Choosing Happy (Madison Square #2) (3 page)

Chapter 3

Madison

After that night at the Den, Margot declared the new look a success. I wasn’t so sure. I mean, Sean was cute…okay, more like gorgeous, but he was Liam’s age. That would make me fifteen years his senior. When he was born, I was already a sophomore in high school. That was just beyond strange.

But that smile…my god, that smile. I’d never felt joy like that before. He was completely comfortable in his own skin. His beautiful gray eyes were warm and sweet, just happy. It was unnerving. I don’t think I’ve ever been just happy.

Sean’s joy was infectious, warming me from the inside out, and I wanted to feel that way again. I needed it, I craved it, and it was terrifying.

Margot and I spent the better part of Sunday shopping for a new wardrobe to go with my new look. By the end of the day, both my credit cards and I were completely exhausted, but I was starting to think this whole fresh start thing was actually a possibility.

Come Monday morning, I was ready to get back to work. So much had changed in the past few days, between the divorce papers and Margot’s whirlwind makeover, that I could use a little consistency.

I followed Kelly’s instructions and styled my hair, surprised by how easy it was. I don’t know why I hadn’t cut it all off before. I dressed in the cream Gucci suit Margot picked out, paired with a pair of black stilettos and an amazing Michael Kors bag, an impulse purchase I made for myself. It made me feel incredible, like this handbag represented my freedom and the new me. It’s unbelievable what a new look, a fabulous bag, and a good suit can do for your self-esteem.

More than ready to get my week started, I headed into the office a bit early. I had a huge presentation on Friday that I needed to prepare for, and the earlier I got started the better.

As I rounded the corner, I saw my assistant, Jeremy, already seated at his desk, his long, delicate fingers typing away as he focused on the computer screen.

Jeremy was a serious find. I hired him straight out of college. He had enormous potential. I was mentoring him to take over the world of corporate finance, but he was so much fun and such an amazing assistant that I would be sad to see him go when the time came.

I was secretly jealous of him, or maybe not so secretly. His dark hair was cut close and tight to his head, and his flawless, milk chocolate skin and big brown eyes made him the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome.

Jeremy knew who he was and made no excuses for it. He could be a bit over the top and a tad obnoxious at times, but he was good at his job and made my days run smoothly. Of course, like all of the great men in this town, he was also gay. Not that I would date someone that young, especially someone who worked for me.

“Good morning, Jeremy,” I said.

“Morning, boss lady,” he said without looking up from his task. I stopped at his desk and waited for him to look up, hoping to get his appraisal over and done with so I could get on with my day.

Jeremy quickly finished what he was typing and finally looked up. His eyes went wide. “Oh my god! You look fabulous! Love the hair
and
the suit
and
the shoes.”

He got to his feet and signaled for me to turn with a twirl of his index finger. I rolled my eyes and turned in a small circle. When I faced him again, he clapped his hands with a giddy laugh, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Now that I am officially divorced, I figured it was time for a fresh start. It’s not too much, is it?” I touched the back of my head to smooth down my hair.

“Are you kidding? You look amazing! You’ll be beating them off with a stick,” Jeremy said.

I laughed and headed into my office. I set my bag down on my desk as Jeremy followed with a cup of coffee and a stack of messages.

“I’m guessing this is Margot’s doing,” he said as he set my coffee down on my desk with the messages.

“Yep.”

“Well, I like it anyway,” he said with a grin.

“It needed to be done. I’m happy with it, but my mother is going to lose it.”

I leaned back in my chair and took a sip from my coffee, savoring the rich flavor rather than gulping it down like I usually did during my morning caffeine binge.

Jeremy gave me a pointed look. “You know your mother scares the pants off me, but when are you going to get out from under her perfectly manicured thumb?”

The man had a point, but I wasn’t about to acknowledge that. I quietly sipped my coffee until Jeremy huffed and got to his feet. He turned to head back to his desk, then paused in the doorway and turned his attention back to me.

“You took care of one of your demons. Now you have to take care of the other,” he said as he sashayed out of my office. Sure, like taking care of my mother would be that easy. The woman made senators weep after crossing her. I took another sip of my coffee.

I pushed aside the drama and prepared to work, but the thing about drama is that it has a tendency to catch up with you.

***

I’d just gotten off of a conference call with our German office when my intercom buzzed.

“Your mother is on line one,” Jeremy said.

I hit the button to reply. “Take a message.”

“Tried that. Guess how she reacted?” The sarcasm was barely masked by the cheerful lilt of his voice.

I picked up the extension, groaning, and took a deep breath before I hit the button to answer the call.

“Hello, Mother,” I said, trying to keep the disdain out of my voice.

“Your father and I will be in town next weekend,” she said in lieu of a greeting. “I expect you and your brother to join us for dinner.”

There was no question. This was not a request. I rolled my eyes. Great, it would be damn near impossible to get Liam to agree to go anywhere near them, let alone to dinner.

I replied with an automatic Stepford response. “Of course, Mother. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Wonderful! I will have your father’s secretary send you our itinerary.” Now that she had gotten her way, her voice sounded brighter, mildly cheerful.

“See you next week. Good-bye, Mother.”

I hung up the phone before she could begin her lecture on the importance of promptness. My family has been described as a lot of things—mainly, arrogant and self-serving—but warm was never something used to describe the Sinclair bunch.

My parents are a typical old southern couple. They might have, at one point, been in love, but now it’s more of a relationship built on routine and tolerance than love and mutual respect.

They’ve been married for almost forty-five miserable years. Mother always gets her way. My father adopted the philosophy that a happy wife means a happy life a long time ago and rarely puts his foot down no matter how unreasonable she gets.

The only thing they completely agreed on was Liam. Well, the fact that Liam was wasting his life. I tried my best not to get involved, but since he was currently living under my roof, my parents believed I was enabling him. Until Liam can figure out his life, I’ll be stuck in the heart of his drama, as if I didn’t have enough of my own.

As Mother liked to frequently remind me, I was a disgrace to my entire family. Sinclair’s don’t get divorced. Believe it or not, I’m the first. Apparently, I came from a long line of very unhappy people trapped in horrible marriages. Granted, I held out hope that at least one or two of them were happy, but it seemed unlikely.

My cell phone started to vibrate on my desk and I groaned. Now what? I picked it up, swiping my finger across the screen to see who it was, but I didn’t recognize the number.

Mystery texter: Can’t stop thinking about you.

What the hell? I narrowed my eyes, studying my phone to be sure I’d read it right. It had to be a mistake. That was the only logical explanation.

Madison: Sorry, I think you have the wrong number.

I set my phone down and got back to work. Before I could read the next report, my phone vibrated again. What the…?

Mystery texter: I hope to see you again soon, Madison.

Madison: Who is this?

Mystery texter: An admirer.

I was officially creeped out. An admirer? What the hell? It had to be a joke. Maybe Michael was trying to humiliate me? Well, I refused to give him the satisfaction. I shoved my phone in my bag, determined not to respond to his childish prank. For a moment, I considered asking WWMD but I’m pretty sure that she would just kick him in the balls while wearing a pair of extremely pointy heels, but I wouldn’t have the nerve.

I heard someone clear their throat and jumped. I looked up at Eric Patterson, who stared down at me, or more likely my breasts. Eric was one of my firm’s senior partners and a grade-A asshole. He rarely looked me in the eye, preferring to have conversations with my boobs instead, which always left me fidgety and uncomfortable.

He was in his late sixties, tall, a little soft around the middle. His hair was thick and silver and kept trimmed and neat at all times. He wore expensive suits and bleached his teeth, all of which made him look like the perfect soap opera villain.

“Am I interrupting?” he asked, his tone no doubt meant to sound charming, but it came out more condescending than anything.

“No,” I said, forcing a polite smile. “Not at all. Please have a seat.” I gestured toward one of the chairs across from my desk.

“I’m fine,” he said with a dismissive wave.

“What can I do for you?”

Eric raised an eyebrow and chuckled to himself. The sound made my skin crawl. “I wanted to discuss the Franklin Meadows project,” he said, shifting his weight as he addressed my chest and slid his hand into his pocket. I suppressed a shudder and focused on maintaining the polite smile on my face.

Franklin Meadows was a project close to my heart. It was a housing development comprised of self-sustaining, single family homes, just outside of the city. The project would allow working class families to have access to low cost, energy efficient homes. Projects like Franklin Meadows was why I wanted to work in corporate finance in the first place, to find a way to help people to achieve their dreams.

“I’m currently in negotiations with Bryan Townsend of BNS Development to spearhead the project once we’ve obtained the necessary funding,” Eric said.

“That’s great.” I brightened at the news. It was the last piece of the puzzle we needed to break ground on the project.

“Indeed. We are finalizing the contracts as we speak, and Mr. Townsend will be here in a few weeks to sign. I thought it would be nice if you could take him out. You know, dinner, drinks, just show him a good time.”

“Of course.”

Eric dropped his head, looking at me intently. “I don’t have to remind you how important this deal is to the firm. I need you to be on your game to ensure that this project goes smoothly. Do you understand?”

It took everything in me not to roll my eyes at him. Of course I knew how important the deal was. I’d been working on it for the past two years, but I said none of that. I just smiled. “You can count on me.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, his smile widening to an evil grin. “Well now, let’s get back to work. I’ll be in touch about Mr. Townsend.” With that, he turned and headed out of my office.

I let out a long breath and slumped over my desk. My cheeks hurt from the strain of having to keep the disgust from showing through my face. Schmoozing clients was part of the job, but the way Eric proposed I show him a good time made the whole thing sound sleazy.

I shook off the discomfort and tilted my head from side to side to ease the tension in my neck. It’d already been a hell of a day, and it wasn’t even noon.

Chapter 4

Sean

It’d been a long day made even longer by an asshole writer who didn’t feel I’d captured the message of their book in the cover. I read the book, and trust me there was no message. There’s porn and lots of it, but no message. The author in question gave me a twenty minute lecture about how the book is a story of self-discovery, not masturbation. They must have given me the wrong book because the one I read was three hundred and fifty pages of some chick getting herself off in some pretty imaginative ways, which the cover I provided them tastefully represented, or so I thought. So it was back to the drawing board, but before that, I needed a drink.

The Den was pretty packed when I got there, but our usual table in the back was free, so I headed toward it, weaving through the crowd. The crowd shifted, and there perched on a bar stool was that dark haired beauty I hadn’t been able to get out of my head for two days. She was talking to Papa Jack, those long, luscious legs crossed at the knee, her skirt raised just enough to show me a glimpse of her creamy thigh.

Papa Jack smiled down at her and nodded before heading down the bar. I watched her pick up a menu, those gorgeous eyes quickly scanning over the items as she weighed her options. She looked up at Liam, who was slammed as people flooded the other end of the bar. Dude was fast, but for every drink he served, two more orders came right behind it. If she was here to see him, it looked like he would be a while. I should keep her company.

“Go for the fish and chips. They’re legendary,” I said, leaning against the bar beside her.

She turned toward me and a smile spread slowly across her beautiful face but didn’t quite reach her eyes. My smile widened as that beautiful pink tint colored her cheeks.

“Thanks for the tip,” she said, making a show of continuing to look at the menu even though I could tell from her smile that she had every intention of heeding my advice. I liked that she didn’t doubt me. Not many people took me seriously, which was usually how I preferred it. Life’s too short to be taken seriously, but I liked that Madison seemed to think I was good for more than just a laugh.

“No problem,” I said, taking the liberty of checking out every inch of this incredibly gorgeous creature. From the creamy tone of her skin to her soft subtle curves to the legs that seemed to go on forever. “Glad to be of service.”

She laughed. “I’m sure you are.”

Papa Jack returned, setting a glass of wine and a napkin down in front of her. “Papa Jack,” I said. “Have you met Madison, Liam’s sister?”

A warm smile lit Jacks face. It was the smile he reserved for family. “No, I haven’t,” he said. He wiped his meaty paw off on a bar rag and offered her his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madison. That’s a good kid, your brother.”

I smiled to myself as they shook hands. He was welcoming her into the fold, an honor she had no idea she’d been given.

“I always kind of liked him,” she said with a smile, shyly tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I watched every move she made, however subtle.

I was still watching her when I felt Jack’s eyes boring into the side of my head. Madison’s eyes volleyed back and forth between us, but I ignored Jack’s stare, choosing to keep my eyes on her instead. The blush on her cheeks deepened from the attention I was giving her, and it made me wonder if that beautiful pink tint would show up anywhere else on her body.

Papa Jack cleared his throat, finally dragging my attention away from Madison. “You behave,” he said. His eyes were stern and his warning clear. Jesus, the man has known me for almost ten years. You’d think he’d cut me some slack. Jack looked back to Madison, and his face softened as he nodded his good-bye and headed down the bar just as Liam made his way toward us. Papa Jack gave Liam an affectionate pat on the shoulder as he passed him.

Liam rested his hands on the bar in front of us and fixed me with a menacing glare. The muscles in his arms twitched, and his face twisted into a scowl. No doubt he was trying to intimidate me, but I’d faced bigger dogs then Liam. I smiled and stood up to my full height, evening the score. His face hardened, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Dude, I was just getting to know your sister. No need to be so testy.”

Madison giggled, causing Liam and I to turn our attention back to her. I smiled, and her own smile widened until she saw Liam’s stony expression. Madison sat up straight and took a sip of her wine to stifle the giggle.

A customer called his name and he turned, signaling the guy to hold on. Liam turned back to me, pointing a finger toward me. “I’m watching you, Taylor,” he said then headed down the bar.

“Is he always that…”

“Tense?” she offered.

“I was gonna say douchey, but yours works too.”

She laughed and set her glass on the bar in front of her. “No, he’s not usually douchey.”

“Oh good, so
I
bring out the douche in him.” I looked back at Liam, giving him a smile and a nod, which earned me another glare.

Madison leaned toward me, her knees brushing against my denim covered thighs. “I think the tension has more to do with the fact that you’re talking to me than you personally.”

“So what you’re saying is we should stop talking?” I asked, wiggling my brows suggestively.

She sat back in her seat, eyes wide, then reached for her glass and took a large drink of wine before setting it back on the bar. She was nervous. Nervous was good. Nervous meant she was interested, and interested I could work with.

“How’s it that someone as beautiful as you is single?” I asked. Was it a cheesy line? Absolutely, but it worked. Madison shifted in her seat and tilted her head to look up at me. Her thighs clenched, and she smiled, a spark lighting up behind those sad blue eyes.

“Who says I’m single?” she asked, her voice taking on a flirty tone. Flirting was better than nervous. I’d call that progress.

“Well, Liam told us he was staying with his sister who’d just gone through a divorce.” I leaned into the bar and she shifted her legs to make room for me, accidently brushing her legs against my zipper. Fuck, as if I wasn’t already hard. The slightest touch from her and I was granite.

“How do you know you have the right sister?”

“He has more than one?”

Madison nodded her head and took a sip from her glass.

“Interesting, but you still didn’t answer my question,” I said.

She exhaled a long breath and looked down at the bar. “My ex-husband left me for a teenager with a Kardashian ass.”

Fuck me, beautiful and a smartass. I think I’m in love.

“I’m sorry. That was…” she said. “Forget I said anything.”

I laughed. I wanted to congratulate her on her wit, but the look of shame in her eyes told me not to push her. “Whatever you say, beautiful.”

Liam came by to refill her glass and glare at me a little more. I couldn’t fault him. I get the protective brother thing. I’d do the same thing for my sister.

Liam set the wine bottle back in the fridge behind him and rested his elbows on the bar in front of us. “Sorry,” he said. “We’ve been slammed. What’s up?”

Madison’s dark brows drew together in confusion, then shot straight up as she realized what he was talking about. Her face and those eyes were so expressive that everything she was thinking or feeling was on full display, practically flashing in neon.

“Mother called,” she said. Liam’s face fell, and a groan rumbled from deep in his chest. “They’re coming into town next weekend and invited us to dinner.”

“You mean demanded,” he said.

“Come on, Liam. You have to go. With divorce and the new look, she’ll be all over me. She’ll probably accuse me of being a lesbian.”

I snorted a laugh, and they both turned, shooting me matching glares of disapproval, so I played it off with a cough and took a swig from my beer.

“I’m going to need at least one person on my side.” She placed a hand gently on his forearm, her eyes big and pleading. It was like a master class in manipulation. I was impressed and a little intimidated. “Please, for me.”

“Not fair, Maddie,” Liam said. He sighed. “Fine, I’ll go, but the minute he starts in about law school, I’m out of there.”

“Agreed.”

Liam gave her a half smile and shot a glare at me before heading back down the bar to help a group of customers.

“So, I take it you two are not close to your parents?”

Madison looked up at me, her cheeks pink as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. I guess I wasn’t supposed to hear all that, but the damage was done.

“No, we’re not,” she said, reaching for her wine glass. She took a sip and set it back on the bar.

“That’s a shame.” I swallowed thickly. I’d give anything to argue with my mom just one more time. Like every time I thought about mom, my chest began to hurt and my throat felt like it was closing up. I took a sip of my beer and tried to shake it off before Madison saw the pain.

Someone vacated a stool behind me and I pulled it up to the bar, taking a seat beside her. I smiled up at her. “So, beautiful, tell me about yourself,” I said, hoping to steer the conversation down a lighter path.

“Why?”

I laughed. “Why not?”

“Don’t you think I’m a little old for you?”

I smiled. “I don’t discriminate when it comes to beautiful women.”

She laughed. “I’m sure you don’t.”

“So, tell me something.”

“Look, Sean, you’re sweet, but…”

I clutched my chest and doubled over, feigning pain. “Sweet? Sweet is the kiss of death,” I said.

“What?”

“No guy wants to be sweet. Hot, sure. Sexy, definitely. Ruggedly handsome, well, that’s a given, but sweet is just female code for I’m never gonna sleep with you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer. “Oh, so you do want to sleep with me?”

“What? No!” She leaned away from me, so flustered that her cheeks turned fourteen different shades of red. She covered her face with her hands and I laughed, taking a hold of her wrists to pull her hands away. Her blush and that shyness was sexy as hell. She seemed so reserved and quiet, but every once in a while, especially when provoked, this witty, sassy side came out, and it made me want more.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” I said. “A lot of women want to sleep with me.”

Over the dull roar of the crowd, I heard the door open and glanced over my shoulder to see who had come in. I could make out a head full of wild red curls, and I smiled as I watched Alex push her way through the crowd and head toward the bar.

“In fact,” I said. “Here comes one now.” I waved my arm at Alex, and when she spotted me, she headed toward us.

I looked back at Madison, who was watching Alex with a slight frown. She was jealous, nice. A victorious smile spread across my face as Madison forced a polite smile to her lips when Alex approached.

“You’d sleep with me right, Alex?” I asked

“Not if you were the last man on earth,” Alex deadpanned. Her skills as a wingman were severely lacking.

Alex leaned over the bar, signaling Liam for a beer. I looked at Madison, who bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“She likes to play hard to get.”

“Sounds more like impossible,” Madison said, taking a sip from her wine glass.

Alex laughed. “I like this one.”

“You would,” I said. “This is Madison. She’s Liam’s sister.”

Alex smiled and offered Madison her hand. “Alex McCabe. It’s great to meet you. Liam has told us so much about you.”

Jack appeared out of nowhere and wrapped Alex in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet. For a big guy, Papa Jack’s ninja skills were on point.

“How’s my daughter-in-law-to-be?” he asked, setting her back on her feet.

“I’m good, Pop.” She smiled, rose up on tip toes, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Liam set Alex’s beer on the bar. “Where’s Drew?”

“Late, as usual.” She sighed, taking a long swig from her beer.

As if on cue, the bell above the door jingled again and Drew came in, searching over the crowded bar. When he saw us, or more importantly Alex, his face lit up and he made his way toward us.

Drew was my brother from another mother. He and his family had been a big part of my life since college, Alex too. We were a rag tag group of misfits, but we couldn’t be closer if we were blood. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for any of them, and the feeling was mutual.

When Drew reached us, he wrapped his arms around Alex, pulling her tight against his chest and into a deep kiss. I felt jealousy begin to rear its ugly head again.

Alex broke the kiss and swatted Drew playfully on the chest. “About damn time,” she said.

“Hello to you too, Red.”

Alex turned toward Madison and introduced her to Drew, who shook her hand with a smile. I watched her as she chatted with my friends. She smiled and nodded at things they said, but she was fidgeting and squirming in her seat. It was easy to see she was uncomfortable and looking for an opportunity to make a run for it.