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I can’t say the same about Hunter though. If social media is any indication, he is out living a big life, even here in Camden. His new nanny must be working out well because he’s obviously still focused on his company’s success. I read a recent local article about his company online, and how he will be hosting a big gala soon in order to celebrate the success of his new satellite headquarters launch. I’m happy for him, but also sad and still a little bitter. I suppose it’s my own fault because if I told him that I was pregnant, things might be different. But then again, they might have also been made much worse. It’s been hard enough to get over him once, I don’t want to make a big deal out of it a second time.
So instead, I’ll just watch him from a distance and look at the life that I almost had.
Chapter Ten
Hunter
Even though I have given up on sending text messages and placing missed phone calls to Tabitha, and I have also stopped pestering her brother to tell me what is going on with her, I am still plagued by thoughts of her that I can’t shake from my system.
I hired a new nanny from a reputable company that is highly qualified and exceedingly efficient. But Teddie isn’t taking to her the way that he took to Tabitha. He’s a good kid, and doesn’t cause any trouble, but I can tell that he isn’t happy. The nanny is fine and providing quality care, but she doesn’t cuddle him in the bed and read to him like Tabitha did.
In a few days, I’m hosting a big gala for my company. I’ve thrown a lot of money at it, and it’s going to be one of the most publicized events that Camden has seen in a long while. The relocated satellite office of my company headquarters has been doing great, exceeding financial projections, and continuing to grow. I’m proud of all of my employees and the hard work that they’ve been putting in, so a gala will kill two birds with one stone—both rewarding my hardworking employees and also shining some more positive publicity on my company locally. Thankfully, I have a whole staff of people taking care of orchestrating the event, so all that I need to do is sit back and fund it.
When the night of the gala arrives, I look at it as the opportunity to try and take my mind off of Tabitha for a few hours. Maybe with a few drinks, some good entertainment, and a slew of people distracting my attention, I can get some reprieve from my constant yearning to know what happened to blow up my situation with her, and to keep from worrying over whether she is okay or not. I know that if there was anything too serious going on with her, Jax would tell me, so at least I am reassured by that.
“It isdefinitelywrong for such a handsome man to be drinking alone,” a voice says from behind me. I turn to see an attractive woman standing there with two champagne glasses, one in each hand.
I give her my usual charming smile, thinking that this is the kind of woman I would have dated back in the city before I came home and came back to be around Tabitha.
“Forgive me,” I say, “but I can’t remember if you are on my payroll or not. If you are, then you deserve a raise for being so poetically flattering.”
I’m teasing, of course, and she picks up on it as she tosses her head back and laughs.
“I’m Margaret,” she says, handing me one of the champagne glasses.
I already have a glass in my hand, but it’s almost empty so I gratefully accept her offer. The champagne is doing its part to dull my senses enough to get a little reprieve from obsessing over what Tabitha is doing tonight while I am here putting on a show. If I know her, which I do, she is probably curled up in a blanket and reading a book. I never thought I would be envious of such a simple task, but if it meant that I could be there with her, I would gladly trade this gala for a novel and the corner of her blanket to share.
Margaret sits down beside me, and the flirting begins.
I let myself flirt back with her because what’s the harm? Tabitha is gone, my son is tucked safely in his bed with the new nanny watching over him, and I’ve got nothing better to do. At least it provides a distraction. And it probably looks good for the public to see that I am not some sort of hermit billionaire with zero romantic involvement.
Back in the city, after Molly died, there were rumors about whether or not I would live up to my eligible bachelor status. I moved back to Maine too fast for anyone to form a judgment. Now that I am here, I can reinvent myself any way that I choose to. And since Tabitha has removed herself from my life, I might as well invent an image of a charming, successful bachelor that has brought loads of money to this town. Not all of that image is true, especially not when I don’t feel the part, but it will have to do. Flirting with Margaret, simply because it’s something to do, will keep up my image of being a hot, wealthy single billionaire. It’s a good image for the company to be run by a man who either everyone wants or who everyone wants tobe.
As expected, camera shutters are clicking right off the bat, and people have their phones out to take selfies of the lavish gala. I pose for a few pictures, and I am sure that they are making the rounds on social media before I even reach for another drink. I figure that’s a good thing, and I don’t expect it to blow up in my face.
I also don’t expect my best friend to crash my company gala.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jax says as he walks straight up to the table where I’m sitting and still flirting with Margaret.
I’m shocked to see him here, and even more shocked at his tone of voice.
“Jax? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?” I ask, my thoughts instantly going to Tabitha.
“You better believe that there’s something wrong,” he says. I can see anger rising in his eyes, but I have no idea what it’s about. “I can’t sit by and stay silent about this any longer,” he says. “I’ve tried. I don’t want to get in the middle of things between you and my sister, and if push comes to shove, you know that I’m always going to take her side. Blood is blood. But you’re my best friend for Christ’s sake, and I’m not going to sit by and watch you fawn over other women at these big, fancy, rich parties while my sister is sitting alone in her apartment eating fried chicken legs and peanut butter ice cream.”
I am sure that there are more important questions for me to ask, but the one that falls out of my mouth first is why is she eating chicken legs and ice cream?
“Because she’spregnant,” Jax blurts out loud enough for almost everyone at the table that I am sitting at to hear.
His proclamation literally feels as if it is descending on me like a heavy blanket, smothering me to the point of not being able to breathe or speak or even think clearly.
“She’swhat?” is all that I can get out to ask.
Margaret gets up from sitting beside me, taking her champagne glass with her, and going to find another date to carry on with.
As shocked as I am, the pieces all start to fall into place in my head, and it finally makes sense now.
“Look,” Jax says as he tries to calm his voice down. “I can’t just sit by and watch my sister and my best friend make a stupid mistake. I know that she’s going to be mad at me for breaking her trust and telling you about this, but I thought you needed to know. I’m sick of watching the both of you fuck things up between yourselves. It’s been years of you both doing this awkward dance around each other. Now, at least all the cards are on the table—do with it what you want.”
