The Platinum Reunion (The Platinum Series Book 3)

by T V Hartwell

  “How happy are you to see him? I can’t believe he showed up like that just to surprise you.”

  “I know. It’s so sweet.”

  “Luckily you were around this weekend.”

  “Well, he knew I’d be here. We talk on the phone every day. Oh my God, you know what he told me last night?”

  “What?”

  “I was having this craving for junk food. I wanted, like, chicken nuggets and fries—”

  “Chicken nuggets?”

  “I know, gross, but I was craving them for some reason, and a cheeseburger. Adam wanted sushi and so we got that too.”

  “Wait, you ate all of that?”

  “Yes, but anyway, listen. So he says, ‘Are you not telling me something?’ and then looks down at my stomach—”

  “He thinks you’re pregnant?”

  “I don’t know if he really thought that, but that’s what he insinuated because my appetite was so crazy. So I told him no, of course not. I’m like, please, I’m not interested in having your baby, and then he got kind of defensive about it and was like, ‘You know I’d be a good baby daddy.’”

  Lucy smirked.

  “And I said, ‘Yes, you would be.’ And then he says, I’ll be your baby daddy eventually, someday.’”

  Lucy smirked again and covered her mouth.

  “And he was all cocky about it. You know, not in a rude kind of way but more like in a self-confident sort of way. And I was like, ‘Oh yeah?’ And then, get this, he goes, ‘Yeah, but you’re going to marry me first.’”

  Lucy gasped and then started to giggle.

  “Like he was literally telling me that I was going to marry him as if it were a foregone conclusion.”

  Lucy suddenly widened her eyes to convey alert. “Oops, speaking of the devil,” she said as Adam walked through the hotel doors.

  Amanda, whose back was turned to the hotel entrance, immediately froze and stopped talking.

  Lucy called out to him as he approached. “Hey there, Prince Charming.”

  Adam smiled at Lucy as he walked up on Amanda from behind and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them lightly.

  “Good morning,” he said, looking at Lucy, smiling broadly, with a twinkle in his deep blue eyes.

  Simultaneously, Amanda placed her right hand on top of the hand Adam had on her left shoulder. She then turned around to look at him. “Hi,” she said all cutesy.

  “Hi,” Adam said back cutesy before stealing a quick kiss. “So where are we going shopping?” he asked.

  “New York Designs,” Lucy said excitedly.

  “Perfect choice. I’ve bought stuff from there.”

  “You guys, they’re so expensive,” Amanda said. “I really don’t want to spend that much on furnishing this apartment. I want it to be nice but simple. Nothing super fancy.”

  Adam brushed her off with a wave of his hand. “Ahhh, don’t worry about it. Let’s go.”

  They all hopped in a cab and headed over to view Amanda’s new apartment first. Adam and Lucy both approved.

  “This is perfect for you, and I love the view of the park,” Lucy said as she stared out the front windows.

  “Not bad,” Adam said as he looked around the space, intrigued. “You know, I almost bought a place in this neighborhood before I opted for Chelsea. So what are you paying?”

  “Four thousand. There was another unit that was three hundred less on the top floor, but it doesn’t have a washer and dryer in unit. I would’ve had to use a shared laundry facility downstairs in the basement.”

  “Gross,” Lucy said with a smirk.

  “Do you even do your own laundry?” Adam questioned with a tint of sarcasm and humor in his tone.

  Amanda balked but didn’t answer him.

  “Doesn’t your maid back in LA do your laundry? What’s her name…” Adam asked, snapping his fingers “…Lupe?”

  Amanda still didn’t answer back. She just looked at him bashfully with a grin.

  Adam piled on. “You won’t be doing any fucking laundry. In fact, have you ever done your own laundry?”

  Lucy busted out laughing. “He has a point there.”

  “Yes, I have,” Amanda finally said in her defense.

  “When?”

  “Adam, I washed my own clothes all through college and I still do now.”

  “So Lupe never washes your clothes?”

  “Yes, but I do too… sometimes,” she said with a giggle and a degree of capitulation.

  “Oh, sometimes,” he said with an eye roll. “See…I’m right. Lupe does your laundry…at least most of it. I know it and you know it. That’s why you’re laughing. You should’ve gone for the cheaper unit and saved yourself a little money.”

  Amanda continued to giggle bashfully but with slight annoyance. “Oh, whatever, Adam.”

  They eventually made their way over to the furniture store. Upon arriving, Amanda went gaga, engrossing herself in the wide selection of top-of-the-line modern and contemporary furnishings.

  “Wow, everything’s so posh and beautifully crafted,” Amanda said as she perused the floor with Adam and Lucy at her side. Then she spotted something she really liked. “Look at that sofa,” she said before making a beeline over to it. It was a stylish, modern, blond-colored sofa with tufted upholstery.

  Amanda plopped herself down on it. “Oh my God, it’s so soft,” she said as she rubbed her hand across the surface of the smooth fabric.

  Lucy sat down next to her. “Oooh, so comfortable. This would look great in your apartment, under the windows overlooking the park.”

  Adam took a peek at the tag and read aloud, “Made with the finest Italian leather.”

  Amanda was shocked. “This is leather? I’ve never sat on a leather sofa this soft. It doesn’t even feel like leather. Come…sit down…feel it,” she said to Adam, slapping her hand down on the cushion beside her.

  Adam sat down next to her. “Nice. This almost feels like the kind of leather you would wear.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Lucy said. “The fabric feels similar to the fabric on this leather jacket I have from my mom’s collection. It’s so soft and comfortable, I could sleep in it.”

  “Well, I could definitely fall asleep on this sofa. In fact, I feel like taking a nap right now,” Amanda said, leaning back, folding her arms, and closing her eyes. “Doesn’t this feel amazing, Adam? Can’t you picture us snuggling up together and watching movies?” She placed her right hand on Adam’s thigh and squeezed it as she spoke.

  “Yeah,” Adam said boyishly as he too leaned back against the sofa’s frame and then wrapped his arms around Amanda, pulling her close. Then he whispered to her, “I can imagine us doing more on this couch than watching movies,” he said before poking his tongue out to lick her ear.

  Amanda shrieked at the tickling sensation, “Adam!” she said as she popped up and tried to break free from his embrace, but he wouldn’t let go. He kept holding on as he attempted to lick her ear again, but Amanda looked away, toward Lucy, to prevent him from doing so. “Lucy, help!” Amanda said as she tried to pull loose from Adam’s arm lock.

  Lucy just giggled at them. “Okay, you guys need to settle down. This is not your hotel room.”

  Their playfulness caught the attention of one of store’s design consultants who had walked over to them. “Are we having fun over here?” the woman asked.

  Adam let Amanda go before he answered back with a quick wit. “We sure are. Want to join in?”

  “No we’re not,” Amanda said as she straightened her clothes. “Ignore him. Despite the way it looks, we actually did come here to buy furniture.”

  Lucy chimed in. “He’s her boyfriend and he flew into town yesterday to surprise her and to spend the weekend. As you can see, he can’t keep his hands off her. I’m sure you know how it is.”

  “Actually, I don’t, but I wish I did. Must be nice, especially when your boyfriend is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker.” The woman glanced at Adam flatter
ingly.

  “Oh…so you know who I am?”

  “Of course I do. I love your films, Mr. Weinstock. You’re a genius.”

  Adam grinned bashfully. “Well, other people are usually involved. Luckily I have access to great screenwriters who write great material, and for some reason, really good directors are crazy enough to work for me.”

  “You are so modest,” the woman said admiringly.

  Amanda and Lucy looked at each other and smirked. However, the design consultant was unfazed as she continued to shower Adam with praise.

  “Well, you obviously have an eye for great material and know how to pull the right people together to make good films. That’s why they keep getting nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes. You should’ve won the Oscar for best film, by the way. The King’s Speech was good, but enough with all the films about the Brits and the royal family already.”

  Adam grinned broadly, nodding his head seemingly in agreement without actually voicing it. “Thank you, thank you very much. You’re very kind. So what can I do for you?”

  “No…what can I do for you? You’re looking for new furniture, right?”

  “Oh yes, right. Silly me,” Adam said, shaking his head at himself.

  Amanda raised her hand up timidly. “I am.”

  “Yeah, she is,” Adam said. “She just got a new apartment and needs furniture.”

  “Oh…well, we have a great variety of selections here for you to choose from,” the woman said, turning her attention to Amanda.

  “I can see. The furniture here is really beautiful. I love this sofa. How much is it?”

  “That sofa is ten thousand,” the woman said flatly.

  Amanda tried to contain her shock. “Well, that’s more than I thought—”

  However, before she could finish her thought, Adam cut her off. “We’ll take it.”

  Amanda turned and looked at him, flabbergasted. “It’s too expensive, Adam,” she said in a lowered voice.

  “Too expensive for whom? Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it.”

  “Adam, no,” Amanda said in disbelief, not expecting anyone other than herself to buy furniture for her new place. It’s not that she didn’t have the money. She could buy everything in the store if she wanted, but that was beside the point. People with trust funds had budgets too, and Amanda was diligent about sticking to hers.

  Adam ignored her and addressed the consultant instead. “She doesn’t realize that buying furniture for her new place was part of my surprise in coming here this weekend.”

  Amanda looked at him sideways with skepticism written on her face. “Adam, you didn’t even know I was planning to go furniture shopping this weekend until you got here.”

  “Then my timing was perfect.”

  Amanda was completely taken aback. “Are you serious? You really don’t have to do this, Adam.”

  “But I want to,” he insisted.

  Finally Lucy intervened to help her friend out. Turning to the design consultant, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “Welp, now that we’ve sorted out who’s paying, I guess we should tell you a little about the apartment. It’s amazing.”

  “Where is it?”

  “In the East Village,” Lucy answered, getting the conversation started about the apartment’s size and layout along with her thoughts on colors that might work best in the unit. Adam followed Lucy’s lead and chimed in with his own thoughts.

  Soon thereafter, Amanda stopped resisting and gave in, reasserting herself as the principal customer and decision maker in the matter. They ended up spending the rest of the morning and half the afternoon at the store, exploring the various options the design consultant presented to them. Most of the items ultimately selected were in the store and just needed to be delivered, while a couple of other things needed to be ordered and shipped over from Italy, where most of the furnishings came from. When all was said and done, Adam had spent more than fifty thousand dollars to ensure that his princess had a home away from home in the Big Apple with furnishings equal to or better in quality than those of most five-star hotel suites.

  Chapter Thirty

  Amanda, Adam, and Lucy decided to have a late lunch after they’d left the furniture store and popped into a few other stores along the way. They landed at a café in Union Square.

  Right after they were led to their table, Lucy said, “I really have to pee.”

  “Me too. Watch our things, babe,” Amanda said to Adam as she placed a couple of shopping bags down on her seat. Lucy did the same.

  Adam, who was busily texting on his phone, looked up and gave her a quick glance. “Yeah, okay, sure,” he said, seeming distracted.

  Lucy walked into one stall and Amanda walked into the other right next to her. “My, you sure did hit the jackpot today,” Lucy said as she relieved herself.

  “I can’t believe he did all that. To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

  “Feel happy, for Christ’s sake. Seriously, how many girls do you know have boyfriends, not husbands but boyfriends, who’d buy them fifty thousand dollars’ worth of furniture on a whim? Cass wouldn’t even do that.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I do appreciate it.”

  Amanda and Lucy both flushed their toilets and walked out of their stalls right about at the same time. They stepped toward the vanity to wash their hands and to check themselves out in the mirror. “I don’t know,” Amanda continued. “I guess I’m just not used to having a guy buy me nice things, at least not on that kind of level.”

  Lucy grumbled, “You got so accustomed to getting nothing from Jake and his tight ass. Adam’s got money. Real money. Dropping fifty grand is nothing to him.”

  “It just feels a little awkward. It’s not as if I needed him to do that.”

  “Of course you didn’t need him to buy you furniture. That’s not the point. The guy’s in love with you. That’s like his way of showing it, of proving it to you. You’re his girl. He wants to make you happy.”

  “I know. I just feel a little guilty.”

  “Why? Adam loves you, Mandi. I mean, really loves you. There’s nothing wrong with that. If he wants to spoil you and buy you nice things, let him. You should feel happy. Happy to have a guy who thinks that much of you, who cares for you, who’s crazy about you, who comes here and surprises you out of the blue and does something so nice and generous for you. Why feel guilty? I could understand if you didn’t love him back and didn’t want to be with him and intended to dump him, but that’s not the case. Is it? You do love him, I hope, by now, don’t you?”

  “Yes…I do,” Amanda conceded reluctantly.

  “Then stop holding back. You’ve got a great guy.”

  Adam was still texting when Amanda and Lucy returned to join him at their table. Feeling a sudden sense of gratitude after Lucy’s pep talk, Amanda sat down and leaned over to kiss Adam on the cheek.

  Adam mumbled in response as he completed his text without looking at her.

  “You’re still texting? Who are you texting?” Amanda asked, leaning over to take a peek at his phone.

  Adam quickly finished up and put the phone down on the table. “This guy Manny, one of my assistant directors. Just puttin’ out fires back on set.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just your run-of-the-mill bullshit. Tobias is a pain in the ass.”

  “Tobias? Who’s Tobias?” Lucy asked.

  “Tobias Velasquez,” Amanda said.

  “He’s the playing the lead in the film I’m directing right now.”

  “Oh yeah. Great actor,” Lucy said as she picked up her menu to peruse.

  Amanda wrapped her arm around Adam’s shoulder and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek again.

  “Mmmm,” Adam moaned as he turned his head to face her. They kissed on the lips, and then kissed again, and again. “You’re being awfully affectionate all of a sudden. I like it.”

  Amanda wiggled her eyebrows up and down playfully and massag
ed the back of his head, gliding her fingers through his hair. She then initiated another round of sweet kisses on the lips. “Thank you for surprising me this weekend and for purchasing my furniture. You really didn’t have to do that. It was very generous of you and completely unexpected.”

  “Well, get used to it,” Adam said flatly.

  Lucy pulled her menu down, grinning. Amanda grinned back at her.

  “You’ve been upgraded,” Adam said. “You’re with a guy that knows how to treat you right.”

  “That’s basically what I said,” Lucy exclaimed. “Those are my sentiments exactly. You did a very nice thing, Adam.”

  “It’s just…I’ve never had a guy do something that nice and generous for me,” Amanda said.

  Lucy shook her head in annoyance. “That’s because she spent six years with that….” She stopped herself before uttering the less-than-flattering term she was about to use in reference to Jake. “I still can’t believe that loser had the nerve to call your mom—ˮ

  Amanda waved her arm at Lucy. “Shush,” she said with a look of alarm on her face.

  “Who are we talking about?” Adam asked.

  Amanda glanced at Lucy sideways in annoyance. She hadn’t told Adam about Jake’s outreach to her mother and hadn’t planned to, at least for the time being.

  Adam saw that neither of them was being very forthcoming. “Let me guess. Is it Jake we’re talking about?”

  Amanda and Lucy eyed one another before looking down in silence, which made Adam’s guess very obviously correct.

  “What did he do? He called Camilla?”

  Feeling compelled to respond, Amanda sighed before trying to brush things aside. “He called my mom earlier this week. It’s pointless and stupid.”

  “Why’d he call?”

  Amanda and Lucy eyed each other again.

  “Why are you being so reluctant to tell me?”

  “I’m not. It’s just that it doesn’t matter.”

  “What doesn’t matter?”

  “He was just asking about me.”

  “And?”