Second Chance Seduction

by Monica Richardson

  “I’m saying that you shouldn’t expect too much.” Nyle headed into the kitchen. “I’m having a Bloody Mary. You care for one?”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  After dinner and several Bloody Marys, the women sat in the center of the hardwood floor. Tears filled their eyes as they discussed the difficult issues that they’d avoided until then.

  “I hated you,” a drunken Savannah revealed. “All of my friends had mothers who took them shopping and did their hair. I needed you, and you weren’t there.”

  “I know,” said Nyle. “My mother did the same bloody thing to me. She wasn’t around either. Ran off with some man when I was five. Left me with Aunt Frances to raise me. And I gave that old woman hell!”

  “What happened with you two, anyway?” asked Savannah.

  “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

  “Oh, come on! I just poured my heart out to you,” begged Savannah. “Give me the goods.”

  “Savannah, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “What did you do to burn your bridge with Aunt Frances?”

  “I didn’t do anything!” Nyle exclaimed. She sighed and leaned her head against the edge of the sofa. Her hair was a wild mess on her head. “I’ll never forget it as long as I live. I was young, slender like you, beautiful. I was a student at Westminster. Third year. Building my modeling career. Her boyfriend, Felix, came on to me. He’d been drinking...stumbled into my room late one night...”

  “Where was Aunt Frances?”

  “She worked nights. She was a nurse,” Nyle said. “When I told her about it, she didn’t believe me. Accused me of being loose, taunting him...”

  “Did you? Taunt him?”

  “No. He was a disgusting human being. And I did not taunt him. I was promiscuous. I admit that. But I was selective, and I wasn’t at all interested in him. Which is why he wanted me so bad.” Tears rolled down the side of her face. “She hated me after that. He didn’t want her...he wanted me, and she couldn’t live with that.”

  “What happened? Did she ever figure out the truth?”

  “He left her for someone else, and she became a bitter old woman. She still blames me, you know.”

  “Did your mother ever come back?”

  Nyle wiped tears from her eyes. “She died when I was seventeen. Committed suicide. Can you believe that? She bloody killed herself!”

  Savannah slid across the floor and moved closer to her mother. She grabbed Nyle’s hand and held on to it tightly. “I’m sorry.”

  “You should run away from me as fast as you can. I have nothing in my past but heartache and pain. And nothing good in my future,” she said. “You heard what Aunt Frances said about me. It was the truth.”

  “You never had a chance. You weren’t equipped to be a mother,” said Savannah. “No one equipped you. Everyone abandoned you.”

  “Who equipped you?” Nyle asked Savannah.

  “No one really. I watched Edward’s mother, and I just had instincts. I didn’t have a devastating childhood. I was very much loved by my father. And I was just so determined to be a better mother than...”

  “...than me.”

  “It was my driving force,” Savannah whispered. “Sorry.”

  “No apologies necessary. I’m happy that you found hope, Savannah. That you were able to give your daughter what she needed. I never was able to do that.”

  Savannah rested her head against her mother’s bosom. For that moment, she felt as if she truly had a mother.

  Chapter 24

  Three weeks and Savannah had a new job as a receptionist. It wasn’t the job she’d been looking for but it was a job nonetheless. And she had her own flat, and was finding her way about town. But her life wasn’t as complete as she thought it would be once she arrived in London. The idea had been to find a career in fashion. And she was grateful to Jarrod for setting up the interview for her with one of the top fashion companies. However, it had been days since she’d met with Herman Mason, and she hadn’t received a call back. She feared that she’d be a receptionist much longer than she’d intended to. She also missed Chloe like crazy. She missed their life together—in Florida. She missed Maia and her other friends. And though she hated to admit it, she missed Edward.

  She looked forward to her daily Facebook chats with him. She’d begun messaging him before and after school. He would post pictures of Chloe and keep her abreast of what they were having for dinner and what homework assignments they were working on. Eventually, the before-and-after-school chats became more frequent. She found herself chatting with Edward throughout the day. The chats weren’t just about Chloe, but had become more personal. Soon they’d begun to vent about their workdays. She hoped he hadn’t detected the loneliness in her messages.

  “Hey, Savannah. We’re going out for drinks after work. Why don’t you come along?” Mel, her red-haired coworker, stood in front of her. Mel had dipped into the restroom and changed from her professional garb into a short miniskirt with fishnet panty hose.

  “No, I’m going to pass.” Savannah removed her headset and checked her watch.

  “Oh come on. You know you need a break,” said Sunny, the chocolate-faced girl who had been so sweet to her since her first day. “I’ll drive you home afterward.”

  “Just a couple of drinks,” Mel encouraged.

  Savannah sighed. She hadn’t taken in any nightlife since arriving in London. And she wasn’t in any hurry to get home to Nyle.

  “Okay,” said Savannah. “I’ll go. But just for a little while.”

  “Great!”

  She dialed her home phone. Called Nyle to let her know that she would be late. “I’m going out with the girls for a little while,” she told her.

  “Where?”

  “What’s the name of the place?” She held her hand over the receiver and asked Sunny.

  “We’ll probably hit a couple,” Mel interjected, “but we’ll start with Dirty Martini for happy hour.”

  “So we’re club-hopping?” Savannah asked. “I thought we were going for a couple of drinks somewhere.”

  “We’re going to Dirty Martini. St. Paul’s location,” Sunny said as she shushed Mel. “You’ll scare the poor girl off.”

  “We’re going to a place called Dirty Martini,” Savannah told Nyle. “St. Paul’s location.”

  “I’ve heard of it. Have a good time, and be careful,” said Nyle. “I’ll put you a plate up.”

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Savannah noted that Nyle almost sounded motherly. A light smile danced in the corner of her mouth as she grabbed her purse and joined Mel and Sunny at the huge silver elevators.

  “This is going to be so much fun!” Mel exclaimed. “Lots of cute guys!”

  “Savannah’s not interested in cute guys,” Sunny said. “She has a guy.”

  “Ex-guy,” Mel corrected her.

  “She still loves him,” said Sunny. “Isn’t that right, Savannah?”

  They had been discussing her life as if she weren’t standing there.

  “We’re still close friends. Co-parents to our daughter, if you will.”

  “Seems like a bit more than co-parenting, darling. You’re messaging with him too many hours in the day.”

  “So he’s a friend with benefits, eh, Savannah?” Mel asked.

  “Just friends, no benefits.”

  “If you say so, darling.” Mel hooked her arm inside of Savannah’s as they walked toward Sunny’s compact car. Mel hopped in and stretched her legs across the backseat. Savannah got in on the passenger’s side and fastened her seat belt. Sunny blasted her stereo.

  * * *

  The music bounced against the brick walls, and bright lights spanned the room. They managed to snag a corner booth and each of them slid into it.
They laughed and talked over the music.

  “First round of drinks on me,” Sunny said. “What are you having, Savannah?”

  “Maybe a glass of wine,” said Savannah.

  “Are you kidding me?” Mel asked. “No way! You can’t come to a place called Dirty Martini and not get a dirty martini!”

  “I don’t want a martini.” Sunny missed her protest, because she’d already headed to the bar.

  When she returned, Sunny placed the cocktail in front of Savannah. “Drink up,” she said.

  “Unwind,” Mel said as she sipped on a vodka tonic. “And cheer up. You look like you’ve lost your best friend.”

  A tall, handsome man approached the table, whispered something into Sunny’s ear. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

  “Well, he was yummy.” Mel gave Savannah a wide grin. She held her glass in the air. “Cheers, my friend.”

  Savannah lifted her glass and toasted with Mel. “Cheers.”

  “What are we cheering?” asked a blond-haired gentleman as he approached the table. “Is it someone’s birthday?”

  “We’re cheering my friend’s arrival to London.”

  “You’re new here?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Savannah shouted over the music.

  “Welcome!” he said, and held his hand out to her. “I’m Louis.”

  “Hello, Louis. I’m Savannah, and this is Mel.”

  Louis and Mel shook hands.

  “Would you care to dance, Savannah?”

  “No, thank you.” Savannah gave him a smile. “But my friend Mel here is dying to dance.”

  “Well, we can’t have her dying, now can we?” he asked, and held his hand out to Mel.

  Mel gave Savannah a squint of the eyes and a tightened fist behind Louis’s back as she followed him to the dance floor. They disappeared into the crowd and Savannah eased her legs onto the leather seat. She sipped on her drink and sat with her back against the wall. She hoped that it wouldn’t be a long night, but she was already ready to go. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and logged in to Facebook. She hadn’t heard from Edward in two days. They’d argued about something frivolous and had ended their conversation on a bad note. And he hadn’t responded to her message from the night before. She missed him, and hoped he would get past it.

  When Sunny returned, Savannah slid out of the booth.

  “I need to go to the little girls’ room,” she said.

  “Do you need me to go with you?” Sunny asked.

  “I think I’ll be fine.” Savannah made her way through the crowded nightclub.

  She found the restrooms, but there was a long line to get in. So she snagged a place behind a girl who was yapping on her cell phone. The line slowly inched along, and Savannah became impatient. What was she doing here, at this club, in this line, in this country? Why wasn’t she at home—her real home—in her warm bed, reading a bedtime story to her child? She’d even rather be arguing with Edward over Chloe’s hair, or what extracurricular activities she should participate in. Nyle was right—she was homesick.

  “Are you here alone?” someone whispered in her ear.

  “No, I’m not,” she said sternly without even looking around.

  “Are you here with your man?” whispered the intruder.

  “No.”

  “Well, can I be your man?” The voice then sounded familiar.

  She turned to face her intruder and found Edward’s beautiful eyes looking back at her. He wore blue jeans and a gray cashmere sweater. He had a fresh haircut. She loved when his hair was freshly cut. It made him look so handsome. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of him. And then she cried. Tears crept down the side of her face.

  “Not happy to see me?”

  She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, buried her face in his chest. “What are you doing here?”

  He didn’t respond. Instead he hungrily kissed her lips. “You want me to leave?” he asked.

  “No,” she whispered, and tears continued to fill her eyes. Whatever they’d argued about two days ago had quickly dissipated. She didn’t care about anything or anyone else before this moment. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  She didn’t want to let him go.

  “Are you still in line?” asked the woman behind her.

  She motioned for the woman to go ahead of her.

  “What are you doing here? When did you get here? How did you find me? Where’s Chloe?” She asked Edward a million questions.

  “She’s with your mother,” he said.

  “You left her with Nyle?”

  “She seemed harmless,” said Edward.

  “We have to go,” Savannah said, and grabbed Edward’s hand. She led him through the crowd and back to the table where Mel and Sunny sat.

  “Well, he’s a cutie,” Mel said. “You find him in the toilet?”

  “This is Edward,” Savannah said. “Edward, this is Mel and Sunny. We work together.”

  “Pleased to meet you both,” Edward said.

  “No wonder she’s still in love with you. You’re drop-dead gorgeous!” Sunny said.

  “Scrumptious.” Mel smiled, licked her lips and gave him a wink.

  “We’re gonna go,” said Savannah, and then she turned to Edward. “How did you get here?”

  “Some dude named Xander. He’s a friend of your mother’s.” Edward pointed toward the door. “He’s waiting outside.”

  “Not Xander,” mumbled Savannah.

  “Who is he?”

  “I’ll explain later,” she said. “Ladies, thanks for inviting me out. It was fun. And I’ll see you both on Monday.”

  “Will you?” Mel asked with raised eyebrows.

  “I don’t know,” she said. Honestly, she didn’t know how much more of the job or London she could take.

  “Do you have a brother or cousin, or someone who bears a strong resemblance to you?” Mel asked Edward.

  “Let’s go.” Savannah slid her hand into his.

  She felt more content and happier than she had in weeks.

  Chapter 25

  Edward tried to hand Xander a twenty-dollar bill, but he turned it down. Savannah gave Xander a look of skepticism, and Edward wondered what had happened to make her treat him so rudely. He stepped out of the cab and then reached for her. He placed his hand gently around her waist. He wasn’t sure how she would react to his showing up unannounced, but he was grateful for the welcome that he received. He’d taken a chance, scrambling for Chloe a passport at the last minute and purchasing two expensive airline tickets. And even as he and Chloe had boarded the flight, he still felt uneasy.

  He had tightened Chloe’s seat belt around her waist and then secured his. He listened as the flight attendant gave instructions on what to do—and what not to do—in case of emergency. He glanced out the window. It was starting to rain, and he wasn’t looking forward to the long flight. But he was looking forward to seeing Savannah. It had only been a few weeks since she left, but it felt like a few months.

  He knew that he was taking a chance by coming, but he needed to fight for her. Finally. If that meant that he had to fly clear across the world to let her know what he was feeling, then he was willing to do that. He needed to let her know how much she meant to him, and that she was wrong about Quinn. He slid his hand into the pocket of his jeans, pulled the emerald out and gave it a quick glance. He was going to get his woman.

  Edward and Chloe had slid into the backseat of a hackney cab and he’d given the driver the address that Savannah had given him in case of emergency. She and her mother had been ejected from one place, and she was renting a flat somewhere. The cab pulled up in front of the white brick place, and Edward stepped out and lifted his bags out of the trunk.


  “Thank you,” he told the driver and gave him a hefty tip and a strong handshake.

  He and Chloe stood at the door and rang the bell. When the door swung open, he was surprised to see the beautiful woman who stood on the other side. She was an older yet beautiful replica of Savannah. Her skin was more ivory-colored, but her features were very much like his ex-wife’s. He couldn’t stop staring.

  “Hi, I’m...”

  “Edward!” she said before he could finish his sentence.

  “Yes.”

  “Come inside.” She gave him a hug and kept smiling. “I’m Nyle.”

  “I figured,” said Edward.

  “And you’re Chloe!” Nyle gave her a wide grin.

  “Hello,” Chloe said, and held on to her father’s waist.

  “Oh my! Did Savannah know that you two were coming?”

  “No,” Edward said. “We’re here to surprise her.”

  “Boy, she’ll be so surprised. And so happy to see you. I think she’s quite miserable here.”

  “She is?” Edward asked.

  “She’s a good sport. She wanted to make this thing work, she really did. But she’s terribly homesick. She needs you two more than she needs me.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She went out for drinks after work.”

  “She has a job?”

  “Yes. Something temporary, just until she lands something permanent.”

  Edward and Chloe stood in the middle of the floor.

  “Sit down. Take a load off,” said Nyle. She grinned at Edward. “You’re way more gorgeous than I imagined.”

  “So are you,” Edward said.

  “Well, aren’t you a sweet one. No wonder my daughter’s in love with you.”

  “She’s in love with me?” he asked. “Did she tell you that?”

  “She didn’t have to. Anyone could see,” Nyle said. “Do you love her?”

  Edward felt uneasy discussing such an intimate subject with someone he hadn’t known for more than five minutes. But he couldn’t bring himself to lie. “I do love her.”

  She squealed. “Yes! I knew it. If she loves you, and you love her, then what’s the problem?”