"How's your sister?" Rachel asked.
She knew it was none of her business, but she had to ask.
"Fine, I guess. I'm not sure. I haven't talked to her since Monday," he answered.
"I feel bad that you fired her. I actually feel bad for him too. How messed up is that?"
"It's not messed up at all. You're a good person. They were both so unbelievably wrong, but you don't want to see them without jobs. That just makes you better than them. I have rules about relationships between employees. It's not that there can't be any, but they all know that it needs to be on record. What if he did something to piss her off? She could file a report against him for sexual misconduct. My firm would have to deal with that. It's not happening. They could have had it put on the record, but they chose not to. It has nothing to do with who either of them are. They broke company policy. That was their choice. I would have fired anyone who did that. My firm is a great one to work for. There are so many lawyers willing to follow a few simple rules to work for me. Those weren't two of them. He's called me twice since Monday. I explained to him that he broke policy. He doesn't think the rules apply to him and my sister. He's promised me that he isn't speaking to her anymore. I think he thinks she told me. I let him know not to call me again."
"You won't really make sure he doesn't work again, will you? Can you do that?" she asked.
"I could if I really wanted to. My firm is huge, and I have connections at all of the firms around here. I've worked very hard to make those connections. If it weren't for that, I would probably kick his ass. She's to damn young to be doing that shit. I told him to stay away from her, and he seems to be doing it. I guess I wouldn't really know if he wasn't though. I don't care to follow her around. She put herself in that position in the first place."
"I just want to move on from him. He has messed with my life in every way he could think of. Hopefully they will both find new jobs and be happy," she said.
"How can you feel bad for her, Rachel? She knew he was married."
"That's true. I don't think that makes her a good person. I would never want to be her friend. That makes being with you that much crazier, but try telling my heart that. She wasn't the one that was married though. He was the one that cheated. It doesn't make me like her any more. It just wasn't her responsibility to be faithful. He's not a good man. I learned that very quickly when I left. After this week, I know it ten times more than I did before. If she wants him, she can have him."
"Don't say that. He will never be around my family. What if he had gotten her pregnant or something? I'd have to go to jail and risk everything."
"That would never happen," she said. "He doesn't want kids."
"Do you want kids?" Cliff asked.
"I used to," she said. "I always thought I would have two kids. He told me we needed to wait until he was settled in his career so I could stay home with them. It was never the right time. When I filed for divorce, he told me he never wanted kids. I was heartbroken at the time. Looking back, I'm glad I never had a child with him. I can't imagine how he would have been. Do you like kids?"
"I like them," he said. "When I have events for the firm, everyone brings their kids. I have a great time with them. When I was very young, I thought I would have a child one day. After everything happened with my marriage, I had no interest in ever having children. I just figured I would enjoy everyone else's. The thought having a child and not being with them every day is heartbreaking. I could never do that."
They lay snuggled together and talked until they drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 5
When Rachel opened her eyes, Cliff had his arm over her and his legs tangled together with hers. She slept so good and felt so refreshed. Slowly, she turned in his arms so she could look at him. Was she making a mistake opening her heart to him, she wondered? There was no way she wanted to spend fifteen years with someone just to find out they were a lying asshole again. Her fingers traced the muscles on his stomach, as she thought about the night before. The way he took her up against the door was amazing. He made her feel so wanted and cared for. It was the opposite of the sex they had in Vegas. She wanted to feel his hands on her again. His mouth felt so good devouring her.
Jake had never made her feel loved and cherished in all of the years they were together. They had sex a few times a week, but it had never been like it already had with Cliff. He hadn't gone down on her and made her feel like he couldn't get enough of her. She rarely felt sexy around him. Cliff made her feel sexy just by looking at her.
She watched Cliff's chest rise and fall. He looked so peaceful and adorable. What was he doing to her, she wondered? How could he have her world turned upside down in only a week? Shit! It had been turned upside down that first night. She wanted so badly to see where things could go with him, but she was so afraid to give her heart away again. He said he didn't want love or kids. She had given up on the idea of kids years ago. Her class had become her children. She treated them like her own. As for love, she wasn't sure she was willing to take that risk, but the thought of walking away and not giving them a chance made her want to cry.
Rachel thought about her two choices. She could walk away and hope to be able to get him out of her mind. If she did that, she would be giving up on love forever. There would never be another man who could make her feel so much so fast. Her other option was to open up her heart and give him a chance. There were so many things that popped into her mind. His sister was the one she found riding her husband. She would have to see her if her relationship with Cliff lasted. What if his sister and Jake stayed together, she wondered? Would she have to see him at family gatherings? Rachel knew she was getting ahead of herself. Who knew if she would still be talking to Cliff a month later. He was such an amazing man and seemed to have a heart of gold. She couldn't help but wonder if he was being real with her. After what he told her the night before about his past, she hoped that he wouldn't be a player. Then again, would a player be honest about being a jerk? Of course they wouldn't. Rachel knew if she gave Cliff a chance and he hurt her, it would be ten times harder than it was with Jake. She wasn't sure she could ever recover from that. Her mind kept returning to the thought of walking away, and each time she got a little sadder. She couldn't do it. There was something about him. He was the one she wanted to be with. Cliff made her feel things she never knew she could feel. When she was with him, she didn't want the time to pass. She didn't want to have to leave the warmth of his arms.
He opened his eyes and smiled.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said.
"Good morning," she said.
There was no way she wanted to walk away from her second chance at love. He was that chance.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"How amazing you are, and if you're real or not," she said with a smile.
"I'm not perfect," he said. "That I can definitely admit. However, I can promise you that I am an honest man. I would never lie to you, and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I may do things that irritate you. I will make mistakes. I've been alone for many years. Every moment has gone into my firm. It has been my one constant in life. If I screw up, I need you to call me out on my shit. I'm human like everyone else. I can also promise you that I am always faithful and protective."
He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Go away with me next weekend," he said.
"What?" she asked.
"I have to be in Michigan on Friday for a meeting with a company. Go with me. I'm flying out Thursday night. We can come back on Sunday. I'll have to be gone for a few hours Friday, and I'll have to do some work over the weekend from the hotel. I'll get that done on Friday as well. I won't do any work on Saturday or Sunday unless there's an emergency."
"I'm not sure about that. If I don't go, when are you coming back?" she asked.
"If you don't go, I'll be back late Friday," he said. "Have you ever been to Michigan? We could find a museum to visit or
something else to do."
"That's an extra plane ticket and two extra nights in a hotel. Not to mention all of the money for food and things. I can just see you when you get back Friday."
"Stop thinking about the money," he said. "I need you to stop. If I do things, it's because I want to. I want you to go with me."
"I'll go if I can by my own plane ticket," she said.
Cliff took a deep breath and released it.
"Absolutely not," he said sternly with a very serious look.
She noticed the blues of his eyes darkening. Rachel smiled as the feeling of butterflies flitted around in her stomach. Knock it off, she thought. You're not in high school.
"Does that look always work for you?" she asked.
The sides of his mouth twitched as he fought back a smile.
"Fine," she said. "I'll go if you let me buy you lunch one day this week."
He shook his head and smiled.
"You just want to see me during the week," he said with a smirk.
She shrugged, as she leaned back and closed her eyes.
"Fine," he said. "I'll let you buy lunch once this week, but you will not pull out a single dollar or card on our trip. You also won't object or make one comment about what we do or how much something costs the entire time we are gone."
"Deal," she said with a grin. "Maybe I should have been a lawyer."
He burst into laughter.
"That's my job," he said, as he moved to hover over her and take her the way he had in Vegas.
Rachel had a great weekend. She spent time with her friends and talked to Cliff more than once each day. When she woke up Monday morning, she knew it was going to be a wonderful week. He hadn't looked down at her apartment and never made one comment about how little she had. She was excited for Wednesday to get there. He agreed to let her take him out to lunch. It made her feel good to be able to do something for him after everything he had already done for her. She was nervous that she had agreed to go away for the weekend with him. That wasn't just one night with leaving in the morning. They were going to be together from Thursday night until Sunday night. Part of her couldn't wait to have three whole days with him, but another part of her was scared. Would he really be the man she had seen so far, she wondered? At least he admitted that he wasn't perfect and was sure to make mistakes. Jake would have never done that.
Monday morning, Rachel cleaned her apartment spotless, showered, and got ready for the day. She had some shopping to do for the trip. There was a little money in her bank account she could use for a new outfit or two. She already had several bikinis for the pool. There was no way she wanted to charge anything. Her finances were in order, and there was no way she was screwing it up. She felt she was doing okay for herself. If she switched professions, she could make so much more than she did as a teacher. The thought of that was devastating to her. She cared so much for each child she taught. Her job was more about passion than work. Jake used to get mad about the money she spent on her classroom. He never understood her commitment to the children. She liked when Cliff asked her about work and her students. He really seemed to care.
Just as Rachel picked up her purse, phone, and keys, there was a knock at her door. She was surprised to see a very pretty spread off flowers. The delivery man handed her the clipboard to sign, and she took the flowers into her kitchen. They made her feel so special. She couldn't remember the last time she felt as happy as she had that week. When she opened the card, she smiled at the note.
"I miss you."
They had only seen each other on Saturday. Was he really missing her the way she was missing him, she wondered? Quickly, she pulled up a new text to Cliff.
Rachel: Thank you so much for the flowers. They are so beautiful.
She had gotten to her car before her phone buzzed.
Cliff: You already thanked me for them. Are you missing me?
Rachel sat in her car with a confused look as she reread his message before answering.
Rachel: You are too funny. I was talking about the ones that were just delivered. They look really good next to the ones you brought Friday. I do miss you very much.
Cliff: I didn't send flowers. I'm calling you in two minutes. I have to get out of this meeting.
Rachel started her car and pulled out of the lot, as she thought about what he said. Was he playing with her, she wondered? She was on her way to the mall when he called.
"Good morning," she said.
"Good morning," he answered. "I didn't send flowers this morning. I would have, but I haven't had a second to myself. I'm looking forward to lunch Wednesday. I'm looking even more forward to this weekend. What did the card say?"
"It just said I miss you. There was no signature. I feel so stupid for texting you. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have assumed it was you."
"Don't feel like that. There's no reason to apologize. I'm counting the days to see you. I'm trying to get all of my meetings out of the way so we can spend the weekend without me on conference calls. Is there someone else that could have sent them?"
"Not that I can think of. Your flowers were the only ones I had gotten in years. Oh shit!" she yelped into the phone.
"What?" he asked.
"It's nothing. I'm sorry for bothering you during your meeting."
"You know who they're from, don't you?" he asked.
She was silent for a moment.
"Rachel," he said. "We've only known each other a week. We haven't committed or anything. If there's someone else you're talking to, I'd like to know about it."
"I'm not talking to anyone else. I promise you that. I think they may be from Jake. He sent me flowers when we were much younger. They were the same kind. I hadn't thought about it. I just assumed something and shouldn't have."
"Has he tried to call you?" Cliff asked in a serious tone.
Rachel felt bad for sending him that text.
"No," she said. "I haven't seen or heard from him except for in court and through lawyers. I'm sorry that I interrupted your day and got you involved. I can handle it. I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Have you made the plans for the weekend yet? I'm thinking maybe."
"Stop," he said in a demanding voice. "You're not pushing me away because of this. You're buying me lunch Wednesday, and I'm taking you away this weekend. Do you want him back in your life? Please be honest with me."
"No way," she snapped. "He's scum. He has made my life hell since the day I walked in on them. I now realize it started way before that. I think it's because you took her away from him. He's probably just bored. He doesn't have a job either, but he doesn't know that I know. Do you think he knows we're talking?"
"No," he said. "I never said a word. He called here this morning again. Maybe I should tell him to be with her. She's my sister. I care about her, but what she did was wrong."
"What he did was much worse," Rachel interrupted. "Maybe they care about each other."
"If he cared about her, would he be sending you flowers? He's an ass," Cliff said. "What are you doing today?"
"I'm going shopping for our trip. At least that's what I was going to do. I shouldn't have gotten you involved."
"I want you to be honest with me. I would rather you tell me than keep it to yourself," he said.
"I know we've only known each other for a week. We're not committed, like you said," she said. "It's just that you've made me feel things I've never felt before. I know that things could be so much better with someone else than it was with him. I see that now."
"I didn't mean anything when I said we weren't committed. Your choice of the words someone else is very interesting. What I meant was, if you were talking to someone else before we started talking, I would understand. It doesn't mean I would be happy about it. I told you things about my past that I don't ever talk about."
"I know you did. I didn't mean anything when I said someone else. I would sound like a lunatic if I said you after only one week. You'd probably run away as fast as you could. I'm ju
st scared to let myself feel things or open my heart," she said.
"You don't think it scares the shit out of me that you're the first person I've wanted to spend time with in years. I haven't given anyone a chance since my wife. The same thing could happen to me. I could walk in from work one day and find that you're not the same woman I thought you were. I've thought about that more than once already. There's just something about you that I can't walk away from."
"I would never cheat on you, and I would never be fake. I'm upfront and honest. What you see is what you get. I don't have much to offer in a relationship. I have a tiny apartment and a job that pays enough for exactly that. I don't pretend to be someone I'm not. I will never give up my class and teaching for some high paying job. I even spend some of my income on the kids. I'm not fancy. My idea of a great night is ordering food and snuggling on the couch. All I have to offer is me. When I love, I do it one hundred percent. That's what scares me. You're the only man I want to take that chance with. Please don't think you're not. I just don't see how it would work. You own a damn law firm. So many people count on you every single day to feed their families. You're a very important man to those people. Nobody has to count on me. The one person that broke me down piece by piece worked for you and fucked your sister. There is that crazy connection. My entire apartment would probably fit in your bathroom. One of them. Your life is established. I'm just trying to put mine together and start over from the beginning. Not that I ever had a house the size of yours. It was just much bigger than what I have now. He got to keep that and everything else. Believe me, I wouldn't want to have to deal with him to have it back. It's just I have nothing to offer you. You probably shouldn't even waste your time on me, Cliff. You deserve someone that's as accomplished as you are and knows where they are in life, not someone that made a huge mistake and is trying to figure out what she's doing with herself."
What Happened After Vegas? (Unexpected Love #2) Page 3