Chapter Seventeen
“Good morning, sunshine.”
Reid walks out of my bedroom looking ridiculously delicious in a pair of PJ pants and a T.
It’s the third straight night he’s spent with me, and we’re weirdly functional as a couple. Not that we are. We’re playing around. That’s what I keep telling myself.
Except we’re only days in and it doesn’t feel like play. It feels like comfort.
Don’t get me wrong. We have been screwing each other’s brains out, and I expected that. What I didn’t expect was sitting around and watching old movies with him while he works on his never-ending scarf. I knew he would be sexy. I didn’t think he would be so adorable sitting on my couch with knitting needles in his hands.
I’m fascinated with his hands. With the scars he took in the accident. With how he’s working so hard to regain his mobility.
I look up from the plans I’m working on. Redesigning a home to be three separate homes is a lot. The architect might be the one doing all the technical plans, but I have to figure out if it can actually be done. “Morning. There’s some coffee, and I made some toast and eggs.”
“You are a busy bee this morning.”
He kisses the top of my head.
I glance up at him. “Have you even been home in the last couple of days? I saw your brother brought you fresh suits. We can stay there if you need to. I would suspect Aggie is lonely.”
He chuckles. “Aggie will pour all of her attention on Jeremiah. He loves it when I’m gone. He plays the lonely boy, and she makes him all his favorite treats. If I stay away for a couple of weeks, he’ll get pudgy. But I like it here.”
I snort at the thought. “It is as far from a beautifully designed space as you can get. None of my furniture matches, and the most expensive piece is from IKEA.”
“Hey, that desk you’re sitting at is a Nakashima,”
he points out. “I think it’s real. If it’s a knock-off, it’s spectacular. That is some mid-century modern elegance.”
“It was my grandmother’s. When she passed they let the grandkids take a few mementos. My cousins naturally took anything they thought was valuable. But the desk was old and used, and it’s not like my cousins spend a lot of time working at a desk. I always loved it. I guess I didn’t think about the designer until one of my friends mentioned it. I like the wood. It’s plain but not plain, if you know what I mean.”
“I do.”
He puts a hand on the top of the desk, running it over the smooth, elegant lines. “George Nakashima didn’t like the idea of industrially produced furniture. He preferred to have his designs crafted by true artisans. He wanted his designs to represent the trees he worked from. Elegant. Natural. Peaceful. And that’s why I like it here. You see a piece of my soul in the way I designed the penthouse. Masculine. Ultra modern. Designed for form over function. This place is a piece of yours. Comfortable. Functional and yet warm and inviting.”
I tilt my head up to look at him. “I’m functional?”
He gives me a grin. “Very functional, but I like your form, too, baby.”
He leans over and kisses my nose. “I like your form a lot. In fact, I could show you how much I like your form.”
I playfully push him away. He’s insatiable. “We are due at Banover in an hour, and I have to go into my office and tell my cousin I need an extra couple of weeks since I now need to oversee a lot more work. Though I talked to Lenny, and he can handle some of it. He’s excellent, by the way. I like working with him.”
“He’s a good man, and I’m glad he can give you some flexibility, but I hate that your cousin keeps calling you.”
He moves to the kitchen and pours himself a cup of coffee. “I would think he would use this time to show everyone he can run the company.”
“The problem is he can’t. So he’s trying to use this time to show everyone how little I care,”
I explain. “I’ve got my head wrapped around the idea of three residences, but the timing is hard. I’m supposed to start an office complex upstate in six weeks. I’m pretty sure we won’t be done in six weeks.”
He huffs. “There’s no way. I mean we’ll likely be doing the finishing work, but you still need to be there. We’ll be doing a lot of filming in those weeks.”
I don’t like to think that far ahead, but it seems as though I need to. I need to remind myself that we have an end date. “Did you have another job lined up? I don’t suppose you need it. How long do you usually take between jobs?”
He takes a sip and leans against my counter. “I’m heading out to LA as soon as this is done, and my brother and I will be taking meetings. Since we shut down The Dorsey Brothers show, we’ve been doing a lot of private contracts, but the truth of the matter is the show pays so much better and we’re getting to the point that we need to consider money.”
“You?”
I raise a brow.
He nods and gives me a “what are you going to do about it”
shrug. “My father was in a considerable amount of debt when he passed. It was why we first agreed to do the show.”
We’ve talked a lot about work in the last couple of days but not about his past. I’m insanely curious, but I’ve been trying to play it cool since we’re involved in a casual fling. It’s the opening I’ve been waiting for. “I kind of thought you liked being on TV.”
“I don’t mind it. I did at first. I enjoyed the actual work. I quite enjoyed working with the families. When we were strictly private design consultants we worked for very wealthy people. Half the time they didn’t appreciate what we did. Doing homes for working-class people is different. I know we joke about how deeply urbane my tastes are, but making things work for a family while staying within a budget is far more rewarding.”
“Why did you stop?”
His eyes go to the floor, and he takes another sip of coffee. “After the accident I couldn’t work for a while, and we had some trouble with the production studio. I was in physical rehab for months. I shut down after the accident. I let things go. We had been almost ready to sign a deal with a company to design furniture and household goods. I regret not signing that deal now. New York City property taxes can be draining to a bank account. Since the accident I’ve had some unexpected expenses, and the world of reno TV moves shockingly fast. I was grateful to Luca for thinking of us. It gives us a real step up in getting back in the game.”
It’s good to be reminded that he won’t be here for long. It even sounds like he might sell that gorgeous penthouse of his. I don’t blame him for that at all. It’s far too big, and no matter how he decorates it there are bad memories there. “Well, I hope you get what you want.”
He studies me for a moment. “Lenny isn’t coming with us. Says he’s too old to travel around the country. This is his last job before retiring.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
I’ve come to like Lenny.
He stares as though waiting. “Harper, we’ll need a contractor.”
“Oh, you want me to introduce you to some people? I don’t know if Samantha is completely ready. She’s pretty young and needs more time, but she’s going to be great one day and she looks…”
I’m interrupted by him chuckling and leaning over to kiss me.
“I don’t want Samantha. Nothing against her, but I like to hire the absolute best,”
he whispers against my lips. “And you are the best.”
The idea sparks something deep inside, but I can’t give up my whole life to follow some man around. “I have a job.”
“Unless they oust you, and then you’ll need one.”
He straightens up and genuinely looks like he would enjoy the scenario. “Think about it. No more big boxes. No more huge crews. And all the orgasms you can handle.”
I’m about to argue that making orgasms part of the job is unprofessional—and really hot—but then I hear someone opening my door.
I groan as I realize who it is. “I’m so sorry, Reid. That is my mother.”
“Harper,”
she calls out. “Harper, are you still here?”
She walks into the living room, lips pursed as she looks me over. “I thought you would still be here. Those Hollywood people are making you soft. Your father was always at work long before the sun rose.”
I stifle a groan. “They’re not from Hollywood. Many are hardworking Canadians, though this one is New York born and bred. Reid, this is my mother, Margie Ross. Mom, meet…”
“Why on earth is Reid Dorsey in your house?”
She smooths back her hair and is suddenly smiling. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dorsey. I’m completely forgetting my manners. It’s so lovely to meet you. Oh, I wish Harper had cleaned up more. I assure you I taught her how to keep house properly.”
She starts to straighten up the mail I chucked on the end of the bar.
“Mr. Dorsey is here because we…” I begin.
“Are dating.”
Reid moves to my side, his arm going around my shoulders. “And her place is perfectly lived in. I can’t stand it when a house is neat as a pin. It lets me know the person who lives there doesn’t have a life.”
I turn my head to stare at him but he’s serious. This man never has a thing out of place. His home is immaculate. “I should tell Aggie,”
I say under my breath.
His lips kick up slightly. “She knows I don’t have a life.”
“You’re dating Reid Dorsey?”
My mother looks shocked. It’s good to know I can still do that to her. “And you didn’t tell us?”
I never planned to tell her. Reid has zero idea the can of worms he’s opened. “It’s pretty new, Mom. And also casual.”
“Not so casual I didn’t wake up here this morning,”
Reid offers. “So you should also consider the fact that having another whole human being in a place can make it messier. It’s not bad. You keep a fine house.”
I didn’t consider the fact that he is defending me. He doesn’t even know my mom but he’s telling her to lay off. Ivy and Ani stopped a long time ago because the fight’s not worth it. I’ll tell Reid the same thing once she’s gone but… I realize how alone I’ve been feeling. Maybe I won’t tell him. It’s dangerous because he told me he’s leaving for California, but I can’t help but revel in the warmth I feel right now.
My mom stops fussing. “Well, I guess Harper works, so it’s hard to keep up both. Harper, I wanted to talk to you about having a big family gathering before the meeting in a few weeks. I know there’s been trouble, and everyone is anxious about the new changes you’ve made.”
I step away from Reid because suddenly my shoulders are up around my ears. I am anxious. Everything seems to be slipping through the cracks, reminding me how much I’m needed there. Paul is sloppy and he puts his buddies in lead jobs on the sites rather than the person with the best experience and skills. “I’ve explained to you that they aren’t arbitrary changes because I’m some kind of evil oligarch trying to take all the wealth for myself.”
She sighs. “Harper, no one thinks that. Everyone knows how hard you work. I know some of the things your father did weren’t perfectly legal, but he did them for the family. We need to sit down and figure out how to help. Aunt Elaine needs a new car.”
“Aunt Elaine is ninety-two, and they took her license because she smashed into a fire hydrant the last time she drove.”
“Well, she was trying to get to church.”
Oh, how she rewrites history. “She was right outside the liquor store. There was a case of beer in the back seat.”
“I’m sure she was buying that for someone else.”
My mom’s lips purse. “Harper, I didn’t teach you to judge people like this.”
“Yes, you did. It’s literally all you did my whole childhood, up until right this second.”
She shakes her head. “You and your precious sarcasm. You are going to give your new boyfriend the wrong impression. Oh, Reid… Can I call you Reid?”
“That’s my name.”
He looks entirely too amused by the situation.
Mom nods primly. “Reid, you will have to come to our family dinner. You’re always so gracious on the television. Very masculine, but in an old-school way. A veritable knight. You might soften up my daughter’s image.”
Reid gives her a bland smile. “Harper doesn’t need softening up. She’s the CEO of a company that people depend on. She’s too soft if you ask me since she keeps people on the job who are clearly not competent. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have to rush from her passion project two or three times a week in order to save her cousin. Who has been doing this job for every bit as long as she’s been, so he should know how to handle a client. It’s almost like he wants her to fail.”
“Paul would never put the company in jeopardy,”
Mom insists.
“And yet he keeps doing stupid things that upset the clients,”
Reid replies, and I’m surprised that he’s been keeping up with my day-job problems. I wonder who’s been talking to him. “Suddenly the man can’t read his own bids and overbuys for a site and has to ask the client for extra cash?”
I groan. Yeah, I handled it. “I called the provider. They let us return the extra materials, but they don’t usually do it. I barely scraped out of that one, and the client is still upset Paul came to them.”
“He’s overworked, too.”
My mother stares at me. “He has children.”
She’s making my argument for me. “And a wife who does all the work. You know I’ve actually been to Paul’s place. He works. He golfs. He drinks with the guys. So please don’t tell me Paul works harder than I do because I don’t have children. Go talk to his wife because she’s the expert. And Mom, I don’t have time for some reunion party where I’ll be inundated with requests I have to turn down.”
“That’s the point. Don’t turn them down,”
Mom orders. “Give on a few of them and I promise the board meeting will go exactly the way we need it to. You need to stay in control of the company. I think if you would give Paul a raise so he makes what you make, it could go a long way to get the two of you on the same page.”
“Why would a site manager make as much money as the CEO?”
Reid asks, crossing his arms over his chest and studying my mom. “Harper does almost all of the administrative work, on top of being in charge of all the sites and planning. And dealing with the unique problems of a family owned and operated business.”
Ah. Now I know who he’s been talking to. I had lunch with Lenny a few days back and went over all of my day-job problems. He’s the one who pointed out that dealing with family members would be even worse than a bunch of board members since at least you knew the only thing the board member wants to do is make money. I get to deal with the fact that my cousin Susan, who works in accounting, hates my cousin Deanne, who handles buying and billing and shamelessly stole Susan’s boyfriend in eleventh grade. They are still at war to this day, and who gets to mediate? It sure as hell isn’t Paul.
“Oh, Harper has people who help her, and also it’s important to consider the fact that Paul has a family to take care of,”
my mother says primly. “He has two beautiful children. They have to be considered.”
“Harper, I might need to start drinking early today,”
Reid announces. “This is what you deal with?”
“Pretty much. It’s the 1950s with my mom,”
I reply and again, I can’t say how good it feels to have someone back me up unashamedly.
He leans over and kisses me briefly. “I’m going to finish getting ready because I am incapable of not mansplaining feminism right now.”
He’s wrong about that. “Oh, it’s not mansplaining if the person who the man thinks needs the explanation actually needs the explanation. It would be mansplaining to me. It’s just explaining to her. But I would save my breath. She lives in denial, and there’s no talking her out of it.”
He smiles, an expression that sends a thrill of heat through me. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll get dressed and we can go in together. I might call and tell CeCe’s butler there’s an emergency and he’ll send a car and we can skip the subway.”
I’m about to ask why CeCe would send us a car, but she does enjoy ordering people around, and she likes Reid. She doesn’t even hit on him, so I know she likes him. Oddly, she does hit on Jeremiah, but I think it’s because he’s gay.
“Well, he’s ruder than I would have thought,”
Mom says with a frown. “I guess he puts on a good show for the TV.”
This is why I didn’t want them to meet. No one is ever perfect enough for my mother. “He’s a nice man. You were being mean to me, and he likes me.”
Her head shakes. “I wasn’t being mean. I’m trying to help you.”
“I don’t want help.”
I take a long breath and pray for patience. “I want Paul to be able to do his job. The whole point of this was me getting time to work on something I’ve wanted to my whole life and Paul getting the chance to prove that he’s better than me. Something he’s wanted to do his whole life. He’s screwing it up. No one is going to oust me, Mom.”
Tears pool in her eyes. “That’s how they’re talking. Your cousins are going to back Paul if you don’t at least listen to them.”
She clearly doesn’t understand. If I give in once, I’ll be doing it the rest of my life. My dad was lucky he was only audited once, and I was able to work it out. But beyond asking for cash, my family has other asks. “Mom, they want me to fire people who’ve worked for the company for decades so they can give their kids jobs when they are not qualified. I offered them internships so they can learn the business and be ready when a couple of our older guys retire. I’ve offered them daywork. They want their sons to walk in as managers. I can’t do it. It would hurt our productivity and our morale.”
She shakes her head. “You won’t listen to me. Well, I hope you get out of this what you need. I’m afraid if you’re not careful you’re going to lose your family. I don’t suppose you want my advice on your new boyfriend.”
I so do not want that. “Nope.”
She ignores me. “He is not like the boys you’ve dated before. He’s a serious man with a serious career and a lot of eyes on him. He’s been seeing a model for a long time. I overheard some of my friends talking about the fact that they broke up, but they seem to do it a lot. It’s only a matter of time until he goes back to his real life. With models and parties and wild times. You can’t hold a man like that.”
The words don’t surprise me at all. They still hurt, but I’m starting to turn to other people for the support I should be able to expect from my mom. “I probably could. You need the right rope, and I’m good with knots.”
She huffs. “I mean it, Harper. You’re going to get your heart broken or worse, you’ll look like a fool and it will be all over the papers. Everyone will know. I’ve seen pictures of his ex. She’s considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. How do you expect to compete with that? He’s being kind about the apartment. It’s a mess. You have to offer a man a safe, clean place. You have to treat him like a king, and you can’t even be kind to your own family.”
“It sounds like she’s trying to be smart about her business so it still exists for her family. Also, Britta is gorgeous on the outside but like a painting, there’s not a lot beneath her surface.”
Reid is buttoning up his dress shirt as he stands in the hallway, a deep frown on his face. “Well, there’s a lot of selfishness and narcissism. Don’t believe the gossip about me, Mrs. Ross. I’m quite a homebody, and your daughter is far more beautiful to me than any other woman I’ve ever seen. Knew it the first time I met her, but she’s a little stubborn. So I’m going to ask you to never again speak that way to your daughter. Certainly not in my presence.”
There’s something deeply sexy about him right now. But I also know this is going to bite me in the ass because he won’t be around to defend me forever.
“Well, I certainly haven’t given a good impression of myself.”
My mom starts for the door. “I’m only trying to spare my daughter, Mr. Dorsey. When you have children you’ll understand that sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. The truth is often hurtful but it’s best to get it out there and deal with it. Harper, when you come to your senses, I hope your family will still be there for you.”
With those loving words she’s off. I sigh. “And that is my mom.”
He turns me so I’m facing him. “That was a lot. Does she always talk to you like that? Who does she think you are? Also, you don’t have to tie me up to keep me, but we could discuss tying you up. I think you would look extremely hot tied to my bed.”
I go up on my toes and kiss him. I don’t think he’ll be around the next time my mom ambushes me, but I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life.
He picks me up and starts to carry me to the bedroom.
Work can wait.