by E. L. Todd
“Well, Jared cheated on me and my parents hate him. If they meet you, they might give you the third degree.”
“Let me handle that.” He wasn’t going to let this go.
“I’ll talk to them.”
“Thank you.” His anger dimmed slightly. “Who knew it would be so hard to meet your girlfriend’s parents…”
I was more worried about my sister than anything else. She was beautiful and sexy. All the guys liked her. I was always dubbed as the ugly sister in comparison to her. Every time I liked a guy, they preferred my sister instead of me. The insecurities haunted me every day, but I never expected my husband to fall under her spell too. When he did, every part of me shattered into a million pieces. What if the same thing happened with Conrad? What if he saw her and wanted her? It would hurt a million times more.
My sister and I weren’t close. We weren’t even speaking. But she was close with my parents. I would run into her eventually, and Conrad would probably be with me. I wouldn’t be able to hide them from each other, and once my sister saw Conrad she would want him just as much as I did.
Conrad continued to watch my face. “I feel like there’s something you aren’t telling me.”
“There’s not…”
Conrad dropped the conversation, so I assumed he believed me. “Coming over tonight?”
“Where else would I go?”
He gave me a smile. “Good answer.”
Chapter Ten
Sean
“I’ll do it.”
Cynthia sat across from my desk and smiled. “I’m glad you changed your mind. The feature will be a lot better with a new interview and photos.” She made a few notes on her paper.
“I have one condition.”
Her eyes turned back to my face, and a slight tint of surprise was there. “Yes?”
“I want one picture of my wife and I in the article.”
“Your wife as well?” Her eyes narrowed in confusion.
“If you want to make me into a sex symbol, fine. But I want my reputation as a family man to remain in tact. So, I want one picture to include a photo of my wife and I. I want it to be known I’m a one-woman kind of guy.”
A slight smile stretched across her lips. “A request from the wife?”
“No. She doesn’t know about this.”
She considered my request for a moment as she pressed her lips tightly together. Her fancy Prada glasses framed her eyes and made them stand out. “Okay, we can do that.”
“Thank you.” I relaxed in my chair. My biggest fear was getting stalkers out of this. Women would throw themselves at me more than they already did. Not only was I insanely rich, but now I was deemed the hottest guy out there. I didn’t want to jeopardize my marriage over fame. I wanted the world to know I was taken and happily married. My family was the most important thing to me, not money or recognition.
“Are you ready to begin the interview?”
“I guess.” I rapped my knuckles against the wood. I wish my wife were here. She was better at this sort of thing than I was. When I was angry, I usually blurted exactly what was on my mind, no matter how offensive it was.
She held her pen firmly in hand. “How do you feel about being selected as the sexiest man alive?”
I shrugged. “Surprised.”
“Really?” Cynthia asked. “Why?”
“Surely, there’s a better looking guy out there. And a more famous one.”
She regarded me with intelligent eyes. “Humility isn’t something I see very often.”
“I’m not being humble,” I argued. “I look in my mirror every day. But national publicity seems a little over-the-top.”
“You’ve been married for…”
“Twenty-two years.” I never forgot an anniversary and I never forgot how long I’d been committed to my wife.
“And those twenty years have been happy ones?”
“Very.”
“You seem like the ideal husband,” she said as she read from her notes. “You’re loyal, protective, and trustworthy.”
It wasn’t a question so I didn’t know what to say.
“Is that true?”
“I wouldn’t have gotten married if I was anything less than those things you listed.”
“Has your marriage been nothing but a honeymoon? Or do you and your wife struggle just like the rest of us?”
A lot of things had happened in my marriage, but I didn’t want to share it with the world. “We fight like every other couple. But we also make up like every other couple. I wouldn’t trade the years with my wife for anything else in the world.”
“And you have two children?”
“My son, Roland, looks just like me. And my daughter, Skye, acts just like me.”
Cynthia nodded. “And you’re very much a family man?”
“Through and through,” I responded.
“Your wife didn’t come from money like you did,” Cynthia noted.
“No, she didn’t.”
“How has wealth changed her life?”
“She’s exactly the same,” I said automatically. “She’s still a bargain shopper and most of her clothes are from Target.”
She smiled. “That’s cute.”
“My wife is very cute.”
She changed the subject. “So, what is your exercise regime? How do you stay in such great shape?”
“I exercise every day, seven days a week.”
“And what do you do?”
“Weight lifting, boxing, and cardio.”
“Wow,” she said. “Where do you find the time?”
“I make the time.”
“Are you on a strict diet?”
“Very,” I responded. “What you eat is more important than how much you exercise.”
“Where do you find the motivation for all of this?”
I rubbed my chin. “Being married to a bombshell. If I don’t look good, how will I keep her around?”
Cynthia chuckled. “Good point.”
I wanted this interview to end. I was already tired of talking about myself.
“Is there anything you would like our readers to know?”
“Meaning…?” I rubbed the scruff on my face. I forgot to shave that morning.
“A message or some final words.”
I shrugged. “Buy my software.”
She chuckled. “Okay, then.” She closed her notebook. “Can you come to the studio tomorrow?”
“For the photo shoot?”
“Yes.”
I really didn’t want to. “Sure.”
“We’ll be taking pictures on a yacht. So, wear sunscreen.”
“A yacht?” I asked.
“Yes, you need to represent your image right. And what’s better than a beautiful boat along the coast?”
***
Scarlet and I boarded the yacht hand-in-hand. The workers were already setting up the lighting and cameras. People walked around with clipboards and props.
She and I stopped on the balcony.
“Nervous?” She turned to me with a slight smile on her lips.
“No.” I was never nervous.
“Then why do you seem so tense?”
“Well…we’re on a boat.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “But you aren’t afraid of boats.”
A woman passed us so I kept my silence until she was gone. When we were along again, I spoke. “More than likely, they’re going to want to photograph me shirtless.” I watched my wife’s reaction. “And we both know that’s not something I want to do.”
Scarlet didn’t seem upset or angry.
“If you don’t want me to do it, I’ll say no.” My wife had final say in everything. “If this were reversed, you bet your ass I’d say no.”
Scarlet considered my words in silence. Her blue eyes lightened noticeably as she thought to herself. Then she spoke. “It’s fine, Sean.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise. “Because if it’s not, speak up.”
�
�Really.” She held my gaze with confidence.
“You’re okay with me showing skin?”
“I don’t care if the world sees your perfect body,” she said. “Because I’m the only one who gets to touch it.” She rested her hand on my chest and gave me an affectionate look.
“Are you absolutely sure?”
She nodded.
My wife was such a trooper. If someone wanted to photograph her in a bikini I would raise hell. “There’s something else.”
“I’m listening.” She stood close to me.
“I told them I would only do this shoot if they included one picture of us—together.”
Her eyes narrowed on my face. “Of me?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I want the world to see us together. I don’t want to be seen as some wealthy and sexy bachelor. I want to be seen as a family man. You’ll preserve that for me.”
She ran her hand down my chest. “Sean, they picked you because you’re the perfect person. You should enjoy it.”
“Enjoy it?” I asked incredulously. “You think I want to do this?”
She held my gaze.
“I want you in it. Please.”
“You don’t need to prove anything to me, Sean.”
“That’s not what I’m trying to do,” I said quietly. “The last thing I want is for my image as a respectable man to be destroyed. I don’t want people to view me as an eligible bachelor. You’re the key to that. I want everyone to know I’m married. It’s important to me.”
She stared at me for a long time before her lips stretched into a smile. “I’m going to be in People Magazine.”
I chuckled. “There we go.”
“You know, most men would enjoy this and would love to be a sex symbol.”
“We both know I’m not like other men.”
“I know.” Her hand moved down to my stomach. “And I’m very lucky you aren’t.”
***
I took picture after picture while on the deck of the boat. Sometimes I was sitting down and sometimes I was just leaning over the rail. In every picture, I was shirtless and wearing my swim trunks.
It was weird to have someone photograph me and ask me to smolder and be sexy. Never in my life had I been in this position before. The woman taking the pictures seemed to enjoy it.
“You’re a natural.” She kept taking pictures as she changed the angle and position of the camera.
I tried not to roll my eyes.
Scarlet stood next to the crew and watched me. There was a smile on her face so I knew she wasn’t pissed off at me. I was lucky she was so understanding. Not all wives would be thrilled about this arrangement.
When the photographer got everything she needed, she turned to Scarlet. “It’s your time to shine, Mrs. Preston.”
Scarlet removed her robe, and she wore a loose sundress underneath. The material covered everything, but the thin holes inside exposed her skin and purple bikini underneath. She looked sexy but classy at the same time.
For a second I forgot about the people standing around and thought about something I shouldn’t.
“Mr. Preston, sit here.” The photographer pointed to the chair behind the steering wheel.
I sat down and wondered where my wife would go.
“Mrs. Preston, sit behind him and wrap your arms around his waist. Then rest your chin on his shoulder.”
Scarlet followed the directions.
I didn’t like the position we were in. I felt like she was clinging to me, like she was behind me in this journey of our marriage. It didn’t accurately represent us. So I moved from the chair then sat behind her.
“What are you doing?” Scarlet asked.
“I like this better.” I grabbed her hands and placed them on the spokes of the wheel. Then my arms circled her waist and my lips moved to her hairline. Now it looked like I was all over her rather than the other way around. I worshipped her, and not the opposite.
The photographer seemed somewhat irritated but she let it go. Then she started taking pictures of us as Scarlet slowly drove along the coast. Her hair flew behind her shoulders and my hands helped her guide the wheel. She and I were lost in our own world, like usual. I forgot we were being photographed altogether.
“That’s it,” the photographer said. “I’ve got everything I need.”
I was relieved that was over.
Scarlet let go of the wheel. “Driving is fun. You should have let me take control in Greece.”
I chuckled in her ear. “You would have crashed into rocks.”
“Would not,” she argued.
She was cute when she disagreed with me, so I rubbed my nose against hers before I kissed her.
The sound of a camera going off caught my attention.
I turned away from Scarlet and stared at the photographer.
She looked into the screen of her camera. “Perfect shot. That’s the one we’re using.”
Chapter Eleven
Arsen
I didn’t contact Silke for the next few days. I didn’t call her or even text her. But sitting around and doing nothing was eating me alive. All I wanted to do was hear her voice. All I wanted to do was apologize. I needed to get her back.
She was everything to me.
Ryan picked up Abby from school every day so I wouldn’t have to interact with Ms. Norris at all. There was no way for Silke to know that, but I made the gesture anyway. Silke was clearly threatened by her even though she had absolutely no reason to be.
How could she possibly think that any other woman in the world caught my attention? Offers were sent my way constantly, at work, at the gym, and even when I was walking home. But I never cared how pretty they were. Never once was I even somewhat tempted.
Why would I be when I had Silke?
I was a complete mess but I did the best I could to hide it from Abby. She had her own problems to deal with, and a depressed father wouldn’t make her life any easier. I pretended everything was normal even though I was dead inside.
Ryan came home with Abby one afternoon, and I was sitting at the kitchen table staring at nothing.
“Hey, Daddy.” Abby ran to me and hugged me.
“Hey, sweetheart.” I put on a fake smile and returned her embrace.
She pulled away and looked into my eyes. She seemed to know something was wrong. “How come Silke doesn’t come over anymore?”
Just hearing her name broke my heart. “She’s been busy…that’s all.” I forced a smile even though it probably came out as a cringe. “Go put your stuff down and we’ll get started on your homework.”
“Okay.” She bowed her head then walked into her bedroom.
When she was gone, I slumped forward and didn’t bother hiding my look of devastation.
Ryan sat next to me. “You doing okay?”
“No,” I blurted. “I’m a complete mess. I can barely think straight because I’m so depressed.”
Ryan nodded slowly. “She hasn’t called?”
“No…”
“Give her more time.”
That was so hard to do. “Maybe I should go over there—”
“No.”
“But—”
“Arsen, I admit lying was wrong and Silke has the right to be upset, but it’s not worth breaking up over. She’s overreacting to all of this. She has her own insecurities and she’s blaming them on you. She needs to realize that on her own.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“She will.”
“She’s so stubborn…”
“This is what’s going to happen,” he said calmly. “She’s going to notice you haven’t contacted her. You haven’t chased her. Then she’s going to miss you. And then she’ll come back to you.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not,” he said firmly. “I know Silke really well. Remember, I raised her.”
“Maybe I can just apologize again…”
“Arsen, you didn’t do anything wrong—other than lying. The situati
on with Abby is out of your control, and of course you don’t want this other woman. Silke is making nothing into something. You shouldn’t have to apologize for that. I love my daughter very much but I won’t let her keep her head up her ass.”
“She’s never like this…”
“A lot of things hit her at once,” he said. “That’s why you need to give her space.”
“Ryan, I’m dying here.”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “I know. But keep your mind off of it. Stay distracted.”
I shook my head. “How can I distract myself from the love of my life?” I couldn’t.
It wasn’t possible.
Chapter Twelve
Silke
Arsen didn’t call me.
Days passed and it was radio silent. He didn’t come by the apartment and corner me. He didn’t wait for me outside of work. My dad didn’t even call me and try to stick his nose in our business.
It was like nothing happened.
Whenever Arsen and I had a fight, he chased me down until he got his way. He would pin me to the mattress until I changed my mind. But now it seemed like he’d given up.
I meant what I said when I ended things between us. How could I be with someone who lied to me? Ms. Norris said some things that frightened me. She had his number in her cell phone, and she spoke of him like they saw each other often, outside of school. It seemed like there was more going on than Arsen was letting on.
And that scared me.
Arsen wasn’t a cheater. Even in his bad boy days he wasn’t like that.
But something was still off.
Why did he lie to me about her at all unless he was hiding something? And then Abby wasn’t ready for me to be a part of their family…what if she was never ready?
I pushed Arsen away because I was upset and hopeless. My emotions were running high. I might have said a few things I didn’t mean. My heart belonged to Arsen and it would never belong to someone else.
I just needed space.
But I never expected him to give it to me.
It was eerie not hearing from him. Had he given up too? Was he okay with the ending of our relationship? Was he prepared to move on?
Skye had her bachelorette party coming up as well as her bridal shower but I couldn’t bring myself to care. She was getting her happily ever after but all I could think about was the ending of mine.