by Alice Ward
“You don’t want to do this, Charles,” I warned, desperate to stall him. Every ounce of my body dreaded what I knew I had to do.
If I can just stall him a little longer, surely someone will realize I’m missing… but how long will it take them to find me once they start to look?
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Charles replied with a guttural snarl. He slid off the table and took two steps towards me. “I’ve wanted to do this for a very long time, Chelsea. I’ve been in love with you since the day you started your internship. I tried to play the nice guy, to make you realize that we’d be perfect together. But you didn’t respond to nice, so I guess it’s time to change my tactics.”
He took one long step towards me and roughly pulled me into his arms. I didn’t fight him. Instead, I held my breath and kissed him back. I tried to ignore his groping hands and the liquor on his breath as I slowly lifted my right foot. While Charles was distracted by my kiss, I removed my stiletto and finally exhaled.
My arm and leg moved in unison as I bashed Charles’s temple with the heel of my shoe just as my knee found his groin. He immediately doubled over and hit the floor, grabbing desperately for my legs as he cried out in agony.
“You stupid son of a bitch,” I spat angrily, kicking his arms away. I braced myself on the table and slid my shoe back onto my foot just as the door crashed open. Oliver and Drake raced into the room, stopping abruptly when they discovered Charles moaning on the floor. Oliver put his hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes.
“Chelsea, are you okay? What the hell happened?”
“She assaulted me,” Charles groaned from the floor. “Someone call the police.”
Drake looked down at him with icy eyes. His face was ghost white, his voice rough and broken. “You can bet your ass I’m calling the police. But I’ll be reporting you, not Chelsea, you sorry son of a bitch.”
“Drake, I’m okay,” I said, putting a reassuring hand on his forearm. Drake stiffened and covered his hand with mine.
“Thank God,” he sighed. I stared up at him, but he wouldn’t make eye contact with me.
Not this again. This isn’t the time for him to be distant.
Drake pulled his phone from his pocket and shook free of my hand. “I’m going to step outside and call the police,” he explained, moving for the door. “I’m also going to track down Pete and let him know what kind of predator he’s employing. Oliver, make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.”
“I think Chels put him down for awhile,” Oliver said, his voice beaming with pride. He gestured to the large knot forming on the side of Charles’s head.
Drake nodded at him and turned to me. “You need to stay right here. The police will want a statement from you. I’ll send the girls in to wait with you.”
“No need,” Piper said, stepping into the doorway. “What the fuck happened here, Chelsea?” She rushed to my side with Stacey trailing close behind. I fell into her arms and finally let myself cry.
“I was looking for Drake,” I explained through my sobs. “Charles approached me in the banquet room and apologized for the way he acted when I arrived tonight. He told me Drake was in here. I should have realized he was lying when I found the room dark, but then I spotted that other door. I thought maybe he’d gone into an adjoining room to make sure he had privacy.” I pulled away from Piper and turned to find that Drake had already left the room. Stacey handed me a tissue from her purse and I wiped my eyes before continuing.
“I was going to check behind the other door. By the time I reached it, Charles was here. He locked us in and taunted me for a little while before he forced himself on me. I… I kissed him back,” I confessed. “And while he was distracted, I kneed him I the crotch… and hit him upside the head with the heel of my shoe.”
Stacey’s mouth dropped open in horror while Stacey’s curled into an amused smile.
“You hit him with your shoe?” she asked with an amused snort.
“She’s lying,” Charles groaned, rolling onto his back. “She lured me in here and attacked me.”
Oliver calmly stepped over to Charles and put one foot on his throat. “Say that again and I’ll put my full weight on your windpipe, you sorry mother fucker.”
“Oliver, please stop,” Stacey pleaded.
“Stacey’s right, Oliver,” I agreed. “What I did was self defense. But if you hurt him, you could get in trouble. He’s not worth it, Ollie.”
Oliver glared down at Charles, who quickly looked away from his gaze. “You’re lucky my pregnant wife is here or I’d wipe the fucking floor with you. And if you ever come near my sister again, I’ll make you wish you were never born.”
Oliver took his foot off of Charles’s throat just as Drake stepped back into the room. He cleared his throat and looked at Oliver.
“The police are on their way. Martin is waiting for them in the lobby and I’ve spoken to Frank. Charles is no longer employed by the Manhattan Historical Society.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “So I won’t have to worry about him cornering me at work.”
“You won’t have to worry about him cornering you anywhere,” Drake corrected me. “I have several contacts at the NYPD, as well as an excellent relationship with the prosecuting attorney. My family made generous contributions to his campaign fund. Charles here is going to see what happens when you fuck with the wrong people.” The color had more than returned to Drake’s face. His cheeks were flushed red and a bright purple vein stood up on his forehead. But he still wouldn’t look me in the eye.
Why won’t he look at me? Did he hear me tell the girls that I kissed Charles back? Surely he should understand that I was only doing what I had to…
Drake’s distant attitude was almost as upsetting as Charles’ attack. Suddenly, I felt incredibly tired and longed to escape the hotel.
“You look like you’re going to pass out, Chelsea. Sit down,” Oliver directed. He rolled out one of the office chairs and I sank down in it obediently.
“I’m exhausted,” I admitted. “I just want to leave.”
“As soon as you’ve given your statement,” Drake assured me, his eyes pointed just to the side of my head.
“You’ll stay with us tonight,” Stacey insisted. “Both of you,” she added, turning to Piper.
I felt my entire body sag in gratitude. “Thank you, Stacey. I really don’t feel like making the trip home right now.” As I spoke to Stacey, I shot Drake a hopeful look. I wanted him to take me home, to make me feel safe, and reassure me that the nightmare was over. But instead of meeting my eye, he turned to Stacey.
“That’s a great idea, Stacey. I’d take the girls home with me, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to go to the office tonight.”
“Still having issues with the plumber in Hong Kong?” Oliver asked, his eyebrow raised with skepticism.
“No, now it’s the marble guys in Florence,” Drake said with a sigh.
“There’s no one else who could handle it?” I asked, not even trying to hide the frustration in my voice. Finally, Drake met my eye.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes soft and apologetic. “I know this is shit timing, but you know that this is how my life works. When a crisis pops up, I have to drop everything and deal with it.”
Oliver tensed his shoulders and stuck his hands in his pockets, but his voice remained calm. “If you have to work, you have to work. The girls will be safe with us tonight.”
I couldn’t believe that Drake was going to the office after what had just happened. “If you have work to do, just go,” I insisted, my voice flat and emotionless.
“I have to stay until we’ve spoken to the police,” he reminded me.
Right… otherwise, you’d probably have left already.
At that moment, Martin knocked on the open door. “The officers are here,” he announced.
I sighed again and Piper took my hand. “Are you going to be alright?” she asked with a squeeze.
“I’ll be fine,” I as
sured her, rising from the chair. “Let’s get this over with and get out of here.”
***
Two hours later, Piper and I were tucked in the king size bed in Oliver and Stacey’s spare room. The police had taken my statement and arrested Charles on a variety of charges from assault to unlawful imprisonment. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Drake’s contacts were abusing their power at his request, but it didn’t bother me in the slightest. All I could think about was Drake and the wall he’d put up again. I didn’t understand it and I was still in shock that he’d left my side.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Chels?” Piper whispered in the darkness.
“I’m fine,” I assured her again. “I knocked Charles out before he could really do anything. I’ll probably be compulsively brushing my teeth for the next week or so, but I think I’ll be okay.”
“You don’t sound okay,” Piper countered. “Do you want to talk about what’s really upsetting you?”
“Is it that obvious?” I asked with a sigh.
“Of course it is, Chelsea. I can’t believe Drake went to work after what you went through tonight. None of this would have ever happened if he’d just left his phone at home,” she insisted, her voice harsh and frustrated.
“It’s not Drake’s fault that Charles attacked me,” I reminded her.
“No, but it’s his fault Charles had the opportunity. The man literally has billions of dollars. He can’t hire someone to answer his phone for a few hours?”
“Drake doesn’t like to hand over control,” I said, wondering why I was coming to his defense. “He has to personally make sure that even the smallest details are perfect. I understand that.”
“Then what’s upsetting you?” she pressed.
I turned over in the dark and curled into a ball, pulling a pillow to my chest. “He couldn’t look at me, Piper. Surely you noticed that.”
“I assumed he felt guilty. He should.”
I shook my head and stared at the revolving ceiling fan. “It’s not just that… when Drake talked to Charles… when he told him he’d learn what happens when you fuck with the wrong people…” I paused, trying to find the words to continue.
“Yes…?”
“His tone was so condescending, so insulted. I’m not sure if Drake wants Charles to pay for what he did to me, or for daring to touch something that belongs to him. Does that make any sense?”
Piper’s pillowcase rustled as she nodded her head. “You mean you’d expect that tone if someone dinged his Bentley, not when you’ve been attacked.”
“Exactly… did you pick up on that too?”
“Not until you pointed it out,” she confessed.
I let out a long breath, trying to process all the messages whirling around in my mind. “Maybe I’m reading too much into it.”
“Maybe you’re focusing on Drake so you don’t have to think about Charles,” she suggested softly.
“Honestly, Piper, I’m fine with the Charles stuff. In fact, I feel empowered. You have no idea how good it felt to whack him in the face with my shoe. That alone was worth it. Never having to see him again is just icing on the cake. Thanks, by the way, for convincing me to wear the heels tonight.”
“You’re welcome,” Piper replied with a yawn. She rolled onto her side and glanced at the alarm clock. “I can’t believe it’s almost three in the morning. I’m glad we have the day off tomorrow. Let’s sleep in and then go to The Plaza for lunch.”
Drake had pretty much insisted that Pete give us the day off, but I had no intention of staying home. I had a mountain of work to do for the Founder’s Gala and I had no intention of falling behind just because Charles had finally shown his true colors. But I knew Piper would argue with me if I told her my plans. We were both exhausted, so I decided to play along until morning.
“That sounds great,” I told her with a fake yawn of my own. “Good night, Piper.”
“Good night, Chelsea.”
After ten minutes of quiet, Piper’s breathing became slow and even and I knew she’d drifted off to sleep. I lay wide awake in the darkness, wondering what in the hell was going on with Drake.
***
“Chelsea, you don’t have anything to prove. Pete offered you the day off, you should take it,” Stacey insisted as she flipped a pancake in her skillet. I leaned against the kitchen counter and took a sip of coffee before replying.
“I’m just getting settled in to my new job,” I reminded her. “I already feel behind. If I don’t go in today, I’ll have no hope of catching up. I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m just trying to go on with my normal life. And Pete didn’t offer the day off. Drake pretty much demanded it.”
“Well, it was the least Pete could do after forcing you to work with such a predator. Before the banquet, you were talking about giving notice at the society. If you’re really serious about doing that, maybe now’s the time,” she suggested. She flipped the pancake onto a plate and offered it to me.
“I’m good with just coffee,” I insisted, shaking my head.
“Suit yourself.” She shrugged and covered the plate in syrup. She carried it to the kitchen table and I followed with my mug.
“I’m not sure that leaving my job is the best idea anymore,” I confessed as I sank into the chair opposite her. “The way Drake pulled away last night reminded me of how he acted after our first night together. I don’t know if he’s as serious about us as I thought.”
“I know it upset you that he left so quickly last night,” Stacey said with a nod. “I think it upset Oliver too. Which is strange because he does the exact same thing all of the time. You know he’s only been to one baby appointment with me?”
“Really?” I asked as she took a bite of pancake. I don’t know why the news came as a surprise. My brother and Drake were definitely cut from the same cloth when it came to their work ethic.
“He was there when we heard the heartbeat for the first time, but he’s missed everything else. To be honest, since I got pregnant I’ve seen him even less than I did before,” she admitted and stabbed another bite. “I think he feels pressured to work even harder now that he has a child to provide for.”
I was surprised by Stacey’s even, happy tone. “How do you live like this?” I asked in disbelief.
She shrugged. “I appreciate Oliver for who he is. Your brother is an Alpha male, Chelsea. Drake is too. Men like them aren’t satisfied to just be successful. They have to be the most successful. They know what they’re capable of and they’ll stop at nothing to prove it. And when they do prove it, it leaves them craving their next challenge. It’s just how they work.”
“But where does that leave us?” I asked hopelessly. I hated that Oliver left Stacey alone so much and I had no intention of putting up with that kind of treatment from Drake.
“We’re the women behind the men, Chelsea. And I have to tell you, it’s not a bad place to be. My husband may not be around as much as I’d like, but he’s providing me a life that I never dreamed was possible. And when he is here, we enjoy our time together instead of fighting about money like most couples.”
“Don’t you fight about him being gone so much?” I asked. I felt so much resentment towards Drake for choosing his job over me. I couldn’t imagine how Stacey didn’t feel the same.
“We used to,” Stacey confessed with a casual lift of her shoulder. “The first year after Oliver got his real estate license almost destroyed us. We went from being together almost all of the time to hardly seeing each other at all. I remember feeling like I’d been betrayed.”
“How did you get past it?”
Stacey sat her fork on her plate and gave me her full attention. “One night, we got into a horrible fight. I told him that if I’d known what I was in for, I’d never have married him. Oliver broke down in tears. He told me that he’d been working so hard because I’d married him. He wanted us to have a storybook life. And he believed in his heart that he could provide that, if he worked hard enough.
He wasn’t wrong. I realized then that no matter where he was, I was always on his mind. I learned to appreciate the time we had together. When things got hard, I focused on looking forward to the day the long hours would end. And now, they have. In another week, Oliver will be working from home. And by the end of the year, our first little bundle of joy will be here. The life we’re going to be able to give this baby is worth decades of lonely nights at home.”
I was genuinely happy for Stacey, but I couldn’t help but point out the differences between Oliver and Drake. “I really am thrilled that things worked out for you and Oliver. But I’m not sure Drake and I are the same. He already has enough money to give anyone a fabulous life. He doesn’t have to work so hard, he chooses to.”
Stacey leaned forward, staring at me intently. It was like she wanted to drill her next words into my mind. “It’s not about the money, Chelsea. Not really, even for Ollie. It’s about success. Drake may not need it, but that doesn’t take away the drive.”
I thought about the excited energy that radiated from Drake when he talked about his buildings and realized Stacey might have a point. He didn’t become an architect to make money. He wanted to leave a legacy that would stand tall long after he was gone. But that was no excuse for him leaving when I needed him the most. I took a final drink of my coffee and stood up from the table.
“Well for the moment, it’s all about the money on my end. I need to get to work.”
“All right. What should I tell Piper when she wakes up?” Stacey asked nervously.
“I left her a note. She’ll probably be pissed that I didn’t wake her, but I’m just not up for an argument.”
Stacey nodded. “I understand. I’ll loan her something to wear and send her your way. Have a good day, Chelsea. Keep your head up and remember, you’re not the one who did anything wrong. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
I slung my purse over my shoulder and straightened the hem of the lilac blouse I’d borrowed from Stacey’s closet. She stood to carry her plate to the sink and I crossed the room to wrap her in a hug.