A Beautiful Acceptance (the NYC series Book 2)

by Alora Kate

  Even though I used protection, like condoms and birth control, I go to the doctor every six months to get STD tests done. Even if I haven’t been with anyone during those six months, I still get a checkup. You can never be too careful when it comes to your body.

  I put my phone on silent, closed my eyes, and tried to clear my mind.

  “What’s this?” I asked, rolling over in bed, seeing Tapper’s kind eyes crinkle. He had his hands out in front of him, balled up in fists, with a mischievous look on his handsome face.

  “Pick one.” His smile grew as I sat up, my naked body on display for him.

  I nibbled my lip as I eyed each fist. What in the world was he up to? I tentatively touched his left fist and his smile grew. I tapped his right fist instead, with a smile on my face.

  “You picked right, doll face,” he said, letting me pry his large fingers open. A shiny gold key dangled from his middle finger, a hot pink novelty rabbit’s foot attached to the key ring.

  I stared at him for a moment, unsure exactly what he was getting at. Surely, he wasn’t inviting me to have a spare key to his loft. We weren’t there yet. Never would be. Surely, he knew that.

  “Take it,” he murmured, nuzzling into my neck. He trailed hot kisses up and down the side of my neck, resting at my collar where he bit softly. When I didn’t make a move to grab the key ring, he used the soft fur of the rabbit’s foot against me. The soft fur gliding across my hot skin, a mixture of soft tickles and Tapper’s lips, down my neck, across my chest, leading down my arm, where he deposited the key.

  “Tapper . . .”

  ###

  “Lex, wake up.”

  Ki was shaking my arm and I pulled the covers over my head. “Go away.”

  “It’s a work day.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Are you sick? You never get sick.”

  “I’m so tired.” I pulled the blanket down and my static hair was everywhere. “I don’t think I’m getting sick, but I’m very tired, Ki.”

  “You have been working alone.”

  “I don’t mind; we’re in this together.”

  “I’m helping today.”

  “No.” I pulled the covers back over my head.

  “You’re still in bed, and I’m fully showered and dressed.”

  I sat up and brushed my hair away from my face. “I could use the company today.”

  “Good. I already called Josh; it’s a busy day so hurry up.”

  I got ready, locked up, and went downstairs to the office. A steaming mug of coffee was on the edge of her desk, beckoning me closer. I wrapped my hands around the mug and breathed in the heavenly aroma. I blew on the coffee before taking a small sip.

  Ah, sweet nectar. The juice of the gods.

  Ki was standing by her desk, texting, and she popped her head up at me. She looked me up and down then asked, “Are you sure you’re okay, Lex?”

  I pulled my sunglasses down and put my phone in my back pocket. “Of course.”

  “You have no makeup on, your hair is wet, and it looks like you copied my messy bun style. You’re even wearing flip flops.” I took two more generous sips of my coffee before setting the mug down on my desk.

  “It’s like a hundred degrees outside, this is cooler.”

  “You know when you’re ready to talk, I’m here.”

  I shook my chest at her. “You better be.”

  “You look stupid when you do that.”

  “So do you.”

  We laughed our way out the door and went to see Josh. Ki came in with me but didn’t say much, and Josh kept it professional. He knew Ki was seeing someone and I hoped he could find a way to move on. We had twenty envelopes and I was thankful she came with me today. We sat on the bench and reviewed each envelope putting them in order, and then went to go find Scott Medli.

  Walking through the city, we people-watched to pass the time. Ki would make up ridiculous conversations the people were having, making me even more thankful for her company. She jerked her chin toward a man wearing a giant sun hat. She lowered her voice and spoke with her ‘burly man accent,’ “Dear, does this hat make my head look too small?” She returned in a high falsetto. “Oh, hon, of course it does.” She burst into giggles as we walked away from the innocent couple and neared our first stop.

  “Scott!” I yelled walking into the record store. I glanced around and saw the person behind the register look up at me.

  “Scott’s in the shitter.”

  “Good to know.”

  Ki didn’t bring her camera with because of her arm so she was taking pictures with her phone.

  “Come on,” I said, walking toward the back where the bathroom sign was. “Let’s go serve him on the shitter.”

  “Oh my God, Lex!”

  “It’ll be fun.”

  “No, that’s just wrong,” she hissed at my side.

  “Who cares?”

  “What if it stinks,” she asked as we got to the door.

  “I’ll plug my nose.”

  I banged on the door and the guy yelled back, “I’m busy, jackass; go away.”

  “It’s not jackass.”

  “Um, the woman’s room is the next door.”

  “But I want you.”

  “Um, what?”

  I opened the door and held it open with my foot so I could plug my nose. “This is for you.”

  I heard Ki make a noise at my side.

  “Get the fuck out!” the bald man on the toilet said, holding a hand over his junk.

  I shook the envelope. “Take it.”

  He snatched it from me, and Ki’s arm reached out and took his picture.

  He kicked toward us and yelled, “Get the fuck out!”

  Ki gagged as the door slammed shut, mumbling something about her eyes and bleach.

  I could still smell it as we walked back through the record shop, and Ki continued to cough and gag as we opened the front door.

  I burst out into laughter and Ki started to gag again.

  “You smell,” she said, closing her eyes and breathing in deep. “Make it go away.”

  “My perfume is in my purse, and I didn’t bring it with.”

  “You always bring it! Seriously, Lex, this isn’t cool!”

  The faint smell was picked up with the gust of wind that came toward us just at the right second. “There, is it better now?”

  “We’re taking a shower when we get home.”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  I hooked my arm with her good one and we made our way around town serving envelopes. With each envelope I was straightforward, no more playing the game. I wasn’t interested in flirting to get them to take the envelope. I just wanted to get the job done and be on our way. Ki commented three times on my new method of serving people and I brushed it off. Apparently, you didn’t need to flirt with them to serve them. They still gave me a once over, and most of them tried to give me their number but I refused. I just wanted to get the job done.

  Ki was unlocking the door when a delivery man showed up with a bouquet of pink lilies. “Sign on the line please,” he said handing the clipboard to me since I wasn’t unlocking the door. I scribbled something illegible and handed it back to him as the lilies were placed in my hand. They were for me. They were my favorite and I knew exactly who they were from. The only man who knew that they were my favorite flower was Tapper Low.

  Tapper Low.

  Setting them on my desk, I smelled them again. There were twelve of them, vibrant and lush. Once, last year he bought me twelve dozen roses. I loved them, of course, but I went on to explain that lilies were my favorite.

  He never did buy me lilies.

  Until now.

  “What does the card say?” Ki asked, grabbing it from me.

  “Don’t make me hurt you,” I said trying to take it back. She kept shoving her injured arm toward me so that I wouldn’t advance on her.

  “Fine,” I tossed my sunglasses on the desk, “you read it.”

 
; She opened it up and snorted. “I’m an asshole.” She handed the card back over. “I guess that’s his way of apologizing.”

  I read it and put it back in the envelope. “I’m the one who slapped him, why is he apologizing?”

  “Because he was an asshole, Lex!”

  “Okay hotrod, sit down and calm yourself; I don’t need you to have a heart attack.”

  She sat and relaxed into her chair and laid her head back. “I’m exhausted.”

  “You look exhausted,” I teased.

  “Shut up.”

  “Are we having dinner or are you serving Mr. Bale tonight?”

  “Oh. My. God!”

  I loved teasing her. I was so happy she moved on from Brayden, and I loved her for being brave and stepping out of the shadows. I liked Brayden but only because Ki liked him. He wasn’t that great, but she thought the world of him, putting him on that damn pedestal, and never let him off . . . until now.

  “I told you, Ki, I’ll never let it go.”

  Chapter 6 - Tapper

  “The flowers were a nice touch.” I was in the middle of doing push-ups and kept going because I hated being interrupted. “I know you can hear me.” I glanced at her feet; she was wearing black running shoes and blue jeans.

  “I’m kind of busy here,” I grunted out, doing a few more push-ups.

  “Then I guess I’ll be doing all of the talking.”

  I sighed.

  I scheduled my therapy at certain times because I was less likely to be interrupted at those times. I took caution to situate myself in spots in the room where no one would bother me. The regulars here learned quickly to leave me alone. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to explain what happened for the hundredth time. I didn’t want to make friends. I wanted to be left alone. I had to build my strength and keep my body strong. I wanted, for the time that I worked out, to feel like myself again. To feel the sweat coat my forehead, the strain in my muscles, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I wanted to feel like Tapper Low, the man, not the Tapper I have become.

  I assumed this was the infamous Ki I heard about last year while I was with Alexa. I shouldn’t be surprised by this visit.

  Ki sat on the floor next to the mat and I kept at my push-ups.

  “It was a nice gesture considering what you said to her, but I think there’s more to it.”

  “More to what?”

  “The two of you.”

  “Look, I’m sure Alexa told you I was here, but I don’t think you can be. I think you should go before I get someone to escort you out.”

  “They won’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of my boyfriend, that tall bulky guy over there,” she paused, probably thinking I would look but I didn’t. “I’m with him.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You are kind of rude.”

  “I’m in the middle of therapy, woman; besides, I apologized with the damn flowers, so there’s nothing to talk about.”

  She was quiet for a minute and I had lost count, but I knew when to stop without counting my push-ups.

  “Did she tell you what happened the day she saw you?”

  I stopped, twisted my torso, and adjusted my legs so I was sitting up because clearly, she wasn’t going to leave. When we made eye contact, she smiled the perfect smile. She was naturally beautiful—she wore no makeup and her dark hair was pulled up into a ponytail.

  “I’m sure you know everything that happened between the two of us.”

  “This thing I’m talking about happened prior to your altercation.”

  “I don’t know what happened prior to her knocking on my grandma’s door.”

  “I heard she’s sweet.”

  “My ma?” I asked, surprised that Alexa would have said that. I’ve called her Ma my entire life. She raised me, so she was not only my grandmother, but my mom.

  “Yep. Lex likes her.”

  “I’ll let her know,” I paused and waited for her to continue, but she was picking at her shoe. “Are you going to let me know what happened or can I get back to my training?”

  “She’s going to kill me, so you have to know I’m only telling you this because I’m worried about her.”

  “Okay.”

  “Did she ever tell you anything about her mom?”

  I thought back, and I briefly remembered something but the memory was hazy. “She might have, the memory is a little hazy but I got the feeling that they weren’t close, or that they didn’t get along.”

  “Her mom was an addict. Alexa pretty much raised herself and she was always in and out of rehab. A few months ago, her mom contacted her and said she had been sober; the longest out of all her rehab visits . . . and Alexa got her hopes up. She told me she didn’t, but I knew she did. The last few months, they were trying to repair their relationship and that morning, prior to your altercation, a police officer came to visit her.”

  “Shit.” She didn’t have to say more. Had a friend who was an addict and the same thing happened to him.

  “She’s not dealing with it well. She went and ID’d the body, then went to work. She won’t talk about it. I don’t think she’s cried either. She’s just over it.”

  “Everyone deals with death differently.”

  “True, but I know Lex. I know she’s in denial.”

  “So why did you come here? Lex made it very clear to me last year she wanted nothing to do with me. Just because we happened to run into each other—”

  “Twice,” she pointed out.

  “Twice. Means nothing. I’m sorry her mom died but still, why are you telling me this?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just trying to help her and I don’t know what to do.”

  “So, you thought you’d come tell someone who barely knows her all of her secrets?”

  I thought I knew her.

  I thought I knew us, but I was wrong.

  I knew nothing when it came to Alexa Tanner.

  “I told you she’d kill me, but you sent flowers. Her favorite flowers. That means something.”

  Why did I have to send her lilies? And pink lilies at that? I could have picked any flower to send her; I could have gone with the standard bouquet. But no, my dumb ass had to send not only her favorite color, but her favorite flower. Maybe it was because I never sent her those pink lilies when I had the chance. I never sent her those flowers just because, or to tell her I wanted more, or that I was willing to fight for her, for us.

  “It means I’m sorry I called her a bitch and that’s it. Nothing more.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she said standing up. “I don’t believe either of you.”

  She walked away toward the boyfriend she described, who looked familiar, and I went back to my workout. I sent the flowers because Ma told me to. That was the only reason.

  Alexa didn’t want me.

  And the more I told myself I didn’t want her, the more pissed off I got.

  I never got over losing her.

  Chapter 7 – Alexa

  “How was therapy?” I asked Ki as soon as she walked in the door because I was a good friend who asked about her best friend’s boyfriend’s therapy.

  “Same as always,” she said sitting down at her desk. She turned the computer on and continued to stare at it while it started up.

  “Did anything happen while you were there?”

  “Nope.”

  She was lying.

  She saw Tapper and she wasn’t going to tell me.

  “Are you sure?” I asked, scooting my chair closer to her.

  “I was there for Prescot, not to spy on Tapper.”

  “So, he was there?”

  She looked over at me and realized I was only a foot away. “Why do you care?”

  “I don’t.”

  She nodded at my flowers. “You kept them?”

  “I just got them and they’re beautiful. Why would I toss them out right away?”

  “Because they’re from him.”

  “Whe
n someone sends you flowers that beautiful, it doesn’t matter who they’re from, you keep them.”

  She looked back to the computer. “If you say so.”

  I put my foot on her chair and shook it slightly so I didn’t hurt her shoulder. “What do you want to do for dinner?”

  She sighed and said nothing, but started clicking her mouse. She was checking our emails and I asked her about dinner again.

  “Let’s order subs,” she finally said.

  “I was just thinking that!”

  She smiled. “You were not.”

  “Okay, I wasn’t but it does sound great.”

  I pushed my chair back to my desk and grabbed my phone. “I’ll put the order in. Should I get something for Prescot?”

  “No, he’ll be late tonight.”

  While I was on the phone placing our order, our doorbell rang and someone walked in. I glanced up and saw Ki stand to greet the woman, but she only had eyes for me. She didn’t look familiar but I smiled, and then looked away when I gave our order to John when he got back on the phone. He tried to chitchat with me but I told him I had to get back to work. I set my phone down and spun around to find the woman sitting in my chair and Ki was sitting in the other one that was across from my desk.

  “Alexa, this is Emma. A new client.”

  I grabbed my notebook. “What can we do for you, Emma?”

  “This is a bit awkward,” she said softly, gripping her purse in her hands.

  “It’s okay, just start with the problem; we’ll ask questions from there and get the info that way.”

  “My mother was murdered.”

  Ki gasped and I was at a loss for words. We’ve never had a case like this before. “Wow, okay. Well, let’s start at the beginning.”

  “Our mother.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Our mother, Alexa. I’m your half-sister.”

  I laughed and set my pen down. “I don’t have a sister.”

  “You do now.” Her voice was very soft, her clothes a bit out of style, and she kept my eyes. “Our mother gave me up for adoption when you were around four years old because I was born addicted to drugs. You were too little to remember anything.”

  “My mother got her tubes tied after I was born.”