The sea winds hit our faces as soon as we step out of the car, tasting distinctively of salt. Since hiding out in my home for months, I haven’t had the opportunity to visit the beach. I miss it. Being back here and hearing the roar of the waves is something I wasn’t aware I needed in my life so desperately. As a child, my father often took me sailing and it cemented my love for the sea. I’ve been foolish to neglect it for so long.
“Which one’s yours”, Callie asks pointing at the many boats by the dock..
I follow her finger and see a familiar sight.
“Well, that big one, with three floors. That one used to be mine. The one we’ll be sailing on is uh…”
I have to squint to get a better look at the dock but soon find it. “That one there, with the red trimming.”
Callie seems a bit unimpressed. But she looks back at me with a smile.
“Let’s sail”, she proclaims happily.
As we walk down the dock, I notice Callie eyeing the superyacht I mentioned used to belong to me. Understandable, to say the least. A measly sailboat doesn’t compare to the luxury of a multi-level vessel that prioritizes relaxation above anything else.
“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?”
Callie seems a bit embarrassed to have been caught checking out the hard to miss vessel. “Uh, yeah, she’s… It’s a good boat. A bit too big for my taste, but then again, I’ve never even been on a boat so what do I know.”
I help her onto the sailboat as I undo the ropes tying us to the dock.
“Don’t worry, this baby isn’t without her perks”, I assure her.
Sailing out farther from land reminds me why I love the sea, especially when I look back and see the look on Callie’s face. Even though she’s not being waited on by servants aboard a yacht, she’s still enjoying every second of her time off land. Sharing moments like these are why I love being out here.
Callie looks back at me and closes her eyes for a moment, content with the experience we’re sharing. With that, I think it’s a good enough time to start our heartfelt discussion.
“I bet you’re wondering why it is that the superyacht no longer belongs to me”, I start.
“You said this sailboat wasn’t without its perks. I figure you thought the superyacht had too many extraneous features… or something”, she answers.
A cock my head to the side, noting that she has some good points. “Not exactly.” Taking a deep breath, I tell her the truth. “I sold the yacht… because I had to. I was losing money by the day, and if I had kept it, I’d have lost more. It was an unneeded expense.”
“Losing money. But I thought you were rich”, she mumbles.
“I’m still very well-off but… I lost a large part of my fortune in a… an admittedly stupid way. The person I used to date, Miranda. She… fucked me.”
Callie scoffs frustratedly. “She fucked you. You’ve said that before, you’ve said it I think each time we’ve seen each other. What do you mean she fucked you? How did she fuck you?”
“I’m a designer. I’ve made my millions working up the same ladder my dad worked up. Back when he was alive, he taught me how to use my brain in such a way that I’d never have to worry about money, because I’d always have something in my head that I could design and sell. That, and I inherited his millions. So, I was hired by a company that claims to be ‘paving the way to the future’. They’re interested in a space travel, better public transportation, energy efficient architecture, the quickest WiFi worldwide, and I was the big brain behind it all.”
She looks at me, surprised by my words. “Holy shit… How… Shouldn’t you be more famous?”
“I am. I honestly haven’t figured out how you don’t know more about me”, I tell her chuckling at how astounding it is for her not to know who I am.
Crossing her arms, Callie thinks hard. “I suppose I’m not too up to date with what’s going in the world. I sort of live inside my own little bubble. Heck, I only found out about Netflix last year. So you’re a rich brainiac Batman-type?”
“I don’t go around solving crimes or beating down muggers, but sure.”
“So what happened? How’s Miranda involved in your fall from grace?”
“Very heavily, as a matter of fact”, I tell her. “I met her at some gala in Europe some years back. We fell in love quickly, or I did anyway. We spent almost every waking second together but as it turned out, it was only because she was trying to find a way to steal my riches. I don’t know why. She comes from a rich family. To this day, I have no idea why she’d do this to me.”
“How did she do it”, Callie asks placing her hand atop mine. “How did she steal your money?”
“It wasn’t just money she stole. It was my work laptop. The one that had all of my designs for the company I worked for. Once I told the company I worked for that I had lost the laptop, I was fired. Since some of the designs were commissioned and paid for ahead of time, they demanded their money back. They sicced their best lawyers on me and not only won their money back, but some of mine claiming that it was proper compensation for losing what could come out to millions of dollars in designs. But even after that, I wasn’t struggling financially. I was definitely not where I was before, but I was in a spot where I could recover. But Miranda managed to get more information from me than I thought was even in the laptop. She wired herself half of my riches to some offshore bank account and then left without a trace.”
As if she was holding her breath the entire time I was talking, Callie lets out a long sigh.
“That’s insane. Holy shit. But… I don’t understand. You didn’t back up your work? And why didn’t go to the police if you knew she had done it?”
“I didn’t know it was Miranda who stole my laptop until after the trial and until after she had stolen my money. She had been by my side the entire time, pretending to care, to be worried. She sat next to me at the trial. It was only after she stole my money that she disappeared. She didn’t return any of my calls. And I was defeated. I felt hopeless. I knew where I could find her, but I didn’t see the point in trying to chase her down and get the police involved. It was embarrassing enough knowing that the person I thought was the love of my life would ruin me so impactfully. I knew she must have thought up a million ways to keep herself out of jail”, I explain whilst trying not to let these painful memories get the best of me.
The pain tears through me once more. The months I spent secluding myself from the world did nothing to keep these memories from hurting me as much as they did the day they occurred. But I hold myself together for Callie.
“I can’t believe anybody would do that to somebody else. That’s so… evil is the only word I can think of. Cruel. Needlessly cruel. But you know, if you could figure out the account the money was wired to, maybe you could get the police--”
“No”, I say firmly. “I’m not going to pursue it any longer. She either turn herself in or die with her horrid deeds on her conscience.”
“Doesn’t sound like she has much of a conscience if she’d go and steal millions of dollars under the guise of being in love with someone. And I really don’t think she’s the type of person to go and turn herself in-- uh, from what you’ve told me about her. I mean, if she’s rolling around in millions of dollars, what incentive does she have to turn herself in?”
“Then she just gets away with it and that’s it. Look, I’ve thought about it long and hard. No matter what direction I tackle this from, she’ll have a way out. And it just doesn’t matter. Bad people get away with doing bad things all the time, that’s just how life is. C'est la vie, and all that. What I want to focus on is the future! NOT the past!”
I hope that I’m not coming off as too harsh, but it’s humiliating. I want Callie to know the truth. Everything. Hard as it may be for me to come to terms with.
“I’m sorry. I don’t… I’m sorry for raising my voice. I just feel as though Miranda ruined me. It’s not just about the money. I broke a promise to my father. He was gett
ing long in the tooth and I pushed him to retire. He really didn’t want to for my sake, but I promised him that I’d be able to take care of myself. I insisted that he stop worrying about me, even on his deathbed. I promised that he wouldn’t have to worry about his son after his death. That’d I’d always have something to fall back on. That I’d never have to struggle for as long as I live. That I’d be able to raise a family without money problems. And… I lied. Because of one dumb mistake, I ended up lying to the most important person in my life on his deathbed.”
I feel Callie’s arms wrap around my midsection. They tighten, making my arms innately do the same around her body.
“Everyone makes mistakes, Declan. Even big ones. But it’s not like you lost your brain. Can’t you go back to the company with new designs?”
“Callie. This is going to sound condescending, but I really don’t mean for it to. You just don’t understand how these businesses work. Because of my fuckup, their stocks took a nosedive. They weren’t able to release any of the tech I had designed at the deadline they had publicly announced. There’s no way I’d be able to get back in good terms with them. Them or anybody else. My name’s been blacklisted. I’m like poison.”
Explaining all of this feels unexpectedly refreshing. I’ve held all of this inside of me for so long that getting it out into the open feels like a weight has been lifted from me.
“Miranda isn’t a part of my life now”, I announce. “She never will be again. I’m going to move forward and try to find a way to get my business up and running again. I’ve already cut back on unnecessary costs, and sold a few things. Now, I just need to find some business partners so I can start drawing up some designs again. And this time, I’ll be sure to back up my work in triplicate. And Callie… I want you to be there by my side.”
I look deep into her eyes before professing my desire to be with her. “I think we could work. I really think we could. I’m going to change my life for the better and I want you to be with me as I climb back up the ladder of success. Just don’t screw me over”, I joke.
Before agreeing, she quickly shifted her eyes as though she was hiding something but it must have been my imagination. She flops back on top of me and hugs me, agreeing to be by my side as I enter a new chapter in my life. One in which I create my success, one that’ll dwarf my father’s. One my father can be proud of.
I intend on keeping the promise I made to my father.
Chapter 10 - Callie
There is too much on my mind right now. I have to compartmentalize like never before. But my mind is running a million thoughts a second and I just can’t stop. How am I supposed to prepare a whole cake single handedly while trying to keep Declan out of my mind?
It’s bad enough that Sheila is so sick that I have to cater an entire charity fundraiser by myself, but knowing that Jake and Miranda are out there in the crowd of rich people makes my anxiety skyrocket. Miranda is responsible for ruining the life of someone very dear to me, and Jake seems to know something about it. As much as I hate to even consider the thought, it may do some good to try to talk to Jake. If he gets drunk enough, I’m certain he’ll spill the beans on how Miranda stole Declan’s money or what she ended up doing with the designs Declan drew up.
What am I doing? I can’t think about going on a reconnaissance mission. I have to cake to finish decorating. And then I have to make myself look presentable. With all of the professional photographers I caught a glimpse of outside, I have to make sure I roll out the cake looking as good as I possibly can.
Jake. If he helped Miranda fuck Declan over I have to know. Declan may be okay with rolling over and letting Miranda get away with her crimes, but I sure as hell am not. As soon as I get the chance, I’m going to make my way over to him and execute Plan A.
Ugh. Now, I have to mentally prepare myself. If he’s drunk, I’m sure the first thing Jake is going to want to do is try and touch me inappropriately. The sick freak. But hell, I’ll put up with some unwanted touching if it means I can get some dirt on him or more importantly, Miranda. Once I get that dirt, I can tell Declan about it and it’ll soften the blow of finding out that I am Miranda’s stepsister and have been for quite some time.
I should have already told him. On the boat. That was the perfect moment. He told me all about Miranda and how she fucked him over and I stayed quiet the entire time, save for some questions sprinkled here and there. I was so pissed at him before for hiding things from me and now I’m doing the exact same.
Between our ocean voyage and now, we did see each other a few times. And while those two dates we went on were great, it only made me feel shittier. He took me to a party where he tried to get back in with some people who worked in the same business he used to work in. Though he was focusing a lot on making new connections and rebuilding old ones, he always made sure that I wasn’t bored or felt alone. Once we left, he took me out on a cheesy date, that I appreciated wholeheartedly. He bought me some ice cream at a local place I had mentioned in passing I used to go as a kid. I don’t give him enough credit for paying attention when I speak. Even I forgot I had mentioned that place until he stopped the car right in front of it.
The day after that, he took me shopping for clothes. I told him I needed something to change into once I’m done with all of my catering duties at the charity event. Not only did he buy me a dress and a pair of shoes to go with it, but he took me to some real bougie places to buy me “anything I wanted”.
“Are you sure about that? Aren’t you hurting for money”, I asked him warily.
“Taking you out shopping won’t cause a big enough dent as keeping and maintaining a superyacht”, he answered, smiling the entire time.
I ended up with four bags from stores I never even thought of stepping into because of how expensive they looked from the outside. Declan is the best shopping partners. More often than not, I hear stories of women having to force their significant others to go shopping with them and the entire time they have to tolerate whining and complaining. But not once did Declan glance at his phone. He was eager to see me try out new clothes and asked me what it was I liked about certain things. Not in a judging or condescending manner, but genuinely interested in what sort of designs or styles I like. Maybe for future reference, once my birthday rolls around. Who could say, really? All I know is that it deepened my trust and admiration. He’s a good person.
A good person who deserves to have justice brought to him.
I finish decorating the cake and text my dad to let him know that it’s ready. He texts me back, telling me to wheel the cart with the cake on it once I hear the entire room applauding. Way to keep my anxiety through the roof. Here I was thinking that I’d just wheel the cake out and leave it next to the food tables.
Not a moment later, I hear the roar of the crowd waiting for a beautiful cake to be presented. The double doors open out and reveal the cake to the elites gathered for tonight’s event. A four level chocolate and mint cake with green frosting surrounding its base, Ferrero Rocher-type chocolates on the top forming a spiral shape, and chocolate dripping down each level. A true masterpiece of a cake, if I do say so myself. I don’t really know what I was going for as far as designing the cake, but the applause continued as I stood in front of it and shook my dad’s hand. The flashes from the photographers’ cameras were going off. It was blinding but I can’t say I wasn’t enjoying the feeling.
I smiled for the cameras the way I heard Tyra Banks once say it was right to-- with my eyes. I was showing teeth but I made sure that the joy was coming straight from my eyes. At least, that’s what I thought was doing, I suppose I won’t know until I see how the pictures came out.
What brought my fake smile to a real frown was seeing Jake in the crowd. Through the flashes of light and the sea of botox-enhanced faces, I saw him looking directly at my while licking his lips. It might be safe to assume that he’s already had too much to drink, but a few more shots should help.
“Jacob, is that all”, I ask try
ing not to move my lips to much for the cameras.
“If you could just cut three or so slices and leave the cake knife here, that’d be great.”
I do as he suggests and quickly grab a shopping back from the kitchen and run to the nearest bathroom. There, I change out of my sullied baker’s jacket, apron, and slack and into the gorgeous green dress Declan bought me. Before heading out, I quickly apply some makeup in case any photographers want to snap more pictures of me and in order to more easily seduce Jake into fucking up.
As soon as I step out into the hall, I notice people turning to look at me. Understandable. Suffice it to say, most people weren’t expecting the baker to come out looking like a ten out of ten in a sparkling green dress as if I was heading to the Met Gala. It’s like those old Maybelline commercials used to say… “She’s a headturner”.
One of the heads I turned was, of course, Jake’s.
Despite getting his attention, I’m stopped by my mother who grabs me by my shoulders and thanks me endlessly for helping Jacob impress his peers and friends with my cake. She smells very drunk. This gathering is starting to feel more like a college party than a fancy charity event. Most people I pass by reek of booze, but that may be intentional. People might be more susceptible to Jacob’s silver tongue when they’re drunk and may donate more money. I may be the most sober person here. And it’ll have to stay that way.
Two Bad Bosses_An MFM Menage Romance Page 39