by Sandy Lynn
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how it’s any of your business what I do after my wife has walked out on me. It’s not like I could find her.”
“Don’t you think there was a reason for that?” Stacy said.
“Ms. Jones, please.” Demetri reached out as though he was going to touch her, but pulled back.
“And you think just because you couldn’t find me, that was permission to carry on with your—”
Feeling Demetri’s hand on her leg shut her up. Right now, she was thankful for that. She’d been about to call his mistress a whore. Again. Even though he hadn’t said anything, he was right. She didn’t need to do that. It would hurt her case more than it could possibly help. Though she was tempted to say it anyway just to watch that vein bulge in Thomas’ neck, the way it always did when he was pissed. A moment later Demetri’s hand was gone, but with that simple action, he’d calmed her.
“Just sign the papers,” she told him. “Look, I don’t want anything that isn’t mine. I just want the few things that are special to me. The pictures of my parents, a few knickknacks and my CDs. You can have everything else.”
“I’m going to have to think about that. I really do just want things to go back to the way they were, Stacy.”
Though all outward indications said she was calm and collected, inside her head, she couldn’t stop the sarcasm. Translation: you don’t know what your whore wants to do. If she wants to move into the house I took the time to furnish and decorate, then you’ll give me my freedom. If she isn’t sure, you will refuse.
“You have exactly one week. If I have not heard from you this time Monday I shall proceed in the courts. We will, of course, be going after a divorce on the grounds of adultery if you cannot agree to Ms. Jones’ rather generous separation agreement.”
Stacy had to hide a smile when she saw the vein start to bulge and Thomas’s face turn red. She hadn’t been able to do it, to say a word, but then again, she didn’t need to. Demetri really did seem to have her back. She’d have to figure out how to thank him for that. Several erotic scenes entered her head, forcing her to shift in her seat.
Thomas stormed out of the room.
Demetri leaned back. “May I ask you a personal question?”
Her eyes closed slightly, his question confusing her. If anyone she’d met had any rights to ask her a personal question, she figured it was probably him. “Sure. But that doesn’t mean I’ll answer,” she tried to tease.
“Why did you put up with that asshole for so long?”
She sighed. He deserved an answer. Especially since he was going to have to deal with the asshole until the divorce was final. “I loved him. Or at least I thought I did. Because of that, I could overlook a lot of things. His ‘absent-mindedness’ and the way he seemed so selfish. I told myself he was the same man I married. But he isn’t. He hasn’t been that man for years. I tried to tell myself if he had changed, well, it isn’t like I’m exactly the same person I was years ago.”
“So you just fell out of love with him because you found a pair of underwear in his pocket and saw him kissing another woman?”
“No. When I finally allowed myself to admit the truth, I figured out I’d fallen out of love with him years ago. I was still in love with the man I thought he was, not the man himself. I—I haven’t been happy for a while, but I didn’t allow myself to admit it. It felt like I was betraying my vows if I did. There were a ton of times I’d have left him in half a heartbeat if we weren’t married. But I promised to be there for him for better or worse, in sickness and in health. I took my vows seriously. I was just hoping the ‘worse’ would end soon. It didn’t. I guess finding the underwear and actually seeing him kiss another woman simply allowed me to admit I wasn’t happy. It gave me permission to feel everything I tried to bury and say enough was enough.”
Demetri nodded.
She sat there silently for a moment, then started to get up. “I have to go. I have an appointment with Savon.”
The edges of Demetri’s mouth quirked upward. “Do I really unnerve you that badly?”
“This entire situation does. Have you ever had to sit in a room with two lovers? One present and one past,” she clarified. She didn’t want him to think she still had any of those feelings for Thomas.
“Yes.”
“Oh. Well, this is a first for me. I’m sure you can understand it doesn’t fall inside my comfort zone.”
“What are you doing later?”
“I’m not sure yet.” She would be honest with him. After all, the thought of spending the evening with him certainly helped ease her tension. Or she was certain it would before the night was over.
“Maybe I’ll give you a call.”
“Okay. Do you—do I need to ask if you have my cell number?”
“Ms. Pope gave it to me.”
“I should have known.” Stacy shook her head.
“Well, as your divorce attorney, I do need to have a way to get in touch with you,” he smiled.
“Am I supposed to believe that?”
“No. But I figured I could try.”
Stacy chuckled. “I’ll talk to you later.” Standing up, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and moved back before he could turn it into something more. “Thank you for stopping me earlier.”
“No problem. I’m just glad you feel like you can count on me.”
“Can I?”
“Always.”
There was nothing she could say after a comment like that. “I’ll talk to you later, Demetri.”
Leaving the office she halfway expected to find her ex lying in wait, ready to pounce on her as soon as she was away from the safety of her lawyer. But he was nowhere in sight.
She made it to her car before her cell phone rang. She laughed. “Couldn’t wait until later?” she asked with a smile on her face and in her voice.
“No. I thought you’d like to know that you have a meeting tomorrow night. A vampire named Jack.”
As soon as she recognized her boss’s voice, Stacy was instantly chastised. “I am so sorry, Ms. Pope. I thought you were—”
“Someone else? I gathered. And please, you did me a huge favor by having that part of your life blocked. Please allow me to pretend I don’t know whom you thought it was calling.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
There was a pause. “I know you are quite fond of him, Stacy. But you realize that at the present time your contract gives BSC full access to...” Ms. Pope cleared her throat. “You, do you not?”
“Yes ma’am. I am not involved in a relationship. And I will live up to my obligations.”
“Very well. I expect you to be here at ten sharp for your appointment.”
“May I ask what to expect?”
“I’m not precisely sure. I do know that part of your time will be spent taking notes for Jack. Acting as a secretary. He is the vice-president of the VBA and does not believe in having a full-time secretary. He says he doesn’t need one that often. You will be taking notes to type up some paperwork for him later.”
“Yes, ma’am.” That sounded easy enough.
“I do not know what time you will be finished, and Tina has already agreed to come to the office the following morning to allow you to sleep. Good luck during your appointment with Savon.”
The line went dead, and Stacy sighed. She guessed that she wouldn’t get to play with Demetri that night after all. Perhaps that was for the best.
Despite her reassurances to Ms. Pope, she wasn’t sure how she felt about possibly entertaining any other men. She knew there was the chance it could happen. If there wasn’t, why would they put it in her contract? But until now she’d allowed herself to believe she wouldn’t have to worry about it. Despite the fact she wasn’t ready to settle into a relationship, she wasn’t sure how she felt when it came to having multiple lovers at once, and she didn’t mean in a ménage sort of way.
This would be yet another thing she’d have to hope Savon—and possibly Tina—could help h
er get through. With a heavy heart, she pressed the number five and told her guru she was on her way back to him. Thankfully he didn’t press her for answers over the phone. But then, she knew he’d be asking her all about her meeting when they were face to face. A week ago she’d had barely any friends, and now, she had a best friend and a guru to lean on. Though she was quickly beginning to stop thinking of him as someone who was being paid to help her get her thoughts in order and starting to think of him as a confidant.
And then there was Demetri. He promised to be there for her whenever she needed him. So far he’d lived up to his promise. But would he continue to? Especially once she’d taken on other lovers?
Would he still be there for her? Still be willing to be friends with benefits? Still want to be her lover? Or would he consider her a slut, and decide he didn’t want to see her in a personal way any longer?
Oh yeah, she sighed. Savon has his work cut out for him today.
Chapter Nine
Stacy looked in the mirror. She wondered for the tenth time if she should’ve changed her clothes again. She’d gone through at least three outfits before she’d decided to simply come into work. Everything she tried on seemed to show the marks that had been made on her—whether the bite mark or the marks lower, on her breasts. Should she have continued searching for something that exposed her neck but covered the bite mark on her shoulder? Should she have worn a turtleneck and covered every inch of skin possible despite the heat?
Regardless of what she could have or should have done, there was no time for her to change now. Jack—what kind of name was that for a vampire anyway?—would be there at any moment.
It had taken more than two hours for Savon to get her to calm down—and that wasn’t counting the time he spent helping her with her meditation exercises or the time it took her to babble out her story. And she still wasn’t sure how she felt. Not even a long supper with Tina had helped. She’d just about bitten her tongue in half to prevent herself from asking any personal questions about Demetri. She wanted to know what Tina thought he would think about her having other lovers. Or why he’d bitten her. Would she have a scar on her shoulder from his bite? Why did people seem to know she was talking about him all the time when she’d gotten her thoughts blocked?
At one point it seemed as though Tina knew about her curiosity, but the other woman had remained quiet. Stacy decided to take it as a sign that she didn’t need to know the answers to her questions right now. Or that she really didn’t want to know them. Besides, she was too wrapped up in Demetri as it was. She really did like him, but...it was complicated.
Like a coward, she’d allowed her voicemail to answer his phone call earlier. She didn’t know if she could handle talking to him. Not when she knew she had to see another man for who knew what or how long that night. When she replayed the message he apologized for not calling the previous night, but explained that something had come up with the pack. He’d also told her that as of ten thirty five that morning she was free to live as though she were single.
Thomas had caved and signed the papers. That meant either his girlfriend wanted to get serious, or he was afraid of what would happen if those photos got out. Stacy was positive Thomas’s boss wouldn’t appreciate seeing them. Especially when everyone in the office was positive he was the man Amanda, his secretary, was sleeping with on the side. At least, those had been the rumors at the last company party she’d gone to. But that had been more than a year ago. Perhaps things had changed. Of course, Amanda certainly did seem to get awfully cozy with her boss when they thought no one was looking.
At least tonight she had a clear conscience. Nothing else she did could be considered adultery. Now all she had to do was wait out her time—four more months of being separated, thanks to the fact that Demetri was able to back date the separation to the last time she and Thomas had sex. And thankfully, her ex didn’t seem to be disputing that either. Four more months, and then she was completely free of him.
She wondered if Thomas realized he’d signed away any rights to alimony in the separation papers. Or if he’d even read that far.
Shaking her head, she cleared thoughts of her ex away. Tonight she should be celebrating, not working. But duty called. Though, it didn’t feel much like duty, not yet, anyway. After all, look at what BSC had done for her. They’d certainly done more than she’d ever hoped they would.
Even if Ms. Pope did still look at her as though she were waiting for Stacy to realize what was going on, because everyone else already knew. Stacy got the feeling her boss already knew what revenge she’d request against Thomas. Sometimes, she wished Ms. Pope would let her know what it would be so it could be over and done with.
The outside bell rang, and Stacy stood up. Jack was punctual at least. She opened the door and smiled as he entered the office. Thankfully, she didn’t gape at him as she had the first time she met Demetri.
Jack was very attractive. His golden brown hair was cut short and looked soft and silky. His green eyes seemed to sparkle as he allowed her to appraise him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell much about his body, thanks to his business suit. One day she really would have to stop mentally stripping the clients before they could even walk inside the office. He was an incredibly handsome man, one that she’d have been all over if not for...
Mentally shaking her head, Stacy decided she wouldn’t think about her too-sexy lawyer. Unlike Randal, she didn’t think she’d mind if Jack decided to drink from her. Blushing at the thought, Stacy knew it wasn’t up to her who was allowed to drink or not drink from her body. But she knew she wouldn’t mind having Jack’s lips pressed against her. When he smiled, she wondered if he could read her mind as well as Ms. Pope seemed to be able to.
Clearing her throat, she gathered up the folder and notebook she had waiting on her desk before facing him again. “Would you like to follow me to the conference room?”
“It would be my pleasure,” he purred with a half bow.
Ms. Pope sent the instructions for her meeting earlier, including which conference room they’d be in. Thankfully, they were in the crimson one. At least she wouldn’t have to spend half the night remembering the way she’d been put on the table and fucked so deliciously instead of working.
Stacy had believed that each conference room would be similar, just done in different shades. She was wrong. This room was smaller than the other conference room and had a glass topped table. Thankfully the walls were not the color of blood as she’d feared; they were more of a dark burgundy. It was tastefully done and conveyed a sense of warmth.
She sat down in one of the chairs, uncertain what to expect. She did however open the notebook and poised her pen—thankfully she’d grabbed a regular pen, and not the blood pen—to begin writing. Now she was just waiting for Jack to say something.
“Is there anything you’d like to ask me before we begin?”
There were only a million questions running through her mind. She wanted to know what the VBA was, or if she really needed to know. She wanted to know if he was going to drink from her, but didn’t want to give him any ideas if he hadn’t already considered it.
“It’s okay, you know. You won’t get in trouble. I respect the fact that you are trying to learn about us.”
“How did you know that?”
“There isn’t much that doesn’t get around in this community. And I like to know who I’m working with.”
She couldn’t fault his logic so she allowed her curiosity to prevail. “What does VBA stand for?”
“Vampire Blood Association. We try to make sure that vampires aren’t just drinking from any mortal they wish. There are a few who know about our world, and they’ve consented to giving us blood. But we watch them to make sure they aren’t changed. Unlike some of the myths imply, we don’t want to change all mortals. When there are too many vampires in one area, you have fighting. Primitive instincts kick in to remain powerful and, unfortunately, the only way to make sure you don’t lose your edge i
s to drink more blood. It causes a hellish loop in which everyone loses.”
“So you make sure that...”
“I make sure that mortals are not changed accidentally. It still happens, of course, but since this council has been together, we’ve made a huge difference. The number had lowered from approximately one hundred accidental changes a year, to approximately twenty.”
“Wow. How did I live in this city and never know about this side of it? Why don’t more people know about vampires and werewolves and—” What else did she not know about?
“I think most people are content not to know. And fortunately for us, now that we know about Goth cliques, we can avoid accidental exposure. When they first became all the rage, we were nearly exposed numerous times. We have even been able to infiltrate some of the more zealous cliques. Our operatives are able to keep us apprised of what they are doing, and how close they are to fact. Thanks to them, we’ve been able to keep them from discovering the truth more than once.”
Stacy nodded. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about learning that she’d had blinders on even more than she could have realized. Not just about Thomas, but apparently about everything around her. There was a slight amount comfort in the fact that she wasn’t alone.
“Shall we get to work, then? Unless you have more questions, that is.” Jack smiled, and she responded in kind.
Shaking her head, she once again positioned her pen, then looked up. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
* * * * * *
Stacy stretched her back. She’d have thought if they had some magickal way to have contracts that could write themselves with any clause you could think of, BSC could have a better way to take notes.
“I’m sorry. You need a break. How thoughtless of me. Please forgive me.”
“It’s—No, don’t worry about it.” She’d started to tell him it was all right, but even her hand was cramping up. She’d been writing for at least three or four hours. She had gone through at least ten pages—front and back—in the notebook, if not more. All she could think of was standing up, stretching and possibly getting something to eat. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since she’d eaten something.
