Annihilate Me (Vol. 1) (The Annihilate Me Series) (24 page)

“That’s
not bad.”

“Shoot
him a text.”

I
started texting, and when I finished, I read it to Lisa.
 
“Alex, I need to partially
decline—I can’t afford a dress, shoes, and everything else for any sort
of event.
 
At least not yet, though
hopefully soon.
 
But I’d love to
meet you for a cocktail afterward.
 
Let me know.
 
I also enjoyed
tonight.
 
—Jennifer.”

“Not
bad,” Lisa said.

“I’m
about to hit ‘send.’
 
Anything
else?”

“He’s
waiting by his phone.
 
Let’s see
what he says.”

I
sent the message, and went to the freezer for ice to make my own martini.
 
I needed one.
 
I grabbed a glass from the cupboard,
made the drink, shook it with some ice, and poured it straight up to the
rim.
 
No olives.
 
I wanted the extra space for the
vodka.
 
“Whoever came up with the
martini is in the arms of heaven.”

“And
likely being cradled.”

As
I sipped, my cell buzzed.

“This
will be interesting,” Lisa said.

I
read the message to myself before reading it aloud to her.
 
“I understand.
 
If you’d like, I can have Blackwell pick
you up at 10 a.m.
 
This will be
fun.
 
I hope you say yes.
 
I already miss you.
 
XO—Alex.”

“He’s
throwing out a lifeline,” Lisa said.

“I
can’t have him buying things for me.
 
I’m not in his employ.
 
This
is verging on a relationship.
 
He
needs to take me as I am, or not take me at all.”

“Are
you serious?” she asked.

“I
am.”

“Oh,
please,” she said.
 
“Look.
 
Jennifer.
 
Sweetie.
 
Just listen to me for a moment, OK?
 
Grab my laptop for me.
 
I want to show you something I came upon
earlier.”

 
I gave it to her.

She
opened it, did some typing, and said, “Come here.
 
You need to see this.”

I
went around her and looked over her shoulder.
 
What I saw was a photograph of
Alex.
 
I couldn’t read much at this
distance because the text was so small, but I did see that the site was
Forbes
.

“I
did some research a few days ago.
 
You know, just to see who this guy was.
 
I Googled him.
 
This came up first.
 
I clicked on the article.
 
I got the full picture.
 
I assume after seeing the headline, you
also do.”

“I
can’t read all of the text.
 
It’s
too small from here.”

“He’s
worth about three billion dollars.
 
To be precise, just a shade under.
 
That’s the legacy he inherited when his parents died.
 
But props to him because it says here
that since their deaths when he took control of Wenn, he’s managed to lift his
net worth by a half billion.
 
I wouldn’t
worry about him having Blackwell buy you a dress.
 
Or a pretty necklace.
 
It seriously means nothing to him.”

“It
doesn’t matter,” I said.
 
“I feel
uncomfortable having him do that for me.
 
We can meet for drinks later.
 
That should be fine.”

“Really?
 
And how long do you think that will
last?
 
Because I have to tell you,
Jennifer, that if, at some point, you really do become serious about this guy,
you’re going to have to let some of your stubborn Maine pride go.
 
He’s high profile.
 
That’s what you’re getting into.
 
If you become his girlfriend, which is
about to happen as far as I’m concerned, this is a natural extension of what
that role means.
 
If you’re not comfortable
with that, cut loose now, because there will be more ‘dates’ like this in the
future.
 
And I really think he means
dating
in the traditional sense.
 
He wants to be with you.
 
Hell, he’s trying to find every way he
can to be with you.
 
If you want to
explore a relationship with him, then you’re going to need to meet him
halfway.”

I
took a breath and looked down at my cell.
 
I already miss you
was on the screen.
 
And I already miss you
, I thought.
 
I
looked at Lisa.
 
“You know this
isn’t easy for people like us.”

“I
get it.
 
But I also know that you’re
going to have to bend a bit.”

“All
right.”
 
I typed out a text.
 
“Here’s what I wrote.
 
‘Sounds good.
 
I’ll see her at ten.
 
And I can’t wait to see you.
 
—Jennifer’”

“That
sounds perfect.”

“When
we meet tomorrow night—”

“You
sure as hell don’t say, ‘I’ll return everything tomorrow.’
 
You say, ‘Thank you for the dress,
Alex.
 
I love it.’
 
And then you plant a kiss on his
lips.
 
You make him feel happy and
you get on with the night.
 
And,
please, enjoy the night.
 
Have fun
with him.
 
You work the rest of the
week, so you might not be able to see each other again until you have a day
off.
 
Make the most of tomorrow.”

My
cell buzzed.
 
I looked down at his
text.
 
“I know that wasn’t easy for
you, Jennifer, but I’m happy that you agreed.
 
Just remember that you’re taking me out
to dinner soon and I have a big appetite.
 
So we’re even.
 
See you at
eight.
 
Blackwell will fill you in
on everything tomorrow.
 
XO—Alex.”

When
I read it to Lisa, she held up her hand.
 
“Wait a minute.
 
He’s going
to take some of my food time?”

“We
all need to bend a bit....”

“I’m
only joking.
 
And I actually love
what he just wrote.
 
He gets
it.
 
And he’s being sensitive about
the situation.
 
You can’t ask for
better than that.
 
You are giving to
him what you can, and he’s giving to you what he can.
 
It truly is equal.”
 
She reached for her martini and held it
up toward me.
 
“Cheers,
Jennifer.
 
Now, go and get your
beauty sleep.
 
The darkness that is
Blackwell arrives at ten.”

CHAPTER TWEN
TY-EIGHT

And
Blackwell did arrive at ten.
 
Exactly at ten.
 
The buzzer rang,
Lisa gave me a peck on the cheek, and out the door I went, wondering exactly
how this would go down after our last meeting.

Walking
into the stairwell was like walking into a wall of moisture after being in the
coolness of the apartment.
 
But I
had anticipated the heat and the humidity, and had worn my hair in a simple,
chic ponytail that hung down my back.
 
I wore a pair of white Melissa Pants by Akris, and a light-blue
sleeveless silk degradé blouse also by Akris.
 
I scored them all at Century 21 during
my buying spree after I landed the job at db Bistro, and I got them at a
fraction of what I would have paid elsewhere.
 
A pair of nude Jimmy Choo Crown Peep-Toe
platform pumps, also purchased during the spree, completed the look.

When
I opened the door, Blackwell was standing just beyond it in a light, elegant
suit perfect for the day’s weather.
 
She immediately assessed what I was wearing.
 
“Very pretty, Jennifer.
 
Love the shoes, love the hair, love the
pants.”

“What
about the blouse?” I asked with a smile.

“Love
it.”

“Thank
you.”

“I’m
happy to see you again.”

“I’m
sorry I was difficult last time.”

“There’s
no need to apologize.
 
Alex and I
have talked over the past week, and I think I have a clearer idea of what
happened that night.
 
I’m glad you
gave him a second chance.
 
That
probably wasn’t easy to do given what happened.”

I
wasn’t going to share anything personal with her, so I didn’t engage her.
  

She
motioned to the limousine behind her.
 
“Shall we?
 
I skipped the
donuts this time, but I did buy us each a coffee at Starbucks.
 
They might have a bit of espresso in
them.
 
OK, they probably have a
lot.”

“I
have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

“My
thoughts exactly.”

We
started to walk to the car.
 
The
driver got out, and held open the rear door for us.

“Alex
said that you’d fill me in on where we’re going tonight.”

“Big
event at the Museum of Natural History.
 
And it’s a fun event, which is why he wanted you to come.
 
Have you ever been there before?”

“I
haven’t.”

“You’ll
love it.
 
Dramatic doesn’t even
begin to explain what you’ll see tonight.
 
The lighting alone.
 
God!
 
Not to mention the
whale in Milstein Hall, which is where you’ll have dinner with about five
hundred other lucky people.
 
The
food is always very good there.
 
And
the cocktails define decadence.”

We
slipped inside the car, the driver closed the door, and we were off.

“What’s
the event for?”

Blackwell
handed me my coffee.
 
“It’s their
annual fundraising gala.
 
Be
prepared for the people you’ll see.
 
It won’t just be society, though they’ll be lurking around with their
tight faces.
 
What makes it such a
fun night is that it’s a big draw for celebrities.
 
You’ll see everyone who’s in town
tonight, and a few who will fly in for the occasion.
 
It’s black tie, but it’s a looser
mix.
 
Everyone knows everyone.”

“Except
me.”

“Doesn’t
matter.
 
By the end of the night,
everyone will know who you are.
 
Shall we try Bergdorf again?
 
Good.
 
Then Van Cleef?
 
I’m thinking vintage.
 
I’m thinking twenties.
 
I’m thinking
Gatsby
.
 
Then we give
ourselves over to Bernie.
 
I bribed
him again, but it was easier this time.
 
He loved working with you before.
 
He thinks you’re a natural beauty, and Bernie doesn’t compliment just
anyone.
 
Believe me.
 
We’ll get ready at Wenn, just like last
time.
 
Then you can meet Alex on his
floor.
 
Sound good?”

Sounds overwhelming.
 

“Sounds
perfect,” I said.

“Then
let’s do this.
 
You’ve got one
romantic night ahead of you.”
 

“Won’t
Alex be working tonight?”

She
sipped her coffee and looked at me over the rim.
 
“Not tonight.
 
He made that very clear to me.
 
Tonight, it’s all about spending time
with you.”

*
 
*
 
*

At
Bergdorf, Blackwell went on a bender, and she wasn’t messing around.
 
When we arrived, a striking woman around
Blackwell’s age met us at the door with an extendend hand, which I shook.