He checked the hour on his fancy, vintage watch. He was the only one with keys to that house so if he didn’t have time to stop, I would have to wait until he came back. “Max, we are going to stop at my parents’ house first.” His eyes stopped on mine for one second and then went back to his iPad.
I was going to start bitching about last night when we stopped. Dylan was stepping out of the car when his cell phone rang. Covering the receiver with his hand, he directed his attention to me. “Doll, I have to take this.” He grabbed his portfolio, took the keys and gave them to me. “Can you run upstairs and pick up your contracts?” To avoid any drama coming from my mouth I nodded and left the car.
Old Katherine would have yelled, kicked and left by then, but all the hurt I could see in his face only made me have more feelings towards that man. New Katherine knew how terrible it was to be helpless, and the only time when I had been that vulnerable, he had been the one who helped me. Probably going to his parents’ house wasn’t a smart idea, but I really needed those papers.
As fast as my Valentino high heels let me, I entered the house and walked to his mom’s library. I looked for the contracts and since they were not on the desk, I opened the drawer. On top I found my papers, but before I closed it I noticed an envelope with the word “Doll” on it.
Probably Dylan gave it to me when I was in the hospital and I couldn’t remember. The page seemed old but it couldn’t be that old since it was addressed to me. Opening it, I found beautiful handwriting, but it wasn’t Dylan’s. It was a little bigger, and the cursive letters had more inclination to the right.
“My beloved doll:
I can’t start to explain to you how deep my love for you is. I could never ask for anything else, since I’ve already gotten the biggest treasure, your heart. I know I don’t deserve you, but somehow I was lucky enough to get your heart, and I will never let it go. Eighteen years ago you made me the happiest man in this world, when you gave me Dylan. He’s as perfect as you, and when I thought I could never love more, that you had my whole heart, I learned that love can only be multiplied, never divided. You and he are the only things with value in this world to me, and I promise you that I will devote my life to both of you.
Yours forever,
Alexander M. Berkeley”
I felt one tear fall from my eyes when my cell phone rang with a text from Dylan, letting me know that I had to run back to the car. Dylan had given me his mother’s nickname. The love that he had been admiring since he was a little boy; that was how he had been calling me. But it didn’t make sense, he had been calling me that since our first night together.
We weren’t in love, certainly weren’t the first time we slept together. But he gave me that memory, probably unconscious of it. That letter was perfect, it portrayed exactly the kind of love that Dylan had described to me at the Bethesda Fountain. And if I doubted it for a second that morning, in that moment, I didn’t even hesitate. I wanted to be with him, damn the consequences.
I was never going to be able to be what his mother was to his father, but I could be by his side. And that’s exactly where I wanted to be. I got to the car and he was still on the phone, so I just faced the window and got lost in myself.
“Katherine, what’s happening?” His entire body was directed towards me, and those perfect crystal eyes were on mine.
“That place, it shakes things.” My voice was really low and I didn’t want him to look at me. It would take one glance to know that something had happened to me.
But of course, he never could do what I wanted. With one finger distractingly close to his mouth he observed me. “Good things or bad things.”
My mouth didn’t need to ask my brain about this answer. “Good.” Good as in “I would like to be living with you there again.”
Without answering he took my hand and pulled me over his lap, resting his head in the side of my neck. “I hate being away from you Katherine. I don’t want to leave you.” And so low as if he didn’t want me to hear him, he said. “I’m sorry about last night. I would never hurt you doll.”
And that was the word that took me out of my trance. “Dylan, you know you can tell me anything.” I turned in his arms to be face to face. In the most pure Sicilian style, we were nose to nose. “Tell me what happened yesterday.”
He rested his face over my shoulder forcing me to move my head and avoided my eyes. The seconds passed, and I suspected he was not going to answer my question. I was already defeated when I heard him clearing his throat. “Max, take us to our place.”
Not talking, he kept me in his arms, and for an instance I thought we were going back to my apartment. We stopped at Central Park and Dylan walked me to the Bethesda Fountain. Taking me with him, we both assumed our usual spots. But he didn’t talk for a long time and I was lost admiring that Greek god profile and caressing his hair.
“It is happening again.” What? You need other women? What? Those first words and the damn pause that followed took my head to crazy places. “When my parents died, my dad’s closest partners stole big parts of his company. When they had finished, BKY Enterprises was almost ruined.”
Rubbing his eyes, he continued after another mortifying silence. “Someone is stealing big amounts of money from the company.” God, please no! I promise I’ll stop calling Michelle “bitch”, please. I knew what that meant.
I voiced my fears before he lost his willingness to speak. “Marc and Spencer could be involved in this?” It would kill him, it would rip his heart. He, I, we couldn’t survive the idea of losing Marc, Michelle, Spencer, and Chelsea. They were his family, our family.
“And just a couple more of my closest employees…friends.” His voice was as cold and harsh as I had ever heard it before.
I turned and caressed his cheeks. “Did you learn about this yesterday?”
“No.” He shook his head. “That’s what has been keeping me in Chicago. Yesterday I learned the quantity.” Some dead weight that I didn’t even realize I was carrying in my chest finally left. He had been busy with the investigation, and that’s why Marc had all that free time.
“How much?”
“Some millions.” He must have seen the doubtful look in my face. The Dylan I knew couldn’t be that worried about money, that reaction could only be about the betrayal. “I give a damn about the money, but it is missing from my mom’s charity. I won’t let that happen.” His jaw was clenched and I noticed the tight fists of his hands.
That conniving bitch, I’m going to pull both of her fake boobs’ through her throat. “Tamara?”
He shook his head adamantly. “No, she would never do that to me. Neither Marc nor Spencer, but there are just a few more options. All of them are being investigated.” He took my chin between his fingers and moved my face against his. “You can’t tell this to anyone Katherine. Ok?”
“I won’t, you can trust me. But you have to tell me what is happening. We are together in this. It doesn’t matter what happens.” It doesn’t if Marc is involved and Michelle is part of it. I didn’t know how my brain got to that conclusion, but as always the words were released unfiltered. And somehow I knew, if that was the case, I was going to stay with him.
“Dylan,” I took his face between my hands, “you can always tell me everything. You can trust me.” He lifted up as he rested against the column, and he pulled me onto his lap. “You don’t need to shut down anymore. You have me, you are not alone anymore. And Dylan, I am with you because I want to be, not because I need you. It’s my will to be with you. And that makes it much stronger, because God knows I’m as stubborn as they come.” The smile on his face was only broken by the kiss he gave me.
After a few minutes holding each other and just trying to get used to this new cheesy side of us, we finally walked back to the car holding hands. The remaining drive was done in silence, both of us trying to digest what was happening to Dylan. The crazy protective side of me wanted to rip out the thief’s eyes, and the new fluffy side of me wanted
to hold Blue Eyes and not let him go.
The SUV entered the tarmac, the white BKY Enterprises plane waiting for Berkeley. Taking my hand, Dylan pulled me out of the car to say goodbye. “I really don’t want to leave.” My eyes caught Max and Joe get out of the car with us, that would only mean our farewell was going to be quick. Pull yourself together princess. I stood on the points of my feet and gave him a little peck on the lips.
He rounded my waist with his arms and pushed me against him. “A proper goodbye kiss Katherine.” The glow in his eyes was more suitable to the mischievous man he was. The somber look from our conversation had left.
I discreetly turned to see if Max and Joe were close, and they were, in fact staring at us. “There are people here Berkeley, but if you feel lonely you can always see the picture I sent you.” Yeah, the one of me flipping my finger.
His hand went straight to my ass and pushed my hips against his. He knew about my aversion to any kind of PDA, he was real private too, but that day he needed contact. Fuck it! I was not going to see him in a long time and I had already made an important decision about our relationship. So I kissed him, really kissed him. His sinful hand stayed on my ass while the other went to my head and he pressed me against the SUV. “Hurry Blue Eyes, I need you back soon.”
With my thumb, I cleaned the lipstick from his mouth and walked to the car yelling. “And by the way, you owe me a Chanel red lipstick.”Yes the one that got messed up with my love message in his mirror. Joe entered the car and drove me away. I didn’t know if this was the usual in everybody’s relationships. But these goodbyes were becoming more and more difficult with time.
After a couple of rough days immersed in my job and thoughts about how to help Dylan with his situation. I knew exactly what I needed. “Joe, are you in the mood for Italian?” It was late, I had finished working after hours and a deep caloric fest was what I wanted.
“I’ll drive you wherever you want ma’am.” The low rhythm in Joe’s voice had the power to soothe me.
“You are not only driving, let’s go to Rao’s.” I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, that food meant home to me.
He looked around while starting the engine. “Feeling lucky Ms. Bianchi? Or you made a reservation a year ago?”
And we have a winner ladies and gentlemen! “Every year I get a bunch of those, today is one of those special days!” When we arrived he came to open my door, and walked back to the car. “Hey! Where are you going Big Guy?”
“Sorry ma’am, I have things to do, so go enjoy your meal.” He went back to the SUV and I found myself alone. For someone so used to being permanently single, I didn’t have the confidence to eat alone in a restaurant. It was like going to the movies alone, weddings were one thing, but these everyday activities felt pathetic. And if you keep being this adorable, you’ll be pathetic for life. So get used to it.
I got one of the ten tables in the restaurant, realized how I was occupying too much space by myself and started with my diner. Trying not to think that much, I started stalking the people, observing them and creating lives for them in my head. My stalking was interrupted by the hostess who was accompanied by a delivery boy. “Excuse me, are you Ms. Bianchi?”
“What can I do for you?” The guy made me sign a receipt and gave me one perfect pink peony in a vintage glass cup. An old golden envelop hung from the cup with a printed note inside.
“Katherine, it is a shame that such a beautiful woman has to eat dinner alone.
I promise I’ll be back soon.
Yours,
D.A.B.”
Damn! He was good, Joe had to have told him I was sitting here by myself. I didn’t know how, but I was going to make this work because there was no way to stop being used to this feeling.
Chapter 7
But life is not pink, unicorns and candies, and one day I just arrived home more pissed than Leonardo DiCaprio after the Oscars. I threw my purse to the couch and started walking to the fridge to get my good friend ice cream. “Hello to you too beautiful.”
I turned around and with a full mouth explained to Kevin. “I’m so fucking angry!” Of course with the quantity of ice cream melting in my mouth, it sounded more like “Mmg mrging hanrryyy!”
“Good thing all that money your parents paid to that British nanny for you was a good investment.” I just flipped him my middle finger, I was so not in a mood to be “presentable”. “What is it princess?”
“Fucking Berkeley, he thinks I am his fucking escort, and that it is my civic duty to be ready to be fucked whenever he wants.”
He was working in his lap top on the kitchen counter. “Ok, first of all TMI, but since you took me to the doctor when I had that suspicious rash, I guess we passed those limits long ago. Start from the beginning.”
“Are you sure you’re not gay? Sometimes when you speak like that I think that our hormones got mixed somewhere in the story.” When his stern look let me know I was not getting an answer, I took a deep breath and started. “Nothing, it is just that Dylan called today and told me that I had to take the next plane to Chicago. He didn’t ask, no, Lord Almighty Maximus demanded me. When I asked him if there was an emergency, since we had established that I would only fly like that in emergencies. He told me he needed me. I’ve already been really clear about how fucking needs are not emergencies, bleeding is an emergency, this is a horny call.”
“Ok, so why are you not on the plane?”
He’s got to be kidding me. “Fuck off Kevin, of course I’m not going to stop my life just because he’s having his period and “needs” me. I have a life, a job,”-with remorse I stared at my feet because I was a vindictive bitch- “and last time I drpped everything for him, he wasn’t there, and I had three-year-old tantrum.”
“Did he apologize?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, he came here the next day.”
“Ok then, I’ve already bought a ticket for you that leaves at midnight.” He kept working on his computer as if nothing had happened.
I menacingly turned to him. “I am not flying there Kevin! I work tomorrow, despite what you and he think, I don’t go to the office as a hobby. I have a responsibility that is as important as your jobs!”
Fine, and now you are shouting to your best friend and only constant in your life, besides Michelle. “Katherine, suck it up! I am not going to sit here while you sabotage the best thing that has ever happened to you. The fact that the most pretentious man on Earth has told you he needs you, is enough to drop everything and run to his side. I swear your parents didn’t know the damage they were doing giving you everything in life!”
I was frozen, staring at him. In my girly low voice I asked him. “Are you angry with me?”
He moved his eyes from the computer and smiled at me. “Never baby, just giving you the tough love that no one has given you in your life. Go pack something and I’ll call Joe for you.”
Chicago was a cold place at 3:00 am, Max picked up Joe and me from the airport and drove us to Dylan’s house. I asked him to let me surprise Blue Eyes, so he was the only one aware of my visit. Walking into a dark foyer, I was only greeted by the Degas’ Ballerinas. I carried my bag to the master bedroom and found Dylan knocked out in his bed. Walking straight to the bathroom, I put on pink PJs, washed my face, brushed my teeth and walked to the bed.
Incapable of fighting the temptation, I passed my hand through Dylan’s hair. He moved a little, and two blue pools greeted me. “You came.” I just nodded and smiled. “Come here.” He pulled me to his body and hugged me, and I just fell asleep in those perfect arms.
When a ray of light woke me up, I moved my hands to the other side of the bed to find that fine body. But I found I was alone in the big bed and the noise of the shower was coming from the bathroom. The light was so harsh that I kept my eyes closed, covering them with my arm to avoid any chance of really waking up.
I could hear a hot, wet and naked Dylan crossing the room towards his closet. That deserved my open eyes. A towel
was the only thing covering his body, and I swear it was a hand towel, because I had never seen such a tiny one. “Don’t even think about it Katherine, I have to run to a meeting.”
Mumbling my annoyance, I covered my face with his pillow, his delicious wooden smell was still there. I let time pass, and when I thought he was about to come out of the closet, I opened my eyes to get a new vision. But he was not ready yet, so I turned my face and while lying on my side, I noticed something on my pillow.
The most disgusting shade of orange lipstick was staining the purity of the white pillow. Breathing, counting to ten, I tried to figure out a reasonable explanation. There should be a reason behind it, maybe he was eating Cheetos last night. But the lip form was obvious, and Dylan was crazy enough to make Mrs. Danvers wash the bedclothes every single day. That stain was from last night, and I had seen that lipstick before. Tamara. I was right, that was what he “needed” me for.
Perfectly dressed in a navy blue three-piece suit, Dylan came out of his closet. And by then I was already sitting in the bed with the damn pillow in my hand. Princess, don’t go for blood, let him answer first. “You care to explain me this?”
He just turned, didn’t get that close, and look at his watch while answering. “What? Your makeup on the pillow?”
Wrong answer jerk, wrong answer. There was no way Berkeley could know, but my mom’s first rule in life is: never go to bed with your makeup on. So, no, there’s was not even a little chance to catch me dead with that hideous orange lipstick while sleeping. “This is not mine. So I need you to start explaining to me right now what is it.”
I was not shouting, for the first time I learned the advantages of being murderous quiet. My low voice was even creepier. He stared at his watch, came to me, took my face in his hands and kissed the top of my head. “I have to go, now.” No explanation, no arguing, no shouting. But I didn’t miss the way he was avoiding my eyes. His jaw was clenched and his fists were tightly closed. You are guilty. I guessed I had my answer then.
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