Brooklyn Monroe Wants It All by Karen Booth

Chapter Seventeen

Brooklyn was hauntedby her conversation with Alec for days. She couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened between them, what might have been, and the time in between then and now. She couldn’t stop going over the moment when they’d admitted that they still loved each other. It made her heart heavy and light at the same time, relieved that they both could own up to having those feelings. And sad that it wasn’t enough.

For an entire year, she’d only seen the end of their relationship through her own eyes. But ever since the night they went out for ramen and everything unraveled, she began to see it through Alec’s. She could imagine his days alone in paradise, heartbroken that his plan hadn’t worked and simultaneously feeling idiotic for thinking it might. Meanwhile, Brooklyn had been just as lonely, working her ass off at home, feeling as though she had to hold the world of the Monroe women together. She and Alec could’ve helped each other. If only pride hadn’t gotten in the way—not just Alec’s, either. Brooklyn had let hers mess everything up as well. She’d been too afraid to fail. Too scared of what it might mean to tell her mom that she’d left Aurora Beauty for nothing. So she’d plowed ahead, like a bull through the proverbial china shop, simply willing herself to succeed. The funny thing was, it worked. She had her success. But at what price?

The flip side was this—if she’d gone to Bermuda and Alec had proposed, Brooklyn would’ve freaked. She would’ve said no. She probably would’ve asked what in the hell he was thinking, because they were not ready to get married. She was way too overwhelmed by responsibility, and he was grieving, although he clearly hadn’t shared with her the depths of what he’d been experiencing. Bottom line, it all would’ve blown up. And probably in an irreparable way. An I-am-blocking-your-number-on-my-phone and please-get-out-of-my-face way. It was almost comical to be thankful for their breakup only being slightly terrible rather than completely awful. Brooklyn chalked it up to blind optimism. She would stay positive. No more ghosts. Even though it was Halloween.

This was one of Brooklyn’s favorite holidays, a chance to be as out there as she wanted to be and get all hopped up on sugar. Dressed in her costume, an ensemble that captured one of her most beloved moments in music, she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs to the lobby of her apartment building. Cy had the night off so he could spend it with his grandchildren. Brooklyn was disappointed not to see him, mostly because he still hadn’t given her an answer on her job offer. Had she overstepped? Was she thinking so far outside the box that the box was no longer in the same zip code? Possibly. Probably. Virginia had expressed her doubts, but ultimately capitulated to Brooklyn’s plan. Brooklyn suspected her sister had only given in because the blueprint for installing a doorman as head of operations was doomed. It had been impetuously put together.

When Alec zipped up to the curb in his Aston Martin, Brooklyn made her way outside. Like the gentleman he was, he climbed out of the driver’s seat to greet her. But Brooklyn was too stuck on the fact that he had totally lamed out on the costume. He was wearing a light blue oxford shirt and khakis. And inexplicably, black thick-framed glasses.

“Nerdy glasses? That’s it?”

He held his arms out to both sides and looked down at himself. “You’re missing the bigger picture.”

Brooklyn was about to dispute his statement, but then he started unbuttoning his shirt. For a moment, she stood frozen as a thrill went through her at the prospect of seeing him half-naked. But then she remembered they were still standing on the street and this was Alec. The man was not exactly an exhibitionist. After a few buttons, he peeled back the dress shirt and that was when she saw the tight-fitting tee underneath and the big red “S” emblazoned across his chest. She glanced at the glasses again and jokingly slapped her forehead. It was too perfect. “You’re Clark Kent and Superman. It’s amazing. I love it.”

“This is as close as I get to being a superhero. And I’m way more Clark Kent. Old Clark Kent at that. The salt-and-pepper hair isn’t going anywhere.” He started to button up his shirt again, and Brooklyn was overcome by a desire to see a replay of this later. Maybe play a role in it.

“You didn’t say anything about mine.” She twirled on the sidewalk to show off her own creative endeavor—a knit tank dress with a deep scoop back and a skater skirt, in a pale blue fabric printed with stars and moons. It had taken her hours searching online to find exactly what she was looking for. On her head, was the crowning glory.

“Raspberry beret?”

“Yes! You got it.” She clapped like she’d just won something on a game show. “I’m the woman from the video. The one who walked in through the out door. She’s actually a cartoon, but I did my best to bring her to life.”

“I like it. Might not be super obvious to anyone but the die-hard Prince fans.”

“I’d thought about dressing up as purple rain, but that was a craft project I did not have time to tackle. Plus, I wanted to look halfway cute if we’re going to be caught by the paparazzi.”

Alec rounded the car and opened the door for her. “Smart.” He returned to his side, climbed in and turned the ignition, then pulled out into traffic, the engine roaring. “Garden Place in Brooklyn Heights, right? The address you texted me?”

“Yep. That’s my sister’s. We’ll probably have to park several blocks away. She lives right in the middle of a hotspot for trick-or-treating. The whole street shuts down and everyone goes all-out. We’ll take Dallas while she stays behind with the baby and hands out candy.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing Virginia. It’s been a while.”

“She’s excited to see you, too.” This was all so normal. Just like the other day in Georgia’s office, when it had felt so right to hold his hand, before the reality of their situation crept in. We’re looking forward, Brooklyn. Just have fun. Enjoy your hella handsome date. “I feel like I should tell you that my mom will be there, too. And I’m sorry I never introduced you two while we were dating.”

Alec glanced at Brooklyn, then trained his eyes back on the road. “Just like I never brought you to meet everyone at Good Day.”

“That’s true. What’s your excuse?”

“I was miserable at my job and didn’t want to subject you to my mood when I was there.”

“And I often feel bad about myself when I’m around my mom. I wasn’t willing to take that chance. So I guess we were both coming from the same place.”

“Is she hyper-critical? Moms can be like that, even when they don’t realize they’re doing it.”

“She definitely has a way of getting in her little digs.” Brooklyn shifted in her seat and looked out the window as they crossed the bridge. “I guess I still feel like I’m proving myself to her. I’m starting to think I’ll never get there. It’s like a finish line that keeps moving. I know I need to let it go or ignore it. At my age, it seems ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous at all. My parents are gone and I still feel like I have something I have to live up to. They’re still in my head, all these years later.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure that’s hard.” Brooklyn’s heart went out to him, especially after he’d explained that this was so much of the reason he was unsure about becoming a parent.

“It’s funny, but after we talked about it the other day, I realized that it’s better to hear my dad’s voice in my head than to ever forget what he sounded like. This is as close as I’ll be to him. Forever. I need to hold on to that.”

Brooklyn’s throat squeezed tight and her eyes watered. “That’s a really sweet way to think about it.”

He turned and flashed a soft smile at her. “I think so, too.”

A few minutes later, Alec was able to land the best parking spot of all time, only one street over from her sister’s. “We should probably hold hands,” he said as he locked up the car.

“Of course.” Brooklyn slipped her hand into his, and he responded with a reassuring squeeze.

They made the short walk in a few more minutes than it might take on any other day. There were already dozens of people out and about—couples in goofy costumes like sexy ketchup and manly mustard, teenagers in ghoulish makeup toting pillow cases for their eventual candy haul, parents parading little ones dressed as cartoon characters, and even a Corgi dressed as a bumblebee. Meanwhile, residents tended to the finer points of decorations—revving up fog machines, putting out that final fake headstone, and artfully arranging gauzy cobwebs.

Alec and Brooklyn climbed the steps to her sister’s brownstone, which was just as decked out as every other house along the street. Brooklyn marveled at the fact that Virginia had time to do all of this with two kids to care for, and her husband out of town, although she supposed that really she had simply made time to do it. They rang the bell and a split second later, Dallas answered the door. Dressed as Edward Scissorhands.

“Aunt Brooklyn!” he exclaimed, although it came out as Ant Bwookwyn! since he was still in that precious stage when not everything is enunciated with perfect diction.

Brooklyn crouched down and gave him a hug, squeezing him tight. Good God, she loved this child. “Your costume is amazing.” Indeed, he had the wiry black hair, white-as-a-ghost complexion, dark-ringed eyes, and of course the scissor hands, his made of plastic knives attached to gloves.

“Mommy made it.” He smiled wide, which was especially adorable since the character he was playing was so melancholy. “My other hand is in the kitchen. I couldn’t turn the doorknob with it on.”

“I want you to meet my friend, Alec.” Brooklyn straightened and watched as Alec shook hands with her nephew.

“Nice to meet you, Dallas.”

“You’re Superman,” Dallas said. Brooklyn might not have been able to figure it out, but the six-year-old was on it.

“Yes, I am.”

They stepped inside and trailed behind Dallas down the long central hall to the kitchen, where Virginia was feeding Paris, who was sitting in her carrier, dressed as a ladybug.

“Alec, hi. Come on in,” Virginia said.

Brooklyn stole this chance to love on her niece by gently squeezing her chubby thigh, tickling her chin, and making her giggle.

“It’s great to see you.” Alec kissed Virginia on the cheek.

“There’s beer and water in the fridge if you’re thirsty,” she offered.

The queen of attention-grabbing entrances, Brooklyn and Virginia’s mom popped into the room, and threw her hands into the air like an overly dramatic magician. “Finally, I get to meet Alec.”

“Happy to finally meet you, Ms. Monroe.” Alec offered his hand, but her mom held her arms wide for a hug.

“If I hadn’t seen you on TV so many times, I would’ve accused my daughter of making you up. Now I can see that you are, indeed, real.” Her mom directed a sly smile in Brooklyn’s direction. “He’s even more handsome in person. How is that possible?”

Alec blushed. He blushed. “That’s sweet of you to say.”

“It’s a shame that this is fake.” Her mom pointed at Alec first, then Brooklyn. “You two really would make stunning babies.”

And here we go.“Mom. Please…” Brooklyn felt like an embarrassed teenager.

Her mom shrugged. “It’s the truth.” She knocked a knuckle two times on the kitchen island. “While I have both of you girls here, I need to tell you that I’ve received an offer for Aurora and I’m going to take it.”

Oh, crap.

“Maybe this is a topic for another time, Mom.” Virginia spooned applesauce into Paris’s mouth, which the baby promptly spit out.

“No. I want to know who made the offer. Who’s buying?” Brooklyn was still opposed to the idea. She just didn’t know how to convince her mom otherwise.

“I’m not supposed to say.”

“I know they expect confidentiality, but we’re your kids. I think you can give us a hint,” Brooklyn said.

“It’s a large corporation. A retailer. Based in Arkansas. Very deep pockets.”

Brooklyn and Virginia looked at each other and had an entire conversation without words. They were pretty sure they knew who it was. And neither of them liked it. “Have you signed anything? Agreed in principle?”

She shook her head, and Brooklyn felt a small sense of relief. It wasn’t all over yet. “I have thirty days. I met with my lawyer today. She says this is a once-in-a-lifetime offer. I can sign on the dotted line, take my money, and retire.”

Those three things sounded lovely, but Brooklyn really did not want her mom to sell her company to some soulless corporation, only to have them destroy the reputation she’d worked so hard to build. “Will you give me a chance to see if I can help you find another buyer?” Brooklyn wasn’t sure how she was going to pull that out of her hat, but she and Virginia had received offers from companies interested in Posh Post in the past. Maybe they would jump at Aurora.

“Better money?”

“I don’t know. How much are we talking about?”

Her mom stepped closer and whispered an absurd number into Brooklyn’s ear. If she’d been made to guess ahead of time, Brooklyn would’ve been short a zero. “Now you know why I’m ready to say yes.”

“I still don’t like it. If you’re going to walk away, don’t you want to feel good about it?”

“I feel great about this. I don’t know why you’re so opposed.”

“Because you built Aurora from the ground up, it has your name on it, and I don’t want to see your life’s work gobbled up and spit out like nothing.”

“If only you’d had such regard for the company when you worked there.” Her mom cast Brooklyn the most pointed glance in history. If there had been photographic evidence, it would’ve been destined for the Parental Guilt Hall of Fame.

But Brooklyn didn’t want to argue. Not tonight. “Thirty days from now?”

“Twenty-eight, actually.”

“Fine. Then give me twenty-seven days to find something better.”

She tutted. “I don’t know what makes you think you can pull that particular rabbit out of a hat.”

“I don’t either.” Brooklyn stepped closer to her mom and gave her a hug, even though she wasn’t particularly sure she wanted it. “I love you, Mom. And no matter what you might think, I care. Let me try this one thing. If I fail, I fail.”

“Okay, darling.” Her mom patted Brooklyn’s arm. “I’ll be curious to hear what you come up with.”

The doorbell rang and Virginia looked at the clock on the wall. “I need to get my butt in gear. Probably our first trick-or-treaters. Can you two take Dallas? His candy bucket is by the door.”

“We need to go before the good candy is gone,” Dallas frantically pled. “I need help with my hand.”

“I’ve got you, buddy.” Alec grabbed the glove from the kitchen counter.

“Brooklyn, one more thing,” her mom said, beckoning her to the far corner of the room with a curl of her finger.

“What’s up?”

She glanced over Brooklyn’s shoulder. “I like him. He’s not as stiff as he seems on TV. And he’s cute with Dallas.”

“Thanks.”

“Just in case it isn’t fake at some point.”

“Brook, his candy bucket?” Virginia called.

“Yep. On my way.” Brooklyn turned back to her mother. “Mom. I need to go. We’ll talk soon?”

“I need to run, too.” She hooked her bag on her arm and kissed Brooklyn on the cheek. “I have my own candy to hand out.”

Brooklyn rushed into the front hall, where Alec already had Dallas ready, including the candy bucket. “Oh. You’re a step ahead of me,” she said to Alec.

“It’s no problem.”

“Let’s go,” Dallas said impatiently.

They followed Dallas’s plea and headed out the door just as Virginia was getting set up. The crowd on the street below had grown exponentially, so packed that you could hardly see the pavement. It was a sea of adults, kids, dogs, and strollers. Alec and Brooklyn each held one of Dallas’s scissor-hands, while Alec toted his candy bucket. Down the stairs, they followed along one side of the railing to avoid the steady stream of trick-or-treaters on their way up to Virginia.

“Hey, Dallas,” Alec said. “I need you to hold on to me and your Aunt Brooklyn, okay? And if you get separated from us, I want you to go to the top of the nearest set of steps so we can spot you.”

“Okay, Al-wec,” Dallas said.

Down on the sidewalk, Alec crouched to look Dallas right in the eye. “How do you want to do this? Do you already know who has the best candy? Or are we just going for as much as humanly possible?”

Dallas looked up at Brooklyn like he wasn’t sure how to answer.

“It’s okay, honey. Just tell Alec what you want to do.”

“I want the most candy.”

“Okay then,” Alec said.

“But Kayla’s mom has big candy bars. Like real ones.”

“Do we know where Kayla lives?” Alec asked.

“I do,” Brooklyn said. “I’ve picked Dallas up from playdates at her house several times. It’s maybe three blocks. That way.” Brooklyn nodded in the direction they needed to go.

“Perfect.” Alec straightened and surveyed the street like this had now become a military operation and he would be leading the troops into battle. “We stop at every house on this side of the street, then head immediately to Kayla’s.”

“I don’t want to say anything, but that was very dad-like,” Brooklyn said as they started off on their journey.

Alec grinned. “Gotta keep the little guy safe. And happy. Now, let’s get a move-on.” He went into hyper-fast, super-protective mode, expertly slicing through the crowd to allow for maximum candy procurement, while also watching Dallas like a hawk at every house. When they reached the end of the block and were about to head to Kayla’s, Alec got a text.

“Hold on a sec.”

The three moved aside while Alec consulted his phone. “It’s from Georgia’s assistant. She wants to know if we can go to the corner of Joralemon and Henry. A photographer will be there soon.”

“That’s not far. We can double back down Garden Place and be there in ten minutes or so.”

“Double back?” Alec asked in a tone that made it sound as if Brooklyn had suggested they dump Dallas’s candy into the storm sewer and give up on Halloween entirely.

“It’s in the opposite direction.”

Dallas seemed to figure out what exactly was going on here and he peered up at Alec and her with the most pitiful expression she’d ever seen.

“Look at that face, Brooklyn,” Alec said. “I cannot disappoint that face. Plus, this whole photographer thing is stupid.” Alec tapped away at the screen and tucked his phone back into his pocket. “I told her that he’s just going to have to find us.” He pointed down the street. “This way to Kayla’s?”

“Yes,” Dallas said.

Those two started off, leaving Brooklyn in the dust until she could catch up. “Alec. Trying to keep the network happy is not stupid. It’s the whole reason we sat in Georgia’s office for that meeting.”

“And you’re the one who said you wanted Dallas to have the most epic Halloween ever. I’m merely doing everything I can to make that happen.”

Of the many occasions in which Alec had tried to use something Brooklyn had said against her, this was the one time she thought it was cute. But she still had to protest a little. “What if this screws everything up?”

“If a photograph in the tabloids is the reason they want me for news, then I don’t want the job.” Alec stopped at the corner, looking in both directions. “Which way?”

“Right. Halfway down the block on the left.”

Alec and Dallas marched ahead with Brooklyn trailing behind. And she took a deep breath, decided to stop worrying, and admitted to herself that these two guys, Superman and Edward Scissorhands, were quite literally the most adorable pair she’d ever seen.

Luckily, Kayla’s mom had plenty of full-sized candy bars when they arrived, including a Snickers for Alec, which was his favorite. More than an hour later, they were headed back to Virginia’s, Dallas’s candy bucket overflowing and the streets thinning out as folks, one by one, turned off their porch lights and closed up for business.

Inside, Brooklyn found Virginia splayed out on the couch, feet on the coffee table and watching TV with a sleeping Paris in her arms. “Hey, buddy,” she whispered to Dallas, slowly getting up. “Did you have fun?”

“I got the most candy. And Alec helped me. Can he stay over?”

Virginia smiled wide and looked at Brooklyn for one of their patented silent sister chats. Alec was amazing. “Maybe not tonight. I’m going to go put Paris in her bed, then I’ll come down to get you cleaned up.” She disappeared into the other room.

Alec chuckled quietly and kneeled next to Dallas as Virginia tiptoed out of the room with the baby. “Next time, okay?”

“Okay.” A combination of disappointment and exhaustion weighed down Dallas’s voice.

Virginia returned. “Say goodbye to Aunt Brooklyn and Alec,” she said to Dallas.

“Bye.” Dallas wrapped his arms around Brooklyn’s legs, then moved on to Alec. “Bye, Alec.” He squeezed extra hard, scrunching up his little face.

“Thanks to you both,” Virginia said, walking them to the front door. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“No problem. Any time.” Brooklyn embraced her sister. “You and I need to have a chat about Mom and Aurora.”

“Yeah. Just give me a call this weekend.” Virginia said her goodbyes and closed the door behind them.

Down on the street, the scene was quiet and calm compared to earlier. Brooklyn and Alec started their walk to the car, hand-in-hand because it felt right, not because she cared about how it looked.

“Are you worried about missing the photographer?” she asked.

“No. There’s a chance that someone took our photo and we didn’t know about it. Plus, that thing your mom said in the kitchen really got to me.”

“See? I told you she was like that.”

They reached Alec’s car and stopped at her door. “I don’t want anyone we know to say this is fake. I don’t want to put on a show. I know there are a lot of uncertainties between us, but I fake it all day long at work. I can’t do that with you.”

Her heart began beating wildly. She felt the same way. “Can we make a deal?”

“Sure. I’m so tired right now I’d probably agree to anything.” He reached for her hand and tugged her closer, leaning back against his car, which was a pretty big deal—Alec was very protective of the finish on the Aston Martin. “What do you want?”

“For you to do your interview. For us to let it air. Then we see what the network’s response is and then we wrestle serious issues.” Brooklyn leaned into him. She wanted him so bad. It had been building for hours. Days. Weeks. “For tonight, let’s have some fun.”

“I feel like I’m getting the best of everything in that scenario.” He threaded a hand through her hair, his breath warm against her lips.

“We’re giving ourselves some room to breathe. I think that’s what we deserve.”

His aim was dead-on when his mouth landed on hers, soft and sexy as sin. Brooklyn’s eyes drifted shut and she pressed harder against him, hoping her little push could convey what she was desperate to have.

“I want you, Brooklyn.” His lips were a whisper from hers. Which was definitely too far.

“Good. Because I want you, too.”