by Wood, Lauren
“I don't know what it is either. But I certainly feel it, Angie.”
Why was it like the biggest relief off of my chest to know that he wanted me too? I shouldn't let it bother me. I shouldn't be falling for this man, again, but here I was.
“Do you want to see where this ends?”
I wasn't sure of the answer to that, because the truth was, I was okay with the journey, not the destination.
“I don't know. Maybe we are just supposed to meet every decade or so and get it on a few times. It seems to work so far. You've made it clear that you're not really ready for a relationship, and I have never been that good at them myself.”
“If I would have found you before, if I would have gotten your last name, it would’ve been different. I didn't think about it, until you were long gone and there was no chance of me getting it. You don't know how much I have regretted that all this time. I didn't want it to be a one and done back then. What happened the first time was amazing, and I would have gladly chased you around until I found you.”
“I don't think your family would have let that happen.”
“My family wouldn’t have had a say in it.”
He had this intense look on his face and I wondered what was going through his mind. It seemed to be about more than just me.
“So, your ex-wife, they set you up with her?”
Jaime immediately pulled back and started to retreat into himself. It was rather clear that he did not want to have that discussion, but I did. I wanted to know more and whether it was uncomfortable for him or not, it was what I needed. I needed to know what's going on and where I stood.
“Yes, that's exactly what happened.”
“See, like I said, they wouldn't have approved of me anyways.”
“You come from a really good family; they probably would have.”
I don't know why, with the way he said it, kind of threw me off. What if I wouldn’t have been good enough? What if his family would have wanted him to be with Anika anyways? Would he have gone with her or would he have chosen me?
I was literally getting upset about a scenario that I had made up in my head. It didn't matter what he would do in this fictional set-up, because that was years ago. Today was a new day, right?
We were back at his house and Antonio stopped to let us out. He offered to get the door, but Jaime quickly told him that he would get it for me. I don't know why he was so quick to jump to my aid, but I rather liked the chivalry. It had been a long time since I've been with a guy like that.
“Are you coming in to help paint and get it on the carpet, or do you have real work to do?”
“I suppose I should get some real work done. There is a charity event that me and my family go to every year. I would really like it if you would come with me.”
“I don't know if I have anything to wear. It's been a long time since I went to one of those fancy places. Can I give you an answer later?”
He told me that he would pick me up around eight. “As long as your answer is yes, that will be perfect. I will see you at eight.”
I agreed, because it didn't really feel like I had another choice and I accepted the kiss that he planted on my cheek. I don't know what it was about this man, but he really threw me for a loop. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, I still didn't really know. That's what scared me the most.
17
Jaime
I went to the office because I hadn't been in much at all. I was still trying to avoid my uncle, but I still had work to do also. I had been running things since my father died. Of course, my uncle took care of a lot of it, but in name and in some workload, I was still running the business. That took a lot more time than I wanted to give at the moment, but I knew that I didn't really have a choice. I wanted to stay with Angie. I could have stayed there with her all day and night, but I did have work to do.
I thought I was doing so well, staying away from Colin. I got myself off on floors that he didn't usually go to and hoped that that would be enough. I found out rather quickly, that it wouldn't be enough, not today.
I was on the third floor in the HR Department and here came Colin. His booming voice was heard long before he was seen. It was the only warning I got, before I got a sharp slap on the shoulder.
“I have been looking all over for you. I'm starting to think that you are avoiding me, nephew.”
We both know that's exactly what I was doing. It did not take much to realize that I was not too enthused with his new plan for my life. As much as I wish I could do all of the things they wanted me to do, this was something that I had to draw the line at.
“Why don't we go down to have some coffee?”
There is a coffee cart on the bottom floor of the building and I walked with him to the elevator. He still had a grip on my shoulder from before. It wasn't like I had a choice.
Once the doors closed, the smile that he had plastered on his face was gone. I knew that it was a fake smile to begin with.
“I don’t like when you take off and don’t come in like you’re supposed to. Your father would have never done that.”
“No, he wouldn’t have.”
I didn’t say anything more, because to me, there was nothing to say. He was going to give his opinion and tell me what the board wanted, but I was already imagining a life without my family dogging me every minute of it. I liked the idea of it, but I knew that there wasn’t anything to back it up.
“So, why do you waste your time, running around, when you should be here, making the board and your family money?”
That was always what it came down to. Like my father, I was a cash-cow and nothing more. They wanted me to give it all up, just so that their stocks were worth more. I was starting to really question the validity of my father’s way of living.
“Why would I want to do things that only benefit the board? You and dad didn’t have the secret to living life. Neither one of you were ever very happy.”
“Yes, but your father set you up for life, and you shouldn’t forget that. Your daughter is going to need something as well. Would you really let her down in that way?”
I just sighed to myself, because there was no making sense of it. Colin could only see money and for so long, that’s what I’d seen as well. But I had enough money, even if they pulled out all of the trust in my name. I would be fine. I didn’t need this anymore and I feared that Colin could see that his grip was getting less and less. That worried him, and me as well, though for different reasons.
I wanted to make my own way, own decisions, but I hadn’t done much of that. Not the big stuff. Angie was the big stuff and whether it was right or wrong, I really wanted to follow my heart on this one. I wasn’t thinking about how it would look, or who her family was, what benefit I would get from the pairing. No, all I was thinking about was Angie. She was meant to be mine.
“Marjorie will be taken care of. You don’t have to worry about that, uncle. But I thank you for your concern. I am going to get out of here. I have to get ready for the charity event in a little while.”
Colin put his brow up and asked me if I was really coming.
“Yes, I thought it would be a good way to get some good publicity, you know, after all of the bad that Anika is doing.”
“Have you thought more on that subject?”
“I have, still not there yet. Will talk to you later.”
I looked back once and saw the way he looked after me. He was not happy with me and it almost hurt to see him that way, because he looked so much like my father, that it was a constant reminder that dad was gone. Uncle Colin was like him more than just the way he looked. I wanted to get away from both of them.
“You are simply stunning, Angie. You know that, don’t you?”
She really was too. I don't think I had ever seen her that beautiful before. Angie had always been sexy and breathtaking, but there is something different now. She was a full woman and she had dressed to impress me. There was the tease to the hair that wa
s falling in her face. The blonde strands were a bit messy, but I had made the comment that I liked her hair down. It reminded me of when she got out of the bed and I had just properly fucked her. My mind instantly went to that now.
Angie's blue eyes glistened and a smile went across her face. “I was hoping that you would like the dress.”
“I certainly do. It is something else entirely.”
“So, are we going to go or not?”
Honestly, the only thing I wanted to do was stare at her. Her body was gloved in a little black dress and her legs seemed even longer, because of the stiletto heels.
“As good as you look Angie, I'm starting to think that we don't even have to go to this charity thing. Maybe we can go inside, have a drink and see what happens?”
She giggled, but it wasn't the type of sound that meant she would do as I asked. No, there was something else going on.
Angie started to pout.” I have gotten all dressed up, so we're going. I thought you went every year.”
“It is a boring affair, and I would certainly rather stay here with you.”
“Well that's not an option. You said you would take me out and that's exactly what you're going to do.”
I liked this new, semi-demanding Angie. I liked it very much and I think at this point, I would have gone along with anything that she said. Angie had that way with me. My head was spinning out of control, just thinking about it.
“Anything you want, Angie. Let's go to the charity event and you can show off your dress and I can show you off.”
18
Angie
We kissed a little bit in the car, but I made sure that it didn't go any further than that. Last time we had taken a drive together, it had certainly ended differently than I wanted it to tonight. Tonight, we were going to go out and be together. It was the first time that we had done something official and I wondered about the relationship I was in with him. Whatever it was, it felt a little bit more official.
Moving out to the event, it was like many of the ones I’d gone to before. My family was into donating to charity for sport, as well. Most likely, it was for the tax breaks that they got from it, but I never questioned it. It was easier just to smile and take the plate of food sat in front of me and then leave. When he even suggested that we not go, I had actually been upset about it. It wasn't because I was missing that plate of food or the endless conversation that I didn't care about. No, I was worried about losing that officiality that came with us coming out together at such an event.
“You got quiet on me, Angie. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I don't know where my mind is.”
“Are you sure you want to do this? My offer still stands to go get naked and run around your place or mine.”
I shook my head, that that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted us to be seen together and maybe after the end of the night, I would have a bit more of a clue about what it was we were doing to begin with. It felt like we were together, but other times it did not. Why was I so confused all of a sudden?
He gave me his arm and I slipped mine through it. Once I was touching him and I could feel the warmth of his body, I started to calm down a little bit. Or at least, I liked to think I did.
“You always make me feel better, Jaime. Did you know that?”
“No, I didn't, but that is certainly good to hear. All I want to do is make you feel good.”
I told him that he was doing a pretty good job of it and he grinned. Instead of going forward, he stopped me and pulled me closer for a kiss. I felt my body molding up against him and I knew then, that whatever was going to happen tonight, I certainly wanted to end it with me and him wrapping it up in a bed somewhere. I didn’t really care where.
When we got inside, I realized quickly that there weren't that many people there that I recognized. I'm sure that my family knew a lot of them, but I had not been working or living in these circles for quite some time. Not since I started my business.
He asked me if I wanted a drink and then he started to leave, but I didn't want him to go. I felt like I was being cast out to sea and I was so surely going to go under.
“Why don't I come with you?”
“You sure you don't want to just take care of it and you can mingle while I’m gone?”
“I don't even know any of these people. I'd rather stay with you, if you don't mind.”
I don’t know why I was feeling so weird, but I knew that I wanted to be next to Jaime.
“Not at all. I always like to have a beautiful woman on my arm. Like I told you before, I am ready to show you off.”
I clung close to Jaime most of the night because I didn't want to be away from his side. It wasn't like this wasn't the type of situation I had been in many times before with my family, but it was different now. I don't know why, but it meant more, because it was Jaime's way of us coming out into society in a way. We were finally saying that we were a couple, something I never thought would happen.
Jaime was away using the restroom at some point, and I was left standing close to the bar. It felt alien to have him away from me and I kept looking over to say something to him, but he wasn't there.
“You sure do keep your claws rather deep. Not that I blame you. The way that Jaime's eyes shift around, you really have to keep on him, don't you?”
The voice came from behind me and I had to turn around to see who it was. It did not take long for me to figure it out. Immediately, I knew who the woman was in front of me. I had seen her splashed across so many newspapers and magazines that I don't think very many literate people in the world did not know who Anika Stevens was.
“I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about.”
“My husband, the one that you're holding on to for dear life. That's what I'm talking about. Jaime.”
I didn't know what to say to her. She did not say ex-husband, but husband. Did she still think they were married? Was she drunk now and out of her mind? According to the newspapers, that would not be too far from the truth from what her usual was.
“I don't know what you're talking about. Me and Jaime are here for the charity event. I am not doing anything.”
I immediately started to feel like I had to explain myself. I wanted to try to explain to her that I wasn't holding on to Jaime for dear life. I was just nervous and liked him next to me. Now I had to wonder if she was right or not. Was that the reason that I was holding him so tightly, because I thought that someone was going to snatch him up?
The answer was rather simple. I probably was worried about that. I never felt the way I do when I'm with Jaime, so naturally I don't want to be away from him. Anika was just making it into something ugly. It wasn’t ugly at all.
“Well, you hold on to him tight, because he will be back in my arms before you know it. You were just a dalliance. Nothing more.”
She had a lot of balls, but of course she would. She's Anika.
“I'm under the impression that you are divorced, and he is done with you.”
Anika’s eyes immediately flashed, and I knew that she was mad. Really mad. For a second, I thought she was going to physically lash out at me, but instead she just got this dead-eyed look to her face and then her lips curled up in a vicious smile.
“Yes, we are divorced. That will not be going on for long. I am already in talks with his family again. We will get this all straightened out pretty quickly, just like last time.”
Jaime had told me that he was pushed into marriage with Anika once before. At the time I hadn’t really believed it, but now I was starting to. I remember those kinds of pressures as well from my family, but I had gone against their wishes. They never tried to get me to marry a certain person, but there had been many times that an eligible bachelor just happened to be at a dinner party that my parents were throwing. I had turned away from it though, no matter how hard it was, and Jaime had not. He was still working with his family, so maybe there was some truth to Anika’s words. Maybe I was the one that didn’t under
stand the situation at all.
“I will see you around, though I don't think you'll be here that much longer.”
I tried to say something, get the last word in, tell her that she was wrong and knew nothing about what she was talking about. But I couldn't. Because she was gone, and Jaime was coming up behind me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. Usually, this would make me melt. But I was already melting from the anger I had for Anika.
“What did she want?”
“You know, just to mess with my head.”
“Did you let her?”
I had to think about that for a moment. The truth was, that she had made me second-guess what me and Jaime had. She did get in my head and now I tried to push it away and pretend like it didn't bother me.
“No, not at all. I can see a jealous woman for what it is.”
He kissed me and I didn't pull back. I wanted to in a way, because everything was so up in the air now. She had gotten into my head. Big time.
19
Jaime
After that charity event, my uncle Colin had a lot of questions about Angie. I did not give much information. Even though I said that it was our coming out time, the issue that I was having with my family and the board at the moment was not making things any easier. Colin was popping up more and more and I was trying to avoid him as much as possible.
Since I didn't even go into my office directly at first anymore, I went to the coffee cart and slowly made my way up, Colin had met me at the cart already, so now I started to bypass the cart and just get something before I came in. I was going right back to my desk. I found a little bit of humor in the idea that he was looking all around the building trying to find me, while I was sitting at my desk the whole time.