by Vera Roberts
“Excuse me for a minute,” Scott pressed a button on the intercom, “Elissa, send Ms. Harlow and Chris in here, please? Thank you.”
A few minutes later, Mariana and one of the creative directors, Chris, walked into Scott’s office. “Chris, Mariana, this is Caprina Waters. You might have recognized her work from various print and television ads she’s done throughout the years. Guess just signed a new contract with McCormick and Sheppard, so you’ll be working directly with their marketing team on creating a new ad campaign.”
“Very excited to meet you, Ms. Waters,” Chris shook her hand. “We’ll come up with a fantastic campaign for you and the Guess brand.”
“Great to hear!” she smiled.
“Chris, can you please excuse us? I would like to talk to Ms. Harlow and Ms. Waters alone,” Scott asked.
“Sure. Ms. Waters, a pleasure meeting you.” Chris left Scott’s office.
Mariana had to contain her excitement. She had been a fan of Caprina Waters for years and had aspired to be like her when she was younger. To be standing in the same room with her was a dream come true.
“Now that we’re alone, let’s just put it out there.” Scott smiled. “Mari, remember that ex-fiancée my family despises and because of her, they had a hard time accepting you? Meet Caprina Waters. Caprina, meet my new girlfriend, Mariana Harlow. Now that’s out of the way, I expect no bullshit from either one of you. Ms. Harlow, you’re dismissed. I’ll talk to you later.”
Mariana had to pick her jaw off the floor. Caprina. The Caprina. She was the infamous ex-fiancée of Scott’s. She was a supermodel. She was the sex fiend. She was gorgeous. She was the cold-hearted bitch. She spoke four languages. She was evil. And now she had to work side-by-side with her on a major project. There was no way Mariana could compete with her.
She walked out of Scott’s office and made a beeline to the nearest woman’s restroom. She cried for fifteen minutes.
****
“So that’s your new little girlfriend, huh? Kinda young for you, Scotty.” Caprina wasn’t intimidated by Mariana.
“Just like you’re kinda old for me?” Scott shot back.
Caprina stood up from her chair and leaned forward on Scott’s desk. “I will destroy her.”
Caprina’s naïveté about Mariana was making Scott’s dick hard. “I like to see you try.”
Caprina hurriedly left Scott’s office and slammed the door behind her. After she left, Scott buzzed Elissa. “Did you get that scotch? I need it now.”
SIX
“Are you okay?” Nate asked Mariana.
Mariana’s eyes were bloodshot from crying. She was more frustrated at messing up her face than she was with the bombshell Scott dropped on her. She would deal with him later. Her first priority was to fix her makeup and run to the nearest drugstore for some eye drops. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just allergy season.”
“Yeah, right,” Nate grabbed Mariana’s arm and led her to a private office. “Now, do you want to tell me the truth?”
Mariana didn’t know where to begin. She was intimidated by her boyfriend’s ex-fiancée? That the woman she admired for years made Scott scornful and cold? That she was jealous and feared that Caprina would come back in and take him from her?
She didn’t know how trustworthy Nate was but decided to play it safe. “How do you deal with insecurities?”
“Easy. No matter what happens at the end of the day, I’m awesome and no one can take that from me,” he shrugged. “What’s got you down?”
Where do I start? “A lot of pressure, that’s all.” It wasn’t a lie.
“Mari, you have been one of the best interns this company has had in years. I hear all of the other directors talking about how awesome and amazing you are. If you think people are jealous or resentful because you’re Ice’s girlfriend, trust me, they don’t even mention that. They no longer care! You have nothing to worry about at all!” Nate beamed and put his arm around Mariana. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
Easier said than done. “I hope so.”
As Mariana returned to her desk, she briefly caught a glimpse of Scott’s office. She wondered if Caprina was still in there. What were they discussing? What were they talking about? Were they reminiscing about their past? Were they rekindling the magic?
Moments later, Scott’s door flew open and Caprina stormed out with a scowl on her face. She walked so fast, loose papers on nearby desks flew into the air. Mariana looked back at Scott’s office and he briefly caught her eye. He let out a deep sigh and slammed his door shut.
For the first time since she’d started there, Mariana resented her internship.
SEVEN
Dominic watched with anticipation from across the street. Caprina had been in Scott’s office for over a half-hour. He hadn’t kicked her out, so were important issues being handled.
So he waited. And waited.
He perked up when Caprina finally came out out of the building. Her face was angry as if she had just received some very unpleasant news. It wasn’t the same confident look she had when she first arrived. She walked with confidence and a sanctimonious air about her. Now the smirk was replaced with rage. Things didn’t go too well, I take it.
He watched Caprina disappear into the parking garage below her and speed out minutes later in a Mercedes convertible. Interesting. Same car the subject used to have. He retrieved his phone and quickly dialed. “She just left. I guess the big surprise meeting didn’t go as planned. She looked angry.”
“Good,” Sanora replied on the other end, “I want her angry. Angry means she’ll eventually become reckless.”
“Is anything else you want me to do, Mistress?”
“Nothing for the time being. I have spies in the office reporting to me on a daily basis now that she’s going to be heavily involved in the campaign there. They’re keeping tabs. All we can do now is sit back and wait for her to make the first move, which she will very, very soon. We’ll be in touch, lover.” She hung up.
Sanora walked over to the giant chessboard table with intricate gold and sterling silver pieces. She knocked over one silver piece as she took over its spot with a gold one. “Your move, bitch.”
EIGHT
Caprina sat at the dining room table and felt her fists slowly clench up. She was seething with anger and ended up picking up a vase and tossing it against the wall, smashing it into many pieces.
He had beat her at her own game. The Scott she knew from years before was not the same Scott she saw in his office. It used to be that her presence alone would intimidate him. Now, he wasn’t fazed by her. Caprina wasn’t quite sure, but the feeling she picked up from Scott was annoyance. Her presence annoyed him.
She was too brash. She was too harsh. She had threatened him, and she had learned not to do that again. She would have to build his confidence in her. She would have to get him to trust her. Then she would get into his head. Then she would get into his bed. Then she would get him.
It became a question of how.
Her thoughts drifted to Mariana. She had finally met the darling Mariana in person. She was more beautiful than Caprina had realized from the pictures. She was youthful and intelligent. She was dressed in a sharp suit of black slacks, a buttoned-up white shirt, and a blazer. Her heels were Louboutins, and she had subtle but very expensive jewelry on. Caprina could tell Scott did upgrade Mariana.
Caprina shook her head. Just years ago, she had upgraded him and now he was doing it to someone else.
Her prized moment was when she had seen the look on Mariana’s face when Mariana had realized who she was. The young girl had been crushed and stupefied. She had been very upset, but she had tried her best to remain calm and keep her composure. It was too late. Caprina had successfully gotten into Mariana’s head.
In order to get Scott, Caprina had to go through Mariana first. She was young and possibly weak. She had to figure out what that little girl’s weaknesses were and focus on them. And then, wait…wai
t for the right moment for Mariana to have a false sense of hope and faith in Caprina.
An epiphany dawned on Caprina. “Silly, why didn’t I think of this before?” She laughed. “Brilliant!” Caprina knew she needed help with what she wanted. Her project was too big on its own.
She dialed Rebecca. “Yes, this is Caprina. Say, I’m going to need two assistants while I’m out in LA. Can you give me the name of an agency that deals with celebrity clientele? Thank you.” Caprina hurriedly wrote down the information. “Oh, no, don’t worry about it. I’ll go there myself. It’ll be easier if I dealt with them myself. Thank you.” She hung up.
The fewer people who knew what she was up to, the better. She didn’t need any side interference.
Caprina got up from her chair and walked over to a private closet. She turned on the light and closed the door behind her. The closet was her safe haven and she visited it on a daily basis to keep her sanity. She sat down on the floor and stared up at the pictures that surrounded her. Slowly, the rage dissipated and it was replaced with warmth and joy. She smiled and laughed as she viewed a few pictures, thinking of the wonderful times.
The closet had wall-to-wall pictures of her union with Scott.
NINE
“You’re home late.” Mariana’s voice broke through the darkness.
Scott paused at the front door. He was sure Mariana would’ve been packed up by the time he came home. Or she would’ve gone into a fit, rightfully so. He caused her so much hurt and pain, it made him sick to his stomach. “I had to stay late to finish up some paperwork.”
“I made dinner.” Her voice was cut with pain. “It’s in the microwave.”
Scott wasn’t hungry. Even if he’d had a little appetite, there was no way he could have eaten. His stomach was still in knots. “I’ll eat later.” He walked over to where Mariana sat and kept a small distance from her. He felt her anger. She was seething. “I need to explain.”
“I’m listening.”
Scott let out a deep sigh. Did he really want to admit all of this? Reliving the past was so painful; he had managed to block it out of his memory for the past eight years. Caprina stirred up more than just uncomfortable memories; she stirred up everything. “We met at an art gallery, eight years ago. We hit it off right away.
“We traveled all over the world. Whatever photo shoots she went on, I went with her. If she did the red carpet, I stayed behind so the focus was on her. I was happy to be in her background. A few months into our relationship, I introduced her to my family. My mother didn’t like her from the start. Chrissy tolerated her. My dad couldn’t care less. But it didn’t matter to me. I loved her, and that’s all that mattered. A month later, I proposed to her and she accepted.
“She wanted this big and extravagant wedding; the best of everything, and I wanted to give her everything. She deserved it, and I thought it was going to be forever, so why not? One night I came home and found her in bed with my best friend, Elliott. Well, he was my best friend. They both wanted a threesome with me, and I only agreed because Caprina wanted to do it. Elliott and I had a past ourselves, and I told him he was not to touch me in any way while we did the threesome. It was supposed to be a threesome. I ended up watching more than participating. That was intentional on Caprina’s part.
“Turns out that night was one of many secret hookups between Caprina and Elliott. She had no interest in the wedding and I planned everything. I should’ve known. Everything was normal, so I thought.” Scott paused again. He swallowed his emotion and silently encouraged himself to keep going, despite how painful it was.
“The morning of the wedding, everything was set. The vendors and caterers were paid. The bridesmaids were dressed and had their makeup done. My family was with me, helping me get ready in our suite. One of my other best friends, Jeff, had my cell phone because I was afraid of losing it. He suddenly came rushing in. His face went white; he was frozen solid. You could knock him over with a feather. I asked him what was up, if Caprina was okay? He looked up at me and his eyes said it all. She wasn’t coming. She was never coming.”
Mariana let her guard down. Everything about Scott was explained in just a few minutes. Mariana thought about the holiday trip to Decatur. He wanted to tell her about Caprina back then but she didn’t want to know. Now she wished she never knew. She didn’t know Caprina but she hated her. “Why are you making me work with her?”
“Guess is a major account and you would be perfect for it. I trust you more than the other interns for this.”
Mariana remained skeptical. “You want to see a cat fight, don’t you?”
Scott shook his head. “No.”
“You’re putting your current girlfriend with your bitch ex on a major account together,” Mariana raised an arched eyebrow. “And I’m not supposed to see the potential drama in that?”
“Does Caprina intimidate you?”
“That goes without question.”
“Do you want to prove to her you’re not a pushover?”
“I’m not anyone’s doormat.”
“Good,” Scott stood up and loosed his tie, “now’s your chance to prove to her who she’s working with. Caprina is banking on you to be weak-minded and soft. You’re going to prove to her otherwise.”
“And how do you suggest I do that?”
Scott smiled. “You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.”
TEN
Mariana woke up early for her internship and proceeded to get ready for the day. She showered as usual and cleaned thoroughly. She carefully applied her makeup and stood in front of the mirror, nude and tensed.
“To my Lord, I give my submission. To my Lord, I give my devotion. To my Lord, I give my sex. To my Lord, I give my fears. To my Lord, I give my trust. To my Lord, I give my happiness. To my Lord, I give my everything. My Lord loves me and I love my Lord.”
She looked at herself in the mirror after she said her daily mantra. She normally felt empowered and sexy after saying it but she felt the opposite. For the first time since beginning to recite the mantras, Mariana felt she was lying to herself. She tried to forget about Caprina and her reappearance in Scott’s life, but it was to no avail.
Caprina was charming and graceful. Her voice was like molten butter, and whenever she smiled, her mouth danced. She didn’t have an ounce of fat on her and probably didn’t know what a stretch mark was. She was an Amazon, all legs and a small waist. She had hypnotizing eyes that sparkled with every word she spoke.
She had dated everyone from royalty to former presidents to various dignitaries throughout the years. One of her most recent ex-boyfriends was wealthy magnate from Russia. She had no flaws and most men on the planet would consider her to be perfect. She was perfect enough to capture Scott’s attention for the short time they were together.
Caprina was also intelligent and manipulative. The woman was living rent-free in Mariana’s head.
Mariana didn’t want to know anymore about their union, despite the occasional urges to go online to research. What purpose would that serve? To further hate the woman she would be forced to work with? To cause more insecurities and doubts to rise within her? To give Caprina more power over her? Scott had told her everything, and she believed him. Anything more would just be minor details.
Scott. The love of her life. She was going to be his wife, and the proposal was imminent. She was going to have his children. She was going to make a vow to him before God and their families. She was going to change her last name. No one and nothing was going to take that away from her. Not Jennifer. Not Sarah. And definitely not Caprina.
“What would my Lord do?” She asked out loud. “How would He handle this?” Mariana studied her face in the mirror. After a few seconds, the answer dawned on her and she revealed a confident smile.
“To my Lord,” she spoke loudly, “I give my sex.”
****
Scott stared out the skyscrapers of Los Angeles. If he looked far enough, he could see the Hollywood sign. To his n
ortheast, he could see the San Gabriel Mountains. To the left, he could see a smog haze hovering over the San Fernando Valley.
He leaned against the window and just stared out. It was too early for a drink, but he could have really used one. He knew not everything was right with Mariana. The look on her face when she learned the connection with Caprina and her behavior later that night had proved to be a mountain of a challenge for them both.
Caprina. She brought out so many emotions and none of them pleasant. He had been successful in erasing her from his heart and mind for the past several years and didn’t bother to keep track of her whereabouts or what was going on in her life. He didn’t care. It was bad enough there was still evidence of their union on the internet.
Caprina did more than just break Scott; she killed his spirit. She poisoned his heart, making him cold and heartless, treating women as if they were business deals. He had been her marionette, and Caprina had pulled the strings to make him act and react at her beck and call. She had caused a longstanding riff in his family, etching a permanent place in his life, and she was no longer around. She had destroyed his reputation, and it had taken him years to recover. Now she was coming back because she missed her water. She was coming back because she needed to work with him.
She was coming back to get him.
Scott wondered what Caprina was up to and how long she had been planning it. What occurred in Atlanta was a minor detail. He tried to think back to any time he felt someone following him in Los Angeles and dismissed such notions. Caprina wouldn’t risk being that stupid. She wouldn’t go after him directly; no, that would be too easy. She would go after the one person that meant more to him than life itself.
Mariana.
Scott made a vow to protect his girlfriend no matter what the cost. But what if the cost is something I can’t afford?
An alarm on his phone suddenly went off, and it interrupted Scott’s thoughts. He had a meeting in a short while and he needed to prepare. He would have to deal with Caprina later.