by Mary Smith
“True.” I think about Gable’s good looks and even his dimple. “Thank you, Larissa.”
“You’re welcome.” We both stand and hug each other. “I wouldn’t have told anyone if you had asked me not to. I know people assume because of my family I’m running to them with every secret, but I don’t.”
I hang my head in shame. “Sorry.”
Larissa shrugs. “I’m just letting you know.”
“Thank you for everything. You helped a lot.”
She hugs me again and we make our way to the door. “We’ll do lunch soon.”
I nod and head out to Leo and the waiting Lexus.
~~~
Walking into the massive mansion, I look at it differently. Well, a little bit because all I can see is a sea of white. I need to find a way to add some color into this house.
“Dream.” I turn to see Gable and Gideon in the formal living room, playing cards. “Where did you go?”
I walk over to them and sit next to Gable on the couch. Gideon is across from his sitting on the other couch.
“I went to see Larissa Dapont.” I look at Gable’s cards and can’t figure out what games they’re playing.
“Did you have a good time?”
“She was very informative and helped me out a lot.” I tell him truthfully.
“Wait, Dapont? As in DA Dapont?” Gideon stops what he’s doing.
“You met her at the Wall’s Ball and yes, she’s the DA’s daughter.” I explain.
“Hhmm.” Gideon picks up a car from the stack and then lays a card down.
That’s when I notice…the cards are white. There’s no picture or design on them. They’re white. I grab Gable’s hand with the cards in it and turn it slightly to see the back of the cards.
Yep, all white.
“What is it?”
“The cards are fucking white.”
“Does that really shock you?” Gideon asks nonchalantly and picks up another card.
“What is the deal with all the white? And don’t you dare say ‘nothing’. I’ve never had the urge to go to Home Depot, buy six gallons of paint, come home, and just throw it all over the place.”
Gideon laughs. “Please let me know when you do. I will film it all and let the whole world watch Gable lose it.”
I ignore him and continue to stare at Gable.
“I like clean,” he shrugs and throws down the cards.
“Such an understatement.” Gideon rolls his eyes.
“Why won’t you tell me?” Normally, I wouldn’t call him out in front of his brother, but maybe it will help.
“He won’t tell you because he thinks it make him look weak.” Gideon answers for him.
Gable turns away from me. He isn’t going to tell me. I direct my questions to his brother.
“Because you’re clean makes you weak?”
“Gable had a nervous breakdown.” Gideon tells me. “It started after that bitch cheated on him and then our dad died. The doctor gave him medication for it. However, Gable ended having a seizure because of the med. When he woke up, he thought he was dirty and almost scrubbed his skin off before the doctor’s changed his meds. Since then, Gable keeps everything as white and clean as possible. They call it obsessive compulsive disorder. Gable doesn’t have the same urges as he had before because of the new meds. If he wasn’t on it, he would spend hours in the shower scrubbing until he was raw. As long as the house stays white, and he takes his medication, he’s fine.”
My heart is in my throat. I know what OCD is and how bad it is on someone. I’ve heard about it from my dad.
“But the whole house isn’t white.” I remind them. “My room has color and the media room is somewhat beige.”
“I’m okay if it’s white, blacks, and the red tie is the only one I’ve found which doesn’t send me into a fit,” he finally speaks.
“It’s why he doesn’t stay at Mom’s long.” Gideon adds in. “And I bet anything, he was sitting on your couch last night.”
“How did you know?” I gasp.
“Because I was in the hallway and when he came out, he had to change his shirt.” Gideon gives me a pointed look as if I should have known better.
I glance at Gable, but he gets up and leaves the room. My heart hurts for him. He’s in pain. An invisible pain to me, but it is very real to him.
“All of this happened because he’s girlfriend cheated on him?”
Gideon shakes his head. “His therapist thinks it’s more to do with our dad. Dad was constantly dirty from the tire factory. He died a slow, horrible death.” His face drops. “It took a toll on Gable, because he feels that he should have made money faster to save him.”
I gasp as the realization hits me. “That’s why he’s so involved with the environment.”
Gideon nods. “Yep. He wants to save the world and limit factories of that nature in hopes people won’t lose their lives for something like tires.”
For some reason, it’s as if a lightbulb goes off, and it all makes sense. I jump up from the couch. “Thank you, Gideon.”
“Hey.” I turn around. “When he gets embarrassed, he goes to his room.” He gives me a sad smile.
“Thank you.” I mean it, too and race up to Gable’s room.
I stand outside his door staring at the crisp whiteness of it. I feel bad for him. I didn’t know it had been a serious problem. I don’t knock in case he doesn’t let me in. I walk right in.
Gable is on the other side of the room gazing out his large picture window. His hands are in his black dress pants and his black dress shirt shines back at me.
“When I started my business, I didn’t start in the environmental side of things. I had gone into security and it took off from there.”
I walk up behind him.
“I had no desire to do anything with the environment.”
“What changed?” I ask, standing beside him, even though I know the answer now.
“After I caught her cheating, I left and went to my parents. Dad’s cancer had spread and he could barely breathe. He didn’t want to die in a hospital. Man, he hated hospitals. Mom kept him home because she knew it’s what he wanted. I sat by his bed all night, listening to him gasp what little bit of breath he could.
“I watched him slowly and agonizingly die that night. I don’t know what happened afterward. I only have spots of memory. I remember screaming, punching Gideon in the jaw, and then waking up in this bright, white hospital.
“Gideon and Joy made sure no one knew about my breakdown. The doctors gave me this little green pill and I was fine for about two days until I had the seizure. I don’t remember what happened, but when I woke up, I felt like I was in a filthy mud pit. I could feel the grime and dirt in my pores and on my skin. I scrubbed and scrubbed until Gideon had to come in drag me from the shower.
“The doctors changed my meds again, but I had an awakening. I dove into my office and researched every point of the environmental businesses. I couldn’t get the image of my dad dying out of my head. I didn’t want another family to go through that. It took me almost seven years to get here, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
He turns to me and I see the pain, real pain, in his eyes. I know he feels vulnerable and exposed, but I want him to know I’m here and that I understand.
“You told my dad the story, didn’t you?”
He nods.
“He told you about my mom.”
He nods again. I sit on the window bench and look out to the backyard. The leaves are starting to change colors and the sun beams off of the yellow, red, and orange colors that are flowing in the breeze.
I clear my throat. “I don’t remember her at all. I wasn’t even one when she died.”
“Your dad told me.” He takes a seat next to me. “No one knows. I never said anything to anyone. Ulrich told me only Leo and Mrs. Stones know the truth.”
“Mom had her first breakdown right after she married Dad. He told me many times how helpless he felt when she would ju
st sit in the corner, rocking, and crying. He said the worst times would be when she locked herself into a room and think if you opened it, poisons would come in.
“Dad finally found a doctor to help, and for a while and she was doing well with the treatment and therapy. Then she got pregnant with me. The doctor thought this would help her stay on track because of motherly instinct to do well for her child.”
“That didn’t happen?” Gable asks.
“The opposite actually. When I was born, according to Dad, she didn’t even want to touch me. Mrs. Stones took care of me. Then Mom started doing her therapy again and was doing better. Until…”
“The day she tried to kill you.”
I nod. The tears form in my eyes.
“I guess I threw up or something and Mom flipped out. As least that’s what everyone thinks, because no one knows for sure. Mrs. Stones had been dropping off some diapers and heard Mom screaming. When she walked in, she saw Mom holding me under the water in the tub. Mom was yelling at me about being a dirty child and the germs were going to kill me.” I close my eyes and the tears roll down my cheeks. Gable takes my hand.
“Dad took her to the psychiatric hospital and they claim they checked in on her throughout the night, but it was the morning nurse who found her hanging from the shower rod.”
Gable holds my hand tightly and it’s comforting to have him here. I’ve never told this story out loud to anyone. Dad always told me it was a family secret. Mrs. Stones and Leo never speak of it either. If anyone asks about Mom, I say she died when I was a child. If they asked what happened, I’d say I didn’t want to speak of it. People would nod and say how they understood and change the subject.
“When Dad and I would watch Gone with the Wind, he would tell me the happiest memories of the two of them. He thought it was good for me to know that she was really a good person and not just the woman who tried to kill me. I know now she didn’t really mean to and there was more going on with her than they realized. I’ve never held anything against her.”
“Are you saying that to convince me or you?”
I pop my eyes open and look at him. “I’m telling the truth. There’s nothing to convince you or me about,” I tell him harshly.
“It sounded like a practiced speech. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
“I’ve had a long time to deal with this. I really don’t hold anything against her. I wish…I wish I could have been a help to her.”
Gable cups my face in his large, strong hands and uses the pads of his thumbs to wipe away my running tears.
“You were a baby. There was nothing you could have done, Dream.”
“I know, but I still wish it,” I whisper.
Gable drops his hands from my face and gently tugs me into his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder and rest one hand on my back and the other on my thigh. I close my eyes and relax in his arms. With other boyfriends, I always felt awkward sitting in their laps, but not with Gable.
I feel safe. It’s been a long time since I have felt that way. Safe and secure. The tears dry and I lift my head off his shoulder.
“Your shirt is dirty.” I point to the makeup stain. “I’ll get you another one.” I promptly get up and go his closet. The whole left side is nothing but black pants, black shirts, and numerous red ties hanging. They are perfectly spaced on the rack, and I carefully pull one off and go back to him.
Gable has already stripped out of the shirt and it standing there, bare chested. I could stare at him all day. He has one of the best bodies I’ve ever seen. My previous boyfriends were fit, but Gable takes it to another level.
I hand him his shirt and he quickly slips it on and buttons it.
“Have you tried any other colors?”
“Only black works,” he says. “I don’t think people would do a lot of business with me if I came in looking like Boss Hogg. So, I don’t wear all white suits.” Gable smirks.
“Who?” I pretend I don’t know who that is.
He stops adjusting his collar. “You didn’t just say who, did you?”
“I did. Is he a rapper or a DJ?” I continue my ruse, holding my serious face.
“A rapper?” Gables mouth drops. “You’re serious? You don’t know who Boss Hogg is?”
“Nope.” I feel the corner of my mouth twitch.
Gable’s left eyebrow raises, and I can’t hold back the laugh anymore. He shakes his head and chuckles.
“Oh, come on, Gable.” I pat his chest. “Laughter is good for the soul. Besides, we’ve had a heavy day and we need to lighten the mood.”
“We have.” He nods. “Thank you for the laugh.” He rubs his hands up and down my arms.
“You’re welcome.”
He doesn’t release me and he looks perplexed for a moment.
“What is it?”
“I’m wondering why you went to see Larissa today.”
“Do you want the truth?”
He tilts his head. “Obviously.”
I took a deep breath. “I went to talk to her about us.”
He stops rubbing my arms, his expression unreadable. “What do you mean?”
“Calm down. I had her sign an NDA.”
“Smart.” He smirks. “And what did she say about us?”
I open my mouth, but the words don’t come rushing out. Do I tell him what she really said? Or, should I lie? Marriage is about communication and honesty. At least that what I’ve heard.
“I like you. I don’t understand the emotions I’m feeling, and I needed an unbiased opinion.”
“You could have talked to me.” Gable’s deep voice is low.
“I said unbiased,” I whisper.
“You like me?”
“You’re a good person, Gable.”
“Does this have anything to do with last night?” He squeezes my biceps and I release the breath I’m holding.
“Possibly.”
“Did you want me to kiss you?”
I nod.
“I like you too, Dream.” He leans in just as he did last night.
“You should; you’re married to me.” I arch my back a little, gazing into his eyes.
“I like your humorous side.”
I slowly lick my lips and he pulls me to him. His lips brush against mine and I push harder toward him.
We both moan as our hormones take over. I fist my fingers in his hair and he drops his hands to my hips, grasping me hard.
Gable slips his tongue in my mouth and I relax against him. Our bodies, lips, and tongues dance with each other until I pull back. I open my eyes and place my hands on his cheeks, feeling his soft beard.
“I want to do that again.” I smile as Gable chuckles.
Chapter 11
Gable is sitting at the breakfast bar when I come down to grab my coffee before I head to work.
“What are you doing up this early?” I kiss his cheek, as if I do it all the time, before sitting down as Misha puts the coffee in front of me. “Thank you.”
“If you remember, I have a company going public today, and I’m still trying to deal with Japan.” He sips his coffee and turns to me. “What are you doing for lunch?”
“I’m going to be dealing with Jacob and his business today. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing. Did you need something?”
Gable winks and I giggle. We spent most of the evening kissing, and only kissing, in his bed. His hands never left my hips, and even though I thought about his hands roaming over my body, I stopped myself and he never pushed me.
Slow is what I need right now and he’s giving that to me.
I eventually fell asleep in his arms, and we didn’t even change out of our clothes. I woke up with our legs entangled and my head on his chest. When I left the bed, he was still asleep. I guess he went to one of the other bathrooms to get ready.
“I’ve got to go, but if you get time for lunch, call me.” He stands, and I automatically lift my chin for him to kiss me. And he does. It’s quick, and I think it’s because Misha is st
ill in the room.
After one night of making out with him we’re all lovey-dovey now. It’s strange and nice at the same time. My plan was to divorce Gable, but instead I’m kissing him like a horny teenage in his bed.
“Things are getting better, huh?”
I look over at Misha after Gable leaves. “Excuse me?”
“Between Mr. Butler and you, it’s better, right?”
“Yes,” I answer, but I didn’t feel comfortable talking to her about it, and I’m glad to receive the text from Leo he’s here.
I’m not really nervous about today. Not like I thought I would be. Gable gave me an extra boost of confidence after reading my business plan.
When I make to the office to meet Jacob, Mrs. Stones already has everything set up and exactly ten minutes later, he arrive with his four bodyguards.
His sandy blond hair and beard are shaped, combed, and he’s looks like he’s ready to get to business.
“Mrs. Butler, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” He holds out his hand.
“Same to you Mr. Matherson.”
“Please, let’s not be so formal. Call me, Jacob.”
I nod and direct him to my office. I had asked Mrs. Stones to stay for the meeting to take notes; plus, I felt more comfortable with her near me. I start the meeting by handing him the business plan then going over it in depth. It takes a little bit longer than I want, but he keeps asking questions with each turn of the page.
“The only thing that needs to be addressed is my security.” He closes the binder.
“Security?”
“I always have five to six guys at all my companies. They won’t be in your way. I’d suggest you don’t try to order them around.”
“Okay.” My heart is pounding as I look into his eyes. They’re not welcoming like Gable’s. I can see the evil in them.
“Anything else?”
I shake my head. “Just need to sign and pay; I’ll start today.”
“Perfect.” He signs his name and pulls an envelope from his inside pocket and hands it to me. “I would like to be updated on a regular basis.”
“You have my word, Jacob.”
~~~
I’m sitting in the office of the newly acquired Matherson Printing, Inc. I interviewed twenty new potential employees. I’d called an employment agency and had been able to get people in on short notice. Tomorrow, I would be letting some of the current staff go. I was not looking forward to it.