Insufferable Proximity 2 (30 page)

She watched as his anger spiked. He looked like he wanted to grab her desk and throw it out of the window. Trying to diffuse the situation, she grabbed his hand and led him to the couch; sat down and tugged him to sit next to her. She continued to dab the napkin on the cut, waiting for the bleeding to stop.

He shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this.” If he felt like this now, he could only imagine how he would feel after a week or so. “I don’t trust him.”

“Mr. Baker is a weasel; he’s probably just trying to get under your skin.”

“He’s doing a good job as I’m ready to beat him senseless.” His words seemed to renew his anger. His hands began to shake as the blood rushed to his face.

She could think of only one thing that could help settle his temper—she began to unbutton her shirt.

“Forget about him.” She slid off her blazer and her shirt. “This deal with him won’t take long; it will be over before you know it.”

“For his sake, it better be.”

“Come on, I want you to try to relax.” She unhooked her bra and straddled his lap.

“I’m trying to keep it under control.” He wrapped his arms around her hips and laid his head against her breasts.

“Ms. Deville,” they heard her secretary’s voice over the intercom, “you have a walk-in to speak with you.” Her voice suddenly dropped lower; she was obviously talking to the client. “We really don’t do walk-in’s; her schedule is usually full.”

Julian put his hand over Heaven’s mouth as he shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Ms. Deville? She must be gone already. Sorry, but you must have just missed her, sir. Would you like to make an appointment for—?” The room went silent as the secretary shut off the intercom.

Heaven grinned as she shook her head. “You’re going to get me fired.”

“Ayden King would never fire his daughter-in-law. Besides, your secretary took care of him, he’ll be back.”

“But I’m not his daughter-in-law yet; we’re not married.”

“He thought of you as a daughter back when we were enemies. Besides, he knows how serious this is.”

“Does he? When we told people about our engagement, it was in response to our sex tape being played in the cafeteria.”

“So, then we’ll tell everyone again.”

“How?”

“I’ll throw you an engagement party.” The idea suddenly sated him. He liked the idea of making it official. He wanted the entire world to know that she was going to be his wife, and he wanted Clive to understand most of all.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“It’s not too late?”

“It’s never too late.”

“I really like that idea. We can invite certain people from work too. I definitely want to invite Gloria, Sampson and a few of the other secretaries. Not Lila and not Mr. Baker.”

“Definitely not Mrs. Strain, although I should invite Baker. Then, after we make the announcement, I can hit him in the head with that big rock I’m getting you. I’ll get an extra-large diamond just for that.”

 
“No, we’re not inviting either of them; they are not coming to our party.”

“Agreed.”

“I told you that you didn’t have to buy me an outrageously large or expensive ring.”

“I’m buying you the biggest diamond I can find. The bigger it is, the more attention it will attract. I want people to notice it immediately and see that you’re taken…completely taken.”

“Don’t worry; I’ll never let anyone forget.” She smiled and kissed him again. “Too bad I can’t buy you a ring—for the same reason.”

He grinned and kissed her. “I’ll get your name tattooed across my chest.”

***

Heaven and Julian went to her mother’s house after work for dinner. Sybille had prepared a feast and insisted that they come.

“Not many men can say they’ve taken their fiancée to a brothel,” he joked as he parked the car. Instead of the laugh he expected, he heard a gasp.

“That is not funny,” she chided as she swatted him on the arm.

“It was just a joke.” He grabbed her chin and kissed her mouth.

“That was a major source of worry for me growing up. I had this recurring nightmare. I was standing at the altar waiting for my groom, but he was really late. When he finally comes, he’s screaming that the wedding was off because I was raised in a brothel. Sometimes his words changed, but he
always
said that he would not marry the daughter of a pimp.”

“Damn.”

“The dream always ends with my Aunt Coco shooting him for calling my mom a pimp. I don’t even want to tell you about my Prom Night dream.”

“Heaven darling!” They both looked out of the car window to see Sybille coming towards them.

She was wearing a white, faux ostrich feather robe that trailed behind her. Underneath she wore a dark-brown and white, zebra-striped lounging gown. Her hair was coiled up like a flapper, and the side was held back by a large, white, feather clip.

Once they were seated at the table in the backyard, Heaven blurted the news.

“We’re having an engagement party,” she announced.

“I love that idea!” Sybille screeched as she clapped her hands. She could barely contain her joy. “You can throw it here.”

“No, I want to invite some of the people I work with. I’m not prepared to explain why I’m having my engagement party at a notorious brothel,” Heaven’s poker face appeared as she spoke.

“Good point,” Sybille nodded in agreement.

“I want to have the party at Julian’s hotel,” Heaven informed them.

“Good choice; that place is beautiful.”

“I know,” Heaven agreed as she held Julian’s hand on top of the table. “Do you remember Susan, the girl I went to college with?”

“Of course I do. Susan Likke, you helped her after her father passed away,” Sybille said with a frown.

“I remember that,” Coco nodded, “She was going to fail, and Sevigne took all that time to get her back on track.”

“Yeah that’s her; I saw her recently.”

“How is she doing?”

“She’s married to a plastic surgeon, and they have a beautiful baby. She’s no longer practicing law.”

“Really?” Coco was surprised.

“She probably prefers to spend time with her family,” Sybille told her sister.

“That’s what she said. Her daughter is beautiful,” Heaven agreed before taking a bite of food.

“Daughters can be such a joy. How old is she?” Sybille cooed.

“Less than a year, I believe.”

“She should spend every minute she has with her and enjoy that time. She can never get it back.” Sybille’s words were emotional.

“It’s okay.” Coco put her hand on top of her sister’s in an attempt to comfort her.

“I would give anything to get those first five years back,” Sybille grabbed her silk scarf and dabbed at the tear in her eye. “Anything.”

“Me too,” Heaven agreed, “that’s why we should make the most of all the time we still have.”

“That’s a damn good idea, niece,” Coco nodded as she lightly squeezed her sister’s hand.

“I agree, a wonderful idea,” Maude sobbed softly.

Needing to break the sudden tension before she started to cry, Heaven said the first thought that popped in her head. “I heard the pain of giving birth is the equivalent to driving a sports car over your midsection.”

It worked; everyone immediately stopped what they were doing to look at her. “Well, is it?”

“Not at all, giving birth is a beautiful thing,” Sybille told her.

“I’m not talking about the experience; I’m talking about the level of pain,” Heaven continued. Although it was a passing thought, she still wanted to know the answer.

“They say that it’s worth it in the end,” Maude added.

“Yeah, I guess it will be,” Heaven smirked.

“Oh I don’t believe it!” Sybille threw her hands up to her mouth.

“What?”  Heaven asked.

“Oh, goodness.”

“What is it, Sybille?” Coco asked.

“My darling daughter is pregnant,” Sybille cried.

“What?” Heaven was positive her mother had finally lost her mind. Julian sat silently next to Heaven, although his thoughts were racing.

“Congratulations!” Maude sang.

“I’m not pregnant!” Heaven snapped.

“But you’re asking about pregnancy,” Sybille said.

“I was just asking a question,” Heaven snapped.

“Really, how did you jump from a pregnancy question to her being pregnant?” Coco asked as she shook her head.

“She’s never asked about anything like that before. She’s never even been interested in children. I thought I would never have a grandchild! So when I hear her talking about birth, I get excited! Sue me, Coco,” Sybille cried dramatically as Coco rolled her eyes.

“Not having a grandchild has
always
been her biggest fear,” Maude came to Sybille’s defense.

“Hush, Maude,” Coco frowned as she turned to her big-mouth friend.

“Why did you think that you would never have a grandchild?” Heaven asked, unable to hide the disappointment she felt.

“I don’t know, darling. I guess after you graduated college and still had never had a boyfriend, I just assumed the worst,” Sybille admitted.

Julian smiled despite the fact they were discussing pregnancy. He liked the fact that she had never had a boyfriend. He felt perversely possessive over her, and relished the fact that he was her first in every sense.

“So, because I was more interested in obtaining a career than dating, you assumed I’d never get married?”

“It’s not just that. It’s the way we raised you, and because of the brothel,” Sybille tried to explain.

“You must understand, dear, in our ill-fated attempt to keep you safe, we turned you against the opposite sex. But I knew you’d get married when you were ready,” Coco assured Heaven. “I knew once you were satisfied with your career you would start thinking about that.”

“Thank you, Aunt Coco,” Heaven nodded.

“I’ll admit that I feared the worst,” Sybille cried.

“You always do.” Coco rolled her eyes again as Heaven shook her head.

“I knew you’d eventually fall in love too. I just never dreamed it would be so soon; I figured when you were in your thirties. You’re so passionate about the things that you love, I knew that passion would evolve when you met the right man,” Maude added.

Coco grinned. “I’ll admit that I never expected it would be the co-worker you were constantly at war with.”

“I don’t think anyone expected that.” Heaven smiled knowingly at Julian.

He grinned back with a wink. “Especially us.”

“I really thought you hated him.”

“So did I. but now I think there must have been something else there, lying dormant.
Really
dormant,” Heaven snickered.

“It makes perfect sense,” Coco added with a nod.

“I agree. I think that it must be true love if it forms from such a strong hatred. Your hatred must make you appreciate your love differently,” Maude said, and everyone looked at her. “I know that statement would not make sense under any other circumstance, but for this situation, it fits.”

After a little thought, everyone at the table nodded in an enlightened agreement.

Sybille smiled warmly. “Sometimes I think you’re a genius, Maudey.”

“Emphasis on
sometimes
,” Coco added as she took a sip of her wine.

Julian grabbed Heaven’s hand under the table, and she laid her head on his shoulder in return.

“Well, that meal was amazing, Mother; you should have been a chef,” Heaven said as she pushed her plate aside.

Sybille batted her lashes. “Thank you, my dearest child.”

“You know she ordered it from the restaurant down the road,” Coco smirked.

“I thought it tasted familiar,” Heaven admitted with a nod.

“I was just getting ready to tell her that, you rat.” Sybille muttered at her younger sister.

Coco rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“Is everything set with the attic?” Heaven asked her mother.

Sybille smiled. “It sure is, dear, stocked with your favorites.”

“And a bottle of wine,” Maude added with a wink.

“Come with me.” Heaven grabbed Julian’s hand. “I want to show you something.”

“If you need anything else, dearest, just call me!” Sybille said as they headed towards the door.

“I will.” Heaven smiled widely before she excitedly exited the room.

“Where are we going?” Julian asked as they walked up the stairs.

She smiled with that twinkle in her eye. “You’ll see.”