Expose (Billionaire Series) (4 page)

Jennifer assumed
he'd just been amused by how silly she looked in his shirt but the moment she
walked into her apartment, she realized what he must've been looking at when
Rachel's mouth dropped with one look at her.

Jennifer had
completely forgotten about what Philip had been doing to her neck.

“Jen?” Rachel could
barely get the word out.

“I'll be right
back.” Jennifer rushed into the bathroom. She face palmed in embarrassment when
she saw her reflection. She was going to need serious make-up assistance
tomorrow, she thought as she tilted her head. All down one side of her neck
were the dark marks made by Philip's mouth. After a moment's hesitation, she
unbuttoned the shirt and unhooked her bra. “Well shit, Philip.” She muttered.
She was going to have to make sure the blouses she chose the next few days had
high enough necklines to hide her spotted skin. At least she wasn't going to
have to try to figure out how to segue-way into a conversation with Rachel.

When Jennifer
walked back into the living room, Rachel was sitting on the couch, an expectant
expression on her face. Jennifer took a deep breath as she crossed to her usual
seat. She nearly winced as she sat down. She hadn't realized before how hard
Philip had been fucking her. It was a good kind of pain, but she didn't want to
have to explain
that
to Rachel so she forced herself to give her
roommate a sheepish smile.

“I need some
advice,” Jennifer began slowly. “But there are some things that you need to
know first.”

“Clearly,” Rachel
said, pointedly looking at Jennifer's neck.

“You know how I
came home that day to get my passport and just told you that I'd gotten a
promotion and was flying to Japan with my boss?” Jennifer decided that it'd be
best to start at the beginning. When Rachel nodded, Jennifer continued her
story. She felt the heat rising to her face as she told her friend everything.
She talked about the sex, about how being with Philip made her feel both
aroused and confused. She told Rachel about the business part of their Tokyo
trip as well as being fucked on the plane ride back. The words spilled out of
her, becoming easier to flow past her lips with each passing moment, and Rachel
just listened.

As she finished
relaying that evening's activities, including the reasons she was wearing a
man's shirt and had hickeys decorating her throat, she fell silent and
nervously waited for her friend's verdict.

“That's – that's a
lot of information to process.” Rachel's baby blue eyes were wide. “I have to
ask, did you not tell me about this before because you thought I wouldn't
approve?”

Jennifer shrugged.
How could she explain to Rachel how much her opinion meant? Fortunately, Rachel
seemed to read all that Jennifer couldn't say in the younger woman's body
language and facial expressions.

“Jennifer, I want
you to know that no matter what, you can tell me anything, and I'll never judge
you or be disappointed in you.” Rachel's voice was firm. “Now, with that said,
I only have one more thing to tell you. It’s going to sound really cliché,
but…follow your heart.”

Okay, that hadn't
been what Jennifer had expected. She'd thought that Rachel would come up with
something deep and profound that would make everything clear. She saw now how
silly that had been.

“Let me guess,”
Rachel once again displayed her uncanny ability of knowing what Jennifer was
thinking. “You thought that by telling me, whatever I said would pretty much
tell you how to decide between Brad and Philip, but instead, I told you that
it's your heart you need to be listening to and you still don't know what your
heart wants.”

Jennifer smiled.
“Yeah, that sounds about right.” She started to say something else when her
phone rang. Her pulse jumped as she reached into her pocket. Philip?

The moment she saw
Brad's name, her heart sank. She sent the call to voicemail and put her phone
on vibrate. “It’s Brad. I'll call him later.”

“Jen,” Rachel
hesitated.

“Ask it, Rachel.”
Jennifer recognized her friend’s puzzled expression.

“It's about Brad.”
Rachel put her hand on Jennifer's knee. “Before, when you were telling me about
the proposal and I asked you if Brad’s behavior now outweighed his past
behavior, you started thinking something that made you upset.” She paused for a
moment and then asked, “Did he hit you?”

“No!” Jennifer
shook her head. “No, he never hit me. He was just... he just got mean
sometimes. How he'd talk, things he'd say to me. Remember when I said he could
be cruel? It wasn't just him calling me a name or two; he was a lot more...
descriptive than that.” Jennifer's face burned with humiliation as she shared
some of the things that Brad had said, the way he'd treated her, the very
things that she'd been thinking about that time. Again, when she was done, she
waited for Rachel to weigh in.

“I don't
understand,” Rachel said after a few minutes of silence. “After all of that,
how could you consider letting him back into your life?”

“He's changed,
Rachel,” Jennifer hurried to share. Rachel had to know that Brad was different
now. “He's listening to me, caring about what I have to say. Everything that I
told you before about how he's been since he came back, all of that's true.”

“Jennifer, I don't
know,” Rachel began.

“People can change,
can't they?” Jennifer could hear the near pleading note in her voice and hated
herself for it. It shouldn't have been that difficult to explain why she should
be with someone, should it?

“Yes, I think
people can change,” Rachel agreed. “But...”

For the tenth time,
Jennifer's phone buzzed. She didn't even need to look at it to know it was
Brad. He'd called every few minutes since she'd first sent his call to
voicemail.

“Answer it,” Rachel
said. “He's not going to stop calling until you do.” She stood. “I'm heading to
bed. I have to get up early tomorrow. We'll talk more when I get back from
work.” Rachel walked to her room and softly closed the door behind her.

Jennifer took a
deep breath before accepting Brad’s call. She didn’t have to say a word before Brad
started talking.

“Jennifer, I was
worried because you didn't answer your phone.” He sounded anxious.

“Sorry, I was just
talking to Rachel.”

“Oh, the roommate,
right.”

Jennifer couldn't
get a read on how to take that statement. “Is everything okay, Brad?” Jennifer
asked hesitantly as she glanced over at her shoulder to make sure Rachel's door
was totally shut.

“Yeah, I was just
calling to check in, see if you had any news for me.” Brad's voice took on the
persuasive tone Jennifer knew all too well. Her mother used to say that Brad
could sell ice water to penguins. “Maybe an answer of some kind?”

Jennifer glanced at
her empty finger. The ring was still next to her bed. She hadn't even
considered wearing it to work. “Not yet, Brad.”

“Really?” He sounded
genuinely surprised. “I thought for sure you'd just have to wrap your mind
around it and you'd be all excited about the ring.”

“Well, I just had a
lot to think about.” Jennifer danced around the truth. No matter how much Brad
may or may not have changed, she was certain that he wouldn't be enthused to
hear that she'd been fucking her boss, especially considering one of those
encounters had taken place less than twenty-four hours after the proposal in
question.

“Hmm, that's
surprising,” Brad said. “I mean, you haven't been with anyone else since we
broke up, right? Nothing more than a couple of dates or some one-night stand,
anyway. Don't you think that means something? You and I were good together, so
good I think that no one else could ever measure up.”

Was that really
what she'd done? Bailed on other potential relationships because they weren't
like Brad? Jennifer had to consider the question because at least one part of
Brad's theory was true. Whatever she had with Philip was the longest relationship
she'd had aside from Brad. The others had never gotten past two dates and a
kiss. And every single one of them, she had compared to her time with Brad.

“We were good
together, Jenny. You know that.”

“We had some good
times,” Jennifer admitted.

“Hey, remember that
day when you and I cut class to hike up to that waterfall?”

She could almost
hear the smile on Brad's face and she found herself smiling in return even
though he couldn't see her. “I remember.”

And she did
remember. It had been one of the last hot days of fall her senior year and Brad
had come back home to visit. He'd convinced her to skip school and they'd hiked
up to a secluded spot near a beautiful waterfall. They'd eaten their picnic
lunch then made love on the blanket. A few hours later, they did it again while
skinny dipping under the waterfall. She'd been terrified that they were going
to get caught but the danger had just turned Brad on all the more. It had been
an amazing afternoon and one of her fondest memories from her time with Brad.

“It can be like
that again,” Brad's voice was soft. “Think about it. High school sweethearts
getting married. All of our family and friends there.”

She could almost
see it. She'd imagined it enough growing up. The big church where all of the
town weddings were held—whether the couple was Baptist or not. Her parents on
one side of the aisle, Brad's parents on the other side. She could see herself
in a beautiful white dress, facing Brad in his black tux.

Then, for a split
second, Brad turned into Philip.

“You know we belong
together, Jennifer.” Brad was still talking. “We always come back to each
other. You know you'll never lose me, not to another woman, not to anything.”

Another woman.
Eloisa flashed into Jennifer's mind. The note she'd given Philip may not have
been from her, but there was something there, Jennifer was sure of it.
Jennifer's wedding fantasy flashed into her mind again and now it was Eloisa
standing across from Philip, looking far more refined and beautiful in her
white dress than Jennifer could ever hoped to look. Every line bespoke of
expensive designers and material. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see how
much better of a match Eloisa would be for Philip than Jennifer. Men like
Philip don't marry women like Jennifer. They married women like Eloisa and
occasionally took women like Jennifer on as mistresses to throw away whenever
they wanted.

“I still have some
things I need to think about,” Jennifer pushed the image of Eloisa and Philip
from her mind. “I'll have an answer for you tomorrow, okay?”

“All right,” Brad
said. “And afterwards we can go out to celebrate.” Before Jennifer could
protest his assumption, he added, “just thinking positive. I really believe
it's going to come back to us.”

The call ended as
abruptly as it had begun. Jennifer went through and erased his voicemail
without listening to it. It would just be Brad wondering where she was and if
she was okay. There was no need to listen to all of that again. Once she was
done, she headed into the kitchen to reheat the leftovers Rachel had put aside.
She didn't really feel much like eating but it was something to do while she
processed the newest variables in her conundrum. It was going to be a long
night.

Over the next few
weeks, I made a habit of checking news websites, gossip blogs, and the listings
of events which I knew Walt Rossi was attending. I was sure Mathis would be
present at most of these events too, as Kathryn Rossi’s date and possibly even
as a benefactor. I didn’t feel like I was doing anything underhanded. Mathis
had told me to stay away from him, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t follow what
he was doing, if only to reassure myself that he was safe.

There was one
gossip blog written by a guy who was obsessed with the rich and beautiful
heiress Kathryn Rossi. Luckily, since Mathis had become a part of her public
life, his activities were also often tracked by this slightly creepy guy. It
wasn’t stalking, I told myself. It was concern. If Mathis refused to tell me
himself what he was up to, I had to find out myself, to keep me from going mad
with worry.

The news sites also
talked about the political campaign of Walt Rossi, and from several articles I
found out that he had attended a number of public events, and, since the
elections were coming up, he would probably be attending many more as the weeks
went by.

After a week, the
need to see Mathis again – even just a glimpse of him from a distance – became
stronger and stronger. I tried to ignore it and occupy my time with other
things, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I caved in. What was so
wrong with attending a public event to support the community, anyway? It wasn’t
like I was breaking any rules. There was no way anyone could make a connection
between the two of us if I didn’t even speak to him.

So that weekend, I
decided to bite the bullet and put in an appearance at the opening of a new
hospital. I was just a part of the crowd, but it gave me a sense of inner peace
to spot Mathis, off to the left of the stage, in a charcoal grey suit. The
sight of his tie – the same red silk he had used to tie my wrists – made me
blush, but I made sure he didn’t catch sight of me. When I got home, I allowed
myself a small grin, happy that I had been able to see him and see that he was
okay. He had looked serious, as if he was concentrating on the matter at hand,
but he hadn’t seemed stressed or worried. As long as I knew he was okay, I
could feel content.

Even if he wasn’t
smiling with me or laughing at me, it had been good to see him smile and laugh
as Kathryn whispered something in his ear, or as he talked to one of the
doctors at the hospital. I liked the feeling that I was almost like a guardian
angel, watching him from afar and checking that he was safe and happy, even if
there was not a lot I could do about it if he wasn’t. It was enough for me, for
the moment at least. It was better than never seeing him at all.

***

I knew there was
another event coming up which he would no doubt be attending. Kathryn’s father
was going to be holding a garden party as part of his political campaign,
probably to network with a bunch of other public figures and to see if he could
scrape together some extra votes. Now that summer was underway, everyone in certain
circles (according to the gossip columns) was talking about this party as one
of the events of the season.

To my disappointment,
the party was by invitation only, and I wasn’t likely to suddenly sprout a
political career out of my ears to make me eligible for an invite. I knew that
Mathis was going to be a guest of honor, as the beau of Walt Rossi’s daughter,
but this time there was no way I was going to be able to see him.

***

I complained at
length to Sharon on the phone, when she called me to check in and catch up on
my news.

“I’d give anything
to go to this event on Saturday,” I told her. “It’s a garden party being held
by that politician – the one with the beard.”

“I didn’t know
you’d taken up an interest in politics,” Sharon said curiously. “Or do you have
an ulterior motive?”

“Like what?” I
asked innocently.

“Didn’t you say
Mathis was dating a politician’s daughter?” she asked shrewdly. “He wouldn’t be
attending this event by any chance?”

“It doesn’t matter
anyway,” I said, not bothering to deny it. “I’d never be allowed into an event
like the Rossi Garden Party. It’s invite only.”

“Wait a second – Rossi?”
Sharon said.

“Yeah, the
politician – the one with the beard,” I reminded her. Sharon wasn’t great with
politics; she generally remembered important figures by taking note of their
distinguishing physical features.

“Oh! Huh…I have
tickets to that,” Sharon said.

“You what?!” I
replied in shock. I thought she must have misheard me, or possibly she was
kidding to see how I would react.

“I have tickets to
that garden party. You know Ryan’s older brother who’s a chef? Well, he’s
catering at that garden party, and he had a couple of complimentary tickets
which he gave to us.”

“Oh my God!” I was
stunned, and more than a little envious. “Whatever you do, Shaz, don’t try to
talk to Mathis or give him an earful. It would be way too embarrassing! I’d
seriously have to leave this city and never come back.”

“Don’t be so
dramatic,” she said, laughing. “I promise I won’t do or say anything inappropriate.
I
knew
it was because of him you were so interested in this event.”

“I’m sorry,” I
apologized. “I just really want to see him.”

“That’s normal, Sweetie,”
Sharon assured me. “If you like someone, there’s nothing weak or strange about
wanting to be around them. Hey, I could probably get you a ticket too.”

“Really?” I held my
breath, not even daring to hope that it might be true.

“Yeah – Ryan’s
brother owes him a lot of favors – and I mean a lot. I’m sure I could convince
him to cash in on a few of them and get a third ticket.”

“That would be
beyond amazing. I’d name my first child after you – if I ever have children. If
not, I’ll name my first cat after you.”

“Whatever makes you
happy,” Sharon laughed at my eager tone. “I’d settle for a thank you and maybe
a free drink next time we get together. Besides, I bet we’ll have a ton of fun
at this party.”

“Done,” I agreed.
“Your next cocktail is paid for! I’ll buy you a whole cocktail of cocktails if
you can get me into that party. It would be all kinds of fun!”

“Okay, let me see
if I can get that ticket – I’ll call you back.”

I waited nervously
as Sharon hung up to negotiate a ticket for me. I was eager to see Mathis
again, and this event would be the perfect opportunity to keep a low profile
whilst catching sight of him. If Sharon was going anyway, it was the perfect
excuse! Even if we did bump into each other, there was a completely legitimate
reason for me to be there. I tried not to let the excitement bubble up in my
stomach as I imagined the scenario, but it was difficult to ignore. When the
phone rang a few minutes later, I practically leaped out of my chair to answer
it.

“Got the ticket,”
Sharon said, and I squealed in delight. “I had to make several threats to get
it, so it better be worth it.”

“It will be,” I
promised. “Thank you so much!”

“Amanda… you’re not
going to do anything stupid, are you?” Sharon said doubtfully.

“No – I just want
to see him and make sure he’s okay,” I promised. “I’m not even going to talk to
him.”

“Just make sure
you’re careful,” Sharon said. “If you insist on seeing this guy, you should at
least make sure you don’t put yourself in any dangerous situations.”

“It’s a garden
party – where’s the danger?” I asked. “It’ll be fun. You and Ryan and I will
have an awesome time. Free booze, free fancy food, dancing, a chance to talk to
some celebrities maybe…”

“You’re right.”
Sharon sounded excited. “Hey, do you want to come over beforehand and try on
dresses again? We both need to find something absolutely gorgeous, and I still
have plenty to pick from – a few extra since last time, actually.”

“Sure,” I agreed.
“It’s a date.”

When I hung up the
phone, my entire body was buzzing with excitement as I eagerly anticipated the
event – and the glimpse of Mathis which would come with it.