The Ceo's Contracted Mistress
The Ceo’s Contracted Mistress Chapter 26

Bobbie was putting the dishes into the dishwasher after a late lunch, feeling exhaustion settling in. One serving of leftovers, she slid into the fridge on a microwave safe plate knowing Max would gobble it up eventually during the day. He was absolutely going through a growth spurt based on what she knew he’d consumed at the meal.

While the kids had eaten their lunch in the treehouse, Bobbie, Grady, Everly and Prue sat at the dining room table discussing at length the information she had shared with them about the conversation she’d had with Olivier.

She could see Grady’s wheels turning over the information about Olivier’s father and brother-in-law and his muttered comment about nothing making sense anymore demonstrated his confusion over everything. Everly had gotten angry at him again and told him none of this was about his relationship with Olivier and he had retaliated telling her he had trusted a man who had hurt his best friend and thus it was very much about his relationship with the guy. Then he’d stormed out of Bobbie’s house and had gone back home through the back yard. Eventually Everly and Prue had followed him.

A knock on her front door made her pause and she wiped her hands on a tea towel before making her way to the door. She looked through the glass of the window and frowned in disbelief. She debated not opening the door and then pulled it open angrily. “What do you want?”

“I know you probably don’t want to see me,” pale blue eyes stared at her, “but I couldn’t stay away. Please may I come in?”

Bobbie stared at Meri Villeneuve with contempt. “No.”

“I understand.” She swallowed nervously her hands twisting in front of her. “I left Levi. I could go home to my parents but in my fifties it seems silly. I went to Olivier’s hotel room yesterday since he’s not there, but Levi followed me and told me I had to stay and work things out with him, and Olivier had already left. I stayed in the kids’ room in Olivier’s suite, and I had a thought if I came here, Levi would never suspect. I,” she looked embarrassed, “I didn’t even think it through. I just took a bus from Houston to Dallas and then when I got here, I realized I didn’t even know where you lived. I called Riggs and told him I wanted to send you a letter and asked him for the address.”

“Riggs needs my foot in his a*s.”

“I’m not known for lying,” she said with a twist of her lips, “so he believed me. Please don’t be angry with him.”

“What do you want Meri?”

“To apologize. To get to know you. To see my grandkids. To hide from my husband. To throttle my entire family, including my son.” She sighed dramatically, “All I know, Bobbie, is my heart was telling me this is where I need to be.”

Bobbie closed her eyes and sighed loudly, “fine come in.”

“Thank you,” she whispered as she stepped into the house. She smiled as she looked around, “oh Bobbie your home is lovely.”

“Thanks,” she felt uncomfortable as the woman walked around the living room, looking at photographs and knickknacks and craft projects the kids had made. She noted Meri wiping a tear off her cheek. “Can I get you a cup of tea or something?”

“That would be lovely,” she looked over her shoulder as she looked at a photo of Max and Ollie on their first day of kindergarten. “They remind me so much of Ollie. Big Ollie,” she clarified.

Bobbie nodded and agreed, “I’m sure.”

“Especially Max.”

“Really?” she was surprised by the comment as she put the kettle on the stove.

“Yes. He was super quiet as a small child. I didn’t like the schools in New Orleans. I had him in a private school there, but he was a weird kid.” She gave a laugh, “eventually I moved him to a private school in Houston but even there he kept getting into fights because kids were making fun of him. The teachers said he had a bad temper, and it was his fault because he couldn’t just ignore the kids who were teasing him. Ollie rarely spoke to anyone. He was extremely sensitive and loving and he kept his heart very guarded. The kids thought he was strange because he rarely spoke and when he did it was about how cool spaceships were or how neat numbers were. Do you know for his sixth Christmas he asked for an old-fashioned abacus? He also asked for calculus books in grade three. Could barely speak to other kids with words but his fists did a lot of talking.”

“Sounds like he was a mix of both of them,” Bobbie said leaning against the back of the sofa as she watched Meri lifting a photo of her when she was heavily pregnant.

“Is this you? Your hair is so different.”

She smiled softly remembering the conversation she had with Olivier, “yes. Ollie has my curls.”

“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful either way, of course.” She smiled at her gently, “Olivier knew what he saw when he saw you in your coffee shop.”

Bobbie made a face and stood upright.

“Bobbie, the weekend he came home for Fiona’s wedding, he told me all about you. He had wanted to bring you to the wedding but was terrified he’d scare you off throwing you into the deep end of our craziness. He told me he’d walked into a coffee shop and met the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He said your smile lit him up. I know what my husband inferred but at no time did Ollie ever suggest to us you were anything other than his girlfriend. I don’t even know what the hell is going on in Levi’s head.” She sighed as she set the photo back down, “I always worried he might be gay.”

Bobbie choked on her own spittle, “what?”

“Not as if there is anything wrong with being gay. I mean, if he were gay, I would still love him completely. I only know gay men go through so much pain in their lives and I wanted him to be safe.”

“Why?”

Meri lifted a shoulder as she looked around the room, “He doesn’t date. He rarely dated before you and one of the few times he did date, the girl set him up to be captured by paparazzi and he wound up in your coffee shop. I mean, you’ve met him. He’s such a nerd. Talking to girls was always a problem for him unless he was related to them or it’s business.”

“He doesn’t date?”

“Well, I mean, I’m sure he has taken lovers, but he has never, not once ever dated a girl long term or long enough he would bring her home to meet the parents. Fiona joked a few times they were beards, but it seems he really does like girls,” she winked at Bobbie.

“Oh my god,” she clapped her hands to her cheeks as they burned at the teasing of the woman.

Meri sighed as she moved to look at a card the kids had made Bobbie for her birthday where they had used their painted handprints to make a butterfly, “these are adorable.”

Bobbie held up two kinds of tea and Meri selected the mint.

“My husband was out of line, Bobbie. He was so out of order it is ridiculous. You know you’ve really mucked things up when even my father backs off and says it was too far.” She gave a snort of irritation. “Olivier had told us in a phone call he had met your family, your best friends who loved you like a sister. Anyone who sees Grady with your friend Everly knows he adores her. The way he looks at you doesn’t even compare to how he looks at his wife. My husband was a jackass. He went looking for trouble and when he couldn’t replace it, he created it. He hurt my son, he hurt my grandbabies and he hurt you,” Meri stretched a trembling hand in her direction before letting it fall to her side. “This is the part to bother me the most. He hurt you. The woman who did everything she possibly could to keep the twins safe. You didn’t come after Olivier chasing his money. You thought he was scary, and you hid from him but the minute you knew he wasn’t the evil bastard you thought he was, you did everything in your power to continue being a good mom and facilitated their relationship. You would do anything for them and to me it means you’re exactly what my son and these kids need.”

Bobbie swallowed as the woman recognized her actions.

“I would even bet, even after all of this, as much as you are angry with Olivier, you are still playing middleman for him with the kids.”

Bobbie looked away remembering all the times she’d continued to talk to Max and Ollie about their dad.

“I thought so,” Meri said simply. “My husband is a moron. Olivier might have a gentle soul but he’s not a stupid man. He knows a good heart when he’s near one and he knows you are the best one he’s ever met. As soon as you said you wouldn’t marry Olivier, Levi took it as a personal affront and assumed you were out to get Olivier or to ruin him. He went too far. Olivier had no idea, you know.”

“Is this why you’re here, Meri? To plead Olivier’s case?”

She gave a lilting laugh. “No, he screwed up. He should never, not ever have made you sign a contract, and he should never have revealed the contents of your personal agreement to his father and brothers-in-law. What happened in your relationship was private and he should have respected your privacy and kept it to himself. He’s on his own to repair the damages with you and the kids.” She sighed loudly, “No, I’m here to plead my own case. Please don’t taint me with the same brush as my husband and son-in-law. I desperately want to spend time with you and my grandchildren. I didn’t know what they were doing, and I would have notified Olivier had I known. He would have put a stop to it far better than I could have.” She moved to sit at the dining room table and accepted the cup of tea Bobbie sat in front of her. “You know, I was in the room for all three of the girls being born? I’m so close to them. I do everything with them. I missed so much with Max and Ollie and my heart breaks for what we’ve lost. As much as I know I’ve missed out, they too have missed out. I know they have their Nana Prue, but they didn’t have me.” She wiped a tear off her cheek. “You didn’t have me. I’m a formidable ally you know.”

“I believe you,” Bobbie said sipping her tea.

“I am sorry for all the time we’ve lost Bobbie, but I really don’t want to lose any more time. Please let me be part of your lives.”

The back door flung open, and Max and Ollie raced into the room and then came to a screeching halt, staring at the woman sitting at the dining room table.

“Why is she here?” Max demanded crossly, his arms coming up to fold over his chest. “Is the mean guy with her?”

Meri gave a tentative smile, “I came alone. Nobody knows I’m here. I came to tell your mom and you both how sorry I am about what happened. I am really sorry for what happened.”

“Your grandmother feels very badly about what Levi and Timon did and came to make sure you were okay.” Bobbie spoke gently.

“We’re fine,” Max stepped in front of Ollie. “You can go home now.”

“Max,” Bobbie spoke quickly, “you do not get to be rude.”

“She’s probably here to spy on us for him,” he glared at his mother.

“Nobody knows I’m here,” Meri reiterated quietly. “I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. I just wanted to see you three so badly and make sure you know, I love you very much and what the others did, wasn’t what I wanted.”

Ollie stepped past Max, “why?”

“Why?”

“Why do you love us?”

“Because you are part of me,” she shrugged as if it made sense.

“My dad was going to take us from my mom.”

Meri sighed, “my darling, I’m not sure about all of that but I do know, I will fight as hard as I can to make sure you are always with your maman.”

“You would?” Max eyed her critically.

“Yes. Why would I let strangers take you away from the person who gave you life?” She shook her head angrily, “your maman is an amazing and strong woman who does everything for you. I would never stand by and just let anyone take away babies from a mom.”

Ollie was slowly stepping closer to her, “are the mean men coming with you?”

“No. I mean it. Nobody knows where I am. I left in the middle of the night last night.”

“Do you have your phone on?” Bobbie questioned suddenly.

“No,” Meri shook her head, “it was how Levi found me at Olivier’s hotel room. I left it in the room. I know a few numbers like my daughters’ and Olivier, Riggs, Soren, and Henri. There was a phone at the bus depot. Did you know it takes nine hours on the bus to get from Houston to Dallas? It’s a three-hour drive but on the bus it takes forever.”

It dawned on Bobbie Meri might be out of her element with no resources. She was a woman very much used to a life of luxury. “Meri, did you bring money with you?”

She looked away sheepishly, “I have a hundred dollars in my purse. I don’t want to use my debit cards.”

“Did you eat today?”

“I had a coffee and a sandwich from a gas station early this morning at one of the stops.” Meri nodded quickly with embarrassment.

“Did you bring a change of clothes?”

Ollie suddenly chortled loudly as Meri shook her head, “you ran away from home without clothes, your phone, food, or money?”

Meri made big eyes at Ollie, “I’ve never run away before. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Me and Max ran away once, and we moved to the treehouse. We brought everything.”

“And you still only lasted thirty minutes.” Bobbie teased them, “they ran away because I wouldn’t let them have chocolate for breakfast.” Her heart was happy as Ollie was inching her way onto Meri’s lap. She watched as Max moved to the kitchen mumbling under his breath. She knew what he was doing. The buzz of microwave being turned on made her grin and shake her head.

Ollie was asking Meri all about the bus ride and Meri was telling her about the different people and little towns she had seen on her little trip. The child had gravitated to her grandmother, slipping onto her lap, and listening attentively. Meri looked up in surprise when Max set a plate of leftover chicken cacciatore and a glass of milk in front of Meri.

“You need to eat something other than a sandwich,” he muttered and moved to sit on his mom’s lap. “You promise you won’t take us away from our mom?”

“I promise Max. I’m here to see you and your sister and your mom, that’s all.” She leaned over the plate and smelled it, “it smells very good.”

“Mom is a great cook,” Ollie nodded and slipped off her lap to allow her to eat but she was standing near her shoulder. “Are you going to stay with us while you’ve run away from home?”

“Oh, I couldn’t impose,” she shook her head.

“If you use a credit card, they’ll replace you,” Bobbie shook her head, teasingly. “I’d let you use the treehouse like when the kids ran away but the bugs in July can be bad. You can have the guest room.” She picked her phone up off the table and sent a text to Everly and Prue. “We’ll get you a change of clothes too. Eat your dinner and the kids will keep you company. I will go make up the room with clean sheets.”

Meri wiped a tear off her cheek and whispered softly, “thank you Bobbie.”

Bobbie realized she was feeling strangely protective of the woman. She had a funny feeling she’d never had to stand on her own two feet before with Gael Moreno as her father, given what Olivier had said his thoughts of women were. The way she’d seen Levi behave on Tuesday she’d bet her last dollar she’d always been around boorish men who controlled everything. This might be the first time she’d ever done anything without a man’s approval. “It will be okay, Meri. You’re safe here and we won’t tell Levi where you are.”

“Or the girls.” She shook her head her blonde hair falling from the topknot she had it twisted in. “they tell their husbands everything and since both of them work for Levi’s company, they are loyal to him more than their wives, I’m certain of it. If Fiona or Elise call –”

“We won’t say a word,” she promised and then made a face, “though we may need to call Riggs because if Olivier mentions you’ve gone missing, he’s going to remember you called him for my address.”

“Riggs will tell –”

“Nope,” she shook her head, “he’s pissed at the whole Villeneuve clan or so he says. If Olivier is in New York and Riggs is here instead of protecting him there, they must have quarrelled.”

Meri nodded, “they’re inseparable. If he’s here, Riggs is annoyed too.”

Bobbie looked at the screenshot she took of Rigg’s number and then sent him a text.

“Forget you had a call with Meri.”

He responded with a winky face and “what call?”

She held the phone up to Meri who gave a rueful smile. “He’s a good boy. Soren too. When Olivier was in Houston attending school, the three boys spent a lot of time at Trace’s house since he was away from home. Trace had a son so late in life. They almost didn’t have children, you know. She got pregnant at forty with Soren. They spoiled him rotten. It made leaving Olivier in Houston on his own a bit easier to know he had the Watermans looking out for him.”

“My dad went away to school,” Ollie made a face of confusion. “He didn’t stay home?”

“No. He went to a private school in Houston. He came home once a month and every holiday and for the summers.”

“I wouldn’t like that,” Max shook his head exaggeratedly. “Who would make my dinners?”

Meri threw her head back and laughed, “he had his meals in the school cafeteria.”

“I’m never going away to school.” He refused to even consider it as he shoved his glasses up his nose.

Bobbie winked at him and laughed, “I’m going to remind you of this conversation when you’re filling out college applications in your senior year.” Bobbie stood from her seat, setting Max on the chair she’d vacated looking at her phone. “Everly and Prue are on their way over with a change of clothing for you so don’t be alarmed when they just let themselves in through the back door.” She paused, “we often just come and go out of each other’s houses, Meri. I assure you there’s nothing –”

“Stop,” Meri held her hand up. “You have nothing to explain to me or anyone else.”

“Thanks Meri,” she felt a smile pull her cheeks.

“What do we call you?” Ollie asked Meri seriously. “We have a Nana Prue. What do we call you?”

“You can call me whatever you are comfortable with.”

Bobbie began climbing the stairs to the bedrooms with her smile widening as they began a detailed conversation on what the best name for their grandmother should be. As horrible as the week had begun, it was ending on a more positive note and with Ollie’s giggle downstairs floating upwards, Bobbie couldn’t help but think Olivier’s mother had known exactly what the twins had needed. A connection to their father without it actually being him and it was working. Intuitively, she knew, it was working for her as well.