Megan's Story, A Bentley Sisters Novel

by Lauren Beaumont

  With a smile to himself, he pulled her even closer to him and he too went to sleep.

  CHAPTER 5

  Two weeks later

  Megan was in her office checking her briefcase to ensure one last time that she had all the papers she needed. Just as she was satisfying herself that everything was in order, David Delaney put his head round her door.

  “Megan,” he said warmly, “I just wanted to say, good job on the Ramone deal. Frank has spoken very highly of you. I take it everything is still set to complete today?”

  “It sure is,” she replied brightly, although she had no intention of telling David exactly why she was so relieved that they were finally done on this transaction, “the last documents are all here, ready and I’m off now for the last meeting where Michael and Frank will sign the remaining documents. The money for the purchase price should all be transferred this afternoon.”

  “Excellent!” David replied. “As a celebration, I’d like to take you and Frank out for dinner this evening at Luigi’s on Silver Street.”

  “Oh!” she answered, stunned.

  “Well, that is of course, if you don’t already have other plans?” he queried. “No boyfriend already pencilled into your diary?”

  She flushed guiltily. She hadn’t told anyone at work yet about her relationship with Luke and didn’t intend to until this transaction was well and truly history.

  “No, no,” she reassured, “No other plans and dinner sounds great.”

  Luke wouldn’t be happy, she knew. She’d tell him, of course. No way was she making that mistake again! But David would be there with them for dinner, so it wasn’t as if she would be on her own with Ramone and she knew that Luke would understand that she couldn’t easily refuse David’s invitation.

  “Excellent.” David said, pleased. “I knew I could rely on you, Megan. I’ve booked the table for 7 p.m. so I’ll see you both there.”

  “Sure, looking forward to it,” she answered and breathed a sigh of relief when he left the office.

  * * * * *

  The signing meeting went smoothly. Frank Ramone was marginally less offensive than usual and Michael looked like a man who had had a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders when the last document was signed and he knew he could at last draw a line under his work commitments and instead devote his time to the family that were his top, if not only, priority these days.

  She and Luke exchanged a long look, full of promise for the night ahead. He knew about her dinner plans and, although he hadn’t been thrilled, had just told her to be careful. She’d told him the time and location, to keep him happy, but had said she’d make her own way back to his apartment afterwards and would probably be back no later than 10 p.m, when they could have their own more personal celebration.

  It was odd, but since that truly awful spanking, she’d felt even closer to Luke. Her old doubts and confusions were well and truly gone and she yearned for this transaction to be over so that they could properly announce their relationship. She felt totally secure in his love for her and, she knew, her love for him.

  She hadn’t told him that she loved him yet, although she guessed that he already knew it. He knew her better than she knew herself it sometimes seemed, she thought to herself ruefully. Tonight, though, she would tell him properly, she decided. Once she got through this irritating dinner.

  As the meeting broke up, Ramone gave her a lewd stare. “So, Meggy," he said loudly, "we’ll be having dinner tonight then, I hear. How about a little warm up drink first?”

  Luke visibly bristled but Michael placed a warning hand on his shoulder, which thankfully Ramone didn’t see. Michael knew about her and Luke and knew how Luke felt about Ramone. Indeed, he hadn’t said as much, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Michael knew quite a lot about Luke’s approach to relationships as they had been friends for so long and she flushed slightly at the thought.

  “Er... actually, I need to pop home first, Frank,” she answered more calmly than she felt. “I’d quite like to get changed into something a bit less work oriented for the evening,” she said, indicating her black trouser suit.

  “Ah, yes, absolutely,” Ramone said approvingly, “much better for you to slip into something more comfortable! Well, I’ll see you there in that case, darlin’, don’t be late now!”

  She winced as he left the room and Michael rolled his eyes at his departure. Luke went up to her and, unworried about Michael’s presence, pulled her into his arms and said, “Take care over dinner and if you need anything then call me, okay?”

  “Sure,” she said lightly. “It’ll be fine, I promise.”

  Michael interrupted, “Listen to Luke, Megan and be careful. Don’t under-estimate Ramone.”

  Megan hadn’t realised until then just how much Michael had disliked Frank Ramone, but when she asked him about it he just shrugged and said, “He offered a good price for the company and, to be honest, the company hasn’t meant that much to me for a long time. My employees, well that’s different, but Ramone isn’t stupid and I doubt he’ll do anything that could lose him talented staff that aren’t easily replaced.”

  She supposed he was right. Unfortunately, lawyers could be more two a penny than talented advertising gurus!

  They said their goodbyes and she promised to see Luke later and with a sigh left to go home to get changed, figuring that Ramone would notice if she didn’t obviously do as she had said.

  * * * * *

  The three of them sat in the restaurant and she listened for what seemed like the hundredth time to Ramone brag on loudly about more and more of his business deals. The companies he’d bought, the profits he’d made; it was all so tiresome, she thought to herself. The man was disgusting in the way he boasted and tried to impress everyone with his self-importance.

  David, she noted however, was positively lapping it up, encouraging Ramone in his story telling and asking for more and more details of his triumphs.

  The only saving grace was that the food was good and the wine was plentiful. Perhaps a bit too plentiful, she thought briefly, as she saw that her glass was once again empty. Unfortunately, given the tedium of the conversation, she’d had little to do other than down glass after glass of wine, which David and Ramone kept replenishing.

  Oh well, she thought. It wasn’t as if she was going to be getting behind the wheel of car, so there was no harm. And if it helped get her through the evening, so much the better.

  Actually, the more she drank, the more tolerable the evening became. Sure, Ramone was never going to be someone she would choose to spend time with, or indeed who she would want to work for again, but at least his tendency to monopolise the conversation meant that there was no need for her to try and make too much small talk!

  “So,” boomed Ramone, “I assume that Meggy here will be in charge of any future acquisitions that I make?”

  “Absolutely,” said David, “As you’ve now seen for yourself, Megan is one of our best associates and I have high hopes for her in the future.”

  Megan felt a glow of pride at his words, or was that the glow of the alcohol she thought guiltily, aware that she was feeling a bit light headed.

  “Well,” said Ramone, beckoning the waiter over the refill their glasses again, “I’d like to propose a toast to thank you both, but especially the lovely Meggy, for a great job.”

  As they clinked glasses and drank, Megan happened to glance down at her wristwatch. Eeek, it was already half past ten, a good half an hour after she’d told Luke she would likely be home. Oh well, they would soon be finishing up and she could be on her way, it wasn’t after all as if she’d said she would definitely be back at 10 and although she felt slightly nervous she didn’t want to have to make excuses to leave the table in order to go and text Luke at this stage.

  At long last the final bottle of wine had been drained and David settled the cheque and they rose from the table and made their way to the door. David shook Ramone’s hand and made him promise to stay in touch with any ne
w business that might come his way. At the same time, he turned to Megan and told her to take the rest of the week off; he knew she’d worked hard on this and she should take a few days away from the office to catch up on the rest of her life and he would see her on Monday.

  Megan was slightly astonished at this side of David, but figured that now wasn’t the time to complain and she thanked him and also said her goodbyes to them both, excusing herself to visit the washroom before she made her way home herself.

  In the washroom, as she was checking her appearance in the mirror, she was shocked to see that her expression was definitely one of somebody who had had slightly too much to drink! Her cheeks were rosy and her expression slightly glazed. She hastily ran a comb through her hair to try and repair some of the dishevelled look and made her way out again, determined to try and flag down a cab as quickly as she could.

  As she left the restaurant, a large hand settled on her shoulder, “Surely you’re not going home so soon Meggy,” she jumped, shocked and stared up to find Ramone drooling down at her.

  “Oh! Frank. I thought you’d gone home,” she said, trying to deflect the situation.

  “Home?” he boomed at her, “Meggy, the night’s still young, how’s about me and you go for a little night cap, just the two of us?”

  Suddenly, she felt decidedly sober and, as his grip on her shoulder tightened, decidedly scared. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and his eyes were slightly glassy, much more so than hers had been when she’d looked in the mirror. To make matters worse, the road they were on was a quiet one, with little traffic and there was no one else in sight. The lights were still on in the restaurant behind them, but with the noise from inside, she knew that it was unlikely anyone would hear her out here.

  “Well, that’s really nice of you, Frank,” she tried to pacify him, “but I really should be going home now, it’s getting kind of late. Maybe another time?”

  “Now, now, that’s not very friendly is it? What happened to wanting more of my business?”

  She froze.

  “I’m sure I remember that David was quite insistent that he wanted to get any more work I might have to throw his way,” he continued.

  “What are you trying to say, Frank?” she said coldly, pleased that her tone was steady even if her nerves were screaming out in anguish.

  He had the grace to look slightly abashed, but the grip on her shoulder didn’t loosen at all. “Come on, Meggy,” he said, his voice taking on a whiney tone, “I didn’t mean anything by it, there’s no need to take offence. I just thought it would be nice to get to know each other a bit better,” he wheedled.

  “Then I suggest you think again,” said a cold, steely voice from behind them.

  They both swung around, startled, to find a furious looking Luke striding towards them.

  “What the—?” said Ramone, now looking more bewildered than anything else.

  “Luke!” she said, her voice filled with relief. She wanted nothing more than to fling herself into the safety of his arms, but Ramone’s fingers were still digging into and gripping her shoulder, causing numbness to settle through her arm.

  “Anderson?” slurred Ramone. “Why are you here?”

  “I could ask you both the same question,” he responded and turned to Megan, “You were supposed to be home nearly three hours ago,” he said frostily.

  “What? But it's only,” she looked at her watch and found to her horror that time had ticked by faster than she thought and it was now approaching one in the morning.

  He turned his attention to Ramone, “You appear to be hurting Megan,” he said smoothly, looking pointedly at Megan’s shoulder where Ramone’s fingers were still digging into her flesh, undoubtedly bruising her. The warning was implicit in Luke’s tone and Ramone clearly recognised the barely restrained fury in the other man.

  He quickly removed his hand from Megan, “Sorry Anderson,” he said, “I had no idea that you and she were... well... you never gave any hint that you were a couple.”

  “We prefer to keep our personal lives exactly that,” responded Luke bluntly. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I should be getting Megan home.”

  “Uh, sure. Okay then. I guess I’ll say goodnight then. Meggy, it’s always a pleasure with you. Anderson.” He nodded briefly at Luke and gazed at Megan before walking off down the road.

  They waited until Ramone had disappeared into the distance and then Megan turned to him, starting to thank him for showing up.

  “Do not say a word,” he bit out at her, cutting off her thanks.

  “But... but….”

  “Not a word,” he repeated. “Right now, I’m furious with you and the best thing you can do is stay quiet. Do you have all your things? Coat? Bag?”

  She nodded, not wanting to say anything, given his current dark mood.

  He grasped her by her upper arm, his grip firm but careful not to add to the bruises caused by Ramone’s manhandling and marched her down the road to where his car was parked just round the corner.

  He bundled her into the passenger seat, closing the door behind her and then climbed into the driver’s side, started the engine and drove them in grim silence back to his apartment.

  She was marched into his apartment in the same way as she had been down the road. He threw his keys onto the side table, shrugged off the leather jacket he’d been wearing and went to the counter to pour himself a neat whisky, which he downed in one swift gulp.

  She stood there, hesitantly, unsure what to do.

  “Sit.” He commanded.

  She sat, gratefully, as her legs had turned gradually to jelly and she genuinely wasn’t sure for how much longer they would have held her upright.

  He turned to her.

  “Do you have any idea,” he said, “any idea at all, just how worried I’ve been for the last couple of hours?”

  He didn’t even give her the chance to answer. “I sat here going out of my mind wondering where you were, if something had happened to you. You didn’t answer your phone, didn’t respond to any text message.”

  Damn! She thought to herself, she’d put her phone on to silent mode at the beginning of the evening and hadn’t even thought to check it.

  He went on, “I thought to myself, Megan would surely call if she was going to be late, she’d send a message to let me know dinner was overrunning. But no, evidently not.” He set down his glass back on to the counter with a thud and she winced. She had never seen him this angry.

  “Of all the times when I’d have thought you’d make the effort to let me know you were okay, a night when you’re out with Ramone would be pretty high up there on the list!” He carried on, now towering over her as he stood by the sofa, casting a shadow over her in the dim light.

  “But no. Instead, I have to come out, checking out the tube stations, checking out the route a cab would have taken home and then finally come to the restaurant to find you still there, reeking of alcohol and on your own with Ramone in a situation that was clearly getting out of control!”

  He was furious. She could tell from his expression as much as his words just how worried he had been.

  “I even called Lily!” he said. “Just in case, for some reason, you’d decided to visit her on the way home, detour or not!”

  “Lily?” she said, astonished that he would have called up her sister at this time of night.

  “Yes, Lily,” he bit out. “Remember Lily? Your younger sister who is now also worried sick about you and apparently has been worried about you for weeks because of Ramone!”

  Megan had thought that she couldn’t possibly feel any worse than she already did, but the thought that Lily had also been consumed with worry had her sinking further into the sofa.

  “Well?” he demanded. “Have you nothing to say for yourself?”

  She gulped. This was so much worse than she had thought. She’d known she was late, but she hadn’t realised how late, or how worried he would be.

  She sat there in silence
. She knew she didn’t have much of a defence. It hadn’t even occurred to her that drinking so much would be quite as foolish as it clearly was, she’d concentrated only on the assistance it had played in helping her get through the evening.

  At last, she raised her head to him and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’ve let you down.”

  She hadn’t thought it was possible for his expression to become even more thunderous than it already was, but she was wrong. “Me?” he questioned, “You really think this is about me? Have you learned nothing in our time together? This is about you, Megan! It’s about your inability to use common sense when it comes to your own well being. It’s about respect for our relationship and understanding that through common courtesy it’s polite to warn somebody you’ll be late so they don’t worry.”

  His voice softened just slightly. “What would you have done had I not turned up when I did, Meg? How would you have found a way out of that dark side road when Ramone had you exactly where he wanted you?”

  She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened. “I don’t know,” she whispered honestly. “I was scared. I was so relieved when you turned up.”

  Some of the anger seemed to subside as he saw how upset she was and he crouched down in front of her and took her hands in his. “Meg, you promised me that you would take care of yourself tonight.”

  The tears began to fall silently down her cheeks. “I know, I know,” she said. “I didn’t think. I was so stupid. The evening was so tedious, Ramone was so obnoxious, that I thought having a few drinks would help, I just didn’t think. It never occurred to me what could happen.”

  “Drinking like that in that situation just makes you vulnerable, Meg. A man like Ramone is so much bigger than you, there’s no way you could have fought him off. But with you drinking like that, you might not even have been able to run off if you’d needed to and it gives him even more of an opportunity to take advantage.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  “And drink or no drink,” he continued, “is still no excuse for not calling, not letting me know you were okay. How would you have felt if it was Lily or Isabelle or Elise you’d been expecting home and they didn’t show up?”