Page 31 of The Marriage Pact
“It’s all right,” she lied. She could hardly say differently.
He flopped down on the couch next to her, reaching out and taking one of the chicken dumplings from her plate. “I’m glad you got takeout. Did Brett order for you?”
Kaitlyn nodded. “He did everything,” she replied.
“Good,” Alex said, seeming not to notice the hint of exasperation in her voice. “I’ve already eaten. There was a last-minute meeting with a client. It went on for hours. These people think that because they’re investing, they own you. It’s only ten million dollars. But the deal’s done, and…”
His phone rang, and he rose from the couch to answer, spending the next twenty minutes in the lobby shouting at someone who seemed to be doing everything wrong. Kaitlyn was no longer hungry. She put the tray to one side and yawned. It felt like a wasted day. She’d done things, but nothing had been accomplished. It was as though she’d just been waiting for something to happen, for Alex to come home.
“I went to the collective today,” she said when he eventually returned.
“How was it? Did you meet some interesting people?” He was scrolling on his phone, distracted by something, even as she was talking.
“Sort of… They were a bit standoffish. There was a man called Maurice there. He’d accused some woman of smudging a piece of his work, of sabotaging it.”
“I suppose artists can be highly strung,” Alex replied, still scrolling on his phone.
Kaitlyn nodded. She knew he wasn’t listening to her. It was as though he was still at the office, still consumed by work. It was a big contrast to the night before, when his entire attention had seemed to be on her.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Kaitlyn ventured. “I found this lovely little café nearby. We could get a coffee there. You could show me a few New York sights.”
Alex looked up from his phone and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I have meetings all day tomorrow.”
“But it’s Saturday,” Kaitlyn replied. She thought he’d at least have taken the weekend off. Surely the rest of the company did.
“I know, but I was away all last week, and I have so much to catch up on. Hilary’s going to be in the office, too. We’ll make as much progress as we can with things. I might be able to get away by five, perhaps,” he said.
“What am I supposed to do?” Kaitlyn replied.
She didn’t mean to sound harsh, but it was yet another day on her own in a big city where she didn’t know anyone. He’d brought her to New York. He’d wanted her to pack up and leave everything on a promise, the promise of his company. If they were going to be married, this couldn’t be how things were. It had only been a day, of course, but in Alex’s behavior, Kaitlyn was seeing something of the past. Were they going to drift apart, just as they’d done before?
He looked at her in surprise. “You’re in New York. You can do anything you like,” he said.
Kaitlyn nodded. He was right, of course. Shecoulddo anything. New York was a city of possibilities. But it was him she wanted. He was the reason she was there, and without him, it seemed… pointless.
“I think I’ll go to bed,” she said, setting aside her tray as Alex’s phone buzzed again.
“I won’t be long,” he replied.
Lying in bed, Kaitlyn listened to Alex talking on the phone — more business, more deals, more profit. When he eventually came to bed, he was still looking at his phone, even as he lay next to her.
She rolled over and rested her head on his shoulder. “Let’s have dinner together tomorrow,” she said. “I’ve missed you.”
He put his phone down and turned to her, smiling, as he brushed the hair from her cheek. “I miss you, too. I’m sorry it’s been a busy day. I just need to catch up on a few things. It’s not always like this. I promise,” he said.
Kaitlyn felt guilty for getting annoyed. He’d worked hard to get where he was, starting from nothing. It meant a lot to him, and it had only been one day.
“It’s all right… I’m sorry if I sounded a bit harsh earlier on,” she replied.
He leaned forward and kissed her. “I just want you to be happy, that’s all,” he said as their lips parted.
Kaitlyn nodded. Shewashappy. It was going to take some getting used to, that was all. Resting her head on his shoulder again, she closed her eyes. It was comforting to have him there, that familiar presence from the past now brought into the present. She was drifting off to sleep when his phone buzzed. Was this how it was always going to be?
CHAPTER 12
KAITLYN
Life continued in this way for a couple of weeks. Alex went to work, and Kaitlyn tried to keep busy. One morning, she awoke to hear voices coming from beyond the lobby, Alex’s voice and someone she didn’t recognize. She hadn’t heard him get up, but at least he was there. It was after eight o’clock, and, getting up, she showered and dressed, vaguely listening as Alex continued to talk. Realizing he was actually on a video call, she waited for it to end before stepping out into the lobby and calling to him.
