Chapter 11
Channing
“Are you still mad about the plants?” Win’s voice taunted me.
I’d refused to say a word to him after he sprung the unwelcome task of being his plus-one for the evening on me. I had no desire to rub elbows with the rich and famous. The idea of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to attend a charity event, instead of just donating directly to a worthy cause, was wasteful and grandiose. I didn’t consider it a good time to dress up to see and be seen for nothing more than a tax write-off.
Sitting stiffly in the back of a limousine, I kept my face turned to look out the darkened window, remaining silent as the luxury car carefully navigated through the tangled city traffic.
“Among other things.” I was still angry about my dead plants, but there were plenty of other incidents recently that added to the list of why I was pissed off.
First and foremost, I was annoyed that he sprung this event on me at the last minute.
It was absurd that he thought I was a woman who would wear an outrageously expensive designer gown and accompany him without warning. If living in the city had taught me anything, it was that I was far from a sample size. Couture designers did not create their designs for women with average height and figures. When I refused to allow him to have something custom made in a rush, it spawned another argument over our different life experiences and status. He didn’t understand why I wouldn’t want an expensive dress tailored to fit me perfectly. I didn’t understand how he couldn’t see that a dress like that, which could only be worn once and then disappeared into the back of a closet, was wasteful and unnecessary.
I told Win if he required me to go with him to an event I had no interest in, he had to let me wear whatever I wanted. It took him a little while to agree. And he only did so after I promised not to show up in my pajamas. I owned nothing that would fit in with the other women attending the gala, but I could find something that wouldn’t embarrass Win too badly.
Other things on the growing list of things getting under my skin were the escalating occurrences of unexplained weirdness within Halliday Manor. I was convinced that Colette had her staff slipping in and out of Win’s wing to mess with me.
My cell phone charger went missing, as did other insignificant things I left lying around. My favorite t-shirt was gone. I couldn’t find a pair of earrings I wore regularly. A pair of sneakers I left by the door disappeared. A photo album from my childhood that I brought every time I moved vanished. I left a bottle of wine on the kitchen counter one night, and the next morning it was empty. Typically, I would’ve blamed Win, but he was away for work when it happened. The worst was when my hairbrush disappeared while I was in the shower when I knew I left it on the counter. I hadn’t heard anyone walk into the bathroom or felt my internal warning system ring at all. It was unnerving to know that while I was naked and vulnerable, someone was close by without alerting me. And the whistling and humming from the walls never stopped. Some days, the sound was louder and clearer than others. But it was always there. I felt like I was being watched and I was never actually alone. I felt more unsafe living in the million-dollar estate than I ever had living in a shitty apartment in the city.
No wonder Winnie was convinced the house was haunted.
The whole inexplicable situation heightened the tension between me and Win. I wanted to put nanny cams all over the apartment to catch whomever was messing with me. Win had an entire security team at his disposal. It enraged me that he wasn’t taking the circumstances more seriously.
He kept insisting his mother wasn’t behind the abnormalities. He assured me that he’d spoken with her and the staff on the estate. He told them that if anyone attempted to mess with me, he would promptly fire them. Colette was indifferent, but the people who kept the home running were acutely aware of who paid the bills. Win seemed to take offense to the fact I constantly questioned his control when he wasn’t at home.
I included Win’s endless interference with my new job on the list of things that routinely made me angry.
Once I made an alliance with his half-brother, things between the two of us wouldn’t be as easy. Playing house with him for a couple of weeks was fine and dandy while I found my bearings. However, I wasn’t about to let Win forget that I was sleeping under his roof unwillingly. As uncomfortable as he was with Alistair being in my life, it paled in comparison to my unease under the vengeful eye of his mother. It made sense that if I had to suffer, so did he.
It was fortunate that Alistair DeVere was so much easier to deal with than the Hallidays. He was significantly younger than Win and far less uptight. He’d grown up in a fairly average, middle-class household. He had two loving parents and three younger sisters who treated him like he was a superhero. It wasn’t until Win’s father passed away, leaving Alistair a huge chunk of money and access to a portion of Halliday Inc., that the secret of his mother’s affair with the affluent man was revealed. The news caused a lot of friction in his parents’ marriage. The father who raised him wanted him to turn down the inheritance and stay clear of anything to do with the Hallidays. His mother felt like Alistair was owed everything bequeathed to him since his father had never offered a cent of support over his lifetime. Alistair told me he was torn between the two, especially since his parents separated after the news came to light. Unfortunately, his youngest sister became very ill not long after his birthright became front page news. The only way the family could pay for her round-the-clock medical care and pricey treatments was for Alistair to accept his portion of the inheritance.
True to form, Colette kept the kid tied up in litigation for years after the death of her husband. She didn’t want him to see a penny of the Halliday fortune.
His sister almost died while Colette tried to use the law as a weapon. Alistair was barely an adult at the time and in way over his head.
The scorned widow didn’t want to give him anything. But Win still had a tiny sliver of his heart left. He offered to pay the medical bills for the ill sister if Alistair agreed to relinquish his shares in the company. He could fight Colette for the money, but Win knew his mother like the back of his hand. As soon as the claim to Halliday Inc. was off the table, Colette would back off. It sounded messy. It was no wonder my new boss hated the Hallidays as much as I did.
Now, Alistair was running his own interior design business and doing well for himself. He didn’t hesitate to hire me when I finally landed a meeting with him. I wasn’t sure if he actually needed a part-time personal assistant or if he just wanted me on the payroll to irk the Hallidays. Either way, I liked his attitude and enjoyed getting away from the Cove every few days. I was starting to view him as a mischievous younger brother the more time we spent together. It was a perfect set up, aside from Win hounding me endlessly about every aspect of my job and relationship with his half-brother.
Win sighed as the limo pulled in front of one of the most luxurious hotels in the city. There were paparazzi behind barricades on either side of the road. Uniformed police officers patrolled the area with cautious eyes. It looked more like an award show than a charity event.
The driver moved to open the door. Win caught my hand as I tried to exit the car. Our eyes met, and he gave me a look that conveyed his complicated feelings. “I know you’re mad for a lot of reasons, but I’m asking you to help me put forward a united front for the evening. We’re supposed to be a team, Channing.”
“I think we’re each playing a different game, Chester.” I slipped out of the car and stood next to the sidewalk, blinking against the bright lights from the flashing cameras. Win unfolded his tall frame to stand next to me. I heard someone shout his name and felt him stiffen. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and noticed that he appeared to be very uncomfortable with the attention focused directly on him. He was a real estate developer after all, not a celebrity.
He put his palm low on my back and guided me toward the entrance while offering a slight wave and smile to the waiting press. He refused to answer the questions that were lobbed at him, including the identity of his date. The back of my plain black dress was low enough that the heat from his hand touched bare skin. When I shivered, I blamed it on the chilly evening air, not my unwitting response to Win.
I tried to tune out the voices asking who I was and what my connection to the Hallidays might be. All it would take is one Google search to figure out my sister was once married to Archie Halliday and that the family blamed her for his death. It was enough to make society gossips froth at the mouth. I was acutely aware of what it was like to be weighed against the name Halliday and be found lacking. I would never have put myself in that situation again if Win hadn’t forced me.
We made it through the press gauntlet and stepped inside the elegant hotel. The place was filled from top to bottom with wealthy people who could donate millions of dollars to whatever cause was on the agenda. Everyone wore quietly luxurious designer clothes. Their jewels looked like they should be in a museum, and the conversations could make or break the stock market. This was as close to a modern-day royal gathering as one could get.
I had no business being here.
I felt like everyone was watching me walk next to Win and cataloging my faults. I heard someone ask in a comically loud whisper, “Who is she?” Which set off a ripple of unfavorable speculation throughout the crowd.
Win must’ve sensed my apprehension because his hand slid along my spine like he was trying to soothe a spooked horse.
“We aren’t staying long. Just hang in there until dinner starts. We can slip away after I give my obligatory speech.” The only reason Win agreed to appear tonight was that Halliday Inc. was the major sponsor of this event. His mother was the host, but Win’s name was on the invitation. People came to a gala like this hoping to exchange a few words with him. This event was more about making connections and making deals than about helping a cause.
Win shook a hundred hands and introduced me to a parade of well-dressed people as he tried to maneuver to the ballroom. I kept a blank expression on my face and returned the same level of interest back to the people who couldn’t care less about who I was. There was a voice in the back of my head telling me to make sure Winnie knew how to have fun in a group like this, because I couldn’t recall a gathering ever being less enjoyable. And I’d been divorced twice and forced into an unwanted marriage.
Once we were inside the lavish ballroom, Win offered to get me something to drink. He waved down one of the white-gloved servers and asked what I wanted. Before I could respond, an overweight gentleman who acted like he deserved Win’s undivided attention pulled him into a conversation that had no place for me. I wasn’t sure I could pick out Dubai on a map, let alone know about the difficulties of their real estate market. I could tell Win wasn’t happy about being trapped in the discussion. However, while the enthusiastic gentleman occupied him, I slipped away from Win’s side and found a bar on my own.
It was fairly easy to slip through the crowd once I ditched Win. No one was searching for me to talk business, and I didn’t look like someone whom the hosts would hold in high regard. Win’s face — and his wealth — were too eye-catching. Our marriage wasn’t necessarily a dirty secret, but it wasn’t something either of us advertised. It was almost as if we never uttered a word about it, we wouldn’t have to face what we’d done. Who signed up for a contract marriage in this day and age? While the curious might wonder why he brought someone with him to this gala when he usually came alone or accompanied his mother, not a soul directly inquired how I was affiliated with Win. It weirdly felt like they didn’t ask because they were afraid to hear the answer. Win was a notorious bachelor. It was common knowledge that he never brought a date anywhere publicly. He avoided being tied to anyone to prevent rumors. I was an anomaly in this world in more ways than one.
Once I reached the bar, I ordered a shot of whiskey, stole a toothpick loaded with olives because I doubted whatever was on the menu was something I could stomach, and searched for a vacant corner to wait out the drudgery of the evening.
There was a beautiful piano on a stage at the front of the room. A stunning young woman was singing a song in a foreign language. I didn’t know much about opera, but whatever she was performing for the affluent crowd sounded magical and sophisticated. I was a bit entranced as I continued to watch her while I sipped the whiskey that tasted smoother and went down easier than any alcohol should.
“Your outfit is interesting. Is it vintage?”
Breaking free from the reverie of the music, I looked at the young woman standing in front of me who’d asked the snarky question. She was probably a decade younger than me, close to Alistair’s age. She was taller and thinner than I was. Her makeup was flawless, and so was the diamond and pearl choker on her neck. She had dark hair that looked like she could shoot shampoo commercials, and her sharp features made her almost aggressively attractive. She looked like a modern-day Audrey Hepburn, but she lacked the grace that made her so memorable.
I looked down at my plain silk dress. It was the most expensive item I owned, but I bet it didn’t cost as much as anything the other woman was wearing, including the bejeweled hair pin holding her hair in a French twist. I bought the dress after Roan and I got divorced. I attempted to use retail therapy to make myself feel better when my heart was hurting. All I was left with was regret and a dress I couldn’t afford. I didn’t need a fancy little black dress; I needed to pay rent and keep the lights on. I was angry at myself for being reckless with my money and angrier when I tried to return the garment and was told it was on sale, so there would be no exchanges or credit.
“Sure. Since I’ve had this for over six years, I guess you could call it vintage.” I bit back a laugh when I saw the young woman’s expression sour at my disinterested tone.
“Who’s the designer? I don’t recognize it. I work in fashion, so I’m familiar with most houses’ collections. Even from as far back as five or six years ago.”
I lifted my shoulder and let it fall carelessly. “There is no designer. I’m sure it was assembled in a factory somewhere. I bought it off the rack at a department store. I’m sure hundreds were sold around the same time. It was a very popular style back when I purchased it.”
The woman’s retort seemed to be stuck in her throat as she blinked at me. After she coughed to clear the way, she looked me over and frowned. “Why would Win Halliday let you out of the house dressed in a department store dress if you’re his plus one? Is he attempting to humiliate you? Is he trying to make a point about sustainable fashion? I don’t understand.”
The first question was supposed to be a dig at my expense, but she sounded genuinely baffled. I chuckled and took another sip of my drink. “Maybe I’m trying to embarrass him.”
The brunette opened her mouth, then snapped it closed again like she couldn’t figure out what to say. I silently laughed as I turned to walk away from her. A flawlessly manicured hand latched onto my arm. Her fingernails dug into my skin and made me wince.
“You do know that Colette Halliday wants Win to get married, right? She plans to handpick her daughter-in-law. I don’t know who you are to Win, or why he brought you here tonight. But I know that you don’t belong with him. His mother will never allow it. You should set your sights a little lower. I’m sure there are plenty of men who don’t mind being with a woman who wears off-the-rack clothes to a black-tie event.” Her tone indicated there were exactly zero men in this circle who wouldn’t care about being seen with someone as basic as I was. She seemed particularly offended by my presence, which made her a perfect fit for what Colette wanted for Win.
I tried to walk away from both the woman and the pointless conversation, but a cultured voice interrupted the showdown and stopped me.
“Whether it’s a designer dress or not, all men care about is how easy it is to get off. And how it looks on the bedroom floor. If he cares more about a label on the garment than the woman wearing it, he’s not worth an ounce of her time.” I hadn’t noticed the opera singer had finished her set and was taking a breather when she stumbled onto this ridiculous conversation. Her eyes were bright and sharp. She looked as disgusted by the brunette’s entitlement and outdated sentiments as I felt.
If I were somewhere else, I would’ve offered the short-haired woman a high five. Instead, I could only smile at her and nod in agreement at her blunt statement.
The brunette took off in a huff after the singer firmly shut down her classism. I offered to get the singer a drink, but she turned down the offer since she wasn’t done performing for the evening. I thought she might mingle with the rest of the crowd, but she seemed content to hide in the unobtrusive corner. I introduced myself and learned her name was Beverly Taylor, and that she was a graduate student at Juilliard. She was studying to be a professional opera singer at one of the major opera houses abroad. Her level of education and sophistication was evident in every word she spoke.
“You have a beautiful voice. You’re very talented.” She really was a startlingly impressive young woman. When I was her age, my life was an absolute mess. I couldn’t imagine having such a clear career plan with a singular goal the way she did. I thought she was very impressive and less irritating than the other wealthy guests milling about. Beverly was beautiful. Her spirit shined through her big eyes, and her compassion and warmth were clear in the way she came to the rescue and stuck by my side as the vultures circled. She was noticeably fit and took care of herself. Everything about her screamed youthfulness and self-discipline. She reminded me a lot of Salome. I immediately categorized her into the “good person” box in my mind. I thought the singer was the most interesting person in the room and was glad she didn’t seem to mind lying low in the corner with me while I waited to make my escape.
It was one of those encounters where I felt like I made an instant friend, which I never imagined happening in Win’s world.
We chatted happily for several minutes. I mentioned that my niece was interested in a bunch of different things and asked if she had recommendations for voice lessons near the Cove. I figured Winnie would try singing, eventually. It was a pleasant surprise when Beverly informed me that her family had moved to the Cove from Texas after she’d gained admission to Juilliard. She mentioned that she often went home to visit on the weekends. We exchanged numbers, and she told me she would be happy to help Winnie out if her interests turned to singing and performing.
A familiar, haughty voice interrupted our conversation.
“Beverly. I can’t thank you enough for taking time away from your schedule to perform for us tonight. I’ve been looking for you. I want to introduce you to my son. I promised your mother I would make this event worthy of the time you had to take away from school. I apologize for not being able to set up a private meeting sooner. Win is incredibly busy, as I’m sure you know.”
Colette appeared like a specter. Her snow-white hair was wrapped into a flawless twist, and she wore a glittery gold ensemble that sparkled from head to toe. She was doing a damn fine job of passing herself off as a false god. She didn’t bother to look in my direction. She treated me like I was invisible, which was fine by me. It saved me from forcing my expression away from the automatic scowl that took over my features the second I saw her.
My new friend didn’t seem to appreciate Colette’s cold shoulder on my behalf. “I’m very busy, as well. I told my mother I was happy to help because this event is for charity. I had no other motive.” She leaned closer to me and whispered, “I’m only twenty-three. Who wants to date, let alone marry, an old, stuffy man like Win Halliday?”
I nearly choked on the sip of whiskey I’d just slugged back to avoid saying anything biting to Colette. The age difference between Win and the singer was enough to raise a few eyebrows, but the age gap was undeniably common in these circles. Rich men liked to have a young, beautiful woman on their arm. Of course, Beverly was a better match for Win in Colette’s eyes. Any woman here would be.
The older woman wanted to drag the singer away, but a new rumble worked through the crowd that had nothing to do with the questions and contempt from my arrival with Win.
“Isn’t that the Halliday bastard?”
“Who invited him?”
“He looks so much like Win.”
“Does Colette know he’s here?”
“Did the Hallidays decide to recognize him as a rightful heir?”
“He’s so handsome.”
“The press should follow him around since Win doesn’t ever speak to them. I bet he has so much dirt to spill on the Hallidays.”
I cocked my head to the side as I caught a slight glimpse of a tall, dark-haired man moving through the crowd like he owned the place. Alistair had a totally different vibe than Win. His was no less intimidating, but it didn’t feel so oppressive. Win would hate it, but Alistair viewed him as a role model. I didn’t tell the younger man that Win was secretly envious of his normal childhood with a loving family. In my heart, I guessed that Win would trade all the money he made for Halliday Inc. for a fraction of the love Alistair experienced.
Colette gritted her teeth and maneuvered in the intruder’s direction. A dignified matriarch would never bulldoze through a crowd. Even if she obviously wanted to. I caught Alistair’s eye and gave him a slight finger wave in greeting. I liked his fearlessness. Then, Win appeared out of nowhere, grabbed my hand with his much bigger one, and forcefully pulled me out of the nearest exit.
“Hey, Chester. Let go of me. That hurts.” I tugged on my hand and tried to break free as Win shoved me into the nearest bathroom and moved a ‘Closed for Repairs’ sign from a stall to the entrance. He shut the door and prowled toward me. I rubbed my wrist and watched with a guarded gaze.
Win whipped back around and stalked toward me like a predator. I backed into the sink and lifted my hands to his chest when he pinned me against the edge of the marble countertop. A stray puddle of water seeped into the fabric of my dress, but that wasn’t what made me shiver.
The look in Win’s storm-colored eyes pricked my skin and made all my senses go on high alert. It was unnerving to be on the receiving end of such intensity.
“Did you ask Alistair to meet you here?” His tone was icy.
I scoffed. “No. First of all, if you recall, I didn’t know about this event until you sprung it on me last minute. Second, why would I want to subject anyone else to such a boring and purposeless evening? Alistair never mentioned that he was attending, and I didn’t see it on his schedule. Even if I did, he’s got just as much right to be here as the next rich son of a bitch. You should be thrilled to have another big fat bank account in attendance if this charade is really about helping people.”
“I don’t like him, Harvey.” He practically growled the words next to my ear.
“I know you don’t. But I do like him. He’s not scared of your mother, and I need an ally like him if I’m going to make it through the next two years. I can’t rely on you to have my back when it comes to her.” The way he decided to ignore the strange happenings in the manor was proof that his allegiance was questionable.
Win blinked, and I noticed his eyelashes were unfairly long and thick. His eyebrows dipped and his voice deepened.
“Let me be clear, Channing. I. Don’t. Like. Him.”
I inhaled sharply and tried to push him away so I could breathe. His broad chest was unyielding, and his big body put off an immense amount of heat.
“And I don’t like being dragged to this event and treated like an animal in the zoo. I never wanted any part of your life, Chester. You forced this on me, in case you forgot.”
His eyes narrowed, and he seemed to freeze. “Not even me?”
I was confused and tilted my head to the side. “Not even you, what?”
“You don’t want any part of my life, including me?”
“I…” I felt bewildered by the question because I was blindsided by the hint of longing in his voice. And then an all-consuming kiss suddenly slammed down onto my lips.
It was the first kiss we shared that didn’t involve putting on a show.
It was the first kiss that didn’t feel poisonous.
It was the first kiss that made me question whether I wanted him kissing me.
This kiss made me wonder if I was losing my damn mind.