Chapter 8

Linny – 8 weeks later

I repeat back what Harmony just said to me. There’s no way I heard her correctly. “Kendra is pregnant, and she thinks it happened on their wedding night?”

“Why are you acting like this is the first you’ve heard of it?”

I lock eyes with her across the table. “Because it is. When did you find out?”

She drops her gaze to her lap. “Two days ago. She called Priscilla right before she called me. I’m sorry, Linny. I thought you knew.”

I don’t know why I’m surprised that Kendra didn’t reach out to share her good news with me.

I’ve been the odd woman out for years. The three of them have a lot in common. It was evident the day Kendra walked down the aisle five weeks ago in Atlanta.

Harmony’s son was the ring bearer, and Priscilla’s daughters were the flower girls. They spent hours with Kendra after the mid-day rehearsal the day before the ceremony. I spent that time alone in my hotel room answering work emails.

I went to Atlanta solo because I couldn’t bear the thought of asking any of the men I know to accompany me on a weekend trip.

Any man other than West, that is.

It’s been almost two months since I was in his hotel suite in Vegas, but I admit that he’s invaded my thoughts on a regular basis.

Often, it’s at night when I’m in bed.

My mind wanders to the memory of the sound of his voice, and how his hands felt on my body.

After we had sex, he got up to dispose of the condom in the washroom. When he came back to bed, he held me tightly whispering gentle words about how he was going to lick my pussy until I couldn’t take it anymore before he fucked me again.

We both drifted off to sleep before that could happen. When I woke up the next morning, I realized that I needed to be at the airport less than two hours later for my flight to New York, so I got dressed and raced out of his room without waking him.

I spent the bulk of the flight ignoring questions from Harmony and Priscilla about where I’d been all night.

I didn’t tell them, or anyone else that I was with a gorgeous stranger.

“Don’t be upset,” Harmony says as she pierces her fork into a piece of one of the blueberry pancakes on her plate. “Kendra had a field trip the day she called to tell me about the baby. She probably didn’t have time to make three calls. ”

I smile across the table at her when I see the concern in her eyes. Harmony has always been the peacemaker of our group. She took on the job of keeping everyone in our friendship foursome happy even though no one asked her to.

“I’m not upset,” I say honestly. “I’m excited for Kendra. I know she’s eager to be a mom.”

“She’s already talking about setting up a nursery.” She heaves a sigh. “I told her to wait until she hits her second trimester, but she’s out looking at cribs with Danny today.”

I glance at my phone when it chimes with a new text message. Before I can pick it up, Harmony’s hand is on mine. “It’s work, isn’t it?”

I read the brief message from my dad. “I have a lot on my plate.”

“It’s Saturday,” she points out with a wave of the fork in her hand in my direction. “The only thing on your plate is one poached egg, a piece of bacon and a half-eaten piece of toast.”

I look down at the breakfast special I ordered but barely touched. “I have to go into the office today.”

Harmony’s gaze darts around the interior of the diner we’re in. When she called me last night to tell me she’d be in the city today, I told her to meet me for brunch at Crispy Biscuit. It’s a favorite of mine. I come here every Saturday morning. “That’s bullshit.”

“It’s my life.” I sigh.

“That’s why you’re dressed like that?”

I give the black pants and white blouse I’m wearing a once-over. Harmony opted for a more relaxed look. She’s wearing jeans and a lightweight pink sweater.

“What’s wrong with how I’m dressed?” I smile.

“It’s not exactly hot man bait.” She rolls her eyes. “Speaking of hot men…are you seeing anyone? Or fucking anyone? Are you doing anything with any good-looking men?”

I rub my hand over my mouth to hide the wide grin on my lips. “I’m busy with work.”
“I take that to mean you haven’t seen a cock in a while.” Her brows perk. “Maybe since Vegas? I know you hooked up with that hot-as-hell stripper.”

“I didn’t.” I look her straight in the eye. “Nothing happened between us.”

She studies my face. “You came back to the room with your tank top inside out, so if you didn’t do the stripper, you picked up a random.”

I shrug off her words. “I prefer to live in the present.”

“Fine,” she huffs. “Presently your pussy is lonely.”

I glance around the diner, trying to contain my laugh. “I want to come back here for brunch next week so let’s change the subject before they toss us out.”

That lures a smile to her lips. “You could use some action.”

“As much as I’d like to talk about my sex life all day, I have just enough time to hear about what’s happening in your life.” I tap the face of my watch. “Give it to me in thirty seconds or less.”

“Thirty seconds or less?” She tosses my words back with a lift of her brow. ”Things are good at work. They’re perfect at home. I’m living my dream.”

I push back from the table, fishing in my purse for my wallet. “Today is my treat, right? You picked up the tab last time?”

Last time was the week before Kendra’s wedding when Harmony and I went to lunch before we tackled shopping for a joint wedding gift.

She nods. “Tell David that I think he should cut you a break and give you a weekend off.”

I toss some money on the table before I shoulder my bag. “I’ll tell my dad you said hi and that you miss him.”

“That’s not quite the same, but fine,” she says with a smile. “I do miss him. He was the biggest fan of our volleyball team during senior year.”

He was. My dad never missed a game. He cheered Harmony and I on with everything he had. It meant a lot to her since her dad died before her tenth birthday.

I lean down to give her a hug. “Text me this week if anything exciting happens.”

She pats my back. “Promise me you won’t work too hard.”

I can’t promise that. I need to work as hard as I can if I’m going to take over as CEO of Faye & Sons once my dad retires next year.

I have a lot to prove to him, and I’ll take advantage of every opportunity I can to show him that I’m the woman for the job.

***

“Why is she here?” My stepbrother, Mitchell, looks across the conference table at my dad as I walk in. “Isn’t she knee deep in the campaign for that Walters woman?”

“Ivy Marlow-Walker?” I smile at my dad just as he’s about to open his mouth to respond. “She owns a multi-million dollar jewelry design business, Mitchell. She’s an important client. Actually, every client we have is important which is why I make it a point to research all of them, even if I’m not working directly with them.”

My dad beams at my words, his green eyes lighting up.

“Whatever, Linny.” Mitchell skims his hand over his short blond hair. “We aren’t here to talk about rings and bracelets.”

We’re here on a Saturday to discuss a new major client who reached out to our firm last week.

“I asked Linny to join us.” My dad stands as I approach him. “I want all hands on deck on this one.”

Mitchell rolls his blue eyes.

I’m used to it. I’m used to everything about him since we met ten years ago when my dad started dating his mom.

Back then, Mitchell was a lost twenty-year-old. He had a high school diploma and no direction. My dad’s influence was enough to persuade Mitchell to go to college to study advertising.

I focused on a marketing degree and ever since we’ve been in a silent battle to earn a seat behind the desk in my dad’s office once he celebrates his sixty-fifth birthday next year and jets off to retirement in Florida with my stepmom, Diane.

My dad takes me into his arms for a quick hug. “Thanks for coming, sweetheart.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Dad.” I drop my purse on the table and settle into one of the chairs.

“Me either, Dad,” Mitchell drawls. He conveniently refers to my dad that way only when it benefits him. The rest of the time he calls him Dave.

“Alright, team. Let’s get to work,” my dad says, taking the seat at the head of the table.

We’re far from a team, but I’ll play nice if it’s good for the company since I know that one day soon, Mitchell Bilton will be answering to me and me alone.