Chapter Fourteen
Max
After the most satisfying meal in three weeks, I find myself surreptitiously rubbing my belly as I walk back to the hotel. Rhys is off to the side, taking a call.
I inhale the traffic smog with a smile. The world looks like a better place.
The stars shine brighter, a few of them bright enough to be visible even over the countless street lights and through wisps of night clouds milling across the sky.
I tilt my head back for a better view. Is that a full moon?
I blink up at the huge silvery disk in the sky and sigh. Absolutely gorgeous.
Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy another beer while looking up at that view? Gotta be careful, though. I already had two—maybe three—beers, and there’s champagne waiting back in the suite, the complimentary one the check-in clerk promised, which neither of us has touched.
My phone pings with a text from Jeffrey.
–Jeffrey: Hey, babe, how are you? Still not coming home this weekend?
–Me: Not sure. Probably not. Depends on when the pilot gets here to fly us back.
–Jeffrey: Okay, just wanted to check up on you. I’m stuck in Seattle. A client emergency. Boo!
–Me: Sucks. My agenda here ended a little earlier than expected. So sending you some of my luck! :heart-emoji:
–Jeffrey: You’re the best. Love you.
–Me: Love you more. :kiss-emoji:
I smile. Although this trip started out less than great, it’s ending on a pretty good note. A second trip to Tokyo might be amazing. I should check and see if Jeffrey can take a week or two off in the next few months, even though he’s always busy with out-of-town projects.
Rhys stops in front of the hotel, points at his phone, then gestures at me to go ahead. Guess he has a very private and very important call. Even the prospect of having to share the bed with him again doesn’t seem too horrible now. The Ohimesama deal is done. I’ll be home soon.
Cheeseburgers do indeed make everything better—
But of course it doesn’t last. The moment I step into the lobby, I see Trevor.
He’s changed into a black dress shirt and slacks, no tie.
No Lily on his arm this time—just some brunette with wide blue eyes that hold no sign of intelligent life.
Her magenta satin dress is so tight it looks spray-painted on.
At least her breasts are real. But I’d bet an ovary that she’s younger than me.
So gross. My mouth purses with distaste. I roll my eyes, pretend not to notice and try to walk away. Sadly, my luck doesn’t hold because he makes eye contact and shoots me that smarmy smile.
“Look at you. All alone. Again.” He tightens his hand on the waist of the brunette, who looks at him, then me, blankly. Guess she doesn’t speak English. Probably found her in a local bar or something.
I flash him a fake smile. If he wants a second round, I’ll give it to him. Hope he doesn’t cry at the end. I’m going to Mike Tyson him. “And look at you, a new friend with no taste and no brain on your arm. What happened to Lily?”
“She’s enjoying an onsen. You know, a Japanese hot spring, in case you haven’t heard of it or had a chance to try. If you’d just bent a little, you could’ve had a life of leisure, just like her. Soak in the nice, hot water.”
“Onsen. Mmm-mmm.” The brunette wraps her arms around him, like she’d love to drag him into one right now.
Gross.
He gives her a greasy smile, then smacks her butt and shoos her away, murmuring something in her ear. She finger-waves at me, then blows a kiss at him before sashaying to the bar.
“If only my dignity came with a price tag.” I jerk my chin at the brunette. “Does Lily know about her?”
“Of course she knows. I don’t hide things from her. Unlike you and your mother, she’s understanding.”
Figures. “She must really like your money.”
“She loves everything I give her and is grateful for it.” If he were a peacock, he’d be spreading his tail feathers.
Gag me with a spoon. “Gratitude! How wonderful! Maybe you can learn something from this one. When you were married to Mom, you barely got by with her support. She not only backed your business ventures, but raised me more or less on her own. You wouldn’t be where you are without her. Actually…you’d be nothing.”
The smugness drains from his face, replaced by stiff anger.
That ego can’t stand a reminder of his years of poverty and struggle.
Nor is he willing to acknowledge that there was a silent support from Mom during his years of hardship.
In his mind, he achieved everything by himself. Nobody else is allowed credit.
I’d gladly donate a kidney to drop him on a deserted island and see how far he can get on his own.
His expression settles into one of irritated condescension. “Well, look where she ended up—and where I have. I won.”
“Yeah, sure looks like winning—throwing away the only woman who ever loved you for who you were, not what you had, and then picking up barely legal girls who are only with you for money. Two thumbs up, Trevor.” I give him the thumbs.
“Your mother only stayed with me because she was stupid enough to get pregnant before we got married.”
A decision she must’ve regretted for decades.
Although she always told me I was the best thing that ever happened to her, sometimes I can’t help wondering if her life would’ve been better if she hadn’t had me.
“In case you failed biology, it takes two to create a baby. Although I do agree she was stupid to have given you a chance to begin with.” I pretend to gag.
“But she wised up. And kicked your sorry ass to the curb when she found out you cheated on her.”
“Think you’ll do better? That your boyfriend will be faithful to you for life?”
“Yeah, I do.”
He scoffs. “And where’d you get that idea? Surely not from your boss.”
My eyebrows pull together. “Why are you dragging him into this?”
Trevor gives me a look that says I’m not fooling anybody, although that still doesn’t clarify things. Then he sneers. “Because it’s obvious—to everyone, I imagine—that you’re banging him. Why else would he have hired you?”
My jaw drops. “How dare you!”
He continues as though I haven’t spoken.
“I thought he looked familiar, and it finally hit me. Rhys Kingswood. His parents have a famously ‘open’ marriage, pasting on a false facade of respectability for the family. You know why they do it? They want to be frank about their extracurricular activities. That man who disrespected me for my little indiscretions isn’t any different from his parents…
or me.” Trevor’s eyes glint with malice. “You become what you see growing up.”
“Bullshit. I’ll never—”
“You’re a prime example! You got all of your mother’s rigidity and bitchiness.” He pauses, like he’s expecting me to bristle and deny it.
I place a hand over my chest and let out a relieved breath. “Thank God! You have no idea how happy it makes me I got none of your flexible morality. I’d rather be a rigid bitch than an animal who gives in to every base urge.”
“Oh, yes, there’s the sanctimony as well. Forgot that.”
“And loyalty.” I shake my head, sad that it’s impossible to return one’s father.
I don’t even want a refund; I just don’t want him.
“Not all men are like you. I’m not letting your screwups mess me up and prevent me from finding true love and living the best life I can. I’m going to be fulfilled and loved.”
Trevor guffaws. “True love? Aren’t you a bit old for fairytales?”
A shrug. “I already found my Prince Charming. Jeffrey is perfect. We share the same values. Most importantly, he loves and understands me. He’d never do anything to hurt me—”
A low laugh cuts through the lobby. The sound is so familiar, shock clutches my heart, but it can’t possibly be who I think it is.
I turn to my left and spot a brown-haired guy dipping his head and kissing a stunning redhead by the entrance to the bar. Instantly, the tip of my left eyebrow starts to throb. What the fuck?
Jeffrey?!
The impact of seeing him slams into me like a wrecking ball. The happy cheeseburger in my belly starts to churn. I clench my teeth and blink hard, just to make sure I’m not hallucinating.
A few people walk past him, but he doesn’t seem to notice, lost in shoving his tongue as deep into her throat as possible. For a very long moment, my mind simply refuses to accept what it’s seeing. But then reality snaps into focus.
My vision narrows until all I can see is him and the redhead. I march toward him, my strides short and brisk. The air around me thins as fury and humiliation erupt like a volcano. Un-fucking-believable!
He was supposed to be the one—the man who could help me realize Mom’s wish to see me happy and fulfilled.
“Jeffrey!” I call out, my voice shaking.
His eyes closed and mouth still on her, he lifts a finger, gesturing at me to wait. He seems unable to tear his mouth from the redhead, like he has octopus suction cups for lips.
I grab the finger and twist.
“Ow!” He spins around, his face red. “What the fuck, man—” Whatever he was about to say dies. “Max? What are you doing here?” He runs a hand through his hair. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Toronto?”
“No, I’m right here in Tokyo.”
“But you said that you were in Toronto.” His eyes flash with sudden inspiration. “How could you lie to me?”
I stomp on the urge to yell at him for trying to pin the blame on me. “It was an autocorrect error,” I manage between clenched teeth. “And you said you were dealing with a client emergency in Seattle. Didn’t realize tonguing a tonsil was a billable emergency.”
His face turns purple. “Excuse us for a moment, Samantha,” he says to the redhead, who slips into the bar after casting a curious look at me. “Max, be reasonable. I’m just meeting my manly needs.”
“Manly needs?” I can see Trevor nodding in the background like some kind of amoral cheerleader. Can’t decide which is worse—Jeffrey’s betrayal or Trevor’s getting a front-row view of my humiliation.
“A man has needs,” Jeffrey explains like I’m a three-year-old. “Like, for consistent sex and a woman who has nice, hot dinner ready for him when he comes home after a long day at work. You were on your period before you left for London.”
What does that have to do with anything? “And…?”
“And it was gonna be, like, three weeks.”
Oh my God. “So what you really want is a hooker who moonlights as a free maid,” I say, my jaw tight.
“Well. I would never put it that crudely.”
“Euphemisms don’t change… Never mind. How long has”—I gesture toward the bar—“this been going on?”
He raises a placating hand. “Not that long. It’s our first vacation together. She had tickets to the expo here and invited me. I said yes, since you said you were going to be in Toronto.”
“Uh-huh.” My left eyebrow is pulsing so hard, even my eyeball hurts. “And how about before Samantha?”
“Not that much,” he mumbles.
I narrow my eyes.
“Just here and there, when I really felt the need. Don’t be weird about it.” His tone turns soft and soothing. “You’re the only woman who’s been in my life consistently.”
“Am I supposed to be happy about that?” My voice turns shrill toward the end.
“What do you want me to say?” He spreads his hands. “Why are you acting like I’m some special kind of villain? Every man does this.”
“Hear that, Maxine? Every man,” says Trevor smugly.
A scream wells in my chest, rising to my throat.
I want to yell at the universe for humiliating me, and in front of Trevor, of all people.
I despise giving him another weapon to wield against me—and my mom.
And I loathe Jeffrey for backstabbing me in the worst way possible and looking at me with that shameless I-didn’t-do-nuthin’ expression.
“Thank you,” Jeffrey says, giving Trevor a nod.
“Besides, sometimes even when you’re around and not on your period, you just take too long to warm up.
Oftentimes a man just needs an outlet to release the pressure fast and easy—you know, wham, bam, thank you, ma’am—and a woman who can accommodate him. ”