THE PITCH, page 15
“Don’t fucking speak about Brook like that. Got it?”
“Woah, okay. So, you either didn’t get your rocks off this morning or you did and . . .”
“Just shut the fuck up, Drew, you’re making a dick out of yourself. Not the best first impression to make.”
“It’s the right impression though. You might as well get used to us, Brook, if you’re going to be hanging with us.”
I smile sarcastically at Drew and take Carter’s hand. “Shall we get a drink?”
“Yes, beautiful, let’s, and with any luck, Drew might get lost and find someone else to talk to.” Carter smiles at me and squeezes my hand as he leads me through to a completely empty bar area.
“Carter, why are there no other people here?” I ask and look up at him, his tall, muscular body towering over me. The suit he’s wearing is only just containing his broad shoulders, and it skims over his tight pectoral muscles.
Fuck, it’s getting warm in here, I think, just as I realise I’m getting turned on just looking at him.
“We are flying on the family jet. I didn’t tell you earlier because I thought you might refuse.”
“Refuse? Refuse! Why would I refuse? Oh my god. Are we really, or are you joking with me?”
“I’m not joking. I didn’t want to come across as—what did you call me?—Mr. Fantastic Plastic?”
“It was something like that. I’m sorry for that.” I smile and hope that he sees that I am really sorry. I was being a bitch for no reason at all, and the more time I spend with Carter, the more I realise he doesn’t flash the cash, he doesn’t walk around like he’s God. He’s actually really grounded . . . for a rich guy. Whereas his brother could probably learn a thing or two from him.
We sit down, and three drinks are brought to the table. “I didn’t see you order,” I whisper to Carter before smiling at the waiter.
“I ordered them this morning. I thought you’d like something to settle your nerves.” His eyes bore into mine, and his hand moves to rest on my knee. I wish Drew wasn’t flying with us. Maybe I would have joined the mile high club after all.
Two drinks later, we board the private jet. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life, not even in films. Nothing compares to this.
“Is this really your plane?” I ask.
“It belongs to Blackmoore International,” Drew interrupts and comes to sit opposite Carter and me.
Carter is glaring at his brother, and the air in the cabin becomes really frosty.
“Do you think we could all try to get along for the flight? I’m a little nervous, and this tension is only making me worse.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Yes, of course.” Carter smiles and takes my hand before giving Drew the fakest smile I’ve ever seen.
“Oh fuck!” Carter groans as he puts his head down and covers his face with his spare hand.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “Don’t you feel well?”
“No, but I thought I’d made sure she wasn’t on this flight.” Carter stands and moves towards the front of the plane. I look up at Drew, who is almost crying, trying to hold in a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, kicking him in the shin.
“Carter . . . and Shelly.”
“I don’t understand,” I say, confused, and then the penny drops. He’s been with her, he’s slept with her on this plane. My stomach twists, and my heart hammers in my chest. I lean over and take another look at the woman who Carter is talking to.
She’s tall, blonde, and has fake eyelashes—and probably fake boobs, because they are huge. Carter is talking quietly, but his body language is screaming anger. He turns and sees me watching, says something else, and then returns to his seat.
“What was all that about?” I ask. “Is everything okay with the plane?”
“The plane is fine, but I specifically asked for her not to be on duty. However, Drew here insisted that she was. Do you want to explain why?”
“Because I knew I’d get bored sitting here with the two of you for seven hours, and Shelly’s always up for a bit of light entertainment.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve asked her to be our attendant so that you could fuck your way across the Atlantic?” Carter growls.
“Yeah, why not? She’s a laugh, you know she is.”
“Why are you doing this?” Carter asks Drew.
“I don’t know what you mean. I knew you wouldn’t be interested in her anymore, so I thought . . . you know . . . I might get a bit busy. You were never really interested in her.”
The plane starts to taxi down the runway, and I desperately want to tell the pilot to stop and let me off. What the hell have I done? I am on a plane with serial shaggers, two men who don’t give a fuck about women. But it’s too late. The plane’s nose starts to lift, and a few seconds later, we are in the air, the ground below us becoming further and further away.
As the plane levels off, Shelly, the hostess with the mostess, comes by to serve some drinks. The smile on her face is fixed, and I can see in her eyes that she instantly hates me.
She places Drew’s drink down and then Carter’s and then walks away. I look over to Carter, who tries to smile.
“Am I not getting one?” I whisper.
“Shelly, Brook will have champagne. Bring the bottle and one glass . . . please.”
“I can’t drink a whole bottle. I’ll be trollied, and they won’t let me in the country.”
“It’ll stop her from having to come by so often. I’m so sorry she’s on the flight. It’s all his fault.” Carter points at Drew, who simply smiles and shakes his head.
Shelly returns with the champagne. “Food will be served in about an hour. Do you need anything else for the time being?” she asks, resting her hand on Carter’s shoulder.
“No, please go back to your seat until you are called,” he almost barks at her, and her face falls. All while Drew is almost drooling over her.
As soon as she leaves, Drew stands and goes to the back of the plane where Shelly is sitting and sits down beside her.
“I am so fucking sorry, Brook. I swear I asked for her not to be on this flight,” Carter says, taking hold of my hand.
“She’s very beautiful,” I reply, my insides turning.
“No, nowhere near as beautiful as you. I’d already stopped seeing her before I met you.”
“So, you were in a relationship with her?” I ask, confused. Carter told me that he didn’t do relationships.
“No, we just met up on flights to and from the UK. She wanted to see me, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to get into anything with anyone, until I met you again.”
I hear a door slam behind us, and I turn and notice that Drew and Shelly have both disappeared.
“Doesn’t it bother you that your brother is doing you know what with your ex behind that door?”
“No, and she’s not my ex. We both took what we wanted from it, and that was it. I knew what type of girl she was, too. I also knew that I wasn’t the only guy she was fucking, and it never bothered me then, and it doesn’t bother me now.
“So, why do you look so angry?” I ask, watching his expressions change with the conversation.
“I’m angry at Drew because he knew that I’d been there with Shelly, and he brought her on board. He put his own sexual needs before family, and he disrespected you. What he’s done is unforgivable, Brook, and I’m sorry.”
“Well, it looks like we are serving ourselves for the foreseeable future.” I smile at him and raise my glass. “Cheers and to having a wonderful time in New York.”
“How much of that have you had?” he asks, picking up the half-empty bottle.
“It’s for medicinal purposes.” I giggle, and the bubbles from the champagne fizz up my nose.
“Let’s try and have a nap. I have a feeling food will be a while.”
The food was delayed, and three hours into the flight, Carter made us both sandwiches, which I desperately needed. I’d finished off the bottle of champagne a while ago, and I was a little more than tipsy.
Half an hour before landing, Drew appears with Shelly close behind. Carter ignores the two of them and simply takes my hand.
Drew looks like he’s been dragged through a hedge and back. His perfect hair is tousled, and his face is marked with tiny scratches.
“I need a kip.” Drew yawns and closes his eyes, and soon, he is snoring his head off like a tractor.
I look over at Carter and try hard not to laugh. “I’m glad I got you. I couldn’t sleep next to that all night.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
The plane lands, and Drew is still hard and fast asleep. Carter puts his finger over my lips and tells me to be quiet as we leave the plane.
“Are you just going to leave him there?” I ask.
“Damn right. Serves the prick right. He knows where we are heading, he can meet us there. I really don’t think I could be in the same car as him right now.”
“Carter, don’t worry about it. It’s done now. I’m sure I’m going to meet many more women that you’ve . . . entertained.”
“I hope not, and I’m sorry.”
The car that collected us from the plane takes us to the security building. We pass through without any fuss.
“Do we not have to wait for our bags?”
“No, they’ll be in the trunk by now.”
I am completely blown away by how easy everything is. People open doors and dip their heads as if we are royalty. Carter smiles and says hello to everyone he passes, which makes me feel more at ease.
I feel like a celebrity, especially when a group of people crowd around us taking pictures. Carter wraps his arm around my shoulder and guides me into the waiting car.
“Whoa, that was a little extra!” I say, catching my breath.
“I didn’t think they’d be here waiting. There must be some big A-lister coming through.”
“Does this happen a lot?”
“Sometimes. I normally give them a couple of shots, and that usually feeds the beast, but I didn’t want to put you in that position.”
“Thank you. It was a little scary. What will they do with the photos?”
“They’ll either be online later today, or they’ll be front page news. Only if it’s a really slow news day.”
“Why though? Why us?”
“I’m a billionaire who owns a football club. I have a reputation of being a ladies’ man, and I’m a Blackmoore. My family is as well known here in the States as the president. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to escape, although the love of football was the driving force.”
We drive through the streets. The roads leading into Manhattan are huge: four lanes, traffic everywhere, people blasting their horns.
And then I look up and see the top of the Empire State Building.
“I am really here, aren’t I?”
“Yes, and I’m so pleased you are. Braxton and Gee are really looking forward to meeting you.”
“Are we going there now?” He hasn’t said where we are staying or anything about what we’ll be doing.
“Yes, we’ll call in, but we’re not staying there. I’ve booked us in The Plaza Hotel. I thought you might enjoy being away from screaming kids, and I have a feeling Drew will be staying at The Venue, and God knows what he’ll be up to. I’d rather not put you through that.”
“You’re really pissed at Drew, aren’t you?”
“Wouldn’t you be if Evie invited that creep Mason to dinner for seven hours?”
“I guess. It must have been really uncomfortable for you.”
“Me? I don’t give a crap about me, I was worried about you. I thought you were going to kill me or ask for a parachute and jump from the plane.”
“It went through my mind.” I giggle like a child and take Carter’s hand. “I told you I accepted your past. It’s what you do going forward that matters to me.”
“I promise, Brook, I’ll try my hardest not to embarrass you.” He squeezes my hand, and the corners of his lips turn up—not quite the smile I’m used to from Carter.
I’ve never seen Carter look so . . . so angry—pissed off but kind of sad at the same time.
I ooh and ahhh at the tall buildings as we drive through what I believe is Midtown. Carter points out Columbus Circle and Central Park.
“Can we take a carriage ride? Please?” I ask excitedly.
“If you really want to, but don’t tell Drew, he’ll want to come with us.”
“I don’t think I’ve much to say to your brother, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
The car pulls up to a huge building, and as the driver opens the door, Carter takes my hand and helps me out.
“Mr. Blackmoore, it’s lovely to see you again,” the doorman greets us and escorts us to the elevator. He even presses the button for Carter.
“Thank you, Charles. I hope you’re keeping well,” Carter says as we wait for the carriage to arrive.
“Yes, sir, and thank you for the signed shirt for my boy. He is extremely grateful.”
Carter dips his head, and a small smile creeps across his face. Oh my god, Carter is embarrassed.
As we arrive at his brother’s apartment, my nerves almost get the better of me. I want to back out and go and sit in the car until the door flies open and a stunning woman holding a baby opens the door.
“Yes, yes, you made it. Thank the Lord,” she cries, pulling Carter into a half hug. “And you must be Brook,” she says over Carter’s shoulder. “You have no idea how excited I am to have a fellow Brit in the place.”
She lets go of Carter, instantly grabs hold of me, and pulls me in tight for a hug.
“I’m pleased to be here,” I squeak out a reply.
“It’s going to be a crazy few days, but hopefully, we’ll have time to do some shopping and girly stuff. The boys can look after their kids. Ruby is in the kitchen. She’s dying to meet you, too.”
“Gee, can I at least introduce you? Brook, this is Gee, she’s with Braxton, the eldest brother. Ruby, who is apparently in the kitchen, is married to Kane, who is brother number two, and you unfortunately met Drew.”
“Where is Drew?” Gee asks as we walk into a huge living room.
“I left him asleep on the plane,” Carter replies, his voice tinted with laughter.
“You didn’t!” Gee exclaims, turning to look at Carter.
“I did, he deserved it, fucking prick. He thought . . . I don’t actually know what he was thinking, but putting his dick before his family? Not cool, Gee, not cool.”
Gee stares at Carter as if he just spoke a foreign language and then looks at me and smiles. “I think we are all going to love you, Brook. I don’t know what you’ve done to him,” she says, pointing at Carter, “but I approve.”
“Hey, Dick Spring.” A deep voice echoes through the room, and when I see the man who it belongs to, I have to take a second look. He looks just like Carter. He’s a little older and has a slightly different hairstyle, but there is no mistaking that they are brothers. They could even be twins.
“You must be Brook. I’d like to say we’ve heard a lot about you, but Carter here has been fairly tight-lipped.”
“Okay, okay, can someone get us a drink? The service here is shit!” Carter says, taking my hand and leading me further into the room.
“This place is amazing. It’s stunning!” I look around at the huge area, the high ceilings, and the big glass windows. There are stylish yet comfortable furnishings, and a model of a huge rollercoaster sits proudly in its own cabinet.
Carter guides me over to the window, and the scenery takes my breath away. “Is that Central Park?” I ask.
“Yeah, Brax fell really lucky when he bought this place. It’s a little piece of paradise in the middle of hell.”
I smile at him as he wraps his arm around my waist.
“Aww, don’t they make the perfect couple?” a female’s voice asks from behind us. At first, I wonder if she’s jealous, but when I turn around, a beautiful blonde and another Adonisesque brother are staring at us both. “I’m Ruby, and this is Kane,” she says, holding out her hand, and as I get closer, she pulls me into a hug. “I’m so happy to meet you, and you’re normal.”
“I’m sorry, what? Normal?”
“Ruby . . .” Braxton growls, and I feel that she was about to say something that might upset me.
“Shit, I’m so sorry. Baby brain, and all that. It’s just that I’ve never seen Carter with anyone before, and the stories—”
“Ruby, that’s enough,” Kane snaps. Ruby looks up at him and then at me.
“Oh my god. You must think I’m such a bitch. I didn’t mean anything. I’ve not slept for days, and my filter has crashed and burned. Please let me start again. I’m Ruby, and I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Take no notice of Rubes, she’s a little excitable and completely off her fucking rocker today. I’m Kane, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Well, at least two of the brothers have manners. But I don’t know what to make of Ruby. Was she being a bitch on purpose or was it really just a slip of the filter? Only time will tell.
We sit down at a huge dining table and begin to eat when the door flies open.
“You fucking prick!” Drew bellows into the room.
Carter smiles at me and winks.
“Why did you leave me on the plane? I only woke up when they took the plane into the hangar.”
Carter still doesn’t speak. He simply picks up his glass and takes a sip of the red wine.
“Have you got nothing to say to me? Like sorry?!” Drew shouts as he gets closer to Carter.
“Nope, so either sit your ass down or fuck off,” Carter says clearly, but not looking at Drew; his full concentration is on me.
My eyes flick to the other brothers, wondering if any of them are going to step in and stop them both. The tension in the room is so thick, you can almost taste it.
As Drew gets closer to Carter, Braxton clears his throat and nods his head to the empty seat at the table. Drew sits down, but he drags the chair so loudly, it screeches and startles one of the babies.
The baby begins to cry, which sets off the other baby, and the room is soon filled with screeches and wailing.
