Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
CHLOE
That’s it!
My eyes burn from staring at my computer screen for so long, but I finally did it. I got the video to look just like I wanted. My ass is numb and my back aches, but it was totally worth it. I think everyone is going to like what I came up with.
“Chloe,” Sarah says, getting my attention.
“What’s up?”
Sarah teases. “Mr. Gibson would like to see you in his office. Have a good day.”
Have a good day?
I look at the clock on my screen and see that it’s barely noon. I have hours of work left, why would she make it sound like I’m about to leave? Does she know something I don’t?
I guess there is only one way to find out.
I grab my purse from the drawer of my desk and stand. Quickly, I make the trek from my office to his, and I knock when I reach his door.
“Come in.”
“Hey, Sarah said you needed me?” I say as I open the door.
I come to a stop when I see Liv sitting there across from him with a smile on her face.
“What’s going on? Is everyone okay?”
“Everything is fine,” Brantley tells me.
Liv jumps up from her seat and walks toward me. “I’ll meet you in the hall.”
When she walks out of his office, I shake my head. “What’s going on?”
“Come here.” Brantley stands and walks around his desk.
I move and step into his arms as soon as he’s within reach. “Tell me.”
“So demanding,” he teases.
“Brantley…”
“So I’m sure you’ve heard that there is a Foxes Hockey Gala coming up soon.”
“You mean the one that’s literally right around the corner that I have been helping plan?”
“That one. I was hoping you would be my plus one and go with me.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he says as he squeezes me tight.
Holy shit, he wants to be seen with me in public. Not just out and about or with our friends, but someplace where there are cameras. Our picture will be taken a million times, and by the end of the night everyone will know that he’s officially off the market, that he’s no longer Mr. Playboy.
He loves me. He truly loves me.
“Of course I’ll go with you.”
“Good. I was hoping you would say that.”
“That doesn’t explain why Liv is here, though.”
“Because you two are going to go have some girl time and get a dress. I gave her my card, so all you have to do is find one and come home.”
I want to object. Tell him I can afford one on my own, but I don’t. Not because it isn’t true, but because I know he knows I’m not a gold digger. I also know that he enjoys doing things like this for me. It makes him happy.
The fact that he knows that I would want to do this with my best friend only makes it better. It’s like he is part of me. He can read my mind and tell me what I want before I know what I want myself.
I’ve never felt this way.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Now get out of here, I’ll see you at home.”
I stare down at the rack of dresses, feeling overwhelmed.
What the hell do I wear to a gala?
Why didn’t I ask more questions?
Brantley’s lost his mind, I should just stay home. I’m going to end up embarrassing him.
“So you and Brantley, huh?” Liv says, pulling me out of my spiral.
“Yeah.”
She smiles softly as she flips through dresses. “I always thought you two would be good together.”
“Wait, really?”
“Oh, for sure. You two couldn’t keep your eyes off of each other, especially when the other wasn’t looking.”
“I love him,” I tell her softly.
Liv drops the dress and moves to my side. She pulls me into her arms. “I love that for you. You deserve to love and be loved.”
“I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop,” I admit.
Liv rolls her eyes. “The shoe isn’t going to drop. Brantley won’t let it.”
“Yeah, but I could fuck it all up. Embarrass him. I mean, he’s taking me to this big fucking event, and I am a chaotic klutz.”
Liv steps back and grabs my shoulders. “Are you going to cheat on him?”
“What? No, never!” I shout, getting the attention of one of the associates.
Does she really think that low of me? After all this time and everything we’ve been through?
“Then you have nothing to worry about. You can trip and make shit awkward as hell as many times as possible and you still wouldn’t embarrass him. Brantley loves you for you, and that’s what makes you two such a great couple. Don’t question that.”
“Logically I know you’re right, but…”
“It’s hard. I get it.” She nods knowingly.
She does. She knows what it’s like not to feel worthy and to find a guy who has it all. If she can find that sort of happiness with Mason, surely I can have it with Brantley, right? Right.
“He’s not going to leave me,” I say, feeling a little more confident.
“Exactly, and if he fucks up, we can always cut his body up into a bunch of tiny pieces and bury him beneath the floorboards,” she says helpfully.
“Uh, excuse me?”
We look over and see an immaculately dressed woman staring at us like we’ve lost our minds.
“Can we help you?” Liv asks.
“Are one of you Chloe Spears?” she asks hesitantly.
“I am.”
“My name is Trish, and I’m a personal stylist. Mr. Gibson called over and said you would need help finding a dress for the Foxes Hockey Gala.”
Liv and I look at each other and bust out laughing.
Of course he did. I’m not even the littlest bit surprised he called to have someone help us. Nor am I surprised she walked up right when Liv was talking about disposing of his body if he messes up.
“And here you thought I would be the one to stick my foot in my mouth,” I gasp between fits of laughter.
Liv is snorting, she is laughing so hard.
Once we’ve both calmed down, I turn to Trish. “Thank you, I would really appreciate your help if you have time.”
She smiles, “Of course. Now tell me, how do you feel about jewel tones? Because with your skin tone, they would look amazing.”
“Love them,” I tell her.
“Great, I have something in mind, if you don’t mind following me.”
“Lead the way.”
Liv steps up to me and weaves her arm through mine. Side by side, we follow Trish. I don’t know what I did to deserve someone as awesome as her to come into my life, but I’m grateful. Friends like Olivia Williamson are hard to find.
brANTLEY
I smile as I hang up my phone with the personal stylist. When I called Liv with my idea for her to go shopping with Chloe for the gala, she jumped on the idea.
She even told me the first place that she knew they needed to go.
While I’m sure they would have gotten the job done without assistance, I know how those two like to just hang out.
When the stylist asked me for specifics of the occasion, I had to stop myself from telling her to find her an outfit to get engaged in as well.
I’m pretty sure if I would have, Chloe would kill me.
Instead, I just told her to make sure that the dress was floor-length and that, from what I could tell, Chloe prefers jewel tones. Something she praised me for knowing.
My office door opens without warning.
“I thought I told you to stop walking in unannounced,” I say to Louis.
“Sorry,” he says unapologetically.
I watch as he makes himself comfortable in front of me.
“Is there something I can help you with?” I ask in an annoyed tone.
“Actually, yes. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
I drop the pen onto my desk and give him my full attention. “What’s up?”
“I know you’re seeing Clover, but I was thinking that you should take someone else to the gala,” he says, instantly pissing me off.
What the fuck?
“Her name is Chloe, and no. The only woman going with me is her,” I grit out.
Louis rolls his eyes as he crosses his ankle over his knee. “I get it, she’s hot and you want to keep her happy so you can keep getting laid, but I’m serious.”
“Louis,” I warn.
He continues on as if I didn’t speak. “There’s this woman named Alicia, her father owns a suit company, and it’s rumored that she is the next in line. All you have to do is wine and dine her, and hopefully she will sign to sponsor suits for the entire company and team.”
“Then you do it,” I tell him bluntly.
He shakes his head and frowns. “Excuse me?”
“If you think she’s so important, then you do it, but I won’t.”
“You’re being unreasonable, Brantley.”
“The only one being unreasonable here is you. You are blatantly disregarding my relationship with the woman I love, the woman I plan to marry, and I won’t stand for it.”
“She’s going to be your downfall. I’m only trying to do what’s best for you,” he sneers. “It’s what you hired me for, after all, yet you don’t seem to want to take my advice.”
“I think you and I have very different ideas of what’s best for me,” I tell him plainly.
“You need this sponsorship,” he presses.
“I don’t. Are sponsorships important and have value? Absolutely, but I will never go into a business deal that compromises my morals. I have billions in the bank. Billions, with a B. I’ll be fine if one company doesn’t jump on board.”
“Look, I’m glad you’re happy with Chloe. I am, truly, but she doesn’t know how the game is played. She doesn’t know how to work the room like Alicia would. She grew up in the same types of circles as you. She knows what to do.”
“Then date her yourself!” I snap. “If I wanted someone like that, I would have settled down a long time ago. Do you not think that women like that haven’t been throwing themselves at me for years?
News flash, they have, and let me tell you something, Louis, they don’t hold a candle to my girl.
Is Chloe a little chaotic? Sure, but she makes me fucking happy.
I love her with every fiber of my being, and I will do nothing, and I mean nothing, to jeopardize that.
If you can’t understand that, then I think it’s about time we go our separate ways. ”
His hands fist on the arms of the chair. “Are you serious? You’re going to risk everything for her?”
“With no hesitation. You can either get on board or leave,” I say, pointing toward the door.
We both know I mean leaving more than my office. I’m done. This isn’t something I will ever budge on. Chloe is mine, and he better get on board, or that’s it.
He huffs. “You’re making a mistake. I hope you realize it before it’s too late.”
“And what would too late be?”
“When you marry her without a prenup, she gets pregnant right away and then leaves your ass high and dry, and you have to pay a hundred thousand in child support every month for the next eighteen years.” He jumps up and storms out.
I can’t help but laugh. Did that seriously just fucking happen?
What the fuck is his problem? I’ve known him for a couple of years and never had a problem until now. Is he a woman hater?
Honestly, his little story about Chloe is laughable at best. She’s a lot of things, but she isn’t stupid.
I can almost guarantee that she would demand to sign a prenup before we get married.
As for the child support thing, so what?
I can afford it. Why wouldn’t I want to give her as much as possible to make sure our child has the same type of lifestyle at both homes?
That doesn’t matter though, because I know without a shadow of a doubt that it will never happen. When Chloe and I take that step, there will be no going back. She’s the mother of my future kids, if we decide to have one or two, and if we are so lucky, then we will be doing it together, not apart.
Grabbing my mouse, I wake my computer back up.
Quickly I pull up the job listings for business advisers and start reading through the bios attached.
Is it a little premature? Sure. Do I need to talk to my lawyer to see what I have to do to get rid of Louis?
One hundred percent, but if there is one thing I like to be, it’s prepared.
I refuse to let someone stay on my staff who dismisses my future wife. I won’t have it.