Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Brielle
I stared at the door I had just walked out of as I waited for the elevator.
“Get it together, Brielle. He’s just another client,” I spoke to myself.
Except he didn’t feel like another client. I didn’t know, nor could I explain what I felt. The doors opened, and I took the elevator down to the lobby, walked outside the hotel, and climbed into the car where Ben was waiting for me.
“How was last night?” he asked as he stared at me through the rearview mirror.
“Exceptional,” I spoke.
“Wow. I never heard you say that before.”
I gave him a small smile and looked out the window as he drove me home. When I walked into my apartment, Stella ran over to me and hugged me.
“Mommy! I’m so happy you’re home.”
“Me too, baby. Me too.” I hugged her tight.
I spent the day with Stella and helped her with an art project for school. As I was cooking dinner and she was in her room coloring, Sasha came over.
“Well, how was last night?” she asked.
“It was good.”
“Good? Let me rephrase that. How was Mr. Chamberlain?”
“Sensational.” I grinned.
“Oh, my God.” She grabbed my arm. “I knew he would be.”
“Sasha, there are no words to describe him: his body, hands, mouth. I have never felt anything like it before. The way he made my body feel was unlike any other.”
“Whoa, Brielle. Do you have the hots for him?”
“No. Of course not.” I looked away from her and stirred the sauce on the stove.
“Yes, you do! I can tell. You’re smitten.”
“I told him my name. Not my last name, just my first.”
“Oh wow. Seriously?”
“Yeah. Dumb, right?”
“I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not.”
“Listen, I’m going to take a break from the job for a while, so no more appointments.”
“You have one tomorrow evening with Mr. Sanderson.”
“Cancel it. Tell him I have the flu. I just made thirty grand in one night. I can afford to take a break.”
“Sure. Okay.” She looked at me strangely.
I was lying in bed, reading Stella a book, when I heard my work phone ding. Reaching over to the nightstand, I grabbed it and saw I had a text message from Caden.
“Can you come over to my penthouse tomorrow around seven o’clock? I need to discuss something with you.”
“What do you want to discuss?”
“You’ll find out when you get here. Can you come?”
“Yes. Text me your address, and I’ll see you at seven.”
“I will compensate you for your time.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“No need. Tomorrow evening is on me.”
“Who are you texting?” Stella asked.
“Just a work client. I need to meet him tomorrow at seven, so Grandma will have to watch you while I’m gone.”
“Okay. Do you think she’ll take me for ice cream?”
“I bet if you ask her nicely, she will.” I tickled her.
The next morning, I took Stella to school and headed to Starbucks to meet Sasha for coffee and a muffin.
“Hey, I’m running a few minutes behind. I’ll be there soon.” Sasha texted me.
“No worries. I just got here. I’ll order your coffee.”
“Thank you. See you in a few.”
I shoved my phone in my purse, and before I could grab the door, it opened.
“Hey.” I smiled as Caden stood there.
“Hey, yourself. I was just on my way out.”
“And I’m on my way in. I’m meeting my friend Sasha.”
“Well, enjoy your coffee. I have to run. I’m late for a meeting. I’ll see you tonight.” He smiled.
“Have a good day. See you tonight.”
I walked into Starbucks with my heart beating a mile a minute and fluttering in my belly. I took in a deep breath as I stood in the long line.
“Hey, did I just see Caden Chamberlain walking down the street?” Sasha asked as she walked up behind me.
“Yeah. He was leaving as I was walking in.”
“Fuck, Brielle. He is more gorgeous in person. I had a total ovary explosion on the sidewalk.”
I let out a laugh.
“I need to talk to you about him.”
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“He texted me last night and asked me to come to his penthouse tonight because he wants to discuss something with me.”
“What would he want to discuss?”
“I don’t know, and I’m nervous about it.”
“And you have no idea what it could be about?”
“No. I have no clue.”
“Well, I guess you’ll have to wait and find out. Don’t stress over it. I can tell you’re stressing. That vein in your forehead is popping out.” She pointed.
After we finished our coffee, I ran some errands and headed home. I spent the day cleaning until it was time to pick up Stella from school.
“Excuse me, Miss Winters?” Mrs. Pierce, Stella’s teacher, spoke.
“Hi, Mrs. Pierce.”
“Do you have a moment to talk in the classroom?”
“Sure.” I looked at Stella and whispered, “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” she whispered back.
Mrs. Pierce had her aide take Stella into the art room so we could talk privately.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her as I took a seat.
“Stella is a very bright child, like extremely bright. We’ve been testing her for the past couple of months. Little bits here and there. Has she ever complained to you that she’s bored in school?”
“Yeah. All the time. But aren’t kids usually bored in school? I know I was.”
“In Stella’s case, she’s bored because she already knows what the other children don’t. She’s reading at an extremely high level already. But I know you know that. Stella told me you told her to pretend she didn’t know anything and to learn with the other children.”
“I want Stella to live a normal life, Mrs. Pierce.”
“Life for Stella will never be normal with her I.Q.”
“And how do you know what her I.Q. is?”
“We tested her.”
“Without my permission?” I cocked my head.
“You signed the paper.” She handed it to me.
I stared at my written signature, which resembled my mother’s handwriting.
“And what is her I.Q.?”
“Her test came back with a score of 150. Stella is highly intelligent and considered on the cusp of a genius level. I’m sorry to say that keeping her in this school is only stifling her intellectual abilities. She’s too bored here.”
“So, what are you suggesting?”
“We suggest you put Stella in a school for gifted children. Children who are smart like her. Have you heard of the Speyer School?”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t.”
“It’s a school for gifted and talented children, kindergarten through eighth grade. I’ve called them, and they want you to fill out an application and set up an appointment to have Stella come in.”
“If you think it’s best for her.”
“I do, but I will warn you that sending her there is not cheap. The average tuition is around forty-nine thousand dollars a year, and with you being a single?—”
“I can afford it, Mrs. Pierce. I make very good money with my job.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean?—”
“It’s okay.”
“Here’s the phone number and address of the school.” She handed me a piece of paper. “By the way, have you ever heard Stella play the piano?”
“No. We don’t have one at home, and she’s never mentioned it. Why?”
“She’s been practicing in the music room and is extremely talented. She’s been practicing pieces by Mozart. I’m surprised she hasn’t told you.”
“You know kids.” I smiled as I got up from my seat. “Thank you, Mrs. Pierce. I will take everything you’ve told me into consideration.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry, Miss Winters, as much as we love Stella, she doesn’t belong here.”