Forever with You

Chapter Eight

Sophia’s fingers clutched the back of my chair. “Celia wasn’t enough? Now you have to steal this one from Hudson too?” Her voice was too loud, and people nearby were already starting to murmur.

Jack’s face said he was as surprised by his wife’s presence as I was. “Sophia. What are you doing here?”

“Spying on you, osbiviously.” She meant obviously, but her words were slurred and hard to understand. I’d never seen her that way. Never seen her that intoxicated.

“You’re drunk.”

“That’s illeverant. Irreverant.” Sophia slumped into Mira’s empty seat. “That doesn’t matter.”

“How did you even know to come looking for me here?”

Sophia smirked. “Mira. She told me she was having lunch with you. I decided to come to the lie. To see the lies. To hear your lies about me this time. Now the whole thing is a lie. You got your daughter covering for your cheating ass as well?”

“Mom?” This time the person behind me was who I was expecting.

Sophia reached for her daughter’s hand with both of hers. “Mira! Look who I found your father with now. Hudson’s new girl.”

Mira glanced around at the onlookers as she patted her mother’s hand. “Mom, Dad’s not with Alayna. He’s with me. I told you I’d be here. I was the one who invited Alayna.” She spoke to Sophia like she was a child.

Memories of helping my own drunken father swam to the surface of my mind. Public situations were the worst. At home, Dad could scream and cry and make a fool of himself. We’d let him pass out in his mess and clean him up later. When there were others around, we had to be responsible and hope he wouldn’t be completely humiliating.

Mira’s expression said she was hoping pretty damn hard for the same.

“You invited this whore?”

Too late—Sophia had already crossed to embarrassing. Though her attacks on me were fairly routine.

“I did invite her. I didn’t invite you. Why are you here?” Mira waited only a second before going on. “Never mind. Mom, you’re drunk. We need to get you home. Did you take a cab to get here?”

“No.”

“How did you get here?” Mira signaled to the waiter to bring our bill. It was admirable how take-charge she was. I guessed it was a role she was used to.

“Frank?” Sophia paused as if not sure that was the right answer. “Yes, Frank’s outside somewhere.”

“I’ll call him.” Jack was already pulling out his phone.

Mira bent down to her mother. “I’m going to walk you to the curb, okay?”

Jack stood. “No, Mira. Let me. Frank?” he spoke into his cell. “Sophia and I are ready to go home. Fine. We’ll be out there.” He pocketed his phone then moved to help Sophia stand.

“Did you drive yourself, Daddy?” Mira’s words were mundane, but her eyes were filled with gratitude.

“Yeah, my car’s with the valet.”

Sophia fell against Jack. She was passing out.

Mira gently slapped her mother’s face. “Mom, you’re almost there. Hang on ‘til you get to the car.” When Sophia roused, Mira said to Jack, “I took a cab. I’ll drive your car home for you.”

He reached in his pocket and pulled out a valet ticket. “Thank you, babydoll.”

Mira took the ticket and nodded. Then she collapsed in her chair.

I watched as Jack led Sophia out of the restaurant. There was love in the kind way he held her up, the way he supported her journey.

When I turned back to Mira, I found she was crying.

“Don’t mind me.” She waved at her face as if she could fan away her tears. “I cry at everything these days.”

“I think this was a valid thing to cry over.” I shifted in my chair. It wasn’t that I was uncomfortable with Mira’s emotion, but I wished I knew how to soothe her. The best I could come up with was putting a hand on her knee.

“Why? I should be used to this by now, shouldn’t I?”

I didn’t say anything. I knew she didn’t really want an answer—she wanted someone to listen. As for myself, I’d never gotten used to it. But Mira was older than I was when my father died. I probably would have expected to be used to it by then too.

Mira looked out toward the restaurant entrance. Even though her parents were long gone, I knew she was picturing them there. “I just keep thinking, this is going to be the grandma to my baby. Do I want my child to be exposed to this?”

God, I’d never thought about that. If Hudson and I had a kid…

I shook the thought off. “I can’t imagine what that must be like. I do know how hard it is to have an alcoholic parent—how embarrassing it is. Has she ever been to rehab?”

“No.” She laughed, like it was an inside joke of some kind. “She won’t even talk about it.”

“Have you forced her to talk about it? Like an intervention? I’m not saying they’re fun, or easy, but they can work. I’ve seen them work firsthand, actually.”

“With your father?”

“No. No one ever staged an intervention for him. I regret it often. I wonder if things would be different if…” How many times had I wondered if my mother could have changed something? If his boss and his friends and Brian and I and our mother had sat him down and demanded change. Could that have saved his life? Saved my mother’s life?

I’d never know the answer. “Anyway. That’s the past. But I was talking about me.” I cleared my throat, surprised that I was sharing something so personal with someone I admired. “I had an intervention pulled on me.”

“What? When? For drinking?” My confession seemed to shock Mira out of crying.

“For obsessing over relationships, actually. I didn’t have many people in my life that cared for me at the time, but I’d gotten arrested, and—”

“Wait a minute—for obsessing?”

I watched my hands wringing in my lap. “For stalking.” I peeked up to see Mira open-mouthed. “I know. Embarrassing.” I swallowed my humiliation and focused on the goal of sharing my story. “Anyway, my brother and a couple of friends I had back then that have since all abandoned me because I was a total shit to each and every one of them, well, they sat me down and convinced me to seek help. Honestly, I only went because if I didn’t agree, it would have been jail time. But having them gathered like that—hearing that people cared what I did and what happened to me—it meant a lot.”

Mira put a hand to her mouth. “Alayna, I didn’t know.” Her eyes glistened still from her tears, but I could see something else as well—not disgust, like I would have expected, but compassion. “You’ve hinted at a rocky past, but…I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t. Why would you?”

“I guess I wouldn’t.”

“My point in telling you is that I’ve learned through all my therapy that most addictions are really just a cry for love. And the crazy thing is that the more you’re addicted to something, the harder it is to look up and see all the love there is around you. For the one outside, it can be tough to break through. But sometimes you can break through. As long as you’re willing to try.”

I watched the wheels turn in Mira’s head as she processed all I’d said. But she didn’t say anything else. And then the waiter was there, telling us that Jack had paid for our bill on the way out, and our lunch was over.

“Monday for your fitting?” Mira asked as we parted.

“Yep. I’m looking forward to it.”

I pulled out my phone, ready to text for my ride when I saw Jordan waiting for me across the lobby. With my bodyguard in tow, I walked to meet my driver. “Jordan, is there something wrong?”

“Not exactly, Ms. Withers. But I wanted to warn you that Ms. Werner is outside. She’s been here throughout your lunch.”

“Fuck.” So much for thinking bodyguards and Pierce family members would protect me from Celia. “What is she doing?”

“Nothing. Sitting on a bench down the street is all. She even waved at me.”

“Yeah, she’s a very friendly stalker, isn’t she?” I chewed on my lip, thinking. “Did you tell Hudson?”

“I texted him, yes.”

“Would you take me to him?”

“Of course.”

Maybe Hudson would share his plans for my stalker now. I just hoped he actually had something in the works.

My new bodyguard, Reynold—who was only mildly attractive—insisted on coming with me into the Pierce Industries building. Having only had him around one morning, I hadn’t yet gotten used to always having a shadow. Fortunately, Reynold was good at his job. He tailed me inconspicuously and made it easy for me to forget he was even there.

Reynold stayed in the lobby while I took the elevator up to Hudson’s floor. As soon as I saw his secretary, I realized I hadn’t called or texted ahead of time. I had a feeling my unannounced visits irritated her, but Hudson had never claimed to mind so I smiled and pretended my presence was no big

deal. “Hi, Trish. Could I possibly stick my head in to chat with Hudson for just a minute?”

Trish returned my smile. “I’m sorry, Ms. Withers, but Mr. Pierce isn’t back from his lunch date.” She seemed a little too happy to really be apologetic.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was after two. Still at lunch? “Oh. Okay. Thanks.”

Disappointed, I pushed the elevator call button to go back down. While I waited for it to arrive, I pulled out my phone and texted Hudson that I’d stopped by.

I had just pushed send when the elevator doors opened. Standing there was Hudson. With Norma Anders.

Immediately I tensed. They were the only two people in the elevator—was that who Hudson had been on a lunch date with so late in the afternoon?

“Alayna. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Hudson didn’t seem put off by my presence, at least.

“I almost missed you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. Come with me into my office.” He began to usher me toward his door. Then he stopped. “Norma—”

She cut him off. “I’ll email you.”

Hudson nodded. “Good. Thank you.”

Norma took off down the hallway, I guessed to her own office. I hadn’t realized she shared a floor with Hudson. I’d never thought about it, really, but now that I did, it bothered me how close they worked together.

Once the door was shut behind us, Hudson put his hands on my upper arms. “Why are you here? Did something happen?”

The original reason I’d come to see him seemed like nothing compared to how I now felt at the sight of him and Norma together. My blood was boiling and my stomach was knit tight. “I don’t know—did something happen?” Jealous accusations had always been one of my fortes.

Hudson leaned back, confusion on his face. “What do you mean?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, hoping I’d sound less bitchy if I was in his arms. Also, I was sniffing for women’s perfume. “Let me rephrase—was Norma your lunch date?” The only scent I came up with was the usual Hudson smell that tended to set my pheromones on overdrive.

“More like lunch meeting, but yes.”

I’d hoped the evidence had been misleading. “Did you dine with her alone?”

Hudson withdrew from my embrace and pinned me with a stern stare. “Alayna, keep this up and I’m going to have to put you over my knee. Except I know how much you like that.” He bopped my nose with his finger and headed toward his desk.

His patronizing attitude made me all the more infuriated. “I don’t like that you had lunch with her. Alone.”

He shuffled some papers, his attention obviously elsewhere. “Well, I don’t like who you had lunch with either, so we’re even.” Before I could react, he looked up at me. “And no, that’s not why I had lunch with her. It was business. We’re working on a deal and we needed to hammer out details.”

Of course it was business. Did I have any reason in the world to think otherwise?

I didn’t.

I still didn’t like it.

I walked over to the other side of his desk. Memories of our last encounter here helped take the edge off my emotions, leaving me sounding less accusatory but whinier. “Did you have to do it in a social setting?”

Whinier seemed to work in my favor. Hudson’s eyes softened, though his tone was still straightforward and aloof. “I chose a lunch meeting with you in mind, Alayna. Would you rather that we’d stayed in my office with the doors closed and no one around?”

With the lingering images of the things I’d done with Hudson in his office behind closed doors, the question made me a bit ill. I slumped into an armchair. “You are not helping the situation.”

Hudson sat across from me. “You know that Norma is one of my key employees. My business frequently requires me to interact with her. In person. Sometimes, we’re alone.”

The explanation of his working relationship with Norma made sense. And sounded familiar. I decided to suggest a one-size-fits all solution. “Maybe you could transfer her.”

“With what reason?”

“The same reason you transferred David.” It was the exact same deal, after all. In reverse.

Hudson pinched the bridge of his nose. “While I understand your comparison of the situations, I’m not transferring Norma.”

I stood with a shriek of frustration. “This is really unfair you know.” I paced as I spoke. “I can’t work with someone you don’t trust but you can work with someone I don’t trust? And since you’re the big business owner in this situation, you were able to just take care of things with David, transfer him, and if he refused, fire him. What can I do? Nothing. I’m helpless.” I paused my walking and shook a finger at him. “Norma has a big fat crush on you, Hudson. I can see in her eyes that she’s not afraid to make a move.”

Hudson jiggled his mouse and focused on his computer screen. “She is quite aware that I don’t return her feelings.”

“How does she…?” The only way she’d know that was if he’d told her and the only reason he’d tell her…“Has she already made a move?”

“Alayna, this conversation is going nowhere. I have appointments—”

“Hudson!”

With a deep sigh, he leaned back in his chair and met my eyes. “She’s told me that she wishes there were more between us. If that counts as making a move, then yes, she’s made a move. But, as I’ve said, I’m not interested. And she knows it.”

I gritted my teeth to insure my next words didn’t come out in a scream. “Can you explain how this is different than me working with David?”

He blinked. Twice. “I can’t. You’re right. It’s not different.”

“But that’s all I get? You won’t change it?” It wasn’t going to be much of a victory if he answered the way I suspected he would.

“I can’t lose Norma. She’s too valuable to my company.”

And that was what I’d expected he’d say.

I leaned on the back of the armchair. There was nothing to say. Nothing I could say. He agreed with my point but was unwilling to do anything about it. Now we were at an impasse. Our eyes locked on each other as we each silently refused to back down.

After several long seconds, Hudson swore under his breath and looked away. When he turned back, he asked, “Do you want David to stay?”

My heart flipped in my chest. “Would you let him if I said yes?”

His eye twitched. “If that’s the only way to make this right, then I would.”

A thrill of happiness ran through me.

Until I remembered all the reasons why David staying wasn’t a good idea.

“Dammit, Hudson.” I couldn’t believe I was actually going to say what I was going to say next. “No. I don’t want David to stay anymore.” I refused to meet Hudson’s eyes. “It wouldn’t be good for him. He’s…he’s in love with me.”

“I know.”

I already knew Hudson knew. It was me that was just now admitting it.

I turned away from the desk and plopped myself down on his couch. Hudson came and sat down next to me. I rubbed my hand across his cheek. “Thank you for offering, though. I know that wasn’t easy for you.”

“No. It wasn’t.” He ran his fingers up and down my arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake. “But it would be worth it to make you happy.”

Man, he’d grown up in the last few weeks. I had to give him that.

But maybe I hadn’t, because I still wasn’t quite ready to let the subject of Norma Anders go to rest. “Have you considered that maybe it’s not good for Norma to work with you either?”

Hudson chuckled. “No, I haven’t. And I’m sure it’s not.”

I shifted to face him. “Could we make some sort of concession here?” I took his hand in mine, playing with it as I talked. “Like, could you not have meetings alone with her? Is there anyone else on your team that could join you in the future?”

With his free hand, he brushed a piece of hair out of my face. “On the project we’re currently working on—no. But it’s almost done, and I don’t expect that this level of secrecy would be necessary in the future.”

And on top of their private meetings, they were sharing a secret. Fucking great. “What project are you working on?”

“Nothing you’d be interested in.” Before I had a chance to scowl, he corrected himself. “I’m trying to purchase a company from someone who would never sell if they knew I was the purchaser. Norma’s the only person I can trust not to leak the information.”

“Fine.” I hated that there was no way around their working relationship. Hated it. But what could I do? “Fine,” I said again, more for me than him. “Social settings only, please. Where there are people around. And when this deal’s over, you won’t need private meetings with her anymore?”

“No. I won’t.”

“I’m going to still ask about her. Like, all the time. Because I can’t just let it go.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

Though I was pleased that we’d worked through our argument constructively, the resolution was still a bitter pill to swallow. “Do you know how much this hurts to let you keep her employed?” I squeezed his hand hard, digging my fingernails into the back of his hand to accentuate my pain level.

Hudson narrowed his eyes, tolerating my assault. “Believe me, I do.”

“Okay then. As long as we’re clear.” I released his hand.

“Was there another reason you stopped by?” He rubbed the back of his hand. “Or was Norma the intended subject all along?”

I laughed as I recalled the ridiculousness of my day. “No. I came by because I just wanted to see you. Lunch was…interesting…and then Celia was there again.”

His brow shot up. “Celia was there?”

“Jordan said he texted you.”

Hudson reached in his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. He flipped through a few screens. “Damn. I left my phone on silent. I didn’t know. She didn’t try anything?”

“Nope. Just let me know she was there.”

“Alayna. I’m so sorry.” He pulled me so I was half on his lap and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

I sighed, settling into the warmth of him.

Hudson kissed the top of my head. “Maybe you should take some time off. I could send you out of town. Would you like another week at my spa?”

I stretched my head to see if he was serious. He was. “I can’t leave now. Not with everything at the club. And she’ll know she scared me off. I can’t let her have that victory.”

“That’s a very brave response. I just hate that you’re in this position.” He tightened his arms around my breasts.

It was then that I remembered my other reason for stopping by. “Do you have a plan to deal with her?”

He was silent for a beat. “I talked to my lawyer today,” he said finally. “As you said, there’s nothing we can do legally. But we’re looking into some other options.”

“Illegal options?”

“How about you let me handle this? I’ll fill you in when everything’s sorted out.”

I didn’t have the energy at the moment to push him. Besides, it seemed he really didn’t have anything worked out at all, and forcing him to admit that would be unkind.

So I let it go. “You require an awful lot of trust these days.”

He placed a light kiss at my temple. “Too much?” His voice was strained and his body tight—it was his turn to need my reassurance.

So I said, “No. I trust you.” Though sometimes my trust was more of a work-in-progress. I turned to kiss his cheek. “I know you’ll take care of me.”

“Always.” His lips met mine just as his intercom buzzed. He sighed against my mouth. “I’m sure that’s Patricia letting me know my next appointment is here.”

I stood and then offered my hand to help him up. “Guess my blowjob plans are shot to hell then.”

His eyes darkened. “Maybe I could make them wait.”

Laughing, I swatted at his shoulder. “Shut up. I didn’t have blowjob plans. For all that I’m conceding to, I think I’m the one who deserves the sexual favors.”

“Tonight.”

“I’m holding you to it, H.” I reached up to give him a final peck on the lips. “Meanwhile, you should know that I hate you a little.”

“You do not. You love me.”

I shrugged. “Same thing.”

Hudson walked me out so he could welcome his next client in as I was leaving. I’d almost made it to the elevators when Trish called after me.

I walked back to her desk, wondering if she meant to scold me for keeping Hudson occupied.

“This was delivered for you while you were with Mr. Pierce.” Trish handed me a simple white envelope with my name written in block letters on the outside.

It didn’t occur to me that I should have given the envelope to my bodyguard until after I’d opened it and found the same business card that had been stuck in my books at home. Celia Werner, Interior Design.

The knot in my belly tightened. She’d been on foot when I’d left her at the restaurant. How could she possibly have followed me so quickly? Did she simply guess that I’d come here? Why hadn’t Reynold seen her coming up in the lobby?

“Who gave you this?” I asked Trish, aware that my voice was more demanding than would be deemed polite.

“I don’t know. A courier. I didn’t pay attention.”

“Was she blonde, blue-eyes—”

Trish cut me off. “It was a he.”

That explained why Reynold hadn’t seen Celia—she’d had someone else deliver it. As for knowing I was at Hudson’s office, well, wasn’t that predictable of me too?

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. All she’d left was a silly business card. It didn’t hurt me. It was meant to scare me, that’s all. Meant to warn me that she was watching. That she knew how to get to me.

Resolving to not let her get to me, I opened my eyes. I quickly scrawled a note to Hudson on the white envelope and put the card back inside. “Thank you, Trish. When Hudson is free, can you give this to him?”

I really wanted to burst through his doors and show him personally. Then convince him that both of us should leave it all behind and go to his spa.

But that would be running away. And running away never solves anything. Or so, that’s what everyone always says.