Chapter 17
17
LAYLA
“Well, that was weird,” I say out loud as I set my phone down. I rest my elbows on my desk as I stare at it, trying to figure out Cole’s angle.
“What was weird?” Tori asks as she walks in and takes a seat across from me.
I glance up at her and then back down at my phone. Her eyes drop to my phone and then back up to meet mine when I look up again.
“What’s going on?” she chuckles. “You’re acting weird.”
“Am I?” Her laughter is infectious, so I find myself giggling with her.
“Little bit.” She holds up her fingers to show me how much. “Does it have something to do with the package you received yesterday?”
My giggle turns into a groan as I feel my cheeks heat. “Devon has a big mouth. How much did he tell you?”
“Just that you got a package from a very exclusive lingerie store. Maddie had far more interesting things to say.” She cocks an eyebrow and settles more comfortably into her chair. She isn’t going anywhere until she gets all the details from me herself.
I smirk. “Should I give Avery a call, so I don’t have to go through this a third time?”
She shrugs. “Might not be a bad idea. She claims she is living vicariously through us since the babies came along. She’s going to be pissed if she finds out she’s the last to know that there is something going on between you and the dickhead who has a pussy posse following him around.”
“Oh my God, I never said they were following him around,” I blurt out.
She taps a perfectly manicured nail against her lips. “Hmm…maybe, but I definitely remember you saying something about how you’d rather have your toenails and fingernails pulled out by hot tongs, fried in a deep-fryer, and fed to you than have sex with that same dickhead.” She’s full-on laughing now. “I also recall you saying you wouldn’t touch his dick with a ten-foot pole.”
Tori glances at my hands and then around the room in wonder. “Babe, I just gotta say, your nails have never looked better, and I don’t see a ten-foot pole anywhere in sight.”
I can’t help it, I’m full-on belly-laughing with her. I can’t believe I actually said those things about Cole. I blow on my perfectly polished nails and buff them against my blouse and try to look serious as I answer.
“I said I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole, and technically I didn’t.”
Tori’s eyes widen in shock. An unladylike snort escapes her lips as she doubles over and laughs even harder. I join her, and holy hell, does it feel good to laugh like this. There has been so much pressure on me this past year, I can’t remember the last time I felt this light—this happy. The thought hits me like a ton of bricks. I’m happy—I’m laughing and I’m actually happy. Anger has always been my most forward emotion, but I haven’t felt angry in a while now. When did this happen?
Knock. Knock. Knock.
We both straighten up and try to pull ourselves together as I say, “Come in.”
The door opens and Avery is standing on the other side with a serious look on her face.
“What the hell is going on in here? I was walking a client out and I could hear you two cackling all the way into the reception area.” She looks back and forth between us.
I wave her in. “Do you have a minute or thirty? Join us, this might take a while.”
She nods as she walks in and shuts the door.
“I was just about to call you anyway. Since you’re already here, you’ve saved me the trouble.”
“You may want to sit down for this,” Tori adds. “Oh, and if you need to pee, you better do that first.”
“What the hell is going on?” Avery snickers as she hastily sits down.
“Layla’s banging the pussy-posse dickhead that she claims she hates,” Tori blurts out.
“Tori!” I scowl at her. What the hell ?
She smiles sweetly at me. “Sorry babe, sometimes it’s just better when you rip the bandage off as quick as possible.”
Avery looks like a deer caught in the headlights. She is still piecing it all together. I need to take control of this gong show.
“First of all. I don’t recall ever saying that I hated Cole.”
“You absolutely did,” Tori corrects me.
“Seriously? Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?” I hiss at her. She mouths sorry before locking her lips with an imaginary key and tossing it over her shoulders. I narrow my eyes in warning. Her only response is to grin at me through sealed lips and give me the thumbs-up.
“You’re an idiot,” I giggle.
“Is it true?” Avery’s question has both our heads swiveling her way. When I don’t immediately answer, she asks another question.
“How is this even possible?”
I sigh. “Okay. So, you know it’s been over six months since Cole and I had anything to do with each other, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I went to that conference in Boston a few weeks ago and Cole’s brother Chris was supposed to be the keynote speaker…” I don’t relay every detail of what went down but enough so that they both understand where I’m coming from.
“And then what—weeks went by, and he ghosted you—until yesterday? Was that his idea of a date?” Avery asks. Concern is written all over her face. She is like the mother hen of our group.
“No, we were in touch. We’ve both just been really busy,” I try to explain. I’m doing a crappy job of it, probably because I don’t exactly understand what this is any more than they do.
“He dropped by to bring me lunch as a surprise. It wasn’t a date, or at least, it wasn’t the date. We talked and then…”
Both of my friends are on the edge of their seats waiting to lap up the details.
“Oh, for God’s sake. We didn’t fuck.” Unfortunately. “If you must know, he gave me a scorching hot kiss that incinerated my panties and then left me hanging.”
“So, explain the part about the lingerie then, how did that come about?” Tori asks slightly confused.
“What lingerie? Where the hell have I been when all of this was happening. I feel so out of the loop,” Avery complains as she furrows her brow and starts to nibble on her lip as she thinks.
“Honey, you aren’t out of the loop. And, I haven’t even figured this out yet, so stop worrying. As soon as I know what this is, you’ll be the first to know.”
“What about the lingerie?” Tori asks again.
My cheeks heat as I think about that big bag of beautiful, expensive lingerie Cole had sent over.
I shrug. “I may have sent him a text to complain about the state of my panties after he left. I may have also said I had to take them off and was going about my day commando. His response was a growl, followed shortly thereafter by the arrival of a large bag of gorgeous goodies from Agent Provocateur.” I cover my mouth to stifle my nervous giggle.
“What the hell! No way!” my friends cry out in unison.
“I told you. Didn’t I tell you? Oh my God, I knew it!” Tori is rambling, making no sense at all. When I tilt my head and raise my brow as I try to figure out what she is going on about, she elaborates.
“If it could happen to the three of us, I knew it was only a matter of time,” she goes on. “Avery is head over heels in love with her super-sperm-producing ex-navy SEAL.” She points at Avery. “I’m madly in love with my rock star fake/not-so-fake husband.” She points at herself. “And Maddie…well, she was the biggest surprise until this.” She points at me. “This trumps all of us.” By now she has hopped out of her chair and is leaning over my desk, grinning at me.
I hold up my hand. “Let’s not start planning the wedding just yet. We haven’t even been on an official date. We hooked up one night in Boston and had lunch together yesterday. I barely know the man.”
“Right. Yes. But the fact remains that you do want to get to know the man. Correct?” Tori continues.
“Jesus, this is turning into an interrogation,” I mutter.
Avery leans forward and places a hand on Tori’s arm which seems to settle her down. She drops back into her chair.
“Can I just say one thing? It’s not a question, more of an observation,” Avery asks. My eyes slide up to lock on hers. I see nothing but love in them.
“Sure, hon,” I force a smile. “Go ahead, say whatever you want. I value your opinion just as much as Tori’s or Maddie’s.”
“I just want to say that you look happy, Layla. Like, really happy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you quite like this before. It looks good on you. You’ve taken a lot of difficult steps over the past year, and it shows. Believe it or not, I think Cole Hendrix just might be good for you after all. I think you should go for it.”
Maddie’s words from last night filter back into my mind. Maybe it’s time to take a chance. A very wise friend of ours gave me some excellent advice a while back. I’m going to pass it on to you. She said if you want to fly, you have to take the leap. I know who that very wise friend is. I’m staring right at her.
“Are you saying I should take the leap?” A smile creeps across my face.
Avery’s beautiful smile lights up her face. “That depends on whether you want to fly or not. Do you want to fly, Layla?” She glances over at Tori, who is nodding enthusiastically, then back at me.
I’m not sure what the answer is yet, so all I say is, “I really think I do, but I need a little more time before I can be sure who I want to fly with.”
“Oh my God, this is epic,” Tori squeals as she launches out of her seat and reaches for me. “She wants to fly, Av. This is incredible, Layla. I’m so happy for you.”
Avery joins her in practically smothering me to death with their hugs.
“Good grief, get off me, you idiots,” I growl as I extricate myself from them. “Look, you guys are awesome and I’m so lucky to have each one of you in my life, but you need to dial this down a bit. Let me go on a date with the man. I’ll see how I feel after that. I’ll keep you all in the loop, I promise.
“Okay,” they both say.
“Just give him a chance,” Tori adds.
“I will. I am. I really do want to,” I tell them. “Now get out. I have a dinner date with Victor that I have to get ready for.” I may be working on my relationship with my father, but I still can’t bring myself to call him Dad. I’m not sure if I ever will. For now, he’s just happy when I agree to spend time with him, and that works for me.
“Wow, who are you and what have you done with Layla?” Tori turns to Avery. “I think she’s been snatched by one of those body-snatcher aliens.”
“Wouldn’t that be a mind snatcher?” Avery asks as she looks over at me and winks. “It looks like she still has her body.”
Tori glances back at me, obviously confused.
“Come on, we can keep talking about her in my office. It’ll be safer in there, given the look we are currently getting from the alien across the room.”
“Good point. Let’s go. Enjoy your daddy-daughter dinner, babe.”
I can hear their giggles coming from the hall even after they close the door behind them.
I smile. God, I love these women so much. I can’t image where I’d be now if I hadn’t met them all those years ago. The three of them were already good friends when they met me, and thankfully, they decided four was better than three. They took a chance on a poor kid from Brooklyn who was nothing like them, and now we all love each other like family. Our bond is unbreakable. They’ve all been able to seamlessly incorporate a different kind of love into each of their lives without upsetting the balance.
Who knows, maybe it is possible after all. Or maybe my mind has been snatched by aliens. Time will tell, I guess.
“Layla.” My father stands to greet me as the hostess delivers me to his table. “You look beautiful,” he says as he gently hugs me and places a soft kiss on my cheek, being careful not to cross any unspecified lines. The touching is something new that I’ve allowed the last few times we’ve seen each other. I can’t say that I hate it, but it still feels awkward. Like everything with Victor, it’s a work in progress.
“Please, sit. Thank you for coming. I was pleasantly surprised when you agreed to dine with me this evening.” He waits for me to sit before rounding the table and retaking his own seat.
I shrug as I nervously place my napkin on my lap. “It’s just dinner. No need to thank me, Victor. If we are going to have a relationship, this is the next natural step. People in a family do eat meals together, even if the relationship is as unique as ours.”
He beams at me across the table. “I like the sound of that—us—having a relationship—being a family. I promised I wouldn’t push, and I won’t, but at least I can say that I’m very pleased that you are here.”
“Me too.”
When the words leave my lips, I’m shocked to realize that I really do mean them. I have no idea where including Victor in my life will end up, but I do know that the more time I spend with him, the more I like him. He’s interesting and funny, and despite what went down between him and my mother, I’m coming to believe that he really does care for me and not just because he provided the sperm that created me.
The waiter pours our wine as he goes over the specials, and then we place our orders.
“I’m surprised you ordered the brussels sprouts. You detested them as a child.” I almost spit my wine out at his words but manage to choke it down.
“How would you know that?” I ask as I peer at him over the rim of my glass.
He shrugs like it’s nothing. “I happen to know a lot of things about you, Layla. I know you hated most green vegetables, but brussels sprouts were the worst by far in your opinion.”
I set my glass down. “I’m not disputing any of that, but how…how do you know that about me? I thought you and Mom didn’t speak.”
“We didn’t. I tried. She refused. I had to find other ways. I’m pretty sure by now you know how resourceful I can be.”
My lip curls up on one side as I shake my head. “You stalked me?”
He shrugs again and places his arms on the table so he can lean forward and get closer to me. “Is it stalking when a father wants to make sure his daughter is safe and well taken care of? Is it stalking when he doesn’t want to miss out on all the amazing parts of her life he’s been forced to miss out on, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem?”
I knew that Victor had kept tabs on me throughout my life. He told me so at our first meeting. but I’m more than a little stunned and a whole lot surprised to find out just how much he knows about me. I’m not sure why I find it comforting instead of creepy, but I do. In some weird way, it’s like I had a guardian angel watching over me. The thought pleases me.
“Like whether or not I eat my vegetables?” I ask as my smile grows.
“Exactly that,” he answers as he leans back and takes a sip of his wine.
“How? Where?” I ask again. “How did Mom not know you were there?”
He looks at me funny. “Maybe you aren’t mine after all. I thought you got your brains from me. Perhaps I should have pushed for that DNA test.”
“Ha ha… Explain please.” I don’t find his joke funny. It’s too soon for that kind of humor.
Victor holds up his hand. “Sorry, I guess we aren’t quite there yet.”
“It’s fine. Seriously, I’m curious. Tell me everything.”
“It’s simple really. I’m a very wealthy man, Layla. I paid someone to watch over you when I couldn’t. I wanted to be there all the time, but unfortunately I was also a very busy man. He let me know what you were up to most of the time. Whenever there was something special going on in your life, I made an effort to be a part of it, even if it was from afar.”
I can’t believe it. He must see my doubt on my face because he continues.
“You were a star in your first grade Christmas play. You were an angel in your second grade Christmas play. In third grade, you were supposed to play Mary, but you got the flu and had to stay home. I’ve never missed a single milestone or performance of yours. Your favorite color has always been red. Your best friend from first grade to eighth grade, when she moved away, was Melissa Gardiner. You got free piano lessons from Mrs. Zolnyk, who lived above you, for two years, until she made you perform at a recital which you hated. You excelled on your high school track team. You always hated green vegetables, especially brussels sprouts. Need I go on?”
I’m speechless. Which honestly never happens. I swallow down the lump in my throat and blink back the unshed tears brimming my eyes. I shake my head. How can this amazing man sitting across from me and the man I’m supposed to hate—that I have hated and despised my entire life—be the same man? My father.
Victor reaches out and gently takes my hand in his. “I’m not a saint, Layla. I’ve never wanted to be one. I’ve made a lot of bad decisions and mistakes in my life knowing full well what I was getting myself into. If things didn’t go my way, I moved on. It’s how I’ve lived most of my life. The only time I broke that rule was when you were born. I had a beautiful little daughter. I couldn’t move on. I didn’t want to. You became the only important thing in my life. I didn’t want to cause your mother any more pain, but I couldn’t walk away like she asked me to. So, I watched you grow up from the shadows. I celebrated every one of your victories from afar. I waited patiently until I thought, or at least hoped, you were old enough to listen and maybe give me a shot at some small piece of your life.”
He pulls his hand away when the waiter approaches and sets our food down in front of us before refilling our glasses. By the time he departs, I have myself mostly together. I’ve had enough heavy for one day, so I stab my fork into one of the plump brussels sprouts on my plate and bring it to my mouth.
“So how the hell did you miss the fact that I now love brussels sprouts? You’re a lousy stalker, Dad.” It’s the first time I’ve call him that, but it feels right. I pop it into my mouth as I carefully watch my father’s face from across the table. Now his eyes are brimming with tears, but he’s not ashamed to let them fall. He quickly dabs his eyes with his napkin and then smiles up at me.
“I suppose I am. It’s a good thing I don’t have to do that anymore.”