by Maeve Hart
I stuck my finger in the jar to see what color the liquid was. As soon as my finger hit the gooey liquid, I regretted it. It was strangely warm—unnaturally so. Warmer than room temperature. I withdrew my finger and saw it had something red on it. Blood? It was a deep crimson.
I winced and looked around for something to wipe my finger and saw a box of tissues in the far corner of the room. When I moved, my long necklace caught the edge of the jar sending it toppling over. With lightening reflexes—that I never knew I had—I managed to grab the jar before it hit the floor. Although I’d saved the bottle, the contents were spilled on the floor and all over me. My first thought was that I looked like I’d murdered someone; my second thought was that I’d better clean up the mess fast before Granny got back and murdered me.
Good thing Granny had a sink in her spell room. I raced over to wash my hands in case the liquid was poisonous. As I washed the substance off, I noticed a tiny cut on one of my palms. Had the jar broken? After I had dried my hands, I studied the rim of the bottle and saw it had a large chip out of it.
At once I got down on my hands and knees to see if I could locate the missing piece of glass. It was nowhere to be found, and I decided that the chip must have been there all along and I just hadn’t noticed it. With a tissue, I scraped all the spilled contents of the jar back into it. Once I had the lid on, I held it up to the light. Granny would notice that there was less liquid in it, so I raced to the tap and put a little water into the jar until it looked the same from the outside as it had before I’d spilled it. My only hope was that she rarely used the contents.
A chill shot down my spine. If that was blood in the jar, it wasn’t good to have my cut exposed to it. But wouldn’t blood coagulate? Yes, I decided that blood would not keep in a jar like that, so I was safe. Normal human or even animal blood would never stay in liquid form like that.
Chapter 5
Back to the party
“Hello.”
I looked down to see if I had blood on me and saw there was none. Snapping out of my reverie, I realized I was at my engagement party and someone with a deep voice had just said hello.
When I looked up, I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across my face. This was the tall man I’d seen in the crowd and I knew he was the man in my dream. I just knew it! He had to be well over six feet tall, his hair was dark, his skin was nicely tanned, and his teeth were perfect and white. It was a relief to see his face.
“Hello,” I said, knowing I was making my attraction to him known by the look on my face. Had he dreamed of me too?
As I was still sitting, he had to lean over to extend his hand for me to shake. “I’m Jacques Hunter.”
I put my hand in his and stood up, leaving the food tray on the ground. “Shark Hunter?”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “Jacques Hunter.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Nervously, I pulled back my hand.
“I like the name Shark Hunter better,” he said in almost a whisper as he moved closer.
I dropped my gaze when it dawned on me who Jacques Hunter was. He was Donald’s boss, the mega multi-gazillionaire. I’d heard things about him from the newspapers and magazines but had never seen photos of him. Everyone called him a recluse, and some, a hermit.
Say something, I scolded myself. Looking back up into his face, I said, “It was good of you to come.”
He smiled, “And you are?”
I was lost in a daze as I try to remember my name. I blinked hard to distract myself. “I’m…” I don’t know why but I extended my hand toward him as if I wanted him to shake it again.
He gave a little laugh and took hold of my hand. I looked down at his large hand and imagined how muscled his arms must have been under his suit. He was still holding onto my hand firmly, and I returned my gaze to his eyes.
“Have we met somewhere before?” His deep voice caused my cheeks to overheat.
I gave a little giggle. Where would someone like me meet someone like him? “McDonalds?” Did I just say that? Why the hell…?
“I wish we had met before at McDonalds.”
Is he hitting on me? I shook my head. “I don’t think so.” What? Now he’ll think you’re not interested.
He didn’t seem fazed by my intoxicated words or the fact that I was making absolutely no sense and staring at him like a fool.
He finally released my hand. “How about we get out of here?”
Okay, what was in the champagne? Am I having a psychedelic trip or something? This can’t be happening. Is this to do with the potion I spilled all over myself? I should’ve put that fast luck oil in my pocket; God knows I need it now.
I took a deep breath while still holding his gaze. I’d just gotten engaged, and now a hot billionaire wanted me to go somewhere with him and I couldn’t.
Go with him, you fool! You only live once! If you had one night with him, you’d have that memory forever.
I struggled with my good girl self and my bad girl self as they argued in my head.
My good girl screamed, You couldn’t do it to Don.
Don who? my bad girl asked.
It would hurt Don if you left with his boss. My good girl had her nose in the air when she added, Do you want someone for one night or a man for a lifetime?
“I can’t,” I heard the ‘good girl’ in me say out aloud. Apparently, I had more ‘good girl’ in me than bad. Sadly, with the good girl around it looked like I was stuck with Don. A girl like me could never hold onto a man like Jacques.
“Why can’t you? What’s to stop you?” Jacques asked, speaking directly to my bad girl.
We both knew I was attracted to him and I couldn’t ignore there was something that drew me to him. It wasn’t right to ignore something so intense. Just when I was about to throw caution to the wind and hop aboard like a drowning rat scampering into a lifeboat, Don came up behind him and slapped him on the back.
“I see you’ve met my fiancée,” Don said to Jacques while frowning at me.
Jacques took a sharp breath and raised his eyebrows. “Ah, this is your fiancée?”
Donald reached over, picked up my left hand, and showed him the ring, apparently a symbol marking a man’s territory. I knew Donald sensed Jacques was attracted to me and was warning him off.
I had to admit I was more than a little flattered. Never before had two men paid me direct attention like that.
Trying to hide my embarrassment, I forced a little smile as Jacques looked into my eyes. “Well, congratulations, then,” he said.
“Thank you,” I managed to say before I looked away. It was too painful to look at him knowing I’d never get to know him better. Never get to feel his arms around me or feel his warm breath on my neck as he dotted small kisses over my face and down my back. I looked down at my hand, which he’d touched a moment before.
Donald pulled me away after telling his boss there was someone leaving soon whom he wanted me to speak with. I knew it was a lie—an excuse to get me away from Jacques. Don had such a grip on my arm he was hurting me. I glanced back over my shoulder at my dream man. To my surprise, he was staring back at me. Even though nothing had happened between us, somehow something had. Ours was a brief encounter and one I’d remember forever.
I had to get away from Don and everyone else. “Don, I need to go to the ladies.”
“When you come back, make yourself known to everyone. You’ll be hosting dinner parties and there are people here who can advance my career.”
I frowned at him and figured I’d call him out. “You were rude to your boss just now.”
“I saw the way you looked at him.” He curled his lip into a snarl. “You want him, don’t you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’ve just gotten engaged.”
He glowered at me.
I shook my head at him. “Anyway, isn’t your boss the one who can help your career?”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “You don’t understand how things work in the real wo
rld. You’re too caught up in the artsy-fartsy world with all those weirdo art freaks.”
I’d been raised around artists, and my mother had recently opened an art gallery.
I pulled a face at him. “Is this a networking event for you, or is this our engagement party?”
“You’re the one who wanted the big diamond and the luxury honeymoon. Where do you think all the money comes from? It doesn’t just drop out of the sky. Some of us have to work for a living.”
“What are you saying? I work for a living, and I work very hard.”
His eyes went cold, and he curled his lip again. “To answer your question, it’s not really an engagement party because none of your family or friends bothered to come.” He spat his words at me. I had no option but to retaliate.
“I don’t see your family here,” I said. “Besides, mine don’t like you, and they don’t like the idea of us being together.”
His jaw fell open. I walked away, knowing he would find it hard to comprehend the notion that someone didn’t like him, or that someone would think he wasn’t a great catch for me.
In reality, my friends and family thought the opposite. I ran from him, passing the ladies and continuing past the red illuminated exit sign. Once I was on the sidewalk, I felt as though I was about to pass out. Noticing a alleyway, I headed down it, despite the fact that it was exactly the kind of alley where one could quite easily get mugged. It was dark and only wide enough for one vehicle, but since both sides were filled with trash cans and dumpsters, it didn’t look like any cars ever went there.
Everything around me spun. Tall buildings curved inward and the stars dotting the sky whirled about. I held my head and hurried further down the alleyway. Finding a hiding spot between two dumpsters, I wedged myself in the gap. My eyes closed and I held my head, resting against the building as I slowly slid to the ground.
Chapter 6
Opening my eyes, I saw I was in an alley sitting against a wall wedged between two dumpsters. By the soft glow of the sky and the coolness of the air I knew it was morning. I soon noticed the air wasn’t the only thing making me cold—I was naked. My hands flew to cover my bits the best I could.
Why was I naked? The last thing I remembered was leaning against the wall to rest, clutching my handbag.
I looked around for my clothes only to find I was sitting on them. Once I’d pulled them on, I panicked and looked for my bag.
Had I been mugged?
My bag wasn’t far away, just behind one of the dumpsters that had kept me shielded all night.
I saw one of my shoes on the other side of the alley. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I headed toward the shoe. As I reached down, I saw the other one nearby. I slipped my feet into them, wondering how they had gotten so far away.
Flashes of the night before ran through my mind—I was running through the streets and people were screaming, scared of me. Had I run naked? What a terrible fright that must’ve given people. It was a wonder I wasn’t arrested. No, just a minute. It wasn’t me running—it was me in the body of an animal. Such a thing couldn’t have been real.
I swore then and there never to drink again!
My next thought was how I’d get home. Donald had cut up my credit cards and didn’t allow me to carry cash. As I rifled through my bag, I found small notes in the side zipped section, but not enough for a taxi.
Dare I call Don, answer one hundred and one questions, and possibly have a huge argument?
My shoes weren’t the kind I could walk home in. I picked up my phone and called Donald. It was way too early to call Abbie.
“Where have you been?” he asked before he said hello.
“I must’ve passed out. I’m just next to the hotel where we had the party.”
He hung up on me. I looked at my cell phone in shock. What did that mean? Was he coming to get me, or was he so angry with me that he wasn’t going to talk to me for a few days? Would I have to make my own way home?
I called him again. He answered the call but remained silent. “Are you coming to get me or what?” I asked.
He hung up on me again.
That was a fine start to engaged life. I took it that meant he wasn’t coming to get me. I had no choice but to call Abbie.
To my relief, she answered with a chirpy voice, meaning she was already awake.
“Well, how did the party go? Are you an engaged woman now?”
“I’ll tell you later. Can you please do me a huge favor?”
“Depends what it is. As long as it doesn’t have anything to do with Donald.”
“I’m stranded, and I’ve got no money for a taxi. Can you come get me?”
“Why aren’t you with Don? Where are you?”
I told her where I was and then had to listen to her tirades about how awful Don was. She’d said she’d be there soon and I told her I’d be waiting by the hotel’s entrance. I tossed my cell phone back into my bag and tottered back down the alleyway in my stilettos, which wasn’t an easy thing to do before my morning coffee.
While I waited for Abbie, I checked my emails on my phone. I had one email from my personal assistant, Diana. She was a virtual assistant; I couldn’t afford a full-time one. A Mr. Jones wanted me to look at his loft to get ideas for redecorating. I hoped it wasn’t another person who wanted to milk me for ideas only to do the work themselves or look for someone who’d do it cheaper. Sadly, that was the type of client I’d been attracting of late.
A car horn tooted. It was Abbie, and as I got into her car she started going off about Don. It went along the lines of ‘why are you putting up with that bastard?’ and then she called him a few choice words. My mind was elsewhere as I watched her mouth open and close while her forehead creased.
“You mean to tell me he wouldn’t come get you?”
“No, he wouldn’t. He’ll probably give me the silent treatment for days. That’s what he normally does.”
Abbie took her eyes off the road to glance at me.
“Watch the traffic,” I said. It was my fear Abbie would say my relationship with Don was putting a strain on our friendship. She’d always been there for me, but I knew my emotional rollercoaster relationship with Don was dragging her down as well.
“So what happened to you last night anyway?” she asked with a slight tone of disapproval.
“Too much to drink. I walked out of the building, went down the alley, and I must’ve passed out.” I wasn’t about to tell her I woke up as naked as the day I was born. She’d think I’d been attacked for certain. But I hadn’t been. My clothes weren’t ripped and had been neatly folded, and my money was still in my bag along with my phone. Most likely, I’d taken them off to get more comfortable during the night—strange, but that was the only theory I could come up with.
“What did you have to drink?
“Champagne, but I lost count after four.”
Abbie kept her eyes fixed on the road. “So, I take it you’re engaged?”
“Yes, that’s what the party was for, just as we thought. I’m officially an engaged woman.” I held out my hand to show her the ring.
She glanced down at it. “Nice.”
I kept to myself what I thought of the ring. Why was I still wearing it?
I desperately wanted to tell Abbie about Jacques Hunter and the fact that we had a connection and that he was gorgeous. But the only thing I could do about Jacques was to forget him. I didn’t think I’d ever completely forget what happened between us—that moment we shared—but I couldn’t let myself be so naïve to think anything would come of it.
“Do you think he’ll be at your place when you get there?”
“Don?”
She glanced over at me, frowning. “Who else?”
“No, not when he’s not talking to me. He would’ve gone back to his house.”
“Well, at least that’s something then.”
“He’ll think I was off with another man.” And I very nearly was, but I reminded myself that wouldn’t have las
ted. “Don’s always suspicious of me having affairs. He’s always going through my emails and my phone to see who I’m talking to, trying to catch me out when there’s nothing to catch me out with.”
Abbie shook her head and remained silent. I knew her thoughts on the matter. She’d never been a fan of Don’s.
I didn’t want Don anymore, but neither was I ready to let him go. I’d put so much time and effort into our relationship, and if it ended all the work would’ve been for nothing. Besides, he was mostly dependable and reliable. I wanted to have a man in my life unlike all the other women in my family. Granny, Aunt Flora, and my mother always told me men were no good and I wanted to prove them wrong. I could be happy with a man.
“There you go,” Abbie said when she pulled up outside my apartment building.
“Thanks so much—I owe you one.”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, you’d do the same for me. Are you free for lunch tomorrow?”
“Yeah, should be. I don’t know what time yet; I’ll have to check my diary and then I’ll text you.” I got out of the car, closed the door, and leaned down to wave goodbye.
I hoped Don wouldn’t be in my apartment when I got there.
I unlocked the door and pushed it open, walked a couple of steps, peeked into the doorway of the bedroom, and saw no sign of him.
“Donald?” I called out while walking into the living room. No answer. Good! He wasn’t there. I hated the silent treatment. The window gave me a good view up and down the street, and looking outside I could see that Donald’s car wasn’t there.
I went into the bedroom, tossed my bag on my bed, and headed to the shower. When I was finished, I was halfway dry when my phone rang. Hoping it was Don with an apology I ran to it. It was Diana.