“Yes that was Beebe. You didn’t just step into another time and space continuum.”
“If you’re speaking to her without a gun to your temple I want to hear this.” Shana chuckled as she sat down.
“Let’s just say we reached an understanding.” Abby got up and went over to the bar in her office. “Can I interest you in a glass of cabernet sauvignon instead?”
“That sounds good to me.” Shana kicked her shoes off.
She poured two glasses and handed one to Shana before she sat across from her. “Tell me if there’s been any fallout from that photo fiasco for Cedi.”
“It’s been just the opposite. He has more requests for look-books than he has books to give. Major celebrity stylists are requesting looks for the red carpet and three fashion magazines have called about doing a designer profile piece on him. I’d say he’s ahead of the game.”
“That’s a relief.”
“The saying all publicity is good publicity held true.”
Abby exhaled and sipped her wine. “At least it’s working for someone.”
“I’ve got more news for you.”
“You do?” she said, interest piqued.
“I finally talked with Raymond about where our relationship is heading.”
“Oh.” Abby leaned forward.
“He’s opening an office here in the city and his office manager is going to run the D.C. office.”
“That’s great news.”
“I know. By April, he’ll be here full time.”
“Does that mean we’ll be hearing wedding bells in the near future?”
“I think so.” Shana smiled warmly. “Just do me a favor…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll point him in the direction of Tiffany.”
“I knew you’d have a sister’s back.” Shana laughed. “Can you believe it? I’m getting engaged.”
“Not only do I believe it, I couldn’t be happier for you.” Abby raised her glass. “Here’s to your happiness, Shana. You deserve it.”
Shana raised her glass. “Thanks. You deserve to be happy, too.”
“With everything I have going on at the moment, I hope you’re right.”
“This too shall pass, my friend.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
***
Sam waited in the W Hotel’s plush living room area with its warm browns, comfortable chairs and sofas. Maria was so bundled up she was barely recognizable, but Sam spotted her Rachael Zoe sunglasses. He waved her over.
“How did you know it was me?” she asked as she sat across from him.
“It was the sunglasses.”
“Oh, yeah.” She placed them on the table.
“So, why are we here?” Sam asked.
“I came here to apologize. I let my family get me worked up and things got blown out of proportion.”
“Wow, I’ve never heard you say anything negative about your family.”
“I know my family loves me and they didn’t want to see me hurt, but things turned into an all-out war with lawyers, the media and back-room deals. It was too much.”
Sam nodded. “Why did you fire Toni? If you don’t mind me asking,” he added.
“Toni wanted me to say things that weren’t exactly lies but it wasn’t the truth, either. You never kept me from working. She wanted me to say that you were the reason I didn’t take the docent position at MOMA when I was the one who didn’t want to take the job because it interfered with wedding planning. In fact you were the only one that tried to encourage me to use my art history degree. I wasn’t going to lie. So I fired her.”
“I’m glad you stuck to your guns.”
“Then there were the pictures of you and Abby. At first I was upset, but then I really took the time to look at them. You looked so happy, and I couldn’t remember the last time we looked that happy together. Then it hit me, you were right, we were staying together because it was a part of the next step.”
“I hope you know that I wasn’t trying to make any less of the time we spent together. I still love you. You’re always going to be a part of me.”
“I know that now.” She looked away.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s something else. It’s something my father did.”
“Are you talking about Nancy Bloom?”
“So you know?”
“Yes.”
“When I found out that not only had my father contacted Abby’s ex-husband, he went so far as to retain Nancy Bloom to help him get custody of their son. I was sickened.” She took a breath. “I told him to take Nancy off retainer or I would never speak to him again.”
“You did?” Sam was shocked.
“Yes. I always knew my father played to win and he didn’t always play by the rules, but this went too far. I refused to be a party to something like that.”
“I’m impressed. I know it took a lot of guts to stand up to your father.”
“Thanks. I had to do the right thing. Speaking of the right thing,” she reached into her purse and took a ring box out. “This is yours.” She put it on the table.
“Are you sure you want to give it back? I think that under the rules since I broke the engagement, you can keep the ring.”
“I know.” She pushed the box toward him. “I want you to have it.”
Sam took the box and put it in his pocket. “Okay.”
Maria looked around. “I know this is a nice hotel and all, but I’m sure you’re ready to get back to your apartment.” She put the keys on the table. “I’ve had all my stuff packed and it’s getting shipped down to my sister’s in Houston. I’m going to stay with her for a while until I find a place of my own in the city.”
“You’re not going to stay with your parents?”
“No.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I was thinking about going back to the University of Texas to get my master’s in interior design next year.”
“That’s great news.”
“I’m looking forward to it. In the meantime, I’m going to hang out in Texas, meet people and maybe travel to Europe before classes begin next spring.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. Whether you know it or not, I really want you to be happy. If Abby makes you happy, I wish you the best.” She got up. “I have a plane to catch.”
“You’re traveling commercially?”
“Yes. My parents wanted me to fly with them on the jet but I took a pass. I’m ready for life on my own.”
Sam rose and hugged her. “I’d say that you’re well on your way.”
“Thanks, Sam.” She hesitated for a moment. “You take care.”
“I will. You do the same.”
Maria put her sunglasses on and quickly made her way downstairs and out of sight. A few minutes later, Sam’s father walked over.
“Are you okay, son?”
“I’m fine, Dad.” He showed him the ring and the keys. “It’s over. Maria’s heading back to Houston.”
“I know you’ve moved on, but it’s never easy when a love affair ends.”
“No but I’m okay with it because I know that Maria’s going to be okay.”
“And so are you.” He put his arm on his shoulder.
“Now I’ve got to let another very important person know that we’re going to be fine, too.”
Chapter 28
The day over, Abby sat in her living room with a glass of wine. Her phone rang. She checked the caller ID.
“Hello J.J. I’m sure you’re attorney has warned you against talking to the other side without counsel present.”
“I don’t have an attorney.”
“Pardon me?”
“I don’t have an attorney anymore.”
“You don’t?”
“I got rid of her. I’m not going for full custody anymore.”
“Good.”
“Is that all you’re going to say? I thought you would have been happier.”
“I
am happy, but I’m not stupid. Nancy Bloom issued a statement earlier saying that any reports of her representing you in a custody case were erroneous. So you can quit trying to sound like you did me a favor.”
“I’m sorry. I was angry.”
“I don’t accept your apology.”
“What?”
“I don’t accept your apology right now. Maybe I’ll feel differently later, but I’m angry that you would use Justin as a weapon against me when I never did that to you.”
“I know. I’m ashamed of myself for going that far,” he admitted quietly.
“Sam was never going to marginalize you in Justin’s life. You’ve done a pretty damn good job of that all by yourself.”
“Yes, but being a father isn’t like playing basketball.”
“You didn’t come out of the womb with a basketball in your hand. You had to learn the game. You had to practice constantly until you got better. It’s the same thing when it comes to being a parent. We didn’t get a manual when we left the hospital. We had to figure it out, and that’s what parenting is about. It’s a constant state of learning.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you’re a natural.”
“Don’t hand me that self-pity bag. I’m not buying it. You need to get it together.”
“That’s what Dazz said before he left. You know he quit.”
“Yes. I think it’s the best thing he could have done for himself and you.”
“You never were one to mince words.”
“What’s the point?”
“Maybe I should head up to Choate on Saturday and spend the day with Justin.”
“I bet he’d like that. What about your fiancée? What is she going to do?”
“That’s been put on hold for a while. I just finished negotiating a settlement with Beebe, and she’s not that happy with me at the moment.”
“You reached an agreement with Beebe?”
“Yes. We decided to meet in the middle. I think she’s happy with it.”
“Good. Justin will be happy to know that both of his parents won’t be headline news for a while.”
“He couldn’t be any more relieved than we are.” He laughed.
“I’ll drink to that.”
“All right, I just wanted you to know that the legal stuff is over.”
“Thanks.”
“By the way, Abby I really do wish you the best. God knows you deserve to be happy.”
“Thanks, J.J. Bye.”
Abby walked over to the window and stared out at the city.
“Hello, Sam.”
“How did you know I was here? I didn’t use the elevator.”
“Usually I can tell from footsteps, but this time I saw your reflection in the window.”
He rushed over and lifted her off her feet. “Sam!”
“I’m just so happy to see you. “ He put her down and the two kissed passionately.
“I’ve missed you, too. I’ve got so much to tell you,” Abby said happily.
“I do, too. But ladies first.”
“J.J. isn’t going for full custody.”
“Great. I know that’s a relief.”
“He’s even going to make more of an effort to spend time with Justin.”
“Now that is good news.”
“So what’s your news?”
“Maria and I talked. She’s moved out of the apartment, and she gave back the engagement ring. She’s going back to Texas and starting her life over.”
“That’s great.”
“I have to say that I’m happy for her. She’s striking out on her own without her parents, and I think she’s going to make it.”
“Good. Now maybe we can go back to living under the radar. Well at least I can go back. You are Sam Best.”
“Well hold on a minute, little lady, you’re the woman in my life, so wherever you are I’m going to be there, too.” He kissed her.
“I almost forgot, my brother Frankie is here. He went out to buy presents for my nieces, but I’d love if you hang around to meet him.”
“I’m looking forward to it. And maybe tomorrow we can have dinner with my parents. They’re in town.”
“I figured they were in town. How else did that ESPN exclusive happen?”
“True.” He looked lovingly into Abby’s eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Well you know, your life in the spotlight isn’t exactly over. There are the ESPY awards in the summer, and I want to make all the other athletes jealous when I escort my voluptuous vixen down the red carpet.”
“You like saying voluptuous vixen, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes. There is something very satisfying about it.”
“There is?”
“Definitely,” he grinned. Sam squeezed Abby tightly as he opened the window.
“What are you doing? It’s not spring time. It’s cold.”
“I can brave a little cold.” He said as he leaned closer to the window. “Hey New York I’m Sam Best and I take this woman, Abigail Carey to have and to hold from this day forward. So look out world, here we come.”
Abby laughed. “Do you know where we’re going right now?”
“The bedroom.” Sam raised his eyebrows.
She walked over to the table and picked up her Cartier pen. “We have a deadline to meet.” She waved the pen in the air.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“This is the reason we met in the first place. I think it’s time we get to work. It’s time the world met the Sam Best I know.”
About the Author
A native New Yorker by way of Amityville, Long Island, Chamein Canton is a freelance writer, author, and owner of a small literary agency in New York. She holds a degree in Business Management and continues to live on Long Island with her twin sons.
I Take This Woman Page 28