by Alice Ward
All right, Nancy. I know when I’m being dismissed.
I held my head high and rose to my feet. “Thank you for your time,” I said politely, moving for the door. I left the stack of papers she’d given me sitting on her desk and wasn’t at all surprised that she didn’t point it out.
What the hell is her problem? I bet if I’d said my parents were going to pay my tuition, she’d have kissed my ass and treated me like royalty. Why is it okay for a woman to lean on her parents, but not her partner?
I was frustrated and discouraged and all I wanted was the comfort of Drake’s arms. I pulled out my phone and called him on my way back to the subway station.
“Hey, baby,” he answered breathlessly on the fourth ring. “What’s up?”
“I’ve had a bad day. I was wondering if you wanted to meet me for a drink when you get off work.”
“I’m so sorry Chels, but it looks like I’m going to have a late night. My foreman in Hong Kong had a minor heart attack this morning. The doctors say he’s going to be fine, but I can’t afford any more delays on the project. I’m trying to get everything covered so I don’t have to fly over.”
“Fly over? But the gala is Saturday.” My day was getting worse by the minute.
“Which is precisely why I have to stay late tonight. I need to get to a meeting, but I’ll call you later.”
“Okay,” I relented. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” The line went dead and my heart sank. I was about to drop my phone back into my purse when it started ringing. I looked down and saw Stacey’s number on the screen.
“Hey, Stace, how are you?”
“Hi Chelsea… I’m okay, I guess,” she replied, her tone flat. “Oliver was supposed to be home for dinner tonight. I spent all day prepping and cooking and now he’s called and canceled on me.”
“Yeah, the Hong Kong foreman. I just got stood up too.”
“Want to come over? I have plenty of food. We can stuff ourselves and bitch about our men.”
After the day I’d had, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
***
“That was fast,” Stacey greeted me with a hug.
“I was a block from the subway when you called,” I explained, following her into the kitchen. I sat down at the marble kitchen island and Stacey poured me a glass of merlot.
“I was letting this breathe for Oliver. Drink as much of it as you want,” she insisted, staring longingly at the glass.
“You look like you’ve had an even worse day than I did,” I observed, my voice oozing with sympathy.
“I’m just tired,” she replied with a dismissive wave while I downed half the glass. “What’s got you so upset?” She stuffed her hand in an oven mitt and pulled a loaf of garlic bread from the oven.
“I’m tired too. And I’m frustrated.”
“With Drake?” she asked, stirring a pot on the stove.
“With everything,” I answered, jumping up from the stool. “Sit down, Stacey. I can finish dinner, just tell me what to do.”
“Thank you,” she sighed. “I’m starting to feel so useless. I can’t be on my feet for five minutes without getting worn out.”
“You’re growing an entire person, Stacey. You’re allowed to be tired,” I reminded her as she took a seat at the table.
“Thank you. Just give the sauce a few stirs and turn the burner down. Then come sit with me and tell me what’s going on. Are you frustrated about Drake working late again? Or did something else happen?”
“I went to the NYU campus today. The lady I spoke with was really friendly, at first. We talked about the programs I wanted to enroll in, I told her my Rutgers GPA, and she seemed impressed. Then, she brought up financial aid and got kind of… dismissive when I told her that my husband would be covering my tuition. I shouldn’t have given her so much detail. I should have just said aid wouldn’t be necessary and moved on.” As I spoke, I stirred the sauce, poured Stacey a glass of ice water, and joined her at the table.
“You wanted to say ‘husband’,” she said with a knowing smile. “Admit it. It feels good.”
“It does.” I blushed. “At least it did, until Nancy turned her nose up at me. I don’t know what the hell her problem was. It’s like she thought I was less of a person for marrying a wealthy man.”
Stacey’s smile widened and her eyes looked happier than I’d seen them in weeks. “You never give yourself enough credit, Chelsea. That woman didn’t think less of you. She was jealous.”
“Because of the money… of course.”
“Because of everything about you,” she corrected me. “Chelsea, go look at yourself in a mirror. You’re a knockout. You gave her your GPA, so she knew that you’re also brilliant. When you throw money on top of that, it’s enough to make anyone green with envy. I bet if you’d shown her a picture of Drake, she’d have passed out on the floor.”
“This is something I’m going to have to learn to deal with, isn’t it?” I groaned. Drake’s money definitely had its perks, but it also had its downfalls.
“Probably,” she agreed. “But if people want to judge you before they get to know you, screw them. When were you thinking about starting your classes?”
“It doesn’t really make sense to start before the wedding. That would be too much to juggle all at once. But a big part of me wants to try. I don’t want to get so wrapped up in Drake that I lose sight of myself. I don’t want to be one of those housewives who plan their days around their husband’s schedule.”
“Like me?” she asked and her face turned red. To my horror, a huge tear escaped her eye.
SHIT! That’s not what I meant.
“Stacey, I have nothing but admiration for the way you take care of my brother,” I told her honestly. “I know from a lifetime of experience that putting up with him can be a full time job. And I know that he wouldn’t be where he is today without you. But Drake doesn’t need that from me. I’m not sure I could give it to him if he did,” I admitted.
“It’s okay,” she sobbed. “You’re right. You don’t want to be like me. I’ve done nothing but support Oliver for the last ten years of my life and now… I think he’s cheating on me, Chelsea.”
Hearing the news felt like being knocked in the face with a brick wall. “What?” I asked, reaching across the table and taking her hand.
Stacey explained through her tears. “He set up the home office weeks ago, but he’s never here. I keep asking him to help me set up the nursery, but he keeps making excuses to put it off. And more than once, I’ve caught him whispering with someone over the phone. At first, I thought I was going crazy. But it just keeps getting worse and I don’t know what to do.”
I crossed over to her side of the table and wrapped her in a hug. “Stacey, I’m sure there’s another explanation.” I kept my tone positive but inside, I was boiling. I couldn’t believe that my brother would cheat, but he was obviously up to something.
“I don’t know what it could be,” she said, wiping tears from her face.
“I don’t know why you let me ramble on about a bitchy admissions advisor instead of telling me this as soon as I got here. How long has this been going on, Stacey?”
“Since the week Oliver gave notice at his old firm,” she said, staring down at the table.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t want to get you involved. Oliver’s your brother. You shouldn’t be put in the middle of this.”
“I’m not in the middle of anything. I really, really hope that you’re mistaken. But if Oliver’s messing around, I’m standing firmly on your side. I’m going to get to the bottom of this right now, Stacey. Will you be okay on your own.”
She nodded and rose to her feet. “Thank you, Chelsea. Saying it all out loud actually made me feel a little better.” She wrapped me in a hug and laid her head on my shoulder.
“From now on, I want you to tell me about stuff like this without hesitating,” I insisted.
“I wi
ll,” she promised as we pulled apart.
“I’ll check in in a few hours. Call me if you need anything.”
I stormed out of the apartment and set off for Drake’s office. If anyone knew the truth about what Oliver was up to, it would be him.
***
Night had fallen over the city. I stood under the neon lights of a deli and hailed a taxi.
“Fifty-three Wall Street, please,” I directed the driver as I buckled my seatbelt.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a thick Latin accent.
The car moved through Gramercy Park, the East Village, and Little Italy. By the time we reached Chinatown, I’d finally calmed my nerves.
I can’t just storm into Drake’s office and start throwing around accusations. If Oliver’s there, I’ll bring up the nursery. I’ll see how he reacts to that before I decide whether or not to confront him outright. If Oliver’s not there, I’ll tell Drake everything Stacey said.
My stomach grumbled as we approached one of my favorite Chinese restaurants.
“Excuse me,” I said, getting the driver’s attention. “I’d like to pop into Peking Jade.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said again. He slowed to a stop next to the curb. “I can’t park on this street. I’ll circle the block and come back for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to be quick.” I rushed out of the taxi and into the restaurant.
“Table for one?” the hostess greeted me.
I shook my head. “I’d like three to-go buffets, please.”
Her jet black bob fell in front of her eyes as she nodded and handed me three Styrofoam clamshells and a plastic sack. “Thirty-seven twenty-nine,” she said, tapping at the cash register.
I passed her my debit card and carried the containers to the buffet. I filled them with lo mein, egg foo young, and an assortment of stir-fries.
This is the perfect excuse to stop in. I’m not being nosy, I’m just delivering dinner to my hard working fiancé.
I stacked the containers in the bag, retrieved my debit card, and stepped out onto the sidewalk just as my taxi rounded the corner. I slid into the backseat while the driver was stopped at a red light.
“To Wall Street now?” he asked.
“Yes, please.”
The deeper we moved into the financial district, the less crowded the streets became. Most of the windows in the towering office buildings were dark and several of the cafes were already shuttered for the night. We pulled up at Drake’s building and I passed the driver two twenties.
“Keep the change,” I insisted, eager to get upstairs.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he replied as I slid out of the taxi.
I’d only been to Drake’s office once, but Claire, the receptionist in the lobby, recognized me immediately.
“Ms. Tyler, how nice to see you,” she said, circling around her desk. “Is Mr. Waters expecting you?”
“No, I know he’s working late and I just wanted to make sure he had dinner,” I explained, raising the bag of food. “Do you know if Oliver’s here?”
“Yes, they’ve been up in the east conference room most of the day. I think they just got off of a web call with Hong Kong, so your timing couldn’t be better.”
“Perfect, how do I get to the conference room?”
“Just take the elevator up to the eleventh floor. It’s the first door on your left.”
“Thanks, Claire.”
I followed her directions and found Oliver and Drake at a large table, bent over a laptop. I stood in the doorway and cleared my throat.
“Baby, what are you doing here?” Drake asked, obviously startled by my sudden appearance.
Oliver’s face flushed and he slammed the laptop shut. “I thought you were having dinner with Stacey.”
“I thought you might be hungry,” I said, setting the Chinese food down on the table. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No, nothing important,” Oliver assured me, his nervous eyes fixed on Drake.
“I was just about to call you, Chelsea. I have good news. Everything in Hong Kong has been dealt with. In fact, I’m taking tomorrow off. I was going to see if you wanted to play hooky with me.”
“I’d love to,” I agreed, unpacking the food and ignoring the tension radiating from my brother. “I’ve put in more hours in the last three days than I normally do all week. I’m sure Pete won’t mind. Does this mean you get some time off too?” I asked Oliver.
He nodded, still not meeting my eye. His eyes darted back and forth between Drake and the closed computer.
“That’s good. I know Stacey’s anxious to get started on the nursery. She really needs your help, Ollie. I’ve never seen anyone so tired.”
Beads of sweat broke out on Oliver’s forehead and Drake burst into laughter.
“Dude, you have no idea how guilty you look right now. Just open the laptop and show Chelsea what’s going on before she gets the wrong idea. She can keep a secret.”
Finally, my brother met my gaze. “You have to promise you won’t say a word to Stacey.”
“I promise,” I replied, knowing full well that I’d tell Stacey everything if I thought she needed to know.
“We wanted this to be a surprise for both of you,” Oliver explained, opening the laptop. I stared down at the blueprints on the screen.
“I don’t understand,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“This is the unit below us in Lennox Hill,” Drake explained with a grin.
“I bought it a few weeks ago with the generous signing bonus Drake gave me,” Oliver added. “It needs a complete overhaul, so I got it at a decent price. I don’t want Stacey to know until its move in ready.”
“We’re going to be neighbors? That’s what you’ve been hiding all these weeks?” I asked with a smile.
I knew he’d never cheat on Stacey.
Oliver frowned. “Why did you think I was hiding something? We’ve barely seen each other.”
“Oliver, I think it’s sweet that you want to surprise Stacey. But I think you need to fill her in on what’s going on. Your wife thinks you’re having an affair.”
The color drained from his face. “What? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Why would she even think that?”
“Oliver, you don’t have the best poker face,” Drake pointed out. “I told you that keeping this a secret was a bad idea.”
Oliver started stuffing paperwork into his briefcase. “Damn it, I’ve got to go. I’m going to pick her up, take her to the apartment, and give her a tour. Will you two be home in an hour or so?”
Drake started repacking the food. “We’ll head that way now. Show Stacey the unit and then join us upstairs. We’ll have our first dinner as neighbors.”
“Great, I’ll see you then. Thanks for telling me what’s going on, Chels.”
“You’re welcome,” I called after him as he raced out of the room.
Drake turned to me with a sly grin. “Let me guess. The Chinese food was an excuse to come up here and see what we were up to.”
I nodded with a blush. “Stacey was so upset. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me what was going on. Just how much are you paying my brother, anyway?”
“Plenty, and he’s earning every penny. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, baby…” His cell phone rang and he immediately refocused his attention.
“Hello?” he answered before shielding the microphone with his hand. “Baby, I need a few minutes,” he whispered.
I nodded and made my way to the door. I shut it behind me and took a seat on a padded leather bench near the elevator.
What’s so important that he had to kick me out of the room? He takes business calls in front of me all the time. Maybe he’s working on a surprise of his own.
I decided to let his dismissal slide and text Piper to let her know I’d be staying in the city. Then, I called Pete and asked to take the next day off. He quickly agreed once I offered to forward all calls from my office to my cell phone. Just as I ended the ca
ll, Drake stepped into the hallway, the now cold Chinese food in tow.
“Thanks, baby. Ready to head home? You are staying at my place tonight, right?”
I nodded and looped my arm through his. Our lives had been so busy for the past few days, and I was relieved to finally have some time alone with him.
“What do you want to do tomorrow?” I asked as the elevator carried us to the lobby.
“We’re going to sleep in, and then I’m going to take you out for a romantic day in the city. I’ve already made all of the arrangements.”
He is planning a surprise. How did I get to be so lucky?
“That sounds perfect,” I replied as he guided me into the lobby. We said goodnight to Claire, then left through the private exit and slid into the limo.
CHAPTER 6
e
I woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee and the sensations of Drake’s hot tongue rolling down my bare skin.
“Mmmm,” I moaned, rolling over. I opened my eyes to find him next to me on the bed, naked and hard.
“Good morning,” he said, planting a soft kiss on my neck. “I made coffee.” I slid up against the headboard and he passed me a steaming mug. I blew on it and took a long sip before setting it on the nightstand and falling into Drake’s arms.
“You didn’t get enough last night,” I teased, taking his firm cock in my hand.
While we were having dinner with Oliver and Stacey on the terrace the night before, I was struck with an overwhelming sense of peace. Everything in my life was falling into place in ways I’d never expected. I’d found a man who loved me for everything I was, not just the way I looked. And Drake hadn’t changed just my life, but Oliver’s and Stacey’s as well. We were alone by ten, and spent half the night making love.
“I’ll never get enough of you, Chelsea,” he whispered, slipping a hand between my legs as I stroked him. “We don’t have to be anywhere for three more hours. And I intend to spend that time savoring every inch of you.”
He pushed a single finger inside me, moving it in slow, gentle circles. I loosened my grip and stroked his shaft with a light, teasing touch.
“Open your eyes,” he whispered.
We laid side by side, holding each other’s gaze and basking in the intimacy of the moment. Drake’s eyelids fluttered when I traced a finger down his swollen shaft and his breath quickened when I tightened my grip again.