Cross That Bridge When You Come To It
JULES
THE HALLWAY WAS LONGER THAN a football field, and my sandals clacked down every foot of it.
I swear the sound was so loud I would have woken the house if anyone was upstairs, and if it weren’t six in the evening.
As I proceeded down the back staircase, I could feel my muscles twitch and my heart pound.
Calm down.
Jake had to leave for work and left me to shower upstairs. And let’s just say seeing Dr. Kiss in scrubs and a lab coat was hot. Like really, really hot. I had to practically fan myself.
At least after he kissed me senseless, he told me how to get downstairs without using the formal staircase. Thank goodness. The thought of his grandmother seeing me coming down the stairs, and then me having to explain to her that I was up there because I was banging her grandson’s brains out had me wanting to flee out the front door.
When I passed Roger in the kitchen, he was standing at the counter with seven sterling silver bowls in front of him.
He glanced up.
I hoped he hadn’t heard Jake and me upstairs.
We had both been quite loud.
I smiled at Roger, who was more than just a butler, and gave him a small wave. In response, he gave me a discreet nod. “Good evening, madame.”
My cheeks flushed. “Please, call me . . .” I hesitated. “Juliette.”
“Very well, Miss Juliette.”
I smiled some more. “It’s just Juliette.”
Filling the last of the bowls, he bowed. “As you wish, Juliette.”
I curtsied. Yes, curtsied. “Thank you, Roger.”
And believe it or not, that made the corners of his mouth quirk up, just a little, but still.
Yah!
Okay, it was on to meet the woman of the house.
Adjusting my posture as I walked, I thought I was all calm, cool, and collected. However, by the time I reached the parlor, a tiny bead of sweat had formed at the base of my neck, and my heart was pounding even faster. That’s when I knew there was a very good chance I might end up in full-on panic mode.
Wishing my anxiety away, I drew in a deep breath as I stared at the wooden panels.
One breath.
Two.
Three and four.
Exhaling the air I’d taken in, I shook off any residual anxiety and raised my fist. Mrs. Beatrice Beau Crawford Alexander had summoned me to the parlor to discuss her granddaughter’s wedding. This was nothing out of the ordinary.
I’d met with clients at their homes all the time.
It should have been business as usual.
Still, it felt like anything but normal.
From what I’d already known and the research I’d recently done, Beatrice Beau Crawford Alexander didn’t like to speak to outsiders. Known for being ruthless, she’d fired more people than she’d hired, however that could be.
According to the old newspaper clippings, she was a homebody who’d never really let the world know who she was.
Unless you took the time to look at the charities she’d funded, the clubs she belonged to, and the places she’d gone. She’d funded a number of local charities, especially those for underprivileged kids and traveled to third-world countries up until five years ago when she was first diagnosed with cancer.
Ironically, the media outlets she didn’t own called her a bitch. Perhaps it was the competition that was the bitch. Fingers crossed that was the case.
I knocked lightly and waited. No one answered. I knocked again. This time a little louder.
God, my heart was pounding.
What if I looked at her the wrong way?
What if she hated me?
Fired me on the spot and ordered me out?
Oh, God.
Just as I was about to knock one more time, the front door swung open and a wave of heat blasted through the foyer followed by a trotting noise. I glanced over my shoulder expecting to see Roger with the dogs. However, it was not Roger.
It was her!
A cold sweat coated my forehead, and as I turned, I discretely wiped it away. Southern women never sweat, they glistened, and I couldn’t have her seeing me as the Yankee I was.
This was Beatrice Beau Crawford Alexander.
The Beatrice Beau Crawford Alexander.
The media mogul.
And Jake’s grandmother.
His beloved grandmother.
A famously private millionaire who fought to run her family business in a time when females didn’t often take the helm of large enterprises, and then went on to become the most successful female CEO in Atlanta.
Mrs. Alexander was a woman to admire.
The older woman was in a wheel chair and being pushed inside by a man in black scrubs. Five dogs flanked either side of her, with Mr. Darcy in front and Daisy on her lap.
She was small, petite, and had big blue eyes. It was evident her genes were strong because Rory looked just like her. Her red headscarf was silk, and she was wearing a cream kimono with red cherry blossoms printed on it. Her slippers gold and the pearls around her neck were beautiful. When she smiled brightly at me, she said, “Juliette, I’m so glad we could finally meet.”
There was a real possibility my knees were actually knocking together, and it took me more than a second to find my voice. “Mrs. Alexander, it’s a pleasure.”
The man I assumed to be Matthew had stopped to unleash the dogs, and as I rushed over toward her so that I could greet her with a handshake, I was literally stopped in my tracks.
Mr. Darcy insisted on his greeting first and got right up on me. Losing my balance, I was knocked backward and landed on the third step of the grand staircase.
“Mr. Darcy!” Mrs. Alexander scolded. “Leave Juliette alone.”
“I got him,” Matthew called, rushing toward me.
“Mr. Darcy,” I cooed, letting my bag fall to the ground in a clamor to free my hands. “I think you want my attention.”
“Yes, well, he is an attention whore,” Mrs. Alexander said as she laughed.
Giggling, I waved Matthew away, who was on Mr. Darcy’s heels to retrieve him. “It’s okay,” I said.
“Matthew, please help her out. Mr. Darcy has to learn some manners,” said Mrs. Alexander.
Now seated, I was at the same height as Mr. Darcy, and I allowed him to say hello to me with a lick before I took his face in my hands. “Well, hello there, I’m happy to see you, too.”
As Matthew pulled the giant dog off me, Daisy barked, and the other dogs joined in. It was rather chaotic, but I could see how much Mrs. Alexander loved her dogs as she attempted to appease each of them.
Roger must have heard the commotion because he was on it. Standing in the dining room doorway with a bowl in his hand, he clanked a spoon against the silver and called, “Dinner time, my loves.”
In an instant, all the dogs went charging toward him. I couldn’t believe it. I also couldn’t believe the manner in which the proper English man addressed them. My heart swelled a little. It showed how much he cared for them.
Turning my head, I found Matthew wheeling Mrs. Alexander toward me. “Are you alright my dear?”
“Yes.” I grinned, getting to my feet and fixing my dress. “I’m fine.”
Her eyes twinkled. “My babies have taken to you just as my grandson has, and I can see why. You’re simply a delight.”
With no time to process her comment, I extended my hand. “Mrs. Alexander,” I said, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Wait, I already said that!
“Nonsense,” she opened her arms and reached for me. “Call me Mimi, and I insist on a hug.”
As I embraced her, I couldn’t believe how frail she was. “Mrs. Alexander—Mimi,” I corrected, and then pulled back.
She looked up at Matthew. “This is Juliette. Isn’t she beautiful?”
With a flush, he extended his hand and I took it. “Nice to meet you.”
I smiled at him. “Nice to meet you, too.”
Neither of us said anything about the AX and the fact that Jake had to borrow his truck last week and then never got home in time to return it because he was in bed with me. I’m pretty sure Matthew didn’t care though since he got to take the Jag in exchange.
Taking hold of my hand, Mimi gestured toward the dining room. “Come, my dear. Eat dinner with me, and we’ll talk all about the wedding and Jake.”
Dinner wasn’t the plan, but how could I say no?
Besides, I had told Jake I’d spend the night, and now all I had to do was go home and pack a bag. I didn’t have to worry about cooking, which I really hated doing.
Speaking of eating, back in the same dining room I had taken breakfast in almost two weeks ago, things felt so much different.
Lighter.
All that panic I’d felt then for not, and all the panic I’d felt just minutes ago was for nothing as well.
I had to learn to calm down.
This woman, who had been dubbed an eccentric recluse in everything I’d read, was nothing like she’d been described. Maybe like Jake, she was all bark and no bite. Or perhaps there was never even a bark. Just rumors she never bothered to set straight.
And that takes a strong woman.
I hoped I was maybe just a little like her.
The chair at the head of the table had been removed so Mimi’s wheelchair could fit in its place, and I sat to the right of her. Matthew left us alone.
The table was set exquisitely, and it was apparent she was expecting me for dinner, something Jake had obviously decided not to mention. This oddly made me smile. He knew me already. Knew I would be even more nervous at the prospect of dining with his grandmother, not just meeting with her.
Still, he was going to get an earful from me.
Mimi lifted the bottle of wine from the table, and my eyes darted to it. The bottle of Cupcake Wine was Pinot Grigio.
Did Jake buy stock in the company or what?
Bottles were popping up everywhere.
“So.” Mimi poured wine into the gorgeous crystal glass in front of me. “Tell me about yourself.”
A delicate pattern of roses lined the rim, and I found myself staring at it.
“It was my grandmother’s. She had two of them sent all the way from France. They were handmade for her.”
I looked up. “They are exquisite,” I told her holding the glass up to the light.
She smiled at me. “Jake told me you were curious about everything around you. Curiosity is a very good trait to have.”
Oh, if only she knew, she wouldn’t say that. I snorted. “What else did he tell you? Some good things, I hope.”
She shook her head, eyes bright with affection. “All good, my dear. He really adores you.”
Practically choking on my wine, I coughed a bit and then managed to say, “Adores might be pushing it a bit far.”
“Well, you did throw cake in his face,” she smirked.
I was horrified. “He told you about that?”
The glass in front of her was filled with water, and she took a sip from it. “He tells me everything. Although he never used the word adore, I can tell he is falling for you, and it’s not just because the sex is great.”
This time I did spit my wine out all over the place setting in front of me. “He told you we have great sex?”
She chuckled. “No, there are some things Jake refuses to discuss with me. Even though he’s my grandson, he’s still a man though, and I can see it written all over him.”
I covered my face with my hands, knowing my blush must have gone from pink to crimson red in that instant.
“It’s okay, Juliette, you don’t have to be embarrassed. Good sex can sometimes lead to even better things, but great sex can lead to that once in a lifetime love that not everyone gets to experience.”
Using my napkin to wipe the wine away, I reflected upon what she said, and how she’d said it. “My parents had that,” I commented. “Was your husband a once in a lifetime love?”
I knew very little about the man she’d married. There wasn’t much printed about him other than he had been a famous Italian racecar driver and that they had divorced.
She waved her hand through the air. “That bastard. Oh no. Lorenzo was a good for nothing husband who couldn’t keep it in his pants. The day he left me was one of the happiest days of my life. But before him, I had fallen for someone that my father absolutely forbid me to marry and then he arranged for me to marry Lorenzo to be certain I didn’t disobey his wishes.”
Shocked, perhaps even intrigued, I leaned forward. “Who was the man you loved?” Just then Roger came through the door with a plate in each hand and set them down in front of us.
The grin on my face was so wide, I thought my mouth might split open. Spaghetti and meatballs. “This looks delicious, Roger,” Mimi said, giving Roger a grateful look.
“Yes, it does,” I agreed.
“I’m glad you’re both pleased,” he said with a bow, and then left the room again.
I stared down at the food.
Jake.
She wasn’t kidding. He really did tell her everything. I flushed at the thought as I put my napkin on my lap.
“Eat,” Mimi insisted.
I twirled some pasta around my fork and tried to eat it as gracefully as I could. While I chewed, I watched as Mimi moved her food around.
“I hope you like it? Roger was worried the meatball recipe might not be right,” she said.
Grinning, I looked over at her. “They are delicious, this is my favorite dish.”
She dabbed the corner of her napkin to her lips. “I know, my dear. I know.”
“You seem to know a lot,” I joked.
“That’s because I make it my business to know,” she winked. “Now, tell me about Rory’s wedding. I have a few requests of my own.”
We spent the rest of the meal discussing the wedding and the budget since Jake refused to set one. Even then I had to ask twice. Mimi did have some requests of her own, all of which I mentally noted.
Once we’d finished eating, or once I’d finished, Mimi ate very little, Roger cleared the table and brought coffee, tea, and chocolate chip cookies, again my favorite kind—without nuts.
I was eating my second cookie when Roger came back in the room. “Madame, I hate to disturb you, but Miss Monica is on the phone, and she is insisting she speak with you about Rory.”
Mimi held her hand out. “Very well,” she said to him, taking the phone. “Give me a minute, please, Juliette?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
She glanced up at Roger. “Do you mind helping me out to the garden?”
“Not at all. It would be my pleasure.”
Facing the French door, I noticed the sun had begun to set. Its golden rays penetrated the glass and made everything in the room sparkle bright.
The doors were left open, and the garden was fragrant as a warm breeze traveled inside.
Monica was Mrs. Alexander’s daughter fathered by Lorenzo Alexander, the famous Italian racecar driver killed on the track the year following his divorce from Beatrice Crawford. The details of the divorce had never been disclosed, just as her estrangement from her daughter had not either.
I, of course, knew her estrangement from her daughter had something to do with Jake and Rory. Other than that, his mother was one topic Jake steered far away from.
“Monica, absolutely not. I forbid you from attending the wedding.” Mrs. Alexander’s voice was loud. The news must have broken about Rory’s engagement.
“There is nothing further to discuss. Do not come here, neither Jake nor Rory wish to see you.”
There was a pause.
“I’m sorry, but neither do I.”
Another pause.
“How much will it take to keep you away?”
The silence seemed longer this time.
“I want to believe you.”
She sighed.
“I hope so, Monica. And it isn’t that I haven’t taken that into consideration, but Jake and Rory haven’t seen you in sixteen years. I can only hope you will give them their space to grieve once I’m gone.”
There was more silence.
“Monica, I think you should know that once I’m gone, I have informed Roger that if you renege on your promise to maintain your distance, he is to call my attorney and immediately stop the monthly stipends. Then you will truly be cut off.”
There was a long pause.
“I wish things were different, too.”
I could hear her sniffling.
“I hope that’s true. Goodbye, Monica.”
Silence filled the space, and I tried to occupy myself by looking at my phone. Jake had texted me.
Him: Hope dinner is going well.
Me: Thank you for heads up.
Him: Didn’t want you to be nervous over nothing.
Me: Well, I appreciate that, but still paybacks are a bitch.
Him: You can pay me back any way you want. When you go to bed tonight, you can touch yourself, but don’t come.
Me: You are so bad.
Him: You have no idea. And if I didn’t mention it before, be naked for me.
Just then Mimi wheeled herself inside, and I jumped, my phone flying face up on the Oriental rug beneath the table.
Oh, God, if she reads that I will die a thousand deaths.
Practically lunging for it, I had the phone in my hand and back in my bag in a matter of moments. “Oops,” I said, looking over at her.
She now looked tired and worn. “Can I help you?” I asked.
“Yes, if you don’t mind Juliette, I’d like to go into the parlor for a bit before bed.”
“Not at all.” Rushing over to her, I wheeled her out into the grand foyer and across to the parlor. The doors were open, and all of the dogs were lulling around inside as if waiting for her to join them.
As soon as Mimi entered the room, they all came scurrying toward her. I continued toward the center of the room and locked the brakes. Daisy was whining, and I helped her onto Mimi’s lap and then sat on the couch beside her chair to pet Mr. Darcy, who believe it or not was patiently waiting for my attention.
“Did you hear my conversation?”
I nodded. “Part of it. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“It’s okay. Has Jake spoken of his mother to you?”
“Not that much. Just that he called you when he knew his father had died because he was worried about Rory.”
“Yes, he did,” she concurred, “and I’m very thankful he did. I had no idea my daughter was so very much like her father until then. I mean, I had an inkling she wasn’t doing as well as she’d tried to convince me she was. But if I had known, I would have never allowed it.”
I glanced over at her. “Rory and Jake were lucky they had you.”
She started to slowly pet Daisy. “Jake and Rory haven’t seen Monica since I brought them here. Rory was so young, I don’t think not having her mother around impacted her the way it did Jake. For the longest time, he thought he was like her. He isn’t, of course, but no matter how hard I have tried to make him see that, he still feels the need to prove he is more like his father than his mother.”
“The job that is waiting for him in New York,” I said, having already figured that out.
Daisy closed her eyes in contentment and purred like a kitten. “Yes. He thinks if he follows in his father’s footsteps, it will make up for something that doesn’t need to be made up for.”
I nodded. Clearly, she knew Jake had told me about how his father died.
Mimi sighed. “Guilt manifests itself in many ways. It is why I continue to give money to Monica even after all these years.”
“But what do you have to feel guilty about?” I asked.
“I should have known that she was incapable of settling down. Conrad thought he could change her. I knew he couldn’t, but I wanted to believe he could. That he was her once in a lifetime. He wasn’t, of course, because people like Monica and her father don’t have once in a lifetimes.
“After Conrad and Monica divorced, I should have paid more attention to what she was doing. I should have seen what she was doing to her children. The way she was ignoring them. Neglecting them. Conrad was blind when it came to her. He only wanted to see the good. And I was busy building my empire. It’s Jake and Rory who suffered. Now by paying Monica, I am assuring she stay out of her children’s lives. After all, it was how I got them away from her, to begin with.”
Mr. Darcy licked at my fingers. “What do you mean?”
Mimi wiped a tear from her cheek. “All I had to do was dangle a trust over her head in exchange for full custody of Jake and Rory. You see, Conrad wasn’t entirely blind. His will left everything he had to the kids. Monica got nothing, not even the house. So she took what I offered without hesitation. And the kids were much better off with me.”
I looked at her with compassion.
“I wasn’t heartless like the papers reported. I tried to help Monica, but she didn’t want help.”
My heart ached for all of them. I was sure it was hard.
Mimi took my hand. “My grandson is a wonderful man, and I hope one day he sees that about himself. And you have no idea how much I wish I could be around for that day, but sadly I won’t be. Please don’t think I’m trying to rush things between the two of you, but you do care for him, don’t you?”
I nodded.
“Then you should know, you make him happy.”
I scrunched my brows together. “How do you know that?”
She squeezed my hand. “Through his laughter.”
I laughed. “What do you mean?”
“I have never heard him laugh so loud and so much as I have since you came into his life. The way it echoes through this house brings tears of joy to my eyes. And it makes me feel like with you in his life he just might be okay when I’m gone.”
I wiped my own stray tear away. “I really do care about him, a lot.”
“I know. I didn’t really have to ask. It’s evident, Juliette.” She smiled at me. “Promise me one thing.”
“I’ll try.”
“Once I’m gone, he’ll be leaving for New York to take the same job his father held.”
I nodded, very aware of this.
“When he goes, don’t let him slip away as easily as he will want to. He’s not good with goodbyes, and he’s terrible with relationships. Show him the way.”
“To what?” I asked.
“To love, my dear, show him the way to love.”
Uneasiness moved through me. “But what if I don’t know it myself?”
Just then Matthew came into the room. “I’m sorry Ma’am, but it’s time for your medication.”
I lowered my head and put it on top of Mr. Darcy’s. Mimi gave my hand one last squeeze. “Then gather the strength to find it, for the both of you,” she whispered.
Find the way.
It sounded so easy.
Too bad it would prove to be anything but.