Sweet Obsession (Men of Whiskey Row Book 1) (43 page)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Four Months Later…

A knock on the door caused Noelle to look up from the spreadsheet she was examining. Avery stood in the doorway of her office with a binder clasped to her chest.

“Our eleven a.m. interview is here. You ready?” she asked as she munched on a carrot stick, and stepped further into the office. Noelle leaned back in her chair and smiled back at her, happy at the changes her friend was making that seemed to bring her inner peace.

In the past couple of months, Avery had lost fifteen pounds and was feeling great about it. Oh, she’d always have boobs, behind, and hips, but now she wasn’t so self-conscious about them. She seemed to have embraced it wholeheartedly, a fact that seemed to drive her fiancée Pierce crazy as he tried in vain to keep her covered up and on lockdown. Much to his dismay, Avery wasn’t trying to hear anything he was saying.

“Actually you go ahead; I trust your judgment. I’m going to finish reviewing our budget spreadsheets before heading out to lunch with Uncle Ian. Do you want to join us? If so, I can wait,” Noelle suggested as she pushed her black, framed glasses on top of her head.

“Nah, go ahead. Tell him I said hi. We can review my notes when you get back. Don’t forget we have that Skype meeting with Cinnamon Farms at 4 p.m., and I can’t wait. Honey, have you ever had a conversation with Farmer Hayes?” Avery asked, pretending to fan herself. “Good lawd, that man’s voice is sinfully wet-panty inducing! Toodles!” she waved as she left the doorway then popped back in. “Not to dampen your day, but the usual envelope came for you today as well.”

Noelle refused to look up from her computer screen. “Put it in the outgoing mail with the usual return to sender label please and thank you,” she replied politely even though she was screaming on the inside. She could feel Avery staring at her but refused to look up from the papers in front of her. Avery spoke in a soft voice, “Noelle…honey it’s been-

“Please don’t, Avery. Just...don’t,” Noelle spoke firmly, letting her friend know the conversation was over. Avery left the room without saying another word.

When she was sure the coast was clear, Noelle quickly got up and walked to the bathroom. Quietly she shut the door and observed herself in the mirror. Her face was thinner, making her large eyes and full mouth more prominent. The look that she dubbed ‘Traumatized by Love’ was garnering a lot of attention from the media. At first, she was known as Jack Sullivan’s love interest. Then she was known as the woman who dumped Jack Sullivan on his ass, causing him to become a recluse. Ian confirmed to her that Jack was the one who leaked this story to the media to make it work in her favor.
How thoughtful of him. Bastard. 

Now she was known as an “IT” girl and successful business owner. She and Avery were in high demand to plan the hottest events in town and constantly photographed for daily fashion and gossip columns.
On a Whim
was so successful, that they were finally able to purchase a loft in Brooklyn where they hired a full staff of caterers and florists. All of the blessings should have made her feel happy and carefree; but they didn’t, and she wasn’t.

Jack had left her. He’d said he loved her and spent the entire night worshipping her body, making her do and say things that still made her blush. And then the next morning he was gone. She called his cell repeatedly, only to be turned over to voicemail. By noon he still wasn’t back so she called his office. Margo said that he was in when she got there but left before noon. Noelle stayed in her apartment all day, staring out the window and waiting for him to reach out to her.

She didn’t bathe because she didn’t want to wash the scent or feel of him away. She lay in bed, breathing in the smell of him as the tears rolled down her cheeks, crying into the pillow. The next day there was a knock on the door, and she opened it, knowing she looked a fright, to accept the envelope from Sullivan and Associates in D.C. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she opened it and read its contents. The first page was a letter stating that Jack Sullivan was requesting that she divorce him on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. He would pay all her legal fees and a generous alimony for the next ten years. Noelle balked at the sum of seven thousand dollars a month. They’d barely been married a month!

The next few pages were divorce papers drawn up by Casey. All she had to do was sign them. Noelle tore the papers up and called for a courier service, sending the shredded pieces of paper back to Casey and got back in bed. Her world had just ended. Jack didn’t want her anymore and was now trying to buy her off to ease his guilty conscience. It was just as she’d thought. She’d been nothing but an expensive piece of ass to him. That first week was the hardest and, she refused to do anything but lie in bed, go to the bathroom, and call his phone. Then Avery came. She banged on the door and wouldn’t stop until Noelle threw the door open and yelled “WHAT?!?!”

Avery leaned back with a frown and covered her nose as she directed Noelle back into her house. Once inside, she led her down the hallway to the bathroom. Noelle scowled as she watched Avery squirt an obscenely generous amount of toothpaste on her toothbrush and handed it to her. Brushing her teeth, she watched in the mirror as her friend calmly drew her a bubble bath, then got her fresh clothing and waited expectantly by the tub. Noelle reluctantly took off her clothes and sank into the warm, fragrant bath surrounded by bubbles. Tears filled her eyes as Avery took her hair out of its ratty bun and gently began to comb through it, before washing and conditioning it.

“How did you know?” Noelle asked quietly and Avery knew she really meant: How did you know that I was dying? That my heart was gone?

“Darby,” she said gently, and Noelle started to cry in earnest. Once she started, she couldn’t stop; and by the time Avery dragged her from the water, it was ice cold. Noelle insisted on drying herself and when she came out of the bathroom, Avery had a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup waiting for her. She greedily ate the food, not realizing how hungry she was until Avery set a second sandwich in front of her, and she devoured it too. Soon she was sleepy. Avery tucked her into the fresh sheets and lay on the other side of the bed, flipping through magazines as she slept.

Avery had Pierce bring her clothes over; and she stayed until Noelle was initiating conversation and eating three meals a day. She was worried about her friend’s condition and kept Sidra posted as she was away on the tour but checked in daily. When Sidra confessed to Avery that she’d emailed Jack a very threatening message and would need a solid alibi should something happen to him, she was very surprised that instead of lecturing her on restraint, Avery didn’t try to talk her out of it. She simply said, “Make it hurt twice as much as you originally planned,” then went back to caring for Noelle.

Three weeks later when Noelle asked what their next project would be, Avery knew she was going to be okay. By then the second package arrived from Sullivan and Associates, and Noelle forgot about being heartbroken and moved into Phase2: State of Fury, where she had since taken up permanent residence.

Noelle opened the envelope and read its contents before sending for the courier service again. If Jack wanted a divorce so badly, he would need to be the one to file. Fuck him. She was done letting him pull her strings, so she threw herself into her business wholeheartedly. With a loan from Ian, she paid off Rothman Investments and took their business to another bank. Business was doing so great; they were able to pay Ian back in two months. On a Whim was in the black and booked solid for the next six months.

No one had seen Jack in months.  Noelle’s mother was on a mission to sue him for negligence and job abandonment, since he turned his clientele over to Ian who was merciless on Alicia. When Noelle spoke to Darby, he said Jack was in Whiskey Row, but he hadn’t actually SEEN him, whatever the fuck that meant. The envelope came every week like clockwork; and every week she sent it back because deep down, she knew she still loved him and always would. There was no one else for her because his sorry behind was what her traitorous heart wanted more than anything.

A month later, she discovered that there was someone else for her, and that someone would be coming in less than eight months. Noelle was shocked as hell when she went to her doctor’s office to see what could be done about her constant state of exhaustion. After running a few tests, her family doctor said, “At this time I’m going to prescribe plenty of rest, healthy foods to keep your iron up, along with some pills. Prenatal pills. Congratulations, my dear. You’re pregnant.”

She’d reminded him of doctor-patient confidentiality, lest he spill the beans to her parents; and for the next week, Noelle walked along in a daze as she tried to get used to the reality of being pregnant. Immediately she wanted to call Jack and tell him the news, but her pride wouldn’t let her. He left HER, not the other way around. So she kept the news to herself, not even Sidra and Avery knew yet. When the nausea kicked in, she tried to work from home as much as possible without alerting Avery, but her overly concerned friend feared that she was becoming suicidal; so Noelle had to drag herself to the office and fake the funk.

Glassy eyes stared back at her from the mirror as she struggled not to cry. Some days were good, and some were bad. Envelope Day was always a bad day, but the pain had receded slightly due to her little secret. Breathing deeply through her nose, she counted backwards from one hundred until she felt calm again. She then splashed cool water on her face, before looking up at the sign above the mirror.
Make today your bitch!

It always made her smile, and it was a goal she strived to accomplish daily. After making sure the door was locked again, Noelle pushed her flowing, Kelly green kimono to the side and lifted up her white dress shirt to peer at her small bump covered by her maternity skinny jeans.

“Hi, baby. How’s Mommy’s angel?” Noelle whispered lovingly to her belly as she caressed the bump gently. She was rewarded with flutters in her belly for her efforts.
Jack had better come around soon,
she thought achingly, or he was going to miss all the really good parts.

Noelle straightened her clothes and pulled her huge gemstone necklace into place. The trick to hiding her baby bump was to have people focus on a statement piece from her wardrobe. Today’s piece was a large, gold link necklace with turquoise and lime green stones set in a triangle shaped middle. It was bold and paired with a bright orangey-red lip gloss; the look was stunning and effective, keeping all eyes above her chest.

Noelle missed Jack so much, his smile, his laugh, and the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her; the way they could just talk about anything. Late at night she missed the heat of his body moving inside of her, and the warmth of just snuggling. When she felt the baby move for the first time, she’d cried all day, wishing Jack could be there to feel it too. Something had to give, because although she displayed a cool, calm, and collected demeanor on the outside; on the inside some days, it still felt like she was barely holding on. A knock on the bathroom door startled her. “Just a minute!” She called out, hastily checking her appearance one last time.

“Ian’s here and…ummm… so is your mother!” Avery said with strained false cheer before hurrying away. In the distance Noelle heard an office door slam shut and knew that Avery had locked herself in the safety of her office, away from Alicia Kramer’s acidic tongue. Noelle also knew she would not emerge until the coast was clear.

She groaned. Perfect. Abso-fucking-lutely perfect.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Darby’s Harley Davidson roared down the long, twisting road. Normally he loved the freedom of being on his bike, especially on a cloud filled day like this, but not today. Today was the day that he and Casey planned to stage an intervention on their normally easy- going and unflappable older brother. He was a right fucking mess and had been since he’d shown up four months ago. The only time he left the house was when he ran out of liquor, according to Mort who owned the Wishing Well, the local liquor store. He pulled up to Jack’s house and saw Casey sitting in his BMW, clearly waiting for him. When he saw Darby, he got out with an envelope in his hand, and nodded at him in greeting. “Mornin’. You ready to do this?”

Darby yanked his helmet off and shrugged. “I guess. He ain’t returning Viv’s or Ian’s calls. Last week he made Kat cry, and I had to restrain Lex
and
Holt from coming up here to kick his ass. It’s time for him to join the real world again. No more of this hiding bullshit.”

Casey frowned. “Why would Holt want to kick his ass? Lex I can see, but Holt?”