by Rinyu, Beth
“Because you were trying to get back at him for saying Connor was flirting with me.”
“We both know that’s not why.”
“Then why, Bridgette?”
“Because, Emme, I’m trying to do what I know you’re not going to be able to do yourself. I got Ashton Industries to renew their multimillion-dollar contract, so that pretty much sealed my fate.” Her smugness was astounding to me. She got them to renew…she seemed to forget that Lukas had a big part in that as well.
“So that’s it? My services aren’t needed anymore because her majesty got her way.”
“Emme, what is wrong with you? You should be happy...we got what we wanted.”
“No, Bridgette. You got what you wanted...again.”
She pointed her long, thin finger at me and frowned. “And that right there is why I said what I did to him. My God, Emme, you’ve totally fallen for that prick.”
“He’s not a prick! He’s not, Bridgette. You don’t know him like I do. You’ve never seen that other side of him.” I choked back my tears.
“I’m not going to go through this with you again.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m not going to help you pick up the pieces over yet another breakup. I’ve got too much going on in my life right now to dig you out of another depression.”
My throat burned, subsiding ever so slightly when the tears finally came to the surface.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Bridgette. I’m so sorry that my boyfriend, the man I thought I was going to marry, sleeping with one of my best friends inconvenienced you. If I had known that, I would’ve asked him not to do it. I never asked for your pity!”
She shook her head and snapped out of it, coming to the realization over the harshness of her words. But it was too late. They had already spewed from her lips and gone right through my heart. “That’s not what I meant. Of course what David did wasn’t your fault, but, Emme, you’re totally setting yourself up for this one.”
On that count she was right, but it still didn’t justify her callousness. If the situation were reversed and she had gotten herself into this mess, I would’ve been there for her. A hundred times over and I would’ve been by her side. “You know what? Lukas was right about you. You expect everyone to bow down to you, but you won’t do the same for others. It amazes me how I never saw that about you before. I always looked up to you. Now…not so much.” I shook my head and backed away. “Don’t worry, Bridgette, I’ll be sure you’re the last person I call when this whole colossal mess caves in.” I ran up the stairs, unable to listen to another word she said. My heart was torn in two. Part of it belonging to my sister, and the other part to Lukas. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Bridgette was absolutely right. That was the part that was going to get mangled up and spat out. But even with that knowledge, I was so reluctant to take it back from him.
Chapter 18
Lukas
IN THE TWO weeks that passed, Bridgette was starting to show another side. A side she had been lacking since I got here. She and I were still barely cordial, but she seemed to be less demanding and more accommodating with everyone else. Her poor me, I work harder than everyone here attitude I’d hear her spewing to the employees, while they stood around foolishly agreeing with her, seemed to have vanished. Truth was, she did work hard. Her dedication to the job was never an issue. The fact she was complaining to people who made a quarter of what she was making and still putting in all they had as well was the problem. It was childish and unprofessional. In the time I had spent observing her management skills, I noticed she made everything about her, never caring what others had to offer.
All of my free time had been spent with Emmeline, and if I was being honest, I was probably stretching this job out a little longer than I had to just so I could be with her. I was pretty certain which office would remain open, but I was stalling because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen between us once I returned home. This was so not my intention...at all. I was on my way to meet her for lunch when my phone vibrated from my pocket. I had to do a double take when I saw it was my mother calling. I hadn’t heard from her in months, which wasn’t out of the norm. She had finally settled down and married once again about four years ago, proving to be a much more dedicated wife than mother. I had only met her new husband once. Probably about two times less than I had seen my mother in that time period. The most I knew about him was that he was French, a powerful businessman and filthy rich. The latter was something that was very important to my mother.
“Hello, Mother,” I answered in English, knowing how much she hated speaking it. But I thought I’d let her know she and my father had gotten their money’s worth from that fancy boarding school they had shipped us off to.
“Lukas, how are you, darling?”
“I’m well, and you?” I asked, heading down the street, trying to concentrate on what she was saying while maneuvering around the droves of people who passed by in a hurry.
“Not bad. I was talking to Papa the other day, and he told me you were in New York on business.” Of course, the one rare time my parents decided to be civil with one another, it was to discuss my whereabouts.
“I am,” I replied.
“Pierre and I will be there next week. He’s meeting with some American clients and invited me along. We’ll be there for a week, and I would love to have dinner with my handsome son.”
“Umm...I’m not really sure. I’m pretty busy.”
“Lukas, surely you can spare some time for your mama.” She was oblivious to the fact that my entire life she had never spared any time for me.
“I guess I could see what I’ve got going on. Send me a text with the dates, and I’ll let you know for sure.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. Pierre would really like to get to know your better.”
I rolled my eyes. The feeling definitely wasn’t mutual.
“Okay, Mother...I really have to go.”
“Lukas?”
“Yes.”
“Papa did tell you about Alfred, didn’t he?”
How could I forget that heated conversation with my father? Lucky for me, Emmeline couldn’t understand German and was still sleeping when I took that call or she would have learned quite a new vocabulary, one that wasn’t socially acceptable.
“I don’t want to talk about him. He doesn’t exist to me.”
“Lukas, he’s your brother.”
“A fact he forgot some time ago. Now I really need to be going. Text me your dates and I’ll see if we can meet up. Goodbye, Mother.” I hung up the phone before she could say any more. A dull ache settled in my heart with just the mere thought of my brother and how different things could’ve been between us...if only.
My mother’s text message came through, letting me know the dates she’d be available for dinner were the twenty-ninth or thirtieth. I had half a mind to text her back immediately with an excuse, especially if she was planning on needling me about Alfred. Just saying his name in my head left me feeling unsettled and instantly mad at the world.
I turned the corner to find Emmeline, pacing back and forth in front of the restaurant. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck, the way I preferred it, showing off every aspect of her gorgeous face. She turned around and locked eyes with me with the corners of her mouth turning up into a warm smile, brighter than the early summer sun that shone down on us. My mind cleared and my mood instantly shifted when she rushed toward me and looped her arms around my neck.
“Hey, you.” She stood on her tippy-toes and planted a kiss on my cheek. I pressed my nose into her neck for a small second, sucking in the clean floral scent of her perfume that had now become so familiar to me.
“I missed you,” I whispered as my lips skimmed her ear. I missed her? I had just seen her the night prior. What the hell was happening? But the truth slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
“I missed you too.” She caressed the side of m
y face, resting her hand on my cheek.
Once again, without even thinking, I let my heart do the talking. “What are you doing on the twenty-ninth?”
Chapter 19
Emme
“I KNOW, I know. I’m crazy!” I said to Myra after doing my hair and makeup at home then rushing down to the boutique in my shorts and tank. I had contemplated for the past four days on the open-back little black dress that sat proudly in the display window. The one I had fallen in love with the moment Myra brought it back from one of her many trips to London. The one that fit like it was made just for me. The one I never had a good enough excuse to justify spending that much money on until now. I had planned on settling for something in my closet when Lukas had invited me to dinner with his mother and her husband. An invite that took me totally off guard, leaving me unsettled and elated, both at the same time. When he sprang on me earlier that morning the restaurant we would be dining at, I knew nothing in my closet would be elegant enough for the attire that was required in that type of establishment.
“You are not crazy, because that dress looks absolutely beautiful on you,” Myra remarked when I came from behind the fitting room curtain and checked myself out from every angle in the triple full-length mirror.
“You know this has always been my favorite, and since the only other outfit I have that would even remotely be dressy enough I already wore when we went to Per Se, it’s a no-brainer. Right?” I asked Myra, but I really was trying to justify to myself spending more than half my paycheck on a dress I’d probably only have the opportunity to wear this one night.
“Wow! Per Se and now Daniel? This guy has some class, that’s for sure.”
I smiled just thinking about that guy. I had finally broken down and told Myra a little about Lukas…not all of it. She hadn’t met him yet, and I wasn’t sure if she ever would. I didn’t want to have to hear her go on and on about how perfect he was for me, only to break her heart when the truth came out. One broken heart was all I’d be able to deal with. Not to mention my father, who I knew was going to take it pretty hard as well. My head and stomach ached just thinking about the inevitable.
“So, you think this is okay, then?”
“Honey, it’s better than okay. What kind of jewelry are you going with?”
“Oh…” I scampered to my evening bag that was sitting on the counter. The one that had been buried in the back of my closet with a layer of dust because it hadn’t been used for so long. “I was thinking this.” I pulled out my mother’s diamond necklace that I had admired since I was a little girl when my father had given it to her on their tenth anniversary. I didn’t put up a fight when my sister took her engagement ring or her wedding band. That necklace in my hand was the one and only piece of jewelry of hers I wanted. It was dainty yet made a huge statement. I’d stare at it sparkling around her neck on the few special occasions when she and my father would go out, and I always couldn’t wait until I was grown up enough to wear a necklace just like it. Now as it draped over my bare back in a reverse lariat style, it was like it was made just for this dress.
“Oh, honey, that is beautiful.”
“Yeah, I figured I’d bring a little piece of my mother along with me tonight.” Myra flashed me a sympathetic smile as the tears welled in my eyes.
“Oh, I think I know the perfect earrings!” she shouted, thankfully breaking me from my moment of sadness before my makeup could run all down my face. “What do you think?” She grabbed the chandelier earrings from the display and held them up to my ears.
“I taught you well!” I teased. Myra was all about fashion, but accessorizing wasn’t her strong suit. But the earrings she had just picked out were a direct hit with the rest of the outfit.
“Oh my goodness. I can’t wait until he sees you.” Myra beamed like a mother getting her daughter ready for her first dance.
“I just wish there was a way I could’ve worn a bra with this dress.” I strained my neck, checking out my bare back in the mirror.
“Sweetie, if you wore a bra with that dress it would be ruined. Besides, you have the important parts covered.” She pointed to her nipples and laughed. “Pasties are the best invention ever! Just be thankful you don’t really have boobs and can get away with that.” Blunt and truthful. That was my Myra, and I wouldn’t have her any other way.
“I know, but what if his mother thinks I’m some kind of floosy because of it.”
She waved her hand in a dismissing manner. “Who cares what his mother thinks? I’m sure he’ll be happy to have the easy access later.”
“Myra!” I laughed.
She shrugged. “Hey, it’s the truth!”
“Well, I think I’m ready to go.” I gave myself one last glimpse in the mirror. “What about my hair, do you think I should’ve worn it down?” Not like I had time to run back home and re-do it anyway if she had yes. Besides, I knew Lukas preferred it up.
“With this humidity…heck no! You look beautiful just the way you are.”
“Thanks, Myra.” She had no idea how much her friendship meant to a girl who was missing her mother more and more with each passing day.
“You know I love our girl time.”
I leaned over and brushed her cheek with my lips. “Me too. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how it went.”
“Good luck!” she shouted as I stepped out the door.
_______________
“Lukas.” My eyes drank every last bit of him in when I stepped out of the cab as if I were seeing him for the very first time. I didn’t think it possible for him to be any more handsome than he already was, but once again he proved me wrong. He had gone from cologne model to cover-of-GQ model as he stood in front of the restaurant in an expensive suit that looked like it was made just for him. The loose sandy-brown waves that fell over his forehead were gone, now cut into a short-cropped style. Both looks were equally gorgeous on him. “You cut your hair.” I lifted my hand and brushed it against the side of his freshly cut coiffure.
“I did.” He nodded. “My mother prefers it longer.”
I cinched my eyebrows and then quickly caught on after sensing a bit of animosity in his tone the few times he had mentioned his mother. “Well, I think it looks great…either way.”
His playful expression turned more serious as he analyzed every inch of my body. “You look absolutely beautiful,” he whispered. Funny how my entire life when people would tell me I looked beautiful I’d never believe it, but Lukas not only made me believe it, he made me feel it as well.
“Thanks.” My face heated as his eyes burned into me.
“Ready?” He enveloped his big, strong hand around mine.
I wasn’t ready, at all. I wasn’t ready to meet his mother and take this one step further. I wasn’t ready to make a new set of memories with him tonight. Memories that were going to be so hard to forget once he was out of my life. But once again, instead of telling him the truth, I looked up at him and nodded just as he leaned down and swiped a kiss on my cheek.
Chapter 20
Lukas
EMMELINE WALKED IN front of me as we entered the restaurant, giving me a full view of her bare back. My body ached for her. How I wished we could skip this obligatory dinner altogether and just head back to my hotel room instead. I wasn’t sure if my mother and her husband were there yet. I was hoping not. I wanted to get a drink or two in me before dealing with her. She had already started with the interrogation when I let her know I’d be bringing someone along to dinner. I finally responded after her fourth relentless text, telling her she’d meet her at dinner.
My mother rarely met the girls I dated, with the exception of one. Mainly because her opinion didn’t matter to me. I knew I should’ve given Emmeline fair warning about my mother, but at the same time I didn’t want to make her nervous. I wanted her to be herself tonight. The same girl I had come to know and had grown to like very much. Not someone she thought my mother would approve of, because the truth was, my mother didn’t approv
e of anyone. I gave the maître d’ my name and cringed when he responded, “Your party is waiting for you in the bar, sir.” Too late. They were here. I’d have to deal with her minus alcohol for the time being. Emmeline nervously wrung her hands together, and I flashed her a reassuring smile. Placing my hand on the small of her back, I guided her into the bar. It didn’t take too long to spot my mother’s platinum blond hair as she sat beside her husband, a man I wouldn’t even be able to pick out in a police lineup.
“Lukas, my darling!” She stood up, prepping for her Mother of The Year act, dressed in a black lace dress, with her plump lips looking as if she had just had a Botox injection. Bracing my shoulders, she looked me over the same way she’d do when I was a boy returning from boarding school after not seeing me in months, and then going on and on about how much I’d grown. I half wondered if she was oblivious to the fact I was a grown man now, and no longer experiencing those growth spurts that seemed to be the only thing she noticed in my childhood. She pulled me into her and skimmed each side of my cheeks with a kiss as her husband reached around her and extended his hand to me.
“Emmeline, this is my mother, Ingrid, and her husband, Pierre.”
“Hello, it’s very nice to meet you both.” Emmeline greeted in an unsettled voice.
My mother gave her the once-over before responding, “Und du auch.”
“English, Mother!” I snapped. Of course she would have to make an already tense situation even more awkward. She knew exactly what she was doing, and I wouldn’t allow her to make Emmeline feel uncomfortable in any way.
“Oh, so sorry.” She covered her mouth and feigned laughter. “I forgot you’re American, so English is probably the only language you know.”
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. The night hadn’t even begun, and I was already over it.
“Actually, I took four years of French in high school—”