Accidentally in love, p.42
Accidentally in Love, page 42
“I hadn’t yet decided, and I’m quite capable of getting my own coffee, thank you though.”
Tucking his folder into his meaty hand, he started for the door. “How’s your husband these days?”
My breath caught in my chest and I fought to swallow it down. “I wouldn’t know.”
“Of course not, why would you?” He eyed me up and down enough that the lump softened with the added bile rising up my throat. “Have a good day, Izabella.”
“You too.” I closed the door the second he stepped beyond the border and walked over to the desk. Nothing seemed out of place, at least to me. Grandpa would’ve spotted it though. You could replace a stapler back on his desk in the same position and he’d know because it’d be off a hair. He was so methodical. Probably why he was a shrewd business mogul. He knew exactly what he wanted, and precisely how to get it. Unlike me. I always felt like I was swimming in the ocean with nary a boat around to cling to.
I sat in his soft leather chair and reclined, wondering what my next move would be. And what was Phase Two? Nowhere had I read there being any mention of expansion or of any type of acquisition. It was all surreal, and totally out of my league. Until I’d read Mom’s Last Will and Testament, I’d been almost ready to concede defeat and just accept the shares allocated to me and Theo, and go about my merry way, just being a low-key board member. Now though, things had changed.
I picked up the phone and dialled the receptionist’s desk. “Hey, Mona, can you tell me if the last call made in this office was incoming or outgoing?”
“I’d need to check.”
“Please do, and if it was outgoing, I’ll need the number please.” I hung up the phone and stared out the window, tossing a glance at the family portrait hanging on the wall. Taken when I was three, just before Grandma died, we’re sitting in this office. Grandpa at his desk, Grandma on one side, Mom on the other and me cradled in his lap. Compared to my friends, it was a weird family picture, but it was us. We had each other. Until seven weeks ago, when I became the sole survivor of the Merryweather-Weston line.
The phone buzzed and I picked it up, scratching down the details Mona provided.
I dialled the number Colby had called, and a high-pitched voice answered. “Good afternoon, Smith Quinn Divestitures Group. How may I direct your call?” Immediately I hung up, and on my phone typed in the name of the company. I scanned the landing page and my eyes got bigger and bigger the more I read. “Like hell.”
Now more than ever, I needed the annulment. I needed share majority and to appoint a new CEO who would have the company’s best interests at heart. Colby Pratt was not that man. He had plans to sell off the company. That’s what Phase Two was.
Chapter Twelve
Saturday, June 20th
The humidity in the air was awful, especially for mid-June in this part of the world. Natasha, my hairstylist, had a bitch of a time keeping my hair curled; every curl quickly flattened itself out within minutes. She ditched her plans for beach-soft waves and instead pinned it up in a half pony and worked some sort of witchcraft to make it pretty. Admittedly, she did a beautiful job and it was definitely not over-the-top or too much, even after she applied my makeup.
I bid her adieu and scarfed down a high-protein smoothie to keep me fueled through the afternoon, and stashed a protein bar into my clutch for a wee snack. The shoulders of my dress were just slipping into place when the buzzer announcing Theo’s arrival went off.
At least he had the decency to buzz this time, even though I was totally expecting him.
I didn’t want to wear my runners, although no one would know thanks to the length of my plum dress, and instead opted for a pair of simple heels. They were well padded and amazingly comfy. Plus, they lifted the bottom of the skirt off the floor to a barely touching level.
Theo rapped his knuckles on the door I’d left opened for him. “Hello?”
“I’m in the living room.” I was tossing my phone and a few personal items into my silver clutch.
“There you… Wow.”
I wondered if he was still upset with me, but seeing his eyes widen and how he tugged at the collar on his neck, they suggested the anger was long diffused. “I look okay?” I straightened up and took in his full admiration.
“It’s not fair to Theresa, my cousin. You’re… wow… well, you’re beautiful, Izabella.”
Three words I’d never heard strung together, at least not in recent history. They had the power to make my heart flutter and my legs weaken. It meant so much to hear them, especially coming from him. “You’re looking pretty dapper yourself.” Hot damn. The tuxedo turned him from a regular Maverick into James Bond. The good doctor needed to check out my heart, I was having palpations trying not to stare at him.
He bowed. “Thank you. You’re ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
We left the apartment side-by-side, and I locked up. Once we’d descended the stairs, he offered me his arm, and I looped my hand through it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Together, we strode through the lobby and out the main entrance and I felt like a superstar as my neighbours turned and waved. Or maybe they didn’t recognize me and questioned who I was.
Stopping at his Camaro, he opened the door and helped me in. And lifted the extra material from the bottom of my dress into the car, touching the side of my calf as he did so. Heat blossomed across my chest, which was modestly covered and hopefully hid the majority of the colour change. Content that none of my dress was hanging out, he closed the car door and jumped over to his side.
“Before we take off, I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for helping me save face in front of my family.”
“Even though in a couple of weeks, we’ll be…” What? What was it we’ll be? What do you call an annulled couple?
The chipper grin on his face fell. “Yeah, that.”
It put such a sudden damper on the mood that I vowed right then and there to not bring it up in any way shape or form for the next twelve hours. After midnight though, all bets were off.
“So, where’s the ceremony?” I knew the reception was at the convention center.
“In Riverdale. There’s a giant church, an old historic church. My cousin is a huge Historic Edmonton fan.”
“Where’s Riverdale?” All I knew was that sounded like the place where Archie and Jughead lived, but I was pretty sure we weren’t going into the US.
He gave me a sideways look as he pulled out into traffic. “How long have you lived in Edmonton?”
“All my life.”
“You really need to see more of your city.” He laughed, the sweetest, gentlest sound. “Riverdale is east of the convention centre, right on the bend of the river.”
I nodded, watching my surroundings as we drove by. Maybe I did need to venture out and explore my hometown more. There were a lot of things I should do but finding the time to do them was holding me back. Between the company and trying to squeeze in afterhours time in the lab, I really had no semblance of a life.
It didn’t take long until we drove into an area of the city I’d never visited. It was like something out of a movie – huge towering trees with swaying, vine-like branches hanging over the street, providing a break from the intense sunshine.
Theo parked his car behind a building and helped me out. He straightened his bowtie – twice – and his gaze darted around as other cars pulled into the parking spaces.
I wanted to tell him that I’d play my doting girlfriend role so well that he’d have a hard time imagining me not being in his life, but I also didn’t want to send out any crazy mixed-up signals. He was doing me a huge favour and I didn’t need to be a jerk about it. Instead, I looped my arm through his and followed his lead, putting a smile on my face and a spring in my step.
“We’ve got this,” I whispered and tapped his chest with my other hand.
He tightened his grip, briefly, and sighed with what I hoped was relief. “There’s my older brother.”
I scanned the growing crowd, searching for someone who looked like he could be a brother. It wasn’t hard to find an older version of Theo. Standing on the steps of the church, a man who could be a dead ringer for my date held the hand of a lovely lady dressed in pink. “Which one is he?” Theo had three older brothers.
“Ah, that’s Geoffrey. His wife, the one laughing, that’s Michelle.”
Geoffrey and Michelle. Got it. I wasn’t gifted with remembering names, but I was going to try. No better time than now.
“And there’s Robert and Amanda.”
I wasn’t sure who he was referring to, maybe another brother, could be a friend too as I didn’t see another guy who bore any resemblance to Theo.
“Come on, let’s meet the family.”
I swallowed down my building fear. This was all an act, and I was terrified that someone would see right through it. Did I have enough intel on Theo to legitimately pass as a girlfriend?
“Theodore,” a loud booming voice said from the top of the stairs. He waltzed down as if he owned the place and wrapped Theo in a bear hug.
“Izabella, I’d like you to meet my oldest brother, Robert.”
“How do you do?” I shook his hand and recited his name over in my head focusing on something about him that made him stand out – my Grandfather’s trick for remembering every single one of his franchise owners. Robert Red Beard. Hopefully that would help me later.
“I’m well, thank you.” His handshake was the bone-crushing variety I’d dealt with in lawyer’s offices before; the kind where they crush you to let you know they have the upper hand. Did they teach that in law school?
Under the guise of my clutch, I opened and relaxed my hand to bring the blood flow back in.
“Amanda,” Robert Red Beard yelled behind him, “come and meet Theo’s girl, Izabella.”
A lovely lady, who could’ve passed for an older version of the Duchess of Cambridge, descended the steps and stood before us. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Welcome to our family.” I half-expected her to curtsy. “We’re so excited to be able to put a name to the face. Theodore speaks very highly of you.”
“Does he?” I tried to hide the creeping blush by turning away and gazing up into Theo’s face. How much had he talked about me, considering he’s only known for a week about the marriage?
“Oh yes. Says you’re a gifted scientist.”
“Well,” I gave his arm another little squeeze, “I don’t know about the gifted part, but I sure do love my job.”
Amanda stepped down a stair. “Is that how you met?”
This I knew I could answer with total honesty. “Yes. We met at a pharmaceutical conference back in October.”
Theo released my hand from his arm and instead threaded his fingers through mine. “We had the absolute best time.”
“I hope we hear all about it over dinner. Are you joining us?” Amanda directed her question at me.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure what Theo had planned. I’ve left the decision up to him.”
“Very well. Do consider us.” She tapped my arm. “If you’ll excuse me.” And with that she was gone.
Theo pulled me away from his brother and we walked up the stairs into the church. “We’ll get bombarded if we hang out there. Just wait until dinner. You’ll see.”
Until Amanda mentioned dinner, I hadn’t given it a whole lot of thought. I just assumed it would be some random table we’d be put at, and we’d have to make small talk with strangers. Now, I’d be making conversation with his family about how we met, how we spent our time together and whatever it was his family inquired about. I gulped, suddenly preferring awkward chit-chat about the weather with people I wouldn’t need to remember later.
He pointed to a pew near the middle and guided me into the center of it. “Sorry about her, she can be quite nosey.”
I laughed and looked around making sure Duchess Amanda wasn’t nearby. “I hardly found her nosey at all. She seemed quite sweet. Have they been married long?”
“Twelve years?” He scratched his head. “They’d dated forever, and Robert held off proposing, claiming that he was only going to get married once and he wanted to make sure that Amanda was the right one.”
“Is that a family view?”
“What the marriage part?”
“And only doing it once?”
He nodded and turned away. Double damn. So much for me keeping my promise that I wasn’t going to bring up the annulment, I’d just basically rubbed back in his face that we were going to be the first to break a family tradition. He was already the different one, choosing the non-familiar law career, and now I was keeping him even more different by making him the first to have a dissolved marriage. Somehow, deep down, I highly doubted there were any divorces on the Breslin family tree so I kept my mouth firmly shut. Instead, I ran the fingers on my free hand over our joined ones.
People started filling the pews, and Theo spoke with just about every person he saw, introducing me to each of them. There was no way I was going to remember anyone’s name despite Grandpa’s trick, and I hoped there wouldn’t be a test later. My own personal joke made me giggle.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” I bit my lip and asked him about his family tree.
He kept pointing out his aunts and uncles and from which side they were on, all the way until the music started playing, at which point we both turned and watched the procession.
The wedding was lovely, and the lady beside me, whose name I forgot but was a relative to the bride, cried constantly. I nicknamed her cries-a-lot as she reminded me of a Care Bear in her fuzzy peach-coloured sweater. Halfway through the ceremony, I ended up passing her a tissue.
The bridal party made their way out of the church and we followed out to breathe in some fresh air.
“Theodore,” a high-pitched voice squeaked out from behind us. She looked about high school age and ran over and hugged Theo, who returned the hug.
“Izabella, this is my baby sister Natalie.”
Natalie immediately wrapped her arms around me, and I took a step back to brace myself from the unexpected. “So happy to meet you.” She pulled herself off me and beamed up at her big brother. “Mom said not to leave yet. One of the photographers is willing to take a family photo since it’s been a while. Come on, she’s setting up in the courtyard.”
“Okay, but it has to be quick. I have something planned for Izabella before the dinner.”
“Promise.” Natalie pulled on my hand. “You too.” She led us around the church to the most gorgeous courtyard I’d ever seen. The flowers were in full bloom and the colours were a pale comparison to the most intoxicating floral scent floating in the air. Natalie walked us over to a cobble stone area, where chairs were already being set up, and various members of the Breslin family were hanging around chatting animatedly.
Theo lifted his finger as he approached the woman I assumed was his mother. “Only one picture, Mom, okay?”
“Yes, dear. One.” She nodded and turned her full attention to me. “You must be Izabella?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I nodded and felt like I should bow to the woman. Her eyes narrowed ever so, and I felt like she could see right through me and my pretend relationship.
Instead of continuing her glare, she air kissed each of my cheeks. “Welcome to the family.”
It was unnerving how often I’d heard that today. I had so many questions about why they were saying that, and what it all meant, but the photographer started gathering everyone together and placing them. When Mr. and Mrs. Breslin and their six children were all together, the photographer snapped a dozen photos.
“Alright, we’ll need all the spouses.”
Theo’s brother’s wives and his sister’s husband stood beside their partners. I stood off to the side watching the family. They looked like royalty, so formal and yet, eye-catching. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from them.
The photographer clicked a few, until Mrs. Breslin raised her hand up. “We need Izabella in here.”
“Oh no.” I backed up a step. “This is a family picture, and you all look so lovely.”
She waved her hand. “I insist, besides you’re family too.”
I glanced over to Theo who wore the same shock I felt. It seemed he didn’t expect that either.
“Stand beside Theodore. Please.”
I gave him another glance and feeling wholly out of place, stood beside my husband and held his hand. Something deep inside told me the cat was out of the bag. Why else would they all act like I was family, if he hadn’t told them we were already married?
Chapter Thirteen
With the family pictures out of the way, Theo and I were free to go and do our own thing. We walked out of the courtyard and down the street to his car, I held my clutch with two hands, rather than allow him to hold my hand. While I was beyond thrilled that we had plans for something, as it prevented us from engaging in any conversation with people I deemed strangers but who were family to Theo, I was a tad upset with the direction things had been going with his family. My thoughts kept falling back to the little things everybody said and how welcoming everyone was. It was more than just being friendly, it was weird.
“You’re awfully quiet. I sense you have some questions for me,” Theo said as we stopped at his car.
“I do.”
“Can they wait? I promise to answer them all in twenty minutes.”
I fell into my seat and gathered up the hem of my dress, tucking it all into the car.
A heartbeat later, we were pulling out of the parking lot and heading back toward downtown, driving along a winding road where the river lay beyond. I needed to sort through my thoughts, which were plentiful, and decide which ones were the most pressing to ask and which could wait.
