by Poppy Flynn
Jake gasped and instinctively pulled her out of Joseph's grasp, while Joel scrunched up his face and even Connor shook his head.
Desi stiffened at the familiar insults, but she wouldn't ever let them daunt her again. She straightened her spine and lifted her chin, rounding on the elder Blackwood and pinning him with a cold stare.
"And that would have been me," she said succinctly, pursing her lips and not looking away.
His eyes widened and his colour rose as the implications dawned on him, and when he finally looked away from her towards Joel, Desi twirled away, grabbing Jake's arm. "Let's dance." It wasn't a request.
"I'm sorry," Jake sighed as soon as they got onto the dance floor. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."
"Don't be," Desi told him, already shrugging the incident off. "Actually, it feels kinda good to confront the past and not let it overwhelm me." She smiled, determined to regain her earlier enthusiasm.
Two dances later, Desi was getting back into the swing of it. Joseph's remarks were forgotten, although it hadn't escaped Desi's notice that Joel and his father had been huddled together in a heated looking discussion, and it occurred to her that Joseph had probably put two and two together and ultimately realised that she was the girl Joel and Eric had fought over. If he had honestly harboured the idea that Joel had almost thrown his entire education and career away over some money grabbing trollop, then she hoped this new insight would go some way to soften Joseph's perception of that situation. Even if it was behind them and long past. And she was glad to set him straight. Lord, how she detested being cast in the same category as some of Eric Oliver's fawning, deceitful women. She didn't like to think badly of her own gender, but even she had to draw the line somewhere.
Feeling the heat of the of the tightly packed bodies and the stuffiness of the ballroom, Desi excused herself to go in search of the rest room.
After freshening up, she decided to find another drink. She was making her way back across the room in search of Jake when someone grabbed her arm. "Desirae?" a familiar voice asked. Desi scrunched up her nose before plastering on a neutral expression and turning around. She had half expected that she might run into James here, but she hadn't thought he would have the nerve to approach her.
"James," she acknowledged politely, refusing to add any false platitudes and wondering what direction this exchange might take.
"Well, aren't you looking amazing?" He eyed her up and down appreciatively and managed to make her feel like a piece of meat. "You're here on your own, I suppose."
Desi wondered why she had never noticed just how condescending James was before this moment, but before she could open her mouth and put him right, he ploughed on.
"You know, I understand that things didn't end too well the last time we saw each other…"
Well, now, there was an understatement. Desi wondered briefly if she had misjudged him and he was going to apologise, but the next words that came out of his mouth left her almost dumbfounded.
"But I understand, now, that you don't get much male attention and your inexperience means that you don't know how to please a man…"
Desi took in a strangled breath and tried not to choke. On the other side of the room, she saw Connor striding towards her, gesturing to Jake, who was over at the bar, along the way, and suddenly, they were converging on her.
"But you know, we could try again and I can show you where you're going wrong."
Desi's eyes shot to James in complete shock at that last suggestion. Seriously?
She finally found her tongue. "You know what, James," she started as Connor approached. "I think if we're going to be completely honest, then we have to admit that that night really didn't work for either of us."
Connor drew up on her right side and she could see Jake closing in on her left. Their support boosted her confidence and she remembered her newfound resolve. "Whether I can be described as 'experienced' or not, James, the simple truth is that I was not aroused."
Jake reached her and placed a proprietorial arm around her waist, causing James to start, then look from him to Connor.
"I can assure you that I have absolutely no wish, whatsoever, to risk the further disappointment of a rerun."
With that, she smiled at Connor and turned away, tucking her arm into Jake's as she finally went in search of that much-needed drink.
Behind her, she could hear Connor's deep voice saying, "She blew you off, bummer."
"Hmph! It's best not to go there, mate. The woman's completely frigid and wouldn't know what to do with a decent man if she found one."
"Really? Connor remarked slyly. "Maybe whoever gave you that bit of information just wasn't a decent enough man then." Connor's voice held amusement as he went on, "Because she seemed absolutely outstanding when she was screaming her enjoyment around a mouthful of my cock, the other week."
With that parting comment, Connor slapped a sputtering James hard on the shoulder, making him stumble forward. He started towards them, while Desi hid her face in the fabric of Jake's jacket sleeve and tried to pretend she hadn't heard, wondering if she should be embarrassed at Connor's disclosure while her shoulders heaved with laughter. She figured since James was already spreading stories about her, he'd probably look more stupid, himself, if he suddenly did a complete about face and turned her from being frigid into a whore.
Chapter 12
Sipping on her drink—she didn't know what it was, she'd just told Jake to get her something long, cold and alcoholic—she made her way, with Jake and Connor, back to others. She noticed that another woman had joined the group. She was tall and thin and had a slightly gaunt look about her, but she did look a little familiar.
Jake faltered slightly as they approached, and Desi frowned at the protective arm Connor, of all people, placed at her back. Did they think she was going to get into a public slanging match with Joseph or something?
The man in question hurried over as he saw them return, grasping Desi's hands in both of his. "My dear lady, I do hope I didn't offend you," he boomed without an ounce of shame. "Of course, I should have known that good for nothing Eric Oliver was overplaying his description of you. He always was the jealous type. If he couldn't have something for himself, when he was a boy, then he'd break it just to make sure no one else could play with it. Not changed much in his dealings with people, by all accounts," he declared as if that excused whatever misconceptions he'd been harbouring, both about the young Daisy and about what he'd said earlier.
Desi imagined that Joseph Blackwood wasn't a man who was used to having anyone disagree with his opinion, let alone stand up to him.
As they joined the rest of the group, Joseph changed the subject, hinting towards the takeover. "I've noticed that you hold a rather large percentage of shares in Universal Holdings," he commented.
So, he had been checking. She replied lightly as if it were unimportant. "Why, of course. What sort of director would I be if I didn't have complete faith in my own company? Especially since I'm the head of finance. I view it as an incentive. If my capital is tied up in the shares of my own company, then obviously, I work harder to make sure that money is protected and profitable."
Joseph nodded sagely, but thankfully, made no more comment about the takeover plan. The conversation turned to general business for a little while, and Desi was pleased to find her opinions valued as equally as the men's. Regardless of her stellar reputation, that wasn't always the case at these social functions, where most of the women were just arm candy. It wasn't unheard of for a few of the men to forget that some of them actually had a brain.
The other woman in their group, to whom she had yet to be introduced, definitely fell into the arm candy category. Desi supposed she was beautiful, but there was a harshness about her features, and her makeup looked like it had been plastered on with a trowel. The dress she wore was undoubtedly expensive, but Desi found it quite tasteless with its cleavage that gaped open all the way down to the woman's belly button. She still had the
feeling that she knew her from somewhere but just couldn't place her. Maybe they'd met at another of these functions in the past.
Whoever she was, she was very obviously bored. She didn't bother trying to contribute to the conversation and grabbed a fresh glass of champagne whenever the waiter passed by. She divided her time between trying to get attention from either Joel or his father, hanging on to their arms and pawing at them, stroking at their sleeves and fluttering her eyelashes in a falsely coy and rather irritating manner. Joseph had shrugged her off several times, but Joel was a little more tolerant, though obviously uncomfortable.
Desi got the impression that she was probably used to being the centre of attention and wasn't too happy that, tonight, she wasn't as Joseph clearly hung on to Desi's every word and seemed happier to debate business and to get Desi's opinion on a wide range of practices than he was to pander to this woman's insecurities, which, Desi guessed, was very much what the elder Blackwood usually did.
Eventually, at the woman's constant plucking at imaginary lint on Joseph's sleeve, he finally stopped talking to Desi and turned to her. "What on earth has gotten into you this evening?" he asked with exasperation.
The woman looked up at him through eyelashes that she fluttered while she pouted. "Well, aren't you going to introduce me and tell everyone our news?" she sulked.
Joseph sighed and turned back to Desi. "I'm forgetting my manners," he began insincerely. "Although, I assumed the two of you must already have met, considering…" He paused and shrugged. "Anyway, Desirae Harper, I'd like you to meet Anita Howard…"
Of course, that's why the woman looked familiar. She was thinner than she used to be. She'd always been slim, but that additional weight loss had hollowed out her cheeks. Her hair was shorter and much more blonde than it had been eleven years ago, but then, clearly, Anita hadn't recognised her, either, so she supposed they were both quite different.
"Anita is Joel's new fiancée. My son has finally decided to make an honest woman of Anita, and about time, too."
The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion. She felt the punch to her gut as if it was a physical blow and almost wondered if she had actually reacted that way, though she knew she hadn't. Connor and Jake, already flanking her on either side, seemed to move closer. Desi felt Jake's arm curl supportively around her waist, and in some distant part of her brain, she realised that he had known about this. It explained a lot of things.
Desi's eyes automatically found Joel's, as if they were drawn to him by some kind of magnetic force. She felt tears prickling at the back of her eyes and she thought she saw a flash of guilt in Joel's as she blinked them away. Even though she knew and had accepted that Joel didn't want her, the knowledge that he had given her some of the most passionate and fulfilling moments of her life and then turned right around and found himself a wife in just a matter of days still hurt. Or was it a matter of days? For all she knew, Joel might have been having a relationship with Anita for the last eleven years, despite his assurances to the contrary.
Desi's professional autopilot kicked in. "How…delightful," she heard herself say as she stretched her mouth into what she hoped was a smile and not a grimace while she took Anita's outstretched hand. "Congratulations."
She was dimly aware of the huge diamond Anita was flashing and hoped the appropriate noises had left her throat.
Spying a passing waiter, Desi stopped him in what still seemed to be a time lapsed haze and asked for champagne all round. Toasts were made, suitable compliments were given, and Desi downed her champagne in one large gulp. At that, time seemed to kick back to its normal pace. Desi took a deep breath and looked at Jake, who was watching her with obvious concern, flashing him a contrived but brilliant smile.
"How thoughtless of us," Desi exclaimed, and her voice was only slightly higher pitched than usual. She was sure everyone would put it down to enthusiasm. Well, almost everyone.
"These lovebirds obviously want a little alone time!" Desi whirled away, not caring what anybody thought. She might have accepted that Joel didn't want her or her love, but she wasn't a masochist, well not in that sense, anyway, and she couldn't stay in their company right now. She walked blindly across the room, not really knowing where she was heading, and was grateful to realise Jake's presence as he pulled her into his reassuring hold on the dance floor to a mercifully slow ballad and pressed her head against his chest. Thankfully, he said nothing, just held her tight and offered the comfort she needed.
She didn't know how much time she'd spent tucked away in the security of Jake's arms before she felt the need to freshen up, but she sure as hell could have done without bumping into Anita, of all people, as she left the restroom.
Desi plastered on a smile and tried to look like she was interested in the woman's inane chatter, knowing that Jake wouldn't be far away and wouldn't hesitate to save her. After a few minutes of mindless small talk, Desi thought she was about to get away, when Anita placed her manicured talons on Desi's arm and glanced around as if she were looking for someone.
"Look, I don't want to speak badly of Jake, but you two seem quite cosy, so I think I ought to warn you…"
Desi's hackles immediately rose and she narrowed her stare on Anita, but the other woman was oblivious of Desi's sudden hostility.
"It's just that, well, I don't know quite how to put this…"
"Maybe you shouldn't, then!" Desi warned icily, but Anita wasn't deterred.
"No!" Anita declared a little too loudly, attracting the attention of those close by. "Any woman who considers dating that man has a right to know about him."
In her peripheral vision, Desi was aware of two things. First, that both Joel and Jake were heading towards them from different directions, and second, that far too many people had suddenly taken an interest in Anita's imminent disclosure, drawn by her provocative words and her none too subtle voice.
Desi grabbed hold of her arm, attempting to pull her out of earshot and put a stop to her accusations. She knew what vile allegations were about to come out of the woman's mouth and she didn't want anyone else to hear the untruths.
Anita dug her heels in and stopped dead, pulling Desi back. "But you don't understand," she almost shouted. "And it's important."
Desi desperately looked around her for a diversion. Behind Anita, Joel and Jake were within earshot, and more guests had stopped what they were doing to observe the scene the two of them were starting to cause.
Desi decided her best option was to just get out of there. She shook Anita's hand off and turned to walk away, but she hadn't allowed for the copious amount of champagne that had clearly bypassed Anita's judgment and loosened her tongue. "He's a pervert!" she screeched. "He likes to tie his girlfriends up and thrash them with a whip!"
Desi froze. Anita's voice was loud and the throng of people around them quiet, shocked into silence at Anita's words. Desi felt the fury boil up inside her like a volcano and she shook with its ferocity, but she turned around and advanced on the woman dangerously slowly. "How dare you!" she growled, her eyes shooting fire. "How dare you slander a gentleman's good name with gossip and hearsay fabricated by a gutter journalist, in order to get better ratings and further her career."
Desi continued advancing on Anita until she was right up in her face and kept her clenched fists rigid by her side, in case she was tempted to punch the woman. Behind her, Joel had stopped dead, the colour drained from his face, but there was no sign of Jake. Desi prayed he hadn't heard.
"Would you like us to make up stories about you, Anita? Would you like us to banter them about in public ten years from now, so you can never live them down?"
"But it's true," Anita whined.
"No. It. Is. Not!" Desi was aware that her own voice had risen and made a conscious effort to lower it.
"I know both Jake and Joel intimately," she hissed, scowling at Joel over his fiancée's shoulder.
"Pfft, how could you?" Anita scoffed.
"You probably remember me better a
s Daisy Kidde." Desi watched as recognition finally dawned on the other woman's face and her eyes widened.
"I can categorically guarantee you that Jake's sexual inclinations are absolutely no different from Joel's. So, if it worries you that much, then I strongly suggest that you concern yourself less about Jake and more with your future husband!" Desi finished in a harsh whisper, reasonably sure that the only people who could have heard their final exchange were Anita, Joel and Connor, who had suddenly appeared as well.
Connor gently peeled Desi away from Anita and proceeded to take Anita in hand.
"Sorry, folks, she's had a bit too much to drink," he announced cheerfully to anyone who was still within hearing range. He started to steer Anita away from the onlookers. "She's just watched that film, 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. She's a tad obsessed, I'm afraid," he excused, to numerous titters of laughter as he led her away.
Desi sighed in relief that the majority of people seemed to have bought Connor's explanation and looked around frantically for Jake. Spying him at the bar downing a large tumbler of amber liquid in one swallow and then reaching for another, she felt the burden of deep regret that he clearly had witnessed the debacle.
She hurried towards him, but Joel reached for her hand. "Desi, I need to talk to you."
"Not right now." She pulled away without even looking at him and continued towards Jake. He was her only concern right now. She had to make sure he was all right.
Joel grabbed hold of her arm to stop her, and the anger that had only been momentarily masked by concern erupted again. "What?" she demanded. "Can you not see what your bloody fiancée has done to your cousin? Or do you simply not care?" she ground out contemptuously.
Desi gestured to where Jake sat slumped at the bar, two empty glasses in front of him and a third in his hand. It looked like he was on the whisky, and they weren't small ones. "There is nothing you have to say that I want to hear right now, Joel, but I'll say this to you. You're the one who's so damn fond of control, so I suggest you use it and go and control your future wife before she does any more damage," Desi raged, glaring at him with nothing but disgust in her eyes.