“Thanks Sandra, it never hurts to hear it again, especially when I have to go face the grouch,” Bella stated walking to Tyler’s door.
“Goodnight,” Sandra said with a tiny wave.
She opened the door and walked in, tripping over a vase lying on the floor and nearly crashing into the table he’d shoved out of the way for him to pace back and forth. “Jesus Ty…”
“Sorry Bella,” he said grabbing her up before she hurt herself.
“What the hell is wrong with you? I swear coming in here make me think the market crashed instead of rebounding nicely today.”
“It’s not that…well part of it was but mostly it was something I discovered about you,” he admitted.
“Me? Don’t tell me the tabloids think Arabella Angel died tragically five years ago and the company’s been recycling old shots…”
“No, they know you’re breathing, speaking of Arabella, have you gotten the proofs from your shoot?” he added, a new light in his eyes that wasn’t entirely furious.
“Think you’ll find something interesting in them?” she asked with a teasing laugh. “Honestly Ty, if you want some photos of me all you have to do is ask.”
“Why ask when I have the real thing in front of me every day?” he inquired kissing her forehead. “Though I do wonder how they manage to make you look so delightful every year and not show all your face.”
“Magic,” she told him.
She had stopped modeling for anyone except Angels soon after she’d started working at Reed Financial, but she still managed to bring in a nice chunk of change from the contract with them, which now included a cosmetic line, handbags, shoes, clothing, and luggage. She was their sole model, anytime there was a figure in the Angels commercials or ads it was her.
“So, what are you up here for?” he asked picking up the mess he’d made.
“To give you a present that will make your Friday sing—all the arrangements for your parent’s anniversary party are set. In two weeks, the entire ballroom will be transformed to look exactly as their wedding did forty years ago, I have a seamstress recreating her dress and the cleaners have pressed the tuxes. They won’t know what hit them when they come to have dinner with us.”
“Have I told you lately how amazing you are Bella?” he stated leaning back against his desk as he grinned at her.
“Not in the past twenty-four hours I think, but now it’s your turn, what did you find out about me?”
“Well, it’s not directly about you but it relates to you.”
“Just tell me Ty,” she told him when he stopped.
“Izzie and David are getting divorced and she’s moving back with the kids; she’ll be here just in time for the anniversary party,” he admitted.
“Surprised it lasted this long…but that’s what caused this mess?”
“That and the fact that your parents had the nerve to claim that you were an embarrassment to them, with you parading your form on those despicable billboards and trashy magazine ads…and that they had officially taken you out of their will.”
“Seriously?” she asked laughing.
“Bella the way they treat you is atrocious.”
“I’m sorry Tyler—it’s sweet that you worry about me so much still especially when it comes to them but I’m fine. I don’t need anything from them. I couldn’t care less that I’m no longer in their will. I’ve let it all go,” she said crossing the room to stand in front of him. He was her best friend and the only person she could fully trust and count on and she loved that their relationship was solid, unlike the one she had with Brandon.
“I don’t know how. You are gorgeous, gracious, generous, and the greatest gift that ever happened to them and they tossed you away like you’re nothing,” he argued getting angry for her again and it made her happy to know he cared so deeply when her family didn’t care for her at all.
That difference was the only reason that she could easily do what she did in front of the cameras lately. Her passion for modeling was returning in ways she hadn’t expected. She’d thought it would go away as she got further and further entrenched into her position here, but it was doing the opposite and it confused her more than anything.
“Tyler, I have a wonderful life, a great job that I love, a boss who also happens to be my best friend, an exclusive contract with the biggest product line in the world, and a date that I’m late for…stop feeling sorry or angry for me, it’s not good for you,” she said kissing his cheek. “Two weeks Ty, I’ve already cleared your calendar for the two days before so you can relax before the party.”
“Be safe Bella,” Tyler said watching her walk out, hating that she had another date with the creep she’d been seeing.
In the last five years he’d learnt a lot about himself, the biggest being that it was impossible not to love Bella completely, and the next biggest that she would never feel the same way about him. He was her friend, the person she called if she needed to be picked up or if something happened or someone had hurt or scared her. He was her handy man, her plumber, her accountant, her sounding board and he loved every bit of it as much as he loved her and no matter what she said he’d never stop feeling angry for the way her parents treated her.
He flipped through the information she’d left him and grinned at the last page, it was the new holiday ad that would come out the day after Thanksgiving, and she’d signed it like all the ones before. “To my Ty, all the love in the world, Arabella.”