Annihilate Me (Vol. 1) (The Annihilate Me Series) Read online

  “Do you think she’d mind?”

  “Lisa loves her food, so it’s anyone’s guess.”

  “What does she do?”

  “She writes about zombies.”

  “She writes about what?”

  “Zombies. The undead. She’s a novelist and she’s all about post-apocalyptic worlds and post-mortem flesh. She’s very good. Her first and only book so far, was a best seller. She is finishing her new book now. I’m going to proof it soon. I’m beyond proud of her.”

  “I don’t think I could read about zombies.”

  “She gives them a heart, even if it doesn’t beat.”

  He smiled at me, and I could feel myself slipping away. “Well, whatever you can do about the free dinner thing....”

  “I think I can fit you in.”

  Later, when we were eating one of the best burgers I’d had in a while, I asked him about his own work, and if he was able to move forward the way he wanted to.

  “Did Blackwell find someone else for you?”

  “No one replaces you,” he said. “So I haven’t done so, and I won’t be doing so. But I’m managing. At least Immaculata isn’t talking to me anymore. That’s a bonus.”

  “I told Blackwell that she should hire her for you.”

  “I know you did, but that isn’t happening.”

  “She was scary.”

  “There’s a reason I hired you. I just didn’t know what I was walking into. I’m sorry I behaved the way I did, Jennifer.”

  I deflected his apology. “How’s your burger?”

  “Perfect. Yours?”

  “I think the cow just touched the stove, so it’s perfect. How about your fries?”

  “Excellent. Though for some reason—probably because the chef got a look at you—you got more than I did.”

  “It’s all about portion control,” I said, pushing my dish toward him. “But here. I can’t eat all of this. Dip into my French fry heaven and eat yourself into oblivion.” I immediately blushed. “That sounded dirty.”

  He winked at me. “I know it did.”

  “But that’s not what I meant.”

  “Something subliminal came over you.”

  “No, it didn’t.”

  “If a bookstore was open right now, I’d buy you something by Freud and encourage you to question what that really meant.”

  “I’ve read Freud.”

  He snatched one of my fries and popped it into his mouth. “Then you know what I’m talking about.”

  * * *

  When he took me home, I saw him look up at my building, and then I saw the concern on his face when he turned back to me.

  “Are you safe here?”

  “I’m safe. And we won’t be here much longer. We’re already looking for a new space. This is what we could afford when we got here.”

  “Where’s your apartment?”

  “Fourth floor.”

  “That’s got to be hot.”

  “We just bought an air conditioner, so it’s fine now. Before that, my hair had been a hot mess for most of the summer, so you’re right. It’s been steamy in all the wrong ways. But we Mainers are tough. Even when it comes to that, uh, particular building.”

  “Jennifer—”

  “It’s fine. Lisa and I each have each other’s backs, and we’re not stupid. We look out for each other. We are nothing if not protective of each other.”

  “How soon before you move?”

  “As soon as we find the right space.”

  “Let me know if I can help.”

  “I’ll do that.” I put my hand on his knee. “I guess this is it.”

  “For tonight.”

  “For tonight.”

  “Thank you for listening to me.”

  I leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. His arms wrapped around me and he pulled me in tight. Somehow, somewhere during the night, with all of its trappings, we got to this point. How did that happen so quickly? How did we get here? Is this how a relationship starts? With a rush? With this intense need to not part? I’d never been involved in anything like this, so I didn’t know. He kissed me harder, and I knew even less.

  His voice was low when he said, “I wish you were coming home with me.”

  “That would be a little fast.”

  “Still.”

  “Still,” I repeated. “This girl is careful. You’ve probably seen that.”

  “I probably have.”

  “Thank you for coming tonight, Alex. I’d written you off. This wasn’t easy for me. But I’m glad it happened.”

  “All I wanted was for you to hear me out. What happened before will never happen again.”

  Would it? I wasn’t sure. But right now this felt good, and I needed to savor it instead of questioning it, which is what I always did with men.

  “The burger was beyond,” I said. “I hope you liked my French fries.”

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  “Do you look for innuendoes in everything?”

  “When they’re that obvious? Yes, I do.”

  “You seriously need to get some sleep,” I said, kissing him again. And again. And maybe once again. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “How soon?”

  “I’ll let you be the judge of that.” With a final kiss that tore through me because he intentionally pressed his tongue against mine, I stepped out of the limo, hurried across the street, pushed my key into the lock, and stepped inside the building, where I knew Lisa would be up and lying in wait.

  What the hell was she going to say to me now?

  CHAPTER TW

  ENTY-SEVEN

  When I walked into the apartment, Lisa was there. Her faithful Kindle was in her hands, and a cold martini made with the good vodka we now could afford was on the table next to her. She lowered her Kindle onto her lap as I moved into the kitchen. I pulled my cell out of my pocket and put it on the counter. Then I saw that she was looking straight at me. Just as I knew she would be.

  “Well, well,” she said.

  “You were right.”

  “Do tell.”

  I sat on the sofa and told her about the entire night. I told her about meeting him unexpectedly at db Bistro, about him pouring out his heart to me, about his wife’s death, about our late dinner, and all the kissing that happened in between.

  “You’re in deep now, girl.”

  “I know I am.”

  “But I warned you this was coming.”

  “You were in my head all night.”

  “I also told you that, at some point in your life, you needed to put your trust in someone, even if they had hurt you once. It happens. But sometimes—if your gut tells you it’s the right thing to do—you need to forgive because relationships, sometimes even in their infancy, are difficult. How was he tonight?”

  “He kept apologizing. Finally, I needed to stop him. It was genuine. You and I can smell bullshit a farm away.”

  “Nicely said. I might use that.”

  “Please do. It’s the least I can do.”

  She sipped her martini.

  “Not every man is your father, Jennifer.”

  “Intellectually, I know that. Emotionally, I’ve got a lot of work to do when it comes to accepting that.”

  “When will you see him again?”

  “I left that up to him.”

  “So, it will be tomorrow, then?”

  “It’s my day off. Anything could happen. Do you think I made the right decision?”

  “I know you. You wouldn’t have done this if you didn’t think it was the right choice. He must be something special if he can break through your walls.”

  “If this progresses, I’m going to have to tell him at some point.”

  “About what?”

  “You know what.”

  “That’s not going to be easy for you.”

  “It’s not.”

  “When and if the time is right, you’ll know.”

  “And then there’s that other elephant in
the room.”

  “Oh, yeah. That. That’s probably going to come up sooner rather than later if this is going where I think it is.”

  “I’m going to look like an idiot.”

  “Really? Because he’s not going to think that way at all. He’s going to look at you like you’re his new student.”

  In the kitchen, my cell buzzed.

  “Prince Charming,” Lisa said. “I’m assuming you’re going to answer this time?”

  “That was a text. Hold on.”

  I went over and read it aloud. “If you’re free at all this week, would you consider being my date one night? I have events I need to go to all week. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get away and see you. Let me know, OK? Maybe tomorrow night? I think you’d especially enjoy tomorrow night. And I don’t think I can wait until mid-week. Tonight was wonderful. —Alex.”

  “A date,” Lisa said. “That sounds nice.”

  “Not that I have anything to wear. I can’t afford the sort of dress I’d need to wear at one of those events. There’s nothing I can do about that.”

  “So, tell him the truth. You can’t afford it, but you’re off tomorrow night, so you can meet him afterwards for a drink somewhere.”

  “That’s not bad.”

  “Shoot him a text.”

  I started texting, and when I finished, I read it to Lisa. “Alex, I need to partially decline—I can’t afford a dress, shoes, and everything else for any sort of event. At least not yet, though hopefully soon. But I’d love to meet you for a cocktail afterward. Let me know. I also enjoyed tonight. —Jennifer.”

  “Not bad,” Lisa said.

  “I’m about to hit ‘send.’ Anything else?”

  “He’s waiting by his phone. Let’s see what he says.”

  I sent the message, and went to the freezer for ice to make my own martini. I needed one. I grabbed a glass from the cupboard, made the drink, shook it with some ice, and poured it straight up to the rim. No olives. I wanted the extra space for the vodka. “Whoever came up with the martini is in the arms of heaven.”

  “And likely being cradled.”

  As I sipped, my cell buzzed.

  “This will be interesting,” Lisa said.

  I read the message to myself before reading it aloud to her. “I understand. If you’d like, I can have Blackwell pick you up at 10 a.m. This will be fun. I hope you say yes. I already miss you. XO—Alex.”

  “He’s throwing out a lifeline,” Lisa said.

  “I can’t have him buying things for me. I’m not in his employ. This is verging on a relationship. He needs to take me as I am, or not take me at all.”

  “Are you serious?” she asked.

  “I am.”

  “Oh, please,” she said. “Look. Jennifer. Sweetie. Just listen to me for a moment, OK? Grab my laptop for me. I want to show you something I came upon earlier.”

  I gave it to her.

  She opened it, did some typing, and said, “Come here. You need to see this.”

  I went around her and looked over her shoulder. What I saw was a photograph of Alex. I couldn’t read much at this distance because the text was so small, but I did see that the site was Forbes.

  “I did some research a few days ago. You know, just to see who this guy was. I Googled him. This came up first. I clicked on the article. I got the full picture. I assume after seeing the headline, you also do.”

  “I can’t read all of the text. It’s too small from here.”

  “He’s worth about three billion dollars. To be precise, just a shade under. That’s the legacy he inherited when his parents died. But props to him because it says here that since their deaths when he took control of Wenn, he’s managed to lift his net worth by a half billion. I wouldn’t worry about him having Blackwell buy you a dress. Or a pretty necklace. It seriously means nothing to him.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I feel uncomfortable having him do that for me. We can meet for drinks later. That should be fine.”

  “Really? And how long do you think that will last? Because I have to tell you, Jennifer, that if, at some point, you really do become serious about this guy, you’re going to have to let some of your stubborn Maine pride go. He’s high profile. That’s what you’re getting into. If you become his girlfriend, which is about to happen as far as I’m concerned, this is a natural extension of what that role means. If you’re not comfortable with that, cut loose now, because there will be more ‘dates’ like this in the future. And I really think he means dating in the traditional sense. He wants to be with you. Hell, he’s trying to find every way he can to be with you. If you want to explore a relationship with him, then you’re going to need to meet him halfway.”

  I took a breath and looked down at my cell. I already miss you was on the screen. And I already miss you, I thought. I looked at Lisa. “You know this isn’t easy for people like us.”

  “I get it. But I also know that you’re going to have to bend a bit.”

  “All right.” I typed out a text. “Here’s what I wrote. ‘Sounds good. I’ll see her at ten. And I can’t wait to see you. —Jennifer’”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  “When we meet tomorrow night—”

  “You sure as hell don’t say, ‘I’ll return everything tomorrow.’ You say, ‘Thank you for the dress, Alex. I love it.’ And then you plant a kiss on his lips. You make him feel happy and you get on with the night. And, please, enjoy the night. Have fun with him. You work the rest of the week, so you might not be able to see each other again until you have a day off. Make the most of tomorrow.”

  My cell buzzed. I looked down at his text. “I know that wasn’t easy for you, Jennifer, but I’m happy that you agreed. Just remember that you’re taking me out to dinner soon and I have a big appetite. So we’re even. See you at eight. Blackwell will fill you in on everything tomorrow. XO—Alex.”

  When I read it to Lisa, she held up her hand. “Wait a minute. He’s going to take some of my food time?”

  “We all need to bend a bit....”

  “I’m only joking. And I actually love what he just wrote. He gets it. And he’s being sensitive about the situation. You can’t ask for better than that. You are giving to him what you can, and he’s giving to you what he can. It truly is equal.” She reached for her martini and held it up toward me. “Cheers, Jennifer. Now, go and get your beauty sleep. The darkness that is Blackwell arrives at ten.”

  CHAPTER TWEN

  TY-EIGHT

  And Blackwell did arrive at ten. Exactly at ten. The buzzer rang, Lisa gave me a peck on the cheek, and out the door I went, wondering exactly how this would go down after our last meeting.

  Walking into the stairwell was like walking into a wall of moisture after being in the coolness of the apartment. But I had anticipated the heat and the humidity, and had worn my hair in a simple, chic ponytail that hung down my back. I wore a pair of white Melissa Pants by Akris, and a light-blue sleeveless silk degradé blouse also by Akris. I scored them all at Century 21 during my buying spree after I landed the job at db Bistro, and I got them at a fraction of what I would have paid elsewhere. A pair of nude Jimmy Choo Crown Peep-Toe platform pumps, also purchased during the spree, completed the look.

  When I opened the door, Blackwell was standing just beyond it in a light, elegant suit perfect for the day’s weather. She immediately assessed what I was wearing. “Very pretty, Jennifer. Love the shoes, love the hair, love the pants.”

  “What about the blouse?” I asked with a smile.

  “Love it.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m happy to see you again.”

  “I’m sorry I was difficult last time.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. Alex and I have talked over the past week, and I think I have a clearer idea of what happened that night. I’m glad you gave him a second chance. That probably wasn’t easy to do given what happened.”

  I wasn’t going to share anything personal with he
r, so I didn’t engage her.

  She motioned to the limousine behind her. “Shall we? I skipped the donuts this time, but I did buy us each a coffee at Starbucks. They might have a bit of espresso in them. OK, they probably have a lot.”

  “I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  We started to walk to the car. The driver got out, and held open the rear door for us.

  “Alex said that you’d fill me in on where we’re going tonight.”

  “Big event at the Museum of Natural History. And it’s a fun event, which is why he wanted you to come. Have you ever been there before?”

  “I haven’t.”

  “You’ll love it. Dramatic doesn’t even begin to explain what you’ll see tonight. The lighting alone. God! Not to mention the whale in Milstein Hall, which is where you’ll have dinner with about five hundred other lucky people. The food is always very good there. And the cocktails define decadence.”

  We slipped inside the car, the driver closed the door, and we were off.

  “What’s the event for?”

  Blackwell handed me my coffee. “It’s their annual fundraising gala. Be prepared for the people you’ll see. It won’t just be society, though they’ll be lurking around with their tight faces. What makes it such a fun night is that it’s a big draw for celebrities. You’ll see everyone who’s in town tonight, and a few who will fly in for the occasion. It’s black tie, but it’s a looser mix. Everyone knows everyone.”

  “Except me.”

  “Doesn’t matter. By the end of the night, everyone will know who you are. Shall we try Bergdorf again? Good. Then Van Cleef? I’m thinking vintage. I’m thinking twenties. I’m thinking Gatsby. Then we give ourselves over to Bernie. I bribed him again, but it was easier this time. He loved working with you before. He thinks you’re a natural beauty, and Bernie doesn’t compliment just anyone. Believe me. We’ll get ready at Wenn, just like last time. Then you can meet Alex on his floor. Sound good?”

  Sounds overwhelming.

  “Sounds perfect,” I said.

  “Then let’s do this. You’ve got one romantic night ahead of you.”