Chloe
I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE I saw Benny. Who would have thought my best friend’s husband’s best friend is my first love. Oh man, God. You really do have impeccable timing. He is the last person I would have expected to have a connection with Alex.
I couldn’t believe I was acting like a giddy school girl. The nerve of him, getting better looking with time. Oh man…this could be dangerous. When I dropped him off at his hotel and he invited me for coffee, I was about to say yes. Then I heard a baby cry and my breasts filled up and I made a beeline home. Instead of spending the evening catching up with an old boyfriend, I was hooked up to the other man in my life, Stuart, my breast pump.
That’s okay, because I needed to keep a clear head. I couldn’t make any more impulsive decisions. My needs had to take a back seat to Parker’s and, if it wasn’t good for him, then it wasn’t good for me. I wondered if Collier was still a good kisser? Stop it, Chloe. Those beautiful brown eyes and that smile got me into a lot of trouble when I was younger.
The ring tone on the phone indicated an unknown caller. I didn’t recognize the number and hesitated to answer. Against my better judgment, I picked it up.
“Hello…hello.” Silence. I started to hang up when I heard the voice clear it’s throat.
“CJ.” I knew that voice. It had been a while since I’d heard it over the phone and only an hour since I had heard it in person. How did he get my…Alex.
“Hi.” I was glad he couldn’t see me blushing through the phone.
“It was good seeing you again. I hope you don’t mind, I asked Alex to give me your number.”
“No, that’s fine.”
“Thank you for dropping me off.”
Still the same cool Benny. “You’re welcome.”
“I uhm…man this is difficult.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“I was hoping to spend a little more time with you tonight, but…”
“I understand. I would prefer catching up without everyone--”
“Prying.”
“Exactly.”
“Who’s Parker? I heard several people ask you about him.”
“My son.”
“Oh, you’re married.”
“Divorced.”
“Do you want to have dinner tomorrow and catch up?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“CJ, can’t two old friends share a meal together?”
“But we’re not just friends, are we?”
“Would it make you feel better if I asked Moses and Alex to join us?”
“No. It’s bad enough she’s probably sitting at home making a list of questions for me.”
“Good, I love my friend and his wife, but…”
“Benny, I don’t know if our having dinner is a good thing.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, maybe because you’ve seen me naked.”
“It’s just dinner.”
“Collier…I just got out of a bad marriage and a relationship I thought was going somewhere, and…”
“Tell you what, I’m in town for the next few days, if you change your mind, call me and I’ll make myself available.”
“It was good seeing you again.”
“CJ, I really want to see you again before I leave.”
“Good night.” I hung up. What was I doing? This was a great guy or at least he used to be and probably still was. It was dinner with a friend. A friend I…oh great, now I’ll be up all night thinking about him.
Dear God, what am I doing? The last time I saw Collier, I was a girl full of romantic fantasies. Now I’m a divorced mother with responsibilities But I haven’t felt like this for anyone since Collier. I’m trusting You that this is the right thing. Amen.
I sent Collier a text, “I must be out of my mind. Parker and I would like you to join us for lunch tomorrow. CJ”. The ball was in his court.
The knock on the door meant it was too late to back out. I walked up to the door looked out the side, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
“Hello.” The big smile on my face wasn’t helping right now.
“Hello, my name is Collier Benjamin, and Parker Jacobs invited me to join him and his mother for lunch.” His smile was bigger than mine. This was bad. If we were in Vegas, we’d be headed to the nearest wedding chapel.
“Come in.” He walked in and followed me out to the patio. “Have a seat.”
“This is exactly how I pictured your home.”
“Really.”
“You are more laid back than you let on.”
“Maybe that’s why I haven’t been able to move.”
“You’re kidding…this place is great.”
“My ex and I had a huge place with all the amenities. When I came back…”
“Back?”
“I was living in Brazil for a few months, but that’s a long story for another time.” I pointed to the sofa and he sat down and I sat in the chair. “When I came back, I didn’t want to stay in the main house so I camped out here. My dad made a few adjustments, and now I can’t imagine Parker and I living anywhere else.”
“Speaking of my host, where is he? I brought him a little something.” He handed me a gift bag. I looked inside and saw an assortment of small stuffed animals and a t-shirt that said, My Mom is Hot. “I didn’t know what to get, and it’s customary to bring your host a gift.”
“Thank you, but he’s sleeping. I’ll be sure to give him this. Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
“Come on. Let’s sit over here.” During lunch we talked about our two best friends. “How do you know Moses?”
“We were college roommates. How do you know Alex?”
“We were college roommates as well.” I nodded. “So he knows--”
“Only what I told him. And Alex?”
“Same. What have you been up to?”
“After college, I went to law school and did a little time in corporate America. Then my friend wrote a book and I helped him with his contract. And then he asked me to handle a few other things, which turned into a lot of things. Working for him allowed me to open my own practice.”
“Wife?”
“Never met anyone I wanted to settle down with. And no, I don’t have any children. And you?”
“After college, I goofed off for a while. Came home, went to work for my mom, got engaged, he cheated, we broke up and on a whim, I married Parker’s father. It lasted six and a half years before he cheated.”
“You’ve done well CJ. I’m sorry. Do you mind my calling you that?”
“It’s okay, Benny.”
“You are the only one that calls me that.” He smiled.
“Did you tell Moses you were coming over?”
“No. Did you tell Alex?”
“Are you kidding? She’s called me three times this morning. I can’t keep avoiding her. Otherwise, she’ll make a pop visit and interrogate me.” I looked at him, trying to figure out how to ask my next question. “So what are we doing?”
“I’m trying to catch up with an old friend.”
“And then?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look. I’ve made quite a few mistakes, and I can’t afford to make any more. I’m going to lay all my cards out on the table. I want to get married again, but I have to put Parker’s needs first.”
“Okay…I was just hoping to get reacquainted.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just…I can’t afford…”
“Okay.”
“I will say this. Before this thing with Moses and Alex, I wasn’t really sure marriage was something I wanted to do. But I’ve seen how it’s enhanced his life, and I want a little bit of what he has. I’m not saying I want to get married today, but I’m willing to see if there’s something here worth pursuing.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m going to hang around for another week. Maybe we can pick up where we left off, or start over.”
“So how do you feel about children?”
“I’d like to be a father.”
“If this works how are we...you live in New York.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just…”
“I’m not going to lie. Those old feelings are still there, and I’m open to see where this could go. I’m going to church with Moses and Alex Sunday. How about I pick you and Parker up afterwards and we go to the park.”
“We all go to the same church.”
“Okay, then, I’ll pick you up for church, and then we’ll go to the park?”
“I don’t want to have to explain anything to my friends. I’ll meet you at church and afterwards, you come over for lunch? I have a huge backyard.”
“It’s a date.” He looked at his watch.
“Do you have to leave?”
“I have a meeting. I’ll call you later?”
“Okay.”
“Thank you for lunch.”
“I’ll walk you out.” He reached for my hand, and it felt comfortable.
We stopped at the door and he turned to face me. “Tell Parker, I hate he was asleep, but I hope to meet him on Sunday.”
“I will.” Did I just blush? Oh my God, I was turning into Dionne. He gently pressed his lips against mine and my stomach started dancing. I remembered those soft lips.
He smiled. “I’ll call you later, bye.”
“Bye.” He got in his car and drove off. I closed the door and was shocked back into reality when Parker started to cry. “Mommy’s coming.”
Alex
“HEY THERE, BEAUTIFUL.”
“Hey there, yourself. How is my handsome and brilliant husband doing? Are you the star of the conference?”
“I’m doing good and the conference is going well. Uhm, I need a favor, more like a request,” Moses said.
“What do you need?”
“Spencer called me this morning. He’s on his way to Alaska for some meetings and wants to have dinner with us.”
“When?”
“Six.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes. If it’s a problem, I’ll tell him you couldn’t…”
I looked at my watch. It was four o’clock. There was no way I could get home, change, and make it across town by six. “Of course, I’ll be there.”
“Are you sure? Because I know it’s the last minute…”
“No, Honey. I’ll be there.”
“Thank you, Babe. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
“Love you.” I pressed the button ending the call. “CRAP!” I went into full panic mode. This was like meeting his boss.
I sent my mother and Bas an emergency text to come up to my office. I went into my closet and started rifling through the clothes, hoping something would jump out at me. I heard the door open and close, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” My mother was clutching her chest. “What happened?”
“Alex, is everything okay?” Bas asked.
“Moses--”
“Where is he? What happened? Bas you get the car and I’ll--”
“He’s fine.”
“Is it Grams?” Bas asked.
“No. Everyone is fine.”
“Let me catch my breath.” Mama said as she sat down. “Okay, Baby what’s the problem?”
“Moses called and his publisher wants to have dinner with us.”
“That’s the emergency?” Bas asked.
“Yes.”
“Miss Connie, you deal with her.” He started walking towards the door.
“Bas, let her talk. What’s the problem?”
“This is the first time I’m meeting him.”
“Oh.” Bas turned around and started back towards my desk.
“When?” Mama asked.
“Two hours, and I don’t have time to go home and change, and there’s nothing in my emergency closet.”
“You own a clothing store,” Bas reminded me.
“I know that, but…”
“Bas, go downstairs and pull some things for her, and I’ll work on calming her down.” Mama was issuing orders like a drill sergeant.
“You got it.” He hurried out of my office.
“Baby Girl, listen to me. Take a deep breath. You can do this.”
“I can do all things Mama, but…”
“If Moses didn’t know he could count on you, he wouldn’t have agreed to this, right?”
“Yes.” Breathing hard.
Mama walked over, poured me a glass of water and handed it to me. I took a long sip. “Now, what did he say?”
“His publisher called and he’s on his way to Alaska and wants to have dinner with us.”
“This is a piece of cake. You can handle this.” She sat down next to me and covered my hand with hers. “What do you know about him?”
“He’s a widower. He took a chance on Moses and is very proud of him.”
“Why haven’t you met him sooner?”
“He travels a lot and was out of town when we got married. They’re very close.” Bas came back with a rack full of black dresses.
“Okay, Alex, I think you should wear a dress.”
“I agree.” I sipped some more water.
“You know I love seeing a woman in color. However, for tonight, I think you need to do black, but with a twist,” Bas confessed. He held up a simple black sheath with the back out. “This is great. It’s fitted with a high neck.” He pulled another dress off the rack. “I see that went over well. What about this Oscar?”
“Let me see that one.” I took the dress from him. “Do I have this one?”
“You bought it in red,” Bas answered.
I went into my dressing room and changed. When I came out, I looked in the mirror. “What do you guys think?” I asked.
They both walked around me, examining me from head to toe. “Perfect,” Bas answered.
I brushed the front of the dress and turned slightly, “Really?”
“Baby Girl, you look amazing,” Mama replied.
“Alex, you look hot. Moses will be very proud. All you need are studs, a bracelet and…”
“Black Manolo BBs.”
“I agree,” Bas seconded.
“I have a pair in my dressing room.” He went into my dressing room and came back with the shoes. “I brought these too.” He handed me a pair of gold hoops and a couple of gold cuffs.
“Perfect.”
“Baby Girl, you look beautiful. Moses will be very pleased.”
I hugged both of them. “Thank you.” I looked at my watch. “I’m going to take this off. Is Keisha still here?”
“Yes, I’ll get her,” Bas replied.
“Thank you. Because I don’t think I can do my makeup. Oh, please grab me a throw and a bag. Thank you, Bas.”
I pulled up to valet parking, walked into the lobby and started towards the concierge when I saw Collier walking towards me.
“Hi, Alex.”
I kissed him on the cheek. “Hi.”
“Moses asked me to come find you.”
“Am I late?”
“No. You look great.”
“Where’s Moses?”
“Spencer got here early and they’re in the lounge. You look stressed. Are you okay?”
“I’m nervous.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never met Spencer.”
He smiled. “Relax, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me. He’s a nice man.” We walked into the lounge, and to my right I saw Moses sitting with a dark skinned, fluffy, bald man wearing wire rimmed glasses and a fun smile. Moses looked up and walked over to relieve Collier.
He kissed me and whispered. “You look incredible.”
“Thank you.” I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Let me introduce you to Spencer.” He slipped his hand around my waist and we walked over and joined Spencer and Collier.
“Spencer Julian,” he stood up and that’s when I realized he was short. “This is my wife, Alexandra Adair.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Spencer. I’ve heard so much about you.” We shook hands.
“You, my dear, are as beautiful as Moses said.”
“Thank You.” We all sat down and I got in my spot next to Moses.
“Sweetheart, do you want something to drink?” Moses asked.
“No, I’m fine.” I sat up straight and tried not to slouch. I didn’t want to give Spencer a peep show in case the front of my dress popped open.
“Alexandra, I apologize for missing the wedding and for it taking me so long to finally meet you.”
“I understand.”
“Moses tells me you’re in retail.”
“Yes, I own three boutiques.”
“How exciting.”
“It can be. I understand you’re headed to Alaska, business or pleasure?”
“A little of both. Have you been to Alaska?”
“No. But I hear the fishing is great.”
“Do you fish?” he asked.
“Moses took me fishing on our honeymoon.” I looked at Moses and winked.
“Moses, you took this beautiful woman fishing for your honeymoon?”
“Yes and no. We were in the Seychelles and she agreed to try fishing, if I tried yoga.”
Spencer and Collier laughed. “Alex, please tell me you have pictures of my boy in his downward dog pose. Keith and I need a little blackmail,” Collier teased.
I smiled at Moses. “Sorry, I can’t help you.”
“So, how did you like fishing Alexandra?” Spencer asked.
“It was fun.” I also liked the hot bubble bath and toenail polishing session we had that night, but I couldn’t tell him that.
“What other dreadful things has he made you try?” Spencer asked.
“He’s teaching me golf.”
“And how do you feel about golf?”
“It’s long.”
He laughed.“I take it sports aren’t your thing?”
“Not really. But I’m trying to be open. For every one of his things I try, he has to try one of mine.”
“Really? And what else have you made him try? he asked.
“Pilates, yoga, and Zumba.”
“Alexandra, don’t hurt him.” Spencer laughed.
“I’ll try not to,” I smiled.
“Moses, she’s delightful.”
“Thank you.” I felt his chest inflate against my back.
We continued talking and Spencer told me about his wife, Valentina. They were married over thirty-three years. She had a stroke and died suddenly. He took it very hard. He said Moses moved in, nursed him back to reality, and Spencer had stepped in as a surrogate grandfather.
Spencer looked at his watch. “Alexandra, it’s been a pleasure. Unfortunately, I have to leave.”
“So soon?”
“My meetings in Anchorage were pushed up, but I didn’t want to leave without meeting you.” We stood up. He shook Moses and Collier’s hands and kissed me on the cheek.
“Have a safe trip and catch a lot of fish,” I replied.
“When you come home to New York, we’ll have dinner.”
“Only if you bring the fish.” I smiled.
“Deal.” He laughed.
“Spencer, your car is out front.” Collier walked him out while Moses and I stayed behind.
Moses hugged me before we sat down.“Thank you for coming at the last minute.”
“We’re a team. He’s nice. I can’t believe I was nervous.”
“You, nervous?” He smiled and rubbed my back.
“Yes. Couldn’t you tell?”
“No.”
“What time is the reading?”
He looked at his watch. “I have some time. Do you want something to drink?”
“No.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Baby, I’m fine.” I rubbed his thigh and kissed him.
“After I finish, do you want to get a late dinner or go home?”
“Tonight, I’m here as a showpiece for my husband.”
“Really?” He smiled.
“Yes. However, it would be a shame to waste all this fabulousness on sandwiches or leftovers in our kitchen.” I smiled.
“Let’s talk about this dress.” His eyes were getting dark, and that wicked smile appeared. His hand slipped lower down my back.
“What?” I sat up straighter and bit my bottom lip.
He leaned in close to my ear. “You look incredible.”
“Thank you.” I kissed him.
He inched closer. “It’s going to be difficult focusing on my reading tonight while looking at you in that dress.” My face felt warm.
“I’m wearing those stockings you like.” I crossed my leg and eased up my skirt, giving him a peak of the lace top of my stockings.
“You don’t play fair.”
“Who, me?” I patted my chest and smiled.
“Yes, you.” He inched closer. “We might need to stay over tonight.” His hot, sweet breath floated in my ear and landed in my core. The thought of his proposal was very tempting.
I swallowed hard. “Are you suggesting a sleepover?”
He kissed my neck under my ear and I gasped. “What I’m suggesting doesn’t include sleep.”
“My, my, my, Mr. Adair.”