The Secret

by Maggie Cole

  Meg was the only thing that took my stress away. I wanted to give her the world. I hoped she trusted me to make this up to her someday.

  I had to save these deals. They needed to close and fast because I didn’t know how much longer either of us could hideout.

  12

  Meg

  It was Friday, the day after the big fight, and Liv and I were trying to wrap things up so we could get to her wedding dress appointment with Vera.

  We were in the conference room, going over the next week’s meetings when Lilly brought two massive bouquets into the conference room.

  “Someone is popular,” Lilly joked, setting down the flowers.

  Both cards had my name written on them.

  “Thought you were on hiatus?” Liv teased.

  I grabbed the cards, confused.

  Surely, Collin isn’t sending me flowers?

  The first card:

  Meg,

  I was out of line. I promise you I’m going to get my shit together. Please forgive me. I never wanted to hurt or embarrass you, and I know I did last night.

  Love,

  Keri

  I reread it. Then I handed it to Liv.

  The second card:

  Meg,

  I had a ton of fun last night until the incident. I’m truly sorry about my actions. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to break my promise to you.

  Sam

  I reread it as well and then handed it to Liv also.

  She read it and gave me a knowing glance. We started laughing so hard we both had tears in our eyes.

  The event from the night before was terrible, but it felt good to laugh about it with Liv.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked me when we finally stopped giggling.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I can’t stay mad forever. They are clients, after all.”

  “We could fire them as clients if you want?” I knew she was serious.

  “Liv, we aren’t going to lose millions for the firm because of me.”

  Putting her finger in the air, “One, it’s not because of you. Two, I remember you telling me a while back that there are tons of other accounts out there.”

  This was why she was my best friend. She always had my back. It threw the guilt of my secret with Collin, and the lies I had told her, in my face.

  I put my hand on hers. “Thanks. I appreciate that, but I don’t want to fire them. At least not yet.” I winked at her. I didn’t need to fire Keri and Sam. It was a new day, and I knew in my heart that their actions from the night before would not be repeated. They weren’t horrible guys, just dumb at times.

  “Well, you just tell me if the time ever comes.” She was serious, and I knew it. I got choked up that she respected me enough to risk losing millions.

  Guilt about lying to Liv, once again, slapped me.

  We hurried through our work and left to go to Vera’s.

  I decided I was going to have fun and forget about last night’s events. It was Liv’s special time, and I was truly happy for her. The thought rushed through my mind that I wanted what she had. I wondered if I had found it with Collin, but with our current situation of secrecy, I didn’t know how we would ever get down the aisle, much less out in public.

  In the car, a bottle of Cristal sat in an ice bucket with a note for Liv.

  Liv,

  Enjoy your day. I can’t wait to marry you.

  Love,

  Tom

  I laughed. “Once again, your man thinks of everything.”

  She just smiled at me, as her happiness radiated.

  We popped open the champagne and had finished our glasses by the time we arrived at Vera’s. When we got inside, the sales lady promptly handed each of us another glass.

  Vera came out, and after all the introductions, she took us back to a room and started asking Liv questions about embellishments and fabrics, and if Liv had any particular type of style in mind.

  We were soon in a dressing area, and several gowns were brought out for Liv to try on, just to get an idea of what she liked.

  Liv was getting ready when I received a text from Collin. “Hey babe, this situation from last night has created a bunch of issues with possible sponsors for both Keri and Sam. I’m not sure what time I’ll be home tonight. Can we reschedule dinner?”

  My heart sank. There went Keri and Sam, once again, screwing up my life. I replied, "Okay, I understand.”

  Collin sent back, “I’m still up for the sleepover if you are?”

  I giggled out loud without thinking. “I think that could be arranged. Don’t try to think this gets you out of taking me out.”

  “No way you’re letting me off the hook for that one. I’ll text you later tonight and arrange transportation.”

  I replied with three heart emojis.

  "Okay, you’re not on a hiatus. Spill it, Meg.” Liv was standing in front of me, in a white wedding dress that hugged her body perfectly with just the right amount of cleavage, and a veil on the back of her blonde hair that trailed down to the floor.

  “Oh, Liv,” I said breathlessly. “You’re gorgeous!” I had tears in my eyes. She was absolutely stunning.

  Liv smiled and had tears in her eyes too.

  I jumped up and hugged her. “You have to have Vera design something like this. This is totally you! Tom will go batty!” I raved.

  She twirled in the mirror. I briefly forgot about her comment, but I wasn’t going to get off that easy.

  Turning back to me, she grinned and raised an eyebrow. “So? Who is he?”

  My face flushed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I was a shitty liar. I always had been.

  She gave me a hurt look.

  I put my hands on my face as my heart raced.

  She used it as an opportunity to grab my phone. I picked my head up and saw her shocked eyes.

  Oh shit. Collin is going to kill me. Liv is going to hate me.

  “Liv, I’m sorry—”

  She held her hand up. After handing the phone back, she sat down on the couch next to me.

  “Meg, why didn’t you tell me?”

  A river of tears flowed down my cheeks.

  “Hey.” She rubbed my back. “Meg, what’s going on? Tell me.”

  It all came out. The kiss in Tom’s car the first night I met Collin, the meeting at Sam’s, and the entire night after I left. Dinner and the sleepover at Collin’s where Keri intruded, and finally, last night.

  I was a babbling mess, and she kept handing me fresh tissues.

  I took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m so sorry I lied to you. I didn’t know what to do.”

  She gave me a big hug. “It’s okay. If anyone understands rules and secrets, it’s me.”

  She had a point there.

  “So, you forgive me?”

  Liv waved her hand at me. “Already past it, girl.”

  Fresh tears of relief ran down my face. I realized how much anxiety this secret had generated in my life.

  “Meg, we have to figure out a way to get Keri to be okay with you and Collin. Otherwise, Collin is going to want you to keep this a secret forever. Secrets aren’t good. You’ll never be free.”

  Tapping my fingers on my thigh, I admitted, “That’s what is scaring me. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out how to solve this, but I don’t know the answer.”

  Liv sighed. “I bet last night didn’t help either.”

  I shook my head. “Collin is going to be really late because of last night. Sponsors are already threatening to pull from both Keri and Sam.”

  Liv’s eyes widened. “Meg, we have to go find Collin then.”

  “No way! This is your day, and we aren’t going to let those two children ruin it by coming to their defense!”

  “But they probably need some PR…” Liv had a strained look on her face.

  I realized that she was never going to relax until I did what I had to do.

  I called Collin and put him
on speaker. “Hey, babe, miss me already?” He answered in a slightly cocky tone that would generally turn me on.

  “Hey Collin, it’s me and Liv, and you’re on speaker.”

  Silence ensued. Finally, he cleared his voice. “Hey, Liv.”

  I realized that I owed him some explanation. “Listen, Collin, I’m not going into all the details right now, but Liv knows. Don’t stress out, though.”

  Silence again.

  Liv spoke up. “Your secret is safe with me, Collin, but that isn’t why we’re calling. You and Meg can talk later about this, but what is going on with Keri and Sam right now? Do we need to get some PR out there?”

  Collin recovered quickly. “I’m not sure what that can do to help right now. The deals that Turbo had on the table for Keri and Sam are in jeopardy. I’m trying to mitigate this situation right now, but Turbo is not happy. They might have finally done irreversible damage. It may be over.”

  “Collin, why don’t we get Keri and Sam together and notify the paparazzi? We should write some press releases as well. Get them doing some community service. Also, make them hang out together—in front of the press,” Liv suggested.

  Collin was silent for a bit. “I think it makes sense, but those two are volatile right now. I’ve met with them both, and they still want to kick the crap out of each other.”

  I had an idea. “I know what to do. Collin, set up community service for them, one in each of their old neighborhoods. Let’s give them a dose of reality.”

  “They won’t go there, Meg. I’ve tried before to get them to do volunteer in their old communities, but they both refuse.”

  Liv jumped in. “It’s too painful for them?”

  “Yes,” Collin replied.

  “Well, we know what will get them there,” Liv stated.

  “What?” Collin asked.

  “Me,” I replied.

  Collin’s voice changed. “Absolutely not. The last time those two thugs were near you, they almost killed you. Not happening.”

  Liv and I both snickered, a feeling of deja vu coming over us.

  “I don’t see what is so funny. You could have been seriously injured.” Collin’s voice turned angrier.

  Liv and I covered our mouths, trying to hide our amusement from Collin.

  It felt like several minutes, but Liv finally suggested, “Collin, I think Tom can help you out with this.”

  Collin’s voice calmed a notch. “That’s a nice offer, but I don’t want to involve Tom any more than I already have. I was grateful he stepped in last night, but I don’t want him involved in this mess. That’s not fair.”

  “We protect our own, Collin,” I informed him quietly.

  Collin didn’t say anything. I couldn’t read his mind over the phone.

  “You’re already like family to us, Collin, but if you’re with Meg, then you’re definitely one of us now. If one of us has a problem, we all have a problem.”

  I eyed Liv, remembering how we all came together for Tom last year. I smiled at her, and I knew she was thinking about it too.

  This was nothing compared to that. We could do this, and maybe figure out a way to set Collin and me free as well.

  “Babe, we’ll talk about this later, but I don’t want you near those guys.”

  Liv and I smiled. We knew how this game played out.

  Hanging up, Liv raised her brow at me, and a big grin appeared on her face. “Looks like you found your protector.”

  Collin

  Meg had spilled our secret. I tried to stay calm as I put the phone down and reminded myself that I didn’t know the entire story. Meg would never intentionally harm us.

  Liv was trustworthy, and I knew it was hard for Meg to lie to her repeatedly, so I took a little happiness in the fact that at least it was Liv and not Keri or Sam. Meg could at least talk to her about us now. Maybe that would give her some comfort until this Turbo deal closed... If it ever closed.

  We were in a shit show. Not only Turbo, but all their sponsors were talking about pulling the plug, and I was quickly losing leverage. I had been fielding phone calls and putting out fires all day long. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon.

  My meetings with Sam and Keri weren’t helpful either. They were still acting egotistical. While they were upset about how they had put Meg in the middle of their feud, they both still wanted to kill the other and weren’t taking responsibility for their actions.

  They were being arrogant assholes, and I wondered if I should even be fighting for them anymore. It would serve them right to have me pull out, but I knew that if I did that, it would be the end of any chance they had left with Turbo and send a signal to all my other clients that when the going got tough, I didn’t have their backs.

  I currently was in a losing position, and I didn't like it. On the one hand, I had to keep hiding with Meg. On the other, I had to keep representing two clients who's actions had cut my negotiating power.

  My stress was at an all-time high, and I wracked my brain about how to save this deal and get it done and over with, once and for all.

  There were no clear answers on what it was going to take, but for Liv and Meg to suggest that Meg would even be in the same room as those two thugs set my veins on fire.

  I was trying to keep business and personal separate, but it was getting harder and harder. The events of the previous night kept playing through my mind. Mostly guilt about how I hadn't been there to protect her. No way would I let her put herself in any more dangerous situations with those two.

  My phone started going off again. I sighed, “Stephen, what can I do for you…”

  13

  Meg

  By the time Collin finished his workday, it was after 9 p.m. He texted me, but I was still out with Liv and didn't see it. We spent our afternoon at Vera's, then decided to go to happy hour and dinner at La Tease.

  Several drinks in, Liv and I both felt pretty good.

  Tom's foster brother, and world-renowned chef, Kip Carter, was the owner of La Tease. We sat in the kitchen, at the chef's table explicitly reserved for Tom, which now included Liv.

  Kip drank a glass of wine with us. He told us stories about Tom that we would no doubt hold over his head one day.

  Tom texted Liv that his jet landed on his way back from D.C., and he was on his way over to La Tease.

  "I better go get his grub going." Kip grinned.

  My phone rang. It was Collin.

  "Hey, babe," I answered with a giggle.

  Collin's sultry voice oozed through the phone. "You still want to see me tonight?"

  "Duh," I giggled some more.

  "Where are you?"

  "I'm at La Tease. Come get me."

  "You're with Liv and Tom?"

  "Only Liv. Oh...and Kip!"

  He laughed. "Good thing I know who Kip is, or I might be jealous."

  "Ha, ha."

  "I'm on my way." Collin hung up.

  I set my phone down.

  "I'm glad you're with Collin. I've always liked him." Liv finished her glass.

  "Really?"

  "Yes. Tom will be happy too." Liv smiled.

  Tom snuck up on us, bent down, and kissed Liv. "Tom will be happy about what?"

  She pulled him in for a fiery kiss.

  "Get a room, you two!" I teased them.

  Tom sat down next to Liv. "What am I going to be happy about?"

  Liv and I sobered up a bit as the conversation became a tad awkward.

  Confusion flooded Tom's face. "What?"

  Silence continued. Then my phone rang. Collin's number popped up on the screen.

  I froze.

  The phone rang again. Tom saw Collin's name on my screen, gave me a puzzled glance, and grabbed the phone.

  "Collin."

  Liv and I stared at each other, frozen.

  "I just returned from D.C. and decided to meet up at La Tease with Liv and Meg. If you're in the neighborhood, you should come in."

  Tom motion
ed over to Kip, two fingers. "Yeah, Kip's cooking my grub now. Come in and get some dinner. You can talk to Meg in person."

  Liv and I started to laugh. We couldn't help it.

  Tom gave us a bewildered face. "What's going on with you two?"

  Again, not sure what to say, we continued to laugh.

  Ben, the waiter, walked over.

  "Can we get some waters?" Tom pointed.

  "No problem, Mr. Marko." Ben smiled.

  Liv put her hand on Tom's. "We should wait for the water until we get home." Then she gave him her fuck-me eyes.

  Tom licked his lips and chuckled softly.

  I laughed. "Is that a sex game you two play?"

  Tom and Liv gave each other a guilty glance, then burst out laughing.

  I snapped my fingers at them. "I knew it!"

  The chair next to me moved, and I turned to see Collin. "Looks like I've been missing all the fun." He sat down.

  "Collin." Tom gave him a fistbump.

  "Liv." Collin nodded. He wore his negotiator's face.

  I stopped laughing and realized Collin had walked into an unknown situation. Worse, I let him. I dropped a big bomb on him about our exposed secret earlier that day, and we hadn't discussed it yet.

  I put my hand on his leg under the table. The negotiator gazed at me. I realized he was not comfortable with this situation and sobered up quickly.

  "Does Tom know?" Collin point-blank asked me.

  I shook my head.

  Tom questioned us. "Know what?"

  Collin cleared his voice and shifted in his seat. "Well, since Liv knows, I think it's only fair that you know."

  Tom stared at him, waiting.

  There was an uncomfortable silence.

  "Someone, please, tell me what the hell is going on here," Tom said in frustration.

  I blame the alcohol, but I stood up, turned to Collin, bent down, and gave him a hot and heavy kiss.

  Collin grabbed me and kissed me back.

  I turned toward Tom and Liv.

  "Collin and I have been secretly seeing each other since we made out in your car the first night we met...because of Keri's obsession with me...since he's Collin's client and ours..." I grinned at Tom.