by Holly Rayner
I sat up, propped on my elbow and looked at his face. “Why would you say that?” I asked him. “You’re such a good person.”
“I’m glad you think so baby,” he said. “But there is so much room for improvement. I finally feel like I’m going to get there though. I finally feel like it doesn’t matter anymore how wrong my father thinks everything I do is…”
“He’s wrong,” I told him. The simple thought of that awful man having the unmitigated gall to tell Seth that he was anything less than perfect made me instantly angry. “Everyone who works with you, Seth, knows what a fantastic businessman and even better boss you are.”
“I work hard and I try to do what’s right… but that’s the issue he has with me.”
“What do you mean?”
He smiled suddenly and said, “I’m sorry. This is a crazy discussion to be having after I just made love to the most amazing woman in the world. I don’t even know where this is coming from. You just make me feel so safe.”
The guilt was like a constant dull ache in my chest when I was with him. When he said that I made him feel safe enough to disclose things it felt like the guilt had taken ahold of my heart like a fist and was squeezing it. I took a deep breath and the wicked me decided that this was too good of an opportunity. I would make it up to him later. I would explain. “No, it’s not crazy. I’m glad you feel safe with me. What do you mean by him having a problem with you doing what is right?”
Seth shook his head and with a heavy sigh he said, “He just has no scruples. His moral compass is all skewed, if it’s even there at all any longer. I fought it for so long, but I wasn’t strong enough to keep standing up to him… until I met you. I was headed in the direction that he’s built his fortune on. I would do what I had to and use whom I had to and take everything I could get from everyone I met. Thank you, Erin. Thank you for making me want to be a better man. I wanted to tell you that for obvious reasons but also, because my father will be at the executive meeting in the morning.”
I hugged him tight. I couldn’t speak at that moment because I knew if I did the dam was going to break. I scooted my body up instead and kissed him. The kiss turned passionate and before long we were lost in each other’s bodies once more. I’d have to think about what he’d told me and what I was going to do later. That moment in time was reserved only for him.
That night when Seth dropped me off at my apartment, I wanted to ask him in. I wanted to invite him to spend the night with me. I didn’t, and I think he was a little hurt because of it. I think he thought I had an issue with introducing him to Grant. It wasn’t that at all. Grant wasn’t there and I knew it, but if he had been, I know that Grant would have been a perfect gentleman. I was worried because I had photographs in my room. They were treasured photos of my family and my childhood home. I even had my father’s old framed photographs of the first sign he had made for the company and a photo of him sitting behind his desk in his first office at the company he owned and created. All the lies… everything I’d told him… or the things I hadn’t told him about my past were right there out in the open for him to see. If I were going to continue to do this, and continue to see him I would have to make some adjustments. I’m positive Grant would have a thing or two to say about that.
***
The next morning, I got to work early as I normally did. The building was still practically empty except for security and some of the cleaning staff. I put my bag in my office and when I got to the door of the conference room for our Monday morning executives meeting it burst open and a man brushed roughly past me. Once again, I had encountered the great and powerful James Hunter and he hadn’t even noticed me.
I had to stand there for a moment until I stopped shaking and then I reached for the door again and went inside. I hated that he had that effect on me. I forced all thoughts of him out of my mind and sucked in the sweet aroma of coffee and cinnamon rolls. As usual, the room was set up for the meeting, including muffins and rolls and coffee and tea. Seth’s assistant was in the building at the crack of dawn sometimes. She’s wonderful.
She was sitting in her usual spot and I thought it was strange that she didn’t even look up when I came in the room. “Good morning, Deborah,” I said to her. She looked up as if she just noticed me.
“Oh. Good morning, Erin.” Her voice was shaky and I thought that was odd. It dawned on me that someone needed to tell her how much what she did was appreciated.
I went over to pour myself a cup of coffee and said, “I don’t know if you get the credit you deserve around here or not, but I have to tell you what a wonderful job I think you do, and thank you.” I turned around and was instantly horrified at what I had done, although I wasn’t even sure what that was. She was crying.
“Oh Deborah, I’m so sorry. Don’t cry, please.” I sat down next to her and lay my hand gently on her arm. She reached over with her other hand and took mine and squeezed. She wasn’t making any noise but the tears were rolling rapidly down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” I said again. I had no idea what I was apologizing for. She sucked in a deep, ragged breath.
“Don’t be sorry, Erin. You didn’t do anything. Thank you for the compliment. I’m sorry. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Oh no, don’t be embarrassed. Is there something I can do? Do you need to talk?”
She looked up towards the door and said, “I’m just a stupid woman. Unfortunately, there’s nothing anyone can do about that but me.” She looked at me then, right in the eyes and said, “Seth’s a good boy, he’s not like his father… but be careful, don’t make the same mistakes I did.”
“I’m sorry…” I was confused. Did she know about Seth and me? I suppose neither of us hid it very well, the clandestine meetings in our offices, the laughing and joking and sometimes a pat on the shoulder or a touch of the hand. Before I could finish my question however the door had opened again and the room began to fill up with the usual players. Deborah had wiped her face on a napkin quickly. Then she looked at me and discreetly placed a finger to her lips. I nodded and looked up in time to see Seth. He smiled at me and I smiled back. Then I looked around the room and wondered how many of the rest of them knew what Deborah knew. Then I wondered if it mattered. Then I wondered what she had meant about making the same mistakes that she had. James Hunter had left the room just before that… Deborah and James?
~
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
~
The meeting went as it normally did and I left it with about five new assignments. Seth was still talking to Harlan and Michael when I left. I took the folders with the new assignments back to my office and prepared to go to work. As I sat them down on the desk, I noticed a rectangular white and gold envelope lying there with my name on it. I picked it up and opened it, pulling out a white card with gold engraving. It was an invitation to “Hunter Corp Ball.” I sat down in my chair and looked closer at it. It was this coming Saturday night and would be held at the family’s estate in the Hamptons. Another thing I didn’t know about Seth. I had no idea that his family had an estate in the Hamptons. He’d mentioned something about riding horses at a house in Martha’s Vineyard… I wondered how many houses they actually had.
I felt, before I saw Seth standing in the doorway of my office. “Hi,” he said, when I looked up.
“Hey. How are you?”
He came over and sat down across from me. With a wide grin he said, “I’ve been smiling like this since yesterday. I can’t stop. You’re as amazing as I thought you would be. More so.”
I had to smile at that. Grant had told me I looked like I slept with a coat hanger in my mouth the night before when he got home this morning. He knew I had sex before I was finally ribbed into admitting it. I blushed now as I said, “I know the feeling.”
“Good, I’d hate to think it’s just me.”
“No, not just you. You’re amazing.” I felt funny talking about this at work and I felt myself blush again. I think Seth got it because he changed the subject then.<
br />
“The meeting went well. Deborah tells me my father was in the building today. Sometimes he stays around for the meetings. I’m glad he decided to skip it.”
Me too. “Oh that must have been him I passed in the hall. Is he a tall man with dark hair, gray at the temples… sharp dresser?”
“That would be Daddy,” he said with a sarcastic smile.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“How long has Deborah worked for you?”
Seth wrinkled his brow and said, “She worked for my father for over ten years and just sort of inherited me when he stopped working full-time. Why?”
“Close the door.” He really looked at me strangely then, but he got up and did as I asked. When he came back he perched himself on the edge of my desk and said, “Okay, so what’s up?”
“Your father came out of the conference room this morning before I went in there. Deborah was there and I was just talking to her about what a good job she does around here and she started crying.”
Seth looked uncomfortable as he said, “You think my father made her cry? Did she say something?”
“Not really. I mean, she didn’t say anything about your father but she did say something strange to me.”
“Which was?”
“She said you were a good boy and not your father… something like that. Then she looked me dead in the eye and said, “But be careful, don’t make the same mistakes I did.” I was about to ask her what she meant when everyone came in.”
“She was warning you about me?”
“I don’t think it was so much about you and me as it was her… maybe her and your father… I thought.”
Seth raised both eyebrows then and said, “You think my father and Deborah are…? Ew!”
I laughed at that. “Seth, your father is what…? Maybe fifty-five. He’s a nice looking man. You don’t think he sees women?”
He shrugged and said, “I suppose. I just don’t like to think about it. Especially not with Debbie.”
“Why? You don’t like Deborah?”
“No. It’s because I do like Deborah. She’s way too good for him.”
“Seth!” I tried to sound incredulous, but I laughed and gave myself away.
“I’m serious,” he said. “He claimed to love my mother and to this day claims it’s why he stayed single after she died… but I was there; I saw how he treated my mother. She deserved better too. A lot better. My mother was an incredible woman and he treated her like dirt.”
“How long ago did your mother pass away?”
“Five years ago,” he said. “I miss her every day.”
“Yeah, I know how you feel,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Erin. You lost both of your parents and a lot younger than I lost mine. I’m being insensitive. I got off track anyways. What was the point of all of this again?”
“I was just wondering how Deborah knew about us more than anything.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t been bragging, although I think I have a right to,” he grinned and waggled his eyebrows up and down.
I laughed, “You’re hopeless.”
“Seriously,” he said. “Do you mind people knowing? I mean, I guess we haven’t talked about exclusivity but I know that I don’t want to see anyone else and I’d love to be thought of as part of a couple with you.”
“You’re so sweet sometimes,” I said. Once again he’d made me warm all over.
“Just sometimes?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Just sometimes. The rest of the time, you’re still a little arrogant.”
He laughed, “There’s my outspoken red-head. But you didn’t answer the question.”
“No, I don’t care that people know. I’d like to be known as half of that couple as well.”
“Good,” he said with a wink. “Because I was hoping to take you to the Ball this weekend.”
“Oh this,” I said, picking up the invitation.
“Yep, that. My father puts it on every year. It’s like a thank you for the shareholders and top performers of the company. I’d love it if you would go with me as my official date.”
How could I refuse? A night to get dressed up like a princess and debut on Seth’s arm—good! A night with the opportunity to get inside the inner sanctum and do a little bit of snooping—great. Coming face to face with James at last… not so good, but doable. “I’d love to,” I told him.
***
After I said yes to Seth about the ball, I was equal parts of excited and terrified. I started out the week excited. I left work early for the first time since I started the job at Hunter Corp. and I went shopping. I love to shop, but for me this trip was a nerve-wracking experience. I was going to be on the arm of the CEO. That alone would put the spotlight on me. I was also going to be meeting his father for the first time. That would have been nerve-wracking in and of itself. But this was not just any father. This was the man I had loved to hate most of my life, my arch nemesis.
I went from boutique to department store and even to the mall. Then I went back to the boutique and once again to the mall for my shoes and a purse to match the gown I had finally settled on. I’d gone back and bought the first dress that I tried on. It was a dark green formal evening dress. The boutique called it a “Military Ball” dress. It was a sleeveless, sequined mermaid style dress with a brush train in the back. The neck was a split “V” design and it fit like a sleeve across my bust, waist and hips. I loved it the first time I tried it on but was worried that maybe it was too much. After I tried on several others, I decided that I wasn’t going to do any better in terms of style or a color that would flatter my bright hair, my green eyes and my pale skin.
When I walked into the apartment that Tuesday night, Grant was laying shirtless on the couch watching some mindless sitcom and eating ice cream out of the container. He actually had the container resting on his naked stomach.
“Hey guy! What’s going on?”
“Why ever would you think something was going on?” he asked, with his trademark Grant grin.
I sat down near his feet and said, “Let me see. You’re watching a syndicated comedy show on television, half-naked with a pint of ice cream sitting on your belly as you eat it and you have Ben and Jerry’s in that one little piece of chest hair you have there.”
“Hey! I have lots of chest hair. I’m a manly man!”
“Yeah, okay. I guess it’s invisible.”
With a mock wounded look he said, “This is what I need when I’ve had a bad day… insults.”
“Aw, I’m sorry. What happened? Why was the day so bad?”
His eyes looked really sad as he said, “Juniper doesn’t want to see me anymore.”
Her name still really bothered me, but I did my best to be mature about it as I said, “Did she say why?”
“She says we were “fun” but we weren’t “going anywhere.” She says she’s nearly thirty and she needs to know where her future is leading.”
“Oh…”
“What? You agree with her? We’ve only been dating for three weeks. You know for me that’s a commitment in itself. Why does she need to know where it’s going already?”
“Let me ask you this. Why does it matter to you all of a sudden? In the past, you would have been happy for an excuse to get out of it.”
“Because I really like her. I really thought she might be the one.”
I laughed and said, “Well then what’s the problem? Isn’t that what she wants?”
“I didn’t tell her that.”
“Why not crazy boy?”
“Because she might be the one, but I need to know her better before I make that decision. I’m not going to tell her something just because it’s what she wants to hear. Then if it doesn’t work out, she gets hurt.”
“Aw, my poor Grant. Here you are, actually trying to do what’s right and getting punished for it and I’m doing everything wrong and getting rewarded.”
He put down the ice cream
and swung his legs down and sat up. Putting his arm around me, he said, “You are doing what you’re doing to get back what should have been yours to begin with.”
“And in the process, I’m using the first man that I’ve ever had real feelings for. He’s… God Grant; he’s just everything I ever wanted. I couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect man. Here I am shopping for a gown so that I can fit in at this ball meanwhile planning to sneak around and go through his father’s personal things. What a horrible person I am.”
Grant pulled me into his shoulder and kissed the top of my head. “You love this guy?”
I felt the tears begin to fall on his bare shoulder as I nodded and said, “I think I am. I’ve never been in love before. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to feel like.”