The Arrangement Duet Box Set Read online

  The bedroom is even larger than the living room. The bed must be a king size, which seems ridiculous for one person, but I can’t help but throw myself on it, and I’m immediately engulfed by the thick blankets. I didn’t think my bed at the apartment was too bad, but after lying on this even for a few minutes, I realize just how uncomfortable it truly was.

  Just off the bedroom is a large, empty walk-in closet that I don’t think I could ever own enough clothes to fill. Next to the closet is a bathroom that would be every girl’s dream: there is a separate walk in shower, a large soaking tub with jets, and a double vanity.

  Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever dreamed of living in a place like this. I thought the house I moved into with him was impressive, but compared to this, that place was nothing. I can’t help but worry that at any moment I’m going to wake up and find out all of this was just a dream and that I’m still back at the crummy apartment building listening to my neighbors fight over who took the last pill.

  Needing to put tonight behind me, I take a quick shower in my new bathroom, vowing to spend some time in the soaking tub tomorrow and change into a shirt to sleep in. Despite the energy burst, I fall asleep the moment my head hits the pillow.

  Flashback

  “You’re nothing! We open our house to you and this is how you repay us? No wonder your mother didn’t want you! I bet she doesn’t even know who your father is!”

  “I’m sorry…”

  Slap

  “Get out of here! Go to your room and don’t come out! I don’t want to look at you! I’ll be calling tomorrow; I need you out of here. You’re just like your mother… a fucking slut! I bet you were fucking him tonight, weren’t you?”

  “No! I swear—“

  Slap!

  “You will only be good for a fuck… no one will ever love you! Get out of my sight!”

  End Flashback

  Ring Ring

  I wake up twisted in blankets and covered in sweat to the sound of my cell phone ringing somewhere in the apartment. Glancing at the clock, I realize I slept until almost noon; I can’t remember the last time I slept for so long. I quickly make my way to the living room and find my phone on the coffee table, where I must have left it last night before I went to bed. I see I have a missed call from Bridget. I hit the send button to return her call.

  “Kenzie, dear, how are you? Nicholas told me what happened at your apartment last night, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, thank you, Bridget. I’m staying in one of PFS’s condos for now, Nicholas insisted—“

  “He was right to, dear. The press loves the fact that Nicholas is being pictured with the same woman and will probably come after you even stronger now. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to check, but your picture is already on several different websites—“

  “What? Why?” I immediately panic that the press somehow found out about the break in last night.

  “From the art exhibit you attended, dear. Pictures were apparently leaked of you two from inside the exhibit last night, plus you were pictured going into the exhibit.”

  “Oh. I’ll have to check out the sites later today.”

  “So far it seems mostly positive, although a few sites are placing bets on how much longer you will be by Nicholas’s side. You don’t need to worry about them though. Nicholas told me he was very satisfied with this arrangement, so I think the press will be disappointed when you continue to be seen with him. He asked me to confirm the details of your date for Saturday night, if you have a few minutes to talk?”

  “Of course.”

  “He would like to pick you up at five on Saturday and take you to dinner. Seeing as you both live in the same building now, unless you object, he will pick you up at your apartment door.”

  “No, that’s fine.”

  “The date Saturday will be just the two of you—“

  “Oh?”

  “Mr. Parker thinks it’s important to be seen with you casually so as to not raise any suspicions that you might only be accompanying him to public events. Although there won’t be any press around you Saturday, it’s likely someone will recognize you and it will be reported to the media.”

  “I suppose that makes sense.”

  “Do you have any questions about Saturday, Kenzie?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  I spend the rest of the day lazily enjoying my temporary new home. I soak in the luxurious jetted tub and watch movies on the incredibly comfortable loveseat. The food that Nicholas’s housekeeper left me was amazing, just like he said it would be… you would never know that it was made previously and then frozen. I don’t know how I could ever thank Nicholas for everything he and Carter did for me last night; not only did he provide me with a place to live temporarily, he made sure everything was taken care of back at my apartment.

  I know I need to apologize for how I reacted about the background check and read what Carter sent me. It contained pretty much what I knew it would. I should have understood why someone in Nicholas’s position would need people to have background checks run on them; for all he knew, I could have been some gold digger after his money. I get it and still don’t like that it was done, but I should have reacted differently. I vow to apologize on Saturday night when I see him for our next date. The last thing I want is to seem ungrateful for everything he did last night.

  Chapter 16

  Kenzie

  I broke down and called Hunter this morning so I could go food shopping, something I had put off as long as possible because I thought it would be weird. He immediately offered to go to the store and pick up whatever I needed, but I couldn’t let him do that. It’s hard enough to get used to the idea that I need someone to drive me places and accompany me through the grocery store. I can’t let him actually go food shopping for me, that would be too much. Surprisingly, it was not as awkward as I thought it might be. We left as soon as I woke up and the store was pretty empty, so we didn’t have to worry about any press.

  Last night before I went to bed I searched the gossip pages for information about me and Nicholas. As he said, PFS released a statement confirming that he was in a “serious relationship” with someone and they asked for the press to respect our privacy. What surprised me was the statement did not release my name or really anything about me, which I suppose was purposely done to try to maintain my privacy a little longer.

  When I was shopping with Hunter, I picked up a few items that I would need to bake Nicholas a basket of goodies as a way to thank him for everything he did last night. The kitchen is not only stocked with most of the basic staples you would find in any pantry, but it also has a large mixer, a handheld mixer, baking pans, muffin tins, and more utensils than I could ever imagine using. I start baking as soon as we get back to the condo and manage to have a couple different varieties of muffins and cookies made before lunch time, which was my goal. I don’t expect that Nicholas is going to eat all of these, but I figured he could share them with the people who work for him; besides, you really can’t just make one muffin…

  “Good morning, Ms. Rose,” Hunter answers the phone before the first ring even stops.

  “Good morning, Hunter. I have something for Mr. Parker’s office, so do you have a few minutes to take me there?”

  “Um… of course. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you!”

  It’s obvious from Hunter’s response that going to PFS was probably the last thing he expected from me, which makes me wonder if perhaps I shouldn’t go there. I’ve met Nicholas at PFS twice now for dates, so I just assumed it would acceptable for me to drop the basket off today, but Hunter’s response has me second guessing myself. If he’s busy or can’t see me for some reason, I’ll just leave the basket with Carter since he is with him during the day. By the time Hunter knocks on the door, I feel a little less nervous but still unsure if I should be going to PFS.

  “We’ve arrived, Ms. Rose,” Hunter announces after a very short driv
e. I hadn’t realized until now just how close the condo was to PFS. I’m actually looking forward to not having to wake up so early for work tomorrow because I won’t need to take the subway and then a bus to get to the bakery. If it weren’t for Nicholas insisting that Hunter take me to work, I would probably just walk the couple of blocks to the bakery. The condo really is convenient to everything.

  “Ms. Rose,” Carter greets us in the lobby.

  “Carter, I wanted to drop something off for Nicholas, but if he’s busy—“

  “I believe he is in between a meeting and phone conference at the moment. He probably only has a few minutes to spare, but he should be in his office.”

  Carter escorts me to the elevator, and just before the doors close I see a few women in the lobby whispering and looking back at me. I look down at what I’m wearing: a simple pair of black dress pants and a button-down shirt, which I thought would be suitable to drop off something, but after seeing those women, I’m doubting my attire entirely. When we finally arrive on Nicholas’s floor, I’m greeted by another one of his employees who is impeccably dressed, almost as if she walked off a designer’s photo shoot. I silently vow to add at least one or two outfits to my closet that I could wear here if we weren’t going to on a date so I would at least look like I fit in a little more.

  “Melody, is Mr. Parker free?” Carter asks.

  “Yes, he is… but—“

  “We’ll only be a minute,” Carter quickly dismisses her and escorts me to a large door across from the reception desk.

  “Yes,” Nicholas’s voice booms from behind the closed door.

  “Go on,” Carter chuckles when I make no move to open the door.

  “Nicholas?” He hasn’t looked up since I entered his office; he is obviously focused on whatever he is looking at. There are papers strewn all over his desk plus several more in his hand. I immediately regret coming here, as it’s obvious that I’ve disturbed him.

  “Kenzie? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” He drops the papers onto his desk and immediately stands up to greet me.

  “Everything is fine… I’m sorry to have bothered you,” I apologize quickly.

  “Nonsense, I needed to step away from this stuff anyway.” He shrugs as he looks at all the papers on his desk. “Everything is okay though? The condo… it has everything you need?”

  “Oh yes! It has everything I need and many things that I don’t need,” I laugh. “I wanted to thank you… and, well, apologize for my reaction the other night—“

  “Kenzie, that’s not—“

  “It is. I overreacted to the situation, as I was caught off guard, and then took it out on you when you told me about the background check. I wanted to apologize for that. I understand why Carter would run a background check on me, and while I don’t like the idea that it was done without my permission, I understand nonetheless. Regardless, blowing up at you was wrong, and I’m sorry. I baked you some muffins and cookies to apologize for my behavior but also to thank you for what you did the other night.”

  “I didn’t—“

  “Nicholas, I know very few people who would have stepped up and helped someone who is practically a stranger—“

  “I wouldn’t say that you’re a stranger.”

  “You’re probably right, I wouldn’t say we’re strangers, but still… there aren’t many people who would have rushed over to help someone they barely know. I just wanted to thank you for coming over to my apartment that late at night and then arranging for me to stay in the condo. It was very generous of you.”

  “Kenzie… it was nothing, really. I’m just glad you’re in a place where you are safe. You didn’t need to come here to thank me, but if those are the delicious muffins that you make at the bakery, I certainly wouldn’t refuse one.”

  “Mr. Parker, you’re appointment is here,” the receptionist alerts Nicholas through his phone intercom.

  “I know you’re busy—“

  “Melody, show them to the board room and let them know that my previous call ran over so I’ll be in with them in a few minutes.”

  “I don’t want to make you late for your meeting—“

  “They can wait a few minutes; I haven’t had a chance to eat lunch yet so you have perfect timing after all.”

  Nicholas and I sit at a small table for a few minutes while he eats one of the muffins. When I suggest he share the remaining with his staff, he balks at the idea and says he would probably eat them all before he left for the day.

  “Mr. Parker,” the receptionist interrupts us again.

  “I’ll be there in a minute, Melody,” Nicholas informs her.

  “I should let you get to your meeting. I wasn’t sure what your schedule was and didn’t mean to make you late for anything.”

  “It’s fine; it’s a boring meeting anyway. Thank you again for the basket, Kenzie, it was very thoughtful.”

  Nicholas walks me out to the reception area, where Carter and Hunter are waiting. He kisses me gently on the cheek before heading down a hallway, which I assume leads to the board room where his meeting is. Hunter brings me back to the condo so I can finish unpacking before going to buy an outfit for dinner tomorrow night.

  ************

  My morning has flown by much faster than I expected. I was able to sleep a little later this morning since I didn’t have to figure the subway into my commute time. The bakery is busier than normal for a Saturday morning; usually weekdays are busier than weekends but today for some reason was different. We are so busy that I end up getting no more than a five minute break before Ginny asks me to come back and make another batch of breads so we wouldn’t run out. I have no idea why the morning is so busy, but it makes the hours fly by.

  I thought it would be weird having Hunter there with me or that my coworkers would ask questions but no one did. I spoke with Ginny when I first arrived and let her know about Hunter; of course her only reaction is asking me over and over again if I’m safe. I assure her I am fine and that Hunter is with me to make sure I stay safe. For the most part, he sits in the corner of the bakery not bothering anyone; I nearly forget he’s there when I start to leave for the day and he rushes to my side to escort me to the car.

  Back at the condo, I finish unpacking the few items I have and watch a little television. Before I know it, there is a knock at my door and a quick glance through the peephole confirms that it was Nicholas. I quickly set the alarm code before meeting him in the hallway.

  “You look… very nice,” Nicholas says as I turn around from closing the door.

  “Thank you, you look nice as well.” He is dressed impeccably, as always.

  Tonight he is wearing a pair of black dress pants and a light blue button-down shirt that complements his eyes. Nice isn’t the right word at all… he looks stunning and sexy, but I can’t bring myself to actually use those words. I find myself wondering what he would look like in a pair of jeans… in the few times we have been out thus far I have never seen him casually dressed.

  “I made reservations for us at the Lake View Restaurant,” Nicholas informs me.

  “I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard good things about it.”

  “It’s mostly known for the view; the restaurant is built right on the edge of a lake so when you sit in the dining room, you have a perfect view from all angles. As expected, they serve a lot of seafood, but they have a variety of other items if you don’t care for that cuisine.”

  “Seafood is fine.”

  “Did you work this morning?”

  “I did. We were busier than normal.”

  “Oh?”

  “Usually the work week is the busiest time; most of Ginny’s business comes from catering and people coming in for breakfast on their way to work. Weekends tend to be slower but today it was much busier than normal.”

  “I think I heard there was something going on at the convention center this weekend—if that’s the case, it might explain why you were busier than normal.”

&n
bsp; “That’s probably it. I’ve tried to tell Ginny she needs to look at these things online when she is making the schedule, but she’s not very big on using the internet so I don’t think it’s a priority.”

  “Sir, ma’am,” Carter pulls us from our conversation, alerting us that we are approaching the restaurant.

  Nicholas escorts me inside, and as soon as we arrive, we are seated at a table beside the windows overlooking the water. The view really is incredible; it actually feels like you’re sitting on top of the water while you eat dinner. The lights from houses across the lake can barely be seen from the restaurant, but even those that can be seen just add to the ambiance of the place. Every table in the room is occupied, yet the tables are set apart enough that you don’t feel like it’s crowded.

  “This view is incredible,” I say in awe after we order our dinner.

  “It is.” He looks out the window as if he is taking in the view for the first time. “So, tell me about yourself, Kenzie.”

  “Um… what do you want to know?” I can’t help but feel nervous at his question.

  “I don’t know… tell me something about you that I don’t know. During our first meeting, you said you wanted to go back to school. Does that mean you started college at some point or…?”

  “Yes, I was actually less than a year away from graduation when I had to withdraw.”

  “Why? I mean, you were so close to graduation, why stop then?”

  “I… I didn’t have a lot of money for college, but I was lucky enough to receive several grants and scholarships that covered my tuition, room and board, plus most of the supplies I needed. Unfortunately, right before my senior year, I was notified that one of the scholarships I had been awarded had lost funding and would not be renewed. Naturally, it was the largest of the scholarships that I had received; I didn’t have enough money saved to cover what that scholarship did, so I had to withdraw from the university my final year.”

  “Why didn’t you take out a student loan to cover the difference?”

  “If I could, I would have. Unfortunately, by the time I learned my scholarship would not be renewed, I had missed the application deadline for student loans. I had hoped to take only a year off so that I could work and save every penny to go back to school… ”