Unstuck (38 page)

“I know but I hate how I feel when I let you walk out on me and walk alone to the pool house,” he shook his head “I should be the one leaving,” he shrugged. “Besides it’s too cold.”

“You can walk me back if that makes you feel any better,” I said while putting my hair up in a pony tail.

“Would you let me?” he asked.

“Of course,” I said and he jumped from the bed and put on his sweatpants a winter jacket and gave another so I wouldn’t freeze to death.

“This is stupid, you know,” he said as we both walked out to the pool house.

“Is that so?” I asked.

“Yes, we could be in bed right now instead of freezing our asses out here,” He seemed annoyed “I know, but this works for us,” I said with my hands inside the jacket.

“Speak for yourself,” he said as we reached the pool house’s door.

“Good night, Patrick,” I said smiling.

“Good night, Pepper,” he said kissing me and then he waited for me to be inside to leave. I went directly to my room and changed into my pjs. After a little while I saw the light of his office on. I couldn’t help it I sat on my bed with my back against the wall and saw him making a phone call. He was on the leather couch in the office and was drinking water. He nodded a lot and gestured a lot with his hands. I smiled, he couldn’t sleep either.

“You really need to go,” I said to him on Saturday morning. He’d bursted into the pool house in some ungodly hour of the morning because he wanted morning sex and we could never had it because we never slept over.

“Go, shower. I’ll wait for you in here,” he said from my bed as I ran around the house getting everything I needed.

“I don’t want Tracy and Regina seeing you in here,” I glared at him and he laughed out loud.

“They won’t. I’m not ready to leave yet,” he said.

“Fine,” I said throwing at him his pants. I showered quickly because I barely had time for anything and went out. There he was looking delicious in my bed, watching T.V; he definitely belonged there.

“You are still here,” I said wrapping the robe tight.

“I am,” he grinned with his eyes glued to the T.V.

“Can’t believe you,” I shook my head.

“Believe me, baby,” I sighed and sat in front of the vanity to apply my makeup.

“You don’t need all that shit, you know?” he said as he watched me while I applied eye liner.

“Maybe I don’t, but I definitely look better,” I shrugged.

“Depends,” he said.

“On what?” I frowned.

“The moment, I guess,”

“The moment,” I turned around to look at him.

“Yes the moment. Early in the morning, just out of the shower, I like you with no makeup on. Dressed for work the makeup makes you look hot,” I laughed and shook my head.

“You notice all that?” I asked going back to the makeup “When it comes to you I notice everything, Lucinda,” THERE. There were a couple of this remarks every time we were together that made me feel like Patrick thought of our arrangement as more than it was.

“At what time will you be back today?” he asked

“I don’t know, sometime after lunch, we are doing the fitting of the dress. That’s a big deal,” I said getting into my jeans and then reaching for a polka dot sweater.

“I can only imagine,” he said rolling his eyes.

“After that I will be home,” I said getting into black riding boots. “Now, for real, you got to go,” I said throwing his t-shirt and gray hoodie at him. Reluctantly, he got out of bed and began dressing while I blow dried my hair.

“Ready then,” I said and we both went down the stairs. He hadn’t bothered to run a brush or comb through his hair but still looked amazing.

“Come back soon,” he said grabbing my waist

“I will,” I said trying to do something with his hair. It was a lost cause.

“Ok,” he kissed me and then opened the door. Much to my surprise, Tracy and Regina were coming towards the door. Patrick stopped, turned to look at me and grinned.  “Morning ladies,” he said as he left the house and Regina was smiling at me; Tracy looked embarrassed and was looking everywhere but at me.

“He came to go over some spreadsheets,” I said going for the “Regina’s party,” binder “At 9 in the morning?” asked Regina closing the door and then sitting in one of the red couches. I was sure my face was the same shade as the couch’s fabric.

“Yeah, he is having a work day and needed the info,” I said trying to open the damn binder on the page chandeliers.

“Ok,” said Regina still smiling. Ugh! I was going to kill Patrick as soon as I was alone with him again. The last thing I wanted was his family knowing that I was sleeping with him. So unprofessional, so irresponsible (we were responsible, by the way, first using condoms and then getting checked so we could get rid of the damn things) so stupid of me. I sighed as I heard Tracy going on and on about the especial purple lights in the chandeliers while I worried myself silly about what Regina would tell her mother and her brothers! I broke into a cold sweat. I was going to kill Patrick. After having crazy sex, of course.

The day was long; Tracy, Regina and me went to check out the layout of some dessert tables that Regina was interested (they weren’t purple enough), we went to check on the cocktails that were going to be served at the party and after that we went to the dress fitting. The dress was amazing and Regina filled it perfectly but there were some minor details that needed to be taken care of. After all that Tracy said goodbye because she had to see another client (poor girl) and I was expecting Regina would do the same.

“What are your lunch plans, Lucy?” she asked as we walked to the limo.

“I don’t have plans, I have to go and check on your brother,” I was sure she wanted to have lunch and I really didn’t want to have a one on one with her because that meant that we would have an awkward moment where she would mention that morning’s incident.

“Good, I’ll go with you I haven’t spent time with him,” She shook her head as we got in the limo “he had been so busy lately,” she eyed me suspiciously.

“Yeah the MBU project takes most of his time,” I nodded while looking at my phone. I had a text from him asking if I was making it to lunch. I replied letting him know that I was, indeed, making it to lunch but that he had a guest. He sent a weird emoji that I couldn’t decipher.

Thankfully, Regina talked a lot about a new guy she was dating and the party so I didn’t have to make up stupid answers to some of her inquiries. I mean, it was pretty suspicious whatever she saw that morning.

Once we got home I went directly to the kitchen and she went to the office to see Patrick.

“Hello Miranda,” I said going into the kitchen and sitting down on the breakfast bar. I opened up my laptop “Regina is staying for lunch,” I said while working on some spreadsheets I was a bit behind on.

“Of course,” Miranda nodded “would you like some lemonade, Lucy,” I looked up and smiled “Yes, please,” I said and she poured some for me. I tried really hard to work on whatever I had in front of me but I was distracted thinking about whatever it was that happened in the morning. We had been careless and it wasn’t working for us, for me.  We needed to be more careful and less obvious, maybe. I mean we weren’t hugging or kissing in public but things like the ones that happened at the pool house couldn’t happen anymore if we knew there’s going to be people around. It would be easier to end the whole thing but truth was I didn’t want to. I had so much fun with Patrick, this kind of arrangement was working for both of us and I didn’t want to give it up. We just had to be careful.

I heard voices and ran to check if the table was set for lunch.

“You’ll have to ask her,” said Patrick when he saw me and Regina smiled. Wide. I knew she was going to ask for something that I wasn’t going to like.

“Lunch?” I asked as they both sat down and nodded. I was about to go to the kitchen but Regina asked me to sit down for a bit.

“I need to ask you something,” Regina said and I sat wondering what on earth was she up to.

“So,” she began placing the napkin on her lap.

“As you know, I’ve been dating this guy,” she smiled. Yes, I knew, she talked about it during our ride home. I just nodded.

“And I asked Patrick if you guys could come and meet him,” she smiled wider.

“Why me?” I asked confused, she looked even more confused.

“Because I care about your opinion,” she said.

“When are we meeting him? Is he coming here?” I asked super confused. Patrick and I weren’t a couple. Oh!!! She thought we were that’s why she was asking.

“Today. In a Gala,” she said whispering. Every thought about her thinking of us in couple terms flew out the window.

“What?” I asked. Maybe I misheard her.

“A Gala,” she smiled.

“Oh! Hell no, Regina,” I said getting up and going to the kitchen as I heard Patrick laughed “She really hates galas,” said Patrick still laughing.

I let Miranda know that they were ready for lunch and went back and sat down as Miranda set down their crab salads.

“Where’s your food?” asked Patrick with a frown. I’d decided that I was going to eat in the kitchen with Miranda to stop being obvious about the kind of thing me and Patrick had going (I refused to call it a relationship, even if it was, a friendship is a relationship).

“I’m eating with Miranda and Sarah,” I said really quick and looking back at Regina “A gala, tonight?” I asked and she nodded “Is it themed?” I was hoping it was so I wouldn’t be able to find and outfit but she shook her head “So that’s why you are asking me to go? Because you know that your brother won’t go to a gala by himself?” I asked making sure we didn’t have a relationship

“Ok, yes,” She nodded. What was with the Ok??? Was I overanalyzing? “Fine,” I sighed and she clapped and smiled. I was about to get up and get to the kitchen when Patrick grabbed my hand “Miranda,” he called for her. I immediately took my hand from under his hand. Miranda appeared looking worried “Bring Lucinda’s food, please. She’s been childish,” he said glaring at me.

“Yes, Lucy, you are family,” said Regina smiling at me as Miranda placed the salad in front of me. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

“So, this boyfriend of yours?” said Patrick eating the salad. “He’s going to be at the gala because of his parents, brothers, grandparents?” he asked. Regina shook her head.

“Just for fun? Who goes to galas just for fun?” he asked looking at me and I just shook my head.

“It beats me,” I managed.

“No, it’s for his Leukemia foundation,” she chewed looking down at her plate. Something was off. She didn’t look like this when she told me about the guy.

“Impressive, so involved at his age,” said Patrick talking like a parent while he gave a sip of white wine. Regina just nodded. Something was off, very off. Patrick frowned noticing.

“How old is he, Regina?” he asked and her eyes were wide as the plate where our salad was served. “How old is he, Regina?” he asked again. Crap! He was older, much older. This was bad.

“28,” she finally said.

“What?” said Patrick getting up from the chair and I got to grab his hand to calm him down.

“Calm down, Patrick,” I said as Regina looked at me with pleading eyes.

“How can I be calm, Lucinda? She is dating a guy 10 years older than her!” he was red, very red.

“I know but maybe you should listen to what she has to say,” I said using my calm voice. The one I used on him when he was stuck or when deals weren’t going as he planned.

“Do you have anything to say?” he asked looking at Regina “First, he is not my boyfriend, we have been on a couple of dates,” she said and before Patrick could say anything else she continued “but I really like him Patrick,” she did, I could tell.

“Of course you do. He is a fucking 28 year old dude,” Patrick tried to take a few deep breaths.

“I like him and I want you to like him too,” she said.

“Do mom and dad know?” he asked and Regina shook her head. Patrick ran his hands through his hair. “Why haven’t you two showed up in tabloids?” I had no idea what he had in mind but it wasn’t anything good because he was about to spit fire.

“We’ve hid it. There are ways to have a date without going out,” she said blushing “Are you sleeping with him, Regina?”

“Patrick,” I finally raised a bit my voice. He looked at me and calm a bit.

“You want me to meet him today so I can help you with mom and dad,” he didn’t ask. He knew.

“Please,” she said holding his hand “They will listen to you. You’ll see he is a good guy, Patrick,” she was pleading. That was new. Regina Maynard pleading.

“I’ll go,” he said “We’ll go,” he said looking at me and I nodded. I had to be there to prevent murder “but I won’t lie to mom and dad; if I don’t like him I’ll say just that,” he said and Regina nodded.

“Thank you, really, thank you, Patrick. This means a lot,” she said jumping from her seat and hugging him.

“I just want the best for you, Gina,” he said stroking her hair.

“I know, but he really is the best,” she pulled back and smiled at him “We’ll see about that,” he said sighing.