Chapter 24
Alex
Damn it, where the hell is she?
Annoyed and in a foul mood, I drum my fingers on the bar.
I give a friendly nod here and there, shake a few hands of guests I haven't seen yet, and just hope this whole charade will be over soon.
I'd wanted to talk to the mayor about the mall idea, but the owner of Beth's shop hasn't agreed yet anyway, and somehow it would be better if I spoke with her first instead of him.
But where is she? What's taking her so long in the bathroom? Should I go check if everything's all right?
No, that definitely won't improve the mood, which had already hit rock bottom right before she went to the bathroom.
"Boss?" I hear Eric's voice behind me and spin around.
"I couldn't find her. I'm sorry. Maybe she's already left," he says, gasping for air as if he'd just run a sprint or something.
"She's in the bathroom. I'm waiting for her; she said she'd be right back," I say irritably, jerking my thumb over my shoulder.
"They're... talking to each other? I thought I was supposed to find her and send her out?" my assistant asks, looking at me in disbelief.
"Who are we talking about?" I retort, annoyed, and wonder what he's getting at. What does he have to do with Beth?
"Dilara. I was supposed to find her and, with Jake..."
"Oh, right. Of course. My mind was on Beth," I say, relieved, and clap my assistant on the shoulder. "Just keep looking, okay? That woman is capable of anything. Check every corner twice, will you?"
"All right, boss," he says, hesitating for a moment. "Is there anything else I can do?"
"No, it's fine, Eric," I reply, glancing toward the bathroom. When is Beth finally coming back? I want to come clean with her. I let my gaze wander over the guests, raising my glass to the mayor, who nods back friendly and raises his own glass. That's a good sign, because...
"Calmed down?" I hear a familiar male voice behind me and whirl around abruptly.
"Jake! Wasn't I clear enough? Didn't my assistant show you the door?" I ask harshly, taking a step toward him.
"Easy there, Alex. A lot of eyes are on us, aren't they?" he asks in a whisper, raising his hands disarmingly.
"Say what you have to say and then get lost, okay?
Provoke me, make your little jokes about Beth, or feed me another lie about your deal with her.
Whatever it is, let's just get it over with," I say with a sigh.
He's right. I can't let it come to blows in front of all these people, so I'll try a different tactic now, one that might be more successful.
"So you figured out that Beth and I don't have a deal," he says, rubbing his hand on the shoulder of his suit jacket as if to brush off a non-existent speck of dust. "That was faster than I thought. Respect," he says and pauses. "Admittedly, it was only meant as a little joke."
"Your jokes have always been at others' expense, and no one but you has ever laughed at them," I snap, balling my hand into a fist.
"But what I'm about to tell you now is true. I'd bet my life on it, and I swear..."
"Laying it on a bit thick for a pathological liar.
Why should I believe a word you say? If it's not true, do I get to put your hand in the fire?
" I ask, stepping even closer to him. Then I turn once more toward the bathroom.
Where is Beth? Or has she already left, maybe she's had enough of me and this whole scene?
"Actually, I don't need your Beth's shop at all.
Because I have a deal with the mayor. I can have the building complex across from her shop.
It belongs entirely to the city. A shopping mall is going up there—with a Super Burger restaurant and an even better flower shop.
So you see, I don't need you, or Beth, or her shop. "
"Nothing but lies. The mayor would have told me by now."
"He hasn't yet?" Jake asks, looking a little concerned, though I'm sure it's just an act. "I thought that's why he was here. He said he wanted to give you the news himself."
"I don't believe a word you're saying. I'm going to ask the mayor about it."
"Go ahead, Alex. But you'll see that I'm right," he answers in a serious tone.
There's no grin on his face, and the self-assurance he's radiating actually throws me off a little.
Could it really be true? Where did he even get the idea for a shopping mall?
That was my idea. There's no way it's a coincidence that he's planning something similar.
I'm starting to think there's a leak in my company.
Do I possibly have a mole at headquarters? Maybe even someone I trust?
"I also have an idea of what you and Beth could do with the shop when no one wants to buy flowers there anymore. How about a daycare? She already has one kid."
"What's that stupid comment supposed to mean? Even if you can have the complex across the street—and I doubt it—why are you still making trouble for Beth?"
"I'm not making trouble. What I'm telling you now is more of a personal favor I'm doing for you..."
"Pfft... A favor, don't make me laugh," I snort contemptuously.
"Beth has a child. A boy named Ben and as far as I know...."
"Nonsense," I snap at him, grabbing him by his suit jacket. "You're just spouting nonsense as always, and you don't know anything. Beth is watching her friend's kid and..."
"Are you sure you know what you're talking about?
As it happens, Dilara overheard your Beth on a more than revealing phone call in the bathroom just a few moments ago," Jake says, and I can't believe what I'm hearing.
What? Dilara eavesdropped on Beth? And now he's acting like some kind of benefactor, rubbing a truth in my face that sounds completely absurd?
"Well, look at that. Here they come now.
Why don't you ask your Beth?" Jake says, pointing a finger at a somewhat distraught Beth and a smug-looking Dilara, who are coming out of the bathroom one after the other.
"Dilara. I think we're done here," he says to his assistant, snapping his fingers and gesturing toward the door.
At least something good is coming out of this, and he's clearing out on his own.
"Hey," I say as Beth comes back to me. But she says nothing, just looks at me.
Her cheeks look like she's applied a little too much blush, but one look at her eyes tells me the redness isn't artificial.
Beth is seething inside, and I realize she can't have been in the bathroom with Dilara for so long for pleasure.
"I should go now," Beth says simply and turns away from me.
"Hey, not so fast. I..." I begin, taking hold of her forearm.
"Let go of me, Alex," she says, far too loudly, and rips her arm from my grasp.
That did it. Most of the conversations fall silent, and the guests are looking at us.
"All right, but can we keep it down a little?" I ask, trying to placate her.
"I don't see why I should," Beth says, crossing her arms.
"Okay. Then I'll get straight to the point. Jake just spoke with me. He told me something..." I clear my throat. "It's probably nonsense, but he said Dilara overheard you on a phone call and you..." I pause again. "Like I said, it's probably nonsense, but... Do you have a child?"
"What is this about?"
"Can't you just answer the question so we can put this behind us? Please, it's important to me."
"Put this behind us. You mean like my shop?"
Damn it. Dilara must have told her a thing or two, and now I understand why she came back from the bathroom in such a foul mood.
"I'm willing to talk about whatever you think you've found out. But before that, can you tell me if it's true: Are you the mother of a child?" My heart is pounding like crazy as I look at Beth, trying to read anything in her face.
Her lower lip trembles, and a single tear runs down her cheek.
"So it's true?" I whisper, stunned. Beth nods and wipes the tear away.
And now, it's as if the scales fall from my eyes.
The truth was right in front of me the whole time.
It's almost as if I didn't want to see it: the bassinet in her shop.
The friend who always disappears quickly with the child when I show up and then fetches the diaper bag and toys that just happen to be at Beth's apartment.
Then her sudden departures at dinner, and besides.
.. has she ever had a drink? Shit, I must have been completely blind not to notice.
Lying to me like that, the whole time. That's just shameless.
Sure, I have my secrets too, but they're nowhere near as heavy as this. She's the mother of an infant. That changes everything.
"Maybe it really is better if you go, Beth!" I say, feeling a profound sadness wash over me. Sad that it's all over, and that this time I didn't put business first, like I always do, and instead got too caught up in those black curls and that amazing body.