A Clandestine Corporate Affair

by Michelle Celmer

  “The month? Are you saying that he’s done this before?”

  “Usually he’s much more discreet. He’s never brought one home. At least, not that I’ve known about. He always says that he’s sorry, and it won’t happen again, but it always does. I thought that when we got married he would settle down, that I would be enough.”

  He was screwing around on her in college, too? And she still married him? “Beth, why do you let him treat you this way?”

  “I love him. Besides, what choice do I have? I don’t want to be a divorced single mom. My parents adore Leo. He’s from a good family and he has the perfect career. They would be horrified.”

  Ana loved her aunt and uncle, but they always had been too hung up on appearances. “Screw your parents. You have to do what’s right for you.”

  Beth dabbed at her eyes. “I’m not like you, Ana. I’m not strong. I don’t like to be alone.”

  “You think I’m strong? Beth, I’m the most insecure person on the planet. But I’d rather be alone and miserable than with someone who had so little respect for me that he would cheat. You deserve so much better than that. And think about the message you’re sending your daughter.”

  “There’s no way she could know. She’s too little.”

  “She is now, but unless you put a stop to this, eventually she’s going to figure it out. Do you want her to think it’s okay to let her husband cheat on her? Do you want her to go through what you’re going through right now?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head. “Are you terribly disappointed in me?”

  “Of course not! I love you and I’m always going to be on your side. I just want you to be happy.”

  “He looked really sorry, and he said he would end it, and it wouldn’t happen again. Maybe he means it this time.”

  And why would he stop when he knew he could get away with it? When the only repercussion of his actions was making his devoted wife miserable.

  “Beth, you need to do something. If you don’t want to leave him, then tell him you want to go to marriage counseling.”

  “But my parents—”

  “Forget your parents. Do what’s best for you and Piper.” She took Beth’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll stand right by you, and help you in any way that I can.”

  “I’ll think about it,” she said, then she dabbed her eyes and squared her shoulders. “I need to fix my face and get back downstairs to my guests. It’s going to be a new year soon.”

  And for Beth, Ana feared it was going to be an unhappy one. No matter what she decided.

  Ana left her alone to pull herself together and headed back downstairs, wishing there was something she could do or say to help Beth, to make her see that she didn’t have to put up with that kind of treatment. Especially from a man who supposedly loved her.

  She nearly ran into Nathan as he climbed the stairs.

  “Where did you go?” he whispered, even though there was no one in the immediate vicinity to hear him.

  She jerked her chin up toward the second floor. “Bedroom. We need to talk. You would not believe what just happened.”

  “Actually, I was just leaving.”

  “Leaving? As in going home? But…Jenny has Max all night. We can stay out late.”

  “I’m not much in the mood for celebrating.”

  What the hell? How could a night that had started out so well suddenly crash and burn?

  “Is it because of David Brickman? Why was he so rude to you?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “One I’d love to hear,” she said, grabbing his sleeve and leading him back upstairs to the guest bedroom where they had planned to rendezvous.

  When they were inside with the door closed, he asked, “So, what happened with you?”

  “Not me. Beth. She caught Leo in the pantry in a compromising position with a woman from work. She said he’s been cheating on her for years. Even back in college, before they were married.”

  “I know.”

  He mouth fell open. “You do?”

  “I lived in the same house with him for two years. He didn’t exactly try to hide it.”

  “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  “What was I supposed to say? Who am I to pass judgment on anyone?”

  “So you think that sort of behavior is acceptable?”

  He sighed. “Of course not.”

  “How can you even be friends with someone like that?”

  “He didn’t cheat on me. What Leo does or doesn’t do, and who he does it with, is none of my business.”

  Ana took a deep breath and blew it out. “You’re right. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just so angry right now. At Leo for hurting Beth, and at Beth for putting up with it.”

  “I know.” He reached for her, pulled her into his arms and just held her. It was exactly what she needed.

  She rested her head against the lapel of his jacket, breathed in the scent of his aftershave. The guy sure had a knack for making her feel better. And she knew that he would never be unfaithful to her.

  “So what’s the deal with that David Brickman guy? Why was he so rude to you? Oh, and for the record, I was not ‘good friends’ with Wendy in school. I barely knew her. And she obviously has pretty lousy taste in husbands.”

  “Actually, he was completely justified.”

  “What?” She looked up at him. “How? What did you ever do to him?”

  “There are things about me, things I haven’t told you. Things I would rather forget.”

  “Like what?”

  “You know how there’s always that kid in school, the one who preys on the smaller, weaker kids? The kid who’s always getting into trouble, getting into fights?”

  “Of course. Is that who that guy was?” If so, he was probably the shortest, least threatening bully in history.

  “No, that was me.”

  Her mouth dropped open and she actually laughed, the notion was so completely ridiculous. “Nathan, you are the nicest, most patient and caring man I have ever met.”

  “That wasn’t always the case. My dad bullied me, so I went to school and bullied kids who were smaller and weaker than me. The therapist I was seeing said it made me feel empowered.”

  “You saw a therapist?”

  “In high school. It was court mandated as a part of my probation.”

  “Probation?”

  “After I put my father in the hospital.”

  She sucked in a breath. “What happened?”

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and she sat beside him. “I had gotten suspended again for fighting, and as usual that meant a beat-down from my father. But I don’t know, something inside of me just snapped, and for the first time I fought back. I laid him out in one punch, and as he fell he cracked his head open on the credenza. I was arrested for assault.”

  “It sounds more like self-defense to me.”

  “The police didn’t think so. Of course, they didn’t get the whole story. My mother sided with my father, of course.”

  That was just sick.

  “On the bright side, that was the last time he ever laid a hand on me, so it wasn’t a total loss. And the therapy did me a world of good. It helped me learn to deal with my anger. Although to this day it can still be a struggle.”

  She was having some anger issues of her own right now. Between Beth’s husband and Nathan’s parents, she was beginning to get the feeling that there was no justice in the world. The worst part was that she had the distinct impression that despite everything he’d overcome and accomplished, Nathan still believed he was damaged somehow.

  And she feared there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about it.

  Fifteen

  Nathan was in the conference room with his team going over the final schedule for the television spot that would begin shooting the next day, when a call came in from Adam.

  “I need to speak with you,” he told Nathan, and something in his tone said it wasn’t going to be gre
at news. Maybe there had been a development in the investigation.

  “Can it wait?” he asked. “We’re almost finished in here.”

  “No, it can’t.”

  Okay. “I’ll be right in.”

  He told his team to finish up without him then took the elevator up to the top floor and walked to Adam’s office, a knot in his gut. He hoped this didn’t have anything to do with Jordan, and that they hadn’t discovered more evidence to incriminate him. Seeing Jordan on Christmas Day, watching him play with Max, had given Nathan hope that he and his brother might repair their damaged relationship. Of course, he still wasn’t sure what had damaged it in the first place. But things didn’t seem as tense now as they used to be.

  “Go right on in,” Adam’s secretary said.

  Adam sat behind his desk, his chair turned so he was facing the window. He must have heard Nathan come in because without turning he said, “Close the door.” When Nathan did, he said, “Have a seat.”

  Nathan did as he was asked. He was a little surprised that Emilio wasn’t there, too. And why wasn’t Adam saying anything? After a minute of silence, Nathan asked, “Am I supposed to guess why I’m here?”

  Finally Adam turned to him, face stony. “I’ve had some disturbing news today.”

  “From the investigation firm?”

  Adam shook his head. “From another source. But it relates to the investigation.”

  “Is it about Jordan?”

  “No, it’s about you.”

  Nathan’s pulse skipped. “Me?”

  “I’ve been told that you have ties to Birch Energy. That you have a connection to the owner’s daughter and recently had a meeting with Walter Birch himself. Tell me that they’re wrong.”

  Son of a bitch.

  It was Jordan. It had to be. This was his idea of a fair fight?

  Nathan clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. If he was going to explode, he couldn’t do it here. And he had no choice but to tell Adam everything. “I did not have a meeting with Walter Birch. We both spent Christmas Day at his daughter’s place.”

  Adam’s brows rose. “Why?”

  “I’m in a relationship with Ana Birch,” he said. “And we have a son.”

  Adam looked truly stunned. “Since when?”

  “I only recently found out he’s mine,” Nathan said. “About a month ago. Before that I hadn’t actually seen or talked to Ana in a year and a half.”

  “So you weren’t in contact with her at the time of the accident,” Adam said.

  “No, I wasn’t.”

  Adam looked relieved. “This source didn’t outright say that you were the saboteur, but it was heavily insinuated.”

  Thanks Jordan. So much for brotherly devotion. “Don’t think for a second that I don’t know who this ‘source’ is. Besides Walter Birch, my brother is the only other person who knows about my relationship with Ana. He was there on Christmas during this so-called meeting.”

  “This person seemed genuinely concerned, Nathan.”

  “He’s not. He just wants to win. And apparently he’ll do anything to make it happen. Including making false accusations against his own brother.” And after Nathan had defended him. Well, never again. They were finished. As soon as Nathan was done with Adam, he and his baby brother were going to have a talk. Probably their last.

  “How serious is the relationship?” Adam asked.

  “We’re planning to get married. But that will in no way diminish my loyalty to Western Oil.”

  “I believe that, but convincing the rest of the board won’t be so easy. You can’t deny that there is a clear conflict of interest.”

  “Are you telling me that my job is at stake?”

  “As long as I’m president, your job is secure. But if the rest of the board finds out it could take you out of the running for the CEO position. In fact, I can almost guarantee it.”

  “So what you’re saying is, I’m screwed.”

  “I said if the board finds out. I’m not going to tell them, but I also can’t stop anyone from leaking the information.”

  “You don’t think the board will see through his attempts to discredit me?”

  “In light of the sabotage, I think the board will see it as a legitimate concern. Our first board meeting of the year is next Wednesday. If it comes up, I will do whatever I can to defuse the situation. But I can’t promise anything. All I can tell you is that unless there is proof of a direct violation to the terms of your contract, your current position is safe. And as far as I’m concerned, there’s no basis whatsoever for termination.”

  But his chances at the CEO position were basically in the toilet—and even if they weren’t now, Jordan wouldn’t rest until they were.

  Nathan left Adam and walked straight to Jordan’s office, his anger mounting every step he took.

  “Is my brother in?” he asked Jordan’s very pregnant secretary.

  “Yes, but he asked not to be disturbed.”

  I’ll bet he did, Nathan thought, walking right past her desk, ignoring her protests, and shoving through the door. Jordan was sitting behind his desk, feet up, talking on the phone. Startled, he jumped to his feet when Nathan barged in.

  “Can I call you back?” he said to whoever was on the line, and after he hung up said, “Geez, Nathan, you ever hear of knocking?”

  Nathan slammed the door. “You sleazy, back-stabbing son of a bitch.”

  Jordan’s brow rose. “Is there a problem?”

  “Do not insult my intelligence. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t know it was you who ratted me out? That I’m too stupid to figure it out? This is your idea of a fair fight?”

  Jordan shrugged. “The way I look at it, there’s nothing unfair about what I did.”

  “And it doesn’t bother you in the least that you just betrayed your own brother?”

  He walked casually around his desk, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “This has nothing to do with the fact that we happen to be related. This is business. I’d think you would know the difference.”

  Nathan crossed to where his brother stood. “You looked me in the eye and lied to me, Jordan. After all the years I watched out for you, and protected you—”

  “Who asked you to?” Jordan growled, so fiercely Nathan actually flinched. “I never needed or wanted your help.”

  “You don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself, do you?”

  “I’m going to beat you, Nathan. And it has nothing to do with experience, or education, or who’s stronger. The fact of the matter is, I’m not screwing the daughter of our direct competitor, and you are.” He stepped closer, getting in Nathan’s face. “Although from what I’ve read, you’re probably not the only one.”

  Before he even knew he’d swung, Nathan’s fist connected solidly with Jordan’s jaw, knocking him back several feet. That was how it was with his temper. It came out of nowhere, blindsiding him. And after he’d spent the better part of his childhood protecting his baby brother, never did he imagine being the one doing the hitting.

  Jordan dug a handkerchief out of his suit jacket and pressed it to the corner of his bleeding mouth, but he was smiling. “All that therapy, and you still turned out just like him.”

  Jordan’s words sliced through Nathan, cutting to the core. He was right. After all these years, hadn’t he learned that using his fists was never the answer?

  Suppose someday Ana really pissed him off? Or Max? Would he lose control and hit them, too? He thought being with Ana had changed him, made him a better man, but he had obviously been wrong. He stormed out of Jordan’s office and walked blindly to the elevator. What kind of man would he be if he put his own child and that child’s mother in danger?

  A monster. And that was exactly what he was.

  He took the elevator down to the lobby and headed out to the parking lot to his car, so rattled that he barely recalled the trip there as he pulled into Ana’s driveway. He used his key to get inside, but she and Max weren’t
there.

  Good, it was better that way.

  He went to the bedroom, grabbed a duffel bag out of the closet and started stuffing his clothes inside, marveling at just how many of his things he’d managed to bring over in a week’s time.

  What the hell had he been thinking?

  He was in the bathroom grabbing his toothbrush and razor when Ana appeared in the doorway.

  “Hey, what’s with the duffel—” She actually jerked back when she saw his face. “Oh my gosh, you’re white as a sheet. What happened?”

  Ana thought for sure that Nathan was going to tell her someone had died.

  “I have to leave,” he said.

  “Why? Where are you going?”

  “Back to my apartment,” he said, and at her confused look added, “Permanently.”

  She felt the color drain from her face and her heart plummeted to her toes. “You’re dumping me?”

  “Trust me when I say you’re better off without me. You both are.” He pushed past her and walked back into the bedroom, tossing his things into the duffel bag sitting on the bed.

  No, this could not be happening. Not again. “Nathan, please, tell me what happened. Did I do something wrong?”

  “You didn’t do anything.” He zipped the bag shut. “Jordan ratted me out.”

  Damn it. She knew it. She knew they couldn’t trust him. “So you’re leaving me so you can still be CEO?”

  “It has nothing to do with work. It’s me. I confronted Jordan, words were exchanged, then I hit him.”

  If her brother had betrayed her that way, she would have hit him, too. “It sounds like he deserved it.”

  “Violence is never the answer. It’s not safe for you to be around me. Not you and especially not Max.”

  “Nathan, that’s ridiculous. It’s one thing to get in a fight that’s unprovoked, to bully someone, but Jordan betrayed you and you lost your temper. You would never do anything to hurt me and Max.”

  “Are you sure about that? And is it a chance worth taking?”

  “I’m one hundred percent sure.”

  “Well, I’m not.” He grabbed the bag and headed out of the room.