The Ceo's Contracted Mistress
The Ceo’s Contracted Mistress Chapter 24

“Uncle Ollie,” Sera pulled on his arm, “will we be having our sleepover with the fort?”

“Perhaps another time,” Fiona protested.

“Why?” Olivier cut her off. “I promised the trio of terror they would have time with their cousins tonight.” He had adopted Grady’s moniker of the kids far too easily.

“You are going to have six kids for a sleepover?” Fiona laughed in his face. “You’re as crazy as the old woman.”

“We will stay and help,” Meri said with a smile. “If its okay with Bobbie.”

“Its great with me. The more the merrier,” she smiled benignly and looked at Everly in disbelief.

Everly was smiling broadly at her, clearly impressed she hadn’t bowed down to the almighty Villeneuve patriarch.

“Dad, can we go swimming?” Ollie blinked rapidly at her father, “Sera said they brought their suits.”

“Of course,” he waved at them, “go get changed.” As Max made a face he laughed, “Max go get your suit and get changed in my bathroom, away from the girls.”

“I’ll help you replace your suit,” Bobbie led Max away by the hand to the room where five girls were giggling loudly. Ollie was right at home with her new cousins and Lark was made to feel she was part of them. She knew Max was feeling a bit left out.

She grabbed his swim trunks from the drawer they’d been packed in, and he clutched her arm tightly. She pressed a k**s to the top of his head and then pulled him through the living space where all the adults were now spread out on the furniture chatting casually

She noted Olivier’s eyes were on her and he was still furious with her. He had not liked the way she spoke to his father. She noted his father had kept his eyes narrowed on her and it felt like she was being wordlessly scolded by the pair of them. She considered flipping them both off but instead pulled the bedroom door open and followed Max in.

“Mom,” Max said quietly as he took his shorts from her hand and walked slowly to the bathroom. “When are we going home to Dallas? I miss my friends from Scouts.”

“I bet you do.” She rubbed his shoulder, “our house is being fixed up right now to make it a bit safer, but we’ll go home on Friday. Three more sleeps.”

“Why is our house being fixed?”

“Well, your dad wants to make sure its extra safe for you and Ollie and he’s putting cameras and stuff in it.”

“Like Jarvis?”

“What’s Jarvis?”

“Like in Iron Man,” he scowled at her like she was stupid. “He had Jarvis. He was a built-in security system into Tony Stark’s house.”

“Didn’t he become Vision?” Bobbie suddenly felt smart as she recalled something from her son’s favorite movies.

“Yes,” Max was excited. “Are we getting security like that?”

“I doubt it,” she laughed. “Those are movies, and I don’t think technology like this exists in real life.”

“Aw too bad,” he huffed as he stared at her and then waved her away from the bathroom door. “You don’t need to watch.”

She chuckled as he almost slammed the door in her face.

“Everything okay?” Olivier asked from the doorway.

“He’s feeling outnumbered by girls,” she turned to face him, speaking lowly ensuring Max didn’t hear her discussing him. “Says he wants to go home to his friends in scouts.”

“He wants to leave?” Olivier frowned in confusion, “his family just got here.”

“He’s not like you or Ollie, Olivier,” she felt her fists clench in frustration. “He doesn’t do well with change. He likes routine and constants. His entire world has been disrupted in three days and now he has an entirely new family who are loud and pushy and frankly, rude.”

“Excuse me?” He blinked at her insults.

“Rude. Self-centered. Arrogant. Rude.” She repeated her insults. “I’m sure they all have great hearts and are wonderful people but there’s not one person you brought with you who has even once considered the impact of dumping ten strangers on two small children.”

“You want to talk about rude? What you said to my father –”

“Needed to be said,” she cut him off with a flick of her wrist and an angry hiss, “you didn’t have my back and you didn’t step up for me. I didn’t raise my voice once and I only set clear boundaries which you had failed to do. You let him come at me with his own preconceived notions of what he thinks is right for me and my children. You’ve spent two days with them Olivier. I’ve spent their lifetimes.”

“Whose fault is that?” He hissed out furiously, squeezing her arm, “you’re the one who kept them from me.”

“What choice did I have? Let me go, you’re hurting me!” she tried to get her arm away from his grip.

The pull of the bathroom door opening cut off whatever Olivier was going to say, and he immediately released her arm and turned away to gather himself.

Max frowned at his mother, “are you fighting?”

“Nope,” Bobbie wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, “we are having a discussion about how mommy is feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the people out there.”

“Does it make it you feel your breath is squished?” he asked earnestly, his eyes widening behind his glasses.

“A little bit,” she nodded knowing he was talking about his feelings.

“And your hands itchy and wet?”

She nodded at him.

“Does your tummy feel like when we went on the teacups at the fair?”

“Max, how do you know?” she made big eyes at him.

He held her hands in his tightly, “I feel the same way mom, but it’s okay. You got me. I’ll hold your hand. When you hold my hand, it makes it feel better. I’ll hold your hand to make you feel better.”

“You are the sweetest boy in the whole world,” she hugged him tight. “Thank you for making me feel better.”

“Are you coming swimming mom?”

“Would you like me to come swimming, or would you prefer to play with Ollie and Lark?”

“They have new friends. Will you play with me?”

“I’ll play with you,” Olivier cut in.

Max looked to Olivier and shook his head, “I want my mom.”

Bobbie knew Olivier’s feelings were hurt and waited for him to respond to the slight, but he shrugged it off.

“Okay, you and mom can hang out. I’ll be around if you want me to join you.”

Max shrugged and barely cast him a glance as he twiddled his mother’s fingers. “Mom, you should wear the pink bathing suit with the flowers. It’s the prettiest.”

“I will wear it just for you,” she kissed his nose.

“I love you mom,” he said suddenly wrapping his arms tight around her middle.

Bobbie noticed Olivier walking stiffly out of the room from the corner of her eyes. While she felt a twinge of guilt for his feeling badly, he needed to learn his feelings came second to Max and Ollie’s feelings. While Ollie was very much a go-with-the-flow kind of girl, Max was not. He needed to learn to balance the two. He had taken control of everything, dictating they simply accept he and his rambunctious family were part of their lives now and Max was resisting the changes.

“Everything okay in here,” Grady poked his head into the room.

Max nodded, “mom is going to swim with me.”

“Fantastic,” Grady squeezed his shoulder as he stepped into the room. “Would it be okay if I talked to your mom for a minute?”

“Sure,” Max shrugged. “I’ll go wait with Everly.”

Grady waited until the boy was out of earshot. “You good?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not. Max is stressed out and overwhelmed and I’m pulling his emotions onto me or I’m putting them on him. I don’t know. Either way, it’s a lot.”

“Olivier looked like he got kicked in the balls when he came out of here. What did you do?”

“Me?” She glared at him. “Nothing.”

“Really?” his tone was accusatory.

“Like you, he failed to notice my son is struggling.”

Grady paused and then looked to the open door, “Max.”

“Yeah, Max. He’s overwhelmed and panicking and nobody else is even paying attention. You’re so worried about f*****g Olivier Villeneuve and his fragile ego, you’re missing the emotions of the kid you and Everly helped me raise. You,” she pointed at him, “should know better. You aren’t even looking at him. You’re just watching your new best friend and making sure his feelings don’t get hurt.”

“Bobbie, aside from my wife, you are my best friend in the whole world. I would do anything for you. I know I’ve been pushing you hard and I’ve been making you feel I’m on Olivier’s side, but I need you to know, I’m on your side. Your side and Max and Ollie’s side. You are my family, my sister.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” she growled. “You are so far up his a*s I’m surprised you’re still getting oxygen.”

“Hey,” he made a face at her, hurt by her words.

“Just calling it like I see it.”

“Wow,” he whispered, “harsh much?”

“I need you. Grady,” she glowered, “Max and Ollie need you. We need you and Everly and Prue. He has an entire f*****g team, including his own god damned witch.” She waved her hand in the direction of the other room growing increasingly loud as the girls rejoined the adults in the living space. “I’m outnumbered, outclassed and you are intensely team Olivier. You should be wearing this ring.” She held up her ring finger.

“You’re pissed about that too, huh?” Grady threw his hands up in surrender.

“You knew he was going for the ring. You could have warned me.”

“Bobbie, a fool can see you have feelings for him.”

“No s**t!” she flipped him off, moved to the bathroom, and closed the door to get changed into her swimsuit. She heard his head smack on the other side of the door. “I did nine years ago too and look where it got me. Pregnant and running for my life.”

“What do you want me to do, Bobbie. I like him. He’s a great guy and I know he has yours and the kid’s best interests at heart.”

She punched the door where she imagined her head to be, “Grady, I’ve taken care of us for nine years. It’s moving too fast and instead of helping me correct the pace, you’re taking it up the a*s on my behalf. For the love of God, if you can’t consider my feelings, think of the two kids who are on the roller coaster rides of their lives.”

“Ollie seems fine.”

“Ollie is distracted by people who thinks she’s a f*****g riot and now she has three more in her fan club to keep her mind occupied. Once we’re home though and real life settles in and it’s not all fun and excitement with him, then what? You know what will happen!”

“She’ll get pissed off and punch the f**k out of something,” he met her eyes seriously as she pulled the door open to glare at him. “Max is really struggling?”

“Yes. He is. Wants to go home.”

“I’ll talk to him.”

“No.”

“What do you mean no?” Grady was surprised by her tone.

“I mean no, Grady. Like I said, you’re too far up Olivier’s a*s. I don’t trust you’re not going to insist Olivier is his dad and tell him he has to suck it up.”

“You know me better, Bobbie!” he blinked at the anger in her tone.

“Do I? The best friend who once jumped a guy for touching my boob seems to forget I’m being forced into a cohabitation and a marriage I don’t want. You can’t see past the great and magnificent Olivier Villeneuve.” She shoved past him. “I know you can’t hear me, and my feelings and I can deal with it. But Max needs to be heard, to have an adult who hears what he is saying and to understand how his emotions, fears and insecurities are valid. The adults need to take a step back and remember who all of this is about. I don’t care if Olivier’s feelings are hurt by Max. I care if Olivier hurts Max’s.”

“Bobbie,” he protested and followed her.

“Save it Hoffman. I’m going to take my kid swimming. He asked me.” She turned and faced him, “he asked me. Not you, not Olivier, me. Because the men who should be supporting him are letting him down.” After shrugging into a cover up, she grabbed her purse and the bag she used for the pool area and flung it over her shoulder and slipped into a pair of flipflops.

“Hey, I’m sorry Bobbie, I really am. Please.” he pulled her arm and tugged her back towards him. “You’re my best friend. I meant it. You and the kids come first. I’ll fix it with Max right after I fix it with you.” She didn’t fight him when he hugged her. “You are the best not-sister I’ve ever had.”

They stared at each other for several long seconds, Bobbie’s anger softening at the sincerity on her best friend’s face. She knew she was overwhelmed with everything, just as Max was and Grady was getting the brunt of it. She sighed loudly, “Fine, you better fix it with him, Hoffman. He needs you.” She slapped at his cheek gently and smiled when he touched his forehead to hers. She couldn’t stay mad at the oaf.

“I got caught up in being right Bobbie, but I forgot how much it impacts them. I’ll talk to him.”

“What is going on in here?” Olivier’s father stepped into the room and frowned at Bobby and Grady, Grady with his hand over Bobbie’s shoulders and her with her hand on his cheek. “Is this why you won’t marry my son? You are having an affair with your best friend’s husband?”

Everly stepped into the room right behind Levi and snorted at him, “as if.” She pushed past him, “I saw him coming in here and figured he was being nosy. Thought he was coming to give you hell for not being a doormat.” She looked to Bobbie and Grady, “You finally tell him off? Did he apologize?”

“He did,” she ignored Levi completely and hugged Grady back.

“Is this a threesome thing? Sister wives?” Levi spoke again, apparently not liking he was being ignored and grabbed Bobbie out of Grady’s embrace and shook her. “My son is right there and you’re in here fooling around? As if you are still nothing more than a w***e?”

Bobbie ripped her hand away from him and slapped his face hard, the smack echoing in the space and carrying into the other room, which went suddenly silent at the noise.

Grady gripped her by the arm and pulled Everly away to the living space. “Mom! Lark, Ollie, Max, let’s go.” He didn’t even look at the others in the room.

Bobbie had unchecked tears on her cheeks as she tapped the key card and called the elevator to them. Ollie was crying she didn’t want to go, and Bobbie watched as Everly, and Prue tried to console her. Her heart was frozen, and she felt numb. Olivier’s father had known she was a w***e. Had just tossed it back in her face and made her feel as cheap and degraded as he’d intended. He had come into the room prepared to insult her. She could feel it in her bones.

“What is going on?” Olivier stepped into the room from the patio where he had been talking to his grandmother.

“I caught them in the room,” Levi said motioning between Bobbie and Grady. “His wife is defending them.”

“Did she hit you?” Meri asked as she noted the handprint on Levi’s face.

Bobbie watched as Grady held up a finger and looked at the kids, “elevator now.” He looked to Olivier, “you lied to me.”

“I lied to you?” Olivier was frowning clearly at a disadvantage for not knowing what is going on.

Grady motioned to Prue to catch up to the family, “you said you’d protect them. Keep them safe. She’s my best friend and I told you, I warned you, if anyone hurt her, I’d be the one you’d face in court. We’ll see you in court.”

When the elevator doors opened and Everly pulled the three kids in, Ollie protesting furiously about not wanting to leave her new family, Bobbie turned to Levi, finally replaceing her voice, “you will never call me a w***e again.”

“Levi!” Meri exclaimed in horror.

“I caught them in the bedroom!”

Bobbie didn’t wait to hear the rest, she let Grady get them out of the suite and down to their own rooms.

“Mom, why are you crying?” Max asked her as they walked briskly through the corridor to the rooms the Hoffmans were staying in.

“Everly, call and arrange a rental mini van or something to fit us all. It’s a three-hour drive back to Dallas.” Grady ordered his wife.

He looked to Bobbie, “he told me he never considered you hired.” He censored his words in front of the kids, “he swore you misunderstood. Yet, his own father today made it clear it was how he described your relationship back then. I believed him. I believed his bullshit. I wanted to be right he was a good guy –” He went quiet and rubbed his head frustratedly and then pulled their suitcases out. “We’re going back home.”

Bobbie said nothing and just sat on the edge of the bed. Ollie was kicking and screaming about wanting her dad and Max and Lark were both standing in front of Bobbie holding her hands and she couldn’t stop her own crying. Olivier’s father had called her a w***e. Insinuated she was still a w***e. He had always thought she was a w***e. It dawned on her the only reason he wanted Olivier to marry her was to remove the stigma his son had used a hooker. It wasn’t about doing right by her. It was about making sure their dirty secret never came to light.

“Mom,” Max whispered, “don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”

“Baby,” Prue stepped closer and pulled Max and Lark away. “Mom needs a minute.” Prue spoke sharply, “Ollie, enough of your temper tantrum.”

“I want my daddy!” she screamed at the room.

“They were mean to mommy!” Max screamed back. “They made mommy cry! Olivier made mom cry first and then the old man, he made mom cry! They’re mean to our mom. They’re bullies!” he shrieked the last of it at Ollie who was blinking at his uncharacteristic rage.

Bobbie noted immediately Max had reverted from calling Olivier Papa back to his name and her heart broke for him. None of this was his fault and none of this should be on his shoulders and yet there he was fighting to protect her.

“Hey,” she pulled him toward her wiping her cheeks with her hands, “it’s okay, Max. It’s okay. I’ll be okay. He is still your dad, and he loves you so much.”

“I don’t like him anymore.” Max stomped his foot. “He’s bossy and mean to you. He likes Ollie better than me anyway. He can be her dad. I don’t need a dad. I just need my mom.”

“Honey, he would be terribly sad to hear this.”

“I don’t care,” he set his jaw firmly in place. “His family are mean. I heard Timon say to the other man it was good we looked like our dad because mom wasn’t very pretty, and she must not be very good at her job because she dressed like a poor person. He was speaking in French as if I wouldn’t know what he said. Stupid jerk.”

“When did he say this?” Grady asked quietly, his nostrils flaring with rage.

“When I went back to replace Everly.” He said angrily, his little face twisted furiously, “he looked at me and said it. Everly was on the patio with Olivier talking to Nana Prue. All the adults laughed.”

“Mother fu—” Everly’s words were cut off by a knock on the door.

Ollie raced to the door and pulled it open before anyone could stop her and she flung herself into Olivier’s arms.

Bobbie watched him console her, his eyes closed, burying his face in her mess of curls. She felt a pang in her chest as Max folded his arms furiously moving closer to Bobbie, standing between her and Olivier. He was protecting her, and it broke her heart.

“Bobbie, we need to talk,” Olivier spoke over Ollie’s head where she clutched him. He made a pointed look at Grady, “alone.”

“No,” Max interrupted before she could say anything. “You’re a mean bully. You and your dad made my mom cry.”

“Max,” Olivier blinked in surprise at the vehemence coming from the small child.

Bobbie noted Max’s fists clenching and unclenching at his sides and she looked to Olivier, “no, if we talk, my legal representative will be present. Prue can take the kids to the balcony, and you can say what you need to say but I’m done talking to you without a lawyer present.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Your family insulted her in front of Max thinking he wouldn’t understand.” Grady glared at him pointedly with his arms folded over his thick chest. “After what I personally heard your father say to her, I know you lied to my face about the intent of the contract.”

Bobbie saw Olivier blink in surprise at how cold Grady’s tone was. Even during the negotiations, he had been affable. In this moment he was bitter. She had seen Grady like this with in their hardest cases. He never lost.

“It is a misunderstanding,” Olivier shook his head in protest. He set Ollie on her feet, but she gripped his hand tightly

“No, I don’t believe it was. Your brother-in-law underestimated how well Max speaks French and commented Bobbie must not be good at her job because she’s not pretty and dresses like a poor person.” Grady’s jaw was set, the muscle bunching as he gritted his teeth. “Why would they say this Olivier if they misunderstood? You let them all come there today not setting any of them straight and let them loose on her.”

“You were alone with her in a bedroom with your arms wrapped around her,” Olivier cursed. “According to my father it looked like you were kissing.”

“I don’t care what he thinks he saw,” Grady argued, “he came into the room with the intent on replaceing something nasty to use against her. The minute she refused to get married, he went on the offensive and was looking for ammunition. He saw me apologizing to her and immediately began to formulate a plan to make her look an unfit mother. Tell me Olivier, did you and your father discuss the plan to take the kids away from Bobbie before or after you tried to force her to marry you?” At Olivier’s narrowed eyes Grady continued, “do you think I don’t recognize the plotting of a rich old man when I see it? I’ve been a lawyer a long time. I saw the look in his face as soon as he stepped in the room. He thought he was getting a victory. Is your whole family in on the plot to take the kids or just your parents?”

“You were going to take me from my mom?” Ollie pulled her hand away from Olivier and backed up.

“No,” he shook his head at her accusation. “Absolutely not. This is a misunderstanding.”

“Olivier,” Levi’s voice calling down the hall echoed. “I have reached out to Gael. He has his lawyers ready to go. They can get an injunction to prohibit Bobbie taking the kids out of the city. He is confident he can get you sole custody and you will have them both by nightfall. We’ll be able to take them home.No need for you to have to deal with the mother directly any longer.”

All six pair of eyes stared at him accusingly as the words filtered to them.

Bobbie closed her eyes and then opened them again looking to Grady who appeared ready to pop. Everly and Prue stepped in front of him their hands against his chest, but it wasn’t Grady they should have been eying. Ollie went into full fight mode and began kicking and punching at her father with everything in her little frame, screaming he was a liar and she hated him. She landed a solid punch to his privates causing him to bend over instinctively and she punched his nose when he fell forward.

Bobbie raced to her pulling the screaming and flailing child backwards, protectively grabbing both her and Max and then Lark, ushering them away from the conflict happening. She looked over her shoulder shaking her head at Olivier who was staring in disbelief at the violence of Ollie’s rage. She pushed the kids into the bedroom Grady and Everly had been sharing, firmly closing the door behind them holding all three children tight to her middle. She gasped and closed her eyes as yet another punch echoing in the other room was followed by Everly telling Olivier to leave now before he makes it even worse than it already was.

He called out he’d be back to talk when everyone was calmer. Bobbie knew she’d be long gone by then.