One Night Stand (New Yorker III) (9 page)

Rich
had bought an apartment for them in both their names. They had decided being
equal partners was what was best for them and their ‘relationship’. She was
moving in that weekend before they left for her parent’s home. She wanted to
talk about the marriage thing, to make sure that Rich understood, but she
didn’t want to ruin their already working friendship. She would just have to
wait until she saw the signs.

* * *
*

Catalella
leaned back in her office chair, glad that she’d decided to buy dresses. She
couldn’t stand how tight the skirts and trousers were around her waist. The
dresses were freer. She stood up and headed toward Dennis’ office. She hadn’t
told him that she knew about his friendship with Harold and Ethan senior—she
thought he would tell her himself but he hadn’t.

She
walked into the office and the old man watched her expectantly. “I need to tell
you something, Uncle Denny.”

“Uncle
Denny?
This
isn’t going to be good news, is it?” Dennis chuckled as he led Catalella to the
sofa.

“I’m
going to come right out and say it.” Catalella took in a deep breath. “I’m
pregnant and Ethan McCrery is the father.”

Dennis
watched her in silent surprise for a while before he hugged her. “I’m happy for
you. But do you know your father’s history with the McCrery’s?”

“Yes,
he and Harold told us when we went down there last weekend,” she said.

“So
your father knows?”

“Yes.”

“How
does he feel about it?”

“He’s
excited and Harold has accepted AJ and Katherine’s marriage.” Catalella went on
to tell him what happened that weekend and laughed with him, relieved that the
old man found humor in the bizarre twist of fate.

“That’s
good. Finally we can go back to the way things used to be. I only wish
Four
were here.”

Four
.
Catalella sighed. That meant
Rich was Five and if they had a son, he would be Six. She smiled at how
comforting the familiarity made her feel. But her comfort was snatched away
when Dennis’ secretary ran into the room, panicked, and Rich and Harold entered
behind her.

“Are
you all right?” Rich reached for her and looked her over before crushing her to
his chest.

“I’m
fine…what’s wrong with you?” Catalella pushed away from him, frustrated.

“Your secretary
called my office and said it was urgent. I tried to call you but you weren’t
picking up.” He cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her forehead. “I
was terrified. I have never felt so scared in my life.”

Catalella’
s heart broke a little. She had managed to infect him with her fear
. She forced a smile, hoping to
alleviate the tension in the room. She stepped back and twirled around for him.
“Look, you see I’m perfectly fine. I have no idea why Darcy would call you.”

“Because
I asked her to.”
Michael Mathews walked into the office and Catalella bit back a growl.

She
took a step away from Rich, trying to maintain a professional attitude. “Why
would you do that and why didn’t she tell me?”

“Please
join me in the conference room.” Catalella didn’t trust the grin Michael
Mathews had shot her way. The leech was up to something.

Catalella
sat away from Rich and she could see that it bothered him. But she needed to
keep a clear head if she was going to catch Michael Mathews’ scheme. “What is
this about, Mathews?” she demanded.

“Your
work has been slipping, Ross,” he shot back. “I found out that you haven’t sent
out the contracts for the McCrery acquisitions. They were meant to take over
that factory and now that’s been delayed.”

“What
do you mean?” Rich asked. He had turned into business mode, sitting upright in
his chair and his expression unreadable.

“That’s
not true,” Catalella responded. But before she could explain herself Michael
cut her off.

“Here
are the contracts. They haven’t been signed.” Michael pushed a copy of the
contract to Catalella as he handed Dennis, Harold and Rich theirs.

Catalella
opened the folder and could feel all the tension ease from her body.

“I’ve
never seen this before,” Rich said as he flipped through the contents of his
folder.

“Neither
have I,” both Harold and Dennis confirmed.

“Of
course you haven’t.” His triumphant grin beamed on his face. “Catalella, I know
that you’ve been seeing the doctor again. I know your sickness is back. That
may be the reason your work has slipped. But you have to sign over the McCrery
account to me. They deserve the best, don’t you think?”

Catalella
marveled at how easily the words slid off his tongue. He was trying to use her
past illness to prove that she was incompetent. Michael didn’t look the least
bit troubled by his attempt to publically rob her of her client.

“What
does he mean?” Catalella looked at Rich and saw the fear was back in his eyes.
Rich had believed Michael and now he thought she was sick.

“I’m
not sick. I promise,” she reassured him.

“There
is no need to be ashamed of your illness,” Michael put in.

“If you
looked at the name of the company being acquired, Mathews, you wouldn’t be so
pleased with yourself.” Catalella couldn’t help but goad. “The reason Mr.
McCrery, Mr. Henry or Mr. Kent have not seen these papers is because I have just
drawn them up. I thought it would be fair to notify the
Montgomerys
before I tell Mr. McCrery of my new plan to take over the competition.”

Catalella
turned to Rich and tried not to smile at the proud look he gave her. “I’m sorry
I didn’t let you know earlier. I had been working with the
Montgomerys
for a week before they agreed to a merger and not an acquisition. Of course, if
that doesn’t satisfy you we can try a different avenue.”

“A
week!” she heard Harold exclaim.

Catalella’s
eyes were fixed on Rich’s face as he beamed with pride. “I don’t mind a
merger.”

Chapter Eight

Rich
felt proud of his
little orchid
.
She had managed to put Michael Mathews
in his place and make him richer with one move. He now had a new company, but
the merger ensured that he didn’t have as much work as he would
having
acquired the company.

“But
the Montgomery account is mine,” Mathews barked.

“Not
anymore. They are now mine.” Catalella stood her ground.

Michael
looked like a rabid dog. Rich didn’t like how close he was getting to Catalella
but he vowed not to interfere. She needed to stand up to the man, not only for
his present crimes but his past ones too.

“You
can’t do that,” Michael whined.

“I can—my
name is on the door.” Catalella leaned back in her chair, seemingly unfazed by
the man’s anger. “Bankruptcy came to me and told me that the company wasn’t
making as much as they used to. The McCrery’s were putting them out of business,
but the
Montgomerys
had loyal customers that were
still keeping them afloat. I went to see the
Montgomerys
last week and they accepted my offer.”

“When
did you do this?” Rich hadn’t seen her for three days the past week. He
wondered if it was before or after their argument.

“On
Friday,” Catalella said, sensing his unasked question.

Rich
shook his head in awe of the woman before him, the mother of his child.

“I still
have clients in this firm. I’m going to take them and leave,” Mathews
threatened.

“You
might want to call your clients. I suspect that they have seen the same light
the
Montgomerys
have.”

Rich
watched as an evil grin curled on Catalella’s lips.

He had
always wondered how she could allow her ex-husband to come and work in her
firm, but now he saw it. She wanted to ruin him. She wanted to show him that
she could take everything away from him just as he had done to her. A sudden
chill ran up and down Rich’s spine…he knew that if he ever crossed her,
Catalella wouldn’t spare him either.

“When
they find out that you’re sick and going to die they won’t take you as their
lawyer,” Michael shot out. He smiled,
then
laughed out
a cold sound, sharp and icy as the tip of an ice pick.

Rich
decided he had watched enough and he had to interrupt. Catalella would give him
a hiding about butting into her fights but he couldn’t be a bystander in this
one. “My little orchid
is not dying.
She’s pregnant.”

Michael
let out another laugh that ended instantly when Rich showed him the ultrasound
picture of his baby that he kept in his jacket pocket close to his heart.

“You’re
lying. She’s barren. She can’t have children. I divorced her when I found out
she wasn’t a complete woman.” The hatred chilled the blood in Rich’s veins but
made him angry too.

But
Rich never lost his cool. “She’s pregnant. I should know because I put the baby
in there myself. On the first try, I might add.”

“She’s
lying to you to get your money. You better go confirm it,” Michael protested.
“Besides, she’s frigid.”

“I can
assure you that she’s not.” Rich chuckled when Catalella’s cheeks turned pink.
“I can’t believe you don’t remember me.”

Michael
studied him and after a few minutes Rich could see the pieces come in place in
his mind. “You’re the frat boy.”

“Frat
boy by night, billionaire by day.”
Rich stood up suddenly, exhausted by the back and forth. “I
suggest that you resign before I ruin you and your name.”

“Ruining
me would mean ruining Ross and Kent.”

“No—do
you think that the business world would believe that I trust Ross and Kent with
all my business if they weren’t good at what they do?” He was aiding Catalella
with his vengeance. “I’m going to ruin you, Michael Mathews. Don’t make me buy
this law firm to fire you.”

* * *
*

The two
men were standing toe to toe now. Catalella had been appalled by Rich’s
statement about him buying her law firm, but the sight of Rich and Michael
wanting to kill each other made her move her feelings aside.

“Gentlemen,
this is a place of business and not a boxing ring. I would appreciate it if you
kept your fists to yourselves,” Catalella snapped, trying to assert her
authority.

She
thought Michael would try and make a move for Rich, but she knew he was too
much of a coward to try. Defeated, Michael left the conference room, half the
man he was when he first entered it.

“That
was unpleasant.” Catalella sat back down and massaged her belly.

“Are
you all right?” Rich was at her side in a second, his hand covering hers
protectively over her belly.

“I’m
fine.” Catalella stroked his cheek and smiled. “I’m just hungry.”

“You
really did knock her up,” Dennis said, amused.

“He
really did,” Harold said, and the two began talking as if twenty-six years
hadn’t gone by without them saying a friendly word to each other.

“Dennis,
is it unreasonable for me to ask if my little orchid could have a team?” Rich
asked, silencing her when she attempted to talk. “I don’t like how tired she
looks.”

“Don’t
worry about it, Ethan. I’ll make sure she has that team.”

“I work
better alone. I’ll fire them all, you know I will, Dennis,” Catalella
protested.

“I’ll
give them new contracts that say I’m the only one who can fire them. You need
to relax, Lella. Remember, I was there when you were sick and if the doctor
says you should be careful, that’s what you’re going to be,” Dennis said before
he walked out with Harold.

“How
bad was it?” Rich asked.

Catalella
didn’t have to ask what. She could see the shadow of memories from her sickness
loom over her family. Dennis’ son had put off school for a while in a show of
solidarity to her. She knew no matter what she did she couldn’t rid them of
those memories. But she had Rich, and with him she had a chance for a clean
slate.

“It was
bad, but don’t ask me to bring that past into our present. I don’t want to
think about it or how I felt at the time.”

“Why?”

“You’ve
seen how my family treats me—as if I would break at any moment. You’ve seen all
the hate Michael has because of it. I want a fresh start with you and our baby.
I don’t want you to pity me. I want you to see me as I am now, whole.”

“I
would never pity you. You’re a strong woman—you’ve got me shaking in my boots,”
he teased. “Promise me you’ll not tear me apart like that if I ever cross you.
It won’t be a good thing for our child to see.”

“I
promise.” Catalella smiled at him. “I was thinking that if we have a boy we can
name him Ethan. That way his friends can call him Six.”

“I
would love that.”

* * * *

This wasn't how she imagined entering her new home with Rich
would be. She walked around the enormous penthouse apartment, an echo of
loneliness filling each corner of every room. She was alone and Rich…he was on
an international business trip. Sure, she didn’t expect him to carry her over
the threshold or for them to spend hours christening each and every single room
in the apartment. Their relationship wasn’t like that. The manila envelope she
pulled out of her purse reminded her of that. In there was a custody agreement,
just in case everything between her and Rich went south. But still, she didn’t
expect the only thing that would be present to welcome her arrival would be the
leather seats, the entertainment center, the delicate china already set on the
table and the expensive paintings and antiques. She wanted a human there.

Catalella left the envelope and her purse on the living room
coffee table as she hunted for her room. Rich had made sure that her other
apartment had been packed up and everything moved into her new home. She hadn't
been there when everything had been moved around. She hated having strangers
touch her things but Rich had taken control of the situation before she could
protest.

She went to the first room and the dark grey, black and
white colors told her it was a man’s room. She didn’t dare go into it. Instead,
she moved to the next one. This room was empty but still as large as Rich’s
room. She assumed it was the baby’s room. Her hand fell to the small bump on
her stomach as she prayed that her pregnancy would go smoothly. She could
already picture the room in blue, with stuffed animals, a crib, a changing
table and shelves with books and pictures.

She closed the door and moved to the last room down the
hall. Everything was light… white and the delicate shades of pinks and lilac.
Apart from that, the room didn’t have much decor, but the array of paintings
suited Catalella well enough. She walked through her room and into the gigantic
walk-in closet. All her stuff was there, arranged by color. Whoever had
arranged her closet had done a better job than Catalella could have done. She
turned into the bathroom and felt the first stirrings of excitement as she saw
the large bathtub waiting to greet her. It was large enough to fit two adults.
Catalella wondered if that was Rich’s intention.

But the week that they had spent together didn’t give any
indication that Rich wanted to revive their sexual relationship. He would spend
the day at her apartment but never spent the night. The only time they had
slept in the same bed was when they went to her parents’ home on the weekend.
Although they were trying to avoid any complications when it came to their
relationship, Catalella still felt the need to have a warm body next to hers
when she slept. With that thought she felt a little push in her belly. She
stood in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection.

“I know you’re in there,” she said in a sing-song voice. “I
don’t know what’s going to happen between your daddy and me, but I’m going to
try my best to give you a perfect family.” Catalella giggled when she felt the
push again…it was like the baby could hear her.

Exhausted, she lay in her huge comfy bed and let sleep take
her over.

* * *
*

Rich
hated not being home when Catalella got there. This was his family now and, as
unconventional as it was, he needed to be there for them. He got to the
apartment and tossed his briefcase in the hallway, toeing out of his shoes as
he crossed the soft carpet into the living room. There was no sign of Catalella
other than her purse, and he wondered if she was still asleep. He looked at his
watch and frowned—it was eight o’clock in the morning, Catalella was usually
already in the office.

He headed
straight to her room, an eerie feeling of panic beginning to take over. He held
onto the door knob and fought against his urge to walk in unannounced. Rich
told himself that he could be overreacting, that Catalella must have had a late
start and was probably getting ready. He knocked on the door but there was no
answer. Opening the door he walked in. “My little orchid.” No answer.
“Catalella!”

Rich
walked into her closet and headed for the bathroom. He didn’t need to get that
far because he spotted the soles of Catalella’s feet peeking through the door.
Faltering at first, and then rushing forward with desperate urgency, Rich went
to Catalella’s side. She leaned against the toilet bowl, her skin pale and
pasty, her eyes barely open as she moaned incoherent words.

“What
is it, Lilly?” He brushed her wild hair away from her face. “What’s wrong,
sweetheart?” Rich put his hands under her knees and on her back, but before he
could lift Catalella off the cold marble floor, she grabbed for the toilet bowl
and retched.

Rich
held her hair and knelt beside her as he rubbed her back. He thought that
morning sickness was a normal thing, but when Catalella began heaving out air,
he knew there was a problem. He picked her up, his heart breaking when she
whimpered. He had to feed her something. Even though she was going to end up
throwing it up, he knew he had to get some food into her system. He laid her on
the bed and pulled off her work dress. He rushed into his room and grabbed a T-shirt.
Once he had her dressed he went into the kitchen, praying to God that his
assistant had stocked it up just as he had asked.

The
first thing he saw was a bottle of yogurt. He poured it into a cup and grabbed
a spoon. He toyed with the idea of calling AJ—he knew how Catalella felt about
her family seeing her weak, but he promised himself to call a doctor if it got
worse. What Rich didn’t expect was that worse was waiting for him in the
bedroom. Catalella was slumped over the bed. She had made an effort to go into
the bathroom, but her strength had failed her.

Rich
settled her back on the bed, holding her against him, cradling her so that he
could feed her. Each time he held a spoonful of yogurt near her lips, Catalella
turned away. He didn’t want to use force but he had to think about her and his
baby. Holding onto Catalella's chin he coaxed her until she swallowed the
yogurt. But it hadn’t settled for a second before she started to heave again.