Conflict of Interests

by Denean Dawson

  Danielle was ecstatic. She had always been wary of investors because she didn’t want to lose control of the business she had worked so hard to build. But Jade was different. For one thing, she was a woman, which was still an unfortunately rare occurrence in the investment industry. For another, she was interested in helping local businesses flourish in a time when huge corporations seemed to be taking over. It also didn’t hurt that she and Jade got along as if they had been friends for years. Danielle took a final look through the paperwork her new partner brought, then happily marked it with her signature. The deal was done.

  “This is great, I can’t wait to get started,” Danielle replied as she looked over the blueprint for the new floor plan again.

  “Nor can I. If I’m being honest, I’ve never been this excited about a project. I think you and I have something big on our hands. Soon people all over the state will know the name of your bar...or should I say bars!” Jade smiled warmly.

  “Agreed, and I like the sound of that!” Danielle replied excitedly.

  After the meeting wrapped up, she was in an excellent mood. When she looked at the clock and remembered her lunch date with Caroline however, her mood darkened somewhat. The thought of cancelling crossed her mind briefly, but she dismissed it. She didn’t want to be a bad friend to Caroline. Bracing herself for a difficult conversation, Danielle hopped in her car and headed to the restaurant.

  She spotted Caroline already seated at a table on the patio and went to join her. “Hey, Caroline,” she said, taking her place in one of the metal chairs.

  “Hey, Danielle, it’s so good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too. Let’s order some food, I’m starving,” Danielle said, stalling and picking up a menu.

  “Mmm, I can definitely get on board with that idea,” Caroline replied.

  Danielle had decided to wait for Caroline to bring up why she had suggested they get lunch. That way, there was a slim chance they wouldn’t have to discuss her relationship troubles. After they had made small talk about the menu and the nice weather, they fell into an awkward silence. When she couldn’t stand it anymore, Danielle asked, “So where’s Jonathan today?”

  “Oh, Elizabeth has him for the day.” Their food had arrived by this point, and Caroline looked down at her plate. She looked as though she was building herself up to say something.

  Danielle knew that Caroline’s relationship with Jonathan’s mother was less than friendly, but she didn’t know all the details. All she knew was that Elizabeth had embarrassed Caroline, as well as both Jamyson brothers, publicly. The difficult woman was allowed to see her son on occasion, but Caroline was usually very protective over Jonathan when it came to his mother. Unsure how to respond, Danielle mumbled, “Oh, that must be nice for him.”

  “Yes, luckily he’s still too young to understand the problems his mother has caused. To him, she’s just mom. He’ll find out someday, but I see no point in ruining his innocence. He misses her, so when she called yesterday asking to visit him, it worked out perfectly.”

  Caroline had never opened up to Danielle like this before, normally they didn’t make it past small talk. She could tell that Caroline cared deeply about the young boy. It pained her to think that they might not be in each other’s lives forever. “Well, it’s nice that you could get out and do this. I’m sure spending all day with Jonathan has its perks, but it’s probably nice to talk to another adult,” Danielle chuckled.

  “Oh, very much so,” Caroline laughed half-heartedly. It was clear her mind was somewhere else. Then, without warning, she burst into tears.

  Here it was. Danielle was only slightly surprised that Caroline had broken down. She scooted her chair closer to the other woman’s and put an arm awkwardly around her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. “Oh, no. What’s wrong, Caroline?”

  “I...I think Jake is cheating on me,” she replied, her voice breaking.

  Chapter Eight, Cut the Ties

  “I’ve gotten so much good feedback about this merger, all of my clients are impressed,” Jake said to Melissa. They were eating lunch together for the third time that week.

  Melissa fed off of Jake’s excitement. The merger was going smoothly, and, slowly, he had been warming up to her. “I know! I thought we would have to put up more of a fight to get everyone on board, but I guess our clients are pleased with the notoriety this will bring all of us.”

  Melissa was hugely disappointed when Jake had made it clear he wasn’t interested in her beyond their business relationship. But as they went forward with the merger, Jake was becoming more friendly, treating her more like he had when they were together. He was still with his girlfriend, and he had not come close to making a move on her, but Melissa was starting to believe he had rediscovered his feelings for her. He hadn’t mentioned Caroline at all during their last few lunch sessions, which Melissa found promising.

  “Well, with you and I running the ship, how could things go wrong?” Jake enthused.

  Was that a compliment? Was Jake flirting with her? It had always been hard to tell with him, he was a straight-laced man, and he was not one to say something he didn’t mean. Melissa was still trying to manage her expectations, but she couldn’t help but think that she and Jake would end up together again.

  She often caught herself having daydreams about him while she was supposed to be working. Daydreams that made her heart race and her body sweat. Even as she looked at him then, she imagined how easy it would be to lean across the table and kiss him. She imagined the feeling of his lips against hers, the feeling of his hands on her waist as he lifted up her shirt. She imagined him pushing her against the table and kissing her neck, her hands in his hair before she reached for his belt to get him out of his pants.

  “Melissa?” Jake asked, his voice interrupting her thoughts just as she had started to feel a wetness between her legs.

  “Oh, sorry. I must have spaced out,” she replied, bringing her focus to Jake’s face, which didn’t help her recover from her daydream. The man was beautiful.

  “Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.” Jake grinned at her, the corners of his eyes wrinkling, and his straight white teeth on full display.

  Melissa should get back to work, they had finished discussing business after the appetizer, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave. These lunches with Jake were the highlight of her week. The first few had been awkward, Jake had kept the subject of their conversations limited to the firm, but now they sat talking about old times. They had also started messaging each other more often, and even though most messages were still business-related, she knew they weren't exactly necessary because they had talked through most everything during office hours.

  Jake was still smiling at Melissa across the table. It seemed that he was just as reluctant as her to end their lunch. With a long sigh, she looked at her watch and said, “Well, I guess, we should get going,” then started to pack up her things.

  There were documents scattered all over their table among the dinnerware. To an outside observer, it would be obvious they were having a working lunch, being completely professional. Then Jake did something that shocked Melissa.

  He reached out and grabbed her hand, saying, “Don’t go, not yet. I know I shouldn’t say that but...I missed you.” He pulled his hand away as quickly as he had placed it, looking surprised at the words that had come from his own mouth.

  Melissa didn’t reach for him, though she wanted to. Instead, she whispered, “I missed you too Jakey. My life was never the same without you in it.” She wanted Jake more than anything, but she felt guilty. She didn’t know Caroline, didn’t know his son, but that didn’t excuse her behavior. Melissa wasn’t a homewrecker, at least she didn’t want to be. Her feelings for Jake were simply too strong to ignore. Unable to stop herself, Melissa added, “I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  Jake snapped his head up to look at her, searching her face. She knew better, she knew she shouldn
’t have said anything. She should have left earlier. They stared at each other silently for a long moment, neither of them breaking eye contact.

  “I’ve got to go, this isn’t right,” Jake said finally, turning his back on her and walking out of the restaurant without another word.

  Melissa didn’t say anything to stop him. She had already said too much. She wasn’t sure what this would mean for their partnership; would Jake want out? Probably not, he was too much of a professional. She had likely ruined her chance with him though. She had meant what she said, but it was too early to say it. She should have waited for him to come to her. She had probably just scared him away for good.

  It was early afternoon, but Melissa did not go back to the Jamyson & Jamyson office. After leaving the restaurant, she went back to her hotel room and collapsed on the bed. She had been thinking about buying a house in the city, hiring someone to run the UK side of the business, but now she wasn’t sure if she should. Without Jake, what would be the point of staying in Madison Heights?

  She kept to herself for the rest of the day, curled beneath the thin duvet with the lights off. This wasn’t like her, and it was completely unprofessional, but she was a woman with feelings. Her hopes had been crushed. She should have never come back to the U.S. It had been a mistake. She was destined to be unhappy. For so many years, Melissa had pushed her feelings aside, and just when she was ready to open herself to love again, she had ruined her best chance.

  It was her own fault for thinking she stood a chance with Jake. It was her own fault for thinking she could have him even when he had said he wasn’t available. She should have left well enough alone.

  Melissa was overwhelmed with self-pity, hating herself for causing her own pain. She couldn’t blame Jake, he had been honest from the start. What a stupid girl she had been, holding on to the hope of rekindling a childhood relationship for so many years. No man had ever made her feel the way Jake had, so she’d convinced herself that he was the only person she could be with. How pathetic she was. She should feel guilty for complicating Jake’s relationship, but all she felt was sorry for herself. There was no way this Caroline could love him as much as Melissa did. She didn’t deserve him, but she already had him. Melissa had nothing. Eventually, Melissa fell asleep, salty tears drying on her face.

  She woke in the middle of the night, feeling exhausted and embarrassed. Checking her phone, she saw that she had a dozen missed calls and a single text from Jake. She stared at the screen, the only source of light in her gloomy room, not wanting to open it. She had to look though, she had to know what Jake had to say because there was the slightest chance that his text contained the words she so desperately wanted to hear.

  They did not. Jake’s text read; I think I need to pull out of the merger. Everything is broken, Caroline has left me.

  Chapter Nine, Coming Clean

  Jake had known that getting close to Melissa was a bad idea but he hadn’t stopped it, not until it was too late. After their latest lunch meeting, he knew things couldn’t continue the way they had been. It wasn’t fair for anyone involved, especially Caroline. When he had arrived home that afternoon, earlier than usual, Caroline was in the kitchen, humming softly as she peeled some carrots. His mind went back to the dream he’d had about Melissa. He had been feeling guilty about the dream for weeks, but he’d continued spending time with Melissa anyway.

  In the dream, he and Melissa had been in his office. She had walked in just as she had the first time, her intoxicating perfume diffusing through the air, her hair shining, her eyes sparkling, her lips parting. She didn’t speak in his dream though, instead she greeted him with a hungry kiss. He had been standing in front of his desk, and she pushed him back toward it, her hands twining through his hair, pulling his face toward her own. Jake grabbed her by the butt and spun her around, placing her on the edge of the desk. He stood between her legs, which she wrapped around his hips. Jake slid his hands under her skirt, up along her thighs until he reached the warmth between her legs. She wasn’t wearing any panties, and she was already wet. He caressed her with two fingers, causing her to moan. Melissa deftly undid his belt and pulled down his fly, reaching greedily for what was beneath. She took him in her hands, stroking gently at first, then roughly. Sensing her need, Jake thrust into her.

  When he had woken, Jake could not get the image of their sweaty bodies pressed tightly together out of his head. What was worse, he had turned to Caroline, who was sleeping with her back to him, and used her body to satisfy the desire still burning through his own. Afterward, she had snuggled against him, obviously relieved he still wanted her because it had been quite some time since they’d last had sex. Jake felt disgusting. He would never forgive himself for thinking of another woman while making love to Caroline.

  The dream had made him recognize why the perfume Melissa wore was familiar to him. She had worn a similar scent the first time they’d had sex. It had become clear to Jake then, that Melissa was intentionally trying to seduce him. She never tried to make a move though, so Jake had convinced himself nothing would happen between them unless he initiated it, which he would not. Then Melissa had dropped the bomb by telling Jake she loved him.

  Jake walked into the kitchen to greet Caroline, his heart in his throat. What he was about to say to her could break them, but he had to be honest. “Hey,” he whispered.

  Caroline had been so deep in concentration she hadn’t noticed Jake enter the room. Luckily, the muffled sound of the TV in Jonathan’s room indicated he was happily distracted for the time being.

  “Hey, you’re home early. What’s going on?” she asked. She had stopped what she was doing when he made himself known, confusion and worry written on her face.

  “Can we talk?” Jake asked, and indicated for her to take a seat at the kitchen table while he sat in the nearest chair.

  “Sure,” she said hesitantly as she sat. He could tell that she could sense the mood, she had always been keenly attuned to his emotions.

  “I have to tell you something that you’re not going to like, but I have to be honest with you,” Jake said, looking everywhere but at Caroline.

  “You cheated on me,” Caroline blurted.

  Jake was dumbstruck. "No, oh God no. Nothing like that. I just...I’ve been feeling so confused lately. Working with Melissa was a bad idea. I love you, Caroline, but seeing her has been messing with my head. We...we left things unfinished and suddenly she was back in my life. I thought I would be able to work with her, to keep my emotions out of it. And I thought she wanted to work with me because the firm is doing so well. That was stupid I know...I should have seen...I mean...what I’m trying to say is she said she loved me today. I turned her down of course, but...well I thought you should know. I don’t know what to do. I’m so sorry, Caroline,” he hung his head.

  Jake knew there was nothing he could say that sounded good, even as he spoke, he could tell he wasn’t saying the right things to ease Caroline’s mind. He did not want to deceive her anymore though.

  “Do you still love me?” Caroline asked, her voice quiet and thick with emotion.

  “Yes, of course I do!” Jake exclaimed.

  “Do you love her?” she asked, tears slipping down her cheeks.

  “I...I don’t know,” he replied, “not like I love you.”

  He wasn’t sure if he loved Melissa, but he knew he had feelings for her he couldn’t explain. Jake was desperate for Caroline to understand what he was trying to say. Things had been going so well before Melissa walked back into his life. Caroline meant so much to him, and he didn’t ever want to hurt her, but he could see it was already too late.

  Caroline’s expression changed from sadness to anger. “I thought I could trust you. When you came to me and told me about the merger, I believed you would know better than to let things with that woman go too far. But I’ve seen the way you’ve changed since she came around, I’ve seen the way you’ve ignored me, rejected me,” Caroline seethe
d.

  Caroline was right. Jake hadn’t intended to reject her, but he had felt so guilty about his feelings toward Melissa, about what he had done after that dream. He had tried to push his thoughts of Melissa as far away from his mind as possible when he was around Caroline, but that had grown increasingly difficult.

  “I didn’t mean for this to happen, I thought that I could keep the past in the past but Melissa and I never got any closure. We didn’t choose to separate back then...”

  “So, are you telling me that you want to be with her now because you couldn’t be with her then?” Caroline demanded, the heat in her voice rising.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that I’m confused by my feelings right now.”

  “I don’t want to be with someone who is confused. I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t know if they want to be with me or not,” Caroline spat.

  “I know, I know, but—” Jake said sadly.

  “No buts, Jake. I don’t want to be here. I can’t be with you right now.”

  She walked out of the kitchen, and he heard the bedroom door slam. He knew there was nothing he could say to make her stay, and he didn’t blame her, knowing he had messed up royally. He remained in the kitchen, not moving, and hating himself for what he’d done.

  A few minutes later, Caroline walked out the door with a bag in her hand. “I’ll be back tomorrow for the rest of my things,” she said before disappearing.

  “Okay,” he replied, but she was already gone.

  Jake sat there silently, holding his head in his hands. He felt wretched for hurting Caroline. She had stood by him through difficult times, even when he had tried to push her away.

  “Daddy? Where’s Caroline? She said once my movie was done, we could bake cookies.”