by Parker, Ali
When he reached for a comforter set, I cringed. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Trent, that is a five-hundred-dollar set,” I said, aghast.
He looked at it and shrugged. “Is that a lot?”
“Yes!”
“It’s fine. Do you like it?”
I shook my head. “We can get a cheaper, more affordable one that does the exact same thing.”
“Sade, I have the money. I don’t understand.”
I closed my eyes, praying for patience. “I’m buying this time. You bought everything at the kitchen place.”
“Sade, we’re married. We share everything.”
“No, not like this. You’re buying everything!”
He didn’t get it. The confused expression his face made that very clear. “Sade, I have a lot of money. I can afford to buy whatever you want.”
“Trent, I don’t want you to pay for everything. I don’t expect you to pay for everything. I work for a reason.”
“You work because you like to,” he replied.
“I can buy things. I’m not poor.”
He smiled and pulled me in for a hug. “I know you’re not poor. I love you. I like to make you happy. I like making you happy by buying you things. I’m not trying to insult you.”
I hugged him back, feeling a little ridiculous for my outburst, but it didn’t change how I felt. I was still not okay with him paying for everything.
“I’m paying for this cart,” I insisted. “I am not going to let you whip out that little credit card before I get the chance to grab mine.”
He grinned. “Then I will pay for this cart and the comforter. I know you like that style. I saw your eyes light up. I love watching you get excited. I love seeing that glow of happiness on your face. I’m not buying your love. You’ve convinced me I already have it, but I do like to make you happy. I like to buy you nice things, and I have the means to do it.”
I offered him a smile. He wasn’t going to get it. We pushed our carts up front. He got in one checkout line while I got in another. It was the only way I could be sure he wouldn’t pay for both loads. I winced a little when I saw the total. I used my credit card and waited for him near the front doors.
“I’m not sure we have room for much of anything else,” I said, shoving the last bag into the backseat. The trunk was already filled.
He chuckled. “I think we’re about set. Now, it’s just about adding the finishing touches.”
I nodded and got into the car. I had to set the GPS to get me back to the new house. I was still unfamiliar with the city. I pulled to a stop in front of the gorgeous house. It was still strange to think I would be living there soon. It was all so much.
“We should have made Khloe come along so she could help us unload all this stuff,” I said as we carried in our third load to the house.
He laughed. “She would have been buried in the backseat.”
“True, but she’s small.”
He laughed. “This is true.”
Chapter 65
Trent
I carried in the last bag from the car and put it down in the middle of the floor. The kitchen counters were filled with bags and boxed appliances. Sade had disappeared down the hall and had to come back into the main living room.
She’d been very quiet on the drive over, and other than the brief conversation when we first arrived, she had said very little since. I could feel something was off. She didn’t have that spring in her step, and the excitement about unloading our haul wasn’t there. I was thrilled to have just about everything we needed to move in.
She came back into the kitchen and rummaged through some bags. “I’ll put these in the bathroom,” she said without looking directly at me.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes, fine,” she answered. “Do you want to do the kitchen or start in the bedroom?”
She was being very curt, like we were on a mission and she was completely focused on that mission. We were moving into a home together. I was expecting a little more enthusiasm. “I’ll take the bedding into the bedroom.”
She smiled. “Great. I can’t wait to see that comforter on the bed.”
I wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic or honest. She disappeared from the room, leaving me to ponder the situation alone. I grabbed the massive bag with the bedding and dragged it in the opposite direction toward the master suite. The huge California-king bed sat bare and waiting for sheets and blankets.
It took me some time and a lot of effort, but I finally managed to get the fitted sheet on the bottom. I had never actually made a bed that big. I had a king at home in Tahoe, but Mira took care of the changing of the sheets. In the Army, I could make a tight twin bed, but the massive bed in front of me was certainly proving challenging.
I was going to broach the subject of hiring a housekeeper with Sade once again. Changing sheets was a bitch, and I didn’t want to do it again, and I didn’t want to feel guilty thinking about Sade doing it. I managed to get the bed made after some choice words. I had actually broken a sweat doing it.
I went back into the kitchen area to see how Sade had fared. She was busy unpacking a blender and putting it on the counter.
“Have you unpacked the glasses by chance?” I asked, in desperate need of water.
“Not yet, but the box was over on the small table.”
Again, there was no eye contact. “Thanks.”
I carried the box back to the kitchen counter and opened it up, filling a glass with water and gulping it down.
“What were you doing?” she asked, finally looking at me.
I grinned. “Making the bed.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes, which reminds me, are you sure I can’t hire a housekeeper? That bed is no joke. I know I don’t want to mess with that bottom sheet ever again, and I hate the thought of you trying to do it.”
“We could do it together. Normal people make their own beds all the time.”
I nodded. Her tone had been curt. “Okay, next time we do it together.”
She turned back and started to unpack more appliances. We worked together for the next two hours. The only conversation was around the idea of where to put certain things. Once everything was unboxed and put away, I carried the bags of trash out to the dumpster. Thankfully, Khloe had set that up for me yesterday.
I walked back inside and caught her staring out the glass doors facing the backyard. I looked around the living room and realized it was essentially furnished—minus the TV, which was something I would add to Khloe’s list to have installed soon.
“You know, we have basically everything we need,” I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against me.
“Pretty much,” she said, lacking any real enthusiasm.
“Do you want to stay here tonight? It could be our first night in our new home.”
“No. I have to work in the morning. I’d have to get up early and drive back to the condo to shower and get dressed. We don’t have any toiletries here.”
I nodded, understanding her point of view. “Okay. You’re right.”
“Are you ready to go? Khloe’s probably thinking we skipped town.”
I smiled. “I am.”
We stopped at the store to pick up some things to make a quick and easy chicken dinner. Sade was going through the motions, but that usual spark I saw from her was absent. We got home, and Sade excused herself to do some laundry.
“I can help with dinner,” Khloe volunteered.
“Thanks,” I said in a monotone voice.
“Everything okay? I hope you both know I was only kidding about the red. If you guys like red, by all means, go for it. It isn’t like you can’t buy new stuff when you get tired of it.”
I smiled. “Everything is fine. We had a long day. Shopping and then hauling everything to the house and unpacking it all. I made a bed. A big bed. It nearly kicked my ass.”
She burst into laughte
r. “Are you telling me a bed got the best of you?”
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
“You know, there is a trick to getting the sheet on without it climbing away from you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know how anything could work. I offered to hire a housekeeper again, but she shot me down.”
“Sade is a very independent person. She likes to do things for herself. Her dad raised her to be tough and strong, and accepting help from anyone is tough.”
“I know, but it’s a housekeeper. A lot of people have housekeepers.”
“Not people like Sade.”
I nodded, knowing she was right, but not really understanding why it was such a bad thing to have a little help. I was an independent person myself, but even I knew when it was smarter to delegate or hire out.
I kept my thoughts to myself and finished making dinner. We sat down to eat, the tension thick in the room. It reminded me of the hours and minutes before a big thunderstorm hit. You could feel it in the air. You knew it was coming, but you didn’t know when that first boom of thunder would ring out.
“I’m going to lay down,” Khloe said, clearing away her plate and quickly making her escape.
She obviously sensed it as well. I knew our first fight was coming. I just wasn’t sure how big the fight was going to be or what it was going to be about. I couldn’t think of anything that had happened that would result in a fight. We’d had a minor disagreement about who was going to pay for what, but I was confident it had been settled.
“I’m tired as well,” Sade announced and stood up.
She quickly cleared away everything except my plate in front of me. I was definitely in hot water. I dreaded hearing it, but I needed to know what was going on. I didn’t like the tension between us. I finished cleaning up, put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and got it started.
Truthfully, I was stalling. I walked into the bedroom and found her sitting on the edge of the bed.
“What’s going on?” I asked, sitting down beside her. “And please don’t tell me nothing because I can tell there is definitely something.”
“There is.”
“Did I do something?”
She sighed, shaking her head. “No. Not really. It’s just, I hate being dependent on you. I don’t want you to think I married you for your money.”
I smiled. “Sade, I don’t think that at all. I know that isn’t the case.”
“You always want to buy things, and I can’t afford to spend like that. I hate being the tagalong or the girl with no money.”
“Sade, you’re my wife. We share everything. I’ll get your name added to my bank account right away.”
“That’s what I mean!”
“What? What do you mean?”
She slapped her hand on her thigh. “You have money. You. You made money. I haven’t made any real money yet. My job pays okay, but I’ll never be able to buy a fifty-thousand-dollar car. I can’t go to the kitchen store and spend three grand on shit I probably will never use.”
I laughed. “We’ll use that stuff—eventually.”
“That’s not the point. You spend so freely. I can’t keep up with that.”
“Baby, I know you are not with me for my money. I know that with every fiber of my being. We love each other. We share a bond that transcends anything I have ever experienced. It’s you and me, and I am thrilled you have chosen me to be your husband.”
Her eyes were watery when she looked at me. “I do love you. I do. I appreciate your generosity, but it’s hard for me to accept it.”
I grabbed both her hands with mine and held them to my mouth, kissing the backs of her knuckles. “That’s one of the many reasons I love you. You don’t expect anything. You’re strong and independent. You could do anything you wanted to. You’ve chosen to be with me, and my money is a package deal. You get me and you get the money. Money means nothing if it can’t buy a little happiness.”
She choked out a laugh. “I thought money can’t buy happiness.”
“Maybe not literal happiness, but it can buy things that provide some joy in a person’s life. I love to buy you things that you don’t ask for and don’t expect. I cannot tell you how much happiness that brings me. It makes my heart full.”
She smiled. “That’s because you have a giving heart. The more you give, the better you feel.”
I nodded. “Maybe, but it isn’t just giving to anyone. It’s when I can give to you and watch you smile. It’s your gratitude and your thanks that make it so much better.”
“I’ll try to work on it, but I can’t say it’s a change I will make overnight. I’ve always been taught to stand on my own two feet and never depend on anyone.”
“Good. I’m glad your father instilled that in you, but you can depend on me. I will always be there for you in every way. If that means financially, then so be it.”
She wiped a tear from her cheek. “I’m sorry. I was being a total bitch earlier.”
“No, you weren’t. You were upset. But promise me one thing?”
“What?”
“The next time I stomp all over your toes, tell me. Don’t let it fester. You had me very worried.”
She smiled. “I will do that.”
“And I promise not to go on any wild shopping sprees.”
She laughed. “Liar. You are the biggest shopaholic I’ve ever met, and that’s saying something, considering Khloe and Julia are my two best friends.”
I grinned. “I like nice things.”
“I know you do.”
“Maybe we can do a little shopping later and pick out some décor for the house. It’s looking a little minimalistic as it is right now.”
She smiled. “We can do that.”
“Oh, and one last thing,” I said hesitantly.
“What would that be?”
“Can I please buy a TV and entertainment system?” I asked in a whine.
She threw her head back and laughed. “Of course. Why would you even ask?”
“Because I want a big TV or two, and I’ll have to have it installed because I don’t want to drop the damn things, and I’m no handyman.”
She gave me a quick kiss. “Yes, you go crazy and buy the biggest TV your money can buy.”
I took Leia out for her nightly walk while Sade got ready for bed. I climbed in beside her, still feeling a little shaky after the whole situation. For a brief moment, I had thought she was having serious doubts about our relationship. My heart had been twisted in a knot and bouncing around in my chest.
I was glad we had weathered our first argument and wanted to believe it would be our last. At least for a little while.
Chapter 66
Sade
I went to work a little earlier than usual to try and catch up on the latest about what had happened the day before. It was a bit of a madhouse. Reps from various agencies were present, as well as bigwigs from the head of the company I worked for. Everyone wanted to know what happened. Everything and everyone were under scrutiny.
I knew I wasn’t in trouble, but I still felt like there were a lot of eyes focused on the new girl. I kept my head down and concentrated on my work, doublechecking everything I did to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes. Holly was quiet as well. We were both doing what we could not to draw any attention to ourselves.
All I could think about was getting home to Trent. I felt like I had nearly blown it with my little freak out over money. It was hard to accept so much from him. My dad was fiercely independent, never accepting a handout from anyone and making damn sure he expected the same from me.
We’d always had what we needed, and I didn’t think I had ever really wanted for anything, but we weren’t a wealthy family. I didn’t get a full wardrobe of name-brand clothes every school year, but I had good clothes and had never been deprived.
Trent didn’t look at price tags or think about getting a better deal somewhere else. He saw, he bought. I knew I couldn’t be mad at him. He’d worked very hard and s
acrificed a lot. He deserved every penny he had. I was going to do better. I was going to swallow my pride and accept the fact I was married to a billionaire and my life would be different.
At the end of the day, I was more than ready for the weekend. Holly stopped me in the breakroom where I had dashed in to grab my purse.
“Is everything okay?” she asked. “You’ve looked very distracted all day.”
I laughed. “Well, that’s not good. I was trying to look focused and smart.”
She burst into laughter. “Oh, yeah, that wasn’t the impression I got.”
“Everything is fine. It’s just been one of those weeks, and I cannot wait to get home and start the weekend.”
“Get home to your hunky man,” she said with a wink.
“Damn straight!”
We walked out. I was so anxious to get home I had to keep a close eye on the speedometer. I was tempted to speed, but I did not want a ticket. I opened the door to the condo and froze. There were streamers hanging from the ceiling and a few balloons tied to the back of the dining chairs. A big cake was centered on the table.
It wasn’t my birthday.
Khloe rushed me, giving me a glass of champagne. She was smiling like she’d won the lottery. Maybe she had. Leia let out a few sharp yips of excitement, clearly picking up on the energy in the room.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“The hotel is officially Trent’s!” she exclaimed. “The deal is done! Signed, sealed, and delivered!”
“Really?” I asked with surprise. The last I heard, there were some last-minute issues that could take a few weeks to resolve.
“Yep,” Trent said, coming into the kitchen. “Between Richie and Khloe, they got it done. They are a powerful team, even when they are in two different states.”
“Good job,” I congratulated her.
“I’m going out to celebrate later, but I thought we could enjoy a little celebration here first,” she said, still grinning.
“I think you’ve found your calling,” I said with a laugh.