I laugh, and even I love the sound of it. I can see the stars in Lance’s eyes as he looks at me, and just for a moment, I feel bad because I know I’ll never be able to give him the relationship he wants to pursue with me.
We make it to my building, and he walks me to the door. There’s a lot of anxiety between us. I can tell he wants a kiss, and I am debating whether or not to give him one.
I extend my hand. “Thanks for the dinner”—I giggle—“and dessert and the stimulating conversation.”
Lance takes my hand and pulls me against him. At first, I can hardly breathe. His lips are getting closer to mine. Now my head is spinning. He kisses me, and I kiss him back. A part of Lance’s body has gotten hard and is pushing against the top part of my crotch. Our kiss gets more heated with every second that passes, but the taste of his tongue and the warmth of his mouth feel like a foreign country.
I drop my head to separate our mouths. “Good night,” I whisper.
He kisses my forehead. “I’m not ready to say good night. Are you?”
I lift my face. “Yes, I am.” I sound winded.
Lance looks disappointed for a second, then he shows me that winning smile of his. “Tomorrow for breakfast then?”
“Sure, why not?”
“You don’t sound too enthusiastic, but I’ll take it. How about I call you in the morning?”
I nod, and it feels as if I’m bobbing my head in slow motion. I think my lightheadedness has more to do with the wine than the kiss. “Sounds great.”
“Good.” Lance kisses me on the forehead one more time before walking to the elevator.
I rush inside and press my back against the door. Why didn’t I invite him in for a casual roll in the hay? I know why—I’m unable to have sex with someone who doesn’t feel extra special to me. My memory wants to take me back to that weekend I spent with Nolan, but I won’t let it. I should run after Lance and invite him in for a nightcap.
There’s a rattling knock on my door, and I jump because I can feel the vibration on my back. I know exactly who it is. Lance must’ve read my mind. I swing open the door, and after I capture an eyeful of the caller, my mouth drops.
“Abby…” Nolan says.
“Nolan? What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
I can still hardly believe who I’m seeing.
10
Nolan
Four Months Ago...
I flop down in my chair and stare hopelessly at the empty space Abby left behind. It’s as if the wind has been knocked out of me, and now my head is spinning out of control.
I finally muster up the energy to say, “Shit.” I picture Abby fumbling with her keys to get inside her car then slamming the door behind her.
I take my cell phone out of my pocket and clutch it. All I have to do is select Abby in my contact list, call her, and explain my dilemma. But I’d be a fool not to take Kelsey seriously. She’s gone through a lot of trouble to put me in checkmate. This weekend, I conferred with Pete and Donald, my personal accountant, about Kelsey’s threat. First and foremost, I don’t want her to destroy my father’s legacy over petty jealousy. Donald assured me that she can’t do that. Yes, she could make life difficult for me, as she is doing, but not take anything away. I stare at the floor and sigh with relief. If she forces me to liquidate now, then I won’t have the money I need to buy back key investments. But yesterday afternoon, Pete offered insight on this entire situation.
We met in his study after he and his family returned from Sunday service. Pete loosened his tie as he sat in the armchair next to the fire he’d just kindled. “I don’t think it’s going to work that way, buddy.”
Sitting in the black leather armchair across from him, I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. “Well no, Donald said I don’t have the money.”
“That’s to even assume that she would be willing to sell for the right price.”
I started tapping my finger on my knee. He was right. How could I have expected that she would be reasonable?
“Even if you had the money, she wouldn’t sell,” Pete said. “Her threat is not about money; it’s about you.”
I sighed sharply. “Right…” There was nothing worse than feeling trapped by a desperate individual. “Why in the hell would Bill do this to me?”
Pete watched me with a grave look, as if he felt the depths of my pain.
I collected myself and got up to look out the window. “What do you think I should do?”
Pete got up to pat my shoulder. “I want you to just play it cool. Don’t ruffle her feathers. I’m on it.”
I remember feeling hopeful after he said that, but I also dreaded the moment I would have to tell Abby that I couldn’t pursue a relationship with her—at least not right away.
I hope she’ll read between the lines. Just because we can’t be together today doesn’t mean we can’t try to make a go at it in the future. Abby’s a smart woman. I’m sure she’ll figure it out.
I would love to sit here and sulk all day, but I can’t. I call Misty into my office, and she struts in with a big smile and refreshed makeup.
“I heard Abby quit. That’s too bad because she was a great assistant.” Misty sits down comfortably in the chair across from me. She smiles. “So what did you want to talk about?”
I snort scornfully. I must admit that conjuring the casual attitude is a great strategy, especially when deep down she must know she’s going down like a sinking battleship. “Misty…” I pause and sneer to the let the feeling of satisfaction wash over me. “You’re fired.”
She gasps and slaps her palm on her chest. “Why? What did I do?”
“Officially, you conspired with John Sharp and acted against company policy.”
“But I…” She stares into my eyes as if she’s begging me to stop these proceedings.
“Listen, Misty, there’s no need to run down the list of the infractions against you. You and I know what you’ve done, so let’s just make this easier for the both of us.”
She turns her disturbed look to the wall. “I just… I thought…”
“What’s done is done,” I say.
Misty clears her throat then turns back to face me with a look of resolve. “So are we done here?”
“No…”
I call Vikki in Human Resources and ask that someone promptly escort Misty to her desk to collect her things and then show her out of the building. Vikki arrives less than a minute later, and finally, Misty is out of my sight. If only handling Kelsey were so easy.
Now that Misty is taken care of, I get right to work answering e-mails. I make it to my second message out of hundreds when I hear, “Hello, Nolan.”
I look toward the doorway, and Kelsey’s standing there, looking mighty rich in a thick white leather coat that has a fur-trimmed hood. This is just great—I have to face my second unsavory woman of the day.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
She points a hand toward Abby’s desk. “Where’s your assistant?”
“Gone.”
She scrunches her nose. “Lunch already?”
I study her through narrowed eyes. It’s amazing how she walks into my office as though she’s not squeezing my balls.
“No. She’s gone, gone. Congratulations. You won,” I say, remembering the plan Pete and I agreed on.
One side of Kelsey’s mouth lifts slightly. I can tell that she’s trying not to smile. “Oh, well…” She sighs as if I’ve thrown Abby out with the stinky trash. “That means you need an assistant. How about I fill in until you hire someone else?”
I bite my lip before telling her to go to hell, but it would be smart of me to keep her close. Of course she wants the same thing—to be close to me. That way, she can keep tabs on who I am or am not involved with.
“I can use the help,” I’m pained to say.
She looks at me suspiciously. “And you’re not angry about my ultimatum?”
Remaining composed, I stan
d, walk to the front of my desk, and sit on the edge. “You put me in an awkward position, Kay. So of course I’m angry.”
Kelsey studies my expression. “But you got rid of her.”
I force myself to grin in an effort to continue leading her on. “She was just my assistant. You read too much into our relationship. If that’s why you wanted me back, then…”
“No.” She strolls over to sit in the chair in front of my desk. “I want you back because I love you.” There’s a seductive tone in her voice.
I maintain my smile as I look her right in the eyes. “Go see Vikki in HR. She’ll get you processed in as my assistant.”
“Oh no, Nolan. I’m working for free. Think of my service as a goodwill gesture.”
I grunt. I’ve never known Kelsey to do anything for anyone without expecting something in return. “Right. Then go to HR and tell Vikki that you’re filling in until she hires a new assistant.”
Kelsey shakes her head. “No… I’m going to hire you a new assistant—one that I approve of.”
A large part of me can’t believe her nerve. She really thinks it’s kosher to waltz in here and call my shots. Her biggest problem has always been that she feels being beautiful entitles her to whatever the hell she wants. And she’s always been that way! I used to wonder why I married her in the first place. Once the answer came, it scared me, so I buried it deep behind my consciousness. Right now, I’m digging it out and dealing with it. I married Kelsey because she reminded me of my beautiful, selfish, and entitled mother.
I wipe the fake smile off my face. “If you’re my assistant, then you do what I say.”
Kelsey sighs sharply. “Whatever.” She gets up and struts to the door. “Do you need coffee, dear sir?”
I snort because she’s being facetious. “Black, no sugar, nor cream.”
She rolls her eyes and turns her back to me. “I’ll get it when I come back from HR.”
I watch her stroll out of my office. I rub my face, in disbelief. Within such a short period of time, I’ve lost my father, my sister’s husband tried ripping us off, my ex has lost her marbles, and I’ve lost control of my personal life.
“Fuck,” I say.
11
Nolan
One Day Ago…
The last four months have been a hell of a rollercoaster ride. Pete and Donald have been working overtime, trying to figure out how to put me in the best position to deal with Kelsey. I’ve been playing the good ex-husband who’s falling for the wiles of his ex-wife. I’ve been taking a detailed count of everything she’s made me do with her. I’ve gone to the theater with her three times and had dinner with her seventeen times. Eleven of those dinners were gatherings with friends we have in common; I let her hang on my shoulder, pet my hair, and rub my back to make it look as if we’re an item. It’s been killing me to lie and manipulate my friends. Thank God I was right about how long she was capable of playing my assistant. She didn’t last two days, but she made sure Vikki hired a guy to replace her. His name is Chip, and he’s awful at what he does. I plan to have Vikki fire him bright and early tomorrow morning.
I stand in front of the window looking out of my office, watching gusty wind whip snow across the parking lot under the lights. My eyes fall upon the spot where I originally helped Abby with her car. My thoughts go back to the time we spent at my cabin. I crack a smile. I wonder where she is and how she’s doing.
“Working late?” Kelsey’s voice jars me from my pleasant thoughts.
I don’t turn around to look at her. “Yep, burning the midnight oil.”
I can hear her walk over to my desk. I turn around. She’s carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“What are you doing here, Kelsey?”
“Looking for you.” She pours a drink and brings it to me. “So… how long are we going to keep this up?”
I want to wave off the drink, but I take it anyway. This is not the time to stop playing nice. “Keep what up?”
She tilts her head and gives me a look that says I should already know what she’s referring to.
“I’ve done everything you’ve asked. What else do you want from me?” I say.
“You haven’t made love to me,” she says.
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. She’s a sexy woman, but there’s no way in hell that I’m going to fuck her ever again.
I go to set my glass of wine on my desk. “I got to go.”
She grunts. “Really, Nolan? Is that all I’m going to get from you tonight?”
I walk to the coat tree near the back of my door. “Pretty much.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re going to come around someday soon.”
I take my coat off the hook. “Come around to exactly what?”
“To the fact that you’re just going to have to get used to me.”
“Haven’t I already done that?”
“I’m not just talking about getting rid of your little secretary. I’m talking about this attitude of yours.”
I stop myself from rolling my eyes. I don’t want to anger her even more. “Okay, what else do you want from me?”
She shakes her hands emphatically. “You, goddamn it! You!”
I calmly put on my coat. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do, haven’t I?”
Kelsey spreads her hand over my chest. “I want your heart, Nolan.”
I remove her hand. “You can make me go to Alice and Ben’s house for dinner while you bounce their new baby on your lap and make them think we’re back together. You can make me put on a suit and be your date for the Metropolitan Arts Benefit. I can keep jumping through your hoops until the cows come home. But what you can’t do is make me love you.”
She glares at me with that familiar look of vengeance in her eyes. “We’ll see about that,” she barks and storms out of my office, slamming the door behind her.
My legs grow weak, and I collapse onto the edge of my desk. I sit in silence for a while, fearing that I might’ve just set off a ticking time bomb.
* * *
As soon as I get home, I turn on the TV, grab a bottle of water from the fridge, and call Pete to set up some time to meet with him tomorrow. We settle on meeting at two thirty in the afternoon. I flop down on the sofa and stare blankly at the nightly news. All I can think about is how Kelsey made her moves on me tonight. She’s never going to change. It’s about time I take some aggressive steps to get her out of my life. For some reason, the thought of taking her down doesn’t sit well with me. It should, after everything she’s done, but I loved her once, and I don’t hate her. However, I have to stop her.
The next day, I make it back to my office and take the first part of the morning to study all the investments that my dad willed to Kelsey and me. After hours of combing through papers, I stop to rub my eyes. I look around my office. For the first time, the place feels entirely different. I get up out of my seat and walk out to the main work area where the rows of cubicles are set. I smell the coffee, listening to employees confer with each other over matters of work and the sound of fingers typing on keyboards. I smile, impressed by how well the staff has responded to my father’s passing. One day, he said, “This will all be yours.” Truth be told, I feel like it has been mine, at least in my heart, for a long time. I have to fight to keep it all intact. I look at my watch. It’s almost two o’clock.
I rush back to my office, grab my coat and hat, and race out. Vikki has already given Chip his walking papers, so I to tell Kristin, the receptionist, that I’ll be back as I pass her desk.
“Sure thing, Nolan,” she says right before the door closes behind me.
I get into my car and start it up. A call comes through the panel. It’s Pete. I answer it.
“I’m on my way,” I say as I back out of my parking space.
“Great deal. By the way, I’ve got some fantastic news for you.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here. It’s too good to share o
ver the phone.”
Fifth Avenue is crowded, so I turn down Seventh Street, which is a smoother go.
“Then I’ll see you shortly,” I say and end the call.
I continue to drive a mile up the street before a red light brings my happy travels to a stop. I happen to look left at the country club parking lot. A navy-blue Mercedes catches my eye. There’s something familiar about it. The light turns green, and I have a fraction of a second to make a decision. I turn into the parking lot, pull up next to the car, and get out to inspect it. What in the world is Kelsey doing here?
This is not just any country club. This is where important businessmen come to eat steak and make deals. As a matter of fact, they know me very well around these parts. I walk into the club restaurant and stop at the hostess booth.
“Welcome, Mr. Patrick. Where would you like to sit today?” the host asks.
I glance across the largely empty dining room. A row of tables lines a large set of south-facing windows. One table is occupied by three people, including Kelsey. Two men are with her, and by the looks of their gray suits, they’re either bankers or attorneys.
“Is everything okay, Mr. Patrick?” the host asks.
It occurs to me that I know this kid. His name is Nate, and he’s seen me here before with Kelsey. I figure I have two choices. I can storm over there and try to figure out what in the hell is going on, or I can walk out and head to Pete’s office to hear his “good news.” I choose the first option.
I stroll across the floor. The three of them are engrossed in conversation. When I’m about ten feet away, one of the gentlemen looks up. Kelsey follows suit.
She looks surprised. “Nolan?”
“Kelsey.” My tone is as cold as my expression. I turn to the guy on my left. “Who might you be?”
He looks at the other guy as if he needs permission to answer. “Dean Schimick, um, corporate lending.”
“That corporate loan must be pretty large to require a meeting here.”
The Sexy Boss - Sedition: Book Two Page 9