Secret Indiscretions: Carson Cove Scandals Read online

  “Who is that?” I motioned to the guy at the bar before Taylor could point out someone else.

  “Him?” She raised an eyebrow. “That’s Jon Alcott. I should introduce you! Maybe you can talk to him about a job…”

  Oh shit! He’s the CEO of Alcott Inc…

  “Wait.” I grabbed her arm. “No, I don’t think I should bother him.”

  “I told you this would be an excellent opportunity for you to network.” She pulled away and motioned for me to follow her. “Don’t be shy. He’s actually a really nice guy.”

  That scowl says otherwise—and if I make a bad impression, I won’t be working for him…

  Chapter Two

  Jon

  Earlier that day

  “I’m sorry, but I just don’t think this is going to work out.” The woman sitting across from me, a beautiful brunette named Hannah, winced as she spoke. “I really like you…”

  “But?” I narrowed my eyes.

  “My ex-husband had a job that pulled him away all of the time…” She looked down at the table. “Our date last night felt like a flashback. I swore I wouldn’t get involved with anyone that couldn’t be there for me. I know it’s not your fault—it wasn’t his fault either.”

  “It’s not just a job…” I shook my head back and forth. “It’s my family’s company—I’m the CEO. A lot of people depend on me.”

  “I’m not judging you; I promise,” she sighed.

  “You’re just ending this—after two dates,” I exhaled sharply. “Okay, that’s fine. I understand.”

  “I’m sorry.” She picked up her napkin and put it on the table.

  “You can finish your meal.” I motioned to the sandwich she hadn’t touched. “Unless eating with a guy that might have to take a phone call is a problem.”

  “I’m not hungry.” She pushed her chair back. “I wish you the best. I really do…”

  “You too.” I grabbed my water and took a drink as she walked away.

  Yeah, I think it’s about to be a fucking whiskey lunch…

  I took a couple of bites of my burger, called my secretary to let her know that I was going to be taking an extended lunch, and drove to Chateau Prime. I thought I was going to have a quiet romantic lunch date with Hannah at Cafe Russe, but it seemed that the smoke-filled Chateau Prime was a better option after the date ended abruptly—along with the budding relationship that wasn’t going as well as I thought. Chateau Prime was a place for gentlemanly debauchery—expensive cigars, liquor that was one step above top shelf, and waitresses that filled out their uniforms quite nicely. The only thing that separated the place from a strip club was the fact that they didn’t have anyone dancing on a pole—although some of the waitresses had no problem going home with you for the right price. I wasn’t that desperate—yet.

  “Whiskey and make it a double.” I sat down at the bar and motioned to the bartender.

  “Anything in particular?” He walked over and picked up a glass. “We just got a bottle of Laphroaig Lore—it’s a single malt blend of three whiskeys, or if you want something with a little more spice, we have Bushmills Black Bush Whiskey.”

  “I’ll go with the Laphroaig Lore.” I nodded and pointed at the bottle before he could reach for it.

  I have a bottle of that at home I’ve been meaning to open—I might as well have a taste to make sure it’s as good as they say.

  “Right away, sir.” He poured a glass—kept going until I gave him a nod—and put it down in front of me.

  My date with Hannah had gone about as well as the rest of them. I probably started dating too soon after my divorce. It had been six months since we signed the paperwork, nine since Mary told me that she wanted one, and at least two years since I had been in a bed with someone that wanted me there. I loved Mary, but we got married when we were way too young, and we became different people over the years. We wouldn’t have made it ten years if it wasn’t for the kids—there were always problems—but at least we tried to make it work.

  I would have kept trying too if she hadn’t called it quits.

  The marriage went up in flames, and I almost lost my company too when Mary’s lawyer started tearing apart the life we made to make sure she got her fair share. My best friend, Bryant Benson, bought the company so that I wouldn’t lose it entirely—and he let me stay on as CEO. One of the reasons I asked Hannah to meet me for lunch was because I didn’t get to ask her to go to Bryant’s engagement party with me before our date was cut short by an issue at work—I was also kind of hoping that she would be my date to his wedding.

  “Mr. Alcott, would you like another drink?” The bartender walked up when he noticed that my glass was getting low.

  “Nah, I still have to go back to the office after this.” I held up my hand. “Thank you, though.”

  I finished my drink, waited until the whiskey wore off some, and then drove back to the office. I had an afternoon meeting with the hiring team to go over some plans for the fourth quarter, so I stopped in the bathroom to make sure I didn’t smell like a distillery. I was drinking too much—but I didn’t have much else to do when I wasn’t working.

  Mary moved to the city—she got custody of the girls in the divorce—and I only got to see them every other weekend. Both of them were in high school—my oldest was going to be starting college in less than a year—and neither of them particularly enjoyed giving up a whole weekend to spend time with their dad. As the school year started winding down, the girls asked if they could put a hold on their trips to Carson Cove until the summer. I reluctantly agreed but did ask for one more weekend so that I wouldn’t have to go so long without seeing them.

  I’m sure I won’t see either of them very much in a few years.

  “Alright, show me what you’ve got.” I faked a bit of energy as I walked into the conference room.

  “We’ve narrowed it down to five…” Charles, the guy in charge of the hiring team, started laying files out in front of me as I sat down.

  “Five?” I raised an eyebrow. “I thought we were planning to hire eight.”

  “Ten would be better…” Joanna, our HR manager, shrugged. “Unfortunately, the options are pretty limited.”

  “We should have hired some people during the last round,” I sighed and started looking through the applicants.

  We just didn’t know what was going to happen to the company then, so we put a freeze on hiring. That was going to come back to bite us.

  Bryant’s purchase of Alcott Inc. went about as well as it could. Unfortunately, he got caught up in a scandal right after the deal was made, and that impacted some of our distribution channels. We recovered, and business started to boom after things settle down, but we missed a lot of good applicants—and one that was fairly impressive if her resume wasn’t bullshit. The meeting with the hiring team didn’t take long. We needed eight—ten would be better, according to Joanna—so I decided to interview the five they recommended. I could have left that to someone else, but I didn’t like to hire anyone unless I could look them in the eyes.

  “Hey, Jon! Welcome back!” My way-too-bubbly administrative assistant, Gina, smiled as I approached my office. “Mr. Benson is waiting in your office.”

  “Bryant’s here?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “Has he been waiting long?”

  “No sir, only a few minutes.” She shook her head back and forth.

  “Good.” I nodded.

  He might be my best friend, but until I’m able to buy the company back from him—he’s technically my boss.

  “Bryant, shouldn’t you be at home preparing for your party?” I walked into my office and closed the door.

  “I can’t check up on my investment from time to time?” He looked up at me and smiled.

  “Things are good.” I sat down behind my desk. “I can run you through some sales figures if you want.”

  “I’m just fucking with you, man. This is your company.” He waved me off and leaned forward—then his smile faded. “This is actually about something else—and I wanted to tell you in person.”

  “Uh oh…” I raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”

  “I don’t know,” he sighed. “There might be…”

  “Just tell me.” I leaned back in my chair.

  I’m already having a shitty day. He might as well pile on the bad news if he has some to give me…

  “Alright.” He took a deep breath. “So, Taylor got the wedding invitations in, and she’s been busy with school. Her sister, Anna, offered to help—and she sent one to Mary.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem.” I shook my head back and forth. “It’ll just come to the house. She doesn’t live there anymore.”

  I’ve been getting mail with her name on it since the day she left—seeing her name on an envelope isn’t going to bother me.

  “That was my initial reaction as well, except that Anna thought it would be a good idea to send digital invitations to go along with the ones she was mailing—with a link for the guests to RSVP.” Bryant looked down and exhaled sharply. “It was just supposed to be close friends. You were obviously on the list, and Mary’s email was attached to your contact information…”

  “I doubt she’ll show up. She moved to the city. She hasn’t been back to Carson Cove since the divorce as far as I know.” I shrugged.

  “She already sent her RSVP.” Bryan lifted his head and sighed. “She also confirmed that she would have a plus one…”

  “Oh.” The emotion drained out of my face. “Fuck… she’s dating again?”

  “Aren’t you?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Well, yeah…” I nodded. “Obviously, it makes sense if she’s already dating too. I just haven’t really thought about it.”

  “Luckily, the invitations for the engagement party were handled by Taylor, so you don’t have to worry about running into her tonight, but—just a heads up for the wedding.” Bryant sighed. “I’m sorry, man. I know we were all friends in high school, but I didn’t plan on inviting her to the wedding.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Bryant. I appreciate you letting me know.” I faked a smile—just to ease some of his concern.

  “Alright, I have to go.” Bryant leaned forward and started to stand. “Taylor won’t be happy if I’m not there to make sure everything is perfect for the party.”

  “I’ll see you tonight.” I gave him a slight wave as he walked towards the door.

  I probably shouldn’t have cared that my ex-wife was going to be at the wedding, but it did bother me. One benefit of Mary’s move to the city was not running into her at social events in Carson Cove. There were a few that I was forced to attend due to work, and they had been rather peaceful. I would have rather been able to see my kids more, but they had adjustments to make as well—stability was important for them, and Mary was able to provide that. Regardless of who would or wouldn’t be there, I couldn’t miss my best friend’s wedding, so I would just have to suck it up. That didn’t mean I had to be happy about it—I just had to pretend for a few hours. It would be hard to see Mary with someone else, but I expected her to start dating at some point.

  Hopefully, she’s having better luck than I am. Things got a little ugly during the divorce, but I don’t want her to be miserable—I’m miserable enough for the both of us.

  * * *

  Later that night

  I made my rounds as soon as I arrived at Benson Estate. I spent some time talking to Bryant and a few of our friends—then I headed for the bar. Taylor was busy talking with a couple of people I didn’t recognize, so I didn’t interrupt. I was still processing what Bryant told me and wondering if I could line up a date before the wedding. I didn’t feel the need to show up with a beautiful woman on my arm to rub it in Mary’s face, and I doubted that was why she was bringing a plus one. She had moved on. I needed to the same, but I was just treading water in the dating ocean.

  I didn’t want to have her show up at the wedding and get the impression I was on some sort of downward spiral. Maybe my pride was just getting the better of me, but I felt like it would be easier if I had a date for the wedding. I truly had no idea what kind of emotional response I would have when I saw Mary again—and she might have concerns about sending the kids to stay with me every other weekend if I wasn’t able to handle it with the kind of maturity that was expected in that situation.

  I never thought I would have to navigate my way through this kind of bullshit…

  “What are we drinking.” Bryant walked up beside me and leaned against the bar.

  “None of that fruity shit.” I motioned to his glass of wine.

  “Yeah, I was mainly just holding it because someone put it in my hand.” He sat the glass down and looked at the bartender. “Can I get a Scotch?”

  “Yes sir, Mr. Benson.” The bartender smiled and started pouring a glass for him.

  “I don’t suppose you saw where my future wife ran off to?” Bryant raised an eyebrow. “She was just here…”

  “No.” I shook my head back and forth. “She was talking to Victoria when I got here.”

  “Ah—my daughter seems to have disappeared as well.” Bryant shrugged. “I guess I’ll entertain the guests on my own.”

  “Good luck,” I chuckled under my breath and sipped my whiskey.

  There were a lot more people at the party than I expected. Bryant planned the party to appease the friends and clients that were not getting an invitation to the wedding—mainly because his bride-to-be didn’t want a big, lavish ceremony. Since they weren’t going to have bridesmaids or groomsmen, I could just wear one of my suits instead of getting my tuxedo dry-cleaned—I certainly wasn’t going to complain about that. I did the best man thing at his first wedding, and I would have done it again if he asked, but being a member of the audience was a lot more comfortable. I would probably still end up giving a toast—I didn’t need a title for that.

  Hmm. It looks like Taylor has finally returned to the party—with a friend.

  I assumed the woman with Taylor was one of her friends that I hadn’t met. Taylor was a beautiful girl, and Bryant was a lucky man—but her friend was absolutely stunning. She had soft blonde curls that appeared to be natural, blue eyes that almost looked like sapphires, and gorgeous curves. I didn’t want to stare, but I still cut my eyes in her direction after I turned my head. In my younger days, I would have walked right up and asked her name—probably even tried to take her home with me—but I wasn’t that guy anymore. Apparently, I didn’t even know how to date someone—I thought age was supposed to bring wisdom, not awkwardness. Somewhere along the way, I just got fucking broken.

  Oh hell, are they headed this way? They probably just want a drink…

  “Can I get another whiskey?” I put my glass down in front of the bartender.

  “Yes sir, Mr. Alcott.” The bartender nodded and started pouring.

  “When did you sneak in?” Taylor leaned against the bar and smiled.

  “Right before you vanished,” I chuckled under my breath. “Bryant was looking for you.”

  “Ah, yes. I was giving my friend the grand tour of Benson Estate.” Taylor nodded and motioned to her friend. “This is Melanie—Melanie, this is Jon.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Melanie leaned forward and offered me a handshake.

  “Nice to meet you as well, Melanie.” I shook her hand, and our eyes met.

  Fuck, I could stare into those eyes all night long and never get tired of seeing them.

  “Okay, I guess I should go see what Bryant needed.” Taylor waved and immediately walked away before either of us could say anything.

  “It looks like you could use some more wine.” I motioned to the bartender and pointed at her glass.

  “Oh—I was just going to have one…” She looked at her glass, but the bartender was already pouring it before she could object.

  “It’s a party—and it’s free.” I shrugged.

  There was a bit of awkwardness between us. She seemed nervous for some reason—like she couldn’t decide if she should sit down next to me or make a swift exit that rivaled the one Taylor made. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and normally, I would have excused myself so I could answer it—but I didn’t want to walk away from the stunning blonde standing next to me. She finally relented and took a sip of her wine. I tried to think of something interesting to say—but she was so beautiful that my thoughts just kind of went blank for a moment before I finally composed myself. She was still there—that seemed like a good sign.

  “So, how do you know Taylor?” I took a sip of my drink.

  “We go to college together.” She smiled—damn, that smile was mesmerizing.

  “Are you about to graduate as well?” I tilted my head inquisitively.

  “Yep.” She lifted her glass to her lips—such soft, pouty lips.

  “Art student?” I raised an eyebrow.

  This conversation is very one-sided, but fuck—I don’t want it to end.

  “No, I used to be, but I switched over to business…” Her words trailed off for a moment. “I didn’t think I would be able to get a good job with an art degree.”

  “Understandable.” I nodded. “Do you have a job lined up?”

  “No.” She shook her head back and forth. “I haven’t had any luck yet…”

  “What kind of job are you looking for? Marketing? Sales?” I took another sip of my whiskey.

  Damn, she’s so beautiful that it’s hard to concentrate when I make eye contact.

  “Honestly?” she sighed. “I just want to get my foot in the door somewhere. That hasn’t worked out so far. I’ve submitted my resume to several places—including Alcott Inc.”

  Ah, that must be why Taylor introduced us… I guess I can stop wondering if she’s standing here because she’s interested in me—this is just business.