I shake my head. “You’re such an immature jackass, Chuck.”
“Be careful with him, Mags,” Jack warns.
I sigh. “I will.” I search around the room, frustrated. “Is there an ottoman around here? If I’m going to sleep on this chair, then I need to prop my feet up.”
“No way. Sleep in your bed,” Jack scolds.
“If you and Daisy are here, then so am I.”
“I second that,” Charlie says.
“No, don’t make them leave,” Daisy whines. “I like it when they’re around.” She flutters her eyebrows at Jack. He’s mesmerized. She gets what she wants.
The nurse shows Charlie and me how to work the chairs. They actually fold out, no ottoman needed. In addition, they come with massage and heat functions. That’s how we get into a discussion about sex.
“He never gave me a chance to give him one before I got pregnant,” Daisy says excitedly. More color has returned to her face. She’s touching her belly. It’s good to see.
“Dais, I bet you give a mean blowjob,” Charlie says as if he’s fantasizing about it.
“You’ll never know,” she says.
He simpers. Poor Charlie. He likes that he gets to hit on her and she gets to turn him down. He likes the un-gettable chicks.
“She gives a damn fine blowjob, but I’d rather have all of her,” Jack says.
I snort and look away, recalling when Vincent basically said the same thing.
“Enough of our sex life,” Daisy says. “What’s this about Monroe and Charlie?”
“Hell if I know,” I say. “She was on cloud nine when I last spoke to her.”
“Whoa, cloud nine? Nice,” Charlie sings.
“Yeah, but I reminded her that you have the cooties and she should stay far, far, far away from you.”
“Why the hell did you tell her that?” he whines.
“Need I repeat it? You’re immature. You don’t have a job. Where do you live? Huh?”
“By the way, those are all good points,” Daisy says, shaking a finger.
“I agree,” Jack adds.
Charlie looks disturbed. “I live in Martha’s Vineyard, goddamn it.”
“Not for the last five months,” Daisy says.
“Where have you been, Charlie?” Jack asks.
“On vacation!”
“For five months?” I ask.
“It took me a while to get over her.” He points at Daisy.
I roll my eyes. “You never really loved Daisy. You just wanted her because Jack had her and she wanted Jack. Start wanting shit for yourself. Really, really want it for yourself.”
“I did love Daisy!”
Daisy lifts a hand. “Daisy’s in the room.”
Jack gazes into her eyes. “You want to make out while they fight?”
“Don’t you dare,” I warn. I can’t take their R-rated kissing right now. “Chuck, what did you love about Daisy other than that she’s beautiful? What else?”
“I am?” she says from the peanut gallery.
I wink at her while keeping my main focus on my stupid cousin.
“She’s nice, and…” He’s obviously having a hard time.
Jack says smugly, “She’s giving and understanding. She’s a student of life. She has really far-out habits like showering too much and spending hours in a bathtub. She hums when she works. She is nice to everybody no matter who they are. She’s never rattled. She listens more than she speaks. She’s up for anything, always willing to try it at least once. I could continue, but you didn’t ask me the question.”
“Ah,” Daisy sings and tilts her head to offer Jack her lips.
“And there you go,” I conclude. “That’s why you don’t love her, Charlie, and Jack does.”
“But I like Monroe,” Charlie says.
“What do you like about her?”
“She has a sharp tongue. She thinks she’s tough, but she’s not. She is a ballbuster until you make her, well, you know…”
I snort. “I know, and you’re right about her. But you’re not ready for her. She’s my friend, and I love her. I won’t have you screwing with her life and her head. Get your shit together.”
Charlie and I lock eyes. I think I finally got through that thick skull of his. It’s weird that Jack hasn’t said something snappy. Charlie and I turn at the same time to see Jack and Daisy engaged in weird but sexy kissing where they lightly touch lips and tongue while gazing into each other’s eyes.
“Hey!” Charlie kicks the bottom of Jack’s foot. “Fucking stop it!”
I lift a hand. “I concur.”
We take a trip down memory lane to talk about our crazy parents, those dead and alive, until the wee hours of the morning. Daisy can barely keep her eyes open, but she’s eager to hear as much about Jack as she can. I really like that about her. I even love watching her cling to him for dear life.
By the time Charlie says something about running into my dad on a beach in Costa Rica, Daisy’s lost the battle with sleep and so has Jack.
“Don’t turn out to be like him, Charlie,” I mumble. I’m so tired.
“I won’t. I want something, and I’m going to work like hell to get it.”
I close my eyes. “Oh yeah?” I yawn. “What do you want?”
There’s a long moment of silence. “You’ll see.”
That’s the last thing anyone says.
Chapter 12
Another Bad Boy
“Wake up, sleepy heads,” a nurse says in a lyrical Caribbean accent.
I stretch and yawn. For a moment, I forget where I am. Charlie’s already gone. He left without making a peep.
“You’re still here, Mags?” Jack says in a raspy voice.
“Yes. How do you feel?” I ask Daisy.
She smiles. “Like brand new.”
“Glad to hear it.” I rise out of the chair. My body aches.
Daisy drapes her legs over the side of the bed. “I have to use the restroom,” she tells the nurse.
“I’ll help you.” Jack shuffles to her side.
“Honey, I can go pee all by myself,” she says.
“First let me take the IV out,” the nurse says.
It seems their day is starting, so I kiss them both good-bye and leave. The farther I walk, the more tired I become. It’s Friday morning. Vincent and Gabrielle are somewhere in this great metropolis cuddled in a warm fluffy bed. I try not to obsess about it.
As soon as I make it to my apartment, I strip and hop into the shower. The last traces of Vincent rinse off my skin and disappear down the drain. I can’t take a long shower or I’ll be late for work. I have a lot to do today. One of the eight suits that Monroe gave me is burgundy and has a 1940’s structured vintage-cut. It’s beautiful and expensive looking. I put it on and pull my hair back into a ponytail, leaving tendrils out around the edges. It’s a good look.
As soon as I make it to work, I try to avoid turning toward Vincent’s office. It doesn’t work. His door is open. Gabrielle is there and sitting on his desk. She and I lock eyes for a moment. She says something to Vincent as I turn away. I feel disgusting and used.
“Maggie, oh my God, how was Aspen?” Linda says a little too loudly.
Vincent stands up behind his desk, gazing in our direction. He’s not in a suit, which seems odd. I’ve only seen him wear suits to the office.
I put on my best smile. “It was good. We’re going to have a lot of work to do between now and the event, but we can handle it.”
“Well, Darius Shockey wants you to call him as soon as you can. Here’s a list of local events that need your attention this week. I checked your emails, put the action items in one folder, and arranged them according to deadline. Let me know if you need anything else. Oh, Vincent bought you coffee. It’s on your desk. It’s still hot.” She’s cheesing.
I lean very close to her. “Did you know that she’s his fiancée?”
Linda flinches. “No. They’re getting married?”
“You reall
y didn’t know?” I’m sort of surprised Vincent told me the truth.
“No way. I would’ve said something if I knew.” Her mouth is caught open. “Really, they’re engaged?”
“Really.”
She looks flabbergasted. “Oh wow. But he’s so into you.”
Not only did Vincent buy me coffee, but here he comes. I swallow the lump in my throat once we’re standing face to face. It feels as though I should kiss him or something.
“Maggie, I’ll be out of town for a week.” He looks sad. “I want to get you caught up on some things before I leave.”
Gabrielle stares daggers at me from his office. I think she has a feeling something occurred between him and me.
“My office or yours?” I ask, sounding professional.
“Yours.”
I notice my blinds have been drawn for the first time. Vincent walks in after me and closes the door. I take a deep breath before I face him.
“So you want to talk about the IK App?” I chirp.
“I want you, Maggie,” he whispers thickly.
I muster up enough willpower to open the blinds. “I’m not going to let you fuck me with your fiancée right there. She suspects something, you know.”
He flinches, apparently insulted. “I don’t ever fuck you, Maggie. I make love to you.”
I close my eyes and pretend I didn’t hear that. Hell, it’s not going to be easy. Vincent has seeped into my pores. He’s in my blood, fueling my heartbeats.
“So where are you going?” I ask as I walk around him to sit in my chair. Giddy energy tickles my insides when I pass him.
“We planned a trip to Saint Tropez months ago. One of her friends is getting married.”
Oh, the pain in my heart. “Oh, I see.” I take my laptop out of my bag.
After three knocks on my door, it opens. Robert Tango is there; his lips are stretched into a huge smile. “Morning, Vince. Morning, Maggie. I’ll be working closely with you and the IK App team while Vince skates off to paradise with his beautiful fiancée.” He glares at me as if he wants to eat me alive.
Vincent scowls. “Get the hell out of here, Rob. The IK App team doesn’t need you slowing them down.”
“Maggie might need a little access while you’re gone. My name is just as good as yours, my brother.” Boy, is he cocky. “By the way…” Robert looks out the doorway. “Hey, Gabrielle?” he calls. She’s in my office in a flash. I avoid Vincent’s scowl.
“Have you met Maggie? We went to school together. I had a thing for her. I think she had a thing for me, right?”
I put on a fake smile. “A little thing. I was only at your school for four months. So…”
He wipes that cocky grin off his lips to leer at me. “Four months was all I needed.”
I can tell that Vincent is turning angrier by the second.
Gabrielle cuts her eyes away from my face. “Vince, babe, we have a flight to catch. We’ve already pushed it back once.”
“It’s a private jet. The flight will leave when we get there. I want to speak to Maggie alone,” he barks.
Gabrielle whips around as if his words slapped her on the cheek. She stomps all the way back to Vincent’s office.
“Remember your priorities, Vince,” Robert says before leaving us.
Vincent shuts the door. “Maggie, you need to know that I’m going away with her, but I will not make love to her. I won’t touch her.”
“Why not? She’s your fiancée. Are you not going to touch her forever?”
“I’m never fucking her again.”
I grunt. “So what are you going to do? ‘Make love’ to her?”
“What the hell, Maggie! Do you think I mince words? I’m not going to fuck, make love, or have sex with her. I need time to work this through. Just don’t let Rob near you. I don’t trust him with you.”
This is insane. I feel as if we’re in high school again, except this time, one of the guys is getting married and the other one is going through a divorce. Neither one should appeal to me.
“I’m not going to do anything with Robert. I’m not even a wee bit attracted to him.”
“You’re not?” He sounds relieved.
“No.”
“Are you attracted to me?”
I roll my eyes. “Of course I am. You know that.”
He smirks. “I’m attracted to you too. I thought about you all night long. How is Jack’s wife?”
I clamp my lips together. His casual tone doesn’t fit our circumstances. “She’s fine. She gets out of the hospital today.”
He smiles despite my cool demeanor. “That’s good news. What time did you get home?”
Again, I hesitate. I hate that his mood is infectious. For the moment, I forget how angry I am with him. “This morning. Charlie and I slept there.”
“Chuck… Is he still an asshole?”
“The biggest.”
We end up staring into each other’s eyes while smiling. I know that as soon as he walks into that elevator with her, I’ll feel the void.
“I’m going to fix this, Maggie. It’s not going to be easy.”
I look at the ceiling to focus on anything but his face. The fact that he’s leaving with her makes him and I feel like a lost cause.
“Have a good trip,” I mutter.
Vincent presses his back against the closed door and narrows his eyes seductively. “Come here.”
I see what he’s doing. No one can see us if we’re against the door. I walk over, and he grabs me as soon as I’m close. We kiss feverishly.
Vincent’s penis is as hard as steel. His eyes are dazed as he unbuttons my jacket and the first five buttons of my sheer green blouse. After enough of my skin is exposed, he kisses and tastes the fleshy part of my breasts.
“You’re so soft,” he whispers.
I release an unrepressed sigh. He kisses up the side of my neck and then sinks his tongue into my mouth. Our lips know that they will long for each other, and there will be no fulfillment—not for a long time and maybe never again.
Vincent grabs the back of my neck and presses his forehead against mine. “I’ll be back sooner than you think. Step back, baby.” He kisses me again.
I do as I’m asked. He flexes his eyebrows as he adjusts his pants to hide the hard-on. Once he’s stable, he lifts his eyebrows one last time before he walks out of my life for what will be one extremely long week.
I keep my door closed until they’re good and gone. When I open it, Robert sits at Vincent’s desk, waving at me.
“Oh, shit,” I mutter. I can see that he’s going to make it very hard on me while Vincent is away.
Linda and I get cracking. I ask her to set meetings with the IK App team, budget and finance, video production, general marketing, and digital. We need to sit down with the representatives of each department in that order. I study the itinerary before returning Darius’s call. We talk about my ideas and how far we can realistically take them.
“I thought you wanted minimal visibility,” Darius says after I mention a commercial.
“I’ll take what I can get.”
Thank God he chuckles. “Fine, Maggie, I’ll let you do whatever your budget allows. Only for you.”
I laugh. “I feel special. You snowboard, don’t you?”
“I compete.”
I grin. “Maybe we can get some shots of you doing some snowboarding tricks. We put the shots over music and bam, commercial.”
“Yeah?” He’s excited.
“Yeah!
“I’m up for it.”
“I’ll get back to you by Monday morning,” I say.
After the call, I stop by Lena’s office to run my planned meetings and tasks by her. She approves the agenda and sends an email to the teams encouraging compliance.
By ten p.m., we have a production team, samples of banners, markers, a page on our website, and a budget. Linda and I worked feverishly to get it done. I entrusted her with the banners, signs, and markers.
I’m sending
one final email to Darius while Linda packs up her side of my desk.
“Maggie, you’re my supervisor, but we’re friends, right?” she asks.
“Supervisor on paper, but friends and colleagues in real life.” I smile.
She smiles. “A group of us are going Rock n’ Roll bowling tonight. You want to come with?”
“I heard of that place. My girlfriends and I were supposed to try it. I’m game.”
“Rock n’ Roll bowling?”
Linda and I jump, startled.
Robert is in the doorway. “I’ll be there tonight too. It’ll be fun to see your moves, Maggie.”
Linda and I look at each other as he walks away. Suddenly, I feel like declining the invitation but if I do, it’ll look too suspicious. Therefore, tonight, I’ll be bowling with Robert.
Great.
Two hours, two glasses of wine, and a pair of black skinny pants and a black boat-neck sweater later, I end up at Rock n’ Roll Bowl.
The music is loud. The lights are dim, except for the flickering red, yellow, and blue swirling beams, which make me dizzy.
“You made it!” Linda shouts when I approach the A&Rt group.
I hold up my rented bowling shoes. “I did!”
“This is my boyfriend, Roland!” she shouts.
Roland has a gut and wears a lot of gel in his hair. He’s definitely the lucky one in their situation.
I shake his hand. “Nice to finally put a face to the name. I’ve heard a lot about you. All good. I only have good stuff to say about Linda too!” I stick my fingers in my ears to get a reprieve from the noise. “Are we going to be yelling like this all night?”
“What did you say?” Linda shouts.
Jeez. I’m ready to call this a bust and walk right out of Rock n’ Roll bowling, head home, and call Cleo and Hannah to see if they want to meet for dinner and drinks in about an hour. Linda looks right past me. Whatever she’s watching garners her full attention.
She wraps a hand around my wrist and puts her mouth close to my ear. “He showed up!”
There's Something About Her, A Manhattan Love Story (LOVE in the USA, #2) Page 12