Three Stages of Love: Attraction (20 page)

But as I questioned her, Leila jumped out of her seat. “Oh, you must excuse me. I just saw the mayor go by, and I really must thank him for the basket he sent Tom and I for our anniversary.” And she pranced down the hall, as her tennis skirt flashed her ass cheeks with every step.

Cat looked uncomfortable.

And Missy looked at me!

“You really should get to know Chloe. You two have so much in common. Alexander might enjoy—”

But before she could finish—and I wish she had—Alexander walked up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders, causing me to jerk in my seat.

He chuckled, “I’m sorry, love. Did I startle you? Did I interrupt some serious girl time here?”

“No, we were just shooting the breeze,” Missy replied.

Alexander focused on me, knowing something was up. “Do you want to take a walk to see the grounds?”

All I wanted to do was get more info on what the fuck all these bitches were talking about. “I…I need to use the ladies’ room. Excuse me, Alexander. I’ll come find you once I’m done.” I trembled, disturbed by the opaque picture
the sisters
had just painted. I couldn’t translate the significance of Alexander’s PA and showing me the office. The decor Leila had done couldn’t have been
that
amazing that I needed a tour guide to escort me.

Spinning in my mental bewilderment, I kept walking and couldn’t find the ladies’ room. When I turned the corner, I found a lavatory for
Staff Only
and, needing to simply catch my breath, I walked toward the door to let myself in.

Only then, the door opened in front of me.

“Leila!” I muttered, stupefied as Leila rested her back on the closing door.

And then the door opened again.

“And
Steve
,” I stammered.

“Leila tripped outside the door, and I helped her rinse her knee off. She’s fine,” he quickly excused.

“Right…” I said with Leila in my sight, whose complexion had turned insipid. “Well, that was very nice of you, Steve; so gallant.” Steve smiled while Leila remained stationary. “You know, Leila, with Steve having been so chivalrous, you could have at least helped him zip his pants back up when you were
done
!” Tossing my hair toward their faces, I paced myself as I headed back to Alexander.

Holy fucking shit! Oh God. Poor Cat…poor Tom! Leila is fucking Steve! What the fuck is wrong with this bitch? I have to get the fuck out of here.

“Hey, love. You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Alexander noticed, sitting me onto his lap.

“Well, there have been rumors of million-dollar phantoms roaming this land at night,” said Leila. She had caught up to me and now stood by Tom, eying me to death.

Where the hell did Steve go?
I couldn’t help think.

“Alexander, I really should get back to the house. Samantha should be calling, and you know I can’t miss that call.” I urged him, hoping he would get the hint.

His eyebrows arched, knowing I was full of shit and not knowing how to respond. He leaned back and just focused into my eyes, trying desperately to understand. But before he could answer, Steve, Cat, and Missy appeared.

“Oh, come on. Don’t run back to the dungeon just yet. Alexander just got here. She can’t possibly have put your balls into a vise that soon!” Steve snarled.

It was obvious that he and Leila had me in their scopes, but I was no deer in headlights!

“The only time Alexander’s balls go in the vise is when he wants it and likes it. What do you say we have a truth or dare about how to spice things up sexually? I would stay for that!” I fired back.

Leila cackled but not at my suggestion. “Miss Eva has a kinky side. Alexander, do you
always
go for the whips-and-chains girls?”

“Leila, cut the shit out!” Tom yelled at her bitterly.

My head shot to Alexander, but he glared past me with fire-red eyes as he clenched his teeth and hardened his grin. “Tom, I’ll catch up with you tomorrow,” Alexander added, fuming with rage.

Tom nodded and Leila went to sit near him, acting unfazed.

Cat winked at me, and Steve launched daggers with his eyes.

But all I could do was walk steady and swiftly, but without a hint of unease, right out the front doors of the club and to the valet.

“Are you going to tell me—”

But I shushed Alexander, anxious to get into the safety and normalcy of our car.

“Please just get the car,” I insisted.

Alexander got the point and walked me hurriedly to the passenger side, helped me in, and practically jogged to the other side.

With the engine already running, he didn’t stall even for a millisecond and put the gear into drive.

“Explain to me why all this crazy and cryptic shit always happens to you? What the fuck was all that about?” he furiously queried.

“She
is
fucking Steve!” I shouted.

Alexander snapped his head to the side. “How the hell did you confirm that?”

“I didn’t have to. They walked out of the staff bathroom together, and Steve began fumbling with excuses. But her suddenly missing lipstick and Steve’s unzipped pants gave it away!” I exclaimed.

Alexander shook his head. “If this gets out, it is going to kill Tom. He’s given her everything, right down to the skin on his back, to give her the life she wanted to live. Not to mention his business.” Alexander huffed. “Please don’t get involved.”

Slighted, I snapped back, “What makes you think that I am that person who would break up a marriage? He’s stupid for not knowing already. It is none of my business, and the fact that you would even suggest that I would meddle is—”

Alexander stopped the car short, which pushed me forward into my seatbelt.

“I never said you were the meddling type. I just meant that you could very easily be sucked in by these bloodhounds.”

I sat quiet the rest of the way.

Alexander did the same.

Only my thoughts ran rampant. Between Cat and the look into my future, Missy’s snarky attitude, and Leila’s unimaginable indiscretion, I was on information overload!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Evangeline, wake up,” Alexander whispered only inches from my lips; I could feel his breath.

“Hmm…” I questioned with a hum.

“I have to go into the office for a few hours. I didn’t want you to wake to find me gone. Go back to sleep.” A kiss landed on my sleeping lips, and then the room fell silent.

I rose to the daylight only a short while later, recalling that Alexander had awoken me before he left to go to the office.

I sauntered down the stairs into the foyer and slowly reached the kitchen.

“Good morning, Miss Eva.” I found Ms. Gina preparing coffee.

“Morning, Ms. Gina,” I replied with no energy but quite glad that coffee was brewing.

“May I make you some breakfast? Is there anything that you would prefer?” she offered.

I would prefer to erase the last twenty-four hours and reawaken with a smile on my face and Alexander by my side,
I rambled in my mind.

“No, thank you. I am not feeling up to eating this morning.”

Ms. Gina nodded and left me with my thoughts.

And my thoughts turned on the subwoofers pounding through my temples. I held my head tightly with both hands, waiting for the comfort of my coffee. Yesterday’s outing had turned into a season finale of
Desperate Housewives
—cliffhanger and all. And, Alexander and I had finished the late afternoon into the evening in a tight silence. Sleeping next to a man that you’ve desired to your depths is not easy when you aren’t speaking to each other. We weren’t fighting or angry with each other, but the episodes that had transpired through the day were reason enough for silence.

I filled a large mug with coffee and added a mountain of sugar and cream, begging to feel light and sweet myself.

My first and loudest thought was of Cat and Tom. I felt overwhelming sadness. These were two amazing people who both in their own ways had sacrificed all of themselves for love, only to be injured by that same love they once took comfort in.
How can they do that? How can Leila sit on her high horse, carrying the skeletons she does? I wish I hadn’t seen all that I did. Ugh! I would feel so much better!

I’ve always hated knowing bad news about other people, especially when they themselves don’t know they are fated for hurt.

The doorbell chimed.

Ms. Gina entered the kitchen again moments after. “Mrs. Nest is here to see you, miss.”

Unfucking believable! I can’t get away from this bitch!

“What a surprise, Leila. What brings you here?” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Oh, Eva, I truly wanted to take the time to apologize for yesterday,” she said somberly.

Astounded by her gall, I responded, “You are apologizing to the wrong person. Who you fuck affects me not!”

“It’s not like that, Eva. Steve and I accidentally fell in love. You said it yourself that when you met Alexander, he blew you out of your comfort zone, and you didn’t know what was happening. That is precisely what has happened with me and Steve. Facing you yesterday was the hardest thing I had to do, and after you left, I got Steve alone and told him it was over. I love Tom, and I pray that he doesn’t find out.” But as hard as she tried, her eyes were dry and her heart—blatantly frozen.

Having never been able to deal with
liars—
and
bad
liars, at that
—
she sickened me with every phony attempt she made to keep her secret quiet.

“Let’s get right to it, Leila. The only reason you are here is because you want me to think that it was a mistake so I won’t break up your pretend happy home.” Leila’s expression quickly turned from pouty to pissed-off. “I give you credit for coming here, but perhaps you should have practiced your speech just one more time or at least tried to use some fake tears or Visine before you walked in.” I turned my back and headed for another cup of coffee. Battles should never be entered without the right amount of caffeine in your blood!

“Listen here, you little smart-ass bitch. You have no idea who you are fucking with,” she yelled quietly and strenuously.

I scoffed at her. “I’ve actually used that line. Truth is, you are right. I don’t know who I am fucking with, but I do know who
you are fucking!
And that is the reason why you have graced me with your presence.”

“You think you’ve got it all figured out. You’ve come in here with Prince Charming on your arm in the lap of luxury, and you think you have some right to now flip this town upside down.” She huffed, walking toward me. “I suggest you watch yourself before I pull back the curtains from this Wizard of Oz show you’ve got going on and introduce you to the real world you’re living in.”

Fearless and with my New York spine attached, I stepped into her. “And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Haven’t you asked yourself, Eva, why it is that Alexander keeps you and work so far separated? I think that before you put yourself into a position that you neither have the stature nor the backbone to be in, that you’d better check yourself first.” She turned to leave.

“First, let me just say: no one says,
You’d better check yourself
—at least not since the nineties. And secondly, you don’t want to see my
backbone
. Keep in my mind that though in a few weeks’ time I’ve gotten to know all about
you
, you know
nothing
about
me
! You can let yourself out, just like the dogs do!” I stood leaning against the counter, sipping my coffee nonchalantly, waiting for her to leave.

Her lips shaped into a devilish curl, and she rolled her eyes before turning her head and her body and went out my door.

What a drama queen!

Remaining where I was, I found a little humor in the mini battle that I had just won. But my feeling of victory was short-lived.

Why does she think Alexander keeps me away from his office? She keeps asking if I’ve been to his office. I don’t—

But my goddamn memory reeled me in for a harsh realization.

A slew of all of Leila’s ranting spoke harshly in a trailer of fucked-upness:

I’ll make a call to my friend, and she’ll show you around.

Chloe would be delighted to meet Alexander’s love—I’m sure.

I would have assumed that Alexander told you about her.

She is Alexander’s personal assistant.

They have known each other forever.

But then there was one memory that came to me that made me want to turtle inside myself; a conversation that happened back in New York the morning after Alexander and I were reunited.

Pat sent Marcus and I and a few others to Amsterdam.

One of our colleagues—well, we were actually dating.

She was bruised from head to toe and scratched everywhere.

I also didn’t do enough to protect her.

I found Chloe on my doorstep.

So that she could return to the US with us.

“No fucking way!
Chloe!
” I shouted as the realization stung from my throat to my stomach.

Small footsteps made their way into the kitchen. “Miss, are you all right?”

Ms. Gina stood frightened as I reassured her. “I’m so sorry. Yes, I am fine. I just…remembered something.”

“All right. Please let me know if you need anything,” she said, walking back to her tasks.

I stormed up the stairs and practically broke the bedroom’s double doors as I thrust them shut.
It can’t be
, I screamed at myself.
It has to be a coincidence. It can’t be the same Chloe. Leila was just trying to get under my skin. No, it can’t be. Alexander wouldn’t lie to me
. I paced the floor trying to find the answers in every step, until I stopped dead center of the room.
I have to know. I have to see for myself.

I pulled my hair into a bun and jogged to the shower to wash up. I was going to solve my own mystery before I truly walked into the future that Cat was living.

Rushing to be sure I caught Alexander at the office prior to him returning home, I raced to select the most flattering and form-fitting dress I owned—finished with my crystal Manolos.