One Chance

by Best, Victoria J.

  But now was not the time to get into the truth I hadn’t ever shared with anyone except my therapist.

  “Why?” The tone of his voice mimicked mine.

  “I can’t.” I paused, taking a deep breath, trying to calm the riot of anxiety and longing in my gut. “I can’t tell you why, not yet, not now. This interview . . .” I let the words hang in the air between us—he knew what this interview meant.

  Suddenly, the air around me chilled as he stepped back and away from me. A new kind of shiver ran down my spine at his departure.

  “You’re right. We’ve all sacrificed too much for you to ruin it.”

  We’ve all sacrificed?

  “What does that mean?” I asked, spinning around to finally look at him.

  He was standing by the door, bundled into his leather jacket, hands deep in his pockets. Melancholy painted his face, but at my question he just shook his head.

  “Nothing. Let’s go so you aren’t late.” He turned abruptly and opened the door, stepping into the hall and leaving me with more questions than answers.

  Chapter 15

  Henry

  This morning’s conversation with my mother—the reason I forgot, or rather didn’t get a chance, to tell Nicolette that the interview was this afternoon—came flooding back as we exited the building. The Uber I had stepped out of earlier was still waiting because I’d paid the driver a hefty sum to stick around. Nicolette climbed into the SUV, looking back at me to make sure I was behind her.

  “We have all made sacrifices for one another, Henry. This is what you have to do if you want your little friend to have that interview,” my mother had said, standing in the doorway of my apartment this morning, a smug smile on her face.

  She’d known she had me. She’d known I would comply with her wishes because of Nicolette. And I hated her for it. But I did what she wanted and agreed to the terms that hadn’t existed the night before. She’d decided on it this morning, she’d said, to “help” me.

  My mother hadn’t fucking helped me more than financially in years, and this time was no exception.

  But I made her give me one additional concession before I agreed to her arrangement. She had to hire Nicolette for the job, or I wouldn’t do it. After much deliberation on her part, she agreed. And we shook on it.

  It was done.

  I was going to rehab for a month.

  “I’m so nervous,” Nicolette said, pressing a hand to her belly as the car sped away from the curb.

  “You’ll do great. I don’t think we have anyone at Lori Radcliffe who is as talented as you are,” I said, glancing at my phone to see if Jax had responded to my text. If anyone could deal with Mother, it was him.

  Nicolette chuckled. “How do you know how talented I am?”

  I shrugged. “Just a hunch. Besides, I used to do the job. Anyone is better at it than I was.”

  Nicolette shook her head. “If you did your job with as much passion as you do everything else, I don’t believe you,” she said, reaching for my hand.

  Moments earlier, in the apartment, I’d almost kissed her again. It was getting increasingly harder for me to keep my distance and maintain that we were just friends. I wanted to, because I didn’t want to lose Nicolette, but when she’d come out of her room, she looked so fucking beautiful I couldn’t stop myself. Not only was she dressed in a way I hadn’t seen before, but she looked so confident and self-assured that I couldn’t fight the desire I felt to take her in my arms.

  Now, she was holding my hand, an electric current passing between where our fingers were intertwined and our palms touched. Neither of us acknowledged it.

  “Thank you for doing this for me,” she said softly, her face turned towards the window.

  I squeezed her hand, unable to resist massaging the back of it with my thumb. “I’d do anything for you, Nicolette.”

  She whipped her head towards me. “Henry, I—”

  I held up a hand to stop her. “You don’t have to. Whatever you were going to say, let’s just leave it for now.”

  With glossy eyes, she nodded at me, sniffed, and looked back out of the window. I wanted to tell her about the deal I’d made with my mother. I had to explain everything, tell her I was leaving in a few days, but I didn’t want to make this any harder than it had to be. So, for now, just like whatever she had wanted to tell me, I left it.

  Chapter 16

  Nicolette

  The rest of the ride to Lori Radcliffe’s offices was quiet. After Henry had declared he would do anything for me. After I’d almost told him I didn’t deserve it.

  After I’d almost blurted everything again.

  “We’re here,” he announced after the car stopped at the curb.

  My stomach began to flutter again—or maybe it had never stopped. I pressed my hand against it again, grabbed my purse, and slid out of the SUV behind Henry. Once we were on the sidewalk, I adjusted my coat, smoothed down the dress and fidgeted with my purse strap.

  “You’ll be great,” Henry assured me, giving my hand a squeeze as we walked into the lobby of the massive skyrise in the fashion district.

  The guard at the desk waved to Henry as we walked by, not even bothering to stop us. We followed the crowd to a large bank of elevators in the center of the building. Henry stabbed the button and we stepped back to wait for the doors to open. When they arrived, everyone piled on. I looked around at the other people, young and old, and was pleased with the outfit I had chosen for the interview. Everyone was dressed impeccably. An older woman in front of me with Helen-Mirren-white hair wore a black one-piece jumpsuit, the waist cinched with a cerulean belt. She had on a floor-length faux fur coat, the same color as the belt, and large dark sunglasses pushed onto the top of her head. The look was topped off with the latest Hermès bag in the same blue as her belt and coat, and a pair black of Louboutin’s.

  While I tried to hold back from fangirling like a fool, Henry was completely cool and unaffected by everything and everyone in the building. He was more withdrawn than usual, and I wondered if whatever had happened this morning to keep him from calling me was weighing on his mind.

  When we arrived at the eleventh floor, we excused ourselves around those who weren’t getting off, and stepped out. I wanted to reach for Henry’s hand, to give myself the confidence I wasn’t feeling, but I also knew that depending on him for strength wasn’t the way to do this.

  As we approached the front desk, a pretty brunette behind it gave Henry a small wave and a wide smile. I suppressed the jealously that bubbled up in my chest—I had no right to it.

  “Mrs. Radcliffe-Rogers is waiting for you in her office, Ms. Fowler,” she said before I could say a word.

  “Oh, okay.” I didn’t know what else to say as the butterflies began to assault my stomach again.

  “I’ll wait out here. I may go search for Jax while you’re in there,” Henry said.

  I nodded. “Wish me luck.”

  He pointed down the hall of glass behind the reception desk and I nodded again.

  “Break a leg, Nic,” he said with a grin.

  Different kinds of butterflies entered my stomach. With nerves tingling through my palms and fingers, I gave a weak chuckle and a backward wave before moving down the hall. The walk was short but, even so, my stomach had time to churn and somersault itself into a tizzy. I pressed my hand against it once more, stopping just outside Beatrice Radcliffe-Rogers’ door, my hand poised to knock.

  “Come in,” her voice came from behind the closed door before I’d even managed to knock.

  Taking a deep breath, I pushed through the semi-frosted glass door. Beatrice Radcliffe-Rogers sat behind a large modern-style desk, her dark brown hair slicked back in a serious chignon, and a string of pearls around her neck. She was beautiful in that classic way one would picture someone like Jackie O to be. Her chin was held high as she regarded me over a frameless pair of reading glasses perched on her nose. She pulled them off, hanging them off the top of her Chanel suit dres
s pocket, and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. With trepidation still fluttering in my stomach, I approached her desk as she gestured at two chairs in front of it that matched the desk. I sat down, crossing my ankles demurely and smoothing the skirt of my dress even though it wasn’t bunched or wrinkled.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Ms. Fowler. My Henry has told me a lot about you,” she said, eyeing me up from head to toe, her eyes reflecting approval at the way I was dressed.

  My Henry.

  The possessiveness wasn’t lost on me. I wondered how Henry couldn’t see the way his mother felt about him like others could. Some of the anxiety slipped away and I relaxed a little against the hard back of the chair, folding my hands in my lap.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Radcliffe-Rogers. You can call me Nicolette.”

  Mrs. Radcliffe-Rogers pulled her reading glasses out of her pocket, perched them back on her nose and looked down at what I assumed was my résumé in front of her on the desk. Her head bobbed up and down slightly as she skimmed it, before she looked back up at me, returned the glasses to her pocket and folded her hands on top of the résumé.

  “Your résumé is quite impressive, Nicolette.” She said my name with purpose, as if to let me know she’d heard my request. “I’ve not met someone interviewing for this position with a background in both fashion and marketing. Henry was right to recommend you.” She said the last part with surprise.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Radcliffe-Rogers”—boy, that was a mouthful—“I’ve been interested in fashion for as long as I can remember. It only made sense to double major, though my father insisted I get a degree in something other than fashion for stability.”

  She nodded again. “Please, call me Beatrice,” she said with a genuine smile. I relaxed a little more, my anxiety dissipating like bubbles in an open soda can. “Can you tell me why you think you’ll be a good fit for Lori Radcliffe?”

  For the next fifteen minutes, I told her why I loved their brand and wanted to be a part of it, how my practical experience and education would make me a good fit for their marketing team, and that fashion was something I had always dreamed of working in. By the time I was done, she was nodding emphatically, a smile of appreciation on her face, and my nerves had completely gone away.

  “Well, Nicolette, I’ll be honest. When Henry recommended you for the position, I was skeptical, mostly because Henry hasn’t been the most reliable lately.” She pursed her lips as she spoke, her hand going to the pearls at her neck. “But I’m very impressed with your résumé, with you, and with what we’ve talked about today. Because of this, I would like to offer you the job, and hope that you’ll be able to start as soon as possible.”

  I couldn’t stop the beaming smile that plastered itself on my face as she spoke, though I did manage to maintain my composure. This was my dream job, something I had always wished I would be able to do but never actually saw coming true. And it was all because Henry believed in me enough to talk to his mother even though he had issues with her.

  “Thank you so much, Beatrice. I accept the position. I can start whenever you need me,” I said as I stood and shook her hand.

  “That’s wonderful. Go see my assistant, Angela, and she’ll set you up with all the paperwork you need to get started. I look forward to working with you and seeing what you’ll bring to the company. I’d love for you to start Monday.”

  “That would be great,” I said, shaking her hand one more time with reined-in enthusiasm before I turned to leave the room.

  “Nicolette, one last thing. This isn’t related to the job and I debated whether or not it was appropriate for me to even say anything. But I don’t know if I will get another chance to talk to you alone before you start working here.” Her hand went to the pearls again as she spoke, her face somber. “My Henry, he’s had some . . . troubles, to say the least, lately. Since he’s met you, he’s been a different person—less temperamental, sober—and I wanted to thank you for your influence on him. I don’t know what you’ve said or done, but somehow you’ve gotten through to him when his father and I haven’t been able to.”

  “Beatrice, I—” I paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to say what I wanted to say without offending her. “I haven’t really done anything except listen to him and believe in him. I think that’s all he needs.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me for a second, and I worried that I’d crossed the line. But then she smiled a sincere smile filled with gratitude and what appeared to be sadness. “I think you’re right.”

  Without another word, she put her reading glasses back on and turned to her computer, essentially dismissing me. I turned on my heel and exited her office. Excitement for the new chapter in my life bubbled in my chest. I couldn’t wait to tell Henry.

  Chapter 17

  Henry

  “She conned me into going to fucking rehab,” I growled through gritted teeth at Jax from where I stood in the doorway to his office after walking away from Nicolette.

  “What?” he asked me, eyes still on his computer screen, impatience in his voice.

  “Mother, she blackmailed me so I’d go to rehab.”

  Jax finally turned around, his full attention now on me. He raised an eyebrow in question. “How the hell did she blackmail you?”

  I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I walked forward and sunk into one of the chairs facing his desk. “She used Nicolette.”

  Jax still looked perplexed as he waited for me to explain further.

  “I asked her to interview Nicolette for the marketing position, the one I vacated”—was fired from—“and she told me she would only do it if I went to rehab instead of embarrassing the family by going to AA.”

  “You could have said no.” Jax tossed his hands up like it was common sense.

  “No. I couldn’t. I promised Nicolette that interview. But I did make Mother give Nicolette the job or else I won’t set foot in that rehab facility.”

  Jax shook his head, a smirk on his face. “You’re going to rehab for this girl?”

  I scowled at him, rubbing my hands over my face. “Jesus Christ, Jax. What the hell am I getting into?”

  I didn’t recognize myself anymore. I was falling for a woman who wouldn’t let me get close to her, and I couldn’t get her out of my fucking head.

  He laughed. My own cousin had the audacity to laugh in my face. “Cousin, I think you and I both know what the hell you’re getting into. These women, they’ve fucked up our heads.”

  I wanted to be pissed at what he said, but he was right. An uncontrollable laugh, the kind that should have been a sob, burst from my chest and we laughed together for at least five minutes before we calmed down. At least he wasn’t laughing at me but with me.

  “Liza got you by the balls, too?” I asked him, wiping tears from my eyes.

  He scowled. “She’s taking time to ‘think’ this week. Think about what? I’ve picked up the phone at least six times just today alone to call her and put it back down. I’ve never been so afraid of a woman shooting me down before. This is unreal.” Mimicking my earlier action, he ran a hand through his shaggy chestnut hair.

  I shook my head, unable to come up with a solution that would solve our problem. I wasn’t sure about Jax, but I didn’t want to solve it. I wanted Nicolette to let me in, to trust me. I had never wanted anything more in my sad excuse for a life.

  “Mother is expecting me to check-in to the fancy rehab facility she and Dr. Gerard picked for me on Monday. How am I supposed to tell Nicolette I’m going away for a month? We’ve barely begun to get to know each other.”

  Jax’s tone softened. “One day at a time, Harry. Isn’t that what they say in AA?”

  I flipped him off. I didn’t want his pity. “What the fuck do you know about AA?”

  He held up his hands in surrender. “How about we go to the club on Friday? One last hurrah?”

  I hesitated. I hadn’t had a drink in three days. That was the longest I had gone without
a drink in three years. Did I want to mess it up for one last hurrah?

  But I’d have enough time to dry out in rehab once I got there.

  Fuck it.

  “All right. Friday night at the club,” I said.

  He got out from behind his desk and we embraced, clapping each other on the back as we did.

  “Hopefully, we can get these women out of our heads,” he said as I pulled back and walked towards the door.

  The only problem was, I wasn’t sure I wanted to get Nicolette out of my head.

  * * *

  I found Nicolette waiting for me outside the reception area. She was beaming.

  “How did it go?” I asked her. The look on her face told me it went well.

  “Great! I got the job!” Her cheeks pinked with excitement as she spoke. She grabbed my hands, pulling me in for a hug. “Thank you so much for helping me get this job, Henry.”

  I felt like an asshole for not telling her about the rehab thing, but now was not the time. I didn’t want to ruin her good mood. “You’re welcome. I knew you’d be perfect for it.”

  I waved goodbye to Angela as we headed for the elevators. Nicolette hooked her arm through mine, her good mood making it hard for me to wallow in what was to come next week.

  “Do you want to have lunch?” she asked as we rode the elevator down to the lobby.

  I chuckled. “It’s three o’clock.”

  “Yeah, but I never had lunch and I’m starving. I also think we should celebrate!”

  It was hard to say no to that, so I agreed. We caught a cab just outside and headed back uptown. While we were in the car, I shot a text to my mother, asking if she would call in an early dinner reservation to the restaurant we’d gone to the other night.

  Mother: Are you taking Nicolette?

  Me: Yes. To celebrate her new job. Thanks again.

  Mother: She would have gotten the job without your insistence. She’s wonderful. Don’t mess it up with this one.