Filed to story: Young Girls Forbidden Love Series: My Best Friend’s Daddy
“Why do you say that?”
I lowered the pillow just under my chin and saw Aubrey staring at me with her big eyes full of love and concern. I couldn’t help but spill everything to her.
“Aubs, that was the most embarrassing interaction I have ever had in my entire life. She told me women pulled the same stunt all the time to try and get Michael’s attention. She treated me like I was some kind of groupie,” I said.
“I am sure it wasn’t your most embarrassing interaction. Do you remember when you sat on that foreign exchange student’s jacket? You thought he was hitting on you because he couldn’t figure out how to tell you he needed you to get up.”
“Aubrey! I asked you not to mention that again! What was I supposed to think when he kept gesturing to me and then pointing to his butt,” I said exasperated, but I couldn’t help the smile sneaking onto my lips.
Aubrey started laughing to the point she was nearly wheezing.
“But you went on for like ten minutes about how you thought he was really nice but didn’t see him or his ass in that way. Oh man, the look on that poor confused boy’s face,” Aubrey said, wiping a small tear from the corner of her eye.
I pulled the pillow back over my face, mostly to keep Aubrey from seeing me smile at the embarrassing memory.
“What am I missing in here?” Lin asked, walking in from the bedroom holding a tape gun.
“Oh, we were just remembering the time that Shelby sat on the foreign exchange student’s jacket,” Aubrey said, trying to suppress a giggle.
“Oh, I never get tired of that story!” Lin said and then began imitating me, “I agree. You do have a really nice ass, but that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t think of you like that.”
Aubrey laughed so hard that she snorted, which set Lin off laughing just as hard. I was really going to miss living with these two. I was taking Lin with me to Harvard, but it wouldn’t be the same without Aubrey.
“I am going to miss this,” I said as I sat up on the couch and hugged the pillow in my lap.
“Don’t remind me that you guys are leaving. I have already cried about it today,” Aubrey said.
“Yeah, don’t make Aubrey cry. You know I get all weird when people cry,” Lin added.
“You are right. I am sorry, you two. I just feel bad I have spent the last week moping around the place, not enjoying our time together.”
“We understand Shelby, even more so now that we know about the whole mess with the photographer.”
“What Aubrey said. Anyway, what happened at Express Air? I am guessing you didn’t get a chance to talk to Michael, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
“No, he wasn’t at his office. His horrible receptionist made fun of me and would only let me leave a note for him. I don’t even know if she will give it to him, so all I can do now is sit and wait for him to call, but that is probably a long shot.”
“I am sure he will call Shelby,” Aubrey said, coming to sit next to me on the couch.
“It is only a matter of time. And if he doesn’t, I will go up to his office and see if that snot-nosed receptionist can say no to me,” Lin added, sitting on the other side of me.
“Who said she was snot-nosed?” I asked.
“Just a shot in the dark, honestly, but it felt right.”
We all laughed until my phone started ringing.
I pulled it out of my pocket and took a deep breath before answering.
“Shelby?”
*Shelby*
The dark sky seemed even darker through the tinted windows of the black car that Michael had sent to pick me up. He sounded urgent on the phone; when I’d told him that we needed to talk, he’d told me we had a lot to discuss, but he didn’t want to talk over the phone.
Eventually, I agreed to have his driver pick me up and take me to his penthouse.
Secretly I was glad that he suggested meeting in person. I didn’t want to go over everything and why I’d left without saying goodbye, with my two roommates listening to every word of our conversation.
Lin acted as though my life was more interesting than all of the reality TV shows she binge-watched every weekend.
The car was just as luxurious as I should have expected after seeing all of the amenities that the Astor family was used to, but I still was surprised at how supple the leather seats were as I slid across them for my long ride across New York.
It was nice to spend the drive relaxed and not on the edge of my seat, afraid the cab driver was going to hit a pedestrian trying desperately to cross the street. I reminded myself not to get comfortable with this type of luxury, it wasn’t going to last.
“Is there anything I can do for you to make the drive more comfortable, Miss Hatton?” Michael’s driver called back from the front seat.
“No, everything is perfect, thank you,” I answered.
“There are snacks and beverages stocked for you if you change your mind.”
There was sparkling water in the cupholder next to me, mysteriously maintained at the perfect temperature. I cracked the seal and let the bubbles tickle my throat as I watched the skyscrapers pass by my window.
I should have guessed that Michael’s penthouse would be on the upper east side, but I couldn’t help but stare at the buildings and how extravagant everything seemed compared to my dumpy little neighborhood.
The driver pulled to a stop in front of a tall building and got out to open my door for me.
The night sky was littered with stars, which were muted by the bright lights of Michael’s building. A doorman dressed in a uniform opened the front door for me and escorted me to the elevator, where he pressed the button for the penthouse and backed out with a lift of his hat.
I rode the elevator in silence, my heart beating increasingly faster as I passed each floor with a ding of the elevator.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Michael was angry with me for leaving the Bahamas without so much as a word. I hoped it hadn’t hurt him, but after my fight with Lauren, I couldn’t stay, and I knew that Michael and I could never have a future together, especially when his only daughter hated me.
Worst of all was the reason I was at his home in the first place. I couldn’t let him risk his reputation for me. That photographer didn’t need to have the opportunity to take more pictures of us together. I was convinced I wasn’t worth the risk.
The elevator stopped at the top floor, and the doors slowly slid open to reveal Michael’s front entry, a set of floor-to-ceiling glazed glass doors. I rang the small buzzer, and a few seconds later, Michael’s unmistakable form approached the glass.
“Shelby,” Michael said with a warm smile as he slid the door open to reveal his face.
I was relieved to be greeted so warmly. I had told myself over and over again on the ride over that I couldn’t pursue anything with Michael, but as soon as I saw him, I had to fight to suppress my feelings for the man.
“Micheal, it is nice to see you again. Thank you so much for sending a car, although you really didn’t have to.”
“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to,” Michael said, reaching out his hand to me.
After a slight hesitation, I took it, and he led me into his penthouse. The interior was decorated in a modern style with sleek lines and crisp edges, giving the entire space a clean and wealthy feel. A large statement dining room table took up a large portion of the space.
It was glowing from the tiny flames of tealight candles spanning the entire length of the table. The light flickering off all of the surfaces added a subtle softness to the sharp lines of the room. Micheal pulled out a chair for me.