Текст книги "Something About Lorelei"

Автор книги: Sandi Lynn

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Chapter Forty-Five

Jack

I closed my eyes after hearing Lorelei speak those words. Even after everything I did for her, she still hadn’t forgiven me for the things I said after finding out about Hope. I took a seat in my chair and cupped my face in my hands. I missed her and I missed Hope. Not only did Lorelei have an impact on my life the minute she spilled coffee on me, but Hope did as well. I looked up when I heard the door open and Coco walked in with two men dressed in suits.

“Jack, this is Detective Henley and Detective Sloan. They have some news regarding Joshua’s murder.”

“Nice to meet you, gentlemen. I’m Jack Sutton. Please have a seat.”

“We found the person who killed Joshua. Her name is Shae Sanders.”

I looked over at Coco in surprise. “Why would Shae kill Joshua?” I asked the detectives.

“Apparently, they got into a huge fight that day and she told him she was leaving. When she tried to leave, he threw her around and beat her up. She got hold of a kitchen knife and stabbed him repeatedly.”

“So it was self-defense,” I spoke.

“I guess you can say that, but that’s for a jury to decide. Anyway, we wanted to let you know that we won’t be bothering your family again. Have a good day.”

The detectives left my office and Coco sat across from me with a small smile across her face.

“I always knew he was crazy. Good for her for defending herself,” she spoke.

“She’s going to need a good defense attorney and we’re paying the bill.”

“Are you crazy, Jack? Mom just gave her all that money.”

“Exactly, and she’s going to need it to stay quiet. We can’t risk her saying something about what our mother had her do a couple of years ago. I’m going to call Avery Lewis and see if she’ll take the case.”

“If you say so. But you need to remember that she was the woman who was sleeping with my boyfriend.”

“And you need to remember that Garrett is the man who was sleeping with his girlfriend.”

She rolled her eyes and got up from her seat. “I suppose. I’ll talk to you later.”

I grabbed my phone and dialed my mother in Paris.

“Hello, darling,” she answered.

“I just wanted to let you know that Shae was the one who murdered Joshua.”

“Oh dear. That girl has a little spunk in her. Remind me to thank her when I return.”

“It was self-defense, Mother. He was beating the crap out of her.”

A light laugh came through the phone. “Do you believe that son? Anyway, I’ll be home in a few days.”

“I’m hiring her a good defense attorney and you’re paying her legal fees.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we don’t need to take the chance that she’s going to spill the beans about you. It’s the least we can do. And another thing, I think it’s time you retired from Sutton Magazine.”

“Excuse me, Jack?” Her voice took on a stern tone.

“We’ll talk more about this when you get back. I have to go.” Click.

Now that this situation was semi-handled, I needed to work on getting Lorelei to forgive me and agree to go out with me. As I was pondering ways, my office door opened and she stepped inside while keeping her hand around the door handle.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Jack, but I need to know why you punched Garrett.”

I let out a light chuckle. “You don’t have a clue as to why I did it?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Because he’s sleeping with my sister.”

“Oh.” She backed up into the hallway and pulled the door shut.

****

My new suit from Bloomingdale’s was ready to be picked up and I thought about sending Lorelei to go get it, but decided to do it myself because I wanted to get out of the office.

“I’m leaving for the day, Lorelei. I have a couple of things I need to take care of. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. Have a nice night, Jack.”

“You too.”

I climbed into the limo and instructed Tony to take me to Bloomingdale’s. As I was in the men’s section, looking at their sweater line, I heard a voice next to me.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Jack Sutton.”

“Hello, Stella.” I smiled. “What brings you to Bloomingdale’s this afternoon?”

“Just doing a little shopping for my boyfriend. You?”

“Picking up a new suit.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t make Lorelei do it for you.”

“The thought crossed my mind, but I decided to do it myself.”

“Listen, Jack, I want to thank you for looking after Hope while Lorelei was in the hospital. That was very kind of you.”

“You’re welcome. Hope is a great kid.”

“She is. Isn’t she? And so is her mother.” A small smile crossed her lips.

“Yeah. Lorelei is great. Hey, do you have some time to grab a coffee? I want to talk to you about something.”

She gave me an odd look. “Umm. Sure. I guess so.”

****

Lorelei

The next morning, as I was walking towards Jack’s office, I noticed there was a bouquet of yellow roses perfectly arranged in a vase sitting on the edge of my desk. I set my things down and walked into Jack’s office with his coffee.

“Do you know where those flowers came from?” I asked as I set his cup down.

“They’re from me. Do you like them?”

“They’re beautiful. What’s the occasion?” I narrowed my eye.

“Again, they’re apology flowers.”

“For what?” I asked.

“I want to apologize to you for the way I spoke yesterday about the whole dating site thing. I was way out of line and I’m sorry. Of course what you do on your own time is none of my business. It’s your life and I had no right.”

“Thank you, Jack. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

He walked over to where I was standing and clasped my shoulders.

“Listen, Lorelei, I’ve been giving my behavior and actions a lot of thought. I know I’ve hurt you in the past and I’m sorry. We’re friends and that’s how I want things to stay between us. So as a friend, I’m going to be honest with you. I think you should start dating again. You’re an amazing woman and I know you would have no problem finding your Prince Charming if you just let yourself. In fact, I know a couple of great guys who would love to go out with you.”

Suddenly, it felt like I was gasping for air. Was he being serious? I gulped.

“Thanks, Jack, but I can find my own dates.”

“Okay. If you change your mind, let me know. Another thing, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like you to give some of your sketches to the sewing department.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you have a real talent and I’m thinking that maybe we should feature some of your designs in our January issue.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, right, Jack.”

“Lorelei, I’m not kidding. Now get your ass to the sewing department and tell them I said they are to get working on your designs immediately. Wait,” he said as he walked over to his phone.

“This is Jack Sutton. I’m sending my PA, Lorelei, up to give you some designs I want started immediately. When you’re finished with the outfits, I want them brought straight to my office.”

He looked at me and smiled. “You’re all set.”

“I don’t know what to say, Jack. Thank you!” I impulsively threw my arms around his neck and gave him a hug. He wrapped his arms around me.

“You’re welcome. Now go.”

Feeling his arms around me again felt good. But what didn’t feel good was my heart. Hearing him say that he only wanted a friendship did something to me. It made me feel sad and alone. I couldn’t explain it if I tried. There was a time when he wanted me and I pushed him away. I pushed him so far that now he was no longer interested in me and that hurt like a bitch.

Later that evening as I lay in bed, I thought about Jack. I knew Hope missed him because she expressed it during dinner. My heart still hurt because I was in love with him. I was stupid for pushing him away that night he kissed me at his house, but I wanted him to know that it wasn’t going to be that easy. I was playing a game, making him pay for the things he’d said to me. But in the end, I wound up the loser. A tear fell from my eye the more I thought about it. Tomorrow would be a new day and a new start on my quest to try and get Jack to see that he was the one for me and I was the one for him.

Chapter Forty-Six

Lorelei

“Good morning, Jack.” I smiled as I set his coffee cup on his desk.

“Good morning. You seem in a chipper mood.”

“It’s Halloween. Speaking of which, I know this is really random, but Hope asked me to ask you if you would like to come to my parents’ house with us tonight. She has this crazy idea that maybe you would like to go trick or treating with us.”

He arched his brow. “Really? Hope would like me to come?”

“Yeah. But if you have plans, don’t worry about it. I already explained to her that it was such short notice and that you were probably busy.”

“I don’t have any plans tonight. Besides, if she invited me, how could I say no?”

“Okay. Oh, another thing. I’m sorry to spring this on you at the last minute, but would it be okay if I got off early to attend Hope’s Halloween party at school? It starts at two o’clock.”

“Of course.” He smiled. “I’ll tell Tony to drop you off.”

I was going out on a limb here, but I couldn’t help but ask.

“You know, I think Hope would be thrilled if you came.”

“To her school Halloween party?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah. Just an idea. Don’t worry about it.” I waved my hand.

“Okay. I’ll go.”

I stood there in shock that he actually said yes. On the inside, I was dancing.

“Okay. Great. Thank you. She’s going to be so surprised.”

****

We arrived at Hope’s classroom and the look on her face when she saw Jack and me walk into the room was priceless. She ran over and hugged us both.

“Jack! What are you doing here?”

“Your mom invited me. Look at you. You’re such a beautiful Cinderella.” He smiled.

“Thank you, Jack. Come meet my teacher.” She took hold of his hand and led him over to Miss. Strong.

“Miss. Strong, this is my friend, Jack. He’s my mom’s boss.”

“I see. It’s nice to meet you, Jack.” She smiled.

“My pleasure, Miss. Strong.” He smiled back with his charming smile and I wanted to vomit.

As the children were playing games and running around the classroom, Jack looked over at me.

“Hope’s teacher is really hot. I wonder what my chances are of getting her to go out with me.”

A wave of jealousy crashed over me. “She’s not that hot and I think she’s seeing someone.”

“What a shame and I think she’s very hot.” He smirked.

As I stood there and stewed over his comments, Addison’s mom walked over to us.

“Hello, Lorelei. I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Curtis.”

“Hello, Jane.” I gave a fake smile. “Nice to meet you, Curtis. This is my boss, Jack Sutton. Jack, this is Jane, Addison’s mom.”

“Ah, nice to meet you, Jane. Curtis.” They all shook hands and I rolled my eyes.

“Hope tells us that Addison is switching schools.”

“Yes. This wonderful man is inviting us into his home and, to be honest, the school district over there is way better.”

I couldn’t help myself and I couldn’t resist. “How long have you two known each other?”

“A couple of months. But it was love at first sight. We met on Match.com. He’s my soulmate.”

“Really?” Jack spoke up. “Lorelei just joined Match.”

“You did?” Jane asked with a surprised tone.

Fuck you, Jack.

“Yes, I did.”

“Anyone special yet?”

“No. Not yet. Hopefully, soon. I’m still weeding through the prospects.”

“Well, good luck to you. I hope you have the same luck I did.”

“Thank you.” My fake smile grew wider.

The two of them walked away and Jack began to laugh.

“Does your face hurt?” he asked.

“Yes. ‘It was love at first sight. He’s my soulmate.’ Whatever!”

“It sounds to me like you’re a little jealous.”

“Who? Me?” I pointed to myself. “I’m not jealous at all. It’s just the way she said it.”

“Sure.” He chuckled.

“Now if you want to talk about someone being hot, check out that dad over there. It doesn’t look like he’s wearing a ring either. Hey, Hope.” I called to her.

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Who’s that man over there with that little boy?”

“That’s Jonathan’s dad. Jonathan was the boy I told you about last year whose mom died of cancer.”

“Oh yeah. Poor kid.” I bit down on my bottom lip.

“So are you going to go hit on the poor man who probably is still grieving over the death of his wife?” Jack asked with a smirk.

I smacked his arm and walked away.

We stopped at Jack’s penthouse first so he could change his clothes before going to my parents’ house. It didn’t make sense for him to drive us home, go home and change, and then come back to pick us up. I told him that we’d meet him there, but he insisted on driving us.

I had called my mom earlier to let her know that Jack would be coming over. She seemed thrilled because she wanted to thank him for taking care of Hope, plus she was dying to meet him.

As we sat at the table eating dinner, Nick and my mom talked to Jack as if they had known him for years. It was weird but nice to see at the same time. When dinner was over, Nick, Hope, and Jack went to the living room while my mom and I cleaned up the kitchen.

“He’s such a nice man. Nothing like you made him out to be.”

“As long as you don’t work for him, he is, I guess.”

“He adores Hope.”

“I know he does.”

“So there’s really nothing going on between the two of you?”

“No. There isn’t. Jack and I are just friends. In fact, I’ve joined a dating site.”

“What? I don’t think that’s safe, Lorelei.”

“Gotta get out there and start dating again, Mom, and it’s hard to meet someone when you just can’t randomly go out because you have a kid to take care of.”

“We can babysit if you want to go out. You know that.”

“I know, but I’d feel guilty just going out for the hell of it to try and meet a guy.”

Hope ran into the kitchen. “Come on, Mommy. It’s time to go trick or treating!” She smiled.

I put on my coat and the three of us headed out the door. As Hope was busy running up to people’s houses, Jack and I stood on the sidewalk and waited for her.

“Tell me why you told me you hated kids?” I blurted out.

He glanced over at me for a moment and then looked straight ahead.

“I don’t hate kids, Lorelei. I don’t know how to explain it. Growing up with Kit was difficult. She blamed us for everything, including the breakup of her first three marriages. When you’ve been told that so many times, you start to believe it. I remember sitting in my room one night and I heard her and Peter, her second husband, arguing. He told her that she should send Coco and me to boarding school because we’d just get in the way of their relationship and things would be better if we weren’t around.”

“That’s awful. She didn’t send you away, did she?”

“No. But she did send us to live with our grandmother for the entire summer after they were married. That was the compromise they made. I always felt like a burden to my mother and her relationships. Peter wasn’t very nice to us. In fact, he hit me a couple of times and told me that Coco and I were ruining their relationship and he wished we’d just leave. Let’s just say that him and alcohol were best friends.”

“Oh my God, Jack. How old were you?”

“I was twelve at the time. My mother blamed us for my dad leaving because she couldn’t accept the fact that he couldn’t handle her career. Nothing was ever her fault. So when Peter left her, of course she blamed us. She said we were disobedient and she should have listened to him and sent us away. I hated myself back then because she was my mother and I believed her.”

“You don’t believe that now, do you?” I asked.

“No. She was to blame for all of her failed marriages. But, in the back of my mind, every time I saw a child, I would think of my childhood and the things that were told to me.”

“Did you ever seek therapy?”

He chuckled. “No. But maybe I should have. What about you?”

“My father passed away when I was ten. My mom met Nick when I was fifteen and she married him when I was sixteen.”

“He seems like a great guy,” Jack said.

“He is and he’s done so much for us. It wasn’t until after Brett’s funeral that I told them I was pregnant. My mom sat in her rocking chair and cried for hours, but Nick was the voice of reason and told her that we were a family and we’d get through it.”

“I’m really sorry about Hope’s father. I want you to know that.”

“Thanks.” I briefly laid my head on his shoulder.

After walking around a few blocks, Hope told us she was tired and wanted to go home. Jack picked her up and carried her back to my parents’ house. Watching him with her was bittersweet. After checking all of Hope’s candy and eating a couple of pieces, we said goodbye to my parents and headed back to my apartment.

“Do you have any plans this weekend?” I asked him with the hope that he didn’t and maybe the three of us could do something.

“Actually, I have a date tomorrow night.”

“Oh.” My heart started to ache. “That’s good.”

“What about you?”

“No plans really. Just hanging out with Hope.”

He didn’t say a word and neither did I after hearing he was going on a date. Tony pulled up to my building and Jack carried Hope up to the apartment and laid her in bed.

“Thanks again for coming tonight. I know it meant a lot to Hope.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for inviting me. Have a good weekend, Lorelei, and I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Good night, Jack.”

I shut the door and leaned against it. The thought of him going on a date tomorrow night made me sick and it made me angry. I should have been the one he was taking on a date, but I blew that chance.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Lorelei

It was Monday morning and the same routine started all over again. Walking into Jack’s office, I set down his coffee cup.

“Good morning, Lorelei. How was your weekend?”

“It was great. Hope and I did some shopping. We had a great time,” I lied. I wasn’t about to tell him that I stayed in all weekend and wallowed in self-pity.

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

“How was your date?”

“It was good. We had a great time.”

My blood was boiling because I was positive he slept with her. The thought of him with another woman made me want to crawl in a corner and hide. I couldn’t help the next words that flew out of my mouth.

“Do you need me to run to the store and buy you some more condoms?”

He chuckled. “No. That’s okay. I’m still set from when you bought me the ten boxes.”

“Should I send this woman some flowers from you?”

“No. Why would I send her flowers?”

“I don’t know. I was just asking. Usually, if a date goes great, the guy sends flowers.”

“He does?”

“Well, at least they do in the movies.”

He laughed. “I don’t need you to do any of those things, but when the stores open, I do need you to make a run to Banana Republic. I’ll make a list of the things I need you to pick up.”

“Okay. By the way, did your mother ever return from Paris?”

“She decided she was going to stay a couple of extra weeks. It seems she has met someone there.”

“Good for her.” I nodded my head and walked out of his office.

A couple of hours later, Stella called.

“Hello.”

“Hey, you. So don’t hate me.”

“What did you do?” I sighed.

“Promise me you won’t hate me first.”

“I won’t hate you, Stella.”

“So, I may have logged into your Match account and made a few tweaks to your profile.”

“WHAT! Why would you do that and how did you know my password?”

“You use the same password for everything. Just listen. This guy came up who I think is perfect for you.”

“Go on.”

“He’s twenty-eight and has never been married. He’s in business management, and wait for the best part: he loves kids. I think you should at least meet him, Lorelei.”

“I don’t know, Stella,” I whined.

“Listen, you said it was time to get out into the dating world. So here’s your opportunity. He seems like a great guy. Fun and outgoing.”

“How do you know this?”

“We may have talked online a bit and I pretended I was you.”

“STELLA!”

“He can’t wait to meet you on Friday night.”

“OH MY GOD! You set up a date?”

“Yeah, I did. Remember, don’t hate me. I love you and you’re like my sister.”

I couldn’t believe she set up a date for me with a random stranger online. But then again, that was Stella. I didn’t know if I could go through with it.

“I don’t know, Stella. I’m scared.”

“He’s such a romantic. He wants to meet on the top deck of the Empire State Building. Somewhere public where there’s a lot of people, so you’ll feel more comfortable. I told him that was very sweet of him.”

“Thanks. I appreciate you telling him that. How the fuck will I know who I’m looking for? And by the way, what does this guy look like?”

“He’ll be the tall, dark and handsome one holding a single red rose. I already told him yes, so you’re meeting at eight o’clock. The good thing is if you don’t like him or don’t click, you can leave. You don’t have to go to dinner or anything. You can go home and have some time to yourself. Hope is spending the night at my place. Sebastian will be out of town at a bachelor party, so she and I can have a girls’ night together.”

If I didn’t take this chance now, I might never. If Jack could go on a date, then so could I. There was no use sitting around and pining for the man that made it very clear to me that we were just friends.

“Fine. I’ll go. What’s this guy’s name?”

“Yippee! I knew you would. His name is Aiden.”

After hanging up with Stella, I walked into Jack’s office. I was hoping that telling him I was going on a date would infuriate him, but I was wrong.

“It seems I have a date Friday night.”

He looked up at me and smiled. “Good for you, Lorelei. Do I need to have this guy checked out for you?”

“No. That’s okay, Jack.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.” He winked.

Him and his damn winks. They sent flutters to my most sensitive areas.

****

My belly was a nervous wreck as I slipped into my black, spaghetti-strap slim-fit dress. I threw some curls at the ends of my hair and lightly sprayed it.

“Well, how do I look?” I asked Hope, who was sitting on my bed.

“You look beautiful, Mommy. Where are you going again?”

“Just out with a friend. No big deal.”

“Are you going out with Jack?” she asked.

“No, baby. I’m not going out with Jack.”

“When can I see him again?”

“I’ll give him a call over the weekend and see if he wants to hang out.”

“Okay.” She smiled.

I heard the door open, and when I walked out of the bedroom, Stella stopped dead in her tracks.

“Ah. Look at you. You’re gorgeous. Aiden isn’t going to know what hit him.”

“Thanks. I’m still mad at you.”

“No, you’re not. Now get your shoes on and get out of here. You don’t want to be late or the poor guy will think you stood him up.”

I gave Hope a hug and kiss goodbye. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have fun with Auntie Stella tonight.”

“I will. She’s going to give me a mani/pedi and then teach me the do’s and don’t’s of buying a designer handbag.”

I looked at Stella and rolled my eyes before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

****

I made it to the Empire State Building at approximately seven fifty-five. Taking the elevator up to the top deck, I felt like I was going to throw up. My stomach was twisted and I could feel anxiety kicking in. I took in slow, deep breaths to try and calm myself down. It was ridiculous to be this nervous. He was just another person. We were just two people meeting for the first time. I met people every day and this was no different. So what if he was of the male species? Like Stella said, if I didn’t like him or we didn’t click right away, I could leave. No harm. We’d just part ways as if we had never met. The elevator doors opened, and as I made my way out with the crowd of people, I looked around for the tall, dark, and handsome man with the single red rose. Maybe he stood me up. I could only hope. Suddenly, I heard a low voice from behind.

“Hello, Lorelei.”

I stood frozen in place for a second before turning around. My heart was racing at the speed of light. When I turned around and stared at the man holding a single red rose, I gasped.

“Jack?” I cocked my head. “What are you—”

“I’m your date for tonight and, hopefully, every night.” He smiled.

Tears started to fill my eyes. “How did you—”

He handed me the red rose and then ran his thumb across my cheek.

“I was able to do this with the help of Stella.”

I gulped. “So you’re Aiden? The twenty-eight-year-old business management guy who loves kids?”

“Yeah. Stella came up with that. Are you mad?”

“No. Of course not. I’m relieved you’re not a stranger, but I don’t understand.”

“The only thing you need to understand right now, at this moment, is that I want to be with you and you only.” His blue eyes stared into mine.

“But you said you just wanted to be friends and you were just on a date.”

“I know what I said, but it was all part of the plan, and I never went on any dates. I only led you to believe that so this plan would work.”

“Why did you go through all of this?”

“Because, Lorelei, I wanted us to start over. A brand new beginning. I had already hurt you once and you made that very clear to me. But I promise, if you give me another chance, I’ll never hurt you again. That night I left the penthouse, the night Hope got sick, I went out with someone but only to dinner. After we finished eating, I sent her home and I went and sat in a bar because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You’re on my mind 24/7 and when I’m not with you, I feel alone. For the first time in my life, I feel alone. All I’m asking is for a second chance to show you that I can be your Prince Charming because, Lorelei, you’re my Cinderella.” He smiled as our eyes stayed locked on each other.

A tear fell from my eye and he gently wiped it away with his thumb. I was stunned but happy beyond words.

“Hi, I’m Lorelei Flynn.” I smiled.

“Hello, Miss Flynn. I’m Jack Sutton.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jack. I think you should know that if you want a relationship with me, I have a seven-year-old daughter and her name is Hope.”

“You’re in luck because I just so happen to love kids.”