Landslide (19 page)

Chapter 17

Carter had taken it better than I thought he would, you know…after he punched me in my mouth. It may have only been because I told him that I’d stay away from Kenzie, though. The words hurt to say at the time, but they hurt even more now.

I poured a fourth glass of vodka. The first three hadn’t dulled the pain at all, so I was hoping maybe this one would.

There was a knock on the door to my room, and for a moment I hoped it was Kenzie before remembering that she wasn’t even in the building. I’d found that news out when Carter had called earlier to check in with me. His call had been brief.

“I just wanted to make sure you were still going to be abl
e to give your speech tonight,” he said in a somewhat clipped tone.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

There was an uncomfortable silence, as neither of us knew what to say. “Is she um…is Ke—”

“She will be. She just left for the airport.”

“Oh.” It was all I could say. I knew it was better for her, but that didn’t help the hole in my heart.

Now, four drinks later, I walked to the door.

“Tell me that she’s out of her fucking mind!” My sister pushed past me and walked into the room.

“What? Who?”

“Tiffany DuPree. Do you know that slut just informed me that the two of you were getting engaged? I told her that she must be mistaken. Well, maybe I didn’t use those exact words, but you get the idea. She told me to ask you, so I’m asking. What the
hell
is she talking about?”

“Yeah, I’m proposing tonight.” I didn’t elaborate more. Grabbing the bottle of vodka, I poured myself another glass. Before I could put it to my lips, Liv snatched it from my hands and downed it in one gulp.

“How the hell did this happen? Do you even
know
her?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yeah, it matters. First off, if that slut shows up at Sunday morning brunch, I’ll lose it, and second of all, it’s just all wrong. Look, you know me. I’m not a romantic person. I know about your lifestyle, about all of the women and lack of commitment, but I just thought that after the other night, things were different.” She paused for a moment. “Wait, is this about
her
?”

“Who? Tiffany?”

Liv rolled her eyes at me. “Not Tiffy the slut. I’m talking about Kenzie.”

If Tiffany told my sister about Kenzie I was going to strangle her. I’d never hit a woman in my life, but if she were here right now, I had no doubt I would have slapped her across the face. I needed to know exactly what Tiffany had said.

“Did Tiffany say something about Kenzie?”

Again Liv rolled her eyes and laughed. “Silicone boobs didn’t have to tell me about Kenzie. I already knew about your feelings for her.”

“Who told you?”

“You did.”

She wasn’t making sense. I never told anyone. Well, I told Carter, but that was just a bit ago. “When did I tell you?”

“When we were hanging out in the bar the night before you left for Paris. Do you know that you mentioned her name a dozen times in our conversation? You haven’t talked about anyone that much since the San Francisco Forty-Niners won the Super Bowl in 1985, and all you could do was talk about Joe Montana. For a while there, we thought you were going to marry him. And well, honestly, I kind of thought it was the same sort of thing the other night. I’d never seen you so infatuated with someone. Hell, I’d never seen you so
happy
.”

I’d started crying. Fuck. I don’t think I’d ever cried in front of my sister. I didn’t even cry at my Grandfather’s funeral a few years back, and now I’d broken into tears three times today.

She put her arm around me. “Jesus, Max, are you okay?”

“No, not really,” I whispered, trying to pull myself together.

“Did she dump you?”

I laughed. “I wish it were that simple. I’d go after her if that were the case.”

“Go after her then—if she means that much to you.”

“It’s hopeless. I’d only make it worse.”

“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” Liv said, going over to the mini-fridge and grabbing two sodas. “And let’s try to sober up while you tell it.”

So I told her about how I’d met Kenzie at my birthday, leaving out most of the details, and about how we’d seen each other again on the Fourth of July and Halloween. I also told her about how we’d spent time together over the Thanksgiving weekend.

“Liv, she was—she
is
—all I can think about. Do you know that I haven’t been with another woman since I’ve met her?”

Liv stared at me with her mouth open. “Are you serious? Since your birthday in June?”

“Yeah, there’s just something about her. And then at Christmas, we had time to be alone together again, and something clicked inside me. I realized that I didn’t care as much about my career as I did her. For the first time in my life, I wanted a wife…kids…I don’t know how to explain it, but it scared the shit out of me and excited me at the same time.”

“Okay, so then why the hell are you getting engaged to Tiffany?”

“You know how Kenzie and I went to Paris together?” She nodded. “Well, someone else knew we were there and followed us around taking pictures. Tiffany said she found out about the photos and that she would pull some strings to keep them quiet—in exchange for me marrying her.”

“That bitch!”

“It’s not so bad. I mean, if I can’t be with Kenzie, I might as well be with her. She does have some pretty good connections and will do well with the press. And she did come to me with the pictures.” I indicated an envelope on the table.

“She probably had them taken. God, I knew she was a slut, but she’s a Class A scumbag, too.”

I shook my head. “No, it was probably these two girls I ran into,” I said, holding up a picture. “I pissed them off and they left.”

“If you pissed them off, then who was taking pictures of you right then?”

I’d been drinking, but was sober enough to realize it had been someone else. Who would have anything to gain? Tiffany.

I picked up the phone and called Carter. “Hey, I was thinking, and do you know if anyone knew I was in Paris?”

“Well, your sister knew, and maybe someone at the front desk.” He was quiet for a minute. “Oh, and Tiffany knew. She called the morning you left to see if you wanted a date to the function tonight. I said she’d have to talk to you, and that you’d gone to Paris. She seemed surprised that you had gone there and hadn’t called her.”

I thanked him and hung up. “It
was
Tiffany,” I said to Liv, who had been listening to the conversation. “What a bitch.”

“We already knew that she was a silicone-filled scumbag slut. All we’ve learned is that she’s conniving, too. None of this really matters. What matters is what you’re going to do about it. You need to think it through.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Just simplify it. What is it that you want?
What is it that you
need
?”

“Well,” I said, sitting on the back of the couch. “I want to pursue a career in politics. I want to be President of the United States one day, but I
need
Kenzie. None of it will matter without her.”

“And if you had to give up politics to be with her, would you?”

I thought for a moment. I had a law degree and a shitload of money in the bank. I imagined myself as the President with Tiffany—fake tits and all—on my arm, or working at a law firm with Kenzie as my wife, surrounded by our children. There was no comparison. “Yeah…” I smiled for the first time since that morning. “Yes, I would.”

I felt like a weight had been lifted, but there was still a dark cloud lingering overhead. “It’s not that simple, though. It isn’t just about me—I can’t put Kenzie through this. If I don’t get engaged to Tiffany, the pictures come out. It would be the end of my career, for sure, but it would also ruin Kenzie’s reputation. If it was just my choice,” I laughed, “I know what I’d do now, but I
won’t
make that decision for her.”

“So don’t.”

“Huh?”

“It seems like you’re
already
making a big decision for her. How do you know what she wants? Maybe she’d think it was worth it.”

I felt the hole in me begin to close with just the hope of having her in my life. My mind raced with ideas. “I can’t just call her up and ask her. The last time I talked to her, I crushed her. She probably doesn’t ever want to see me again.”

The hole felt like it grew larger again as that realization sank in.  

“What if I went?” It wasn’t a bad idea, really, but I didn’t know if Kenzie would talk to my sister or if too much damage had already been done. Still, knowing I had nothing to lose, I nodded. “May I?” Liv asked, walking over to the table and picking up the envelope.

I nodded again; she knew everything at that point, anyway. Flipping through them, she pulled photos out occasionally, until she had a small stack.

“So, assuming that after I talk to her she does want to come back with me…what then? Have you thought of that?”

I really hadn’t. I hadn’t allowed myself to hope. If she came back, I didn’t want to hide. I wanted to tell her I loved her and that I wanted to spend every day for the rest of my life with her. As I thought about it, what I wanted became very clear.

I could barely contain myself. “If she comes back with you, I want it all. I have that party tonight and I’m giving a speech. Tell her that I’ll be there…waiting. If she wants me, if she wants
this
, all she has to do is show up and I’ll know.”

Liv smiled wide. “It sounds like a fairy tale.”

“Let’s just hope it ends with ‘…and they lived happily ever after.’”

I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. There would be lots of bumps along the way, but if she was with me, we could handle it all together.

“Okay, we’ve gotta go,” I said.

“We? I thought I was going alone.”

“Yeah,” I added, grabbing my hotel key and heading for the door, “but I need to get to the jewelry store and get a princess ring.”

Liv raised her eyebrows. “A princess ring?”

“Yeah. We were in Paris in a jewelry store, and she and a jeweler were talking about engagement rings. Kenzie said she liked the princess ones.”

“Princess cut. Oh, jeez, Max.
Hurry up! I’m coming with you. God help her…if she says yes and has to put up with
you
for the rest of her life, at least get her a nice ring!”

I wanted to argue that she had to get to the airport, but she was already using her phone to check flights. “Don’t worry, I have time. The only flight she could be
on leaves in two and a half hours. This shouldn’t take that long.”

As we hurried by the front desk, the receptionist called my name. “Excuse me, Senator Joseph. I have a package for you.” She came around and handed me a small box. I knew from the return address exactly what it was.

Tearing the parcel open quickly, I was thrilled to see a card inside with the number to the store in Paris.

“Please still be open…please still be open,” I said as we got into a cab and headed toward a jewelry store.

“Bonjour,” a woman answered. I recognized her voice immediately.

“Uh, Bonjour. I was hoping you could help me. I was in the store yesterday with my girlfriend.” Oh, wow. It was the first time I’d called her that, and it felt wonderful.

“Oui, I remember you. Did you get the charms?”

“Yes, they are perfect,” I said, glancing at the small objects I was holding. “I was calling for a different reason, though. Do you remember the ring my girlfriend described to you?”

“But of course.”

I sighed in relief. “Then could you please describe it to my sister?”

I handed the phone to Liv, who began to speak to the woman in French. After a few minutes—and a few jokes at my expense—she hung up, satisfied she had a good enough description.

“Hope you brought your platinum card. That girl has good taste,” Liv laughed.

I didn’t care. Kenzie could have any ring she wanted. Hell, she could have one for each finger if it made her happy.

My head was still spinning as we pulled up to the jewelry store. Stepping from the car, I held the box of charms tightly. I’d have Liv take them to Kenzie at the airport. I smiled as I thought of one more I wanted to get for her, praying they had it on site. It was still a long shot, but at least I had hope, and that was all I wanted to offer Kenzie. Hope.

Chapter 18

I’d checked my bags and made it through security; all I had left to do was wait to board my flight. I was absentmindedly fidgeting with the charms on my bracelet while I sat there.

“It’s beautiful,” the woman who’d just sat down next to me said.

“Thanks.”

“I have a few more for you.”

I looked up in surprise to find that it was Max’s sister, Olivia. She handed me a small box, and when I lifted the lid, I saw the charms we had picked out in Paris. The birthday cake, American flag, pumpkin and turkey all sparkled in the light. Each one brought a bittersweet memory.

“Thank you,” I said, putting the box into my purse. “Is that really why you came here?”

“No. I want to talk to you about my brother.”

I felt the tears prick at my eyes. She must have found out. Max probably even told her. If she was here to yell at me about the problems I’d caused, I really couldn’t feel any worse than I already did. “I’m sorry,” I started. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble for your family. I’ll just get on the plane and you won’t ever have to see me again.”

“That would be a shame,” Olivia said, shaking her head.

“What would?”

“Never seeing you again. You know, since my brother is in love with you.”

I stared at her with my mouth open. “How do you know?”

“How do I know he’s in love with you? Well, I was pretty sure when we were in the bar and he mentioned your name several dozen times. I was even more convinced when he ran out after you, completely forgetting about me. But I was positive when I saw you two in the hall together. It was written all over both of your faces. Of course, the fact that my brother admitted it helped, too.”

My heart raced, and then I remembered that he’d talked to her days ago. “That was then. It’s different now. I’m not sure when he told you that.”

“An hour ago,” she said with a smile. “Again, he wouldn’t have had to. It only took one look at these photos. Have you seen them?”

I nodded. “Well, three,” I said, referring to the ones Tiffany had shown me.

“So you didn’t see this one?” She handed me a picture of Max and I holding hands while we walked down the street. He was looking at me like I was the most precious thing in the world. In another, we were kissing on the top level of the Eiffel Tower. I sighed and touched my charm. She showed me several more and tears filled my eyes. “So I know he loves you.”

I wiped away the tears that had fallen. “It doesn’t matter. He said so himself. Sometimes love isn’t enough.”

“And sometimes it is.”

“Max seemed to think it was hopeless.” A tear slipped from my eye and trickled down my cheek.

“That is what I'm here for,” she said, taking a small box from her purse. “He asked me to give this to you.”

I opened the box, and inside was a small, silver bead. Engraved in the charm was one word: Hope.

My heart beat furiously at what it might mean.

“Now, I know it won’t be easy. There will be a lot bad publicity. Max’s career might be finished, and you’ll more than likely be raked over the coals by the press.”

“And what does Max say? He was pretty sure this morning.”

“He was upset this morning. He’s had time to get his priorities straight.”

“And?”

“And he asked me to come. He would have come himself, but he didn’t want to put pressure on you. He just wanted to offer you hope and tell you that he’ll be at the party tonight…if you still want him and are willing to go through all that being with him will entail.”

I stared at the charm some more. There was really only one decision, and it was easy; I’d go and meet him at the party. My heart nearly burst with joy until, once again, reality came crashing down on me. Tiffany. Was Max planning to marry her and keep me as a toy on the side? I voiced my concern. “But what about Tiffany?”

“I hate that bitch,” Olivia groaned. “Even if you decide not to come back with me, I swear I will never let that woman marry my brother.”

I smiled at her comment. “But won’t she show the pictures?”

“She might, and I won’t lie—the press is ruthless.”

“Flight 1510 for New York now boarding at gate G-8,” a flight attendant announced over the intercom.

Olivia looked at me expectantly. “Well?”

I’d made my decision. It was time to share my excitement. “I want him. I want to go to him. I know that it’s going to be hell when those pictures are released, but we’ll be together.” I stood up and started walking toward the exit. “Come on Olivia! I can’t wait to see him.”

“It’s Liv, and slow down.” I looked at her quizzically. “Look, he’s my big brother. When I was five and he was seven, he used a permanent marker on my dolls to make “tattoos,” and when I was nine and had a slumber party, he put frogs in some of the girls sleeping bags. When I was fourteen, he showed his friends my first bra.”

It was hard not to laugh, but I somehow kept a straight face. “And then what he did to you? He should have just told silicone girl to fuck off this morning instead of agreeing to her shit. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to make him sweat it out a bit. Besides, I want you to look great for tonight. I have a feeling it’s going to be a night you’ll never forget.”

“Oh no! My luggage…it’s on the plane. They’ll never be able to get it
off.” I hurried up to the counter and spoke quickly to the flight attendant. “I’m not going to be able to make this flight. I need to stay in London another day. Can you get my luggage off the plane?”

She picked up a phone and made a call. I could tell by her frown that it wasn’t going to be good news. “I’m sorry, Ma’am. The plane is already loaded. We can have your luggage sent back here tomorrow.”

Liv walked up behind me. “That’s alright. She will be flying to New York tomorrow, anyway. Can you hold it there?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” She looked at my ticket,
then added, “Or we can just forward it on to San Francisco.”

“That would be lovely,” Liv said and pulled me from the counter.

I turned to look at her in a panic. I was wearing jeans, a grey t-shirt and my chucks. “What am I supposed to wear tonight? It’s formal, right?”

Liv laughed. “Yeah, it’s formal. Now, where could we possibly get clothes to wear in London?” She rolled her eyes sarcastically, making me like her even more. “Come on, Kenzie, this is going to be fun! I only wish you still had his credit card.”