Next Stop: Love

by Miranda J. Fox

  “If you would just let me explain,” he pleaded for what seemed like the hundredth time, but I only picked at my fingernails, looking bored.

  “I’m not going to discuss this with you any longer, Luca. I’m only on this floor a few more hours, and to be honest, I want it over with as quickly as possible.”

  “So that’s it, then? You’re just kicking me to the curb?” The pain in his voice was impossible to miss. I listened deep inside, but my heart didn’t react one bit. Man, I could really be unfeeling when I wanted to be. That astonished me again and again. But the years spent in servitude to my mother had taught me to shut down my emotions. That was the only thing I was grateful to her for, because it made this situation a good deal easier for me.

  “You got it. I’m surprised it’s bothering you so much. I mean, you know that you reap what you sow, right?” I asked. “So are there any business matters we need to discuss?”

  “No,” he grunted and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

  I stood up. “Okay. Good-bye.”

  “Do you know that I fell in love with you on the very first day?” he suddenly blurted out, and I froze but kept my eyes fixed on the door in front of me. “All my life, I’ve gone out with emotionless, calculating women. They were pretty and entertained me for a while, but inside they were cold and fake. Now you’re the one who’s cold, Sophia.”

  Something stirred in my heart, and a wave of pain threatened to wash over and drown me. Goddammit, I was feeling something! But instead of responding, I straightened my shoulders, took a deep breath, and walked out of his office.

  “I wish I could have protected you from this,” Aileen said, hugging me tightly.

  “Oh, nonsense. I’m a big girl, and, anyway, it’s no big deal. It’s not like I was in love with him,” I added breezily and gave her a squeeze. “We can still ride home together after work, and you can come up and visit me on breaks, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said as she sat down again. I said good-bye to the others as well, and although I’d been preparing for them, Mary’s words hit me harder than expected.

  “I knew you wouldn’t last long. Luca’s assistants come and go, but in the end none of them can keep him.” She punctuated the remark with a satisfied grin, and I smiled coldly back. And she thought she had a better chance with him?

  “In that case, I hope with all my heart that he hires you next. You’ve earned it.” Her grin slipped a little when she caught the double meaning, and I marched away, satisfied. I was sure that all her cattiness and resentment toward other people would come back to her twofold. Maybe I didn’t believe in true love, but I did believe that people got what they deserved in the end.

  I settled into my new position quickly, since it wasn’t much different from what I’d been doing on the fourth floor—just with different coworkers and supervisors. In my case, the supervisor was a tall, stocky woman who was responsible for Marcs Entertainment’s corporate image and advertising. Not much would change about my job, except that I wouldn’t have to attend any more meetings at night, since designing our ads didn’t require my boss to hang around any seedy bars. No, no, no! I wasn’t going to start thinking about Luca. It was over between us. What he’d done to me or what we could have had together didn’t matter anymore. Goddammit, I was thinking about him again already!

  I had a clear view of the elevator from my desk, so I could see everyone coming and going—including Luca, who came up for a meeting in the afternoon, but I acted like I was looking at someone else. Just before I got off work, I even thought I recognized someone else . . . But no, that was impossible. Apparently, staring at a screen all day caused hallucinations.

  As promised, I met Aileen for the ride home after work. A glance at Luca’s office told me that he was already gone for the day. “Well, how was it?” she wanted to know.

  I shrugged. “Not too different, except my new boss has breasts. Which is good, because now I don’t have to worry about being harassed. Unless she’s a lesbian,” I added.

  Aileen laughed, but my dry tone didn’t fool her. I liked her a lot, but her ability to see through people was starting to bother me.

  Back at home, I cleaned up, did some laundry, and took care of Khasi. Lisa came home in the early evening, and we got ready to go out. “Hey, is it okay if André comes with us tonight?” she asked as she threw her jacket on.

  “And you’re just telling me this now? I thought we were having a guy-free night.”

  She made an apologetic face. “I know, but he got tonight off unexpectedly, and this’ll be the first time we get to go out for a drink together.”

  “Well, I guess he can join us, then.” I didn’t let my disappointment show. I’d thought we were going to get trashed and bitch about the opposite sex, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen.

  As though she’d read my mind, she added, “Don’t worry, he won’t come until later. We’ll have plenty of time to talk.”

  “I certainly hope so,” I said, and we left the apartment. I’d really gotten dolled up, which was another phenomenon that was exclusive to us women. Whenever we split with a guy, we tried to make the breakup even more clear by dyeing or cutting our hair, changing our whole wardrobe, or some other crazy thing. My plan was to dress ultrasexy and then brush off every man who showed any interest in me. I knew that wasn’t fair to them, but I thought it might distract me from how melancholy I was feeling. Which was not good, because I wasn’t actually supposed to be feeling anything.

  The cocktail bar was fairly packed, but that didn’t bother me as long as we had a place to sit. Lisa kept asking me to dance, but I wasn’t drunk enough yet for that to sound like a good idea. It wasn’t like I was planning on drinking myself into a coma, but there was nothing wrong with getting a little tipsy, right? And Lisa, who normally drank like a fish when she went out, was pacing herself tonight, probably because she didn’t want to be slurring her words when her new flame showed up. So we contented ourselves with chatting and sipping our drinks.

  Lisa assured me again and again that I’d made the right decision and would find someone better. I was of the same opinion, but the alcohol seemed to loosen not only my tongue but also the walls around my heart—I kept hearing his voice in my head, telling me he loved me. Had that been a final, desperate attempt to get me to stay? And what about the way he’d reacted to the necklace? His shocked face had looked pretty damn authentic.

  “I didn’t make a mistake, did I?” I asked after a while. All at once, I wasn’t sure whether his father was actually trustworthy. But I’d seen that necklace on the magazine cover. Wasn’t that proof enough?

  “You talking to me, dollface?” the man beside me asked. I looked up in confusion and then remembered that Lisa had gotten up a little while ago to sit with André. She’d told me to come join them, and I’d promised that I would as soon as I’d finished my drink. Being newly enamored was a wonderful thing, but I didn’t really feel like watching it, and sitting alone at the bar didn’t bother me. What did bother me, though, was the fact that I’d started talking to myself.

  “Never mind,” I said to the person next to me. Then I turned around and suddenly found myself gazing into pale-blue eyes.

  “I don’t believe it. Is that really you?” My ex-boyfriend, Toby, gave me an excited once-over. Oh God, what had I done to deserve this? Before I could react, he reached out to hug me, which roused me from my stupor.

  “Are you insane?” I hissed, smacking his arm away. “Get your hands off me.”

  A rakish grin spread across his face. “Oh, come on. You can’t still be mad at me for that thing from back then,” he said, adjusting his tie. He was as gorgeous as ever—even more so because he looked more manly and mature. His blond hair was fashionably styled and his beard trimmed neatly, as usual. I even recognized his cologne, a two-hundred-euro-a-bottle scent. He had a thing for brown pants, so a pair of his usual fa
vorites adorned his perfect ass, and a deep-blue collared shirt graced his torso.

  But despite his breathtaking appearance, I merely stared at him with a homicidal look on my face. “ ‘That thing from back then’? Do you know what an asshole you were and how much you insulted me? I wasn’t ambitious enough for you, remember?”

  “I know, and that was really mean of me. But now I’m so successful that I don’t have to worry about that anymore,” he informed me proudly and moved to brush a strand of hair out of my face.

  I slapped his hand away. “I don’t care how accomplished you are. What are you doing here, anyway? If I remember correctly, you moved to Hamburg.” I never thought I would feel so much hatred toward him. I’d expected frustration and helplessness, but it surprised me that my loathing was boiling up again so quickly. Apparently, some feelings never changed.

  “I’m a marketing consultant, and I’m just about to get my big break. You probably haven’t heard of Marcs Entertainment, but when I close that deal next week, I’ll never need to worry about money again,” he explained in a rapturous tone.

  Marcs Entertainment? He was working with my company? So it really was Toby I’d seen by the elevators earlier. What a small world—and an unfair one.

  “So can I buy you a drink?” he asked breezily. “I’m in the mood to celebrate tonight, and I’d love to know what you’re up to in Berlin.”

  Seriously, had he lost his marbles? Did he actually think I would just start chatting with him like nothing had happened? “Fuck off, Toby. I have nothing more to say to you.”

  He laughed, unfazed. “Oh, come on, don’t act all huffy. How many years ago was that? Four?”

  “Five,” I corrected him and drained my glass. I didn’t need to put myself through this. I would tell Lisa I was leaving and head home.

  When I stood up to walk away, he grabbed my upper arm. “Why so hasty, when we’ve only just found each other again? Besides, it would be a real shame if you left now,” he said, letting his eyes wander shamelessly over my body. Was he drunk?

  “Let me go,” I demanded, shaking my arm, but he only tightened his grip. I’d never seen him like this.

  “I believe the lady was about to leave,” a deep voice said behind me, and when I recognized it, the butterflies in my stomach fluttered to life again as though they’d just been waiting to stir.

  “Luca,” I said in surprise and turned toward him.

  “You know him?” Toby asked, releasing my arm.

  “Indeed,” Luca snarled and stepped next to me. He and Toby were roughly the same size, but Luca was more muscular, and in a fight, he would have a clear advantage.

  Toby looked over at me. “Is this your boyfriend or something?”

  No, no, no way, I wanted to say, but Luca responded for me instead. “I am, and now take a hike.” I could only stare at him, speechless. How dare he claim to be my boyfriend?

  Toby snorted in derision. “Well, if you say so. She’s not worth it, anyway.” With that, he turned his back on us.

  Luca raised his eyebrows. “Who is that guy?”

  “Haven’t I introduced you? That’s Toby, my ex-boyfriend.” Now the two men who had lied to me and humiliated me could get together and chat. Why not? The evening couldn’t get any shittier, right? Maybe they’d become drinking buddies.

  Luca’s eyes widened. “The ex-boyfriend?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “Normally I don’t do this kind of thing, but in this particular case, I’m afraid I can’t resist.” He tapped Toby on the shoulder, and as soon as he turned around, Luca punched him in the face.

  “I owe your father a favor, but make sure this doesn’t happen again.” The policeman pressed a slip of paper into Luca’s hand. “You’re still not getting away without a fine,” he added before straightening his belt and getting into the police car.

  Toby, wailing like a child, had been taken to the hospital twenty minutes earlier with a broken nose. I stood outside the bar with Luca; the crowd was gradually dispersing, and when he looked at me, I couldn’t help grinning with malicious glee. I was done with Luca, but seeing Toby get his nose broken had been terrific. “Thanks for punching him. I would have done it myself if I were stronger.” I allowed myself one last smile, but then I grew serious. “But that doesn’t change anything about you being a son of a bitch.”

  I was about to walk away, but then he said, “I’d been wondering the whole time where you got that nonsense about the duplicates, and then it hit me. I don’t know why I didn’t figure it out immediately, because there’s only one person who could have possibly served up this bunch of lies. I confronted my father yesterday.”

  “I’m happy for you,” I said, and took a step forward, but he held me back.

  “Sophia, my father was lying. There are no duplicate necklaces.” He positioned himself in front of me.

  “Can’t you just leave me in peace, Luca? Find someone else to play with. I’m through,” I said, pushing him aside. Or tried to, at least, because he didn’t budge an inch.

  “I’m not letting you go again. Not until you’ve heard me out,” he insisted, gazing down at me with a serious look on his face.

  I looked around us at the busy street. “I’ll scream,” I threatened him. “And then you really will go to jail.”

  “I’m not going to do anything to you. I just want you to let me explain.”

  Sighing, I rubbed my neck and sat down on a nearby bench. I’d already gone through so much crap today that a few more minutes probably wouldn’t make much difference. I was drained and tired of hearing his lies, but I would suffer through whatever he was going to say if it meant I could get to bed soon. “You have five minutes,” I said, glancing demonstratively at my watch.

  “I won’t need that long. Basically, all of this is a huge mistake, and it’s mainly my father’s doing.”

  I scowled up at him. “Are you going to start explaining, or do you just want to ramble?”

  He laughed, and the sound of his voice gave me goose bumps, even though it shouldn’t. “You’re cute when you’re angry, do you know that? Maybe I should enjoy this a little longer,” he mused jokingly.

  “Okay, that does it!” I exclaimed and jumped up, but as quick as a flash, he pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.

  Before I could even gasp in outrage, he declared, “You’re the first woman I’ve ever given my mother’s necklace to.”

  Snorting, I tried to free myself from his grip. “That’s hard to believe, since . . .” I began to say, but he cut me off.

  “And the necklace you saw on the magazine cover really was a copy, but I didn’t make it. Just before I broke up with Alexandra, she saw the necklace in my room and wanted it for a photo shoot. I told her that it had been my mother’s and that I wasn’t going to give it to her, and that was the last straw in what was already a superficial relationship. Then, later, I saw that she’d taken the necklace with her, that lunatic, and she either took a picture of it or just took it straight to the jeweler’s. Either way, she had a duplicate made without my permission before I was finally able to get it back from her.”

  “Uh-huh. And you expect me to believe that?” I leaned back so that I could look at him.

  “You can ask my dad; he’ll confirm it. Or ask Alexandra herself. I mean, I could press charges against her for this.”

  “And why in God’s name would I believe her or your father? Who says you’re not all in league with each other?” I felt torn. Hadn’t I doubted Mr. Marcs’s words early on in our conversation at Seconds?

  “Because he’s not keen on the prospect of having you as a daughter-in-law, but you already know that. Believe me, he would never lie on my behalf to help me win you back. But what he will do is apologize to you, because I’ve threatened never to speak another word to him if he doesn’t admit to lying to you.”

 
I looked up at him and found myself gazing into eyes that looked completely honest. Could all of this actually be true? “Why did he do that?”

  “Because he realized that I was serious about you. He completely flipped out when I told him that I’d rather go to the zoo with you than attend his oh-so-precious conference. And when he saw you wearing the necklace, I guess it was more than he could take. Nothing is more important to my dad than the company, and the thought of losing me to you was probably unbearable for him.”

  “Then maybe he really does love you more than he wants to admit,” I concluded, but Luca only laughed bitterly.

  “No, he’s just thinking about his company, because he doesn’t want to leave it in the hands of a stranger. That’s not love; it’s just selfishness.”

  I loosened myself from his arms and took a step back, and this time he let me. I just needed room to breathe, to think. Could I really trust him? Was this all just a huge misunderstanding? I wanted to believe him, wanted nothing more desperately than to fall into his arms, but then that old familiar distrust came knocking again.

  “Sophia, that’s the truth, and I don’t want anyone but you,” he said in response to my hesitation.

  I bit my lip. “Why me, anyway? What do you want from me?” I remembered asking that question once already, but this time I didn’t want some flattering response. I wanted the truth, something that I could believe he meant.

  “Because you’re so fascinating to me. My whole life, I’ve had perfect women picked out for me, successful women from good families . . .”

  “And I’m not any of those things,” I mumbled.

  He nodded. “Right, and that’s why you’re so much more. You have personality, a more than independent mind, and a sense of humor—all things those others will never have. They’re perfect, but in a cold, stiff way. But you—you have your faults, and that’s exactly what fascinates me about you so much. When you look at me and blush, when you smile at my feeble attempts to get to know you, you’re doing it because of me. Not because I’m successful, or because I’m well known, but because of me. Do you know how long I’ve been searching for a woman like you? And then there are our parents, who have been telling us what to do all our lives, trying to put us into boxes. You understand me, Sophia. You know what it’s like not to be able to get free of your family, because you’ve gone through the same thing. Doesn’t any of that mean anything?