by Ava Hayworth
My mind flashes to a scenario where they both try to put a hand on my leg at the same time and end up holding hands. A hysterical giggle escapes me and looking around the table, I realize I have everyone’s attention. Gordon addresses me directly for the first time in the evening. “Do you find something amusing, my dear?”
Looking around the table, I apologize. “I was thinking of something from earlier. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt the conversation.”” I am barely able to contain my hysterical laughter as James reaches over to take my hand, which I have clenched in my lap. Relaxing my fingers, I take his hand and force a smile over my lips.
The dinner goes on and on. I barely taste my food. When Gordon requests the bill, I feel intense relief. As Andries gives me the customary goodbye air kisses, he whispers in my ear. “If you ever get bored, give me a call.”
Sitting back in the car, I look over at James. “Your grandfather hates me.” I lean back and groan dramatically. “Did Gary replenish the beverage supply?””
James leans over and opens the console where the drinks are kept. Before he can reach in to hand me something, I grab a little bottle of the hard stuff he usually drinks, open it, and bolt it down. Eyes watering and gasping for breath, I hand the empty bottle back to him.”
“Better?”
“Not at the moment, but maybe when the alcohol hits me. Hand me another one please.”
James closes the console. “I don’t think so. Remember you have work in the morning.”
I groan again. “Please, do not remind me.”
“Lainey, it didn’t go that badly.” James’s attempt to reassure me falls flat.
I begin ticking off on my fingers. “Your grandfather hates me, he threw Nicole Van Cleef at your feet the entire evening, her Don Juan of a brother hit on me, and in a jealous temper you ordered me to get you off in a closet. Although I have to say, that was the highlight of the evening. Did I mention your grandfather hates me?”
James has the nerve to laugh. “Babe, it wasn’t that bad. I am sure Grandfather will warm up to you the more he gets to know you. You have to admit; you were behaving a little strangely. Laughing at nothing. What was that all about?””
My temper ratchets up a notch. “Well, James, I was imagining what you would do if you reached over to find Andries Van Cleef’s hand in my lap.”
James stiffens. “His hand in your lap?”
His menacing tone makes me regret losing my temper. “Just for a moment. Until I made it plain that it was unwanted.”
“Are you telling me that while we were all sitting there eating dinner, Van Cleef had his hands all over you? While I was sitting right next to you? Goddamit, Lainey. Why didn’t you say something?”
“All things considered, I don’t think that would have gone over too well. Besides, it was basically just a pat on the leg that was over in a few seconds.”
“I guess that explains your lack of appetite. If I catch that bastard within a foot of you, I’m going to kill him.”
The furious light in James’s eyes tells me he is being completely serious. I vow to stay far, far away from Andries Van Cleef in the future.
CHAPTER 4
Sitting at my desk the next morning, I am feeling sleep deprived and miserable. E-mails regarding the Rothschild lawsuit are coming into my inbox in an avalanche. I am also scheduled to move back into my office. The mystery of who started the fire intrudes into my thoughts once again. I can’t seem to let it go. Becca, who has been conspicuously absent from work, is now my prime suspect. She certainly had not denied it when I confronted her about it. The sound of Patti clearing her throat has me looking up from my computer screen. James, looking outrageously handsome in a dark gray suit is headed our way. Instead of walking past, he stops. He nods his head to greet at Patti and Nora before turning to me. “How are you feeling this morning?”
I groan. “Come back after I’ve had my second cup of coffee.”
“Come on.” He has the temerity to grin. “It can’t be that bad. You didn’t drink all that much last night.”
He knows it isn’t the drinking that is the problem. The one good thing to come out of last night’s fiasco was James’s lovemaking. James was like a machine, making me come over and over again. It was as if he channeled the jealous rage he felt toward Andries Van Cleef into possessing me sexually. “If you are waiting for some sort of compliment on your skills, you can just move along.”
“Actually, I came along to say that I won’t be home for dinner. A meeting has come up.”
“That’s fine. I’ll probably make an early night of it.”
With a final smirk, he strides away with his usual cool, easy confidence. When he is gone from view, I look over at Patti and Nora. They had also been watching him and aren’t trying to hide the fact. Nora is the first to speak. “You are so lucky, Lainey. He is so gorgeous.””
Not one to respect personal boundaries, Patti asks, “What kind of skills are we talking about here?”
Getting into James’s bedroom skills with our co-workers is not something I am prepared to do. “Cooking.” I lie. “James tried out a new recipe last night.”
“Uh huh.” Patti clearly is not buying it, but she will have to wait for hell to freeze over before I start talking about James’s sexual prowess.
The day creeps along at a snail’s pace, and at six I decide that I have accomplished enough for the day. I am fantasizing about a soak in the tub and an early night when my phone rings. It’s Jett. I have been avoiding his calls because I know he will not be pleased that I have moved in with James. I let the call go to voicemail. A minute later, Sam calls. “Hi Sam.”
“Lainey, didn’t you tell Jett that you had moved out? He was just over here, and I had to tell him that you had moved in with James.”
Damn, the cat was out of the bag, and now there was sure to be hell to pay. “Isn’t it a little early for you to be home?”
“I had a migraine, so I left work at five.”
“Oh, sorry to hear that. Are you feeling any better?”
“Some. I took an Advil and tried to sleep a little.”
“You get some rest. I’ll give Jett a call, and hey, I’m sorry you were stuck with telling him. I should have told him a few days ago.””
“Yes, you should have, but that’s alright. It wasn’t that bad. You do need to call him though.”
“I know. I will.”
After debating the merits of calling now and getting it over with or giving Jett some time to cool down, I bite the bullet and call him. I listen for what seems like a very long time as Jett remonstrates with me. When his tirade finally tapers off, I get him to agree to meet me for dinner. I would like to suggest take-out at James’s apartment, but I don’’t push my luck. Instead, we decide to meet at a restaurant in Soho.
Jett arrives first, and I barely have time to take a seat before he starts lecturing me again. I listen calmly until he admits that he has called my mother. “Really, you called Mom? If you talked to her like you are talking to me, you know she will be out here on the first flight. You make it sound like I am shacked up with the devil.”” Jett gives me a pointed look, to which I roll my eyes in response. “If you would just give James a chance, you would see that he is not the bad guy that you like to think he is.”
Jett crosses his arms across his chest and regards me with a mulish expression that I remember all too well from my childhood. He is not going to give an inch when it comes to giving James the benefit of the doubt. My phone rings, and I hold up the display for him to see the name “Mom.” “I hope you’re happy now.” I accept the call knowing if I don’t, she will call me all night until I answer.
“Lainey, Jett told me you have moved in with a man. Is it true? Why didn’t you tell me?” The hurt tone of my mother’’s voice makes me cringe.
“Hi Mom,” I say cheerfully while staring daggers at Jett. “It has all happened so fast. He asked me last weekend. Betwe
en moving and work, I feel like I haven’’t had a moment to breathe. I was planning on introducing you to James over skype this weekend.”
There are a few beats of silence before my mother continues. “I thought you were seeing a photographer.”
“I was, but I was seeing James too. Remember, I went to the Hamptons with him a couple of weeks ago.”
“Jett says he knows James from law school and doesn’t like him.”
Narrowing my eyes at Jett, I attempt to reassure my mother. “That was a long time ago. Jett needs to let it go,” I emphasize. “I love him Mom, and when you get to know him, I am sure you will like him.”
“Lainey, honey, it all seems so fast. You have barely mentioned him to me, and now you have moved in with him. You know you just got out of your relationship with Mark. Maybe you should take things a little more slowly.”
“Mom, I know what I am doing. You need to trust me.”
She continues as if I haven’t even spoken. “I’m looking into buying a ticket for this weekend.”” As if anticipating my response, she adds, “No arguments please. I would like to meet your James and form my own opinion.”
I sigh inwardly, but answer enthusiastically. “Mom, I would love to see you, but wouldn’t you rather wait and plan a longer trip?”
“No, Elaine, I would not. I am sorry to say that Jett has some legitimate concerns. You are my only daughter, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
I mouth a derogatory name to Jett before replying to my mother. “Fine. You can come and see for yourself that I have never been happier. E-mail me when you have your flight information.”
We hang up after a few more rounds of reassurances that everything is fine. I glare at Jett, who is smirking in satisfaction at the newest turn of events. Before I can lay into him, my phone rings again. Looking down in exasperation, I see that it is Alex. Puzzled as to why he would be calling me and hoping that it has nothing to do with work, I take the call. “Hi Alex.””
“Lainey, I wasn’t sure if I should call you or not.” His ominous tone alarms me. “I thought about what I would want a friend to do if the roles were reversed.”
“What is it?” I ask impatiently. “Just tell me.”
“Well,” he dithers, before continuing. “I had theater tickets tonight. You know you can get pretty good discounts if you go during the week.””
Confused, I hurry him along. “You’re calling to tell me about your visit to the theater?”
“Not exactly. Listen, I was walking past Gallagher’s. You know the steakhouse on 52nd Street?”
“Yes, and?”
“I saw Elizabeth going in.”
“Elizabeth from the office?”
“Yes, and she was with James.”
The silence over the line becomes oppressive, and I force myself to respond. “My James?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, Lainey. They were definitely together.”
“Okay, thanks for telling me.”
“Did I do the right thing?
“Yes, of course. It’s good to know you’ve got my back.”
I put down my phone and look across the table at Jett, who is looking at me with concern. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine.” I refuse to acknowledge Jett’s look of doubt. Instead, I determinedly push aside my conversation with Alex and paste on my brightest smile. ““Let’s order. I’m starving.”
Jett’s disapproval exhausts me, and despite my best efforts to remain awake, I fall asleep before James returns home. I had thought it over and determined that my best course of action was to wait and see if James brought up Elizabeth himself. The next morning James leaves early to go to the gym. Long discussions are out of the question.
I slog through the work day with different scenarios starring James and Elizabeth playing in my head. At three o’clock, I can stand it no longer and send James a short text.
Dinner?
Sorry Babe, client meeting. See you tonight if you don’t fall asleep on me again. J
The smiley face irks me somehow. I am on the verge of storming into his office and demanding an explanation when I see an e-mail from my mother arrive in my inbox. She will be arriving in two days, and I haven’t even told James yet. I walk over to James’s office only to discover that he isn’t there. Melanie informs me that he is out all afternoon at a meeting. Defeated, I return to my office and attempt to get some work done.
Rather than face an empty apartment, I call Nick to see if he can do dinner. He invites me over to his place. My spirits lift a little at the prospect of spending the evening with Nick and Brad. I take the subway to Brooklyn and walk the short distance to their apartment. This area of Brooklyn has changed a lot since they first moved here two years ago. Walking past the familiar shops and restaurants puts me in a better mood. The anxiety I have felt all day recedes even more as I relax with two of my closest friends. Nick flatly turns down my offer to help with dinner. I sit at the kitchen island with a glass of white wine as Nick finishes his signature cordon bleu and Brad fixes the salad.
I find myself laughing as Nick relates work stories in his usual flamboyant style. As we sit down to eat, Nick begs me to tell how James had asked me to move in. When I finish with the story, Nick claps his right hand over his heart. “That is soooo romantic. I can’t believe cautious Lainey agreed so quickly though.” He pats me on the hand. “Good for you. Right, Brad?”
Brad smiles at Nick. “Absolutely, it was one of the best days of my life when Nick agreed to move in with me, and it has only gotten better since then.”
The way they are looking at each other makes me smile. “Now look who’s being romantic. Maybe I had better leave you two alone.”
Nick gives me a wink. “No way. First we have to hear how he got you to agree to move in with him so quickly.”
I tell them about my encounter with Becca on the boat. “Being out there in the ocean, knowing I could die out there, all I could think about is how many things I would miss out on with James. It made me realize that I couldn’t worry about whether this thing with him will last. All I know is that right now, I want to be with him every minute of the day. Nothing else matters.”
“Oh Lainey, I am so happy for you.”
“Thanks Nick, but it’s not all sweetness and light.”
Brad holds up his hand, stopping me from saying anything further. “Let me guess. He leaves his wet towels on the bathroom floor and his dirty socks lying about.”
The thought of James doing anything so unorderly makes me laugh. “Actually, James is pretty much of a neat freak. You should see his closet.”
“Oh, I plan to.” Nick informs me. “But go on. I’m dying to know. What is James McAllister’s fatal flaw?”
I think of James’s secret meeting with Elizabeth, but I brush it aside for the moment. “It is not so much James as our families. His mother is… well, let’’s say not the warmest person I have ever met. Plus, his grandfather doesn’t like me, and that is putting it mildly.”
“Honey, they just need time to get to know you.”
“Wait,” I say, holding up my fork for emphasis. “That is just on his side. My brother Jett hates James because of something that happened years ago when they knew each other in law school.”
“I didn’t know they went to law school together.”
“I may not have mentioned it. That isn’t the worst of if though. Jett has been telling my mother who knows what, and she is flying in this weekend.”
Nick dismisses this. “Your mother will love him. Don’t worry about that.”
Brad refills my empty wine glass. “You and James have moved fast. Your families just need time to adjust. You’ll see.”
“There is one more thing.” I tell them about Alex seeing James and Elizabeth together at Gallagher’s.
“Why don’t you ask him about it?”
I shrug. “I was hoping he would bring it up himself.”
I wait for him to continue after his unusually short response, but apparently that is all he had to say. “Aren’t you going to offer me some advice?”
Nick looks at me gravely. “Lainey, you need to figure this out for yourself.”
Figure what out? I wonder. This talk is beginning to ruin the mood, so I change the subject. After dinner I convince Brad to show me some photographs from his latest shoots. Nick also plays some video clips for me. We are having such a good time that I forget about the time until a wave of tiredness hits me. Realizing that I have stayed later than I intended, I say my goodbyes and head back to the subway. Luckily, it is a straight shot on the 2 express train, and I am home in a half hour.
Dinner with the boys had done me good, and I walk into the apartment in a much better mood than when I had left it. I am happy to see that James is already home. He is sitting on the couch with his legs spread out in front of him. Although he is still in his suit pants, he has removed his jacket and tie. “Hey.” I give him a smile.
When he fails to respond and looks back at me stonily, my smile falters. “Is something wrong?” I ask.
“Where have you been?”
I take a step back. “I had dinner with Nick and Brad.”
You could hear a pin drop in the silence that follows my statement. “And you didn’t think to let me know?”
“You said you had a client meeting.”
“It got cancelled.” He tells me in a clipped tone. “Instead, I spend the whole evening waiting for my girlfriend, who as far as I knew was lying dead on the street somewhere.””
“Come on James. Aren’t you being a little dramatic?”
“No. I don’t think so.”