Page 38 of Choosing the right Man

Audrey knows the gist of things there. She knows about the late nights, knows about the lack of sex, knows about it all. That’s why she’s the perfect person to talk to right now.

“Things are even more distant with Paul and me, but neither of us seem willing to leave the other. I think that’s why it’s so easy for me to do what I’ve done. But it’s wrong. I really should leave him if I’m willing to sleep with another man.”

“I agree something needs to change, but no one can tell you what to do. No one can walk in your shoes and know whatyou’refeeling, whatPaulis feeling, what this other guy is feeling. That’s for you guys to work out. And it’s not anyone else’s right to judge or put their two cents in,” she assures me. I feel so much better talking to her. I finally let a few tears fall.

“I don’t know what to do. Please tell me what to do.”

She sighs, then smiles. “I freaking love you, Chloe, and I’ll always be here for you. I’ll help you bury a body if you need it. I’ll walk over a bed of coals if you need it. I’ll jump in an ocean filledwith sharks and fight them off. But I can’t make this choice for you. I can only be here to support whatever decision you arrive at.”

“Should I leave Paul?” Panic stirs in my stomach, in my heart, and in my soul from saying these words. “I do love him. I’m just... I’m so lonely.”

“Only you get to decide what comes next. Just know I’m here, and you can move in with me if you make that choice. I’d love to have you as a roomie. This is a judgment-free zone. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

I’m quiet for several minutes and then I finally sigh. “Okay, I don’t want to think or talk about it anymore tonight. Please tell me about your love life, the good and the bad.”

She grins, then lifts the bottle of wine and pouts when it’s empty. “One minute. This requires more wine.”

She leaps from the couch, and practically ballerina dances into the kitchen. I forget she’s unbelievably graceful on top of all of her other attributes. The man who gets her is going to be one hell of a lucky guy.

She’s back within minutes, our glasses are filled, and we’re comfy all over again. We stay up until three in the morning talking, and of course, I stay the night, not even attempting to drive home.

Thanks to Mason, I’m smart enough to down some water and coffee and pile in some of Audrey’s delicious bread before I pass out in her guest bedroom. Coming to see her has been exactly what I needed. Between her and my father I have an incredible support group behind me.

I’ll never be alone no matter what I do. Knowing this gives me the strength to try to find what I want, or at least admit to what I really want.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Mason

I haven’t seen Bella for weeks. But here she is in my office. I’m grumpier today than I’ve been in a very long time. Nothing is happening with Chloe yet. I know I can push her over the edge, but I want her to be the one to come to me. My patience is running out, though. I’ll only wait so long. Bella is the last person I want to see at the moment.

Bella moves into my office like she owns the place, then sits, holding a cup of coffee in her hand, her bare legs crossed, a smirk on her lips. Bella doesn’t say anything as she waits for me to speak. She’s a woman who likes men to come to her. She likes getting her way, and often does. I move over to my desk and lean against it, then I wait. I’ll let her say what she needs to say because of our history together, but the clock is ticking until she’s fully out of my life.

I won’t break first. Finally, she looks at me, her expression unchanged. She sips her coffee and gazes over the rim of the mug. I still say nothing.

“How are you, Mason?” she finally asks.

“Don’t you know?” I respond. She laughs before setting her cup down on the table beside her.

“Of course I know. It’s a courtesy question that means absolutely nothing,” she says.

“I appreciate your honesty.”

“I know. There are many things you appreciate about me,” she says as she raises her hand, letting her fingers trail along the line of her plunging neckline. Of course it draws my gaze. Her smile grows.

“Are you bored, Bella? Are you looking for someone to play with?”

“I’m always game for playing with someone,” she replies.

“And you think you’re worthy enough to play with me?”

She laughs again. “I think you’re the only one capable of playing to my standards,” she says.

This time my smile is real. I enjoy this odd flirtation. I could push her to tell me what this newest visit is about, but she enjoys my impatience. It’s better for me to wait it out. It doesn’t take long.

“I want to take you to New York. I have a client you’ll fit well with. It will change everything for you,” she says. My interest is piqued in what she thinks could change my life.

“I told you I won’t meet clients,” I say. This can only be about my artwork as she has nothing to do with my corporation.

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