by Piper Stone
“She is a stubborn woman,” Stephen stated as they neared the security gate.
“Yeah, she is.”
Stephen turned to face him. He smiled and patted David’s arm. “Things happen for a reason.”
“What reason? Why could God or karma or whatever want this to happen this way? I know I’m an idiot, but I love her. God, so much. I love that woman.” David had never loved anyone the way he loved Shannon.
“Then you need to tell her every day and David, you never know what can happen.”
There was something about the look on Stephen’s face, as if he’d seen the light of day. Every part of his body was tingling, and he turned around slowly. Shannon appeared as if an apparition. The sight of her was too much to bear. “Shannon!” Unable to hold back, he raced toward her, cutting through what had to be the same people who cheered him on before. The moment he reached her, he pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet. “Oh my God. I thought I’d lost you.”
“David, oh, David,” Shannon whispered.
From somewhere, a group of people cheered, whistles floating into the air.
“My lovely wife. I love you so much. God, I love you. Please forgive me,” David choked.
“David, forgive me. I so hope you will. You’re never going to lose me. You’ve been so right, so very right.” Shannon shivered in his arms.
“I don’t care who is right. I only care about you. I love you so much. I’m so sorry for being an asshole.”
Tears streaming down her face, Shannon nuzzled into his neck. “I will never challenge you again. I love you with all my heart.”
As the crowd roared all around them, David closed his eyes. This felt like home.
They sat with their legs crossed, sitting on the floor of their house, a bottle of wine in a frosted bucket, a glass in each hand. The late afternoon sun was particularly gorgeous. Peaceful. Shannon was trying to put to rest the fact she’d probably just lost her job, but the truth was, she was more at peace than she’d ever been in her life. In the last four days, they’d simply enjoyed time on an island and dated, getting to know each other all over again. Finally back home, she was more than ready to resume her life – one as a married woman. “I’m sorry.”
“And I’m sorry.” David brushed his thumb across her mouth. “But we’re done with sorry. I need to tell you something.”
“I need to tell you something first.”
David raised a single eyebrow. “All right.”
“I told you about Mark. I, um, told you about the baby.”
“Yes. You don’t have to rehash that at all. I know and respect you for needing to talk with him. Mark is a part of your past, but he needs your forgiveness, just like you need to forgive him.”
Hearing David’s sincere words gave her courage. The past would haunt her, more stories to tell, but right now this was enough. “I have been so wrong, and I wanted to make everything right. I needed to be the perfect woman for you.”
David smiled and shook his head. “I only want you. My wife. My lover. My best friend. That’s what I want.”
“Thank you for understanding. I might not have a job, you know.” She laughed nervously.
“And I could care less. Bruce told me today we have two more clients begging us for designs. And I mean the kind that will allow us to enjoy some finer things in life.”
The way he said the words made her laugh. “We don’t need finer things.”
“No hot car? No vacations twice a year?” David teased.
Shannon growled. “Okay, maybe those two.” She could sense his mood changing, growing darker. She gave him space. The music was quiet and comforting, the glass of wine no doubt mellowing both of them. At this moment, she was so nauseated, her head aching. She’d been feeling this way since their return. The not knowing of his past, her reflection of her own was debilitating.
He fiddled with her fingers, rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand. “Abigail and I never really clicked. There isn’t a reason why, just two people that didn’t have the same things in common. I loved her, don’t get me wrong, but after the first year, we simply grew apart.”
“It happens.”
“Yeah, it does. But I never realized what I was doing to her,” David reached for his wine. Taking a sip, he looked out the set of French doors. “I worked too much. She hated me for the long hours, the constant night meetings with clients.”
“Hate is a strong word,” she said as she continued to hold his hand.
“Not in this case. She loathed what was going on between us enough to fall into the arms of my partner, not Bruce. I had another man I trusted with my life, my very life, and that’s why I had to start all over again after the betrayal.”
Shannon sucked in her breath. She suspected there had been an affair, but this was nothing but a knife wrenched in David’s gut. “I’m so sorry.”
“As they say, shit happens, but it’s what I did after I found out that I…”
This was the look, the look of horror and longing, guilt and the need to atone. “We all make mistakes.”
“Not like mine,” David choked.
Inching forward, Shannon wrapped her legs around his hips and took one hand into hers. “Tell me what happened.”
David hesitated, his eyes flickering. “I don’t know if I can.”
“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“This is so hard,” David whispered as he dropped his head and a full minute passed. “I found out she was having an affair with my partner. Mike wasn’t the kind of man I thought would go behind my back. I knew they were lovers because of the private investigator I hired. I was angry. Furious. I hadn’t spent much time with her, but I never thought she’d fall into the arms of another man.”
Shannon bit back a moan.
“I confronted her with the knowledge and the pictures. Things got pretty heated quickly. Heated? They rocketed out of fucking control.”
She could hear his words turn almost cold, matter of fact. “I can understand.”
“No, you can’t. I grew violent that night. I’d been drinking and I…” David looked away, anguish filling his face. “We argued, the words so nasty. She and I had sparred before, but this was… She was angry I confronted her. The pictures were damning for both of us and she reacted. She started punching me.”
“Oh no.”
“I didn’t react at first. I went into the other room, determined to cool down. She followed me, screaming. I should have left. I should have just gotten in my car and gone to a hotel.”
Shannon bit her lip and hugged her legs more tightly around him. Tears streamed down her face, but she refused to make any noise.
David licked his upper lip and nodded over and over again. “The argument got worse. I reacted, and she refused to talk. And I grew angrier. And I just… I fell apart.”
“What happened?”
Clucking his jaw, he pulled her hand to his mouth, kissing the palm. “We were in the living room and she came at me again. I blocked a punch, took another or maybe two. I honestly don’t know any longer. And I’ve tried to figure it out. I just…” David looked away.
She wanted to encourage him, to say everything was going to be all right. But she knew David had to face this.
“The last blow was hard, hit me in the gut and I admit it, I reacted. I struck out in a blindsided way. I hit her in the neck. The force pushed her down the stairs. Her leg was broken, shattered in two places. She had a concussion and the police thought I was the bad guy, that I had attacked her on purpose.”
“But the pictures told the story,” Shannon managed, her heart racing.
“I was in the wrong. Me. Not her. I shouldn’t have allowed the argument to get to that point. I’m lucky I didn’t end up in jail. I just couldn’t make sense of anything. I knew I was so strong and I… and I…” Dropping his head into his hands, David wept, the strangled sounds floating between them.
As she squeezed his hand, Shannon could
almost see the moment of his life altering, the woman he thought he loved tumbling down the stairs. She wrapped her arms around him protectively, pulling him as close against her as possible and simply held him. “I love you, but I’m going to give you my single piece of advice.”
David sniffed and pulled back. “What words of wisdom do you have to offer this idiot?”
She cupped his face and smiled. “You’re anything but an idiot, however, you are very hard headed. What happened with Abigail was an unfortunate circumstance, but you aren’t an abusive man. I bet she needs to release the same demons you do. I suggest you find her, no matter what it takes. No matter what you have to do, find her and talk. Just talk it all out. Cry. Scream. Whatever you need to do. Find that lost part of you and release it yourself.”
For a few seconds, David said nothing. Then he wrapped his hand around her neck, easing her forward until their lips just touched. “You are one of the smartest women I know, and I am lucky to have you as my wife.”
“You can’t leave. You just can’t.”
Shannon eyed her desk, trying to figure out what to pack or if she even gave a shit about anything here. This wasn’t her life any longer. The thought made her smile. Stephen had been right. None of this was important, not the money or the clout, nor the position or even the respect of her peers. She had another life, one she was so happy at having. “You know what? I need to. I need to be me again, the girl I think I lost when I allowed the past to bowl me over.” She knew Wendy meant well. The whirlwind activity at the company had been interesting to say the least. Jameson refused to talk to her, throwing her under the bus. That much she’d predicted.
“Why didn’t you defend yourself?” Wendy demanded. “That bastard is a womanizer, an asshole.”
“That I’ll give you, but I’m not going to fight something I don’t want any longer. I just need… more.” Saying the words was very refreshing to her. Shannon meant them. In the very frank conversations with David, the ones that mean more than all of the others combined, she finally accepted the woman she was. She wanted to be a good wife, a better submissive, and a woman who centered her very world around a passionate relationship. They didn’t need money, just each other.
Wendy sighed. “I love the fact you and David are on solid ground, but I’m so going to miss you. Won’t you reconsider at all? I know Mr. Sampson doesn’t want you to leave.”
Now, Shannon laughed. “I wouldn’t know. He hasn’t said a word to me since the developer pulled the plug, killing any concept of Miami.”
“That guy is just another flaming asshole.”
“I so love your spunk.” Shannon decided there was nothing she needed from here. Nothing. She surveyed her office, one she’d been so proud of, and shook her head.
“What are you going to do?”
“Write.”
“Write?” Wendy moved closer. “I didn’t know you were an author.”
“I’m not yet, but I’m going to write a book on men and women entering into a domestic discipline lifestyle. Stories based on David and me, as well as my blog.”
“You have a blog?” Wendy grinned.
Shannon nodded. “I do. David’s company is doing very well, so I don’t need to work for a while. Then we’ll see.” She thought about the discovery he’d made just two days before. Finding Abigail hadn’t sent him into the tailspin that she would have thought. While he could barely manage to pick up the phone and when he did he was shaking, he found the courage. Knowing he was having lunch with her right now was as if karma was finally in line.
“You are one amazing woman, but I have to admit, I wish there was a way I or we could find to make you want to stay.”
“Maybe that’s where we come into play.”
Lifting her head, Shannon was surprised to see both Rick and Mr. ‘A’ standing in her office. She glanced at Wendy, who gave her a look that she had no clue what was going on.
“I’ll leave you all alone. If you need me, buzz,” Wendy said as she quickly moved to the door.
Shannon stood tall, placing both hands on top of her desk. “Gentlemen. What can I do for you?”
“It’s what we can do for you,” Rick said as he moved closer.
“We’ve been doing some thinking, as well as talking about the makeup of the company,” Mr. Albright said as he closed the door.
“All right.” Shannon folded her arms. What were they going to say to her?
Rick looked at Mr. Albright and sighed. “We’ve been idiots not seeing the signs.”
“What signs?” Now Shannon was curious.
“That Jameson was and will forever be a harassing pig,” Rick said bluntly.
Shannon coughed. She certainly hadn’t anticipated this comment. “I’m sorry?”
“You don’t have to be coy or protect him. We know from several women who finally came forward what he has done and in truth, I’m sickened that we kept a blind eye to the bullshit going on around here,” Mr. Albright huffed.
“I don’t understand.” But she did. Oh, how she did. The asshole was getting his needed comeuppance.
“He’s been fired, as well as censored,” Rick stated as he smiled. “If we’re lucky, he’ll lose his license to practice law.”
“You… did that?” Shannon managed.
Mr. Albright moved forward, leaning over her desk. “We were stupid, I hope you’ll forgive us and we very much want you to stay.”
“But him being a prick didn’t lose Miami. I did.” She was gleeful inside, but that wasn’t going to change anything. Period. “And here I was feeling sorry for him because of the loss of his wife.”
Mr. Albright shook his head. “Jameson has never been married.”
“What?” Shannon wanted to wring the asshole’s neck. “Bastard.”
“That he is and come to find out, Jameson didn’t tell any of us the entire truth. Miami is still on the table.” Rick winked.
Shannon shook her head. “I am not moving. Period. You don’t know or in truth, need to know this, but I almost lost my marriage over this as well as other things. I’m not going to risk anything again for anyone. Period. Got it?”
Rick looked at Mr. Albright. “We wouldn’t expect any less. But we do have an offer for you.”
“Hold on.” Shannon held up her hand. “I’m packing to leave. I am doing other things.”
“Just hear us out,” Mr. Albright encouraged. “Two minutes. That’s it.”
Weighing the concept, Shannon knew it couldn’t hurt to just listen. “Two minutes.” She looked at her watch for emphasis.
Rick chuckled. “Such a tiger. Then I’ll start. A part time position from home. You pick your hours and your only client is the developer in Miami.” This time, he held up his hand. “Before you say anything, the trips would be infrequent as there is such a thing as Skype.”
Shannon sniffed. The offer wasn’t bad.
“And you take Jameson’s position on the Board of Directors. You’d have a full staff here to do all the legwork. You come into the office once a week. That’s it.” Mr. Albright pushed a file folder across her desk. “It’s all in here, including the perks and benefits. We tailor everything around your schedule. You decide. You make the rules.”
Swallowing hard, Shannon picked up the folder and the moment she opened the flap, looking over the salary as well as the brand spanking new benefits, she almost passed out. This was too good to be true. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you’ll think about it. No pressure. Just take your time.” Rick nodded, his eyes twinkling.
He knew her too well. “I will. I have some things to attend to, but I’ll get back to you by the end of the week.”
“As Rick said, take your time. You’re worth waiting for.” Mr. Albright held out his hand.
She grasped it and the warmth was incredible. She’d never felt so appreciated. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you, my dear. We’re just sorry we didn’t do this sooner.” Mr. Albright blinked as he
held her hand. And for the life of her she thought she saw tears in his eyes.
Shannon exhaled as they walked out, then jerked back the moment a man burst into her office, Wendy following with a look on her face that could kill.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Parker. This man insisted on seeing you. Do I need to call the police?” Wendy snarled.
Since the Press conferences and the announcements that Mark Preston was playing football again, the sharks had found out about her involvement. They’d hounded her over the last few days, but to her credit, she’d handled them well. “No need, Wendy. I’ll talk with him.”
Mark looked sheepish as he nodded to Wendy before moving close to her desk.
Shannon could tell Wendy didn’t want to leave. “It’s okay. Close the door on your way out.”
“Yes, Mrs. Parker.” Wendy shut the door with a hard click.
“Thank you for seeing me,” Mark said.
“Did I have a choice?”
“I didn’t think you’d want to.”
“Not sure I do,” Shannon started, then shook her head. “That’s not true.” She walked around her desk and sat on the edge. “I did want to see you, talk to you.”
Mark looked around her office. “You’ve done well. I’m glad for you.”
“And you’re playing football again. Good for you.”
“You and I both know I have two years, maybe three tops. But I wanted to prove to everybody that I could do it,” Mark said quietly.
“You just need to do it for you, Mark. That’s all I’ve ever said to you.”
Nodding, Mark rubbed his eyes. “You’re right. You were always the single person in my corner. I overlooked how wonderful you are. I just…”
A full minute ticked by. “Why did you come?”