The Marriage Rival

Inside the bathroom sits a giant bathtub. The thought of soaking my troubles away seems like the perfect plan to rid myself of the tension in my shoulders until I get distracted reading through the room service menu.

Hungry and tired, I quickly order myself a club sandwich before taking a long, hot shower instead.

Settling in my fluffy robe by the window, there’s a gentle knock on the door. Double-checking my robe to make sure it’s covering my bits, I open the door to the housekeeping staff, tip the nice lady, and sit by the window with my food.

I think about calling Haden, a force of habit whenever we’re apart, but we ended in such a cold way, it seems futile to call him.

Knowing Gemma is with Masen, I call her to speak to him.

“Hey, Pres, so you landed okay?”

“A smooth flight,” I tell her. “It went by quickly, especially with Sandy beside me.”

“Right… Pres?”

“Yeah.”

“Haden’s not doing well. Just so you know.”

Gemma and Haden have this unique bond. They like the same movies, have the same wicked sense of humor, and although they bicker over the most trivial things, they are extremely close, and Haden treats her like his own sister. So, her taking his side, doesn’t surprise me one bit.

“It’s been one day,” I chide, ignoring the guilt creeping up on me.

“Pres, please listen to me. You may think Sandy has only the best intentions, but don’t forget your family comes first, always.”

Irritated, I exhale. “Can I speak to Masen? That’s why I called.”

There’s a shuffle until the screen switches to FaceTime, and all I see is his cute little face. A familiar pang hits me, missing him so much. I look into his hazel eyes, desperately trying to erase the similarity between him and Haden.

“Hi, buddy.” I smile over the phone as we FaceTime. “Are you being good for Aunty Gemma?”

“Yes, Momma. Aunty Gemma let me watch the show with Sheldon. He’s funny, Momma. He likes video games like me.”

I shake my head, disapproving, knowing full well Gemma and I have discussed this.

“Okay, Momma has to go. I love you, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“I love you, Momma.”

I hang up the phone and stare out the window. The city is relentless in its pace. It reshapes time’s parameters making minutes and moments, and even years, move unfathomably faster than they seem they should. I watch, for how long, I can’t answer, until I move to bed wishing to go to sleep.

As I lay in the large bed, unable to close my eyes, I stare at my phone waiting for Haden to call me, or even text.

It never comes.

And somewhere, as dawn set in, I fall asleep.

“So, as you can see, our contract is very generous. We would love to have you join the Lantern Publishing group.”

I can feel the sweat building against my back. Katrina Mayflower is a well-known author in the publishing industry, and I set this meeting up at the last minute without Haden’s final approval. It’s been in the pipeline for over a year, and after a great breakfast with Natasha Summers, I am hoping we double our luck with Katrina.

Her romance novels are hit after hit. We’re throwing a large amount of money toward a woman who has stayed loyal to our rival press for the last five years. I know this meeting will be a long shot. I have worked tireless hours reading all her books and prepare my own personal plan on how we can build her brand. So much of who I am is riding on this deal. I almost need to prove it to everyone, including Haden.

“Look, you need to leave this with me. I appreciate you coming, but I have a lot to think about.”

This isn’t the news I was hoping for. Lowering my head, a heavy sigh escapes my lips.

Sandy places her arm around me. “Your pitch was nothing short of amazing.”