If this were an audition, my mother would be nailing the role of an eighteenth-century monarch, but this is my fucking penthouse, and the only two people bearing witness to her theatrics is the woman I want to take to bed and me.
I glance at Bella. She offers me a shrug and a soft smile. “I’ll see you in the office in the morning.”
The urge to kiss her is strong, but I resist. This isn’t the time to get into details with my mother about my relationship with my assistant. Hell, I don’t even know how to define what’s happening between us.
Scooping up her purse and the empty insulated bags, Bella moves across the room. With a quick look back, she opens the door and walks out, leaving me alone with the woman I thought had left Manhattan in her rearview mirror.
***
I spent last night listening to my mother run through every potential film and television role she could have had. Her screen time was limited to a one-liner in a western movie shot sometime before she got married and the nosy neighbor in two episodes of a sitcom a year after I was born.
That didn’t stop her from being a raging force in the Chicago local theater scene. She went from center stage to director, pouring all she had into every production of the classics.
That’s wound itself down the last two years. She’s taken up painting scenery. The shift from one creative discipline to another hasn’t been without issues. Just as my seeking out my sisters here in New York hasn’t been easy for Monica.
I said goodbye to her an hour ago. Setting her off to the airport with the driver Ivan secured for me was a good move. He’ll earn his salary since he has to entertain my mother until he drops her at La Guardia.
That’s all she needs. A friendly ear to listen goes a long way in her world.
“Hi.”
My head darts up at the sound of Bella’s voice. I’ve been waiting impatiently for her since I sat behind my desk. I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept circling back to kissing her.
She’s dressed in red today. The dress is simple but contoured to her body. Her hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail. In her hands are two large cups of coffee.
I push back to stand. “Good morning, Bella.”
Extending her right hand, she lets out a small sigh. “I picked up a coffee for you at Palla’s. It’s the way you like it. No cream and no sugar.”
I take it from her, appreciating that she put in the effort to bring me a cup. “Thank you.”
Blowing out a breath of air, she shuffles her red heels in place. “I’ll get to work now.”
I glance at her hand. The polish on her thumbnail is almost completely gone. She’s been picking at it since she bolted out of my place last night.
I edge around her, closing the door softly. “What’s wrong?”
She turns on her heel so she’s facing me. “Nothing. I have a lot to do today.”
“I haven’t assigned you anything yet,” I point out.
Chewing on her bottom lip, she glances at the ceiling. “There are things on my desk that I should finish up.”
“Like that crossword puzzle?”
Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say a word.
“You were stuck on four letters for an unpleasant emotion.”
“I thought it was love, but it doesn’t fit,” she whispers.
I take a step closer to her, studying her face. “Is love an unpleasant emotion for you?”
She cradles the cup in both hands. “Yes. With Emil it was.”
He’s a fucked up asshole who tore her heart apart.
“What about you?” she questions with a tilt of her head. “Is love an unpleasant emotion for you?”