Escape (Part Three) (9 page)

“Not about that.”

His elbows were on the glass table, hands folded loosely in front of him as the bartender sauntered over with our drinks. She was beautiful, blond hair pulled into a loose ponytail, blue eyes surveying his face. She was Jennifer-lite but Chace paid her no attention. He slid his card from his pocket and handed it to her, his eyes trained on me.

“I shouldn’t have fired you like that.”

“Yes, you should have. I lied to you and didn’t deserve that job.”

“But you did. I’ve been juggling assistants since the week you left and none of them are as competent as you.”

A warm blush crawled up my cheeks. “Thank you,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. It was the first time Chace was in his right frame of mind and complimenting me. “Are you sure you’ve recovered from hitting your head?”

Chace laughed. “I have.”

“Good.”

The pair of us sat in silence for a moment, sipping our drinks as we snuck glances at one another. Chace’s hand was on the table, slowly crawling towards mine until I snatched it away. I wanted him to touch me and at the same moment the thought twisted something sick in the pit of my stomach. Moments before was celebrating the loss of a child.

“What happened with Jennifer?” I said.

I expected Chace to straighten his shoulders defensively but he deflated towards the table, a small laugh rushing through him. “You haven’t been reading the tabloids have you?”

I shook my head. “Too busy.”

Something flickered in his eyes. He crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward. “She lied.”

“About what?”

“She was never pregnant.”

I expected the news to hit me harder but there was no burst of joy, no urge to leap across the table and plant my lips against his. I sat back and finished my drink, holding it my cheeks.

“That’s sad.”

After leaving the Evans estate, the more I thought about Jennifer, the more I began to feel sorry for her. In her attempt to make my life miserable, and the lives of those I loved, I began to see how miserable she had to have been to inflict that sort of pain.

Chace shook his head. “She’s fucking crazy. She lied about the doctor’s appointments, gave me a fake number to call…You know how I found out?”

“No.”

“I --”

“And I don’t really care.” Chace’s face fell. His eyebrows furrowed as he sat back in his chair. “I don’t need to hear about Jennifer ever again. I’m happy that you’ve rid yourself of her.”

Chace stared at me over the rim of his glass. “Do you want another drink?”

I shook my head. “I should be getting home.”

A grin tugged at the corner of Chace’s mouth. Beneath the table I felt his foot rub against my leg. “You can stay for another drink.”

I smiled. “I have to work tomorrow.”

Chace watched me as I threw my jacket over my shoulders and buttoned it up to my neck. He finished his drink. “Let me give you a ride home.”

I slid on my gloves. “No thank you, I can take the train.”

“In this weather?” He raised an eyebrow. “And to your shitty neighborhood? You might get mugged.”

I couldn’t help but smile. There was the old Chace I knew.

***

Outside of my building the black car pulled to a stop. There was no one out in this weather, the front door closed for once, the drunks packed away in their apartments and shelters, the rats gone underground for the season. My neighborhood almost looked peaceful, blanketed in the chill of winter.

Chace and I were in the backseat, his knee bumping into mine as he asked, “Do you like working there?”

“It pays the bills.”

“So did working for me.”

I smiled. “I don’t do that anymore.”

I opened the car door, letting in streams of wind.

“But you could,” he said, leaning towards me. “Close the door.”

I did as I was told, trapping the warmth in the car.

“I hate my new assistant,” he said. “He’s incompetent and lazy and can’t remember how to make a proper cup of coffee to save his life.”

“He can learn,” I said. “I did.”

Chace shook his head. “You were wonderful from the first day you stepped into the office.” He shuffled closer to me, our knees touching. “I shouldn’t have treated you so badly.”

His mouth was inches away from mine, lips hovering, waiting for me to finish the kiss.

“You shouldn’t have,” I said, opening the door again. “But you did.”

The tips of my fingers tingled with excitement, begging me to lean closer, to kiss him, but I kept my nerve. I stepped out the car and shut the door behind me, refusing to look back as I walked up the stairs to my building. The car door opened and shut. Chace’s feet beat against the sidewalk as he rushed to catch up with me.

“Alice please,” he said, gloved hand gripping the short black railing. There was a certain glaze of desperation I’d never seen on him before, his full lips turned down in the corners.

“Give me a week to think about it,” I said.

“Okay. I can do that.”

A small smile tugged at my mouth. “You don’t have a choice.”

Laura and I came home from work smelling of cigarette smoke and roasted pork. It was a Wednesday and the bar was serving “Hump Day Specials” all afternoon. Two handfuls of pork seasoned and roasted to a sandy red, slapped between a buttered bun and coleslaw, served with a side of macaroni and cheese, all for the low price of seven dollars. The floor was packed, customers leaking into the hallway where we always stood during our breaks, forcing us to the back of the building where the cooks and bartenders went to smoke. Laura snuck a cigarette from Julie’s pocket. She threw me a sideways glance when I said something about it.

I wasn’t allowed to scold her for the occasional cigarette, like she wasn’t allowed to bring up what happened with Jennifer and Chace.

Laura landed on the third floor first, her shoulder scratching against the poorly plastered wall, eyes fluttering close. “I’m so fucking tired.”

I patted her shoulder and stepped in front of her. “You’ve got what, twenty minutes until you have to pick up the kids? Take a nap.”

She sleepily nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Laura took a step forward and crashed into me, my shoulder pressing into her chest. Her arms flung around me to keep herself from falling.

“Alice,
move
.”

I couldn’t. My feet melted into the ground as I stared down our hall, a line of roses pushed against either side. They were blood red bouquets, stuffed in gold pots with green cellphone wrapped around the base. I picked one up. A pile of Hershey’s kisses rattled in the pots, chocolate dirt wrapped in silver, gold, and purple foil.

“What the fuck,” Laura said, picking up one of her own. She stuck her hand inside the pile of candy and fished out a card. “To Alice, from Chace.” My heart quickened in my chest as she looked at me. “I’m sorry for being such an asshole.”

I dug my hand into the pot and fished out mine. “To Alice, from Chace.” Laura rolled her eyes. “I think about you all of the time.”

Laura picked up another one, the first pot tucked in her arm. “To Alice, from Chace. I miss the sight of your smile.”

I picked up another card. “To Alice, from Chace.” A warm blush crawled up my cheeks. “I miss your body against mine.”

Laura unlocked our apartment door. The two of us gathered all the pots, filling up our living room with the smell of flowers and chocolate. We placed them on and around the coffee table, two of them laid clumsily against the arm of our couch. Laura plucked a card from the one closest to her, the last one placed directly in front of our door.

“To Alice, from Chace.” Her face twisted up in disgust. “Oh my god,” she said, pushing the card into my hand. She turned on her feet and walked towards her room. “I’m going to take a nap.”

Her bedroom door closed behind her as I glanced down at the card.

To Alice, from Chace. I miss the taste of you on my tongue.

***

At the corner, two blocks away from Chace’s apartment, I ran into Miss Gee, the elderly woman who lived across the hall. My thick black coat was zippered up to my chin, but she was sporting a bright blue sweat suit with pink gloves and a matching hat to shield the rest of her from the cold.

“The last thing I’m going to do is let the weather stop me,” she said, jogging in place. “Especially at my age.”

I ran the short distance with her, down the road until we reached Chace’s building. A thin drip of sweat formed on my chest, dripping down to my stomach as I held open the door and followed her in. The man at the front desk stood up as we entered.

Miss Gee waved at him and he sat down. “She’s with me,” she said, pressing the button for the elevator. Then to me, “They had to do a complete overhaul of staff a few weeks ago. Don’t know what happened but rumor is, the old crew was planning to rob the whole building.”

She jogged in place until the elevators opened and we stepped inside. On our way up, Miss Gee pulled off her hat and gloves and stuffed them in her pockets.

“You look good,” she said.

“Thank you. So do you.”

“Well, I already knew that.” She grinned. “But you know what I’m talking about.” My eyes furrowed and she hit my arm. “Don’t play dumb with me, girl. I read the papers and check out a few blogs. Jennifer tried to ruin you but you didn’t let her. Good for you.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

“The only downside to all this is, I was hoping when Chace left her he would come knocking on my door. Alas.” The elevator doors slid open. “He’s probably trying to figure out if he can handle me.”

I waited for Miss Gee to enter her apartment before I knocked on Chace’s door. The soft sounds of a television hummed on the other side, Chace’s feet slapping against his wood floors as he unlocked the door and opened it.

A welcome pressure built in my chest as he stared down at me. He hadn’t yet shaved, his bare feet sticking out of expensive but relaxed jeans, his white t-shirt clinging to his skin, revealing every curve of muscle on his torso.

“You’re staring,” he said, leaning against the threshold of his door.

I popped my eyes back to his, a flush of red crawling up the back of my neck. “Oh…I.” I pulled the last card from my pocket. “I got your flowers.”

A grin spread across Chace’s mouth.

He stepped away from the door, a silent invitation for me to enter. My boots, slightly wet from the outside, squelched against the floor.

“Shoes off,” he said, moving towards the kitchen.

I toed them off and pushed them by the door. Nothing had changed in his apartment since the last time I was there, except for the smell. Gone was the scent of Jennifer’s perfume and shampoo, replaced by the smell of Italian food and Chace’s cologne, mixing together to form a delicious, spicy scent.

“I was about to order dinner,” he said, popping open a bottle of wine.

I leaned against the counter as he poured two glasses, the deep red sloshing around. He pushed one towards me.

“What are we having?” I asked, sipping at my drink.

He smiled. “Italian, Indian…I know you’re not a fan of Asian.”

I laughed. “You remember that.”

“I told you, my memory’s completely intact.”

Chace ordered Italian, two orders of salmon ravioli swimming in vodka sauce, to arrive in forty minutes or less.

“What did you think about the flowers?” he said, sitting beside me on the couch. “Were they too much?”

“My sister thought they were.”

“Good thing I’m not trying to woo her.”

I turned a little towards him. “Is that what this is?”

He took another drink. “Partially. I want you to quit your job and come work for me. I know you aren’t happy there, I can see it in your eyes.”

“I’m not good at my job,” I admitted. “But I’m getting better.”

Chace set his glass on the coffee table. “You belong with me,” he said, taking my free hand. “And not just in my office.”

I turned away from him, setting my glass next to his, my lips pressed together. His fingers tightened around my hand.

“What are you thinking?”

I looked at him. “I don’t want to be your rebound.”

“You won’t be,” he said, scooting closer. “You
aren’t
.”

I ducked my head, bottom lip slipping between my teeth as I pulled my hand away from his. Chace moved until our thighs were flush together, one arm thrown around my waist as he pressed his lips against my cheek.

“Alice, I need you,” he said. “Not because I need someone to help me get over Jennifer but because I should’ve chose you.” I looked at him, our mouths inches apart, our noses almost bumping into one another. “I’m choosing you now.”

My eyes slipped close. Chace shifted on the couch, leaning close as his lips pressed against mine. A warm wave settled beneath my skin as our lips met. We kissed soft and slow, savoring the moment, Chace’s hand curling around my hip, my hand cradling his jaw. His stubble scratched against the palm of my hand and I spread my fingers behind his neck, loving the ruggedness of this new Chace.

I tilted my head and he did the same, a small amount of tongue peeking between my lips. I welcomed it, throwing a leg over him, both hands on his shoulders as I straddled his lap. His hands reached beneath my shirt, more warmth shooting through my skin as I sighed into our kiss.

He wrapped his arms around my middle and pulled me flush against him, his teeth worrying my bottom lip as I gripped the back of his couch.

“No biting,” I said, pulling away.

He nipped at my lip. “Oh yeah?”

I laughed. “Don’t you dare break the skin.”

He grinned. “I’ll try not to.”

Our lips pressed together again, our kiss dizzying, his fingers crawling up my clothed back. His fingers found my bra strap through the fabric of my shirt, expertly unhooking it with one hand. My breasts sighed as the push-up loosened, my fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of Chace’s neck, my hips grinding down on his lap.

His cock hardened beneath me, hidden behind a thick layer of denim. I was wearing jeans too but I could feel him, my knees pressing into the couch as I swirled my hips in a slow circle. I drew a moan from Chace’s throat, swallowing them as I continued to move. His hands slid down my back to my ass, gripping it hard as he pressed his hips up.