Chapter Ten
Teddy
I returned to the head table, even though my thoughts were following Kiara to the kitchen. I understood why she was so quick to run away from the party and all the speculative attention that had been pinned on her. I just didn't get why she couldn't see through all of it.
Most of the party was fake: the dear friendships based on mutual investments, the raucous laughter covering up irritations and jealousies, and the constant worry about what other people thought.
I wanted to ignore it all, but now I couldn't. I saw the way Whitney had looked at Kiara, and I knew the heiress would do anything to destroy a rival.
Somehow, that thought buoyed my thoughts back to happiness. If Whitney saw Kiara as a rival, maybe my stubborn neighbor felt something for me, after all.
Whitney flashed me a look, equal parts anger and invitation, when I sat down beside her. She'd introduced a drinking game in my absence, and the party was losing its formal, elegant boundaries.
"All right, James, it's your turn," Whitney cackled. "Three things about the last time you had a low-class dalliance or you have to drink."
James raised his glass. "All I remember is she had red hair, so I guess that means I have to drink."
"How about you, Teddy?" Whitney asked with an arched look.
"I'm not in the mood for drinking games. It doesn't really seem to fit the theme of the weekend. Don't you think?" A few of the guests agreed with me, but the vast majority seemed on Whitney's side.
She ratcheted up the party. "Remember that D.J. we saw in March? He's back in town and will be here in about forty minutes. Better tell the staff to prep the ballroom for a dance party!"
Within twenty minutes, a large faction of the party had broken away from the formal dinner and were directing the setup of the ballroom stage. New guests flooded through the front doors as Whitney encouraged everyone to invite their friends for another blowout at the Brickman Estate.
There was nothing I could do but escape. I fought my way against the stream of partiers and slipped into the servants' hallway. A woman stifled a shriek as she bumped into me in the narrow, dim hall.
"Teddy! What are you doing?" Kiara asked. Then, she cocked her ear to the door as she heard the commotion in the grand foyer. "What's going on out there?"
Whitney's declaring war, I thought grimly.
"Change of plans for the evening. A D.J. is coming to entertain the guests," I said. "What are you doing?"
Kiara laughed. "I'm done with my shift and off to bed. This whole chef job is exhausting, and I have to catch up on my sleep before tomorrow's brunch."
"The guests can make do with dried toast and coffee," I told her. "Sounds like a lot of them might be hungover come morning."
"I'll add Bloody Marys to the menu," she said as she turned to continue on her way.
"Here, let me walk you. These back-of-the-wall hallways can get pretty confusing."
I led the way up a narrow side staircase and let us out in the middle of the east wing wall. Kiara's guest suite was only a few doors away, and I regretted not getting us lost. I walked her to the door and fought off the urge to catch her in my arms.
Heavy bass exploded from the ballroom below us followed by a driving rhythm. Kiara shook her head with a rueful smile. "So much for catching up on some sleep. Good night, Teddy. Oh, and thank you for this great opportunity."
When her hand lightly touched my cheek, I felt as if she'd turned a light on inside my chest. As she softly closed the door behind her, the glowing warmth turned to anger. I flew down the stairs and marched into my ballroom to find Whitney in the epicenter of the high-volume dancing.
"We need to talk. Now," I shouted over the music.
"Come on and dance with me, Teddy," she said, gyrating to the music.
I could see a trio of hungry bachelors eyeing her from behind. "You're just doing this to get my attention, and it's not going to work, Whitney."
She shimmied away from me and tossed her white-blonde hair. "What's that, Mr. Playboy? You expect me to wait around while you drool after some homeless cook?"
"Homeless?" I snarled and grabbed her elbow. "Kiara is only homeless because of your careless ideas at the last party. Don't you even care how your actions affect others?"
Whitney danced closer and pressed her body against mine. "I only care how I can affect you," she purred in my ear.
I pushed her back with both hands. "Enough, Whitney. This isn't what I want."
Vincent Jeffry appeared next to me with a pale face. "I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but we seem to have a problem with uninvited guests."
I glared at him. "You can't deal with this on your own?"
"Not this, ah, particular pair, sir." Vincent Jeffry nodded towards the grand foyer.
I knew more than to doubt his opinion, so I followed him to see the offending party crashers. It was obvious where they were by the wide ring of spectators standing around the grand foyer. Two young women, clearly twins, had ridden a motorcycle into the grand foyer and were laughing hysterically as they struggled to turn it around at the foot of the staircase.
"Who the hell are you?" I asked, completely out of patience.
"Ah, Teddy, there you are." A young man named Cameron Falcon, the next in line for his family's import empire, stepped forward and shook my hand. "I was just about to offer to help these young ladies. May I introduce Ivy and Madison Hooper?"
The name rattled in my head until Vincent Jeffry cleared his throat and whispered in my ear. "Ms. Davies' stepsisters, sir."
#
The party turned into a blur. Faced with Kiara's tabloid-grabbing twin stepsisters, I had no choice but invite them to stay. They thanked me for my generosity by shrieking and racing off to the ballroom.
Cameron Falcon was nice enough to roll the abandoned motorcycle outside, and Vincent Jeffry kindly brought me a stiff drink. Things went downhill from there.
I found myself back in the same position as bored host, standing in the hall between the ballroom and the grand foyer. Really, I was hoping for a glimpse of Kiara. I knew she'd take the servants stairs and halls if she decided to come out of her guest room, but part of me hoped she would march through the party like she had just a week before.
As the guests divided into two distinct factions—those who retreated to the far billiards room for a quiet evening and those who got wildly drunk, dancing in the ballroom—I realized I could get away unnoticed. In all the chaos, people could make up their own stories about what I had been doing. They would anyway. Most of my life seemed made up of the opinions of others.
Sure the kitchen would be dark and abandoned, I slipped in the door and locked it behind me. There was a gasp, and someone slammed the refrigerator door, plunging us into temporary darkness.
"Kiara?" I asked, hopeful.
"Teddy? Oh my God, you have to stop sneaking up on me!" She leaned over and flipped on the under-the-cabinet lights. The soft glow illuminated her smile. "Sorry. I mean, it's your house, and you can sneak around if you want to. You caught me looking for a midnight snack."
"You read my mind," I said.
Kiara laughed. "At least let me try. Hmm, I think what a billionaire still wearing a tuxedo needs is a plate of nachos."
"God, yes. You are amazing." I moved to join her at the kitchen island, glad when she didn't move to turn on anymore lights. "As long as it's just for the two of us. I think the rest of the party is best left up to their own devices."
She shuddered. "As long as they don't decide to roast marshmallows or anything else."
I set about shredding cheese while Kiara whipped up a fresh and spicy salsa. We worked in a companionable silence, her arm brushing against mine, our fingers meeting as we taste-tested the ingredients.
"You know, we have a whole case of tortilla chips in the pantry. I really should make enough to share with your guests," she said.
"Forget about them." I took both her hands and pulled her close.
She leaned back against the counter, but didn't stop me as I leaned over her. A smile chased around her sweet lips, and I couldn't hold back any longer. In one, smooth motion, I lifted Kiara to sit on the counter and pressed closer. Our lips crushed together, and I lost my breath in surprise. She smiled as I gasped, and then shocked me again by letting her legs slip wider apart.
I groaned and fell farther into the kiss. The heat between us blazed hotter than the oven as I slipped my hands up her bare legs and under the hem of her dress. Every part of me ached to have more of her, to show her exactly what she did to me.
She let out a stifled moan as she fought her body's heady response. Even as she pushed away from me, her back arched and contoured her curves to my chest.
My hands moved higher, pulling her to me, almost shaking with shocked delight as she offered herself up to my touch. I wanted her more than anyone I had ever met, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
"Kiara," I whispered hoarsely.
"I know," she whispered. Her hands locked behind my head and drove us together into another devouring kiss.
I hungered to taste more of her, all of her, but before my hands could tug up the hem of her dress, there was a heavy pounding on the kitchen door.
"Let us in! Let us in!" a duet of voices chanted.
"Oh my God." Kiara's face went pale. "I think those-"
"Are your sisters," I finished for her. "I met them earlier."
"Stepsisters," she said firmly. She pushed me away and straightened her dress. She could have ignored them, but she went to unlock the kitchen door instead.
"There she is!" Ivy crowed, pushing past Kiara to bounce around the kitchen.
"In an apron. How cute!" Madison sauntered in, batting her eyes at both of us. "Did we interrupt something?"
"Only them trying to hog Kiara's most-awesome nachos," Ivy said, peeking in the oven.
"I'm going to make some for the guests, as well. Those are for Mr. Brickman," Kiara said.
The twins giggled, and Ivy flipped her hair. "Teddy has invited us to stay for the rest of the weekend."
"Tomorrow is Sunday," Kiara said tightly.
"Actually, we don't have any more guest suites available," I said.
Madison bopped over to give Kiara a kiss on the cheek. "That's all right. We'll just stay in Kiara's room. We assumed she was staying in the servants' quarters, but rumor has it she has her own guest suite."
I bristled at the word “rumors,” but Kiara dismissed the two young women. "Good idea. I'll see you up there later. First, I have some work to do."
"Mr. Brickman?" I asked her after they left.
"You're my boss," she said. "I shouldn't call you by your first name. It's not proper."
"Kiara, please. After what just, I mean, what almost happened. I think you should call me by my first name."
"That was a mistake," she said. Her face was pale and drawn, but the stubborn line was back in her stiff shoulders. "I need this opportunity, and I won't screw it up by getting too familiar with you. I think it's important to call my employers by their last names."
"But you can call me by my first name." Roger appeared in the doorway and breathed deep. "That smells amazing. Need a hand serving?"
"Sure." I tossed Roger an oven mitt. "You can take this first platter to the billiard room."
"All the way on the other side of the house?" he asked.
Kiara looked up from her Cusinart and smiled at my handsome, charming rival. "Nice to see you again, Roger."
"Nice to see you in action. I heard what an absolute success you were and had to come congratulate you myself." Roger lifted up the platter of nachos with a wink. "Save me some. I'll be right back."
"Really?" I asked after he disappeared. "You'll call him by his first name, but not me?"
"Look, Teddy. I just think you and I need to know where the boundaries are," she said, still hard at work. "There are already enough rumors flying around about me."
The shadows under her eyes that had appeared at the fire darkened her face again. Kiara looked tired, upset, and alone. I wanted to stay, to help her and be with her, but she wanted to be left alone. I took up the second platter of gourmet nachos that she'd thrown together and carried them to the door.
"I'm not agreeing to anything," I said. "I don't want any boundaries between us."
I left before she could muster a reply. Vincent Jeffry appeared out of nowhere and took the platter from my hands. He whisked it off to the guests himself, leaving me standing in the now surging crowd alone.
"Yeah, we totally saw them in the kitchen together. I bet they were making out," Ivy was telling a rapt audience at the foot of the grand staircase.
Her twin Madison trailed a hand up Cameron Falcon's chest. "Romantic, don't you think?"
Kiara was right. Rumors about her were everywhere. She'd ignored that my name was tangled up in them, too. The only difference was I didn't care what people said; in fact, I liked hearing our names tied so intimately together.
Either Kiara still thought our worlds couldn't mix, or she was embarrassed to be seen with me. Maybe it was the other way around and I, the spoiled playboy, wasn't good enough for her. Kiara probably wanted someone with a purpose, someone like Roger Dallas.
I clenched my jaw when I saw her emerge from the kitchen. Before I jumped to any conclusions, I needed to make sure of one thing first. I needed Kiara to notice how I felt about her.
She was stuck in a clump of drunken and hungry partiers who praised her food choices with loud compliments and crunches.
"I love a chef who gives people what they want, not what they think will impress other chefs," a man said, crunching down a large handful of Kiara's nachos.
"Did she tell you I shredded the cheese myself?" I asked, insinuating myself into the center of the group and slipping an arm around Kiara's waist. "I'd say my clumsy efforts were the magical ingredient, but I think we all know Kiara's the one with the magic touch."
She slipped out of my reach. It was impossible to tell if it was me or the ring of speculating guests that made her awkward. "I'll make another batch," she said and spun towards the kitchen.
"Did our girl give you the slip?" Roger asked, appearing at my side.
I clenched a fist and glared at him. "What, exactly, are you saying?"
He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. "I'd say you've got it bad, old man."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Well, then, let me tell you how excited I was to hear about Kiara's society debut. I was in mid-Manhattan at dinner when suddenly she was all the buzz. I rushed here just to see her again. Then, when I saw you two together in the kitchen, I was worried. But, now that I know you're engaged to Whitney, this is shaping up to be a great spontaneous trip."
"Engaged to Whitney?" I asked, my stomach sinking like a stone.
Roger's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Aren't we always the last ones to know, huh? She said that you proposed to her in private yesterday on the front lawn. The story goes you woke her up early so the two of you could have the place to yourself. She's never seen a more beautiful sunrise."
My anger and frustration narrowed my vision to a dense, red cloud. I pushed my way through the mingling crowd in the hallway and burst into the ballroom. The D.J. had managed to rig his lights and a smoke machine, and the elegant room was barely recognizable. I stumbled through the gyrating, surging dancers, and found Whitney in the center.
"You're telling people we're engaged?" I shouted over the thumping bass.
She wrapped her arms around me and squealed with delight. "We're going to make the announcement now? How wonderful!"
Her friends all shrieked with excitement and dispersed to spread the good news.
I ground my teeth and tried to extricated myself from her grip. "I haven't proposed to you, Whitney. We are not engaged."
"We will be," she declared with a wolfish look in her eyes. Whitney was an heiress of epic proportions and had long been taught that she would get everything she ever wanted. "Everyone already thinks we are."
"What does that matter?" I hissed. "It's not the truth. You're not railroading me into marriage. Don't you want someone who really loves you?"
She blinked her blue eyes. "Everyone loves me. Besides, it doesn't matter. We are the perfect match, and everyone knows it. Her most of all."
I followed her smug stare and found Kiara standing in the French doors. She had pulled off her apron to reveal the black dress whose hem I had tugged at just an hour ago. Her long, dark hair cascaded around her in wild waves. She stood out in the swirl of party guests and dancers, and I felt the jolt of being near here.
But it didn't matter. That electric connection between us fizzled out.
Kiara's wide, dark eyes were angry and hurt. She had heard what Whitney's friends were shrieking. She took one last look at me before disappearing into the garden.
I was torn. Either I followed Kiara out into the darkness and incurred more of Whitney's spite, or I stayed inside and tried to dispel the rumors the jealous heiress made up.
After an hour of concentrated effort, it was no use. The partiers were in no shape to understand the difference between wishful thinking and fact. By the time I strode outside to find Kiara, the sun was already coming up.
I went to the south garden, but she was not hiding out in the chapel folly. When I got to the charred remains of her family home, the only people I found were a very rumpled Madison and Cameron Falcon.
"Where's Kiara?" I asked, not interested in their embarrassed clothing adjustments.
"She's gone," Madison said with a shrug.
"Gone where?" I growled.
"I don't know," she said, watching with a frown as Cameron slipped away. "She found me a few hours ago and said she was heading back."
"She can't go back," I muttered to myself. "Kiara can't leave this mess just sitting like this."
"Oh, your little bonfire?" Madison asked with an unsentimental look at the remains of her family's property. "Kiara left Ivy and me in charge of the cleanup. We're totally going to hit you up for that crew you offered her. She's so stupid when it comes to stuff like that."
I gritted my teeth to stop from yelling at the vapid young woman. "Where was Kiara going? You said she was heading back."
"I don't know," she shrugged. "We don't really run in the same circles. You know how it is."
I marched Madison back to the mansion and hauled her around, searching for her twin. We found Ivy sitting on the floor of the ballroom with the D.J. next to her.
"Do you know where Kiara lives?" I asked, my echoing voice interrupting them across the room before we reached them.
"Who?" Ivy asked.
"Your stepsister. Kiara Davies. Where does she live? Did she tell you where she was going?" I asked again through gritted teeth.
"Why?" Ivy asked. "You can always find another chef. I'm sure your fiancée can help with that."
My voice rattled the chandelier above us. "I am not engaged to Whitney Barnes! Do you know where your stepsister lives or not?"
"Whoa. Calm down. You'll wake up your guests," Ivy said, struggling to her feet. "I think Kiara lives somewhere in Brooklyn. Not that I've ever been there. She’s not really in our social circle."
I swore and marched out of the ballroom. Kiara might be in Brooklyn, along with the other two and a half million people that called that neighborhood home. I had no idea how I was going to find her; all I knew was that I had to see her again.
Chapter Eleven
Kiara
My hands were shaking as I sat down at the small pizzeria counter and opened my laptop. I had prized my laptop for years; it was the only indulgence I had allowed myself at law school, and now it was sitting next to shakers of red chili pepper flakes and parmesan cheese. I glanced around and saw that two other people from the lunchtime crowd were working on computers, as well. The only difference was they were most likely checking their work emails, and I was searching for a job.
I stared at the screen and didn't know where to start. I had no culinary school education, no restaurant experience, and no references.
My stomach burned as I thought of Teddy. Why hadn't he told me he was getting engaged? He’d never once called Whitney his fiancée. Yes, she had been in charge of the party-planning, but he made that seem like a hostile take-over and not the duty of his soon-to-be wife.
I ground my teeth and started to search for waitress jobs. It was either that or run back to law school and beg my advisors to help me find a better-fitting internship. All I had to do was buckle down and learn to love the long hours and mounds of paperwork.
"Please tell me that face doesn't mean you're still thinking about taking the bar," Tanya’s voice interrupted my thoughts. She tossed her purse onto the counter next to my laptop and sat down.
"Why would you think that?" I asked, rubbing my chin.
Tanya smirked. "Your face gets all puckered up any time we talk about our law careers. It's like your body is grossed out by the idea, but your brain keeps pushing it as the most practical."
"Well, it is," I grumbled. "It's the only practical thing to do."
"That's why what you’re doing is so inspiring," she said. "We all know that taking the bar and pursuing a law career is the most practical thing you could do right now, but you've finally admitted it isn't what you want."
I sighed, dropping my hands in my lap. "So, it's what I want versus what is practical. Seems like a no-brainer to me."
She smacked me lightly on the shoulder. "No, you can't go back now. Daring to try for something you actually want is what is so inspiring. And I think, in the long run, it's what is going to make you happy."
I dismissed the brief daydream of Teddy leaning against the kitchen island as I worked and shook my head. "I can't do it. How can I be happy when I'm riddled with debt and have no prospects?"
Tanya gave me an impish smile as she shrugged. "Be brave?"
I turned back to my laptop and brushed my hair back. "No. Now is the time to be very practical. Practical as in I have to find a position in cooking and work my way up from the bottom."
"What are we talking here? Waitressing?"
"It's something I can start doing with little experience. I know waitressing is hard and it's far from the kitchen, but at least it will put me in the right vicinity," I said.
"All right," she said. "Let's figure this out. It needs to be near your apartment or the subway because you don't have a car. How about the type of restaurant? What kind of food do you like making most of all?"
I glanced up at the pizzeria's menu and chewed my bottom lip. "I don't know. Italian, I guess. Donna Martin taught me how to cook classic Italian dishes first."
Tanya laughed. "Good, then you can order lunch. I'm starving and can't decide between fettuccine or pizza."
I rolled my eyes at my study partner. Tanya was more than just a law school buddy, I realized; she was a real friend. I ordered us two slices of pizza and a basket of calamari. The young man behind the counter tossed it all onto a tray and handed it to me with a wink.
"Glad to see you've got your laptop out," he said.
"Why's that?"
He smiled and a dimple flashed in his cheek. "Means you might be sticking around a while."
I laughed at his outrageous flirting and went back to join Tanya at the counter.
"He's cute," she said. "And, he was definitely checking you out as you walked over here."
"You can have him," I said, sitting down without a second look.
"Actually," she said, "I'll take this whole place. How great to have this right around the corner from your apartment?"
I nodded and chewed as I thought about the little pizzeria. It was a tiny corner shop with big windows and limited seating. The counter barely divided the wide kitchen with its hot ovens from the customers. Still, the food was delicious and comforting. The place was always full. And, every type of person walked through the doors and felt like they belonged.
"Not what you're used to anymore?" Tanya asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She shrugged again, watching me from the corner of her eye. "Just thought that maybe now you got the taste of the billionaire life, you wouldn't think twice about places like this."
I snorted. "And how, exactly, did I get a taste of the billionaire life?"
"Well, maybe it was just a taste of Teddy Brickman," she said with a wicked grin.
"Shh!" I gripped her arm and almost made her drop her slice of pizza. "People will think you're serious."
"I am serious," she said. "It's written all over your face. You fell for him."
I swallowed hard. "I did not fall for Teddy Brickman. Besides, he's engaged. Not only that, but he never even told me he was dating someone. He flirted with me, and the whole time, he was engaged to Whitney Barnes. Can you believe it? What scum."
Tanya shook her head. "I think it sounds like either he's not actually engaged, or he's having second thoughts now that you've been back to Long Island."
"Doesn't matter. I'm not going back anymore," I grumbled.
"You should have kept that truck."
I let go of her arm with an annoyed laugh. "I never should have told you that."
"You tell me everything," she said, finishing her pizza. "That's why we're such good friends."
"If you're such a good friend of mine, how about you walk me back to my apartment?" I asked. I needed to get out of the little pizzeria.
"At least tell me about it," she begged when we were on the street. "What was it like being with someone like Teddy Brickman?"
"First of all, I wasn't 'with' him. Secondly, I have no idea. He put on this whole Prince Charming act and, at first, I was too smart for it. I don't know…he must have worn me down or something. Thank goodness I found out what a liar he was."
"So, he's like Prince Charming?" she asked, purposefully ignoring my other comments. "I guess he'd have to be. I've never heard you talk about any man like you do about him."
"How do I talk about Teddy?" I asked, stopping at my apartment building and crossing my arms over my chest.
"Like you've known him forever and possibly always loved him." She then spun away, knowing to avoid my friendly whack on the shoulder.
"He's all right, himself," I admitted, "it's just his whole world that I can't stand."
"The lifestyle of the obscenely rich and tabloid famous?"
"Right," I laughed as I shook my head. "His whole world is littered with badly disguised lies. Everyone was trying so hard to be perfect that I don't think one honest word was said."
"That can't be all true," she said. "You said there were a few nice people."
"Of course, there were, but overall, Teddy Brickman's world is all show and no substance." I glanced up at my little attic windows. "I will miss that kitchen, though."
"And the staff," Tanya added. "I can't wait to meet this Vincent Jeffry. Oh, please tell me we can convince him to go out dancing. That would be so great."
I laughed. "The staff was great, especially Vincent Jeffry. I could have fit in there, but, who knows, maybe I just don't fit in anywhere."
"Speaking of not fitting in," she nodded as two, young women got out of a black town car. Their flashy couture, expensive handbags, and loud, privileged complaints were out of place in Brooklyn. The casual artisans and understatedly hip neighbors all looked on as the girls further alienated themselves.
My stomach knotted up tight as I watched my stepsisters make a scene in the street.
"You swooped in to save us and now you want us to pay?" Ivy whined.
Madison tossed her hair. "That's entrapment. You're just trying to take advantage of us because we're girls. We thought you were offering us a free ride."
Tanya snorted and said to me, "No one ever told them there are no free rides in life?"
"We don't even know where we are," Ivy complained. "The only time I remember coming to Brooklyn was that boring dinner at the fancy place. Remember, Maddy? The Argentinian steakhouse?"
"Yeah, I remember. Can you at least take us there? This doesn't even look like a safe neighborhood," Madison said.
"Oh, no," the driver said, locking his car doors. "You're not getting back in here. And you're going to pay for that ripped seat."
"My heel got caught. It wasn't my fault," Ivy protested.
Tanya sighed. "I've gotta go before they start crying for legal counsel. Be glad you got out of law school before you ended up working for people like that."
I gave Tanya a hug, but was glad when she rounded the corner and disappeared. No one at law school knew my connection to the infamous Hooper twins, and I wanted to make sure it stayed that way. I was prepared to lie, rather than get sucked into their multiple dramas, and even considered running back to hide in the pizzeria until they left.
The knots in my stomach twisted tighter. So, it wasn't just people in Teddy's world who lied to keep up appearances, I thought.
I didn't know which was worse: lying about the person you'd chosen to spend the rest of your life with or lying about your own family. Technically, the twins were not my family. We were only tied together by a short-term marriage. Still, they were the only family I had stateside, and I couldn't just leave them there on the street, haggling over the price of their cab ride.
"Just be the bigger person and pay the man," I said, stepping in.
Ivy grinned and jabbed Madison in the ribs. "Yeah, Maddy, be the bigger person."
"Shut up," Madison cried and jabbed her sister back.
I plucked the designer purse from Madison's shoulder as they continued to poke at each other and handed the driver her credit card. He ran it and gave it back to me with a thankful nod. There was not a lot of traffic mid-day, but the driver still squealed the tires because he pulled into the flow of cars so fast.
"Can we go upstairs now?" I asked, opening the door to my apartment building.
Ivy pushed past me and into my tiny attic apartment first. I cringed, thinking of what disdainful things the twins would have to say about my cramped abode.
"Wow, this is great. It's just like you," Ivy said.
I eyed her expression with suspicion until I realized the reason I did not recognize her look was that it was sincere. "Thanks. Wait, how is it like me?"
Madison walked the full 300 square feet from the front door to the back wall where my bed was pressed and smiled. "Simple, straightforward, and full of surprising style," she said.
"Yeah," Ivy agreed. "Who knew you had style?"
I put my laptop down on the small kitchen table and tried not to smile. I loved my little apartment and couldn't help but be pleased that my fashionable stepsisters saw a sense of style in it. It was the only bit of space I had ever made my own. Except my room at the cottage.
My stomach sank. "If you're here, that means no one is taking care of the Long Island property, doesn't it?"
"Oh, that's all fine," Ivy said with a flip of her hair. "The crew cleaned up the site, and the contractor is drawing up plans as we speak."
I curled my fingers into fists. "Please tell me you did not take Teddy Brickman's help. Did you?"
"Of course we did," Madison said with a confused frown. "He offered to pay for the clean-up and suggested a reliable contractor. What's wrong with that? You expected us to do it ourselves?"
"Yeah," Ivy snorted, "the crew is still talking about the crazy woman in the ashes."
I raked my hands through my hair and fought hard not to pull it out. "So, now Teddy can point out how much money he's already sunk into the property and try to short us when he makes an offer. Don't you see what you've done? You've made it easy for him to steal our home right out from under us."
"The cottage?" Madison asked. "Ew. You're much better off here in Brooklyn. Now, I kind of get why people like this whole bohemian vibe."
"I grew up in that house," I said.
"Isn't the point of growing up? To leave home? We did it when we were like, what? Thirteen?" Ivy asked her twin.
"Boarding school doesn't count," I snapped. "You just don't get it."
"No, I don't," Madison snapped back. "Why would you want to live in a tiny shack next to all those mansions? And with all those fake people? They seem so nice, but then you wake up and realize everything they said was just a lie. That's what they call fun."
Ivy slipped an arm through Madison's and squeezed, but ignored her out-of-character comments. "We're doing you a favor, getting that property sold. You can't say you don't need the money."
"I'm not going to sacrifice my family home for it," I said. "And I'm certainly not going to let Teddy Brickman be the one to take it."
"See?" Madison asked Ivy. "Kiara doesn't trust him or his friends, either. She gets it."
"I get it, too," Ivy whined, "I just don't see why you're worrying so far ahead of the fact. Just relax."
"What are you worrying about?" I asked Madison.
The twins froze and squeezed tighter together. "Nothing. I'm fine."
"Then why did we come here?" Ivy asked.
"I'm fine. It's no big deal. Like you said, there's nothing to worry about," Madison said.
Ivy frowned. "Yet."
They argued back and forth as if I wasn't even home in my own apartment. Then, I realized the important fact was that Ivy and Madison were in my apartment. Something had happened to Madison, and she wanted to trust me, she wanted to tell me. I knew their mother was overseas looking for her next husband somewhere in Europe. My stepsisters had no one else.
"It doesn't have anything to do with our family property, does it?" I said. "You can still tell me. You can tell me anything."
Ivy drifted away to peek inside the dry-cleaning I had left hanging on the bathroom door. Madison looked at me, a sheen of sweat making her wide eyes brighter, but she finally shook her head and changed the subject.
"What's with the little black dress? Got a date tonight?" Madison asked.
I snorted. "No. I'm hoping for a job interview."
"In all black? Where is this place? The morgue?" Ivy asked. She dashed across the tiny apartment and whipped open my wardrobe. "We don't have much to work with, but we can do better than that."
"It's not that big of a deal. I don't even really have the interview set up." I flapped my hands as the twins tore into my limited wardrobe. "It's probably nothing at all. A long shot."
"Oooh," Ivy grinned, "then it's even more important that you stand out. How do you feel about feathers?"
"No. No feathers, no layered jewelry, no new hip trends," I said, trying to grab back my small selection of silk scarves.
"At least let us do your hair. We can tie it with this scarf and give that black dress a little boost of color." Madison said. Her smile finally returned. "It'll make sure they remember you when you're walking away."
I eyed the bright splashes of color on the silk scarf, but knew it was fruitless to argue with the twins. They always got their way. For a brief moment, my concern over Madison flared again. Why was she so worried when, so far, everything had always gone her way?
"You know, I'll only be gone an hour or two. You're free to stay here tonight, if you want. I know a great place to grab a pizza," I said.
Ivy shut me up by dumping out her purse and getting to work on my make-up. "That's cute, but we are not staying in this little attic."
"Thanks," Madison said, twisting my wild hair into a neat chignon. "Maybe some other time."
I had to admit the reflection I saw in my smudged mirror was a pleasant surprise. The make-up was understated, but alluring, and the scarf added some admittedly much needed flair to my black dress. I slipped on a pair of patent-leather heels and spun in a small circle in my few square feet of living room.
"Come on," Ivy giggled. "We'll walk you out so you don't break an ankle."
The twins flagged down another unfortunate cab driver and offered to drop me at my destination. I didn't want them to know I was heading to the same fancy restaurant they had mentioned earlier. It was more than a long shot, but I had decided to go there and inquire about a job. If I looked like an upper-class diner, I figured they would at least be nice when they said no.
I had a feeling I was going to hear “no” a lot.
"Kiara?" a voice pulled me from my worried thoughts. "Roger Dallas. Remember we met at Teddy Brickman's Estate?"
The maître d' raised an eyebrow at the recognizable and enviable names and then gave us a moment of privacy.
"Of course I remember you. Nice to see you again, Roger," I said. I stopped myself and took a deep breath before I started to babble.
He glanced around. "Are you meeting Teddy?"
"What?" I choked on my next deep breath. "No. I'm not meeting Teddy here. Or anywhere."
"I apologize. The way he was talking about you, I thought maybe you were an item," he said with a dashing smile. "I hope it's all right that I'm happy you're not."
"Isn't Teddy with Ms. Barnes?" I asked, annoyed with myself for the flash of hope I felt in my chest.
Roger tipped his head, uncertain. "They're seen together often, but I don't think anything's official."
"Oh," I said, swaying on my heels. Then I shook off the ridiculous flights my mind was taking and turned back to Roger. "What brings you to Brooklyn?"
"Would you believe me if I said you?"
I laughed. "No."
"Well, it's true," he said with a sincere smile. "I heard you lived in Brooklyn, so I've been dining here a lot lately in the hopes of seeing you."
"I don't really eat here that often," I said, hoping I didn't have to explain I was there to beg for a decent job.
Roger took my hand and brushed a kiss across my knuckles. "I'm not saying it was a good plan, but it worked. Here you are."
The man on every New York woman's most-eligible bachelor list looked up at me with a warm curve to his lips. He straightened up but did not release my hand until his phone started ringing.
"I'm so sorry. I'll just turn it off," he said, then his frown broke into an amused grin. "Speak of the devil. It's Teddy."
"No, don't-" I tried to swipe the phone out of his hands without making a scene, but it was too late.
Roger answered the call. "Funny that you should call right now. Kiara and I were just saying hello."
I heard the volume of Teddy's voice rise, and then the line went dead. Seconds later, my phone started to ring and I had to dig it out of my purse to silence it.
"It's Teddy," Roger chuckled. "Just answer it, or he'll keep calling back."
I pursed my lips. "He's only calling me out of some kind of weird competition with you."
Roger shook his head with a speculative look. The phone started ringing again. The maître d' returned to his podium and gave me a slight frown. It didn't matter who I was with, I was no one he recognized, and I certainly wasn't allowed to make a scene in his lobby. On the third call back, I had to answer or appear rude.
"Hello, Teddy," I said. "Do you mind if I call you back some other time?"
"Of course I mind," he said.
"Do you want me to put Roger on the line?" I asked, teasing him.
"Kiara, I've been trying to reach you," Teddy said. "Don't go handing the phone off to that man. Doesn't he have some goggling women to go greet?"
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Roger had stepped back when I answered the phone and was now miming that he was going to go greet a tableful of women. Plus, Teddy was right; I had already avoided a least two dozen of his missed calls.
"What do you want, Teddy?" I asked.
"I'm sending a car for you right now. Where are you?"
I turned to the door, worried. "No. Why? What is your problem?" I hissed into the phone.
"The contractor needs to talk to you about the rebuild, and your stepsisters left him fake numbers."
"You don't want to take care of it all yourself?" I asked. "Tie up our property in a nice little bow before you buy it for yourself?"
"Is that what you think?" he asked. "Kiara, please. I really am trying to help. Is this about what happened at the party?"
Just being on the phone with Teddy was too much. I could picture him, the little crinkle in between his eyes, and it was too tempting. I wanted to believe him, but worse than that, I wanted to see him again. Hearing the timber of his voice was striking some chord inside that I didn't want to admit I liked. He sounded worried, apologetic, and sincere. I couldn't listen to him for much longer without giving in to his charm.
"Nothing happened," I said. "I hope you and your fiancée enjoyed the rest of your weekend."
"Kiara, let me explain. Wait. Did you just run into Roger or are you two on a date?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" I snapped.
"It matters to me," Teddy said.
"Oh, it matters to the man who is engaged to someone else?" I popped my mouth shut and walked out of the restaurant before I could continue. "You are a spoiled brat, Teddy Brickman. Not only do you want what you can't have, but you want to make sure no one else gets it, either. You need to stay out of my business."
I hung up the phone and willed the butterflies in my stomach to stop. There was no way in the world that Teddy Brickman was jealous over me. I had to stop being silly and start being practical, so I blocked his number and went back inside the restaurant to try to get a job.