by Lily Hayden
“Hello.” She answered.
“Hey,” Armand sounded his usual self. “You left the office? Everything alright?”
“I tried to catch you, but you were in the boardroom all afternoon,” She explained. “Basically, Rebecca is insisting I come tonight, and I just wanted to give you the heads up. I can’t really get out of it, sorry.”
“That’s great news. Why would you want to get out of it?”
“I don’t,” She backtracked, feeling guilty at not appreciating Rebecca’s gesture. “I’m just worried about things being awkward because of us.”
“It won’t be awkward, Shauna.” He reassured her, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach at the way he said her name. “I couldn’t care less who knows about us. I think you’re amazing.”
“I think you’re amazing too, Armand,” She smiled into the phone. “I just don’t want to be the centre of office gossip. I would happily show you off, you know that?”
“I totally understand,” He agreed. “I’ll try my very best to keep my hands off you if you promise to come home with me later?”
Shauna laughed happily. “That’s a deal. I’m looking forward to tonight, but I can’t wait to be back in your bed.”
“My bed?” He chuckled a low, deep growl that did crazy things to her insides. “Do you think we can make it that far tonight?”
Despite nobody being around, Shauna still blushed at the memory of them tearing each other’s clothes off last night in the hallway; their passion too fierce to make it any further into the house.
“Maybe we’ll make it as far as the stairs.” She teased.
He groaned. “Oh, God, I like the sound of that. Is that a promise?”
“It sounds good to me.” Shauna sighed happily. “Can’t wait to see you.”
Shauna ended the call and wandered back into the waiting area. She didn’t have to wait much longer until her red mane had been tonged and teased into a sophisticated cascade of curls. Rebecca’s chic dark hair had been pinned into an elegant chignon and they both moved across to the awaiting make-up artists for their next appointments. They were browsing the look books, debating the merits of smokey eyes when a voice called over interrupting them.
“Rebecca?”
Shauna looked up to see Sylvie stood over them. Her shoulder-length dark hair had been blown out into bouncy waves and Shauna could see she’d already had a session with the Make-Up Artist from her impossibly-long lashes. Sylvie was naturally attractive but made up she looked stunning.
“Wow,” Rebecca greeted her. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” Sylvie replied. “Between the hair, make up and finally my nails, I feel like I’ve been here all day!”
Shauna glanced at Sylvie’s long red talons and then down self-consciously at her short, unpainted nails. She wished she’d had time to do hers, but time was ticking on now and anyway, the hair alone had eaten a considerable chunk of her available credit.
“I’m so glad I’ve seen you though,” Sylvie continued. “I’m so sorry but Aaron’s just called. He needs another copy of the Hatton invoice. There’s been auditors in and Mal has been in having a hissy fit. Any chance you can dash back in and ping them to me?”
Rebecca looked at the watch on her slender wrist and grimaced.
“My appointment is right now. I could swap with Shauna, but then it would throw out getting my nails done. We’re already cutting it fine.”
“Can Shauna access your archive?” Sylvie asked. “I’m sorry to ask, but Aaron and Mal really need it today.”
Shauna looked to Rebecca, who could clearly see the underlying tension on Sylvie’s face.
“I suppose if Shauna doesn’t mind.” Rebecca said reluctantly, before turning to Shauna.
“No, that’s fine.”
Shauna figured she could make it over and be back while she waited for Rebecca to get her nails done.
“Great.” Sylvie looked appeased. “I’ll see you back at the office, Shauna.”
Shauna let the artist work her magic and when she was done, Rebecca handed over her car keys.
“Take my car.” She told her. “It’ll be quicker. Sorry to put you out.”
“Honestly, it’s fine.”
She got the impression that Rebecca wasn’t happy about Sylvie’s demand, but Shauna just wanted to keep the peace. She glanced at her reflection in the rear-view mirror, admiring the way the long sweep of lashes framed her big green eyes. She was glad she’d broke the bank with the extravagant expense. She wanted to look perfect for Armand. She just hoped that Rebecca’s sister came through with some good dresses. The closest thing she had brought with her was a black shift dress that was nothing special. She’d seen Rebecca’s dress, a full-length off-the-shoulder jewel-coloured gown. It was clear from that, and Armand’s tux that she’d seen hanging up in his bedroom this morning, that this was a formal event and she didn’t want to look under-dressed and unworldly in front of him. She was still thinking about it when she walked back into the office. She looked around for Armand, but the door to his office was shut and so she headed into Rebecca’s and logged on quickly, keen to find the file, send it and get back to the business of getting ready for tonight.
No sooner had she logged in, Sylvie appeared in the doorway.
“Hey,” Shauna smiled politely at her as she searched through the archive. “I’m just looking for it.”
Sylvie walked into the office and shut the door behind her, surprising Shauna.
“I’ve been meaning to catch up with you.” Sylvie said, perching on the end of the desk. “I didn’t want to mention this to Rebecca as I know she’s got a lot of stress going on at home at the moment, so I’d appreciate it if you kept this between us.”
Shauna nodded uncomfortably. Rebecca was a great person to work for, but she was very professional and hadn’t mentioned anything about her personal life other than she lived with her partner.
“This is strictly confidential.” Sylvie continued, her dark, piercing eyes boring into Shauna’s. “But it’s been mentioned that you’ve been spending some time with Armand Landry.
Now, I have put those rumours to rest, so don’t worry. I know that a pretty, smart girl like you wouldn’t get involved with a married man.”
Shauna felt her heart thud heavily in her chest and the blood drain away from her face.
“Shauna?” Sylvie peered at her from behind a curtain of bouncy curls. “Are you ok? You’ve gone really pale?”
Shauna looked down at her white knuckles that were tightly gripping the arms of her desk chair and forced her expression into what she hoped wasn’t pure shock.
“No, no.” Shauna waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just a shock that anyone would say those things.”
“Oh, of course, sweetie.” Sylvie nodded her head. “It’s no reflection on you. It’s just because, strictly between us, he’s done things like this before with junior staff and interns. It’s only his seniority and his connections with the Personnel department that has prevented him being sacked.
You probably wondered why I was so keen to match you to another Architect?”
Shauna recalled the first day when Sylvie had marched into Armand’s office and almost dragged her out of there.
“But, if he has been making a move on you after hours, you might be able to help with a, ummm, delicate situation. Shauna, it’s imperative that you keep this to yourself. Can you promise that?”
Shauna wanted nothing more than for Sylvie to stop talking so she could get out of here before she burst out crying, but, unable to trust her voice, she nodded her head.
“There’s a considerable amount of money missing.” Sylvie said, her tone serious. “But it’s not possible to trace it as certain documents were taken from the office. Now, we’ve reviewed the CCTV and Armand is seen talking to you in the foyer. He then goes back upstairs and returns with an envelope? Do you recall this?”
Sylvie leaned forward, waiting for Shauna’s response. Shaun
a knew exactly what date Sylvie was referring to before she even confirmed it, but when she did, Shauna had no choice but to nod her head.
“All I need you to do is confirm the documents you saw him take.” Sylvie said firmly.
“They were in a folder,” Shauna managed to respond flatly, still digesting the news. “I didn’t see what they said.”
Sylvie waved her hand s if that didn’t matter.
“It’s his poor wife I feel sorry for,” Sylvie sighed, getting back to her feet. “Poor woman has had so much crap over the years from him. Between you and me, he’s even got another home that he takes his women to. We think that might be why he’s taken the extra money. He’s basically living a double life.”
The room swam in front of Shauna’s eyes. Sylvie was still speaking but all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears.
“Are you ok, sweetie?” Sylvie leaned closer, reaching out a hand towards her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Shauna recoiled from the woman’s touch, pushing back the office swivel chair and stumbling to her feet. The contents of the desk clattered with the abrupt motion and, even in the midst of her turmoil, she reached out robotically to steady a picture frame that was in danger of toppling. Invisible bands tightened her chest and she forced herself to inhale.
Shauna, fighting for control of her emotions, saw a glint of understanding spark in the woman’s dark eyes.
“Oh, sweetie,” She cooed. “He’s tried something with you, hasn’t he? Oh, Shauna, I am so sorry.”
Shauna shook her head violently. The cold grip tightened around her rib cage. She did not want this woman’s pity.
“No.” Shauna heard her own voice shaky and unnatural. “Nothing. And I can’t help you with those documents. I didn’t see them.”
“Shauna.”
The woman was persistent and Shauna, feeling trapped, bent her head over the PC, forcing her eyes to focus on finding the missing file. Every fibre in her body was desperate to flee and, with trembling fingers, Shauna completed the task. She locked the screen and picked up her bag, deliberately avoiding Sylvie’s penetrating gaze.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shauna said, this time her voice was clear and strong.
With that, she marched purposefully from the office. She ignored the bank of elevators, needing to put space between her and Sylvie, heading to the stairwell, taking two steps at a time in her rush to get out.
The hurt and the betrayal finally hit her through the wall of pure shock as she fumbled with the keys to Rebecca’s car.
Do not think about this now. She warned herself, fiercely blinking back unshed tears. You’ve just spent fifty dollars on make-up. Do not cry.
She revved Rebecca’s engine violently and the familiar action, rewarded by a thrilling roar, calmed her a little. She pushed down on the pedal again, feeling her heart jump with the rev counter. Behind the wheel, where she was always in control, she felt strengthened. She was not about to fall apart over another piece of shit asshole. Not to-fucking-day.
She drove the car a little harder and faster than she would usually have driven somebody else’s vehicle. It was no Porsche, but the power she felt at the wheel numbed the pain of Sylvie’s revelations. The resistance of the wheel as she took a hard corner was solid and real, refreshing her focus, and she drove past the salon, aiming for the freeway. She needed one lap, opening the car up, she told herself, and then she would be ready to face the world.
It worked. It always worked. She had no love like she did for automobiles. Her mind was firmly on the road and the vehicle, and reluctantly she circled back to the salon. Rebecca was waiting, shooting anxious glances at her wristwatch; her new nails elongated and shiny.
“Thank goodness!” Rebecca rushed out to the car and Shauna regretfully moved to the passenger’s side. “I was worried you couldn’t find it.”
Rebecca kept up a stream of chatter, sweeping Shauna up into a whirlwind of preparation and it wasn’t until she was dressed in a floor-length gown of shimmering gold that she realised that she had no choice but to face up to Armand and whatever lay ahead tonight.
Out of Control
A loud, persistent knocking dragged Ella from her hazy, delicious dreams and she prised her eyes open, still in that dreamy half-space between sleep and awake. She shook her loose hair from her face and struggled to disentangle herself from the bedsheets.
“Ella!”
She knew that voice. Ella got out of bed, padding bare foot across the motel room, ignoring the pang of disappointment that had settled in the pit of her stomach as soon as she’d heard it. She didn’t put words to her thoughts, not wanting to acknowledge who her half-conscious self had been hoping had been hammering at her door. She pulled back the safety chain and opened the door, pasting a welcoming smile on her face.
“Hey sleepy head.”
Caleb wrapped her in his arms, pulling her to his chest. She let him hold her for a moment before she wriggled free, heading straight for the coffee maker. She tugged self-consciously at the silky shorts she had worn to bed, suddenly wishing she was more covered up. Caleb had kicked off his sneakers and was propped up against her pillows, already scrolling through his phone.
“You want a coffee?” She asked politely, stifling a yawn.
What she really wanted was to crawl back into bed alone. She didn’t want to be rude, but she had asked him to come down a little later. She had been craving a lie-in all week. Caleb had been down every day since he’d been back in Texas. He was heading back to his mom’s in Chicago next week though, so she supposed she should be grateful that he wanted to spend all this time with her.
“I was thinking,” He patted the bed next to him, and when she had finished making the coffee, she reluctantly slipped next to him. “We should really start thinking about the future.”
She sat up a little too quickly and coffee sloshed down the side of the cheap ceramic mug onto her hand. She wiped the back of her hand across her shorts and looked at him, trying to keep the horror from her expression.
“What do you mean?” She asked hesitantly.
“So, you know my church group, back in Chicago?” He sounded a little nervous. “Well, Christy and Justin have just got engaged, Josh and Alexa are married and having their first baby. I’ll be looking for a place to live once I’m back in Chicago, I can’t live with my mom forever. Maybe we should be thinking about taking the next step too.”
“Caleb,” Ella set the coffee down carefully, not wanting a repeat spillage. “We’ve only been together since graduation and you’ve been away for most of that.”
She watched as his face fell at her words. It was like kicking a puppy, but she didn’t even know what she wanted to do after her internship was over, never mind who she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.
“It seems silly though.” He pressed on, taking her hand in his. “You’ll be renting in Chicago and, obviously, I can’t live with you before, y’know…”
“I don’t know if I will be in Chicago though.” She said softly. “My family are in Ohio, and I don’t even know where I’ll be working yet.”
She’d been firing off her updated CV all week to companies around the country. Despite the crap parts of her time in Texas, and there had been many, she felt proud of how well she had adjusted to living by herself in a strange place. It had made her expand her search further than her previous job hunt in a fifty-mile radius of Chicago or her hometown.
Caleb dropped her hand like it was burning him.
“Are you saying you don’t want to be with me?”
Ella fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“I didn’t say that.” She answered levelly. “I just need to focus on my career. And I don’t know where that will be.”
Caleb turned his back to her, draining the coffee and setting the mug down. He swivelled on the edge of the bed, planting his feet down firmly on the carpeted floor and, for a moment, she thought he was going to
leave.
“It’s because we haven’t done it, isn’t it?” He said emotionlessly.
The accusation hung in the space between them. This wasn’t the first time it had come up in conversation: they had circled and skirted around it several times. As much as Ella wanted to be[A1] respectful of Caleb’s decision, she couldn’t help but feel he was harbouring more than a little animosity about her own wealth of experience. Not that she had ever admitted just how experienced she was, but he had known her for several years, been to the same parties, seen the guys she had dated. He would have to be completely deluded to not know she had had a break from the whole purity thing during her college years.
She took a deep breath, summoning the last dregs of patience. “No. It’s because we’ve been together for barely any time.”
Caleb shook his head aggressively. “That’s bull-shit and you know it. After everything you said graduation night…”
He trailed off, shoving his feet into his sneakers. Ella watched him, silently willing him to just leave so she could be alone, but then he sunk back onto the bed and covered his face with his hands. Her heart lurched guiltily and before she knew what she was doing, she had reached out to comfort him.
“Caleb,” She began slowly. “We were both a little, uh, intoxicated graduation night. I totally respect that you choose to wait until marriage. You know that’s not the problem…”
“But it is, though.” He shook her hands from his shoulders and spun around to face her. “It’s exactly what the problem is, and you know it.”
“It’s not!” She protested, feeling more than a little frustrated.
“I can’t believe that you, of all people, would even think like that!” He leaned across the space between them, his face blazing with rage. “You don’t want to be in a relationship without sex because you’re just like Ashley!”
Ella recoiled at the venom in his words. She slid backwards, away from him, rising clumsily to her feet, but just as quickly as he had flared up, his anger simmered away, and a look of remorse cloaked his handsome face in sadness.
“Ella, I’m sorry.” He moved around the bed and stood before her, holding his hands out.
