Chapter Four
“Second times the charm, eh?”
I flashed the PA an uneasy smile as I rounded the counter where refreshments were laid out for the group. The last time we’d been in the same room, creating content, it ended with my client going nuclear. This time, I was the client.
Since Rich was officially someone else’s problem, we were already off to a better start than last go round.
“Fingers crossed!” I offered her two of the flutes that lined the granite, filled with orange juice and champagne. There wasn’t much cause for celebration since Corbin had essentially forced my hand, but every little bit helped.
She accepted them both with an enthusiastic smile. “Thanks!” She cocked her head towards the living room, where the cameraman was setting up lights. “We should be ready to go in 15.”
I flashed her a thumbs up and swiped a flute for Megan, then made my way to the dining room where she’d turned our dining room table into her very own makeup trailer. She was surrounded by tiny canisters, brushes of every size, curling irons and a magnifying mirror. She’d offered to do the honors for me, but the last thing I wanted was a big production. The whole point of today was a low key, down home, relatable affair. We were just two besties discussing our love life—or more specifically, Corbin Wolfe. Missy had frowned at the idea of just doing a blog interview and I agreed. A more personal touch was needed. It would be easy to dismiss words on a computer screen. If they saw my face, heard my voice, my story would pack a bigger punch. It was my idea to bring Megan in, and have us just talk about things versus answering questions in an interview format. I wanted them to see I was just a woman, who’d fallen in and out of love with a guy, just like everybody else. And as gorgeous as Megan looked—hair perfectly tousled, eyes popping, lips bold—I wanted the world to see me. Leila. And unless I was headed to a function, a face full of makeup and a commercial worthy hairstyle just wasn’t me.
Megan paused her contouring when she spotted the mimosa. “Bring on the booze!” She carefully tilted her head back and poured the liquid into her mouth, avoiding her lips. She downed it in record time, taking me back to college adventures filled with keggers, dodging frat boys, and recovering over pancakes and eggs at Denny’s.
She put aside her empty glass, scoring me with a not-so-subtle once over. “That’s what you’re wearing?”
I glanced down at my body, gesturing at my white and black AC/DC t-shirt, high waisted jeans and Chucks. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“You look like it’s laundry day.”
“This isn’t a fashion vlog, Megan,” I said with an eye roll. “And this is supposed to be a low key thing, remember?”
She framed her face and fluttered her eyelashes. “I almost did a smoky eye thing and I passed because you were giving me crap. Nude lip-” She hopped to her feet so I could get a good look. “And I’m rocking jeans and a t-shirt myself.”
I arched an eyebrow. “No, I’m rocking jeans and a t-shirt. You look like you’re headed to Fashion Week.” She’d knotted her black tee, accentuating her waist while flashing a peek at her midriff. Her jeans fit like a second skin, and the cherry on top was her ankle boots.
“I’m not in teacher mode today, I can’t help it,” she explained with a peevish smile. She got that look in her eye, itching to give me a Megan-helmed makeover. “Just let me tweak a couple of things!”
I’d dodged her as long as I could. I surrendered, giving her a weary nod. “Fine.”
She was a whirlwind of motion, starting by cuffing my oversized sleeves. She gripped the excess material at the hem and knotted it in the back, showcasing my waist and the high waist style of my jeans. She guided me back to the chair in front of the mirror and before I even opened my mouth, she assured me I was in safe hands.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going rogue.” She held up a tube of mascara and pointed at the lip gloss. “Just these two. That’s it.”
I still watched her like a hawk. “15 minutes ’til showtime.”
She tilted my chin towards her, eyes narrowing as she carefully approached me with the mascara. “I’m ready...are you?”
I almost frowned, but I didn’t want her to take my eye out. “Of course I am.” My nostrils were doing that glaring thing, but I was hoping she was too busy working her magic to notice. “This is supposed to be the least stressful course of action. At home, mimosas in hand, I tell my story, then we’re done with this whole awkward triangle, miscarriage nonsense.”
She stepped back, but she wasn’t staring at me like a makeup artist making sure their client was ready for their closeup. She looked past my defenses. Friend to friend. “The cameras aren’t rolling yet, Lay. You don’t have to put on a brave face for me.”
I certainly didn’t need her to point out the obvious, but I could tell she was on a roll, and determined to make me admit I was nervous. Anything but ready.
“I mean, before the concert, you couldn’t even speak his name.”
I stared straight ahead. “Maybe I should have asked someone else to do this.”
She held up both hands. “No need to get defensive! I said yes because you’re my best friend and you asked for my help.”
“And this is helpful?” I snapped, my cheeks flushing to the point that she didn’t even bother to sneak a little blush into the mix. “Are you trying to provoke me? Get a reaction so I start crying and shouting and cussing?” I couldn’t believe we were having this convo in the first place. The whole point of this was to minimize the role Corbin Wolfe played in my life, not read pages of my diary. Rip open old wounds that would only fan the flames of those who pledged their allegiance to #teamcorbin.
“No,” she shook her head fervently. “I’m not trying to make this into anything it isn’t. But if you think this will end when we grin into the camera and you simply say ‘he’s old news and there was no miscarriage!’ then we fade to black, you’re in for a surprise.” She leaned against the edge of the table, crossing her arms as she squared off with me. “I know you love Jacob. I know he’s the one. You’re not here to convert the believers. This dude opened the door, telling his warped, half ass version of events. And if you tell yours like you’re reading off some teleprompter, you’re just gonna fuel the rumors. They need to hear the truth. You’ve gotta be raw and vulnerable-”
“I’m well aware that I have to be real.” I interjected, trying to keep my voice steady and calm. “But if you’re expecting me to cry a river when the greatest gift he could have given me was to break my heart, you’re gonna be disappointed.”
She looked like she had a few more choice words to share, but she shrugged her shoulders, letting out a resigned sigh. “Okay.”
She reached for the lip gloss, but I beat her to the punch, slathering it on with angry, jerky movements that further proved that I wasn’t quite as ready as I thought I was. “I’m good to go.”
“Riiight.” She almost downed my mimosa, but she froze before she tilted it back. She handed it to me. “I think you need this more than I do.”
*
AS SOON AS THE PA HIT the number 1, signaling that we were rolling, I sat up ramrod straight and yanked the sides of my mouth upwards until I hit my hairline.
“Hey ya’ll!” I cringed as soon as the twangy greeting fell from my lips. “Cut!”
Megan was poised on the couch beside me, fighting to hold back her laugh. “I thought it was endearing.”
I stuck my tongue out at her. “My grandma would be proud that I haven’t forgotten my roots, but...no.” I tucked my hair behind my ears and tried again. “Good morning!”
“Technically, this will be going live in the afternoon,” Megan reminded me. Unhelpfully.
I didn’t drop my smile, but it definitely looked more like a grimace. “Thanks. How about you keep the snark to a minimum?”
She gave me a tiny salute.
I slid to the edge of the couch and rolled my shoulders back. Stretched my neck and inhaled. Exhaled. I’d been on the other side of this countless times. The one on the sidelines, coaching the client. Missy had offered to do the honors, guiding me to a picture perfect video response to Corbin’s interview, but I knew her presence would ensure that I was a nervous mess.
Apparently, that was an avoidable thing because we were on take God-knows-how-many and I hadn’t gotten past the hello. I was trying to come off as normal and relatable and instead, it just felt like I was trying too hard. This whole thing was supposed to be natural and unscripted and suddenly, I was wondering whose bright idea that was.
That’d be yours truly. Turns out there’s no easy way to call someone a liar on camera without feeling uncomfortable. Even if that someone is Corbin Wolfe.
I swiped my mimosa and slouched into the couch. “Why can’t I just say it? Figure out a way to take the audience back with me to tell our story without coming off fake or bitter?” I pivoted to Megan, gesturing at my smile-less face. “I don’t wanna grin like an evening news anchor that’s cheesing as she shares gloom and doom. There’s nothing to smile about. I cared about Corbin once. I was foolish enough to believe that he cared about me. I convinced myself that I was being some jealous, insecure girlfriend. I made excuses for him. But the fact is, I can’t remember a single date we went on where he didn’t find someone else to flirt with.” I shook my head with disgust. “The first time he did it, I should have told him off. Let him know that it wasn’t okay, period. But I buried it. Like I was lucky that a guy like him would give a girl like me a chance. It was bullshit,” I snarled. Megan’s expression, taut with anger by proxy, just encouraged me to keep going. To let it all out. “And by the time I finally came to my senses, I missed my period. Waiting for those results-” My words caught in my throat and I closed my eyes. I couldn’t erase the images that played on the back of my eyelids. Me sitting on that toilet, alone and scared shitless. “I wasn’t pregnant. It was negative. And I was relieved because finally, I could be selfish. He’d taught me well. I didn’t have to stay in an unhealthy relationship with a guy who needed to be needed by everyone else but the woman he claimed to love.” I opened my eyes, finding the carafe that held the rest of the mimosa goodness. I hopped to my feet, on a mission. I didn’t even bother pouring it in a glass. I just threw it back. “So, imagine my surprise when a guy who couldn’t even drive me to the pharmacy is telling the world that he lost something precious that day. He spoke of a lost baby. A fictional lost baby,” I added with a scoff. “And after all this time, he still doesn’t get it. He lost something that day, but it wasn’t a tiny human. He lost me.” I leaned against the counter, finding Megan’s gaze. Intent. Listening.
I was already on a roll, so I just kept going. “Corbin hurt me. But I don’t regret a single moment. Because all that pain and loneliness made me stronger. And when I crossed paths with my husband, I was strong enough to know real love when I saw it. When I felt it.”
Tears coursed down my cheeks, but I didn’t catch them or wipe them away. I felt lighter. I felt ready to sit back down and tell my story.
I held up what was left of the booze. “Anyone want a drink before we do this thing?”
All eyes fell on me, the cameraman and PA exchanging a look.
The PA gave me a sly smile. “Actually.” Her teeth gleamed like she had a secret and she exchanged a look with the cameraman. “We’ve found that the best kind of magic happens when you least expect it. So we kept rolling-”
“What?!” I almost dropped the carafe, but Megan rushed over to me, easing it out of my grip. “Well, clearly you need to delete that so we can start over. I can be a little less emotional-”
“I think that’s a terrible idea,” Megan cut in. She breezed over to me and planted both hands on my shoulders. “What just happened, how you opened up—that’s what people need to see.”
I bit my lip, shooting daggers at the conspirators. “I don’t know.”
“You’re the professional here,” Megan said softly. “Can you honestly tell me that you think people will respond to some stylized, manicured video where you say all the right things and your voice doesn’t split in two as you talk about a guy who broke your heart? How you put yourself back together so you could find true love with Jacob?”
I crossed my arms defiantly, avoiding her gaze. Trying to not admit that she had a point. If I was my publicist, I’d be pushing myself to get something real. Something raw. Something a little ugly, because that’s what viewers really wanted to see. It was easy to root for the fairytale, but the fact was, everyone could relate to heartbreak. That’s what would resonate and take this beyond ‘he said, she said’.
The perfectionist in me wanted to watch the footage. I chose to listen to my heart, letting out a resigned sigh.
“I guess it’s a wrap.”
*
“LEILA, HAS CORBIN APOLOGIZED for his misleading interview?”
I ignored the question, looping my arm through Jacob’s. Before my video went live, I would have been on edge in any situation that involved my husband and paparazzi being within choking range, but I didn’t have to talk him down from the ledge.
“Jacob, are you taking your wife out to celebrate Corbin’s plunge from grace?”
He didn’t spare a word for any of them, but I didn’t miss the twitch of his lips. The slightest show of joy at the thought of Corbin taking a plunge. I didn’t even have to call him a liar, because after my video went viral, Corbin did the honors himself. He apologized, claiming that he saw a pregnancy test in the trash and misinterpreted the results. Naturally, the internet didn’t respond well. I didn’t rejoice in the fact that the very hashtags that lifted him up morphed into ridicules that tore him down. Tonight wasn’t about doing a victory lap or smiling smugly into the camera. Tonight was about me and Jacob.
I tightened my grip on my clutch, a flash of excitement coursing through me.
Well, you, Jacob, and a little surprise.
The moment we walked through the door, our hostess greeted us with a smile, beaming ear to ear.
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore! I’m Ashley, and I’m here to make sure you have an incredible evening.” She flipped her mahogany hair, her eyes darting back and forth between both of us with an excitement that was contagious. “If you need anything at all, we are attached at the pager.” She wielded a tiny black remote with a single button. “Our best server, Charmaine, will be taking care of you guys, but if you need anything at all...” She handed it to me and guided us to the back, where a small terrace with a view of the water greeted us. We had enough privacy that it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.
Jacob pulled out all the stops, holding my chair out for me before he took the one at my side. Charmaine poured our wine and left us with a menu, specially curated for us. Jacob’s eyes were on the offerings, which gave me time to discreetly pop open my clutch. There was another slender remote in my possession, but this one had a different function.
I reached for him, stroking his knee. His blue eyes lifted from the menu to meet mine, the pools swirling with interest.
“I was gonna wait until after dessert...” I reached into my clutch and pulled out part one of the surprise. It was the size of a lipstick tube. Discreet. Almost discreet as part two of the surprise.
Jacob stared at the tube in his palm. He inspected it, noting the buttons. “Interesting.”
I couldn’t sit still—and I hadn’t got to the best part yet. “The power button.” I wrapped my fingers around my husband’s, guiding him to the button on the tip. Thinking about a different tip that I hoped to be exploring after dinner.
He palmed the device, desire curving his lips. “What am I powering, little sub?”
I could have just told him that I was wearing a special pair of panties, that included a special bullet vibrator that was directly in line with my pleasure knot, but showing him was way more for fun.
I picked a free flowing number for the occasion. A maxi dress that matched the lacy underwear...and our new toy. I dropped my hold on the hem, going back to being respectable since I had no idea when Charmaine would be returning for to take our order. From the look on his face and the humming between my thighs (and he hadn’t even turned the thing on), we were both hungry for something that wouldn’t be found on the menu.
He lowered the remote to his lap, reaching for his glass of wine. Bedroom eyes cut at me, promising pleasure and pain that made me shift in my seat. A cool breeze flitted across my skin, but it was no match for the heat in his gaze.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s the occasion?”
I had a sexy response in mind, but it was no match for the nerves that wrapped their fingers around my throat, forcing me to take a drink if I didn’t want to sound like the Crypt Keeper. “I, uh...” I took a second gulp and put the glass down, finding the eyes that undid me every time. “The occasion? The occasion is us. With everything going on with Corbin and the press, I’ve been reminded just how little control I have. I can’t make him exit my life. I can’t make him keep me and our past out of his mouth. I can’t make the press understand that there’s one door that I’d rather not open.” I ran my thumb along the base of my wine glass, thinking about going in circles with the blogs and reporters who were still asking questions that were irrelevant. Questions like whether I’d ever forgive Corbin. If I ever wondered what my life would have been like if the pregnancy test was positive. “This whole mess has made me realize that I ultimately have no control. And that’s something that drives me crazy. And...” I glanced up and immediately fell into his eyes. “You ground me, Jacob. No matter what happens or how maddening things get, you are my center. My gravity. And when I feel like I have nothing to hold onto and I’m free falling, I cling to one thing: I trust that you’ll catch me.”
He leaned over, cupping my cheek as his lips hovered above mine. “Always.”
I was already swooning, my heart fluttering to my throat when his lips consumed me. Teased me, caressing every square inch like I was what he wanted to feast on.
And then I felt it.
Vibrations started at the heart of me, pulling me from the happily ever after haze and planting me firmly in my chair.
Mouth spread open as pleasure rocked through me.
I leaned into him, clutching his thigh, feeling like the rattle was rippling through me and coursing through him too. Rethinking my whole game plan because I was one flick away from letting out a not-so-discreet moan. A moan I wouldn’t be able to blame on wine because my glass was empty and there wasn’t a bite of food in sight.
“I-I guess you don’t n-need the manual.”
His lips curled into a full-on smile that jolted through me with the same intensity as the toy. “I think I know which buttons to push.”
And just to drill home the point, he found the dial I hadn’t even told him about, ratcheting up the speed. I let out a groan that set the air on fire as he reclaimed my mouth.
Tasting my desire as I struggled not to come.
Riding the bliss as long as humanely possible.
When he stroked my nipples, finding me swollen with those powerful fingers of his, I knew it would be easier said than done.
“Ahem.”
I’d almost forgotten about Charmaine. Heck, I’d almost forgotten we were at a restaurant at all.
Jacob pulled away long enough to give her our order. “We’ll take one of everything.”
I was literally shaking from head to toe, dangerously close to bursting into laughter and climaxing at the same time.
“I-I’m sorry, I’m not here to take your order. I was sent to inform you that there’s a...a bit of a disturbance. But we’re handling it,” she added quickly.
The world stopped shaking as Jacob killed the power.
Jacob’s eyes locked on mine and we had a silent conversation. The server was being as vague as possible, but we knew exactly what was going down.
The ‘who’ behind the disturbance.
This had ‘Corbin Wolfe’ written all over it.
Jacob looked ready to bust some heads, sliding his chair back from the table with a screech that made my head hurt.
I gripped his hand, turning to Charmaine. Her doe eyes were wide and filled with terror. Unfortunately, she was the bearer of bad news. “Can you just tell us what’s going on?”
She shifted her weight, glancing in Jacob’s direction before she returned to me. Safer territory. “Uh, um...maybe I should get Ashley-”
“Just tell us what’s going on,” Jacob commanded, his patience bottoming out.
I gave him a wary look, stroking his hand despite the fact that I could feel the fury coming off him in scorching waves. Whatever was happening, it would only get worse if he got upset.
We didn’t have to let Corbin get a rise out of us. We could keep our cool.
After I was sure Jacob wouldn’t chew her up and spit her out because she was the next best thing, I gave Charmaine a nod. “It’s okay. Go ahead.”
Charmaine gulped, collecting herself before she laid it on us. “Corbin Wolfe is outside the restaurant. He says the only way he’ll leave is if the cops arrest him or he talks to you.” She inhaled slowly and exhaled the kicker, her eyes centering on me. “He wants to talk to you alone.”
~
Thank you for taking the time to read The Billionaire’s Secret! Please consider leaving a review. xoxo, AC