Rufus Stevens had just left a hotel room at The Plaza after giving his regular Saturday rendezvous a diamond bracelet to keep her coming back, and more importantly, to keep her mouth shut. For, Mr. Rufus Stevens had a sexually experimental side that wouldn’t go over well with the blue-blooded debutantes he preferred to date, or rather, to be seen with in public. So he took his sexual transgressions out on highly paid call girls instead.
More recently, the Stevens family, namely his parents, had started to put pressure on him to settle down. They’d even offered a high-paying position at the family-run business and free access to the estate in the Hamptons as a wedding gift. Even after getting off, he felt like a dead man walking just from the thought.
That was until he saw a certain old chum of his across the lobby heading to the elevators with one sexy piece of ass under his arm. Taylor Barrett had been a thorn in his side since Rufus faced a rape accusation back in high school. Taylor Barrett had backed the girl instead of his friend. Daddy Stevens paid the family to shut it down, but it took nine years to get the satisfaction Rufus wanted. When Rufus nailed Taylor’s soon-to-be fiancée in a supply closet of the hospital where Taylor was recovering, he had finally gotten his sweet revenge.
“Taylor Barrett?” he called, stopping and making a scene. “Hey, is that you?”
Jude and Taylor took a step away from each other on instinct, their bodies disengaging. Taylor looked back, but he knew the voice before seeing the face attached. As they turned around, they both held their breath unintentionally. Taylor put on a smile and waved. “Hey, what a coincidence running into you here.” Not at all.
Under his breath, he whispered to Jude, “I’ll handle this.”
She felt a tightening in her chest. She knew. She knew before he even opened his mouth that there was nothing he would be able to say that would explain what they were doing there… together.
When Rufus reached them, the two men shook hands and acted as if this was a happy coincidence, though neither felt it. Rufus eyed Jude. “Judith Boehler, right? Wow. Look at you.” He checked her out from head to toe. “You look… different. Why didn’t we keep in touch after that dinner?” Taking her hand, he pulled her forward and kissed her on the cheek.
“I’ve been crazy busy,” she said, stepping back, wishing Taylor could wrap his arm around her again and make her feel safe.
Rufus turned to Taylor. “So what are you guys doing here?”
“We were grabbing lunch.” Taylor didn’t offer more than requested. Liars got caught by offering too much. But more importantly, he didn’t trust Rufus. Ever.
Rufus’s eyebrows knitted together. “Really? The restaurant is that way and you looked like you were heading for the elevators. This isn’t a date, is it? Oh man, I’m sorry.” He raised his hands in a cautious way. “Seems I’ve interrupted a little afternoon delight.” Rufus winked at Jude, making her stomach churn.
Taylor bit back, “You’ve misunderstood. We were going to the restaurant. As a matter of fact, we’re going to be late. It was good to see—”
“Oh good. Then you don’t mind me joining you? I’m starved.”
Jude swallowed hard. “Taylor was helping me with a problem. A friend of mine’s problem. I wanted to offer her advice, but don’t know how to go about it. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to him privately over lun—”
“Taylor is great with the advice as long as it benefits him. Maybe you want an unbiased opinion.” Rufus swayed his hand toward the restaurant while putting the other on Taylor’s shoulder and redirecting them. “Let’s eat and I’ll be happy to help.”
The three of them started walking across the lobby, Jude and Taylor much less eager than Rufus. She tried to catch Taylor’s eye, but she caught Rufus’s instead and he grinned at her. “Sure is good to see you again, Judith.”
She didn’t reply, but she felt it in her gut: nothing good could come from this. Debating on bowing out, she walked toward the sunny windows ahead, drawn to the outside. Unfamiliar fingers took her elbow, her skin crawling under his touch, and guided her back on track to the restaurant.
They were seated at a table in the middle of the restaurant. Very public. The couple thought it was perfect. There was no way to get too personal when there were so many ears that could hear. Rufus would have to stay checked with his insinuations.
Taylor and Jude sat next to each other at the table for four. Rufus took the seat on the other side of her, cozying up closer to her corner. Jude hated this. She couldn’t see Hazel’s eyes without being obvious. His eyes gave her security, made her feel safe and beautiful. In his eyes, she saw a future that she couldn’t see with her own.
Bending her head down, she read the menu, taking her time to help distract her nerves.
Once they placed their order, Rufus clapped his hands together and said, “So what’s the big problem your friend has?”
Jude, startled from the loud clap, and stuttered, “Um, well…” She closed her eyes hoping to see the lie that needed to be told, but her mind was blank.
Taylor saved her. “It’s a remodel issue with her friend’s boyfriend. If they can’t blend their two styles, is their future doomed?”
Rufus stared at him like he was looking at a three-headed alien until his beer was served and he took a long pull.
Jude took the split-second reprieve to steal a glance at Hazel. She was fidgeting and her nervous energy was spreading. Taylor reached under the table and squeezed her hand gently before placing his napkin in his lap and pressing his knee against hers. Unfortunately it was the only gesture of reassurance he could give without Rufus noticing.
Jude sipped her wine. She shouldn’t be drinking in the middle of the day, but she needed something to calm her nerves.
Rufus finally said, “Are you for real? People fight over this stuff?” He sat back and scanned the restaurant. “As long as the place doesn’t have florally shit everywhere, I don’t give a shit how my wife wants to decorate. It’s her place. A woman’s domain, and all that. Let her have at it. Women love that crap. Right, Taylor?”
Jude looked at Hazel just as interested in his answer as Rufus. Taylor’s tone was reflective of his feelings toward Rufus. “I think it’s important for couples to find balance so they both feel at home. I’ve found many solutions for couples that couldn’t decide on styles. The last thing a couple wants starting a marriage is strife.”
“Are you saying that because Jude’s here? ’Cuz that was a real pussy answer.”
Taking a deep breath, he released it and said, “I’m saying it because I believe my wife’s opinion matters and I know mine will matter to her.”
“Speaking of wives, I saw Katherine last week.” Bam! There it was served so blatantly, so purposefully to hit Taylor where he thought he could hurt him most. “She said you guys have gotten together a few times.”
“One time,” Taylor corrected, glancing at Jude.
“I say smeegal. You say smigel. Semantics.” He leaned forward, directing his hand in a very purposeful manner. “My point is—”
“I don’t give a fuck what point you’re trying to make. That topic is off the table.”
Jude’s knee started bouncing again and Hazel pushed forward with his until hers stopped. She drank her wine and didn’t join in the conversation that had made all three of them tense.
Rufus pushed on. “I was just going to say it’s good to see you’re working it out. I think she’ll appreciate you more this time.”
Taylor couldn’t stop from watching Jude as she finished her wine in silence. He wanted to explain everything. He wanted to tell her he wasn’t seeing anyone but Jude, but he couldn’t, and Rufus knew that. Rufus knew what he was doing, leaving them two choices—come clean, or continue the lies.