A Woman Worth Fighting For

by Eunice Hart

  She refrained from looking at her father’s pictures on the wall. Even though she’d stopped crying, she was still very fragile; all it would take to break the dam was something as sentimental as a picture of her late parent. Keeping her eyes forward, she cleared the rest of the stairs and gazed around. Her eyes landed on a door covered with glitter.

  Her bedroom.

  It had been years since she last visited this place; since she climbed the stairs; since she saw her room. Wondering if her mother might’ve cleared it out, she pushed open the door and stepped into the bedroom, and her mouth opened in a gasp.

  Everything was as it had been the last time she was here: the raised bed with the green covers, the girl-band posters on the walls, the rainbow-patterned curtains, only the room looked like it had been cleaned regularly over the years. The sight of it brought back memories to the forefront of Adele’s mind. A lot of things had happened in here. She’d hung out here with her friends when she was little. She’d lost her virginity here in high school to a boy who never spoke to her again because he didn’t think sex with “fat girls” was so hot.

  She headed for the bed and slowly sank onto it, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. In a matter of seconds, she was on her front, clutching her pillow and crying into it, wondering when the tears would stop, glad she had the comfort of her old room to let it all out…

  When she passed out, she wasn’t sure, but a loud bang jerked her back to consciousness. It was much darker in the bedroom now. At least, until the light flicked on, nearly blinding her. She started to pull the covers up to her face to shield her eyes.

  “Show yourself, motherfucker!” There was a scream and a rather colorful baseball bat swung through the air, speeding towards her face. Adele rolled just in time; the bat crashed into wall and lodged between it and the headboard, refusing to budge when the assailant tried to pull it out.

  “Damned thing…”

  “Mom!”

  There was a pause and Amara Kincaid gazed at her daughter, squinting for a few seconds. Then recognition dawned in her face and she let go of the bat, her eyes widening with a surprise. “Adele? You snore like a man. What the hell are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I could’ve killed you!”

  “You’re not even wearing your glasses,” Adele told her, rolling her eyes as she sat up. “If you hit me, it would’ve been dumb luck. Where did you get that bat? Trying out for Little League now?”

  “Don’t get smart with me, young lady.” Amara Kincaid tossed her hair out of her face, then reached into her pocket for her glasses and slipped them on, squinting at Adele again as though to make sure she’d seen correctly. “What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Her tone took on the slightest hint of concern. “And why do you look like you’ve been crying?”

  Adele let out a huge sigh, feeling a bit of the tightness leave her chest. “That’s what I came here to talk to you about.”

  *****

  The ride back to her apartment was pretty long. At least, that’s how Adele saw it.

  It was mostly because her mother wouldn’t stop talking about changing her personality and showing Peter the sexy side of her if she wanted to attract him so badly. She’d said this already at her house, while they had hot cocoa, but she wouldn’t stop. As Amara droned on, talking about the time she saved up and bought a Chanel dress to impress a boy at her school when she was a teenager, Adele gazed out at the buildings they swept past and let her mind drift.

  She still couldn’t believe how upset she’d gotten over Peter. He’d only been on a date. A date. It wasn’t like she’d walked in on him having sex with that woman. And even if that was the case, would it really matter? There was no way someone like Peter Tanaka would consider her. Her mother’s advice didn’t hold much ground when it came to him. After all, hadn’t she worn a Chanel dress on her first day? How much luck had that gotten her?

  She needed to stop thinking about a man who probably didn’t even care one bit about her. At this rate, she was just going to get hurt again, this time by her own hand.

  It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn’t even bothered to phone Betty to tell her what had happened, and Adele felt a twinge of guilt. Her friend must be going nuts wondering where she was.

  “Oh, God, I feel like such a jerk,” she moaned.

  Her mother glanced sideways at her. “Huh?”

  “Never mind.” She sat up straighter as her apartment building came into view. “There’s my place.”

  Her mother pulled up in front of the building.

  “You know, I’ve always wondered why you won’t just come live with me,” Amara said disapprovingly. “I know many young people think it’s silly living with their parents once they turn adults but think about all the money you’d save. Plus, you and I get to bond!”

  Adele suppressed a cringe at that last statement. Her mother’s idea of “bonding” was constantly playing therapist, and as much as Adele enjoyed her mother’s comfort, Amara could be a little extreme.

  “Thanks for the offer, Mom,” Adele said. “And the ride.”

  She climbed out of the car and waited for her mother to drive away, then headed inside. She made her way up to their apartment, unlocked the door and stepped inside. The apartment was dark and quiet, and her footsteps echoed as she walked in. She reached for the light switch, but before she could flick it, a light came on. Sitting beside a lamp, her legs crossed, glowering at her roommate, was Betty.

  Adele frantically scanned her mind for what to say to her friend, but before she could even come up with anything, Betty spoke.

  “Where the hell have you been?” she exploded, shooting to her feet. Adele could practically see the steam shooting from her ears. “I’ve looked all over town for you. Do you have any idea how worried I was when I got here, and you weren’t around?”

  Adele flicked the switch, brightening the room some more. “I’m sorry, I –”

  “You ditched me at that restaurant, Adele!” Betty threw her arms up. “You left me standing there confused and – and all because of some guy? Really, Adele? That wasn’t cool. At all.”

  “I know, I know.” Adele raised her hands to placate her friend, making her way towards her friend. “Betty, please listen. I’m sorry I ditched you. It was a dumb move. But that guy? That was Peter.”

  That was all it took for her friend to freeze. Betty’s eyes slowly widened, her eyebrows rising into her hair. “Peter? As in Peter Tanaka? Your boss?”

  “Well, he’s the boss of my boss’s boss…maybe a few dozen more bosses up the chain. I saw him and it got to me. I didn’t mean to leave you like that, seeing him there made me feel really, really…weird.”

  “Because you have feelings for him.”

  Adele was still coming to terms with the fact that she felt something for Peter Tanaka. Hearing someone else say it…well, it didn’t exactly make her comfortable. She sucked in a breath. “Yes. But it wasn’t just seeing him with someone else that upset me. It was the fact that he acted like I didn’t even exist. I’m sorry I walked out on you like that.”

  “It’s okay, I was just worried.” Betty walked over and threw an arm around her friend. “I’m sorry that happened to you. Where did you go?”

  “My mom’s.”

  There was a slight pause. “You went to meet your mom?” Betty hugged her even tighter. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

  Both women burst into laughter. When they broke apart, Adele couldn’t stop grinning. A patter of feet reached her ears and she looked down just in time to see Muffin race towards her, leaping into her arms. She stroked the cat’s back and he purred lightly.

  “I already fed him, so don’t listen to whatever he says,” Betty said, making her way towards the bedroom. She paused halfway and spun on her heel. “Oh, and, uh, you’ve got a new email.”

  Adele didn’t look up from stroking Muffin. “I get emails every day.”

  “Well, this one’s from work. It’s…
urgent.”

  That got her attention. Adele glanced up and was surprised to see the nervous look on Adele’s face. Immediately questions started to race through her mind. What in the world was going on? Why did Betty look so nervous all of a sudden? It clearly had something to do with the email. But…what?

  She set Muffin down on the nearest couch and followed her friend inside, heading straight for the computer. The notification was still there, but she didn’t have to open the newest email to see what it was about. She looked at the first three emboldened words and realized why Betty had suddenly seemed so uneasy:

  LETTER OF TERMINATION

  Chapter 5

  If You Mess With the Boss, You’ll get the…Well, It’s Better Not To Say

  Peter couldn’t have been happier when his date with Cho Byers ended. It had lasted five hours and thirty minutes, like some board meeting, only this was worse. When, eventually, he and Cho got up to leave, he couldn’t have been happier.

  Of course, he had Cho to blame for that. If she wasn’t so overly concerned about herself, maybe he would’ve enjoyed their date a little, but no. She’d spent most of the time talking about herself, pretty much shunning him whenever he tried to change the subject. Peter had felt his patience waning, but somehow, he’d managed to remain where he was and look calm. If it would shut Aneko up about his love life, then he was okay with it.

  And then he’d spotted…her.

  Adele Kincaid had been on his mind for most of the time he was with Cho, but he still hadn’t expected her to show up at the mall – not right outside the restaurant, at least. The second his eyes locked on her; he’d been outright stunned. It hadn’t been easy, but somehow, he’d managed to contain the excitement that suddenly filled him, and return his gaze to Cho, who’d begun talking about the one time she got a broken fingernail.

  He’d felt a twinge of disappointment when he saw Adele leave. And guilt, when he realized he’d upset her.

  Then he’d gotten mad at himself for feeling that way. He was her boss after all, wasn’t he? It wasn’t his duty to make sure she was happy. He didn’t need to feel anything for her. What was between them was purely business.

  But was business the real reason he kept going to see her?

  He had to do something about that. And fast.

  The Lamborghini raced through the streets that night as he drove home, having dropped Cho off at her place. Peter remembered, with a grimace, how she’d thought he’d leaned over to kiss her when all he was doing was getting the door open for her. The memory of her disappointment brought a smirk to his face. Had she really thought he’d want anything to do with someone like her?

  It wasn’t even just about whether he liked her or not. It didn’t matter whether he was head-over-heels in love with Cho, unlikely as that was. Going on dates was bad enough. There was no way he’d let himself have anything to do with one of Aneko’s friends. Around them, Peter couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that Aneko was keeping tabs on him. Peter suppressed his horror at the thought of what might’ve happened if Cho had caught him staring at the one-woman Aneko despised.

  Before long, the car was pulling into his driveway, drawing nearer to his house. It was more of a mansion than an ordinary house, with massive white pillars in front and more windows than he could count. A trimmed hedge encircled a water fountain just in front of the building, standing taller than the cars themselves. The Aston Martin sat parked right beside it.

  Aneko was home.

  Peter let out a loud groan. He’d let his sister crash at his place while she was in Massachusetts, but when he agreed to let her stay here, he’d never imagined she would be around for more than a month. It had been nearly two months already.

  But of course, he couldn’t really do anything about it. She was his blood, after all. Still, it wouldn’t be at all annoying if she wasn’t the meddling type. Peter should’ve figured what would happen when he let her crash with him. Apparently, she would be around indefinitely, enjoying Boston until she decided to leave for New York. Indefinitely, she would pretty much plant herself in every area of his life.

  Like she’d just done today, with Cho.

  No doubt, that woman must’ve phoned his sister already to complain that he’d refused to kiss her after their date. Peter made a mental note to make sure Aneko’s friends weren’t complete disasters before he agreed to go on dates with them. He gave a sigh and climbed out of the car, jangling his keys as he, he trudged into the house.

  The moment he was inside, soft music wafted out of the living room to meet him. He frowned. What was going on? What was Aneko up to this time? He shut the door behind him, wincing at the loud clicking sound it made.

  The music stopped.

  “Is that you, Peter?” a voice rang out from the living room. “I’ve been expecting you.”

  There was a pattern of footsteps and Aneko appeared in his field of vision, wearing a fluffy pink robe, her hair in blue rolls. In her hand she clutched a glass of wine. The grin on her face was a little too wide.

  “There you are.” She struck a pose, her hand on her hip, and pouted. “Cho told me you didn’t seem very interested on your date today.”

  “Gee, I wonder what gave that away. Did she tell you she wouldn’t stop talking about herself?”

  Aneko gave a dismissive wave. “Whatever. How about I set you up with someone else? I think you’d like Natasha, or maybe Bonnie.”

  “No, thanks.” Peter shook his head. “I’m not really in the mood to get bored to death by another of your friends.”

  “Then, maybe we could just hang out?” she offered; her grin wide as ever. “Talk?”

  What in the world was this about? Aneko rarely smiled like that unless something really thrilled her. Was that why she’d been listening to music and drinking wine this late? Something had to be up. But Peter wasn’t sure he really wanted to know what it was.

  “No, I think I’ll just head upstairs and get some sleep. I’m tired.”

  “Oh, come on, brother.” Aneko brought the glass to her lips, keeping her eyes on him as he started to turn away from her. “Don’t you want to know what I did?”

  Something about the way she said that sent a chill racing down Peter’s spine and he froze on the spot. Feeling a sense of foreboding wash over him, he spun around slowly, narrowing his eyes at his sister.

  “What did you do?”

  *****

  The next day moved by like a snail with a wounded foot. When Monday came, Adele couldn’t have been more relieved to get out of bed and prepare for work. Betty came into the bathroom as she was brushing her teeth, her hair tousled from sleep.

  “You’re really going through with this?” she slurred. “I figured you’d forget all about it eventually.”

  Adele looked at her like she was crazy. “Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’m allowing him to humiliate me like that. I can just imagine his face when he finds out I showed up for work today.”

  Betty shrugged and left the bathroom, rubbing her eyes. Adele resumed brushing, glaring at her reflection in the mirror, the memory of Saturday evening still fresh in her mind. Adele still couldn’t believe what she’d seen. A letter of termination? That had been unexpected.

  Admittedly, she should probably have seen it coming, but it all seemed so wrong. She knew she’d been pretty stubborn, but all Peter had done was threaten to fire her. Why now? And couldn’t he have done it in a more dignified manner than a bloody email? What was this, a school project?

  She figured it probably had something to do with the fact that she’d brought his attention to herself at the mall. Maybe that was his last straw. Maybe he didn’t like the fact that she’d ruined his classy date with her presence. Adele didn’t think any reason could possibly surprise her.

  She hadn’t told her mother anything yet; after what had happened at Amara’s house, she didn’t want to disturb her mother again that night. So instead she’d asked herself what her mother would tell her to do. Definitely
something stubborn.

  And that was what she was going to do. Peter Tanaka might want her gone, but Adele Kincaid wasn’t going to let him treat her like she was nothing. Today, she would go to work like nothing had happened. When he showed up to confront her, she would give him a really big piece of her mind.

  Minutes later, she was back in the bedroom. She slipped into a red gown and black heels, sparing only a second to pet Muffin, then grabbed her bag and left for work before Betty could even make them some coffee.

  There was a man sitting at one of the tables when she walked into the restaurant. He was dressed in a black suit, looking as if waiting for someone. Adele immediately recognized him as Brian. Confused, she headed over to his table. Brian looked up and his eyebrows rose.

  “Good morning, Miss Kincaid,” he said; he started to get up, but she held up her hand to stop him. Brian sat back down and quickly gestured at the seat across from him. “Would you like to have a seat?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “We weren’t expecting customers this early. Is there someone you’d like to see?”

  He pressed his lips together. “Actually, I was waiting here to see if you’d show up.”

  “Huh?”

  “Mr. Tanaka asked me to come down here and contact him when you came to work.”

  When she came to work? Peter definitely knew how stubborn she could be. He of all people would know what being stubborn was like.

  She regarded Brian with a solid stare. “So, what, you’re a tour guide and a spy now?”

  “I’m his personal assistant.”

  Adele had never felt so stupid. Duh.

  “Oh,” was all she could come up with.

  “Yeah, I drive him around sometimes, record appointments for him, et cetera.”

  “I see,” she said. “In that case, tell him I’m here. Tell him I have no intention of stopping work just yet. He doesn’t get to fire me just like that.”

  Brian gave her a strange look, and she realized she must’ve snapped. “But he –”

  “Tell him I’ll be waiting,” she cut in. “I’m more than ready for him.”