Annihilate Me (Vol. 1) (The Annihilate Me Series) (26 page)

“Are
you serious?
 
Those will only add
bulk.
 
You’ve got a pound of greens
there—you’re fine as you are.
 
You should be happy I’m letting you eat, period.
 
Just enjoy what you have and lie in
wait.
 
The effects will hit by the
time we get back to Wenn.
 
You’ll
see.
 
I don’t want to be anywhere
near you when it happens, but it’ll happen.
 
Just tell me when you need to use the
restroom, I’ll point you in the general direction, and then I’ll seal myself in
my office.
 
You’ll lose a good pound.”

“But
Alex likes my ass,” I said to her with a smile.

She
rolled her eyes at me.
 
“Oh,
Maine.
 
You’ll never lose it
there.
 
Obviously.
 
Let’s eat.”

*
 
*
 
*

Later
that night, the shopping and salads behind us, I indeed felt a gastrointestinal
rumbling and ran to the restroom.
 
How did Blackwell know these secrets?
 
When it was all said and done, my abs
felt flatter than they had in months.
 
Bonus!

When
I returned to her office, she swept me with a glance.
 
“See?’ she said.
 
“Look at you.
 
Flat.”

“How
do you know all this?”

“I
just do.”

“But
how?”

“When
Alex’s mother was alive, we were great friends, which is probably why Alex
views me as family.
 
I always was
around, fussing over him because I knew that Constance was distracted.
 
Anyway, we did everything together,
including every fad diet going.
 
The
one thing that always worked for us was the greens.
 
We’d do a cleanse once a month, and drop
five pounds.
 
It just works.”

“What
was his mother like?”

“That’s
a loaded question.”

“Why?”

“Because
Constance was Constance.
 
She was
difficult.
 
Naturally, I loved her
for it.
 
We mixed perfectly.
 
Many also consider me
difficult—though I have
no
idea
why—so it’s no wonder we were fast friends.
 
To others, she was a complete snob.
 
Even Alex thought so.
 
He loved his mother, but he didn’t like
her very much.
 
He had issues with
her.
 
Still does, I think.
 
But to me, she was just a
perfectionist.
 
What Alex never
understood is that she was in the public eye and had a lot to live up to.
 
Because of the position she assumed in
this city, she underwent massive scrutiny.
 
There was no room for error or failure.
 
In the beginning, the press was
relentless with her.
 
Truly awful,
especially because she was so young when her husband became so successful.
 
She didn’t have anyone to lean on or to
show her how to do things properly.
 
As a result, she made mistakes.
 
It was tough on her, but she learned from them.
 
Did she become bitter because of the
criticism?
 
Probably.
 
Who wouldn’t?
 
Did she pass that bitterness down to
Alex?
 
I think so.
 
They never were close.
 
Constance always was thinking about her
next party, not about what was best for Alex.
 
Sometimes, I think he was their only
child for a reason.
 
Constance
didn’t want more children.
 
She had
too much to manage as it was and as far as she was concerned, he was it.”

“That
must have been difficult for Alex.
 
He must have sensed it.”

“Of
course he did.”

“In
my own way, I know how that feels.”

“But
you’re here, aren’t you?
 
You made
the decision to leave Maine and come to Manhattan for a reason.
 
Your past is your past, and what I sense
in you, Jennifer, is that yours was an unpleasant past.
 
Remember this.
 
Whatever happened to you then should
remain in your past, but it also should inform your present and your future.
 
Never forget that.”

“I
would think that having a mother like Alex’s would make someone mistrust
women.”

“Initially,
I think that was true for Alex.
 
He
didn’t date much in high school or college.
 
I don’t remember any girlfriends.
 
But when he met Diana, everything
changed.
 
They had a wonderful
marriage.
 
I was happy for him
because I could see how happy
he
was.
 
And then,
just like that, she was gone.
 
He
told you about her death, didn’t he?”

“He
did.”

“He’s
been single ever since.
 
Losing her
crushed him.
 
It’s been four years,
and I know for a fact, that since then, he has seen no one.
 
It’s been all about work for him.
 
He’s here seven days a week.
 
Always works late.
 
I think he’s been running from Diana’s
death since it happened.
 
And then
you walked into his life.
 
You may
have begun with a business arrangement with him, but he never saw you
coming.
 
He told me what happened
that night.
 
What he did was
immature and idiotic—I told him so.
 
I chastised him.
 
Then he
told me that he was unprepared for you.
 
He said you found Cyrus good looking.
 
Alex is only human.
 
He got jealous and frankly, he acted
like an asshole.”

“Why
are you telling me all this?”

“Because
you keep asking questions.”

“But
you don’t need to answer them.”

She
leaned back in her chair.
 
“I want
to see him happy again.
 
I want that
spark to come back in his eyes.
 
And
it’s starting to return because of you.
 
Earlier, when I thanked you for giving him a second chance, I meant
it.
 
Not just anyone would have
given back those jewels, Jennifer.
 
You know they were yours to keep.
 
You know you could have sold them.
 
Giving them back to him told me everything I needed to know about
you.
 
I’m quietly encouraging
this.
 
Whether it works out or not
is between you two.”

She
looked at her watch.
 
“You should
get changed.
 
Bernie will be here in
ten minutes, and he’s never late.
 
How do you want to wear your hair tonight?”

“I
want to wear it down.”

“With
that dress?
 
Why?”

“Because
that’s how Alex likes it,” I said.

*
 
*
 
*

An
hour later, when Bernie stepped away from me and glanced at Blackwell, I
noticed that she returned her approval with a smile.

“Can
I see?” I asked.

“There’s
the mirror,” Blackwell said.
 
“Have
a look.”

I
stood in front of it and couldn’t still a rush.
 
The dress was slimming and
stunning.
 
Even in this dim light,
the crystals were alive and glinting from my breasts to the bottom of the dress
in intricate patterns that evoked the twenties.
 
Bernie had flat ironed my hair, and it
moved along with the dress, the material of which was so delicate, it wafted in
the air when I turned.

“How
do you feel?” Blackwell asked.

“Like
I’m looking at someone else.
 
The
earrings and the bracelet are so pretty.
 
Just perfect.
 
I love what
you did with my hair, Bernie, and with my makeup.
 
The eye shadow brings out the blue in
the dress, as well as the sapphires.”

“That
was the idea,” he said.

“I
only regret one thing,” Blackwell said.
 
She came around and faced me.
 
“I should have gone with a necklace.
 
With so many crystals, I thought it
would be too much.
 
Overkill.
 
But I was wrong.”
 
She looked over at Bernie.
 
“Wasn’t I?”

“It’s
not as bad as you think.
 
If her
hair was up and off her shoulders, I’d agree.
 
She would have needed something at her
throat because the dress is strapless.
 
And with so much skin exposed, it would have looked as if something was
missing.
 
But with her hair
down?
 
It softens what’s
lacking.
 
This will do just fine,
but, yes, it could have been better with a matching necklace.”
 
I saw him look at her.
 
“You know I won’t lie to you, my love.”

“Which
is one of the many reasons you’re here.”
 
She turned to me.
 
“So, next
time a necklace.
 
Or at least a
necklace on standby.
 
You still look
fabulous, Jennifer.
 
And now you
should go.
 
It’s nearly eight and
he’ll be waiting for you.”

I
felt a pit grow and then unravel in my stomach.
 
Just knowing I was about to see Alex
again made me at once nervous and excited.
 
From burger joints to this.
 
All within twenty-four hours.

With
Blackwell at my side, we walked to the elevator.
 
She pressed one of the buttons, and then
she lifted her face to mine.
 
“Remember,” she said.
 
“Forget the past.
 
Enjoy
tonight.”

The
elevator door slid open.

“I’ll
have a martini in your honor.”

She
looked weirdly irritated with me.
 
“If you must,” she said as I stepped into the waiting car.
 
“But at the very least, choose the
Skinny Girl vodka, Jennifer.
 
I
didn’t pack you full of roughage and ask you to go through that mini-cleanse
for nothing.”

“I
don’t remember you asking me,” I said.

“You
know what I mean.”

“Thank
you, Ms. Blackwell.”

“It’s
Barbara.
 
Now, go have fun.”

CHAPTER TWEN
TY-NINE

When
the elevator doors opened, Alex stood beyond them, just as he had the last
time, with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.

Only
this time wasn’t like the last time.
 
This time was different.
 
We
were moving in a new direction that became immediately apparent when he held
out his hand for mine and drew me close to him.
 
He kissed me lightly on the lips.
 
Then, in my ear, in a voice that was so
low, it was beyond sexy, he said, “You look beautiful.”

“Thank
you.”
 

He
admired my dress.
 
“That should get
some attention.”

“It
might even blind a few people.”

He
arched an eyebrow at me.
 
“It would
make for an interesting night if it did.”
 
He reached out and gently touched my hair.
 
“I love it when you wear your hair
down.”

“I
know you do.”

“Did
you do it for me?”

“I
might have given it a thought.”

“I’m
glad that you did.
 
Do you remember
when we officially met?
 
At the
interview?
 
We were talking, you
pulled out a pin in your hair, it tumbled down your back, and I was
transfixed.
 
Then, it was wavy.
 
Now, it’s straight.
 
Either way, I love it.
 
When I think of you, this is how I
imagine you.
 
With your hair
down.
 
With it falling down your
back.
 
With you shaking it out with
your hands in an effort to cool yourself, if only for an instant.”