Page 25 of Impossible Bachelor (Bachelor Tower 2)
“Have you ever wanted to do it differently?”
“I’ve never given it much thought. It’s been relatively easy to find buyers for my developments.”
“Because they are amazing.” She lights with pride as she talks about my skills. “You’ve been on the cutting edge of countless creations in the last five years. Corporations must clamor to throw money at you when they know you’ve got something new.”
“My phone starts ringing, that’s for sure.”
“You could do an amazing launch of your own products from creation right through distribution. I can pitch in if you wanted me to.”
“That would be great,” I say, considering what a partnership between the two of us might look like. That’s what Kylie brings to my life that I’ve never found before. She challenges what has always been done in pursuit of what could done be better. Her hurricane-force perseverance is contagious. And her body in those jeans is sexy as hell. The whole package.
“Thai food?” she asks, waving the menu at me and smiling. “I promise this time I won’t say I want something small and then eat all your food. I really only want some noodles. I swear.”
“But I should probably get the curried coconut chicken I love?”
“And you do like the pork in peanut sauce too.” She smiles and nibbles her lip with a flicker of mischief in her eyes.
“But just noodles for you?”
“That’s all.”
“You are so lucky you’re cute.” I tap her nose with my finger.
“Oh you better get yourself the vegetables with the jasmine rice too. Just so you have enough. You don’t want to go to bed hungry.”
“And just the noodles for you?”
She nods and makes a little cross over her heart.
“You’re hopeless. But I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Kylie
Luther Green is different. Better at covering his tracks than most of the other tenants in Bachelor Tower. It’s not impossible to take him down, but it’s requiring a hell of a lot of digging.
One lead has nagging at me for a few days, but I’ve been too cautions to move forward with it. My contact in the building said he’s still getting the information together for me and I should wait. Waiting is my worst nightmare.
Inaction allows a threat to grow. I’m more certain than ever this is the guy who is trying to make life at work miserable for Dalton. Every deal he disrupts is less security for Penny’s future. I won’t have that. I’ve pressed Penny a couple more times, but she won’t tell me anything more, only that it’s wearing on Dalton.
I check my watch and remember how close we are to doomsday. Another hour before dinner at Penny’s with my mother. I gave Ben every opportunity to back out, but apparently, judging by his affection for me, he’s a glutton for punishment.
Closing my laptop and realizing there’s no last-minute escape hatch to slip through, I get ready for dinner. I slip into a dress when I should be looking for a shield and some armor. It’s essential to protect myself from the constant swipes my mother takes. She means well, or so I remind myself as often as is necessary to keep from swiping back.
I need to arrive at Penny’s early. She’ll be nervous, and as much as my mother wants me there for a buffer, I know Penny needs me more.
“Where’s Ben?” Penny yanks me inside and looks down the hallway expectantly.
“He’s coming closer to dinner time. I figured I’d see if you need any help.”
“But he is coming? I set a plate for him.”
Dalton rounds the corner and takes Penny gently by the elbow. “You need to relax. This is just dinner with your mom not the Queen’s coronation. It’s going to be fine.”
Penny looks at me and sighs. “I hope so.”
“I agree with Dalton.” I lie for her sake. “You’re no longer some little kid who doesn’t want to learn about business acquisitions. Let her get to know who you’ve become. She might surprise you.”
“Right,” Dalton agrees. “Exactly. Be the woman I love because she’s fucking amazing.”
Penny smiles.
I give Dalton credit. He says all the right things. Will the confidence he gives Penny stand up against our mother’s particular version of tough love and high standards?
“What can I help with?” Looking around the apartment, I see most everything is already done. The table is beautifully set. The food smells amazing.
“We need a code word,” Penny blurts out. “Kylie, if I need you to get me out of here, I’m going to say White Desert Rose.”
“Wait . . . why does she get to escape with you?” Dalton asks, looking concerned. “Does that mean Ben and I are left here with your mother?”
Penny scrunches up her face as though she’s giving this some serious thought. “You can come up with your own code for you and Ben.”
I chuckle and put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not going to say White Desert Rose to get me to take you out of here.”
Dalton nods, looking relieved. “Thank you.”
I lean in and whisper, “That’s too long and too hard to work into the conversation. Let’s say baked chicken.”
“I heard that.” Dalton looks ready to demand his own code word when Ben knocks and lets himself in.
“Heard what?” he asks, looking at each of us. I know he’s been fighting off the worry that something is going on with me. The day he came up to my apartment I acted like an idiot. But he’d caught me off guard. My apartment is ground zero for the behind the scenes work I’m doing to knock out these bastards causing trouble in the Tower.
Dalton steps forward and anxiously explains. “They have a code word to get out of here if things get messy. I don’t like it.”
“Is it really going to be that bad?” Ben asks, tucking his hands causally into his pockets. “She’s a tough lady, I get that, but we’re four adults in healthy relationships. I think we can handle it.”
We all nod our heads, but it’s clear we’re less than convinced. Dalton grabs a beer for Ben and hands it over. “Our code words are let’s get the hell out of here.”
“No beer.” Penny swoops in and switches the glass bottle for a crystal c
hampagne flute filled with our mother’s favorite bubbly.
“Why?” Dalton asks, looking disappointed at his new drink.
I look at Penny and crack a smile, impersonating my mother’s voice as I explain. “Beer is for former frat boys and football fans.”
“I’m literally both of those,” Ben says, making a weak attempt to get his beer back.
The firm knock on the door has us all going silent and still as statues. There’s a moment that passes among us. An unspoken question. If we’re really quiet, will she go away?
The second, more important knock sends us all into motion.
“Coming.” Penny takes one last look around the apartment, shoves the beers in my arms to get rid of, and heads for the door.
I pour the beers down the sink and shove the bottles to the bottom of the recycling bin. I’m a grown woman. I run a Fortune 500 company. I have a coveted apartment and drive an expensive sports car. Yet I’m hiding beers from my mother like I’m a teenager who’s been left home for the weekend.
“Something smells delicious.” My mother is in a navy blue skirt and perfectly tailored jacket over a pinstriped blouse. Her neck glitters with gold and her nail polish is a muted natural pink. There is nothing about our mother that isn’t calculated and well thought out. From lipstick shade to the height of her heels, there is a meaning or a reason for everything.
“Thanks for coming, Mom. This is Dalton.” Penny presents him to our mother. She looks as nervous as I am for her. I know how much this means to Penny, but I don’t know how to help her bridge the gap between who she is and who our mother wants her to be.
“It’s nice to meet you. Should I call you Mrs. Fuller?” Dalton extends a hand, and my mother shakes it firmly.
“Elizabeth will do. The apartment is charming. Though I can see you let my daughter decorate some.” She gestures to some of Penny’s prized possessions that decorate the built-in bookshelves. It’s a hodgepodge of trinkets but ones she cares deeply about.
“She’s given character to the place.” Dalton puts a protective arm over Penny’s shoulder and squeezes her.
