by Sloan, Molly
It was strange to not have a cellphone with her on a trip like this. But they didn’t exactly have an Apple Store in Francistown, and her phone wasn’t working after Oba accidentally dropped it in a puddle. “I’m sorry, Mama. I was trying to take a picture of the tadpoles.” She was hoping Nicole would take her to one in London so she could be connected to the world again.
Fortunately, the flight went quickly, as there were several in-flight videos to choose from. The excitement of the trip, plus the fatigue that comes from growing a baby helped Janet to drift off to sleep.
“Miss. Miss? We are about to land.”
Janet had been dreaming of Andrew. Again. It seemed that every night she dreamed of them in some romantic destination. Paris. Rome. The Empire State Building. In the dream, they were always kissing, as a gentle rain fell down on them, by the light of a full moon.
“Maybe these are experiences you will have, little princess. Maybe my dreams are for you.”
“Private jets definitely agree with you! You’re positively glowing!” Nicole rushed to hug her friend.
“You’re too kind. I’m not nearly as glamorous as you are, my dear. But I am starving. Where can we get a big, juicy hamburger?”
“Ha! It’s 9:00 am!”
“That’s lunchtime at home. Get me some fries in my belly!” The women linked arms and laughed as they walked to Nicole’s Jaguar.
After stuffing their faces at The Diner Soho, they headed out for an afternoon of shopping. “I need to get a new phone. Oba dropped mine in a puddle and it hasn’t worked for days.”
Nicole made a strange face at that, and said, “Oh! I was wondering why I hadn’t gotten any calls from you. But I figured it was because my phone was stolen.”
“Your phone was stolen? Well, then let’s both stop by the Apple Store.”
Nicole hesitated. “Uh, well. Maybe later. We have a lot to do before the gala tomorrow.”
“Okay, just so long as I get one before I go back to Botswana. The one in Gaborone is too far out of the way.”
Four hours later, and laden with shopping bags, Janet was exhausted. She and Nicole had hit almost every high-end boutique in London. Plus, she’d had her hair cut, they’d gotten facials, and manicures. The last stop was to get some new earrings to compliment her gown.
Frankly, Janet didn’t want to shop anymore. The idea of a warm bath and a comfortable bed was calling to her. But Nicole’s pleading won her over.
“Please. Atherton London is right here. Then I’ll take you to your hotel. I promise.”
Walking in the doors, and seeing diamonds everywhere, Janet’s heart went to her throat. The first time Andrew had proposed, he’d said he would bring her to his company’s New York store to get her engagement ring. But one thing led to another, and it never happened.
Placing her hand protectively over her belly, Janet thought, And now it never will happen.
Fortunately, The Ritz London was only a five-minute drive from Atherton London. “You sure you don’t want me to help you up with your things?” Nicole had pulled her black Jag up to the valet. “I don’t mind…”
“No, I’m fine. The porter can get my bags.” It hadn’t been so long that Janet forgot what it was like to stay at an expensive hotel. After all, she was raised a Girard.
“Alright, then. I’ll see you tomorrow at the gala!” Janet watched as Nicole sped off.
“We have you in the Penthouse Suite, Ms. Girard. Mick here will bring up your things. Will there be anyone joining you that might need a key?” The man at the front desk lowered his voice slightly as he said the last part.
“No, it’s just me.”
Janet had to admit it felt very strange to be in such a luxurious setting after living in a cottage at an orphanage for so long.
Waiting for the elevator to take her to the penthouse, Janet could smell something delicious coming from Berners Tavern. The scent caused her stomach to growl and she realized that she was hungry again. “Little princess, I might have to rename you large queen. You’ve given me quite an appetite!”
Janet’s room was breathtaking. She never would have chosen the Penthouse Suite for herself. It was bigger than her cottage! She wasn’t sure which to do first, sit out on one of the three outdoor terraces and take in the London view, or strip off her traveling clothes and stand under the rainforest shower.
What Janet really wanted to do was check her messages. Without a phone for two days, she had no idea what was going on with Andrew. Plus, she wanted to call Oba and say goodnight. But, they hadn’t gotten to the Apple Store today, so she would have to use the phone in her room. Expensive, yes. But what about this weekend wasn’t?
Opening the fridge in the kitchen, Janet marveled at the selection of treats. She chose a sparkling water and went to go explore the rest of the suite.
In the master bedroom, on top of the plush king-sized bed, was a small envelope. Picking it up, she recognized the handwriting and her name on the outside. Inside, was a card that simply said, “You are my beloved. Andrew.”
Tossing herself onto the bed, Janet began to cry. “It’s not fair, little princess. But you deserve to be wanted and loved. And I will give you that life if it’s the last thing I do.” The tears subsided only as Janet drifted off to sleep, with the city lights of London reflecting in the mirror.
Chapter Nineteen: Collateral Damage
Andrew was feeling a little better. He was in the middle of his five-mile run on the Ritz Carlton’s treadmill and he was thinking about Janet. Just knowing that he was on the same property as Janet made him feel closer to her. But, he wanted to wait until the gala to see her. He didn’t want to risk her finding out anything about the exposé. Or the engagement ring. She always did have a way of getting secrets out of him…and they had a lifetime to share together. Just one more day, and then Janet Girard would be his fiancée again.
He knew he was taking a bit of a risk booking her in the Penthouse Suite, just a few doors down from his own seventh-floor loft. But he wanted only the best for her from now on.
The treadmill beeped that his workout was over. Taking a swig from his water bottle, Andrew checked his phone for messages. There was one from Winston, another from Fiona, but nothing from Nicole about the video.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, the phone in his hand started to ring. It was Claudia.
“Hey, sis’.”
“How’s my favorite employee?” Claudia loved to tease her brother.
“Hard at work. I deserve a raise, don’t you think?”
“Very funny. The check is in the mail. How’s everything coming along for the gala tonight? I’m sorry I can’t be there. We have way too much going on here in New York to get away.”
“No worries, sis. This isn’t an official Atherton Diamonds event anyway. Things are looking good. Fiona got into town yesterday, and we’re meeting this morning to go over the timeline.”
Andrew hadn’t mentioned anything to Claudia or Cole about the exposé. Since she and Nicole weren’t really friends, the hacker hadn’t sent them the message about the video. Andrew also hadn’t mentioned the proposal. Better to keep everything quiet so there was less chance of Janet finding out.
At least Claudia’s attitude toward Janet had changed. His heart warmed to think of her. Janet had a captivating effect on everyone - his sister included.
“I’m about to get into the elevator. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay, so the celebrities are going to start walking up the red carpet at 6:00.” Fiona and Andrew sat at a nearby Starbucks. While Fiona was pointing to the timeline, Andrew kept looking at the door every time it opened.
“Hello? Earth to Andrew. Are you even listening?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m sorry.”
“Are you waiting for someone? Or avoiding someone?” Fiona leaned in close to Andrew. “Did you and Janet have a fight?”
Still looking at the door, he shook his head. “No. No fight. I just don’t want to run into anyone this
morning. Too much to do.”
“Exactly, which is why we need to go over this timeline. So, red carpet at 6:00. The photographers will get there at 5:30. I think you and I should get there about halfway through the red carpet event. We don’t want to be first, but we don’t want to be so late that the photographers have left.”
“Wait… we?”
“Yes. We. You and me.”
“Why would I be walking the red carpet with you? Aren’t you bringing a date?”
“Andrew. Why would I bring a date? This is a work event. For both of us. I just assumed we would be going together. We always go to these kinds of events together.”
“Fiona this is different. Tonight is about Janet. I’m bringing her. She is the star tonight. It’s her efforts that have saved so many children from homelessness. She’s the one who founded A Place for Grace. This isn’t just some business function. I thought you understood.”
For a moment, Fiona looked crestfallen. But, she regained her composure and said, “Got it, Boss. I’ll ride with Winston and Radhika. Okay, so after the red carpet is the champagne reception, sponsored by Dom Perignon…”
They’d spent about an hour going over the final details of the gala before Fiona left to go get ready. Andrew never understood why it took women so long to get ready for these things. Especially when they were naturally beautiful, like Janet. I guess some women just need more work than others, he thought.
Reaching down to get his laptop bag, Andrew saw something on the floor under the seat where Fiona had been sitting. Reaching down to grab it, he saw that it was a flash drive. Fiona must have dropped it when she pulled her notebook out of her bag.
It wasn’t like him to snoop, but he also needed to check if the flash drive belonged to Atherton. It could contain sensitive company information, so just to be safe, Andrew pulled out his MacBook and plugged the drive in.
As it was loading, Andrew’s phone rang. “Mike. I’m glad you called back. I need a favor.”
Andrew detailed what was going on. Nicole’s phone getting stolen and hacked. The message that went out to her entire contact list. The video that made all four of the men look like spoiled rich jerks instead of philanthropists.
“What did they think they have on me?” Michael was concerned. He didn’t want his parents to see some movie filled with lies about him.
“I couldn’t stomach watching the whole thing. After they tried to make Ryan’s accident look like reckless driving, I turned it off. But the message said that the video would be posted on YouTube at the same time our documentary was going to premiere. So, that’s 8:00.”
“How can I help?”
“Well, since 8:00 in London is noon in California, what I need from you will be in the middle of the day tomorrow for you.”
“Not a problem. What do you need?”
“Are your parents still couple friends with Susan Wojcicki and her husband?”
“The head of YouTube? Yeah. We saw them at Christmas last year.” Michael’s parents were early investors in Google, and Michael even did an internship there one summer when they were in college. He’d known Susan and Dennis practically his whole life.
“Can you make a few calls for me?”
“If it means that my parents won’t see that video, I’m in.”
Setting the phone down, Andrew grabbed another cup of coffee and opened the file on the flash drive. As the images popped up on the screen, Andrew couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The drive did belong to Fiona. And, along with all of the spreadsheets and company information was a video file. It was simply called YouTube.
No. It can’t be…
Andrew clicked on the video, and it began to play. The narrator’s voice was female, but it was altered with a voice changer so he couldn’t recognize it. “What you are about to see is the REAL story behind The BBC 2. These four college friends, Andrew Atherton, Cole Bennett, Ryan Cummings, and Michael Davis, are all billionaires. Their image is that of philanthropy…but the real story is one of rich men who think they are above the law…”
Why would Fiona have that video on her flash drive? There was only one explanation. She was the only person to have access to the footage. She was in Botswana when Andrew had his confrontation. He’d sent her footage of Ryan’s car accident. She worked with Claudia to get Cole to invest in the mine. Lord only knows what she twisted around to use against him - and Mike. She must have arranged for someone to steal Nicole’s phone, too.
There was only one reason he could think of that Fiona would do such a thing. To hurt Janet by discrediting him. Janet was Fiona’s target, and Andrew and the rest of the BBC 2 were just collateral damage.
Andrew felt sick. Slamming his full coffee into the trash, he grabbed his computer and stormed out of Starbucks. Whatever Fiona thought she was going to do, she had another thing coming.
Chapter Twenty: Red on the Carpet
Janet took one last look at her reflection in the mirror before heading downstairs. “Little princess, I think your Aunt Nicole is right. Being pregnant with you does agree with me.”
She was wearing a floor-length silver satin evening gown. The bias cut clung to her curves, and the plunging neckline hugged her growing breasts. Janet could see a slight curve in her belly where a baby bump was beginning to emerge. But, if you didn’t know about the pregnancy, it just looked like a pretty rounded belly.
Janet’s red hair was pulled back into an elegant side ponytail, and her new emerald earrings sparkled, drawing attention to her long neck. Cherry red lipstick adorned her full lips, and a light touch of eye makeup complemented the look.
Twirling in the mirror, Janet loved the way the dress moved with her. Oh, little princess. I hope you are a girl and get to feel this way. Even just for one night.
Slipping on the clear high heels, Janet grabbed her bag and looked around for her phone before remembering she didn’t have one and headed downstairs.
The classical music in the elevator didn’t have its intended effect of being soothing. Janet’s stomach was in knots. She hadn’t seen Andrew in more than a month. So much had happened since that night of passion. She couldn’t let herself think that this would be the last night they would be together…
As the elevator doors opened and Janet crossed the lobby, heels clicking on the marble floors, she could feel the heads turning to stare at her.
Janet did feel like a celebrity tonight. London was a far cry from Francistown. And while she missed Oba terribly, she was determined to enjoy this night.
Suddenly, on the other side of the glass doors, she saw him. He was looking down at his phone and hadn’t seen her yet. My god, he is beautiful.
Wearing a black tuxedo, the form-fitting shirt clung to that chest. Janet’s heart pounded remembering every inch of his body. The tailored pants highlighted his long legs. The jacket strained at his broad shoulders. But the thing that got her the most was that hair. Those curls that were perfect for grabbing in the heat of passion.
Stop. Don’t think that, Janet. Don’t remember those things. Just focus on the gala.
* * *
Andrew stood outside the doors of the Ritz Carlton. Although it was a little silly to stand outside the hotel he’d been living at for the last several weeks, he felt it was necessary. Just a few more hours and he could tell Janet everything.
Before he saw her, his phone dinged. It was Mike. One simple text message. “Called Susan. She was pissed. She’s on board. As soon as the video is posted, Susan will pull it..”
Andrew smiled. Looks like he isn’t the only ones with friends in high places.
Looking up, through the glass doors, Andrew saw her. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming. That can’t be her. She looks like a movie star.
Their eyes met. The glass doors of the hotel opened, and Janet approached Andrew. Time stopped for a moment as they just gazed at each other. Neither one wanted to break the spell.
“Excuse me. Miss?” A little girl with dark curly hair and p
iercing blue eyes was standing next to them, looking at Janet.
“Yes, sweetheart?” Janet bent down to the girl’s eye level.
“Are you a princess?” The little girl looked away shyly.
Andrew answered her. “Yes, young lady. She is.”
* * *
The flashing lights of the cameras sounded like popcorn as Janet stepped out of the limo. “Ms. Girard! Over here!” Andrew’s arm felt steady and strong as Janet fought to savor the moment. It was a little overwhelming!
The gala was being held at the Andaz London, one of the most popular spots for movie premiers. The hotel had been built at the turn of the century and was finished in 1901. But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that a secret space was discovered behind a fake wall. It had been built in 1912 and was a grand, opulent room made with twelve different kinds of Italian marble on the floor, walls and columns, mahogany panels, an organ, candelabras and a blue and gold domed ceiling decorated with zodiac signs. It was unlike anything Janet had ever seen in her life.
Walking over to the bar area, they saw that Winston and Radhika were already there. As soon as Radhika saw Janet, she practically sprinted over to her.
“Janet! Can you believe this place? A far cry from the lobby at the Department of Mines, isn’t it?”
Janet embraced her friend. “It’s magnificent.”
“Look. Over there. Angelina Jolie is here with all of her kids. They are talking with Oprah and Stedman. I can’t believe I am here.”
Janet was glad for her friend that she was able to share in this glamorous event.
“Can I get you a drink?” Andrew asked as he leaned down to Janet’s ear.
Radhika interjected before Janet could answer. “Actually, I want to steal her away to the little girl’s room first.”
“Sounds good. I have to go check on some things, anyway. Meet you back here in a few.”