Cara’s eyes widened for a moment as Sam’s words sunk in. “You’re pregnant.” She whispered more to herself than to Sam. She glanced at her flat stomach and then back up at her face.
“No one else knows.” Sam said quickly. “I’m waiting for Nick to come back home from Seattle before I tell anyone.”
Cara shook her head in confusion. “Nick is in Seattle?”
Sam rolled her eyes. “It’s a long story, but he’ll be back this weekend.” She bit her lower lip nervously as she gauged Cara’s reaction.
“Wow.” Cara said softly. Her hand hesitated a moment before she rested her palm on the flatness of Sam’s belly. She couldn’t explain what she felt at that moment. It was a mixture between happiness and sadness. She was happy for Sam because she knew she was finally getting her happily ever after. She was sad because the one person who would’ve loved to have witnessed it, Jake, wouldn’t be there to welcome the newest member to the Lanza family. A part of her was envious and she hated that part of her. Her own happily ever had been ripped away from her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled through her tears at the woman who would’ve been her sister-in-law.
“I hope you’ll still let him or her call me Aunt Cara.” She said softly and leaned in to hug Sam. “I’m so happy for you.” She whispered into her ear as Sam’s arms enveloped her.
“Of course you’ll be Aunt Cara.” She said as her own tears fell. She paused for a minute and relished in the embrace they shared. “You’ll always be a part of our family. We love you.”
“I love you too.” She said, pulling back looking down at her stomach once again. “And I already love this little peanut.” She said with a smile.
* * * * * *
Nick wrapped up his presentation and turned around and faced the long table that seated some of the wealthiest men on the west coast. Each one of them had their poker face on, not ready to commit to anything as the wheels in their head turned, processing Nick’s words. Nick knew he was good at this. It wasn’t his passion, but every once in a while it couldn’t hurt to dabble. He got a natural high from closing a deal, especially one that included such powerful men. He could sway them to gamble their money on a venture, well, it gave Nick a rush to say the least.
He stood at the head of the table and his eyes browsed the faces of each of the men. When he was certain he had reclaimed their attention he clasped the palms of his hands together as if he was about to pray. His fingertips pitched a tent at the seam of his lips as if he was in deep thought. Suddenly, he dropped his hands and his lips curved in the slightest of grins.
“Gentlemen, I will give you a few moments together, to come to a decision.” He paused. “Let me leave you with this. I flew across the country to pitch this deal to you, and not because I had to, but because I believe this business arrangement is full of promise and only great things can come if you sign on. I hope you come to the same conclusion.”
All eyes were on him as he left the boardroom. He slipped his hands into his pockets and decided to inform his father that the deal would close this afternoon and he would need to be present in the boardroom to sign off on the deal. Sure, no one had even verbally agreed to anything Nick had proposed, but he was confident that by the time he returned to that room with his father, they all would be eagerly waiting to close.
He made his way to the bank of elevators that would take him up to the top floor where his father’s office was. He considered the fact that it was the middle of the week and he had originally expected to be back home by the weekend, now he could surprise Sam and come home either tonight or tomorrow.
She certainly had surprised him this morning, when she called him to wish him luck. Gone, was the insecure girl who thought he had run away from her, and instead he was graced with the woman who had faith in him and his promises. He stepped into the elevator and rode it to the top floor. Smiling to himself, he felt a calmness he had never felt before.
He stepped off the elevator and walked the long corridor to the elder Foti’s corner office. He didn’t think to knock, especially since there was no one else in sight. He wondered for a moment where his father's secretary was, but shrugged it off. The son of a bitch probably fired her because she was getting too old. Nick was wise to his father’s ways, and knew that every secretary that worked with him had an expiration date. Once they began to age and their bodies weren’t a glorious distraction to the old man, he let them go and hired a new girl fresh from the temp agency. He had watched his father corrupt quite a few women while he lived here. He shook his head and opened the door to the office.
Nick stopped mid stride, his eyes widened in shock. He would kick himself later for allowing himself; to be shocked. He watched his father still in between thrusting his dick into the little wench on his desk. There Erica sat propped on his father’s desk, her legs spread as wide as they would go, apparently, and she had perfected that position. Erica slapped the old man’s shoulder.
“Why did you stop?” She half whined, half panted.
Nick Foti Sr., looked at his son like a deer caught in headlights, or an old man caught with his pants down as he screwed his son’s ex.
Nick raised an eyebrow towards his father. “Don’t stop on my account.” He said flatly and nodded towards the eager whore on the desk that played him and suckered him into coming here.
Erica turned at the sound of his voice, her face turned an ugly shade of red.
“Nick this isn’t what it looks like.” His father said as he bent down to pull his pants up.
Nick leaned against the wall and laughed out loud. “You’re right, it’s not. I’m sure it’s worse.” He watched amused as his father zipped his pants and Erica hopped off the desk. So this is what it was like, he mused. This is what it looked like when Sam walked into his office all those years ago. Suddenly, he felt disgusted and not by the situation he had walked in on, but the one that he had been a part of. He glanced at Erica watching as she swept the room, looking anywhere but towards him.
“So how long has this been going on?” Nick asked, and he kept his eyes on Erica. The bitch would have to look at him eventually. She flew across the country and disrupted his life for what? To get ahead with his father, that didn’t seem right, all she had to do was spread her legs for him.
“This doesn’t change anything.” His father said.
“Oh, it changes everything.” Nick said and didn’t divert his gaze from Erica. Slowly she lifted her head and looked him in the eye.
“I’m sorry.” She murmured and he took a quick step towards her, holding her gaze before she looked away again.
“What’re you sorry for?” He asked. “Because I could care less who you fuck Erica, even if it is my old man.” His icy gaze transfixed on her. “The only thing you should be sorry for is showing up at my apartment.” He laughed in her face. “I’m an asshole for actually feeling sorry for a woman like you.”
“He made me go to New York!” She said as she pointed an accusing finger towards Mr. Foti.
He cleared his throat and cut her down with a stare. “That’s enough from you.”
“Like fuck it is!” She spat back at him. “Tell your son the truth!”
Nick looked back and forth between the two of them, not sure what to make of their interaction with one another. He was quickly realizing he didn’t care.
“I’m warning you Erica.” Mr. Foti barked through gritted teeth.
She snarled at him and turned towards Nick. “The investors won’t back your father. They specifically requested you on this deal. You were a bargaining chip. If you’re not part of the deal, they walk. They want you to oversee everything which ultimately means if those papers are signed, you are bound to this project. Whether you agree or not the minute that deal is signed you are legally tied to seeing it through.”
“Don’t listen to her, she’s nothing and she knows nothing. Good for only one thing.”
Erica grabbed her pocketbook and turned back to Nick. “I’m so
rry I mislead you.”
Nick didn’t give much time to process her words. He grabbed her arm as she brushed passed him to leave. She looked at him, her eyes full of unshed tears.
“You don’t even seem like you like him. Why’d you do it?” He asked her.
She tilted her head and studied him for a moment. “I’m not a good person.” She said honestly. “I’m the girl who bailed on her best friend and then slept with the love of her life. I’m the girl that does twisted things, just to get ahead.” She said as she pointed a thumb towards his father. “Exhibit A.” She sighed and leaned into Nick, her lips just a breath away from his ear. “Take him for all he’s worth, he’s a miserable prick.” She whispered and then patted his arm before she headed out the door.
She was halfway out the door when Nick’s father hurled a decanter of scotch towards the door. She laughed in her wake, when she heard him curse and the glass shatter against the wall.
“I could strangle you for bringing that two-bit whore into this office.” Mr. Foti growled towards his son.
Nick looked at his father disbelievingly. The whole situation was mind boggling. “Ten minutes ago, it looked as if you were thanking your lucky stars I brought Erica into this office.”
“Everything she said is a lie.” He countered.
“I highly doubt that.” Nick said as he crossed his arms against his chest. “You’re the only one who has proven time and time again that you can’t be trusted. Did you really think you could blindside me into working here again?” Anger boiled in Nick’s veins as he realized the severity of the situation. Had he not walked in on his father and Erica, he would’ve brought his father down to that boardroom and they would’ve signed the deal and in the process Nick’s life would’ve been signed away too. “You think you can play God with my life.” Nick said as he clenched his fists at his sides, wanting nothing more than for his fist to collide with his father’s smug face.
“I think you’re acting rather dramatically, just like your mother always overreacting playing the victim.” He rolled his eyes and then focused on his son. “You make it sound like I’m selling your soul to the devil.”
“You almost did!” Nick shouted. “I don’t want your life. I don’t want to be bound to you by any means! I have a life.”
“Selling cars in the middle of nowhere is a life?! You’re acting ridiculous. If this is about a woman, snap the fuck out of it. There is plenty of pussy to go around.”
“Right, this coming from the man who was just fucking his son’s leftovers.” Nick shook his head in disgust. “I don’t give a damn what you think of me or my choices. I may not be rolling in the dough, but I’m happy. I live a comfortable life and I have a woman back home that I’m crazy about.” He thought about his words and they didn’t seem sufficient enough. “A woman I love.” He amended. “Riverdale may not have been enough for you. And maybe my mother and I weren’t enough to keep you there, but that was your choice, and this is mine.” He watched his father roll his eyes again as if what he had just said was the most absurd thing he had ever heard. Nick pitied his father. The man would likely live the rest of his life alone, and when he died, he’d die alone as well.
Nick turned around and silently headed out of his father’s office.
“Where are you going, boy? You have a deal to close!” Nick heard his father roar but he kept walking. He didn’t look back as he walked towards the elevators. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He stared down at it while he waited for the doors to open. He debated with himself whether or not he should call Sam. He wanted to and not because he wanted to tell her what had gone down, but because of what he had realized. He wanted her to know how much he loved her. He ran his free hand over his head and when the elevator doors opened, he slid the phone back into his pocket.
He stepped into the elevator, turning around just as the doors were closing, catching a glimpse of his father running towards the elevator. God, he thought as the doors closed, he had almost ruined everything. The worse part of it all was that he wouldn’t have known until it was too late. He loathed his father for the lengths he would go to for the all mighty dollar. He would sacrifice his own son. It shouldn’t bother him, he told himself. He shouldn’t even be surprised by his father’s tactics. He was a cruel self-absorbed man.
His mind traveled then to his mother, and how distraught she was when his father had left them. He had done her a favor, he would’ve stripped her of everything and she would’ve never been able to find herself again. He had lost his mother throughout the most important years of his life because his father was a selfish greedy bastard.
He made his way to the boardroom and silence filtered the room when he entered. His confident presence diminished and he stood before the men wounded and defeated.
One of the gentlemen pushed back in his chair and stood. “We’ve reached a decision.” He said with the slightest hint of pleasure shining through his eyes.
Nick lifted his gaze and looked at the man for a moment before nodding. He worked the knot of his tie until it hung loosely around his neck. He caught the curious stares, but chose to ignore them. He removed his suit jacket and pulled his dress shirt out of his pants before he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. He spread his arms wide when he was done, knowing very well his appearance looked a bit disheveled. He looked at the men that gathered around the large table.
“Now that I have your attention, let me introduce myself. I am Nick Foti. I own an auto repair shop in upstate New York, with my best friend. I restore classic cars and the ones I don’t keep I sell. This…” He pointed around the room. “Is not me.” He cocked his head to the side as he saw the men scrutinize him. “I may be good at it, I am pretty sure when I stepped back into this room you were all eager to sign on that dotted line, hanging on my every word. What I didn’t know was that I was part of the deal. I will not be on board with this project if that is the pretense in which you sign, and then I advise you not to sign these papers.”
Nick Foti Senior stormed into the boardroom, breathing heavy and clutching his chest, eyes wide with rage. “Don’t pay any attention to my son. He is rebelling.” He straightened his suit and properly poised himself so that his appearance looked precise. “I assure you all that everything that Nick has proposed will happen.”
“Maybe, but it will happen without me.” Nick added and turned back to face the men. “Don’t let him assure you of anything. His word is as good as dirt.”
“You will not demean me and my name in my own office.” Mr. Foti shouted, emphasizing his words with his pointer finger.
Nick laughed. “No problem. I have a plane to catch.” Nick tipped his head towards the boardroom in a silent salute to the men that respected him as a business associate and headed towards the door. He didn’t spare another glance towards his father, the bastard wasn’t worth it. When he stepped outside of the room, he felt free, much like he had when he boarded the plane back to Riverdale over a year ago. He couldn’t wait to get back home. He couldn’t wait to get Sam back into his arms.
Chapter Twenty One
Nick had felt exhausted by the time the taxi pulled up to Rudy’s the following day. It had taken nearly twenty-four hours for him to travel home from Seattle. The direct flights to New York were booked solid, so the only way for him to get home sooner than he had originally expected was to first fly to Chicago. In Chicago he had a layover and didn’t board the plane to New York for another five hours. He didn’t bother calling Sam, even though he wanted to hear her voice. He just wanted to surprise her more.
He paid the cab driver as the man placed his suitcase on the curb. He thanked him and turned around to walk towards his apartment. He planned to drop off his suitcase and grab something he had been holding onto before he headed straight to his girl. He’d shower at her place, he just needed to see her. He scratched at the day’s growth that outlined his jaw as he searched his pockets for his keys. Once he found them, he grabbed the suitcase and sta
rted for the stairs, taking them two at a time. Suddenly he was graced with a second wind, a newfound energy. He pushed open the door, dropping his suitcase to the floor. He kicked the door closed and traveled into the bedroom to grab a change of clothes. He was still in his suit and couldn’t wait to peel it off. He considered burning the damn thing, but he might need it for special occasions, so he talked himself out of that.
He threw some clean, comfortable clothes in a duffel bag before he reached for the lock box he kept on the shelf in his closet. He walked towards his bed, setting the box down beside him. He took a deep breath and ran his hands over his hair. The entire flight or should he say two flights home, he thought of a half a dozen ways to execute his question. Nothing seemed good enough and he cursed himself. He sighed as he opened the metal lid and lifted the small velvet box, holding it in the palm of his hand.
The day his mother dropped this in his palm, he had thought she was crazy, yet still he took the ring that had been his grandmothers and brought it to a jeweler. Maybe his subconscious drove him to the jeweler maybe that had been the reason he reset the ring to suit Samantha. He snapped the velvet box open and stared at the flawless diamond that sparkled beautifully in the halo setting that it was now set in. There were diamonds wrapped around the solitaire diamond that was now raised. The band also had a row of diamonds that wrapped around the entire thing. His lips curved slightly as he pictured the ring on her finger. He snapped it shut and placed the box safely in the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
The knock on the door startled him from his thoughts. He grabbed the duffel bag off his bed and walked out of the bedroom to answer the door. He couldn’t imagine who it was because no one knew he was back. He pulled open the door, surprised to find his mother on the opposite side.
Broken Pieces (The Riverdale Series) Page 25