Chapter 3
ALEX
Alex stared at his phone, his heart a mix of distress and hope as the helicopter wobbled in the air during its descent to StoneCorp’s offices in New York.
He traced the outline of Ava’s face in the picture of them he’d taken only days ago at dinner. He was on the verge of losing her. And there was nothing he could do about it.
He toggled into his text message with her, his shaky fingers typing the words I love you. His thumb hovered over the send button before he flicked it to the backspace key and tapped it to erase the entire message.
At even the thought of sending that text, his heart pounded against his ribs, a tumultuous mix of longing and fear coursing through him.
How he wished he could muster the courage to hit send, to bare his soul to Ava.
But the weight of uncertainty held him back, leaving him paralyzed in a sea of doubt.
He would have to find the strength soon, though. Chris was already pushing for Ava to leave the Hamptons behind and him with it.
The runners bumped the roof, and the helicopter blades slowed.
He pushed from inside the chopper and headed for the door to his building, his head still swimming with ways to solve his situation.
With no ideas in sight, he pushed into his office and collapsed in his desk chair. A grimace tugged at the corners of his lips as he stared down at the picture of him and Ava filling his screen.
“Hey, I’m really sorry to have been the bearer of bad news.”
Alex snapped his gaze up to find Miranda Vale hovering in his doorway, a pout on her features. She slid a lock of her brunette bob behind her ear as she stepped in further, closing the door behind her. “You look so sad.”
He toggled off his display and tossed his phone onto the desk. “It’s not what you think.”
She froze mid-sit, her eyes flashing with something that looked like concern and another emotion he couldn’t place. The promise of opportunity, maybe? “Well, if you need to talk about it…I’m a good listener.”
“Actually…would you mind if I picked your brain for a second?”
“Absolutely,” Miranda said, a grin spreading across her lips. “I am so good with coming up with ideas from all angles. We can spitball some now, and then I can follow up later after I’ve given it more thought.”
He smiled at her as he leaned forward on the desk. He’d never been very good with people. And apparently, he’d lost his touch with Ava, if he’d ever had one at all. Maybe he didn’t. He’d never romanced her.
And maybe he needed to start. He’d thought he’d done that with the car, the clothes, the beach walks, and the dinners, but it wasn’t anything special. He needed a woman’s opinion on what may get her thinking of him in a different light.
“What do you think would be a good way to–”
His phone chimed, and he let out a nervous chuckle as he waved a finger in the air. “Sorry, I just need to check this.”
He whipped the phone from the desk and studied the notifications bar, his heart thumping harder as he spotted Ava’s name.
“Sorry,” he said again, giddy with anticipation as he swiped to read the message.
Hey Ace, I’ve been thinking…maybe we should hold off on the divorce for now.
His grin broadened, and his shaky thumbs hovered over the virtual keyboard as he considered his response. That is a good idea from my perspective, too. Talk when I see you?
His heart hammered as he set the phone down. He had a chance. She didn’t want the divorce right away. Why?
He dismissed the idea right way. It didn’t matter. What mattered was he had a chance. And he was determined to use it to the best of his ability. He leaned forward onto the desk. “Where were we?”
“You were about to ask me something. You said what do you think would be a good way to and then your phone chimed. I assume with good news?”
He grinned again and bobbed his head. “Yes. Some good news finally. Ah, I hate to take away from the issue you called me in here for, though, so–”
“No, no, really. I’d rather answer your question than go through the headache of this breach. Besides, we may have a clearer picture of this after the team finishes their diagnostics.”
“Right, good point. No reason to plow in before we’re ready.” He smiled at her again, and she returned his expression.
“Right. So, what can I help with?”
“Well, I feel kind of uncomfortable saying anything at all, but…I need some help.”
She reached across the desk to rub his arm. “You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable. I’m a friend. And I’m here to help in any way I can. So, fire away.”
“Okay, what, in your opinion, is a good way to really win over a woman? I mean…really wow her and impress her?”
Miranda shifted in her seat, one shoulder shrugged as she suppressed a giggle.
“Well, ummm, I mean…I guess it depends on the woman but…I love a man who is genuine, smart, funny, and I’d really just love to spend time with that person having meaningful conversations and just enjoying each other. That would wow me for sure.”
Alex pressed his lips together, his eyebrows pinching. He and Ava had always done that, although she was getting a little tight-lipped lately. He needed something more, something that would make it obvious that he was serious about winning her.
“Hmm…what about something…not just spending time, but something that would really say how you felt?”
“Uhhh, flowers are nice? Umm–”
“Trip to Paris?” he asked. “Women love Paris, right? Do you…love Paris?”
The grin on her features broadened again. “I’ve never been there, but I’d love to see it. And I’m certain it would be very romantic and really show me how you felt, yes.”
But would it show Ava? And how would he pull it off with Chris there? He rubbed his lower lip as more questions poured into his mind.
“Umm, Alex?” Miranda asked.
He glanced up at her. “Yeah?”
“I feel like…I’m not helping. Am I helping? If there’s something specific that you’re looking for…”
He leaned back, rocking his chair. “I just don’t know if Ava would love Paris.”
Any trace of a smile slid from her face, and she swallowed hard. “Oh, Ava. Your wife, right.”
He crinkled his brow. “Yeah. Who did you think I was talking about?”
“Well, I just figured…you know, you’re already married.”
His lips wrinkled as his mind tried to sort through her confusion. “Well, yeah, but…”
How could he explain that was in name only?
“I’m so sorry. I totally misunderstood what was going on here. I just…assumed you had someone else you were trying to impress.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No. There’s only Ava for me. And…after everything that happened recently with the financial stuff and the murder…you know, I was just looking for a reason to remind her why she married me.”
Miranda pressed her lips together as she slowly nodded, her gaze flicking to her lap.
“So, if you have any other ideas…I’m all ears.”
She flicked her gaze up with a wince. “I’m not certain I know Ms. Collins well enough. I mean, she seems to like clothes and shoes.”
“I just bought her an entire new wardrobe. It has to be something else. Something bigger.”
She puffed out her cheeks, shifting her notebook on her lap.
“I’m sorry. This is really inappropriate,” Alex said. “I just…don’t have many female friends.”
“No, no,” she said with a shake of her head, her features turning sympathetic. “I just…I’m sorry…this isn’t my place, I know that, but if I’m speaking as a friend and not an employee…”
Miranda winced again, hesitating before she spoke. “I just…if you need to impress her to apologize for something that was done to you…you know, maybe this isn’t the right relationship for you.”
His jaw fell open as he stared at his CFO. Was she really trying to talk him out of spoiling Ava? “Well, I don’t think–”
“Sorry, I’m so sorry. I’m just…I’m not one to pull punches. I can see this is really bothering you. But if you have to work this hard at it, maybe it’s just time to move on to someone who would appreciate you.”
“Ava appreciates me,” he answered.
Miranda pressed her lips together and nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry. I just…if I may, sometimes it’s easier for people on the outside to see things people on the inside don’t.”
He tried to formulate an answer. Maybe on Miranda’s end it did look like this. She’s just met Ava. They hadn’t spent their lives together. They weren’t romantically involved. But she didn’t know that was because Alex had been too much of a coward to tell her how he felt.
Before he could refute it, Miranda spoke again. “Look, I…hate to do this but…I have a friend who told me something. And I’ve been on the fence about telling you, but I think I should after this conversation.”
His leg began to bob under the desk as she continued speaking.
“My friend said that Ethan Parker, of Cybersolut–”
“I know who he is,” Alex snapped.
“Right, well, apparently…he’s been bragging that your wife was coming on to him. That she wasn’t wearing her rings, and was hitting on him, asking him for a drink…maybe more. I just…thought you should know. While you’re here asking how you can win her back, she’s out there hitting on another man.”
Alex flexed his jaw as he heaved a sigh.
“I’m so sorry. I see the way you look at her. I just think you deserve someone who looks at you the same way.”
He shifted his weight. “Look, Miranda, thank you for looking out for me, but…I knew Ava was doing that.”
She squashed her brows together. “Oh, you…have one of those relationships?”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head, realizing his wife was actually engaged to another man. “No, she was trying to get information from him about the financial issue. We suspected him of being involved.”
“Oh,” Miranda answered. “Oh, I see. So, she was just…using her looks to win a man and get him to open up.”
“I thought it was a bad idea. But Ava was determined to help me. See, you’ve got Ava all wrong.” He hoped he hadn’t. “I know what you’re thinking…she married me for money. But she married me before I launched StoneCorp. So…”
“Didn’t she just arrive?”
“That’s a longer story for a different time, but no, Ava and I have been married for seventeen years.”
“But–”
“Seventeen very happy years,” Ava’s voice answered from the door.
Alex flicked his gaze up as she sashayed across the room in the dress he’d bought her. “Hey, there you are. Just in time. We were just getting started.”
“Just getting started?” Ava asked as she perched on the arm of his chair. “What have you been discussing this entire time.”
“Just, uh, some…company stuff,” Alex answered, his hand patting Ava’s back.
“Actually, Ava, Alex and I were discussing ways to strengthen the bond between you,” Miranda said, her voice laced with a subtle accusation.
Ava struggled to stop her eyebrow from arching as her muscles stiffened.
Alex offered a nervous laugh, his stomach tightening into a knot with every word uttered. “She’s kidding. Hahaha. You’re such a jokester, Miranda.”
“Sorry, but I’m a straight shooter, and I’m not kidding.
We were brainstorming ideas to remind you why you married Alex.
I think he should be asking himself that question, though.
It seems he’s feeling the need for a little reassurance lately.
” The death stare she offered Ava made him shift in his seat, heat rising in his cheeks.
Ava gave as good as she got, her eyes narrowing. “Well, perhaps you ought to trot back to your office and put all the details about this breach into an email while I handle this issue privately with my husband.”
The words struck fear into Alex’s heart as Miranda shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. “Of course, Ava. I’m just trying to help. I wouldn’t want Alex to feel neglected while you’re off…mingling with other men.”
Alex’s heart hammered against his chest as the situation devolved around him. Miranda’s motives were clear now. He’d made a huge mistake asking her for help. He tightened his grip on the armrest of the chair.
Ava’s icy voice sent a chill down his spine. “Oh, please don’t waste your time worrying about my husband, Miranda. My commitment to him is unwavering.”
She slid her hand around his shoulders, making him feel less reassured rather than more.
“Well, actions speak louder than words,” Miranda said as she rose from her seat and shifted her gaze to Alex. “Alex, if you’d like me to stay, I can.”
“Uh, no,” he squeaked out. “That’s not…necessary.”
“Fine. Well, if you need a friend I’m here. And I’ll get you those details as soon as I have them.”
With the final jab still ringing in his ears, she strode from the room, allowing the door to click softly behind her. It sent a cold shiver down his spine.
Alex tugged his lips back into a wince as Ava rose, her hands on her hips, her features stony. He tried to grin, but it came across as more of a grimace, tension coiling in his gut as Ava’s probing stare bore into him.
Ava’s voice sliced through the tense silence, her tone laced with a hint of disbelief and surprise. Alex met her gaze, noticing the flicker of anger in her eyes. “What the hell was that, Alex?”
Her words hung heavy in the air, a challenge daring him to explain the chaos Miranda had unleashed.
He licked his lips, searching for an explanation—but he didn’t have a great one. He may not be able to explain this away. And the gaffe may cost him Ava. He couldn’t shake the feeling that their world was on the brink of collapse.