Chapter Chapter Seventeen
UNEDITED......
When they left the store that day, paparazzi were tipped off. Cameras were flashing from all angles, and questions that answers were obvious were asked. "Are you guys back together?" Duh.. idiot.
Of course, they didn't respond. They didn't live their lives in the public and had no reason to answers any questions. Nathan would say. The fact that they never gave an answer didn't stop them from making their assumptions. Baylee didn't come out of the changing room until they were gone, but not before slipping Sabrina, her number. They picked out a dress she would have never thought to try on. It was a little revealing but she was hoping to get Nathan's attention.
He was always busy. Emails, phone calls, texts, and who knows what else. She could never seem to get much of him. They haven't done much talking either. Their discussions were mostly about Jasmine. It was getting more frustrating as the days pass. She was also hoping that when the party was over he would be home more often. Thankfully she has Jasmine to keep her company, and happy. That little girl made her smile, and forget her troubles every day.
Party Night 3 Chapters long...
The night of the party came pretty quickly. Nathan left early, leaving her to get dressed and to make sure everything was in order. She called Selma a couple of hours ago and left Jasmine with her.
She straightened her hair and left it loose. The way Nathan liked it. She put on a cherry red lipstick and darkened her eyeliner. The spaghetti-strap dress she wore hung above her knees, is black, backless, and form-fitting. She looked like herself, then again she didn't.
Her make up was aways lighter along with the colors that she normally wore, but she had to admit, she didn't look half bad. Her features popped with the darker colors.
She paired her dress with black strap heels that wrapped around her calf and slipped on a shiny silver ankle bracelet.
Her breast was much plumper than they once were, and her hips a little wider. That did nothing but make her feel insecure. Was he going to give her a second glance or was he going to be to busy to notice? Maybe he wouldn't like what he sees all together.
She had to stop overthinking this. He wouldn't be with her if he didn't want to be. She takes one last look in the mirror and wills herself to be confident.
Once she says goodbye to Jasmine, she lets Hunter and Conner escort her to the venue. It was extravagant. They rented out an entire hotel in the city. It was just about 7:30. Guests should have begun arriving already.
Conner and Hunter were in their normal places when they arrived. Hunter in the back, and Conner in the front. She was so grateful for them especially when she had to pass all the paparazzi on her way in. The public ate up every sheet of any news on the Alden's. After the ongoing trial with Desmond, they became fascinated with Sabrina and Nathan's love story.
The first thing her eyes fell on when she enters was the gigantic pink crystal chandler hanging in the center of the room. The whole place was decorated beautifully with only the color rose and dust of silver. She scans around the room and finds the table near the stage area in front that said N.Alden CEO.
"Where is Mr. CEO?" She asked herself aloud.
She whips out her phone and sends him a quick text. "I'm here... Where are you?"
As she sits at their table and looks across to see Baylee, Clarissa, Jacob, and Vivian at another table across the dance floor.
Baylee smiles at her. "You look amazing." She mouths.
Clarissa waves.
Sabrina decides to go over and say hello.
Nathan pulled out his phone to see a text from Sabrina stating she had arrived. Right now he was one of the back rooms trying to figure out why the sound system wouldn't work. There couldn't be a party without music. He texted Hunter to stay at her side and continued speaking to the hotel's General manager.
"This is ridiculous." He states. "This is something that should have been taking care of weeks ago."
"I'm sorry sir. One of our maintenance guys is on his way right now. We'll have this backup and working in no time." The nervous general manager kept pulling on his fingers. "Oh! Look, here he comes now." He rushes away from Nathan. Nathan lets out a breath and looks at his watch. He couldn't wait anymore. He makes his way into back to the party to greet his guest.
He runs into a few associates as he makes his way to his table. It was empty. "Where the hell is Sabrina?" He mumbles.
"Nathan." Someone yells. He looks to see a new client of his, the owner of a billion-dollar cruise line company. It was one of the biggest clients he had at the moment.
"Mr. Green." Nathan greets him and shakes his hand.
"Come, have a drink with me."
Nathan follows him over to the bar while looking around for Sabrina. His eyes fall to his mother and sister's table. A woman in a black short dress stood in front of it. Involuntary, he lets his eyes travel down her body. Damn, she was sexy he couldn't help think. "Shit." He mutters as he bumps into someone. "Sorry." He gets past a line and makes it to the bar.
"Two Johnny walkers on the rocks." Green orders as he sits on a stool.
Nathan was a little shaken. He has never looked at another woman the way he looked at Sabrina or felt that attraction that he had for her with anyone else. He felt guilty for it happening. Why the hell did women come here dressed like that? Deliberately wanting attention.
Green hands him a drink and he takes it back quickly. It burned his chest. He hasn't had a drink in probably about a year or so. He stopped when he realized that by trying to numb the pain of missing Sabrina he was turning into an alcoholic. "Ahh. That hit the spot." Green raised an eyebrow at Nathan. He was a big drinker.
Nathan nods. "Have you seen that one." Green points over to the same woman Nathan was looking at. "See that outfit. She's begging for it." Green was married, and his wife was most likely somewhere around, but that didn't stop him. On many occasions, he would change the subject to women, or this one, and that one, as he would call them. The man was a pig.
Nathan glances away from her and his eyes end up on Conner, then he shifts his eyes to the other end of the table and finds Hunter. He lets his eyes go back over to the woman. His wife. He didn't know whether to be relieved or angry as hell. "Two more, bartender." Green Orders.
When the drink is set in front of him he takes it back and immediately feels tension releasing from his neck. "That's my wife." He declares clearly.
Green has his lips on the glass as both of his eyebrows lift and he points in question back over to Sabrina."
"Yes." Nathan nods and orders another drink.
"Hahahaha." A genuine laugh escapes Green. "I have to admit, that's never happened to me before." He laughs more. "Well, she's asking you for it then."
Nathan stands emotionless at first, just watching Green drink and laugh. Eventually, he had no choice but to smile at his uncontrollable laughter.
He glances back at Sabrina. Her back was still facing him, and she was talking to Clarissa.
God, she looked unbelievably sexy.
"So, how's life with the new baby?" Green passes him another drink.
He takes it and throws it back. "Good." He answers. "Excuse me." He heads towards Sabrina. Of course, he was stopped by at least three people before he made it there. "Sabrina." He calls for her attention. She was laughing pretty hard about something. He liked that she was enjoying herself but he didn't like who with.
Sabrina turns and meets Nathan's eyes. "Oh, hey." She moves to the front of him, reaches up, and kisses his cheek.
"Come." He orders as he tugs her back to their table. Once they sit down. "Why would you come here dressed like that? Are you looking for attention?" His brows furrowed.
Sabrina looks around confusingly. "It's a party, Nathan. Look at her." She points out a blond with a skirt that barely covered her ass. "And her." She points out a red-head with cleavage pouring out of her dress.
"You know what I mean." He greets his teeth. "You never dress like this."
"Maybe I want your attention." She bites her lips.
Nathan glances at her lips. "This isn't time for fun and games."
"But, I thought this was a party to celebrate a successful launch. Shouldn't you take a break from work and actually celebrate?"
"This isn't how I celebrate. This is work. Half of the people here are clients and potential clients. I'm making this company twice as big as it once was, now I have to sustain it." He makes it known.
"Nathan!" Someone shouts. Breaking their conversation.
"Excuse me." He gets up, walks around the table, and shakes some guy's hands. She watches him leave until the point where she would have to break her neck to see him.
She was left alone in a room filled with people again. Well, except for Hunter and Conner. They're like air, you forget it's there. She crosses her legs, folds her arms, and looks over at Conner on her right. She was about to ask him a question but decided to look at what he was staring at. Baylee, of course. She turns her head to the other side and looks at Hunter. He had his arms folded and was also watching Conner. "Hey!" He suddenly shouts.
Conner turns his head towards Hunter not getting startled one bit.
"You're supposed to be watching her." Hunter points to Sabrina.
Sabrina giggles. "Conner, why don't you talk to her?"
Conner bows his head. "I'm working."
"Yeah, true. Nathan would probably cut off his balls." Hunter adds.
Sabrina giggles again. "I can't disagree."
"Sabrina!" Clarissa yells.
She looks over and notices Clarissa making a hand motion for her to come back over to their table.
Noticing that Vivian left the table she gladly accepts the company and takes a seat with them. Hunter and Conner, of course, follow her and stand at both sides of the table.
"What is his problem?" Baylee asks straight away.
"Who, Conner? I think he just likes the way you look." Sabrina whispers.
"I told you!" Clarissa shouts.
Baylee's looks around like she was uncomfortable, and clears her throat. "I meant Nathan. And why isn't there any music?" She jumps off the topic too fast.
"He didn't like my dress."
"Why? You look hot." Clarissa inserts.
"Thank you." Baylee answers.
"He says it's too revealing." She admits.
"No, it's not!" Baylee crosses her arms.
"For Sabrina it is." Her sister agrees.
"But, she looks hot."
"I don't know what to do." Sabrina starts to vent. She turns around and glances back at Nathan. From this table, she could see him. He was standing among a group of men, including Jacob with a drink in his hand. "Nathan is really distant with me. I can't get him to give me the time of day. Work comes first."
Clarissa and Baylee were silent. They had no advice for her. "I'm sorry Sabrina. The only solution to Nathan we had was you." Baylee
reaches out and touches her arms.
"I think he just needs time." Clarissa smiles.
All three women become startled when music suddenly booms through the system.
They freeze, look at each other, and just begin laughing. It was really nice to just laugh.
"Oh my god. Look." Clarissa gives a subtle point over to the entrance.
Lola was there with a really handsome guy on her arm.
"That's Brent Thompson, he's worth millions."
"Wait you guys are not friends anymore?" Sabrina realizes and asks Baylee.
"No." She clears her throat. "She said I crossed a line and she couldn't be friends with me anymore."
"I'm sorry." Sabrina glances back at Nathan. He had a full glass now and was laughing.
"It's okay. I deserve it. Don't worry I vowed to change." Baylee plays it off.
Meanwhile upstairs in hotel room 407, Vivian sat on her bed staring down at Judd's phone number on her phone screen. She felt defeated and that made her livid. She touches his name and presses the speaker button. Her teeth grinding and almost chattering with anger as she waited for him to answer.
"Hello." He picks up.
"Have you thought of how you are going to break them up?"
"I'm thinking Aunt Vivian. It's going to take me some time."
"You don't have time. Her eyes filled with water and her jaw clenched down. "I've already stopped making payments to your lenders. Your buddies should be calling soon." "We had a deal. "
"Yes!" She screams. "We had a deal! But they are back together! And that changes everything! If you want your debt paid off then you need to break them up permanently!"
Just then, the connecting door to the master bathroom opens. Wrapped in a large white towel in comes Sam, Vivian's limo driver.
"I broke them up. I upheld my end of the bargain. Now you need to do the same." He begs.
"You're not getting it!" She screams
"Shhh." Sam crawls on to the bed and massages Viviana's shoulders. "Relax." He tries to calm her.
She makes her body stiff and keeps her jaw shut as she tries to speak calmer. "If Sabrina is in the picture. If you want me to actually pay off your debts, then I'm going to need more than just the monthly allowance Nathan gives me. So I don't care what you have to do but do something. You understand me?"
Judd's stayed silent. He glances at his front door. The fear of always having to watch his back returned. Who was going to be at his door? Was it going to be his death? "I got it." He clicks the phone.
Sam moves in front of Vivian and stoops in front of her. "You must stay calm." He kisses her hand.
Vivian bows her head and lets out a breath before beginning to cry. "Everything is ruined. I thought we were finally going to get to be together.
"We still can be." He tries to cheer her up.
"You know what our prenup says. If I divorce Desmond for any reason I only get a few million in the settlement. "That's not enough to buy a decent house. I lose everything. I didn't spend all of theses years putting up with that man to get nothing."
Sam bows his head.
Vivian places a hand on his cheek and smiles down at him. "I love you." She glances away.
"This is all Ben Reed's fault. That company was wholly in Desmond's name, and as his wife, I had rights to half of it. Now it's completely in Nathan's, and I can't legally fight for it. The only way I can get my hands on it is if I am Nathan's beneficiary. I'm sure without Sabrina in the picture I can get him to sign over some profits eventually"
Sam gets off the floor and sits near her. "What about the baby?"
She lifts a brow. "I'll worry about that when she's eighteen.
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