The Next Level: A BWWM Billionaire Marriage And Pregnancy Romance Read online

  “...only youuuuuu! Charlie! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” Sangi said.

  Chelsea laughed. “No, you were too busy doing whatever...that was.” She was tempted to go down the don’t call me Charlie route, but she knew Sangi. She’d been calling her that since first grade, it was never going to change.

  “I made us some drinks! Bourbon treats. Cheers!”

  Chelsea clinked her glass against Sangi’s and tossed the shot back quickly. She gagged. Several flavors swirled on her tongue, none of them the least bit pleasant. It was too late to spit the drink out, so she ran to the sink. Cold water filled her mouth before she swished it around a few times and spit the concoction out.

  “What the hell was that, Sangi?”

  “A bourbon treat. It has peppermint schnapps, ouzo, Jagermeister, Goldschlager and blue curacao, I think. Oh, that’s right you don’t like black licorice.”

  “Yes, because the black licorice was the problem and not the million other ingredients of liquor,” she said coughing.

  Sangi inspected her empty glass. “I thought it was pretty fucking good. Okay, I’ll make you a martini.”

  “A regular martini.”

  Once her mouth was no longer screaming at her, they walked into the dining room. Chelsea brushed a pile of clothes onto the floor before she sunk into the worn, brown couch. No matter how much Chelsea begged her to get a new one, she refused. It looked out of place against the vibrant colors filling the house. Still, Chelsea knew it was the last thing her mom had purchased before she passed so she didn’t push her too hard.

  “What’s the news on meeting Matthew’s parents? Did you ask him if I could come?”

  “He said of course you can.”

  Sangi laughed before taking a sip of her drink. “Bullshit. He said no and you either batted your eyelashes or shook your ass so he’d say yes,”

  Chelsea swatted at Sangi. “Forget you. I’m going to tell him I changed my mind.”

  Sangi shook her head. “No, no, no! I want to go,” she said as she bounced on the couch a little.

  Chelsea shook her head. “So mature. Hey, I found something out today.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Matthew has a brother.”

  Sangi’s brown eyes went wide. “A brother. Is he hot? Is he older or younger? What’s he do for a living?”

  “I guess. I don’t know. I don’t know. Matthew won’t tell me anything about him. I just found a picture of him online with his dad. It bothers me that he wouldn’t tell me anything about his family. I mean, what if he’s hiding something?”

  Sangi shrugged. “Matthew may be an asshole, but I doubt he tortured small animals as a child or anything else horrible. He’s probably just not on great terms with them.”

  “He talks to his mother like five times a day.”

  “That’s obsessive.”

  Chelsea sighed. “Oh, yeah.”

  After they’d finished their second drinks, Chelsea went back out to the car and grabbed her wedding binder. She sat the heavy book down on the cluttered coffee table as Sangi began to straighten it up. It was late, already ten, so they couldn’t call anywhere, but they still spent their time pouring over the details of the wedding. Chelsea pointed out the bridesmaids dresses she’d finally decided on. They were soft lilac with white lace flowers designs on the top, lilac tulle on the bottom and tied at the waist with a satiny lilac bow.

  “I love them! They’re so pretty.” Sangi fawned over the pictures.

  “Yeah and everyone will finally be satisfied,” Chelsea said with a laugh.

  Sangi rested a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, just remember this is your wedding. If anyone doesn’t like any part of it, they can fuck off. It’s your day. That goes for Matthew’s parents too,” she said smiling.

  Chelsea reached up a hand and squeezed Sangi’s. She could still feel a nervous fluttering in her stomach. More than she wanted to admit, she cared what Matthew’s parents thought. Without saying a word, Sangi picked up Chelsea’s glass and disappeared into the kitchen. Chelsea smiled. There was a reason they were best friends.

  Chapter 3

  “All packed up, babe?”

  Chelsea looked up at Matthew as he slid into her office. The wooden door clicked into place after him. He was wearing one of her favorite blue suits, a solid gray tie around his neck. In his hand were a few beige colored files. He dropped them on her desk before he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He sat across from her, crossing a leg over one knee. He looked delicious.

  “Not even. I just don’t know what to wear.”

  “I can help you when we get home,” he said. ”I just wanted to ask one thing.”

  Chelsea raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

  He ran a hand over the back of his head. Fidgeted with his ties. She waited patiently until he looked at her again.

  “Could you not tell my parents we’re living together?”

  Chelsea dropped her black pen, leaned back against her chair and laced her fingers. She didn’t say a word, but she knew Matt could feel her anger rising. Ever since he’d said she was going to meet his parents he had been acting odder and odder. It was hitting a point where Chelsea wondered if he was ashamed of her. She knew that wasn’t entirely true, but she still felt it. His actions weren’t helping.

  “Why?” She asked, keeping her voice calm.

  “Well, they’re very religious. Protestants. Especially my mother and grandmother. I just don’t want to make them uncomfortable.”

  Chelsea pinched the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. “Of course dear, is there anything else you want to tell me now? We are going up there in less than two hours.”

  Matthew put on an uneasy grin. “Nope, that’s it. Come on, I know you’ll love them. And they’ll love you too, of course.”

  She sighed. “Alright. Mr. Whitehill said I could cut out early. Are you coming with me?”

  Blond hair whipped around a little as he shook his head. “Nope, I’m afraid not. I have to finish up this contract. The city just implemented some impossible limitations and I gotta find a way around them. I’ll join you as soon as I’m finished.”

  There was a brief knock on the door before it swung open. Mr. Whitehill stood there, sweating and looking uncomfortable. He turned from Matthew to Chelsea then back again.

  “I can’t have you two alone in this office. It starts up too many rumors. I’ve already caught three people saying that you two were...um...you know… Let’s keep it professional, love birds!”

  Matthew flashed one of his grins at Chelsea. She couldn’t help but to imitate it. She shook her head softly as the door closed behind Matthew. It was going to be a long weekend.

  *****

  Matthew threw the last of her bags into the back of the car before they headed over to Sangi’s. As she came out of the house with three more suitcases of her own, Matthew grumbled. He fit what he could in the trunk, but one still ended up on the side of Chelsea’s heeled feet.

  “I still don’t know why the both of you need eight combined suitcases just for a weekend,” Matthew complained as he started driving.

  “I told you I didn’t know what to wear. This way, I can be prepared for every situation. I’ve got this whole preppy look down to a science,” Chelsea said as she flipped through the radio stations. “How long until we get to Nantucket?”

  “Almost four hours, so settle in. We won’t get there until about nine, so I doubt very much is going to happen tonight.”

  “Will your brother be there?” Sangi asked from the backseat.

  Matthew glared into the rearview mirror. “Yes and his girlfriend will probably come up tomorrow.”

  Sangi flopped against the backseat. She pouted. Chelsea tried to stifle a laugh by turning up the radio a little louder. Matthew was a pain the entire way to his parents house. She could tell he was really nervous, but still he was grating on her nerves. By the time they exited the freeway, Chelsea’s nervousness was being drowne
d out by relief. She hated long car rides. That quickly went away however when the landscape seemed to change. There were a few houses sprinkled throughout the landscape, but the more they drove the bigger they became. The roads turned to dirt and gravel. The sound of the tires crunching over the rocks made her clench her teeth.

  Matthew turned right onto a graveled road. He flicked on his high beams. They drove for what felt like an eternity. Trees stood tall on the right, on the left there was darkness and grass. Chelsea shivered.

  “Geez Matt. Don’t you think if you wanted to kill me you could have done it in Boston?”

  Matt mocked her laugh playfully. “No, out here I have all these trees. They would never find you." He grinned.

  “You two were made for each other.”

  The narrow road turned into a circle drive decorated on both sides by some impressive topiary. It was the house that made Chelsea’s mouth fall open. The house was lit all over with a soft, orange white glow of in-ground spotlights. The house was designed to look like a Spanish chateau, with wavy shingles and a soft sandstone exterior. The home was grand.

  “Holy shit,” Sangi said breathlessly.

  “Matt, you said your family had a little money.”

  “Well, I'm sure there's an Arabian prince somewhere with more money...”

  "So you're not royally rich."

  He went quiet after that. Chelsea turned from him and glanced up at the house as they finally came to a stop. She suddenly felt very small and very under dressed. She was wearing her good jeans, the Seven For All Mankind denim she only wore for important occasions. The red pumps on her feet however suddenly felt like they were purchased from the back of a trunk. Her blouse, creamy white and short sleeved felt wrong on her skin. Even her makeup felt cheap in those glittering lights, those expensive cars.

  “I feel uncomfortable. Let’s go home,” she barely got the words out of her mouth.

  Matthew shook his head. “We just got here.”

  Chelsea turned to him, panic in her eyes. She shook her head. Gripped his arm. “You promised.”

  “And I meant it babe, but we just got here. You haven’t even met them yet. We’ll stay, at least for tonight. I just did all of that driving…” he trailed off.

  “I can drive back,” she said quickly.

  “You’re night blind, remember?”

  Chelsea pushed back against the leather seat. She crossed her arms. A hand lay on her thigh as he caressed it gently. All of them looked up when the door opened. A man was illuminated by the warm light spilling out of the door. He took the steps quickly, but elegantly. As he got closer, Chelsea could make out an impeccable black suit, topped off with a bright yellow bow tie.

  “Don’t tell me that’s a servant,” Chelsea said quietly.

  She heard a stifled giggle from Sangi. It turned into a full on laugh. Chelsea turned to her, eyes wide. There was no trace of a smile on her lips.

  “This isn’t funny,” she hissed.

  “He’s not a servant. That’s Jackson, our butler. He's in charge of running the estates. He oversees all of the staff, consider him more of an assistant. He’s been with our family for years.”

  “Oh, well that’s perfectly normal then,” Chelsea replied.

  “Love your sarcasm. Heads up.”

  As the man approached her door, she almost wanted to flatten herself against the seat. She wanted to tell him they’d made an awful mistake. Surely, Matthew’s parents were sensible people in a sensible house. The car door was opened and the man extended a hand to her. She took it reluctantly. Chelsea let herself be helped out into the warm air where she stood admiring her surroundings without speaking.

  Matthew slipped her purse into her hand. Her fingers clutched it without needing the use of her brain. The man who’d helped her out of the car, Jackson, she reminded herself, began to take their suitcases into the house. Chelsea stooped down to pick up one of her bags.

  "Ma'am, I'll have the bags taken up to your room, if you wish."

  Chelsea nodded dumbly, adding a quiet thank you for good measure. Matthew hooked his arm around hers before he patted her hand. He gently led her to the wide, stone steps. They were flanked on either side by stone lions. Chelsea felt like she was going to be sick.

  They stepped into the house. It smelled of tropical fruit and flowers. Her heels clicked across the marble in the foyer, the sound was deafening to her ears. She was too afraid to tread heavily. They passed several rooms, each a blur before they stood in front of a white door with white blinds hanging down over the glass. Chelsea had a good feeling that it led outside. Matthew turned. He took her hands in his and gave them a tight squeeze.

  “Are you ready?”

  Chelsea nodded slowly. There was no getting out of it. She took a deep, steadying breath before she nodded once more. Matthew smiled, kissed her on the lips and pushed the door open.

  “Surprise!”

  “Shit!”

  Chelsea wanted to be mad at Sangi, but she felt the same way. The backyard was a sea of faces. Light filled the place and tables were set with candles and fresh flowers. Matthew looked just as surprised as Chelsea did. Soon, he was grinning though. Chelsea wasn’t.

  “Honey! How are you? Did you miss your mom?”

  A woman walked up to Matthew in a long, wine colored dress. She had golden blond hair that flowed down her back. Chelsea right away, saw the resemblance between him and his mother. Her eyes were the same shocking green as his brothers. Though she had to be in her early fifties, the woman looked young. Not a single gray hair was to be seen. She all but ran to him. Her arms were around his neck, pushing Chelsea out of the way in the process. Matthew gave her a tight hug back before they separated.

  The two men from the picture, Lyle and Andrew, walked up. They were dressed nicely in final tailored suits. Matthew shook his father’s hand before doing the same and getting a small hug from his brother. They all became quiet as they looked at her.

  “And who’s this dear?” His mother asked.

  Matthew grabbed her hand, pulling her forward a bit. She stumbled. The look on the woman’s face couldn’t have been more full of venom if she were an actual snake. There was still a smile on her nude lips, but it wasn’t fooling anyone. Least of all, Chelsea.

  “Mom, dad, this is Chelsea. My fiance. This is Catherine Rawlins my mother. Lyle, my father. Andrew of course, my older brother.”

  Chelsea shook each of their hands in turn. “It’s nice to meet you all.” She wondered vaguely if words were even coming out of her mouth. It felt like she was whispering.

  “Oh and this is Sangi. Chelsea’s best friend and of course, the maid of honor.”

  Chelsea watched Sangi shake hands with all three of them. Still, their eyes seemed to rest on her. The uncomfortable was beginning to turn into annoyed. She glanced around. There were at least fifty people, all dressed in black tie with long stemmed glasses of champagne in their hands. Behind them stood a wide, half circle pool. It was cut off by grass, trees and concrete where lounge chairs stood. Catherine broke her out of her daydream.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Chelsea. What is it that you do for work?”

  “I’m an attorney, same as Matthew. We met at work,” she flashed a smile.

  Catherine seemed to be having none of it. “Well, that’s very quaint.”

  Lyle gave a heavy sigh and shot his wife a look. She picked up a glass from a girl holding a tray. Andrew looked uncomfortable, his shifting from one foot to the other more than noticeable.

  “Why didn’t you tell me it was going to be a party, mom? We would have dressed for the occasion.”

  The woman flashed a grin. “Well, it was a surprise. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if you knew to show up in a suit. Your father and brother aren’t dressed properly after all, you have nothing to worry about.” She turned to Chelsea. “If you wish to change into something more...appropriate, your things should be in the room by now."

  Chelsea felt real anger wel
l up in her. Catherine must have seen something in her face because she stepped back, almost bumping into another caterer. She recovered effortlessly as Matthew wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  “I’m going to go speak to the McClellans. I’ll see you all in a moment,” Catherine said before she sashayed away, her narrow hips more pronounced in the clinging dress.

  “You have to excuse her. She just stepped off of a plane today and is feeling rather cranky. She’s just happy you’re home, Matthew,” Lyle said before turning to Chelsea. He cupped her hand between both of his. “It’s lovely meeting you as well young lady,” he said with a grin.

  Chelsea felt a small moment of relief. She smiled back at him. It was nice to know he was at least nice. Catherine probably was as well, just cranky from her travels. It happened. As he disappeared to join his wife Andrew stepped closer to them.

  “Why don’t I take you guys to your rooms? That way I can sneak away and redress too. I am trying to stay off that woman’s bad side.”

  “Why’s that?” Matthew asked as they walked back into the house.

  “Oh, you’ll find out. Doesn’t everyone always find out everything around here?”

  *****

  Chelsea examined the room she stood in. It was large with an attached bathroom. She marveled at the way the metallic shower tiles were smooth under her feet. The shower was in a stall with the tub next to it, separated by a wall.

  Her bags sat in a corner of the room, empty. All of her clothing had either been hung inside of the huge closet or folded neatly inside of the drawers. She had only packed one gown on the off chance they’d go somewhere fancy for dinner. She picked up the dark blue fabric, rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger. The silk slipped through her fingers. It was one of Matthew’s favorite dresses.