I took off my jacket and rolled up my sleeves as I returned to my perch against my desk.
“Are you ready for this?” I asked, a slight quiver in my voice. I admit, I was nervous as hell. This was the final phase, though it wasn’t as if we’d have any results any time soon. We were playing the long game, and we were playing to win.
“Darling, I’ve been ready all my life. Your girl sounds like a spitfire, and while you may have your work cut out for you, I have age and wisdom on her. I’m confident I can get her right where you want her.”
“God, I hope you’re right, Mom. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more.”
“I can tell, and I’m happy for you. You’ll have one hell of a marker with me, and don’t think I won’t call it in someday,” she said, playfully wagging her finger at me. I just laughed.
“You’re my mom. You’ve had all kinds of markers on me since the day I was born.” She laughed and stood, taking my face in both her hands.
“We’ll all do everything we can to bring this girl into our family. I’m confident because in the end, she’d be stupid to reject you. One thing I know about you, you wouldn’t truly fall for a stupid woman. I always knew you’d come to your senses with that Marguerite, but you had to see her for what she was on your own. I always knew she’d never be a Kingsley. This one, I don’t know her yet, but I feel like I do from all you’ve said about her. This is going to go well, trust me.”
“Your lips to God’s ears, Mom,” I said, making a silent prayer to go with it.
“Pfft. While God’s help is always appreciated, we help ourselves around here. Now, where is she?”
“Faith is giving her the nickel tour. I thought it would give us some time to go over all the details again.”
“What’s to discuss? I’ll take her under my wing and convince her you’re the most amazing man in the world, second to your father.”
“But Mom, I’m your flesh and blood. He isn’t. How could I possibly be second to him?” I said with a grin. She smiled the smile that had made her a beauty queen in her teens.
“You make a fine, persuasive argument, son. You get that from me, by the way, but your dad also has age and wisdom on his side. One day, it’ll be a dead heat, I’m sure, but you’ve got some way to go,” she said with a wink.
“Nah, that guy’s an asshole,” I joked back.
“That he is, darling. That he is.”
I did force my mother to go over a few preliminary details, just to give me some peace of mind. I wanted to be a fly on the wall for every second of their interaction, but it just wasn’t possible. If I could have convinced her, I’d have asked my mom to wear a mic. Well, I actually did at one point, but she gave me that look that told me I was being a moron. I quietly swallowed my words and agreed to trust her.
An hour and a half later, Mom breezed out of my office, ready to lay the groundwork that would pave the way to victory. Head held high, she made her way to Alexis’ office while I sat down with my own head in my hands, doing deep breathing exercises.
I’d just begun a silent meditative chant I’d found on YouTube when a heavy rap of knuckles on my open office door sounded. I looked up to see my dad, dressed in a bespoke navy suit with a lighter blue tie. At nearly sixty, he too looked years younger, still fit and tan from his many hours on the golf course. His hair had gone white a few years ago, but he rocked it like a king. No, like a Kingsley.
“You still alive, son?” he asked as he sauntered into the room, putting his hands in his pants pockets. Of all of us, Jasper was the most like him—tall, strong, and quietly mischievous. I’d gained his head for business, but Jas was his mini-me, inside and out.
“I am but just barely. Either this will go down smoothly, or the day will end with one of those women setting the Kingsley on fire.”
Dad chuckled as he walked around the back of my desk and kicked me out of my chair. He was too used to being at the helm than to sit in one of the guest chairs. He leaned back and put his feet up, hands laced behind his head.
“Close the door, Kent. We don’t want to be overheard.”
I did as instructed, then took a seat in front of him. If it wouldn’t have made me look like a nine-year-old boy, I’d have started chewing on my thumbnail. I loved the man, but both he and mom still had the power to make all us kids as nervous as hell.
“So, let me make sure I have my part in this scheme nailed down. If I’m the interim captain of the ship, won’t she be wondering what you’re doing?”
“No, I’ll be getting very hands-on with the project. I’ll be there to piss her off at every turn, then Mom will step in to smooth her ruffled feathers. Alexis will be so concerned with avoiding me whenever she can, she won’t see me in here doing next to nothing most of the time.”
He nodded in thought, running his hand over his smooth, dimpled chin.
“I’m going to take an opportunity here and there to make her feel welcome. I don’t want to come off as the distant potential father-in-law. She needs to feel a measure of acceptance even if she isn’t fully aware we’re slowly drawing her into the fold.”
“If I didn’t know how in love you are with Mom—and she’d castrate you if you ever tried—it almost sounds like you’re planning to seduce her.”
“In a way, I am. Innocently, of course, but if she’s going to marry into our family at some point, she needs to feel a connection to all of us. So, while the rest of you kids are giving her as hard a time as you can, Mom and I need to solidify in the back of her mind that we’ll eventually be a source of support for her. You know, for the times you’re a dickhead, and she needs somewhere to turn.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pop,” I said dryly.
“You’ve got half my DNA, son. Being a dickhead is your birthright, you’ve come by it honestly. Don’t worry, your mother will also slip in how to handle you. She won’t be able to help herself if she takes to this young lady, which I’m sure she will. If nothing else, she’ll consider it her mission to protect her.”
“God, it’s a wonder I grew up with any self-esteem at all with you two for parents.”
Dad laughed aloud, then put his feet back on the floor before standing and taking off his jacket.
“Let’s get down to business. Where are the current financials for this quarter?”
Twenty-Three
Alexis
I was trying to make folders for the various parts of the signing I might need—décor, catering, security, etc.—when a beautiful woman, clad in the smartest pink business suit I’d ever seen, paused in my doorway.
“You must be Alexis,” she said in a soft, musical voice, a tiny smile lifting the corners of her mouth. She was the kind of woman I wanted to be when I grew up—beautiful, graceful, and classic with epic style and a confident aura.
“I am. I suspect you’re Mrs. Kingsley,” I said with a broad smile of my own.
“Please call me Adele. I’m not quite ready to put on the apron and bake bundt cakes just yet.” She casually swished her way into the room and sat down in the chair in front of my desk.
“Thank you, Adele. I’m afraid you’ve found me while I’m completely at a loss what to do. Kent insisted my onsite presence was vital to the success of my event, Limitless Lust in Las Vegas—I don’t know how much he’s told you about it—then demanded I be here. I have no clue what I’m doing.”
“That’s why I’m here, dear. To guide you in the mysterious ways of event planning,” she said mockingly, twirling her hands in the air. “Seriously, though, it’s no different from planning one big party. You just have to deal with a handful of different departments. We’ll delegate tasks to each one and let them do the rest. Of course, people being people, details will get fucked up, then it will be up to us to straighten them out.”
I chuckled at her easy use of profanity with me. I didn’t know if she was like this with everyone she met right away, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Adele Kingsley didn’t look like she ever suffer
ed a moment of self-doubt.
“Okay,” I said with another large smile. “Where should we start first?”
“Goodness, Alexis. We go to lunch, of course. It’s already eleven-thirty. We can go to the buffet and have a champagne brunch while we wait for something to go fubar,” she said dismissively before fixing me with a no-nonsense stare. “I suppose in your case, we’ll have to hold off on the champagne.”
“So, Kent told you?” I asked, cringing slightly at the idea of his mom knowing about my—our—predicament.
“He did, and I, for one, am overjoyed. I thought the boy would never make me a grandmother. Your situation may not be ideal, but whose ever is? I just want the family legacy to go on and a tiny, chubby-cheeked grandson or granddaughter I can spoil rotten. The rest is up to you two to sort out or not.”
“I don’t know how much he told you about our ‘situation,’” I said with finger quotes, “but you have my word I’ll never try to keep my baby from you. Initially, I’d planned to do it all on my own, but I came to my senses. Family is important. Kent and I don’t have to be together to raise a happy child, but it does take a whole family to ensure the best possible childhood.”
“That’s right,” Adele said with a curt nod of her head. “We’re going to get along just fine. Now, let’s go have pancakes. You can drink sparkling apple juice or something.”
We went to the buffet where I did have the pancakes, this time heavily laden with not only the over-sized strawberries but blueberries and raspberries too. Adele had a Belgian waffle, loaded down with a dollop of cream cheese frosting and a lake of syrup.
“Don’t tell Kent’s father I’ve gorged myself. He thinks I eat like a bird. I don’t want to spoil his illusion of me after all these years. If he only knew I can eat an entire cheesecake by myself in one sitting.”
“No, you can’t!” I said laughing. There was no way this svelte woman indulged like this very often.
“Oh, child, you’d be surprised what I can eat,” she said, leaning into me conspiratorially. “This week, you and I will hit up In-N-Out Burger for Double-Double cheeseburgers. I’m sure Kent is like his father, wanting to monitor every morsel you put in your mouth while you’re expecting. If he’s not yet, he will be now that you’re here under the microscope. I’m here to help you circumvent his overbearing ways.”
“He already got onto me once, worried I was feeding our baby junk food,” I admitted.
“Pffsh,” she huffed with a wave of her hand. “I’ve been running rings around Kingsley men and boys from the moment we made this family. I’ll show you the ropes.”
I laughed, perfectly delighted. Adele Kingsley was my kind of woman.
We continued with idle chatter, mostly her asking about my childhood and my career. I thought maybe she was evaluating my fitness to be a mother to her grandchild, but nothing about her screamed anything but genuine interest. She was refreshingly unguarded and approachable.
As we were lingering over coffee—she didn’t even blink when I didn’t pour myself decaf—Tallulah came rushing over. Adele looked at me with a raised eyebrow and mouthed “Fubar” to me. I stifled the snort that threatened to pop out of my mouth.
“Hi, Mom. Alexis, we have an issue. When you’re done with brunch, can you meet me in my design room? The linen order is all screwed up.”
Adele lifted her cup to her lips, a tiny smile on her face again. She raised her eyebrows at me in amusement before taking a sip.
“We’ll be along shortly, Tallulah. Just let us finish our coffee,” she said, brooking no argument.
Tallulah started to object, but with another look from her mother, she nodded her head in agreement.
“Okay, I’ll be in my room waiting for you. I’ll make sure the new samples are set out for you to look at.” She leaned in and kissed Adele on the cheek she turned up to her and scurried away.
“You’ll come to learn the first rule of thumb when dealing with my family is not to jump when they call. Every issue they have is always urgent. If you start jumping to attention now, they’ll expect it for a lifetime. It’s always best to make them wait. Not only that,” she said leaning in again, “it’s a hell of a lot of fun watching them get all flustered.”
I think I fell in love with Adele Kingsley a little.
When we got to Tallulah’s workshop, she brought out a large binder filled with swatches.
“Okay,” she immediately launched in. “The supplier we’d decided to go with had a fire in their warehouse, and everything was destroyed. We need to go with someone new, which means we have to start all over.”
“What are your colors, dear?” Adele asked me kindly.
“Royal purple and midnight black with gold accents,” I replied automatically. I’d given Tallulah the information countless times.
“There you go, Tallulah. Make it so,” she said firmly.
“But Mother, the shades of each vary from place to place. I need to know precisely what she wants, which means she has to look at these swatches.” Tallulah then turned to me as she flipped to a page in the center of the massive binder.
“Here are the blacks,” she said. Each one looked the same to me, so I just pointed at one in the center row.
“That one will do.”
“Are you sure?” she persisted. “I think you should look at the lusters too.”
She flipped the page where a bunch of shiny swatches were affixed to a page. My interest grew because these materials looked much more luxurious than the others. As I perused each one more carefully, mother and daughter exchanged a look I didn’t quite catch. I chalked it up to some family thing and flipped a few of the pages, finally deciding on a linen that resembled my Egyptian cotton sheets at home.
“I like this one.”
“That’s a fantastic choice, Alexis,” Adele commented.
“I wholeheartedly agree,” Tallulah chimed in. “Now for the purple.”
Twenty minutes later, I’d finally selected a beautiful, lustrous purple. These linens would go over the signing tables only, Tallulah informed me. She insisted the room have draperies, so we moved on to those. Before I knew it, we’d changed the carpeting in the rooms as well. That was more Tallulah’s doing since she was also in charge of the hotel renovations, but she’d kindly given me some input for the conference areas. I enjoyed the whole process more than I cared to admit. By the time we finished, my eyes felt dry and gritty, and I was ready for a nap.
“I think I need to make my way back to my room for a little while,” I admitted. I didn’t want them to think I was this fragile thing, but my stamina wasn’t at peak level these days.
“Yes, you should rest,” Adele said firmly. “Take a quick nap, then give me a call. If you’re up to it, we’ll go to the hotel’s spa and get a facial.”
“Ooh, can I join you?” Tallulah asked quickly. Adele looked at me for approval.
“I, um. I don’t mind, but I don’t know how long I’ll be. My naps tend to last for hours these days. The spa might be closed by the time I wake up. Please, why don’t you both just go and enjoy yourselves? I’ll be fine holed up in my room with room service later,” I said, my mind back on my comfy yoga pants and Hello Kitty t-shirt.
“We can go over to the spa tomorrow morning. I’ll check in with you then, Tallulah,” Adele said before leading me out of the room. With a wave to Tallulah, I obediently followed after Adele. My head was swimming with how effortlessly she handled her family. They’d been making me crazy, but Adele had them well trained when it came to her expectations. I started taking mental notes in case I needed them over the coming months before the event.
Late that evening—while indeed wearing my favorite pajamas and eating a bowl of French onion soup from room service—the room phone rang.
“Hey, Alexis,” Kent’s voice carried across the line. “I hope I’m not interrupting your rest. My mom said you went to take a nap, and I shouldn’t bother you. I wanted to see how your first day went.”
�
��I’m just having a light dinner. You’re not bothering me,” I said, holding the phone to my ear with one hand as I leaned back and unconsciously rubbed my belly with the other. At nearly five months, I was just starting to show. It was most pronounced when I was naked or dressed in casual clothes as I was. My dresses and suits still tended to disguise it as just a couple extra pounds. Soon enough, I’d have to shop for a whole new wardrobe. I had no idea where to begin. I couldn’t go shopping with my mom like most women would. She and my dad were off on some jungle expedition vacation or some shit. I hadn’t even been able to get in touch with her to let her know she’d be a grandmother. She’d take the news in stride, considering she wasn’t the overly sentimental type.
“So, what happened today?” Kent asked, trying—and failing—to conceal the level of his curiosity.
“Nothing major. I hung out with your mom who is great, by the way, and we met with your sister to go over some emergency décor issues. It was easy, all things considered.”
“Was Mom helpful?” he asked, sounding a bit worried.
“She was fantastic. I’m so grateful you brought her in to help me. I really like her.”
Kent let out an audible sigh, signaling he had been worried.
“You sound relieved.”
“I was a little concerned. My mom is great, but she can easily bowl people over with her take-charge attitude. I wasn’t sure how that would go over with you.”
“Considering I have no idea what I’m doing, her confident competence was exactly what I needed.”
Quick Dirty Luck: A Love Between the Pages Novel Page 15