One Night Stand With My Husband’s Brother

In three weeks after moving into a three bedroom apartment in Greensville, which Uncle Maverick helped them get, Mackenzie had been busy with trying to kick start her career as a designer. After all, she, Charlotte and Felicity have been living off their savings from North Dakota.

They could not depend on that for much longer.

Uncle Maverick has been a great help so far. Because their apartment lied outside the heart of Greensville, and Mackenzie was busy with the kids and her works at the back of the house, he helped her drop her samples at many of the huge hotels around the city searching for new designers.

It worked because he lived right there in the center of Greensville.

But so far, none of the hotels had gotten back to her.

It was a lot of work to take care of two growing and energetic kids while trying to organize their lives, and Mackenzie could definitely not afford to hire a babysitter. She had barely even been able to get them into preschool, pay their tuition and other necessary fares.

As usual, her friends were always ready to help.

While Mackenzie usually took them to school and returned home to work, Felicity picked them up, make sure they are well-fed and well-rested. Her blog was doing very well, so she had a lot of time on her hands for Calista and Cameron.

When Charlotte returned from her job hunt in magazine firms, she played with them and watched their children shows with them.

Mackenzie could not be more relieved to know that her kids were in safe hands. She was so extra paranoid over their safety, that she had gone to their school and expressly told the school not to hand over her kids to anyone other than her, Felicity and Charlotte, who the school already recognized.

Living not too close to the core of Greensville helped with Mackenzie’s paranoia. The Axfords, and other filthy rich people crawled all over the heart of Greensville, and she would rather stay away.

It was much more quieter in their neighborhood.

It was perfect.

Felicity did not seem to think Greensville as a whole was so perfect, because there were less trees than the countryside were they came from. She was an advocate for organic living and being as natural as possible. That was what her blog was all about, anyway. She was a country girl at heart, but the country could not fulfill her dreams like the polluted city could.

She was worried that the twins who grew up with fresh air, fresh food and fruits, would be exposed to the less healthy environment in this city.

Mackenzie was not really worried about that, because she was providing her little babies with the best quality of everything they needed. She just needed a job quickly, so things would not start to go downhill.

She never expected things to be smooth sailing as soon as they stepped into Greensville, but she could only hope life would not be so difficult this time around. Hope was not the only thing she had, she also had determination, vigor and the desire to push harder each day.

Just for her kids.

***********

Chase shut off his laptop when he saw the umpteenth article about him just today. The news of his divorce with Selene had reached the public, so the media was in uproar.

He and Selene Hamilton were considered a star couple. The type of couple the world looked at in admiration, envy and respect. They were perfect in the eyes of the public.

Billionaire business tycoon, Chase Axford and Famous supermodel, Selene Hamilton.

What could be more perfect than that?

Now, that perfect image had crashed in front of the world, and reporters and press were dying to tear him apart like hungry sharks for a piece of information about the divorce.

He rose from his seat, straightened his jacket and strode out of his office in the Prestigious Axford Hotel. Just outside his office, his personal assistant, Nora, rounded from the corner. She hurried over to him, “Sir, there is a crowd of reporters and paparazzi blocking the main entrance of the building. I suggest you take the back entrance, Mr. Axford.”

Chase felt a bit of annoyance. But then again, that was what came with his life. Crowds of paparazzi dedicating their lives and careers on every shred of information they can wrestle out of him.

Sometimes he could understand why they were so desperate. Just one article released concerning him could generate enough money to add a couple of zeroes to any reporter’s account balance.

“The security and crowd control staff are working on diverting their focus, so you can drive out of the hotel premises undisturbed.” Nora said politely. “Please come with me, sir.”

He gave her a barely visible nod of approval, which she immediately picked up and began to briskly lead the way to the back exit.

He followed her closely. A few moments later, as they walked past a hallway on the ground floor, he noticed an open door which revealed what looked like a storeroom.

It was dimly lit, and filled with so many different types of furniture. It reminded him of something familiar he had seen before, so he paused. Nora was a short distance away when she noticed Chase was no longer walking after her.

She turned around subserviently and asked, “Sir?”

“What are those?” Chase moved his blue gaze away from the storeroom to glance at her.

She looked over at it and answered promptly. “Those are the design entries we got from various designers around the city, sir. The major designer of the hotel’s furniture recently resigned, so we are trying to pick out a new designer for furniture in family suites.”

Chase’s eyes turned very thoughtful as he listened to her. “Is that so?”

“Yes, Mr. Axford.” She nodded. “We need to hire the best designer do we can mass produce their work.”

He moved into the store, looking over the samples with interest. What Nora just informed him of felt like a splash of water on him after being stranded in the desert for years. Finally, he had found a lead. .

He ran a hand over some random table on his side, asking his assistant, “When did the entries start, and when will it end?”

“It began two weeks ago. It will end in an another week, sir.”

“Extend the end date.” He ordered.

“Y-yes, sir.” His assistant responded, trying to hide the confusion in her voice. She had previously thought the CEO had no interest in the interior designs of the hotel.

Chase felt there was a little flicker of hope here. It seemed too far-fetched that Mackenzie would somehow send in an entry, but he had to try anyway possible to see her again.

He had no idea if she even wanted to work as a designer, not to talk of sending design samples. After all, all her designs were abandoned in her marriage with Jeffrey.

But would that stop him? No.

He raised his head and made to turn to another corner of the storeroom but something suddenly caught his attention. Close to the window was a charcoal black safe, with sleek grey designs. It was so creative and beautiful, that it stood out in the midst of all the other entries he had spotted so far.

“Turn the lights on, Nora.” Chase ordered, moving closer to the safe.

She obeyed, and the lights came on, giving him a better view of the safe.

He stopped in front of it and observed it more closely. The wood it was made from was obviously high quality, to create such a masterpiece. He was not a master at decor, but he knew real creativity when he saw one.

He ran his hand over it and paused when his fingers brushed over a carving in the corner of the wood. His heart went still. Slowly, he raised his fingers away and looked at what he touched.

Right there, were the initials M. T carved into the black surface.

It was just as pretty and delicate as the one he had seen back in that abandoned storeroom. It was Mackenzie’s. She had submitted this, against all the odds. It felt like a miracle.

His voice was gruff when he spoke again, “Nora.”

“Yes, Sir?” She perked up.

“Don’t take any more entries. I have found a designer.”

She spluttered, plunged into more confusion at this point. She hurried over to where he stood, glancing at the safe in front of him. “Have you spotted a design you like, sir?”

Chase patted the safe. “Contact the person that designed this safe immediately. Do not tell the name of the hotel, or give unnecessary details. Give only enough details to get the designer here, as soon as possible.”

Nora was thrown off by the urgency in his tone, but she dare not question it. “Of course, sir.” She nodded.