The Billionaire's Romance (A Winters Love Book 2) (3 page)

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CHAPTER THREE

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ROBYN

I bought the dress I was wearing for New Year’s Eve about a week before Christmas. It was a stunning jade green that featured a floor length skirt with a slit up over the calf on the left side. The bodice was encrusted with rhinestones and bared my shoulders and back while boosting my chest. I felt like a princess with my hair done up in a French twist and my make-up applied just so. I found myself again wishing that Aaron would call at the last minute and say that he’d freed himself up to go to the party with me, or at the very least that he wanted me to go to his. I waited until the very last second before I called a cab to drive me out to Brooklyn. I wanted to have a few drinks, so I wasn’t taking my own car. It was a masquerade theme party and I had bought a gorgeous gold and jade green mask that was adorned with jewels and stunning green and gold feathers. When the cab dropped me off in front of Nadine and Tom’s lovely brownstone home I slipped on the mask.

Nadine answered the door and pretended to try and guess who I was. She giggled at last and said, “It’s so good to see you, Robyn. You look amazing! I’ve missed you.”

I hugged her and said, “I love your dress and your mask! I’ve missed you too.” Nadine was wearing a dark red dress that looked elegant against her smooth chocolate skin. Her mask was red and black with black feathers. She led me in through the foyer and the living room out to the back where they had set up a large white tent for the party. Inside it was decorated with black and silver decorations and masks, they had a full bar and a disc jockey playing dance music near the small dance floor. There was a table full of delicious looking hors d'oeuvres and a bottle of champagne on each table. In the corner of the room they had hung a large clock so that the party-goer’s would all know exactly when the New Year began.

“Everything is so lovely!”

“Thank you,” she said. “Tom and I have been bickering over it all week.” She laughed and said, “We work best that way.”

“Yes you do,” I said, in awe of all they’d done to pull the party together. Melissa and Chris saw us and came over. After hugs and greetings, Melissa looked around and said,

“Where is he?”

“He had a work thing that he couldn’t get out of,” I told her. She made a face and said,

“On New Year’s Eve, really?”

“Yes, he’s an executive and they have a big party that he just couldn’t get out of. He regrets having to miss tonight.”

“Well he should,” Melissa said, “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you, so do you,” I told her.

“So why didn’t you go with him to his party?” Nadine asked, “We would have understood.”

“I wouldn’t have missed your party for the world,” I told her. It was mostly true. I was happy to be here with my friends, but if Aaron had wanted me to go to his party I would have gone, happily, after begging off with Nadine.

“Well, if you want to leave early and join up with him before the stroke of midnight, we’ll understand,” Nadine told me, sweetly. I love my friends.

I made the rounds, talking and laughing with people that I hadn’t seen in months or in some case even years. I danced with Tom and Chris, as usual being the life of the party while feeling like a third wheel on the inside. We played a white elephant game and I ended up with a beautiful candle and flower arrangement and after that, Melissa pulled me aside and said,

“I’m sorry, but I have to ask…is he married?”

“No! Oh no! I would never do that.”

“Whew! I told Chris you wouldn’t, but he said it’s just so strange that it’s your first New Year’s Eve together and you’re not together.”

“He’s right, it is strange. I do want to be with him, it’s just….”

“Just what, honey? Go look at yourself in a mirror. Any man in his right mind would rather be with you tonight than a bunch of “business associates.” Maybe he’s feeling hurt that you’d rather be here.”

“That’s not it,” I told her, feeling the need to be honest and bounce my concerns off my best friend. “He didn’t really invite me to his party tonight.”

“Why?” I could see Melissa’s instant look of concern. I knew it was safe to voice my own concerns to her. She would never judge me.

“I don’t know, I’m afraid maybe he doesn’t want to be seen with me.”

“Don’t be silly! He’d have to be crazy. Is he crazy?”

I laughed and said, “Um, no. Not that I’ve noticed.”

“Then that can’t be the reason,” she said. “Did you tell him about this party before he told you about his?”

“Yes, but…”

“That must be it then. He probably felt like he’d be tearing you away from your friends. You’re always so positive. I hate to see you doubting yourself, honey. Do you know where his party is at?”

“Yes, I saw a purchase order for it at work. It’s at The Omni hotel in Manhattan.”

“Then go to him, Robyn. You’ll be sorely missed here, but everyone will understand. I’m sure he’ll be delighted you showed up. Go quash this silly idea you have that any man in his right mind wouldn’t be so proud to have you at his side.”

She had me thinking. Would he be delighted? He was always so serious, but I did have a way of bringing him out, making him less reserved….

“I think I’m going to do it!” I told her with a smile.

“You go girl! Call me tomorrow with all of the details.” I hugged her and told her I loved her and then made the rounds to say my “Thank you” and “Good-Bye’s.”

I took a cab to the hotel in Manhattan. We arrived there in about an hour; traffic was thick because of the celebrations that were taking place. It was just after eleven when I got there, plenty of time to be kissing the man I cared about at midnight. I walked through the opulent lobby decorated in three shades of champagne from light to dark. In the center of the room was a sculpted granite fountain that they had lit up from underneath the water with a silver and gold graceful arch of water coming out of the center. I wanted to stop and make a wish in the fountain, but I didn’t think this was the kind of place where that would be seen as appropriate.

As I headed for the ball room, I noticed a security guard at the entrance. I opened my wallet and took out the extra name badge I kept there for work. Holding my breath and mentally crossing my fingers, I offered him a casual hello and flashed the badge. He looked at it and then gave me an appreciative once over before pulling open the door and allowing me to enter. Sometimes being a pretty girl definitely had its benefits.

I thought Tom and Nadine’s party was nice, but this one was nothing less than elegant. There was a champagne fountain and a chocolate bar and the sounds of a live band playing in front of a huge dance floor. The tables were adorned with silver and black linen table cloths and each one had a bottle of French champagne and a vase with orchids inside of it. Candles flickered and the lights were low and everyone was dressed in something with a designer label. The glitter of diamonds and jewels were everywhere. A shiny mahogany bar stretched along one long wall and that was where I saw him.

Aaron sat with a group of men. The cut of his suit accentuated every curve of his amazing body. It was obviously custom made. It was a dark, smoky grey and he wore it with a silver dress shirt and silver cuffs. I couldn’t see the cuff links from where I stood, but I’d seen them before. They would be silver as well and engraved with a beautifully scripted AW. Everything about him stirred longing and lust in the pit of my belly and parts further south. Smiling, I slipped on my mask and went over to where he sat. I leaned in close, surprising him and whispered,

“You’re the handsomest man in the room…but then again, you always are.”

Aaron turned to look at me. His face was riddled with shock and something else… disappointment, maybe. It was comparable to being poked in the chest with a heavy prong. He took my arm and we stepped away from the bar, out of earshot of the men he was talking with.

“What are you doing here?” he asked me. The tone of his voice was stern and cold with no traces of the warmth he spoke to me with when we were alone.

“It’s New Year’s Eve. I wanted to see you….”

“You shouldn’t be here, Robyn! I didn’t ask you here.”

Fighting the tears now that wanted to well in my eyes, I was grateful for the mask. “I just missed you. I’m sorry. I thought….”

“No, I don’t think you did think. You run around acting like a teenager sometimes. This is not some college buddy party that you can crash. This is my livelihood here, Robyn. I’d like for you to go.” He never raised his voice above a whisper, but his words were like being slapped in the face.

I didn’t say anything else…what could I say? I was mortified and again, thankful for the mask. I brushed past him and didn’t acknowledge the security at the door as he tried to tell me to have a good night.

I walked out into the night air, past the cabs that were lined up and the chauffeurs that waited for men like Aaron. Undoubtedly other men who felt they were too good to be seen with the women they were sleeping with. It was a cold night, but the ache in my heart radiated with the hot sensation of embarrassment and regret. I didn’t feel the cold, I was numb. I wandered down 42
nd
Street towards Broadway. There were hordes of people out and I just wanted to disappear into the crowd.

When I got almost to Times Square the fireworks started going off and the crowds were loudly cheering. It was midnight….and I was alone. Everyone around me seemed to be locked in an embrace of some kind. I realized if I had stayed with my friends, I would be too….at least wrapped in a hug by those who cared about me. I turned and started walking away from the revelries down 7
th
Ave. to the quieter corner of 43
rd
Street where I could catch a cab for home. I was thinking about how Aaron spoke to me and how disappointed he’d been to see me. I was in a dazed state, confused about how he could be so warm and loving in private, yet so cold tonight in that room full of people that he obviously didn’t think I fit into. I didn’t see the man who was following me until I felt him grab my purse and try and run with it. The strap was over my shoulder and when he tried to move forward, he pulled me with him. Instinctually, I pulled back. That was when he grabbed it hard enough to snap the strap and he pushed me out into the road.

I didn’t see the car coming….and thankfully I don’t remember the impact.

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CHAPTER FOUR

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ROBYN

There was a bright light in my eyes. It was pressing so hard against my eyelids that it almost hurt. I wanted to open my eyes, and see what it was, but it seemed to be holding them closed. After a short battle, I slowly lifted them open. They were so heavy and the strong smell of antiseptic was burning my nostrils. I blinked a few times and tried to swallow. My mouth was as dry as a bone and my throat was parched and scratchy. When my eyes finally adjusted I could see that I was in a bed in a white room and the blinding light was the sun, coming in through the open blinds. I looked over to my right and saw an IV pole with a bag of clear liquid dripping through a tube that was apparently in one of the veins in my arm. I tried to lift my head, but it was pounding and the motion made me nauseous.

The door to the room was open and I tried to call out as I saw a woman in a blue scrub suit pass by. My voice came out in a whispered croak and the nurse or doctor kept going. I tried lifting my head again, the muscles in my neck were sore too and both of my legs were aching. I was becoming frustrated. Dropping my head back down on the pillow, I closed my eyes and tried to remember what had happened. I remembered being at Nadine’s…and then I’d gone to Aaron’s party. He’d been so cold….I left and I remember being in Times Square….and then nothing….Damn it!

I heard a noise and opened my eyes. It was the nurse. “Well hello, you’re awake!”

“Yeah, hi,” I said in my raspy voice. “Where am I?”

“You’re in New York Downtown Hospital,” she said.

“What happened to me?”

“You were hit by a car,” she told me as she adjusted my IV. The ambulance brought you in from 7
th
Avenue. You didn’t have a purse or any I.D. on you….”

“Oh Damn! That’s it! I remember!”

“Good, we have you listed as a Jane Doe. What’s your name, honey?”

“It’s Robyn, Robyn Hurst. I was mugged last night. I was walking, going to hail a cab and this man grabbed my purse. I wasn’t thinking…I should have just let it go. Instead, I tugged on it and he pushed me out into the street….”

“The man who hit you was here earlier. He feels really bad. The officer who came in last night said he couldn’t have avoided it. I’m going off shift here soon. I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake and he can come go over your injuries with you. The police asked to be notified as well, I’m sure they’ll be in to interview you.”

I nodded before I remembered that my head weighed eighty pounds and then I thanked her. I thought about Aaron. My phone was in my purse. I wondered if he’d tried to call me. It was doubtful, I told myself, considering the way he’d acted. We were supposed to have dinner tonight…..I didn’t really want to talk to him though, I was still too emotional.

The doctor came in just a while later and said,

“Well, it’s good to see you awake, young lady. The nurse said you told her that you were mugged?”

“Yes, he took my purse and pushed me into the street,” I told him.

“I’m so sorry. That was a terrible way to start out your year.”

I chuckled, even that hurt. “Tell me about it,” I said.

“Well, the good news is that the man who hit you was going slowly. There were a lot of people crossing the street and he’d just accelerated before he saw you, he said. So in light of that, you don’t have any serious injuries. Some cuts, scrapes, bruises and I’m sure you’re sore as hell.”

“You said it again, Doc.”

He smiled, “You have a good attitude that will work in your favor as well. We’re going to finish off the IV fluids and get you some breakfast and then you can bust out of here if you want. I’m going to send you with a prescription for some mild pain medicine and muscle relaxers that will help you with the soreness. Do you work?”

“Yeah, I work for Winters, Inc.”

“I don’t want you to go in for a couple of days. Take today and tomorrow and the weekend at least, I’ll write you a doctor’s order for that as well.”

“Okay, thanks,” I told him. After he left I used the phone at my bedside and called Melissa. She listened quietly as I told her what happened and then she said,

“I thought you were going straight to that party. What were you doing walking alone downtown?”

“I don’t really want to talk about that right now.”

“I will be there soon,” she said. “We don’t have to talk about this today, but honey we need to talk about it.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit. Don’t hurry because I’m still waiting for the police to come.”

When I hung up with her, I called Aaron. His phone went straight to voicemail. I don’t know why, but instead of telling him what really happened I just said, “I’m sorry, Aaron but something came up and I can’t make dinner tonight. I’ll talk to you soon.” I knew he was going to be busy with the Chinese corporation he was merging with over the next few days. I would call him back over the weekend and let him know what was going on. Within an hour the police came by and got my statement. I wasn’t worried until then, the officer warned me that since my keys and my ID with my address were in the purse, I should be careful and have the locks changed. I gave them the best description I could of the guy, but this was New York City…I wasn’t under any big delusions that they’d catch him. When I got home I’d call my super about the locks and I’d call the credit card companies and the bank. It was the best I could do.

Melissa showed up, proving yet again what a tried and true friend she was. I avoided the subject once more about why I was out walking alone. She let it go, but I could tell she was worried. She was blaming Aaron even though she didn’t know him, or the story. I was afraid if I told her the truth, she’d really judge him. She stayed with me until my pain meds kicked in and made me sleepy. By that time the super had the locks changed. She also took the note the doctor gave me and promised me she’d drop it off with Max on her way into her own office in the morning. I went to bed at five p.m. and slept through the night.

The next day Melissa was back with Nadine in tow. She’d dropped off the note and Max had told her to ask me to call him. She’d brought me a new phone that she’d picked up from my provider the day before. She was amazing.  I called Max and he was full of worried questions. I answered them all, hopefully putting his mind at ease. He insisted that I call him if I need anything.

My girlfriend’s brought lunch and I tried to stay upbeat although I hadn’t gotten as much as a call back from Aaron. Or maybe I did…I didn’t have my phone that first day, but he also had my home number…. I knew he didn’t know about the accident, but what about a “Happy New Year?” I told myself not to stew over it. There was always the chance he tried before Melissa brought me the new phone. I also told myself that for a brand new relationship, I already had too many doubts. I knew I needed to seriously re-think this relationship….after I was feeling better. I didn’t want to make any major decisions while I was on pain meds.

The next morning I was awakened by a knock on my door. I was still a little skittish so when I went over to it I stood off to the side and looked through the peephole. Aaron was standing there with flowers in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other. I hesitated, hoping he didn’t think it would be that easy. Telling myself that I needed to at least hear him out, I opened the door. When he saw the bruises and scratches on my face and arms he looked horrified and said,

“Oh my God, Max told me you were in an accident. Are you okay? What happened?”

“Come on in,” I told him. He handed me the flowers and chocolates and I thanked him. Things were awkward between us, again. I had so many questions, but because he looked so worried, I thought I should answer his first.

“After I left your party the other night I got mugged. The guy that took my purse pushed me into the road and I was hit by a car. My bones are tough…nothing broke. I just ended up with a few scrapes….”

“Oh God, Robyn…this is my fault. I’m so damned sorry!” Aaron dragged his fingers through his hair and stood up. I’d never seen him look so…distraught? He was always so controlled. It was hard to see him like that.

“It’s not your fault. I should have hailed a cab at the hotel….”

“But you didn’t, because you were upset…because of me. You don’t have to even say so, I know that it’s true. I’m so sorry. I was an ass. I get so damned focused when it comes to business and I don’t even notice what else is going on right in front of my face. I should have made sure you got home safely.” He was pacing the room and I reached up and took his hand.  I know I’m a push over and I should still be mad about the way he treated me. But instead, all I felt was sorry for him for feeling responsible.

“Please don’t blame yourself. I’m okay. It’s all okay.”

He sat down next to me again and said, “I can’t help it. It’s true…if I had treated you better this wouldn’t have happened. Please forgive me.”

“Forgiven and forgotten,” I told him. All I wanted at that moment was for him to hold me in his arms. He didn’t disappoint, and as he pulled me close I could feel him trembling.