by Tia Wylder
For a moment, the entire room was silent. Her legs moved as though she were walking through water. Elizabeth’s cheeks flamed. How could this have happened? She didn’t agree to this. Her body was shaking as she took the stage. Panic was building just under the surface. The crowd sized her up deciding what her time was worth. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Betrayal stung her heart. Had Derrick set this up? Was this the reason he wanted her to be at the event?
The auctioneer grabbed one of her hands and twirled her in a circle. Elizabeth stumbled through the motion. “What do you say, ladies and gentlemen? Shall we start the bidding at $500?” The price was so low next to the other items that had been paraded across the stage. A paddle in the back went up hesitantly. Elizabeth recognized the man bidding on her. He had been at the coffee shop the day she had stood up for Derrick. “$500 to Mr. Ethan Craft. Do I see $600?” Another paddle shot up across the room. The bidding continued until they reached $1000. She still hadn’t seen any sign of Derrick. Had he left her here to deal with this on her own? Her hands were cold as ice. “$1000 to Mr. Craft. Going once. Going twice…” Elizabeth’s heart was in her throat.
Chapter 19: Business Games
The crowd of people provided a buffer between Derrick and Elizabeth. He was facing inner turmoil over what his son had asked of him. To Charlie, she was just someone he saw as a potential playmate. He didn’t understand that she might not be around long. Derrick was still sorting through his own feelings for her. He either needed to take a chance and let Charlie spend more time with her or cut her off now before his son became even more attached. It didn’t matter if he liked her. What mattered was if he thought their relationship would last long enough to make it worthwhile. He had shielded Charlie from his personal life for years. Was it finally time to break from that?
Derrick wove his way through the crowd. The auction had begun. He smiled and nodded as he continued to mingle. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Page! There you are. I was just telling Ethan that I hadn’t seen you yet.” A man with dirty blonde hair patted Derrick’s shoulder roughly.
“If I had known you were looking for me, I would have made a point to find you.” Derrick’s smile hung stiffly from his lips. Daniel Hartman stared at him with greedy eyes.
“It’s a bit loud in here. Why don’t we step in the other room and catch up?”
Derrick glanced around. Elizabeth was watching the auction. She should be fine on her own for a bit. How much trouble could she get herself into? “Very well.” He gestured for the other man to lead the way.
Once they were out of the main room, Daniel smirked mischievously. “You know, I haven’t had the chance to thank you yet for sending Miss Calgary our way.”
“I’m glad you will be able to make the partnership work.”
“So, tell me, Page. Just why did you pass up such a beneficial merger?”
“I thought you could use all the extra help you could get.”
Anger flashed in Daniel’s eyes. “How considerate. So, what exactly is going on with you and that noisy girl from the café?”
“I don’t see what concern that is of yours.” Only people in his company knew that he had asked Elizabeth out on a date.
“Just concerned for your business sense. It’s not like you to let a woman interfere with business. Maybe you’re losing your edge.”
Derrick’s jaw tightened, “I think we’re done here.”
He started to head back into the auction, but Daniel grabbed his arm. “Are you quite sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Are you trying to keep me here?” Derrick jerked away from Mr. Hartman. His heart pounded in his chest. Something was wrong. “Where is Ethan, anyway?”
“Probably bidding on a piece of trash.” Daniel glared pointedly at Derrick.
Heart racing, Derrick ran back into the auction. He searched the crowd for Elizabeth, but didn’t see her. A feeling of dread flooded him. On the stage, the auctioneer called out, “$1000 to Mr. Craft. Going once. Going twice…”
Derrick spun to look at the stage. What was she doing up there?! Without thinking, he raised his paddle “$10,000!” His voice echoed across the room. Elizabeth’s eyes shot towards him. She looked like she was about to cry.
Derrick stomped up the stairs to the stage. His hand closed around hers as he pulled her off the stage and through the crowd. Guests parted to give them a clear path. Derrick’s shoulders shook with anger. Once they were outside, he pinned her against the side of the building.
“What were you thinking? How could you let them bid on you like a piece of meat?”
“I didn’t know what to do.” Tears began to fall down her cheeks. “They called my name. I didn’t know where you went. Why did you put me on the list to be sold off?”
The pain and shame in her face stabbed him in the heart. He pulled her to his chest and held her there. His hand caressed the back of her head. “Elizabeth, I would never let someone buy you.” His heart was racing with her so close to him. “I’m going to find out who’s behind this. I promise you. Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
Derrick put her in the car and drove back to his house. “I want you stay here tonight until I figure out what’s going on, okay?” The fierce need to protect her swelled up inside of him.
Elizabeth bit her lip and nodded. Once they were inside, he made her a drink to calm her down. They stood awkwardly in the kitchen. Her hands cupped the chilled glass. “Derrick?”
“Hmm?”
“Why were you ignoring me earlier? Why did you just leave me when we go there?”
She wouldn’t look him in the eye. Derrick placed his drink down and lifted her chin up. “I was doing business. I’m sorry I left you alone.” She didn’t need to know the details. “I’ve just been afraid to open up for so long now. When you date me, you’re getting Charlie, too. My decisions affect more than just me.”
“I understand that. I don’t care that you have a kid. I lo—” She snapped her mouth shut. Her eyes widened.
“What?” Derrick could hear his pulse in his ears.
Elizabeth looked up at him sheepishly through her lashes, “I love you.”
He pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her more forcefully and felt her soften in his hands. Her body arched against his. Picking her up, he placed her on the edge of the counter. Elizabeth wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. His lips left a trail of kissed along her neck making her gasp. Derrick’s teeth grazed her skin. She moaned softly and ran her fingers through his hair. The passion drove them further.
He managed to stop himself just long enough to whisper in her ear, “I love you, too.”
In that moment, he knew the decision had been made for him. He had finally found someone he was willing to take a risk on. Their bodies melted together in pulsating desire. For the first time since his divorce, he felt truly satisfied. The hole inside of him was filled with happiness. Derrick let himself go. His walls fell at her touch, and he knew that he was hooked.
Chapter 20: Cutting Losses and New Beginnings
The next day, Derrick awoke to Elizabeth’s messy hair tossed across his chest. He smiled and stroked her hair. She stirred and squinted at him with sleepy eyes. He kissed her forehead, “Good morning.”
“Morning.” His eyes seemed brighter today. She nestled back into his chest and let out a deep, fulfilling sigh.
“We have to get up.”
“No.” She shook her head and help on to him tighter.
Derrick chuckled. His fingers trailed along her exposed shoulder. “Yes.”
Grumbling, she got up. The dress she had worn was in a rumpled pile on the floor. She slipped it on and searched around for her shoes. Her mind kept replaying all the kisses and caresses from the night before. Even the memory was intoxicating.
“Make sure you’re at work on time today.” Derrick pulled out a set of clean clothes. Elizabeth couldn’t help but stare at him. His body was distracting. “Lizzie?” He
glanced over his shoulder at her.
“Hmm? Did you say something?”
“Don’t be late.”
“Right. Work. Don’t be late.” She pulled her eyes away from him and located her missing shoe.
Derrick left for the office as soon as he was dressed. Elizabeth plodded across the wet grass. Her heels sank into the soft dirt. Once she was back in her own home, she dug out some fresh clothes and swept her messy hair up into an acceptable bun. She groaned. She still didn’t have her furniture. Something kept coming up every time she was going to have it delivered. She made a mental note to make time for it as she headed out the door.
The office was quiet when she got there. Miranda was waiting in the hall for her. “Come on!”
“What’s going on?” Elizabeth looked at her friend in confusion.
“Mr. Page thought you might be a little late today, so he asked me to wait for you. There’s an emergency meeting in the auditorium.”
“Emergency meeting? About what?”
“He wouldn’t say.”
The two of them squeezed into some empty seats in the middle section. Derrick was waiting patiently in front of the room. Once he saw Elizabeth sit down, he started speaking. “Page Industries is built off of certain principles. We build one another up. That is one of the things that sets us apart from the competition. There is also a clause in each of your contracts stating that if you choose to collaborate with other companies without my permission, you will be terminated. I thought now would be an appropriate time to remind you all of this. I will not tolerate someone on my team that cannot abide by these principles. If you think that you are unable to acquiesce to these standards, then please leave now.” He paused. No one moved. “Alright. That will be all.”
The room started to empty. Elizabeth wove her way through her colleagues to where Derrick was still standing. “What was that all about?”
“Come with me.” He held open a side door for her and led her to his office.
“I don’t understand. What’s going on?”
“Have a seat, Lizzie.” He picked up his phone and called someone. “Could you come to my office, please?”
Elizabeth’s palms were starting to sweat. Had she messed up again? A knock on the door made her jump. Adeline poked her head inside. “You wanted to see me, sir?” Her face grew pale when she saw Elizabeth.
“Adeline, have a seat.” Derrick’s tone was cold. He pulled a folder from his desk and handed it to her. “Do you know what this is?”
She shook her head and flipped the folder open. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned red. “Sir, I can explain.”
“No. You can’t. There is no excuse for this. You were the only one who handled our submission to the auction. Instead of sending the vase that was supposed to be donated, you took matters into your own hands. Do you think that I don’t know when you alter schedules and rearrange meetings to make others look bad? I have over looked your previous offences as harmless pranks, but this time you went too far. You embarrassed one of your colleagues out of pettiness, and in doing so you embarrassed the company. You conspired with Hartman and Craft—our biggest competition—because you were jealous of another employee. That is something I cannot forgive.”
“I’m sorry.” Adeline looked down at the ground. Her hands clenched around the folder in her lap.
“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” He arched one of his eyebrows.
Adeline turned towards Elizabeth. The words balled up in her throat. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth.” Elizabeth nodded to indicate she had heard her.
“Please, clean out your desk.” Derrick kept his tone firm.
Adeline stood up shakily and left the room. The door clicked shut behind her. Elizabeth’s shoulders slumped. “I feel terrible.”
“Why? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, but someone still got fired over me.”
Derrick leaned forward and folded his hands together on his desk. “Elizabeth, she was fired because she crossed a line. It was her choice to work with another company and defy my instructions. You had nothing to do with her actions.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I still feel bad.”
“Well, I have something that might cheer you up.”
“What’s that?”
Derrick leaned back with a smirk on his face. “Charlie gets out of the hospital today. He was wondering if you would like to go to the zoo with us.”
“Really?! Are you sure that’s okay?” Her heart leapt.
“I’ve thought about it a lot. This is a big decision for me, and I hope you appreciate the time I spent deliberating on this. In the last four years, you are the only woman I have even considered letting Charlie spend time with. I’m not making this decision lightly, so I need to know something. Are you committed to this relationship? I’m not just asking as a boyfriend. I’m asking as a father. If you don’t think you will be here long term, I need to know before we go any further.”
Elizabeth searched her heart. She wasn’t sure what the future held for her, but she knew she wanted Derrick to be a part of it. She smiled with an inner confidence she hadn’t known before. “When are we going to the zoo?”
Derrick stood up and took her hand. He pulled her to her feet and leaned her chin up towards him. Their lips met gently before he pulled away to look into her eyes. “Let’s go now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Your boss said it was fine.” He winked at her and led her outside to his car.
Derrick drove them to the hospital. A nurse met them at the door with Charlie in a wheelchair. Derrick jogged over to them and signed some papers the nurse had. He ruffled Charlie’s hair and opened the back door for him. The boy climbed in carefully. He was still a little stiff from not being allowed out of bed much since his surgery.
“Elizabeth!” He called out her name in excitement.
“Hey!” She turned around in her seat to look at him. “You look like you’re feeling much better than the last time I saw you.”
Charlie nodded, “Mhmm! Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Not a problem.” His smile was contagious. Elizabeth couldn’t help but be in a better mood with him around.
“Where are we going?”
Derrick climbed in behind the wheel. “Well, since you’re out of the hospital, you must be well enough to go back to school, right?” He watched his son’s reaction in the rearview mirror.
“No!” Charlie slumped over in defeat. He pouted and looked out the window.
“Or, I guess we could go to the zoo maybe.”
“Yeah!” The little boy clapped his hands and wiggled in his seat.
“Since it’s your first day out, I thought we would go do something fun. You’ll have to go back to school though soon.”
“As long as it’s not today.” Charlie leaned up so he could see Elizabeth better. “Are you coming with us?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Good. Dad doesn’t have many friends. Plus, you’re really pretty.”
“I guess you got my taste in women, then.” Derrick chuckled.
The zoo was fairly empty since it was still before noon on a work day. Derrick payed for parking and took Charlie’s hand. As they walked towards the ticket booth, Charlie slipped his other hand into Elizabeth’s. His tiny fingers made her heart melt.
“Alright, where do you want to go first?” Derrick held a map of the exhibits up for them to examine.
“Monkeys!”
“Oh wait, I think I see one!” Elizabeth’s eyes twinkled.
“Where?!” Charlie looked around trying to see what she was looking at.
“Right there!” She pointed at Derrick.
Charlie erupted in laughter. “You’re a monkey, Dad!”
Derrick shook his head. He should have expected them to team up on him. “I think the real monkeys are this way.” He led them down a path.
Balloons and cotton candy vendors were parked on the side of the walkway. El
ephants trumpeted in the distance. Elizabeth realized that of all the things she and Derrick had done together so far, this was by far the best one in her mind. She kept glancing at him. He was so gentle and loving with his son. It was touching to see him so invested in his child. It was no wonder he wanted to protect Charlie from the harsh realities of grown-up relationships. She had only met the boy a few times, and she already felt the need to keep him safe and happy as well. Derrick caught her looking at them and chuckled.
When they reached the monkey exhibit, Charlie stood on his tiptoes to see better. “We learned in school that some new baby monkeys were just born. I want to be the first one in my class to see them!”
Derrick knelt down beside him. “Hey, buddy, can I ask you a question?” He was more nervous talking to his son than he had been when he initially asked Elizabeth out in front of the company.
“Yup!” Charlie swayed on the fence. It was clear he was more focused on the animals than his father.
“How would you feel if we started spending more time with Elizabeth?”
Charlie stopped swaying. He turned to look as his dad and then at Elizabeth. She felt her heart pounding as he looked at her. His dark curls shone in the sunlight, and she couldn’t help but see Derrick in his face as she studied her. “Elizabeth is more than a friend, huh, Dad?”
“Yes. She is.”
“Can we still do stuff with just me and you, too?”
“Yeah, buddy. Of course.”
Charlie tilted his head to the side, “I guess that’s okay then.” He smiled at them and then turned his attention back to the monkeys in the exhibit.
Derrick stepped over beside Elizabeth and took her hand in his. Even though they hadn’t been dating long, Elizabeth felt like she fit with them. To anyone passing by, they would look like a normal family. Happiness settled in her heart. She felt content just standing there were them.
They managed to make it to a few more exhibits before the sun grew too hot and Charlie got tired. A lot of walking was still hard for him to manage. Derrick had to carry him on his shoulders when they were heading back to the car. Charlie only came willingly when his dad promised to bring him back another time to finish looking around. His eyes drifted shut on the car ride home even though he wouldn’t admit he was tired.