Which obviously begs the question. Who the hell did…and why?
Could it be this Glory woman? I have no idea who the woman is and why the heck a perfect stranger would send it, but that’s something to think about later on. I turn to go and all of a sudden it’s the last thing Josh wants.
“Wait, man! Where are you going? What about Simone? What’s this about?” He makes the mistake of grabbing me by the shoulder. One hard look from me and his hand quickly drops.
“Do yourself a favor, Josh. Forget you ever knew Simone. Don’t call. Don’t text. Don’t try to contact her. She’s not coming back to you.” Or at least she will over my dead body.
I walk out the door and when I get to the street I stare at the ground and process what I’ve learned. I came looking for answers. Now I just have more questions than I did when I came.
What the hell is going on here?
Chapter Thirty-Five
“You’re home earlier than usual,” Simone says with a smile that makes the past few hours melt away.
It’s only four-thirty. Normally, I would have gone back in to work. Since I’ve already told Agnes I was taking the rest of the day off, I figured I might as well follow through with it. It’s an odd sensation, being home this early on a weekday.
Seeing Simone sitting there on one of the stools by the kitchen island, her long legs crossed at the ankle as she swings her bare feet, certainly makes it worth it.
She’s working on her laptop and is dressed in her usual lounge wear, which by now I find sexier than even the most tantalizing lingerie.
“I figured it was about time I start showing up in time for dinner.”
“Oh,” she says, her smile curling into something seductive. She slides off the stool and walks over toward me. As if the day hasn’t been enough of an emotional roller coaster, now she’s got my stomach dropping into a free fall.
Simone stands on her toes to at least get her wrists around my neck. “And what about dessert?” she purrs.
My eyes dart past her, wondering if Stuart is anywhere in the vicinity. I’m more than happy to take this little line of encouragement all the way to home base.
Simone just laughs and pulls away, as if knowing exactly what was on my mind. “He’s playing in his room. You should go surprise him. He’ll love it.”
She walks back to her laptop but not without turning to give me a wink. “We can discuss the dessert menu later on.”
I give her a devious smile, before heading down the hall to Stuart’s room. It hits me how easily the two of us have fallen into a comfortable fit with one another. It’s as though I’ve rewound the past six years to the day of the wedding rehearsal where I first met her, only this time I don’t make a complete ass of myself.
Stuart’s door is open a crack and I push it in further to find him concentrating hard on something he’s coloring at an absurdly miniature table set up for him in the corner of the room. He doesn’t notice me at first and I use those few moments to watch him as he works.
He resembles Kevin so much it’s almost painful to look at him. I think about the younger brother who was always so quick to make amends, building bridges that I was more than happy to burn out of spite in the first place. Stuart has that same sweet disposition, seeking out the good in things even when life itself throws its worst at him.
RiRi is the one to finally give me away, lifting her head and giving me one loud yip. Stuart lifts his head and his face breaks out into a broad smile. “Uncle Archer!”
He drops the crayon in his hand and runs over, catching me around my knees. RiRi follows, pacing back and forth and giving me another bark. “You’re home early.”
“I thought I’d join you and Aunt Simone for dinner tonight. How does that sound?”
“I’d like that,” he replies, in that slightly proper way he has of saying things.
“I’ve got a new loose tooth!” he exclaims and then grins up at me like a wild animal barring its teeth. I note that the space that once had nothing more than a nub is now almost completely filled in. Now, Stuart’s tongue is flicking its partner on the other side of the mouth.
The image of Stuart sitting on Kevin’s desk in London slaps me in the face so hard I have to catch my breath. I’m filling in where he should be, watching these minor life events unfold in his permanent absence.
The grief that I’ve been holding at bay since I first learned of my brother’s disappearance suddenly breaks through. I bring one hand up to grip my jaw, covering my mouth and squeezing hard to keep it all in.
Stuart is oblivious, still squinting one eye as he works the tooth with his tongue. “It’s not quite loose yet.”
“Give it some time,” I say, plastering a bright smile on my face and hoping it sinks in deep enough to trick my brain. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve been drawing?”
The tooth is forgotten at this suggestion and he grabs my hand to pull me toward the tiny table that’s covered in scattered crayons and finished drawings.
“What have we got here?” I say, looking down at the drawings with interest. I can vaguely make out certain human shapes and various things like an orange and yellow sun.
“This is Aunt Simone and me and you at the park,” he says pointing us each out. Simone has a stick figure body drawn in bright pink with a serious case of bedhead. Stuart is between us, a smaller stick figure in blue. I’m standing next to him, taller than my two counterparts, an identical figure in all black, probably due to my monochrome wardrobe color of choice. “And this is RiRi,” he adds pointing to a small circle with feet that is purple for some reason.
“Very good,” I say, looking down at it importantly. I point to another one on the table with only two figures on it. “What’s this one here.”
“That’s Mummy and Daddy,” he says, his face softening into a more serious expression. “Maggie says I should draw them how I want to remember them.”
“Who’s Maggie?”
“The lady that Aunt Simone takes me to to talk with. I like her. She’s nice.”
That must be the therapist. I look at Stuart, trying to read his face. “And just how are you remembering them?”
He stares at the image and shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says softly. “I don’t know where they are.”
I suppose having actually been raised with some sort of religion would help right about now. I think about how I want to remember Kevin. There were the stupid, but good-natured bets we got into as adults, once actually betting a thousand dollars on some national rock, paper, scissors championship. When he came to New York, I always managed a trip to a Knicks, Yankees or Giants game, depending on the season. When I visited London, he’d always take me to a local pub for a pint, where we’d always end the night debating the charms of bachelorhood versus marital bliss, neither of us quite convincing the other. I think I’m slowly, but surely, beginning to see where he had a point.
I kneel down next to Stuart. “Hey, remember our special Bennett wake where we each talked about our favorite memories of your dad?”
He just looks at me a nods.
“Well, I think that would make a good picture, don’t you?”
A small smile comes to his face and he nods again.
“But first, we should think about dinner.”
“I agree,” Simone’s voice says from the doorway.
I turn to look at her. She’s got her arms crossed with her phone in one hand. I quickly stand up, feeling embarrassed at having been caught with my guard down. She just gives me a soft, knowing smile that hints at a newfound appreciation. It’s something I can live with.
“I’ve pulled out some falafel burger patties from the freezer.”
That sounds about as appetizing as…well, falafel burgers. I’m a firm believer that the term “burger” should be strictly limited to ground beef.
“Actually, I was thinking we should go out tonight. Let’s celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?” Stuart asks, his voice filled with enthusiasm. Perhaps he�
�s of the same mind when it comes to burgers.
“How about the fact that it’s not raining? Or your new loose tooth? Or that baseball season has officially started? We don’t need an official reason.”
“Can RiRi come too?” he pleads. At the sound of her name, the little dog gives her own plea in the form of a bark.
The place I had in mind is one of my usual upscale go-to restaurants, reserved especially for celebrations. A place any five-year-old would absolutely hate.
“Sure,” I say, a quick idea coming to my head. “There’s a Shake Shack within walking distance. Let’s introduce you to a proper American burger.”
Her face scrunches into a look of distaste. “That’s pure junk food, Archer.”
“Exactly,” I say with a grin. “We can even bring RiRi.”
“Oh, can we Aunt Simone?” Stuart pleads, grabbing up the dog by way of playing into her sympathies.
She looks back and forth between the two of us, knowing she’s beat. “Okay, fine,” she sighs, waving the hand that isn’t holding the phone in the air. “You win.”
“Yay!” Stuart yells. He looks up at me with a big smile and I look down at my nephew, giving him a conspiratorial wink.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“You know that we’re just going to Shake Shack, right?” I say when Simone finally makes her appearance.
It took Simone almost forty-five minutes to get ready and Stuart and I have been sitting in the dining room with a deck of cards I finally scavenged from a drawer somewhere out of desperation. I’ve been teaching him how to play War, which is a simple enough game. I’m actually congratulating myself for teaching him how to count to ten while I’m at it. Perhaps this parenting thing won’t be so hard after all.
“There’s no excuse for not looking your best when stepping foot outside,” she says primly as she finally makes her appearance.
I have to admit, she does look sensational. She has on a light blue wrap dress that ends just below the knees. The hair that was piled on top of her head when I arrived is now down and curled at the ends. Her face practically glimmers in the light which shows off her large brown eyes and perfect smile.
“Are you two ready?”
“Yes!” we both say at the same time. I guess I’m not the only one whose had images of juicy hamburgers and salty fries taunting me for at least the past half hour.
Simone just laughs. “Okay then. Stuart, go and get RiRi’s leash and you can be in charge of walking her.”
He scrambles off his chair, all too eager to take on that responsibility.
“You look nice,” I point out, then focus on the white heels she has on. “You know it’s a couple of blocks at least?”
She just gives me a smug smile. “Why Mr. Bennett, I think you underestimate my ability to walk in heels.”
I twist my lips into a challenging smirk. She just meets me with one of her own.
Stuart comes flying back in with the leash, RiRi chasing his heels. He squats down to attach the leash then pops back up with a proud smile.
“Alright then, let’s go,” I say.
Stuart is ahead of us walking the dog that vacillates between scampering ahead of him, drawing out the extended leash, then running back to keep up with our nephew.
“He really does love that dog,” Simone says, watching him with a smile.
“Oh no you don’t,” I warn. “Just because I put out, doesn’t mean I’m that easy.”
She laughs then presses into my side, circling my right arm with hers. “Oh please, pretty please can we have a dog, Uncle Archer?” she pleads in a teasingly girlish voice.
A reluctant smile comes to my face and I shake my head in wry amusement. “You’re shameless,” I say, freeing my arm from her grasp and draping it over her shoulder. She smiles and slips her arm around my waist and we walk that way for a while in silence watching Stuart to make sure he doesn’t stray too far ahead of us.
“So how is it that a girl like you isn’t already taken?” I ask idly, hoping it doesn’t sound too obvious. I’m curious to know more about Josh and her, more importantly, how willing she would be to take him back.
“I do believe I am taken,” she replies, splaying her fingers before me to show off the simple gold band we agreed up on for this “marriage.”
I chuckle. “I mean, before the marriage. Would you have agreed to it if you were seeing someone?”
She stares ahead at Stuart and the tiny smirk disappears from her face. I wait, barely conscious of the breath that I’m holding. Her eyes fall to the ground before she answers. “The point is moot. I wasn’t with anyone at the time so I suppose that worked out for all of us.”
She squeezes into my side, and the air in my lungs eases out in a soft exhale.
“You don’t have to pretend you don’t know who Josh is, Archer,” she says.
I quickly look down at her. How the hell did she find out? She’s still staring ahead at Stuart and a small smile creeps across her face when she sees me staring in surprise. She squints up at me, wrinkling her nose.
“CoCo told me he said something to you about him at the party. I guess he went around telling everyone they weren’t allowed to even mention his name.” She rolls her eyes, but not without a fond smile. “He’s a great friend. It was definitely for the best.”
Once again I let the air seep out of my lungs slowly. This entire conversation is getting precarious. I should probably change the subject, but the possessive side of me wants to know more.
“He cheated, to answer your question,” she finally says. She twirls her hand in the air. “Cliché as hell, but there it is.”
One side of my mouth ticks up in a sympathetic smile, waiting for her to continue.
“Glory Michaels, who at least is now forever doomed to D-list blogger status. I suppose I have that to be grateful for. Cheating is a big no-no in the social media sphere. But Josh had the nerve to blame her,” she scoffs, exhaling a quick laugh. “Like she’d ever shown any interest in him before. Not that she gets a pass or anything. But he’s the one who should have known better. The worst part is it happened just a day or two before Kevin and Bette….”
She pauses, unable to complete that sentence. I can actually feel her body tense up and become more animated at the same time.
“Six years. Six years I wasted on that bastard. Everyone kept telling me it was too long without so much as an engagement ring. ‘You can do better, Simone.’ ‘Give him an ultimatum.’ The thing is, I didn’t want to be that woman, forcing him into something he obviously didn’t want. He kept making it sound modern and hip, like we were some cool couple that didn’t have to follow everyone else’s standards. Like we were together because we wanted to be together, not because of some silly ring or a piece of paper. I and bought it, hook, line and sinker. Like the idiot that I am.” She frowns as she looks ahead, unable to look me in the eye.
“Hey,” I say, stopping in place. Stuart isn’t too far ahead of us so I focus on her. She falters a bit, still keeping our original pace and I have to bring one arm around to keep her from teetering over. Frustrated grunts and grumbles fill the air as the pedestrian traffic detours angrily around us. I don’t care. I bring one hand up to her chin and lift her face so she’s forced to look me in the eye. “You are not an idiot. You’re kind and trusting and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Maybe just silly and cotton candy headed,” she says with a small teasing smile.
I chuckle and bring my lips to her forehead. “Sometimes,” I say against her skin, “but who doesn’t love cotton candy?”
“Mmm,” she hums as both of her arms come around my waist and she presses her body into mine.
I bring my hand up the back of her neck letting my fingers glide across the warmth of her skin. This just feels so. Damn. Perfect.
“We should probably get going before we scandalize all of New York.”
“They’ve seen worse,” I mumble, but pull away all the same, searching out my nephew
to make sure he didn’t run into traffic during those few seconds that the world became just Simone and me.
He’s running in circles further up, letting a happily barking RiRi chase him. Something about that image is so fitting, like the third side of a triangle the three of us represent. Maybe a dog isn’t such a bad idea after all….
The two of us hurry along to catch up with him. As we walk, I let what Simone has just said marinate in my head. I feel like there’s something there that ties this all together so that it all makes sense, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.
I let it go. Josh is history and right now I’m more interested in eating hamburgers and french fries, heck maybe even having a milkshake. With my family.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“You two behave yourselves.”
Vanessa is looking right at me as she says it. She’s the one who has come over to babysit tonight. Last night, after dinner, I informed Simone that I was taking her out on an actual date. After a bit of protest on her part, she agreed to set Stuart up with her friend as a babysitter.
“And you two have fun,” Simone says, reaching out to run her fingers through Stuart’s hair. He shies away from it as usual, but not without a smile.
“Oh, Auntie Vanessa has all kinds of kids videos saved on her Netflix account,” Vanessa says, patting Stuart on the back. “We’re good.”
“Okay then!” Simone chirps, looking back and forth between the two of them with mild uncertainty. “I’m not sure when...”
“I won’t wait up,” Vanessa finishes with a smile. She darts her eyes back and forth between the two of us with a knowing smile, then exhales and looks down at Stuart. “In the meantime, I think we need to get that pizza ordered. What do you say, Stuart?”
“Yes!”
“Pizza?” Simone says critically. “I don’t think—”
“Pizza sounds great, Vanessa,” I quickly interject, bringing my arm around Simone’s shoulder to guide her away. Stuart seems perfectly pleased with the plans for tonight. “Again, don’t wait up.”
Archer: Ex-Bachelor (Ex-Club Romance) Page 17