Maybe Everly was like me, afraid of the responsibility and potential for failure. But, maybe like me, a child would change her mind.
Maybe it was time for Everly to learn about Abby.
Chapter Fourteen
Everly
“Can we watch it again?” Belle asked, and Lacey and I both groaned as we hit the play button on our TV. She thanked us and settled back on the couch for our third showing of “Frozen.” Lacey kept the lucky girl home from kindergarten to spend time with us, coincidentally at the same time that Belle found the dusty Blu-ray of the movie buried deep within the coffee table’s drawer.
“Can’t really blame her,” I admitted as Lacey and I finished our mimosas. “I have a soft spot for movies about sisters hating each other.”
Lacey grinned and asked if I wanted a refill, which I stubbornly refused.
“So, you have a big date on Saturday?” Lacey teased me. I had mentioned it briefly after she asked me to see a movie with her and Belle Saturday night, and had stressed that it wasn’t a big deal.
“It might not even be romantic,” I said. “He didn’t really seem to like my opinion of children.”
Lacey shook her head. “You don’t tell a man that you don’t believe in having kids and you’re against getting married until at least the fourth date,” she said. “You haven’t even been on one.”
“He’s my boss!” I argued. “I didn’t think there were rules on that sort of stuff in a work relationship.”
“This is very obviously not your everyday work relationship. Look how much he’s paying you for four meals a week.”
“Four meals that I teach him.” I clarified. “But yeah, you’re right. It feels like there’s a catch.”
“The catch is that he’s a very handsome man interested in a young, vulnerable woman and is using his looks and wealth to manipulate her into falling in love with him,” Lacey said as we both took seats on either side of Belle on the couch. “I’ve read this story a dozen times at my book club.”
“My life is nothing like those books you read,” I argued. “It’s a lot more complicated than that. And he’s not manipulating me. I needed a job; he needed a cook. That’s it; plain and simple. Why do you have to be like Mom and read more into simple things?”
“Ouch.” She narrowed her eyes and glared. “Because his chef just so happened to retire or die or whatever you said.” Lacey gave me the ‘are you serious’ look.
“Lacey, I’m already stressed enough about this date, or whatever this is,” I said. “You’re not helping.”
“Okay, I’m sorry.” She patted Belle’s head as the little girl sang along with the movie. “Tell you what, we both have the day off. Let’s make a girls’ day out of it. We’ll get our nails done, go shopping, do something with your hair.” I rolled my eyes at the last bit. “How does that sound?”
“I don’t know, Lace,” I said.
“You can’t use your bank account as an excuse anymore,” she reminded me. “That man is paying you way too much for your hair and nails to look like that.”
“Could you be any subtler?” I snapped and turned to Belle. “What do you think? Do you want to go shopping?”
Belle paid me little attention as a snowman sung a song about summer on the television. She nodded, at least, and that was enough for Lacey.
“You drive. I’m going to look up new hairstyles on Instagram for you on the way.”
After finishing the movie, we spent a few hours browsing through stores far too expensive for us, and each bought a few outfits at the department store in the mall.
“Is this pretty?” Belle asked as she slipped her new scarf around her neck in the food court. Belle and I shared a plate of Chinese food while Lacey ate a taco salad.
“Who are you trying to impress?” I teased her. “Any cute boys in kindergarten?”
She blushed, and her mom gasped.
“Belle, you do not have a crush on a boy,” she accused, and I felt bad for the poor girl.
“Calm down, Lace,” I said. “But yeah, it’s really pretty. It brings out your eyes.”
Belle offered me a weak smile and tightened the scarf. “Thanks, Aunt Everly,” she said, and I was reminded of when she used to call me Auntie Evie.
“I got the wrong size,” Lacey complained as she looked through her bag. “Could you take Belle to the hair salon downstairs and I’ll meet you there?”
I agreed, and I walked hand in hand with Belle to the salon. The three of us had gotten our nails painted, and Belle showed me a pretty powder blue on hers.
“I love it,” I said.
“Don’t tell Mom, but Miles’ favorite color is blue,” Belle said.
“Is Miles the boy you like?” I asked.
“Not really. I mean, he’s nice and cute, but we barely talk.”
“So you just think he’s cute.” We waited at the salon until the hairdresser was ready. “Well, you can tell me anything, you know that right?”
“Of course.” Belle smiled. I never truly noticed it, but we were always told that Belle looked just like me when I was her age. I felt like I was beginning to see it.
“Thank you, Aunt Everly,” Belle said. “I had a lot of fun today. And I hope your date tomorrow is fun.”
“I hope so, too. You’re the best kid, do you know that?” I said honestly. “And I also had fun.”
Lacey met us just as I sat in the seat. They sat nearby as the hairdresser did a small trim, despite Lacey’s best efforts to convince me to replicate the latest trends on Instagram.
“Which dress are you going to wear?” Lacey asked.
“Oh, I love the blue one,” Belle said.
I winked an eye at her. “Good thing my favorite color is also blue.” Belle blushed, but Lacey didn’t notice.
I dropped them off at Lacey’s house and went inside to help her prepare dinner.
“I’ll stop by on Sunday to let you know how it went,” I said, once I was done chopping vegetables. Lacey handed me a glass of wine, and I ended up staying to make dinner as well.
“Send a picture of how you look in the dress,” Belle said. She really liked the blue dress.
“Of course.” I hugged Belle and said my goodbyes.
“Don’t fall in love.” Lacey teased, and I rolled my eyes.
“Not even an option,” I said in a loud voice to make sure Belle heard. “I want an established career before I fall in love with anyone, even a cat.” I thought fondly of the tuxedo cat at the cat café. What a keeper.
“Or a dog,” Belle added. She’d been begging her mom for a puppy for nearly three years now.
“Whatever you say,” Lacey said to me and closed the door as I left.
Don’t fall in love, she suggested. I laughed as I even considered it.
But then again, what if it was too late?
Chapter Fifteen
Maddox
“Give me that,” Abby ordered as I held a tie against my suit. I handed it to her, and she threw it on the floor. “Ugly,” she declared and ran to my closet to pick out a blue tie.
“Abby, my suit is gray,” I said. “This blue doesn’t go with it.”
She frowned and gave me doe eyes that always were successful in getting their way. “I like this blue,” she said.
“Okay,” I said, and decided to hide another tie in my pocket. Abby climbed onto the bed and grabbed the open ends of my suit and tried buttoning them.
“This is hard,” she whined and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. She had insisted on helping me dress, going so far as picking out several combinations of shirts and pants that were completely mismatched. I had convinced her on a gray set, and she had reluctantly agreed.
“Can I do this?” I asked as she struggled with the first button. She shook her head.
“I got this,” she said. I nodded, thankful that I still had at least three hours before I was supposed to pick up Everly.
“You’re okay with staying at Uncle Nick’s, right?” I asked a
nd guided her fingers through the process. This was the most help she would accept, but if I didn’t try and nudge her along, I’d be here with her all night.
“Yeah!” She smiled, momentarily distracted as she mumbled something about the painting she was working on. I took the opportunity to quickly button at least three before she noticed.
“Hey!” She frowned, and I went back to helping her.
“And you like staying at Uncle Nick’s this time?” I asked, the guilt eating at me. This was becoming frequent, and I hated not including my little girl.
“I love it,” she answered, and my heart swelled knowing that she was telling the truth.
“We’re lucky to have him, huh?” I asked, but she was too focused on finishing the rest of the buttons. We were lucky, indeed. Not many people, especially men, had friends they could trust to babysit their little girl, but Nick was true blue.
“Okay, how do I look?” I asked as I looked into the mirror. This particular suit was a bit more dressed up than I was used to, and I felt ridiculous. But Abby seemed to love it, and her enthusiasm was infectious.
“I’m excited!” she squealed and jumped off the bed.
“Me too, kiddo.”
I dropped her off at Nick’s and was driving toward Everly’s home with the help of the navigational app on my phone when I realized I was sweating far more than usual.
“Don’t be nervous,” I told myself. “There’s no reason to be nervous.”
Her place ended up being an apartment just on the outskirts of downtown. It was a decent-sized complex, and I walked up the three floors of stairs to her numbered door.
I brushed my shoulders and straightened my suit as I stared at her door.
I still couldn’t forget her words from Thursday night. How adamant she was that she would never have children. Was this fair to her? I had made the decision earlier to tell Everly about Abby at dinner, but my nerves were beginning to get the better of me. I shook my head and reminded myself that I had been against children as well, and that if a guy like me was capable of changing, maybe she was as well. Everyone deserved a chance, assuming she’d want one.
So, first I needed to make sure that this intense connection I felt was real, and that it was something she felt as well. I gathered the courage to finally knock, but the moment I raised my fist was the moment she swung her door open.
“Maddox?” She seemed surprised, as if she wasn’t sure I was actually going to show up. It dawned on me that she must have been watching my inward turmoil through a peephole, and I felt my cheeks warm.
“Everly.” I cleared my throat. “You look…” I looked for the proper words, but my mind failed me. Her dress was a powdery blue that shimmered like diamonds beneath the light, and the top was cut low enough that I was going to have to remind myself to look elsewhere. It was tight from her bosom to her waist, and hung in a loose wave that just barely brushed the floor. The lightness of the dress made her green eyes even brighter, and they were rimmed with a faint layer of gray shadow that highlighted the contours of her cheeks. Her beautiful hair was pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, and on her face was a shy, self-conscious smile that tugged at my heart.
“Nice?” she offered a word, and again I cleared my throat.
“Beautiful,” I said. It wasn’t often that I lost the ability to speak. “You look beautiful.”
“We match.” She tilted her head and gestured at my tie, which I realized was the same shade as her dress.
“How about that,” I said, thankful that I had completely forgotten to switch ties in the car. Abby was going to be so happy when she found out she matched our colors. “Are you ready? I’ll be a little honest; I wasn’t sure where to park because everything was numbered and my car isn’t exactly subtle.” Stuck out like a sore thumb was more appropriate a description. My palms grew damp as my heart raced.
“Of course.” She grabbed a clutch and locked her door behind her. “I forgot to tell you that the visitor parking is like two miles away from the actual complex. I’m sorry.” I followed her down the stairs and held the door open as we exited into the night. She slipped her arms through a thick coat and tied it around her waist.
“How was your dinner last night?” she asked as we walked toward my car. I raised an eyebrow, and she elaborated. “You said you were going to try and make the salmon, remember?”
“Oh.” I nodded, remembering our conversation over text. I had been bored and was desperately wanting to start a conversation with her, and so I asked for the recipe for our first meal together, despite having made a complicated pasta dish for Abby, Nick, and me. “I attempted it, but I must have overcooked the fish. It didn’t come apart as smoothly as yours, and the vegetables were far too salty.”
“Those are easy mistakes,” she said, and then paused as I unlocked my car. I had taken the Giulia and Everly stared in awe. “It’s so much prettier up close,” she said.
A soft chuckle fell from my lips. “Is it ugly from afar?” I asked as I opened the door for her. She slipped inside and I hurried to the driver’s seat.
“No, not at all. It’s just, I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this.” She examined the inside, brushing her fingers against the dark leather seats. “It’s incredible.”
“It’s my baby,” I admitted. “There’s less than 100 in the States.”
“You’re one of a kind,” she murmured. I grinned, asking her to repeat herself, and she shook her head and laughed. “You heard me, you arrogant billionaire.”
“Now I’m arrogant?” I chuckled. “I think I like one of a kind better.”
She gasped as I turned the ignition and the powerful engine came to life. I couldn’t help but notice her thighs pressed tightly together, and I gripped the steering wheel as desire struck me hard.
The restaurant was about a 20-minute drive, and despite Everly’s attempt at innocent conversation, I knew it was going to be a very difficult 20 minutes.
“Have you been here before?” I asked as a valet took my keys. Everly stood like a crystal statue beside me, staring at the grand staircase leading to a building decorated with diamonds and glittering rubies. Lumiere was known for catering only to the wealthiest of the socialites, and it made sure to look its part. I always felt it was a little too gaudy for this part of downtown; too much display of wealth could sometimes come off as greedy, but Everly was clearly in awe of the exquisite display. It was hard not to be impressed by its grandeur.
“No,” she said. “I always heard there was a wait list for the wait list, and it was booked nearly a year in advance just to get on the first one.” I offered her my arm, and she slipped hers within mine as we made our way upwards. Her dress trailed behind her, and she curled into me as the bitter wind slapped at our exposed skin, and the warmth of her beside me felt nice.
“There is,” I said. “But they usually leave a spot or two open for investors.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. The owner of Lumiere had been a close friend until we both became too busy with our restaurants, but I had created his menu for him, and he considered that payment enough.
“You’re an investor here?” Everly kept her voice low, and I had to lean toward her. Her perfume was a lovely scent of jasmine and spice. “Jesus, Maddox, you just keep surprising me.”
That was the best compliment I’d gotten in a while. “Good.” I smiled as two doormen opened the front door for us. They nodded at me and offered to take our coats.
“Thank you,” Everly said as one helped her take hers off. I handed mine to the other, and a hostess greeted us with a wide smile. She didn’t have to ask my name; every reservation was at a unique time, and the valet had confirmed my identity already.
“If you’ll follow me to your table.” She led us up another set of stairs, this one shimmering with sharp diamond corners that Everly stared at as we followed the hostess. The upper floor was a large oval room with plenty of giant tables in the middle filled with other wealthy socialites, and more secluded
, intimate tables pressed against a floor-to-ceiling window that framed the room. The lighting was dim, and each table was furnished with a single candle and the option to control a light hanging low above it.
A waiter was waiting at our table, against the window, and pushed Everly’s seat back as she sat. I held up my hand and sat myself.
“Wow.” Everly breathed deep, her ample breasts heaving as she stared at the view. Lumiere was on the edge of downtown, and the building was high enough to show an incredible picture of the ocean and the distant horizon. The sun was just beginning to set, which painted the waters with a lovely shade of pink, and its ripples seemed to dance in its glory. “It’s beautiful.”
I ordered a bottle of wine, and the waiter set off to bring our appetizers.
“How would you feel about working somewhere like this?” I asked. “If you wanted, I could put in a word.”
“Oh, no.” Everly shook her head. “I mean, yeah, it would be wonderful. But I think I’d rather work at a place maybe one step below. Plus, I’m sort of having fun working for you.” She smiled and her cheeks flared with a blush. The words had my chest swelling with pride.
“You are? I was worried you’d hate it. I know it’s not much cooking, and I know…well, I’ve heard that some chefs go crazy if they don’t cook enough,” I said.
“I still cook for myself, like breakfast and lunch, and on the weekends, I cook for my sister and niece,” she said. “But I think I might have spoiled them. Last time I made steak for my niece, she asked if I had truffle butter with edible gold to go with it.”
I laughed. “How old is your niece?”
“Five,” she said. “But don’t get me wrong, she’s not as bratty as a lot of other 5-year-olds. I don’t know how my sister managed it, but she’s raising an amazing kid. Belle always asks for something she wants, and always says thank you. And she’s smart, too.” Her face seemed to glow with love for the child.
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