FIRST LOVE_A Single Dad Second Chance Romance

by Scarlet Wilder

  A tall woman in a dark suit greeted us and asked what we’d like to drink. For me, there was no question. “Champagne,” I said. “The best you’ve got.”

  She smiled and left and I looked at Elle. “Seems fitting.”

  “What are we celebrating?” she asked.

  “Do you even have to ask?” I said. “Seeing each other again. I was thrilled to find you in the store.”

  Again, there was a stiff smile, a reserved acknowledgment. I frowned. “You don’t seem happy to have seen me again,” I said. “Was I wrong to ask you out?”

  Elle sighed. “No, of course not,” she said. “It’s just that it… well, it was a surprise, and I’m still not sure it’s sunk in yet, I guess.”

  The champagne came over within a few moments and the hostess popped out the cork and filled our glasses. She placed the bottle into a bucket of ice beside us and left again. I held up my glass. “To you,” I said. “And to all the happy memories we have together.”

  She clinked her glass against mine. “And to your daughter,” she said. “Welcome to the world.”

  I was touched that she’d thought about Lizzie. There were so many lies about me in the media that I immediately set about giving Elle the true story as soon as our food arrived; about how I’d literally had Lizzie delivered to me like a hamper from a stranger on Christmas morning. I told her about my single night with Mel, and how I had no clue she was carrying my child at all. I explained about having tried to track her down, to no avail.

  Elle listened to every word. “What if she comes back?” she asked. “Has she relinquished parental rights? Where do you stand legally?”

  “I’ve got my lawyer working on it,” I said. “Believe me, I’ve thought about it a lot. I know in cases like this the court usually sides with the mom but believe me, nobody’s taking Lizzie from me. Her mom abandoned her. She’ll get her back over my dead body.”

  At that moment, there was a buzzing sound, and Elle jumped. She reached into her purse and took out her phone. “Shit,” she said. She looked up at me. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. It’s my mom.”

  “Of course,” I said. “I’m just going to the men’s room.”

  When I returned, Elle was still on the phone. I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but she seemed upset. “Mom, I promise I sent the cash as soon as you called me this morning,” she said. “Have you called your bank? Maybe log onto your account and see if it’s due to clear. Yes, I know the mortgage is due, Mom, but my bonus won’t arrive for another two months.”

  As I sat down again, Elle hurriedly ended the call. She hung up and gave me a watery smile. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to be interrupted this evening. I’ll put it on silent.”

  “No, don’t do that,” I said. I was concerned. “Are you all right? I hope you know you can talk to me.”

  “What, you just waltz back into my life and want to know what’s happened since you’ve been gone?”

  Ouch. That one was sharp. But it made me understand her cool demeanor toward me. It began to make sense. “You’re right,” I said. “I don’t need to know anything. And I’ve been gone a long time. I know.”

  She softened at that and to my surprise, she put her head in her hands and sighed. “No, I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s not fair to take it out on you. God, it’s just that life’s become so complicated.”

  She took a deep breath and began to talk. “So Dad was close to being appointed to the board of Wilde’s M&A, right? Well, when he was pushed out in favor of Christian Pierce, he went into a downward spiral. He started drinking, and my dad never drank. He was arguing with your father, and he just lost his zest for the business. Then he discovered online gambling. At first, it was just a couple of dollars on the big games and then it was stupid money on stupid events. I don’t know how much he’s lost, but we’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

  I was shocked. I knew all about Simon Evans leaving the company, but it was while I was in my third year at Oxford, and I had very little to do with the business at that time. Dad had never explained his rationale for going with Christian instead and I realized now that I’d never even questioned it. I simply thought Elle’s father had had a better offer from somewhere else. I could have kicked myself for not taking a more active interest even when I was out of the country.

  “What about your mom?” I asked. “How’s she handling it?”

  “She’s not,” Elle replied. “Dad’s been in therapy for a while now, and it’s been six months since he last placed a bet. At least, that’s what he’s promised us. Henry’s away at college and I think he’ll stay out of the way, too. He’s had a tough time, living at home through it all. Mom has her job but it’s not enough. Dad can’t get work and he’s lost enthusiasm. He likes to sit in the garden and read the financial papers.”

  “Did I hear that you were sending him money?” I asked gently.

  Elle nodded. “I give them pretty much everything I can,” she said. “They have so much credit card debt, anything they make goes to paying that off. I’ve had to look after their mortgage and even buy them food. It’s crazy because they have this big house but they’ve refinanced the mortgage, and if they sold it now, they’d take a huge loss.”

  The pain and weariness in her eyes were now so clear to me. I knew there was heartache in her life, and selfishly of me, I was actually relieved to know that it wasn’t because of me. I wanted to fix it immediately, to call Larry and have him sort everything out, but I knew that Elle would never accept it. Besides, it didn’t fix anything. It didn’t give her the career she’d always wanted.

  I was surprised to see that she’d been working for another designer rather than owning her own label by the time I saw her again, but now it made sense. She’d put her life on hold to help her parents, but there seemed to be no escape. She was stuck on a treadmill of debt, and it wasn’t even her own. It was unfair.

  She drained her champagne, and as I filled her glass, she gave an ironic laugh. “You know, all those years ago I never felt I was good enough for you,” she said. “Your sister made sure I never forgot it.”

  “Catherine was full of shit,” I said, sternly. “I hope you never took anything she said to heart.”

  “But she was right,” Elle said. “I don’t mean to be all down on myself, but let’s face it. It was the right choice, to send you to England. I could never have lived up to everyone’s expectations. Especially not now. I think you had a lucky escape.”

  I frowned. It saddened me greatly to hear her speak of herself in this way. I stared at her, and I was sure that my heart was pounding. She was beautiful, graceful under adversity, and carried herself with a dignity that belied the turmoil inside. I reached out and stroked her fingers. She didn’t pull away.

  “Catherine was a spoiled brat in school, and she’s a spoiled brat now,” I said, wanting every single word to sink in. “She was wrong about you. I was wrong about you, even though I knew how wonderful you are. I should have fought harder, and I should have stood up to my father and stayed in the country. It wasn’t a lucky escape, Elle. It was the wrong choice.”

  Her eyes were filled with tears, and she hid behind her champagne glass again. It felt strange to say the words; they were true, but at the same time, I couldn’t say I regretted everything, because if Elle and I had stayed together as the sweethearts we’d been in high school, then I never would have had Lizzie.

  “Will you have dinner with me again tomorrow night?” I asked. I wanted to see her again, but I had a lot of work to do. A new online business had caught my eye, and I needed to devote time to it in order to secure the deal before the weekend.

  Elle thought about my question and then nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I will.”

  We finished our drinks and left the bar, and I was frustrated to see a crowd of ten or eleven photographers outside, waiting for us. I looked at the doorman, and he gave me a shake of the head. It wasn’t me, the shake said. I didn’t tip th
em off.

  Somebody had, though, and it seemed to take forever before the valet brought the car around. I slipped my hand around Elle’s waist and held her tight, as she stumbled around, dazed by the flashes from the cameras. “You don’t have to say anything,” I said, as the mob yelled out their questions.

  They wanted to know Elle’s name, and where she was from. They wanted to know how we’d met, and whether she was the mother of my child. They wanted to know if we were engaged. Finally, the car came around, and I made a split-second decision that would either help me or backfire tremendously. Larry’s words of caution rang in my ears, and so I took a deep breath, grinned at the cameras, and opened the car door so Elle could leap inside.

  “Back away, folks,” I said. “How about giving us a little privacy, hm?”

  “Mister Wilde!” the crowd yelled. “Liam! Is this the baby’s mom?”

  “No,” I answered, getting into the car. “But I’m happy to say she’s my fiancée. And now I’m leaving.”

  With that, I slammed the door shut, fired up the engine and sped away, nearly knocking over a photographer as I went.

  19

  ________

  ELLE

  “Are you shitting me right now?” I yelled, as we swerved violently and nearly knocked over some prick with a camera. My ears were ringing, my eyes were still blurry from the flashes, and I was thoroughly confused. “This is why you brought me here tonight? To make up some bullshit story and have me cover for you?”

  But Liam was adamant. “No,” he said. “Absolutely not. This is the last thing I wanted, Elle. Believe me.”

  “You’ve got some explaining to do,” I said. “I can’t believe I let you just waltz back into my life and think you could treat me as a pawn in your game.”

  I could see him gripping the steering wheel, his jaw clenched under his short beard. “You couldn’t be more wrong,” he said. “But I don’t believe I can convince you tonight. Now, give me your address.”

  “What? No. Take me to the subway.”

  He looked at me. “Elle, give me your address so I can drive you home and make sure you get there safely. These people are animals. And I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you’ve been surprised like this.”

  “I can just about cope with being surprised by a few cameras in my face,” I retorted. “What I can’t cope with is finding out I’m suddenly engaged.”

  “God, it’s a mess,” Liam said. His eyes narrowed, and I could tell he was thinking deeply. He reached for my hand again. “There’s a method in my madness, and I’ll explain tomorrow. Now, please tell me where you live and I’ll take you home.”

  I gave him the address of my building and sure enough, he drove me to the front door. He turned off the engine and undid his seatbelt. He still didn’t let go of my hand. “Elle, I promise I’ll sort everything out,” he said. “I’ve only just found you again. I don’t want to push you away.”

  He leaned in, and before I knew what was happening, he’d cupped my cheek and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and melted for the first time in ten years, and I kissed him back for a few seconds before the reality of the situation hit me once more.

  “I have to go,” I said. “This is madness. I… I have to go, Liam.”

  And I opened the car door and got out. I fumbled with my keys, dropping them on the sidewalk and cursing as I picked them up. I didn’t look back as I let myself into the building.

  When I opened the door, Colin was the one stepping out of the shower this time. He saw me and looked at his wrist, where his watch would usually be. “You’re home late,” he said. “I was just about to text you. What happened?”

  “Colin, why am I such a mess?” I asked, and he laughed.

  “We’re all messed up in our own wonderful little way,” he said. “But let me put on some underwear and I’ll be right out. I don’t want you lusting after me.”

  He moved dramatically into his room, calling out as he went. “Is this an ice-cream moment? Do I need to get dressed and go to the store?”

  “God, I hope not,” I said. “I’ve eaten far too much ice-cream this week.”

  Now clad in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, he threw himself on the sofa and patted the seat beside him. “Tell me everything.”

  “Aren’t you going out with Brandon?”

  “Why do you think I had the shower? I can cancel, though.”

  “No, don’t do that,” I said. I didn’t want to ruin two nights in a week for him. Besides, it was Friday. Even though I’d had plenty of excellent champagne, I wanted wine. I grabbed a bottle from the fridge and two glasses. Then I proceeded to tell him about my day.

  “Oh God, this just gets better and better,” Colin said. “Two star-crossed lovers, forced apart by convention, but thrown together again by destiny. I can just see it now. What a play this would make.”

  “Maybe you can write the woman as a chronic fool who gets sucked into things she doesn’t want to,” I said.

  “What time is he picking you up tomorrow?”

  “Are you even listening to me?” I cried. “He’s just some rich asshole who thinks he can snap his fingers and I’ll come running.”

  Colin rubbed his chin. “Perhaps,” he said. “Or, perhaps he’s the same amazing guy you fell in love with when you were eighteen. The same guy we all fell in love with when we were eighteen. He’s dealing with a career he never wanted, a baby he didn’t know he even had, and now a hoard of paparazzi noting down every time the guy scratches his balls.”

  “Ugh, I knew you’d take his side,” I said.

  Wrapping his arms around me, Colin pulled me close and kissed my forehead. “You’re such a silly little thing,” he said. “You’ve got no idea how to deal with your own feelings.”

  I pushed him away. “You’re so patronizing,” I said, picking up a cushion and giving him a whack. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “And there you go again. Refusing to accept the truth.” He stepped up from the sofa and began to walk to the kitchen.

  “What do you mean?”

  At that, my best friend turned around and stuck his hands out wide. “You’re madly in love with him. You always have been, but you doubted it when you saw him in the shop. Now, you’ve spent an hour with him and all it’s done is confirm what we all knew.”

  “Bullshit,” I said. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not in love with him.”

  “So why do you still wear that necklace? Why do I catch you sitting on the couch and watching Pride and Prejudice every time you get out of a relationship? Honey, it’s as obvious as Donald Trump’s comb-over.”

  “Well, I’m so happy I’m making you laugh,” I said, stubbornly.

  He came over and sat on the couch again. “I’m not laughing, really,” he said. “But I wish you could see what I see. How every time you meet someone, you’re just trying to plug the hole that Liam left. You have to see where this goes with him. Even if it’s just for closure, and I know how much you hate that word, but you need closure with Liam. Go for dinner tomorrow. Listen to him, and don’t be so stubborn.”

  “Whatever happened to the guy who opened the door to him and threatened that if anyone hurt his best friend, he’d put them on their ass?” I asked.

  “He’s still here, and he’s got your back every step of the way,” Colin said, seriously. “But right now, you have to take the opportunity to see where Liam’s head’s at. You need to hear the guy out. Because you’ve got to stop living life wondering what might have been when the answers are right there for you if you’ll only listen.”

  “Turn off Oprah and get a real job,” I said, but I looked at him and smiled. He was right. He was always right. He knew me better than I knew myself at times.

  “Now, can I go on this date and have some more of the best sex I’ve ever had in my life, or do you need me to talk you down off the ledge?”

  “No, go,” I said. “I’m fine. I’m going to have a long bath and think a
bout what to wear tomorrow.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Colin said. “I’ll run the bath for you.”

  “I know I’ve asked this a thousand times, but why couldn’t you have been straight?” I asked.

  He beamed at me and winked. “Because you can’t handle all this fabulousness. I’m just too much man for any woman to handle,” he said, running his hands over his chest and belly, and there was nothing I could do but laugh.

  20

  ________

  LIAM

  I wasn’t about to go and get Elle the next evening and bring her back to the house. For now, I didn’t want anyone to know where she was. Nobody had followed us the night before, and I’d managed to lose the photographers before they could leap in their cars and track us down to Elle’s place.

  Her apartment was in a beautiful old building, but I knew that, even though rent was high, the building was in desperate need of repair. Once again, I thought about how much of her own life she was sacrificing in order to keep her parent’s heads above water. That night, although I managed to review and approve the proposal for the next online takeover, my mind was spinning wildly. When Lizzie stirred, I was already awake, and we ate together in the kitchen downstairs. I had cereal, while she sat in the crook of my arm with her milk.

  She’d only been with me for a couple of weeks, and already we had a bond I knew could never be broken. When she cried, all I had to do was place her against my chest and she was soon quiet. I noticed how, when she lay on me as I lay on the bed, she seemed to move her fingers against my chest, as if tracing a pattern that reaffirmed that I was her daddy, and I was there for her, and nobody was going to part us.

  “What are we going to do, little one?” I asked her as she slept. “One thing’s for sure. You’re going to have the best life anyone could ever give you. And it doesn’t matter if you want to be a top executive, or an astronaut, or a doctor, or a soccer player. You can be whatever you want to be. But, at the end of the day, you’ll always be my little girl.”