Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 148: Introduction to Together Forever

I put on the gold hoops while looking at my reflection in the mirror. More accurately, I was covertly watching Alec dress in the background while suppressing the urge to cry.

Yeah, the urge to cry had nothing to do with Alec. It had everything to do with the fact I was dressing for a party without Bea. Other than my wedding, when I had a professional hairdresser and makeup artist, this was the first time I could recall ever preparing for a party without Bea’s help.

Add to it, Ben had given us permission to share his grand opening limelight by publicly announcing our engagement tonight, and I was bordering on overwhelmed, which happened a whole lot more often these days than when I was married to King.

The sub-party of personal friends was also celebrating the rescue of Colby and the success of Micah’s surgery. With luck, he now had decades of life ahead of him instead of mere days.

Ben said he might have another reason to celebrate as well. He wouldn’t tell me what it was about, but he said I would approve. Fingers crossed that the Ben and Min ship was at sea under a full sail.

Alec approached me, fully dressed now. He was a dark, beautiful dream, dressed all in black. He wore his hair down, and it curtained half of his face. The top three buttons of his dress shirt were undone. His tats peeked out. Even though I had tracked all his ink with my hands and tongue many times, that hint of more to see was enough to set my mouth to water.

"Do we have to go?" My voice was husky to my ears.

"We should."

"It could wait." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Alec’s grin was pure sex candy. I knew that grin. He intended to make me wait for gratification, but he’d make the wait so worth it. With any luck at all, I wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.

I put on lip gloss while Alec checked out my fragrance collection, finally settling on a heady scent he’d gifted me a few days prior. It was heavier than I usually wore but not unpleasant. It just didn’t feel like me. Maybe it was the me Alec thought I should aspire to be. Maybe he saw more in me than I saw in myself.

Alec sprayed my neck and the inside of my wrists. He misted my hair and eyed my cleavage with a lop-sided grin.

"Don’t even think about it, big boy. If I have to wait, so do you."

Alec shrugged. "I can wait."

"We’ll see."

I picked up my evening bag and led the way out. Tonight might be more interesting than I had originally imagined.

Alec and I played nice, staying in our respective seats during the ride to Together Forever. The car stopped at the door. Ben had put down a red carpet runner that ran down the length of the building. A line of people awaited access to the building. We wouldn’t be one of those people. We were VIPs and granted immediate access.

We followed an escort to a second-floor cordoned-off section where Stiff was holding down a table with Jake and a petite blonde woman wearing cat eyeglasses and a deep pink lipstick that had just a glimmer of glitter gloss to it. I could see why she caught Jake’s attention. She was like a quirky little Barbie doll. I couldn’t wait to see what her personality was like.

The Well Water had a club kid vibe meant for college kids and entry-level patrons who spent time on the dance floor and drinking whatever was the cheapest brand on tap. The décor was filled with vibrant neon lights, Lasar lights kept the place interesting and was often synchronized with the DJ’s music selection.

In comparison, Together Forever was the grown-up big sister location meant to entice an entirely different crowd. The crowd here could afford to shop at all the best places. The patrons were the bosses and the boss’s bosses of the entry-level employees who cared more about drinking and dancing than what they were drinking or who they were seen with. Here, the liquor brand was just as important as the liquor flavor.

Where Well Water was a tightly packed street-level nightclub, Together Forever was a four-story architectural masterpiece that reminded me of a 1920s-inspired speakeasy with art deco décor. Aerialists performed above, while burlesque dancers performed in gilded cages on raised platforms. The servers, both men and women wore tuxedo shirts cut in halter top styling that made bare shoulders the focal points. Their tuxedo pants were sharply styled with a wide satin strip down one leg, but the bowler hats fascinated me the most. I wanted one of those hats!

I predicted before the evening was over, more patrons would be wearing the hats than the servers.

Where the Well Water employed a DJ, Together Forever had a stage set up at one end of the huge dance floor. The band playing hit the height of their popularity ten years ago, but their talent hadn’t waned one little bit, and the music they played was still popular.

Ben had outdone himself. I was impressed.

We joined Stiff and Jake. Jake introduced the woman as Mitzy, the boys’ nanny and his date. Rosie joined us with a man who looked a lot like Samuel Jackson, although I couldn’t recall his name five minutes after she provided it. Hopefully, Alec would remember.

While the tables each included a bottle of champagne and flutes, Alec ordered drinks. He knew me so well. I preferred something sweet on my palate.

"Mitzy, how are the boys?" I asked, determined to judge this woman’s worth for myself.

I wasn’t sure why, but if she wanted to date Jake, I wanted to ensure she deserved him. He was so special to me that I was a bit protective of his heart, even if I’d stomped on it myself.

"Devon and Drake are wonderful. Rambunctious little hellions, but bright and so willing to learn."

"That’s good to hear. The last time I saw them, they were a little too quiet, as if they were tiptoeing through life to avoid trouble."

"We’ve worked hard with the school and the counselors to draw them out of that. Kids should be kids, so I’m excited when their eyes light up with mischief. Of course, sometimes, it gets a little out of hand, but Jake is a good father. He keeps them in line."

"Jake is very devoted to those boys. And it sounds like you are enjoying your time with them as well. That’s good. They need a lot of positivity in their lives."

"Oh, definitely. It is hard to resist the charms of the boys or the father." Mitzy smiled in Jake’s direction.

"Very much so. So tell me about yourself, Mitzy. How did you decide to be a nanny?"

"Oh, that is easy. I love children. I’m the oldest of eight children, and I’d have eight kids of my own if I could, but I’ve not found the right man yet. Soon, I hope. In the meantime, I feel fortunate to borrow Jake’s boys. I’ve prepared to raise kids since I was young. I have a degree in child development. I stay current with my first aid certification, and I’ve taken many, many home economics and nutrition classes."

"Wow. Nice. Jake was lucky to have found you."

"What about you, Teela? Jake said you are some kind of computer wizard, but he’s never said anything about how you feel about children."

I shrugged. "I was an only child, so I don’t know a lot of children. My ex-husband has twin nephews that I’m fond of, but that is about it, other than the short time spent with Jake’s boys."

Mitzy nodded. "Do you want kids of your own?"

"Maybe. Mostly I’m afraid I’m not fit to be a parent. I’d have no idea what I’m doing. Not really."

Mitzy giggled, "I think that is true for most parents. Raising children is kind of like learning a new hobby only more important. You won’t be good at it at first. Each child is different and needs a little something different from you. Sometimes, it takes a lot of trial and error to find what works best. Kids are resilient, and they are trying to figure you out too. You won’t break them in the process, not if you are patient, consistent, and caring."

"Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind."

Alec leaned in to whisper in my ear. "See, I told you we could raise kids without breaking them."

"Still not convinced."

I liked this bubbly woman. If Jake liked her, I approved. I wasn’t ready to throw a wedding for them yet, but she seemed to be what he and the boys needed right now.

Ben and Min joined us. King was trailing behind them with a gift in his hand. All three men were Ken doll beautiful, and I was feeling like a lucky woman to be surrounded by so many good-looking men.