by Layla Hagen
It sums up my view about life, which is probably why Max and I became friends in the first place.
I leave the gym shortly after, heading straight to Bennett Enterprises. With Max’s warning in mind, and Pippa’s earlier hesitation, I walk inside her office determined to simply pick up my daughter and head back out. Then I see Pippa and Julie dancing in the center of the room, and my determination flies out the window. Julie loves dancing, but because of her leg problem, she’s shy when other people are present, and the office is full.
“What’s going on?” I ask when I reach them.
“We’re celebrating,” Pippa answers, not stopping the dance moves to whatever imaginary music she’s dancing to.
“Ms. Watson wrote that she saw a great improvement in my design.” My daughter’s grin is contagious. Ms. Watson is the program director of the design course she’ll be attending starting next week, and Julie has to send in designs periodically. “I’m going to get my things now so we can leave.”
Pippa stops swinging her hips after Julie turns her attention to packing.
“This is a miracle,” I whisper to her. “My daughter never dances in front of strangers.”
“Have you ever danced with her?”
“No,” I admit.
“See, that’s the secret. If you make a fool of yourself, she won’t feel like the spotlight’s on her.”
I have to admit it makes sense.
“How come none of your employees seemed surprised by the dance?” I inquire.
Pippa blushes, and then it hits me why.
“You dance in the office on a regular basis?”
“No, only when there’s something to celebrate.” She shrugs. “They got used to it.”
“You have the most unusual leadership style I’ve ever seen.”
Pippa cocks an eyebrow, folding her arms over her chest. “And I suppose you’re the ogre type who doesn’t feel in charge unless everyone’s afraid of you?”
“Hey.” I hold up my palms in mock defense. “We can’t all dance our way to the top.”
Her expression is full of playfulness and warmth, and I find this refreshing, even though I’m not going to dance in front of my team anytime soon. Or ever.
“You should try being nice to your team. You’d be surprised how far that can get you,” she says.
I should step back and leave with my daughter, but instead, I lean forward and tell Pippa in a low voice, “You look sexy dancing.”
I watch with satisfaction as she inhales sharply, and her eyes darken. She turns around, walking to her desk with purposeful strides, giving me a perfect view of her round, perky ass. Damn her pencil skirt for showing off her curves. It weakens my determination to keep my distance.
I’ll try again tomorrow.
***
Pippa
Eric and I make it through Friday without spending time with each other, and as the second week starts, I’m optimistic it’ll go by the same way.
Then, of course, my family decides to intervene. At noon on Wednesday, the entire creative team heads out for the weekly lunch we have at the nearby French restaurant. I don’t join them because I promised Julie we’d stay in and get a head start on the drawings for the day. She’s not here yet, but Eric usually drops her off during the lunch break. I’m debating if I should order Chinese or tacos for Julie and me when Alice steps in my empty office, holding two bags of food. At first, I think she decided to have an impromptu lunch with me, but something about her smile tells me she’s plotting against me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her.
“Why, hello to you too. I’ve brought lunch for you and Eric,” she announces, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“You—”
I swallow my words as the elevator opens again and Eric and Julie walk in, chatting animatedly about some movie they went to yesterday.
“Hi, Alice.” Eric doesn’t appear surprised in the slightest about her presence.
“I brought roast duck, as promised,” she tells him. Turning to Julie, Alice asks, “Are you ready to go?”
Julie nods.
“What is going on?” I ask, bewildered.
“Julie and I are meeting Nadine at the aquarium, the one that opened five blocks away. They have a special program today, and I figured Julie would love to see it.”
“You don’t mind, Pippa, do you?” Julie asks. “We’ll be back in an hour.”
“I don’t mind,” I reply.
One glance at Eric tells me he knows about all of this. My mind is racing. What is going on? I recognize this for the setup it is. I’ve staged ‘accidental lunches’ before, but being on the receiving end is different. Evidently, in the face of my stubbornness, Alice and Nadine have decided to take matters into their own hands. I should have known karma would do a number on me eventually. What goes around comes around. And looking at Eric, I have to admit, karma could do a lot worse.
As my sister and Julie leave, Eric heads toward me, carefully placing the food Alice brought on my desk.
As if anticipating my question, he says in an amused voice, “Your sister called me last night, asking if she could take Julie to the aquarium today. It was such an obvious attempt to get the two of us alone that I barely made it through the conversation without bursting into laughter.”
“So, why did you agree?” I’m genuinely intrigued.
“She bribed me with roast duck. I couldn’t say no,” he says with humor.
“Perfectly legitimate reason. That duck is to die for.”
“And Julie was listening to our conversation. She started jumping up and down when Alice mentioned the aquarium. I was going to say no, mostly because I’ve only met your sister and Nadine once before, but I lost the battle.”
I help him unpack the food and gesture for him to sit in the chair on the opposite side of my desk.
As we both sit, he says, “You look gorgeous today, Pippa. You’ll forgive me if I slide one or two inappropriate looks your way during lunch. Completely unintentional, of course.” He says this with a straight face, and my cheeks and ears heat up. He’s in the mood for flirting openly today, and for some reason, I’m looking forward to whatever lunch might bring. This will be fun.
“You’re welcome to try,” I say. “But I warn you, the result might be more than you can handle.”
God, he’s beautiful. I allow my gaze to roam freely over his luscious lips and broad shoulders. My senses go into overdrive as I imagine the well-built muscles underneath his shirt, every ridge and every line. That’s when I realize he’s watching me while I’m watching him. He raises a brow, letting out a whistle.
“You’re undressing me with your eyes, and we’re not even halfway through lunch.” His voice reverberates in a lower octave than before. It sounds unbelievably sexy.
“It’s the testosterone you’re oozing. It clouds my mind, does unspeakable things to my senses.” The second the words are out of my mouth, I nearly choke on them. Did I really say that out loud? I’m on a slippery slope. I can feel it in my bones… and other places.
His hand freezes in the motion of cutting a slice of the duck.
A girl must always land on her feet. If I pass this as a voluntary comment, it’ll be less embarrassing.
“You’re not the only one who can use honesty as a weapon,” I inform him.
“Clearly.”
“Why did you say you’re damaged goods at the wedding?”
“Losing someone you love leaves a mark.” Judging by his clipped tone, he doesn’t want me to insist on this topic. I will drop it, but I want to make a point before.
“That doesn’t make you damaged goods. I wouldn’t call you that.”
“What would you call me?”
“Alice nailed it,” I answer, deciding to lighten the mood. “I can’t think of a better description than tall, dark, and handsome.”
“I see. Are you flirting? ‘Cause last week, you admonished me for giving you hot looks.”
“I think I am, although I haven’t flirted in a long time, so I can’t be sure. Can I test this out some more on you? Maybe I can get my game back.”
“You want to exercise your flirting muscles on me and plan to actually flirt with another man?” Eric sets his jaw, his gaze igniting me. “‘Cause then we’re having a problem.”
“Did you just go alpha on me?” I ask, fascinated.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah.” I giggle, completely embarrassed. We focus on our food for the next few minutes, wolfing it down in no time, which leaves us with another forty minutes to kill until Julie and Alice return. My dirty mind supplies me with a wealth of options that would keep us busy. Kissing, ripping clothes off… Goddammit. What has gotten into me? I’ve never had such sexual thoughts about a man I wasn’t dating. It’s Eric’s fault entirely. Why does he have to be so tall, dark, and handsome?
I rack my brain for a safe topic.
“I’ve bought something for Julie,” I say, rummaging in my bag. “Before you start protesting, I bought it from the kids’ section at the store. It’s a tinted cranberry lip balm, packaged to look like a lipstick.”
“She was very specific about wanting a lipstick,” Eric says skeptically. He eyes the object in my hand with utmost distrust. I recognize that expression; I’ve seen it in Julie before.
“It’s all about how you sell it to her,” I explain.
“What do you mean?”
“You can tell her that it was in the section for adult women, and that even her favorite actress wears it.”
He frowns as if weighing the merits of my suggestion. “Why don’t you give it to her?”
“Trying to buy your way out?” I tease.
“No, but she’d believe you more, since she looks up to you. Also, she threw in my face that I don’t understand her because I’m not a woman.”
“Ah, I see. How about her nanny?”
“Julie doesn’t go to her for advice. Apparently, she’s too old. The woman is forty-five!”
“Yeah, but to a twelve-year-old, forty-five is ancient. When I was her age, I considered everyone above twenty to be from the age of the dinosaurs.”
“You’re amazing. How come you speak teenager language?”
“I saw some of my siblings grow up, and my inner twelve-year-old is still a big part of me. I take it Julie isn’t that close to your mother either?”
Eric runs a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair. “Mom adores Julie, but her idea of spending time with her granddaughter is teaching her manners, or drinking afternoon tea together. Not exactly a hit with a twelve-year-old.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to her,” I assure him. A shadow crosses his face, and I don’t like it one bit. “What are you worried about?”
“I keep wondering if bringing her here was a good idea. She has no friends her age in San Francisco.”
“Yes, but she’ll meet some next week when her course starts.”
He nods, but it’s obvious he’s still not convinced.
“Why didn’t you leave her in Boston?”
“She would’ve had to stay with Mom, and she didn’t want that. I have to be honest. I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from Julie for almost three months. I’m an egoist when it comes to my daughter. I planned the trip here so it would coincide with her school vacation.”
“Your idea of egoism sounds like love to me.” I like this man more with every word he utters, and this is dangerous for too many reasons. Eric’s eyes light up, and he looks young and almost carefree, like he did when we danced at the wedding.
“She stole my heart from the moment she was born. I was twenty-one, so I had other things on my mind, but I did a 180-degree change the moment I held her in my arms. Every time I have to make a decision in my personal life—and even in my professional life—I first think about how it will affect her.”
It is precisely at this moment that I realize it’s not only Eric’s good looks that cause me to think about him so often. His ability to be completely selfless as well as downright adorable with his daughter beckons to me.
“That’s very commendable of you.” My heart sighs, a multitude of emotions overwhelming me.
“Which brings me to my self-imposed ban on not giving hot looks, which doesn’t work when I’m around you.”
“How shameful of me to tempt you like this,” I reply playfully. “So, you’re basically a monk?”
He smirks. “My plan is for Julie to believe that until she’s eighteen.”
It doesn’t escape my attention that he hasn’t given me a straight answer, which can only mean one thing. He’s not a monk.
“Good luck with that,” I murmur.
“I don’t want her to ever think she’s not the most important person to me.”
“Eric, you don’t owe me any explanations. For what it’s worth, though, it’s a great explanation.”
He studies me for a beat but doesn’t say anything else. The air between us grows thick with tension again. I hold his gaze until it becomes too much, and then I break the eye contact. Luckily, Julie, Alice, and Nadine arrive.
“Dad, Alice and Nadine had an awesome idea. I told them I love the Harry Potter series, and that we’re rewatching it on Saturday, and guess what?”
“What?” Eric asks. My stomach clenches. I have the nagging suspicion I know where this is going.
“They told me Pippa loves it too. We should invite her to watch it with us.”
Eric and I turn to my sister and Nadine in unison.
“Please, Daddy,” Julie insists.
Uh-oh. She’s making those puppy eyes Eric can’t resist. He’ll agree to it before he utters one word.
“Pippa, if you don’t have any plans this weekend, would you like to join us on Saturday afternoon?” Eric asks.
“Sure,” I reply out loud, my heart stuttering in my chest. Bad, bad idea. I can barely resist Eric in an open space like my office or a party with hundreds of people. Being in his home feels too intimate, especially for two people who can’t keep their eyes off each other. What will happen with the lights out? The mere thought makes me shiver.
As Julie and Eric negotiate whether to do a marathon of all the movies or select a few, I push Alice and Nadine to the side.
“Girls, I know what you’re doing,” I murmur. “Stop.”
“Yeah, we thought you’d say that,” Alice replies.
“I’m not just saying it. I mean it.” I use my bigger sister tone, but unfortunately, it stopped being effective a million years ago.
As calmly as possible, I say, “Neither of us is—”
“You two need a push,” Nadine interrupts. “How was lunch?” She smiles suggestively. Ah, damn. Nadine and my brother Logan were the ones I staged the accidental lunch for about six months ago.
“Full disclosure,” Alice says, “I didn’t insinuate to Julie to invite you just to set you and Eric up. You need a distraction this weekend. You already turned down our offer for a girls’ night out.”
All my annoyance with my sister dissipates. Always looking out for me, even though the last thing I want in the world is to worry her.
“I’m fine,” I say a little too cheerfully. This Friday would have marked my fifth wedding anniversary. “I’ll be fine.”
“If you say so. Anyway, if you two don’t want anything to do with each other, how hard will watching a few movies be?”
Almost involuntarily, I glance over my shoulder and find Eric sizing me up. As his eyes find mine, I have my answer.
Very, very hard.
Chapter Four
Pippa
“These are wonderful,” I say, admiring the shoes I’m trying on. I’m in my favorite shoe shop in downtown San Francisco. The red pumps look ridiculously good on me.
“I set them aside especially for you,” the clerk says, winking at me.
“Oh, you’re a bad influence,” I tell her. I walk around in the store, admiring the shoes in the mirror.
I don’t know why I love shoes as much as I do, but I’m sure it can be classified as an addiction.
“I can bring you more to try on,” she offers.
“No, no, or I’ll end up buying all of them.”
“So, you’re taking these?”
“You need to ask?” Toeing them off, I bend to take the shoes, then hand them to her. “Pack them up. On second thought, don’t. Pack my old ones. I’ll walk away in these.”
“Got it. Nothing like a new pair of shoes to brighten the day, right?”
“Amen to that.”
When I walk out of the store, I’m smiling ear to ear, which is what I needed today. I have fielded invitations from my family for the past two days. They all tried to convince me to join them for dinner on Friday evening, but I declined every time, assuring them I’ll be fine on my own. But today is Friday, and I’m not so sure I’m fine.
I remain in my office long after Julie and the team leave, drawing like a madwoman. It’s dark outside when I finally lift my head from my sketch. I put down my pencil, flexing my wrist. A glance at the clock tells me it’s ten. Sighing, I lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. I’m not ready to go home, not yet. Today of all days, I don’t want to be alone in my apartment. Maybe I should have taken my parents up on their offer to sleep at their house tonight, but they’d worry about me again.
Rubbing my temples, I flex my stiff neck to the right and the left. Thank God, this isn’t my fifth wedding anniversary.
On our first anniversary, Terence forgot to show up at the restaurant we had reservations at and bought me flowers the next day to apologize. On our second anniversary, he forgot about the reservation and didn’t even apologize for it. On our third one, I didn’t make any plans, and he didn’t bother to pretend he cared about the damn anniversary anyway. On our fourth one, we were in the process of getting divorced.
Today, on what would have been our fifth anniversary, I received a call from my lawyer. He informed me that Terence got himself a new lawyer and wants to appeal the court decision, which was in favor of not giving Terence a single penny, as was stated in the prenup. But apparently, this new lawyer found a loophole in the prenup, and Terence wants to fight again. Well, good. Let him fight. I will do the same. That bastard won’t get one cent.