From Wedding Fling to Baby Surprise
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Nina Singh
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17
CHAPTER ONE
“YOU’RE BREAKING UP with me?”
Laney Taytum stared at her phone screen as if it had grown tentacles since she’d answered its ring.
“And you’re doing it over the phone? While you’re across the country on business?”
Joseph’s loud and long-suffering sigh could be heard clearly from the other end of the line.
He’d been her steady and serious boyfriend for the past two or so years.
A status that seemed to be about to change.
Surprisingly, the flush of emotion running through her right now couldn’t exactly be described as hurt. More like a stinging sense of disappointment.
They’d never been that kind of couple—the hot-and-heavy, can’t-keep-our-hands-off-each-other kind. She’d never really felt that spark that she so often read about in the paperbacks she picked up in the grocery checkout line. But they’d been comfortable with each other. Enough that her weekends weren’t spent alone on the couch, eating a pint of Rocky Road.
Maybe not the most exciting setup, but she’d thought it was a beneficial arrangement for them both. Clearly, that had been a bit naive on her part.
“Don’t do this, Laney,” he said now. “You had to sense this was coming.”
She had not.
“But my sister’s wedding. The trip to Italy.” How could he dump her at such a time? There was no doubt that they’d passed a point on the road that there’d be no turning back from.
Emily’s wedding was the very next month, in two weeks to be specific. The trip she and Joseph had booked together was scheduled a couple of weeks after that. How quickly did Joseph think she could move on after their long-term relationship?
It occurred to her then that he probably already had.
Her favorite cousin’s voice echoed in her head. I’m not gonna lie to you, sweetie. He strikes me as a bit of a jerk.
While the rest of her family gave the two of them the suggestive wink and nod about marriage, Mabel had never taken a shine to Joseph. Apparently, she was much wiser than the lot of them. To think, Laney had felt rather offended at Mabel’s straightforwardness at the time.
Looked like she owed Mabel an apology.
And now Laney would have to break the news to them all. While they’d been expecting the announcement of an engagement, she’d instead be attending her sister’s nuptials sans a plus-one.
“How will I tell everyone?” The question was more a thought posed out loud as she was trying to process.
Joseph was silent for a beat before he answered, “Your reaction kind of proves my point. I’ll try not to take it too personally.”
He was trying to not take things personally? Of all the... The man was the very definition of a jerk.
She went from shocked to irritated. Then angry.
“Take it any way you’d like.” For the first time, Laney realized her voice sounded echo-like through the air. He must have had her on speaker. Was he even alone? “How exactly does my question prove your point?”
Perhaps he had the other woman in the room, eavesdropping, making sure he was going through with her dumping. She was probably listening to the whole conversation, egging him on.
Or maybe he was just a coward who didn’t even have the guts to do this face-to-face.
“Darling,” Joseph began, “I just told you I’m breaking up with you and your first response is to wonder how you’re going to break the news to others. Kind of validates that we shouldn’t be together.”
Well, what did he expect her to do? Grovel? Cry? Tell him how hurt she was?
Before Joseph, her life had been a series of bad dates when she could find the time to break away from her responsibilities at the club. The two of them didn’t always agree on everything, but she felt comfortable around him. Secure in the knowledge that she had a steady partner.
But she wasn’t the type to do any kind of groveling or crying. Not since she was a child. Growing up in a family like hers, one didn’t show emotion if one could help it. So she’d learned to keep hers in check.
For the most part, anyway.
“Aren’t you even going to ask me why?” Joseph was now asking.
Like it mattered. Like it made any difference whatsoever.
Knowing his reasoning was not going to change the fact that she had all sorts of logistical and financial issues to now figure out, between the wedding and the trip.
Knowing his reasons wasn’t going to change any part of this scenario. Still, she would humor him. Let him get it all off his chest.
“Tell me why, Joseph,” she told him on a sigh.
He didn’t hesitate to respond. “I’m bored, Laney. I have been for quite some time. And you didn’t even notice,” he added with an accusing tone.
He was calling her boring?
She’d been fully prepared to hear him say they were incompatible, and that they wanted different things in life. She definitely had not anticipated the sudden direction of the conversation.
Before she could absorb it all fully, Joseph continued, “I mean, when was the last time you tried anything new? And I don’t mean agreeing to go to the new Vietnamese place downtown.”
Then what did he mean? Laney blinked in confusion. Was he referring to the bedroom? Was she being prudish with him? She hadn’t really thought so. But clearly, she hadn’t been paying attention.
“When your sister introduced us, she couldn’t say enough about how unconventional you were. How different.”
Ha! Laney wanted to laugh out loud. Different was relative. She was nothing like the rest of her family, so her sister hadn’t been lying to him. Then Joseph threw the proverbial and very sharp dagger. “You’re just not an exciting woman to be with.”
Despite herself, Laney felt the sting of hurtful tears. While she’d seen their relationship as comfortable and easy, he had obviously found it dull and flat.
She’d been such a fool not to have seen it. In that, at least, he was right.
She had to move on past the hurt, focus on the current situation before her. Focus on the facts at hand.
“You owe me for the trip,” she reminded him. “I paid for the booking of it up front.”
They were supposed to go to Positano and Florence together two weeks after her sister’s wedding. Another stab of hurt shot through her. During the planning, she’d assumed Joseph would take the opportunity to propose himself given the timing.
What a fool she was.
Joseph sighed. “About that. I have an offer for you.”
Alarm bells went off in her head. Something told her she wasn’t going to like this offer of his. “And what would that be?”
“I’m perfectly happy to pay for the whole trip and go without you.”
Laney tried not to react. She’d suspected as much. He wanted to go with someone else. Despite the suspicion, his words served as a figurative punch to the gut. How long had he been deceiving her?
“Otherwise,” Joseph continued, “I don’t plan on paying you for my half. Take it or leave it. That’s the only deal on the table.”
She was right. She didn’t like his deal one bit. “Well, I happen to have a counteroffer. Feel free to drop dead!”
Disconnecting the call without waiting for a response, she took a deep breath and steadied herself. She had a long night ahead of her. Friday’s were always busy enough at the club. The fact that this past week in Boston had been cloudy gray and rainy would ensure the usual crowd would be even larger with people looking to get out and party and dance.
Being the owner of a rather popular night spot meant she was in a packed dance club night after night, surrounded by a crowd of partyers. Hence, her rare evenings at home were particularly sacred. Especially on a day like this one, where all she wanted to do was lick her wounds.
As tempting as it was to call in and spend the evening at home in sweats and fuzzy socks, deep into that aforementioned pint of Rocky Road, she wouldn’t do that to her staff.
Processing her breakup, including the fact that her boyfriend of two years had just told her she’d been boring him to tears, was just going to have to wait.
He had clearly just stepped into the seventh circle of Hades.
Gianni Martino scanned the crowded dance floor and bristled with impatience. This really wasn’t his kind of scene. What a lousy way to spend a Saturday night. He’d much rather be back at the main gym working out or in the ring sparring with Mario. But that afternoon his father, Franco, had reminded him yet again that he still hadn’t scoped out the latest site he had in mind for further expansion within the city.
Better to get this over with, and then he could go about his night the way he wanted. This place was going to need a lot of work. All around him, sweaty bodies gyrated and bounced to a resoundingly loud techno song that was ridiculously heavy on the bass, even for a dance song. He groaned aloud in frustration. How did people enjoy this? Although, he had to admit, the scantily clad and heavily made-up women on the dance floor certainly made for enticing eye candy. A couple feet away, a group of female club goers were darting glances his way and giggling to each other. He was accustomed to such attention. He knew he fell into the category of tall and dark, plus he worked for his family-owned chain of gyms, so he was naturally physically fit. A combination that tended to ensure he was never at a loss for female companionship.
He observed the women again. Large diamond studs adorned the ears of one. A sparkly designer watch graced the wrist of another. They were clearly fit and had money. Gianni thought about handing them all the Martino’s free-pass gym coupons that he always carried with him.
One of the eye candies moved in his direction and stepped within inches of where he stood. He could smell the sharp, spicy scent of her perfume. Her brilliant blue eyes flashed at him and her smile widened into a grin.
“Please tell me you’re here alone,” she demanded in a breathless tone.
He thought about lying. Then decided there was no need. “I am.”
She angled closer and pulled up against him, then grabbed him by the elbow. In a display of strength that somewhat took him by surprise, she yanked him closer to the dance floor. “Then you have to dance with me.”
He stood firm after the first step. “I’m not much of a dancer, sweetheart.”
She chuckled at that, clearly not deterred. If anything, she pressed closer up against him, skimmed her hand up his chest to his shoulder. “Then why are you here? This is the most popular dance club in Greater Boston.”
There was no way he was going to get into all that with her. How exactly would he explain that he was actually here on business on a Friday night, just as the evening had begun?
She would never believe it.
He would then have to explain that he was a senior VP at his family’s company. Martino Entertainment Enterprises was a global entity, which owned everything from gaming halls to small casinos to fitness centers and boxing gyms. The latter being his very own idea and accomplishment.
“Maybe some other time,” he told the woman with a friendly yet dismissive smile.
The woman gave him a mini shrug. “Well, I’ll be here for a few more hours if you change your mind,” she threw over her shoulder before walking away to rejoin her friends. Any other night, Gianni might have entertained the offer she’d not so subtly thrown at him. A romantic interlude without any attachments was sometimes just what a man—or a woman—needed. But he really was here on business. And he never mixed business with pleasure. It was the reason he was drinking nothing stronger than a cola at the moment.
After about fifteen minutes, he’d seen enough. Logistically, the place was exactly what they’d been looking for. The square footage, the setup of the building and geographical location made it perfect for acquisition. Everything else would need to be gutted.
He’d already surmised that he’d have to make the current owner a hefty offer, one they couldn’t refuse. A lot of work and planning had clearly gone into the place. No doubt, it was professionally decorated—with avant-garde lighting and comfortable seating. The dance floor was large and highly polished. A wraparound bar heavily stocked with the highest grade of spirits and wine was currently mobbed with thirsty customers. Four professional dancers performed on an elevated stage in every corner, occasionally jumping off to wrangle those who appeared to be hesitant to enter the dancing fray.
All in all, Gianni figured he would have to commend the current proprietor. They’d done a nice job—created a welcoming, fun atmosphere. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.
Except one. His gaze fell on her at that very moment, right before he’d been getting ready to exit and go about his night. She walked past him carrying a tray of drinks and delivered it to what appeared to be a VIP table just a few feet away.
She looked utterly miserable.
The waitress uniform she had on—a black tuxedo vest and knee-length leather skirt—fit her to perfection. Her dark hair was piled high on top of her head with tendrils of curls framing her face. She looked more like a pop star about to go on stage than a cocktail waitress in a dance club. Even in the dark, her eyes were striking. An amber-gold shade of hazel that reminded him of a summer sunset.
When had he ever noticed a stranger’s eyes before, let alone compared them to a sunset?
Gianni found himself unable to tear his gaze away as she handed out the drinks and made small talk, the smile on her face clearly forced and strained. Watching her made him more curious than he could explain.
Maybe she was just tired, maybe it had been a long night and her feet hurt in the lace-up, block-heeled black leather boots she was wearing.
The real question was, why did he want to know so badly?
