by Nicki Night
Alana was used to seeing woman pine after him—especially once she started attending his races. However, those women didn’t have the history that he and Jade shared. None of them seemed threatening. Alana thought about his home in the French countryside. Jade had been the only other woman he’d brought there—so he said.
“Alana.”
“Huh?”
“I asked if you wanted me to make you a cup of coffee.”
“Oh. Sure.” Her thoughts had drowned him out.
Alana huffed when she knew Drew had reached downstairs. She hated to be so affected. Drew had introduced her as his girlfriend. Although they’d been dating exclusively for a few months now, they had never put a label on what was happening between them.
Alana finished dressing for work, grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. The nutty aroma of her favorite hazelnut coffee met her halfway down. Drew had placed two boiled eggs and a slice of wheat toast on the table with a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. His proclivity to take care of every need had become natural. That made her feel extra special—a feeling that had been absent during her previous relationships.
Alana sat at the table. Drew joined her with a napkin and his own cup of coffee.
“So, I’m your girlfriend, now?” She tried to spark their usual banter to restore their sense of normalcy.
“Did that surprise you?”
“Not really. It’s just that we never really put a label on what we were doing here. It was just interesting to hear.”
“I know. It was interesting to hear, even though I’m the one who said it.” Drew sipped his coffee. “It’s the only label that makes sense now. I’ve honestly never been this way with any other woman.”
She wanted to ask about Jade but kept the words behind her lips. “Really?” she asked instead. “Then why me?” She bit into her toast.
“Want to know the truth?”
Alana put her fork down. “Yes.”
“Well—” Drew paused, making Alana squirm in anticipation “—I just feel like it is supposed to be you.” Her breath caught. Drew continued. “I knew I had to reshape your perspective of me. I wasn’t serious back when we first started dating and I made some bad decisions. Also, I understood that you had been hurt recently and I wanted to show you that your heart was safe with me. I don’t mind putting in the effort. I enjoy trying to impress you and making you smile.”
Alana couldn’t help but blush. Now, she felt bad for snubbing him last night. “That was sweet.”
“That was the truth.” Drew’s eyes penetrated hers with so much intensity she had to look away.
“What time does your flight leave tonight?” she asked.
“9:25 p.m.”
“What time will you get into Florence?”
“It will be around seven thirty in the morning here, but around twelve thirty there.”
“Good. Then you’ll have time to rest before the media briefs, practice and all of that stuff.”
“Yeah.” Drew kept looking right into Alana’s eyes as he spoke.
“I’ve never been to Italy.” She sat back, avoiding the scrutiny. She felt like he could read her. Alana continued her breakfast even though her appetite was nonexistent.
“We’ll have to arrange a trip sometime soon, when you can get more time. How’s the case going?”
Drew had stopped using Gary’s name when he asked about the case.
“Not much has happened. He’s still a jerk. He refuses to settle and if it goes to trial, we’re going to have to really work on his image. The courts love making examples out of arrogant rich people. If he doesn’t curb his attitude, it could hurt the case. It really does appear that he was provoked by someone looking for a payday.”
Drew didn’t say much in response.
“Why don’t you like him?” she asked.
Drew sighed. He poured some juice and drained the glass. “Things really went awry when he made several advances toward Jade while we were dating. Actually, they ended up having an affair—that’s part of the reason Jade and I broke up. They stayed together for a while after our breakup. Eventually she found out he was a jerk too. From what I recall, they didn’t last very long.”
“Oh!” Alana’s eyes grew wide. “I completely understand now.”
“That’s all behind me, but he’s still a jerk. That’s why I hate the fact that you’re working with him. I’m thinking about taking Jade up on her offer to use the services of her family’s business.”
Alana sat back in her chair hard. “Is that why you asked about Gary? So it could give you leverage when you told me about working with Jade?”
“No, I always ask you about work. I think I can learn a lot from her about this process—especially now that I’m much more serious about transitioning out of racing. Her family’s company is the best in the business.”
Suddenly Alana wasn’t so hungry anymore. “Hey—” she surrendered her hands in the air “—we shouldn’t mix business with the personal. It wouldn’t be fair for you to tell me which clients I can represent. I can’t dictate whom you should hire to manage your brand. If she can get the job done, work with her.” Alana left the kitchen, hoping her true feelings didn’t show. The last thing she wanted was to see Jade and Drew in close proximity again. She was professional and professionals hired those people they felt could do the job. She just wished it wasn’t Jade.
Her train to work wasn’t coming for another forty minutes and the station was only five minutes away, but she needed to get out of house. Alana retrieved a jacket from the closet and picked up her keys.
“Have a safe flight. Call me when you land.” She tried to sound like her ususal cheerful self. She couldn’t hand her heart over to Drew just for him and his ex to trample all over it.
“Alana.”
She turned. Drew touched her arm just as she was about to walk through the front door. He searched her eyes for a moment. She swallowed and looked away.
“Please don’t get upset? There’s nothing going on with Jade and me. I’m not interested in her like that.”
“Anymore...” Alana sighed. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She’d let her attitude get the best of her and hated that it made her respond in such a childish way but couldn’t help but remember that it was Jade who had moved her out of the way years ago and Drew went running back to her.
“I made that mistake a long time ago. I have you now. A lot has changed since then.”
“I know.” She shifted her weight to one leg. “Dealing with exes can be a challenge.”
“I know, but not in this case.” Drew cupped her face in his hands. “You’re ma belle.” He kissed her lips.
Alana huffed then forced a smile. “I’m not crazy about this, but it is business. I get it.”
“And you know where I stand with you,” Drew added.
Alana remained quiet.
“You can trust me.” Drew said.
How can I be sure? Alana sighed, gave him a quick kiss on the lips and headed through the door.
Drew called her one more time. She stopped, turned and gave him a weak smile that she didn’t feel in her heart.
* * *
Work swallowed up most of Alana’s focus and time, leaving little opportunity to mull over Drew’s decision to work with Jade. He’d called several times throughout the morning. When she finally answered she kept the conversation brief and used the excuse of being very busy. By that afternoon, she missed talking to him as much as she usually did.
Alana couldn’t knowingly set herself up for more heartbreak. She wanted to believe Drew was sincere. Her mind wrestled with her heart. She remembered how he made her stomach flutter when he said that he felt like she was supposed to be the one and spoke of how much he enjoyed making her smile. Then she thought about Ja
de and returning to her vow of leaving dating alone for a while. Alana returned her focus to work, a welcome distraction.
The brief she had in her hand made no sense. She’d been reading it for a half hour but had absorbed none of what she read. Finally, she realized it was one of the cases that Cadence had been handling when they split the workload. She headed to Cadence’s office to hand it over.
“Maybe you should go home,” Cadence said the second Alana’s foot hit her door frame.
“Why?” Alana flopped into the chair in front of Cadence’s desk.
“Because you look like you didn’t get any sleep.”
“I didn’t.” After a deep breath, Alana rolled her head back and slumped in the chair.
“Does it have anything to do with the dinner yesterday?”
“I can’t lie. Yes, it does. And there’s more.”
“I couldn’t believe she showed up like that,” Cadence said.
“I can’t believe he’s considering taking her up on her offer to help him with publicity.”
“What?” Cadence knocked her cup over. Fortunately it was empty. “What did you say?”
“What can I say? If he had his way, we wouldn’t be representing Gary. This is business, Cay. I can’t dictate who he should work with, just like he can’t dictate who I represent as an attorney. Drew claims her family’s company is the best in the business. Who wouldn’t want the best?”
“You’ve got a point, but there’s got to be something that can be done. I’ll have Blake talk to him.”
“No, Cadence. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. Besides, he just said he was thinking about it. Nothing has been solidified.”
Cadence grunted. “Why did she have to show up? I wonder if there’s more to the visit than just checking in on Mr. Barrington.”
“My gut tells me yes.”
“Mine too.”
The two sat quietly for a moment, pondering the situation. Cadence stared at Alana.
“What?”
“You’re not going to break up with him because of this, are you?”
Alana turned away.
“Alana.”
“I don’t know. I’ve been here before, Cay. I don’t want to get hurt.”
“You really believe that the same thing will happen?” Cadence sucked her teeth.
Alana stood and put the brief on Cadence’s desk. “I came in here to give this to you.” She turned to walk out. Cadence came around her desk and blocked the door.
“No. Don’t walk out of my office like this.” She closed the door, folded her arms and tapped her foot. “You wouldn’t let me walk out like that and I’m not going to let you do it.”
Alana sucked in a long breath and shook her head.
“Have a seat and let’s talk about this.” Cadence pointed toward the chair and waited for Alana to sit before continuing. “I know how you feel. You know I do because I’ve been where you are and you helped me through.” Cadence sat. “You’ve never been one to give up so easily, so why now? Drew has gone out of his way to prove to you that he truly cares.”
Alana looked down at her fingers. Cadence was right, but she couldn’t risk having her heart crushed again. “What if Jade wants Drew back? What if he wants her? I can’t go through this again. It’s too much.”
“Even his brothers are surprised. Drew hasn’t had a girl over for a family gathering in years. Don’t be unreasonable. He even asked for my help.”
That got Alana’s attention. “Asked for your help for what?”
“To find out what he needed to do to show you that he was serious. I told him to pay attention. A woman loves it when men pay attention. And I know for sure that he’s done a very good job of doing that. If you walk away prematurely, you could miss out on the best relationship you’ve ever had. Drew has done so much to prove himself. He deserves a little trust.”
Alana twisted her lips. That was all she could do, since she couldn’t deny that Cadence was telling the truth. It was easy for her to see the bright side since her heart wasn’t on the proverbial chopping block. This only made her feel more conflicted.
“Pick up the phone and talk to the man when he calls. He’s worried about you.”
“How would you know?” Alana asked, but she already knew the answer. She’d ignored most of Drew’s calls since she arrived at work.
Cadence just smiled. She didn’t have to admit that Drew called her. The smirk on Cadence’s face revealed all Alana needed to know.
Alana promised to think about what her best friend said, but if she moved forward with Drew and their relationship went awry, she would be devastated. Alana wasn’t sure if she was willing to gamble that hard. Walking away now would hurt so much less than losing Drew to Jade a second time.
Chapter 22
Drew arrived in Florence around noon local time. The first thing he did was call Alana to let her know he’d arrived. He crashed when he’d finally filled his stomach at his favorite restaurant. Josephina’s was a quaint mom-and-pop shop on a cobbled street, where he was treated like family despite his limited linguistic abilities. After he downed a healthy helping of freshly made pasta and two glasses of Limoncello, jet lag ushered him into a sleep that felt like it lasted for days.
Drew’s eyes popped open when he heard the phone ring. Disoriented, he adjusted his eyes to the darkness and looked at the clock. It was past midnight. The phone had stopped ringing by the time he reached for it. Drew swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes. Wading through the dark, he made it to the bathroom and remembered he was in Italy. Back in the bedroom, he checked his cell phone for the date and time. The haze was clearing.
Now that he was much more coherent, he swiped his cell to dial Alana’s number, but Jade’s call came through first.
“Hello.”
“Hey there. I’m calling so we can talk about what you’d like to do. I put something together that I think you’ll like.”
“Jade?”
“Of course. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what I sound like on the phone.”
“No, I just woke up.”
“Woke up? It’s just after seven.”
“I’m overseas. It’s after midnight here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to wake you.”
“It’s no problem. Tell me about what you put together.”
“Yes, okay.” Jade’s excitement was evident. She went on to propose two paths that he could take for life beyond the track, which included broadcasting. She’d already reached out to a few contacts who would love to meet with him.
“That sounds amazing.” Her plans excited Drew. He could see the possibilities.
Jade explained that they worked with both companies and individuals to help them establish, shape, recreate and manage their professional brands, as well as doing PR work and providing other services. “Since I joined the company a few years ago, we’ve been very successful helping a few of our clients navigate some very dynamic career shifts. I could easily see you in television, whether you go into sports as a broadcaster or TV personality or as a spokesperson or something else along those lines. I can email you what I proposed and when you get back to the States, we can meet and discuss it in further detail.”
“That sounds great.”
“When will you be home?”
“Next Tuesday.”
“Okay, let me check my calendar.” Jade quieted for a moment. “How about we do dinner that Wednesday? We can review the proposal. I can answer any questions you have and then we can catch up.”
“Yeah, sure.” Drew was all for reviewing the proposal but not that interested in the catching-up part. “How about we meet at your office?”
“My schedule is booked. Wednesday evening is the only day I’m free and I’d love to g
et started on this ASAP.”
Drew hesitated a moment. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
“Great. It’s in my calendar. How’s the racing world treating you? I see you’ve changed teams.”
“Yes. How’d you know?”
“I check you out every now and then.”
Drew wondered why since she was the one who left him for a person he couldn’t stand.
“That’s interesting and a little unexpected.”
“How so?”
“It doesn’t really matter.”
“You haven’t thought about me since we broke up?” Jade sounded disappointed.
Drew got up from the bed. This conversation was going in a direction that he wasn’t interested in heading toward. He slipped on a pair of lounge pants and adjusted the room temperature. “At times, when I’m reminded of some things.”
“Like what?”
“Like the reason for the breakup.”
“Oh.” She didn’t have much to say. A few beats thumped by. “I’d love to get past that.”
“We did. It’s now in the past.” Drew heard Jade clear her throat. He’d reached the kitchen of his hotel suite and searched the mini fridge for a bottle of water.
“Do you still have that little chateau in France?”
“Yes, I do. In fact, Alana and I spent some time there a few weeks ago. You remember my girlfriend, Alana. She was at my parents’ house when you stopped by on Sunday.” Drew knew Jade didn’t need reminding. Jade knew who Alana was when she came back to reclaim him years ago. He still regretted falling for Jade a second time.
After a while, she finally responded. “Yes. She’s pretty.” Jade giggled. “I think it’s interesting that you actually went back to her.”
“Thanks. I think so too.”
“Been together long?” Jade sounded hesitant. Drew wondered if she was sizing up what she thought was competition.
“We recently got back together.”
“Interesting.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Our situation.”
Drew pulled the phone away from his face, looked at it and placed it back to his ear. Was that a dig? “If you could email me the proposal by Sunday night, that would be great.” Drew didn’t want to play this game with Jade.