by Alexa McLean
“I like it too.” This time, she was the one to grab my hand. Together, we headed toward the boat.
My crew was already waiting for me when we arrived. They offered hors d’oeuvres and other light refreshments. Shelly snatched the cheesecake bites and popped them into her mouth. “Mmm, these are delicious.”
The yacht glided across the water. We had no specific destination in mind. Our only goal was to enjoy our time together.
As Shelly leaned against the railing, I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her slender body. I pulled her close and, at that moment, I vowed to never let her go. Her scent wafted up to my nose and it intoxicated me. I breathed her in as my lips trailed along the side of her neck. “Will you ever forgive me?”
She did not answer me. Instead, she looked out at the water, her features calm and pensive. Soft, rolling waves crashed into the side of the boat. The sound echoed through the air. I rested my head on her shoulder, grip tightening.
“I’m not sure it.” She started. “But I might consider it if you tell me who this mystery partner of yours is.”
“Nice try but you still have to figure it out all on your own.” I tickled her sides until she curled up against me.
“Stop.”
But I didn’t. I continued to tickle her until she fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. I pounced on top of her, addicted to her sweet, bubbly laughter.
“Seriously, I can’t breathe!” She protested with her hands on my chest. She desperately tried to push me away.
Finally, I relented. “Alright, alright, I’ll lay off – this time.” I leaned forward until our faces were mere inches apart. “But next time around I will show no mercy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you really think I’m scared of the likes of you?”
“I’d be careful if I were you. That little tongue of yours is going to get you in trouble one of these days.”
“Is it?” Her eyes shone with mischief as she pulled my hair and drew me into a kiss. I pushed past her lips and forced my tongue into her mouth. Almost instantly, her tongue greeted mine and they started in a fiery tango.
She rolled over and landed on top of me. The kiss intensified until we were both out of breath.
With our lungs burning for oxygen, she pulled away. “Now, are you going to tell me who your partner is or not?”
“I already told you, you need to figure it out all on your own.”
“Why are you being so secretive about this?” She groaned. “Why can’t you just tell me?”
“Because what’s the fun in that? It’s much too fun to see you struggle.”
She punched my arm. “Sometimes, you’re the literal worst.”
“Even if you won’t admit it, I know you like it.” I was about to pull her back for another kiss but she got to her feet and walked away. Again, I found her staring into the water’s depths. What was on her mind? What was troubling her so?
“What happens if the IRS goes after you?” She turned with a face full of concern. “I don’t want to see you thrown behind bars, Grayson.”
“Well, if they come knocking on my door then I expect you to run away with me.” I paused and rubbed my chin for dramatic effect. “How does Mexico sound.”
“Run away?” She shook her head. “That’s not going to happen. Not barefoot.”
“I don’t think you’d get much farther with your heels.”
I expected a laugh but all I was met with was silence.
When I looked up, her eyes were painted with worry. Her bottom lip quivered. It pained me to see her act this way. I didn’t want her to worry about me. I didn’t want her to worry about anything.
I pulled into a hug and held her tight. “I love you.”
She did not say it back.
THAT NIGHT, WE SLEPT in different rooms.
Chapter 13: Shelly
A FEW WEEKS LATER.
After our little boat ride, things were never quite the same. Those three little words kept echoing through my skull. As much as I wanted to push them away, I couldn’t. I kept hearing them over and over again.
I love you.
Did he really mean to say that? Could it be true? My heart desperately wanted to believe him but my mind couldn’t let me accept it. He was just playing with my emotions.
And it was cruel.
I stared at my computer screen, unable to focus. “I need some coffee...” I mumbled to myself. Before I could get up there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” I called.
To my surprise, Nick walked in with a stack of papers in his hand. “Hey.” He offered a little wave. “I hope I’m not bothering you or anything. I just saw these on the printer and I thought they might be yours.”
“Hmm...?” I took them and nodded. “Yes, thank you. Saved me a trip down to the printer room.”
“Don’t mention it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m actually on break. I was wondering if you wanted to join me.”
“Join you?” I asked. “Join you where?”
“Oh, it’s just this little café across the street. Nothing fancy. Just thought it might be better than break room coffee, you know?” He was definitely getting better at the whole flirting thing, I’ll give him that.
“I’m sorry, Nick.”
He frowned. “Sorry?”
“I don’t want to hurt you, I really don’t but I think you have the right to know...”
His frowned deepened. “You’re taken, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
“I guess I should have expected as much. A beautiful girl like you is rarely single.” His cheeks were a bright shade of red. “Well, now I feel like a downright idiot.”
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over this. I’m sure you’ll find yourself a sweet girl –”
He raised his hand to stop my spiel. “Thanks, but no thanks. You’re starting to sound like my mother.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, thanks for letting me know instead of leading me on.” A sigh escaped his lips. “I just hope that however he is, he knows just how lucky he is.” With that, he walked out of my office.
Frankly, I didn’t quite know what to make of the situation. Nick was a decent guy and I was passing him up for someone who had hurt me in the past. Was I making the right decision?
And, not to mention, I had yet to figure out who Grayson’s mystery partner was. Until I found the answers I needed, I knew I could never really trust him.
I drummed my fingers against my desk, racking my brain for a solution. Then, it hit me: Lacey. She was the one person I knew who was genuinely close to the man. Maybe she knew more about this mystery partner than I did. In any case, it was worth asking.
But there was one problem: I didn’t know her number. I would need to get it from Grayson’s phone somehow.
A bit of smooth talking might do the trick.
So, I grabbed my blazer and tossed it over my shoulders. On the way to his office, I stopped in the bathroom and checked my reflex. I wet my hair with a bit of tap water trying to achieve that sultry just-out-of-the-shower look.
A co-worker walked in and looked at me with an air of suspicion but she didn’t bother to comment.
Once she was inside a stall, I slipped through the door and continued down the hall.
Outside his door, I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. Only then did I knock.
He answered, his body looming in front of my own. A charming smile flashed across his face. “Shelly. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” He asked.
“Well... I...” Now that I was here, I realized that I didn’t actually have much of a plan.
“Shelly?” He cocked his head to the side. “As much I’d to think that you just dropped by to admire my good looks, I know you’re here for something else.”
“Can I come in?”
“Certainly.” He ushered me into his room. “Can I offer you a coffee?”
“Do you know how to work that fancy latte machine in the back?” I asked. It looked the most complicate
d and hopefully the most time-consuming.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” He boasted before crossing the room. It came to like with a loud whirl. He busied himself with changing the filters.
I took the opportunity to slip behind his desk. It was difficult to find his phone among the clutter of paper but somehow, I found it underneath a manila folder. Of course, it was locked by a pin code. Now, what would he use as his pin? I thought to myself. I tried his birthday. Nothing. I tried the headquarter address. Nothing.
“How do you like your coffee?” Luckily, he did not turn around. If he had, he would have caught me red handed.
“Um... black is fine.”
“Coming right up.” He hummed to himself.
Quickly, I looked back at his phone, trying desperately to think of something. Out of sheer luck, I tried my birthday. Bingo.
His home screen popped up. It was a picture of me sitting on the beach, my back to the camera. My hair was shorter then, just barely grazing the top of my shoulders. Nearly five years ago...
I push back old memories and went into his contacts. There hundreds of them but luckily only one Lacey. I committed her number to memory just as Grayson turned around. “What are you doing?” He asked.
“Uh... I had a runny nose. I just needed a tissue.” I lied.
“You aren’t getting sick, are you?”
“No. No. It’s just a little dusty in my office.”
“I’ll have the cleaning crew do something about that.” He said with a smile.
As he placed the coffee cups on a nearby table, I put his phone away and joined him on the couches. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He crossed one leg across the other. “So, tell me, what can I do for you?”
“I guess...”
His lips stretched into a knowing smile. “You missed me, didn’t you?”
“Yep, that’s exactly it. I missed you, Grayson.”
“Sometimes you’re rather hurtful with that sarcasm of yours.” He shook his head. “Here I was getting my hopes up.”
I shook my head. “I think you should know better by now.”
LATER THAT NIGHT.
Lacey arrived at my house sporting a sleek black Jaguar. She stepped out of her car and leaned against it, lighting a cigarette. She took a drag before blowing the smoke between her lips. “This is your home?” She asked, looking it over. “Frankly, I expected something a bit more extravagant.”
“Why’s that?”
“You’re dating the richest man in town, are you not?” She threw her cigarette on the ground and snuffed it with her heel. “I’ve had men buy me mansions on our second date.”
My eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
“I may be exaggerating but not by much.” She grinned. “So, you wanted to talk about something.”
“Yes. Grayson.”
“I expected as much.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “Has he done something to upset you.”
“Upset isn’t the word.” I ran my hands together as sweat gathered along my palms. There was something about this woman that unnerved me now that we were alone. “Do you mind if we take a ride?”
“I can’t be away from the casino for very long but if you don’t mind having our chat there...”
“No, I don’t mind at all.”
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG before I was sitting at a blackjack table with Lacey. She placed a handful of chips in front of me. “Play.”
“I’m not much of a gambler.” I protested. “I prefer to earn my money.”
“Noble.” Lacey nodded at the dealer. “But we’re at a casino and I rarely take no for an answer.”
With no other choice, I looked at my hand.
“Blackjack.” The dealer announced as he paid out my winnings.
“It seems like you’re a lucky one,” Lacey commented as she traced the rim of her glass with her finger. “There aren’t many people who can say the same.”
“Look, Lacey, I don’t want to beat around the bush any further.”
She chuckled. “Oh? I had the feeling you were holding back. Tell me, what’s really on your mind.”
I looked around, half expecting an IRS agent to be lurking around the corner. But from what I could tell, no one was particularly interested in our conversation. “The thing is... Grayson is having me cook all his books for him. I know he’s laundering money and that’s not even the thing that is bothering me the most.”
She straightened in her seat, lips pinched together.
“He won’t tell me who he’s working with. He says he’s a silent partner but no matter how hard I press him, he won’t give me answers.”
“Why do you want to know so badly?” She asked.
“Honestly, I don’t really care. What’s bugging me is that he doesn’t trust me enough to tell me.”
“Maybe he has his reasons.” She downed the rest of her drink. “Play another hand.”
This time, I had a twenty in my hand. “Insurance?” The dealer looked at me as he pointed to the ace.
“What do you think? Is it a twenty-one?” Lacey leaned in close enough where I could feel her breathing down my neck.
Goosebumps rippled across my skin. Suddenly, it felt like someone was watching me. I looked over my shoulder but there was no one there.
“Ma’am.” The dealer addressed. “Insurance.”
“No.”
He flipped over his card revealing a seven. “18.” Again, he paid me my winnings.
“Lucky indeed,” Lacey muttered to herself.
“So, I guess what I’m asking is whether you know who this partner of his might be. I figured you might be the only person who could help me figure it out.”
Just then, one of her security guards walked up to us and whispered something into her ear.
“My apologies but I am being called to deal with some official business. It will only be a moment. If you wait here, it shouldn’t be long.” She reached into her purse and retrieved a stack of chips. “While I doubt you will need these...” She winked. “Keep yourself entertained.”
I watched her walk away. A certain air of authority followed her. Honestly, I had never seen a woman quite like her. She was like a character out of a movie or something.
“Would you like to continue to play?” The dealer asked.
“Actually...” I was about to get up when a man wearing a velvet suit joined me at the table.
“I hope you don’t mind.” He said with a smile. “I saw you sitting by yourself and I just couldn’t forgive myself if I allowed you to spend the night alone.” For some reason, the way he spoke, it sent a shiver running down my spine. “Now, let’s play.”
Chapter 14: Grayson
THAT SAME EVENING.
Somehow, time slipped away from me. I was so caught up with our newest blueprints that by the time I consulted a clock, it was already half past seven.
Strange.
Shelly typically asked me for a ride home when she was done with her work. Perhaps she was still cooped up in her office, crunching numbers.
With this thought in mind, I threw on my jacket and headed down the hall. My footsteps echoed against the empty building. I passed one of the night cleaners who was busying himself by washing the lobby windows. He nodded his head in my direction. I didn’t bother to nod in return.
Once I reached Shelly’s door I knocked. There was no answer. Through the frosted glass, I could tell that the lights were off. Still, I turned the handle. I wasn’t surprised to find an empty room.
Why hadn’t she dropped by my office as she usually did? I wondered to myself.
I sank into her desk chair and spun around. After a full rotation, I stopped and dialed her number. There was no answer. What did I expect?
“Hmm...” I was just about to leave when I spotted a bright pink sticky note on the edge of her monitor.
I’m willing to make a bet that I’ll find out who this partner of yours really is. I could tell it was written in her handwr
iting. For a girl, she wrote like a dying chicken. It was a miracle I could even read it.
I snatched the note from her monitor and shoved it into my pocket.
The casino. So that’s where she went.
DRESSED IN MY FINEST, I stepped onto the plush red carpet. The floor was busier than usual. There were quite a few faces I had never seen before. It seemed Lacey was getting rather liberal with who she invited to her establishment. She better be careful. More people meant more room for error.
I strolled through, keeping my eyes peeled for Shelly but, from what I could tell, she wasn’t at any of the tables nor was she at the bar. Had Lacey taken her to a VIP room? As I made my way there, I spotted one of my old business rivals. I planned on walking past but he looked up and spotted me. There was no avoiding him now.
He got up and stretched out his arms in greeting. “Grayson! My, my, it’s been a while.” He hailed over a waiter and ordered a round of drinks before I could even think of stopping him.
“That’s very kind of you, Bradley, but I really can’t stay.”
“Nonsense. You can spare a minute of your time, can’t you? Besides, who can say no to a good shot of whiskey.” The man’s bellowing laugh ripped through the room, catching everyone’s attention. He slapped me on the shoulder. “I don’t remember you being this tense, my chap. What happened? Is something on your mind?” He slithered closer like a serpent about to strike. “This is a place for rest and relaxation – you insult Lacey by worrying yourself here.”
“What do you know about Lacey?” I narrowed my eyes with suspicion.
“Oh, we have a certain history.” He nodded. “We go way back if I must say so myself.”
“I see.”
“Careful, honey.” A beautiful brunette stepped into the scene. She wore a stunning white gown with a high neck.
“No, no, baby, it’s nothing like that.” He assured her. “You’re my one and only. You know that.”
“You’ve gotten married, I see.” I motioned to the large diamond ring on her finger. It was impossible to miss.