The week went faster than I’d imagined it would, and Friday was finally here. Addy and I were packed up for our vacation on the coast. We’d be staying at Jim’s beach house tonight and coming back on Sunday night. It was the perfect getaway.
Little by little, we’d break her in like this; at least that was my plan. Jim was buried with a deal he was working on for his London office, and the only communication we’d had all week was through texts. When we tried to talk on the phone, he was always getting interrupted by calls that he couldn’t miss.
Around lunchtime every day, he would text me and tell me he wished he could join me and the others, which was a better alternative than sending a note after the last debacle. In the evenings after Addy was asleep, a text would buzz through from him telling me that he missed me and that London had just woken up—which, to me, meant that he was going to work with the London office while I fell sound asleep.
It was pretty cute, and I could tell he was trying to keep what we had in Palm Springs going, but I wasn’t a complete idiot either. The man ran a fucking empire—I saw that with my own eyes at the gala. I missed him, but I worked and had a life too. Thankfully, I had Addy to fill the time when my mind would wander toward wanting desperately to see him again.
Luckily for me, I didn’t feel lonely. I had a routine and didn’t necessarily stop until Friday anyway. Weekends with Addy were spent like this weekend would be, doing fun things like going to the beach, the zoo, movies, or the park. Weekends without her consisted of going out with the girls when I could, but seeing my friends was few and far between on its own lately.
I’d not seen my sister in longer than usual, and I had a feeling that when we reconnected, she was going to shit a brick when she found out how things were going with Jim. I could guarantee that she’d throw up a million red flags in my face too. She would warn me off of dating the man for every reason under the sun. I guess I’d given her the right to do so since everything she’d ever witnessed from me was reckless and impulsive. This time, however, for the first time in my life, I was with a man who made me feel far from reckless.
I was the one who was forcing myself not to do what I really wanted, which was to spend every night at his house and move into that badass place, but I refused that for the sake of Addy. One might say I actually was learning from past mistakes and finally growing out of doing things impulsively.
It was ten in the morning, and I was intently going through the mundane tasks of my morning routine by answering calls and setting appointments for approval of the managers on my floor. The managers I’d only seen the day Jim had shown up.
“Momma.” I jerked when I heard Addison’s playful voice. “Mom!”
I swiveled on my chair, pulled off my headpiece, and my heart nearly stopped when Addy’s bright blue eyes met mine with a brilliant smile. Her hand was locked into Jim’s, who stood smiling at me. His green eyes were dazzling, and my heart forgot how much I loved and missed the man wearing the same mischievous grin as my daughter.
“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell,” Amir said, my eyes meeting his wide ones. I smiled, seemingly starstruck by the man myself.
“And to you as well, sir,” Jim said.
“That’s Amir, Mitch,” Addy said, running the floor like she owned the place, not Jim.
“Hey, Addy,” Amir said. He’d gotten to know her pretty well during the lunch breaks when I would steal her from the daycare to join us. “Will you be having lunch with us today? I brought too much hummus again, and I think I’m going to need your help to finish it.”
“I might be,” she answered him.
Jim and I probably looked like two complete idiots by now. Both lost in each other’s eyes. Addy and Amir were the only ones on the floor who said a word. I think time just slowed for me, though, because Jim couldn’t stand on this floor and lose that CEO composure.
“We’re here to ask a huge request of you,” Jim said after nodding to my manager, Stefanie, and another dude I’d only seen once before—both with looks of utter shock on their faces. The room slowly grew into whispers and murmurs, but my daughter was still the loudest, forcing Jim to hold back a smile.
“Go ahead.” I folded my arms and leaned back into my chair, wondering if Addy broke loose and found Jim in his office, and he was here to bring back my lost child to me. “You both look like you’re up to something.”
“We need to get beach stuff, Mom,” Addy said with her usual sass.
“Really?” I looked up at Jim. “Right now? I figured we had everything we needed.”
The entire company knew about Jim and me, and I’m sure there was plenty of gossip outside of my friends—Amir and Alyssa—but I didn’t give a damn. So long as Jim didn’t mind it, I’d dealt with worse shit before than rumors about fucking the boss, but this was the first time everyone on my floor saw it with their own eyes. I had a feeling Jim was working this in his own way. Maybe gossip had floated across his desk, and he came down to clear it up. Who the hell knew.
“Not quite,” Jim said. “Would you mind me stealing away Addison to have her sized for a wetsuit and a life vest?”
“The water is cooling,” I said, looking at Addy’s vibrant smile. “She doesn’t—”
“Nonsense,” Jim said. “We’re off to the beach this weekend to enjoy every ounce of it, Mom.” He winked down at Addy as she looked up at him, hoping I’d give in, and he’d convince me of this. “If you don’t mind, it will be easier for me to take your car with her seat in it than call for Blake—”
I pulled my keys out of my purse and smiled at him, “Here. Please don’t let her con you into getting extra things.”
Jim grinned. “I’ve got this. We’ll be back in time for lunch.”
“McDonald’s!” Addison nearly screeched.
“Addy. Shh,” I tried to calm her down. “Now, give me a hug,” I said. Addison did her choke hug of excitement while my eyes never left Jim’s.
I’d give anything to feel his lips on mine again. Tonight! I reminded myself.
“We’ll get you a wetting suit too, Mom,” she said, looking at Jim.
“I’d love one, but I’m chilling in the sun.” I looked at Jim. “It’s been a long week for Mommy.”
“It’s been a fun week. We have a new car, Mom.”
“Yes.” I smiled at her and Jim. “We certainly do, and I want to think about that the entire time my eyes are closed, and I’m soaking up the sun.”
“Can I speak with you for just a moment?” Jim asked.
I could see that Jim needed to have a quick conversation without Addison being present, but I could also tell he struggled with letting her hand go.
“Hey, baby,” I said. “Why don’t you sit in Mommy’s chair, and if my phone rings, have Amir get it for me, okay?”
“We can answer calls together, little mama,” Amir said.
“She doesn’t touch the phone, Amir.” I eyed him.
“We’ve got this,” he said, smiling at Addy as she climbed into my chair.
I turned back to Jim, expecting to follow Mr. Three-Piece-Suit out of the cubicle area. Wrong. Jim took my hand, intertwined our fingers, and the sea of people who were moving around on the floor parted for us. We walked toward the executive elevators without a word, and I was confused as to why I was leaving my kid at my desk.
Once in the elevator, Jim pressed the doors to close then stopped the thing. I looked at him with a confused smile. “You taking me to your office, Mr. Mitchell?”
“This is the only elevator without cameras in it,” he said. “It’s been extremely tempting not to request you meet me in it so I could fuck you senseless. Goddamn, I’ve missed the hell out of you.”
He brought me in for a tight hug, and his cologne swept me out of my right mind right then and there. “I’d take that,” I teased his skin with my teeth.
“Jesus.” He sighed, and then rose and looked into my eyes. “I had to just have a moment alone with you. I’m sorry that I’ve been so busy this week.”
“Week is over, handsome,” I said, straightening the perfect knot of his red tie. “Seriously, don’t let Addison scam you into buying the entire store or wherever you two are going. Wait,” I said, his lips ready to devour mine, and I fucking stopped it with a mom-girlfriend moment. “How in the hell did you make time for taking her shopping today? This morning?”
He rose back up, his hands holding my sides while leaning back against the elevator wall, “It’s partly the reason I’ve been gone all week. That London deal is kicking my ass, but we finally closed it at four this morning. On top of that, I pushed my Friday meetings out and canceled the ones I knew would go over. That’s another thing,” he said. “I’m going to have to give you the address to the place in Malibu. I’m calling ahead to have the security let you into the place. I planned on being out of here at five with you so we could drive down together; however, I have to meet with an investor at five. I’ll be done no later than seven, and the freeways will be cleared up then, so I’ll be at the house at eight, possibly earlier.”
“You trust us in what I’m imagining is one hell of a house in Malibu?”
He grinned. “I’ve had pool toys delivered, and the hired help is stocking food, and they have taken care of setting up the pool for Addy. I think you’re going to understand what I want to see for my own eyes.”
“And that is?”
“Seeing her smiling and swimming in the pool. I haven’t forgotten how adorable she was in that video you showed me in England,” he said. “Those pools are used for my exercise only, and would love to see her face when she splashes the hell out of the pool area.”
“The things I take for granted,” I said with a laugh. “You know it drives me insane when she acts like a maniac in the pool and disrupts everyone trying to enjoy our pool at the apartment, right?”
“That’s exactly what I look forward to.” He pulled me in. “Now, if I don’t kiss you, I’m going to fuck you here and now or something.”
“Something tells me you’d do both.”
He smiled. “It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
“How so?”
“Your boss didn’t seem to realize I was making plans to take you and Addy away, so you’d have to stay back and work while I left, utterly satisfied, and got to go shopping.”
I pulled his tie and brought his laughing and gorgeous lips down onto mine. The kiss was just as hungry as I’d imagined it would be. The worst part was that we should have found a way to make a quickie happen, but we both knew everyone who wanted to check—and some asshole likely did—would know the elevator never lit up, showing it hadn’t gone anywhere. They probably already thought that we were fucking in here anyway—we should have just gone for it.
“You made it all worse, you know?” I said, pulling out of our kiss.
“I can handle the office,” Jim said, his voice returning to CEO-James mode.
“I’m not talking about that,” I said, feeling my flushing cheeks as the doors of the elevator opened and let us onto my floor again.
He smirked at me and pulled his phone out. As he typed, I looked for Addy, who was in some great conversation with Amir and Alyssa.
My phone buzzed as Addison ran to Jim. “I’ll see you tonight. Addy will be bringing lunch back for you two.” He winked, and after I kissed my daughter, they left like a king would with his little princess. It was a pretty beautiful sight.
My phone buzzed its second alert. I picked it up.
Jim: It might seem like I made it worse, but trust me, it’ll be worth it tonight.
Buzz again.
Jim: I’ve missed you
I smiled at the texts.
Avery: Yeah. About tonight. Addy will be in the house, remember?
Jim: We’re in the car now. Can’t text and drive. I’ll cover your mouth. I had a room made up for her. Will she sleep alone?
I covered my smile. Should I let him wonder? He did get me all worked up and piping hot for more in that elevator while he took off.
Avery: Yes, but it’s a new place. She’ll be very excited and not able to sleep, no matter how cool the room is. Sorry. You’re out of luck, buddy.
Jim: Might have to wear her out in the pool then. We’re leaving now.
Time for Jim to experience life as a parent, especially with a child who went full-steam ahead in new, exciting environments. Jack shit was happening tonight unless I set an alarm for three in the morning. I smiled, trying to imagine how this would play out with our first night together under one roof. I missed the hell out of him.
“Hey, sister,” Amir said with a laugh. “You going to survive? You haven’t seen him all week, and then he comes down looking like a hot piece. You have to be dying.”
“I’ll manage,” I said, trying not to agree with him too eagerly.
“Well, he certainly looked like a goddamn snack, if I do say so myself,” Alyssa said with a laugh. “Never thought he could get better looking than his airbrushed, front-page magazine covers. You lucky girl. That man is all yours.”
“What?” I laughed this stupid, nervous-excited laugh I didn’t realize I was capable of making.
“Oh, please,” Amir said. “The entire office saw that look on his face. Come to think of it.” Amir looked at Alyssa. “The three times I’ve seen Mr. Mitchell on the floor, he’s always looked like a dick—a gorgeous dick, but a dick nonetheless. Now he’s just—he’s totally chill.”
My office phone rang, and I answered it.
“Avery?” It was Larry. “Did I finally get the right extension?”
“Yes, Larry, you did. It’s Avery. What’s up?”
“Addison left her backpack and her stuffed puppy here. Mom just found it.”
“Shit,” I said, relieved. “It’s been hell this week without pup. I had to lie and tell her he must’ve found a lonely little girl who needed to snuggle with him. It was working, but staying at the beach house tonight might’ve been a nightmare without her little comfort pup.”
He laughed. “Well, we’ve got it, hun.”
“Addy and I will swing by and get it tonight.”
“I can meet you.”
“It’s not a problem. Jim’s getting off late anyway. It works out fine. Besides, Addy loves riding in her new car.”
“No kidding?” he said. “Okay. We’ll see you tonight, then.”
I texted Jim and told him that I had to head to Larry and Annette’s before driving to his place, and with traffic, the drive from downtown LA to Anaheim and then back to Malibu was going to be a massive bitch. It was a damn good thing we loved this car because we’d be arriving at Jim’s place about the same freaking time as he would be.
We’d finally made it to Larry and Annette’s at six-thirty. Traffic was a bear, but this car kept Addy content with her videos, and I could relax forever in the comfort of the seat.
When we walked up to the door, the screen door flung open, and my heart nearly stopped. “Addy, go say hi to papa,” I said in the calmest voice I could manage. “And close the door.” Once the door shut, I turned around and glared at Derek as he walked toward my car. “What the fuck are you doing out of jail?”
Pissed was not even a word I could use to express the rage I felt.
“Believe it or not, Avery, people sober up,” he said. He didn’t seem high, but who knew. “Nice car. Did that douchebag let you borrow one of his trust-fund toys?”
“None of your business.” I felt my entire body shaking. My life had been so carefree for a whole week. It was like I’d let my guard down, and now, reality hit me like a Mack truck. “A week in jail doesn’t sober up someone who’s as sick as you. You need rehab. You need to do it for Addy.”
“Does your rich boy-toy know you’re just as bad?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
He waved his hand at the car, “Rich assholes like him—James Mitchell—they don’t fuck with hood rats. So, either he’s got you a supplier, and you’re using again, or—”
“You are out of your fucking mind, and here I thought you weren’t high. You’re on something, just not fully tweaked yet.”
“Did you tell him who he’s dating, Avery?” Derek lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, and pointed at me with his cigarette between his fingers, “You could make the front page of the news with your past, fucking with a CEO like him. You act like I’m so horrible, but you were always the worst, and that doesn’t change.”
“Shut the fuck up. My past is in the fucking past. Quit trying to fuck with my mind. I hate you so much.”
“I’m just saying. If you’re falling for this asshole, you’ll probably fall flat on your face. That guy is so far out of your trashy league that you don’t even have a clue, do you? You just like pretending you aren’t some glorified whore.”
“You can go straight to hell,” I said. “Addy and I are leaving. I’ll think about whether or not she comes here next weekend. I’m done bringing her around her dad, who is constantly high as fuck. She deserves better. Why don’t you stop worrying about me and start getting the help you need so that you can see your daughter again, huh? What a novel idea.”
“That man and all his fucking lawyers can’t help you get the custody you think you deserve. We’ve both done jail time, and what will the judge think about that along with everything else you’ve ever done? They’ll take her from you too, and it will be all your fault.”
“I did one fucking night in jail seven years ago.”
“Tell that to the custody lawyers. You’ll bring my daughter next weekend. You fuck it up, and I’m taking you to court. We both know my parents will get Addy.”
“Fuck you, you mother fucker! Fuck you!” I screamed. I was so furious that I could hardly see. I stormed into the house, my nerves tightening with every passing second. “Addy, let’s go,” I said in a stern voice that my daughter didn’t deserve.
“Mommy, are you okay?” she asked. “You’re crying. Daddy made you cry?”
Goddammit, I was fucking crying. I took a deep breath and smiled, “I’m fine, kid. Do you want to go and get some McDonald’s?”
“Yes,” she squealed and gave everyone hugs and kisses goodbye except for Derek. She walked past her dad and smiled at him. “Hey, daddy.”
“Does dad get a hug?” He knelt, and I watched the scene in disgust.
Jim knelt to bring himself to her level with so much kindness and adoration, and it was the most precious sight. But this? A drug addict, asking his daughter to hug him goodbye after being a complete fucking dick to her mom? The man disgusted me more and more, and I didn’t even need Jim in my life to realize that.
I barely made it through McDonald’s with Addy. I was a wreck and holding it all in as best I could. Derek had brought out my biggest fear again, the custody fight for Addison. Jim questioned why I didn’t fight for her, and this was precisely why. Because even though I didn’t see myself as the drug addict that I was eight years ago, Derek treated me like I’d never changed. He made me start to believe that this stain could never be wiped out of my life. Never removed.
When my mind started veering in the direction of breaking it all off with Jim, believing Derek was right that I could somehow ruin the man’s image and life if anyone dug up my past, I knew I needed to go home and regroup for the night. Addy was already asleep in the car anyway. It was eight o’clock, and we could just go to bed and head down to the beach early in the morning.
I wasn’t going to spiral, believing the master manipulator and his bullshit just yet. I wasn’t giving up on myself. I deserved better. I deserved to be with a man who loved me. I deserved to be with Jim, whether or not he was wealthy. Derek would never see past the wealth part, but I did. I didn’t fall in love with James H. Mitchell. I fell in love with the kindest, most loving man. A man who gave a damn about me: I fell in love with Jim.
