Anything But Mine (26 page)

Jen closed her eyes and exhaled, before simply replying, “I love you too, Vince.”

Over the next few hours, Jen danced with her father, brother, Seth and Luke. She was so busy greeting guests and visiting tables that she had barely had any time to sit and eat, until Vince insisted she join him at their table. “You’re going to pass out if you don’t eat, Jennifer,” he chided her.

Jen joined him at the table, but as soon as she took a few forkfuls, she rose again to circulate among the guests, and crossed paths with Drew.

“How come every man in this room has danced with you, except me,” he asked quietly.

“Maybe because you haven’t asked me yet,” Jen replied.

“Touché,” Drew said as he took Jen’s hand in his and led her towards the dance floor. “Can I have this dance?”

“Sure,” Jen said, tentatively, as Drew took her into his arms. She resisted the urge to lay her head on his shoulder, or to hold her cheek next to his, and instead kept enough of a distance between their bodies to satisfy even the nuns who had taught her in elementary and high school, knowing that Vince was watching them with a laser-
like
intensity.

“You know, I’ve dreamed of dancing with you while you were wearing a wedding gown,” he said. “Only in my dreams, we were dancing the first dance together instead.”

Jen bit her lip, before whispering in Drew’s ear, “That had been my dream too, Drew. But there were some circumstances that were out of our control.”

“Not all of them.”

Jen’s heart stopped, and her blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”

Drew stepped back from Jen so he could look her in the eyes. “Didn’t you read my note?”

“What note?”

“I slipped a note in your purse during the rehearsal dinner last night. Didn’t you read it?”

Jen froze in place, barely able to breathe. “I never saw it.” She tried to recall which handbag she carried to the rehearsal dinner, and remembered it was her large Louis Vuitton tote. “I had so much stuffed into my tote bag last night because I had just come from my final dress fitting, and I never saw it. What did it say?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Drew said. “Forget about it. Just rip it up when you find it.”

“Drew,” Jen pleaded, “please tell me what you wrote.”

“Like I said, it doesn’t matter anymore.” He abruptly took her by the arm, and pulled her back towards her table, where Vince was having a discussion with Seth. “Sorry to interrupt, Vince, but I wanted to congratulate you again. You’re one very lucky man.” Drew shook Vince’s hand, and returned to his table, where he grabbed Collette and dragged her out to the dance floor.

“What was that about?” Vince asked, sternly.

Jen shrugged her shoulders, and the blank expression on her face gave nothing away. “I have no idea. He must be drunk.”

Later that evening, once they were in the privacy of the Fifth Avenue apartment, Jen asked Vince, quietly, “Are you happy?”

Vince grinned. “You made me a very happy man today, Jennifer.”
Because you’re mine, now and forever.

“Good. I’m glad.” She turned and began walking towards the master suite, and as Vince followed her, she said, over her shoulder, “I’m going to need your help tonight, Vince.”

Vince had a puzzled look on his face as he followed her. “Of course. What do you need help with?”

As she passed through their bedroom door, she turned and looked at her husband. “I’m going to need your help with removing my gown.”

“Okay,” Vince said, as he followed her into the master suite. Jennifer stood still as he inspected the back of her gown, asking, “Where is the zipper?”

“There is no zipper. Zippers are bad luck on a wedding gown. You have to unbutton each button.”

“You’re kidding, right? I never heard that before,” he said, as he opened one small, satin-
covered
button after the other on the back of Jen’s gown.

“I never kid about superstitions, Vince.” Jen watched in the mirror as her gown loosened around her bodice and her waist, until Vince had finally released the last button. She slowly let the gown slip off the edge of her shoulders, and as she removed her arms from the sleeves, she heard Vince’s sharp intake of breath, and turned to face him.

Vince felt nauseous when he saw the bruises on Jen’s arms, and his eyes filled with tears. “You said you had bruises, but I didn’t realize just how badly I hurt you,” he whispered as he gently touched the black-
and
-
blue
marks on her arms, causing Jen to wince. “Are you still in pain?”

Unable to meet his eyes, she hung her head and focused on her wedding gown, now pooled around her ankles on the floor. “Yes,” she said, timidly.

“Come here,” Vince said, as he felt a wave of remorse wash over him. He helped Jen step out of her gown before taking her into his arms. As he held her tightly against his body, he vowed her that he would never hurt her again. “All I ever wanted was to take care of you and protect you, Jennifer. I’m so sorry that I hurt you,” he apologized. “I’ll never hurt you again, and never force myself on you again, as long as I live. I love you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

W
hen she awoke the next morning, Jen was surprised to find that her husband was not in bed with her. It was a moment before she realized that water was running in his bathroom, and that he was already in the shower.
I’m glad he let me sleep in
, she thought.

Vince emerged from his bathroom with a huge grin on his face. “How is my beautiful wife this morning?”

Jen smiled at Vince, and replied, “I’m good, thanks. You seem chipper today.”

“How could I be anything but chipper? I’m married to the most beautiful woman in the world.”

She sat up in bed and stretched her arms wide, and as she did so, Vince’s expression darkened as he focused on the lingering bruises on her upper arms. “Remember, Seth is coming by so we can go over some last-
minute
business. He should be here around 10:30, long before the rest of the guests arrive.”

Jen looked at the clock on her nightstand, and calculated the time she had to get ready. “Okay, just ask Mary to make some coffee now, so she has some to serve when Seth gets here. The caterers will be here soon, too, but their coffee won’t be ready yet.” Jen slipped out of bed, and kissed Vince before disappearing into her bathroom.

Once she finished blow-
drying
her hair, Jen checked the clock and realized that Seth had probably arrived for his meeting with Vince. Taking advantage of the few minutes she had alone, she went into her dressing room and found her large Louis Vuitton tote bag tossed on the floor, exactly where she had left it on Friday night. Closing the door to her dressing room in case Vince came into the master suite, she lowered herself onto the floor and dug through the contents of her tote bag until she found the note from Drew.

Jen held the envelope in her hands, trying to decide whether or not to open it.
Drew told me just to rip it up,
she remembered. She turned the envelope over in her hands, and slipped a finger underneath the flap, unsure of what to do next.
But if I don’t open it, I’ll wonder my whole life what he wrote.
Before she could change her mind, Jen tore open the envelope and removed the single, folded sheet of paper. With trembling hands, she unfolded it, and read:

Dear Jen,

It’s hard to believe that just one year ago we were as close as two people could be, and on the brink of beginning what I think we both hoped would be a long, happy future together. I know in my heart that we would still be together if I hadn’t shut you out of my life and pushed you away, which is something I will regret the rest of my life.

If you still love me, and if you still want to be with me, meet me tomorrow morning at 9:00 on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you don’t meet me there, I will know that you are over me, once and for all time.

No matter what, just know that I never stopped loving you. I will always love you.

Drew

“Oh my God,” Jen said out loud. “Oh. My. God.” She continued to sit on the floor of her dressing room, shaking, while she read and re-
read
Drew’s letter. After a few minutes, she looked at her watch and knew Vince would come looking for her if she didn’t emerge from the bedroom soon.
God forbid he finds this letter,
she thought, panic-
stricken
.
With his temper and jealous streak, who knows what he would do to me, and to Drew.

Jen’s legs felt weak as she rose to her feet and walked towards her safe, where she punched in the code on the keypad, and opened the door. She lifted the padding from the bottom of the safe and slipped the single piece of paper underneath, pushing it towards the rear of the safe.
I’ll have to burn this letter once we return from our honeymoon.
Quickly, she re-
arranged
her jewelry on top of the padding, then closed and locked the safe door.

She slipped into a pair of khakis, a white oxford shirt, and her favorite brown suede ballet flats, before tying a long brown and gold silk scarf around her waist in place of a belt. Shaking, she placed her wedding and engagement rings on her left hand, and a pair of simple pearl earrings onto her ears. Staring at herself in the mirror, she wondered,
how am I going to face Drew when he arrives in an hour? What am I going to say?

Jen emerged from the master suite, and made her way towards the kitchen to check on the preparations for brunch. On her way, she noticed that the door to Vince’s home office was open, and as she walked past Vince beckoned her inside.

“Come on in, Jennifer. Close the door behind you, and sit down.”

Jen greeted Seth with a smile and a kiss on the cheek, and sat down next to Vince’s desk, noticing the piles of papers spread out on top.

“I asked Seth to stop by early today, not only because we had some business to go over, but because I want to give you your wedding gift, and I needed his help in order to do so,” Vince said.

“I don’t understand. You’ve already given me a gift,” Jen said, puzzled. “You already gave me the diamond-
encrusted
hair comb.”

“Seth, can you give us a moment, please? I need to speak with my wife privately.” Once Seth stepped outside the office, Vince continued, “Jennifer, do you remember the first time you invited me out to your house in Southampton?”

She nodded in reply. “Yes, of course.”

Vince continued, “That weekend, you showed me a vacant store on Main Street that you thought would be perfect for a yarn shop, but when we worked the numbers you felt you couldn’t afford it. Well, I decided to buy it.”

Jen’s eyes grew wide. “You bought it?”

“Yes. Originally, my plan was to lease you the store for a dollar a year, but after what I did to you on Tuesday, after all the pain I caused you, I wanted to make it up to you in a meaningful way, so I’m giving you the building on Main Street as your wedding gift.”

The shock Jen felt registered on her face. “I’m speechless, Vince. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you will accept my apology for forcing myself on you. When I saw the bruises on your arms last night, I was sick over what I did to you, Jennifer.” He pushed a sheet of paper in front of her. “Here is the deed. I’ve signed it, and Seth notarized it. It’s yours.”

Jen’s hand shook as she read the deed to the Main Street property she had coveted for so long. Looking up, she noted Vince’s contrite demeanor. “I forgive you,” she said, simply, as she saw the visible relief on Vince’s face.
Richard Burton gave Elizabeth Taylor diamonds when he cheated on her,
she thought.
Vince Moscolo gives me real estate when he hurts me.

After Vince gave Jen the deed, she excused herself and went back into the master suite, where she placed it in her safe. She re-
assessed
her outfit and makeup and, satisfied, wandered into the kitchen to check on the brunch preparations.

“Good morning, Mrs. Moscolo,” Mary said, greeting her with a smile, causing Jen to momentarily stop in her tracks.

“Good morning, Mary.”
That’s the first time anyone has called me Mrs. Moscolo
.
It sounds so foreign, so strange to me, but I guess I have to get used to it
. Jen quickly re-
focused
and smiled at her housekeeper, and answered her questions about the timing of the brunch service. “Let’s go with the passed hors d’oeuvres in the living room until almost everyone has arrived, and then we’ll show the guests into the dining room.”

Grace, Peter, Gina and Pete arrived, and within a few minutes the living room began to fill up with friends and family. Jen scanned the room, and noticed that Drew had arrived and was chatting with Catherine and Luke. She walked over to them, and hugged each of her friends tightly.

As she hugged Drew, she was acutely aware of Vince watching her from across the room, and quickly released him. Jen looked around and asked Drew, “Where’s Collette?”

“She should be here any minute,” he replied, looking at his watch. “We’re flying out pretty early tomorrow morning, and she wanted to do a little bit of shopping before leaving New York.” Just as he finished his sentence, Collette walked through the door, carrying shopping bags from Saks in each hand.

Jen welcomed Collette with a kiss on the cheek. “Drew mentioned that you were going shopping. Looks like it was a successful trip.”

Collette smiled, “Yes, it was. I was able to pick up some things for myself, and some Christmas gifts for family and friends. I spent a fortune! I’m glad that they were able to ship most everything back to California for me.”

Jen raised an eyebrow, wondering where Collette had gotten the money to spend on a lavish shopping spree at Saks.
Drew said that her gift basket business did “okay” but he never gave me the impression she was raking in the big bucks,
she thought.
How much money could there possibly be in the gift basket business?

Jen watched as Collette made her way through the room to speak with Vince.
At least they’re cordial towards each other,
she thought, recalling the heated conversation she had witnessed between Vince and Collette the night of Catherine and Luke’s wedding. Jen had put that scene out of her mind, but now seeing them huddled together in a corner of the living room brought that memory back to the forefront.
I wonder what they are talking about,
she thought.

While Vince was distracted by Collette, Jen took the opportunity to speak privately to Drew. “I read your note,” she said, simply. “I don’t know what to say.”

Drew tried to control the expression on his face, but was unable to hide his surprise and dismay. “I told you not to read it.”

“I know, but I had to. How could I not?”

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, defensively, and asked, “If you had read it in time, would it have changed anything?”

Jen had expected he would ask that question, and had rehearsed her response, but it didn’t prepare her for having to actually voice her answer. She searched for a way to explain her feelings without hurting him, but couldn’t find the words and, ultimately, she simply shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said, before excusing herself to check on the caterers in the kitchen.

Over the next few hours, Drew avoided Jen, looking away whenever their eyes met. When it was time to leave, he tried to say a quick goodbye, but was stopped by Vince.

“Drew, I hear you have an early flight tomorrow morning out of JFK. Jennifer and I are headed there too, and we can pick you up and go together, if you’d like to share a ride.”
Good thing I was able to get Al to change our flight plan from Teterboro to JFK,
he thought.
I want to keep reminding Drew that Jennifer is mine now.

“Thanks, Vince, but we don’t want to impose on you,” Drew replied. “I’m not sure when your flight is, but I wouldn’t want to either hold you up, or cause you to have to leave too early.”

“Nonsense,” Vince replied, “it’s our pleasure.” Vince placed an arm around Jen’s waist, and pulled her close, before continuing, “Besides, we’re taking my jet, so our flight leaves whenever we’re ready to go. We’ll drop you off at your terminal, and then head over to general aviation and get on our plane.”

Drew’s face became hot with embarrassment.
He’s a billionaire, so of course it doesn’t matter what time he leaves, because he has his own plane,
he thought, bitterly.
Even if Jen still loved me, I could never compete with Vince and his wealth.
“Thanks, but we can just get a cab,” Drew said, as he again tried to decline the offer of the ride.

“It’s no trouble. Really, I insist. Besides, I’m sure Jennifer would love to have the chance to spend some more time with you,” Vince said, as he turned to kiss his wife on the cheek.

Bile rose in Drew’s throat as he watched Vince kiss Jennifer.
I think I’m going to be sick.
Swallowing hard, he relented. “Thank you, Vince. It’s really generous of you. See you tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.,” he said, as he got into the elevator with Collette.