Tackled by the King: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (46 page)

Chapter Four: Rachel

What a dick! I couldn’t believe I had wasted even five minutes of my life staring at him in his limo this morning- how could I have ever pictured myself with someone like him? It didn’t matter how handsome he was, the guy was still an asshole. First, his car splashed me; then, he was too busy flirting with the receptionist when I had to see Simon Garrett; then, he stole my meeting time from me; and now, he had slammed straight into me and didn’t even bother apologizing? I was fuming, but I tried to calm myself down, remembering that I had to present myself as professional and sophisticated when I meet Mr. Garrett. I pushed away the anger I felt for Mr. Limousine and I plastered a wide smile on my face as the receptionist led me into Simon’s office. “Mr. Garrett, Rachel Benson is here to see you.” She left as I walked into the office and Simon stood up to greet me. “Ms. Benson, it’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry that your boss, Summer, fell ill, but she assured us that you were the best person to replace her.” I smiled widely, and said, “Sir, I can assure you that with me at the helm, the wedding will run perfectly.” He nodded and offered me a seat. As I sat down, he poured me a whiskey and I accepted it with a nod, as he began to say, “Now, just a few minor adjustments- my son, Lucas, and my fiancée’s daughter, Paige, have also joined the wedding party, so we’re going to need more room at the family table.”

I opened the briefcase I was carrying, and pulled out the file on the Garrett wedding, flicking the sheets of paper to find the guest list and seating charts. “Hmm,” I said thoughtfully as I consulted the information before me, “Summer had already made room on the table for a Lucas and a Monique-” Simon shook his head sadly and said, “Well, just replace Monique then, she won’t be attending anymore.” He sounded crestfallen as he said that, and I looked up curiously, but I knew I shouldn’t pry. Simon, however, downed the whiskey he had poured for himself and said, “It’s my son, Lucas- he keeps doing these things that I know he’ll regret later on. He dropped out of college in his sophomore year, and now he broke up with Monique- and she was perfect for him. And I’ve been struggling with some decisions I was hoping he’d help me make, but now I’m wondering if he’s the right person to do that.” I nodded politely, not knowing how else to react. “Well, you seem to really care about your son, and I’m sure he feels the same way about you. Maybe I’ll get the pleasure of meeting him at the wedding.” Simon nodded and said, “Right, I’m sorry for telling you all of this, of course. Let’s get back to the wedding preparations.” We talked a little bit more about flower arrangements, musicians, and caterers until the receptionist knocked on the door and announced that he had a fitting to leave for in ten minutes, and we wrapped up the meeting quickly.

“Ms. Benson, it’s truly a pleasure to have you on board- I love Sophia, and this wedding means a lot to her, and so it means a lot to me. I look forward to working with you over the next week, and I know it’s the last minute, but I know the wedding will go perfectly.” I thanked him and shook his hand. “Rachel, why don’t you stop by the house this evening? Sophia’s throwing a little dinner party and I know she would love to meet you.” I was pleasantly surprised by the offer, and I nodded as I said earnestly, “That would be an honor. I’d love to come by and meet your family- thank you.” He shook my hand again and said goodbye. I left the meeting, feeling warm and happy. It was nice to know that a man like Simon Garrett had faith in me and that he was a trusting me to take charge of the most important night of his life. Summer had told me that Mr. Garrett wasn’t easy to please and that I’d have a real challenge on my hands- she had described him as mean and bossy, but I really just saw him as a loving husband and a concerned father, and I was excited about going to his home later that evening to meet his family and see him as just Simon, and not Simon Garrett of Garrett Industries.

I checked my watch- I was done a lot earlier than I had thought I would be, and I realized that I didn’t have any plans for the dinner that night, so I decided to just walk around and collect my thoughts. All the wedding preparations had been completed months in advance, and I just had to make sure everything was ready a day before the wedding, and on the wedding day itself, I had to oversee everything and make sure it was all running smoothly. I smiled to myself- I never had an easier job before; usually, I was running around to dress fittings and bakeries and florists, never having a moment of rest. This time would be different- I was already being invited to dinners, and I imagined the day of the big expensive wedding where I would wear a lovely gown and float around the room as I sipped champagne and mingled with beautiful, affluent guests. Maybe I would meet someone, and I imagined a tall, rich, handsome stranger asking me to dance. I held back a giggle as I giddily walked without really knowing where I was going.

My phone rang, snapping me out of my daydream and I pulled it out of my briefcase making sure I didn’t drop anything as I carried out an elaborate balancing act. I managed to get my phone out just as it stopped ringing, and sighing, I checked to see who had called- it was my little sister, Sarah, and the moment I saw her name on my screen, all my annoyance with the ringing phone melted away. Sarah was four years younger than me and growing up, we hadn’t been very close, but after I had come back from college, I’d realized that she had grown up while I was gone, and we became very close after that. For the past few years, we had been each other’s best friends, confiding in each other and comforting each other. I called her back, and she answered on the first ring, squealing, “Rach!” I laughed and said, “Hey Sarah, how are you?” She spoke in her usual breathy voice, like Marilyn Monroe’s, and she said, “I’m so excited Rach, I got a part, in a proper film this time.” I squealed too, and said, “Oh my God, Sarah, that’s amazing-” Sarah laughed nervously and said, “Well, it’s not that big, I just have a few lines-” I cut her off before she could say anything else and I said, “Sarah, shut up. That sounds amazing. We have to celebrate!” She laughed again and said, “Okay- well, a few of my friends are heading to The Cortez Bar in for little while, do you want to join us?” I widened my eyes as I said, “Ooh, the fancy one on SoHo? Count me in!” We agreed to meet up at the bar in an hour and I hung up, feeling happy for my little sister, who deserved this big break. I realized I was ten minutes away from SoHo, and I decided I would just head to the bar early and have my own little celebration with a few drinks before Sarah and her friends arrived.

Chapter Five: Lucas

I tried to shake away all thoughts of my father and immerse myself in New York, but I couldn’t get his disapproving face out of my mind. I knew I had done a good job in Paris, and I also knew that the Australians wanted me on their team, but somehow my father always made all my achievements look like nothing. I needed a drink- being around my father always made me crave alcohol and I found myself walking over to one of my favorite New York haunts; The Cortez Bar. I walked in and immediately felt comforted by the deep green marble floor, and the stone walls full of niches cradling glinting bottles of the most expensive wines and spirits. I made my way through throngs of day-drinkers in fancy suits and designer dresses and headed straight to the bar, seating myself on a barstool next to three women. They were talking to each other animatedly, but the minute I sat down, their voices dropped low and they started conversing in excited whispers. I could feel them staring at me, and normally, I may have responded but I just wanted to be alone. I ordered a scotch on the rocks and one of the three women detached herself from her girlfriends and climbed onto the stool on the other side of me as she said to the bartender, “Make that two.” I glanced at her- she was certainly beautiful, with long brown hair and a killer body that she showed off in a fitted electric blue dress- but I wasn’t interested.

She tried to make small talk with me, sticking her chest out and playing with her hair, but I just responded in grunts and shoulder-shrugging. After a few minutes, she got tired of trying to coax replies out of me, and she returned to her friends. Thankfully, the three of them moved away from the bar and got themselves a table, leaving me alone to nurse my scotch. I ordered a second glass, and then a third. I had just downed the third one when from the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar face. I turned my face slowly, just to get a better look at the man walking into the bar. He wore an Armani suit and a Cartier watch. I recognized the slicked back blond hair and the boyish smile of Jackson Montgomery, and before he could see me, I slipped off my barstool and headed towards a table in the back where the lighting was dim. I could still see Jackson but I was sure he wouldn’t be able to see me- and that’s just how I wanted it. Wow, I hadn’t seen that bastard in years. We used to be best friends when we were little because his father worked with mine when Garrett Industries had been newly emerging as a real estate Mogul in the New York market. I remembered how both our dads would work late and Jackson and I would often be together either at his house or mine. We grew up as brothers and we went to Columbia together as roommates, and after that, we both started working at Garrett Industries. I remember how nervous we had both been on our first day of work, but excited because we were together.

That’s when it had all gone to shit. I had been better at the work, and Jackson couldn’t stand it. He had always been competitive, even as a child, but that was always friendly. We grew up competing for grades, for girls, for popularity. This time though, he had been serious, and he often tried to sabotage my projects, bribing my secretaries and getting information on my clients which he would then attempt to steal away from me. I was far more successful than he was, and he started spreading rumors that the only reason I was making it in the market was because of my father’s nepotism. I could have had him fired in an instant, but I still thought of him as a friend, until the Paris division opened up. We both knew we were the only two people capable of doing that job, and when I was chosen over him, he broke off all ties with me, making sure I knew just how much he hated me. It had been five years, and even though I knew how much I’d changed since then, and he probably had too, I still didn’t want to have to meet him now. I ducked low and reached into my pocket for my phone just to have something to do when I realized that I didn’t have a phone- I’d broken mine in Paris and Freddy hadn’t stopped to let me get one.

I sighed and surreptitiously motioned for a waiter to get another drink. He set it down in front of me and I sipped it as I noticed another familiar face walk into the bar. She wore a well-fitted black skirt suit that hugged her full figure deliciously. I sat up a little as I took in her full hips, her large breasts, and her long legs. I tried to get a better look at her face, but her deep burgundy curls kept coming in the way. I had a vague feeling I had seen her somewhere, but I couldn’t place it. She walked over to the bar and looked around at the décor. As she looked over her shoulder, I got a good look at her large green eyes, her voluminous lips, and her perfect little nose. She was stunningly beautiful, and I had to consciously close my mouth that had fallen open while I had stared at her. Where did I know her from? She didn’t look like the kind of girl who would run in my social circles. She ordered vodka with a twist of lemon, and as she smiled at the bartender. I noticed that she had dimples in her cheeks. Suddenly, I realized that I wasn’t the only one who had been looking at her as she walked in. Jackson was following all her movements with his eyes, and he was now standing up and walking towards her.

“Hey there,” I heard him say as he reached the bar, “Can I buy you a drink?” She looked at him and smiled shortly as she said, “No thank you, I’ve already got one.” She returned to her drink and Jackson blinked confusedly. He was clearly not used to getting rejected by girls and he said, louder this time, “I’m sorry, I don’t think you heard me correctly. I offered to buy you a drink.” She turned, her large eyes widened in surprise to find him still standing behind her and she said, “Um- I did hear you, and I said no thank you. I don’t want to take you up on your offer.” She turned away from him again, but he grabbed onto her shoulder and hissed something in her ear. She sprang up from her bar stool and retreated a few steps away. Without realizing it, I had stood up and charged towards Jackson as glared at her and threateningly came closer. I ran straight at Jackson and pulled back my fist, saying, “She said, ‘No thank you’ you son of a bitch,” as my fist collided with his jaw. He staggered back drunkenly and I shook my fist as a searing pain shot up my arm. “What the fuck- Luke?” Jackson gasped as he clutched his jaw and his eyes focused on my face and recognition dawned on his. “Get away from her, Jackson,” I snarled at him, and he backed away, raising his hands in surrender as he said, “Man, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you two were together.” The woman had been watching in horror, and she lowered her hand from her mouth as I said, “We’re not- but she’s a fucking person who told you to fuck off.” Jackson blinked and bowed his head in shame as he said, this time to her, “I’m sorry, I was just really drunk- I didn’t mean any harm,” and he backed away and left the bar.

She turned to me gratefully and said, “Thank you so much, I don’t-” she stopped speaking abruptly and looked at my face. I was still nursing my bruised fist but I noticed the sudden silence on her part and I looked up to find her gazing straight into my eyes. Suddenly, I realized where I had seen her before, and she said, “You’re that asshole guy from this morning.” The minute she said this, she clamped a hand over her mouth and said, “Sorry- I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” I laughed and said, “No, that’s okay- I was wondering where I’d seen you before, and now I remember.” She still looked embarrassed. I had been an asshole, admittedly, and I said, “I’m sorry about smacking into you earlier- you had left when I turned to apologize.” She smiled a small smile and held out her hand, “I’m Rachel; it’s nice to meet you- Luke, is it?” I nodded and shook her hand, “Pleasure’s mine, Rachel.” We stood there for a moment, smiling at each other until a young woman came rushing up to Rachel and held her in a tight embrace, “Oh my God, Rachel, are you okay? We were walking in when we saw the man apologizing to you, and the bartender told us what happened-” Rachel gently extradited herself from the embrace and said, “Sarah- Sarah, calm down, I’m fine, thanks to Luke here.” I smiled as Sarah turned to face me, and she threw a mischievous glance at Rachel before she said, “Well, thank you for rescuing my sister, Luke.”