“I’ll get back to you on the gallery,” Jonas said. “Any other ideas?”
“We could move up your announcement of the publishing house you’re using for your book?” Patrick offered.
My pulse jumped as I nervously waited for the name.
Ava shuffled through her papers and pulled out a sheet. “Are you sure you want to go with an unknown? I have confirmation that Melissa has started to shop her ideas for a book to a couple of the top publishing houses.”
“We’ll get to Melissa later,” Jonas said.
He glanced at me. “Yes. I’ve spoken to Gregor Worton of Arch Limited. We will move the announcement and press up to this week.”
Oh my god! I was practically bursting in my seat in wanting to call Gregor and share his joy in the news.
Jonas leaned over to my ear and whispered. “I need you here for the rest. You can call him soon.”
“Thanks,” I whispered, and he winked at me.
Patrick was pulling out his iPad as he said, “Arch Limited can work. Jonas Crane is the savior of up-and-coming business. Lily will be a part of his joining with Arch. We can get photos of you both together. Maybe do something casual now, and more at the press announcement for the event. Are you doing anything together today?”
“Mr. Crane has to leave for business in Texas tonight and Seattle on Wednesday. He won’t be back until early Thursday morning,” Samuel answered for Jonas.
“Yes. We’ll be starting our vacation later this week,” Jonas announced, grinning at my wide eyes and mouth. “Surprise,” he said softly to me.
Patrick cleared his throat then said, “We can call a press announcement for the book? We’ll get the team moving on Arch for early Thursday afternoon or Friday.”
“We’ll release statements to all media. I’ll need more on the Legacy program, Ms. Salomé.”
I cleared my throat. “I can send information.”
“Maybe connecting her with some of our philanthropy groups could expand her profile?” Ava said.
“We’re working on it,” Jonas said and looked at me. I nodded.
“That could work. We can use the information on Ms. Salomé’s backstory to promote her art program,” Patrick said with enthusiasm.
“If Lily’s assault case and photos were leaked, we could use it to promote domestic violence awareness and have Lily—” Ava said.
“Absolutely not,” Jonas said, cutting her off.
“We’ll prepare something just in case,” Patrick said in a hushed tone.
“We’ll take a break and move on to the legal issues with Diane and Ian. Ava and Patrick, I’d like a word,” Jonas touched my arm. “Alright, Lily. Go on and make your call, but come back. We’ll be moving on to the criminal case soon.”
I stood in the most casual manner I could and walked out of the room, then ran to my phone to call Gregor. “Yay!” I yelled into the phone when he answered.
“He told you. I wanted to,” Gregor said and we laughed. “Yes, we discussed the terms, and it looks like we may be moving up the announcement.”
“Congratulations!” I said excitedly. I watched Ava and Patrick leave the office. Their faces were pinched but morphed into smiles to me as they rushed out.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Gregor replied, bringing me back to our conversation.
I looked down at my feet. “You deserve it. And thank you again for what you did for me.”
“I’m sorry. If there is anything I can do, let me know,” Gregor said and sighed.
The line went silent. Finally, I said. “Well, I should go. Congratulations again.”
“Yeah. Tell Mary I said hello. Thanks again. Goodbye, Lily…” Gregor said, his tone crestfallen.
I hesitated. Was this really goodbye? We had accomplished our goal we set out for in the beginning. Jonas was publishing his book and I shared in that achievement. However, with the circumstances and changes in my life, I couldn’t say with certainty that I would return to Arch Limited.
Stop being silly, I thought. Gregor will always be my friend. “Goodbye, Gregor. See you at the press conference.” Tucking my phone in my pocket and wiping the corner of my eye, I headed back to the office. Once I sat down, I felt Jonas’s hand on my thigh. I looked at him. “You alright?” he said in a hushed tone.
“Yes. Thanks,” I said and plastered on a smile. He turned back to the group. “On the other matter, Diane.”
“Nothing on the leaked workplace photo. The assault is public record, so there is a chance the photos may appear,” Diane said, her gaze on me brief. “On a positive note, Declan Gilroy was arrested. The investigation of fraud in his business trade practice will continue. His bank accounts have been frozen, so I doubt he will be able to make bail this morning. Assuming it were even to be granted. He was assigned a public defender, who from our conversation, gave me the impression he would be making a plea.” She turned to me. “Here are a few papers I need you to sign. I’ll also need your statement on the email photo at the end of this meeting.”
“Did you get the emails I sent from his fiancé Heather?” I asked.
Diane smiled wickedly. “Oh, yes. He was requesting a visit and apology?” she said sarcastically.
Ian snorted. “He can forget it.”
“I was also against the visitation at first,” she said to Ian. “But if she goes, we may get a confession out of it. It could strengthen our case.” She looked between the three of us.
My heart skipped at the way Jonas looked at me. The daggers his expression was sending to Diane were deadly. And I could see he was about ready to turn her down, throw me over his shoulder, and lock me in his bedroom. He was my warrior and she was, in a way, using me as a lure for the greater good, to keep Declan in jail. But while I was admittedly scared, I was more frightened that I would never get past my fear of him, leaving myself vulnerable to his control.
I wanted to do it, but I was also willing to compromise for us. “I think it’s a good idea. Diane could come, and you. We could wait until you return. But I think it could help with my recovery, too,” I said and placed my hand on his.
Jonas wouldn’t look at me, though he didn’t move my hand away. He wasn’t ready to let go just yet. “We’ll come back to the visitation. Leasing and building contracts,” Jonas said, shifting the discussion.
I wrote my statement and signed the papers for my case and handed them to Diane. At the end of the meeting, Jonas finally looked at me. My heart constricted at the raw emotion I found on his face. “I don’t want him verbally abusing you, but if your therapist approves it, we’ll go together with Diane.” He then turned to Diane and gave her a pointed look. “Let me be clear, and you make this non-negotiable. One negative word on his part ends the visit. I don’t give a damn what you think you can get to further the case.”
Diane blanched. “Yes, Mr. Crane. I’ll check into it and get back to you both soon,” she said and wrote on her notepad. “I’ll give you a copy of this statement to sign again later. I must get going to court.”
“We’ll meet again after I return,” Jonas said, concluding the meeting.
I TURNED TO IAN, who was packing up his briefcase. “Is Mary alright?”
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. “Yes.”
I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. He just strolled toward the door.
“Is she on her way back here?” I called out. He looked at Jonas and they shared an exchange. Before I could ask what was going on, Ian replied, “I’ll have her back by the time you return this afternoon. See you in Midtown, Jonas.”
I pursed my mouth as I watched him power walk the rest of the way out of the room. When he was gone, I said, “He’s annoying.”
Jonas scoffed. “He’s annoying because he doesn’t want to gossip about your friend?” Jonas replied.
I shrugged. Yes. “No.”
Jonas leaned over and kissed me, sucking on my poked out bottom lip. “My sexy little liar. I’ll have to get Samuel to
add that to your profile,” he said and winked at me. And that was when it hit me. I was now, officially, the live-in girlfriend of highly successful business guru Jonas Crane.
I eyed the tabloid article. The young temptress gold digger that stole a committed man from heiress Melissa Finch. “I think we can leave that off. I’m already a ‘lush Lolita temptress,” I said.
He grimaced and started packing up his papers. “I’ll make Phil regret being connected to that trash.”
I gave my profile an once-over and sulked. “I haven’t done much. I mean, compared to you and Melissa. Or even those you dated before. I understand why they might question what you are doing with me. I’m not even working right now.”
Jonas moved the paper from my hands and touched the side of my face. “You didn’t stop working, you’re on stress leave. And we are together now. Anyone I’ve dated in the past is in the past for a reason. The public gets to know you’re my girlfriend, but they will not dictate our relationship,” Jonas said. He took the folder out of my hand and closed it. “Now, kiss me.”
I leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips.
Jonas rose and moved to his desk. We had no time to spare if we were going to make it to our next appointments for the day. So we collected and packed up our things then left the loft.
I cupped my hand to block the brightness of the sunlight once we arrived on the sidewalk. The barriers and security guards remained in place outside the building and at the end of the street, though that wasn’t a guarantee a photographer wasn’t taking photos. Jonas paused before the car and brushed his lips against the side of my face. A flutter went through my chest. He was all in and ready to claim me.
Jonas had his arm around my shoulder the second the door closed. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to take you with me when I leave town today. I don’t want you to miss therapy.”
I pressed close to his side. With all that had occurred, it felt like a lot of time had passed since my last appointment. Nonetheless, I didn’t want to miss therapy either. There was a lot to talk about, and I wanted to garner her support in getting closure with Declan.
“I agree,” I said. “And I understand. Besides, Mary will be here at least for another couple of days.”
“Dani and Ian are here too, and I’ll be just a phone call or Skype away,” he added. A salacious grin spread across his face. “I enjoyed our last Skype session. We can do that together tonight.”
“With everything going on?” I said and clucked my tongue. “What if someone hacks into our session? No way.”
“That’s not possible,” Jonas declared, but I detected doubt in his tone. I wasn’t sure it could happen either, but I wasn’t willing to risk it. He moved his hand up my skirt. “I’ll look into it, just to be sure.”
I clamped my legs together, trapping his hand. “The car too. Do you want someone with one of their fancy cameras filming us?”
“Through tinted glass in a moving car?” Jonas said, his voice elevated. He worked his trapped hand higher and my breath hitched. We both knew I wasn’t able to resist him, but if we could, I’d rather avoid more bad publicity.
“Come on, Jonas, please. Just until things die down,” I said, cursing the huskiness in my tone.
Jonas let out a derisive noise and removed his hand. He went further still by moving away from me. My lips parted as I stared at him. Jonas Crane, pouting? He’d never let me get away with that, so I scooted closer and leaned my head on his shoulder. “Will I see you before you go?”
“I’ve got a lot to do today, but I’ll do my best to see you before I leave,” he said and returned to holding me. A crease appeared on my cheek. He wasn’t able to resist me either.
We rode in comfortable silence the rest of the way uptown and parked in front.
“If Isla approves, you can go to the jail, but not without me. I mean it, Lily,” Jonas said, his tone authoritative.
“I won’t. I promise. I need Diane to go too, and she won’t go without your approval anyway,” I reminded him. His face softened. I leaned over and kissed him before getting out of the car. “See you soon.” I said as I ducked out of the door, heading to my appointment.
After the short meditation at the beginning of our session, I ‘checked in’ by sharing all that had occurred since our last appointment, ending with the possible visitation with Declan in jail.
“What do you think will happen if you go to this visit?” Isla asked.
I pressed my lips together. “I think Declan won’t apologize. He will insult and threaten me. He will try to manipulate me by promising to return the things he stole if I drop the charges against him.”
Isla nodded and wrote on her notepad. “What would he gain by doing that?”
I sat and thought about her question before answering. “He would get the satisfaction of hurting me one more time.”
“Do you think that’s enough to sustain him in the long run? From what you shared, that wouldn’t move him toward his goal of getting out of jail. Even if you drop charges, there is enough evidence against him to proceed anyway, right?” Isla prodded.
“Yes, but Declan would still think I have some way of stopping it,” I said.
“But you don’t and he would still remain in jail. Let’s pretend he knows and accepts this as fact. What if he wants to apologize to you?”
I frowned. “You think he will actually apologize?”
“I think you need to look at all sides of the situation and prepare yourself,” Isla replied “What if he does apologize to you?”
I folded my arms. What if he did say he was sorry? If Declan apologized, I knew I wouldn’t believe him. He had apologized in the past, and I forgave only to have him hurt me again. “I don’t think it would help me because I wouldn’t believe or trust him. His apology wouldn’t mean anything.” I thought for a moment more and then said, “So are you saying I shouldn’t go?”
“No. I just want you to think through how and what you want to gain from visiting him in jail,” Isla responded.
The bile of bitterness rose within me and I clenched my mouth. “Part of me wants to stop being afraid of him and hopes to get closure on the past. The other wants to see him suffer and hurt like he hurt me. Then I guess I expect he will offer to give me my things he took back. But I won’t be there to make things good for him. I don’t plan to drop the charges or help him. My motivations are not altruistic,” I spilled out and covered my mouth with my hand. They weren’t the words of the woman my parents had raised to be or indicative of the type of person I would ever want to be.
“I’m not here to judge,” Isla said in a calm tone. “I’m here to help you. Seeing Declan weak, paying for his crimes, and possibly suffering may empower you. Being heard when he has no choice but to listen may be healing, too. But have you considered forgoing any hope of an apology from him and reading a statement instead?”
“Could I do that?” I asked.
“Why not? It’s your visit,” Isla said.
My face lit up. Her words were like a weight coming off my mind. Declan may have asked me to come, but that didn’t mean he could dictate what he would get from the visit. The visit would be my choice. I could use the time for myself, to get what I needed.
I knew Declan would freak at not being able to control the way the visit would go. But he was no longer my concern. I was doing this for myself to move on.
“I hadn’t thought about the visit that way.” I said. “But I like it.”
“I’m thinking this visitation may help you gain insight into yourself, which we can discuss again in future sessions,” she added. “You’ll have the safe environment and support with you. You can go share what you want to say. What do you think?”
I beamed at her. “Yes. Jonas will be there and so will my attorney. I think reading a statement would give me a chance to say what I need to in order to move forward.”
“Be careful with your expectations,” Isla warned. She wrote on her pad. “I want you to take this wit
h you. Think about the visit and write out the pros and cons of going. Prepare your statement ahead of time. If you want to work through more, contact me. You have a lot to digest, so we will end here today and I’ll see you for your appointment tomorrow. After tomorrow, your appointments are two sessions a week. With your consent, I’ll speak to Dr. Steinman and Jonas to recommend the visitation.”
“Great,” I enthused. “Thank you.”
We ended with a short meditation and I left her office. I took out my phone to text David about the early end to my session and found two voicemails as soon as it beeped to life. One from Jonas and one from Diane. I played Jonas’s message first.
“Wednesday night’s charity auction is set, as well as my book announcement with Arch later this week. We will have a public lunch together at Gramercy Tavern today. I’ll have to leave town afterwards. I’ll see you there after your appointment. I miss you already.”
I sucked my bottom lip. I miss you, too. I next played Diane’s message.
“Hello, Lily. Declan’s bail was denied, but his public defender put in an appeal. He may be released before trial, but not anytime soon. I’ve informed Jonas the visitation is available on Thursday morning, hopefully before your vacation plans. Thanks.”
I peered at the passing pedestrians on the sidewalk as I waited for David to pick me up. Was someone watching? He arrived a few minutes later and I climbed inside the car before he opened the door. Paranoia has set in.
I took a deep breath and went through the few contacts on my new phone, hovering over Mary’s number. I was surprised not to hear from her and pressed the button to connect a call to her. She answered and spoke before I even had a chance to say hello.
“Sorry I didn’t call. I was up late, but Ian said Jonas is taking you for lunch and he asked me to a show tonight on Broadway. I hope that’s okay?”
“Of course it is,” I replied. “I’m just amazed you got Ian to commit to anything. He’s tight lipped these days.”
Tiger Lily: Part Three Page 21