Jack sat back in the futon and took another sip of his beer, nearly finishing it. “Sounds great. But I’m not hearing how we're supposed to accomplish all of that,”
“Right now Victor and Iraja are developing prototypes for the EyeRead, but I know they must be having difficulties with glitches— the technology just isn’t there to support the design yet. They'll pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into these models hoping to make billions, but they’re going to run out of money before they even figure out the problem. They're going to need someone with experience working on the EyeRead, and a steady cash flow to sustain their research. That’s where Marisol comes in.”
Jackson stared at me. Finishing his beer, he looked around the room. He stood up, set the bottle down and got another one from the fridge. He cracked it open, chugging half before sitting back down and staring at me.
“So, she’s what? Bait?” he asked finally, taking another healthy swallow.
“Funnily enough, that’s just what she said,” I laughed nervously, lightly scratching at the back of my head.
“Fuck your funny, Danisha,” Jackson growled. “These are high stakes you’re playing with. Did you forget that I was the one to pick you and Adrian up from Victor’s island? Do you think I didn’t see the guns Adrian had? Your little schemes could get someone killed,” he warned.
“Don’t you think I can handle it?” Marisol asked from her doorway. She walked over to Jackson and sat next to him on the futon.
Jackson sighed as he put an arm around her. “That’s not the point and you know it,” he answered.
“Jack, please. I understand your concerns, and I’m more than willing to talk about them with you, but let me finish explaining my plan first. Maybe it will answer some of your questions,” I said.
He snorted skeptically, but I ignored him and continued.
“The biggest safety issue here is if Marisol gets found out, but that will be next to impossible because she will be playing herself,” I began. “Victor and Iraja will likely be on the lookout for people with the skills to work on the EyeRead, and as an MIT student, Marisol is already the perfect candidate.”
“They’re going to look into their applicants,” Jackson interrupted. “Won’t they be a tad suspicious when they find out she’s your roommate?”
Marisol nudged his side with her elbow and Jack yelped quietly, shrinking away from her. “Let her finish,” she said.
Jackson glared, but said nothing.
“Marisol is actually going to bring it up herself in the interview. She’s going to inform them that she knows they stole the EyeRead from me—” Jackson opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it with one look from Marisol.
“She’s going to tell them she knows, and that she wants in,” I continued. “We’ve got a whole story fabricated about how she hates me and wants to help them screw me over— it’s great. She’ll make a deal with them to invest in the company and to work on the EyeRead, in exchange for a substantial cut, of course. We want this to be believable, after all. We’re going to wire her up and down with hidden microphones and cameras to catch anything incriminating Victor or Iraja say and then I’ll reapply for my appeal with the new evidence and everything will be okay again!” I finished.
Jackson still had a skeptical look on his face, but he didn’t immediately denounce my idea, so I counted it as a win.
He looked from me to Marisol and back a few times. “You’re okay with this?” he asked Marisol.
“Danisha needs my help,” she said simply. “Also, I will be taking a cut for real,” she added jokingly, looking at me. “When this is over and you’re a trillionaire, you owe me a shopping trip.”
“You’re already rich!” I protested, laughing.
“That’s not the point and you know it,” she said, echoing Jackson. She nudged him playfully. “I am okay with this. As long as you’re there, I know I’ll be safe.”
Jackson looked at me questioningly.
“Oh, right. The thing is, Marisol can’t use her own plane or credit card to do any of this. Her parents will notice, get suspicious and mess everything up. That’s where Adrian is going to come in. I am going to ask him to help finance and if we could use his plane, with you flying as Marisol’s personal attendant. That way you can help keep an eye on her, too,” I added.
“See? You’ll be right there with me,” Marisol said kissing Jackson’s cheek.
He sighed, resigned. “If you can convince Adrian, then I’ll help you.”
Marisol and I squealed with happiness and piled on Jackson, hugging him.
“Thank you, Jack!” I said, getting up. I headed to my room, feeling like I might finally be able to sleep after all.
Chapter Four
I woke up late the next morning. It was actually closer to mid-afternoon. I felt amazing. Things were finally starting to fall into place. I put on my fuzzy blue bathrobe and went to the kitchen to make myself some coffee. I was pulling everything out when I noticed there was a steaming mug of coffee and a stack of pancakes sitting on the kitchen island in front of me.
Confused, and still a little sleepy, I looked up to see Adrian sitting in the armchair in my living room. He was watching me with a small smile on his face. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I was pretty sure I’d had one almost exactly like this before.
“Good morning,” he said softly, still holding that smile.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. Not the most well-mannered response, especially since he had made me breakfast, but I wasn’t awake enough yet to be that polite.
“I made pancakes and thought you might want some,” he joked.
“Did you break into my apartment?” I didn’t want to think about Adrian and pancakes. If I was going to be serious about my career, I couldn’t let anything distract me, especially not unrealistic fantasies. I needed to be practical and think about the future.
“Uh, no.” Adrian stopped smiling and stood up. “I caught Marisol and Jackson on their way out. They said you haven’t been sleeping well, so I’ve just been waiting for you to wake up. We need to talk.”
I stilled. Had Adrian come all the way here to talk about our kiss? My heart swelled at the thought of Adrian making a dramatic denunciation of Sally and a romantic declaration of love for me. I quickly grabbed hold of the thought before it escaped me completely. My imagination had a tendency to run wild with the slightest whim.
“I’m sure you saw the announcement yesterday. About the EyeRead,” Adrian continued.
I was glad I had caught myself when I had. The pain of reality was that much smaller because of it. Of course Adrian was here to talk about the case. His business at stake as well, after all. I cleared my throat. I was struggling to find my voice.
“Yes. I did,” I finally managed.
“Are you okay?” he asked me, concerned, as he stepped closer.
I nodded, stepping away towards the coffee as he approached me. I picked up the mug, moving around the island as he stood on the other side. I wanted to keep as much distance between us as I could. I sipped my coffee, hiding my face with the cup.
I suddenly realized I had yesterday’s make-up still on and just so happened to be wearing the oldest scarf I owned in my hair at this very moment. No wonder he seemed worried about me. I probably looked like I had just gone five rounds in the back alley behind a dive bar.
“I know, I look terrible, but I actually feel great,” I said. At least, I had felt great before I saw Adrian. Now, I felt…confused. Was he here about business or because he wanted to see me?
“You look great. You should eat,” he gestured to the pancakes.
“I, uh, stick to just coffee in the mornings these days. Thanks, though.” I was starving, but the pancakes seemed like a trap somehow. I shook my head. “Can you give me twenty minutes to freshen up and then we can talk?” I asked Adrian. Once I splashed some water on my face and woke up a little I would be better equipped to handle what was happening.
>
A little less than half an hour later I settled myself onto the futon. Adrian sat back down in the armchair and brought a bag from around the side.
“I know how difficult it must have been to hear that announcement, Danisha,” Adrian began. “I was worried about you… I am glad to see you are taking the news in stride.”
“Thank you,” I said after a few moments.
Adrian reached into the bag and pulled out a thick folder. “It is extremely urgent, however, that we discuss our options and act quickly. With these kinds of things, sometimes word of mouth can kill even the strongest company in a case. People don’t fact-check for themselves anymore, Danisha. They just listen to what their friends tell them,” he warned me.
“I know. I probably shouldn’t have slept in, I guess,” I said guiltily.
“You needed your rest. It’s okay to take time to care for yourself, Danisha.” Adrian reached over and placed a warm, hesitating hand on my knee. He left it there for a brief second, and then pulled away, leaving the spot cold and bare.
“Jackson mentioned you might have a plan about what to do?” Adrian asked.
I mentally shook my head, pulling my mind back to business. “It’s risky, but I think we have a shot…” I outlined the plan to Adrian as I had to Jackson late last night.
Adrian stood up and took a couple of laps around the apartment. “This is pretty serious, Danisha,” he said.
“I know. But I think this is our best shot, maybe even our only one,” I said.
He paused to look at me. Sighing, he put his hands on his hips. “I think you’re right.”
There was one part of the plan I hadn’t mentioned to Jackson yet because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ask Adrian this or not. I had to decide now. I went with my gut.
“There’s one other thing… I think it would be best if we kept those who know about the plan to just those who are involved in the plan,” I said, standing up out of my chair.
Adrian looked at me confusedly. “As opposed to…?”
I stepped closer. “Please don’t tell Sally about the plan,” I said quietly.
Adrian didn’t say anything.
“You still think she has something to do with all of this? I told you: she’s trying to help!” he said, exasperated. “Maybe if we told her, then she could let us know if they start to suspect Marisol.”
“I’m not saying that Sally is involved with this...” —though I privately believed she was, “...But for Marisol’s safety, I think Jackson would feel better the less people who know,” I replied tactfully.
I watched as Adrian struggled with himself. “Fine. I won’t tell her,” he said.
“Okay, let me get my things and we can get started,” I announced. I stood up from my chair and turned to go to my room. I was a little surprised he agreed so easily to keep this from Sally.
“Danisha…” Adrian called after me.
“Yes?” I turned back.
“About the last time I was here… Our kiss…” he started, hesitantly.
My spine felt like someone had just plucked it like a guitar string.
“Yes?” I repeated.
“I never apologized. My behavior was out of line for a number of reasons. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me?” Adrian queried.
“O-of course,” I stammered. “It’s in the past. I’ve moved on, so don’t worry about it.” That might not be the truest statement I’d ever made, but I needed to focus on the EyeRead right now. Anything more than that would have to wait.
Chapter Five
Danisha and I spent the rest of the evening going over the plan and hammering out details and semantics. We wrote Marisol’s application for her, as well as all of her main points to bring up during the interview. Once she and Jackson returned home, Danisha and I helped Marisol run through everything.
Marisol was to submit the application in a few days and hopefully hear back within a week. I hated the idea of waiting so long. With nothing to do in the meantime, I would likely drive myself mad thinking of everything that could go wrong.
My main concern— besides Marisol’s safety, Victor was ruthless, after all —was lying to Sally. Again. I kept finding myself in these situations. I supposed I could tell Sally anyway, but that thought, the fact that Sally had somehow seen Danisha's files, kept digging away at the back of my mind.
When had that happened? She had never mentioned it to me before. What if… No, I didn’t want to think such a thing.
Jackson flew us back to Colorado the next morning. “So, we’re gonna get into some pretty hairy stuff,” he said.
“Yes, I’m sorry my work has pulled you into something so dangerous once again. You’re a good friend, Jack,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder from the co-pilot’s seat.
He shrugged with a half-smile, the morning sun reflecting off his aviators. “Victor’s a scumbag. I don’t like scumbags. Simple as that,” he stated.
“You see a lot of things simply, don’t you, Jack?” I said.
“It’s the only way to live,” he chuckled.
“I used to live like that,” I looked out the window of the airplane. “I kissed Danisha. Not this time, but last week, after we were in New York,” I confided.
“That sounds like the opposite of simple. Complicated, in fact,” Jackson said. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “Why’d you do it?”
I laughed bitterly. “Lots of reasons, and yet for no other reason than because I wanted to.”
Jackson nodded sagely. “That makes sense.” He was mocking me.
I sighed deeply. “Things with Sally are…not good, to say the least. She’s upset that I’m spending so much time with Danisha, which I get, but it’s necessary. I have to meet with her, sometimes last minute. What happened with the EyeRead announcement is a good example,” I elaborated.
“Yes, but you don’t really have to meet with Danisha, do you? I mean, did you accomplish anything yesterday that couldn’t have been done over Skype or a conference call?” Jack asked me.
“Alright! Yes, one of the other reasons I went even though Sally didn’t want me to go was because I wanted to see Danisha,” I admitted.
“Wait, Sally wasn’t okay with you going, and you went anyway? I thought she just wasn’t happy about it. You left her there?” Jack inquired, surprised.
“Yeah, not one of my best decisions, I suppose.”
Jack chuckled. “I’ll say. You want me to drop you in the middle of the Sahara? It’ll be safer.”
I nervously laughed alongside him and did my best to prepare for what I was about to face.
* **
“Adrian! Sweetie, you’re home,” I hugged Adrian as he walked in the door, Jackson just behind him.
“Hello, Sally,” he said, hesitantly hugging me back.
“Hey, Sal!” Jack waved. I waved cheerily back.
I wanted to scream at Adrian at the top of my lungs. Normally, if a man stormed out on me, he could expect to come home to an empty house, but Victor insisted that I remain here as though nothing had happened in an effort to gain more information.
“Uh, Sally, can we talk?” Adrian whispered in my ear.
“Is it about…when you left?” I asked him.
“Yes…” he gently pulled me by the elbow into the living room, leaving Jackson to wander into the kitchen. “I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I should listen to you more,” he apologized.
Those were the words I wanted to hear, but I knew they were empty promises as long as he was tied up with Danisha’s case. Once Victor and I squashed her for good, these little problems between Adrian and I would be over. But in order for that to happen I needed to re-solidify our relationship.
“Don’t worry, Adrian,” I told him. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I know how important work is to you. Now, I don’t want to fight while you’re home— who knows when you’ll be called off next?” I stretched onto my tip-toes to give him a peck on the cheek. I had started to walk towards the kitchen when Ad
rian’s hand caught my wrist.
“I still want to talk,” he insisted. “Tomorrow, perhaps. Tonight Jack and I are pretty exhausted.” His face looked stern, and for a moment, I worried that he suspected me.
“Of course!” I replied brightly, turning away again to hide my face.
I made dinner for the three of us, ensuring to supply plenty of wine, hoping for an early bedtime for the two of them. Luck was with me, and within a couple hours of eating, Adrian headed upstairs to sleep.
“’Night,” Jack said, heading to one of the guest bedrooms on the ground floor. I nodded and smiled, clearing the table and loading the dishwasher.
I went through the motions of cleaning up for half an hour as I waited until I was sure Adrian would be asleep.
I crept up into the bedroom to double check, and saw his sleeping form in bed, breathing softly. I made my way to Adrian’s office. His bag with Danisha’s case files was in here somewhere. I found it and proceeded to carefully and methodically go through the paperwork.
I didn’t see anything new, which concerned me. If Adrian hadn’t gone to do any work, why had he gone? Just to see Danisha?
Possibly even worse, I had nothing to tell Victor. He was expecting a call tomorrow from me with an update on Adrian’s activity and any new plans he had. I hadn’t found anything, and I doubted the talk Adrian wanted us to have was about whatever secret plan he had come up with.
I went to bed that night dreading the morning.
Chapter Six
The next day, after Jackson had left, Sally and I went into the living room to talk. She said things were fine, but it seemed unlike her to forgive something like me storming out of the house so easily. I couldn’t figure out what was going on with her lately. She never reacted to things like I expected anymore.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Sally asked once we had settled on the sofa together.
Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance Page 83