Of course, he doesn't know the truth.
"Graphic design," Adrian echoes, bringing the conversation back to safer waters. "So, how do you like my cover art?"
Maddy bites her lip slightly. "Who does it?"
"Uh oh." Adrian laughs a little. "Well, the first one, I had done by a guy at the office. But I've just tweaked that basic concept myself for all the subsequent ones."
"I mean, I like them," Maddy says. "Don't get me wrong. I just...well, especially that last one - I think you could do better."
"I'm listening," says Adrian, getting a refill on his punch.
***
"...so ideally, you want your author name visible from space," Maddy's saying, as Adrian watches her with rapt attention.
"Conrad, this is my wife. Maddy." Daniel has appeared out of nowhere, and he's got the old man hovering behind him.
"Oh, it's lovely to meet you." Maddy has the "billionaire's wife" act down. She knows exactly how to sound pleasant to overprivileged strangers, how to carry herself, and how to blend in with these people. It's a skill Meg will probably never learn, which is just fine by Adrian. He loves her for it. But it's interesting to see how a girl-next-door - and a bit of an awkward one, at that - can play at being a socialite.
Because awkward she is, adorably so, but awkward. It's not hard to see why a man like Daniel would be drawn to her. She's not going to drag him out partying every night, like most trophy wives would do. She's pretty like the girl next door, down-to-earth, and soft. Yes - soft. Her hair, her eyes, her smile, even her figure - although she's not quite Adrian's type, she's no stick figure either. He's seen blurry snapshots in bad tabloids before, but he didn't really get a sense of her before now. She's not what he expected.
Conrad steps forward and claps Adrian on the shoulder. "Adrian Risinger. So glad you could come. Didn't expect it, to be honest. My Stephanie, she loves your books."
"Thank you," says Adrian, wondering who the hell Stephanie is.
"I don't go in for that sort of thing, myself," Conrad guffaws. "Romance novels - pfft. But I've glanced at them once or twice. You've got some real talent. You ought to write real books, you know that?"
There's a moment where no one knows quite what to say.
"I...real books?" Adrian echoes, a laugh lurking in the back of his tone even as he squares his shoulders, clenches his fists slightly. "Sorry?"
"You know!" Conrad has the overall bearing of a man who's not used to being misunderstood. "Real books. Books a man would write."
"Like...Tom Clancy?" says Maddy, quietly.
"No, no, no!" Conrad waves a hand in her direction, like she's a pesky fly. "Dickens. Hemingway. You know. Real men's books."
"Right," says Adrian. "My hand to God, the next thing I write will rival The Sun Also Rises."
Conrad laughs, and claps him on the shoulder again. "That's m'boy."
He wanders off, leaving the trio in his wake.
"Good God, that was unpleasant." Daniel looks ready to crawl out of his skin, and Adrian feels the same, although he's pretty sure he hides it better.
Maddy watches their host walk away. "Do you think he realizes what The Sun Also Rises is actually about?"
"Definitely not," Adrian supplies. "That man has never read a book in his life, and he's probably never watched a movie that's not produced by Vivid Entertainment. And only then, to pick one of his future wives."
"Stephanie is his niece, actually, I think," says Daniel. "Well - one of them. He might've had a wife named Stephanie, too."
"What is it with billionaires and porn stars?" Maddy crosses her arms, staring at her husband.
"Why are you looking at me?" Daniel's eyes widen slightly. "It was one time. I didn't marry her."
Who? Adrian mouths, when Maddy rolls her eyes and turns away in disgust.
Stoya, Daniel mouths.
Adrian's eyes widen.
***
"To be honest, I'm more jealous than anything." Maddy sets her glass of punch down on the end-table with legs shaped like a tiger's. "Not of...not of her. Obviously. I mean, of the whole thing. Can you imagine? Princesses? More than one? At the same time? Stoya? He had this incredible life before he met me." She sighs heavily. "He got to live. Me, I...hell. I'm not even positive any of the guys I slept with before Daniel gave me an orgasm."
"You're not positive?" Jenna trills, setting her own glass down, unsteadily. "Are you sure you've ever had one?"
"Of course!" Maddy protests. "I just...I don't know, do you ever get so wrapped up in your own fakes that you can't even tell what's real anymore?"
"No," says Meg, drawing out the word slowly. "I can't...I can't say that's happened to me."
"You never faked it with him, did you?" Jenna stares, wide-eyed.
"Of course not." Maddy is irritated. "You're not listening to me. He never...I didn't...I never needed to...he knows what he's doing, okay? You don't pull Stoya by being clumsy in bed. Okay? Everybody knows that."
"But she wouldn't have known until she...okay. Okay, honey. I know." Jenna reaches over and pats her arm. "He's just...he's just the greatest."
"Thank you." Maddy stares at her. "Just because you got the one who's all...happy go lucky, and funny...and...and you think..."
"Hey," Meg cuts in, as she feels the tension in the room thicken slightly. "So, I heard you're going to be on the next American Horror Story?"
"Yeah," says Jenna, smiling a little. "I'm not allowed to talk about it, though."
Meg nibbles on her lower lip. "Blink once for yes, twice for no."
"I can't."
"Evan Peters?"
"I'm not playing this game, sorry." Jenna glances back at Maddy. "What are you talking about? What do I think, exactly?"
"You think you're so..." Maddy stares into her drink.
"Sarah Paulson? Please say yes." Meg clasps her hands together.
"I can't." Jenna glances at her briefly, then back to Maddy. "What?"
"Ben already apologized," Meg blurts out.
The room is silent for a moment.
"What?" Jenna frowns. "He told you that?"
"No. Adrian did. But I wasn't supposed to say that." Meg frowns. "Shit. Listen - Ben already said he was sorry, like a thousand times. He begged for forgiveness, but Daniel said no. That's what's going on. That's what he didn't want to tell you, so he acted all cool about it. I guess. This is all secondhand...I don't even know what's going on. He doesn't know what to tell you, and he's scared he's actually going to lose his friend over something stupid that happened years ago. Ben swore Adrian to secrecy. Seriously, please don't tell."
Jenna blinks. "You know I have to say something, right?"
Meg nods miserably. "I know. Just...try to leave my name out of it."
"I cannot believe this," Jenna hisses, jumping out of her seat. "Maddy, come on. We have to fix this. They're both acting like children."
Chapter Four
The women return to the main ballroom, Jenna leading the pack.
Just then, one last guest arrives.
The group falls silent as a tall, elegant woman - unmistakably a relative of Daniel Thorne's - strides into the room like she owns the place.
"All right, Danny," she says, going straight for the man who cringes at the sound of the nickname. "Let's stop this, okay?"
"You called her?" Daniel snaps, glaring at Ben. His friend just shrugs.
"You wouldn't listen to reason," he says. "I figured maybe she could talk some sense into you."
"I'm being completely sensible," Daniel protests. "And I've told you, once again, I really don't care. I just don't want to talk about it anymore."
"That's not even remotely what he told me!" Ben protests, to no one in particular. "He told me he wouldn't forgive me for it. It's not even his job to forgive me. I didn't do anything wrong. Seriously, who says that?"
Conrad glides over. "Normally I don't let guests invite their friends to my party, but I have to say..."
"Shut it." Lindse
y puts up her hand in a gesture that allows no protest. "This doesn't concern you. But I'll say, on behalf of everyone here, thank you for the lovely evening."
Meg is staring like she's just discovered her new deity.
"Honestly, I understand where you're coming from..." Adrian says, hesitantly. "But...you know...really, don't you think it's something to just...let go?"
"Let go?" Daniel echoes. "You think I'm upset that he slept with my sister? It's not about that. It's never about just one thing, with him. He always has to rub it in my face. He always has to do one better, keep me on my toes. Remind me of my place. I'm sick of it. Just because you can smile and sweet-talk your way into bed with..." He stops and shudders slightly. "It doesn't make you a better person."
"I never said it did, man!" Ben takes a step back. "You've got an inferiority complex, and I really am sorry about what they said in the papers, but you can't keep acting like it's my fault that you are the way you are. And you can't keep acting like I'm taking something away from you by just being me. Need I remind you, you have always done better than I have. With business, with women, with people in general."
Daniel is silent for a long moment. Finally, he speaks. "You still didn't have to sleep with my sister."
Lindsey throws her hands up in the air. "Oh, my God. I can't believe we're really still talking about this. It wasn't even that good."
Ben's head whips around to face her. "I'm sorry?"
"Oh, come on." Lindsey rolls her eyes at him. "You fell asleep in the middle of it. Honestly, I don't even think it should count."
Slowly, Ben's face starts to redden. Jenna's mouth twitches, her eyes lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning. And Daniel -
Daniel starts laughing.
"Oh, for crying out loud." Lindsey claps him on the shoulder. "Is that all it takes? You just needed to hear me say that it sucked? Well, it did. I can go into more detail if you like."
"Please don't." But Daniel's still smiling when he says it. "Ben, I'm even more fucking pissed off than I was before. You defiled my sister, and you couldn't even be bothered to show her a good time?"
"Sorry," Ben mutters, his face the same color as his festive red Christmas tie. "I did try. I think."
"Shut up," Jenna advises, snickering. "Put down the shovel and walk away, honey, before you dig yourself another hole."
Lindsey smiles at her. "I feel like I should apologize, for some reason."
"Don't. It's ancient history." Jenna smiles back. "For the record, he's gotten a lot better."
"Holy shit, can we please stop talking about this?" Ben snaps at her. "God damn it. I didn't come here to have my sexual prowess dissected."
Adrian nudges Maddy with his elbow. "Popcorn?"
She raises an eyebrow. "Do you have any?"
He grins. "It just seemed like the thing to say. Go back to your husband before he shoots me another one of those looks."
"I don't know what you're talking about," says Maddy, breezily. "But that's probably a good idea."
Meg sidles over as Maddy disappears, kissing her husband on the cheek. "Did you pick up some good graphic design tips?"
"I sure did," Adrian says. "Also, you don't have to make any comments, I'm more terrified of her husband than I could possibly be of you."
"You say that now, but I know where you sleep. And I'm a lot smarter than Lorena Bobbit. The police will never find it."
"Love you too, babe."
Daniel and Ben are reconciling, more or less.
"I really am sorry about all that shit," Ben says. "It doesn't matter, you know. None of it matters. They can put whatever label they want on it, but you're still just you."
"That's sweet," Conrad chortles. "Can I expect an invitation for the wedding?"
Meg is the first to speak. "You know, speaking as somebody who married the worst person I've ever met, you are really obnoxious."
For a moment, you could hear a pin drop.
Then, Conrad starts to laugh.
"I like you," he says, grinning. "You want to buy a house?"
"No," she says, a little louder, a little bolder. "Nobody wants to buy your house."
"I think it's kind of cool," says one of the blonde waifs who was tailing Jenna around earlier.
One of the male guests perks up his head in interest.
"Oh, man," Meg says, in hushed, awed tones. "I think that guy is really thinking about buying a house just to get his dick wet."
Ben's still tie-colored. "I can't believe we just aired our dirty laundry in front of strangers."
"Not strangers anymore," Conrad points out. "And really, this was nothing. I was hoping this party would end with at least a few of the guests swimming naked in the fountain, like last year." He looks wistfully at Jenna, and Ben turns red for a completely different reason.
"Did that really happen?" Maddy asks him. "In December? Here?"
"Oh, yes," Conrad nods. "They were very drunk."
"Watch yourself," Ben warns him.
"Please," says Conrad. "I'm just a harmless old man."
Ben's eyes narrow as he watches him leave.
"Really, it was just you airing your dirty laundry," Jenna points out, brushing some imaginary lint off of his collar. "You're certainly the only one who seems embarrassed by it."
"I'm a little embarrassed," Lindsey cuts in. "I just hide it well."
Meg sighs a little. "I can't believe all the drama's over already. Can you all get into an argument about whose wife is the prettiest?"
Maddy shakes her head. "No controversy. Everyone will have to stand up for their own, of course, and nobody's going to be offended by that. We need something juicier."
"I suppose you're right," Ben muses. "Although - let's be real, here - I married an actress."
Adrian bristles, turning to face him.
"I don't particularly like your implication."
"Um..." Meg touches her husband's arm. "I think it's time for us to leave, huh? You've got that...that thing in the morning..."
"But I have to defend your honor," he insists. "It's a Christmas party tradition."
"Apparently, the tradition is swimming naked in the fountain." Daniel has reappeared from thin air, as is his wont. "But I don't recommend that."
"Hey, what are you afraid of?" Meg teases, gently. "This is a post-Seinfeld world. We all know about shrinkage now."
"I'm actually afraid of losing body parts to frostbite. It's not vanity." Daniel frowns. "Although, look...if we're going to have that discussion..."
Everyone left in the room is staring at them.
"I think we should leave," says Adrian, finally. "And this conversation should definitely die in this room."
Daniel smirks.
"Chicken."
Endnote
This isn't quite the story I intended to write for the holidays, but I'm glad I did.
Here, I finally took the opportunity to deal with something I have been dancing around in my writing for a long time. It was something I hesitated to do, because I felt that by diagnosing my characters I made the story about An Issue, instead of about people. It is very, very hard to represent someone lovingly and with all of their human complexities when so many will be tempted to reduce them to a label.
I don't seek to slap a label on Daniel Thorne, but I think he deserves a more honest look at what goes on inside his head - how sometimes just coexisting with other people feelings like walking across broken glass, and that's not his fault. It's not anyone's fault.
Daniel and Maddy are anxious, awkward, odd people. And they found each other. They found love. They found a way to be happy, to find a sort of peace from the incessant what ifs and I wish I hadn'ts. I no longer feel the need to apologize for their imperfections. They're not the characters I would choose to write today, if I were starting now; but they are important.
Because yes, Daniel is odd. He is also brilliant, witty, thoughtful, devoted. Maddy is awkward, anxious. She is also driven, talented, insightful, determined. H
er compassion is often a source of conflict, as she feels Daniel's pain so acutely that she struggles to process it, and tries (too hard, sometimes) to pull him out of it. This is a conflict that will always exist between them, I think - a push and pull, because for all Daniel's love he cannot change the way he is. And neither can she.
I didn't want to write a story about Issues, but issues crept in. I hope it made you smile, and maybe made you think a little bit about the only gift that really matters - the gift of love and understanding.
- M
About the Author
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this book, you'll love Meg and Adrian's story:
HIS SECRETARY: UNDONE
I'm about to throw an ashtray at my boss's head.
Turns out, the mind behind my favorite, steamy romance novels...the ones I only read in private...the ones that are my only escape after a long day of dealing with The Boss From Hell? It's not Natalie McBride, the sweet, rural housewife.
It's him.
That's right: my boss, Adrian Risinger, the thirty-three-year-old, maddeningly sexy, pissant billionaire "bad boy" who thinks he runs my life. He is also the author of all my deepest, most secret fantasies. And to make matters worse, he needs me to impersonate "Natalie" at a series of book signings and conventions. But, of course, that's only if I want to keep my job.
On second thought, I'm going to need something heavier than an ashtray.
Read it now!
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A Very Merry Billionaire Christmas (Special Edition Holiday Novella) Page 3