing.
She laughed. “Yeah we can invite him. He’d love to go out.”
“Actually, the company is having a mixer tomorrow night for all of our new hires,” I told her. “You guys can come out.”
“Yeah, I like that idea,” she said. She studied me. Her eyes traveled across my face, down to my mouth and back up to my eyes. “This feels weird,” she said, and took another drink of water.
“Why? Because you never thought you’d end up giving me a second shot?” I guessed.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” she said. “It’s surreal that we’re here right now.”
“Especially given how we met again. You hated me. I was sure that you hated me,” I said.
Stephanie shrugged. “We never really … got to fight over what happened. I saw the pictures, and we were over, just like that,” she said. I pressed my lips together. The image of Stephanie, heart-broken and slamming the door in my face way back then, flashed in my mind.
“That fucking sucked. Jimmy will tell you. I was depressed for a year,” I said. That time of my life was dark. It was weird because the company was starting up and gaining
steam, but my head was screwed up over losing her. Steph took a deep breath and waved her hand as if she was waving the memories away.
“I want to leave it in the past now. I think it’s time,” she said. The server came back with our drinks and took our dinner orders. Right after she left, a runner came by with our appetizers. I grinned, she finally said the words I’d wanted her to say since that donor’s dinner.
“I promise that I’m not that much of an idiot anymore, Steph.” I held her gaze. Her lips were pursed, but eventually, she smiled. We moved on to lighter topics after that. Caught up on the time we lost, filling each other in on major events. When we finished eating, I took her to the first floor, and we danced for a while. It was a night I wanted to slow down, I wanted to save every aspect of it in my permanent memory. She laughed a lot, and I couldn’t keep a grin off of my face for more than a minute.
When we got back to my car, we idled in the parking lot for a moment. “Do you … want to see my place?” I asked, fully aware of how lame I sounded. But Steph was used to it. She laughed and then bit her lip while thinking about it. “Kinda don’t want this night to end,” I said.
“You will forever and always be corny, huh?” she said. I shrugged sheepishly. She smiled. “You’re such a nerd.”
“So … I’m taking you home?” I asked.
“No, I want to see where Mr. Billionaire lives,” she said.
Needless to say, I sped home.
Chapter Twelve
Stephanie
Mark’s house was huge. As in, a wrought iron gate and half a mile-long driveway huge. When he parked the car in front of his four-car garage, I just sat and stared at it.
“But Mark … do you live with other people?” I asked.
“I knew you’d say something like that,” he said and got out of the car. He adjusted his coat and ran his fingers through his hair as he walked around to open my door. I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out. My eyes travelled upward. The house looked like it was three stories. It was all fancy and modern, masculine, too, as the outside being grey trimmed in metallic accents, with huge windows looking in.