Chapter 3
3
R AIN
We land in Denver the next day.
A car picks us up, and we head to Eve's home late afternoon.
Her parents, Rene and Donnie, welcome us with open arms.
An hour later, we sit around the kitchen table, eating and chatting. All smiling.
I haven’t seen Eve so happy in a very long time.
Her parents’ home offers a nice contrast to the frozen landscape outside.
Blown by the wind, the fresh snow has piled up on the windowsills, wrapping a thick blanket around the house.
Cozy and welcoming, their place is decorated with red, blue, green, and silver Christmas lights, the pine wreaths perfuming the air with their earthy fresh smell.
An aroma of freshly baked cookies drifts from the kitchen.
I promise to return for dinner before I call a car service and say goodbye to them.
A few minutes later, I exit their home and slip into a limousine. The driver greets me before I instruct him to take me to the hotel.
My gaze sweeps the new shops and restaurants as we cruise downtown. None of these new businesses were open a couple of years back when I lived here.
I soak them in, smiling.
Eve was spot on. This is still the perfect place to celebrate Christmas.
The town strikes a perfect balance.
It’s not too small to run out of things to do, and it’s not too big not to cross paths with people you know.
Even now, despite the cold weather, the locals take a stroll, cruising the streets while greeting each other.
It’s not surprising that many of them end up at the Sweet Lady, the best bakery in town, for a treat.
They spend hours chatting over a slice of cake and a cup of coffee before eating dinner in one of the small family-owned restaurants.
This is a great place to raise a family too.
I barely revel in that idea when a dark thought tarnishes that image. To raise a family, yes, but not like mine.
I move away from the memory of those trying times, filling my eyes with the view in front of me.
Kids, dogs, families, and couples walk down the street, despite the nippy air and the icicles adorning the trees.
The main square looks like a giant marshmallow sprinkled with Christmas lights.
A pang of pain flutters through my chest as we drive past Red’s. The building is dark and wrapped in silence, the main door glowing under a beam of crimson light.
And yet, the parking lot is packed.
Minutes later, the driver turns left and pulls the car to a stop in front of a boutique hotel.
I settle the fare and climb out before strolling across the sidewalk and making a beeline for the glass doors.
The driver veers the car to the side as I walk in.
Smoothly, I stop at the reception desk.
“Good afternoon,” the clerk, a sharply dressed woman with glimmering earrings, says.
Her eyes come to mine, a charming grin arching her lips.
“How may I help you?”
“I have a reservation under Rain Morgan.”
“Sure. One moment, please,” the woman says, her fingers flying over the keyboard.
A smile broadens across her lips as she scans the information on the screen.
“The Red Suite is ready for you, Miss Morgan,” she says, sliding a key card onto the counter.
“I’m sorry…”
I look at the woman, gripped by surprise.
“There must be a mistake,” I say, puzzled. “I’m pretty sure I haven’t asked for a suite. I needed a hotel room,” I say politely yet firmly, smiling nervously at the same time.
The woman gives me a full mouth grin.
“It’s not a mistake,” she says, slanting her gaze down, her index finger pointing to something on the screen. “You booked a room, and our system has automatically upgraded it. There’s no extra charge. It’s on the house.”
I look at her, still baffled, as I slide my credit card across the counter.
Maybe they’ve overbooked the rooms, and now they’re shuffling people around.
“I don’t need this, Miss Morgan,” she says, lifting her gaze from the card I slid to her.
She pushes it back to me.
“I don’t understand,” I say.
“Your suite has been paid for.”
I throw the woman a questioning look.
“Can you please explain?”
“Sure. Your name was flagged in our system, and it popped up on the VIP list.”
“Um… Meaning?”
“Your stay is complimentary, as is the car that comes with it. Unless you want to use the driver and the limo assigned to you.”
I look at her, confused.
I look at her desk, retrieve a business card from the stack on the silver platter and flip it between my fingers.
The name of the hotel says nothing to me.
And then, a thought bounces around in my head.
“Who owns this hotel?”
“Sexton Holdings,” the woman says hurriedly, her desk phone ringing. “Give me a second,” she says politely before answering the call.
She exchanges a few words with the person at the other end of the line and hangs up a moment later.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No, thank you,” I say, collecting my key card.
“Good,” she says, relieved. “Oh, by the way. The car is a black Mercedes, and it’s parked in the private parking lot. Here is the key.”
She hands it to me, flashing a warm smile.
“Thank you.”
Minutes later, I exit the elevator, walk across a large hallway, and enter the top-floor suite.
A stunning view greets me right from the entrance.
Several ceiling-height windows stretch from side to side, overlooking the town square and letting in the magnificent view.
Slowly moving, I glance around.
The place is comprised of a large living room, an oversized bedroom furnished with a seashell-shaped bed, and a luxury bathroom with a gold-trimmed bathtub and a matching sink.
Red towels sit on the metallic shelves.
Scarlet roses are tucked in vases of all shapes and sizes, filling the air with a sweet, fresh scent.
A soft humming echoes in my pocket.
I fish out my phone.
“Mom??”
“Hi, sweetie. Thank you so much for the Christmas gift. You shouldn’t have sent so much.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s a lot of money...” she says and pauses for a moment. “Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Yes. I’m sure. I, um... I got a Christmas bonus.”
“This must be the entire bonus.”
“The sales have been great this year. The bonus is only a percentage of what I’ve made on top of my commission,” I say.
She stays quiet for a second.
“Well. I’m glad you’ve found better work than what you were doing in that bookstore. I just talked to Rene, and she told me you were back in Colorado. I had no idea. You didn’t tell me...” she says, a bit surprised.
“I didn’t plan to come. It was a last-minute thing.”
“I’m happy to hear that. You need to get out of New York more often. She told me the place looks beautiful.”
“Yes, it does,” I murmur, looking out the window.
A horse-drawn sleigh passes by, the bells echoing in the air.
“Have you talked to Dad?” I ask.
She sighs.
“Yes, I have.”
“How is he?”
“He has news for us,” she says excitedly, yet something in her voice strikes me as off.
“What news?”
“You and Daria will have a little sister.”
She pauses, and I’m not sure how to react or what to say. I can’t even tell if the news affects her in any way.
“Is he…? Has he…?”
“Yes. He proposed to her, and they’ll get married next year. After she gives birth.”
“Is that Belle?”
“No. He broke up with her. It’s someone younger.”
“Belle was thirty.”
“Well, Vicky is twenty-six.”
“Oh...” I murmur.
“Anyway, this is the news,” she deadpans, no longer in the mood to talk about it.
“How are you otherwise?” I ask.
“I’m good. My job is great. I’m really lucky in that regard,” she says, a grin threading through her voice. “Stephanie is fantastic, and we have a wonderful time together, as you can imagine.”
She goes quiet again while I muse over her words.
“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer right away.
“It’s been almost two years,” I say.
“You mean… men? As in dating?”
I smile.
“Yes.”
She breathes a sigh.
“No, not really… That doesn’t mean I’m alone all the time. No, no. I have someone I go to the beach with, and another man takes me out to dinner from time to time, but other than that, there’s no one else. I’m not dating or anything...” she says, her voice trailing off for a moment. “I don’t think I’ll date any time soon. I’m no longer interested in a domestic situation, and casual ‘something else’ is not for me. I don’t believe in friends with benefits, either. Is that what it’s called nowadays?” she asks, smiling again.
I suck in a long breath.
“Yeah. That’s how it’s called. Well... You know better. Have you heard from Daria?”
“She’s in California right now. She’ll spend Christmas with your father and his new woman, and I’m sure they’ll have a great time together. Daria and Vicky are practically the same age,” she says, sincerely amused.
It’s good to know her sense of humor is intact after all these years and the things she experienced with my father.
A doorbell rings in the background.
“Okay, sweetie. I gotta go. Stephanie is here. We’re going to a show,” she says. “Kiss Rene, Donnie, and Eve for me, will you?”
“Okay, ma’. I will.”
We end the call, and I put the phone on the bed, sadness creeping up on me.
It’s hard to find an explanation for how I feel.
Things are alright overall. My mom has a good life, my father is about to settle down with someone else, and there’s a new baby on the way. My sister is still in the picture.
It could’ve been worse.
Much, much worse.
And yet I can’t shake off a strange feeling as I’m still haunted by the ghosts of the past, everything that happened to us, and how things turned out in the end with us scattered all around, living separately from each other.
This must be it.
This must be the reason why I feel this way.
Minutes later, I wave off my memories, heading to the bathroom.
I shower and get dressed before slipping my coat on and running out the door.
Half an hour later, I park my black Mercedes in front of Eve’s house, and
the smell of Christmas cookies, mulled wine, and delicious food greets me when I walk in.
They have a few friends over, and a lively dialogue and bits of laughter echo in the house when Eve and I retreat to the indoor patio.
“Can I get you anything else, girls?”
Eve’s mom slides a plate of cookies and two mugs of hot chocolate on the wicker table.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” I say, rising from my chair, eager to help her. “Thank you so much.”
She hugs me and pats me on my back.
“I’m so glad you’re here with us, Rain. Eve missed you so much,” she says, pointing to her daughter, whose cheeks are scarlet.
With that, Rene walks to the living room while Eve and I sink into our seats and shift our focus to the glass wall in front of us.
Lights glimmer in the valley as the town sparkles under the falling snow.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur, taking in the view before looking at the neighbors’ homes.
Strings of Christmas lights dangle from the trees and rooftops, casting a glow over the foggy windows.
“I almost forgot how beautiful it was,” I say nostalgically.
“Yeah, I know... It’s beautiful now, but wait to see it in the summer,” she says before sipping hot chocolate. “I miss those times,” she murmurs, melancholy threading through her voice.
We sit in silence for a few good moments, the memories of past summers coming back to me.
The warm light, lush meadows, and sparkling blue sky. The lazy afternoons.
“Why did we have to leave?” she asks ruefully.
I shift my gaze to her, yet she keeps her eyes on the view.
My stare goes blank as I mull over an answer.
“It was our time,” I murmur. “I guess we had to. Everybody leaves at some point or another.”
She turns her eyes to me.
“Sometimes, I wish I could turn back time,” she says. “Be where we were two years ago and not give a damn about anything. Just stroll down those cobblestone streets downtown and eat ice cream like we used to.”
I smile.
“We can still eat ice cream. Maybe not now,” I say, smiling.
She shakes her head, not grinning in the slightest.
“Yeah, we could, but it’s not the same… Nothing is the same.”
She looks away for a moment, and I do that, too, training my gaze on the Christmas lights pulsing in the distance.
“If you could change anything, what would it be?” she asks.
“I would not want to meet James Sexton,” I say quietly in a mournful voice.
She flicks her eyes to me, grappling with surprise.
* * *
RAIN
“I think this one looks better,” I say as Eve steps out of the purple dress and tries on one of my evening gowns.
The black outfit is made of a fine jersey fabric that has a cool feel to the touch and falls perfectly over her toned body.
The style consisting of some nice cleavage, slim fit, long sleeves, and a long back zipper flatters her.
She twirls in front of the mirror as we both examine it.
“It looks nice,” I say, raising my eyes to her.
She studies her reflection, musing.
“Is this how I look?”
I laugh softly.
“Yeah… That’s exactly how you look. Believe me, you look great. That’s not your problem.”
She pivots to me, wraps her arms around me, and gives me a soft kiss on my cheek.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I tear away, my eyes dipping to her lips.
“I’d go with burgundy,” I say, pointing to the lipstick on the table.
“Are you done?” Rene asks, sticking her head into the room just as Eve gingerly takes a seat in front of a double-sided mirror and starts painting her lips.
“Hurry up, girls, or you’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve here with us,” she says, grinning.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Eve’s dad comments, interjecting himself into the conversation.
Smiling, he pulls away while Rene lingers a moment longer, moving her gaze over my white satin dress.
“That looks beautiful,” she says, nodding appreciatively.
“Doesn’t it?” Eve murmurs, glancing over her shoulder. “She looks like a princess.”
“Stop it,” I say, chuckling, amused.
“Oh, sorry…” She smiles. "I forgot it’s a bad word.”
We all laugh before her mom pulls away too.
An hour later, we are stuck in the slowly crawling traffic before pulling up in front of a historic building near City Hall.
We exit the limousine, and careful not to step on our gowns, we climb the stairs leading to the foyer.
This is one of the oldest buildings in town and a perfect display of exquisite architecture.
The place has been renovated and now hosts a library, conference halls, and a large event room.
It just happens that the New Year’s Eve celebration coincides with the inauguration of the new Art Center.
I also learn that the Sexton International Charity Foundation has been responsible for restoring the building.
I no longer waste my breath gasping every time I run into something that belongs to him. He seemingly owns everything in town.
Myself included.
Eve and I saunter into a huge room and mingle with the guests.
To say I’m nervous, it’s a crass understatement, but I’m doing my best to conceal my turmoil.
As expected, we run into a few acquaintances and spend some time chatting with them.
Half an hour later, we sit at our table, and two couples join us. They ask about Rene and Donnie, and we talk to them for a while.
The food is delicious, the atmosphere is friendly, and so far, things are fine. The selection of music is excellent too.
Minutes before ten, I scan the crowd.
Common sense tells me they should be here any moment, although plenty of surrogates could show up to fulfill their social obligations.
I shift my focus to my plate, and Eve cups my hand under the table somewhat warningly.
“Rain?” she says quietly, her voice catching.
I tip my gaze to her.
“What?”
Her expression is more than telling.
“Don’t look. Don’t look…” she slips to me under her breath, her eyes trained on something or someone in the distance.
And yet, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I swivel and crane my neck, my eyes drawn to the entrance.
Three silhouettes stand out in the crowd, their hair coming into view first. Blonde, brown, and brunette. And then, their grinning faces fill my view. And their impeccable tuxedos.
And...
Oh, fuck.
Everything comes to a halt as if time freezes, and the noise of the crowd no longer makes it to my ears, fading into the background like my surroundings.
All I hear is the distinct beats of my panicked heart and its rushed pounding in my ears.
And all I feel is the shivers moving down my back.
Three beautiful women are linked to their arms.
The blonde draped over James’ arm wears a red dress. The redhead connected to Lex’s arm is clad in an emerald gown, while the brunette attached to Ed’s hand sports a white outfit.
“Oh, my God,” I murmur, feeling Eve’s grip, her fingers squeezing mine.
“Rain?”
Her voice sounds like a whimper, begging me not to react. She clings to me as if she knows I am about to bolt.
“What a fucking mistake,” I murmur, dumbfounded.
“What?” Eve asks, breathing half of her lungs out.
“How can I be so stupid? I shouldn’t have come,” I say to myself.
“What are you talking about?”
I finally glance at Eve, whose eyes darken with concern, flashing a lot of questions.
“I need to leave. I can’t explain it to you now.”
“Explain what?” she asks as I pull my hand out of her lock. “Rain. You can’t leave me here...”
“We’ll talk later,” I say, rising to my feet.
My eyes tear off her perplexed face as I push the chair back and scurry away. Reluctantly, I veer toward the main door, which, unfortunately, is the only way out.
A big group of people surrounds them and their dates. Amongst them, some town officials, all anxious to greet them.
Ed spots me first.
“Rain?”
I don’t stop.
I don’t even look in their direction.
I hear the steps behind me, rushing as I run down the stairs and reach the front of the building, wearing nothing but my sleeveless evening gown, my coat now abandoned inside.
The valet springs into action, rushing to fetch the limo for me.
“Rain?”
Lex’s hand lands on my shoulder. I spin around as if bitten by a snake.
“Don’t you fucking touch me,” I snarl.
He pulls his hand away from me, looking at me, bewildered.
The hatred spewing from my eyes makes him step back.
“It’s not what you think,” he says.
I close the space between us, a grim rictus creeping up my lips.
“What exactly is not what I think?” I growl through clenched teeth.
His eyes dip to my bare shoulders.
“Come inside. I’ll explain to you.”
“There’s nothing to explain, Lex. I don’t want to hear your explanation. And you know what? I shouldn’t hear it. I don’t deserve it. I’m nothing but a whore James hired for all of you to enjoy. If he wanted to teach me a lesson, well, he surely succeeded. Consider it a huge success. I finally got it.”
“It was nothing like that,” he thunders behind me as I pivot toward the limo. “Not for us, and not for him,” he says, and I turn around to face him again.
I erase the gap between us and finger his chest.
“Fuck you, Lex. And fuck him. I’m sick of your fucking games.”
I swivel to move away, and he grabs my elbow.
“It was not a game,” he rasps, his voice heavy with frustration. “Not for Ed and not for me, and it wasn’t a game for James, either. You have to believe me.”
I look at him, stunned, before breathing a sardonic laugh.
“Believe you?”
My eyes shoot daggers.
“Believe what, Lex?”
A muscle twitches in his jaw, and his blue eyes glisten in the dimness as he stifles his emotions.
“I can’t elaborate. He’s the only one who can clear things out for you. I don’t want to get between the two of you.”
I yank my arm out of his grip and jerk back.
Hands clasped on my hips, I toss my head back and flash a sarcastic grin dipped in bitterness.
“Getting between the two of us? Now you’re worried?” My lips tremble with fury. “Isn’t it a bit too late for that... Lex?”
With that, I turn around and slip into the car, his voice echoing behind me.
“The women are not what you think.”
The door slams shut, and the car pulls away while I dig my nails into my palms to suppress a scream of frustration.