Had to Be You (Pub 6)

Anita 5

Anita promised herself she wouldn't cry with her parents. She would be enthusiastic about camp. They didn't need to feel guilty because they couldn't keep Olivia. Her daughter would have been bored with her grandparents.

Anita felt guilty and feared caring for Ian as a baby had worn them out. Her mother was forty-two when she was born. Growing up, she knew her parents were old. After her night with Kurt, she imagined having another baby. She was ten years younger than her mother had been. Kurt confided he wanted to be a father.

Sabrina Purcell smiled at her daughter. "You look refreshed. A break was what you needed. Olivia can make friends with a rock, no need to worry."

It was true. Livvy always found someone to play with, even Ian teased her about it.

She considered not saying anything, but it was ready to burst out of her. "I had a date last night."

"Be careful. You don't need another man who doesn't love your children."

Anita felt as if Kurt already did, which was silly because he hadn't met them.

Ian Purcell had lost his authoritative tone as his breathing labored. "Who is he?"

She smiled. "Kurt Dwyer."

"Your boss?"

"Yes, Daddy, my boss."

"Isn't he married to a child?"

She laughed as she imagined relaying the conversation to Kurt. "He's divorced." Almost.

Her mother frowned. "What does he want with you?"

Anita tried not to take offense. She was a cliché, two children with two different men. Perhaps her mother meant because she didn't look like the young thing Kurt had married.

"He said, he made a mistake and needs a woman who is interesting and can challenge him."

"He means one with a brain." Ian nodded.

She had named her son after his grandfather to give him some respectability. She also wanted to apologize to her father for disrespecting the family. When she became pregnant at nineteen, she felt like a failure. Telling her parents was the worst thing she had ever endured. Looking back, it wasn't worse than the end of her marriage and the whispers about Chip's crimes.

Anita nodded because Kurt had spoken about not being able to carry on a conversation with his wife. "We both picked wrong. At least I have Olivia."

Leaving the penthouse apartment she grew up in, Anita felt heavy. Her father's health was declining. Although the nurse confirmed it, she saw it with her own eyes. Meanwhile, her mother moved slower since her joints had become more inflamed. Growing old was not a pretty prospect.

A smile replaced her gloom when she saw Kurt's message. He wanted to see her, but her mother's question lingered. What did he want with her aside from sex? She imagined two weeks of bliss and then going back to business as usual. She was taking a week off to get Olivia ready for school. Balancing motherhood and her career didn't leave her time to date.

Perhaps it would be best to end it before feelings got involved, more than they already were. The last thing she needed was another unmarried pregnancy with her boss. Three children, three fathers would erase her last ounce of self respect and humiliate her parents in their old age.

She considered ignoring his message, but replied she was tired and needed some alone time. Truthfully, being alone frightened her. It felt different from when the kids were asleep and she watched ER while folding laundry. With Ian gone she had every evening to herself after Olivia went to bed, but she and her daughter always ate together. Instead of preparing a meal for herself, she ate some cheese and crackers and sat down with a pile of submissions. It was too quiet even with the city out her window. She was immune to horns and sirens, but not the hum of the refrigerator. Had it always sounded like that? One day down, twelve more to go.

When she settled in bed early, a masculine scent lingered to remind her she had slept with her boss. When would she ever learn? Maybe she was no better than the women who stood in dark corners in Times Square when she was growing up. The area where Broadway and 7th Avenue met had been cleaned up replacing the peep shows with tourist attractions.

A glass of red wine and some marinara was all it took for her to have sex with her boss. With Andrew it had been cheap white wine and his long talented fingers. Chip was the only one who dropped some cash. He had taken her to a Michelin Star restaurant. It had been extremely romantic, but it was hard to play innocent when her date knew she had a child. She vowed to teach Ian to respect women and Olivia to respect herself. History shouldn't repeat itself.

A part of her felt disappointed Kurt hadn't tried to change her mind, but resigned that it was just as well. Hopefully, he had moved on after he got what he wanted. All men wanted the same thing, and she needed to learn not to be the woman who gave it to them.

Walking into the office on Monday morning, she felt more antsy than on her first day of work and she had thrown up that morning. Starting a career ten years later than the new grads, with two kids, took courage. Facing her boss after having sex with him took a lot more. She needed proverbial balls without thinking about her boss's actual ones.

As she sat at her desk, Kurt's voice floated out of his office. Maybe he would be on the phone all day for the next ten days. The light on her phone went off, and it immediately rang. Closing her eyes, she answered.

"Come in."

Her hand shook as she replaced the receiver. Wobbling she stood and stepped into his office doorway.

Kurt looked up smiling, but quickly frowned. "Come in. Shut the door."

She followed his instructions, not wanting others to witness her humiliation. Before she reached the seat across from his desk, he was on his feet to meet her with an embrace.

"I missed you yesterday."

Tears slipped out. "We can't do this."

Kurt pulled back with a shadow over his face. "Why?"

"Because it'll be worse when the two weeks are over."

"It won't end. I don't want it to."

"I'm a mother. I don't have time for myself. You should find a woman who will put you first."

"I don't need to be first. I want to share you with Ian and Olivia."

Every time he used her children's names she melted. "I don't understand."

He brushed her lips. "I'll change that. Keep my calendar free this afternoon. We have an appointment."

She looked like a guppy as no words formed in her brain. His laughter only made it worse. Finally she spoke. "I have some submissions for you. One I loved but you'll hate it."

"Why?"

"It's a romance."

He smiled. "I love romance, but it isn't my niche."

She nodded and turned to leave. "I'll pass it on."

He grabbed her hand. "No. If you believe in it, then keep it for yourself."

"You mean it?"

He laughed. "I mean everything I say to you." Her belly flipped. "I'll help you. My goal has always been to make you an agent." Her jaw dropped, and he gently reached up and closed it. The laughter in his eyes caused more flipping. "Sweetheart. Go work before I really show you."

Sucking in air with her gasp, she ran away. Once behind her desk, she felt as if she had lost a battle. How would she concentrate with a mystery appointment? They had never had an appointment together before. If it was code for sex, she would tell him no.

Second thoughts? What's Kurt planning? Please vote ⭐️