Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
Ridge
Me
Good morning, gorgeous. I missed having you in my bed last night.
Addison
Oh, yeah? How much did you miss me?
Me
You want the details? Because I can get really specific …
Addison
Ha! Your daughter is sitting less than 10 feet away from me. Maybe you can share those details when she’s not in my line of sight.
Me
Deal.
Addison
Cute story for you: we talked about our weekends at the beginning of class, and Daisy spoke about her time with Uncle ’Ett.
Me
Man, I love that kid.
Addison
You’ve got a good one.
Me
When can I see you again?
“Do you have a second?”
I lifted my head, looking at the doorway of my office, where Jenner Dalton, the attorney for the Cole and Spade Hotels brand, was standing with Brady.
I set my phone down, the screen facing the desk so I wouldn’t be tempted to stare at it, and replied, “Yeah, come in.”
They closed the door, and before the gentlemen took a seat in front of my desk, Jenner handed me a folder.
I opened it while Jenner said, “It’s the permit for the Beverly Hills remodel. I just picked it up from the county.”
I scanned the multiple sheets of paperwork, which confirmed everything he’d just said, and I closed the lid and set the folder on my desk. “So, all of our alterations have been approved?”
“Yes,” Jenner replied. “The remodel can start immediately.”
“Hold on a second,” I stammered. “I thought we weren’t doing the remodel of Beverly Hills until all the construction was finished at our property in Malibu?” I waited for one of them to respond, and when they didn’t, I added, “You’re telling me you want both properties to be under construction at the same exact time?”
“The sooner it’s done, the sooner we can offer even more amenities, the sooner we can bump the rates up even higher,” Brady said. “I see no reason to wait.”
I pulled at my tie, loosening the knot at my throat. “We need an executive meeting. I need to see if everyone else agrees.”
“You think they wouldn’t?” Brady pressed. “Because I think everyone in this room knows they’ll agree with me.” He nodded toward me. “Including you.”
I pushed back in my chair, glancing at the phone, fucking dying to know if there was a message from Addison waiting for me on the screen. If I looked at it and there was, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from responding, and the guys would lose my full attention.
“Do you know how much work that’s going to be?” I barked. “As it is, I’m already spending three-quarters of each workday in Malibu. How in the hell am I going to divide my time between both properties and fight the traffic going back and forth between them?”
“Easy solution,” Brady said. “Buy a helicopter.”
“You’re fucking kidding,” I shot back.
“Hell, I bought a plane.” He laughed. “Shit, I bought two for the company. Why not add a helicopter while we’re at it?”
Jenner crossed his legs, his foot shaking in the air. “Now, that might not be agreed upon among the executives, but I can’t lie, I’m all for it.”
“Listen, man, at least you’re home every night for Daisy,” Brady continued. “The rest of us are traveling across the globe to be on location at our hotels. Lily and I went from Scotland to Bangkok, and we’re still only half done. We’ve got at least a few more months in Thailand before we can move back home.”
Brady and I’d had a rocky start when the Coles and Spades merged. There were many things about him I didn’t like. He said what was on his mind, he gave no fucks, he found the most negative part of any conversation and highlighted it. But as I’d spent more time with him, I’d realized the good outweighed the bad.
But in this instance, I’d like to kick his ass out of my office.
“You’re saying I have it easier because I’m home,” I voiced a little louder than I needed to. “Is that what you’re telling me?”
Brady’s brows shot up. “Would you rather be away from Daisy? Because those are your two options. Stay home and deal with a remodel—or two. Or hit the road and homeschool your daughter.” He leaned onto the edge of my desk. “We signed up for this. We knew precisely what we were being dealt when we began working for our families.” He pounded the edge of the wood before he moved back. “You’ll figure it out. I know you will. You’ve got it in you.”
“Asshole.”
Brady nodded. “I know I am.”
I looked at Jenner before I dismissed them from my office. “Any other news to share, or are you only dropping one bomb on me today?”
“More news? No.” Jenner crossed his arms over his chest.
“We do have a question,” Brady said.
My gaze shifted between the men. “Yeah?”
“Where the hell did you disappear to the night of my bachelor and Lily’s bachelorette party?” Brady inquired. “I’m assuming you met someone. That’s why you took off and never came back.” He smirked. “Who is she?”
“You’re fucking kidding me.” I sighed.
“I didn’t want to ask during our last executive meeting. You know, in case you didn’t want to say something in front of his wife.” Brady nodded at Jenner, referring to Jo, who was one of our partners. “And since the outing, I haven’t had a chance to get you alone to ask.” He strummed the armrest of his chair. “So, I’m asking now.”
“You think you deserve an answer?”
“Deserve? No.” Brady shrugged. “Want? Yes.”
“Asshole—again.”
“So, are you going to tell us?” Brady asked.
I was silent for a few moments, staring at each of their grins. Damn, these motherfuckers thought they had earned themselves the world. “You’re right, I did meet someone.” And I couldn’t think of a single reason to keep her a secret. I just wished I had more to tell.
“Nice,” Jenner replied. “Who is she?”
I could see right through them, my head shaking as I said, “Don’t act like you don’t know.”
Brady chuckled. “She was one of the strippers, wasn’t she?”
“And she also happens to be Daisy’s first-grade teacher,” I told them.
Jenner balled his fist and put it up to his mouth. “Fuck.” He paused. “I’m assuming you discovered that after the bachelor party?”
I nodded.
“Are things good?” Brady asked. “Or is that connection making things a bit messy?”
My head dropped, my stare once again falling on the back of my phone case. “A little of both, I guess. The connection doesn’t bother me, but it does her. She’s having a hard time separating the two gigs and where I fit in, and then there’s the whole Daisy layer, and that complicates things even more.”
Jenner pointed at his chest. “We’ve all been there, my man. In some way or another, my brothers and I have rocked every forbidden boat, and in each situation, it’s worked out. Things will work out for you too.”
Was that true?
I picked up my phone, unable to wait a second longer, and read the message Addison had just texted.
Addison
Don’t kill me for saying this, but how about when I finish out my job at the club? The guilt of spending time with you and spending time there—with them—is literally eating me alive, Ridge. I can’t do both. I hope you can understand that.
I put the phone down, squeezing the case in my palm, and said, “I don’t know about that. Things seem to be getting more difficult by the second.”
“Why is she stripping?” Brady asked.
I shook my head. “She hasn’t said. I just know that when she saves the amount she needs, it’ll come to an end, and that’ll make things much easier on us.”
“You’re telling me you’re going to wait that long?” Jenner asked.
“Fuck no,” I replied. “But I can’t force her to see me.”
“You can’t?” Brady tapped his hand on my desk before he stood. “Given that she’s Daisy’s teacher, I’d think you could put yourself in front of her anytime you fucking want.”
Jenner got on his feet, and they walked to the door.
“How much are we talking?” Jenner asked, his hand on the doorknob. “Five grand? Twenty? A hundred?”
“I don’t have that answer either,” I told them.
“Dude, you need to start asking some goddamn questions,” Brady voiced.
Jenner shifted his weight. “You know, the easiest way to fix this problem is with money. You have it. So, fix it.”
Jenner’s idea was something I’d thought of many times and something I wasn’t opposed to. In fact, I’d tried to come up with ways to give the money to her without Addison knowing it was from me. But her pride was the only thing holding me back. She wanted to do this on her own.
Could I be patient enough to let her?
Fuck, I didn’t know.
Instead of explaining that to them, I chuckled and said, “Fellas, I hear you, but I’ve got to take things slow. I know what I’m doing. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Brady looked at Jenner and then smiled at me. “We know.”
They left my office, and I picked up my phone and reread Addison’s last message.
Me
Is the club off-limits too? I was thinking about going there this weekend …
Addison
I can’t stomach how much you’re spending on me.
Me
I can afford it. You don’t have to worry about that.
Addison
I know … I Googled you. Let’s just say, my jaw is still on the floor. Cole and Spade Hotels, Ridge? You said nothing about it to me. Why?
Me
You don’t really talk about your time at the club. I don’t discuss the inner workings of my job. It’s that simple.
Addison
But you don’t exactly have a job. You have an empire.
Me
I share an empire with several other people, but, yes, it is quite the undertaking.
Addison
Which explains why you’re spending so much time in Malibu. I read that you’re doing construction at that hotel, almost a full remodel, and that you’re the man in charge. That’s amazing—truly.
Me
Do you want to see it?
Addison
Do I want to go to the beach, my favorite place in the world? What kind of question is that? LOL.
Me
Don’t tease me, Addison. I’ll pick you up right now …
Addison
And leave your daughter with a substitute teacher? I would never. ;)
Hear me out. I have about two months left. Maybe less if things continue to go well. I care about you, Ridge, and what I’m doing feels so wrong. I want it to feel right. You deserve that.
Me
We deserve that.
Addison
Best answer ever.