Julian (Members From Money Book 31)

by Katie Dowe

  “I am so sorry.” Sydney felt helpless and didn't know what to say.

  “Thank you for listening.” She looked around the small office. “You've been so kind to me, to us. When we needed refinancing you offered us the best deal and now this.” She spread her hands helplessly. “I have no idea what to do.”

  “Have you suggested counseling?”

  “Several times.” She got to her feet. “I've already taken up too much of your time.”

  “I'll speak to the lawyer and get back to you.” Sydney watched the defeated woman walk out of her office and felt helpless anger pouring through her. She was certainly not in a frame of mind to deal with Julian Gessner.

  Chapter 4

  “Interim manager! That’s pretty impressive, girl.” Lorna sipped the coffee slowly in appreciation. It was the middle of the afternoon and they were sitting in Sydney’s office taking a much needed break. Julian Gessner had gone for the afternoon and thankfully wouldn't be back for the rest of the day. He'd also told Greta that he would be flying to Switzerland for two days and would be back over the weekend. Marco was still around and showed signs of resentment, even though he'd wished her all the best.

  “I can't believe it myself and I'm not sure I like the way I got the promotion. Besides, it's not going to be easy having Julian Gessner breathing down my neck,” Sydney said wryly as she sipped her own coffee. “I don’t like the way I got the promotion but there are so many things that I want to implement. Do you remember the compulsory savings that we kept asking Marco to look into?”

  “And the mortgage reward you came up with? I think that was a really good idea. Pay your mortgage on time and we pay one month for you free of cost.” Lorna said with a sparkle in her dark brown eyes. “I knew from the get-go that you were a visionary honey, and now you're going to get the chance to show the rest of them that you are.”

  “I haven't pitched any of my ideas to Mr. Gessner. What if he shoots them down?” Sydney asked pensively.

  “Have you read up on him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you know that he's a visionary as well. He is a superb banker who thinks outside the box. I'm sure he'll be willing to listen to your ideas. Not like Marco, who wanted to be ‘safe’.” Lorna made air quotes with her fingers. “Have you heard the rumors about him and that mistress?”

  “I heard and you know how I feel about gossip,” Sydney said firmly.

  “This isn't gossip honey. It’s fact. I warned him about his actions several months ago and he wouldn't listen. Now he's paying for it. I know the girl. She's in my yoga class and she kept boasting about this rich married man she was seeing and how besotted he was. I'm going to see what she's going to do now that Marco is losing his job.”

  “I feel sorry for his wife.”

  “Honey, don’t. She's no walk in the park either.”

  Sydney glanced at her watch. “Break's over. I have a client in ten minutes.”

  “And I have some bad news to break to some of the tellers.”

  *****

  “Darling, you're here!” Elena Gessner was experiencing one of those lucid moments as she held out her slim, elegant hands to greet her only child. “I had no idea you were coming! You flew from the USA?”

  “Just to see you.” Julian bent to kiss the smooth unlined cheek before sitting opposite her. She looked good, unlike the way she'd looked when her personal nurse video called him a few days ago. He had just gotten off his private jet and the time difference had hit him fully in the face. He had left in the morning and was now in Switzerland at dusk. His body felt the weariness, but seeing her made it all worth it. “How are you Mother?”

  “I am very well darling.” She wrinkled her brow as she looked at him. “Were you concerned about me?”

  “A guy can't come to see his mother?” he chided her gently.

  Her gaze was very perceptive and Julian had forgotten that even when he was a child she'd been able to see right through his evasions. “It's time you stop worrying about me darling. I'm fine.” She put away the book she'd been reading to give him her full attention. “You look tired and if I know my son well I can just imagine that you've been burning the candle at both ends. You're not responsible for me darling. I want you to start living your life and find a good woman to settle down and have children with.” Her gaze turned wistful. “Your father and I wanted so much to have more children but it never happened.”

  His gaze turned hard. He got to his feet abruptly and went to look out the window. “He told you that?”

  “We talked about it the entire time darling. We talked about everything. We wanted a daughter at least, or another son. I didn't particularly want another son because I wanted you to get all the attention and not have to compete with another boy. But a daughter who looked like your dad would have been perfect.”

  Julian shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression bleak. What could he say to her? She was living in a world of illusion. The illusion being that she'd had the perfect husband. He'd lied to both of them and Julian was the one who had to keep the secret in order for her not to be hurt.

  “Darling?”

  Her voice pulled him out of his reverie, and forcing a smile onto his face he turned to her. “I kind of like being the only child.” He said playing along.

  “So do I.” she beamed at him. “Come darling. Sit and tell me about that bank you just acquired.”

  *****

  “Julian!” Lina flew into his arms and held him tight before stepping back to look at him. He was so handsome, she thought with pride. “When you called and said you were coming I made dinner. I made fondue.” She stepped back and her express dimmed as she saw the hard look on his handsome face.

  “You're upset,” she said quietly. “Is it your mother? I thought she was feeling better.”

  “I had to lie to her again,” he said grimly as he went into the small, neat living room. He didn't sit but stood there staring at the large framed photo of himself and another one of his dad, side by side. She put them up when she was alone and took them back down when she knew company was coming over. It must be so tiresome for her.

  “I'm sorry,” she said softly as if it was her fault.

  He turned to her and saw the crestfallen expression on her face. She could be very pretty because she'd inherited the classic cheekbones from their father but she never wore makeup and her clothes were simple and neat. His expression softened as he looked down at her. “What about that food you prepared?”

  Her expression brightened. “Let’s go into the kitchen.”

  *****

  “Thank you,” Sydney smiled as she took her coffee and paid for it. It was approaching September and the weather had changed somewhat. It was Saturday and she was going into the bank for a few hours to finish what she could for the meeting she had with Julian Gessner on Monday. He was supposed to be back today and she was secretly hoping that he would delay his return. She had just turned to head for the door when she saw them. She stopped abruptly as she saw the couple with their heads intimately close. From where she stood it looked like her sister-in-law was very happy. There was a smile on her face that lit it up and the ordinary-looking man with the greying hair was holding her hands, his look gentle. Sydney felt anger rise up in her and for a moment she was tempted to just walk out without them knowing she was there. But she wasn't a hypocrite. She walked right over to their table and stood there until she was noticed. The man saw her first and looked up at her enquiringly and then Alyssa looked over. A frightened expression came over her and she jumped back into her seat. “Sydney! I was just—”

  “How's my brother?” she asked the girl coldly.

  “He's—I left him at home...” her voice petered off.

  “My name is Leo Grayson,” the man said in a polite voice looking from one woman to the other.

  Sydney ignored him as she stared at her sister-in-law. “Enjoy you—” she looked at the table and saw that there were only two glasses of water t
here. “—whatever it is.” She turned and hurried away, feeling sick to her stomach. What was she going to tell her brother?

  She was in the parking lot when Alyssa caught up with her.

  “I don’t have time for whatever it is you want to tell me Alyssa,” she said coldly as she wrenched her door open. The girl blocked her from entering her vehicle and her expression was pleading.

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “So you're not sleeping with him.”

  She shook her head. “I'm in love with him.”

  “You do realize that you're married to my brother, right?” she asked the girl incredulously.

  “It hasn't been working for Brian and me for a long time,” she said sadly. “Leo makes me feel special and wanted. He wants to take care of me.”

  “And you can't do that on your own? Women like you make me sick, Alyssa! You went into the marriage with your eyes wide open. I remember your wedding day and the vows you made. You looked happy, and I also remember you telling me that Brian was a good man and you were going to make it work.”

  “Your brother killed all that!” she said softly, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “He has no ambition. He just sits around on the old worn sofa that belonged to your parents and refuses to plan a life for us. I pay all the bills and make all the decisions. He doesn't do anything.”

  Sydney felt her heart quiver as she realized that the girl was right. “So you just decided to go out and have an affair to feel better about yourself.”

  “I'm not like you. He is always talking about how strong and ambitious you are. When I married Brian I had all these ideas. I wanted to fix the place up and get pregnant with our child or maybe two children and live happily ever after. It wasn't too long into the marriage that I realized that Brian didn't want any of that. I married a man who is content to live in his parent's broken down house and only work occasionally. I want more.”

  “Then be woman enough and tell him Alyssa.” She brushed past her and went into her vehicle. “Do it before I do.”

  “I still love him.”

  “You have a funny way of showing it.” Her dark brown eyes blazed for a moment. “Please excuse me.” The girl moved and she started the engine and backed out of the parking lot. She drove a few minutes and parked beneath a large Red oak tree, her coffee forgotten as her expression became pensive. As much as she wanted to condemn the woman, she knew she was right. Brian Manchester had little or no ambition and wasn't able to push himself. She'd gotten all of it, as he often told her teasingly. “Baby girl you got yours and mine as well. I can't seem to be able to get up the energy to want more out of life.”

  She reached for her phone and called him. “Hey girl! How are you?”

  “I'm fine. What about you? What are you doing?”

  “I'm here watching the game. Alyssa's at work as usual.”

  Sydney closed her eyes briefly. “Have you started working?”

  “You sound like my wife. There's no work right now honey, so I'm just waiting for a little rain.”

  “Maybe you could do something else?”

  “I operate a lawn mowing service honey, that's what I'm good at.”

  “But what about the bills?”

  “Alyssa's taking care of that for now. Don’t worry. The game's back on so I'll talk to you soon.”

  Sydney stared off into the trees, her expression bleak. Alyssa was right, her brother didn't want anything more out of life.

  *****

  Sydney stopped short as she came into her office. Julian was sitting at her desk and on her computer. She hadn't seen his car out in the parking lot and didn't know he was here. He looked up and saw her standing there. “Are you trying to impress me?” his expression was slightly amused as he looked at her.

  “Considering that I had no idea that you would be here, the answer is no.” She came further into the room. “Is there something I can help you with?” The drive to the bank had calmed her sufficiently but she was still a little shaken and out of sorts, and certainly not in a mood to deal with him.

  “Not really. I just got in a few minutes ago and realized that Greta had forgotten to give me the password for the general computers.” He looked up at her as she placed the foam cup on her desk. “I decided to use yours to send off some emails.” He made no move to get up from her seat so she was forced to take one of the chairs in front of her desk.

  “You're supposed to be here on Monday,” she said a little foolishly.

  “I'm here no,” he pointed out.

  “I put some ideas in an email—”

  “I read them. Why weren’t these ideas implemented before?” He looked so relaxed and confident that Sydney realized that this was a man who ran companies all over the world and knew what he was doing.

  “It wasn't the right time,” she said evasively.

  “Were you sleeping with him?” he asked her softly.

  “What?” Sydney stared at him in confusion.

  “Marco Purcell. Probably the reason you don't want to put the blame on him.” His grey-green eyes sliced through her and for a moment Sydney felt a glimmer of anger.

  “I don’t sleep with married men,” she told him coldly, the image of her sister-in-law and the man she was seeing popped up into her head.

  “Good to know,” he inclined his head regally. Sydney waited for the apology, which didn't come.

  “Are you done flaying my reputation?” she continued.

  His thick eyebrows rose and there was a hint of amusement on his handsome face. “I just asked a question Ms. Manchester.” His eyes wandered over her white cotton blouse which she had opened at the neck. She'd discarded her light sweater and her arms were bare. Her hair was caught up into an elegant chignon at the nape of her neck and her face was devoid of makeup. “Purcell seems to be quite the ladies’ man around here.”

  “My taste in men is quite selective,” she told him coolly.

  “I see,” he looked at her thoughtfully and she wished she could tell what he was thinking. He pushed back his chair abruptly and got to his feet. “Why don’t you come to my office and input the password. I also want to explore those ideas of yours.”

  *****

  Alyssa drove slowly home, not in the least bit eager to get there. She'd gone back into the café and told Leo that she had to go.

  “When are you going to tell him?” he'd asked her quietly.

  “Soon,” she'd said miserably.

  “You're going to start showing soon Alyssa so you need to tell him before that happens.”

  “I know,” she allowed him to take her hands. “This is the happiest time of my life but I don’t want to hurt him.”

  “I want to marry you and give our child a home.”

  Tears glittered in her eyes. “I want that too but it’s just that I wished things were different. I wish I had met you first.”

  “You want me with you when you tell him?” Leo asked her gently.

  “No.” she said decisively. “It has to be alone.”

  She stopped just outside the white picket fence that leaned drunkenly on one side. She remembered telling Brian to fix it so many times and he'd promised her until she'd stopped asking. She'd stopped caring and trying to fix things for months now. Ever since she'd started being with Leo. He was one of the accountants at the firm where she worked and had expressed an interest in her. At first she hadn't paid him any mind, thinking that she could make her marriage work, but he'd persisted and she'd weakened and had found herself falling in love with him. She'd found out she was pregnant a few weeks earlier and knew she had to make a decision. The time had come. She heaved a sigh and pushed open the gate, and went up the cobbled drive to the porch steps. He'd left the door wide open to let in some air and the place smelled like beer and potato chips. She'd left him lying on the coach and he was still there.

  “Hey, you're back early.” He barely lifted his eyes to look at her. “What are we doing for dinner?” She stepped in front of him and used th
e remote to turn the television off.

  “What the hell? I was watching that.”

  “We need to talk.” She sat on one of the smaller sofas and faced him.

  “About what?” He hauled himself up and looked at her. Brian Manchester was thirty-two years old but looked years older. There were deep grooves in his cheeks and heaviness to his frame that indicated a lack of physical activity.

  “About us.”

  “What about us?”

  “We're not working, Brian,” she said softly.

  “That’s because you are cheating on me,” he said coolly.

  “What?” she looked at him startled and wondered if his sister had talked to him about what she'd seen.

  “You're at the office almost every day so you must be seeing one of those guys,” he pointed out.

  She heaved a sigh. “I'm tired Brian. I have to play both parts in this marriage and I can't do it anymore. I pay all the bills and come home to see you lying on the sofa doing nothing. I clean and cook and I am so tired that you would never understand, and I haven't been happy for a long time.”

  “Things will soon be okay. We'll be getting some rain soon and then the work will come pouring in. You knew that my job is seasonal and I can't help that.”

  “That’s just it. A normal man would want to go out and do something else, but not you. I want out.”

  He stared at her in shock. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that I want out of our marriage. I only came back to get my stuff.”

  “Wait a dammed minute!” He roused himself. “You're my wife and we're supposed to work things out. You can't just up and leave like this. We have a life together.”

  “What life?” she cried out. “When was the last time you took me out to dinner? When was the last time you bought me something pretty? I have to buy everything and I haven't bought a new dress in ages because I have to worry about paying the bills, because you're too lazy to get off your ass and do something.”