Chapter 70

DORIS

After the excitement of Mia's birthday party and a picnic afterward when Mia was so enthusiastic about adopting a new baby, I spent the entire next week at my apartment, basically avoiding both Arthur and Mia.

Yes, it was a chicken scaredy-cat move. But I wanted some time to myself. I needed some time to adjust and to think. I hadn't spent much time with Noah, and it gave me time to catch up more.

Of course, I updated him on everything with Cathy, Arthur, and Mia and the new situation. Noah was ecstatic; the idea that he was already a grandfather, and now would be a grandfather twice tickled him pink.

I understood that. It must be amazing to wake up out of a coma and then many things are different with your daughter.

Noah decided he wanted to go back to school to be an emergency response worker and ambulance driver. Even though he never worked in that field before, it made sense to me after what he'd been through. He wanted to help people who had been in an accident or disaster.

I encouraged him, and I offered to pay for his training.

Arthur and I talked on the phone every night. We decided to hire Nina to do my job at Heritage Properties. I would still work there part-time.

I had so many other obligations coming up. I didn't want to overwhelm myself.

I hadn't forgotten that I had gotten sick because I overworked myself, and that's how Dr. John had managed to take advantage of me.

Nathan, Arthur, and I did a large-scale hiring for the pharmaceutical company. We went from a team of ten a few weeks ago to 175 people by the end of the month.

Emma and her team had made a huge breakthrough on the drug, and she started Phase 1 clinical trials. I was excited.

Arthur made me an official executive board member of the pharmaceutical company, which stroked my ego.

My series of performances at The Sultan Room started. Everything about it was a dream come true. The acoustics were amazing. The audience was the most attentive audience I had ever experienced. The house band was extremely talented.

After one performance, the manager let it slip that Arthur was the one who arranged the entire situation. I couldn't even be mad. He worked behind the scenes to help my singing career because he believed in me.

The next Saturday, when I was set to sing, Arthur bought me a custom, one-of-a-kind Vera Wang dress. I don't think anything ever looked so beautiful on me.

Arthur accompanied me to The Sultan Room. During my first set break, I found out why. He had invited a record executive to listen to me.

Arthur didn't tell me until I was over because he didn't want me to be nervous.

I could've been mad about that, but he was right. I probably would've been so nervous. My voice would've cracked, and I would've messed up.

Arthur introduced me to the high-level executive during the break.

I hadn't followed any industry news, but even I had of this man. I was surprised at how friendly and polite he was.

"I'm impressed with you," he said. "I like your voice and your look. I think you can go far on the pop charts. Would you be interested in coming into one of our recording studios and doing a demo?"

I couldn't believe it. "Would I ever! Yes, 100 times yes."

"OK, let me pick out a song for you to work with. I'll send it to you. You can practice it with this band you have here. I'll book studio time for you and a studio engineer."

I gave him my contact information, and he shook my hand and left.

"Arthur!" I said. I gave him a big hug, and then I was jumping up and down, just as excited as Mia was when she was happy.

Arthur's smile was big. "I want to give you the world, baby. You deserve it. You know you deserve it."

"A million talented singers deserve it," I said. "If you hadn't worked your connections, this never would've happened."

"Maybe, but that's what connections are for. I'm glad I could do this for you."

I was surprised and euphoric. It's hard for me to get back on stage. It was like something out of a movie, a dream come true. I floated through the rest of the night.

From that night when I came home to find Bob in bed with Andrea, my life had completely turned around.

The next day I had lunch with Nina at our favorite diner. I had a lot to catch up with her about.

First, I had to tell her what Cathy said, what Arthur and I decided, and how Mia reacted. That was the biggest news.

Nina reacted. "Oh my God, I can't believe you're going to be raising a baby! When I said your life was like a soap opera before, it's really like a soap opera now. I never could've expected this."

"Tell me about it! But you should've seen Mia. She was so excited you would've thought I gave her a diamond-encrusted baby and a trip to the moon and back."

"Of course she did," Nina said. "Every eight-year-old wants a pony and a baby sister."

I nodded.

"But Cathy, phew. She's a piece of work."

"I guess so." I shrugged and speared a piece of my food. "What's going on with you?"

"You will not believe this. The other day I was working out in the Heritage Properties office gym. Did you know they have a gym?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't."

"So I hadn't been working out for more than two minutes, and guess who comes in?"

"Nath.....than..." I said, drawing the word out.

"Exactly," Nina said and smiled. "The timing was a little suspicious. He got on the treadmill for a few minutes, then whipped his shirt off and tucked it in the back of his shorts. Hoooo-boy!"

Nina swayed a little, mimicking a swoon. "Who knew he was hiding all those gorgeous abs and chest muscles under those tailored suits? Then he starts lifting weights…" Nina paused to fan her face.

"Then, the hottie, he just kept shooting me these smoldering lustful looks in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. It was like 'I'm watching you with desire.' No, I am not. Yes, I am."

"No, he didn't."

"He did!" Nina smiled so hugely I could see all her teeth.

"There he is, all gleaming, straining, pumping muscles, occasionally looking at me like I'm that one star-crossed universal rocket that he wants to ride but knows he just can't have yet."

Nina smiles evilly. "So I do some yoga bends, and they might've been a little provocative."

"You are so bad."

"It may or may not have been a coincidence, but later that same afternoon, Kate gave me a lead for an apartment on Central Park South."

"No way."

"Yes. And I closed it."

I gave her a high five across the table.

"Do you want to guess how much that apartment sold for?"

I didn't, really, but I said, "OK, I'll play along. 10 million?"

"More."

"20 million?” I said, my voice going up a lot.

"More. It's really big."

My eyebrows shot up. "Oh my God, Nina. How much?"

"42.5 million."

I put my hand on my chest.

"I earned more from that commission than I have ever earned in my lifetime," Nina said. "I quit my jobs at The Strip and The Tavern. I bought my apartment because it just went condos.”

"Nathan recommended an investment broker for me, and I bought some stock. I also donated some money to the charity that you and Arthur set up a while ago."

"Oh, Nina, that's so nice."

"So I am feeling pretty good."

"I bet you are."

"And…" Nina left the word hang there.

"What?"

"I may have asked Nathan out on a date."

Just then the waitress brought our check. Nina picked it up. "I got this. After all, I'm filthy rich." She chuckled.

"Also, do you know what I read in this morning's New York Times and Wall Street Journal?"

"No. What?" I asked,

"As of this morning, the whole world knows that Nathan is the new CEO of AmeriCapital."

"So, he's handsome, he works out, he's smart, he's loyal, he likes you, he now has an amazing CEO job, you have wicked-good chemistry, he looked across the room and wants to devour you…"

"That pretty much sums it up," Nina said.

"And you think I live in a soap opera! You live in a romance novel!"

"Yeah, well, when I get to the sex part, you know I'll tell you all about it."