The Other Side of Greed

by Lily Zante

  Now I’m the one who feels like an idiot. “I … I didn’t realize that’s what you meant.”

  “My mom used to tell us to recite five things we were grateful for each night. It made me see how much we have. How lucky we are.”

  “Your mom sounds like a very special woman.”

  “She was.” She opens the menu up again and examines it slowly. I watch her with interest. She’s so unlike Jessica. She’s so unlike the high-maintenance ball crushers I tend to date. I like being with this woman.

  We place our order, and I raise my glass. “To our first date, at last.”

  “At last.” She clinks her glass with mine. “I’m planning a meal for Simona when she returns. Maybe something like this, though maybe not as upscale. Sometime next week. She would love for you to be there. Will you come?”

  I wince. I already have demands on my time. McGovern Holdings., and Jessica, which quickly spring to mind. I could ditch Jessica easily, but then she’ll find a way of never letting me forget. And I did promise her that I would try to make this one last time at the gallery. But I’ve also always turned Kyra down for events and I still regret not going to the city hall event. “What day?”

  “I don’t know. I need to check with her.”

  “Give me the date and time, and I’ll try to come.”

  “Try?” Her voice is shaky. “Is it Emma?”

  “What? No. No. It’s just … this … start-up … it’s taking up a lot of my time …” Guilt reaches into my soul and feels around with pincers. Where are my nerves of steel? My disregard for these people? I feel things now. I care. I care about Kyra, and I’m torn. Wearing this new cloak of concern makes me a little uneasy. Because a snake that sheds its skin is still a snake underneath.

  Should I tell her? Should I come clean at this very moment and break this little bubble we have? We have a new understanding, but it’s still based on lies. It’s not the way to start something new.

  “Well, that’s great. That’s really great, Brad.”

  “Thanks. I have to meet with some people next week and I don’t know how long the negotiations will take.”

  “Negotiations?”

  “I prefer not to say too much about it just yet.” I chicken out like the coward I am.

  “I understand,” she says, her voice soft, her eyes shining. “I’m so happy that this is working out for you.”

  “Me too.” But the happier she is for me, the worse I feel. This is the moment when I should tell her that I’m taking the private jet to fly to Boston. I don’t know how long it will take for me to sweeten the people at McGovern Holdings. I should tell her that the helicopter we just flew in belongs to the family, and that Mark is our most trusted pilot.

  What would she do if I spilled all of the truth now?

  “Let’s just enjoy our dinner,” she says, while I’m still wondering how to broach the subject. “You don’t have to explain everything to me, all at once. We’re good now.”

  “We are.” I will unravel my life to her slowly. We order and eat, talking about Redhill, and her vision and her plans. No more trying to gently persuade her to up and leave Greenways, I now find myself trying to sway her the other way.

  Then we change the subject and talk about easier things, such as our favorite movies and songs and things we like to do.

  Afterwards, we go for a walk along the river, talking about our plans and how awkward things might be when Fredrich and Simona find out we’re together.

  “I’ll be leaving Redhill,” I announce suddenly, as soon as the idea comes to me. This is the simplest way to do this. I can’t be here. Being here, at Redhill, complicates things. Everything will be simpler if I leave.

  She lets go of my hand, staring up at me as she stops walking. “When?”

  “I don’t know.” The thought just came to me and I have no plan. All I know is that working with her, alongside her, juggling my two worlds, is becoming more complicated. Extricating myself from Redhill is the first step towards getting clarity. “It’s getting really busy with the other stuff.”

  “So when were you thinking of leaving Redhill?”

  I shrug. “Maybe once I get back from this meeting. If it’s okay with you, could I not come in to work this week. I need to prepare.”

  “Yes, of course. You need to focus on your start-up. Are you saying you’ll leave soon?”

  “Maybe I can work a week or two at Redhill, and then leave. That way I can tell Fredrich and Simona.”

  She lets out a heavy breath. “It’s all happening so suddenly.” She stops at gazes at the water.

  I lift her face to me. “It was only ever meant to be a temporary thing, Kyra. You didn’t even want to take me on.”

  “That’s because I wasn’t sure about you. I had my suspicions. I wasn’t sure who you really were.” She moves closer, sliding her arms around my waist. “But now, now that I’m getting to know you, I think you could be a great asset to Redhill. You could help me to do so much, Brad.”

  “You give me too much credit,” I tell her, as she looks up at me with admiration and hope in those naïve, trusting eyes. I try to muster my game face, something that is usually second nature for me, but it eludes me right now.

  Disappointment sweeps across her features. It guts me, thinking that she was starting to think that I would have stayed. I can help her so much. Hawks Enterprises can go from being who we are to being a company with values and concern for the welfare of others. My father, bless his eighty-six-year-old heart, isn’t going to be pleased, but I’m certain I can forge a new way forward without making him completely unhappy.

  “I can still give you ideas, I can still give you advice. It might be better for us to have that distance in our working lives.”

  “But I was just getting used to having you around.”

  “You can have me around.” I drop a kiss on her lips, hoping to reassure her. Hoping that once she knows the truth about me, she’ll still want to be with me. Leaving Redhill is the first step and it will make things easier. The distance, both mentally and physically, will allow me to unveil to her who I am and what I had planned to do.

  We walk back and I feel as if a heavy load has been lifted from my chest. As we get into the car, she tells me what a beautiful evening she’s had, and then she thanks me.

  “Don’t thank me, Kyra. I wanted us to have a proper date. No more sneaking around.” My gaze falls on her lips and I want to kiss her wildly again.

  “No more steaming up the windows?” she asks, a naughty glint in her eyes.

  I want to steam up the windows not only in the car but in the shower, and the bathroom, and everywhere I have plans to take her. In the extended pause that follows, I can sense what she’s thinking, and when I don’t say anything, she asks, “Did you want to come back to my place?”

  I want her to come back to my place, but after tonight, it might be too much for her to take in all at once.

  “I have another date planned for you tomorrow,” I announce.

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  “Another date?”

  “Yes, so if you had plans for going to the factory and checking the supplies for the next food night, it’s not going to happen.”

  She laughs. “I lead a sorry existence, don’t I?”

  “You make a difference in people’s lives, and that is priceless, but you need to have some time to enjoy your life.”

  “You sound like Simona.”

  “That woman talks a lot of sense.”

  “She’s also been eager for you and I to get together.”

  “Has she now?”

  “I believe she coaxed me into hiring you because you were young and good-looking.”

  “We’ll have to break the good news to her.”

  “Not yet,” Kyra cries. I understand her reticence at a workplace romance. “Maybe tell them around them time you announce that you’re leaving.”

  “See?” I kiss her on the nose. “Another adv
antage of me going.”

  “She’ll be upset, so will Fredrich, but not as upset as me.”

  “I’m not leaving your life, Kyra. We’re only just starting.”

  She gives me a smile that I can grow used to; that I want to see before I go to sleep and wake up to. I intend to be in her life still, it just depends on whether she will still want me in hers once I confess.

  “Tomorrow,” I say, starting the engine. “I’ll pick you up around four. Does that work for you?”

  “I’ve been forbidden from checking the storeroom, so I’m going to be free the whole day. You could come earlier …”

  Her sultry tone sends a message straight to my cock. I harden at the suggestions that her words have prompted in my brain. I could so easily take her up on her offer to go back to her place now. It would satisfy this burgeoning need that has been eating me up ever since I saw her naked.

  I glance at her. “Or I could pick you up at four, take you out, and bring you back to my place.”

  “You … you’re going to ask me to come back to your place?”

  “Unless you don’t want to.”

  “Well, this is unexpected. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say ‘yes’.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  KYRA

  * * *

  Brad drops me back home, and I can’t sleep.

  I have a spring in my step. A smile permanently etched on my face. At this rate I’m going to need to staple my lips together to stop myself from grinning like a lovesick teen.

  I lie in bed thinking of the helicopter ride and the sights of the city which I will forever see with new eyes because Brad showed it to me in a new light.

  He’s leaving Redhill, but I am not as upset as I thought I’d be. Now that we we’re together, I can’t see anything pulling us apart.

  Not surprisingly, I wake up late the next day, and then, because I have no idea of what he has planned, I panic. And then I panic some more when I remember that he is taking me back to his place and this could be the night.

  I wonder what prompted that. He seems to be making an effort to rectify things. I look forward to having another insight into the enigma that is Brad Hartley.

  I’m not prepped. I start to hunt around for my best underwear. I don’t have sexy lace and satin. My undergarments are practical. Decent. Sexy-ish, but not Victoria’s Secret worthy.

  Brad taking me on that helicopter ride and then that upscale restaurant makes me stress even more. Do I have time to go shopping? At two o’clock on Sunday?

  I do.

  But then I also need to wash my hair, shave my legs, and put on a face mask.

  Listen to me.

  I’m changing who I am based on who I think he is.

  I stop.

  My ex used to moan that I was too tired to have sex with him. And then he got sick of me always being at the factory, and always being in sneakers and jeans.

  I didn’t change for him and maybe that’s why he went and found someone else. I don’t want to think that I lost him because of something as fickle as the clothes I wore.

  It’s what’s inside that matters. I am not going to shop for sexy lingerie. Brad knows who I am. He’s with me because of who I am. He likes me for me. Just like I like him for who he is.

  * * *

  BRANDON

  * * *

  She opens the door and instantly I catch a whiff of exotic fruits. She’s wearing a different scent. “Ready?”

  “Curious.”

  My hands slip around her soft, slender frame, and we kiss for a few silent and happy moments.

  I don’t dare get too comfortable around her, but I have a treat in store for her. Because she’s usually working on the weekend, I hope this will help her to relax.

  “We’re going to be late,” I say, hating to pull myself away. She pulls at her lower lip with her teeth, unsure and hesitant. “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?”

  “No.”

  “A little hint?”

  “No.”

  “Wait and see.”

  She giggles as we get into my car. “I feel like a child, excited about a journey. I don’t even care where we go, I just want you to know that I’ve already had a great time.”

  Gratitude pours out of her, the way malice seeps out of Jessica. Everything Kyra says is the opposite to my interactions with Jessica.

  “I’m hoping you’ll like it.” The ancient baths are a treat. I’ve been a few times, when I’ve had hard-hitting negotiations to take care of, and though pampering isn’t my style, I was persuaded by Emma to try them. She’s seen me at my most stressed and difficult and she booked me a session. I loved it so much, I bought the company.

  Emma.

  Each time I think of her, I feel bad. She’s back home now, and I still have her on full pay for as long as she needs. She can take a year if she needs it. She might be determined not to come back, but I’ll create a role for her, even if it is so that she can keep an eye on that new PA.

  I need Emma around somewhere. She’s too good to let go of, and the guilt consumes me because I’m the reason she’s injured.

  “Hey.” Kyra’s hand settles on my thigh, a warm and gentle pull back to the present. “Where did you go?”

  “Work stuff. Nothing important.”

  “You’re thinking about work when we’re on a date?”

  “I was thinking about Emma.” It slips out before I think.

  “Emma? How is she related to your work?”

  My jaw tenses.

  “You don’t have to answer that,” she says quickly. “If you don’t want to. Not yet.”

  She always gives me an out. Always lets me get away with it.

  “What’s this?” Kyra glances out of the car window as we pull up in front of a building. It’s a restored factory and has been converted into an exclusive spa treatment place which offers out-of-this-world multi-sensory bath experiences as well as a whole range of special and exotic treatments, massages and therapies.

  A woman’s paradise. I hope that Kyra, who probably would never come to something like this, will appreciate it. At least I hope she does.

  “This is Fortuna Baths,” I tell her. “You must have heard of it?”

  “I have.” We get out of the car. “Is this where we’re going?” she asks, slowly.

  “Unless you have something better to do on a Sunday afternoon?”

  Because I now own this place, I’ve instructed that it be closed to the public today, and that only the best staff are here. I’ve also instructed them to treat me like a guest and not be too familiar.

  As soon as we walk inside, I see Kyra’s excitement rocket. Her jaw hangs open, then inches open slightly more as she admires the interior. An aura of tranquil calm abounds. The space is scented, the light bright in the lobby, but dim in the individual rooms and spaces which have hot baths, and ice-cold plunges. There are warm pools, jet pools and a saltwater flotarium.

  “Wow.” The word escapes Kyra’s mouth, and her eyes widen with delight. “I don’t know what to say.” She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me.

  “Don’t say anything,” I tell her. “Just enjoy it.”

  * * *

  KYRA

  * * *

  Fortuna Baths is the sort of place only a select few visit. I don’t know anyone who’s been here, but these places aren’t on my radar.

  I’m surprised to see that it is empty, but then again, I could be wrong. The place is like a huge cave, with different rooms coming off the hallways.

  Within minutes, a stunning modelesque looking woman greets us and tells us that she and her team will take good care of us. She ushers us into a changing room that looks so opulent and plush that I could happily just sit here all day and read a book. Then she tells us to get changed.

  “Into what?” I look at Brad because I am completely unprepared for this.

  “Relax,” he says, taking my hand.

  “We have bikinis
and swimsuits.” She opens the door to a closet, and what look like new items of clothing, hang inside covered with shiny wrap.

  “Knock on the door when you’re ready,” she says, and discreetly leaves. I gape around the room, content just to stay in here.

  “How about this?” says Brad, pulling out a bikini.

  My face flushes. I should have prepped. “And what about you?”

  “I’m going to put on a fluffy white robe.” He winks at me, then hooks a thumb over his shoulder at a door. “I’m next door. Get changed. I’ll see you in five.” He disappears through the adjoining door, leaving me staring at the clothes rack.

  I get changed into the bikini he picked. It happens to be one I like. We both knock on the adjoining door at the same time, both wearing a fluffy white robe.

  “Come on,” he takes my hand.”

  “You’ve been here before.”

  “A couple of times.”

  We’re in a dimly lit room, inside which is something that resembles a hot tub, only it’s taller than a normal hot tub. The therapist tells us about the treatment which involves sinking into a tub filled with antioxidant, rich red grapes.

  I’m not sure I like the sound of that.

  “Trust me,” says Brad, slipping off his robe, to reveal swim shorts. The sight of those finely chiseled abs and that body with its perfectly defined ridges makes my heartbeat soar. Down to his swim shorts, Brad’s body is a vision straight out of a Calvin Klein ad.

  Hot damn.

  My skin prickles. He climbs in and watches me. I take off my robe, and feel suddenly self-conscious, even though he has seen me almost naked before. I rush to get into the tub. I’m slightly wary and dip into it slowly. It’s like sinking into a vat of warm honey in a hot tub except that we can’t see into it because the liquid is dark, but velvety and comforting.

  Brad watches me the entire time.

  The therapist places a small metal object on the aquamarine mosaic tiles. “I’ll leave this buzzer here. Press it if you need anything.”