“Tell me that’s not what you’re thinking.”
Pete groaned. “You can be a bull-headed prick, but you’re not cruel, stupid or mindless.”
But he had been remorselessly all those things last night, when he’d gone after Darcy. He was vindictive to blame her for trying to get her own back, brainless to think he could still have her, and make her want him too, and near senseless from his physical response to her.
“So—the scuffle?” Despite the look of a hangover about him, Pete was not going to be derailed.
“A news photographer tried to take my portrait without asking first.”
Pete brought his legs down off the desk and sat forward, elbows on knees, hands clasped. “And that was a big deal because?”
“You know why. I don’t want the exposure. I don’t want the profile.”
“Hang on. You agreed.”
“Well now I’m disagreeing. We have to find another way.”
“We’ve been over this. You’re obsessing over nothing. It’s not like we’re trying to turn you into a celebrity here. We’re talking about a few carefully selected interviews with targeted publications. Here today, fish and chip wrapper tomorrow.”
“No, we’re not.”
“Goddamn, Will. I’ve known you twenty years and I still don’t understand you. You fought every monster we ever encountered, slayed every dragon, even my imaginary ones, and you’re running scared of talking to a few journalists, and having your picture taken. It makes no sense.”
“To you.”
“To me, to Aileen...” Pete trailed off.
“I didn’t say it was rational. The decision’s made. We find another way.”
Pete bristled but he knew he was beaten. They’d both learned to trust Will’s gut, his instinct, even when it made no obvious sense, and time and time again it’d proven prudent. It’d been the making of Parker Corporation.
But Will hated it when Pete was down on him. He tried to lighten things up. “Want the details on the scuffle?”
Pete waved a hand. He was looking down at the carpet. “I’m over it. Who did you leave with last night? I looked for you and you were gone. Did you even stay for the presentation?” Will could almost see the wheels in Pete’s brain whirring. “Heard you were dancing with a stunning blonde.” Wheel lock achieved. Pete’s head shot up. “Oh fuck, tell me it wasn’t her.”
Will brought his legs down off the desk and centred his chair. He didn’t look at Pete.
Pete stood to go, a hand over his forehead. “Shit, don’t tell me. I can’t know about this. I might have to do something. I have a horrible feeling Darcy has something to do with the scuffle.” He massaged his temples. “Please tell me it’s not related.”
“She was after payback. Worked out it was our function. Brought a photographer. She had a legitimate story. It was a public place, on the record, not subject to your little agreement. I looked after it.”
Pete slumped back in the chair. “She crashed a private function and took unauthorised photos of you.”
“I’ve got the memory card.”
“And Darcy?”
“She’s a journalist. I should’ve been ready for it. We fucked her over.”
“You should have thought of that before you fucked her every which way.”
Will sighed. Pete was right. He’d brought all this on them. And he’d hurt Darcy. A hit to her career and another, he suspected, to her heart. “I hate what I did to her.”
“What choice did we have? She had information we’d never want out there. This is what I don’t understand. You don’t want your picture taken, but you tell this mid-ranking journalist about Tara and about God knows what else. It’s so unlike you. What possessed you?”
“She’s beautiful, Pete. She’s real and she didn’t know who I was. From the minute I saw her I knew we were going to can the interview. She’s too smart, and she needed it too much. Interviewing me was her big break. If she’d been lazy and self-important then it might have been okay. I could’ve handled that. That’s what I wanted to find out. That’s why I staged the detention. I was prepared for Ives, but it was deliberate on the paper’s part to send Darcy instead, and I needed to know why.”
“But after your control freak act, when you had what you needed, you pursued her.”
Will nodded. He couldn’t find the words to explain to Pete about the freedom of being with Darcy. What it was like to be with a woman who had no expectations of him. A woman who was strong and independent and made him laugh. He’d loved the game of it, the chase, the risk of discovery, the mind-blowing sex and the woman herself.
“This wouldn’t have happened if you’d replaced Jiao.”
And they were back to that. “Back off, Pete.”
Pete got up to leave. “Darcy is an exciting, intelligent woman, but don’t get hung up on her. She’s trouble. She’d have made life hard for us. You know it.”
He did. Which was why, when Pete left his office, he pulled the memory card from Robert Yee’s camera out of the drive attached to his PC. Looking at pictures of Darcy, brilliant, beautiful Darcy, the woman he was seriously hung up on, with her arms around his neck, with her check against his, was an incredibly stupid idea.
He opened a report on world crude steel capacity. What he needed to do was work. Lose himself in it. That’s what he excelled at. He read the opening summary twice. It wasn’t that complicated, and he wasn’t that tired, but the meaning kept sliding around. He picked up the memory card. It was the distraction. He should destroy it. He put it back in the slot in the drive, and brought up the photos from last night. He scrolled through them. Darcy in that glittery dress with the flower in her hair looked like a Hollywood starlet from the ‘40s. He could hardly believe he’d ripped the dress from her body. Looking at her image he felt the shock of it again.
He’d been so angry with her and wanted her so badly he’d had trouble stopping his hands from shaking. Only touching her satin skin calmed him. He’d been too scared to let her touch him too much, or even talk to her in case he’d blurted out something wildly inappropriate that had nothing to do with fear of being exposed by her and everything to do with how he felt about her.
She’d felt essential.
He scrolled to his favourite image. It must have been taken at the beginning of the night. Darcy standing by herself, looking past the camera. There was an air of nervousness about the way she held her body, as though she might run at any moment. There was a look of exhilaration in her eyes. She might have been looking for her lover, hoping to see desire in his welcome. Instead she’d been watching out for him so she could enact her revenge.
He saved it to his desktop. It would remind him how much risk he’d taken by opening up to her. He threw the memory card in his top drawer and went back to the report, and this time the words stuck.
It was hours later when his intercom buzzed. Wendy Chen said, “Will, are you here for Jiao Chang?”
“Did she sound cranky, Wen?”
“She always sounds cranky to me.”
“I’m not here.”
“You know she’s going to keep calling.”
He groaned, rubbed the back of his neck; the lack of sleep was starting to tell.
“Okay, Wendy. Put her through, but if she makes me cry it’ll be your fault.”
Wendy’s giggle gave way to Jiao’s, “Will Parker, what is wrong with you?”
He hadn’t heard from Jiao for more than nine months, and out of the blue here she was. “Hello Jiao. How’s Shenzhen?”
“You answer my question first.”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. What makes you think something’s wrong with me?” She wasn’t going to buy that. Will closed his eyes, sandpapery and probably red-rimmed.
“Why haven’t you started a new contract? Is it the girls, are they no good? I worked hard to find the best for you.”
“No. No. It’s not the girls. I’m sure they’re wonderful. I’m sure you picked the best.”
&n
bsp; “But you don’t choose. You don’t even try out. In nearly two years. That is too long for you.”
He sighed. This was an echo of the conversation with Pete and Bo. “Jiao, honey, why are you calling me?” He pushed the speaker button and put the handset in the cradle. This was going to take a while.
“Because you were not a stupid man when I looked after you and you are now.”
Will rolled his eyes, something Jiao hated him doing. “I was occasionally stupid then, and I’m the same now.”
“Not true, sou hai.” Jiao spoke half a dozen languages but she cursed exclusively in Cantonese and since Will’s Cantonese was almost exclusively curse words there was no failure to communicate. Didn’t mean he had to like it. He picked up the handset. No one could hear them, but he didn’t want to be sworn at on loudspeaker.
“Did you just call me a dumbass?”
“You’re a big dumbass.”
He pushed into the back of his chair and stared at the ceiling. “And you know this how?”
“How do you think I know this? My brother-in-law is a weak man, and my sister has a giant mouth. How long do you think it took me to work it out?”
“Work what out?”
“Lan tou.” She’d called him a dickhead. “You’re in love with a blonde journalist.”
Will nearly smacked the side of his head with the phone handset. Jiao’s brother-in-law had done more than arrange to have Darcy pulled from the immigration line-up and serve them dinner. Thank God he’d locked the door when things got intimate.
“I’m not in love with anyone. I only just met the woman. You’re as bad as Pete.”
“If the length of time you know someone is the prerequisite for love you’d still be with me.”
“You left me, Jiao.”
“Gau si gwai.”
Will frowned, she’d said something about dogs, turtles and shit. She was making up swear words now. “What’s your point?”
“My point is I spoiled you, but this woman will ruin you.”
This was Jiao at her most enigmatic. Impossible to reason with. “Are you done lecturing me? Can we talk now? I miss you.”
“Don’t you dare sweet-talk me.”
“I do miss you. Eight years is a long time.”
“Eight good years. But not love, Will.”
“Not love, but not nothing. We’re not nothing to each other. The blonde is nothing to me.”
“You were my bank and Blondie is not nothing.”
“You do this when you want to annoy me. Reduce what we had to the contract.”
“I want to wake you up. You love this woman. Go get her.”
How had he managed to forget Jiao’s ferocity? “You’ve been talking to Bo.” Will sighed. “You think it’s that easy. I hurt this woman terribly. I think I’ve probably hurt her career.”
“Good, then she’s not busy right now. She has time to watch you grovel. You know how to say sorry to a woman. I taught you that well.”
Will shook his head, full of memories of screaming matches he and Jiao had in their first year together before she taught him many things, including the power of understanding a woman.
“I wasn’t just late for dinner. I didn’t forget an anniversary.”
“You’re putting up a great wall. You’re in a bad way.”
“I’ve never been scared of retreat, you know that. This is one of those times I lose.”
“Will Parker, you’ve never lost anything you truly wanted.”
“I lost you.”
She didn’t pause to think about that. “You never wanted me. If you’d wanted me, I’d never have left you.” She was right and they both knew it.
“Jiao.”
“Look, stupid man. I have a good life. You set me and my family and my family’s family up. But if I hear anything more about you being such a dumbass I’ll come back to Shanghai and make your life hell.”
“Jiao.”
“Will, I’m serious. Transfer me to Pete.”
“What are you up to? Why?”
“I want him to watch you.”
“I don’t need watching. I don’t need you and Pete checking up on me. I’m not a five year old.”
“Then stop acting like one.”
Will sighed, beaten. “I’ll put you through to Pete.”
“Wait. If you really don’t want Blondie you need to choose.”
He was entirely defeated. Between Bo, Pete and Jiao, the three people who knew him best, he was not going to get away with staying single much longer. And if Pete was right, if the whole thing with Darcy only happened because he was lonely, then staying alone was dangerous to his health and to the business.
“What about May Ling?”
“Not that dirty skank. She’d eat you alive.”
He laughed for the first time on the call. “You don’t think I can hold my own?”
“Not with that one. She’d want your heart, and you’ve already given it away.”
17. Abuse
“Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.” — Confucius
The atmosphere in Mark’s office was decidedly different to the last time she’d been here with Gerry. This time there was no shouting and no one was openly questioning her capability.
Mark was quietly pleased. Gerry was loudly triumphant. As though the whole idea had been his in the first place, and this wasn’t a desperate last minute grab to make up for the original interview falling over.
Darcy felt nauseous, uneasy. It had to be the jet lag. Or the fear of letting slip information she couldn’t talk about without calling her judgment and morals into question; without damaging her reputation, and putting the paper in the firing line.
Though the temptation to announce she’d not only had extensive discussions with Will Parker, she’d punched him, was extreme.
It had to be because she’d hardly slept since leaving for Shanghai five days ago. There was no other reason to feel ambivalent about delivering Will Parker’s comeuppance. He’d deceived and betrayed her personally, and compromised and threatened her professionally. She was a journalist, they were the facts. And there was no point thinking about how Will Parker made her feel as a woman. It was, to quote him, “irrelevant”.
The images they’d extracted from the film Darcy shot were slightly grainy and dark even when the graphics department finished with them. They were less than professional standard, they were gotcha paparazzi style, and if Mark agreed to run them, they were next morning’s most talked about scandal.
They showed Robert in profile on his knees cowering in front of a scowling, menacing Will, who looked like a gangster, a thug and a criminal, not the CEO of a multibillion dollar corporation hoping to expand his business back home.
“How the mighty come unstuck,” said Gerry. “This one,” he pointed to the shot on the proof sheet showing Will with one hand raised in a fist. “With this one,” he pointed to the second shot, Will taking the camera out of Robert’s hands. He laughed, his lunch wobbling in his paunch. “Let’s see how well this goes down for Parker with the Avalon board.”
“It’s good, Darce,” said Mark. “Not what we expected, but it’ll do. You’re sure Parker doesn’t know you have these?”
“He was busy with Robert. He didn’t know I was there.” At least not then. But afterwards, she was all he knew, all he focused on. All she’d wanted. “He thinks he handled it.”
“Poor rich bastard is going to get a gloriously rude shock,” said Gerry. “This is a deal killer.”
“Not entirely deserved,” said Mark. “It’s gutter journalism. Tabloid muck. I don’t like the fact we’re going to run this and run it big. Front page Business Section above the fold and lead photo story online.”
“Mark, this is bigger. This is lead story, front page of the whole paper,” said Gerry.
Mark pushed back in his chair, it pinged under his motion. Darcy heard crystal beads pelting glass. She looked away, not trusting her expression as a m
emory of the scene in the lift invaded her consciousness.
“Darcy crashed a private, invitation only event. The only reason these shots exist is because she caused them,” said Mark.
“So, it’s good investigative journalism,” said Gerry, shooting her a look that said she’d risen in his estimation.
“We’re supposed to report the news, not make it. If there was a scandal going on here I’d agree with you. This is a man whose right to privacy has been compromised.”
“Rich bastards void their right to privacy.”
“At his own charity function? It’s a stretch of the public interest test.”
“It’s fair game.” Gerry shrugged. “This is a captain of industry verbally assaulting a member of the press.”
“Who I understand isn’t interested in pressing a complaint. That’s what you said, Darce?” said Mark. “I don’t get it.”
Darcy nodded. It was a mystery to her too. Robert had backed away from complaining or going legal, saying he had no issue with Will Parker. There was something Robert wasn’t saying.
It was her turn to shrug. “Robert insists he’s okay so long as his name doesn’t appear in the story.”
“Write it tight, Darce. A picture tells, etcetera,” said Gerry.
Mark sat upright again. He was studying her. “You kosher with this?”
“Of course.”
“It’s a sly crack. I want you to be sure about it.”
“Fuck off Mark, it’s not her call.”
Mark ignored Gerry. “Darcy, you understand what this story could do? Gerry’s right, this could be a deal killer for Parker. Are you sure it’s reasonable?”
Was she sure? Thirty hours ago, she’d let Will Parker molest her in a public place, pin her to a wall and tear her dress off, and she’d loved every minute of his anger, every second of his intensity. Was it reasonable? She had bruises on her hips from where he’d held her too tight. He had scratches on his chest from where she’s scored him. But Will had to know there’d be consequences. Had to know she wasn’t his to own, to command and control.
Thirty hours ago, she’d wanted Will Parker, the man, so badly she’d hardly recognised herself. But this was business. This is what she lived for, so now she just wanted his scalp.
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