Chapter 18 — New York, New York

Tess found out early on that the Coopers and the Parkers worked hard and played even harder. They had luxurious first-class seats, and she felt positively spoiled, seated between Richard and Parker. Both doted on her the entire flight: a neck pillow, drinks, and Marguerite had brought healthy snacks. Parker put her at ease with his lighthearted humor and gift of gab as he juggled his attention to Marsha, Daniel, and Marguerite sitting in seats in front of them, bantering back and forth with the entire group for almost all the trip.

Richard was the opposite of his father: he had a dry sense of humor. He’d brought a Grisham book, and he read off and on while she leafed through magazines. Once she’d looked up and found him staring at her, his blue eyes intense.

“You look stunning,” he said. “I can’t keep my eyes off you.”

“Thank you,” she said, blushing. She had treated herself to a straight cut, conditioning, and straightening at the beauty shop. She wanted to fit in with the Stratfords and the Coopers, and his complement, as well as admiring glances from the passengers, told her she looked good.

The flight was less than two hours. After landing, there was a whirlwind of activity: a limo driver held up a sign that said Stratfords and Coopers. They all piled in the limo in a gregarious mood. The city was buzzing so different from the quiet countryside she’d left behind only hours before.

When she walked into her room at the Four Seasons Hotel, layers of stress and tension from months of hard work fell away. The room was luxurious; everything was white and plush. The porter placed her luggage on a rack, and Tess noticed there were a dozen white roses on the dresser. She thought everyone must have white roses in their room until she saw a card on the roses:

Looking forward to spending time with you, Affectionately, Richard.

After the porter left, Tess kicked off her shoes and lay down on the inviting king-size bed. She sank into the plush white comforter and soft downy pillows. Basking in comfort, she’d just closed her eyes when the phone rang. It was Richard. “Do you like your room?”

“I love it. It’s beautiful. And the flowers are lovely. I feel positively spoiled. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I meant what I said on the card. I want to get to know you. Let’s leave our problems and work behind and enjoy the weekend. It’s time you had some fun.”

“I agree,” Tess said, more than ready for some downtime. She’d never been to a hotel so luxurious. 

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” he said. “Everyone is hungry. We’re going to grab something to eat in the restaurant in the hotel.”

At dinner, Tess found herself the topic of conversation. They understandably wanted to know more about her family and where she had gone to college. Before Tess knew it, she had told them her life story. She ended by praising Sawyer and saying how lucky she was to have met him.

 “A girl like you is going to need much more than a man like Sawyer,” Daniel said candidly. “That’s why you’re going to need to spend a lot of time with us.”

“I’d love to spend more time with all of you,” Tess said, smiling. “This is a refreshing change. I love the city, but I’m a country girl at heart. I love fresh air and wide-open spaces. It doesn’t take much to make me happy, but one day, I hope to have a couple of horses and raise a few beef cattle.”

“A girl after my own heart,” Richard said. “You’re smart, Tess. There’s a lot of money in beef cattle.”

“Strangely, you and Stephanie are a lot alike,” Marguerite interjected. “She loves the country and loves horses. I would bet you wear the same size clothing. You’re alike, and yet you’re different. You’ve worked hard, Tess, and Stephanie’s lived like a princess. You seem happy and content, and Stephanie is the opposite: she’s miserable.”

Tess nodded. The last time she’d seen Stephanie, she was doing very well. She looked happy—hanging onto Thomas Shrock’s arm—laughing and acting as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Still, there was something no one was addressing: Richard was still married to Stephanie, and she was in a relationship with Sawyer.

“We’re good people trying to find a solution,” Daniel said. “When we met you, we knew right away that you were the perfect woman to be Richard’s companion. You have no family whatsoever, and there would be no objections on your side of the family. I know you believe you’re in a relationship with Sawyer, but eventually, a girl like you would grow bored with a Mennonite. Sawyer will never commit to you.” Daniel paused. “And I should tell you if Sawyer hasn’t already… he’s been in trouble with the law. I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to find out from another source.”

Tess paled in shock. She raised her hand as if to protect herself. “Sawyer never said anything about being in trouble with the law. I can’t imagine any wrongdoing on Sawyer’s part.”

Richard handed Tess a glass of water. “Calm down,” he said. “It was probably wrong of us to spring this on you, but we had to…I’m convinced that you’re the woman I want to share my life with; to be my companion; to…”

Tess took a long swallow of water. It was clear to her that this trip was orchestrated right down to the flowers in her room. They’d brought her to New York to convince her that she needed to become Richard’s mistress.

Marguerite swirled her goblet of wine and said, “Stephanie can no longer meet her wifely obligations. She is emotionally unavailable. She doesn’t travel, she doesn’t entertain, and Richard has moved into the guest room on the other side of the house. Richard needs a mistress, and you are the one he wants.”

A waiter came and refilled her wine. She picked it up slowly and let it stream down her throat, hoping it would calm her. Becoming Richard’s mistress was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard of in her life, and she could hardly believe it was happening. She could feel Richard’s eyes locked on her and felt a rush of hotness her on her neck. How had she gotten herself into this situation?

“There’s never been a divorce in our families,” Richard said. “So, divorce isn’t an option. You would be well taken care of, but I would expect a lifetime commitment. I couldn’t have it any other way. It would almost be like being married.”

“But you hardly know me,” Tess said, daring to look in his steel-blue eyes, trying to find a way to distance herself. “We might not be compatible.”

“I think we are,” Richard said, putting his hand over hers. “More than compatible.”

Richard squeezed her hand. Then he pulled a small box out of his jacket. “This is a token of my affection.” It was a gold heart-shaped locket that looked like the one her father had given her mother; only it was new and sparkling. She didn’t know whether to be touched or appalled.

Tess drew in a breath and shut her eyes as she felt his light touch as he put the necklace around her neck. The group raised their glasses, their faces smiling with approval.

“To Tess and Richard,” Parker said.

Their glasses clinked.

Richard’s jaw was set.

Tess had a feeling of déjà vu as she sipped the bubbly, remembering something she’d heard about Richard.

He never lost.