Deceived 5 - New Beginnings (7 page)

Nina raised her glass in a toast. “To new beginnings and relationships…” I must have given her a strange look at her word choice because she added, “Business relationships and all the women shoppers of the world.”

We tapped our glasses together and drank to all those things. I had to admit, as I sipped on my water, one of the things I missed about not being pregnant was the occasional glass of champagne or wine. I made a mental note to look into alcohol and breast-feeding. I needed to know if I was going to be tacking on extra time enjoying water.

With our salads eaten and plates cleared away, Nina pulled out a tube of lipstick and proceeded to paint the edges of her lips a bright cherry red. I didn’t have the coloring for something that bold, I thought. As I watched, I couldn’t help but notice the lipstick was one of the more expensive name brands on the market. I supposed that it was due to the success of her other stores that allowed her to pay top dollar for make-up. Although Patrick and I made plenty of money, I was still in the habit of reaching for the bargain bin when it came to simple things.

I watched as she finished touching up her make-up and noted that everything about Nina screamed money. Her hair was always perfectly done like she went to a beauty shop just to have it washed and styled, and, of course, the cut and color were such that you could tell she kept regular appointments to keep it looking fresh at all times. Her clothes and her shoes were also noticeably of high quality, although I wasn’t surprised at that since she owned clothing stores. It wouldn’t be very good for business if she didn’t dress well. Then there were her accessories. Nina always carried expensive, designer purses, the kind that cost not hundreds, but thousands of dollars. The kind you find in exclusive stores on Fifth Avenue that don’t even bother putting price tags on their merchandise, because if you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it. The jewelry was even more. Like off the charts expensive. And not just a solitary piece, but all of it, and she wore a lot. I wasn’t an expert, but I was fairly confident that everything was real. On several of our little outings to get coffee or a pedicure, she would window shop, stopping to admire a necklace or some other bobble, and only the expensive jewelry stores caused her to break her stride.

I often wondered if she was old money, or if she was really a retail genius and had made her own fortune. It didn’t matter, really, and it was too rude to ask; it just made me curious. I was just glad to have a new friend who was of my caliber when it came to the business world. Elyse was sweet and a dear friend, but Nina had a sharp business mind and I liked that. We could have intellectual conversations about current marketing trends and structuring business plans, not just talk about dating. Speaking of business...

“Let me take you to see the space I’ve rented for my new store.”

“Right now?” I wondered if she’d forgotten I was on my lunch break. It wasn’t like Patrick was going to fire me for being late, but that was why I tried to never take advantage of my situation.

“It’ll be fun,” Nina said. “I want you to see it and have a true feeling for what the store will look like. It’ll help with the marketing strategies.”

“Hold on a second.” I pulled out my phone. I was pretty sure I had something this afternoon.

“Come on, Chloe. You can spare a few more minutes to hang out with me,” Nina pressed.

“Let me just check my schedule,” I said. “And I’ll need to let Patrick know. We were going to go over the Brooders files this afternoon.”

She rolled her eyes and exhaled, sounding a little annoyed. “Patrick can handle it by himself. I want to spend a little more time with you and this is for your account with me, so it’s really business, after all.”

I looked up from the screen. She had a point. If I was checking out any other business who wanted to hire us, I wouldn’t have thought twice. It just so happened that this one was owned by someone I wanted to spend time with. “You’re right,” I said. “Let’s go.”

She popped up out of her chair and grabbed me by the hand. “Great. You can text Patrick from the cab.”

One of the best things about being pregnant was how relatively easy it was to get a cab. After a short drive of only a few city blocks, we stepped out of the taxi and stood in front of an empty store. Nina had called the real estate agent from the cab, saying she needed to do some measuring, so we waited on the sidewalk for a few minutes, enjoying the sunny day and taking in the neighborhood. It was a good location; prominent, yet not overshadowed by the businesses surrounding it, and the perfect size for a boutique.

Inside, the place was modern, spacious and open, very similar to the art gallery I’d helped Ryan open in Paris. Remembering that bolstered my confidence. I could do this, and it would be just as enjoyable as working with Ryan had been, if not more. When Nina asked me what I thought, I gave her an honest answer. “Perfect.”

After she gave me the tour of the empty space, I knew I had to tell her I needed to get back. She’d been right about me needing to see the physical location of the store. Now I had a visual for the project when I needed to work out a plan. Still, I had other work to do. I glanced at my watch.

Catching me, Nina spoke before I had to, “I suppose I’ve kept you long enough today.” We said goodbye to the real estate agent as Nina took my arm and we left, strolling down the street arm in arm.

On our way back to my office, Nina suggested another lunch meeting in a couple days to go over some of her marketing ideas. I immediately agreed. Most people discouraged mixing business and friendships, but I was definitely looking forward to being able to work with Nina on a professional level. I’d feel like I was doing something truly worthwhile, and I’d get to spend time with a new friend while doing it. I couldn’t wait to get started.

It was nearing the end of another workday as the sun slanted low through my office blinds. I’d just wrapped up more details for my marketing plan for Nina’s store and I stared at the calendar on my computer screen. The deadline for the opening stood out in bright red. There wasn’t much time left, and although I’d been working
extra long
hours on this one, there were still a few more things I wanted to incorporate before I’d consider it finished. I wanted everything to be perfect.

My attention was derailed as Patrick’s grinning face appeared in my doorway.

“Hey, babe.”

It still amazed me that all it took was one look from those steel-blue eyes for my knees to go weak. Today, they were especially bright since I’d purposefully picked out a tie that made them pop. I thought every inch of my husband was gorgeous, but those eyes were definitely one of my favorite features. I hoped our daughter had his eyes.

As I rolled my chair back from my desk, a warm smile curled the corners of my mouth. “How come you look so devastatingly hot in the middle of the work day?” I teased. He stepped further into the room, moving toward my chair. I stood up and walked to meet him, unable to resist touching him. My stomach clenched at the thought that I didn’t have to feel guilty about wanting my hands on my boss. He was mine now.

He slipped a hand behind my neck and pushed his fingers up through my hair as he pulled me in for a kiss. His mouth was warm and soft as it covered mine. I melted against him, sliding my tongue between his lips. His teeth scraped over it as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss until I forgot we were standing in the middle of my office. All I could think was of how his mouth moved against mine and how I never wanted to let him go. Then, suddenly, he pulled back, leaving me wanting more. My eyes slowly opened, my head still spinning from the kiss. I couldn’t figure out why he’d stopped.

He looked me over, peering intently at my face, and then said, “You look a little tired.”

My jaw dropped slightly and I blinked. What was he talking about? “I’m not. I feel fine. Why do you say that?” A wave of self-doubt washed over me. Did I look bad? He would never say that, I knew, but my emotions weren’t always logical at the moment.

Still gazing into my eyes, he stepped closer as he smoothed a long lock of my hair out of my face, his touch gentle. I pushed down the tears that wanted to escape, threatening them if they screwed this up. He gently cupped my face in both of his hands, the heat in his eyes saying he didn’t think I looked bad at all.

“Because if you’re not too tired, I have a surprise for you tonight.” His smile was almost shy. “You’ve been working so hard you deserve a treat, so I have something planned.”

My doubts disappeared and I smiled back at him. “What is it?”

He put a finger to my lips to stop me from talking. “I’m not going to tell you, or it won’t be a surprise. Just get dressed to go out.”

My lips curved into an even wider smile with his finger still pressed to them and a little giggle escaped. I loved when he did things like this. He dropped his hand to the small of my back, pulling me in closer.

“Okay,” I agreed as I laid my head on his chest. The sound of his heart beating was one of the most important sounds in my life. “Just tell me what I should wear. Is this a ‘jeans and a t-shirt’ kind of going out, or a wear a dress kind of going out? Because if it’s a dress, I have to know, casual or nice dress?”

Although I couldn’t see his face, I could tell he was rolling his eyes. “Women,” he said. “You would look good in a potato sack, my dear, but just wear the kind of dress you’d wear out to dinner.” He released me from his embrace and gave me a playful swat on the butt. “Now take the rest of the day off and go get ready.”

“Oh, thank you, boss,” I said with mock sarcasm as I headed for the door. “What time should I be ready?”

“Be ready by six and...well, wait.” He glanced at his watch, thought for a moment and seemed to make a decision. “Tell you what, I was going to stay at the office and work another couple hours, but I’ll go home with you. Just give me a minute to get my laptop.”

My body buzzed with anticipation as I waited for Patrick to collect his things. I couldn’t wait to see what Patrick had planned for the two of us tonight. If he was excited enough about it to leave work early, it had to be something good.

“We’re here,” Patrick said as the taxi cab pulled up to the curb.

I peered through the windows and realized I was looking at the section of town that any good New Yorker would recognize. This was the area where the best off-Broadway plays were performed.

“Patrick, this is fantastic. Is this what I think it is?”

Patrick beamed a huge smile. “Yup. Look up there.” He pointed to the marquis where the title,
Much Ado About Alice
, was displayed.

“This is Liam’s play!” I hadn’t spent much time with Ryan’s boyfriend, but even a little was enough for me to adore him. Just beneath the title were the words, “Starring Pete Summers,” another name I knew, and one of the reasons I had such a soft spot for Liam. “Pete Summers. He’s the actor who played the part of the minister in our fake wedding video.”

“The very one,” Patrick said as he paid the cabbie and climbed out of the taxi.

He circled around and opened the door for me so I wouldn’t have to slide across the seat and get out in the street. He helped me out and then laced his fingers through mine. As soon as we stepped into the lobby, a shiver of excitement ran down my spine. I had been to plays, Broadway plays and others, but this one was special, of course. If it hadn’t been for Liam and Pete, Patrick and I might never have been able to get married.

I was smiling as we walked past the ticket agents and on into the theatre. An usher took our tickets, then handed each of us a program. The energy in the crowd was catchy and I felt it buzzing around me as I craned my neck, hoping to get a glance at Liam or the actors.

Patrick read out loud from the cover of the brochure as we walked. “
Much Ado About Alice
, produced by Liam O’Brien.” He glanced over at me. “It’s a spoof on Shakespeare’s,
Much Ado About Nothing,
only this one takes place in modern day New York.”

I had to admit, it sounded interesting. I only knew of the play from the recent movie adaptation. “Do you see them anywhere? Ryan will be here, right?”

“Don’t worry, Chloe, we’ll see them after the play.” Patrick sound amused. “I’m sure they’re busy right now getting ready. Besides, we have privileges. We get to go backstage afterwards and meet the cast.”

We filed in to the theatre and found our seats. The inside was more ornate than I’d expected, with rich wood paneling on the sides, plush carpet down the aisles and heavy red velvet curtains on the stage. At the moment they were closed, hiding whatever the scenery was for the first scene.

Patrick and I perused our programs, chatting and making comments on the names of different actors on the bill, until our attention was drawn to the stage by the dimming of the house lights. Patrick took my hand and threaded his fingers through mine as the curtains drew back with a whispering sound and the play began.