Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Stevie
I waited in the valet area at The Cortland for Raven to arrive in the rideshare she’d ordered to pick me up. We were going shopping to find dresses for the upcoming Inspired by Art Charity Gala we were both attending with our men that upcoming weekend. As soon as the light blue sedan pulled up to the curb and I saw my friend sitting inside, I joined her in the back seat and the driver merged his way back into early mid-morning Wednesday traffic.
“What are you smiling about?” Raven asked.
Her question made me realize that I was walking around with a perma-grin these days, but I kept my reply all about her. “I’m spending the day with my best friend and that makes me happy.”
“And maybe Caleb does, too?” she ventured to ask.
I shrugged without a verbal response, because despite my agreement with Caleb that was going on four weeks now, our arrangement still felt very…complicated. Or at least my feelings for the man did. Because every day with him made me fall a little harder for him, a little deeper. And I wasn’t sure what to do about those feelings that never should have been part of the fake relationship equation to begin with. Despite being happy in the moment, I couldn’t help but consider the future and the potential heartache I was probably going to endure once the custody case for Owen was finalized and we went our separate ways.
“So, sleeping in Caleb’s bed every night when Owen isn’t there doesn’t make you happy?” Raven persisted. “Even a little bit?”
Yeah, I regretted telling her about that agreement I’d made with Caleb, because Raven saw it as something deeper and more intimate than two people enjoying great sex—even if I did secretly wish that everything about our relationship was real. But even then, I had those deep-seated insecurities and voices of doubt in my head that reminded me we came from two vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds, and fitting into Caleb’s life beyond this deal we’d made was unlikely.
I met Raven’s gaze, keeping my tone kind, but firm. “I know you’re trying to matchmake, but you need to stop trying to make this arrangement with Caleb into something more than it is.” I added a smile to soften my words, because I knew she meant well. “Is it convenient having a guy with benefits in this world where there are so many creeps on dating apps? Yes. So, I’m enjoying the time we’re spending together, and let’s leave it at that, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, and I could see by the look in her eyes that she wasn’t offended by my response, which was one of the things I loved about Raven. Her ability to be open and honest, yet also understand when I needed her to back down.
The truth was, I was starting to feel too intertwined in Caleb’s life, and it was a scary feeling knowing there was an end date. When Owen was with Alyssa, I spent those nights in Caleb’s bed. We had dinner together, we watched shows that we both enjoyed with me cuddled against him on the couch, and we discussed our days like an actual couple in a way that felt too real and domesticated.
And when Caleb had Owen, I spent those evenings having dinner with them both, which I loved because Owen was such a great kid. I still had time to study during my days off, and I had two finals coming up that would wrap up all my coursework for my degree. So, I was trying to keep focused on that, along with finding another suitable and affordable apartment for Valerie and me to move into once my obligation to Caleb was over, rather than obsessing over what my life was going to be like in about a month, without Caleb and Owen in it.
“So, give me the update on Valerie and her job at Dare PR,” Raven said, breaking into my thoughts. “And, most importantly, this Jack guy you said is interested in her.”
I appreciated the change in subject. “She’s doing great, as I knew she would. And Jack…well, he knows she recently came out of a bad relationship, so they’re taking it slow. Some days, they meet for a coffee in the morning before work, and occasionally they have lunch together. She seems to really like him, too.”
I was thrilled for Valerie. That she was trying to move on and she had someone like Jack who was willing to go slow and keep things casual until she was ready for more.
“So, things have been quiet on the Mark front?” Raven ventured to ask, since I’d told her about the call he’d made to Valerie’s cell from a burner number.
“Yes. For now.”
She tipped her head curiously. “What do you mean, for now?”
I sighed. “Call me pessimistic, but abusive, controlling men like Mark don’t just go away, and him being quiet unnerves me. I’m…cautiously optimistic, but having lived with a father with those same tendencies makes me wary. It’s crazy to me that Mark’s family is so wealthy, yet they let him get away with this disturbing behavior. It’s like he thinks he’s untouchable because of that wealth.”
Raven nodded in understanding. “Just like Cassandra never held Lance accountable for his actions. Some people just think they’re entitled. And yes, that’s scary because they believe consequences don’t apply to them.”
I agreed. “For now, we’re secure in the apartment that Caleb has us staying in, and I’m already looking into places that have a doorman and security for when we move out.” I was grateful to Caleb that my sister and I wouldn’t have to move back to our old neighborhood.
The car slowed in the heavy traffic and tried to merge over to drop us off at the curb. I glanced out the back seat window, frowning when I realized what part of Manhattan we were in. One that was upscale with rows upon rows of exclusive, high-end designer shops.
“You said you knew a place where we could buy dresses for the charity gala,” I said, looking back at Raven. “Anything located on Fifth Avenue is way beyond my budget.”
Raven flashed me a gregarious grin. “Just humor me, okay? We’re going to a boutique that carries more formal dresses, and I want your opinion on what to choose.”
I relaxed at her explanation. I could help Raven select a gown at one of these ritzy places, and then we’d hit up a more affordable department store for me. Despite the money I had sitting in my bank account thanks to Caleb’s generosity, the last thing I wanted to do was squander thousands of dollars on a dress I’d only wear once.
The driver finally found an open spot to let us out, and I met up with Raven on the sidewalk. She looped her arm through mine, leading me past Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and even Bergdorf Goodman until we reached a store that might have been smaller than those other designers, but the moment we walked in it gave off that same exclusive, elite atmosphere.
Raven, God love her, walked in like she owned the joint, even though she was wearing a casual blouse and well-worn jeans like I was. Then again, she had come from money, even if she was estranged from her adoptive mother and hadn’t relied on the Kanes’ family wealth in a very long time. But she’d also married a man with copious amounts of money…so, yeah, she was far more used to this kind of shopping experience than I was.
There were two salesladies in the store. One was checking out a customer at the register, and the other was helping another shopper choose a pair of heels in the shoe section. Both women eyed Raven and I with distaste the moment we entered, as if we were two homeless people who’d wandered in off the street.
Feeling out of place and uncomfortable, I stayed close to Raven’s side as she browsed the front area of the store, seemingly oblivious to the other women’s stares—or more like she didn’t give a shit what they thought of her—while I didn’t dare touch a thing as she continued to peruse a section with a few gorgeous gowns and dresses. The one thing I noticed was that there was no indication on any of the garments of what they cost.
I stood next to Raven, speaking in a low tone. “These gowns don’t have prices on them.”
Raven smirked at me. “Of course they don’t, because money is no object to the women who shop here.”
Yeah, that definitely excluded me.
“Can I help the two of you with something?”
The snobby voice from directly behind us made me stiffen, and when both Raven and I turned around, the saleslady’s mouth was flattened with disdain as her gaze flicked down the length of us, clearly disapproving of our attire. Probably of us in general.
“Yes, you absolutely can,” Raven said in a bright, animated tone. “We’d like to try on a few gowns.”
We? I had to clench my jaw because my immediate response was to blurt out no, I most definitely did not want to try on dresses here, because what the hell, Raven ?
The woman gave us another disapproving look that made my stomach churn. “Can I ask how you’ll be paying for any purchases today?” she asked, still in that haughty tone. “We have a no shopping without intention policy and we require pre-approval before pulling the gowns for you to try on.”
A rule meant to exclude casual browsers, no doubt.
“Of course.” Smiling sweetly, Raven opened her purse and withdrew her form of payment from her wallet. “Here’s my credit card,” she said, handing over the sleek black card before retrieving a second one and giving that to the saleslady, as well. “And this one is for her,” she said, indicating me.
I stood there in confusion as the woman pursed her lips, her gaze narrowed on the last card Raven had given her before her eyes raised back up again. “The name on this card says Caleb Kane. His wife, Alyssa Kane, is a client here but she has her own card. I’m sure this has to be some kind of mistake,” she said, as if Raven had found the credit card laying on the sidewalk and was trying to pass it off as her own.
“No, not a mistake at all,” Raven replied pleasantly, giving no indication that the woman had deliberately insulted her. “Oh, and for the record, Alyssa is Caleb’s ex -wife. Call the credit card company and you can verify that he’s added Stevie Palmer as an authorized user to the account, unlimited credit.”
I refrained, just barely, from letting my jaw drop open in shock.
The woman lifted her chin in an imposing manner. “I most certainly will do that.”
The saleslady walked away, and Raven just rolled her eyes at the woman’s condescending attitude while my mind was spinning, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
I shook my head. “What is going on, and why and how am I an authorized user on Caleb’s black credit card?”
Raven shrugged. “After you mentioned to Caleb last week that we were going shopping for gowns today for the gala, he came by The Back Door and gave me his credit card to use to buy you whatever you want.”
I narrowed my gaze at her, because now standing in this boutique seemed calculated and planned. “But why are we here , specifically?” I asked, when there were many other name brand designer stores on Fifth Avenue. “In what is probably one of the most exclusive, expensive boutiques in Manhattan.”
“We’re here to buy gowns for the gala, of course,” she said flippantly, and then she grinned, her eyes lighting up with wicked glee. “And for funsies, to yank Alyssa’s chain because you know that woman is going to call her first thing after we leave and tell her that Caleb gave you carte blanche in this store that she frequents, which is a nice little way to solidify to her that you’re his girlfriend.”
“You are diabolical,” I said, in the most loving tone possible. “But I can’t just spend Caleb’s money so frivolously.”
Raven sighed and gave me a pointed look. “He knew you’d feel this way and he told me to tell you that since he asked you to accompany him to the gala, and it’s a formal event, this is on him. Whatever you want and whatever I deem necessary for you, as well. He said not to take no for an answer.”
“This is crazy,” I said, still having a difficult time accepting his generosity.
This time, Raven exhaled an exasperated breath. “For God’s sake, Stevie. Caleb has more money than he knows what to do with and you’re not taking advantage of him,” she said, reading my mind. “If he wants to spoil you, then let him and enjoy the experience, which will in turn make him happy. And, if you feel so inclined, I’m sure you can find a few creative ways to thank him later.” She gave me a saucy wink.
I forced myself to relax, to push aside my own pride and allow myself to embrace Caleb’s generosity. Easier said than done, but I also understood that in order to fit in with the upper class at the charity event, I did need to look the part.
When the saleslady returned a short while later, her whole attitude had changed from disdain to hospitable and friendly. Clearly everything had been pre-approved without any issues, and now seeing us as a nice fat commission, we were given the white-glove treatment.
Whatever dresses we wanted were pulled in our sizes as we drank flutes of champagne and smirked behind the woman’s back at her eager-to-please behavior. We were shown the boutique’s exclusive collections and limited edition gowns that were kept in the back for only those clients who met the monetary criteria. Once we had a plethora to choose from, we were ushered into a private, elegant changing area with a dais and multiple mirrors. As we spent the next few hours trying on the dresses, I couldn’t help but be amused at the way Raven deliberately ran the saleslady ragged with random requests, always asked in the sweetest, most polite manner.
Whenever the woman rushed out of the room to do Raven’s bidding—to bring her a pair of matching shoes, or other accessories that Raven then decided didn’t work for her—I saw the devious twinkle in her eye and the two of us giggled, the amount of champagne we consumed contributing to our silly moods.
After trying on nearly a dozen gowns, I finally found “the one”. I knew it the moment I stepped up on the dais and saw my reflection in the red, strapless, formfitting gown, and Raven’s gasp confirmed it. A short while later, Raven found hers, a one-shoulder style in a stunning amethyst hue.
Raven insisted we buy a new pair of heels to go with the dresses, along with appropriate earrings and formal handbags to complete the look. When we were done and the saleslady rang up our purchases, my stomach was in knots awaiting the total. Except I quickly learned in places like this, they didn’t give you a final amount. They just ran the credit card because cost was not an issue to their clients, or a customer carrying a no preset limit Centurion card.
We left the boutique and went to lunch, both of us ravenous after a morning of trying on gowns. Then, Raven surprised me with another stop at a trendy hair salon in the city, where she’d made both of us appointments. A few hours later, my blonde hair was brightened with highlights, as was Raven’s. It had been years since I’d treated myself to a good trim and long layers, and by the time we walked out of the salon, my silky hair styled into soft waves, I literally felt like a million bucks.
Caleb’s jaw-dropping reaction when I arrived at his penthouse for dinner later that evening shored up my confidence, as well. Even though my first instinct was to tell him “you shouldn’t have”, I thanked him for the day he’d given me without any qualifiers, letting him know how much I appreciated his thoughtful gesture.
I could tell my acceptance made him happy as he framed my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. “You deserve beautiful things, and I’m glad I can give them to you.”
His husky tone and genuine words made me melt and feel as though I was living in a fairy tale, where he was Prince Charming and I was Cinderella. It was a romantic, whimsical notion, and one I told myself not to get used to, because beneath the makeover and gorgeous things he’d bought me today, I was still the girl who’d grown up in a trailer park and Caleb Kane was still out of my league.
***
When I walked into the conference room at work the next morning for a team meeting for PureGlow, arriving before any of my other coworkers besides Jack, he did a double take at my new hair style and I laughed at his wide-eyed shock.
“Damn, you look…great,” he said, his tone amazed.
I set my laptop and paper cup of coffee down on the table and grinned at him. “So, are you insinuating that I don’t look great every day?” I teased.
“Ahh, shit. I walked right into that trap, didn’t I?” he said, and grimaced. “You always look good—”
“Thank you for the compliment,” I said, letting him off the hook so he didn’t have to fumble for an explanation, and he looked relieved. “How was coffee with Valerie this morning?”
Usually, the two of us took the subway to the office together when I worked on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but since starting at Dare PR almost three weeks ago, a few times a week Valerie left a bit earlier to meet Jack at a nearby café for coffee before work started.
On those days, she took an Uber, and admittedly, it made me nervous knowing she was out on her own without me around because of Mark, but there had been nothing since that phone call and I knew I had to let go of my own fears for her and let her live her life without me hovering.
“So, I held her hand on the very short walk to the office after our coffee date,” Jack said, grinning at that small step forward in their friendship. “I told her I wanted to take her on a proper date, and she said yes. So, we’re going out on Saturday.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and arched a brow at him. “What do you consider a proper date?”
He laughed at my inquisition. “I was thinking dinner, and a show.”
I nodded, impressed. “Okay, I approve.”
“You approve?” Amused, he tipped his head at me. “Isn’t Valerie older than you?”
I took a drink of my warm coffee and shrugged. “She is, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be protective of her.”
The humor on his face gave way to seriousness. “I’d never intentionally hurt her,” he said, which I believed. “I like her. A lot.”
“Spoiler alert,” I said, grinning at him. “If you don’t already know, the feeling is mutual.”
A low, warm chuckle escaped him. “I kind of suspected that when she let me hold her hand.”
I laughed, too, genuinely happy for my sister as I checked the time on my cellphone. It was ten minutes later than the time Jack had set for the meeting, and it was just still the two of us. “Where is everyone else?” I asked.
“I called off the meeting.”
“You did?” I asked, surprised that I hadn’t gotten the memo, too. Especially when I had so many more great ideas to share with everyone on the PureGlow campaign. “Why?”
He looked me in the eye, his expression unreadable. “Because Brandy and Samantha asked me to send you to their office instead.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but it sounded serious enough that my stomach churned with unease because I’d never been sent to their office before. To meet with the two of them, no less.
“Oh. Okay.”
I gathered up my laptop and other things and headed out of the conference room, my mind whirring with possible reasons for this random meeting, none of them great. I was an intern—a paid one, yes, but the truth was, they had no obligation to me whatsoever. I’d been hired on to gain practical experience in a marketing firm two days a week, and as much as I loved working at Dare PR—and even though they’d discussed bringing me in on a full-time basis once I had my degree—well, it didn’t bode well that I was having this meeting before I’d achieved that goal.
I walked down the hall to the executive wing, seeing through the glass wall that both Brandy and Samantha were in Samantha’s office. They were standing together inside, talking, and I couldn’t get a read on their moods.
“Hey, Stevie,” my sister said, greeting me from her desk in front of Brandy’s office where she handled all the assistant duties for her boss. “Brandy and Samantha are waiting for you and said for you to head inside when you arrived.”
I searched my sister’s expression to see if she knew what I was walking into, but she was all bright-eyed, happy smile enthusiasm these days, giving me no clue whatsoever.
I set my laptop on the corner of Valerie’s desk and walked into my boss’s office. “Good morning, Samantha, Brandy,” I said.
They both gave me smiles and returned the greeting, then Samantha rounded her desk to take the chair behind it. “Have a seat,” she said, waving toward the two chairs in front of her desk.
I settled into one, and Brandy took the other. Feeling nervous, I clasped my hands in my lap.
“I guess I’ll just get right down to business,” Samantha said, meeting my gaze. “We’re going to have to cut your two days a week.”
I tried not to flinch or react to the news, but damn that felt like a sucker punch to the stomach. “Do you mind me asking why?” I glanced from Samantha to Brandy.
Brandy grinned. “Because we’re offering you a full-time position here at Dare PR, starting as soon as possible.”
Confusion rippled through me. “I…I don’t understand.”
Samantha grimaced, seemingly realizing where my mind had gone. “We wanted to surprise you, but I can see that plan kind of backfired and you were expecting the worst. But, well…surprise!”
All my anxiety faded away, and excitement settled in its place as I tried to catch up. “But I haven’t finished my final classes yet. I don’t have my degree.” I still had about a month to go to wrap up all my coursework.
“Your degree is just a formality,” Brandy said, grinning. “Even without it we’d still make you this same offer. You’ve proven yourself more than capable.”
Samantha nodded in agreement. “PureGlow has been so impressed with your campaign ideas and they requested that you head up the account. After discussing things with Jack, who is one of your biggest advocates, by the way, we’re promoting you to a full-time position as a marketing strategist. You’ll be working directly beneath Jack and reporting to him since he’s a senior manager, but we need you to start full-time as soon as possible. Like, next week. Is that something you can do?”
My head spun as I tried to process everything. Accepting the position meant resigning from The Back Door permanently, but Raven had already assured me that she was covering my shifts just fine. I knew she’d understand, because this had been my end goal, anyway. It had just happened faster than I’d anticipated.
“Yes,” I said enthusiastically. “Yes, I can do that.”
The two of them presented me with an impressive salary that came with health insurance and benefits, a retirement plan, stock options, and bonuses. By the time I walked out of their office I was floating on a cloud, grateful that my dedication to Dare PR, and all my hard work, was starting to pay off.