Shouldn't Have Dealt

by Mara Lynne

  My heart starts to beat rapidly. If Mrs. Stone continues to stare at me like this, I think I’ll pass out in just under a minute. Of all people to catch me wearing only a thin t-shirt inside a man’s house, why does it have to be Mrs. Stone?

  She must be jumping to conclusions now. How I wish I could just be frank to her and tell her everything between his son and me, but I don’t think she will believe it, considering all the evidence she sees now. It’s not like she will believe me over Hunter. The man can always tweak the truth, and I will end up as the liar. Maybe I just have to wait for Hunter to set this misunderstanding straight. I don’t think he could lie to his mother. I mean, she’s his mother. She can lie to the mayor but not to the person who has accepted him and took care of him through thick or thin.

  “This is Angel, mother.” Hunter reaches for the small of my back, taking me by surprise.

  “Oh, so you are the famous Angel Grant!” Her smile becomes wider. “That’s why you look familiar!”

  Angel Grant, again!

  I shoot Hunter a glare, but all he does is step a few inches closer to me.

  “You didn’t tell me you’re back together, Hunter!” She tugs Hunter’s arm.

  Mrs. Stone then walks forward and grasps my hands tightly. “It’s so nice to meet you. Actually, I already have the hunch that you are who you are. I knew Hunter stayed away from new relationships after you two broke up. I was surprised to know this son of mine could get so emotionally and romantically attached to a woman.” Seeing her so overjoyed makes the guilt all the more painful.

  “Okay, Mom, let Angel get dressed.” Hunter breaks the contact between Mrs. Stone and me.

  “Did you two eat already?” she clasps her hands together.

  “We are going to eat outside then I’ll take Angel back to her place.” Hunter holds my hand and starts walking me to his bedroom. He will have to do a lot of explaining when we get back to his room. I’m not wavering on this one.

  “Wonderful! I’ll wait for you. I know of a good restaurant!” Mrs. Stone exclaims. She turns on her heels, walks to the divan, and watch me and Hunter walk toward his bedroom.

  Chapter 18: Grace Under Pressure

  Victoria Stone chose The Rossum Café which is a five-minute ride away from the Marriott Hotel where Hunter lives. She went there ahead of us to make reservations and to select the best menu for our breakfast date while Hunter waited for me to get dressed.

  I understand her excitement. However, I’m just doing all these out of pure respect. I am not that evil to cut off her glee. After all, it is Hunter’s responsibility to tell Victoria the whole truth.

  Stone asked me to keep her mother in the dark for the meantime. Of course, I did not let the opportunity pass without ensuring a bargain from him, so he promised that he would tell her in person soon enough.

  His fingers slide through mine as we walk into The Rossum. The only one thing I appreciate from him is his effort to secure me a new dress. I don’t know how he bought it so early in the morning without me noticing his absence. Perhaps, he had somebody run to the nearest boutique to pick this cobalt blue mini dress. I couldn’t very well go with a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. It’s as if he knew this is going to happen.

  “Let me remind you of our deal, Hunter,” I tell him as I squeeze his hand.

  Hunter beams and moves his mouth closer to my ear. “Shall we talk about the deal later?”

  “Don’t keep your hopes high, mister. I’m not going to sign your damn contract!”

  He knows I am only doing this for the kind Victoria. After this, he’ll have to live up to my own terms. I already have them in my mind, and I am eager to let him know about them. Hunter will have no choice but to submit to my demands this time. After all, I have done him so many favors already.

  “The contract will remain, Angel, but I gave you my word, and I’m going to hear you out. Save them for later, okay?”

  With a slam to his chest, I deliberately put Hunter Stone to a halt. “I will stick pins in your eyes if you do something I don’t like. Your mother is such a sweet woman, and I am not going to fool her. Don’t make her believe your bogus story much longer!”

  The corner of his mouth twitches, and I thought I saw a challenge in there. His eyes glint, not with agreement, but total protest.

  “I know what I am doing, Angel.” He quickly grabs my hand and makes sure to inflict pain on it. “And believe me, my mother knows when she’s being cheated.”

  Why does he always have to hurt me?

  He releases my hand after seeing me wince in pain. There is a slight worry on his face, but I am sure it’s just guilt. I don’t think he’s a sadistic psychopath, but he sure is short-tempered.

  “Sorry.” Hunter mumbles, his gaze quickly leaving me.

  Hunter Stone just said he was sorry.

  Did I hear him correctly?

  I watch him walk away from me towards the table on the other end of the restaurant where his mother has been waiting for ages.

  It’s a surprise he did not drag me there. The Hunter Stone I know acts like a brat when pissed off and would use all his power to bend people to his will. This time, he’s a little different. Is he letting me go? But what about the bargain?

  I found myself strutting toward their table with my head held up high. I have to do it, or else I’ll be doomed to a lifetime of Hunter’s craziness.

  Following him knowing that I thoroughly abhor his every being is suicide. I could have just left and never look back.

  Nonetheless, I couldn’t miss the chance of having this man hear my demands. There’s no way I am going to let him continue his disturbing antics. The bargain will give me my freedom. He must know I am dead serious about the deal, and there’s no better way to convince him than this.

  “Oh, Angel! I thought you are not coming,” Victoria says as she kisses me on the cheek. “When Hunter arrived without you, I thought something was wrong.”

  Hunter smirks and shakes his head. He must have guessed I was not going to give up easily.

  The sly fox!

  Now it looks like I’m the one chasing after him.

  “Hunter and I have a few things to settle,” I sharply say, making my point clear and understandable for his narrow logic. “And I want to make sure he does what he has to do.”

  “Please have a seat,” Victoria says as she gestures her hand to the chair opposite hers. Hunter pulls the chair behind me and allows me to settle in before he pushes it back gently. He then sits next to me. “I don’t think I get the gist of what you have said, but I believe it has something to do between to the two of you.”

  “Certainly, Victoria!” I exclaim with a voice mixed with a little pride. “The two of us has a lot of things to fix. Hunter should be responsible for making the first move, I believe.”

  “Oh, God! You sound like you’re fighting.” Her eyes widen.

  Hunter quickly interrupts. “Mother, there’s nothing a good conversation can’t mend. Angel and I can sort this misunderstanding in no time.”

  “I hope so, Hunter.” I roll my eyes at him. I pick up the napkin from the table and lay it on my lap. Victoria has ordered croissants, brioche, and other mouthwatering pastries which I hardly recognize and three cups of French roast.

  “My, oh my! I think this is a serious matter.” She turns to her son with a creased forehead. “What have you done for poor Angel to roll her eyes at you?”

  Hunter sighs and shifts his attention to his pastry.

  “Mother, you don’t really want to know.” The words escape from his mouth so naturally. He sounds like he is genuinely worried about her mother knowing the real score.

  Victoria shrugs her shoulders as though she is disappointed in Hunter for avoiding the question.

  “You know, dear,” she begins while she slices her croissant in half. “My son has never been in a real relationship before. If I’m correct, this one with you is the very first, so please bear with his shortcomings.”

  “Mother,
please…” Hunter blushes.

  Hallelujah! What have I seen?

  It was the kind of blush you wouldn’t see on a man like Hunter Stone. He looks like a schoolboy embarrassed in front of the class.

  “What do you mean by these shortcomings, Victoria?” It’s fun to see Hunter defenseless for the first time. So the mother can tame the beast out of her son after all. “I’m not sure if these shortcomings are felt by me, but Hunter’s not very good at expressing his feeling—or anything about persuading a woman.”

  “Correct!” Victoria snaps. “I don’t even think he knows where to buy the best flowers. Has he ever brought you to a good place for a date?”

  “Hunter does things the exact opposite, Victoria. Believe me, you won’t be happy when you hear about them.”

  “You, son, must learn from your father. James was a very good pleaser.”

  “Such a good pleaser, he’s got a lot of women around him,” he whispers, his tone having a certain sharpness to it.

  “Well… you should try to ask James for some advice.” Victoria loses the spark on her face. Hunter must have hit a sensitive issue for Victoria was s few seconds.

  “We shouldn’t be talking about my old man,” Hunter says.

  “You’re right.” Victoria forces herself to smile and sound jolly this time. “Let’s just focus on you and Angel here.”

  She is hiding something. Her complex relationship with Hunter’s father and Mary is not a very happy topic. After all these years, it seems like Victoria is still holding on to the past. Whatever that could that be, I think I should stay out of it.

  “I honestly think it’s time for Hunter to build a family.” Victoria goes on. “Now, I am seeing the probability of it coming true. Am I right, Hunter?”

  “Angel has to answer that,” he calmly says.

  The food got stuck in my throat in revolt. Is he kidding me?

  “Have you asked her yet?” Thrill vibrates out of the woman’s voice, and she almost jumps off her seat, clapping her hands together.

  “Now that you’ve mentioned that, Mother, I think I will contemplate on that,” he adds. With that confident and adamant response, I think Hunter is on the run to infuriate me once again. He doesn’t really mean what he says. That man of his stature will not think of marriage, especially with a woman who’s not even his equal… and most especially if the woman is a girlfriend for hire. I bet if Victoria Stone knows about me, this kind of euphoria will not even exist.

  “Hunter, Tiffany’s got this great ring… Oops!” Her hand automatically stops her mouth. “I should not be telling this in front of Angel. Sweetie,” she pauses, turning to me with a mortified smile, “just pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

  I am not able to finish my food. As if to torture my mind, Victoria went on and on about weddings and her future grandchildren for the rest of out meal. Hunter did not even do anything to stop his mother. I had to bear in mind that I should not go against Hunter because I had to keep his mood up. If I break his mother’s fantasies, I might get the worst out of him, and I am positively certain that I don’t want another outburst from him. His unfair interruptions with my job are enough.

  Hunter will get a dose of his own medicine… soon enough.

  “Where are you taking me?” I mutter as I see him steer his wheel to Roosevelt Road instead of the lane out of Trenton.

  “Something came up. You will have to bear another hour with me.” His eyes are focused on the road ahead. His aura changed right away after he read something from his phone.

  I have to get home now. My parents are clueless as to what is taking me so long. They know about Hunter, but they don’t know about me meeting his mother and being grilled to death. Honestly, I think I’ve used up all my energy to keep myself composed while Hunter did nothing to alleviate the situation.

  Until when will he keep playing this game?

  “Hunter, I’ve done my part,” I weakly say. “Now, it’s your time.”

  “Angel, it’s not the right time, really. Can’t you see? I’m driving.”

  I know what he means by that. Any argument might cost us our lives.

  “Fine, but after this, take me home.”

  “I will.”

  I turn my eyes to the view outside and watch other cars pass us. The road we are driving along is unfamiliar to me. I don’t think we’re going back to his hotel. Just where is he taking me?

  “You okay?” His sudden interest surprises me.

  “You think I’m okay after all the lies you told Victoria?” I don’t even dare to look at him. “Now, I have no idea how to fix this. I don’t even know if you have the slightest inclination of putting an end to this.”

  I really want to cry right now, or even slap him across his face for making things so difficult for me. It is just so unfair that he continues to be this jerk when I have always been clear to him that we’re done. What’s keeping this man so fixated on me?

  “Frankly, Hunter, what do you need from me? Tell me. Why does it have to be me when you can always find someone better?”

  The temptation to sneak a peak of his reaction through the corners of my eyes is way too strong, and I end up giving into it. Hunter did not waver as well. As expected, he lives up to his surname—he is as hard as a stone. I thought he would flinch, but he did not even breathe a sigh.

  “It just doesn’t make sense,” I add.

  “You are hell bent to know everything, aren’t you?”

  “Because you simply can’t understand what no is!”

  “Angel…” He might be thinking of the right words to say because he stops the car and pulls into an empty lane in front of a boutique. He moves his body a little to the right, so the distance between us is reduced to just a foot.

  “If I tell you the reason why it has to be you, will it change anything?”

  Our gazes lock into each other, none of us faltering, obviously gauging each other for reasons I can’t tell. I just know I am so eager to hear his next words.

  Chapter 19: On Hunter’s Defense

  RING! RING!

  Hunter jerks as his phone rings, disrupting the growing suspense. His grimace shows sheer annoyance while I heave a long sigh of pure relief. I thought I was more than excited, but the truth is, I was not even an inch ready to uncover the reality. The longer I watch him stare at me intently, the more anxious I grow. At the back of my mind, I have a hunch that whatever Hunter tells me now might break my preconceived opinion of him. Hunter might pull a few tricks for me to have a change of heart.

  Honestly, I’m confused as to how I should feel. I’m scared—afraid I might stumble upon something that would cause more than just confusion. I don’t know what it will be, but if there’s one thing I am sure of now, it’s that I am not comfortable hearing it. I am definitely thankful for the sudden phone call.

  Groaning, Hunter opens his mouth and begins to mutter words that command my complete attention.

  “Paul?”

  His hand reaches for his temple and rubs it. He appears to be in deep thought. What could Paul be telling Hunter to make him look this stiff?

  “Okay, I get it. We’ll be there in…” he pauses and checks his watch, “ten minutes. Keep the old man entertained, okay?”

  He locks his phone and starts the engine of his car.

  He keeps his eyes on the road, and I instantly feel he has lost the mood for a conversation.

  It didn’t take us ten minutes to reach a skyscraper made of steel frame and glass walls. It mirrors the color of the blue sky and shimmers as the sun reflects on it. Stone’s name is printed in embossed silver letter outside his building. One will immediately recognize it is he who owns this huge empire of about fifty floors.

  Paul meets us on the top floor after a tiring ride in the elevator. I presume the top floor is Hunter’s personal area where his office could be found. The entire floor is purely dedicated to the employees who are at his disposal. Everything on the top floor is white and gray. The glass walls ar
e wide and huge, overlooking the busy streets of Trenton. The view up here is so majestic, it feels like the horizon is at arm’s length.

  Walking along the wide corridor lined with big doors that appear to be small offices, I let Paul lead me somewhere while I let myself drift into what my eyes can see.

  “Ms. Mohr.” Paul’s voice stuns me. “Keep up, please.”

  I fail to see which door Hunter has gone into because I was too preoccupied looking outside and thinking of how relaxing the view is. Moving my head to my sides, I try to figure out where Paul would lead me.

  “Are we heading for his office?” I ask.

  “Yes,” Paul simply answers.

  “Is Hunter in his office?”

  He shakes his head. “No.”

  “Who is he meeting with then?”

  Paul halts and turns his back away from me. I think he’s been instructed by Hunter not to reveal so much to me.

  “He appeared troubled while on our way here.”

  “Just think of it this way, Ms. Mohr… even the mountain bows,” Paul curtly responds. He stops in front of a golden brown door with a silver door knob. There are pots of small palm trees that guard the doorpost, and ‘CEO’ is engraved in bold letters outside the doors. We must be outside Hunter’s office now.

  Whatever Paul meant do not bother me much. All I want now is to take a seat and rest my feet. I have been walking this long corridor in a pair of four-inch heel stilettos that Hunter purchased together with the dress. My toes and heels are sore and numb already.

  Paul twists the door knob and opens. My eyes widen as they lay upon the unique architectural design of Hunter’s office. The style is quite similar to his penthouse, minimalist and very spacious. With just one look, one can readily identify it as a bachelor’s pad. There’s a long black leather chaise lounge in the middle. Behind it is his desk with nothing but a laptop, a notebook, and a pen. The walls are festooned with paintings of people smiling and dancing in their tribal clothing. Silver and black artifacts are safely kept inside cabinets made of glass. The floor is carpeted but does not deviate from the three colors that dominate the room. Everything just appears lonely and cold. Not even a single photo of Hunter’s family can be seen.