by Jade Winters
Craig leered at her. ‘If you must know, it was about you.’ He gave a wolfish grin. ‘We don’t think your position here at the company is working out.’
‘And why’s that, Craig?’
He looked at her with disdain. ‘Do you really need me to spell it out?’
‘Actually, if you don’t mind, I would.’
Craig cleared his throat and stood, his bulky figure towered over her. ‘Since you’ve come on board, shares have fallen; and with this latest fiasco—’
‘Would that be the fiasco of your making? The one where you were hell bent on evicting a charity, which has now led us to being investigated for bribery and—’
‘Shut it Vanessa or—’
‘Or what?’ She looked up into his eyes. He didn’t scare her anymore, and she wasn’t going to back down. Not this time. This day had been a long time coming. ‘Are you going to deck me in front of our board members?’
Craig gave an embarrassed laugh as he tried to make eye contact with the men and women around the table. Vanessa was relieved to see no one would meet his gaze.
‘Did you really think you were going to come in here and make our board members complicit in your illegal practices?’ Vanessa was bluffing; of course, she didn’t actually know if they would get caught up in the investigation, but she was hoping they didn’t know either. It wouldn’t hurt to lead them along those lines.
‘This has got nothing to do with me,’ Craig shouted, totally losing his cool. ‘This is all your fault, siding with that fucking dyke—’
‘Yes, the manager happens to be a lesbian much like myself,’ Vanessa said calmly. She would not take the bait and get into a screaming match with him. If she was going to win over the board members, she would have to do it with a sensible argument. They needed a reminder of what Berkley, O’Neil and Associates was about, not what Craig wanted them to believe. ‘Is that why you have a problem with her? So not only will the company have the stigma of being corrupt, we’ll add homophobic to the growing list.’
‘What! Don’t listen to her,’ Craig said desperately. ‘She’s putting words into my mouth.’
‘Our board members aren’t fools. They worked for our father.’ Vanessa leant on the table, addressing each of the board members individually as she spoke in a calm reassured voice. ‘Believed in him as an honourable man, friend and businessman. They believed in his vision.’
Many of the heads nodded in agreement.
‘Our business partners deserve what they bought into: growth and profit based on trust and moral decisions, not the destruction of lives for the sake of making more money.’
Vanessa gave Craig a sideward glance and could see his crimson face trembling.
‘How dare you,’ he shouted. ‘We’ve made a forty-two percent profit in the last year alone thanks to my deals. What the hell have you done?’
‘How about I tell you what I haven’t done. I haven’t cheated, bullied and bribed every official I’ve come into contact with and I haven’t dragged this company’s name through the mud. You have.’ Vanessa turned her attention back to the people seated at the table. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, my father built this company from nothing, using only moderate persuasion and sound business ethics. You know this. Now, because of the Young Minds Centre’s unnecessary, imminent destruction, we are rapidly losing our reputation as a property company bent on the betterment of neighbourhoods. Have we forgotten what my father set out to achieve with this company?’
She could see their wheels turning, although they said nothing.
‘If we demolish the Young Minds building, we will become public enemy number one,’ she explained. ‘Our name will be synonymous with bribes and corruption. It’s professional suicide in my opinion.’
Craig was beside himself, clenching his fists in silence.
Now was the time to present the project that she and Brett had been working on throughout the night. It was the one she would have shown Craig had he bothered to show up. ‘I have plans drawn up for a new, exciting complex of flats to be erected around and on top of the centre. We will renovate the centre and it will preserve our integrity, as well as bring in more profit than it would if we demolished the building. This is a win-win situation for us all and we can salvage what is left of our tarnished name. So vote if you must, but unlike Craig, I’m working towards garnering more respect for us. Respect builds bonds. Money is expendable. Our reputation is not.’
With that, Vanessa gave them a curt nod and walked out of the room. Reaching her office on unsteady legs, she hoped she had done enough to sway the board members’ opinions, more for the company’s sake than her own. If they do side with him, do I really want to be involved in a company with Craig at the helm?
Vanessa needed to do some serious soul-searching, otherwise, her happiness was in as much danger as the Young Minds Centre.
Chapter Thirty-Three
‘I can’t believe how stupid I was. What was I thinking, Sim?’
Heidi and Simone strolled through the local park. The sun shone and what should have been a great day, the start of a new beginning, had started out a dismal one. Simone had dragged Heidi to the park after finding her in the toilets in floods of tears. She had become overwhelmed by Vanessa’s words. Vanessa’s rejection still haunted her and stomped on her heart.
‘You were thinking you’d found someone who was on your level. It happens to the best of us,’ Simone said.
‘But I should have known better. I’d read about her numerous flings in the paper. What made me think I was any different?’
‘Because you are; it’s her loss and if I’m being honest, you’ve made a lucky escape. Women like her don’t understand anything about love.’
‘I don’t care about love, well I do.’ Heidi said as they came to a standstill at a small man-made pond. ‘I just didn’t want to be treated like an unpaid prostitute.’
‘I don’t blame you. The least she could have done was leave you a few hundred for your services.’
Heidi laughed despite herself. It had been the right decision to get out in the fresh air instead of moping around in her office. She looked at a couple sat on a bench a few feet away. The young woman’s arms were wrapped around a man’s waist; her head rested on his shoulder. He said something to her and she giggled uncontrollably. Heidi felt a stab of jealousy when he turned his head and planted a kiss on her forehead.
That could have been us.
Simone followed her gaze, and snorted. ‘Hey, dreamy, get your head out the clouds. They’re most probably having an affair. No one looks that happy in real life.’
‘I did. The short time it lasted anyway.’
Simone looped her arm through Heidi’s and they started walking again. As they passed the couple, Heidi caught the woman’s eyes and she could see happiness blazing in them. That was no affair. It was love.
‘So, what are you going to do?’ Simone asked, bringing Heidi’s mind to a place where she didn’t want it to be. The future? Heidi didn’t even want to think about now, let alone tomorrow, next week or next month.
‘Wait I suppose, and see if Vanessa follows through with her promise to get us an extension. After that, who knows?’
‘Do you think that ogre of a brother of hers will agree?’
Heidi shrugged. ‘Let’s keep our fingers crossed.’
‘I’m really sad about the way things have turned out.’
‘About us having to leave the building?’ Heidi inquired; her own heart heavy at the thought.
‘Yeah, but mostly about you leaving. We’ve got so much history. It’s not going to be the same going into a new office, with a new manager.’
They walked towards a bench placed near a children’s play area and sat down.
‘You know you could always take my place, keep the continuity going.’
‘Me? A manager?’ Simone said with laughter in her voice. ‘Can you imagine?’
Heidi thought for a minute. Why shouldn’t she? Everyone at the cen
tre knew her and liked her, and Simone knew as much about the centre as Heidi did herself. There were times when Heidi thought Simone should have been the manager, such was her endless enthusiasm.
‘Yes, I can. It would be good for the centre, keeping a familiar face through the transition. I’d think about it.’
‘Okay. I will, under one condition.’
‘What’s that?’
‘You put Vanessa out of your head and start being kind to yourself. You don’t need her. You don’t need anybody.’
Heidi bent over, picked a twig up from the ground and drew circles in the mud. ‘I suppose.’
Heidi knew she would never be able to rid Vanessa from her heart completely. Not now. Not after the connection she had felt. Even if Vanessa didn’t feel the same way, a trace of her would always be a part of Heidi.
‘Are you all right?
‘Yeah, I feel much better.’ Heidi dropped the stick on the ground. ‘I’m so tired. I need to sleep for a week.’
It may have been a bit drastic, but Heidi had spent the night sleeping on the lumpy, uncomfortable sofa. When she had lain in bed, the same one they had made love in, laughed in and connected in, memories had played on loop. There was no getting away from them. Even Vanessa’s scent still remained, long after Heidi had frantically changed the bedding. It was if she had seeped into every area of her life and there was no getting away from it.
Heidi’s plan was to move to a new apartment when she finally got a new job. Vanessa was only a minute part of her decision. She decided long into the night that if she was going to change, it would have to be in all areas of her life. If Heidi wanted a relationship, she was going to have to put herself out there. She wasn’t going to find anyone by living like a hermit; and she was never going to be happy living in a cramped one-bedroom apartment. It was time to put her foot on the property ladder. Start taking control of her life, to be more like Vanessa—ruthless to the point of putting her needs first above all others.
Heidi was going to turn her life upside down and God help anyone who tried to stand in her way.
***
Heidi got out of bed feeling weary. No matter how many sheep she’d counted, sleep had remained elusive. She stripped off her clothes and made her way to the bathroom, deciding a shower was the way to go. Stepping into the cubicle, Heidi let the hot, steamy water assault her body. I wonder what Vanessa … No stop it, focus on something else. Food. I’ll order a take away. I’ll get a curry since I missed out on the one Vanessa … No, I said don’t think about her.
Heidi switched the shower off and grabbed a towel before drying herself in front of the mirror. She looked at her toned body from side to side and realised she’d lost a little weight lately. Her ribcage was noticeably prominent, which was not a good sign. It normally meant she was stressing more than usual. It will be over soon. Then I won’t have to worry about the centre … or Vanessa.
Heidi quickly dressed in a pair of jogging bottoms and a t-shirt and made her way to the living room. She couldn’t remember the last time she pigged out in front of the TV. Grabbing the Indian menu from underneath the coffee table, she scanned the items.
They all look so good; I think I’ll go for… Her phone rang. She ignored it. Sod off. Hmmm the Vindaloo with… Her phone rang again.
‘Jesus Christ, can’t I get a minute’s peace?’ What if it’s Amanda? She dived for her phone and pressed it to her ear.
‘Are you doing anything tonight?’ Vanessa said.
Heidi’s body reacted to her voice before her brain did. ‘Sleeping.’
‘It’s only eight o’clock.’
Heidi exhaled loudly in a sigh. ‘That’s the beauty of living by yourself. You can do whatever you want.’
‘There is that I suppose, but there’s no fun sleeping alone—’
‘Did you call for a reason, Vanessa?’
‘Yes … to invite you over—’
‘I don’t think so. I told you I’m not into friends with—’
‘Whoa, you’re getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? I have some news that I’d rather tell you in person.’
Heidi’s heart sank. Those words usually meant the news was too hard to handle and had to be conveyed where a shoulder could be offered.
‘Can’t you tell me on the phone?’ Heidi couldn’t imagine driving all the way to Vanessa’s house in a state of apprehension about the fate of the centre.
‘No, believe me you’re going to love it.’
Heidi took the towel off her head and dumped it beside her. ‘I swear if this is just a guise to get me into bed, you’re wasting your time.’
Vanessa laughed. ‘Trust me, I won’t come anywhere near you,’ she lowered her voice, ‘that is, unless you want me to.’
‘Give me an hour,’ Heidi said trying to convince herself the goosepimples that had erupted over her body had nothing to do with the thought of seeing Vanessa again.
‘An hour? Are you coming via Edinburgh?’
‘I’ve just got out the shower. I’m still wet.’
Vanessa laughed. ‘Tease.’
Chapter Thirty-Four
When Heidi pulled up in her car outside Vanessa’s house, Vanessa was waiting on the doorstep. Heidi’s stomach fluttered and she willed herself to be strong. Just listen to what she has to say then get out of there. She unbuckled her seat belt. And whatever you do, don’t look in her eyes.
The moment she stood beside Vanessa, all her plans fell apart. It happened when Vanessa placed her hand on Heidi’s back to usher her inside.
‘I like your hair curly,’ Vanessa said eyeing Heidi’s thick unruly hair. The hairdryer had turned it into a frizz ball. ‘Very sexy.’
Heidi shot her a warning stare and Vanessa held up her hands as she laughed. ‘Okay I get it, no touching, and no compliments.’
Heidi patted her hair down, suddenly conscious of it now. ‘So, what’s so important that I had to come here?’
‘Champagne?’
‘Am I going to need it?’
‘Yes. To celebrate.’ Vanessa popped the cork and poured the golden liquid into two tall champagne flutes. ‘First, the bad news.’
‘Oh God, I knew there was a catch.’
‘This isn’t going to affect you. Just me.’ Vanessa handed her a glass and clinked it with her own. ‘Craig resigned from the company today.’
Heidi almost choked on the bubbles in her mouth. She forced them down and looked at Vanessa in astonishment. ‘That’s not good news, that’s brilliant news, isn’t it?’ she said taking another mouthful of Champagne. It was worth coming over just to hear that.
‘Well, yes but my dad’s upset seeing Craig’s time at the company come to an end like this.’ A flash of annoyance crossed Vanessa’s features. ‘Do you know what he did? He actually tried to get our board members to vote me out. Can you believe that?’
‘The only thing I can’t believe is that you’re at all surprised. I’d put nothing past that man. Nothing. So, what’s going to happen next?’
‘It’s now my duty to rebuild the company’s name. And the good news for you—’
‘What? What?’ Heidi pressed.
‘The centre is going to stay exactly where it is.’
Heidi’s mouth dropped open. ‘No! Seriously? Are you joking?’ Heidi asked, in genuine disbelief.
The war was over. Heidi lunged forward and threw her arms around Vanessa, forgetting the non-touch rule; forgetting about everything except how wonderful Vanessa was. In the end, she had come through for them.
Heidi drew back, holding Vanessa at arm’s length. ‘How did you get them to change their minds then?’
‘I presented a new solution. We’re still going to build flats there, but around and on top of the centre. It’s perfect, isn’t it?’ Vanessa said, obviously proud of what she’d accomplished.
‘Genius,’ Heidi said. ‘Sheer genius!’
Heidi’s phone pinged in her pocket but she ignored it. Vanessa gave her a questioning look. ‘Ar
en’t you going to check your messages?’
‘Messages?’ Heidi asked.
‘You can answer it. I won’t think you’re rude, you know.’
Oh my God. Can you be more perceptive of me?
‘Okay, only because you’re insisting.’ Heidi withdrew her phone from her pocket and scanned her messages. There was an email from Citizens Advice reminding her of her interview date the following week. She had been so caught up in the fight to save the centre that she’d forgotten all about it. But now that the centre was safe, it would be great to finally tell someone the truth.
‘I have an interview for a job next week.’
‘An interview? What about the centre?’
‘As sad as I’ll be to leave it, I really need a better-paying job,’ Heidi said.
‘Do you know anything about properties? I could always use a PR mastermind to rebrand the company,’ Vanessa said in between sips of her drink. ‘Just putting it out there.’
Heidi imagined working with Vanessa every day would be like having three Christmas’ at once, but the torture of not being able to be with her dashed cold water on those thoughts.
‘I’ll keep that offer in mind.’
‘I have another offer,’ Vanessa said, as she slowly lowered her eyes with the intent of looking naughty.
I can’t give in. I can’t. ‘And what would that be?’
‘You could stay the night. I could cover your body with massage oil and rub you all over … We could drink champagne, then after …’
Heidi’s breath caught in her throat as Vanessa took a step towards her. ‘After?’
‘We could have a hot steamy shower.’
The nearness of Vanessa’s body flustered her and Heidi’s heart leapt in response to Vanessa’s suggestion. Naked? In a shower?
Heidi gulped at the heated desire in Vanessa’s eyes and she slowly wrapped her arms around Vanessa’s neck. If this was how good things were going to be between them, perhaps asking for the moon was a little overrated. She’d settle for whatever Vanessa was offering; as long as she was enjoying herself, why the hell not.