Song for the mood: Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith. It's Vera's song to Alistair at this point. A snippet of the lyrics:

But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry
And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry

Alistair

Later that night

Julian, Vera, and I arrived at the Waldorf Astoria, a luxury midtown Manhattan hotel. I watched the siblings wish each other goodnight in the hotel lobby before Julian disappeared in the elevator.

"How did it go with my brother?" Vera asked, nuzzling her body against mine. "Do you think he suspects anything about us? I don't want him to know just yet with everything he's going through."

"Do you trust me, Vera?" I asked. I lifted her chin and kissed her sweet lips.

Breaking the kiss, she answered, "I do. I trust you with all my heart."

"I won't let you or your family down," I promised, caressing her cheek with my thumb.

"Thank you, Alistair."

"Now, I have another question. Your room or mine?"

When we walked inside Vera's hotel suite moments later, I placed my hands on her waist and pinned her against the nearest wall. I was dying to take my woman that night because I missed her like crazy.

"Do you remember this?" I thrust my hardening length against her pelvis.

"Alistair, please." Vera's body quivered with desire.

"Please what? Please stop?" I asked.

"Please continue," she begged, feeling the bulge tenting the front of my pants.

"I believe you've met him before," I whispered, then licked her jasmine-scented neck. Slowly unveiling my playboy grin, I unzipped my pants. "In fact, you know him well."

"Oh, I missed him, Scotty!" Vera confessed as she pushed my trousers down and pulled out my thick cock, exposing its full erection.

"Are you on any contraception?" I asked, hoping to feel her with nothing between us.

"Are you clean?" she questioned back.

"I'm clean, sweetheart," I assured, undoing the clasps of her dress. Off it came, revealing Vera's smooth nakedness.

"Me too," she said. "I'm on the pill."

"No underwear, hmm?" I teased, stroking Vera's supple skin.

"That's right, no underwear, Scotty. You're not wearing any either." Her fingers gently brushed my pubic curls. Her touch felt sensual and arousing, yet comforting.

"You know, two can play that game." I lifted Vera's buttocks and pushed her against the wall. She took the cue and skillfully wrapped her long legs around my hips, embracing them with her tight hold. Her wet folds welcomed my cock, allowing me to slip into her snugly.

"That's it. That's my girl," I coaxed, feeling her sensational core sheathing more of me.

I couldn't help but wonder how many hearts she had shot with her arrow of enchantment, making men and women succumb to her in sinful surrender.

Was I just another sorry soul lost in her snare of seduction?

I squeezed and rubbed Vera's ass cheeks while holding her steady as my heart pumped faster in exhilaration. Her tight core massaged my swollen shaft, and we started to thrust, gently at first, then vigorously.

"Oh, how I've missed you!" Vera cried, throwing her head back. Beads of perspiration rolled off our heated bodies while every muscle worked in synchronized rhapsody, bringing us both to cry out in an orgasmic frenzy.

Moments later, we lay on the king-sized bed, locked in the slickness of each other's sweat-soaked arms and legs. I breathed in Vera's natural aroma and tasted the saltiness of her supple skin. She was fucking delicious.

"Thank you for helping Julian tonight," Vera whispered.

"I didn't do it for him, sweetheart." I kissed her lips. "I did it for you."

***

Saturday, June 4

"How do you like my look?" Vera asked as she adjusted her new circle pendant, coated with diamonds and 22-carat gold, from Tiffany & Co.

"It suits you," I murmured, kissing her soft cheek as we walked out of the store.

She thanked the security guard for opening a secondary exit near the revolving doors for us and wished him a nice day. Interesting. The women I dated in the past never showed their appreciation for others.

"Where to next, darling?" Vera gazed down Fifth Avenue. "Shall we try Central Park?"

"Your brother would be jealous to miss out on the park," I replied. Julian had flown back to Lester Harbor yesterday to talk to his colleagues about a new benefactor for their research projects. That benefactor would be me.

"Now's not the time to think about Jules," Vera said, stroking my arm as we walked toward the park.

An hour later, after strolling hand-in-hand in the lush greenery, we sat on one of the park benches near a bronze statue of a sled dog.

"Hmm, Balto." Vera studied the statue. "He was a real hero. Didn't he lead a team through a terrible blizzard to bring medicine to heal the sick?"

"He did, sweetheart. There was a diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska, in 1925. Teams of mushers and sled dogs traveled hundreds of miles and battled a blizzard to deliver medicine to the sick."

"You remind me of Balto."

"What?" I chuckled, tickling her hand as it rested on my knee. "So, I remind you of a dog?"

"You remind me of a hero who stood strong in times of adversity," she replied. "It's what you do for your businesses, be it oil, property, or a brothel. Your employees respect you because you empathize with them. You connect with them, and you listen to their voices."

"Have you been reading up on me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Vera offered a lopsided smile and tilted her head, letting the loose curls spill over her shoulder. "I keep up with the news. I watched a recent TV show about a new charity that helps the unemployed get back into the workforce."

"Sweetheart, there was no mention of me in that program." I chuckled, tickling her palm.

"There didn't need to be," she replied. "The Clemonte Foundation director conveyed all your core values during her interview. She discussed good stewardship, honesty, and a healthy work/life balance."

"Those core values are my parents' values," I said.

"They're also your values, Scotty. I know that the foundation is under your mother's name, and I saw a clip of you helping the volunteers."

"You got me." I grinned, nudging my knee against Vera's thigh. She nudged back, instigating playful banter among two lovers in Central Park. We got up from the bench and continued walking until we reached Bow Bridge, surrounded by nature's spell.

There, we kissed passionately and deeply, embracing the magic between us. But there was something I needed to show my woman.

"Is everything okay?" Vera asked when I took her hand and walked to one of the park's benches.

"I want to show you something." I gave her a shy smile as I tightened my grip on her hand.

Vera gazed at the bench, then squinted at a small plaque on the seat. She bent down to read the polished engraving:

May the natural beauty of this park last a lifetime for the generations ahead.

- The Scott family.

"Oh, my!" Vera exclaimed. She cupped her gaping mouth with her hands as her eyes widened like saucers. "Alistair, this bench is yours!"

I had one hand in my pocket and pulled her to my side, giving her hip a firm squeeze. "This bench is for everyone, sweetheart. That includes you and your kids when you revisit this place."

"My kids?" Vera pulled away, and her jaw dropped open.

"Look, I don't want to give you false hopes. As much as I want to be with you for as long as life allows, you'll move on someday and have kids of your own."

"And suddenly you're playing God, and you decide how my life should be!" Vera raised her voice, folding her arms.

"There's nothing romantic about kids, and I don't want to disillusion you by pretending that I want more. It wouldn't be fair for you, Vera."

"How can you assume that I want kids? I learned one rule in the legal profession, and that is you must never assume." She ran her fingers through her wild mane, ready for a battle. "Your assumption makes an ass of you and me. That's what assume means: 'ass' of 'u' and 'me'!"

"So, you're saying that you don't want kids?" I asked, feeling nervous around the lioness. Not many women could intimidate me, but Vera sure had a warrior's streak.

She shifted her stance and placed her hands in her jeans pockets. "I may have been baptized a Catholic, but I'm a pro-choicer-"

"That makes the two of us," I grinned, trying to pull her in-bad mistake.

"Do not interrupt me! Don't do that again!" Vera pressed her index finger against my chest.

"Forgive me, sweetheart. Please continue." I caressed her left cheek, which flushed with heat.

"I didn't grow up believing that my purpose in life was to become a mother," she continued. "It doesn't make me less of a woman if I don't have children."

"I understand."

"It is not my goal in life to have children. However, I may want to have a child one day, and if that happens, that is my choice."

"And that is what I don't want. More children." My face tightened with worry-I knew the day would come when I would lose the woman I love because we disagreed on life matters.

"Can't we be flexible to both futures, with or without kids, Scotty? Can't we just leave the door open to the possibility of children?"

Feeling rage build inside, I clenched my fists and breathed deeply. Still, I couldn't contain the fire.

"Don't I get a say on what I want?" I shouted, not caring about the people walking past us. "When I'm telling you that I don't want more children, I'm making a choice. Damn it, Vera!"

"Don't I have a voice in this relationship?" Vera yelled back. "I thought we'd shared so much, and I wanted a future together."

"Do you want money? I'll give you money!" I spat, fuming with anger. "Because the last thing I need is a woman trying to fool me with a love child."

"How dare you talk to me like that?" Vera recoiled, waving off my hands when I tried to touch her. "Have I ever asked you for money? I guess I'm seeing your true colors now, huh, Alistair? You may be good with people, but you're heartless when it comes to women."

"Fine! Do what you bloody hell want! But get out of my life!"

"Just like that?" she asked, and her chin quivered.

"Just like that," I shot back, glaring at her as my nostrils flared. My blood boiled.

"Well then, you and I are better apart," Vera's voice softened and her face crumpled in pain.

"You really get to me, do you know that, Alistair? No man has ever done this to me. You'll be the one I'll never forget, for good times and bad."

***

6.28 a.m., Sunday, June 5

Daylight hit the city of Lester Harbor. I watched the sun's amber hues warm up the city skyline, painting it with light and color. The world seemed small when you gazed at it from the forty-second floor.

I arrived alone in my apartment late last night after Vera took a separate flight back earlier.

What the hell was I doing?

I picked up the phone to check for messages from Vera, but I saw Oliver's message:

> Congratulations, brother. You knocked up my wife.

Shit. It couldn't be true. Could it?

A/N: What a stupid fight! Have you ever seen couples fight in public? I've seen a public lovers' spat similar to Alistair and Vera's - it was in a restaurant.

Here's a pic of Balto in Central Park in late 2019:

Please comment and vote; it motivates me to keep writing. Thank you for the boost.⭐️