by J. S. Cooper
“Have you spoken to Nonno recently?” I asked hesitantly.
“Not really.” She shook her head again. “I’ve been busy.”
“So you’ve not seen him, either?” I frowned, my heart feeling heavy. I was the one who was keeping her from him.
“No, I’ll see him soon.” She smiled at me. “I’ve been busy trying to turn this place into a real home. Maybe we’ll have my folks over and your dad.”
“Yeah.” Over my dead body.
“And is your dad seeing anyone? We can invite his latest paramour as well.” She giggled. “I swear that man goes through women like some women go through underwear.”
“I’m not sure what he’s doing right now or if he’s still dating the same lady, or one or more ladies.” My mind immediately flew to Barbie and I could feel myself growing uncomfortable. What would Mila say if I told her that Barbie was sleeping with my dad? If I just dropped it casually into the conversation like it was no big thing, would she react as if it were no big thing? Would she smile and say, “Oh really? That’s funny. Wow, Barbie really gets around.” I half-smiled as that thought crossed my mind. Yeah, right. There was no way that my Mila would ever act that calmly. She’d go quiet first, thinking about what I’d said and then when she processed everything and realized she’d heard correctly, she would lose it. Maybe she’d start shouting. Maybe she’d cry. But I knew that she’d be anything but calm and accepting. That was not a small lie that I could just sweep under the rug.
“Aw, yeah, who can keep up with him,” she said as she took out a bag of Brussels sprouts from the fridge. “Do you have any kosher salt?” she asked me as she started rinsing the sprouts in the sink and scrubbing them.
“I have salt.” I shrugged. “I have no idea what kosher salt is. I’m not Jewish.”
“Oh, TJ.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Pass me the olive oil and black pepper and all the different salts that you have. I’ll check.”
“All what different salts?” I laughed. “I have one regular salt and that’s it.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “Just pass me that as well, then.”
“Yes, boss.” I saluted her and she laughed. “What’s all this for?”
“The Brussels sprouts,” she said and held up the bowl she was holding. “I’m going to roast them with the seasonings. It will be delicious. Trust me.”
“I’m sure everything you make is delicious,” I said. “Just like you.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” She winked at me. “Joke, it will get you nowhere.”
“Damn it.” I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her towards me. “I want it to get me any and everywhere.”
“Sorry about your luck.” She giggled as she wriggled away from me.
“Oh yeah?” I leaned down and nibbled on the top of her ear as I brought her ass back up against me so she could feel my hardness.
“TJ, I’m cooking.”
“So?” I laughed and kept my arms around her, moving them up to her breasts and gently squeezed them. “Didn’t you know that kitchen sex was good for you?”
“Oh?” She giggled again and she moaned as I squeezed her nipples.
“Yeah, it’s like a workout before pigging out. Burn those calories early.”
“Hmm, are you calling me fat?” she said and then laughed as I froze. “Got ya.”
“Mila,” I murmured, laughing with her as I turned her around to face me. “I don’t care how fat you are.”
“That’s not a good response.” She made a face at me and I leaned down to kiss her long and hard, sliding my tongue into her mouth. She tasted sweet and she melted into me, kissing me back eagerly. Her hands flew to my hair and I held her face, caressing her cheeks as we kissed. I felt happy, calm, and like this was how it should be. The moment was everything that I’d never thought I could ever have. It was the stuff of fairy tales and, while I knew fairy tales were fiction, I wasn’t going to ruin the moment. I was just going to live in it. The nightmare would be here soon enough.
Right then my phone beeped and I grabbed it from my pocket to see who was texting me. The text was from my dad and it made my heart freeze.
“I need an update. Chinese want the deal to go through ASAP. Do you have the power of attorney papers?”
I deleted the text quickly, put the phone back into my pocket and held Mila close to me again. Hell on Earth was going to be here sooner than I’d hoped.
Chapter Six
Mila
I walked down the street with a wide smile on my face. I wasn’t sure why I was so happy. Maybe it was something about the day. The sky was a deep azure blue, with nary a cloud to be seen, the sun was out and shining warmly, the trees were tall and proud and the fall colors of the leaves were beautiful: warm reds, deep browns, dancing yellows and secretive greens beckoned to me. I smiled again as I saw two birds flying from one tree to another, seeming to take the same path down the street as I was. My heart felt full and I was happy.
I knew that most of my happiness stemmed from the fact that I was on the way to meet TJ for dinner. It was scary how excited and happy he made me. And I didn’t even have to be with him. Just the knowledge that I’d see him soon was enough for me. I just liked being around him. That was all I needed to feel warm and content. I didn’t even have to talk to him or touch him. Just knowing that he was there was enough for me. He filled my heart and spirit in a way that I didn’t understand.
It scared me, in a way, knowing how much power he had over me. I didn’t want to think about what would happen when I no longer got to spend so much time with him. I didn’t want to think about not being with him.
Even though our relationship—well, engagement—was fake, it didn’t matter to me. It didn’t matter because I was still getting to know him better. I was still getting to see parts of him I’d never seen before. His vulnerabilities, the things that made him hurt, pause, think. There was a side to TJ that I’d never known existed. I’d always thought he was this tough, handsome guy. Full of life and vitality. A guy who took everything in stride. Nothing ever got him down. That’s what I used to think. I mean, I knew that his dad wasn’t the most paternalistic figure in his life. I knew that had to have affected him in some way. And the fact that his mother had died when he was so young. I’d thought about it, but had never really placed any real emotion or depth into those thoughts. Now, I wondered just how much his childhood had affected him. Who was TJ Walker behind the façade? I was still trying to figure that out.
He was darker inside than I’d thought. There was a barrier there, some layer of hurt, some deep emotion hidden inside of him. And it fascinated me. I wanted to know his full story. And I wanted to fix him. I wanted my love to fix him.
I shook my head at myself as I continued walking, nearing the restaurant. I knew I was living in the clouds. Life wasn’t like the movies. I wasn’t going to be able to fix him and make him fall in love with me. Stuff like that just didn’t happen. Least of all to people like me. But that didn’t stop me from hoping. That didn’t stop me from wishing that I could somehow figure out what made him tick and in doing so make him fall head over heels in love with me. That would be amazing. Not realistic, but definitely amazing.
I giggled as I walked into the restaurant, feeling light-hearted and giddy as I felt my heart racing. I was about to see TJ and that always made me feel awesome. I used to live for seeing him every few months; now I got to see him every day.
The host greeted me with a big smile. “Good evening, ma’am. Do you have a reservation?”
“Yes—well, not me.” I laughed. “I’m meeting someone here. I think he has the reservation.”
“What’s his name?” He smiled at me warmly. “Let’s see if he’s here yet.”
“TJ Walker,” I said, grinning.
“I see his reservation, but he hasn’t checked in as yet. We can definitely seat you while you wait, though. Would you like that, madam?”
“Mila.” I smiled at him sweetly. “And yes,
please, that would be amazing. Thank you.”
“Oh, you’re very welcome.” He nodded and looked back down at his podium. “One moment, please.”
“Oh, of course.” I smoothed my skirt down and pulled out my lipstick so that I could reapply it. I wasn’t sure why I felt so nervous, but I wanted to look pretty for TJ. Like, really pretty. I wanted him to walk in and look at me and think to himself, Wow, Mila is just gorgeous. How did I get so lucky to be having dinner with her? I mean, it was a pipedream—he’d never really given me a look like that before—but that didn’t stop me from hoping.
“This way, ma’am.” He came towards me. “Just follow me.”
“Sure.” I smiled and followed behind him. We approached a table and as the maître d’ was about to pull my chair out, a handsome man jumped up from the table next to mine and pulled it out for me.
“Good evening.” He gave me a wide smile and a wink as he stood behind me.
“Evening.” I smiled at him, feeling a bit shy as he pushed my chair in. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I see a beautiful woman and I can’t stop myself,” he said. “I’m Will, by the way.”
“Mila.” I held my hand out to him.
“A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
“Oh.” I blushed, not knowing what to say.
“I’ll just leave the wine menu with you,” the maître d’ said and beamed at us both as he backed away.
“Dining alone?” Will asked me hopefully, his eyes a piercing navy blue in his handsome face.
I shook my head. “No, I’m waiting on someone.”
“Would you like company while you wait?” he asked, showing his perfect white teeth. His dark gold hair was cut perfectly and shone on top of his head as he waited for my answer. I blushed again, still not knowing what to say. I was taken aback that this gorgeous man was asking to sit with me and was flirting with me.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” I shook my head again and stared at his perfect navy, pinstriped suit. I was still in internal shock that he was talking to me. I wasn’t used to men just coming up to me; especially not distinguished, handsome men like him.
“It would be my pleasure.” He took a seat next to me. “I’m dining alone, so I’d be happy to keep you company until your girlfriend gets here.”
“Oh, it’s a male friend.” I blushed, wondering why I hadn’t said fiancé. Maybe because it felt like too much of a lie.
“I guess that was pretty obvious that I was fishing, huh?” He laughed.
“Fishing?” I asked dumbly, not sure what he was saying.
“For information. You know, to see if you’re single.” He leaned forward and adjusted his tie. “Though that would’ve been too much to ask. Have a beautiful single woman just fall into my lap.”
“Oh, ha ha.” I laughed uncomfortably. I’d never had a guy come on to me so strongly before.
“So, not single?” he asked more directly, his eyes light as he chuckled.
“Um, yes, no—kinda.” I laughed at the confusion on his face. “It’s kinda complicated.”
“I can work with complicated.” He winked and then leaned back. “And in case you were wondering, I’m single.” He grinned. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Oh. I shouldn’t.” I shook my head, feeling slightly dazed and confused, and a little proud of myself. I had to be looking pretty good if this handsome man was spending so much time flirting with me and offering to buy me a glass of wine.
“Don’t you drink?” he asked curiously.
“Oh, I do, but like I said, I’m waiting on someone.”
“He’s not a very good someone, though, is he?” Will looked at me and frowned. “He’s got you sitting here waiting on him.”
“I’m sure he just got caught up at work,” I said with a small smile. “He’s a busy guy.”
“I’m a very busy guy, but look where I am right now,” he said seriously, and I started to feel my heart sinking a little. What was he trying to say? That TJ didn’t respect me or my time? He was only five minutes late. But then as I thought about it, I wondered if he was late when he went on real dates. I bet he was early for women he wanted to go out with. Women he really liked. I was just his fake fiancée, the girl he was fucking. He didn’t really care about me. I wondered how he treated the women he really cared for. I could feel my stomach churning as my thoughts immediately turned negative.
“Hey, you okay, Mila?” Will leaned forward. “I didn’t mean to hit a nerve.”
“Sorry, what?” I asked him, blinking, trying to get rid of the heavy feeling that had hit me.
“Maybe work was just really busy,” he said. “I mean, if he has you waiting around a lot, maybe he doesn’t care as much as you hope. A woman like you deserves a man that’s going to put her above everything else.”
“Thank you,” I said with a small smile, looking at my watch and realizing that TJ was actually fifteen minutes late instead of five minutes late.
“I know you don’t know me,” Will said, and I watched as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. “But if it doesn’t work out with this guy, or you want to talk to me or let me take you out for a drink, give me a call at this number.” He pulled a card out and handed it to me. “I’d love to take you for a drink. Show you how a gentleman treats his lady. I, for one, wouldn’t have you waiting.”
“Oh, wow, thanks.” I held his card in my hand and looked down at it awkwardly. How did one respond to that? And where was TJ?
“Mila.” TJ’s voice was loud behind me and it made me jump.
“TJ?” I said, looking at him with narrowed eyes and a red face, like I’d been caught red-handed with my hand in the cookie jar.
“What’s going on?” He frowned and looked at the card in my hand and then at Will.
“I was just keeping Mila company.” Will stood up, nodded at TJ and then looked back down at me. “It was a pleasure making your acquaintance tonight, Mila. Please call me if I can ever take you out for a drink.”
“Thank you,” I squeaked out and I could feel TJ’s eyes on me. I looked up at him and gave him a quick smile, but he just frowned at me, his eyes narrowed as he watched Will going back to his seat.
“Making new friends already?” he said as he sat down. “Looking for someone new?”
“TJ, we were just talking.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Don’t being stupid.”
“I’m not being stupid.” He pursed his lips. “Do you know what you want to order or did you even bother to look at the menu.”
“I think I’m going to get a steak. And lobster. And oysters. And caviar. And lots of champagne,” I said sweetly and then smiled. “You can afford it.”
“Funny,” he said as he looked at me, but I saw that he wasn’t able to keep a smile off of his face.
“That’s me, one funny girl.” I grinned at him, determined to not let him ruin my good mood. I stared at his handsome face, so serious as he sat there in his smart business suit. His eyes looked at me searchingly, with a glint of judgment as if he were telling me off for talking with Will. A part of me was delighted that he appeared to be jealous. Another part of me was annoyed that he was going to be acting like a bit of an ass, just because I was being friendly to another guy. It wasn’t like I wanted the other guy. All I could think about was TJ.
“Yes, one funny, sexy girl,” he said and I felt his hand reach down and grab my knee under the table and his fingers started running up and down my calf.
“What’re you doing, TJ?” My eyes widened as I gazed at him.
“Nothing.” He grinned as his fingers moved up my legs again and he pushed against my inner thigh to gain access. I squeezed my legs together closer in response.
“TJ.” I pursed my lips at him. “Stop it.”
“Stop what?” he asked, a wry smile on his face as he pushed harder between my legs and they fell apart slightly. His fingers took immediate advantage of the movement and they ran up and down my inner thigh under my
skirt. I held my breath as they drew dangerously high.
“You know what?” I frowned at him. “You just got here. Stop it.”
“Stop what?” He laughed and then looked away from me as a waitress approached the table.
“Hi, I’m Madeline. I’ll be taking care of you today.”
“Why, thank you,” TJ said as he grinned at her. “I do enjoy being taken care of.”
“Then I’m glad I’m here.” Madeline flirted back with him and I watched as she tossed her long raven hair back and pushed her ample bust forward. I glanced up at her face with a slight glare and felt my resolve failing as I looked at her face properly. She was gorgeous, her skin was smooth and her eyes were a sparkling, vibrant blue. She had fine features and perfect lips. And she was petite. She looked like the perfect woman. I felt jealousy searing through me as I gazed at her staring at TJ and TJ staring back into her eyes with a wide, genuine smile. His fingers were still on my legs, but were moving in a haphazard fashion as he glanced at her. I could feel my stomach churning and I felt my good mood vanishing.
“Would you like a drink, sir?” she asked, her voice melodic.
“What would you recommend?” He leaned back and moved his hand away from my leg.
“What is sir into?” She leaned closer to him, leaning down and opening the menu in front of him. Her hair hung down, surrounding her face, and she looked into his eyes with a sweet, eager smile.
“Whatever you think I’d like.” His eyes teased her and I watched as he licked his lips slowly. I froze at the obvious flirtation between them. My breath was coming fast and my stomach was in knots as I just sat there being ignored.
“I think I’ll have a glass of water,” I said, finally speaking up, and the girl straightened and looked at me with a sweet and pitying look.
“Sure.” She nodded. “Still or sparkling?”
“Still, thanks.” I bit down on my lower lip, feeling like I wanted to cry.
“Okay.” She nodded and then looked back over at TJ. “And have you decided?”
“I’ll have a whiskey, neat.”