“Oh, my God, the dance. It was a dominance assessment, wasn’t it? I mean, wow, I see it all so clearly now. To be led in a dance is nothing,” a tart tinge of bile danced on her tongue, “but to woo me so I wanted to kiss you. You were seeing how susceptible I was to seduction and suggestion. Xavier Hommes, I may have thought too much of you.”
“That’s how it started, but as we spoke I found I wanted to do it anyways. And I’m not a closeted sexist, Rosalind. Don’t give me that look, I can see in your eyes that’s what you’re thinking. At the time he was the candidate I was considering for you because he represented the fantasy: rich, powerful, slightly domineering, and how shall I say … in demand?” Xavier shrugged. “I would have explained this all to you if you’d just have asked me instead of tracking him down yourself. He wants someone with a strong head, but not as strong as his, and that’s what I mean by you don’t deserve him. You don’t deserve to be controlled in that way. He sees you as a project, and mark my words, the moment you don’t meet his expectations, you’ll lose him. And the moment you do, you’ll lose yourself.”
Stunned into silence, Rosalind suddenly felt a chill creep across her skin, despite the fact that in a semi-tropical climate and standing in a room next to the kitchens, the air was anything but cold. Maybe she didn’t have Xavier’s ability for insight into the human psyche, but damn it, she knew Kane well enough. That’s not the kind of person he was at all. He cared for her. He was interested in her day, her dreams, her ambitions. He took time out of his busy day just to call to say he was thinking about her. He sent her flowers for no other reason than he missed her, even if they’d just seen each other the night before.
“You know that, Rosalind, and that’s why you’re doubting. Don’t do it. Don’t let go everything you are, in the hopes of becoming something you’ve never been. Don’t marry Kane.”
This couldn’t be true, just couldn’t. “I don’t believe you.”
To her surprise, Xavier put his hands on her upper arms, pressing his folio into one side. “Good. Don’t believe me just because I say it. I haven’t earned that yet. Go discover it for yourself.”
“And what now?” she asked. “Break up with Kane and be with you? You realize that if this gets out, how it will make you look? For my part, they’ll I was just a woman being silly and hormonal. It’s amazing how often they overlook our bad judgments as the consequence of having ovaries. But if anyone ever found out you put yourself forward as a candidate for a job you were hired to headhunt—”
“Then we’ll just have to make sure no one finds out, mon coeur.”
His lips pressed to hers, and Rosalind felt her insides shift. Deep within her, a long forgotten flame kindled to life, heating her. Xavier deepened the kiss, pulling their bodies together. She felt herself moan into his mouth, felt him intensify his movements.
All too suddenly, she recognized the storm within her for what it was: spark.
“I wouldn’t have you do anything,” he said at last when he pulled back. “I’ll support whatever decision you make. If you truly think you love Kane and you’ll be happy with him, I wish you joy. If you don’t however, and you still feel the need to fill the position …” Xavier pecked again at her lips. “If you must marry, marry me.”
Pulling away, she nodded slowly, though if there was anything she truly understood at the moment it was how screwed up this had all become. What the fido had happened? Rosalind pursued this whole gambit because she didn’t have time for this wishy-washy, woo-you-wobbly romance mumbo jumbo. She just wanted a partner, a friend, a spouse … She had never considered that she could have all those things and love, too.
But it was too late. She’d set out her path already, and she was far too long down the road to change course now.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered as she withdrew from Xavier’s embrace. “I can’t.”
She backed herself to the exit, trying to keep from breaking down. She refused to entertain any thirteenth hour negotiations by a third party. She knew her mind, and she knew her plan. And gods be damned, she knew her own heart. It was like Nila had said, “In time, love will grow.” All relationships had give-and-take. No, Kane might not be perfect—Rosalind knew there would be some minor things in her future she’d have to bend on (as would he, a little voice in the back of her head snickered), but he was perfect enough for her.
Rosalind caught Kamakshi’s concerned gaze from across the room as she paced from the service hall and into the reception area. The music’s rhythm drove the crowd on, but something still managed to float across the width of the room between them. Rosalind wondered if perhaps Nila had found the opportunity to tell her daughter something, some suspicion she’d cobbled out of a collection of odd circumstances. She held up her hand bag, the very small ring inside feeling much heavier than it had ten minutes ago, and waved. To her surprise, Kamakshi grinned, then winked. Only when Rosalind looked over her shoulder did she see that a disheveled and muss-haired Xavier, who had followed her into the hall, was actually the one her best friend had spotted.
It had been so long since she’d sent Kane ahead, Rosalind worried that he might come looking for her soon. The moment he entered the room, he’d be a target for any wannabe eye-witness reporters. She had to get to him first, or else all these weeks of courting him and letting herself be courted would be for nothing.
Straightening her sari, Rosalind turned on heel, ramming Xavier with her shoulder as she did so, making a grand show of it. Rosalind cast one more glance over her shoulder as she pressed the door open. On the far dais, Prashant kissed his wife’s hand with a tenderness and awe that was almost palpable. She wanted that. She wanted to have an opportunity to inspire in someone that kind of awe.
She had someone willing to give it to her.
Rosalind had a gown and a ring. It was about time she got a groom.
Matrimony & Mergers
Kane had found them a secluded table on the far side. She wouldn’t have found him at all if the maître d’ hadn’t recognized her bewilderment and identified her as the “beautiful young woman who that tall, dark man was waiting for.” Though nothing more than a wide alley between buildings that had had plants and vines coaxed onto anything that would hold them, the urban garden held charm. Each table was nothing more than a raised platform about the size of a full bed, overlaid with cushions and beset with a tray on which cups, spoons, and a sugar bowl sat.
“Isn’t it spectacular?” Kane held out his hand to help pull her up on the platform. Rosalind kicked off her flats and followed, her handbag clutched tightly under her arm. When she had settled down next to him, Kane put his arms around her and drew her near, planting a kiss on her temple. Rosalind breathed in his scent—a mix of spicy aftershave and debonair cologne—closing her eyes as she let both sensations overwhelm her. “I was starting to get worried. Did something happen?”
Rosalind sucked in her bottom lip. The term “liar” didn’t sit well with her. Still, there was no need to upset Kane with Xavier’s crazy ideas and actions. “Nila just sort of…” Her hands made a running on motion she hoped filled in enough words.
Kane leaned to take up a tulip-shaped cup. He brought it to her hands and rested her back against his chest. “Ah, yes. Well, take a few minutes and just relax. To tell you the truth, I was getting a little anxious in there, too. So many people, so few familiar faces.”
“You don’t like being around strangers?” She smacked the bitter, lukewarm brew on her palate. “How odd for someone in your profession.”
“You think so?” Kane asked with amusement. “Finance is very true to its image as an old boy’s club. Sure, a handful of people come and go with any new deal, but there tends to be consistency in the principals. Me? I’m a fan of consistency. I like to know who I’m dealing with. History builds trust with me. I’m always suspicious of anyone sneaking in to take what’s rightfully mine.”
Guilt
punched her in the gut, making her sputter.
Kane dotted her mouth with a napkin. “You’re just going to force me into the doting boyfriend role today, aren’t you?” he joked.
“Sorry, I …cough… got something …hack… stuck.” Well, so much for creating a romantic environment. She should just get on with it before anything else went wrong.
Rosalind turned her torso toward Kane, laying her hand on his chest. “You do fill the role very well.”
He brought her hand to his lips and pressed her knuckles with a kiss. “You’re welcome.”
“Kane?”
“Rosalind.”
The rest of her body twisted around as she brought her knees underneath her and her other hand to his. “Do you… like being in the boyfriend roll?”
A devilish grin cracked across his lips. “For now,” he answered, adding a wink. “Is this where you spring it on me that you’re into role playing and you want to see me in a Dolce & Gabbana gown? Or, maybe, see me out of it?”
“What? No!” She couldn’t help but giggle. Levity filled her, and the light-hearted feeling brought with it confidence. “Would you, I don’t know, consider moving out of that roll?”
Suddenly, Kane’s eyes went wide. “Are we breaking up?”
“Oh, God, I’m really screwing this up, aren’t I?” Her hair felt slick in her hands, making Rosalind wonder how many times she’d palmed through it from all the nerves. “No, Kane, I didn’t mean that at all. What I mean is… Argh, you and I, we didn’t get together in a way most people do.”
He suppressed a laugh. “Maybe back home, but we are in India. Kamakshi and Prashant were matched after all, weren’t they?”
Rosalind felt her insides twist as she recalled that she’d never been able to tell Kane the truth the night before. “Seems to be working out okay for them,” he added, sending her liver into an Olympic-worthy gymnastic routine.
“Sure seems so, doesn’t it?” Her handbag had fallen into the crevices, making Rosalind feel like Gollum seeking the one true ring between two red cushions. She reached one hand deep. Damn it, where is that bag? “I think things between us are going pretty well. And I just wanted to be sure we’re on the same page.” Where was it!? “So I was wondering if… That is, would you consider… What would you think about—”
“You want to marry me.”
Rosalind’s spine snapped straighter than a needle to north. “What?”
Kane answered her only with a grin. He reached down into his inner pocket and fished out a creamy white, silk pouch. “You’re asking if we’re on the same page, and I’m telling you, yes. Hommes contacted me to see if I was interested in being a candidate for nothing less than matrimony. I knew the position for which I was being interviewed.”
“Only,” Rosalind interjected, “it’s usually the employer who makes the job offer.”
As a ring with a diamond just large enough to be showy but small enough not to be obscene slid from the sack into Kane’s palm, he looked questioningly to Rosalind. “You want to be the one to propose? All right, let me hear your offer. You should know, though, I might want to negotiate terms and I play hard ball.”
“We’ll see about that.” She leaned forward, her own ring forgotten, and balanced on the balls of her hands. “But first, I have one question. Why me and why now?”
An amused eyebrow arched. “Technically, I think that’s two questions.”
“Kane, seriously. Out of the dozen or so people I was presented, I picked you. You picked me back, even though every attempt I made in college to grab your attention failed.”
“You got my attention back then, don’t doubt that at all.” He hesitated. When the stolid manner Rosalind adopted endured, he continued, “You were the kind of girl who I suspected only did the long-term thing, and I wasn’t that type back then. One thing I think you should know, however, is that I’m still perfectly gifted in the art of Kaning.”
Her cheeks stained crimson.
“Just want to make sure I’m disclosing all assets of the property, is all. I’ve still thought about you from time to time.” He sucked in a deep breath as he reached for Rosalind’s hand, pushing the tip of her finger to the circle of gold. “Then, out of nowhere, I get a phone call from a man who says to me, ‘Mr. Kennedy, I represent a client who is looking to fill a very high profile, long-term position. Before anything else, you should know that she’s the single most intelligent, ambitious, and passionate client I’ve ever worked for. While her request is a little unorthodox, I can promise you that the man she hires will be envied for his good fortune.’ It… intrigued me, so I asked more. I admit, I was amused when I found out exactly what the position in question was, but then he told me that her eyes shone like gems, that her smile could turn back a storm, and that she was going to change the world one way or another. He asked me if I thought I deserved a woman like that. I said yes, and when he told me your name…”
She couldn’t stop her hand from snapping back.
“Rosalind?”
Her breath felt heavier than lead. “Xavier said that?”
Kane’s mouth curled into a smile. “Pretty good salesman, isn’t he?” He reached out and brushed over her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Not that I was a hard sell when it came to you.”
Kane reclaimed her hand and finally succeeded in pushing the ring on to her finger. “Please, Miss Betters, ask me to marry you.”
The diamond winked up at her. Rosalind swore she wasn’t going to get overly emotional about something so anticipated, so perfectly executed according to plan. Despite all her self-lecturing, it did no good. She felt tears welling, saw the world go blurry.
“Oh, Kane … I planned for this all,” she choked out. “I wanted everything to be exactly like this. Everything I possibly could have hoped for, has come true. Every detail has fallen in to place. And yet, there’s one part of all this that I never could have anticipated.”
“What is that?” Kane hung on her every sigh, just waiting for the crest so he could take her into his arms.
“I don’t think I realized until now, I was in love.”
Kane’s wall fell. Leaning in to her, trying to capture her kiss, the words began to fall from his lips. “And I love… Rosalind, what are you…”
She had scooted off the cushions and was back up, maneuvering her feet into her shoes, before he could blink. As Kane’s expression flattened into confusion, Rosalind wrapped her fingers around the band of gold and pulled it off.
The ring between her fingers, she held it out to Kane at arm’s length. “I’m so sorry, Kane, but—”
“It’s not me.” Understanding filled his long face. “You fell in love, but not with me.”
Rosalind had never known guilt could weigh down the body as well as the soul. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Confused, Kane swung his head in wide strokes. “You fell for Hommes. I knew he loved you. I could tell it that first day I met him with you in the restaurant, but I didn’t think you felt the same.”
Pressing the band into his palm, Rosalind gasped. “I didn’t love him, until today. He told me that I don’t deserve you. I guess he was right.”
His trembling bottom lip disappeared beneath his teeth. Kane looked at her bemused. “I wouldn’t say that.” Then, turning away into the distance, he asked, “Does he know?”
Woefully, Rosalind shook her head.
Kane gave a grunt as he slid from the platform chair and on to his feet. He leaned in and pressed his lips reverently to her cheek. “You should tell him,” he said as he withdrew. “He deserves to know.”
“I agree.”
Kane gave her smile which died quickly on his lips. He turned and moved in the direction of the exit. A few steps on, he paused and looked back. “Just so you know, I would have taken good care of you.”
“I k
now, Kane. I believe that completely.”
“But given the circumstances,” he added, “I hope you’ll understand that you’ll have to find your own flight home.”
Reclassification
He’d done everything he could; told Rosalind he loved her, begged her to break things off with Kane. And now, all that was left was the fallout. In the best case scenario, the only other thing she could do now was fire him. Which, all in all, was probably a good thing. After all, would he really be able to tolerate watching her start her life with another man, a man he’d been responsible for finding? Not even someone as practiced in the arts of professionalism from a respectable distance as Xavier Hommes stood a chance.
With a sigh, he relaxed his fingers and allowed the folio to fall to its death in the rubbish bin.
It was done. Maybe in a few years Kane would even succeed at canoodling her to change her mind about children. He projected the break up point at forty-eight to sixty months out, and that was being generous. She’d never marry again. She wasn’t the type. Rosalind would spend the rest of her life consumed with her work, occasionally looking back with regret at not listening to him that day he warned her that this would happen.
A chiding voice within said he could hang around and wait, to be there to comfort her on that distant day when her matrimony project flat lined.
The water on his face awakened his senses. He’d had just enough time to take a shower and pack after calling the airline to move up his flight. As horrible as everything was, Xavier knew the only thing that could make today worse was seeing Kane Kennedy wearing Rosalind’s ring.
Xavier slipped on a pair of jeans and a white tee. Far more plebian that his usual dress, but he’d take comfort anywhere he could find it right now. The knock on the door came perfectly timed just as he polished off packing.
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