Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
New York City
That night
“Matthew! Welcome, come in. We were worried you might not make it,” said Bryce as he opened the door of his elegant Manhattan apartment later that evening. Matthew pressed a bottle of wine and a box of expensive handmade chocolates into his brother’s hands. “What and miss an evening with my brothers and their ladies? Not a chance.”
As he stepped over the threshold, his gaze took in the apartment. A smile crept to his lips. The unmistakable signs of a feminine touch were everywhere. A vase of fresh flowers sat on the hallstand. The rich, savory scent of roasted vegetables drifted out from the kitchen.
And I know Bryce would never have chosen those little picture frames on the wall all by himself.
Vivian was everywhere. And if the grin on his brother’s face was anything to go by, she was still deep in his heart.
Love looks good on Bryce. I’m happy for him .
He followed Bryce into the main living room, where Jordan rose from a couch and greeted him with a sheepish, “Hey. I hope there are no hard feelings over this afternoon. I wasn’t trying to be an ass.”
Matthew patted him on the arm. “All good. If I can’t take some constructive criticism now, I’m going to get smashed in that town council meeting. The people who’ll look to oppose the design won’t care how I feel about it.”
Jordan had had his issues in his younger years, but so had he, including being a self-righteous prick who struggled with accepting other people’s opinions.
Any further possible discussions about the Green Tree Resort were quickly silenced as a nearby door opened and two laughing women emerged. Business was not meant to be discussed at family gatherings.
“Matthew!”
He forced a polite smile to his face as his future sisters-in-law offered him their effusive greetings.
Bryce’s fiancée, Vivian, handed him a glass of red wine, then placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “It’s lovely to see you. Sorry I missed you at the office.”
The fair-haired Vivian, whose previous career had been as a resort reviewer, worked in the customer relationships team. It was her job to make sure that the Royal Resorts experience was an unforgettable one for all its USA guests. True to form, Vivian was always the perfect hostess.
She was also from New York and Matthew could secretly admit to finding himself being comfortable around her. Vivian knew the city. His city. NYC was in her blood.
His other future sister-in-law was a different proposition. In typical Jordan fashion his brother hadn’t just wooed any woman, no, he’d won the heart of the biggest popstar on the planet. Chloe Fisher. Chloe of the hordes of fans. Chloe, who regularly sold out huge stadiums all over the world whenever she toured. Chloe who’d had an untold number of chart-topping hits.
That Chloe Fisher.
He was relieved that in private, the dark-haired Chloe was relaxed and down to earth. He’d been delighted to discover she was an expert at building complex Lego models, and according to Jordan, her secret online profile was somewhere near the top in the global rankings on Grand Theft Auto . The fact that she made his brother stupidly, deliriously happy, was an added bonus to the magic that was Chloe.
But she was still Chloe Fisher. She couldn’t leave the building without security, and her face was constantly on the cover of every magazine and internet news service in the country. Nights like these, private dinners with the Royal family were one of the few times where Jordan and Chloe could relax and just be themselves.
He didn’t know how Jordan handled the never-ending pressure of being with someone who was always in the limelight. Even in the privacy of Bryce and Vivian’s luxury sky home, Matthew wasn’t completely comfortable around her.
I wonder if I am ever going to get used to being in the same room as Chloe?
A bouncy Chloe placed a kiss on Matthew’s other cheek, and his glasses shifted on his face. “Lovely to see you again, Matthew. How was Aspen? I’ve never been but I hear it’s amazing,” said Chloe, setting his glasses back to right.
Jordan approached and slipped an arm around his future wife’s waist. “Put it on the list, babe.”
When Matthew raised an eyebrow at the remark, Chloe laughed. “Jordan is putting together a list of all the things I haven’t done in my life. Travelling just for fun and going to places as a tourist is near the top of it.”
From what had come out in the press over the past couple of years, it was clear Chloe’s life as a popstar hadn’t been all glamor and fun. Her original management team had controlled her every move to the point where she had been gaslit into letting them take a considerable amount of her money. But with Jordan by her side she was now striking out on her own terms. Experiencing the freedom to be herself.
Being surrounded by these happy loved up couples was great, but it also served to remind him that he was still very much single. His recent morning coffee catch ups with Rachel was the closest he’d been to a woman not of his family or a work acquaintance in what had to be almost forever.
Rachel was the first woman he’d met who had just been normal around him. Their playful banter, and breakfast catch ups always made his day. He hadn’t planned that kiss, but like she’d said in her text, it was perfect. Yes, it was, and he was glad she’d enjoyed it, because he’d already decided he was going to kiss her again.
But she thinks I’m Matthew the accountant.
When Bryce and Vivian had first met, the older Royal brother had kept his true identity a secret, and that had set their romance off to a rocky start. Matthew had no intention of doing the same with Rachel. Their connection was too important. Too rare to risk.
The very first chance I’m able to tell her who I am, I’m doing it.
Vivian gently clasped her hands together and announced, “If everyone would like to come into the dining room and take a seat, Chloe and I shall serve the first course.”
Matthew and the other men exchanged excited grins. It wasn’t often that the three brothers got together, and having the two future Royal wives cook for them was a special treat.
It’s good to be home and sharing this evening with family.
The dining area of Bryce and Vivian’s elegant apartment, situated on the forty-sixth floor of the Manhattan building, was nothing short of breathtaking. His brother had dropped a lazy twenty-five million on the pad, and from what he could see it had been money well spent. The view out the floor-to-ceiling windows was stunning. It was almost the same view that Matthew had from his apartment on the forty-third floor, but his place lacked the same ambience. The same warmth.
I wonder what Rachel will say when she discovers I could afford to buy a twenty million dollar house in Aspen.
At the end of the hand-crafted timber table, Chloe was busily directing traffic. Telling people where they were to sit. For some reason, the girls had decided that couples were not allowed to sit together. That rule went out the window the moment Vivian and Chloe headed back into the kitchen to get the food. Bryce and Jordan quickly swapped seats, leaving Matthew with Jordan on his left and an empty seat to his right. His gaze flittered over the empty chair, and then away.
When the women returned, their commands for their men to swap back to their assigned seats were met with a firm no. The Royal males held their ground.
“If I can’t run my hand casually up your skirt during the evening, I’m not staying at the table,” noted Bryce.
“What have I said about being sleezy when we have guests?”
“Don’t get caught,” said Bryce giving his fiancée a wicked wink.
A red face Vivian glowered at him, but when he rose and whispered something softly in her ear, she immediately turned timid. Matthew reached for his cell. If his brothers and their future brides were going to flirt like this all evening, he would get Mia on standby to place an emergency work call to rescue him. He’d opened his phone and was about to send a brief message to his assistant manager when his cell was snatched out of his hands. “Thank you. I shall take that.”
Chloe marched across the room and placed Matthew’s cell on a sideboard next to some other phones. Words of protest died on his lips as he noticed that no one else at the table had their cells either. Tonight had been declared a night for socializing, for family talk.
And it was something he privately craved.
Vivian placed a plate in front of him. “Tonight’s entrée is smoked salmon risotto. Bon appetite everyone!”
Matthew reached for his knife and fork, then stopped to join with Bryce and Jordan as they applauded the first course. The risotto looked amazing, and it was obvious the girls had gone to a lot of trouble to make every plate look cookbook worthy.
“If I had my phone, I would take a photo and post it on Instagram.”
Chloe pointed a finger at him. “Which is why we don’t want anyone taking pictures tonight, Matthew. My fans don’t just stalk my profile, they will be checking yours as well.”
It hadn’t ever occurred to him that Chloe’s Garden might take any sort of interest in his social media. Then again, he’d heard that some of her fans were keen to the point of being ruthless. “Maybe I should make my social media accounts private,” he suggested.
Chloe’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my god! You mean to tell me they aren’t already? Jeez, Matty, you need to lock your life down.” He might have thought she was joking but there was genuine concern in her voice. “I tell you what, I can get my publicity people to do an audit of your social media footprint tomorrow and tell you how it looks.”
“I doubt if I have much of a footprint.”
Next to him, Jordan’s brows formed a deep furrow. “Believe me, bro, you have a footprint. I would do as Chloe asks and get her people to check it. Especially in the lead up to the wedding.” He winked at his fiancée. “Whenever and wherever that is.”
Matthew nodded. Of course they were worried about social media leaks. It wasn’t common knowledge outside of the immediate Royal family that Jordan and Chloe planned to marry soon.
I would hate to be the cause of any of their private images getting out and into the public sphere.
“I’ll send you over my social media details in the morning.”
“No need to worry about that, Matthew. My people will find you, along with any clone accounts or people pretending to be you. I’ll have money on there being a few fake Matthew Royal accounts already following me, and then fans following them thinking that they are you.”
Wheels within wheels. He’d never been big on social media. His Instagram had a couple of followers, his Facebook profile was mainly used so he could be a member of some design groups, and TikTok was where he secretly went for book recommendations.
“Okay, but I don’t want any feedback on the books I like on Book Tok. No one gets to yuk my yum.”
Bryce gave him a look that said his brother would be googling what on earth yuk my yum meant the second his guests were all gone.
Jordan rested his chin in his hands and batted his eyelids at Matthew. “You can like whatever you like, Chloe has recently got me into dragon-shifter romance. And it’s hot. But tell me, Matthew dearest, are you still re-reading Twilight for the tenth time? Ouch.”
Chloe’s slap on Jordan’s hand was more theatrical than anything, but he still played the wounded hero. So much so, that his fiancée was forced to kiss his fingers better. One by one. Laughter rippled around the table at the playful exchange. Then Chloe let out a gasp. “Do you know what we need to do? We need to get Matthew a girlfriend. ”
“No, we don’t. Let him find his own,” grumbled Bryce from over the other side of the table.
Thanks Bryce. I don’t need a world-famous matchmaker.
Chloe waved him away and turned back to Matthew. “I can have a short list of models and actresses on your desk in the morning, but first I need to ask you some important questions. Do you consider it a matter of life or death to make a good entrance at the Met Gala? Are you willing to be in LA and keep the entire month leading up to and including the Oscars free of all commitments? What characteristic do you find the most attractive in a woman?”
Matthew picked up his glass of wine and considered her questions. “Well, I haven’t given either the Met Gala or the Oscars more than a second of my time over the past million years, so my answers to your questions are as follows, I don’t and no. And as for your last question. I like smart women. So if you happen to know of any women who might have a working knowledge of the ins and outs of architectural design or AutoCAD, feel free to give them my number.”
Vivian mumbled something about him not taking Chloe’s offer seriously, but when the conversation moved on to the subject of real estate, Matthew deemed he’d made his point clear. He didn’t need anyone playing cupid.
I am a grown man. If and when the time comes for me to look for love, it won’t be in the pages of some glossy magazine. Or on the red carpet at an awards show.
The Royal family was about to get its first mega star, they didn’t need another.
“Have you two settled on a house yet?” he asked. It was time to put someone else under the spotlight for the evening. He was done with being poked and prodded for everyone else’s amusement and interest.
Jordan and Chloe smiled at one another. Jordan brushed his hand over his fiancée’s cheek. “Yesterday morning, Chloe and I made an offer on an estate forty-five minutes out of NYC. We are waiting on the realtor to come back to us tonight. Hopefully the answer will be …”
“Yes,” whispered Chloe, her eyes brimming with tears. “A home. A real home for us.”
“We will of course be keeping my apartment in this building, and Chloe is going to keep her house in LA. It makes sense for us to have a base in the city as well as one on the West Coast.”
His brother and future sister-in-law were busy making plans.
“So you are going to be based permanently on the East Coast, Chloe?”
“Absolutely. There will be none of that long distance relationship crap in our marriage. I want to wake up next to my man every morning.”
He could have sworn Jordan blushed at that last remark. But Matthew was too busy fighting back the tears to say anything. Jordan had been through a lot. Drug addiction, rehab, and a mental breakdown. Chloe was the best thing that had ever happened to his brother.
Over on the sideboard, a cell phone buzzed. At the sound, Chloe leapt from her chair. She scurried over and picked up her phone. Jordan rose and followed her. He stood next to her as she answered the call.
The loud squeal of delight that escaped the popstar’s lips was enough to inform the greater New York tri-state area that their offer on the house had been accepted. A beaming Jordan hugged his fiancée. Bryce and Vivian rose from their seats and cheered. A slightly bemused Matthew did the same.
He took another sip of his wine. He was thrilled to see both his brothers finding happiness and settling down. But tonight, witnessing their joy brought home the fact that his own life was empty. Until now, he hadn’t realized just how empty his existence was, or how lonely.
The thought of Rachel and kissing her soft lips yesterday morning slipped into his mind. He could imagine being with someone like her. Easy going, with a warmth about her that spoke of long nights in front of a fire toasting marshmallows.
There would be more of those soft kisses, coupled with gentle words of love. And when she eventually lay naked beneath him, he would make love to her body and soul. They would be joined as one, and everything in his world would make perfect sense.
Where on earth did that come from?