Playing With Power - Book 2: New Adult Office Romance (7 page)

“Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it isn’t clear why but you have to trust in the universe. Things like this don’t just happen randomly. If you and Nick hadn’t split you probably wouldn’t have come out here.”

“If Parker hadn’t been a drunk asshole and broke his leg I wouldn’t be out here. You know I don’t believe in that stuff.” Lauren lay her arm over her eyes, blocking the bright lights.

“Okay Miss Grumplebutt, I’m going to leave you to wallow. Get some good sleep tonight. I think we’re in for a good time tomorrow.” Ali dropped to her elbow and gave Lauren a kiss on the forehead. She gracefully slipped out of the room and closed the door.

Unfortunately, it was a restless night for Lauren. She tossed and turned, waking several times from a bad dream. In it, Parker had discovered her betrayal. He dragged her onto a stage in the center of Times Square and publicly shamed her in front of thousands of people. The crowd hurled insults at her and unable to escape, she had no choice but to take the abuse. Each time she woke covered in sweat, panicked, with an ever-churning stomach.

7.

Despite the poor sleep, Lauren woke feeling refreshed. The sun rising on the opposite side of the house, the morning light in her room was muted. She lay in bed for a while, gazing outside, watching the breeze play through leaves on a tree she couldn’t name. The view was rejuvenating in itself but she suspected Ali’s estimate about the value of the bed wasn’t far off.

The girls found Landon in the kitchen drinking coffee, his tablet balanced on the glass sugar jar. Lauren had braced herself for the worst. She’d spent so much of the night over-analyzing his reaction she half expected him to ignore her or, worse yet, ask them to leave. She couldn’t have been more wrong. If anything, Landon seemed overly gracious and welcoming, perhaps sprung from the intimacy of the sleepy morning hour. During an equally delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and fresh salmon, Ali had him close to tears with one of her tales from the theater. Lauren watched him out of the corner of her eye, still trying to judge if his sincerity was genuine or simply a well-polished facade.

After pouring the last of the coffee from the French press, he suggested the girls take the convertible into town.

“No, we couldn’t possibly,” Lauren had resisted but Landon wouldn’t hear of it.

“Last night you mentioned you hadn’t packed clothes for warmer weather. It’s my fault you’re here in the first place, so it’s the least I can do. Plus, they have a little festival in the town center every Fourth of July. I’ll be here making sure all the arrangements for the party are under control. You should go, have fun!”

Lauren finally acquiesced while Ali was out of the room. Knowing that Ali’s impulsive nature combined with the allure of a V8 engine was a recipe for disaster, she made sure to grab the keys first.

The morning light again altered the landscape, the colors vibrant and refreshed. Pockets of fog lingered in places where the sun had yet to touch and the damp air was almost too cool for the open top. The quaint town heaved with people. The streets and shops were adorned with strings of patriotic bunting, flags flapping from every parking meter. They spent a few hours wandering through the tents and booths that filled the tree-shaded square, coming away with several heavy bags each.

It was mid-afternoon when they made the winding trip back up the hill, the sat-nav directing their every turn.

“I have no idea what to expect from this party,” Lauren said as she negotiated a particularly sharp turn.

“Me either. It’s probably gonna be a bunch of rich people standing around talking about rich people stuff. I never know what to say to people like that. They’re like,‘I don’t think Andrew’s restaurant deserved that second Michelin Star. His foie gras isn’t even organic.’ I’m there like, ‘Sometimes I eat peanut butter out of the jar for dinner. Occasionally, I use a spoon.’”

Lauren laughed. “It’s true. They’ll probably walk away patting themselves on the back for how well they conversed with the common folk.”

“Whatever. If we’ve got each other and a fully stocked bar, we’re fine. We’ve had more fun with less. Hey, wait!” she jumped in her seat.

“Oh no, what?”

“We have a convertible, we’re close to Mexico...let’s Thelma and Louise this shit! We’re even in California so we can go grab Brad Pitt!”

“Do we have to kill anyone?”

“No, of course not. But we can
pretend
the cops are after us. We’ll stay in seedy motels off the beaten path, pay in cash, it’ll be awesome.”

“I’m Thelma,” Lauren declared.

“Come on, if anyone is gonna be Thelma, it’s me. The roll calls for a tall bitch with a strong jaw and hello...”

“You just want to be Thelma because she sleeps with Brad Pitt,” Lauren laughed. She slowed the car and pulled into the drive. The gate slowly opened. “Oh no, looks like we can’t run away now. We’re already here.”

Ali grabbed her hand on the steering wheel. “Let’s not get caught. Let’s keep going.”

“There is something seriously unhinged in your brain, you know that right?” Lauren laughed.

The smell of barbecue wafted up the drive way, a tendril of smoke floating from the patio. The once empty drive was now filled with over a dozen cars. BMW, Audi, Mercedes, all new models and freshly polished, gleaming in the sun. Ali rolled her eyes and was about to say something when a couple kids in swimsuits appeared. They were running between the cars, chasing each other with bright water guns and heavy balloons. A little girl, no more than three or four, followed screaming, “Wait up! Mom said you have to play with me. Stop going so fast!”

“Umm, okay. I know I said I didn’t know what to expect but I definitely wasn’t expecting kids,” said Lauren. They looked at each other, shrugged, and made their way inside.

Lauren changed into a new white string bikini, throwing on a pair of denim shorts and a white tank top. The windows of her room faced away from the patio but she could hear laughter and kids squealing in fun. The scene she and Ali stepped into was more family barbecue than the casual-but-formal get together they’d expected. The pool was filled with children playing, foam noodles and beach balls whizzing about while small groups of adults mingled around on the deck. A couple tweens sat to the side looking sullen, noses glued to their phones. Landon spotted them immediately, his broad smile still making her a little weak in the knees.

“There you are!” he said greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. The smell of his cologne mingled with the scent of sunblock.

“I’m sorry we’re late,” she said as he welcomed Ali.

“Not at all. I wasn’t expecting you back at any certain time. Did you have fun?”

“Spent way too much money and, I wasn’t going to tell you this,” Ali said behind her hand, “Lauren here wanted to steal your car and run to Mexico.”

“Ali! I think you’re misremembering that a little.” She turned to Landon and rolled her eyes. “Sorry. Actresses. You know how it is.”

“All too well,” he replied cryptically. “Let me introduce you to everyone.”

As she expected, Landon was the expert host. He’d ordered an amazing spread of American picnic classics from the caterer. A long table was set up with bowls of chilled potato salad, deviled eggs, chips, and veggie platters. He’d hired a chef to tend the grill, cooking burgers and hot dogs to order. The fridge and bar were stocked with every beverage one could ask for which freed him up to spend time with his guests.

He guided them around the side of the house toward the garage. Lauren wondered why they were heading away from the party but her confusion disappeared when he introduced Ali to Dane. One of the only single men at the party, Dane was quite tall with a shaved head and seemed immediately smitten with her. They quickly hit it off, Ali soon laughing and hanging off his arm. Not wanting her to leave, Dane invited her to join him in a game of ping pong, which tweaked Ali’s competitive side.

“You’re on, buddy,” she said grabbing a paddle.

Landon leaned close to Lauren’s ear and whispered, “I think we should probably leave them to it. I get the feeling this could get bloody.” Just as the first time they’d met, he placed his hand on her back and guided her to a shaded corner of the patio. The same electric current coursed through her at his touch, setting every nerve ending alight. She could feel the heat of his hand through her thin shirt and nearly shivered. “I want you to meet someone,” he whispered before speaking up loudly. “Lauren, this is Paul. Don’t let his looks fool you. He might look like he’s just some middle-aged retiree but Paul here owns a small and incredibly successful winery.”

“Hey now! I’m inclined to think I look a little better than some middle-aged retiree. Although, I do admit to living a lazy life of excess,” Paul said patting his small pot belly. He was tanned with graying hair and a warm smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said extending his hand.

“Lauren grew up in Upstate New York as well.”

“Ah, no kidding! I should’ve known. Only women this pretty come from New York. Whereabouts darling? Here, sit sit.”

Lauren instantly felt at ease with him. “I’m actually from Lake George but I live in New York City now.”

“I won’t hold it against you. My whole family is from Seneca Falls. It’s actually where I got started in the wine business.”

“Oh! I love it out there,” Lauren said, relaxing into her seat. “My brother wants to go to Cornell when he graduates. I seem to remember Cayuga has great wine trails, doesn’t it? I was too young to go the last time I was there.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt but I just noticed you both don’t have drinks. Can I get you something? Or I could hold your seat while you go fetch them, Paulie boy,” Landon said slapping Paul’s foot playfully.

“Another one of these,” Paul replied shaking an empty bottle of beer. “And a snack for calling me middle-aged.”

Landon turned to Lauren. “I’m good with anything.”

“Got it. I’ll surprise you,” he said.
God, you already have.
A few moments he returned with the drinks, a strong Long Island Iced Tea for Lauren. He delivered them and seamlessly backed out of the conversation, joining a small group of rowdy women across the pool.

Paul reminded Lauren of her father’s friends. He was down to earth, easy to talk to, and his relentless flirtations were harmless. Divorced with two kids, both of whom were playing in the pool in front of them, he’d led an interesting life. They talked about his business, her work, growing up in the country, and the differences between East Coasters and West Coasters. After briefly arguing over whether the Bills or the Giants were the true New Yorker’s team, they agreed to disagree.

“I like you,” he said. “You remind me of my first ex-wife.”

“I’m not sure how to take that. Is that a good thing?” Lauren sipped her drink.

“Sure is. She left
me
but I never stopped loving her. She was my high school sweetheart. We got married before we even graduated college, if you can believe that, but we divorced only a few years later.” Something in his expression led her to ask why. “See, even at eighteen I knew she was the love of my life. There wasn’t a more perfect woman for me in the whole world but Cathy...naw, she wasn’t meant to be anyone’s wife,” his gray eyes growing wistful.

“What do you mean?”

“You gotta understand, this was the late 70’s. People were all mixed up from all the drugs and fighting. The ink wasn’t even dry on our divorce papers before she was on a plane to Europe, traveling around by herself. A year later, I heard she was working in an Indian orphanage Mother Teresa had started. Five years later, she was working for the UN doing humanitarian work in Ethiopia.”

“That’s incredible! Did she ever come back? Do you still talk to her?”

“I ran into her once back home, at a grocery store or the mall, can’t remember. She didn’t recognize me at first but I knew it was her instantly. She was still so beautiful. Her face had aged but her eyes sparkled the same. I’d heard everything she’d been up to through mutual friends and it was nice enough to see her again. Don’t think she ever got remarried, which I always took as a compliment. At least she didn’t leave me for some other guy!”

“I have to ask...in what way am I like her?” Lauren asked hesitantly.

Paul considered her for a long moment, as if carefully picking his words. “I think sometimes you meet people and you get a sense they’re destined for great things. Cathy was never going to be happy tied down; she was pure momentum. I can see that in you.” It was one of the oddest and most perfect compliments she’d ever received. Before she had time to process it Paul continued. “Say, you didn’t tell me how know Landon? I know he goes out to New York for business every once in a while, is that where you met?”

“Actually, we just met yesterday at a conference.” A small bubble of nerves cropped up in her stomach.

“Oh really?” Paul said, his eyebrows rising. “Huh.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” she replied playfully.

“Thing is, I’ve known Landon for a long time. Known him since he was a kid, actually. Hell, after his parents split he spent more time with me than his father.” Lauren’s apprehension grew. For the first time it occurred to her that Paul wasn’t just an acquaintance at a barbecue; he was important to Landon. “In all that time, as far as I know, the only people invited to this house here are close friends and family.”