In the Market for Love

by Blake, Nina

  “Did he now? Well, he’s used that one before but look at this.” Bianca raised her left hand, a thick gold band and an enormous solitaire diamond sitting on her ring finger. “That’s a wedding ring. He might not wear one but I do. Every day.”

  “Really?”

  “Did he tell you we’ve got a child?”

  “Yes,” Rachel said. “Connor.”

  “Don’t you dare say my child’s name again. Our son is the most important thing in the world to Jake. Much more important than you. He’d never do anything to jeopardise that relationship.”

  She was right. Jake had hung in there this long for Connor’s sake and that wasn’t about to change. He had his priorities straight and would choose his son over anyone and anything.

  “I’ve been to your house,” Rachel said. “He told me you lived under the same roof but separately. Not as man and wife. I saw the part of the house where he lived. I can’t believe he would…”

  “Lie to you,” Bianca finished. “Because that’s one heck of a lie. And you believed that story?”

  “He said it was for his son, to keep the family under one roof for the child.”

  Hot tears burned at the back of Rachel’s eyes. Her world was falling apart and she didn’t know what to believe.

  As she looked at Bianca, Rachel saw a woman who was desperate to protect her marriage and her family. She could think of no other explanation for her behaviour.

  Bianca took another sip of wine. “I’m sick of his affairs and I don’t want you going near him again. Do you understand?”

  “Affairs?”

  “Yes, affairs. Plural. Did you really think you were the first? Get in line, honey. You’re probably about number twelve. You weren’t the first and you won’t be the last. There’ll be some other floozy after you and I’ll deal with that when it happens but right now, you’re the one I’m talking to.”

  Rachel opened her mouth to speak but all that came out was a pathetic splutter. Was she so naïve to have believed she was something special to Jake?

  The air was sucked out her lungs. Each short, futile breath she took drew more oxygen than she could breathe in. Her chest became a vacuum, her ribs barely able to resist the force of the outside world pressing upon her.

  “Do you really want him after all this?” Bianca asked. “Are you really that desperate that you’d break up a family, ruin the life of a small child? Because I’m telling you, stay away from my family.”

  Rachel couldn’t do this to the little boy in racing car pyjamas. Jake wouldn’t do it to him either. That was the one issue on which he wouldn’t compromise. Nothing she could say would change that.

  Glass in hand, Bianca leaned back. “Face it, honey. It’s over. Believe me, you don’t want to take me on. You don’t stand a chance.”

  Her legs trembling, Rachel stood. She placed her hands on the edge of the table for balance. There was nothing left.

  She’d been alone before.

  But not like this.

  * * *

  The ring of Rachel’s mobile phone was like an alarm clock waking her from a dream. But it wasn’t a dream. She was walking along George Street away the restaurant, away from Bianca and away from Jake.

  She blinked against the sunshine, raised her eyes, and noticed how bright it was. Strange, she hadn’t noticed before but now it was very clear.

  Rachel dug her phone out of her bag as she’d done countless times before, only to see Jake’s name flashing on it.

  How dare he? She held the phone as it rang two more times, then stopped as the call was forwarded to message bank. Let him leave a message. It was the least she expected of him.

  She shoved her phone back into her bag and headed for the office.

  There was nothing left for him to say.

  * * *

  Later that day, Marcus phoned Rachel’s office.

  “Is Samantha really at meetings for the rest of the day?” he asked. “Or does she just not want to talk to me?”

  “The reason I picked up her phone is because she’s away from her desk,” Rachel said into the receiver. “She’s not here.”

  “Can you tell her I called?”

  She pursed her lips to stop herself from saying something she’d regret. Marcus had slept with Samantha, then refused her phone calls, yet now he wanted to contact her. This didn’t make sense. It also wasn’t her problem.

  “She told you what happened, didn’t she?” he asked.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “It’s really none of my business.”

  What was it with these men that they treated the women in their lives so badly only to decide later to make amends?

  “I may have upset her,” Marcus said.

  Rachel felt increasingly uncomfortable with the conversation. “I’m not the person you should be talking to.”

  “I don’t think Samantha wants to talk to me after what I did. I was horrible to her.”

  “That’s between the two of you.”

  “I need to make it up to her.”

  “Well, you’d better make it good.” The words shot from her mouth before she could stop herself.

  “That’s it. You’re right. Also, did you know Jake’s been trying to reach you?”

  Of course she knew.

  The prospect of seeing him again filled her with dread but she wouldn’t back down from their business meetings.

  She’d show him she was better than him. Stronger. More determined.

  He didn’t have her backbone. His life was built on a bed of lies but she wouldn’t stoop to his level to exact some petty revenge.

  It was her campaign and she was not going to let him ruin two years of work when the project was on the verge of coming to fruition.

  She’d speak to Jake when she was ready. When they needed to discuss the campaign. Other than that, there was nothing left to talk about. She didn’t owe him an explanation and he didn’t deserve one.

  Rachel had been through far worse than this and had the strength to get through this current ordeal. Compared with the past tragedies of her life, in the long run, this one was barely going to rate a mention.

  And after the campaign was finalised, she’d never have to see him again.

  * * *

  Rachel closed the boardroom door behind her. “What do you think you’re doing here? You can’t come barging into my workplace. Haven’t you heard of telephoning?”

  Jake leaned against the table, arms folded. “Don’t give me that. I didn’t bother trying to phone you again. There’s not much point when you won’t take my calls.”

  “If you call me at work about the campaign, I’ll speak to you. As long as we stick to business, we’ll get along fine.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I told you. Stick to the campaign and I’ll take your calls.”

  A muscle in Jake’s jaw flinched. “Why didn’t you come to lunch? I waited for you. I didn’t know what happened to you. Still don’t.”

  Anger simmered inside her, not to mention disappointment. He was so convincing at playing the injured party. An excellent actor.

  “You can’t work it out?” she said. “Are you going to try to tell me this has never happened before?”

  “You know, I thought you might apologise or that you might have had a very good reason for standing me up. I couldn’t imagine what it could be but I thought there has to be some rational explanation for all of this. It was so unlike you.”

  Rachel was outraged. “You thought I might apologise? I don’t believe this. You want to know why I stood you up? I had lunch with your wife instead. You remember her, don’t you?”

  A furrow formed in his brow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What were you doing with Bianca?”

  “She told me everything. I know you’re still married and you live together. I know there have been other women before me but it’s got to stop now. I’m not some play thing you can toy with and then throw away. I have feelings too, you know. And I a
m not going to have an affair with a married man.”

  His mouth fell open, his eyes narrowing. “Is that what Bianca told you?”

  “She told me to stay away from her husband. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.”

  He paced the narrow strip of carpet between the boardroom table and the wall. “It’s starting to make sense now. She’s worried. She knows I’m leaving her. And she’s desperate. Can’t you see?”

  “All I see is a married man. You.”

  “She doesn’t love me,” he said. “She only loves my money. She doesn’t want to give that up and that’s why she went to see you.”

  “Is that what she did last time? And the time before that? How many other women were there?”

  Jake’s eyes were daggers. “There was no last time. Bianca’s never done anything like this before because there haven’t been any other women. I’ve been on the odd date since Bianca and I separated, but there hasn’t been anyone important in my life. Until now.”

  Rachel’s lower lip quivered. She hated being reduced to a trembling mess.

  “That’s why she went to see you,” he said. “Because you’re a genuine threat to her, to the thing she wants the most. Money.”

  He raised his voice, so unlike him. “Because I told her I’m divorcing her. I didn’t want to tell you like this, damn it. I wanted it to be a celebration, not an argument. It’s true. I’ve already spoken to my lawyer about the divorce. I’ll give you his number. Call him if you don’t believe me.”

  “I don’t want to do that.”

  A pang of guilt shot through her. She’d been all too quick to believe Bianca but at the time she couldn’t imagine what other motive the woman would have except to save her marriage.

  She tried to think. She’d been to his house. There were no photos of Bianca in his wing of the house, no sign of any female presence. And everything that Jake said made sense. All the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

  He raked a hand through his hair. “I’m telling you the truth.”

  Then it was as though a light bulb went off in his head as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his black leather wallet and flashed it open. “Rachel, you’ve got to believe me. Look. In my wallet.”

  “A picture of Connor,” she said.

  He pulled out his son’s photo. Behind it lay a carefully cut out, black and white head shot of Rachel that looked familiar.

  “Where did you get that?”

  “From your company prospectus. It came with your initial proposal to the agency. I cut it out and kept it because it’s the only picture I’ve got of you. I keep it with my photo of Connor.”

  He stared at the two images. “The picture’s been put back upside down. I think someone’s been through my wallet. I can guess who. There’s something else.” He spoke slowly, almost as though he were embarrassed. He unfolded a piece of paper from his wallet and handed it to her. “I knew I wanted you from the first minute I saw you but I didn’t even know your name. I left this note on your car because it was the only way I could get in touch with you.”

  “There was no note on my car.” Rachel thought back. “No. There was a fine or something under the wiper.”

  He pointed at the paper in Rachel’s hand. “It was this. When I found out we were going to be working together I didn’t think this would go down very well so I took it off your car before you had a chance to see it.”

  A gentle warmth swelled inside her as she started to feel that things might somehow turn out for the best. She’d spent all this time analysing and thinking with her mind and now she’d reached the point where she should start listening to her heart.

  It was time to trust her instincts.

  “Jake,” she sighed. “My picture. The note. I don’t know what to say. Well, I do know one thing. It’s probably as well you snaffled that note away. You should be a bit embarrassed about it.”

  “Maybe I am.”

  Rachel’s lips curled to a nervous smile. She could have burst into an uncontrollable giggle or burst into tears but as Jake’s hands reached towards her she did neither. He rubbed his hands along the bare skin of her forearms, inching slowly towards her and she was overcome with the feeling that this was meant to be.

  They both had their secrets and demons but it was all out in the open. They’d

  dealt with their issues and the time had come to enjoy each other’s company.

  The ring of Jake’s phone shook Rachel from her reverie. Instinctively, he reached into his pocket for his phone, then shook his head.

  “No, take it,” Rachel said. “We are both supposed to be at work, after all.”

  He looked at the name flashing on his phone, a furrow forming in his brow. “Actually, I do need to take this call.”

  As he turned away from her, she heard snatches of conversation. “Connor… Where is he? Sorry, why was he crying? I’m on my way.”

  Jake’s lips were pursed, his expression stern.

  “Is Connor okay?” Rachel asked.

  “He’s upset but he’s fine. That was his teacher. Something’s wrong. Bianca didn’t collect Connor from school so he’s still there. The teacher’s going to wait for me.”

  “Jake, are you okay?”

  “I have to go.” He planted a swift kiss on her mouth and called out to her on his way out the door. “I’ll come and see you tonight. At your place.”

  And as Jake left, all the hope and promise Rachel had felt minutes before, evaporated and left her body.

  He didn’t even have the time to finish their conversation and it didn’t matter that he was leaving her feeling like an emotional catastrophe. He couldn’t properly explain what was happening or take the time to hold her and make her understand.

  It would always be like this. He would always put his child first and Rachel couldn’t begrudge him that. Connor was his son. He loved him. Of course he had to look after him.

  Jake had said he was getting a divorce but Rachel knew all too well that a crisis only brings a family together. His child meant everything to him. He’d think things over and return to his original decision to give Connor the family he deserved.

  She also knew with startling clarity that she could never compete with Bianca. She would always be in a more powerful position than her. She was the mother of Jake’s child.

  Rachel slumped down onto one of the boardroom chairs, resting her chin on one hand. She couldn’t break up a family. And after everything Jake had been through, he wouldn’t do that either.

  He already had too many women in his life.

  And only one child.

  Chapter fifteen

  Ten o’clock. Rachel wanted to go to bed and fall into a deep sleep, forget that Jake had phoned to say he was on the way, pretend it wasn’t happening. Pretend they weren’t going to be finished tonight.

  But it’d be more painful to allow it to linger. To allow herself to get involved more deeply, if that were possible. Best to get it over with quickly.

  Jake was a powerful hurricane passing through her life as she waited briefly in the eye of the storm for its final impending devastation.

  Although things would never be the same, she’d survive. One way or the other.

  Hearing a gentle rapping at the door, she rose silently like an automaton to answer it. Jake kissed her lightly on the cheek as he walked inside but she didn’t feel anything. There was no tingle shooting up her spine with the gentle pressure of his lips on her skin.

  “How’s Connor?” she asked.

  He rubbed Rachel’s upper arm. “He’s okay now but he was very upset this afternoon.”

  “This is very late for him, isn’t it?”

  “He’s been in bed for a couple of hours already.”

  She waited for Jake to tell her where he’d been for those last two hours but he didn’t speak. She could see it in the furrow in his brow, in the tension in his jaw. He’d spent the evening with Bianca, talking about Connor, working out what was best for his family.

/>   Jake didn’t need to tell her but that didn’t make this any easier for her. It was all too darned hard.

  Wordlessly, he slipped his arm around her and led her past the kitchen into the sitting room. He sat on the sofa, his long muscular thighs taking up the full depth of the seat as she sat delicately beside him.

  “I’m sorry, Rachel,” he said. “This isn’t at all how I planned for this to be. It’s been one hell of a night.”

  Leaning forward on the sofa, she looked down at her hands clasped between her knees. “It’s not how I thought it would be either.”

  “I don’t know where to start,” he said. “So much has happened. Connor’s at home with the nanny right now. And Bianca. She’s unbelievable.”

  Rachel kept her eyes lowered. Edging closer to her, he slipped one hand under her chin and lifted her face, waiting until she met his gaze with her own.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She looked away. “Like you said, it’s been one hell of a night.” Despite her words, she still felt she was in the calm centre of the storm and now that Jake was here, the tempest was about to tear through.

  “I don’t know what’s come over Bianca. She never used to be like this.”

  It didn’t escape her notice that although he wasn’t sure where to begin, he chose to start with Bianca.

  Rachel sucked in a deep breath. “Jake, it’s okay. I’m not going to make this hard for you. I can see the hold she has on you. I can’t compete with her and I’m not going to try. She’s always going to have one up on me.”

  “You don’t understand. I’ve spent the last two hours arguing with that woman. She’d been drinking in the afternoon and forgot to collect Connor. That’s why I had to get him. I can’t tell you how angry I was. Ready to punch something.”

  “She’s Connor’s mother and that’s never going to change.”

  Jake shook his head. “No. When she did that to Connor, it changed everything. The gloves were off. I was playing by her rules. I was ruthless.”

  “So what happened between you two?”

  “Let’s be clear about this. There is no ‘us two’. There’s nothing left between me and Bianca. I told her I wasn’t going to back down from the divorce. That’s why we were arguing. She threatened to take Connor away. Told me there’s no way I’d get custody. So I called her bluff. I told her she couldn’t afford the lawyer’s fees, that they’d eat away at her share of the money and she’d have nothing left. And, you know, she’d rather have the money than Connor so that’s how it’s going to be.”