Filed to story: Young Girls Forbidden Love Series: My Best Friend’s Daddy
“I don’t know if you have eaten, but I had my chef prepare a little something before he left for the night.”
“I can always eat,” I said with a small smile of thanks before he disappeared into the kitchen.
He returned with two artful plates of filet mignon and asparagus spears. He set a plate in front of me and the other in front of the chair directly across from me. He poured a generous glass of wine for each of us before taking his seat.
“This is absolutely beautiful,” I said as I glanced around the room.
“It is, isn’t it?” Michael said looking around the room, too, before continuing. “Honestly, I tend to forget how nice this place is. Typically, when I am in New York, I get so wrapped up in work that I forget to enjoy it.”
“Well, you should slow down more often,” I said, not exactly sure how friendly to be with the man I’d almost slept with and then ghosted.
“Well then, to more happy nights,” Michael said, raising his glass to me.
I sighed, not picking up my glass to meet his.
“Michael, don’t you think we should talk about the photographer? We can’t act as if nothing happened.”
Michael sighed, too, and set his glass back down on the table.
“I know that we need to talk about what happened. I am sure you have a lot of questions for me. I’m honestly surprised that you even agreed to come here after everything my family and guests put you through. I just wanted to spend some time with you before we had to talk about all of that unpleasantness.”
I was shocked that Michael was worried about me not showing up; he always seemed so confident and put together. The entire time I had been worried he wouldn’t want to see me again when he was worried about the same thing.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me again,” I admitted sheepishly.
“Shelby, I would have to be crazy not to want to see you again.”
Heat burst into my cheeks, and I was thankful that the light was low enough to hide my blush.
“I have mentally kicked myself every day for not going to you right after I got back from chasing off that photographer. Then, when I woke up the next day, I found out you were gone, and it was too late. After that, I figured you needed some space, understandably. Your vacation was anything but relaxing,” Michael said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“I should have at least stayed to say goodbye, but at the time, I didn’t feel as though I could stay.”
“I found out from some of my staff that you and Lauren were heard getting into an argument. No one knew what it was about, and I couldn’t get a straightforward answer out of Lauren. What did she say to make you feel as though you needed to leave?”
I looked down at my plate and took a slow bite, trying to decide just how much of the fight with Lauren I wanted to disclose to her father. The meat was so tender it felt as though it melted in my mouth; I swallowed reluctantly before speaking.
“Lauren found out that I was Todd’s previous girlfriend. She obviously wasn’t happy about it, and things got pretty heated. I didn’t want to stay after that.”
Michael stared at me as though trying to get me to go into the horrible things his daughter had actually said to me. It was hard for me to understand why I still felt the need to protect Lauren from her own shitty behavior, but I held my tongue anyway.
“Shelby, I know there is more to it than that.”
“None of that matters anymore,” I said, looking down at my plate again to avoid his piercing gaze. “We are going in completely different directions in our lives, and I doubt that we will ever cross paths again. We are from completely different worlds.”
“You are right,” Michael responded, watching me carefully. “You two are completely different. She is turning into everything I hoped she wouldn’t, and you, Shelby, well, you are… real.”
The silence between us was only interrupted by the soft clinks of our silverware against our plates.
“I wasn’t able to catch up with that photographer,” Michael said softly, almost ashamed.
“I know,” I responded, finally lifting my eyes to meet his.
“What do you mean?” Michael’s eyebrows furrowed together, clearly confused by what I was alluding to.
“Right before the flight I was on took off, an unknown number sent me a picture of us in the cove.”
Tears started to well up in my eyes. Michael jumped up from his side of the table and was next to me in an instant. He grabbed my hands from where they were resting on my lap.
Even as upset as I was, the feeling of his hands on mine made my entire body feel warm.
“Shelby, why on earth did you keep this to yourself? If I would have known that he was blackmailing you, I would have had someone standing guard at your apartment day and night.”
“I thought that if I disappeared, they would leave you alone, but whoever it was, they found me. That’s why I came to find you at your office today.”
“What do you mean they found you?” Michael asked, concern flooding his eyes.
“Someone followed me back to my apartment. I ran down the street, but they must have noticed where I lived because the next time I opened the door, there was a box waiting for me.
Michael stared at me, absorbing every word I spoke.
“The picture was inside of the box with a note that said, ‘Tell Michael he is running out of time.’ That’s when I decided I needed to come and find you. I am so sorry, Michael. I thought this would all just go away if I walked out of your life.”
“That son of a bitch!” Michael cursed.
*Shelby*
“That son of a bitch,” Michael cursed and released my hands, standing up and walking toward the balcony. My hands feel empty and cold without his touch.
“Who?” I asked Michael as he retreated, opening the door and walking outside. I stood, intent on following him when he didn’t answer my question.
I slowly made my way out to the balcony, somewhat awestruck. I’d never been inside any home as nice as this.
The balcony was huge and had a fantastic view of the New York skyline. The buildings in the distance illuminated the night sky like grounded stars. It would have been beautiful had it not been for the tense conversation we were having.
Michael took a seat on an outdoor sectional in front of a fire pit contained in the coffee table. The things money could buy never ceased to amaze me.
I took a seat next to him and looked at him expectantly, but when he still did not answer my question, I pressed further.
“Michael, who is trying so hard to drag you through the mud? Surely, it is not a stranger that has targeted you just for money. If that were the case, they would have sold the photo already, and it would be all over the place. I am sure someone would pay a lot of money for that picture. This seems much more personal.”
“You’re right, Shelby. You are very perceptive. You really will be an excellent lawyer,” Michael said, smiling slightly while staring into the flames slowly flickering before him.
“I hope I get to be. But, on the other hand, I don’t know how focused I will be if I am constantly having to watch over my shoulder to make sure I am not being followed. And if the picture does get out, fighting off journalists that want to know more about our situation.”
Michael sighed at my comment and looked out over the city. Maybe I had been too harsh, but I needed him to remember that my reputation was at stake too.
Even though I was not in the public eye like he was, this still had the ability to ruin my future career.