“Will she talk to you? I mean, she’s been sleeping with Tom Acker, right?”
“She wouldn’t have before, but it seems that she just got screwed in a less pleasant fashion by Willa Gruber.”
“She’s working with Acker now?”
“For him, and it seems that she got Tina tossed out on her ear.”
Abby grinned. “It’s a bitch-eat-bitch world over at his company. I think if we stand still long enough, we can take the field by forfeit.”
“I’m rather thinking of a nuclear option that takes out the opposition entirely.”
“That does sound like much more fun. As long as all of us are well away from ground zero, that is. What’s the plan?”
“Plan?” Lissa closed her mouth and pressed a finger against her lips as she began to think out loud. “I need to talk to Tina, but she is a mercenary, and if she was bought, maybe I can make a better offer.”
“I hate to think of you dealing with her.”
“Me too. I hate that she might profit from her shady games, but I’d hate losing out even more.”
Abby sighed and looked at her watch. “Isn’t it closing time? I need a drink.”
Lissa smiled. “For the moment, I still own this company, so as far as I’m concerned, it is closing time. Alert the answering service, Abby. Drinks are on me.”
CHAPTER NINE
Abby only wanted one drink, then insisted on leaving for home. That was fine with Lissa, since she needed to think. The Tom Acker situation had been a blow, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could think to do about it. It was still early in the day, and she could have gone back to the office, but the idea of staring at the contract and contemplating the legal bills she’d need to pay to get out of it was just depressing. With Joan doing such a great job running things, she was able to enjoy her time with the babies. Right now it seemed that her children, and Joan’s help, were the only things going right in her life. Julio’s role was the only unknown, but at least he wanted to know them; he insisted they know he was their father. He’d even told her that he intended to have his lawyers work on getting their birth certificates amended.
When she let herself into her apartment, she hadn’t expected to see him, sitting on her living-room floor. Her heart swelled as she took him in. He was wearing jeans and a tee shirt, surrounded by the babies. One was lying on a blanket by one leg, another by his other leg, and the third was on his lap. He looked completely relaxed and enthralled.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted.
He looked up. “We’ve been having serious father-son chats. They have lots of questions, and I rotate the boys around so they don’t think I like any one better than the others.” He grinned self-consciously. “I hope it’s okay. I just had this overwhelming urge to spend a little time alone with them.”
“Where’s Joan?”
“Oh, I gave her a quarter and sent her to the movies. Isn’t that what American men do with kid brothers and sisters?”
“Not since about 1955.”
“I told her to take the rest of the day off, and she seemed pleased to do so.”
“And what did you intend to do when one of your boys messes a diaper? Can you handle that alone?”
He laughed. “My sons are well-bred lads. They wouldn’t do that to me. Even if they did, I grew up caring for younger siblings. I am an expert with diapers.” He held up his cell phone. “I took lots and lots of pictures. I sent a nice set to my Mamacita.”
“Mamacita?”
“Little mother. An affectionate term for the boys’ paternal grandmother. She was so excited when I told her about them. Those pictures will be shown in half the homes in Barcelona by tomorrow.”
“She’s pleased about them, then?”
“She’s excited. She won’t truly be pleased until I bring them to visit so she can pinch their cheeks herself. The only thing she’s not pleased about is that I couldn’t tell her their names.
Lissa laughed. “What, Joan didn’t tell you?”
“Nope, she refused, she said….” He took a moment to scan his memory banks, as a finger rested on his closed lips. “She said, ‘my sister should be the one to give you that bit of news,’ or something to that effect.”
Lissa sat down, hard. Joan was a sneaky one.
She’d named them in the hospital, while she still held out hope that he would give a shit. Later, after it was obvious that he didn’t, she’d regretted that she’d given each of them his name, but not that it seemed more likely that he cared…
She sighed.
“What, did you name them Dipshits One Two and Three or something?”
Lissa laughed and punched his arm, “Of course not, silly.”
“Okay, but don’t laugh.”
He crossed his heart then zipped his lips.
She pointed to her first born, then to her second, and then to her third born son.
“That’s Marco Julio, that’s Ryland Julio, and squirmy one over there is Hunter Julio.”
His smile lit up his face and for the first time, she saw a tiny dimple in the cleft of his chin. Her heart gave a lurch; he was happy she’d done that.
She thought he’d make a big deal out of it, but instead he just turned to the boys.
“Well, hello, Mr. Marco Julio, Mr. Ryland Julio, and Mr. Squirmy Hunter Julio.”
The boys giggled.
“You four look so sweet down there. I think I’ll change clothes and join you,” she said. “Life can seem simpler on the floor.”
As Lissa dressed, she tried to get a handle on her feelings. On the one hand, it was exciting to see Julio in her home, playing with his children. On the other hand, she’d been looking forward all day to being alone with them herself. It was just dawning on her now that she wasn’t the only family they had—it wasn’t Lissa and her three boys, with the assistance of Joan, against the world. They had a father who was delighted with them, and uncles and aunts in Spain, and grandparents. There was a network of people who cared about them.
For so long she and Joan had been family, and this sudden population explosion in her life changed so many things. She needed to rethink her life.
As she went to her room, she realized that she had so much left to learn about Julio, about his family, about his way of living. And they needed to decide so many things, so many important things. Many of them would determine not only how they lived, but who their boys would grow up to be. It was time to throw preconceptions out the window.
When she returned, she sat on the floor, father and mother absorbed
in enjoying their three children.
Eventually, Julio spoke about something other than how incredibly handsome and smart their children appeared to be.
“Could we talk a little business, for a moment?
She glanced at him. “Sure, but first I have to tell you. I found out why I never got your messages. I don’t know about the alleged flowers, but all emails to or from you got routed to the trash by a virus program. The IT guy said Tina had it installed.”
Julio’s relaxed face suddenly stiffened, and he looked away. “Lissa, I feel bad that I never just got on a goddamn plane and knocked on your door. I missed so much. I missed seeing you big as a barn with our babies, I missed seeing them born.”
“You probably didn’t for the same reason I didn’t track you down when I found out I was pregnant—hurt, savage pride.”
“Aren’t we a pair? Both of us nursing our grievances.”
She opened her briefcase and showed him a sheaf of papers. “I’m catching up with your emails. Abby found them.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I hope I said nice things.”
“So far, except when you lost your patience.”
He cringed. “Mea culpa.”
# # #
Tyler Walker offered her a chair in his plush office. The chair was a comfortable, soft, light-brown leather. A seductive chair. “So Acker found himself a trump card?”
The word was out already. Naturally Acker would make sure it was known far and wide.
“I’m trying to work out a solution. I thought I’d see if you might have any ideas.”
“Advice and ideas are free, gratis, on the house.”
“So no charge?”
“I’d only ask a small token payment—marry me.”
“No, Tyler. You’d hate me after a week.”
“I’ll risk it. And what if I don’t care?”
“The father of my children might still object.”
“There is that. He probably is the reason you don’t want to work with Tom.”
“Ah, here is where it gets interesting. I don’t like being coerced.” She told him about the contract. “On top of that, I want to work with Julio. He and I share ideas and values, or seem to.”