Page 33 of Miss Treated

The fact she continued to speak to the man who’d been emotionally abusive to her daughter was a reflection on her, not on me. That’s what my therapist said. And if my mother thought hearing he’d moved on would upset me in any way, she couldn’t be more wrong. All I felt was relief. And sympathy for the girl he’d moved on to. Hopefully she was stronger than I was and wouldn’t put up with a manipulative narcissist. “No, I won’t see him. I’m here for work. How are you?”

It was a question which always led to a seven-minute monologue on the highs and lows of my mother’s superficial life full of the country club, Botox, and the latest tiffs with her so-called friends.

“What are you doing in New York again?”

“I’m here for work.”

“How is the job? I’m not certain you told me you were working again?”

Of course I had, but she hadn’t listened because it hadn’t been about her. “It’s good. I’m consulting for Chambers Tech in San Diego, but they have a branch here too. I enjoy the work I’m doing.”

“Good, good.” She sounded as if she was preoccupied with something else.

But instead of her indifference to my life upsetting me like it used to, I attempted to take charge. Which meant ending a one-sided conversation. “I have to go, but thanks for calling.”

“It’s late there; don’t tell me you’re still working.”

“Dinner engagement.” Room service totally counted. “Talk to you later, Mom.”

Her annoyance was evident. “Fine. Never get to see you, never get to talk to you.”

How did my mom always know the right buttons to push to lay on the guilt? And I truly did hate to end on a contentious note. “Actually, before I hang up, I did mean to ask your advice. Tomorrow night I’m attending a charity event. I packed three options since I’m indecisive about which to wear. I have a black cocktail dress, a more formal silver-and-black dress which is off the shoulder, and a black suit with a bit of sparkle in the shirt.”

“Definitely not the suit. Where is it being held? What type of venue?”

“Four Seasons Hotel, where I’m staying. It says black tie, but I’m part of a business group, so I don’t want to go all out.”

“Darling, wear the off-the-shoulder dress with the silver. And of course, your hair up.”

Nope, my hair would be worn down since Joel had always preferred it up. “Thank you.” I might still wear the simple black cocktail dress, but at least I’d made an effort to find common ground with my mom and had steered the conversation to a topic which wouldn’t upset me.

“Anytime. You know how I love fashion. We should go shopping. The styles down here in Florida are so colorful; they would do your features some good.”

If I continued the conversation, she’d tell me how my father’s genes were responsible for my brown eyes since she’d come from a family with all blues. But I wouldn’t. “Have a good night, Mom. Love you.”

I stared out the window into the busy Times Square as I pressed the end call button. Perhaps there was hope I could be in an old city with my new self.

Chapter Fourteen

Dominic

My head pounded. The champagne and bourbon on the plane had done me no favors. I was such an idiot. I should’ve insisted on separate flights, so Kelsey wouldn’t have seen my fear of flying. But no, I’d foolishly thought pride would give me the edge I needed to handle it, and I wouldn’t be forced to pop a pill. But damn if I hadn’t been glad for the excuse to hold her hand and see her focus on me.

She was softening toward me. Or perhaps I suffered from wishful thinking. She could’ve simply felt sorry for me. I wasn’t lying when I’d said I didn’t normally tell people about my childhood leukemia. But once she’d told me about Penny, it seemed like an appropriate admission.

I sat on the hotel room couch and scrubbed my hands over my face. It was possible I was fixating on the challenge of a woman who’d turned me down, but my gut told a different story. My gut said I was in it because she was something special—hell, even Lady thought so—and I wanted to find out more.

After ordering room service, I kicked back on my bed and scrolled through my email. I regretted having lost the opportunity to have dinner with Kelsey, but I’d needed time to recover post-flight. Perhaps I should use some excuse to avoid the return flight with her. Or I could break down and take a Xanax.

The next morning after a good night’s sleep, I felt like a new man and was anxious to see Kelsey. Although the lobby of the Four Seasons was busy, I spotted her straight away. She hadn’t noticed me, so I took a moment to observe her.

She wore a black pantsuit with a crisp white shirt. Her hair was back in a low ponytail, and her makeup was only enough to enhance her natural beauty. To meet a woman whose sexiness was subtle was refreshing. She didn’t appear to realize just how beautiful she was.

“Good morning,” I greeted, walking up to her.

“Good morning.” She raised a brow when she spotted the two coffees in my hands.

“Grande sugar-free vanilla latte with a little foam and coconut milk, right?”