26. A Bottomless Chance
CHAPTER 26
a bottomless chance
BELLE
A week ago, Mick and I had sex in my childhood bedroom. SEX!
We'd said we loved each other in the throes of orgasm, which I considered to cancel out the words, though Mick disagreed.
"You're saying you don't love me?" he asked me after we left my parents' place. Yes, they'd heard us and whistled and hooted. Embarrassed was one way to feel, but I also felt a teeny-tiny bit proud. Anna wanted Dan to get tips from Mick…again. Laura was miffed because of her crush on Mick. I was mortified. Mick was not.
"I'm saying that we can't rely on things said when we're having sex."
"What if I said today is Sunday when we're having sex?" Mick mused.
"You know that's not what I mean."
"No, I actually don't. Explain it to me."
I had no explanation, so I sulked instead, and he kept on talking. "I love you, Babycakes. You know that. You know, but for feeling something so fucking enormous, I wouldn't willingly walk into a lab."
"But you're so good at it." He was amazing at it. My whole team was incredibly impressed with Dr. Augustus.
"I'm also very good at fucking you."
"True."
"And I love you."
I flipped him a finger and ignored him for the rest of the ride back to my place.
Since then, he'd all but tried to take over my life. He showed up at my apartment in Cambridge unannounced, claiming he'd just happened to be in the neighborhood . Which was hard to believe, considering my building was tucked away on a quiet side street in Kendall Square, a five-minute walk from my lab and he was staying in Boston, apparently, where he had a place in Back Bay.
He'd taken me there once.
Dr. Augustus was a wealthy SOB.
I'd chosen my place carefully. It wasn't one of those flashy new high-rises with floor-to-ceiling windows and concierge services like Mick's, but a sleek, renovated loft in an old brick building that used to be a textile factory. The exposed beams and iron railings made it feel industrial and modern, and the high ceilings meant I could stack books and lab journals wherever I wanted without making the space feel cramped. It was the kind of place that looked effortlessly cool, and I'd splurged to make it feel like me—until he decided to sprawl over my couch while watching football, insisting I sit next to him, his hands wandering over my body.
It was easy not to get involved with Dr. Augustus personally; Mick Bottom was an entirely different matter.
I was conflicted. Seriously conflicted.
"So, you're complaining that your boyfriend makes sure you're fed and that you get enough sleep by bringing food to the lab and dragging you home to bed, where he proceeds to give you a couple of orgasms?" Anna asked as all our friends looked at me with a smattering of disbelief and disgust for complaining when I was so lucky .
"I'm not sleeping with him. We haven't in weeks." All lies. I couldn't resist the man.
"And then there was the time when you almost broke your bed in the parents' place.” Anna grinned and added, "It's considered unclassy to make so much noise during sex."
"All I'm saying is that he's trying to take over my life, and I don't like it." It sounded lame even to me. The thing was that I kept expecting Mick to leave and go back to Reef Harbor. Now, he'd been in Cambridge for over three months. Whenever I asked him when he was going back, he told me unabashedly when I'd come with him.
He was also worried about my work habits. Apparently, all work and no play made Belle a snotty little bitch. This was why when Anna managed to get me out for girl's night, Mick was thrilled.
"Good! Otherwise, you're going to die in this lab of yours."
"We have a clinical trial running, Mick, you know how it goes."
"You have a body that needs to keep running, and it can't without rest and fuel. You know how that goes?"
"Get out of my life."
"You know what your problem is?"
"What?" I narrowed my eyes.
"You need to get laid."
The nerve!
That's when I threw a bottle of water at him and missed as intended. He was chuckling as he left my office.
We were at The Sinclair, one of my favorite bars in Cambridge. A live band played somewhere upstairs, sending a pulse of bass through the floor, and the hum of voices filled the air. The dim lights reflected off brass fixtures and old hardwood floors, creating a perfectly cozy Cambridge vibe. Anna sat across from me, scrolling through her drink options with a look of total focus, while two of her friends (they were more hers than mine), Leela and Jess, both physicians, were in the middle of a heated debate about the best sangria in Boston.
"Please, bitch, Barcelona Wine Bar has the best sangria," Jess insisted, rolling her eyes. "I don't care what any Yelp review says."
"Oh, right, because you've definitely had all the sangrias," Anna teased.
Jess narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Anna, I have done the work. I have drunk sangrias all over the city. I speak from a place of knowledge and expertise."
"It doesn't take expertise to drink alcohol," Leela commented snarkily.
"No, but it does to appreciate it," Jess pointed out.
I was half-listening, sipping my drink, when my attention drifted across the room.
"The fuck is he doing here?"
All three women turned to look at Mick. This was the first time Jess and Leela were seeing him.
"Is that the beach bum?" Jess asked in awe.
"Yeah."
"Really?" Leela's eyes were wide. "If you're conflicted about him, no worries, I'll climb that like he's a tree right away."
I sighed. "He's following me around, isn't he?"
Leaning against the bar, drink in hand, Mick looked completely out of place and yet somehow perfectly comfortable in this tucked-away Cambridge spot. He was in jeans and a fitted black shirt that managed to make him look both rugged and put-together, and I could practically feel my friends drool .
"Nah, he's meeting Dan," Anna told me, her eyes twinkling.
"Why would you invite your husband to girl's night?" Jess smacked Anna's hand.
"Ouch, surgeon hands, woman, be careful,” Anna protested. "I suggested it so Dan can be the designated driver…for all of us."
"That was smart thinking." Leela patted Anna's hand in appreciation.
"He's hot, Belle, how are you not…you know fucking him all day, every day?" Jess wanted to know.
I sighed, feigning nonchalance as I took another sip of my drink. I was fucking him night and day, but I refused to tell him I loved him. A girl had to put her foot down sometimes. "Ah…well, I have fortitude," I lied.
Mick and Dan kept their distance while we drank and talked, and I had to admit this was a good idea. I was wound tight. I was stressed out. I was scared that the trial would fail, and then what? I had nothing else to offer those children. So, a drink and knowing Mick was close by was comforting.
I was on my way back from the bathroom when I saw Mick leaning against a wall with a blonde bombshell standing in front of him, arms crossed. She was in what I called slutty chic. It was a bodycon dress that looked good on her. She was made up from her head to her Jimmy Choo toes.
I watched as she said something to him, her lips curled in an unmistakable sneer. Curiosity got the best of me, and I shifted a little to hear better while still not being visible to them. Just as I thought, the woman's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Nicholas, Nicholas, Nicholas. What happened to you?" she was saying. "You used to be on top of the world. Now, look at you. A washed-up failure on some island, playing beach bum. "
Mick chuckled. "Mia, babe, I'm not playing beach bum; I am a beach bum. A damn good one."
Mia? The ex?
"Come on, after that project of yours failed big time, I know what happened to your career. You had to leave your own company, or you'd lose funding."
My heart beat faster. Did that happen? I'd have heard about it if it had. And in any case, who gave a shit if that happened, how dare she bring it up?
"I did leave and ended up on the sexiest beach in the world. Is there a point, babe, for you to seek me out?" Mick sounded nonchalant, disinterested.
"Did you ever find any other woman to put up with you?" she continued. Mia had a lot of pent-up bitterness, I deduced. "You worked all the time. You had time for no one."
"True that."
"You know I never loved you. I felt sorry for you."
"Why?" he sounded befuddled.
"Because you were lonely, sad, and pathetic. You'd tell me how scared you were all the time about losing, failing." Mia's tone dropped with anger. "You had the best thing in your life and bed, but you didn't have time for me. You were just a lab rat."
He didn't seem at all angry that his ex was shitting all over him. But I was plenty annoyed on his behalf.
The bitch! He had opened up to her during their relationship, and this was how she talked to him about his vulnerabilities? He was trying to save lives by innovating and she called him a rat? Well, fuck this.
Before I could think it through, my feet carried me toward them.
"Oh, there you are, darling." I slipped my hand around Mick's arm, giving him an affectionate squeeze. His eyes widened, surprise flashing across his face before he quickly masked it.
Mia raised an eyebrow, giving me a once-over. "And you are?"
"Belle Volnay," I said smoothly, giving her a warm, overly sweet smile. "I'm his girlfriend…well…almost fiancée."
A slow grin crept onto Mick's face, but he stayed quiet, letting me take the lead. I cuddled into him, and he held me. "You're the ex, aren't you?" I faked sympathy. "I'm so sorry it didn't work out between you and my Snuggle Bug."
Mia looked taken aback. "Excuse me?"
"My Sweetie Pie told me everything about you." I went on tiptoe and brushed my lips against Mick's very amused ones. I turned big, round, innocent eyes at Mia. "He understands why you cheated on him. I mean, he gets it. You were lonely because he was always working. He thought about forgiving you and not leaving you, but then he felt it would be wrong to tie you down to him. I'm so proud of Mick to set you free to live your dreams."
"Shh," I heard someone say and saw my sister and friends were eavesdropping. What a shitshow!
" I left him and…who's Mick?" Mia wasn't expecting me, obviously, and looked annoyed at my intrusion. The evil witch inside me cackled at her discomfort.
"My Snooky Bear now goes by Captain Mick Bottom." I could feel Mick's body shake with repressed laughter.
"Captain?"
"He sails." I leaned into Mick, my tits rubbing against his chest. "He's such a good sailor and so sexy when he commands his ship." I stroked my hand up and down Mick's shoulders to prove my point that he was sexy—and he was the son of a bitch .
"Sails?" Mia was having trouble formulating words.
"But he's taking a break." I leaned toward her like I was going to drop a secret. "He's working with me …I'm a scientist." I straightened and held out my hand. "Dr. Isabelle Volnay."
Mia didn't shake it and looked at it like it was diseased.
"Oh." I pulled my hand away and set it on Mick. "You're still upset about the breakup? I mean, we met years after you two were done. He'd never cheat on you."
"I'm not upset about the breakup," Mia retorted.
"Then why are you throwing shade at my Captain Cuddlepants ?"
Even I had to suppress laughter at the Cuddlepants. Mick was shaking with mirth.
" Who are you ?" Mia was flabbergasted.
"I'm his Honey-Bunsen Burner. Aren't I, my Pookie Bear?"
"You certainly are," Mick cleared his throat, trying not to laugh out loud, "My… little Mitochondria."
"Oh, Mick." I kissed him, and he kissed me right back, his hands on my ass. "My Mister Hunkalot."
"My Pumpkin Pie." Mick nuzzled my cheek.
"My Sunshine Sprout." I was losing steam here with the cute endearments.
"Nicholas," Mia snapped. "Can you explain what's going on?"
"Oh, babe, sorry. It's just when my Cuddle Buns is around, I forget everything."
"Cuddle Buns?" Mia was surprised as hell.
Well, stand in line, skanky ex, I'm with ya! Babycakes was one thing, but Mick had upped the ante with Pumpkin Pie and Cuddle Buns.
"You know, maybe she's talking to you after all these years because she knows you're on the brink of something huge," I suggested na?vely.
Mia's eyebrows shot up, her eyes darting between us. "On the brink of what? "
"Oh," I continued, leaning into Mick like we were in the happiest, most smug couple bubble, "My Sweet Seaweed here is working on the next big biopharma breakthrough. I'm amazed by what he's doing. It's going to change lives."
Mick stifled a laugh, biting his lip to keep his expression composed. "Yeah, it's going to," he chimed, looking straight at Mia with smug satisfaction.
Mia's eyes narrowed, her expression faltering. "I thought you…left all that."
I let out a light laugh. "Oh, no. My Butter Biscuit is back and better than ever. You should see the way the team looks up to him."
"Like a washed-up failure?" Mia demanded maliciously.
I wanted to rip her hair out by the roots. How dare she? Instead, I chuckled, shaking my head. "Not even close. They think he's," I dropped my voice to a whisper, " hot . Probably because we can't keep our hands off of each other, and sometimes…we do it in the lab. And you know Mick, you've had sex with him; he's divine with his tongue and hands. I come so hard. Did you come hard with him?" My tone was inviting: tell me everything, girlfriend .
"You're disgusting."
"I am"—I winked at Mia—" his dirty girl . Aren't I, my Sandy Snickerdoodle?"
Mick rested his forehead against mine, his eyes watering as he struggled to contain his laughter. "You're killing me, Babycakes."
There was a beat of silence.
Mia's face had been carefully guarded, but I could see the uncertainty there, the crack in her arrogance. She looked at Mick, clearly reevaluating whatever conclusion she'd jumped to before she tossed her hair over her shoulder. Seriously? That old hair toss thing? It was so passe .
"Well, good luck with… all that ." She gave us a thin-lipped smile before stalking off.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Mick burst out laughing, his whole face lighting up with genuine amusement. "Captain Hunkalot?"
"I was grasping at straws," I admitted.
"I think my favorite was Sandy Snickerdoodle," Anna exclaimed.
"I liked them all…but especially when you said you're his dirty girl." Jess was wiping tears.
"This was so precious," Leela agreed. "Belle, I have misjudged you. I thought you were boring as fuck, but…you just needed a Pookie Bear to bring out the nasty in you."
Mick kissed the side of my head. "Thank you, Belle."
I looked up at him, unable to resist a grin. "You're welcome. That woman deserved a reality check."
He chuckled. "Remind me to never underestimate you, Belle."
"Oh, don't worry about that.” I smirked. "Underestimate me, and you'll regret it."
Anna and my friends were beaming like Cheshire cats when we went back to our table. Mick and Dan had decided to tag along. Mick slipped onto the bench beside me. I was barely seated when Dan, who was sitting next to Anna, leaned forward. "Belle, I want to say that I'm proud of calling you my sister-in-law." He wiped an imaginary tear off his cheek.
"Yes, Belle." Anna gave me a sideways hug. " So , proud of you."
"Charlie and Molly are going to be delighted," Jess said of my parents. "So, Mick, I'm Jess. I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon."
They shook hands.
"I'm an Ob-Gyn." Leela leaned toward Mick. "But I know the male body really well. "
"Sitting right here, you skanky slut," I protested with a broad smile.
"Leela just got divorced and is very horny," Anna explained.
"True," Leela agreed. "And I've been told that you are very good with your hands and …tongue."
Mick flushed. Only Leela could embarrass a worldly man like Mick.
"Ah," he looked at me flustered, "these are your friends?"
"Nope. They're Anna's friends."
"Heart fucking broken." Jess put a hand on her chest and gasped.
"We're not your friends?" Leela exclaimed. "Excellent! So, if Mick and I get down and dirty, there is no moral conflict ."
"Except for my being madly and irrevocably in love with Belle." Mick stroked my cheek, his eyes gazing into mine. "And, honestly, I can't see any other woman when she's there."
"All the good ones are taken," Leela grumbled. "Except my ex…he wasn't good when he was taken. The asshole."
We ordered drinks that I didn't consume. My alcohol tolerance was legendarily bad, so I stuck to a glass or two of wine, maximum; otherwise, Mick would have to carry me away fireman style as he had in Reef Harbor.
"Why didn't you say something when she was being such a witch to you?" I asked Mick.
"She doesn't matter." He put an arm around me and relaxed. "And I enjoyed you coming to my defense."
"I thought you could use backup."
Anna gave me a look that was so amused, it was borderline wicked. "Oh, of course. Very casual backup, where you swanned in and gave the ex the most perfect verbal smackdown any of us have ever witnessed."
"You even called him Captain Cuddlepants," Leela added, her eyes practically sparkling with glee. "And the way you made your eyes go all innocent? I mean, Belle, that was practically Oscar-worthy."
I could feel Mick's eyes on me, and I resisted the urge to look at him, knowing he'd be grinning like the cocky fool he was.
"Gah! Can we let it go now?"
Jess raised her glass in a toast. "To Belle, defender of the downtrodden, fierce protector of the island beach bum."
Mick clinked his glass with Jess's, chuckling as he leaned over, his lips close to my ear. "Hear that, Belle? Fierce protector." He looked down at me, eyes sparkling with that infuriating mix of humor and smugness.
"Gotta say, you make a pretty convincing girlfriend," Anna said.
"Probably because she actually is my girlfriend." Mick's voice was soft, sultry, affectionate.
"Is she?" Anna narrowed her eyes. "But she told us that she isn't sleeping with?—"
"I have to go home." I tried to stand up, but Mick wouldn't let me.
"Nuh-huh. I like having you in my corner. I'm going to have to keep you around." He held me to him. "So, you've been telling people we're not sleeping together?"
I sighed and said morosely, "Busted."
Anna and Dan laughed, and Jess and Leela exchanged glances, barely holding back their laughter. I felt my face flush.