Adrianna nodded, thankful for the company, even if Angela had other motives for being here. She’d gotten into a fight with her man and needed a place to get away before she decided to cut off his nether regions. All of that had worked out beautifully for Adrianna, and though she was still nervous, she was much less anxious than she likely would have been if she’d gotten ready alone.
At the restaurant, she climbed out of the cab and strode with as much confidence as she could muster toward the front door. Inside the posh lounge where a number of well-dressed couples milled around having drinks and waiting for a table, she looked around for John. She caught sight of him as he started toward her, a grin so broad that it brought out dimples spreading over his face. She had to force her mouth closed, her jaw dropping as she was reminded by the way his Canali suit hugged him perfectly why she’d first given into her desire for him.
John wrapped his arms around her and kissed her so passionately that she blushed. She wasn’t used to this sort of thing in such a public place, but at the same time, it filled her with vibrant emotion. She laughed with glee and touched his cheek. “And hello to you, too. How was the trip?”
He grunted. “The Florida region is in trouble, and we’re going to need a new regional manager down there. But I’m not here to talk about business.” He kissed her again, and with a hand on the small of her back, guided her toward the hostess, confirming the reservations, and they followed her back to a quiet little table in the corner with a view out the window of the busy New York streets.
Sitting across from him, Adrianna wanted to stare out the glass at the strangers passing by, the cars throwing water up from the damp streets, finding the situation intimidating. But as she locked gazes with John, his eyes sparkled with such delight, as if just seeing her face made him the happiest man in the world, that she had to catch her breath. He was such an intense, feeling man, even though his exterior presented as strong and impenetrable. He really was a great man.
The waiter came over and poured two glasses of champagne, and Adrianna cringed internally. She couldn’t drink that, but she didn’t want to look suspicious, at least until she was ready to speak her peace. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a lot of options as John reached for his champagne flute and held it up with the intention of toasting. “Here’s to a future with lucrative job options and the opportunity for an amazing relationship.”
With trembling fingers, she grabbed her glass and touched it to his but didn’t sip as he did. He frowned at her, tilting his head in a question, and she inhaled deeply. “John, we should talk.”
His face grew sour. “Did I say something wrong? You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”
She closed her eyes, upset with herself for misguiding him unintentionally. “No, it’s not that.” She looked away, finding her strength in the view outside. She was a strong, intelligent woman, and she would survive whatever circumstances came her way. She was a New Yorker, and her breed never showed fear. Turning back to John and meeting him dead in the eye, she said, “I can’t drink the champagne, that’s all.” When he looked confused, she gathered herself and told him, “I’m pregnant.”
The mask of shock was almost comical, and John froze for what seemed like forever but was actually probably only a few seconds. “Are you serious?”
She nodded, swallowing hard against her fright. He didn’t seem to be taking the news as well as she would have hoped. “Yes, I’m serious. I wouldn’t joke about something like that, especially with the impact it can have on my career.”
He remained silent for a bit, and she could see the wheels turning in his head as he processed the news. Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he was smiling broadly. “I’m going to be a father. Addy, we’re going to have a baby. That’s great news!”
The initial relief sent a surge of oxygen through her, and all the muscles that had grown tense relaxed at his acceptance and excitement. Of course, the discussion wasn’t over, but John obviously wasn’t going to walk away. “Does that really make you happy?”
He nodded vigorously. “Of course it does. I told you, Addy, I love you, and I want to make a life with you. I want to have a family and be together. You’re the one who has commitment issues.” He grimaced as she flinched. “I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was, if either of us was having second thoughts about this, it would be you. So, how do you feel about it?”
That question was so hard for her to answer. “In a way, I’m excited. But I’m scared to death, and I don’t know what I’m going to do about my career. I don’t want to give it up, but I don’t want some nanny raising my child, either.”
He nodded. “Well, we have several months to figure out how that will look for you. Right now, we have more immediate issues, like how you want to proceed with us.” She held her breath, afraid of what was to come, but he kept it light. “You know how I feel. I want to get married, move in together. I know we travel a lot, and there’s no reason to be separated when we are both in town. But I’d like to hear what you think the next step is.”
Adrianna waited as the waiter returned with an appetizer, not sure what she wanted. As he walked away, she told John, “I wish it was easy, cut and dry. I believe you love me, and I would love to build something from that, but I’m hesitant because of my trust issues. And things are so crazy right now, John. I mean, I don’t want to make a rash decision just because I think it’s the easiest thing to do. I want to do what’s right for both of us and for this child.”
She stopped to eat a few bites, her stomach screaming for sustenance, then continued, “I still want to take things slowly. I’m not ready to walk down the aisle, and I’m already seeing signs of rumors flying about us, so I don’t want to feed into that, either. I do think it would make sense for us to live together, I suppose, because we do travel a lot, and it wouldn’t be that much different from how things are now, other than we would get to know each other on a more personal level. It might even help me learn to trust and not fear love.”
She realized she sounded like she was reasoning things out with a therapist, and she hoped she made sense. She looked to John for affirmation, and he nodded as if he understood. “Would you be more comfortable with me coming into your space or moving into mine with me?”
She considered that. “I just renewed my lease, and I like the familiarity of the place. Plus, it’s prime real estate. The adjustment might be easier for me if you moved in.”
“Very well. If you’re sure about that, we can start that process, slowly, over the next month while we’re adjusting to our new jobs.” He was decisive, and Adrianna was actually glad to have addressed one problem.
As he opened his mouth with the obvious intent to ask another question, she held up a hand to stop him. “I think we’ve covered a lot of ground tonight, and I feel better. Maybe we could let it go for now at that and just enjoy each other’s company.”
His smile was boyish. “That’s fair.” He reached out and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “I love you, Addy, and I’ve missed you terribly. I hope you know it’s going to be really hard to leave you knowing you’re pregnant. I’m going to worry about you, especially since you have to travel, too.”
She brushed it off. “I’ll be fine. I’ve had some pretty bad morning sickness this week, but it’s tapering off. I have the feeling it could be a very easy pregnancy.”
“Have you set up a doctor’s appointment?”
She nodded. “I’ll see my OBGYN when I get back from this little trip to Virginia Beach. You’re welcome to join me, if you’re in town.” He lit up at the suggestion, and Addy knew it was going to be an amazing night.
CHAPTER 20
The next few days were like going to Disneyland, as far as Adrianna was concerned. She went shopping with John, ate horribly with lots of sugar in her diet, and the sex was better than any amusement ride she’d ever been on. And she had to admit, it was incredible to have someone go with her to the airport and s
ee her off, even knowing she’d come home to the solitude she’d lived in for so long.
On the plane, she dozed, and she went to bed early on her arrival at the hotel, deciding she’d address everything in the morning. It didn’t matter, really, since Andrew Gomez, the hotel manager, wouldn’t be in until the morning. She tossed and turned through the night, unable to get comfortable, and as she dressed and put cream under her eyes to help reduce the swelling in the morning, she called John, suddenly needing to hear his voice.
Felling reassured, she took the elevator down and went to the front desk, asking for Andrew, and stood waiting until a handsome Latino man in a nice but not name brand suit approached her. “I’m Andrew Gomez. I assume you’re Adrianna Meredith, my new boss. I must say, you’re quite the visual improvement over my old boss.” He winked and gave her a once-over that made Adrianna incredibly uncomfortable.
Clearing her throat and offering a tentative smile, she said, “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you. Why don’t we start with a look at the financial statements for the last quarter?”
He motioned behind him. “By all means, please step into my office.” He ushered her toward the open door behind the front desk, closing it behind him and leading her through the common employee area to his office. He closed that door as well, and Adrianna’s discomfort grew. The man gave her a strange feeling, but she also had a job to do. She eyed the tall, thin man carefully as he moved behind his desk, and when he was seated, she took the chair across from him, crossing her legs and keeping her back straight.
“Our profits have soared since we started our national ad campaign with the new agency. We’ve copied the ideas in local media, as well, taking advantage to create a ‘local getaway’ for anyone who just wants to be pampered. We’ve had more guests in the last six weeks than we did in the entire first quarter this year.” He talked while he shuffled through papers, apparently searching for the reports, and Adrianna considered him. He was a good looking guy, with dark eyes rimmed with darker lashes and perfectly combed black hair. But she had no interest in him and still felt something off about him.
“I saw that. I also saw that staff has been significantly reduced. What happened there?”
He made a face at her. “There was suspicion of theft in one case, and three other employees on the janitorial staff were just standing around, doing nothing most days. Since they didn’t do anything to earn their pay, and the rest of the staff proved more than capable of keeping the hotel in order, they were promptly dismissed.”
Adrianna nodded and raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t explain the skeleton crew you have covering the front desk.”
He took a deep breath and leaned forward. “We’re having a hard time finding reasonable candidates who have staying power. Look, my hotel is performing at the top of the region. We’re number two right now, and I intend to keep it that way.”
She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I appreciate your efforts, Andrew, but we have standards, and reducing staff to turn a greater profit doesn’t fit our profile. These are luxury hotels, and we should always have enough competent staff to assure that ever guest’s needs and desires are met. Currently, I find your organization lacking that.”
He seemed irritated, but he remained calm. “Are you telling me I have to find replacements right now?”
She shrugged. “I’d like to think you could find capable individuals to fill the open positions.” She wanted to remain professional, and she could tell this guy had a short fuse.
Suddenly, he smiled and seemed to flip a switch that turned on the charm. “I’m sorry, boss. I didn’t mean to get upset. I’ve been under a lot of stress. And you’re right, I should beef my staff back up. I’ve done a couple of inspections on rooms lately and found the cleaning job wasn’t completed.” His expression changed, and a chill went up her spine that had nothing to do with attraction and everything to do with anxiety. “Maybe you’d let me take you out to dinner to show you that I can be a perfect gentleman.”
Adrianna blinked. She couldn’t believe he’d had the gall to ask her out. “Mr. Gomez, I appreciate the offer, but this is a strictly professional visit, and I would like to stay on the subject at hand. Could I see those financial reports?”
He handed them over to her, brushing his hand against hers, and it took all her will power not to jerk away. This was not going the way she wanted at all, and she had half a mind to report him for sexual harassment. But to do that, she would have to go through John. She didn’t want to look incompetent, as if she’d screwed up her first solo visit, and she certainly didn’t need the man she was dating to get angry or jealous and rain his own form of justice on Andrew Gomez. John didn’t strike her as a violent person, but she did see him as the protective type who would fire this man in a heartbeat should he hurt Adrianna.
Looking through the financial reports, she decided to hold off, knowing that she had enough issues with this hotel and its management that, should Andrew cause her any more discomfort, she could relieve him of his duties for other legitimate purposes.
As she looked through the papers, she searched for inconsistencies, now concerned that the books wouldn’t be straight, but everything looked clean. Relieved at that, she looked back up at Andrew, who watched her like a lion stalking a gazelle. It made her stomach turn, and she forced a smile. “Everything looks good here.” She needed to inspect a couple of the rooms, but she didn’t want to put herself in a situation where she was alone with this man to that degree. Instead, she told him, “I’m going to make some rounds and talk to some of the employees, get a feel for the place. I’ll get back with you later.”
She stood, and he came around the desk, pushing the door open in a way that she had to scoot past him. She was careful not to brush against him but his arm slid over the side of her breast, and she hurried away, not wanting to think about the look he might be giving her as she walked away from him.
The rest of the day was hectic; there were several procedural problems, and Adrianna started to feel nauseous halfway through the day. Her body also ached, and when she sat down for dinner that evening in the hotel restaurant, she was lonely, wanting nothing more than to be in her own kitchen at home with takeout and John in front of her. It was strange how quickly she’d become comfortable with that picture, and how soon that would be a regular situation.
She ate slowly, trying to calm her stomach, and her eyes grew heavy until, halfway through the meal, she couldn’t hold her head up anymore and headed up to her room to sleep.
CHAPTER 21
Adrianna had never been happier to fly into LaGuardia and hail a taxi in her life. The remainder of her visit to Virginia Beach had been just as hectic, and dealing with Andrew Gomez made her feel dirty. He didn’t even try to hide the salacious looks he cast her way, and there were sexual overtones in everything he said or did.
She called John, got his voicemail, and left a message. “I’m back in New York, on my way home. I just wanted to let you know that I was okay, just really tired, and that there are lots of issues in Virginia Beach that I’ll have to deal with. Take care, and give me a call when you can. I’m going to take a shower and read a book.” She didn’t know what else to say, so she just hung up.
The cabbie helped her get her luggage to the elevator, and Adrianna tipped him well for the courtesy. In her apartment, she kicked off her shoes and threw her clothes as she headed to the bathroom, sighing as she stepped under the hot spray.
She didn’t bother to get dressed, pulling on an old gown even though it was only early evening. She didn’t expect any company, and she just wanted to lay back and get away from reality. She picked up a JD Robb novel from the shelf, figuring that a female cop fifty years in the future was about as far away from reality as it got, and she buried her nose in it until John called.
“You sound absolutely exhausted,” he told her, concern dripping from his voice.
She yawned. “I am, but only because you failed to tell me that Andrew Gom
ez was cutting corners to gain profit. Don’t worry, I already came down on him and told him that, if it wasn’t corrected within 90 days, he’d get a write up.”
“That son of a bitch. I let it slide last time I was there because he said he was interviewing for all the open positions.” She could hear the anger in his voice, and while she didn’t want to make it worse, she figured she might as well pull out all her ammo.
“Well, he didn’t. In fact, he replaced some of the high end hygiene products with cheaper versions, and I have now delegated that task to Ben Dillard, the assistant manager. He’s skating on thin ice, John. I won’t have him make me look bad.” Or look at me in a bad way, she added silently.
“If he gives you any more trouble, bring it to me. That’s why I’m here.” He inhaled deeply and breathed out a long sigh into the phone. “Enough about the job. We’ll talk about that when I round back to our region. Are you reading?”
She smiled. “I was until you called. But yes, I’m in a nightgown, lounging on the couch with some music playing quietly in the background. When we hang up, I’ll probably get through another twenty pages or so and fall asleep.”
“I wish I could do the same. Unfortunately, I have the dinner with the south Florida region hotel managers tonight, and it’s probably going to be a late night for me. But I’ll be thinking about you and wishing you sweet dreams.” He sounded so far away and a little sad all of a sudden.
The Boss's Baby (Interracial with Baby) (BWWM) Page 9