by E. L. Todd
“Well, I need her to be obsessed with me too.”
“I’m sure she is, Slade.”
She leaned back in the chair and touched her stomach, cringing slightly.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I had some bad Chinese food the other day. I’ve been a little nauseous ever since.”
“Szechwan Garden? I get food poisoning just thinking about that place.”
“Panda Express.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise. “I guess food poisoning can happen anywhere.”
“Excuse me.” She walked to the bathroom and was gone for a few minutes.
Arsen walked in as soon as she left. “What a surprise.” He immediately went to Ryan and picked him up. “What’s up, Ryan?” He cradled him with one arm and tickled his stomach slightly, getting Ryan’s eyes to open wide.
I didn’t mind people wanting to spend time with Ryan, but it annoyed when people just took him. Protectiveness came from nowhere and I wasn’t even sure what I was upset about. It’s not like he was a stranger. “What brings you here?”
“I thought I’d take my wife to lunch.”
“Can I come?” I had nothing else to do.
“Yeah sure.”
“She’s in the bathroom right now. Had bad Chinese food.”
“Hey, her appetite has been gone for a few days.” He sat across from me and continued to hold Ryan. “So, have you cracked under the pressure yet?”
I knew people were teasing me but it started to get old. Maybe I wasn’t the most mature guy in the world, but when I had a responsibility I took it seriously. I was the best husband I could be to Trinity, I worked hard on my music, and I would do everything necessary to be a good father to my son. “No, it’s been easy. He only cries when he’s hungry or needs his diaper to be changed.”
“You know how to change diaper?” he asked in surprise.
“It took me a few tries, but I figured it out with YouTube.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.”
Shouldn’t be, but whatever. “Where do you want to eat?”
“I’ll see what Silke wants since she’s not feeling better.”
Silke walked out and didn’t seem surprised to see Arsen there. “Hey.” She came around the table and kissed him.
“Hey, Beauty. Where do you want to get lunch?”
“How about the deli?” she asked. “All I can handle is a salad right now.”
“Is that cool with you?” Arsen looked at me.
“Yeah, sure. But give me back my baby.” I outstretched my hands, eager to put him back in the carrying case.
Arsen chuckled. “Protective father…who knew?”
“Not protective. Just want him in the satchel. It’s a lot easier to carry him. And it’s hands free.” I put him in the satchel that hung from my front, and he slipped inside immediately.
Arsen tried not to laugh. “You look like a kangaroo.”
“A sexy kangaroo,” I argued. “You know how many times I’ve been hit on just today? Chicks dig a guy with a baby.”
“Or maybe they dig a famous guy,” Arsen argued.
“No…it’s definitely the baby.” Not once did they ask for an autograph. And they never asked about my album or music video. They went straight for Ryan and pinched his cheeks.
Silke chuckled. “Trinity won’t be happy when she finds out.”
“She’s getting a spa treatment,” I argued. “I really don’t think she cares about anything right now.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Conrad
I stepped out of the elevator and migrated across the floor until I reached Macy’s new desk. Everyone peered up from their computers when they saw me, and they immediately straightened their backs and pretended to be working harder than ever before.
People who passed me in the hallway stopped to ask about my day and how Uncle Sean was doing. I was polite and asked the same in return even though I’d never met them in my life. There was too many people at the company to know each one personally.
I reached Macy’s desk and stood with my hands in my pockets. “How’s it going?”
She finally looked up from her computer when she heard my voice. “Hey, Con. I didn’t know you were dropping by.”
“Just wanted to see if you needed anything.”
“And to make sure no one gives me a hard time since I know the CEO?” she asked with a grin.
I shrugged in guilt. “It doesn’t hurt, right?”
“I appreciate it, Con. Everything is great. My boss is really nice, and the job is pretty straightforward. Now I just need that first paycheck, and then I’ll be out of your penthouse.”
“Apollo will be so sad.”
“I can take him with me.” She grinned in hope.
Like I’d ever give up my dog. “He’s my best friend. I wouldn’t even let Lexie take him.”
“Darn…”
“You can always get your own dog.”
“I’ll have to. I’ll get a German Shepard so Apollo will have a friend.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Just don’t make it a lady friend. We don’t need any puppies.”
“Awe…” She clutched her hands to her chest. “Apollo would have the cutest babies.”
“But he’s not going to,” I said firmly. My penthouse would turn into a puppy daycare center. And Lexie wouldn’t mind in the least, which would just make things worse.
Macy sat behind her desk wearing a pencil skirt and blouse, stuff I recognized from Lexie’s wardrobe. Seeing her wear the things I’d touched, things I’d taken off of Lexie, made me uncomfortable. But I wasn’t going to mention it. “I need to get back to work. You have my extension if you need me.”
“Yeah, I do. And thanks for helping me out, brother.”
I smiled before I turned away. “No problem, sis.”
***
“What’s wrong?” I knew something was off the second I walked in the door. Lexie was pacing back and forth and nibbling on her thumbnail. She was always so calm and collected. She didn’t lose her cool like this unless something was really wrong. “Baby?”
“I feel so so guilty for even asking this but I don’t know what else to do…” She stopped in the entryway and faced me, finally pulling her thumb out of her mouth. She wouldn’t look me in the eye.
“You can ask me anything.” I had no idea what was coming next but I was prepared for anything.
“So…Mom and I looked at wedding dresses in Manhattan and I told the lady my budget. But she accidentally read one of the tags wrong and had me try on one of their expensive gowns. And…I fell in love with it. I don’t have enough in my savings and Mom is really tight on money.” She covered her face with her hands, leaving her mouth unexposed. “I was wondering if—”
“Of course I’ll buy it for you.” She didn’t need to make it a big deal.
“I feel terrible asking for anything.”
I grabbed her wrists and gently pulled them down, forcing her to look at me. “Baby, what’s mine is yours.”
“Not yet. And I never want you to think I’m with you for your money. I just really love this dress and—”
“You should have whatever you want on your wedding day.” I squeezed her wrists gently before I kissed each one. “You’re going to have to get used to having fine things anyway. Because I’m burying you underneath jewels, clothes, and expensive things for the rest of your life.”
“Conrad…” The fight within her disappeared when she heard the sweet things coming out of my mouth.
“I don’t care how much that dress is. Buy it.”
“It’s a lot…”
“I don’t care.” I pulled out my wallet and handed over my credit card. “Buy whatever you want.”
“I don’t want anything else—just the dress.”
“I’m just saying, you could go on a shopping spree and I wouldn’t care. If you’d let me put you on my account you would see how much money I have. This dress could be a hundred thousand dollars, and I wouldn’
t even notice the money is missing.”
“Con, I’m not impressed by your money.” The guilt that was once in her eyes died away. Now she looked at me with the fire I was accustomed to. “I’ve never been impressed with your wealth. I fell in love with you because of the treasure in here.” She rested her hand over my heart. “You’re so sweet, thoughtful, and brave. Those are the qualities I care about.”
“But the wealth doesn’t hurt. Now go buy your dress.” My hands moved to her hips, and I pulled her into my chest. I gave her an aggressive kiss, wanting her to take everything I had to offer. I wanted my future wife to be treated like a queen. Every other possession she had needed to match that enormous ring on her finger.
Instead of fighting me like I thought she might, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back. Her kiss was just as aggressive, reciprocating the fire I felt for her.
The front door opened behind me and Macy walked inside. “I had the best day—whoa.”
I broke the kiss and dropped my hands from Lexie’s hips. In the heat of the moment I forgot about the third roommate the lived with us. Trying to shake it off, I stepped away from Lexie so the moment wouldn’t be even more tense than it already was.
“Yikes,” Macy said. “I’ll knock next time.”
Lexie didn’t hide her irritation. She wanted her sister out of there as quickly as possible. Even though Macy had been nothing but pleasant since they talked things out, she was eager for it just to be the two of us again. “It’s okay. How was work?”
“You know, a desk job isn’t that bad.” She set her purse on the couch then slipped off her heels. “Thanks for letting me borrow your stuff by the way.”
“No problem,” Lexie said. “So you like it?”
“Yeah, I think I do,” Macy said. “The job is easy and my boss is nice.”
“When do you get your first check?” Lexie blurted.
“Not until next Friday,” Macy answered.
She turned to me, pleading with her eyes. “You know I never ask for anything…except the dress, but could we pay for Macy to have an apartment and once she starts making her own money she can take care of the rent on her own?” Lexie would never ask something like this unless she was desperate.
“Absolutely not,” Macy said. “I’m not taking money from Conrad.”
“No, we’re giving it to you,” Lexie said. “I want some alone time with my fiancé. We can’t walk around naked or be ourselves because you’re always in the house—no offense. It’s been a few months now and we just need some privacy.”
I didn’t mind Macy staying with us but I agreed with Lexie. I missed having our own space. We didn’t have sex on the couch or eat dinner naked anymore. When we did have sex in our bedroom we had to be quiet. It was definitely a mood killer. “I think it’s a good idea.”
Lexie sighed with relief.
“I feel way too guilty taking your money,” Macy said. “I can’t do it.”
“It’s just for two months,” I said. “Then you’ll have some checks saved up, and you can take over the rent and utilities.”
“I don’t know if I feel comfortable doing that…” Macy crossed her arms over her chest.
“Well, you’re gonna,” Lexie said. “We aren’t gonna kick you out on the street, but we need some privacy. You can always pay him back down the road if that makes you feel more comfortable.”
“I guess I could do that,” Macy whispered.
“So, how about you start looking for an apartment tomorrow, and we’ll go from there?” The sooner she was out of there, the better.
“Okay.” Macy turned to her sister. “So you bought a dress?”
“I haven’t bought it yet.” She held up my credit card. “It was kinda expensive so I asked Conrad if he could help me with it.”
“Awe,” Macy said. “What does it look like?”
“I can’t say in front of Con. How about you just go down there to pick it up with me?”
“Okay!” She clapped her hands with excitement. “I’m sure it’s beautiful.”
“I definitely think Con will like it.” Lexie walked out with her sister without saying goodbye to me. Caught up in her own little world and her wedding fantasy, she left.
***
I finished up a two hour meetings with the investors in the conference room before I walked back to my office.
“How’d it go?” Dad appeared in front of my door.
“Good. I think the prototype will be a success.”
Sean walked out of his office and said something to his secretary. Then he walked back inside.
“I didn’t know Sean was back at work,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s about time,” Dad said. “He’s been bored out of his mind at home and Scarlet keeps waiting on him hand and foot.”
“Sounds pretty nice to me.” I chuckled as I entered my office. I sat behind my desk and set the folders on the surface. Lexie took care of the house and cooked dinner for me every night, so I pretty much had the same gig.
“Any news about the wedding? You haven’t talk about it much.” Dad linked his fingers together behind his head.
“Lexie and I have discussed it but we don’t have a date or anything. Wanted to wait for things to settle down.”
“With Sean?” he asked. “He’s fine, Conrad. Honestly, he just wants to get back to a normal life. Every time people asks how he’s doing, it ruffles his feathers.”
“Good to know. And yeah, we don’t want to be insensitive.”
“Not at all. We could use some joy in our lives.”
I think Ryan was enough joy at the moment.
“So, you want to do it at The Plaza? At our place? Or did you have something else in mind?”
Maybe Lexie was right. Maybe my parents would be ticked if we didn’t have a grand Preston wedding. “Honestly, we’re thinking of a destination wedding in Hawaii. Just friends and family. Something on the beach and a private dinner afterward. Lexie and I both don’t want an extravagant wedding like Trinity.”
“Really?” Dad asked in surprise. “Well, if that’s what you want. It should be fun. Hawaii is beautiful.”
That was it? He wasn’t going to argue with me about it? “You’re really cool with this?”
He smiled. “Con, it’s your day. Do whatever the hell you want.”
“What about Mom?”
“She won’t care either. She just wants you to be happy. And you know what? Planning a wedding is a headache anyway. Do you have any idea how much Trinity’s cost?”
I didn’t want to know.
“It’s a glorified vacation. I’m sure everyone will come.”
“Well…if everyone is cool with it that’s great.”
“So, when are you thinking?”
“I don’t know. In a few weeks?” Was that too soon? Lexie and I were already living together and it felt like we were married. It didn’t make sense to wait around.
“Just pick a day so everyone can prepare. I know Janice will probably need to take the time off work. Everyone else should be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“Great. This is exciting.” He was so laid back I could hardly believe it. “So…have you thought about the pre-nup situation?”
I should have known this would come up again. “Dad, I’m not asking her to sign it.”
“I just—”
“I’m. Not. Asking. Her.” It would be slap in the face to our commitment. I knew we would last forever and signing that piece of paper was stupid. It was insulting, to say the least. “Did you ask Mom to sign it?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “No.”
“Then why should I ask Lexie?”
“Because it’s smart. That’s all. It’s a big company, and she would have the power to tear it down. Forget how it would affect the family. Imagine how it would affect the thousands of people who depend on PIXEL to pay their mortgages? Look at the big picture.”
“I’m not asking. Tha
t’s final.” I wasn’t being stubborn. I just refused to start my marriage by asking such a despicable thing.
Dad finally backed off. “It’s your decision. Just remember, I’m only looking after you.”
“And I get that. But I respectfully disagree.”
“And that’s fine.” He rose from the chair. “I should get back to work. See you at lunch.”
“Alright.” I couldn’t ignore the tension in the air. Dad let it go but I could tell he wasn’t happy with my response.
But that was too bad.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lexie
I stared at myself in the bedroom mirror and admired the pristine white gown that hugged my hips perfectly and showed off my toned and rounded shoulders. My petite waistline appeared slimmer than it truly was, and the detailed and subtle pattern in the fabric made it look sleek and elegant.
It was the perfect wedding dress.
The front door opened and closed. “Baby, I’m home.”
Apollo barked when Conrad walked inside.
“Shit.” I lost track of time because I was too busy gawking at myself. “Hold on, don’t come in.”
“Why? You got a boy toy in there?” he teased.
“Uh, not quite.”
“Well, he better be handsome.”
“Very.”
His voice trailed away through the door. “Okay…this isn’t funny anymore.”
“I’m wearing my wedding dress. Give me a second to take it off.” I undid the buttons in the back and slowly slithered out of it.
“What are you wearing that for?”
“It’s a girl thing.” He wouldn’t understand. I got it off then returned it to the rack. Once it’s was zipped up and hidden out of sight, I opened the door.
Conrad looked me up and down in my white thong and strapless bra. “Wow. This is the nicest wedding dress I’ve ever seen.”
I rolled my eyes and slapped his shoulder. “Shut up.”
“No, it really is.” He squeezed my hips and gave me a kiss. “Sexiest bride I’ve ever seen.” He stripped off his jacket and undid this tie.
“You would say that if I wore a burlap sack.”
“You’re right. I would.” He kissed my cheek then rubbed his nose against mine. “How was your day?”