by M. H. Soars
“Yeah. Which means now I must find a girl for him.” Kimmy rubs her hands together as villains in cartoons do when they’re plotting something wicked.
“Oh man. I feel sorry for that guy already.”
Thirteen
LIV
Lo and behold, Celine is at her desk when I walk into the office. It’s past ten in the morning already, but there were days when she didn’t show her face until after lunch.
She glances at me and raises an eyebrow before I sit down at my desk. “A little late, aren’t you?”
“Look who’s talking.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you show up before nine.”
“I live almost two hours away. Bill knows about my situation.”
I would be sympathetic if Celine had any work ethics. I don’t reply to her comment, choosing to put my headset on and tune her out. I’m relieved when I don’t see hundreds of angry e-mails waiting for me. I did manage to fix the mess Celine created when I was here yesterday, and now I only have to take care of my usual to-do lists—which are still enough to keep me busy for the entire day. Good. I need something to distract my mind from worrying about Saylor, Oliver, and Grace.
I do notice when Celine goes to lunch at the same time Bill does. It’s really hard not to think about Cynthia’s words. No, don’t go there, Liv. I force myself to focus on work again, only to receive another blow. The VP of sales just sent an e-mail to the entire organization congratulating Bill for his outstanding work on a project I spearheaded from start to finish. Bill had no involvement whatsoever.
I see red. The bastard has taken credit for something I did. I’m so angry I could cry.
I’m about to send an e-mail that will probably ruin my career and get me fired, but Rodrigo’s surprise visit saves me from self-destruction. He has never paid me a visit before.
“Hey, Liv. Did you have lunch already?”
“No.”
“Feel like joining me?”
I had always been afraid of letting my coworkers know I was friends with the heir of Reinhardt Corp, not wanting people to make assumptions. But after what I just found out, I don’t care anymore if they gossip.
“Sure.”
As we walk past other departments’ cubicles, I notice the stares. By the time lunch hour is over, the entire office will be buzzing with gossip. It feels like divine intervention when we bump into Bill on the way out of the building. He knows I only got the job thanks to Rodrigo’s request, but a reminder of my connection to the top of the chain won’t hurt.
You wouldn’t know Rodrigo is the heir of a billion-dollar fortune by just looking at him. He doesn’t act like he’s privileged. Even his car is understated. Mine probably costs more.
“Where are we going?” I ask once inside the ten-year-old 4-Runner.
“How about Andy’s? I’ve been craving authentic Cuban food for weeks.”
“Sounds great.”
The drive to the hole-in-the-wall restaurant only takes five minutes. Inside, most of the patrons are blue-collar workers from a construction site nearby. Rodrigo and I, wearing our stiff corporate suits, sure stand out. But the owner of the place knows Rodrigo and greets him with a smile. They start talking in Spanish, too fast for me to follow even though I took classes in high school and college.
The restaurant is buffet style. After we make our selection and manage to snag the last free table, I stare at my friend intently. He didn’t invite me out to lunch on a whim.
“So, to what do I owe the honor of this impromptu lunch invitation?”
He laughs without humor. “I’m that transparent, huh?”
“Yup. You’ve already asked about Saylor and Gracie, so my guess is you want to talk?”
“Yes. I need clarity, and I can’t really go to Emma for this.”
“Why not?”
“Because it has to do with my girlfriend and Emma hates her guts. I need an impartial point of view.”
I nod, knowing very well what Emma thinks of Rodrigo’s girlfriend. She hated her from the get-go, calling her a gold digger among other things. Emma and Rodrigo have been friends since middle school, and she’s fiercely protective of him, sometimes introducing people to him as her brother. We once joked about a possible romantic relationship and they both gagged at the idea.
“Okay, I’m all ears.”
“Krystal is pressuring me for a ring.”
I choke on my water. “What?”
“All her sorority friends are getting engaged, and she’s been hinting pretty heavily that’s what she expects of me. She’s even dragged me to a few jewelry stores already.”
“I take it that’s not what you want. How long have you been together now? A little over a year?”
“Yup. Am I wrong to think it’s too soon? Plus, she’s so hung up on parties and brushing elbows with the crème de la crème of society. I—that’s never been my thing.”
“Do you love her?”
“Would you think ill of me if I told you I don’t know? She’s gorgeous, and at first, I felt like the luckiest guy in the world that she picked me.”
I frown at Rodrigo. I don’t get why he’s so insecure. I always thought he was darn cute in a geeky kind of way.
“No. I would never think ill of you. Do you want my honest opinion?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t think Krystal is the right girl for you. She doesn’t get you. She made you cut your hair, for crying out loud.”
Rodrigo runs his hand through his short strands. “Yeah, she did convince me to do that. She also threw a tantrum when I mentioned I wanted to take time off from Reinhardt Corp.”
“Wait. That’s new information.”
“I haven’t really mentioned it to anyone. My whole life people have assumed I would take the reins of the company one day. But I’m not sure if corporate life is what I want.”
I reach over and cover his hand with mine. “I think you really need to get your life sorted out before you even contemplate marrying someone. Marriage isn’t easy, even when you marry the love of your life.”
Rodrigo narrows his eyes, getting the hidden message in my statement. “Is everything okay between you and Bas?”
“It’s better now. But marriage is something you have to constantly work on.”
Rodrigo takes a deep breath and looks out the window. “Deep down I know what I have to do, but taking action is never easy.”
“Trust your instincts. It’ll be okay.”
Fourteen
SEBASTIAN
I’ve seen Oliver at his worst, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight of him in that hospital bed, half of his face covered in bruises and lacerations. He’s asleep when I get there, but Saylor is by his bedside, fully awake.
“Bas, I’m so glad you came.” She stands up to engulf me in a tight hug.
“I came as soon as I heard. I can’t even begin to comprehend what you went through.”
“It was awful. I almost lost him.” Saylor’s voice breaks and I hug her tighter.
“Bastards don’t die that easily,” I joke.
“You got that right, mate,” Oliver says, his voice rough and low.
Swallowing the huge lump in my throat, I walk to his side, forcing my lips into a smile. “Fuck, you look awful. How are you holding up?”
“I’ll live. My body feels like it’s been run over by a freight train.” He grimaces when he tries to move. Saylor presses a button above his bed, bringing Oliver to a sitting position. He looks at her tenderly. “Thanks, sugar.”
“Jesus, what did he do to you, hit your face with a shovel?”
“Yes,” Oliver and Saylor answer at the same time.
“Now you can definitely claim the title of the most handsome.” He smiles ruefully at me.
I contain the anger bubbling in my veins. I need to keep the mood light for Ollie’s sake. “You fool yourself. I was always the most handsome.”
Oliver snorts. “Whatever.”
“What’s going to happen now?” I look from Oliver to Saylor.
“Well, there’s red tape to deal with, but at least that fucker is dead.” Oliver’s face turns hard, his electric blue eyes flashing with fury. Ah shit, so much for keeping the mood light.
“I thought Liv was coming with you,” Saylor says, probably sensing a change of subject is a good idea.
“She was coming, but she learned that Gracie had been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, so she decided to stay.”
“Oh no. Is Gracie okay?”
“I think so. Liv really wanted to be here.”
Saylor shakes her head. “No, she did the right thing by staying in California. We’re out of the woods. As soon as Oliver recovers, we’re out of here.”
“And your brother?” I ask Oliver.
“Harry is coming with us. He’s more than happy to do so.” Oliver’s expression becomes fiercely determined, as if he’s a mama bear protecting her cub.
“How is your brother?”
Saylor snorts. “By the way that kid cracks jokes, you wouldn’t believe he had been held captive for all these months.”
Oliver remains serious and his eyes go out of focus. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out he’s gone back in time.
“I’ve met the producer from Red Wire Network, Richard Simpson,” I say, trying to pull him from whatever bad memory he was reliving.
“Oh, did you guys have a meeting? Allan didn’t mention anything.”
“No. Coincidently, I met him and his partner in Cabo. He’s very excited about the new show and Wreck of the Day’s contribution.”
“Uh, what are you talking about?” Saylor looks from me to Oliver.
“Ah, sugar, sorry. With everything, I didn’t even have the chance to mention it to you. Red Wire Network wants Wreck of the Day to write the theme song for their newest show. They also want the band to perform in a couple of episodes.”
“Are you shitting me? Do the girls know?”
“I’m not sure.”
Saylor puts her hands on her hips and glares at Oliver. “You’re lucky you already look like shit, or I would kick your butt for not telling me sooner.”
“Fuck, my wife is savage.”
I chuckle because those two are impossible. Saylor sits on the bed next to Oliver and kisses him. “You’d better get well soon.”
“Well, keep kissing me like that and it might speed up my recovery.” He tangles his fingers in her hair and pulls her to him for a long kiss.
Ah fuck. Seriously? I guess my visiting hours are over. “I’d tell you guys to get a room, but moot point. I’ll come back later.”
In true Oliver form, he says, “Yes, mate, please do.”
Shaking my head, I walk out, closing the door as I leave. Knowing Oliver, he probably wants to fuck his wife in his hospital bed.
I pull out my phone and call Liv, missing her more than ever. She answers right away, and the first thing out of her mouth is to ask how our friends are.
I laugh. “Oliver’s face is a mess, but other than that, they’re great.”
“I’m so relieved to hear that. How about his state of mind?”
“He’s dealing better than I expected, plus he has Saylor. He kicked me out of his room.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a horny dog even when he’s in the hospital. I’m pretty sure they’re fucking right now.”
“Oh my God. Those two are terrible. Well, Gracie is recovering, so good news on my end too.”
“That’s really good news, Liv. How about work?”
“My boss is still a douchecanoe, and he took credit for one of my projects.”
“Are you kidding me? That asshole. If it wouldn’t get you into trouble, I’d kick his ass.”
“I was close to doing so myself, at least to call him out on his bullshit, but thankfully Rodrigo saved me from making a very stupid mistake.”
“How so?”
“He came by the office when I was on the verge of sending an e-mail to the entire company exposing how incompetent Bill is. We had lunch together, and well, it seems everyone is going through some rough waters. I’ll tell you when you get back.”
“Okay. I miss you, babe.”
“I miss you too. When are you coming back?”
“I want to stick around for a couple more days. I’d like to talk to Ollie when Saylor isn’t around. He’s putting on a tough front for her benefit, I can tell.”
“Okay. Crap, Bill is calling me on the other line. I gotta go. I love you.”
“I love you, Liv.”
With a sigh, I park my ass on one of the chairs lining the hallway and wait until Oliver and Saylor are done doing whatever it is they’re doing. To distract myself, I put on Netflix. Thank God for modern technology.
A nurse greets me as she walks by before knocking on Oliver’s door. She doesn’t wait before she walks in. A second later, she lets out a yelp and runs back out quickly, her face beet red.
“What’s the matter?” I ask innocently, fighting to keep the grin from showing.
Fanning herself, she says, “Nothing, dear. Just don’t go in there.”
Fifteen
LIV
Life goes on in corporate America no matter how fucked up things are in your personal life. After my lunch date with Rodrigo, Bill came to me to apologize for the e-mail sent by the VP of sales. He gave me a half-baked excuse that he never took credit for the work I did, and the error had been on the VP’s side. I pretended I believed him because I don’t want to just quit my job without having another one lined up.
However, I’m no longer willing to go above and beyond. I’m just going to kick back and do the bare minimum. That’s not something I ever thought I would say, for it goes against all my work ethic, but I also cannot allow Bill and Celine to keep taking advantage of me.
So when Celine volunteered to help with tonight’s charity ball event sponsored by Reinhardt Corp, I was more than happy to give her the reins. In theory, Bill is the one in charge as the senior marketing manager, but he’s the type of manager who doesn’t get his hands dirty; he just likes to delegate and hope for the best. That works when you have employees like me, responsible and reliable. Let’s see how his favorite employee does tonight.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get out of the event. Actually, Rodrigo texted me two days ago asking if I was going to be there. He just broke up with his girlfriend, but he thinks she’s going to be in attendance and he needs a buffer.
The gala is being held at a five-star hotel in LA, and as soon as I enter the venue, the hotel’s event manager seeks me out. The frown on her face tells me something is amiss.
And so it begins.
“Hi, Liv, I was worried no one from Reinhardt Corp would show up.”
“I’m a little late. Celine and Bill are supposed to be here already.”
“I haven’t seen them. We have a situation.”
“What is it?”
“The contract you sent over was for 150 guests. However, I received an e-mail an hour ago from your coworker Celine stating that we’re expecting 300 guests. I want to confirm the original 150 number is the correct one, or we have a serious problem.”
I blink a couple of times, my brain having a hard time believing what the woman in front of me just said. “No, the correct number of guests is 300, not 150. This isn’t my project. Hence I didn’t see the original contract. Otherwise, I would have spotted the mistake right away.”
“This is not good. We can add more tables and chairs to the ballroom you have booked. It can accommodate up to 350 guests, but food will be the problem.”
Yes, it will. In a sit-down dinner for that many people, all food should be already prepped and ready to go. There’s no time to buy more supplies and prepare 150 extra meals.
“How hard would it be to turn it into a buffet-style dinner? Would we have enough supplies to do that?”
The manager frowns
and stares at her iPad. “I have to check with the chef, but aside from the regular fee per head, we’ll have to charge extra for the last-minute addition.”
“I understand. Do whatever you can, uh… I’m sorry, I forgot your name.”
“Carmen. My name is Carmen Smith.”
“Sorry, it’s been a long day. Okay, please keep me posted. Here’s my cell phone number.”
I hand her my business card and go look for Celine and Bill after calling them proves fruitless, neither picking up the phone. I didn’t bring my laptop with me, but I know there are desktop computers and a printer in the room we rented for Reinhardt’s Corp staff. I don’t even think twice before pushing the door open. My jaw drops when I find Celine bent over one of the desks, Bill fucking her from behind. They are too lost in their moment of lust to notice me standing at the door.
Disgust runs rampant through my veins as bile fills my mouth. So all those rumors were true.
The old Liv would’ve probably walked away, but I’m too angry to be nice. I point my phone at the duo and take several photos. I don’t know what I plan to do with them, but somehow I know I should take the pictures. I leave the room as quietly as I can, closing the door with a soft click.
I don’t have time to control my emotions before Carmen is calling me. Right, the emergency.
“Liv, I have good news. The chef says he can turn the sit-down dinner into buffet-style, and I already got the crew to add more tables and chairs. We should be good to go in an hour.”
“Excellent. Thank you so much for your help, Carmen.”
“Any luck finding Celine and Bill?”
“Yes. They’re coming.” My reply is loaded with sarcasm, but Carmen obviously doesn’t get it.
Twenty minutes later, I’m in the ballroom helping coordinate the furniture rearrangement when Rodrigo and his mother, Mayara Reinhardt, come in. She frowns at the organized mayhem and addresses me.
“What’s going on? Shouldn’t the ballroom be ready for guests?”
“There’s been a mix-up with the contract. The hotel was booked for only half the amount of guests we’re expecting.”
“How could this mistake happen?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. I wasn’t coordinating this project.”
Her dark eyes narrow at the same time her lips turn into a slash. “Where’s Bill?”