Whatever He Wants (33 page)

 
     
“Don’t degrade yourself like that,
Noelle.”

 
     
Was he for real? If she didn’t know him
any better she’d think he was actually sincere. “Oh, so you’re the only one
allowed to degrade me? I’m sure you have a reason for being here so why don’t
you tell me and then leave. I have a business to run.”

 
     
He flinched. “I never meant to hurt you,
Noelle.”

 
     
“Wow. For someone who didn’t mean it, you
were pretty damn good at it. Look, I can’t do this now. Please leave.”

 
     
“All I need is just ten minutes of your
time. Could you at least hear me out?”

 
     
She had a feeling he wouldn’t go away
until she listened to what he had to say. “You’ve really got a lot of nerve. Do
you know that?”

 
     
He smiled humorously. “Well I didn’t get
to where I was by taking no for an answer.”

 
     
“How nice for you,” she muttered. “Let me
get someone from the back to watch the register.”

 
     
“Thank you.”

 
     
“I’m not doing this for you. I just need
you to say what you have to say to get you out of my life.”

 
     
Noelle went in back and asked Gabby to
come out front. She bypassed Paul’s office not wanting him to know James was
out here. Paul still held a lot of animosity toward James.

 
     
“Okay, let’s go outside. I don’t want this
conversation to be overheard.”

 
     
James nodded and followed her outdoors.

 
     
Noelle put as much distance between them
as possible and crossed her arms over her chest. “So?”

 
     
James stared at her as if he were
committing each of her features to memory. If he continued to look at her like
that, Noelle would crack. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

 
     
“I can’t help it. You’re so beautiful. I
like your hair that way.”

 
     
Noelle self-consciously touched her short
curly afro. She’d taken out the weave, and shaved her head close to the scalp,
feeling a lot like a butterfly coming out of its chrysalis for the first time.
She found wearing her hair in its natural state suited her, but it still felt
weird to hear James compliment her on it when she’d altered herself so
drastically for him. “I doubt you’re here to discuss my hairstyle.”

 
     
“I didn’t, but it’s the truth.” He cleared
his throat looking uncomfortable and unsure of himself. She’d never seen him
look anything other than the confident and mostly arrogant man he was. She
hated seeing this humbled version of James; it robbed her of her anger. It
saddened her that James couldn’t be this way when they were together.

 
     
Noelle sighed, feeling weary. “James, if
you’re not going to say anything, I have to go back inside.”

 
     
“Wait.” He placed his hand on her
shoulder.

 
     
She jerked away from his scalding touch.
They hadn’t been lovers for months but her body hadn’t forgotten him.

 
     
James backed away, holding his hands up to
show he meant no harm. “I’m sorry. I’m making a mess of this.” He racked his
hands through his hair. “I’m not sure where to begin and five minutes won’t be enough
time. Have dinner with me tonight.”

 
     
She held herself rigid against his
invitation. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

 
     
“Because of Paul?”

 
     
“Paul? What does he have to do with this?”

 
     
“You two are seeing each other now, aren’t
you?”

 
     
She wasn’t sure where he’d gotten the idea
she and Paul were a couple, but she decided not to disabuse him of the idea.
He’d put her through way too much for her honesty. “That’s none of your
business. We’re nothing to each other anymore. We were never anything to each
other, were we? Look, I appreciate your apology earlier. I’m sure it wasn’t
easy for you but I’m letting you off the hook. You don’t have to give me some
long drawn-out explanation for why you were such an asshole. I’m just as much
to blame because I allowed you to treat me that way, but I’m not going to be
your doormat anymore.”

 
     
“Eleanor and I are no longer engaged,” he
blurted out.

 
     
Months ago this information would have
caused her to leap for the moon but now it was too little too late. Even if he
was no longer engaged, it changed nothing. “Good for her.”

 
     
“You’re not ready to listen, are you?”
James asked with a hint of defeat in his voice.

 
     
“What tipped you off?”

 
     
“What’s going on out here?” Paul stepped
outside and glared at James.

 
     
James’s lips tightened and his fists
clenched at his sides. “Nice to see you again too, Paul.”

 
     
“I didn’t come out here to exchange
pleasantries with you, Rothschild.” He turned his attention to Noelle. “Is he
bothering you, honey?”

 
     
Noelle raised a brow.
Honey?
Paul never used that endearment with her before. She wondered if Paul was only
trying to rile James, not that she minded. “
Er
, uh,
yes. I’m fine. James was just leaving.”

 
     
James looked as if he wanted say something
else but decided against it. He left without another word.

 
     
Once James was out of sight, she turned to
Paul.
“Honey?
Did you by any chance tell him you and I
are
an item?”

 
     
“No. But when I let him have it for the
way he treated you, he put two and two together and came up with five. It’s not
my fault if he thinks we’re more than friends. What was he doing here anyway?”

 
     
“He said he wanted to talk and that I
deserved an explanation.”

 
     
“In that case, I shouldn’t have
interrupted you two. When I saw him, I went into big brother mode. I’m sorry
for breaking in on the conversation.”

 
     
“I’m glad you came out. As embarrassing as
it is to admit, I’m still in love with him. After what he put me through, am I
crazy for feeling this way?”

 
     
“No. Strong feelings like you had for
James don’t simply disappear at the drop of a hat. If that were the case there
wouldn’t be so many sappy love songs on the radio.”

 
     
“I probably should have heard him out, but
on the other hand it felt so good to finally tell him what I didn’t have the
courage to a year ago.”

 
     
“That’s called growth, my dear. You’re not
that same meek little mouse I first met. You are a lioness.”

 
     
Noelle giggled at his analogy. “I don’t
much feel like one now but thanks for being a good friend.”

 
     
Paul put his arm around her shoulder and
gave her a kiss on the temple.

 
     
As they went back into the shop, Noelle
couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the last she’d see of James. Not by
a long shot.

 
     
“What the hell are you doing here? I
should fire the entire staff. Oh yeah, that’s right, I forgot. I don’t have any
except that cantankerous, half-blind old man who refuses to leave out of some
misguided sense of loyalty. More likely he has no place else to go.” David
shook his head before taking a healthy swallow of the amber liquid in his glass.

 
     
James wasn’t expecting a warm reception
but he wasn’t going to let his brother’s hostility ward him off. This talk was
a long time coming.

 
     
“Mind if I have a seat?” James asked.

 
     
“I doubt I could stop
you.”David
took another gulp from his glass.

 
     
James took a seat on the couch adjacent to
the chaise lounge David reclined on. His brother looked a complete mess. His
hair was tussled, there
was
several days of unshaven
beard on his face, and he looked as he had slept in his clothes. His eyes were
bloodshot and red-rimmed.  Gone was the spoiled heir of
AlCore
James had cast as villain in his own personal life
drama. In his place was a man defeated.

 
     
David narrowed his eyes. “So what are you
here for anyway?
Wanna
rub salt in the wound? Mother
is in Europe with her third husband, Carlo. He’s some Italian count who’s my
age and has a raging coke habit from what I hear. She couldn’t be bothered to
listen to my pedestrian problems, as she put it. The old man is still alive
unfortunately. And Gillian has decided she can’t live like this. She gave me
some speech about needing some space to find
herself
but the truth is, she’s basically checked out of the marriage.” David chuckled
humorlessly and finished the remainder of his drink.

 
     
“Last I heard
,
she was in the Hamptons with her latest lover. And you already know that
AlCore
is kaput. The house is in foreclosure and it’s only
a matter of time before the repo man comes knocking. So there you have it.
My life in a nutshell.
And you’re still doing swimmingly I
hear so I guess you win. Congratulations.” David stood up to walk across the
room to the bar.

 
     
James had imagined this moment for as long
as he could remember. The
Alexanders
were ruined
while he came out on top. He’d always imagined he’d feel triumph, but the
reality, however, was nowhere near the fantasy. He took no pleasure in this
moment. He didn’t like seeing David so defeated and pathetic. All these years
he’d spent hating his half-brother and the
Alexanders
,
the truth was, he didn’t hate them.

 
     
He hated himself.

 
     
It was a bitter pill to swallow to finally
acknowledge the only person who had been standing in his way of happiness was
him.  And because of his pigheadedness he’d lost the one good thing in his
life. Noelle.

 
     
James sighed, trying to find the words to
say to his brother. David probably wouldn’t be receptive toward them but he had
to try. “David, you may not believe this, but I didn’t come here to gloat, and
this isn’t about winners or losers.”

 
     
“You could have fooled me. Gillian’s favorite
pastime is rubbing your success in my face. She never stopped loving you, you
know. Throughout our entire marriage, she always founds ways to compare me to
you. Too bad she’s so
impatient,
she’d be living it up
right now.”

 
     
“I’d say I made a lucky escape.”

 
     
David pursed his lips.
“Must
be nice to be over her so easily.
Fool that I am
,
I actually still care for her.
The bitch.”

 
     
“The way she came storming into my office,
blaming me for your accident, I’d say she cares for you too.”

 
     
“The only person Gillian cares for is
Gillian. Don’t read more into than her actions other than those of a woman bent
on creating her own little melodrama. She lives for that shit. So what the hell
are you here for again?”

 
     
“To talk.
It’s
time we cleared the air.”

 
     
David huffed. “Now that’s a laugh. Tell me
another one.”

 
     
“I’m serious, David. Don’t you think it’s
time for us to hash things out? I’m not suggesting we become best buddies but
we are brothers, whether either of us want to acknowledge it or not.”