Chapter 3

Connor

I stepped into my apartment and tossed my keys into the little ceramic dish on the small table near the entrance, the day still weighing heavily on my mind. The West Village was lit up like a Christmas tree outside of the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse apartment, and I found myself standing and staring out into the city, my hands clasped behind my back, as the events of the day unfolded in my mind.

And they weren’t over yet. I still had a dinner with Alice to look forward to, and a strange blend of emotions whirled around in my head as I considered it. My mind kept flashing back to Alice in my office, thinking about just how fucking good her legs looked in that skintight pencil skirt, how her tits appeared ready to pop the buttons off of her white blouse, how she kept nibbling on the end of her pen as I spoke, as though a little Freudian substitution was going on.

I felt my cock twitch in my pants just thinking about it. I couldn’t believe that the girl in my office was Alice the Mouse, that nerdy little thing I’d dated for a few weeks in high school, that girl with the too-big-for-her-face glasses who couldn’t put together an outfit to save her life.

That girl that I’d fallen harder for than I ever had with any other girl.

I shook my head and made myself a scotch and water, flicking on the apartment’s stereo system to some laid-back jazz. I wanted to get in a few minutes of rest before I started the process of getting ready for the evening.

As soon as I took my first sip and settled into my favorite leather, overstuffed easy chair, however, the elevator leading up to the apartment opened with a “ding.”

“Daddy!”

I cast a glance over toward the voice just in time to watch my five-year-old son Hunter burst out of the elevator and rush over to me, his blond hair bouncing wildly with each step. Eliza, his nanny, stepped out of the elevator behind him, shopping bags in her hands.

“There’s my dude!” I shouted as Hunter leaped up onto my lap and threw his arms around me.

After he finished his hug, Hunter glanced down into my scotch.

“What is that?” he asked.

“You know what it is—Daddy’s special after-work drink.”

“Can I have some?”

“Maybe in fifteen years or so,” I said.

Then I turned my attention to Eliza, the slim, raven-haired thirty-something who’d been working as my nanny for the last few months.

“Anything to report?” I asked.

“Nope,” she said, setting down her bags on the floor. “Hunter begged me to take him to an after-school trip to the Museum of Natural History.”

“Again?” I asked, looking back at Hunter. “That’s the fifth time this month—they’re gonna think you’re living there.”

“That would be cool,” said Hunter. “I want to live in the dinosaur skeleton.”

“Probably not the best insulation,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. “Now, go get washed up. Eliza’s going to make you some dinner.”

“Fine,” said Hunter before clambering off my lap and heading down the hallway to his room.

“I’ve got dinner plans tonight,” I said, heaving myself out of my chair. “Might need you to stay a little late.”

“That’s what you pay me for,” said Eliza. “Business or pleasure?”

I opened my mouth to speak but realized that I didn’t really know the answer.

“Ah, business,” I said.

Eliza flashed me a curious little smile.

“Too bad,” she said. “If you’re ever feeling up to taking a break with business and indulging in the latter, you know where to find me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, finishing my drink.

With that, Eliza gave me a wink and headed into the kitchen to make dinner. I shook my head as I set my glass back at the bar, and made a mental note to make sure I hire some wizened English nanny-type if I ever need to replace Eliza—these younger nannies couldn’t help but flirt.

I stepped into the vast expanse of my bedroom and shut the door, shucking off my work outfit and getting down to my boxer-briefs. I glanced at my body in the mirror, a pleased little smile forming on my face as I saw that letting my gym routine get a little lax hadn’t affected the definition of my slim, toned abs.

A few minutes later, I was dressed in a crisp white dress shirt, charcoal slacks, and a pair of black double-monk shoes polished to a mirror shine. I took one last glance at myself in the mirror, then stepped over to my tall oak dresser and opening one of the top drawers and reaching in. After fumbling around for a few moments, my hand found what I was looking for: a small, plush box. A small smile formed on my lips as I pulled it out, checked the contents, and slipped it into my pocket.

Tonight was going to be very, very interesting.

***

My eyes flicked around the dimly lit dining room as I stepped into Marley’s. The place was a standard Brooklyn-affair: nice without being stuffy, lots of reclaimed wood and brass in the décor, and waiters clad in all black—a Williamsburg-hipster take on fine dining.

I checked in with the hostess and was soon led to my table, a little two-top near the large front window that afforded a view of the bustling city streets out front. I ordered a bottle of wine for the table, knowing it was going to take more than a little booze for the evening I had planned to go smoothly. I tapped my finger on the right front pocket of my slacks, making sure the small black box was still in there, a smirk forming on my lips as I did.

It didn’t take long for Alice to show up, and when she did it took all the restraint I had not to let my jaw drop onto the table, my tongue unfurling out like in one of those old Rex Avery cartoons.

“Connor?”

Goddamn, she was a knockout. Alice was dressed in a tight ink-black cocktail dress that showed off just about every subtle curve of her body. Her shoulder-length, chocolate brown hair was tucked back behind her ears, and her big green eyes looked down at me from behind a pair of stylish, black-framed glasses. Her full, gorgeous lips were a dark red, and her matching high heels showed off the lovely tone of her legs. And though her cleavage was only a hint, it was more than enough to get my blood pumping.

Fucking hell, I thought, feeling my cock twitch, my mind already filling with images of just what she looked like under that cocktail dress. I caught sight of a hint of a black lacy bra, and the idea of Alice in nothing but her bra and panties was enough to make my heart thump in my chest like I was a damn middle-schooler.

I couldn’t believe that this was the same girl I’d dated so long ago.

“There she is,” I said, standing up and giving her a hug and a polite kiss on the cheek, her lovely, fresh smell rushing into my nose.

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting long,” she said, slipping her gorgeous figure into the seat across from mine.

“Just got here,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.”

I sat back down and took another look at Alice. Now that she was up close I could spot the constellation of freckles that dusted her pert, elfin features. Under the table, I felt my cock pulse just a little harder, and I internally scolded myself for feeling so out of control.

Alice’s cat-like eyes glanced around the restaurant, taking in the décor.

“A little fancy for a business dinner,” she said. “Trying to impress me?”

“Impress you? Someone’s become a little bit of an egoist over the years,” I said, pouring her a glass of wine.

“What?” she shot back through a half-grin. “You’re the only one who gets to be full of himself?”

I chuckled, making a mental note to keep in mind the fact that the last time Alice had seen me I was a cocky, rowdy-as-hell high-schooler, as full of piss and vinegar as they come.

“Don’t let me stop you,” I said. “I mean, I can see that you’ve developed quite a bit of poise since we last saw one another.”

And a few other “developments” as well, I thought, my eyes drifting down to her cleavage for a brief moment before I checked myself.

Before any more words could be exchanged, the waiter sidled up to the table and began listing off the specials.

“Porterhouse for me, very rare,” I said. “And the salmon for the lady.”

The waiter nodded and headed off.

“‘And the salmon for the lady’?” asked Alice, her eyebrows raised slightly. “You know this isn’t 1962, right? Women order for themselves now.”

“You’ll like it,” I said, not letting her sass get the better of me. “Best fish in Brooklyn.”

She crossed her arms over her breasts, which made her cleavage pop out just a bit.

“How do you know I even eat fish?” she asked. “I could be a vegan.”

“You do live in Williamsburg, I suppose,” I said. “You’d be in good company.”

She let out a little snort that I think was intended to be dismissive, but instead came off as cute. I considered giving a little “you’re cute when you’re mad” poke, but thought better of it. After all, I was going to make the offer of all offers, and I needed her on board.

I watched as Alice took a sip of her wine, her gorgeous eyes locked onto me.

“What?” I asked, sitting back in my seat. “You look like you’re not prepared to let your guard down for a second.”

“Just thinking about how weird this all is.”

“I know,” I said. “Been so long since we’ve seen each other.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, setting down her glass. “You were dismissive of an interview at first. And then, all of a sudden, you warmed up to the idea. Now we’re here at some fancy restaurant when we could’ve easily met for drinks in some dive.”

“And?” I asked.

She was a reporter, I considered. Getting right to the bottom of things.

“I want to know what it is you’ve got in mind. I’d like to think it’s because you’ve got a little bit of a soft spot for me, but I think there’s something else going on in that head of yours.”

I raised my hands in mock-defeat.

“OK,” I said. “You’ve got me.”

I didn’t want to get to it so soon, but it appeared that Alice wasn’t the type to enjoy a little wining and dining before discussing business matters.

“There is something I want to discuss. And you’re right: Normally, some little puff-piece write-up for a gossip magazine isn’t something I would bother with. But I had a meeting earlier in the day that put me in somewhat of a difficult situation.”

“A ‘difficult situation’?” she asked, raising one of her thick, dark eyebrows.

“Yes,” I said. “I met with the hospital board earlier in the day, and they let me know that they were considering me for the chief cardiac surgeon position that had recently opened up.”

A small, impressed expression flashed on Alice’s face for the briefest of moments.

“Congrats,” she said, taking another sip of her wine.

“Thank you. But here’s the thing—One of the members of the board is a little old-fashioned, the type of man who doesn’t believe that a bachelor is the right person to be in a position of such authority and responsibility.”

She said nothing, her expression one of close consideration.

“So, he told me that until I decide to let a woman make an honest man out of me, the position’s going to be closed off.”

Alice’s eyebrows raised again, this time in an even more shocked expression.

“Can they do that?”

“There’s nothing on paper about it, of course, but when you’re the head of the board you can make calls of that sort. The official reason would be that the other candidate was found to be a better fit, but I’d know the true reason why.”

“Sounds rough,” she said. “Better get that OKCupid account set up.”

“No need,” I said. “Because I’m thinking I’ve found the perfect fiancée right here.”

It took a moment for just what I was implying to register. And once it did, Alice’s emerald-green eyes went as wide as it gets.

“Surely you’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.”

“I am,” I said. “Think about it: You need me for your article. And I’m more than willing to give you whatever you need to write a career-making piece. All access. And, in exchange, you have to play a little role for me.”

“That’s insane,” she said.

“Think about it,” I said. “It’s the perfect cover. You and I have history, so it won’t be a question of how you and I made this decision so quickly. And you can interview me in the meantime.”

“But…that means we’d have to, you know, actually get married!”

“Nope,” I said. “We can play the role for just as long as it takes for the board to make a decision. Shouldn’t be more than a month. Then, once I’m picked and settled into the position, we can go our separate ways. Then the board will know that I’m the type to be serious about getting married, and I’ll already have the job.”

Alice stared at me incredulously for a moment, her arms crossed again.

“Is this a joke?” she asked. “Tell me this is a joke.”

“I’m serious as it gets,” I said.

“I...” she started.

Then I could see the gears turning in her head. Just like I’d anticipated, she was dismissive at first, but once it dawned on her that she was going to get exactly what she needed out of this, she was warming up to the idea.

“You have to give me some time to think about this,” she said. “It’s insane, but it could work. You have to give me a few days, at least.”

I placed my hand on the shape of the small box in my pocket.

“No time for that,” I said. “Here—let me make the decision easier for you.”

Taking the box out of my pocket, I turned toward the rest of the restaurant.

“Everyone!” I said, my voice projecting across the din of the dining room floor. “Sorry to interrupt your dinners, but I’d like your attention for just a moment.”

The eyes of the nearby diners turned to Alice and me. I took the box out of my pocket, held it over the table, and popped it open.

Inside was a beautiful diamond ring, the facets of the stone catching the lights around us.

“Alice Holiday, you’ve made me the happiest man in New York City. And there’s nothing more I would love than to have the honor of spending the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

The restaurant was so still and quiet that I could hear Alice’s shocked breath from across the table. I formed a big smile on my face as I held the ring, my expression a total contrast to the look of shock on Alice’s features.

“What do you say, darling? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

Alice then opened her mouth, and gave her response.