“All I can tell you is that it will all be over soon, Alex.” As I left to get my coffee, my smartphone setting on the dining table rang. “Hello, Alex?”
“Yes, speaking.”
“Don’t you recognize my voice? It’s Josh.”
“Oh my God, Josh. Where are you?”
“I’m in Seattle. I flew in last night.”
“Josh, I’ve missed you so much.” I almost forgot about Blake until he stood and waved at me and gestured for me to continue talking on the phone. He mouthed that he would keep in touch. I blew him a kiss and he caught it and put it next to his heart. Blake let himself out and got into his Dodge truck and left as Josh rambled on about how he missed me and Crystal.
“How about if I drive over and take my favorite girls out to dinner?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Crystal has been going through something lately.”
“She’s not pregnant, is she?”
“Why would that cross your mind?”
“I wouldn’t mine being a father.”
“Oh please, Josh, let’s not talk about that now.”
“When? Where is Crystal and why hasn’t she answered my calls?” A long silence came between us.
“I’ll see you tonight at your apartment,” I said, hurrying him off the phone.
“Make sure you bring Crystal here, because there is something I need to tell her.”
“She has a job, you know. I can’t guarantee anything.”
We said good-bye and I knocked on Crystal’s door. “Come in.”
Crystal lay draped across her bed. The room was a mess—dirty clothes thrown across chairs and on the floor surrounding the bed, day-old Chinese takeout, and drinks on trays had the room smelling like a dead rat.
“How can you sleep in here like that?”
“I’m depressed.”
“Have you gone to work?”
“No, I called in sick for a few days.”
“You have to get yourself together because Josh is here.”
“Here?” Her eyes widened and she stuck her head under the covers. “Tell him to go away.”
“He’s not here; he’s at his apartment in Seattle.”
“Good. I can’t see him now. I can’t see anyone. I miss Jonas and he needs me. Josh doesn’t need me. I love Jonas.” I couldn’t believe that Crystal would fall for a misfit like Jonas. But then, looking at the guys she had dated, Jonas and Joshua were the best of the bunch, and Joshua was far better than anything she had found.
After Crystal cried and convinced me that Josh was better off without her, I was sold on the idea. But she left me to break the news to Josh.
Excited to see my friend, I dressed and drove to Max’s hotel, where Josh had an apartment on the thirty-third floor. I dropped my VW off with the valet. He took my keys as if I had the plague. That drew a silent laugh from me.
The doorman opened the door wide and gave me a glance of recognition. When I had walked halfway through the lobby, I heard the doorman say, “Welcome back, Mr. Blackstone and Ms. Beaumont.” I turned in time to see them enter, him smiling and her hand looped under his and his left hand placed over hers.
I paused a moment because he hadn’t reached his private elevators. I wanted him to see me so there could be no denying that he was with her or the standard excuse. Jonas was in county jail, but the look on Max’s face said that he didn’t give a damn. He was going to get whatever Jessica Beaumont specialized in, which from looking at her could be any number of things.
When Max and Jessica reached the elevators, he had to cross my path to get to his penthouse elevator. As he made a right, I crossed in front of him to my left. I turned and faced him. “I hope she makes you happy,” I said with trembling lips.
I thought my heart had stopped beating and that I had died. The opening of the elevator doors sent a whoosh of air, and I knew I was alive, at least for the moment.
Max startled and his eyes opened wide, not expecting to see me. And I was so upset that I couldn’t see or think. He stopped, pulling away from Jessica to go after me, but she wouldn’t let go of his arm. All he could do was call my name. “Alex. Alex.” I ran into the elevator, and the door closed behind me.
My hand never stopped ringing Josh’s bell. I needed someplace to run and hide. I wanted to forget what I had seen but there were too many visuals to process. I couldn’t buy a smile from Max, but he was giving it away to that bitch.
“Whoa. What’s going on, Alex?” When Josh opened the door I grabbed him and threw myself into his arms.
“I love you too, Alex.”
“Oh Josh, I just saw Max with Jessica Beaumont.” Josh raised an eyebrow. “The one he took to the fundraiser.” He shook his head acknowledging who I referred to. I dropped onto his couch. Josh rushed to open a bottle of wine. He poured me a glass.
“Here. Take this.” I reached for the glass and swallowed a large gulp.
The wine began working. It was doing what I hoped it would—make me drunk. I confessed all my sins. I told Josh about Charles and Max. I told him how Max had been pressuring me to marry him, and that if I didn’t he would never let me have my son. I told Josh about the marriage proposal from Charles, and that I was considering his proposal, at which point Joshua stared at me and then blinked and sighed.
“I can’t believe that you would even consider marrying St. John. You are half his age, and he is still mourning his dead wife. Whenever I’ve been in his presence, he pulls out a picture of her and shows it all around. And he tells everyone that she was the most beautiful woman he has ever met. Do you want to marry a man like that?”
“Now you sound like Max. Are you now over in public relations, or are you a goodwill ambassador for Blackstone?”
“I’m just stating the facts, Alex.” I squirmed in my seat and polished off another glass of wine. “I saw her picture, Alex. He showed it to Max too, and she looks exactly like you. Only you are a younger version. So maybe Max has something there when he says that he is trying to re-create a version of his wife.”
“That’s just not true. And there are a lot of people that resemble one another,” I said.
“Do what you want, but I think you’re making a bad choice. I would take a man who wanted me for myself instead of one who would try to remake me after someone else. That’s just creepy.”
“I can live with creepy; I just can’t live with someone dominating me.”
“Then you dominate him. Isn’t that what you do? Aren’t those the games you and Max played?” I gave Josh the finger.
“Josh, I’m serious.”
“That’s your problem. You are too serious. I tell you what; let’s go to the bar downstairs and listen to jazz. There’s this great piano player. We can get drunk and you can tell me about Crystal.”
I wished Josh would get drunk enough that I could tell him about Jonas and Crystal. I agreed because I didn’t want to be confined in a room with Josh and have to think about what Max was doing with Jessica.
We headed downstairs. Getting off the elevator, we slid to the right and into a cozy room where soft music was playing. We sat at a booth and ordered scotch and water for Josh and a glass of red wine for me. We could see into the lobby because of the glass façade, and when the waiter placed the bottle of wine on the table, I looked up and saw Max and Jessica, all smiles, heading for the door. He had his limo waiting for them. He even opened the door for her. That should be me, I thought.
I nudged Josh, and he looked up and glanced at the two. “They look pretty cozy, Alex. Are you sure you want to let her have him? You were made for each other. You look good together. You understand each other, and your sex habits are compatible.”
By that time I was drunk. “What do you know about my sexual habits?”
Joshua snapped his fingers. “Remember me? I’m the guy that went through all this shit with you.”
“Oh yeah, my friend Josh.” I looped my arm around his neck. “Josh, you are too good for Crystal.”
“What do you mean? You haven’t said a word about her all night.”
“There is something you need to know,” I said, not realizing that I should let Crystal break the news herself.
“Let me speak, Alex.” Josh put his finger up to stop me from rambling on. “I need you to tell Crystal that I have found someone else, and that I didn’t mean to hurt her.” My eyes widened.
“Did I hear you correctly?”
“Yes, and I need you to tell her. I don’t want to see her cry.”
“Trust me, there won’t be any tears, and I will be happy to break the news to her.”
Josh kissed my cheek, and we kept on with the business of getting drunk. We had to hold each other up as we climbed into the elevator taking us to Josh’s room. I explained all the things that had happen since he had been in Hong Kong. I talked about Jonas’s arrest, and Josh didn’t seem surprised.
I couldn’t bring myself to tell him about Crystal and Jonas. He was happy now that he thought he had broken a woman’s heart, and to tell him that Crystal had fucked Jonas before Josh set down in Hong Kong would have burst his last balloon and taken away his stud credit.
***
We woke the next morning with headaches. I lay across Joshua’s bed, and he sprawled on the floor wrapped in a blanket his grandmother had given him. The sun peeking in through the sheer curtains woke me; otherwise, I would have been in a sleepy, drunken daze. I walked to the bathroom, stepping over Josh, careful not to wake him. After a long flight, he needed to sleep even if it was on the floor.
Rummaging through his closet, I found a flannel shirt and pajama pants. I took them to change into after my shower. Turning on the shower, I stood there letting the water bathe me and wash the scent of alcohol from all my pores. Stepping out, I pulled up the pajama pants and put on the shirt. I threw my dress into a bag and padded into the kitchen for coffee and some sort of bread.
After putting on the coffee, I walked to the door to get the paper. I wondered what kind of news would be printed about Jonas. After reaching down and taking the paper, I opened it to the front page. I felt stunned, confused, and crazed out of my mind described my emotions. The headlines read: Maximilian Blackstone the Billionaire Industrialist Will Wed Socialite Jessica Beaumont in Las Vegas.
When I gained my senses, I noticed a package placed at the door. I picked it up and looked at it. It was a box wrapped in beautiful floral paper, and it had a note attached. I opened the envelope and it read: You will probably need these items today. You never let me give you anything. Maybe you will now. Your Dom, Max. I wanted to take the package and throw it into the garbage, but my curiosity needed to be satisfied. I opened it and found a box of underwear and bras. Although I needed a change, I was pissed.
I reached for my smartphone and began texting.
Fuck u Max. Fuck u. Fuck u.
Alex
Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.
Max
U will never get another chance, u dick.
Alex
Never is a long time. U have such a potty mouth for such a pretty woman.
Max
Since u r marrying Jessica, y don’t we make it a double wedding. I’m going to accept Charles’s proposal.
U don’t understand, Alex. I have a reason for this. U have no reason to marry St. John but to hurt me. Don’t do it.
I know ur reason, u sex maniac.
Maybe I’m one but I’m urs.
Max
I couldn’t take it any longer; I knew I was on the precipice. I was one step from submitting to him and accepting anything he threw my way. I came to my senses, and realization took hold. I was playing Max’s game, and he had just dealt an unforgivable blow. Reading about his upcoming marriage to Jessica had caused me to be weak, or maybe I didn’t understand how horrific it was for him when I told him that I might marry Charles. He was winning this game, but I wasn’t ready to submit to him. I wasn’t ready to say that he had won and I would do anything to have him and keep him.
I turned the phone off without answering the last text.
Chapter 12
Charles’s face beamed when I accepted his marriage proposal, at the same time dismissing and ignoring Max’s pleas. I smiled whenever Charles kissed me tenderly on my lips, feigning happiness like a stage actor. I got part of what I wanted—joint custody of my son. Max’s hunched shoulders straightened when outside of court, in front of cameras, a reporter asked about the custody battle.
He didn’t acknowledge defeat. He gestured and said, “It’s over. I’m going home to my son.” But inside I knew that he had lost everything that he wanted. He hurried into his limo and drove away. Max had to bring Maxim to me in a month. The stipulation stated that Maxim could not be under Charles’s roof unless we were married. That was Max’s undoing. He bet wrong. He bet that I wouldn’t marry Charles and that my threats were empty.
I turned over my bungalow to Crystal. Jonas had been in jail for three months, and still she continued to see Josh whenever he was in Seattle. I couldn’t stand to see Crystal using Josh, and I couldn’t face him. I disappeared into Charles’s home on a secluded island in the Caribbean Sea.
Knowing that Max would do whatever it took to get Jonas free and Joshua would be left out in the cold, I tried to distance myself from everyone. I agreed to be married at Charles’s hideaway. It was an island with a large mansion perched high on a hill, surrounded by a small mountain range, and beautiful white sandy beaches. The only transportation was a jet to the neighboring island and a helicopter to Charles’s estate.
The waves woke me each morning as they beat against the rocks, drowning out the sound of Max’s voice in my head and the dreams of him in my body.
The sound of seagulls was a welcoming respite from the noise of the world and the awful news in the headlines. There was more going on in the world than my petty problems.
Sitting up and looking out of the window, I heard a soft knock at the door. It was my breakfast tray. I hadn’t felt like myself in months. I ate very little food and slept more. Charles arranged for a doctor to see me and give me an exam, but that would be later today.
The maid tiptoed into the room. “Ms. Bishop, I have your breakfast and the newspaper.”
“Leave it on the table. Thank you.” It was hard having someone serve me, but I was getting use to it. I reached for the toast and my eyes glanced at the newspaper headlines: Jonas Blackstone Released; Jessica Beaumont Arrested in the Necktie Murder of San Francisco Heiress.
My breath caught and I felt as if I was drowning, and I sat up straight. I couldn’t open the paper fast enough to read it.
The article noted that Detective Blake Scotto and Maximilian Blackstone had arranged the taping of Jessica Beaumont, where she confessed to Max that she had killed the heiress, whom she had been in a sexual relationship with, and that she would have killed Alexander Bishop if Max had attempted to marry her.
That tape was inadmissible, but when interrogated by Blake and another detective, Jessica admitted that she and the heiress were indeed lovers and that they were into erotic asphyxiation and it was “all a terrible accident.”
The article further noted that Jonas’s DNA was on the tie he had taken from Max’s closet, but because the DNA of identical twins is the same, there was no differentiating Max’s DNA from Jonas’s.
The reporter continued that Jonas had masqueraded as Max. Jonas confessed to the crime to prevent Max from going to jail because he wanted to protect Max and his son, Maxim.
I felt faint, so I lay down, and when I woke it was 1:00 p.m. The nurse informed me that the doctor was waiting. I hurried into the shower and dressed and met him in an office on the grounds of the estate. He asked me a series of questions concerning my health, and my mother’s and father’s health history. I informed him that I had been adopted and had not looked for my birth parents.
The nurse took samples of my blood to analyze.
It was a doctor’s office with
a lab. That’s how billionaires roll, I thought. They had everything at their convenience. I was so caught up on not accepting a handout from Max that I missed something very important. He had money and things to give to me, only more than if I had fallen in love with a poor man. I happened to have fallen in love with a billionaire.
Blake was willing to spend his month’s pay on taking me to dinner and a good bottle of wine. Only Max and Charles had much more and they wanted to do the same. I accepted it from Charles because Max made me angry. I was an ass of the highest form.
The doctor came back with the results of the test.
“You are a healthy twenty-three-year-old. And it is not unusual for you to be pregnant and still have a false menstrual cycle.”
No. Pregnant? How? When? My mind revolved around the room, searching for the time it had occurred, and stopped on the day Max came to my house. It was not supposed to end with me having sex with him. Hell, it was not supposed to begin with him between my legs. I was celibate then—no men, and especially not Max. Too much had been happening and I had forgotten to refill my prescription of birth control pills. I didn’t have time to see my gynecologist, and my dentist, forget it. I hadn’t seen him in six months, and with the coffee stains I looked a mess. I had finally gotten around to the dentist and now my smile was radiant for my wedding day.
Thank goodness for youth. Youth could mask most things in life. When you have ordinary looks you are as beautiful as a fresh flower to men of thirty, and in Charles’s case, thirty-six. I had to tell Charles about my pregnancy. I couldn’t keep that from him. But what was I going to do about Max? Would he believe that the child was his or would I now have to prove that I had never had another man in my body but him? As horrible as I had been to Max, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he walked away from me. And Charles, what am I to say to him?
I knew that if Max pissed me off, I would marry Charles out of spite. This whole situation was making me crazy, or was it my hormones driving me crazy and interfering with my thinking?
I left the doctor’s office and walked from his cottage to the mansion, taking time to look at the beautiful flowers and inhale the wonderful scents. Reaching the side door, I entered and headed for the library. When Charles wasn’t working in his office, I was sure to find him buried in a book. I quietly opened the door. He turned around.
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