The One of Many

by M. Jane Early

  She pushed herself away from the table and stood, then looked back at David, then me, before she walked out of the conference room and back to her cubicle.

  Twenty Four

  David and I sat on a bench outside my favorite Chinese restaurant, across from the Santa Monica pier, waiting for our to-go order.

  “Why didn’t you want to eat inside?” He played with my fingers on my lap.

  “Are you kidding? I’m exhausted.” I laid my head on his shoulder.

  “How exhausted?” I heard a smile in his tone.

  I looked up at playful David, with his sly smirk and wide eyes. I laughed once. “At least let me take a nap before you keep me up all night again.”

  His body vibrated with laughter. “I appreciate your confidence that I have that kind of energy, but it won’t be like that every time, Farren.”

  I smiled. “Wouldn’t it be?”

  “Challenge accepted. I wouldn’t mind trying.” His eyes sparkled with the setting sun reflecting in his irises. I rested my head again and felt him put his nose in my hair.

  This moment between us felt right. There was no hesitancy or fear from either of us. He held my hand and kissed the top of my head like someone who wanted to be with me would. I couldn’t understand his aversion to relationships when he seemed so natural at it. So comfortable.

  “David?” A voice caused both of us to straighten.

  I looked up at a tall, statuesque woman standing over us. To say she was stunning was an understatement. Her honey-blonde hair and crystal blue eyes were unreal against her lightly tanned skin. She looked like a Victoria’s Secret model—which she probably was.

  “Lindy. Hey,” David said and stood. He leaned to hug her.

  “Hi. Long time, no speak. I thought you dropped off the planet.” She had an accent, but I couldn’t place it. Her voice was high and sweet.

  “Sorry, I’ve been busy.” He smiled at her.

  She peered around him and looked at me.

  “I’m so sorry. Farren, this is Lindy Cooper. Lindy, Farren Hallston.”

  I stood and reached out my hand. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  I could crush her dainty fingers with one squeeze.

  Her eyes traveled down my body and back up. She gave me a why you expression. Looking back at her, frankly, I couldn’t blame her for it. No doubt this was one of David’s many. A stunning woman with a seductive accent and a perfect body was all I needed to leave this uncomfortable situation.

  “I’m gonna go check on the food,” I said to David. “It was nice to meet you, Lindy.”

  “Likewise,” she said with a smile that even made me stare.

  The smell of oil, shrimp, and ginger hit me as I moved to the counter. I asked the small salt-and-pepper-haired woman about our order. She told me it’d be another ten minutes or so.

  I took a breath and sat in the red leather cushioned booth in the far corner. My subconscious told me not to be jealous; there was no reason to be. I was who he’d chosen to be in a relationship with, not Lindy, Aurora, or whatever other nameless, faceless, perfect women out there. That’s what my mind said. My heart, however, felt differently. Lindy was a reminder of who David was for most of his life. Playboy. Despite what he said, that petty part of me wondered if he’d want to be that again. Be with someone like Lindy again.

  The woman I placed the order with brought me the large paper bag folded at the top with the receipt stapled to the outside. I thanked her and waited until I thought the coast was clear.

  After a few minutes, the door opened and David walked in, searching the dining area. When he saw me, he furrowed his brow and walked in my direction.

  “What happened? I was waiting for you.” He pointed towards the door with his thumb.

  “I just…thought I’d give you some time.” I smiled up at him.

  David sat across from me, pushing the bag to the side so he could see me. “Are you okay?” he asked, somewhat worried.

  I nervously smiled and looked down at my hands. “I’m okay. It’s just a little jarring.”

  “What is?” He was calm.

  I kept my smile to assure him I was really okay. “Your lineup.” I shrugged. “Do they all look like that?” I said, chuckling.

  He laughed too and shook his head.

  I sighed. “I just wonder sometimes why you picked me instead of someone like Lindy.” I sat back. “And I realize it’s an insecurity I have, and eventually I’ll get over it. But I can’t deny it’s there.”

  David got up and sat next to me. He placed his arm across the back of the booth and took my hand in his.

  “I don’t want that anymore. I like us.” His eyes met mine. “I like you,” he whispered. His hazel-green eyes softened, and then he smiled. He reached over and pulled me to him, kissing me as if to assure me Lindy wasn’t who he wanted in his bed tonight. He wanted me.

  He stopped and rested his head against mine. “Ready to go home?”

  I nodded and pulled back. “Thank you.”

  He smiled. “For what?”

  “For explaining when you didn’t have to.”

  He pulled me closer by taking my hand and putting it around his back so we were inches from each other. “You have nothing to be insecure about, Farren,” he whispered. “You’re incomparable. There’s nobody I want more than you.”

  Hearing those words made my heart race and my insides burn. I was relieved and completely and totally his.

  I SAT AT DAVID’S island, eating Chinese out of a white-and-red box with chopsticks. He sat across from me doing the same. We talked about David’s list more. Turns out I had a few questions I needed answers to. Not just about Lindy, but about all of them.

  “Were any of them normal?” I asked.

  He laughed. “Normal?”

  “I mean, regular women like me, nine to five, non-Instagram models. Pudgy tummies, little cellulite here and there.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t care about any of that.”

  “Obviously. You’re with me.”

  “You’re gorgeous.” He gave me a look, telling me I was being ridiculous.

  “Thank you. But don’t change the subject.”

  “No, not all of them were models.”

  I swallowed. “Who was the last regular woman before me?”

  “A bartender from Las Vegas.”

  “Really?” I set down my carton. “Coyote Ugly at the New York-New York Hotel?”

  David laughed. “Oh shit, how did you know?”

  I laughed too.

  He put down his dinner. “That was a while ago, though. Believe it or not, I wasn’t that bad. Most of the women I spent time with repeatedly wanted what I wanted. They were superficial. They knew it and were okay with it. After a while, it was just easier than starting something new. I didn’t have to negotiate expectations or worry about feelings.”

  “How many women were in the lineup before you met me?”

  He furrowed his brow while he thought. “Four.”

  I widened my eyes. “And you were sleeping with all of them?”

  He tilted his head. “Not all at one time,” he mumbled.

  I exhaled and shook my head at him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I just don’t understand,” I said, raising my shoulders. “How could you go from four to one woman and be okay with it? It’s like going from a buffet to having the same meal three times a day.”

  David came behind me, then turned me towards him. He was inches from my face. “I have no problems eating you three times a day.” His eyes were ablaze.

  “Wow,” I said, laughing, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  “You left yourself open for that one.”

  “I did. You’re right.” I nodded, still laughing.

  He turned serious again. “What is it you’re worried about?”

  I met his eyes. “That this will all get boring for you.”

  He moved a strand of hair away out of my face. “Have you
ever considered that you may be my one.”

  I paused, comprehending what he was saying. “Your one?”

  “The one I’m supposed to be with,” he said in a low tone. There was no playfulness in his expression.

  “Have you?” I whispered back. My heartbeat hammered in my chest as all the breath suddenly left my lungs.

  The corner of his mouth raised slightly.

  The vibration of his phone across the island tore him away from my skeptical stare. David left my side and grabbed it, answering it immediately.

  “Allison.”

  I let out a long breath, hoping we could revisit this conversation. He could have been teasing me. He probably was teasing me. But what if he wasn’t?

  “Okay, that’s good. Does he like the apartment?” There was a long pause. “Of course he doesn’t… Yeah, I hope so for the amount we’re paying.”

  This is the first time David didn’t move away from me when answering a call from his sister about his dad. A positive step forward. His trust in me was growing.

  “I’ll be there… Can you pick me up from the hotel?” David looked at me. “I was thinking about it.” He chuckled. “I’ll let you know. Okay.” He tapped the red button on the screen and set his phone on the island again, then leaned against the edge.

  I pulled a piece of orange chicken out of the box and ate it as I moved the rest of the food around with my wooden utensils, lost in thought. The words the one still lingered in the air.

  He rejoined me. “How would you feel about going to Baltimore with me?”

  I looked at him. “Baltimore?”

  He nodded. “I need to make sure they settled my dad into the new place we moved him to. He’s going to be working with doctors at Johns Hopkins. Best of the best.” He looked down, then back to me. “And I want you to come with me.”

  “You do?” I tried not to sound so surprised, but he could read it on my face.

  “Yeah, I do.” His smirk grew to a grin. “You can meet Ally. She’s dying to know if you’re real or not.”

  “She thinks you’re making me up?” I didn’t know how to take him telling his sister about me so soon.

  “She’s only met my ex-finance. The rest of my ‘relationships’ she’s only seen in the news or the gossip sites.” He shook his head and looked away. “The fact that I want her to meet you almost made her head explode.”

  I laughed and tucked my hair behind my ear. Shock and elation crawled through me. He wanted me to meet his family—this was big.

  “So, what’d you say?” He looked nervous.

  I shook my head and said, “You’re sure I won’t be in the way?”

  He interlaced our hands. His face turned sincere. “No,” he whispered, his eyes pleading. “I need you there with me.”

  I smiled. “I’d love to go with you.”

  He nodded. He went from nervous to wanting instantly. “Think I can talk you into taking a shower with me too?”

  I chuckled and stood. “Lead the way.”

  Twenty Five

  It was clear David’s nerves were elevated because of how little he spoke on the flight to Baltimore. He’d take my hand while we walked or waited for our car, but the only comfort I could give was gently running my thumb over his. He turned and smiled at me as if he understood the gesture.

  David called his sister when we got to the hotel. She said she’d pick us up to go to lunch before meeting their dad.

  “I just want to prepare you,” David said as we sat in the hotel lobby, waiting for Allison. “Ally can be…abrupt. She’s never been one to hold her tongue about much.”

  I grabbed his hand. “You mean, I won’t have to pull information out of her like I do her brother? Whatever shall I do?”

  “Ha-ha,” he retorted. “She’s a lot to take sometimes.”

  “I grew up with two smart-ass brothers and no mother to pull them back. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” I smirked.

  David took out his phone and looked at the screen. “She’s here.”

  We walked out of the hotel to a grape-colored Cadillac SUV sitting by the curb. A gorgeous blonde-haired woman sat in the driver’s seat with the window down. They shared the same hazel-green eyes, full lips, and tanned, glowing skin. She turned to see David come out and me holding his hand. Her brow arched while she assessed me.

  “Come on, Bruiser, I don’t want a ticket.” She grinned.

  I turned to David, who had his eyes closed, and sighed in irritation. I leaned in. “Bruiser?”

  “I was a clumsy kid, always had bruises. It’s Ally’s way of thinking she can embarrass me.” He stopped. “Which she did, so bravo on her part,” he whispered. I laughed.

  Allison’s smirk was pronounced as we approached her SUV. I went to her window and reached out my hand. “Hi, Allison, I’m Farren.”

  Her long, manicured fingers gingerly took it. “Yeah, I know. Bigmouth over there told me all about you. You work on his floor.” She ran her eyes down my outfit.

  I stayed cautious, feeling an insult coming on. “I’m the marketing manager.”

  “He gave you that position, right?”

  I glanced at David. “I, uh, hope I earned it.”

  “I’m sure you did,” she said flatly.

  “Ally,” David said in warning.

  She twisted her mouth. There was a ton of judgment in her eyes as they flickered to her brother. David dragged me to the passenger side of the car.

  “Am I in trouble?” I asked as he placed his hand on the handle.

  “No, she’s just…protective.” He opened the door for me to sit in the front seat.

  I wasn’t about to shy away from Allison—she didn’t scare me. I would take whatever she dished out. David was her twin brother, and they were obviously close. She was feeling me out, seeing if I was worth his time. Making sure I wasn’t using him for his money or power. I understood.

  “How is he today, Ally?” David asked from the backseat.

  She pulled her stare away from me and glanced at her brother. “He’s okay.”

  “Does he know I’m here?”

  “No. I wanted to see if maybe I didn’t tell him, he wouldn’t get so agitated.” She buckled her seatbelt.

  David exhaled as Allison pulled out into traffic. The ride to the restaurant was relatively quiet. While I wanted to gush about Ally’s business, I didn’t want to seem like I was trying too hard. The one thing I couldn’t stand about my brother’s girlfriends was when they immediately tried to get me on their team. They thought me liking them would solidify their position in our family. Those were the ones who didn’t last.

  Allison and I sat at a deli across the street from Johns Hopkins. David stood in line to order. She still eyed me like a threat.

  I took a breath. “I’m really sorry about your dad.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Thanks.”

  “Listen,” I leaned forward, “I don’t know much about this situation. David’s like the tallest secure diary in the world.” She chuckled. “I know something happened with your dad, but he won’t tell me what. Every time I bring it up, he shuts me down.” She straightened slightly. “I’m not looking for you to tell me anything,” I clarified. “If David wants me to know, he’ll tell me. Just know I’m here for him…because he asked me to be. And because I care about him.”

  We regarded each other for a few moments. She lifted the corners of her mouth slightly. “Did you know you’re the first woman I’ve met since he was engaged?”

  I nodded.

  “Why do you think that is?” Her tone was plummy.

  I tried to be as pleasant as I could. “Because I’m the first relationship he’s had since then.”

  “What makes you so special?” There was zero warmth in her questions.

  I shrugged. “My winning personality, I imagine,” I answered sarcastically.

  Her grin turned into a smile, but then her face fell, and she leaned forward again. “Just know, if you’re chasing his money, you’re gonna b
e very disappointed.”

  I watched her, then leaned my arms on the table in front of me. “I know about the money,” I drawled. “I also know what’s going on with Imperium and what role your dad plays.” My eyes never left hers.

  She paused, shock swiftly replacing her irritation. “You do?”

  I nodded. “And I couldn’t care less,” I said assuredly.

  She took a long pause, watching me. She tilted her head. “I guess we’ll see.” She sat back and glanced around the deli, apparently finished with our conversation.

  Allison was accusing me of being every other woman David had been with in the past five years. As much as I wanted to convince her I was different—that David knew I was different—I couldn’t force the issue. Hearing it from me wouldn’t do anything for her. She was a show-not-tell kind of woman, which made me more determined to prove her wrong.

  David and Allison talked about the new apartment they’d put their dad in and the new nurse that was with him. Allison knew she would be a perfect match because of her experience with dementia patients.

  Allison said she needed to return home to New York. She was way behind on business matters with Allyway Cakes and couldn’t put it off any longer.

  “I’ll be the point of contact from now on,” David said as he crumpled the white paper his sandwich was in.

  “No, David,” Allison said. “I don’t expect you to do that.”

  David leaned closer to her. “Ally, you’ve been dealing with this by yourself since they diagnosed dad. It’s not fair to put this all on you.”

  She flickered her eyes to me. “You’re paying your share for all of this, and you’re trying to get Imperium back to where it should be. I have an online bakery and flexibility that you don’t. Besides, when I call, you come. That’s all I need.”

  That familiar look fell on David’s handsome face. The one he had when he first told me about the problems in his family. The one he had in Mexico when he said he didn’t want to leave me. After seeing it so many times, I thought eventually my heart wouldn’t break for him when it showed. I thought wrong.

  I grabbed his hand under the table, and he looked up at me. He brought it to the surface and kissed the back, then placed it on the side of his face. I stared at him and leaned closer, sliding my other hand into his. His warmth traveled through me.