What did I expect? Her to fling open the door and welcome me with open arms?
She was probably ignoring me, as she rightfully should, but she couldn’t keep that up forever. We worked together. She was having our baby.
Sighing defeatedly, I strode back for the elevator, but instead of going up to my apartment, I pressed the button for the lobby. I wasn’t quite ready to sit in the silence of my own miserable company. I would much rather go to the lobby bar and sip my worries away with a glass of bourbon. Or two.
The elevator doors slid open and I couldn’t help but scour the lobby for long, auburn hair. Coming up with nothing, Icontinued walking toward the bar. I took a seat, unbuttoning my pale blue jacket and let out a deep breath. It was the usual bartender working. He gave me a nod before pulling down the top shelf bourbon and pouring it into an etched, glass tumbler. He slid it across the counter.
“Thanks,” I said with a nod.
He simply nodded back before tending to another customer at the end of the bar. Sure, I was practically alone down here too, but at least I had a bartender who knew me well enough to serve me without even ordering.
I took a sip of the amber liquid, letting it sit on my tongue before feeling it run down my throat. I let out a comfortable sigh as I sunk into the leather, wing-backed barstool. Maybe I would try Sadie one more time before the night was through. I wasn’t giving up on her yet. This whole mess could go away. While I hadn’t exactly dealt with anything like this before, I was a businessman. A smart one at that. We could figure this out to where my career wasn’t on the line.
Feeling a ray of hope, I took another sip of bourbon and glanced up at the TV that hung on the blue tiled wall behind the bar. I nearly choked on my drink. The hope I felt extinguished quickly when I saw a familiar face on the screen.
Anderson Bradley.
My blood ran cold at the sight of his black hair, and even blacker eyes.
Despite occasionally hearing his name in the press, I hadn’t actually seen him in years. And for good reason.
I strained my ears to hear what he was saying to the interviewer who was giving him heart eyes. I wasn’t sure if she was going to ask him to marry her or jump his bones on live TV. I tried to ignore the distraction and focus on Anderson’s words.
“I’m very excited about it, Debra. It’s been a long time coming. A passion project.”
I wondered what he could be talking about with that wide grin on his face and that familiar twinkle in his eye that meant he was up to no good. I didn’t have to wonder long before he held up a book in his hands. A book with his face on it, plastered with the same grin he wore now. I barely had time to read the bold-printed white words splashed across the cover before the bartender changed it to tonight’s hockey game.
From the Street to Wall Street.
I quickly slid my phone from my pocket and punched the title of the book into Google, tapping my foot impatiently against the bottom rung of the barstool as I waited for the search results to load. Finally, a list of links and news articles pop up. I tapped the first one and discover that this book is exactly what I dreaded when he held it up. Anderson’s autobiography. The story of his life, from childhood to now, a successful stockbroker.
To anyone else, they would pick this book up thinking it would give them the secrets to success. The motivation theyneed to make it big. To me, contained within its 380 pages, were opportunities to destroy my life and reputation that I was desperate to protect. Already fighting to protect, especially now with this mess with Sadie.
I needed to know what was in that book.
Now.
Chapter 29
Sadie
“What are you going to do now?” asked Gabriella, her voice soft with caution on the other line.
The sounds of evening traffic surrounded me as I walked the blocks surrounding my apartment building, creating a weirdly soothing melody of shuffling feet and honking horns. I didn’t know how long I had been out here. All I knew was that a walk and a talk with my best friend were needed after today.
“I’m not sure,” I said softly, leaning against the glass wall of the apartment building. I placed my hand on my non-existent bump, trying to feel something. Obviously not a kick, but a feeling that this wasreal.That this was happening. The shock hadn’t worn off yet, being that I was pregnantandthat Jeremiah was the father.
I could still see the wordpregnant, as if it were etched into my line of vision, making everything else fade in importance. Alongside it, I could still see that awful sneer on Jeremiah’s face when he found out he was the father. My heart cracked a little more every time I replayed his awful words.
My voice had shook as I recanted everything to Gabriella, not because I was scared she would judge me, but because of the hurt of it all. She was shocked at first. Absolutely shocked. But once she got over her silent stupor, she was excited for the baby, despite its father being an asshole as she had said loudly over the phone. I was surprised passersby couldn’t hear her booming voice.
“You know I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”
“Thanks. I wish you were here.”
“Me too. Did you tell Erica yet?”
“No, you’re the first one I called. I’ll tell her soon.”
