Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
J ack
“How did it go?” I asked Eric as I climbed into the back of the Escalade.
“I have no words, Jack.”
“Well, better you than me.” A smirk crossed my lips. “It couldn’t have been that bad. I told Sierra not to buy too much since Christmas was coming. Although, she did spend over six thousand dollars on herself.” I sighed.
“She picked a nice handbag.” Eric smiled through the rearview mirror.
“I don’t care. She had no business buying an expensive handbag and wallet for herself. She’s taking advantage of me.”
“You’re the one who sent her out on the busiest shopping day of the year. I don’t blame her if I’m being honest.”
“Keep your honesty to yourself.”
“You didn’t have to approve the transaction, but you did. So, that’s on you, Jack.”
I approved the transaction to keep her quiet. At least, that’s what I told myself.
When I opened the front door and stepped inside, I set my briefcase down and walked to the living room. It was a chaotic mess, with boxes and toys scattered across the floor like an obstacle course. My once neat and tidy room was now cluttered and overwhelming.
“What the hell!” I loudly voiced.
“Daddy.” Ellie ran over and threw her arms around my legs.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Look at all my new toys!” She beamed with excitement.
“I see them.” I shot Sierra a dirty look. “Go play. I need to talk to Sierra for a moment.”
Sierra got up from the floor and followed me into the kitchen.
“What the fuck is all that?” I spoke through gritted teeth. “I told you not to go overboard.”
“Then maybe you should have come with us.” Her brow arched.
“Where the hell is all that going to go?”
“This place is massive. There’s more than enough room for all of her toys. Turn one of the other guest rooms into a playroom. By the way, your expense isn’t over yet. You need to redo Ellie’s room so it looks like a little girl’s room.”
“No, I don’t,” I said.
“Yes, you do. She lives here now, Jack. She needs a little girl’s room of pink walls, curtains, and white furniture.”
“How much did you spend at the toy store?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter. You can afford it.”
“What about Christmas?”
“There are other things you can buy her. I have a plan.”
“Jesus Christ, Sierra.” I ran my hand down my face. “I’ll call Gretchen and see if she’ll babysit tonight. I want to go out to dinner. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Probably not. I’m sure Ellie will be excited to show Gretchen her new toys.”
I pulled my phone out and dialed Gretchen’s number.
“Hi, Mr. Atlas.”
“Hi, Gretchen. I know this is extremely short notice, but can you come over and babysit Ellie while I go out to dinner?”
“Sure. When do you want me to come over?”
“In about an hour.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“Gretchen agreed to babysit. Go get ready,” I told Sierra. “I’ll tell Ellie we’re going out.”
Walking into the living room, Ellie sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by toys and holding a Barbie.
“Do you like my new Barbie?” She held it up.
“She’s really cool. Listen, Ellie. Sierra and I are going out to dinner, and Gretchen is going to come over and play with you and your new toys.”
“Okay. I want to play with that.” She pointed to the large box that housed a kitchen set.
“I’m sure that has to be assembled. I’ll try to do it tomorrow. Deal?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
My phone pinged. Pulling it from my pocket as I walked up the stairs, I had a text from my housekeeper.
“Hi, Jack. I’m heading back to New York tomorrow and will return to work Monday morning.”
“Thank God. There have been some changes at the house. I’ll explain when I see you on Monday. Can you please be here before I leave for the office?”
“Yes. I’ll make sure I’m there.”
“My housekeeper just texted me. She’s back tomorrow, and she’ll be here first thing Monday morning,” I said to Sierra as I walked into the bedroom and saw the large Louis Vuitton box sitting on the bed.
“Okay. I can’t wait to meet her. Did you tell her about Ellie?”
“No. I will on Monday. I got a call from my father today. He wants to go to dinner tomorrow night.”
“He’s in New York?” Her brows furrowed.
“He’ll be in later tonight. I’m going to have to tell him about Ellie.”
“Why don’t you have him and his fiancée here for dinner? You can have it catered.” She smiled. “That way, he can meet his granddaughter.”
“I guess I can do that. I really don’t want him here. Are you going to show me that handbag for which I paid an enormous amount of money?” I pointed to the box.
“I will after you change your clothes.” She walked into the bathroom.
I changed out of my suit and went into the bathroom to check myself in the mirror. When I stepped back into the bedroom, Sierra stood there with her new handbag.
“What do you think?” She grinned.
I stared at her momentarily and noted the happiness in her eyes.
“It’s a nice handbag. You have good taste.” I smiled.
“Thank you, Jack.”
I heard the doorbell ring. Running down the stairs, I opened it and let Gretchen inside.
“Thank you for coming over,” I said.
“No problem, Mr. Atlas.”
“You’re sixteen, and it’s a Friday night. I’m surprised you were available.”
“My boyfriend and I broke up, and I didn’t feel like hanging out with my friends.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. But it’s probably for the best. You are only sixteen.”
“Jack.” Sierra smacked my arm. “Don’t listen to him, Gretchen. Are you okay?” She hooked her arm around hers.
“Yeah. I broke up with him. When I looked into the future, I couldn’t see the two of us together. We’d been together for almost a year, and it was time to let him go. If I can’t see a future with someone, there’s no use in wasting either of our time.”
“You are one smart young lady.” Sierra smiled.
“Gretchen!” Ellie ran up to her and grabbed her hand. “Come look at all the new toys Sierra bought for me today.”
“Excuse me. I bought those toys for you!” I loudly voiced.
“Relax, Jack. She’s only four. Maybe you should have come with us, and then she would have known you bought them. But no. You had to send me out by myself on Black Friday in the middle of holiday hell.”
‘Really? I do believe your compensation for that is right there.” I pointed to her purse.
She rolled her eyes and walked over to Ellie.
“Bye, sweetheart. You be a good girl for Gretchen.” She kissed her little lips.
“I will. Bye, Daddy.”
“Bye, pumpkin.” I kissed her forehead.
“Oh. I ordered a pizza for you and Ellie,” Sierra said to Gretchen. “It’s already paid for, and I told the guy on the phone to have the delivery person knock first and then leave it in front of the door. Wait until he or she leaves before opening the door.”
“I will, Sierra. Thank you.”
We walked down the porch steps, and Eric smiled at Sierra as he held the door to the Escalade open.
“That handbag looks great on you, Sierra.”
“Thank you, Eric. It does, doesn’t it?” She grinned before climbing inside.
“Don’t. Just don’t.” I sighed, shaking my head at him.
He chuckled and shut the door after I slid in next to Sierra. We walked into Tavern on the Green, and the place had been totally transformed. Last week, there wasn’t a Christmas decoration in sight. Now, the place was a visual overload of holiday hell.
“Looks like Christmas threw up all over the place,” Sierra said.
“You must have read my mind.” I sighed as our hostess took us to our table.
“Another month of this shit. How am I going to make it through?” Sierra said.
“The same way you do every year?” My brow arched.
I waved my finger in front of his face. “You don’t understand. I don’t go out during the holiday season. I went to work and home.”
“What about with your ex?” I asked.
“He knew I never liked the holidays and understood.” She looked down.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought him up.”
“It’s fine, Jack. Honestly, I’m not sure we’d still be together if he hadn’t passed away.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I loved him, and I was severely heartbroken when he was killed. But, when I thought about the future, I didn’t see the two of us together in it. I could totally relate to what Gretchen said. But, I suppose you can’t relate to that.”
“No. I can’t. I never let myself get close enough to anyone.” I picked up my drink.
“Because of your father?” she asked.
“He was part of it. Have you ever tried to look for your mother?”
“No.” She sipped her wine. “Why bother trying to find someone who doesn’t want to be found? She left me at that church on Christmas for a reason. Finding her won’t change that. The damage has already been done.”
“You’re not damaged, Sierra.”
She let out a light laugh. “We’re both damaged, Jack. Two damaged souls who despise the holidays because of our parents. Admit it.”
“I suppose we are.” I sighed, finishing my bourbon.
After dinner, we left the restaurant and walked down the street. I grabbed hold of her hand, and she looked at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” A light smile crossed her lips.
“I don’t want you to fall. It’s kind of slippery out here.”
“Thanks.” She lay her head on my shoulder, and I exhaled.
The city was illuminated with twinkling lights, draping from every building and lamp post. The air smelled like chestnuts and spiced apple cider as small snowflakes fell from the sky. As our fingers were intertwined and my thumb rubbed against her soft skin, I couldn’t help but think we were two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. It scared me. I had a love/hate relationship with the feelings inside me. I couldn’t stop them, no matter how hard I tried.
“Are you cold?” I asked her.
“Not at all.” A warm smile graced her lips.
My grip around her hand tightened in a protective way as we navigated through the crowded sidewalk. The hustle and bustle of people in this city never stopped, especially this time of the year.
Eric pulled up. We climbed inside and headed home. When we stepped through the front door and went to the living room, it was spotless. All the toys and boxes that had cluttered the space were neatly tucked into the corner.
“How was dinner?” Gretchen asked.
“It was good. Did you clean all this up?” I asked.
“Yeah. I did it after I put Ellie to bed. I can’t stand messes.”
“You built her kitchen?” Sierra asked.
“She wanted to play with it. I had one like it when I was little. We had a lot of fun, and she was really good.”
Pulling out my wallet, I handed her some cash, with some extra for cleaning up.
“Thank you, Mr. Atlas. This is too much,” she said.
“We appreciate you babysitting for us, Gretchen. Go buy yourself some new clothes, makeup, or whatever you teenagers buy nowadays.”
She laughed. “Thank you. If you need me again, call me. I really like spending time with Ellie. Would you mind if I came over and hung out with her?”
“That would be great,” Sierra said.
Gretchen grabbed her coat and put it on. “You two make a really cute couple. It’s nice to see you found someone, Mr. Atlas.”
“Uh, I think you misunderstand. We’re not a couple. Sierra is my assistant. She’s helping me with Ellie until I can find a nanny.”
“Oh. Could have fooled me.” She smiled. “Thanks again.” She walked out the door.