Snapshot: Chapter 20

Ididn’t sleep well last night. I’ve been up for hours. I’m outside, curled up on Dex’s patio furniture, sipping on my third cup of coffee alone. My honeymoon is apparently over.

Dex keeps telling me it wasn’t a real one and he’ll make it up to me. He thinks a honeymoon is a luxurious vacation overseas where I’m wined and dined and treated like a princess. But I didn’t need all of that. I already got everything I wanted. We spent full days naked, exploring each other. After sex, he’d take his time holding me, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I fell asleep to pillow talk where we confessed to each other over and over again that we were feeling all the same emotions for three years. I’ve never felt less alone knowing every painful stab of missed opportunities were at least shared. Maybe we wasted time, but we didn’t let it completely get away. Maybe there’s something even sweeter about a second chance.

For the past three days, I’ve been walking around his house like I’ve always belonged here. It’s just a house to Dex, but it’s magic to me. This house is where my best friends, Finn and Avery, found each other and fell in love. In fact, this house is where I fell in love. It’s full of magic and memories, and for a few blissful days, I was in heaven…

Then Denny showed up.

I’m trying to keep an open mind. This is as close to a mother-in-law as I’ll have with Dex. So, yesterday after she barged in on me and Dex, I hugged her, trying to force a genuine smile and shake off the embarrassment of her catching me and Dex in the act. I’m ignoring her intrusive nature and how uncomfortable it is that this woman has the key code to Dex’s house.

When the glass patio doors slide open, I turn my head, expecting to see my husband, but instead, it’s Denny. Her blond hair is pulled back into a low, neat ponytail. Even though she’s wearing a robe over her silk pajamas, her makeup is fresh and she’s wearing diamond studs in her ears. An odd contradiction. She looks like she’s getting ready to pose for a magazine shoot.

Holding up a mug of coffee, she says, “I hope you don’t mind. I finished the pot.”

“Not at all. I can make some more.” Uncrossing my legs, I move to sit up, but Denny tuts her tongue.

“Nonsense, this is plenty. I didn’t mean for you to get up. In fact, may I join you?”

I look to my left, but there is no one and nothing to save me. Not an excuse in sight. “Of course. Is Dex still sleeping?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Although there are three wicker sofas surrounding the coffee table, Denny opts to sit right next to me. “He’s not my husband,” she adds with a wink.

“Right. Dex is normally an early bird. I’m surprised he’s sleeping in.”

“He’s been that way his whole life,” Denny adds. “Melody liked to sleep in until eleven and stay up until three in the morning. Dex whipped that right out of her. From infancy, he wanted the bottle and his toys by five a.m.” She chuckles fondly.

I nod, taking a little sip from my cooled-off coffee. “You and Melody were close?”

Denny’s eyes drop to her lap. “You want the truth?”

“Only if you don’t mind sharing…”

“I never told Dex this because I dare not speak ill of his mother.” Her eyes open wide. “And I’m not. Melody was amazing. Beautiful, smart, funny, and so full of life. Wealth aside, all the boys wanted her. I envied her since childhood. I was too skinny, awkward, and clumsy. I would follow Melody around like a lost puppy, just hoping to soak up some of the magic.”

I’m afraid to ask, but I do anyway. “She didn’t like you?”

“Melody was always kind to me, but I know spending time with me was a chore her mother mandated. You see, my own mother was a supermodel when that term meant everything. I’m talking about the era of Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer. I was nothing but an inconvenience to her. To this day, I think she’s still angry she risked stretchmarks to bring me to term.” She scoffs. “Anyway, my mother and Dottie met at a mother’s group, and soon playdates for Melody and I turned into Dottie babysitting. That then turned into my mother dropping me on their doorstep for days at a time while she went on a bender. She treated cocaine like a vitamin—took it faithfully every single day.”

Denny hadn’t exactly been warm and welcoming during our first introduction, but I can forgive her, especially because she’s grieving as well. From the sound of it, Dottie wasn’t just a friend and employer…she was more of a mother to Denny than her own. “That’s awful you didn’t get that time with your mom,” I say in a hush. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not. It was better to spend my childhood and adolescence at The Hessler Estate than my own empty home as my mom got passed around like a baton in European sex clubs.” She chuckles bitterly before taking a sip from her mug. “You make really good coffee.”

“Thank you… But, um, Denny, why are you telling me all this?”

“To try and connect with you.”

Her blatant response catches me off guard. “Oh.”

She relaxes her shoulder and pats her knee. “I usually have a hard time relating to people, but I think you and I are a lot alike. I also grew up on the outside looking in, Lennox. Had an opportunity like Dex presented itself, I would’ve jumped as well. It’s just good sense. I’m not faulting you. This can be a win-win situation for everyone.”

I sigh heavily, unable to mask my frustration. “Dex is not an opportunity to me. I’m not trying to win anything. I care about him. I have for a long time.”

Denny holds her hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, poor choice of words. I just mean I’m trying to understand the situation. Look, Lennox—obviously, you’re very important to Dex. Which means now, you’re very important to me too. I’d love it if we could get along. I want to help you both however I can.”

There’s something about Denny I just can’t put my finger on. It’s like tiptoeing by a sleeping crocodile. I most certainly don’t feel safe. On the other hand, if Denny is truly all Dex has left in Miami, I can’t imagine me being at odds with the only other person he calls family. I don’t want to make his life even more complicated. Denny deserves a chance, at least.

“Thank you, Denny. I appreciate that. I’d really like for us to be friends.”

She exhales, a relaxed smile spreading across her flawlessly smooth face. Denny may be in her fifties, but she could easily pass for late thirties. “Me too, Lennox,” she says. “Not to mention us women have to stick together. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Hessler Group is a boys’ club. There’s not one woman on the advisory board and the entire executive team is comprised of white, middle-aged men who love to mansplain how to properly drink bourbon.” She rolls her eyes dramatically as she makes a “C” with her hand, pretending to pour a drink into her mouth. “In my experience, it’s as simple as getting the liquid into your mouth, but who am I to speak, right?”

I chuckle at her sarcasm until I realize her message is laced with a bitter undertone.

“I thought Dex mentioned you were their household manager. Do you also work at Hessler Group as well?”

She shrugs, leaning back into the seat before crossing her legs. “In a thankless way.”

“Meaning?”

“I was Dottie’s sounding board for the better part of two decades. When she first took the helm, nobody respected her. They thought she was a silly housewife playing dress-up in a suit, trying to run a company she had no business running. There was a lot of pressure for the company to go public, take on shareholders, and more investors who—and I quote—‘knew what they were doing.’ Nobody wanted her making the big decisions.” Denny purses her lips and shakes her head like she’s trying to brush off a memory that still bothers her. “It was so damn satisfying to watch her prove all their judgments wrong. Dottie was more equipped to run Hessler Group than Harrison ever was. He was a mean, coldhearted drunk. I’m shocked Dottie married him, and even more shocked Melody came from him. Those women deserved better.”

From what I remember, Dex has never mentioned his grandpa was mean. “I thought Dex and his grandpa got along?”

Denny nods. “Oh, yes. Because he’s the male heir Harrison always wanted. He was mostly a cruel, arrogant, insufferable old man, but he minded himself around Dex. His little protégé.” She bites out the last part of her sentence. “Meanwhile, poor Dottie did the backbreaking work, and he never once told his wife how proud he was of her. Never gave her the credit she deserved. I was right there with her, talking out every business decision, picking her back up after every mistake. I probably know more about the inner workings of Hessler Group than any executive or advisory board member… That’s why they don’t like for me to be in the meetings. I’m happy to call them on their shit.” Her cackle is shrill, and the corner of her mouth curls up into what is unmistakably a snarl.

She must’ve worked very hard her entire life just to be told her opinion was only useful in whispers, behind closed doors. I thought Denny was arrogant and elitist. Turns out she’s just pissed neither she nor Dottie got the credit she feels they deserve. The woman I disliked is now the woman I pity. I feel the overwhelming need to comfort her.

“Do you want to be?”

“Pardon?” Denny asks.

“Do you want to be in the meetings? Is that what you wanted all this time? To work for Hessler Group instead of as a household manager?”

She takes a moment to consider her response. “No, I can’t,” she finally replies with no further explanation.

“Why not?” I ask. “If I can, I want to help you. I’m sure Dex does, too. Why couldn’t we hire you at Hessler Group? You obviously have the experience.”

“We,” she parrots absentmindedly. “I’m still getting used to that. Dex with a wife.” She pats my knee. “Dex with a kind, empathetic, loving wife who already reminds me so much of his mother and grandmother.”

I know she’s kissing ass, but I still melt into a puddle. It’s the highest compliment in the world to be likened to Dottie Hessler.

“I’ll talk to Dex,” I say. “I’m not sure how to promote someone or what that entails, but I’ll figure it out. If you don’t want to be a glorified personal assistant, I don’t want that for you either. I know my position as CEO is mostly a placeholder until Dex takes the reins, but if I can do some good, I promise I will. I’d love to help you however I can.”

Denny beams at me. She stretches out her arm and wraps it around my shoulders. I steady my mug, trying to keep the liquid from sloshing over the rim as she yanks me into an awkward hug. Pressing her cheek against mine, she makes a kissing noise. This close, I recognize the scent… Dottie’s fancy French perfume.

Poor thing. I’d do the same if I lost my mother. I’d wear her perfume to keep her close, surrounding myself in the comfort of memories. Maybe I’d also distrust anybody who suddenly came into my family, threatening to disrupt the foundation the matriarch built. Denny just needs some time to heal.

“Lennox,” she finally says. “You’re too kind.”

“Thank you.” I show her a sheepish smile of modesty, but her expression grows grim, and she slowly shakes her head back and forth.

“No, sweetheart, you’re too kind. They are going to chew you up and spit you out in Miami.”

My heart thuds heavily at her bizarre warning, but I don’t have time to ask for clarity. The sliding door opens once more, and Dex appears, fully dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, holding the empty coffee pot. He’s wearing a huge smile.

“Well, I was going to give you guys shit for leaving me no coffee, but you two hugging is a much better start to my day.”

Denny turns her head and smiles at him. “Your wife and I were just bonding.”

“Thank you,” Dex mouths to me.

“Did you enjoy sleeping in for once? It’s nice, right?” I pump my eyebrows at him.

“Trying to lure me to the dark side, Mrs. Hessler?” He winks. “I wasn’t sleeping. I just didn’t come downstairs. I’ve been in my office for the past hour or so attending to emails. I’m just now coming up for air and some coffee… What?” he asks, surveying my perturbed expression.

“You’ve been working since about six a.m. with no coffee?” I stare at him like he has two heads.

“Yes. People can function without coffee, Len.”

Highly incorrect. “And why are you already dressed?” I ask. “Did you have a meeting?”

Dex steps through the glass doors and grabs the small suitcase behind him. He grimaces as he holds it up, then sets it back down. “I have to take care of something in Miami.”

“What’s going on?” Denny asks, ears perking up.

“I received an interesting email from Royal Bahamas this morning. Richard offered his sincerest condolences and asked if Grandma’s merger offer was something I’d still be willing to honor. He wants a meeting.”

Denny rolls her eyes. “Sharks smelling blood in the water.”

Dex crosses his arms, standing a little taller than usual. He carries a different demeanor when he talks business. It’s a stark contrast to the easygoing scuba instructor I know so well. But I like this new Dex, too. He seems confident and so sure of himself, like he’s in his element. “It’s worth hearing him out. A merger like that would create a lot of opportunities for our workforce. The one partnership I’d be very eager to acquire is their exclusivity agreement with Balton Hotels.”

“True,” Denny adds. “That’d be maybe an extra billion in revenue potential a year?”

“Somewhere in that ballpark. I woke Fisher up to run the numbers and come up with an implementation plan. He said he’d have them for me by the time my flight lands.”

Denny pivots to face me. “Lennox, to catch you up, Richard Spellman is the CEO of Royal Bahamas Cruises. He’s finally realized that a merger with Hessler Group might be easier than trying to compete in a market that we dominate. The only bargaining chip he has is a deal he signed with Balton Hotels twenty years ago. Balton is behind several major hotel chains, and they have an ironclad partnership that’s kept Hessler Group out of some promotional opportunities that could be very lucrative revenue-wise.”

The way Denny’s explaining this, it sounds like she should be the CEO of Hessler Group. I guess that’s what happens when you spend so much time with the person in power—osmosis.

“I thought Hessler Group was already very successful… Why do you need more revenue?”

Denny opens her mouth, but I appreciate Dex beating her to an explanation.

“At this point, it’s not about how much money is in our pockets. It’s taking care of the workforce. There are over a hundred thousand jobs within our company, scattered across the globe. The more revenue we have, the better gainshare. Better benefits. Happier employees, less turnover. Fewer lawsuits. All in all, it’s like going the extra mile to have the best for your family.”

Oh, that I like. That makes more sense than the rich getting richer. I mean, when you have billions, what’s left to strive for?

“Do you need me to go with you?” I ask with a grimace, nearly choking on the words.

Dex smirks. “Wow, Trouble. Please try to control your enthusiasm.”

“Funny,” I sass. “But I said I’d do this job…I’m ready. If you’re considering a merger, doesn’t that involve the CEO? I have a lot to learn. Best to get started.”

Dex crosses the patio to sit down in the chair adjacent to me as there’s no room with me and Denny on the sofa. He squeezes my knee. “The shares were yours the very moment we said, ‘I do.’ Only a handful of people know about Grandma’s will. A lot of people assumed I’d be taking over as CEO, so this is going to take a bit of an explanation. I think we’ll start with a meeting introducing you to the board and executives. Then, we’ll do a company-wide introduction via email. Once we do that, we’ll have you sit in on meetings. But I told you, I’ll do all the work. I don’t want you to have to lift a finger.” He sweetly strokes against my outer thigh, tickling me through my sweatpants.

Dex is unabashed in his affectionate gesture. Denny seems suddenly very interested in her coffee mug, as if a hidden treasure, merely a few gulps away, is at the bottom of her mug.

I kiss Dex’s forehead. “Sweet…but condescending. I’m not going to sit around and be a bump on a pickle for a year, Dex. Even if it’s fetching everyone coffee, I have to do something to earn my paycheck.”

“Bump on a pickle?” Dex asks.

“Useless,” I explain. “Literally serves no purpose.”

Denny lets out a sharp laugh. “Never heard that one before. I may need to borrow that,” she says.

I smile wide. “All yours.” The ice is melting, and I’m far more comfortable now. Maybe a little transparency and vulnerability is all we needed.

“Speaking of a paycheck,” Dex murmurs, then rises and disappears into the house. He returns with a document mailer. “Denny, thank you for having this overnighted.”

She smiles and ducks her head in a short nod. “Of course.”

After settling back into his seat, he rips the envelope open, then surveys the documents inside one by one before handing them to me.

“What’s all this?” I ask.

“Your new bank account information. This one is your private account. The card is attached,” Dex says, flipping to the second page of the document. “It’s already activated and here is your current balance at the bottom. I deposited your entire year’s salary as an advance. This is your account. I’m not even on it. Do as you please without worrying about anyone invading your privacy.”

I nearly vomit when I see the bottom line. I’ve never seen seven digits on anything except math problems in school. It’s surreal. And even more so because I don’t feel like I earned this in any way. “Dex, you shouldn’t have given that to me upfront. You’re supposed to work and then earn a paycheck. I haven’t done anything for this.”

He wets his lips and pulls out another envelope. Inside, there’s a sleek black card with no markings. At the bottom corner, it simply reads Mrs. Hessler.

“Don’t worry about the name. It’ll work as Lennox Mitchell or Lennox Hessler. Whatever you decide. There’s no limit on this one. This is a shared account, but whatever you want, it’s yours.” I don’t take the card, so he sets it on the table in front of me. Dex grabs my hand between his. “Len, everything is about to change. If I’m not traveling, I’m in meetings. I work sixty-hour weeks and that’s just my professional obligations. Then, there are the personal responsibilities that accompany the Hessler name. I’ll never be able to spend as much time with you as I want. There are very few perks to being my wife…this is one of them. Try to enjoy it at least a little, okay?”

I wish Denny wasn’t here. I just want to crawl into Dex’s lap and comfort the anguish right off his face. “Okay. Actually, there are some things here I need to take care of. When do we need to leave for Miami?” I ask.

“Well, I’m headed there now.” He glances towards his suitcase through the glass doors. “I can come back for you or arrange a flight for you to meet me at home.”

Home. It takes me by surprise. Dex just referred to Miami as home. My new home. I committed to blindly following this man wherever he leads, and for the first time since we got married, this makes a little less sense.

“You put over six million dollars into my bank account. I think I can afford to arrange my own flight. I just want to talk to my parents first.”

“Shit,” Dex exhales. “I forgot we were going to do that. I can come back.”

In lieu of calling the day after we got married, Dex and I decided showing up in person to explain our unexpected nuptials and my new job might be a better idea. “It’s okay. Go take care of what you need to. I’ll meet you in Miami by this weekend. How’s that?”

He tilts his head. “You sure? I feel like I’m letting you down.”

“I’m a big girl,” I say with a wink. “I can talk to my parents by myself. All is well.”

“We’ll fly them out sometime, maybe? Show them your new place. Which reminds me”—he turns his attention to Denny—“could you arrange for the condo to be cleaned and the fridge and closets stocked? Len can give you her sizes. We’ll need an on-call chef. Then, she’ll need a driver.”

Denny nods along, holding up her fingers one by one as if she’s keeping a mental list. She seems completely unbothered by the way Dex is listing out chores for her. “Security?” Denny asks Dex.

“Just for travel,” he replies. “But I want candidates run through the most thorough background checks possible.”

“Got it,” Denny says with a short nod.

“One more thing,” Dex says, his eyes now on me. “Can you set up a private meeting with that jewelry designer Grandma worked with? I forget his name—something Italian. I want Lennox to have her dream ring made.”

Denny nods again. “Sure. Anything else?”

“What do you think, baby? Did I forget anything? Just ask Denny. She runs the Hessler’s lives better than we can, I promise you that.”

“Um…”

“What do you need?” Denny asks. “Don’t be shy in asking. It’s literally my job to take care of the family.”

It’s a calculated, robotic response. I see it in Denny’s eyes. Like when somebody is on autopilot.

“You don’t need to buy my clothes, Denny. I can do that. And I really don’t think we need a chef, do we? Dex cooks. I’ll grocery shop and do dishes. I mean, a driver? Security? Is that all really necessary?”

Dex blinks silently for a moment, darting his gaze to Denny, then back to me. “Not if you don’t want.”

“Lennox?” Denny asks. “What’s wrong? You look uncomfortable. Do you want to help me hire staff so you can choose who’s working for you?”

“No. I don’t want anyone working for me.”

“Why?” she prods. “You can more than afford it now, honey.”

“It’s something my dad would tell me… He had a lot of wealthy clients who had personal staff. He said that the less people did for themselves, the more they lost their identity. So, if I’m not choosing my clothes, cooking my food, taking care of my home, and earning my money…I’m not really living. Right? I’m just existing.”

“Len, I…” Dex starts but doesn’t finish his sentence. It seems he doesn’t know what to say. Maybe neither of us realized how jarring of a change this whole arrangement was. We were just focused on how we felt about each other and the bliss of being able to finally admit that.

“Your dad sounds wise. What industry is he in?”

“He used to be a VP at Seaguard.”

“The wealth management firm?” Denny asks in surprise, scooting to the edge of her seat and sitting up a bit taller. “Your dad was a VP at Seaguard? That’s impressive. My mistake. I was under the impression you came from humble beginnings.”

“Denny, don’t mention—” Dex starts.

“It’s okay,” I jump in. Denny was open enough to tell me about her past. I can match her vulnerability. “My family’s broke now. My dad was wrongfully terminated while I was in high school. It was messy, and we lost everything. I’ve been taking care of myself with temp jobs ever since.” I raise my brows at her.

Dex kisses my forehead. “All right, baby. I have to return a few more emails and then get going.” Dex turns to address Denny. “How quickly can you get packed? The jet will be here shortly. I know how much you hate flying commercial.”

Denny hops to her feet. “Yep. Ten minutes. Let me get my bag together.” With one more quick thank you, she’s through the door.

“If you want Denny to move like The Flash, just threaten her with main cabin seating,” Dex says with a laugh. His smile disappears when he sees my face. “What’s wrong? You don’t like her?”

“No, it’s not that. I was just wondering about something.”

“What’s that?”

“Earlier I asked Denny if she wanted a position at Hessler Group. I was thinking that maybe after thirty-some years she was tired of being a glorified assistant.”

“She’s not just an assistant. She’s a manager. She has enough power and access to set up your bank accounts, access our homes, and arrange medical care. She was my emergency contact growing up if Grandma couldn’t be reached.”

“That’s a lot of trust.” I widen my eyes.

“Grandma raised her. She was my mom’s best friend. When Grandpa got sick, Denny arranged his care and would sit by his bedside for hours watching Westerns with him. She’s not just an employee, she’s family.”

I choose not to correct Dex in that Denny and Melody’s best friendship was more of an obligatory situation. But there is one puzzle piece out of place. “She said she couldn’t work at Hessler Group. Why’s that?”

He rubs his finger back and forth along his hairline as he cinches one eye closed. I can’t tell if he’s trying to remember something or is completely disinterested in this conversation. But eventually, he explains.

“From what Grandma told me, when Denny hit middle school, her mom took off to Europe and Denny didn’t want to go. Grandma was happy to let her stay at the estate and finish school, but I think my grandpa had an issue with it. He didn’t trust her mom, who was willing to abandon her child. He suspected ulterior motives. The compromise was Denny could stay and Grandma and Grandpa would assume responsibility for her with a couple of parameters. Denny could not inherit anything from the Hesslers, she couldn’t be employed by Hessler Group, and she forfeited the right to any civil lawsuits against anyone in the Hessler family.”

“Civil lawsuits?” I ask, repulsed. “What kind of controlling⁠—”

“It’s like if she’s living at the estate, trips over a rug, and breaks her leg—she can’t sue my family for negligence. That sort of thing.”

“That can’t be a thing… No way…”

“You can imagine how people would exploit any circumstance for financial gain.” Dex leans over and rubs his hand sweetly across my knee. “Then again, maybe you can’t. One of my favorite things about you.”

His hand creeps up my thigh. “Don’t even, Dex. You have a flight to catch.”

“I have an idea,” he says with a sinful smile. “How about you catch this flight with me? You know there’s a really nice bed in the cabin in case of overnight flights. Have you ever wondered how it feels to come at 30,000 feet in the air? Because I could show you.”

I lift my eyebrows. “So, in this scenario, are we just going to throw Denny some noise-canceling headphones and ask her to cover her eyes for a few minutes?”

He scrunches his face. “Excuse me, a few minutes?”

“That’s your takeaway?”

“I tend to have a one-track mind around you, Trouble.” He winks. “Let me know when you book your flight, Miss Independent. But do me a favor?”

I nod before even knowing what he wants. “Sure. What’s up?”

“Try first class. Just for fun.”

“Maybe out of curiosity.” I shrug with a cute smile. “Also, I’ll need our new home address so I can catch a ride from the airport.”

Dex shakes his head. “No ride. I’ll be there to pick you up.”

After one more kiss to my forehead, he’s through the door, and once again, I’m alone in the quiet, wondering if alone is something I’m going to have to get used to.