by Kristy Love
As we ate, Gia started to get tired and cranky. Mia tried her best to keep the little girl calm, but Brock complained anyway.
“Would you please shut her up, Mia?” Brock complained.
“Let me go put her to bed,” Mia said, standing up and picking up Gia.
“We have company.”
“She needs her diaper changed and to go to bed, Brock. Neither of those things can happen out here.”
I sensed the tension brewing but didn’t know what to do about it. There was no way I felt comfortable offering to help. I didn’t know Mia that well, and I didn’t want to get in the middle of this marital disagreement. As Brock and Mia stared each other down, David stood and took Gia in his arms.
“You stay out here and enjoy your party, Mia. I’ll get little Gia down for bed.” His eyes shifted down to the girl. “Would you like Uncle David to put you to bed?” Gia yawned and whined, clearly overtired. David and Mia exchanged a look before David went inside with Gia.
The tension was thick in the air. Mia and Brock were having some kind of visual standoff. I shifted in my chair. I wanted to say something, to call Brock out on his bullshit attitude, but I couldn’t. If this were Cassie, I’d totally stick my nose in there. I wasn’t close enough to Mia to feel comfortable doing that.
Sometimes it sucked being an adult. I had to think before I spoke.
Before long, one of Mia’s friends broke the tension with a joke and the evening went on. The conversation flowed, though it was clear there was unhappiness between Mia and Brock. When she stood up to put the food away, I jumped up at the opportunity and helped her.
Once everything was put away, she rested her elbows on the counter and buried her face in her hands.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” she responded, her face still in her hands. “I’m just so tired of this. I’m tired of the fighting and the attitude. I’m tired of the way he acts like our child is a nuisance to him.”
“He was totally out of line, Mia.”
“He’s always out of line. Always. David wants me to leave him, but I’m pregnant with his child. We have a family together. How am I just supposed to leave?”
It didn’t escape me that she listed every reason to stay, but never once mentioned that she loved him and wanted to stay with him. She was staying out of obligation and that made me sad. “You just leave. Your children deserve a happy mom.”
“I know they do. Things have been better. He has a job now, and he hasn’t been as grumpy at home.” She stood and smiled at me, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “He’s probably just tired, that’s all.”
The excuses and justification killed me. How could she ignore the signs? They were damn near slapping me in the face. How could she ignore them? “If you ever need anything, day or night, you know my number.”
“Thank you,” she said, and let her eyes meet mine. I saw how much my offer touched her, just from the look in her eye. “I don’t have many friends. I feel you and I could be friends.”
It had been clear to me that the people outside weren’t friends with Mia. They were scum, just the way Brock was. My heart was broken for her. I wished I could help, but all I could do was be a friend to her.
We went back outside and joined everyone else. After a little while, David came back out.
“Are you ready to go, love?” he asked as he held his hand out to me. I slipped my palm into his and stood. We said our goodbyes and went back to his car. “What’d you think?”
“It was nice. Mia is such an amazing person. She’s really growing on me.”
“I’m glad. She’s a special woman, for sure.”
“I love seeing you with Gia. It makes me all squishy inside.” I smiled at him.
“Oh, does it do something for you?”
“You could say that.” He slid his hand onto my knee and squeezed it. “I don’t like Brock, though.”
“Brock is a constant issue between Mia and me. Constant. He’s been a piece of shit since she started dating him and he just keeps getting worse and worse. I told her I’d help her if she wanted to leave, but that has to be her decision.”
“She told me the reasons she’s staying. None of them had to do with her loving him.”
“He got her pregnant right before she was about to leave him. He knew what he was doing. There’s no way Mia would take her children away from their father, plus she doesn’t want them to be alone with Brock. She figures she can keep an eye on Gia if she’s around. If she divorces Brock and he gets visitation, he’ll have free reign.”
“That’s a terrible situation to be stuck in.”
“It is, but she makes the best of it.”
“She seems lonely.”
“She is. She feels trapped.” He squeezed my knee again. “It means a lot to me that you care about her. She needs a good friend like you.”
“You sure lay on the sweetness now that you’re officially a boyfriend, huh?”
He laughed. “Well, with proper motivation, I might be able to throw you a compliment or two.” We laughed and continued talking on the way home. I was getting tired and my eyes were starting to drift shut.
The car sliding into park and the garage door closing woke me up. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep,” I said, though my voice was thick with sleep.
“Let’s get you inside and to bed.”
We both got ready and slid into bed. As soon as David was on the mattress, he pulled me over and tucked me into his side. I draped an arm and a leg across him, finding my favorite spot to cuddle up with him. Before long, I was asleep.
THE NEXT MORNING, David and I sat in his kitchen, eating breakfast and sipping coffee. He was checking emails on his phone while I watched him. I didn’t even try to hide the fact I was staring at him. From the way his lips twitched, I could tell he knew and enjoyed the way my eyes drank him in. We woke up a while ago and lazed about in bed, wrapped around each other. I soaked in the feeling of him and traced my fingers over his chest.
I could easily get used to moments like that. And this, watching him sipping his coffee and scrolling through emails on his phone. I felt content and happy and complete.
“Enjoying the show, love?” He smirked.
“I like looking at you.”
“I’m glad.” He put his phone down on the table. “I like you looking at me.”
“Are we that cheesy couple now?”
“Does it matter? I’m perfectly happy to be cheesy and sappy.”
“Good. Because I am, too.”
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said. I couldn’t help the way my stomach twisted and dread filled me. I knew he wasn’t going to end our relationship. We were both too happy for that. But knowing he wanted to have a talk with me made me uneasy.
“Sure.”
“After we go to New York City, I’d like you to come to Gia’s second birthday party with me.”
The fist in my gut unclenched. “I’d love to. Mia and Gia are amazing. I’d love to celebrate with them.”
“Great.” He sat back in his chair. “I’m sure they’ll love that.”
I smiled. “Did Mia rhyme her name with Gia on purpose?”
He laughed. “No, she’s just always loved the name and it was the only name Brock would agree to.”
“At least they’re easy to remember.” I smiled and he nodded. “I’d like to get a shower, then I have to get to work.”
“You have showings today?”
“Yeah. These clients are really high maintenance. They want a house with all of their specifications, even if it doesn’t exist.”
“Sounds like barrels of fun.”
“It totally is.” I stood and put my dishes in the kitchen. “Would you like to join me in the shower?”
David stood quickly, leaving his phone and dirty dishes on the table. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
I laughed and we went into the bathroom. We quickly undressed and got into the shower, stepping under the warm spray. D
avid made his intentions clear quickly by pressing me into the wall and kissing me. I lost myself in his kiss, running my hands over his body, my fingers dipping in the ridges created by his muscles. He hitched my leg up over his hip and slowly slid inside me. We moved together, slowly and passionately. We took time exploring each other’s bodies and kissing tenderly. Since that day in his office, sex between us had changed. It was closer to making love than anything.
Strangely, I loved every second of it.
Before long, we both came undone, then we washed each other. It was moments like this that I could really see a future taking shape. Where I could see the two of us being together for more than a few months.
Instead of scaring me, it excited me. I could feel myself falling deeper and deeper into him with each passing day.
NEW YORK CITY was amazing. The bright, flashing lights, the noise that surrounded us everywhere, the crush of people, the stores lining the streets—everything about it called to me. David complained about the traffic, but I loved it. I loved this city and I’d only been here since the evening before. In some ways, it felt like home. I wasn’t sure whether it was because of the city itself, or because my hand was tucked firmly in David’s, but I felt as though I belonged.
We ran across a street and continued down the bustling sidewalk. He wanted to show me around the city a bit before he had to go to a business meeting. We were on our way to Fifth Avenue, which, apparently, would complete my life. I soaked in the sights and sounds as I walked beside him. He seemed to know I needed to focus on my surroundings because he was quiet as he held my hand. At the next intersection, he tugged me into his side and wrapped his arm around my waist. He planted a kiss on the side of my head.
“Are you enjoying yourself, love?” he asked. I could tell he had a smile on his face by the tone of his voice. Honestly, I couldn’t stop eyeing our surroundings long enough to peer back at him, which was amazing in and of itself. My favorite thing to look at was David, always.
“This city is beautiful.”
“I knew you’d love it. That’s why I wanted to bring you.” He kissed the side of my head and we walked across another street. Our arms were around each other and it was comfortable. Then the breath was stolen from my lungs.
A huge department store monopolized the street corner. Bergdorf Goodman. To my surprise, David opened the door and ushered me in. My eyes swept over the interior; it was like shopping heaven. I’d heard of this store and even scrolled through its website, wishing to someday own something. I never envisioned I’d be here.
“David.” My voice was breathy as I peered around.
“I told you it’d be life changing.” He pecked my lips. “I need to head to the meeting. You need to find a suitable outfit for an event tomorrow night.”
“I can’t afford anything in this store.”
He handed me a credit card from his wallet. My eyes damn near popped out of my head as I glanced between his face and the plastic. “Buy whatever you need; charge it to my card.”
“That’ll be a lot of money.”
He shrugged. The man just handed me his credit card and shrugged when I told him I’d spend a lot of money. Was I suddenly in heaven? “I dropped this on you last minute. I want to treat you. Plus, it’ll give you something to do so I won’t worry about you the entire time I’m at this meeting.” I nodded, looking back at his card. “I’ll call you when I’m done.” He kissed me again before leaving me in Armani with his credit card and permission to purchase whatever.
Holy shit.
With a huge grin on my face, I set about to find everything needed to look gorgeous. Clearly, that included a dress, shoes, jewelry, and a new handbag.
Maybe I’d splurge on a little something special to thank David for treating me.
I SPENT HOURS in the store. I tried on so many articles of clothing I was pretty sure I had everything in the store on my body at some point. I didn’t buy anything beyond what I’d need for the event, but I wanted to try them on. It felt like a mini fashion show starring me. David had arranged for me to have someone help me around the store. I had a fucking personal shopper.
My man clearly earned some extra special attention.
His meeting lasted until the evening, but it was okay. I shopped until I dropped. Since he was still in his meeting and I was exhausted, I went back to our hotel and fell asleep. When he got back, he woke me up with gentle kisses, then took me out to dinner and to take in more of the city. I couldn’t seem to get enough of it.
Tonight, I was putting the finishing touches on my new outfit so we could go to his event—some kind of fundraiser that David’s client threw at him after we were checked in to the hotel. Not that I was complaining about a shopping spree in New York City. I didn’t like spending David’s money that way, though. I didn’t want him to feel that I was taking advantage of him or indebted to him. I couldn’t afford to pay him back unless I was on a payment plan.
Then David told me the client was paying his expenses for the event since he dropped it on him last minute. Apparently, David was being wooed by the client. David wasn’t sure if he wanted to do a complete rebuild on a car for this guy and the guy was desperate for David to do it. He was willing to do anything to sway David’s opinion. Apparently, that included buying me some really expensive clothing.
I slipped the pendant around my neck and took one last look in the mirror. I was in a gorgeous, floor-length black dress with lace embellishments at the neckline and a slit up the side that went all the way to my upper thigh. I bought strappy silver heels to go with it, and understated, dangling earrings. I felt gorgeous. I hoped David thought so, too.
I opened the bathroom door to find David dressed in a tuxedo. The black jacket hugged his shoulders perfectly. He turned to me and let his eyes sweep over my body. One side of his mouth quirked up as he strode across the room to me.
“I’m going to be the envy of every man there tonight. They’ll all want you to go home with them.” He kissed my cheek. “You look stunning, love. There truly aren’t words. I wish I could unwrap you from that dress right now, but that’ll have to wait.”
“Thank you.” I was pleased at his words. I didn’t pick this dress thinking that David would like it, but I did want him to think I looked good. I picked the dress because it hugged my body perfectly and I felt amazing. David loving it was an added bonus.
David’s client sent a limo to take us to the charity event. I felt like a VIP. A girl could get used to this.
I wondered what kind of client this was. Who could afford to pay for all the clothing and accessories I got? And why was it so important for David to rebuild their car? I was clueless about cars, but apparently, David was well respected and sought after. I was proud of him for being so successful.
When we arrived, we were escorted inside. People stopped David and shook his hand. I was introduced to so many people, I’d never remember all their names.
Then a gorgeous older woman swooped in, pulled David into a hug, and air kissed his cheeks. “David, darling. It’s so lovely to see you.”
“It’s great to see you, too, Janice.” He smiled at her. “This is Roxie, my girlfriend.” Butterflies swarmed and beat against my heart.
“Roxie, it’s lovely to meet you.” She hugged and air kissed me. “Maybe you could help me convince David to do some work for me. He’s the best in the business. I positively need him to help me.”
I smiled. “I take it you’re the one responsible for my shopping spree yesterday?”
“Darling, don’t even think about it.” She waved her bejeweled hand in the air as though spending a few thousand dollars on me was no big deal.
“Thank you so much. I had a lot of fun.”
“I’m glad.” She smiled. Her neck dripped with diamonds and she clearly had a fake tan, but she seemed nice. I couldn’t imagine her wanting a custom vintage car. “Did it sway your opinion at all, David?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Janice, worry ab
out your event. We can talk business later.”
“Of course. Have a wonderful time you two. I’ll speak to you later.” She smiled and swept away.
“Your client is Janice Trout?” I asked. She was the wife to an insanely rich and famous business tycoon. He made more money in an hour than I did in an entire week. Their photos were regularly splashed all over the gossip rags, as well as their children. Who they were dating—and feuding with—was all over the covers.
“She wants a custom car for her husband’s birthday. He’s notoriously hard to please and has ridiculously high standards. But I’m not sure if the job’s worth the money.”
“That could be amazing for your career. If you do work for him and he’s happy, you could easily land some pretty huge clients.”
He was silent as we crossed the room. We found the table with our place cards and sat at the empty table. Janice was hosting the fundraiser for JDRF, a charity for Type 1 diabetes. I’d never dreamed of being at an event as elegant as this, though it seemed silly. With the amount of money that was poured into schmoozing these rich people, they could have easily donated all the money directly to the charity and come out ahead. But I was here for free and I sure as fuck was going to enjoy it.
The celebrities sharing our table showed up. I was amazed how down to earth and friendly they were. It didn’t matter that I was a real estate agent from Virginia, they talked to me as though I were walking red carpets all the time. It was enjoyable and I had a great time.
“I’m surprised you’re handling this so well, Roxie,” Jen said. She was a famous actress who was a huge box office hit.
“What do you mean?” I paused as I sipped my wine.
“Most people in a room of celebrities and rich people would lose their minds.”
I shrugged. The thought of freaking out had never occurred to me. “You are all people, same as me. You put your pants on one leg at a time, right?” She lifted an elegant shoulder. “So do I. Your pants are just from a much more expensive designer.”
She smiled. “You’re one cool chick.”
David wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side. “You are.” The affection was clear in his eyes. “If you’ll excuse us, Jen, I’d like to dance with my girlfriend.”