by Unknown
“I’d rather not get into details until I do the interview. If I get the job I will let you know then.”
“Okay, I know how superstitious you are. Anyhow, as far as the ex-wife goes, do you need help handling her?”
“Good question. She was pretty steamed at the both of us earlier. We got into a horrible argument and she stormed out of his apartment. I don’t know if that will be the end of her or not.”
“Maggie will be more difficult than Naomi, Regan. Watch your back and don’t be caught off-guard by her. Unfortunately she knows Orlando’s schedule and the days he won’t be around you.”
“He told me he loved. I’m not going to let his silly ex-wife ruin what we have together.”
“Awesome! I’m assuming the date with Doug is cancelled and I will call Jon. I’m happy for you. I can’t wait until Mark learns you have another man.”
“You are an instigator, Lincoln. Mark will not care what I am doing or with whom.” She heard the troublemaker voice inching in Lincoln’s voice. If there was a way Lincoln could spread word to New York or wherever Mark was in the world, he would learn about Orlando and want to know about the man who’d taken his place.
A second caller beeped. “Hey, Lincoln, my other line is ringing. I’ll call you back.”
“Talk to you later, sister.”
Regan disconnected Lincoln and connected the new caller with the unknown phone number. “Hello,” she said in a pleasant voice in case it was a potential job offer.
“Regan, how are you?”
She frowned recognizing the voice on the other end. The saying was true: speak of the devil and he will appear or, in this case, call. “I’m doing great, Mark. What do I owe this call? Your auntie’s funeral was last week, are you still in the city?”
“Yes, I am here but on other business. I was hoping we could have lunch tomorrow. I would like to see you.”
She walked to the window at the end of the hall looking outside. It had to be a full moon or something going on. “I don’t think so. Won’t Naomi be upset you are having lunch with your ex-wife or even talking to me?”
“We don’t have to bring her up, Regan. Honey, I know we are divorced but we can be civil to one another. We’ve known each other for years.”
Her voice deepened. “Don’t call me that, please. And you’re right we have known each other for years. Mark, we probably could be civil had we parted because we grew apart but you ruined our life together; not me.”
“I know what I did. Have lunch with me tomorrow. I have a contact person that may benefit you in your search for employment in journalism.”
“I’m looking to stay in Cleveland. If the job is outside of Cleveland then I don’t want it.”
“We will discuss it tomorrow. Meet me at the Roundtable at noon. If you get there before me, the reservation is in my name.”
“No, I’m not having lunch with you. My life is going right for once and I don’t need you to screw it up by thinking I will drop what I am doing whenever you are in town.”
“Regan, I’m only trying to help. It’s something I should have done when we were married.”
“Well, we aren’t married anymore and you don’t owe me any favors. Anyhow, I have a life know and I’m busy tomorrow.”
“You will find time to see me. I’ll see you at noon tomorrow.”
She mumbled clicking off the phone. Turning to head back to the bedroom, she saw Orlando was exiting the bathroom. She froze wondering if he’d heard any of the conversation. “Is the game over?”
His dark eyes didn’t move from her. “Nope, not yet, but I need sleep. Regan, I wasn’t eavesdropping but I heard what you said. Why do you want to stay in Cleveland? What’s up with that?”
Her heart stopped. Had he heard the conversation but how much? How was that possible? She did not raise her voice. How she wished she had on pants instead of bikini panties and a bra. She needed somewhere to put her hands and settled on them flopping at her sides. Forgoing bringing up the phone call, she targeted on the information Lincoln had given her. “You lied to me.”
“What did I lie about?”
“Why didn’t you say you would have to start over if I moved out of state? Orlando, that is too much to ask you to do.”
His shoulders slumped. “I didn’t lie, I left out minor details.”
“Minor details? Ugh,” she said going into the bedroom and sitting on the bed. “That is not a minor detail. You are too far up in command to start at the bottom again. I’m not letting you do that.”
He followed in behind her. “So you are giving up your dream once again for a man? I’m not letting you do that.”
“I have an interview here at a local station. I decided to do that instead of moving.”
“Baby, that’s great news. What station?”
“ABC, but for a weekend reporter and to fill in where needed. It won’t be a full-time anchor gig but it’s a foot in the door right?”
“Every successful reporter had to start somewhere. You pay your dues and work your way up the ladder. But, Regan, don’t do it if you’re not feeling it.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “This is probably better since the other station is a new startup company. Who knows, in six-months they could be in the toilet. At least with ABC, they are established and I have a chance to learn from experienced reporters.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “It’s your call, babe. I’m here to support you.” He got off the bed going to the other side pulling back the comforter. “I’m gonna get some shut-eye, I’m filling in for Murad tomorrow, and you wore me out today.”
She laughed at this statement. “Awe poor baby, you let a girl wear you out. Anyhow, I thought we would spend the day together after my interview. There is no one else can do it?”
“I committed to it before we got together, Regan. I can’t back out now and it’s only the one day. I won’t have to do the whole rotation.”
Regan slid into bed turned off the light and cuddled next to him. She could get used to this. His manly smell was addicting. Having a warm male body next to her again was the security blanket she missed.
She didn’t want to mess this reconciliation up and decided to be truthful about Mark’s call. “Baby, Mark called and asked me to have lunch tomorrow. He’s in town on business.”
His silence was hard to judge. He was so even-keeled mot days, that if not in direct eyesight of him to see his expressions, no one would know what he was feeling at any given time. That was probably the reason his crew loved him so much and a trait she loved in him. Only when he was highly upset, like earlier, would his orneriness show.
She pulled the covers over them. The air conditioning kicked on chilling the house. She listened to hear any shallow breathing. He could not have fallen asleep that fast. The glow from the television had not even faded. She nudged him. “Did you hear what I said?”
“I heard you talking with him. Go and see what he wants then tell him to fuck off. You have a new man in your life.”
She crossed her leg over his loving how he had staked his claim. The coarse hair of his legs tickled her smooth skin. “Yes, I do and I love him very much. Goodnight, Orlando.”
“Goodnight, sweetheart,” he said planting a light kiss on the lips.
Chapter Ten
Regan stepped on the elevator pressing the button for the top floor. She hated coming to this restaurant because of the location. Heights were a fear she could never conquer. She hated to fly but had to because of Mark. She wasn’t thrilled living in the penthouse because it was on the top floor of a tall building, but the beauty of the New York City skyline made it tolerable.
She held her breath as the elevator chugged to the 50th floor of KeyTower. She had finished her interview that didn’t leave her feeling yea or nay. The interviewer was somewhat stuffy and rude. Once the interview ended, they parted shaking hands and him saying they’d call if interested.
Feeling lightheaded from holding her breath, she leaned
against the wall to gain composure before entering the restaurant. She remembered Carter taking her sightseeing in Chicago. The first trip was to the Willis Tower. She thought she would pass out before Carter realized she was not faking the panic attack and they had to leave.
She made it a rule never to live in an apartment with more than five floors or work in a building with any more than twenty floors. Straightening her shoulders, she went inside giving the hostess her information. Two steps later, she was seated before the man she had not seen in a year.
The last they’d been seated at a table together was in the judge’s chambers signing divorce papers. They shook hands and parted ways outside. Mark was leaving to catch a flight to Milan, Italy with his girlfriend Naomi, and she was going home to Cleveland to figure out what to do next. The car accident happened on that trip home.
Mark sat down tucking his tie against his shirt. “It’s good to see you again, Regan. You’re as beautiful as I remember.”
She eyed the man who promised to love her forever then dumped her for something new. “Thank you. I see you have a little snow on your head. You’re a bit young for that aren’t you?”
He patted the top of his short-cut hair. “That’s wisdom and stress combined. Anyhow, I’m still young at heart.”
“I guess you are.” She fumbled with a large menu. “So where is this contact you wanted me to meet?”
He cleared his throat. “Um about that, I didn’t really have a contact for you to meet. I wanted to see you and I knew you would refuse unless I brought something to the table to benefit you.”
Anger filled her cheeks as she stood up from the table. To avoid drawing attention, she kept her voice low and said, “I told you on the phone I’m not interested in having lunch with you. I’m out of here.”
Mark grabbed her lower arm and pleaded. “Please, Regan; just give me a minute. I really need to talk to someone.”
He had gripped her wrist tight. If she snatched it away, the diamond tennis bracelet would break. She sat down slowly. “You have five minutes. I don’t even want lunch after you’re done.”
His hazel eyes softened as he started to talk. Mark was always handsome and his hazel eyes and perfect smile were his best attributes. There was a five year age difference between them and at thirty-seven years of age, he had put on weight but not enough to turn a woman off and, tiny age lines outlined his eyes and mouth. He, however, was still an attractive man, but the stress of dealing with temperamental entertainers had finally got to him and aged him somewhat.
“Regan, I have a lot going on in my life and I don’t have the right to dump my problems on you.”
Her anger didn’t ease as she blurted. “But you’re going to do it anyway? I’m not your wife anymore. I can’t hold your hand and tell you everything will be okay.”
“Wow, you have grown mouthy since we’ve been apart. I made you bitter and I’m sorry for that.”
She shook her head. “I was bitter but not anymore. I gave my life to you at an early age and because I chose to want something different from you, you replaced me. I didn’t even know you anymore. You changed to be like the people you served.”
“Served?” He growled sitting up straight.
“Yes, served! You did whatever they asked. You jumped higher than their pets to get a treat.”
“I’m paid very well for what I do. I don’t jump for whatever scraps are thrown at me.”
Regan rolled her eyes. “Pardon me. You’re successful and have money out of the ass but lost your self-respect. We had discussed this before you got into entertainment law. You promised me you wouldn’t fall into the life, but you did.”
He adjusted the silverware on the table. She watched him align each piece of silverware perfectly. Mark had some type of compulsive disorder when it came to organizing; everything had to be perfectly set in place.
“It’s all about keeping the client happy, Regan. You will find that out once you start working.”
“Okay, your five minutes are almost up and we’re not trying to resolve issues between us anymore; those are long gone.”
“Naomi is pregnant. There, I said it. We are getting married next week.”
The lump in her throat rose choking her. Naomi had long replaced her as the woman by his side, now she was bearing him a child. Something he told her he never wanted.
No tears came to her eyes from the shocking news. Sonofabitch! Am I supposed to congratulate him on spawning with his mistress? Nothing short of the world ending is going to make me do that! She thought. To agitate him, she took her silverware and turned it in different directions. “Why are you telling me?”
“I wanted the news to come from me. I owe you that respect.” He reached over and placed her silverware back in the proper position.
“Whatever, Mark,” she said realizing she shouldn’t be upset. “I have a man in my life now and you don’t need to tell me what you are doing with yours.”
“Really? Who is this man?”
She smiled. “He is a man that loves me and I love him. Other than that, you don’t have a reason to know anything about him.”
“You’re right I don’t. I have a favor to ask then you can leave if you wish.”
“That depends on what it is.”
“Naomi asked me if you would agree to use your maiden name again and turn in your credit cards. Since we are getting married, we didn’t want any confusion. I’ll draw up the paperwork and pay the balance of your credit card bill and any court costs, of course. All you’ll have to do is sign and cease using my last name and hand over the credit cards.”
She bit her lower lip scorning him. “I will give you back your name and the credit cards for a price.”
“Come on, Regan. I’m being reasonable. If you are in love with this alleged man, won’t you be marrying him and taking his name?”
She didn’t back down. “Do you want to hear my price or try to bargain with me? Either, way it’s going to cost you. You know what the divorce decree stated.”
He leaned back in the chair tapping his finger on the table. “What is your price?”
“Oh, sweetheart, you know the price. Don’t play stupid with me.”
He shook his head sternly. “You’re crazy if you think I’m giving you five hundred thousand dollars.”
“I guess I’ll have to call my attorney and have him look into the matter for me,” she said taking her makeup mirror from her purse to check her lipstick.
A long silence fell over him. He glared at her coldness. “I don’t know who you’ve been talking to besides your big mouth sister, but all right. I will give you the five hundred thousand dollars per the divorce decree.”
She folded her arms across the table and leaned in. “No one has been talking to me. You agreed to give me that money if you decided to remarry before me. I was just smart enough to have my attorney write it into the divorce without a statute of limitations attached to it. Have the money wired to my account by the end of the week or the deal is off.”
He typed on his cell phone giving her a lopsided grin. “Damn, I should have kept you. Had you shown this toughness when we were married, we might still be together. There, my accountant is taking care of the matter as we speak,” he said showing her the text conversation on his phone.
“I doubt it. It won’t be long before you replace Naomi since she will be bogged down with a kid,” she removed the credit cards from her purse handing him all of them but one. “I will keep one until the money is in my account.”
“That’s fair and I trust you,” he said placing the cards in the pocket of his suit coat. Scooting away from the table, he stood up. “Good luck, Regan. I can’t believe we’ve known each other since we were kids. Never seeing you again is hard for me.”
It hurt her too, but she couldn’t let him see just how much. “My mother was right. We spent too much time together and not enough apart.” She stood up and stuck out her hand. “Good luck to you too. I hope you will stick around to r
aise your family. Mark, you were a good man. You let those people turn you into something you’re not. Be there for your child, please.”
“I’m already making the transformation, Regan. It took losing you to realize I didn’t like what I was becoming. Whoever this guy is that has captured your heart, is one lucky man.”
A tear managed to escape her eye. She sniffed. “Yes he is. You know, I think I am a little hungry. How about treating me to lunch for the last time?”
He held the chair for her to sit. “It would be my pleasure to treat you to lunch.”
*****
Orlando finished the paperwork closing the ledger. He glanced at his watch, three more hours to go before Murad would be in to take his shift, and he could leave.
Anthony moseyed into the office and sat down. “Have you heard from Regan yet?”
“Nope, and I don’t expect to hear from her. I’ll see her when I get home.”
“Come on, man. You can’t be okay with her on a date with her ex-husband.”
“They aren’t on a date and I trust Regan; hell, I told her to go. Nine out of ten he wants something from her and she will refuse him whatever it is.”
“Damn right about that! He wants her back,” Anthony said giggling.
Orlando cursed. “That’s not funny, Ant. You joke too damn much,” he said gruffly, throwing a pencil on the desk.
Anthony patted him on the shoulder. “Sorry, dude. I didn’t think you would take it so seriously.”
“Nah, I’m being overly sensitive. Regan is the first woman I have ever loved. Shit, I don’t know how I’m supposed to act.”
“Act natural, Orlando. If you don’t, you will be putty in her hands. She will know what buttons to push to get her way. I’m dating her sister, remember.”
Jon entered to join his friends. “Sup fellas?”
“Just chillin’, Orland replied staking folders on the desk.”
Jon lopped his arm Orlando’s neck. “Thanks, Lieutenant, for breaking my brother’s heart.”
Orlando felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. Anthony, the big mouth bandit, had struck again. “What are you talking about?” He asked knowing the answer but not owning up to it.