Extra Extra (Working Girl Series Book 1)

by CY Jones

  When I exit the ladies room, Nathaniel is casually leaning against the wall, waiting on me. Without asking, he grabs my arm and pulls me to a secluded corner, out of the way of prying eyes.

  “What the hell, Nathaniel?” I cry, trying to pull my arm free but the bastard is strong.

  “Calm down, gorgeous. I just want to talk.”

  “Talk about what? What could you possibly want to say to me that you couldn’t say in front of your wife?” I whisper yell.

  “Andrew is right. You are a little firecracker, aren’t you? It’s always the short ones.”

  Does this asshole actually think that’s a compliment? “Well, you know what they say about short people? We are closer to Hell,” I fill in for him to avoid confusion. “Now, what do you want? I don’t appreciate being manhandled.”

  “Cutting straight to the chase. I do like a direct woman.” He leans forward, his breath tickling the stray hair near my ear. This close, I can smell his expensive cologne and the spicy scent of his aftershave. His eyes, which I first thought were black, are actually a dark brown and intense as fuck up close, and they watch me like a hawk and I’m the mouse it’s about to sink its claws in.

  “Well, you have me cornered outside the restrooms. I like to know what the hell you want so I can go back to my seat.”

  “You know, Brooklyn, you’re a very beautiful woman. A little more unrefined than I’m used to, but still appealing. Here’s the deal. Andrew has done nothing but brag about you. He’s point-on about your beauty, but I’m curious if you’re as good in bed as he claims. God knows you got the body of a porn star.” His eyes drift to my lips and lasers in on them. My stomach clenches and I just know I’m not going to like what he says next. In fact, I might just get arrested tonight if the start of this conversation tells me anything. “I’ll give you ten thousand right now to go back into the restroom with me and suck me off. Andrew was rather descriptive about how talented you are with your mouth.”

  All I can see is red. This mother fucker. No, he didn’t. I’m going to kill him and the fucking Turd. Who the hell does he think he is? “Do you think your family name gives you the right to talk to people anyway you want? If your wife isn’t fulfilling your needs, then you can always buy a whore off the nearest street corner, and if they aren’t up to your standards, I’m sure there's a service out there for a high end hooker that can fulfill your expectations. I may not be rich, but I damn sure not a whore.” With my shoulder, I push him out the way and he grabs my arm again, this time pushing me harder into the wall. With a hollow thud that takes my breath away, my back hits the hard foundation and I cry out more surprised than anything.

  “Everyone has a price, Brooklyn, even your fiancé. Why do you think he hasn’t come searching for you yet? Do you actually think he doesn’t know what I’m doing?”

  “I’m sure he does, but you’re wrong. I’m not him or anyone else you've ran across. I don’t care about your family’s name or how much money you offer. I don’t have a price. You can go fuck yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” I tell him, trying to push him away but he won’t budge. Instead, he moves closer. With our bodies so close barely touching I can feel the hard bulge in his pants. This fucker is actually aroused, making me fear he will not take no for an answer. Smirking, he leans toward my ear and whispers, “You can drop the innocent act. I’ve seen the video.”

  My heartbeat races while my head pounds with ominous thumps. Words cannot describe how much I want to march back to the table and slit The Turd’s throat with the steak knife. That rat bastard actually showed someone the video. Who the hell else has he shown and why? What’s the purpose unless he wants people to think his fiancé is a slut? Succeeding in distracting me, Nathaniel hand moves to palm my tits, and I quickly regret wearing this dress tonight. Slapping his hand away, I give him a hard stare. “Don’t touch me,” I spit out, angrily.

  “I swear if he doesn’t move, I’m going to give him a ghetto ass whooping in this fancy ass restaurant,” Nancy growls in my head. I believe her. She’s mere seconds from losing her shit.

  “Fine,” he huffs like a petulant child. “I’ll transfer 50K to your account right now, if you leave with me, and we’ll get a room.”

  “Are you dense? Rode the short bus to elementary school or whatever fancy private school your parents put you in? I’m-not-for-sale,” I tell him slowly, annunciating each word. Narrowing his dark eyes, he grabs my chin in a painful grip, forcing me to look up into those dark menacing eyes. His fingers dig painfully into my skin and if he’s not careful, he’ll leave marks behind.

  “A hundred K,” he ups the ante, kissing my lips lightly.

  When he lets go of me, I growl. “The numbers can keep rising, but I’m not budging.”

  He pins me with his intense stare, gazing deep into my hazels. If he’s looking for indecision, he won’t find any. I’ve already told him I don’t care about his money. I know people who would jump at his offer, but I’m not one of them. I’m pissed, hostile, and beyond angry. And not just at him, but The Turd too. Nathaniel is right about one thing. All the time that has passed, The Turd should have gotten off his ass by now and made sure I didn’t fall into the toilet. Not to mention, Nathaniel has been gone as long as I have. I wonder, what did Nathaniel pay him to have the all clear to proposition me and did that asshole actually think I’d just go for it?

  To my surprise, Nathaniel smiles, but I’m not certain if I like it any more than him staring down at me in anger. “Your mind is spinning. I have to admit, Brooklyn, you surprise me. That doesn’t happen often. I find it intriguing.”

  “I’m sure you never heard the word no a day in your life. Me not willingly opening my legs for you is the only thing you’re intrigued by. Not me. I’ve already told you, I’m not sleeping with you, so you might as well let me go.”

  “I believe you believe that, but just know I always get what I want and I want you.” Kissing me softly on the cheek, he pulls back and walks back to the table.

  What the hell? There’s no way I’m going to sit through dinner and pretend that didn’t just happen. Holding all my personalities back because they are all furious and likely to jump ship and go on a killing spree, I stomp back to the table to grab my stuff. As far as I’m concerned, this dinner is over. When I get there, Nathaniel gives me an amused look while his wife aims a nasty glare at me, which I return. It’s not my fault her husband is a cheating shitbag.

  “Sit down, Brooklyn, your food is getting cold,” The Turd chastises me and I give him a scathing look. I wish I was like Supergirl and could laser beam his ass with my eyes.

  “You got to be insane if you think I’m dining with you. Don’t act like you don’t know what just went down, Drew.” I’m making a scene, but who cares. He started it by trying to pimp me out like I was his hoe.

  “I assure you I have no clue what you’re talking about,” The Turd lies.

  “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” I sing. “I hope your dick burns off, Drew. Seriously, I already told you I’ve reached my quota with your BS and you just had to be a little shit and go for the overdraft. I’m so fucking done with your ass. You have betrayed me for the last time.”

  “Brooklyn, stop being childish and sit down. You’re causing a scene,” he hiss.

  “Actually, I find her quite amusing. This is the most entertainment I’ve had in a while,” Nathaniel chuckles, which of course bristles me even further. I open my mouth to lay in on him. I might as well while I’m at it. I’m already on a roll. But then a familiar voice breaks through my angry haze, stopping me in my tracks and pulls on my heartstrings.

  “Brooklyn, is that you?”

  My heart stops. My body stills. I’m offline, slowly rebooting after an upload. No, he can’t be here. He can’t be here. He can’t... fucking... be here. Not in this restaurant, at this moment, bearing witness to my humiliation. All too slowly, I turn my head until finally my eyes clash on a pair of bright green orbs that have the power to end me. Fate is a cru
el bitch and she laughing in my fucking face.

  “Justin,” I whisper.

  “Who is this?” The Turd growls in a demanding tone, but we both ignore him. He doesn’t exist. I have tunnel vision. The only person I see right now is Justin.

  “Angel, what are you doing here?”

  “Me? What are you doing here? I thought you were back in LA.”

  “I was, but I had business here.” His tone and the weight of his stare informs me I’m that business. Breaking his gaze, I reluctantly turn to Chaz, who I’m just noticing is standing beside him. Like me, he is just as surprised at the turn of events as I am. Actually, I’m kind of hurt. Why didn’t he tell me Justin was here? A heads up would have been nice.

  “Brooklyn,” The Turd says louder, this time in a more demanding tone, forcing me to acknowledge him. “Who are these men?”

  Nathaniel saves me from answering when he says, “Cartwright Vanderbilt. I heard you were in town. How’s it going, man?”

  “Fine and you? I heard you got married. Is this your lovely wife?”

  “Yes, this is my beautiful wife, Victoria. Vicki, this is my good pal Cartwright. Our parents go way back.”

  “Actually, it’s Chaz. No one calls me Cartwright but my parents.” Ever the social butterfly, Chaz extends his hand to Victoria, but right now is not the time for social etiquette. This is a fucking disaster. Justin is still staring at me and I must be in shock because I still haven’t moved.

  “Who’s your friend and how does he know the lovely Brooklyn?” Nathaniel asks, ping-ponging his gaze between the two of us.

  “This is my good friend Justin Anderson. He’s a very successful real estate broker back in LA and an acquaintance of Brooklyn’s older brother.”

  “Small world. I take it you know Brooklyn as well then?”

  “I do. We’re BFF’s,” Chaz smiles.

  I don’t like the saccharine smile Nathaniel gives me. He’s a snake. An opportunist and a cheating bastard. Despite what I said to him earlier, he’s not slow. It doesn’t take a genius to piece together this fucked up jigsaw puzzle. He knows Justin is more to me than a friend of my brother. The way Justin can’t keep his eyes off me screams ‘something is definitely going on’. I need to move. Leave and take Justin with me so we can talk in private, but the hurt I see reflecting in his eyes renders me motionless. I don’t know why he’s here. I haven’t written to him in weeks after my last flaky message and here I am, out to dinner with a man that’s supposed to be my ex. This doesn’t look good for me. Chaz is right. I should have told him everything beforehand. This has got to be the worst way to find out my ex is still in the picture.

  “Aren’t we being rude? Chaz, this is Andrew Chatworth, Brooklyn’s fiancé, but I’m sure you already know that. Why don’t you two join us? I’m sure Brooklyn will enjoy catching up with the two of you.”

  Nathaniel doesn’t give them a chance to decline before waving a waiter down. Immediately, one runs over and goes off to collect two chairs. I should bolt, but like a deer caught in the headlights of a Mack Truck, I’m doomed. I feel like I’m going through the motions when I sit back down, keeping my head lowered. I’m surprised Chaz and Justin decide to stay. They even fall into small talk while I push my food around on my plate. I lost my appetite as soon as I was accosted outside the restrooms.

  The atmosphere is tense, one spark away from exploding. I’m still in shock, The Turd keeps glaring at Justin, while Justin is oblivious because he’s only focused on me. Chaz is concerned, but he’s doing a bang up job at being social, and Victoria, well she’s ignoring us all in favor of the bottle of wine she’s gulping down like it’s club soda. I want nothing more than to join her but it might be a good idea to stay sober.

  “I heard about your father. Have you visited your parents yet?” Nathaniel asks Chaz.

  “I have. That’s part of the reason why I’m here.”

  “And what’s the other part? Are you finally going to step up in the old man's shoes? I swear, you’re like a legend. Everyone thought you were light in the head when we heard you gave up your legacy and walked away from a billion dollar fortune. I knew it was only a matter of time before you come back.”

  “I didn’t come back for the money, Nate. I don’t need it. I have my trust and run a very successful business. I’m here to visit with my parents and see how the rest goes along the way.” I can tell Chaz is irritated, which I don’t blame him. Nathaniel acts like he knows him when he doesn’t know anything about him at all. Sure Chaz has a lot of money, but he doesn't act like an entitled brat, unlike him. They are two different people who act very differently. Chaz may be a Vanderbilt, but he’s not a tool.

  “Justin, since you’re friends with Brooklyn’s brother, I do hope to see you come to the wedding. Her brother is her only family, it’s very important to me that everyone she cares about is there.”

  Oh shit. Why the fuck couldn’t The Turd keep up glaring and not open his big mouth? This is so fucking wrong. Swallowing hard, Justin asks, “When is the wedding?”

  He knows he hit his mark. Adding insult to injury, The Turd grabs my hand, rubbing his finger over the huge diamond, front and center on my ring finger. I want to fall into a black hole. Flag down the nearest magician so he can make me disappear, but since my luck tonight is shitty as fuck, I’m stuck here, forced to endure this torture. Giving him a wide cheshire smile, he answers, “Christmas day.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll be in town then. In fact, I’ll be catching a flight out tonight. The business that brought me here doesn’t seem as promising anymore.” He stands abruptly and my heart sinks. “Sorry, Chaz, I need to get out of here. Allow me to pay for your guys' dinner,” he says, flagging the waiter down.

  When the waiter comes back with his card, he bids us all goodbye, not once looking at me and leaves. I don’t know how much time goes by before a choked sob leaves my throat and I bolt. I can hear Chaz calling my name, but I don’t stop until I’m on the street. My vision is blurry, and for the life of me, I don’t understand why. Coldness that has nothing to do with the weather seeps into my skin and I shiver uncontrollably. Is it possible to die from a broken heart? It was already fragile, glued together with pieces of Justin’s shredded heart that he came back to collect like a repo man when I didn’t have enough love to pay. Strong arms pull me into his hard chest and I cry harder than I have ever before breathing in Chaz’s familiar scent.

  I don’t know how long we stay out there like that until my tears finally slow and I whisper into Chaz’s chest, “I lost him, didn’t I?”

  “I’m always going to be honest with you, sugar buns. Truthfully, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know Justin is made of tougher stuff than that. He got the shock of his life tonight and he reacted. It might take him a little time for him to get through his thick skull that you’re the best thing in his life since sliced bread, but I doubt he’ll lose you without a fight. You’re special and as long as you believe that there’s always hope.”

  “I doubt that. Did you see the look in his eyes? The betrayal? He’s never going to forgive me and I can’t say I blame him. I’ve been lying to him. I made him believe we had a future. Led him on like some tease just for him to find out I’ve been deceiving him all along. He gave me his trust and I betrayed him. If I were him, I’d never talk to me again. Why didn’t you tell me he was here?”

  “Aww, sugar buns. He wanted to surprise you. If I knew you were at this restaurant, I would have never brought him here.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to apply that you set me up. I know you would never do that.”

  “Come on, let's go home before we turn into a popsicle. It’s cold as shit out here.”

  “What did you expect? It’s late November on the East coast. You’re lucky it’s not snowing.”

  “Shh, don’t say the S word. You might jinx us.”

  I give him a small smile, which is probably what he was aiming for. I allow him to take my arm and he
hails a cab for us. On the drive back, my phone vibrates and hope springs in my chest, but it’s quickly squashed when I see The Turd’s name lit up on the screen and I send it straight to voicemail. I can’t deal with his shit right now. He knew exactly what he was doing when he told Justin we we’re getting married. It didn’t take a genius to guess we’re involved and like he’s been doing lately, he crushed my dreams with his actions. I don’t even see how he had the nerve to get jealous when he let Nathaniel proposition me. He had no idea if I’d take him up on his offer or not. “Fuck this night. Fuck The Turd. We’re made of stronger stuff than this. Don’t give up or he’ll win,” Sophia says softly. As much as I want to tell her I won’t, I know it would only be a lie. Without Justin, he already won.

  15

  Misery and snotty tissues

  I spent the whole weekend in bed wallowing in misery and snotty tissues, crying what seemed like an endless supply of tears. Chaz tried to break me from my self imposed imprisonment a couple of times, but I was not in the mood to forgive myself. A sad Brooklyn is a mean Brooklyn, and I may have sent him screaming out the room with a few choice words on his plump lips, he’s too kind to speak out loud to my face. But, despite my rudeness, he’s still here, bringing food to me I barely touch and taking away my dirty dishes. He takes care of me as best as he can, despite my best efforts to push him away. Throughout the whole week, he only left once on Thanksgiving and that was only for a couple of hours.

  I’m such a disappointment and a terrible friend. No wonder Justin left me. Chaz needs to leave me too, if he knows what’s good for him. I’m a cancer. A loser. Chaz is wrong. I’m not special. I deserve to be in an unhappy marriage. Chained to The Turd until the end of my days. All this heartache has proven I never really deserved Justin in the first place.

  By the time Monday came around, I was still in no condition to be around people, so I cashed in more of my vacation days so I could spend more time suffering in bed. Truthfully, I’m not even certain I’ll be going back to the company. That drive I once had is now gone. That fight, the buzz that zaps me and runs through my veins, propelling me forward has disappeared. I never thought I was the type to live my life based on the opinions of a man, but with Justin, it’s different. He makes me want to do better.