She shakes her head once, standing to her feet. “Don’t pretend to be in denial. You have an attraction to her. She’s young and beautiful. I know what it’s like to be a young single mother. If you don’t want more than a few romps in bed, don’t even go there, no matter how much you both want to. It will not end up happy for anyone.”
I blink, unused to Julie being so frank about anything other than work. We’ve never discussed anything personal. I know that she’s married and has three children. But that’s about it. She probably knows more about my personal life than I do hers.
“Your divorce is just in the beginning stages. Don’t add more to your plate by getting involved with anyone, not for a while at least. Let the dust settle.”
Her advice is sound. I would give it to anyone I know going through a divorce. I have given it before to other colleagues and friends. However, not only does it not apply because nothing will happen between me and Tennessee, but Susan and I haven’t had a real marriage in years. I can’t even remember what she looks like nude anymore, it’s been so long.
“Thank you, Julie. For the good advice,” I murmur.
“You won’t follow it, nobody ever does,” she sighs as she stands to her feet.
Chuckling, I take a step toward her and another until I’m following behind her and walking her toward the elevator. She hitches her purse over her shoulder, her gaze finding mine as she turns around in the elevator car.
“I won’t say anything else about it, not a single thing. But just don’t hurt her. She seems like a sweet, smart girl.”
The elevator doors close and I am left staring at the silver panels. Turning away, I shake my head as I make my way into my office. I have a couple hours of work left before I need to meet up with my trainer for a night boxing session.
I decided at the last minute to set up an extra session tonight. I can feel the pressure and stress fill me after the past few days’ events. Before I can even open my current contract to read, my computer alerts me to a new email.
It’s from my attorney. With a grunt, I open it, knowing that it is going to be some kind of bullshit demand from Susan. I have no doubt that this divorce is going to be ugly, messy, and expensive. If I thought I could just buy her off, I would, but she doesn’t just want money. She wants to keep her status and she won’t if I’m not her husband.
So, instead, I’m going to have to deal with her bullshit.
The message from my attorney is simply stated. He’s no bullshit, which I like.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: August 22, 2020
Subject: Divorce Proceedings Astor
Astor-
Attached is the response from Susan’s attorney. This will be a battle.
-Bash
The response is exactly what I had imagined. She wants the entire house, her car, half of the business including the building, and she wants to have a position on the board. As if I’m going to allow her to make any business decisions, ever.
She doesn’t even know that the board, is made up of me and only me. Astor Investments is a sole-proprietorship and does not have a board, there are no shares. This is all in my control as of now. Maybe later I’ll convert it so that it can be divided evenly among the kids, but for now this is how it’s set up.
I let out a groan, then pick up the phone to call Bash and talk to him in person.
“Thought you’d be calling,” he says on a chuckle.
“Thoughts?” I ask as I lean back in my chair.
There’s a moment of silence and I wait for him to speak. He’ll give me the truth, whatever the case, good or bad. He will tell me what he thinks, not only his professional opinion, but his personal one as well.
“She won’t stop until she gets what she wants. That’s my thought. Also, you can’t let her have any control of your company. We’ll just have to negotiate. Do you want the house?”
“No, I haven’t lived there in years.”
He grunts. “What do you want me to counter with? She most likely will not agree and then we will head to mediation.”
“I’m sure that we will,” I murmur. “Agree that she can have the house, the car, and the vacation house on the coast in Rockport, along with cash.”
“Do you want to give her an amount?”
I think about the question, then decide against it. “No, she’ll want mediation. I’ll specify there.”
“I’ll reply this evening, and Landry?” I don’t speak, waiting for him to go ahead with what he is going to tell me. “You’re doing what’s right and what’s best for you. Just remember that.”
“Thanks Bash.”
I end the call, but his words mean more to me than he could ever know. I have struggled with this, not because I am in love with Susan anymore, but because of the love I once had for her and the love I have for our children.
They may be adults, but that doesn’t mean that this won’t leave them unaffected. They will be affected by this, no matter what, it will happen and I have never wanted my children to feel any type of pain, not ever.
Chapter Nine
TENNESSEE
“Tell me everything,” Bethie snaps right before she shoves a forkful of grilled chicken breast and green lettuce in her mouth.
“About?” I ask, picking up the croissant sandwich off of my plate.
The little café we walked to is absolutely adorable. There are soups, salads, and sandwiches along with daily specials and breakfast until closing. I can’t wait to come back and try everything on the menu. Today I settled with a chicken cranberry salad croissant.
“Your first day with Mr. Astor, what is he really like?”
“You’re going to tell me about Laurent, right?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
She presses her lips together, her fork suspended in the air as her eyes widen. “Perhaps…”
I snort. “Perhaps?”
I really want to know what’s going on with them. Not because I’m jealous, but because he keeps hitting on me like he’s single. She shoves another bite of food in her mouth, chewing as she rolls her eyes to the ceiling, then brings them back to meet mine.
“We’re just friends…”
Arching a brow, I sit back and stare at her, the look of disbelief no doubt apparent on my face. She shrugs a shoulder, taking another bite of food before she inhales through her nose and sits back. I watch as she swallows and then she finally speaks.
“I like him. I’ve liked him. He’s a player, but I’m still attracted to him. I know he’s with other people, I know I’m just the cute girl behind the reception desk that’s easy. I know it all, but I can’t stop.”
“He’s hit on me,” I whisper. “He’s not my type and with Holden, I don’t date, but I wanted to let you know. I’ve turned him down every time he’s asked me to dinner.”
Bethie’s eyes widen, and they fill with unshed tears. I watch as she swallows them down, then nods. “I know he has and I know he’ll continue. I wouldn’t even be mad if you went out with him. He’s damn persistent.”
Reaching across the table, I take her hand in mine. Squeezing her, I shake my head. “Never, Bethie. I’m serious when I say that I’m not interested in dating anyone. I don’t do casual. I don’t do any kind of relationship no matter what it is.”
A look of relief crosses her face. I’m not sure if she even realizes it, but it’s there and I can’t help but squeeze her hand one more time in a show of comfort before I go back to my sandwich. She clears her throat, then a mischievous smile curves up on her lips.
“Tell me about Daddy Landry,” she coos, wagging her brows.
I can’t help myself, I didn’t expect her to say that, I burst out laughing, which turns to a giggle as I attempt to compose myself.
“How do you work with him all day? He’s hot as hell,” she states.
Nodding, I look down at my plate, then lift my eyes up to meet her. “He is. He’s ver
y nice. He’s been really great.”
“Nothing sexy happening up there?”
I shake my head. “Just enjoying the view.”
“What a view, like father like son. Hot, hot, hot.” She laughs.
We spend the rest of the lunch hour chatting and getting to know one another a little better. I tell her how I was raised by a single mother and she tells me about how her parents are still married, but live in Horseshoe Bay in the Hill Country.
“You’ll come for Christmas if you don’t go home to Oklahoma,” she states. “My mom does a big Christmas thing and I’m always stuck in the kitchen and bored as hell because their friends are lame.”
“So you want me to be bored too?” I ask.
“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
We pay the bill, then leave when we have ten minutes left. Walking back to the office building, I wonder if this is what I was always meant for. This building, this life, this city. I’ve already met a new friend, my boss is fantastic, and the company that I work for just seems way too good to be true.
Making my way back into the office, I look toward the childcare center. “Go and spy on him, just one little glance in person won’t hurt, you have time,” Bethie urges.
“I shouldn’t. I don’t want to make it a habit, I may not be able to go and actually look at him every day.”
“He doesn’t have to see you, just a little peek.”
Licking my bottom lip, I sink my teeth into the center, then nod. I don’t know why but looking at him in person is so much different than spying in on him using the app. Looking over to her, I mouth a thanks and hurry toward the childcare center. The woman behind the front desk greets me with a smile and a soft laugh.
“Is there a way I can just peek in on him?” I ask, my voice nothing short of pleading.
She nods her head once, then shows me where the kids are. “He should be eating lunch. They’re usually far too distracted by their food and chatting to notice anyone else around.”
Opening the door just enough to fit my head in, I look around and I find Holden’s little blond head almost immediately.
He’s sitting next to a little girl and holding up a fruit snack as his mouth moves and I assume he’s talking to her. He has one eye closed as he focuses on his snack. The girl’s little brown ponytail moves up and down a few times as she nods, then Holden holds out the snack for her. She takes it and a huge victorious smile appears on his lips.
My heart flips and then an instant later I feel guilty. He’s growing up too quickly. Sharing his snacks with girls, talking with them at lunch. It’s happening right before my eyes and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Nothing at all.
Wiping a tear from my eye, I stand and turn around. Without a word, I hurry past the woman at the front counter and then toward the elevators. More tears fall from my eyes and I hate that I’m crying at work. I hate that I’m crying at all. I shouldn’t be.
Holden is growing up, he’s inching closer and closer toward three every day. I don’t know if I can handle it. If I can handle him growing up. What happens when he doesn’t need me anymore? My entire body fills with panic at the thought of him going away and never coming back.
It’s all irrational, just fears that flow through me. Like I’m in a trance, I step off of the elevator and make my way toward my makeshift desk around the corner. Sinking down into the small chair, I place my purse on the table and stare off into space.
LANDRY
Coming back from lunch, I’m surprised to see Tennessee just sitting at her desk staring off into space. She’s only been here for a few days, but she’s a diligent worker. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her just sit at her desk. She is always asking for a task, working on something ahead of time, or filing.
I think about leaving her be, but ultimately, I decide against it. I can feel that something isn’t right and for a reason I’m not willing to allow myself to think, I just do. Walking over to her, I stop next to her. Crouching down, I reach out and touch the side of her arm.
“Tennessee?”
Her entire body jerks and she turns her head, looking down at me in a daze before she shakes her head once.
“Landry?” she breathes.
Fuck.
The way she says my name like that, my cock instantly hardens beneath my slacks. Clearing my throat, I slide my hand down her arm, wrapping my fingers around her forearm and squeezing.
“Tennessee?”
“Holden is growing up,” she whispers, right before a tear trickles down her cheek.
I press my lips together, trying not to laugh. Standing, I tug her up by her wrist and behind me, guiding her toward my office. Shifting her around to the sofa I release her wrist, dipping my chin down in a silent suggestion to sit.
She does, still in her daze and I can’t help but let out a small chuckle as I sit down next to her.
“How old is he?” I ask, even though I know the answer.
“He’s two, he’s practically an adult,” she wheezes.
My shoulders shake and she looks at me as if I’m a monster. “Tennessee,” I say, keeping my voice low and even. “You have sixteen years with him at home still.”
“That’s not long enough,” she whimpers as her tears begin to fall down her cheeks.
Lifting my hands, I cup her face, using my thumbs to wipe her tears from the apples of her cheeks. “Honey,” I rasp. “Even after he is eighteen, he will still need you.”
“Will he though? What if he leaves me and never comes back?”
I hum, shaking my head a couple of times. “Laurent, Lawrence, and Lucinda have never left me. They need my guidance as their father and they always will.”
Tennessee sniffles, then she lifts her big green eyes to meet mine. “All of your kids have L names?” she asks.
My lips twitch up into a grin. “They do.”
“Why?”
I think about sending her back to her desk, but she needs a distraction and although I can think of a much better one, one that involves her mouth and my cock, I decide to explain to her the reasoning why my children are named the names they are.
“Laurent was my grandfather’s name. I think my name is a play off of it, but my parents never really said one way or the other. Then when Lawrence was born, Susan was so sure that he was a girl, she didn’t have a name picked out, so she decided at the last minute to name him after her grandfather, Lawrence. By the time Lucinda came around, it felt wrong to give her anything other than an L name.”
“I like that. They’re all family names, well except Lucinda, I guess?”
Shaking my head, I let my palms fall from her cheeks now that her tears are no longer flowing and I take her hands in mine. I feel like I need to touch her, like I need to have some part of her body against my own.
“Lucinda was named after my governess from childhood. She was like a mother to me.”
“I love that,” she whispers.
Clearing my throat, I can’t look away from her shining green eyes. Her lips are puffy from crying and I want to take them with my own. I want to kiss her, to fuck her mouth with my tongue, then my dick. I want every part of her.
“I should get back to work. I feel really stupid.”
Shaking my head, I release her hands. I’m unable to stand, my cock achingly hard as I’ve thought about taking every part of her body in this short ten minutes we’ve been in my office. “Take a moment to gather yourself. There isn’t any rush.”
“Tenny,” she murmurs.
“Tenny?”
“You said that I could call you Landry, and I want you to call me Tenny. Nobody uses my full name, it’s a little silly, isn’t it?”
Tilting my head to the side, I watch her for a moment. “It’s not silly at all. I think it’s beautiful and it fits you.”
“Beautiful?” she asks, her lips parting in awe.
Fuck.
I need her out of my office, fast.
“Gorgeous,” I mutter.
She gasps, then leans forward and her tongue touches my bottom lip. We both let out a groan. And I try to push away, but I don’t. Instead, my tongue slips from my mouth and invades hers. Both of us moan simultaneously.
Then there is a loud knock on my office door. We both pull away from each other, our panting breaths filling the room as we stare at one another. The door opens and I hear Julie’s voice. Standing, I hurry behind my desk, hoping to hide the evidence of my hard-as-nails cock.
“Thank you, Tennessee. Come back after my last meeting, I have some things that I need you to do this afternoon?”
She stands, clearing her throat. “Yes, Landry.”
I watch her sweet ass sway as she walks away from me. Julie is standing next to the door, her brow lifted as she stares at me. I don’t say a fucking word, instead, I get right to business, refusing to address the elephant in the room, or my hard dick.
Chapter Ten
LANDRY
Lawrence watches me from across the table. Tennessee made reservations, flawlessly, although calling a restaurant and booking a table with a time isn’t a particularly difficult task, there are people who can’t quite do it.
“Tell me about your assistant,” Lawrence drawls.
Lifting my gaze from my avocado BLT, I grimace. I can’t help it. After yesterday, consoling her and then kissing her, there is something there. There is something building that shouldn’t be. It’s so fucking wrong, but it feels so damn right at the same time.
“She’s just graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in finance and has moved from Tulsa to Dallas. She needed a foot in the door, your mother used to be friends with hers when she was young.”
“Oh god, I can only imagine.” Lawrence chuckles.
Hypocritically Yours: A Standalone Age-Gap Romance Page 7