Book Bitch (11 page)

“Where are we going?”

“I have to buy you another suit.”

“Why?”

“Because we have a very important meeting tomorrow night with Chester Martin and Donovan Richards and Donovan’s already seen your other suit. Plus shopping helps calm me.”

“Do you think he’ll remember?” I wouldn’t.

“Yes. Donovan is very observant. He collects bits of information about people. He wouldn’t hesitate to insult and embarrass you, to cut you down and make you look incompetent just for fun, let alone in front of someone as influential as Chester.”

I scampered after her as she raced through to the elevator. “Hold all my call
s, Jayne. I’ll be back before five.”

“Yes, Rebecca,” Jayne
said.

Chapter Twelve

Rebecca was quiet in the elevator. I stared at her. “Can you tell me what’s going on? I’m confused.”

Rebecca turned toward me.
“Chester and Donovan are old school chums. For the past two years, Donovan has been after me to merge our companies. Chester knows I’m vying with him for the top spot. Donovan wants to get in on my business because I suspect his is crumbling. The word around town is that many of his clients are bailing out on him and moving to other agencies. We’ve picked up a few of them. He’s desperate. He wants to latch on to my company because I’m successful, and because I’m his biggest competitor. I don’t want to have anything to do with him. I reached out to Chester to expand Stratford so I could be the biggest and most successful agent in the country. Now it looks as if Donovan has plans to sabotage my efforts.” Her breathing was shallow, as if she was at the beginning of a panic attack.

“Okay. Just relax
.” I rested my hands on her upper arms. “You don’t know what they’re meeting about. Maybe it’s just old friends getting together to talk about the good ol’ days.”

She shook her head. “No, that’s not h
ow Donovan works. He’s malicious. He looks for ways to hurt people. He takes advantage of good-natured souls and seduces them with his poison and then takes everything from them.”

I didn’t know what to say. I remained quiet while Rebecca hailed a cab and we drove back to Craig’s shop.

“I had a feeling you’d be back,” Craig said. Today the streak in his hair was a deep purple. The charcoal eyeliner made his brown eyes look even darker. “What do you need today?” He leaned in and hugged and kissed Rebecca.

“I need another suit for him. We have a very important me
eting. He has to look smashing.”

Craig fanned his hand on his chest and pulled his head back. “Have I ever sold you anything that wasn’t fabulous?”

His comment made Rebecca laugh. I wasn’t sure if I was happy about that or worried about how many men she had brought there to get outfitted.

“How
about something that isn’t gray this time?” Rebecca asked.

“Got just the thing,” Craig said, disappearing behind the curtain that led to the back of his store.

Still baffled by all that had happened so far, I remained quiet. Craig came back and handed me a beautiful navy Armani suit. Rebecca nodded. I went to try it on. While I changed I heard the exchange between Rebecca and Craig.

“So, who’s the big deal you’re dressing your boy toy up for?”

“Chester and Donovan are meeting. I’m going to be there, too.”

Did Craig know Donovan and Chester?
Why was Rebecca sharing this information with him? Was this who she confided in, the clothing store guy? What has she shared about me? Suddenly, I felt self-conscious. I pulled up the zipper on the pants and walked out for her assessment.

Both
Rebecca and Craig approved.

“I’ll have Claude alter it the same as the last suit. Tomorrow at noon okay?”

“Perfect. You’re so good to me, Craig.” Rebecca gave him a big hug.

“What are girlfriends for?” He winked.

Rebecca picked out a light blue shirt with white stripes and a red tie that had grey paisleys. She tossed a pair of grey socks onto the pile. “Add all that, too.” She turned to me. “Bring your dress shoes to my house tomorrow.” I nodded.

We left the store and took another cab back to the offi
ce. It was just after five. Jayne was still at Rose’s desk when we got back.

“What are you still doing here?” Rebecca asked.

“I didn’t want to leave for the weekend before knowing you were okay. You were quite ticked off before.”

“Well, you know, it’s never an easy day when Donovan shows his face.”
Jayne nodded. “By the way, if you get something from Ermaline in Chester Martin’s office, let me see it, okay?” Jayne nodded again. “Okay, I’m fine. Go home,” Rebecca insisted. Jayne collected her things and wished us both a good weekend.

I was complete
ly confused. It seemed as if everyone knew what was going on except me. Rose, Jayne, the clothing guy, I bet even the cab driver we had on the way back to the office knew more than I did. Still, I didn’t ask because I thought if Rebecca wanted me to know her business, she’d tell me.

Chap
ter Thirteen

Since the day had taken its toll on Rebecca, I sent her home in a cab and t
old her I’d come to her place at noon.

“Come earlier, so I can spend time with you.”

“Well, I’m going to run in the morning. What time do you want me to come?”

She looked at me with playful eyes. “
I always want you to come.” She winked. “Why don’t you run to me?” Her playfully suggestive tone stirred my insides. It gave me an idea. I kissed her forehead and told the cabbie where to take her.

When I woke up the next morning, I packed a small knapsack with clean clothes and my dress shoes. I left a light on in the living room and locked my front door. Mrs. Whitney was exiting her apartment
, too.

“Good morning, Mrs. Whitney. What are you doing out so early?”

“Oh Alex, good morning. I’m heading out to get the newspaper. It gives me a reason to wake up every day. What about you?”

“I’m going for a run.
Slacked off for a few days. Have to get back into the routine.”

She smiled
and tilted her head, the way she always did before she mentioned her niece. “Did I ever tell you about my niece, Jessica? She’s a lovely girl. She’s moving here to New York in the spring.”

“Yes, Mrs. Whitney. You’ve mentioned your niece. That’s great that she’ll be so close to you then. Well, I have to get to running. Enjoy your weekend, Mrs. Whitney.”

She waved. “You too, Alex.”

Heading straight down Seventh Avenue, I didn’t stop running until I was on Rebecca’s street. When I rang her buzzer, my tee shirt was stuck
to my body. Sweat ran down my head. I’m sure I looked quite scary. What was I thinking? She’ll be all grossed out when she sees me. I didn’t care, as long as I could see her, for just a moment. I promised myself I’d drop the shoes off and take the train home.

When she opened the door, she jumped into my arms before I could protest. “I’m all sweaty,” I yelled.

“I don’t care. I’ve missed you.” Her grip around my neck was tight. She adjusted her stance and kissed me, as if she hadn’t seen me in weeks rather than hours. “You really did run to me, didn’t you?”

“I missed you
, too,” I said, blushing slightly.

She stood back and let me into the apartment. “Would you like some water?”

“That would be great.” I followed her to the kitchen, where she reached into the fridge and handed me a bottle of water. I guzzled it in one tilt of my head.

“Want another?”

“Nah, I’m good for now.”

She
inched up to me as close as she could without touching me. “You need to shower.”

“Oh sorry. Am I offensive?” I tried smelling myself.

She laughed. “Yes. Now let’s get you into that bathroom and strip off your clothes.” Her comment made me realize the shower was not only to get me clean but to allow her to be dirty.

I strode into the bathroom behind her and stood in the middle of the tile floor while she adjusted the water. With a finger she pointed at my
feet. Quickly, I removed my running shoes and socks. Then she pointed to my shirt. I lifted it over my head and dropped it onto the floor. An eyebrow arched high on her forehead as she stared at my bare chest. She pointed to my shorts. I pushed them down my legs, leaving my briefs on.

She crossed her
arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “Those too,” she said with authority. I removed them as well. “Now that’s how I like to see you.”

“Well, I can’t run through Manhattan like this, now can I? I’ll get arrested.”

She giggled. “But think about all the women you’d attract.”

“I don’t want other women. I want you.” That was definitely the right thing to say. She disrobed faster than I could think of how to spell antidisestablishmentarianism.
She pressed her body against mine. I kissed her, parting her lips with my tongue, rolling it over hers. My fingers moved up and down the curve of her breasts, caressing her silky skin. Her hips rocked against me. I pressed my erection against her leg. Taking a few steps backward, she leaned against the vanity. I followed her. My hands skimmed her breasts down to her hips. I lifted her to sit on the sink counter. She wiggled to the end. I moved closer until I was at the summit of her legs. I looked up. The wantonness in her eyes told me she couldn’t wait. I positioned myself at her opening and eased into her.

“Yes,” she said in a breathy pant.

I eased out then pushed forward with a long, slow motion. Her head rolled back and her back arched. “Yeeeeessss!” I withdrew just as slowly and repeated the motion. I continued this way, over and over, feeling her body tense with each thrust. The steam from the unused shower filled the room. Rebecca’s grip tightened on my arms as I pressed into her with all my length. I was close to climaxing, but slowed to hold off. She wiggled forward, almost off the edge of the counter. I grabbed her hips and pulled her down on to me as I thrust upward. Screams of pleasure echoed off the tiles as I felt her explode around me. I bucked my hips and impaled her again, before stilling and filling her.

I put her back on
to the counter and stood between her legs, breathing heavily into her neck.

“I don’t want to waste any more water. Let’s shower,” I said. She nodded and we got into the stall.

Craig delivered the tailored suit and accessories personally. “So what are you wearing?” he asked Rebecca.

She ran
to her closet and brought out a very sexy looking red dress. Even though it was on the hanger, I could see it had a scooped neck, which meant I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else all night.

“Oooh giiiiiirrrrrlllll, you are going to
look a-ma-ZING!” He snapped his fingers high in the air.

Rebecca looked at me. “What? No good?”

“Oh no, it’s fabulous. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you.”

She smiled and blushed.

Craig used his hands to shoo her into the bedroom. “Okay, go get ready while I talk to your guy here. I want to set the rules straight.” He smiled. Rebecca looked at him with apprehension, but listened to his instruction and disappeared into the bedroom. Craig pointed to the end of the couch. I sat. He mirrored me on the other end.

“Now, here are some things you need to know about Chester and Donovan. They’re firm believers in the Old Boys’ Club: wine, women, carousing, playing with people’s emotions, the one with the most money wins. Get it?”

I nodded.

“They don’t care who gets caught in the crossfire, and if they pick up on your weakness, heaven help you. Don’t let them know how much you care for Becky. They’ll use it to destroy you, but more importantly to break her down.
They’ll pick up that the feelings are reciprocated and try to make her vulnerable. That’s what they want. Donovan will do anything to get her to fold everything she’s worked so hard for. That’s why she’s always so guarded and on the offensive. She’s used to him. She won’t let them get to her. But you, you my poor sweet eye candy of a man, you seem naïve and vulnerable. You’re best bet, just watch out. Becky can handle herself. Trust me. She’s been dealing with stuff like this for most of her life. But you need to stay on guard.”

That was the most I knew of Rebecca, other than what I had gathered through the rumors as a junior agent, and the small bits of personal information she had shared with me at my apartment.
Did Craig know that stuff as well?

Just as I was about to ask Craig how he knew so much about Rebecca, she walked into the living room. The smooth, red fabric hugged her every curve. The plunging neckline hung down to
reveal an ample amount of her cleavage and was matched by a lower dip down her back. Black stiletto heels accentuated her long legs. She wore her hair up with the same tendrils she had for the Waldorf-Astoria ball. Her make up was simple, yet made a bold statement, particularly with the red lipstick that highlighted her mouth. Mmmm, that mouth. She was very sexy. The space between my legs approved. It was the same feeling I got after I ran across Manhattan Island to see her.

I stood. “Wow! You look… incredible!”

“I have to agree,” Craig said. “At least the boy has good taste.”

Rebecca smiled. “You sure?”

“Oh yes,” Craig confirmed. “Okay,” he turned toward me. “Now you. Go get dressed.”

I didn’t want to be in a room that Rebecca wasn’t, but I knew I couldn’t go to this meeting
wearing the robe that seemed to now be mine from Rebecca’s bathroom. I went into the bedroom and started to change. I heard Craig talking to Rebecca.

“I told him to keep quiet, that you could handle yourself. I’m sure you don’t want
Donovan knowing that Mr. Cute Buns back there is a soft spot for you.”

“No. I can’t have Donovan
find out how much I like Alex. Somehow he’ll use it against me.”

“Good,” Craig said. “Once you’ve assessed what’s going on between Chester and Donovan, you bail, okay? Don’t stay. It always ends up back firing on you.
You’re dressed up enough to say you have another engagement.” There was a pause. “Promise me, Becky.”

“I promise. I promise.”

A million thoughts raced through my head. Had Rebecca been involved with either of these men on a romantic level? How could they use me to harm her? I’d never let that happen. Curiosity grew inside of me. I guess I would find out some of it tonight.

Once dressed, I walked out into the living room. Craig donned a huge smile. “
Oh honey, you clean up nicely. If I wasn’t spoken for I’d scoop you up myself.”

I blushed. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.”

Craig turned to Rebecca. “You definitely need to pay him more. He can’t afford not to look this good all of the time. Look at how the color of this suit brings out the blueness of his eyes. And it stresses his dark, wavy hair. Oh my god, no wonder you’re bedding him, Becky.” Craig moved closer to Rebecca. “I bet he’s nice under the clothes, too.”

Rebecca laughed and pulled Craig’s hand, leading him toward the door. “Okay, Craig. It’s time for you to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

Once he left, Rebecca walked up to me. Her arms found my neck.

“How does he know so much about you?” I asked.

“Who, Craig?” She waved her hand through empty air. I stared at her until she broke down her wall. “Craig and I were best friends in high school. He knows more about me than I do. He’s always been a good friend and he’s always been there for me.”

“And, were you ever involved with
him?” It didn’t seem likely as I gathered I was more Craig’s type than she was, but I needed to know, although I don’t know why.

She laughed. “No.
I mean we could have been. He goes both ways, but we work better as friends.”

“Is that why he lets you bring your… why he allows you to run a tab in his store?”

Again she laughed. “I own that store. He just runs it.”

I felt the muscles in my fac
e loosen. “You own the haberdashery?”

She nodd
ed. “I own a ladies boutique too, uptown. They’re very good investments. And, I don’t have to jump from store to store to buy clothes. Nina and Craig help organize my closet.”

There were so many new things I was discovering about Rebecca. Would I ever know everything about her?

“As for Craig, he worries about me.”

I searched her eyes. “Should I be worried
, too?”

“Not at all. Come on, I don’t want to be late.”

She picked up her purse and we left for the big meeting with Chester Martin III and Donovan Richards.