Anything But Mine (13 page)

He toweled off and wandered back into the bedroom, where he dressed himself in the previous night’s clothes. Just as he finished dressing, he smelled the aroma of sizzling bacon coming from the kitchen, and started to feel alive, just a little, for the first time in months.

Drew walked into the kitchen and stole a piece of crisp bacon from the paper towel-
lined
platter and popped it in his mouth. “Yummy,” he said, leaning down and brushing his lips against Collette’s cheek. “I could get used to this. You’re spoiling me.”

That’s my job,
thought Collette, as she smiled at Drew.
That’s my job.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

J
en rose early each morning to have breakfast with Vince, but went back to bed after he left for his office, not knowing what to do with herself or how to occupy her time. Still recovering from the injuries she suffered in the attack, her face remained bruised and puffy, making it impossible for her to return to work, and boredom was taking over.

She held her hands in front of her and inspected her wrists, still bearing faint marks from where she was bound with rope, and thought,
I’ve been sulking around this mausoleum of an apartment for an entire week,
she thought, looking around the guest suite.
I’m getting cabin fever.
Although she hadn’t ventured outside of Vince’s apartment since she first arrived, she suddenly felt the urgent need to get some fresh air. Picking up the phone, she dialed the cell phone number Vince had given her, connecting her immediately to Pablo, her driver.

“Hi, Pablo? It’s Jennifer LaBella.”

“Yes, Miss LaBella,” Pablo replied, his voice having a just a hint of a Spanish accent.

“Can you please take me on an errand? I’d like to go downtown to do some shopping,” Jen asked.

“I’ll be right there,” Pablo replied.

Ten minutes later, Jen was seated in the rear of a black limousine. She looked out the window as Pablo navigated the traffic towards Broome Street in SoHo, where he brought the limo to a stop outside of Purl, her favorite yarn shop.

Jen stepped out of the car and into the sunshine, taking a moment to savor the contrasting feeling of the warm rays and cool air on her skin before stepping into the yarn shop. Once inside, she took her time fondling soft skeins of cashmere, silk and merino wool, before carefully selecting enough yarn for a couple of projects, including a scarf she planned on knitting for Vince.

As soon as she arrived back at the Fifth Avenue apartment, she began working on Vince’s scarf, casting on with the deep charcoal grey cashmere yarn she had just purchased. She lost herself in her knitting, and didn’t realize the time passing until Vince walked into the library to let her know he was home and dinner was ready. When she finished the row she was working on, she joined him in the kitchen, where they had eaten their meals since she had moved in.

“Pablo told me he took you downtown today,” Vince said, as Jen sat down at the table.

“Yes. He took me to SoHo so I could pick up some yarn. It felt good to get out.”

“I’m glad. This was a good first step for you, Jennifer, but you need to try to get out more. Your bruises are starting to fade now, and you’re starting to heal. We should make some plans for this weekend, maybe get away somewhere.”

“What do you want to do?”

“How about showing me around the Hamptons? I’d love to see your house.”

Vince grinned as he watched Jen smile and clap her hands. “I didn’t know how easy it was to make you happy. I’ll have to suggest we go to the Hamptons more often.”

“Nothing makes me happier than being out east. It’s the place I feel most at home in the whole world.”

Intrigued, Vince said, “Tell me why.”

Jen lifted the napkin from her lap and dabbed at her mouth before answering. “It’s so quiet and peaceful there, Vince. Growing up, I spent every summer on my family’s farm, and most weekends too. I love the fresh air, the beach, and just simply being outside. And since my house is secluded and in the woods, I have lots of privacy.”

“What are some of your favorite things to do there?

“In the summer, obviously, I enjoy swimming, either at the beach or in my pool. And at night, I love sitting in my back yard by the fire pit, toasting marshmallows and listening to music. You should see how beautiful the stars are on a clear night,” Jen said, wistfully, as she smiled at Vince. “I think you’ll like it there. I’m surprised that you haven’t spent time in the Hamptons before.”

“Actually, I’ve rented homes there most summers over the years. Whenever I’m there, friends and business associates have invited me to parties, benefits, the occasional polo match, and other social events. I’ve never thought of it as a place to just relax, though, especially during the off-
season
. I’m looking forward to it.”

While finishing dinner, Jen and Vince discussed the logistics of traveling out to Southampton for the weekend. “I’ll leave early Friday morning, so I can run some errands and take care of the grocery shopping,” she said.

“No, absolutely not,” Vince said, sternly, causing Jen to recoil. Realizing he sounded harsh, Vince softened his tone before continuing, “You can’t go out there alone for security reasons. What if the guy who attacked you knows where you live out there?”

“It’s not like I’m listed in the phone book, Vince. I’m sure it will be okay.”

Vince tried to hide his aggravation, and countered, “Why not let Pablo drive you out. You can relax during the trip, and you’ll have someone with you when you enter the house, just in case.”

After debating back and forth, Jen finally managed to cajole Vince into letting her drive her own car out to Southampton for the weekend once she explained that she needed to take care of a few personal things out there, including getting her hair highlighted and trimmed. “I’ll have my housekeeper meet me there, so I don’t enter the house alone. I’m going to need her help for a few hours anyway on Friday.”

“Okay, Jennifer, you win. You can drive your own car, but I’m sending a bodyguard out with you, in a separate car, and he’ll stay with you until I get out there.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“Yes. I don’t want to take any chances.”

“Fine,” she said with a sigh.
I know he’s just trying to protect me, but I wish I could have some time alone
, she thought
.

“Does it make sense for me to drive out? Or should I take the helicopter? We’ll have two cars out there if I drive.”

“Yes, but I can leave my car, and ride back with you. I’ll keep my car there through the summer. It doesn’t make sense for me to continue to pay for my parking spot in Brooklyn if I really don’t need my car here in the city right now anyway.”

Jen’s comment simultaneously surprised and pleased Vince.
She’s not planning on using her car in the city, so she must be planning on staying with me for the foreseeable future,
he thought
. She is becoming mine, little by little, step by step.

While sitting in the hair salon on Friday morning, Jen’s cell phone rang. Once she fished it out of her bag, she recognized Drew’s number and answered it immediately. “How’s my best friend?”

“I’m good, thanks. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. What’s up? And how is your dad?”

“He’s improving, but it’s a slow recovery,” Drew answered. “It’s more of a marathon than a sprint.”

“I’m sorry, Drew,” Jen said. “I’ve been praying for him.”

“Thanks,” Drew replied. They were quiet for a moment, before Drew took a deep breath, and said, “Jen, there is something I wanted to tell you, though.”

Jen’s heart was racing, hoping Drew was calling with the news she had been waiting for –
that
he was moving back to New York. “I’m all ears,” she said, hopefully.

“Um…well, I met someone recently.” He took a deep breath, and said, “Her name is Collette.”

Jen’s entire body froze, and she was momentarily unable to breathe. When she recovered, she asked, “How did you meet her?”

“She moved her business into the suite next to my father’s office. She makes custom gift baskets,” Drew replied. “We’ve gone on a few dates, and I wanted to call to tell you, because I didn’t want you to hear about it from someone else.”

Although she felt as though she had been punched in the stomach, Jen heard herself tell Drew that she was happy for him. As they finished their conversation, Jen tried to keep her voice steady and her tone light, despite her heart being heavy with grief.
It really is over now
, she thought.
We’ve both moved on.

After leaving the salon, Jen walked across the parking lot and into the supermarket to pick up the groceries she needed for the weekend.
Thank goodness I made a list,
she thought, realizing she was too distracted by the phone call from Drew to be able to concentrate on her shopping.
I can’t have Vince see me like this,
she said to herself as she checked a carton of eggs before placing them in her cart.
As soon as I get home, I’m going to run on the treadmill to clear my head and get Drew out of my mind.

When the buzzer rang to alert her that there was someone at the driveway gate, Jen punched some buttons on the security system monitor and confirmed it was Vince. She remotely opened the gate, and waited at the front door as he drove up the driveway. It was the first time that she had seen Vince drive, and was intrigued as he brought a black sports car to a stop in front of her house.

In response to the quizzical look on her face, Vince chuckled, “You didn’t think I could drive, did you?”

Jen laughed as she walked towards him, welcoming him with a warm hug and lingering kiss. “It’s just that I never saw you behind the wheel before. That’s an amazing car. A Lamborghini Aventador, right?”

“Yes. It’s one of my many cars,” Vince explained, as he removed a small overnight bag from the passenger seat. “You’re interested in cars?”

“Very much so. I learned a lot about them because my uncle, my mom’s brother, has a mechanic’s shop out here, and he specializes in exotic cars. Can I drive it sometime?”

You never cease to amaze me,
he thought, before replying, “Sure. Why not?”

“Can’t wait,” Jen said, as she escorted him inside the house.

Vince placed his bag in the foyer, and followed Jen into the great room, where a fire was burning in the fireplace. He inhaled the herb-
scented
aroma coming from the kitchen, and asked “What’s cooking? It smells delicious.”

“A pork tenderloin coated in rosemary, thyme, and garlic, and wrapped with pancetta. I made some roasted carrots and potatoes, too. It should be ready any minute. Hope you like it.”

“I’m going to love it, I’m sure.”

After using the restroom, Vince wandered around the first floor of Jen’s house, taking in the rustic-
yet
-
chic
decor.
She is so independent, so different from all the other women I’ve dated,
he said to himself as he thought about the many women in his life who had begged him to buy or rent them homes in the Hamptons.
I have to keep her, and make her mine.

Vince returned to the kitchen, where he found Jen setting the table, and asked, “Can I help you with anything?”

“Thanks. Can you open this, please?” she asked, handing him a corkscrew and a chilled bottle of white wine.

Removing the cork, he asked, “Is this local?”

“Yes. It’s the Brick Kiln chardonnay from Channing Daughters in Bridgehampton. I love it –
it’
s one of my favorite wines,” she said, as Vince filled their glasses.

Jen carved the roast, plating it on a large white platter along with the roasted vegetables, before placing it on the table in the breakfast nook. “Like you, I prefer to eat informally in the kitchen. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. This is perfect, Jennifer,” Vince replied. He narrowed his eyes, observing Jen as she retrieved some serving utensils from a drawer, and thought,
she’s regaining her confidence, because she feels she is back in control. I have to find a way to get her back under my control, before she starts thinking about moving back to Brooklyn.