One Night Stand (New Yorker III) (7 page)

“Where
is your boyfriend?” Rosalinda asked.

“My
what?”
The
question had caught Catalella off guard. She hoped that her shock didn’t show.
What exactly was she supposed to tell them now? “Oh him, he’s back in the
city.”

“Who is
he? Does he have a name?” Adrian asked, his eyes searching his daughter’s face.

“Uh-huh…Rich—”
she gulped, “—
ard
.”

“Does
Rich-
ard
, have a last name?”

The old
man was crafty but Catalella was smarter. She had no idea why she called him
Richard. She assumed Rich was short for something. She should have asked for
his full name before letting him in her pants. But it was too late now. “I’d
rather not say. The last thing I want is for Lisette to Google him. I want you
guys to get to know him personally. He’s important.”

“All right,
bring him by next weekend.” Adrian’s tone had something in it that said that
was the end of the discussion about ‘Rich-
ard
’ for
now.

How was
she supposed to tell her father that the man had run from her, that Catalella
had revealed so much of herself on their first meeting that he was terrified to
get close to her? It didn’t help that he drove a very, very fast sports car.

She
retreated to the kitchen in the evening as everyone sat around the fire. She
was looking for something to eat, had a craving for something tangy. She was
rummaging through the fridge when she heard someone come up behind her.

“You
don’t know his name, do you?”

Catalella
lifted her head to find Lisette staring at her, a smile on her face that made
her look like a Cheshire cat. Catalella could pass a lot of things by her
parents but never Lisette.

“I know
his name,” she said defensively as she pulled out a tub of peanut butter and
grabbed a spoon from the drawer. “I just don’t know if it’s his real name.”

Lisette
barked out a laugh. “A one night stand.” She said it as if she didn’t believe
it. But then her face became serious. “Are you stupid? He could have given you
something.”

“He
gave me a baby, but other than that I’m clean.” Catalella had been sure to
check.

“I’m
happy for you.” Lisette pulled Catalella in for a hug. “Now I can be pregnant
with my sister. I’ve always wanted that.”

“Me
too.”
Catalella giggled. “I’m hungry. Tell me what to eat.”

Lisette
stepped back, an excited look on her face as she shared all her pregnancy wisdom.

*
* * *

She
wasn’t alone anymore. Catalella tried to ignore the tightness of her skin. She
couldn’t believe how much weight she had put on in the past month. She was
three and a half months along and could barely fit into anything in her closet.
She had to go shopping and she hated shopping. Catalella was terrified of
telling people in the office—she didn’t want to seem weak, especially since she
almost lost the McCrery account. She was going to take over the firm soon and
she needed people to have confidence in her.

“Are
you ready, kiddo?” Dennis asked as he poked his head into her office.

“Ready
as I’ll ever be.” Catalella picked up her files. “I want you to know that there
was nothing wrong with the first draft. You shouldn’t have let Michael send them
that withdrawal notice.”

“I
didn’t know he’d sent it.” Dennis frowned. “Harold called to tell me. He has
confidence in you and the firm, but he needs to know that our in-house problems
won’t spill out into our work.”

“You do
know that after you leave and I take all his clients, I’m going to fire Michael
Mathews, right?”

“I knew
it the second I hired him.” Dennis winked at her as an evil grin claimed his
lips. “They’re here. I know you are going to do great. I’m proud of you,
kiddo.”

“Thanks,
Uncle Denny.” She often refrained from calling him that in the office, but she
was nervous and it usually made her
feel
calm knowing
she had family on her side.

* * *
*

Idiot!
Rich cursed himself as he
stepped into the office. He had run away from Catalella and here he was in her
domain. Catalella was spearheading the campaign and there was no way to avoid
her now. They would be working closely together. He had received a notice from
Harold that the signing of the contracts had been postponed. He thought he
would have to convince his godfather not to drop Ross and Kent as their
potential legal representation, but the old man hadn’t suggested it. He was
about to chicken out of this meeting, but when he found out Michael Mathews was
part of the firm and was trying to sabotage Catalella he had to go.

Rich
saw Catalella from the corner of his eye and froze for a second. She seemed to
be fuller in a way…healthier. She had a smile on her face as she spoke with
Dennis Kent. But when she turned to face him, her smile froze and the files in
her hand almost dropped out of her grasp. In a second she had regained her
composure. She walked out of the office and headed toward him. Rich was nervous—he
didn’t know exactly what he would say to her.

“Hi,”
he said once she stopped in front of him.

“Funny,
I thought you would be heading in the other direction,” Catalella said, the
animosity in her voice obvious as she pointed towards the elevator. Rich sucked
in a breath. She had seen him. There was nothing as embarrassing as being
called out on his cowardice.

“Mr.
McCrery,” Dennis announced as he shook Rich’s hand.

Shit!
Rich thought. A new reason for
his little orchid
to resent him, as
if leaving her alone in bed and running away from her wasn’t enough. He hadn’t
told her of his true identity. He saw the shock in her eyes but, just like that,
it had disappeared. The business side of her appeared as she escorted him to
the conference room.

“If you
don’t mind me asking, why are you handling this account?” Rich tried to sound
as inoffensive as possible but the anger in Catalella’s eyes told him he had
missed his mark.

“That’s
what I keep asking. I’m Michael Mathews.” Michael chuckled as he shook Rich’s
hand.

He
realized the fool hadn’t recognized him. He was a charmer and if he hadn’t known
his true nature and seen what sort of a slime ball he was, he would have fallen
for that trust-inspiring grin.

“My
name is on the door. Catalella Ross,” Catalella announced. “Now, gentlemen, if
we can take our seats. Michael, I’m sure there is an ambulance out there
waiting for you to chase it.”

Rich
tried to hide his laugh with a cough. He was proud of his little orchid for
putting Michael in his place.

“I
thought I could sit in,” Michael retorted.

“I’d
rather you didn’t. Mr. McCrery has some private information he would like to
share, and since I’m going to be his counsel—”

Rich
realized she had left the statement hanging for him to pick up. He was angry
that she had pulled him into her squabble and left him to deliver the final
blow. He was trying to look professional in front of Harold and being
unprofessional wasn’t going to help his cause.

“Please
excuse us, Mr. Mathews.” He issued the dismissal and took a seat as far away
from Catalella as possible.

* * *
*

“Let’s
begin,” Rich barked as he took his seat.

Catalella
noticed that there was coolness in Rich’s tone that she had never heard before.
Granted, she hadn’t known him that long—they had only had three encounters. But
his voice never sounded that cold before. At first she wanted to ask him what
was wrong, but then she remembered that he was the liar in the room.

“Right,”
Catalella began, using the authoritative voice her father had used in this very
same room. Rich had seen her at her most vulnerable moment but she didn’t want him
to think she was weak. “How should I address you?”

“Mr.
McCrery is fine.”

Power trip.
Catalella chuckled to herself
sardonically. This was the real him. Forget the T-shirt, jeans and sneaker guy.
The man in front of her, the one in the power suit, was the real Rich. No, not Rich,
but Ethan McCrery.

“Ethan,
then.”
Catalella ignored Dennis’ and Harold’s questioning gazes. “I would like to
point out that there was nothing wrong with the first draft that I sent you.
But since
Mr. McCrery
is here, I
thought I could convince you to sign with Ross and Kent as a permanent client.”

“Why?”
Rich leaned back in his chair, his fingers locked and his hands on the table.
The angry look still claimed his face.

“Because
I am the best and Ross and Kent is the best firm in New York,” she stated in a
matter-of-fact sort of tone.

“I knew
your father. I actually know Dennis here. We have a lot of history,” Harold began,
then
leaned in towards her before he went on. “It’s
the reason why I picked this firm. I understand loyalty is important to you. But
I also know your father got the job done, emotions aside. I need a bulldog, not
a poodle.”

Catalella’s
lips twisted into a grin. She turned her focus back to Rich, wondering what
exactly he had told his partner.
But she wasn’t weak and she
wasn’t about to let anyone hire her out of pity.
Catalella stood up and
handed the files to the three men. She then took the power seat at the head of
the table. She was showing her authority, just as he father had taught her. But
she fought hard to keep the steel out of her voice when she said, “Emotions are
for the weak and I am the biggest dog you will ever find out there.”

She
stood up and headed towards the door, taking the decision away from Rich and
Harold. “I hope I will hear from you by the end of the day. That way we can
start the process of acquiring that factory. I also have some other
acquisitions you may be interested in. If I don’t hear from you I’ll take the
offer to my other clients. Good day, gentlemen.”

Catalella
stormed out of the room, making sure her back was straight and each stride she
took showed her strength. She knew they would be watching her. According to her
father, business men were vultures waiting for a sign of weakness so that they
could attack. She had already shown Rich how weak she could be, but now he had
to see her strength. She vowed he would never see her vulnerable again. But
then where did it leave him when it came to the baby? Now that she knew how to
find him, she had to make a decision whether she would tell him.

“Catalella,
your father called.” Darcy stood at the door of her office with a paper in her
hand.

Catalella
didn’t stop. She grabbed the paper and walked into her office. She took a seat
at her desk and then she saw her uncle escort Rich and Harold out. Rich didn’t
even spare her a single glance. She looked down at the paper and the message
was the same one she got from her father for the past four weeks: ‘Bring him
home.’

Chapter Six

Rich
could see it in her eyes. Catalella thought that he had told Harold her secrets.
He could see her condemn him as the steel in her voice slashed through him. For
a second he thought about reassuring her. But he was still trying to prove his
worth to Harold. He was the custodian of the company and, to get it back, Rich
had to show that he was a responsible grown up able to handle the business.

When
Catalella gave him the ultimatum, Rich wanted to throw it back in her face but
Harold was watching him. This was no time to throw a temper tantrum. He watched
as Catalella walked away from him and for some reason it hurt him. The
viciousness in it troubled him. He had done the same thing, walking away from
her bed more than three months back, but he never thought she was still angry.

Rich
held the folder in his hands as Dennis walked them out. She was angry and he
was angry. But his latest project had already been pushed back a month. It was
costing him money and time. As they reached the elevator he made a decision.

“Harold,”
he said in his authoritative voice. “I think we should get this done right
now.”

Rich had
begun to walk back to the conference room when he met Catalella’s eyes.
Grinning back with magnanimous scorn, he used his index finger to call her. He
could see the heat of rage burn in her eyes and angering her made him even more
satisfied. This time he sat in the power seat and watched Catalella’s shocked
gaze burn holes in his skull for his bold move.

He
didn’t say a word as he signed
both contracts
, one
granting Ross and Kent power of attorney to handle their latest acquisition and
one to become a permanent client with Catalella as their go to person. He
pushed the contracts towards Catalella and she was next to sign. Once every
copy had been signed and notarized, Rich stood up and walked towards Catalella.
He stooped over her then said, “Now you are
my
bulldog. Fetch!”

He
gasped in surprise then chuckled when the pen Catalella’s fingers were fisted
on snapped in two. He wondered what she was picturing in her hand and, on
instinct,
his hands hovered over his groin as he grimaced in
imaginary pain.

“What
was that about?” Harold asked once they were back in the limo.

“She
pushed me and I pushed back. Now I have the power,” Rich said with a smirk.

“Did
you read the fine print?”

Fear
had Rich’s spine rigid. What fine print? He didn’t put it past Catalella to do
something that would harm him. Revenge…they do say that there is nothing as bad
as the wrath of a scorned woman. In his haste to prove how much power he had
over her, he had let his business sense slip. But Rich wasn’t afraid to push
back. If whatever he had trapped himself into wasn’t to his liking, he would
push back. Damn the consequences, even if those consequences involved not being
able to make love to her ever again.

* * *
*

“What
was that about?” Dennis asked once they were alone.

“I
pushed, he pushed back.” Catalella was angry with herself for letting him win.
But she had the trump card. “But I happen to have the winning hand.”

“He’s
our client now, not our enemy. We don’t want him to cancel the contract with
us. So play nice, kitty cat.” Dennis chortled.

“I’m
smarter than that. He can’t revoke the contract until a year has lapsed. It was
in the fine print.”

“How
fine?”

Catalella
threw her head back and laughed. She was sure once Rich saw that she had
trapped him for a year with the firm he would be pissed. But then the smile
dropped and absolute terror filled her—would he think the same thing with the
baby?

* * *
*

Did you read the fine print?
The question had played in
Rich’s mind the whole day. The damn woman had trapped him. Although he wouldn’t
be able to get out of the contract for a year he was going to give her a piece
of his mind. It was already ten p.m. and he had been debating in his mind if he
should go up to her apartment.

The
memories of the last time he was in her building flooded his mind. It was lust
and not fear that had him rooted to the spot in indecision. He took a step
towards the front door, swearing to keep his hands to himself. He would dig
them in his pockets the whole time he confronted her if he had to.

He made
his way to her door—this time he didn’t get lost. He knocked a couple of times
before he heard someone come to the door.

“What
the hell is wrong with you?”

Rich
was about to answer when he saw how sexy she looked. Her hair was wild, and her
baggy sleeping T-shirt hung low but barely covered her hips. He wanted to run
his hands up those hips and under her shirt, and that was what he did.

He
pushed his way into the apartment, his hands demanding every inch of Catalella.
He thought she would resist him but she couldn’t, and when her arms wrapped
around his neck that was all he could take. He kicked the door closed and
lifted Catalella. He led her to the dining table and a wave of déjà vu hit him.
Rich laid her flat on the table and released her lips so that he could take his
jacket off. But, as he did, his eyes caught sight of the literature on the
table.

At
first he thought they were a bunch of novels until he saw the words ‘Your first
baby’ on one of the books. He stepped back from her, releasing his mind from
the hazy cloud of desire. He walked to the other end of the table and picked up
the book.

“I
thought you said you couldn’t get pregnant?”

* * *
*

Catalella
sat up, all desire fleeing her body and rigid shock claiming her. What was she
going to say now? She got off the table and turned to look at him.
Lie.
That was
her
first thought. But what was going to happen after the lie? She needed to find
out a lot of things from him, like his family medical history and if there were
things that she should look out for.

“I
wasn’t supposed to, but I am.” She labored, trying to find the perfect words,
and then spoke in a rush. “It’s a miracle or a fluke. Before you came into my
life I had accepted the fact that I was never going to be a mother. Then you
came and we had sex, then you left me, leaving me with a note and…and a baby.”

“No!”
His voice cracked with rage as a look of horror filled his eyes. “You said it
was fine, that you couldn’t get pregnant.”

Catalella
didn’t understand why he was so angry. She hadn’t asked anything from him.

“Is
that why you put that clause in the contract? You wanted to trap me?” he
accused.

“I
don’t need your money,” Catalella responded with the same vehemence in her
voice. “You aren’t the only one with a rich daddy.”

She regretted
it the second she said it. She watched as his face twisted in pain, but then a
shadow crossed his features and his expression immediately closed. Everyone
knew that Ethan McCrery Senior had died of a heart attack some years back. She
also knew, through the gossip columns, that Ethan didn’t get to say goodbye. He
barely made it to the funeral.

“I’m
sorry I said that. But I’m not going to feel bad about my baby. You can be
angry for the rest of your life if you want to, but I’m happy for myself.”

“Are
you going to keep it?” His voice struggled to sound out the words.

“I’m
not going to have an abortion, and I hate you for even thinking I would.” Stepping
closer, she said in a dark, urgent voice, “This is my baby—you don’t have to
have any part of this pregnancy if you don’t want to. But I will not feel sorry
that I am pregnant. That I finally have what I want. You wanted me to survive—
well,
this baby is the reason that I will.”

“I’m
sorry.” His voice softened as he sank to the floor.

Catalella
went to him, trying not to feel sorry for the picture of a broken boy in front
of her. “If you want I can prepare some papers and you can sign over your
parental rights. You don’t need to be part of this. This is my only chance.
My
one and only
chance to
be a mother.
I can’t give it up.”

“You’re
happy?” he asked and she nodded. “Well, then I am happy for you.”

Catalella
watched as Rich stood up and left, leaving her alone to sort out the mess their
lives had become.

* * *
*

Rich
got back to his loft apartment. There were no walls, only a wide space with his
bed, desk, entertainment center and his motorcycle parked in the middle of the
room. There was no room for a baby or Catalella. He regretted going to her
apartment—it would have been better if he didn’t know. He'd lived this long
without sorting out the mess of his previous life. But here was a baby
reminding him that he needed to sort himself out, and he needed to start with
Ava.

She was
a girl he met at De Alma. He had bought the restaurant to impress her. She was
so impressed that they flew down to Vegas in his private jet and got married
the very same night. It was at the time he was going through his rebelling
phase with his father. And when Ethan McCrery the fourth had heard what his son
had done he died of a heart attack, or a broken heart. But not before he placed
Ethan’s inheritance in Harold’s custody. So for their honeymoon Ethan was
guilty and poor. Ava didn’t seem to like the combination and she left, without
giving him a divorce.

Rich
had tried to get the marriage annulled but Ava had disappeared. It was five
years since he’d seen her. He was still married but had gained part of his
father’s fortune. Harold had him working for the rest of it. He did the bare
minimum until he met Catalella. She had described a man that he wasn’t and, all
of a sudden, that was what he wanted to be. He wanted to make his father proud
even though he was dead. But now he needed to work for himself, Catalella, and
the baby on the way.

But
there was no moving forward until he got rid of his past—he had to find Ava,
divorce her then marry Catalella. His little orchid was solid and didn’t need
his money. As she had pointed out, she had the money plus she was a partner at
the firm. Her name was on the door.

Rich
sat behind his mahogany desk. It was huge and had three computers on it and had
been his father’s desk. Now it was his. The televisions mounted on the walls
showed different channels and one was tuned in on the stock market. But Rich
wasn’t interested in all that. He had a book in his hand.
‘Your
First Baby’.
He was going to study for the role—he was great at tests
and an excellent student. He was going to learn a few things, even though he
wasn’t exactly sure he was going to be part of raising the baby.

“What
are you doing?” Harold stood over him, looking down at his book.

“I’m
reading,” Rich said, trying to hide the cover.

But
Harold had the sight ability of a hawk. He had already seen Rich’s choice of
literature and a disapproving frown claimed his lips. “Is it Ava?”

“I haven’t
seen the gold digger for five years.”

“So who
is it?”

“A girl
I met about four months ago.” Rich watched as Harold’s eyes widened in shock.
He groaned, waiting for the old man to unleash his lecture about condoms,
security and women who only wanted him for his money. Rich already knew all
that. What he didn’t know was how to be a good support system, someone
Catalella could depend on, a partner and, more so, a father. “I need my
godfather right now, not the business tycoon.”

Harold
called Rich over to one of the large leather sofas. “All right then, I’m
listening.”

“I met
a girl at De Alma—”

“That
wretched place again. It’s the source of all your problems. You should sell it,
tear it down or burn it.”

“Do you
want to hear my story?”

Rich
told Harold the story and watched as the emotions played over on his face. But
there was one emotion they seemed to share—worry over Catalella’s emotional
state. “You know that girl is emotionally unstable. She can’t raise a child.
You need to get her to sign over custody.”

“Funny
thing, she asked me to sign over my parental rights.” Rich chuckled. “She’s a
bulldog.”

“Ethan!”

Rich
knew that tone of voice anywhere. His father had used it with him whenever he
was in trouble. All of a sudden he felt like a little boy caught with his hand
in the cookie jar instead of a CEO billionaire. He shouldn’t have used the word
‘bulldog’—it was a dead giveaway.

“Is
that what that fight in the conference room was about?” Harold rose to his feet
and paced about the room. “How could you be so stupid? Now she has you in a
contract you can’t get out of.”

“She
doesn’t want my money.”

“I know
that. I know her father and he’s going to string you up by your toes.” Harold
sighed. “Are you going to meet her family?”