by Britney King
Addie sat down in the chair across from Sondra’s desk and folded her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath. Better get it over with.
Sondra finally looked up, the look on her face offering nothing.
Addie sat up straighter. “I appreciate the offer, Sondra. I really do. But I’m sorry. I can’t do it.”
“I must say, Mrs. Greyer, that I am disappointed, but not surprised.”
Addie frowned, but stayed quiet. Oh, shit. Here we go. She’s going to let me have it.
What Sondra said next nearly knocked her over. “I’m not going to talk you into this. I am only going to say that you have a very bad habit of underestimating yourself. In turn, you allow everyone else to do the same. You let people walk all over you. Treat you however they like. So they do. Addie, your marriage is crumbling. Your husband does what he pleases. He left the country with little regard to the effect that it would have on you, much less your children, and you stand by and watch it happen. You need to stop being a doormat and take charge of your life.”
Addie’s mouth went dry. What could she say? That she was surprised that Sondra had such keen observation? That she had her pegged? It was one thing that Addie thought these things herself, that she knew it all deep down. But to hear someone else say it, to have someone who was practically a stranger verbalize these things out loud, shook her to her core.
“Aren’t you going to tell me I’m mistaken?”
Addie didn’t speak.
“Have I ever told you that I was once married too, Addison?”
Addie shook her head. Really?
Sondra continued, her voice low. “We were high-school sweethearts. We married young, straight out of college. He was the love of my life. Two years into our marriage, I came home one day to find him loading suitcases in his trunk. I thought maybe he had another business trip that maybe he’d forgotten to tell me about. He was leaving me, Addison. Turns out, he had fallen in love with his secretary. I hadn’t a clue that he was having an affair. A week or so after he left, I found myself staring at two lines on a pregnancy test. We were going to have a baby, but he wasn’t coming back. Said he had moved on with his life and that I should too. I was in shock. Devastated. Two weeks later, I moved my stuff into a tiny apartment because it was all I was going to be able to afford with a baby as a single mom. As I sat in that tiny apartment, surveying my new life, finally feeling hopeful, I began bleeding profusely. In the ambulance, on the way to the hospital, I nearly bled out. I almost died, Addison. I lost the baby and was told that I’d never be able to have children. While I lay there in that hospital bed for two weeks recovering, he never visited or even called. Not once.”
“I’m sorry. Sondra.” Addie said, hot tears stinging her cheeks.
“Don’t be. I learned a valuable lesson then, Addison. I was never going to put myself in that position again. I see a little bit of myself in you. I ended up broke, alone, and scared. I don’t want to see what happened to me happen to you.”
Addison stared at her hands. “I am . . . We are fine.”
“Just think about it a little more, ok? Give it a few days.”
Addie stood to go.
“Ok,” she said without looking back.
Ten
Sondra Sheehan was the sort of woman who didn’t take no for an answer. Being petite, she learned early in life that she’d have to make up what she lacked in size with straight-up bravado. With a short red bob and deep green eyes, Sondra was elegant and high class. Always well put together, not a single hair out of place, she liked order and carried herself in a way that let everyone know the high standards she’d set for them without her ever having to utter the words. Yet, for someone always in control, she found herself completely taken aback by her current predicament.
Addison Greyer had to take her up on her offer. She just had to. There was just no way around it. Time was running out for Sondra, knowing that she’d have to make a decision soon. Having Addison fill in for her as Head Mistress was a brilliant idea, one that had come to Sondra almost completely by accident. Sure, Sondra had a lengthy list of women that she could have chosen for the role, but she wanted Addison. You see, Sondra was smart, extremely savvy, and knew deep down that none of these women quite fit the bill. First of all, she didn’t trust any of them to handle her business and her clients in the same manner that she would. But mostly, it was the fact that Sondra didn’t trust that they wouldn’t steal her business right out from under her. These women were ruthless, which was, for the most part, a necessity in the business they were in. On the other hand, Sondra understood that this also disqualified them from being true leaders. A leader needed to be firm, but vulnerable. Smart, but willing to learn. Assertive, yet open.
Though she would never let on, from the moment she met Addie, Sondra liked her, which was a rare thing because Sondra liked very few people. There was something about Addie though. Sondra saw her as an underdog: The least likely to win, yes, but also as someone who had a fighting spirit that if one only looked for hard enough he would find. Sondra saw herself in Addie. She knew that, like herself with the right mentor, Addison could become a winner.
The situation in the elevator only added to the mystery. Admittedly, without this piece of the puzzle, Sondra never would’ve considered taking on such a daunting task in her current situation. Getting Mrs. Greyer into fighting shape was really more than she wanted to take on, and had she not found out about Addison's impromptu affair with William Hartman, she never would’ve considered it. It was her star client who informed her of the videotape. A high-profile attorney thrilled yet shameful about selling it, he brought the information to her in a session. It was easy putting two and two together once Mr. Hartman called her about hiring Addison. If Sondra hadn’t known better, she’d have thought it a purely brilliant maneuver for Mrs. Greyer to land herself a job this way. Admittedly, she was disappointed when she learned this wasn’t exactly how it’d all played out.
While it didn’t exactly surprise her that Addie hadn’t said yes to her offer right away, she was perplexed. Why hadn’t she asked about her medical condition and the reason Sondra needed to step out? The fact that she hadn’t asked had only reconfirmed what Sondra knew to be true: Mrs. Greyer was perfect for the role. She respected privacy, yet she had an openness about her that made you want to tell her the truth. Any Mistress, especially Head Mistress, had to have this quality, and it was a rarity. It was upon this realization that Sondra realized what she had to do to get Addison to accept the offer. Then and there, she’d decided it was time to tell her the truth.
Addison’s day was filled with wall-to-wall meetings, which she was grateful for because it kept her mind focused on work and off of the shit storm that seemed to be surrounding her at the moment.
Penny, her mother-in-law, had been breathing down her neck ever since Patrick had announced he was taking the promotion. She’d already called three times this morning, and Penny was the last thing Addie needed or wanted to deal with right then.
Thankfully, her first two meetings had been successful. She’d closed two deals and was on her way to close the third when Patrick called.
“Hello.”
“Hey there. How are you?” Patrick said, sounding upbeat.
“I’m good—just running between meetings. How are you?”
Addie checked her watch, calculating what time it had to be now in China.
“Tired. But good. Things are going better than expected. Listen, this is really premature, but there has been some talk about extending the project, and I was wondering what you’d think about living here—in China.”
The shit storm didn’t seem to be letting up any time soon. Addie sighed. “I don’t know, Patrick.”
Silence.
“Well, give it some thought, ok? Give the boys a hug and tell them I miss them.”
“Will do.” Addie said flatly.
“Addison, I miss you. I know you’re angry, but it doesn’t have to be this way, you know.
”
Addie stared at the clear blue sky, contemplating what to say.
“I know,” Addie finally muttered, knowing it was all she could offer.
Addie closed on the third deal and headed back to the office to quickly wrap things up for the day before it was time to pick up the boys. Opening up her email to send a few contracts, she smiled.
From: William B. Hartman
Date: 6/18/12
To: Addison Greyer
Subject: Speaking in Italian
Dear Mrs. Greyer,
Never underestimate the investigative tools at my disposal. I am fully aware that you are not Italian. :)
That said, I was testing the waters to see if you may enjoy speaking Italian.
I have to travel to Capri on business, and I want you to come with me. Bring the boys if you’d like. They’ll love it.
I’ve arranged it with your boss.
We leave in two days.
Il Vostro,
William
P.S. I can’t wait to see the beaches of Capri reflected in your eyes.
Seriously. I’ve made arrangements with your boss. Who does this man think he is? Addie stood and paced the length of her office. Certainly he didn’t think it was just that easy. That she could jet off to Italy, just like that. But what pissed her off the most was how much she wished she could. How badly she wanted to go. Addie grabbed her purse and headed out, first calling Penny to ask her to pick up the boys. She hated to do it, knowing and dreading the trouble it would bring. But she needed to clear her mind. She needed to see William.
Penny Greyer received the call to pick up her grandsons without a second to spare, which was, of course, something her daughter-in-law would pull. Addison liked putting her on the spot, making her jump through hoops. So thank goodness, Penny had Rosie, or God knows what she would’ve done. Penny knew it was just a matter of time after her son left that Addison would crumble. There was no way a girl of her means could survive alone, the way Penny had all those years. Her daughter-in-law just didn’t have what it takes to put her husband or her children first—which is why she had tried everything in her power to dissuade Patrick from marrying that girl. She begged him to quit seeing her, knowing she only wanted her son for his family’s money. She even tried setting him up with a few girls more like herself a few times, but this girl already had a hold on him. Besides the fact that she’d given Penny beautiful grandbabies, although thankfully they got most of their looks and smarts from their father’s side, there was nothing blatantly obvious that Penny could see that was especially wonderful about her. She was merely average—certainly, nothing special. What Patrick saw in her, she’d never know.
But he missed his children; he loved them so. She knew this because, although he’d never said it directly, he called her and he was worried. While he made her promise to be nice to his wife, he had called her nonetheless, asking her to check on the kids. Penny had certainly tried, that was for sure. Of course, their mother enjoyed keeping her away from her grandchildren. So as you can imagine, it shocked Penny when Addison called her asking for a favor. Really threw her for a loop. And this was how she knew that Addison was up to something. Penny even told her husband as much.
“We know Patrick took that promotion in China just to get away from her, to get as far away as he could. But he misses his children, Clark. He called me, worried, asking me to check in on the kids. It’s just a matter of time before she loses it. I just know it. She doesn’t have what it takes. You know she’s not good enough for him. And she’s certainly not good enough to raise those precious babies. Clark, we’ve got to do something.”
“What is it that you want to do, Penny?”
Penny smiled. “I’m thinking on it. Trust me.”
She would do something, anything, and quick. That woman was a terrible example for her precious, innocent grandchildren. At least her son had a choice in the matter. Her grandchildren never did. But that was about to change. Penny guaranteed it. Her daughter-in-law was up to something, and knowing her, it was no good. Penny was determined to find out what it was. No one messed with her family and got away with it. In the end, she’d show her.
Eleven
Addie was ready to give William a piece of her mind. The e-mails, phone calls, and invitations to Italy needed to stop.
Yes, she had made the mistake of sleeping with him again and again in his apartment the day she met him there, but she wouldn’t allow it to happen anymore. While she liked him and was certainly attracted to him, she knew this had to end and it had to end then and there.
Sure, she was sad and lonely, and sure, William Hartman was dark, fun, and exciting, and, yes, she was having the best sex of her life. But she was a wife and a mother, and what she was doing was wrong. There was simply no way around it, no justification that could make what she was doing ok, even in her own mind, especially in her own mind. Addie knew she had to get a hold on the situation before it was too late.
She dug her phone out of her purse and texted William.
I need to see you.
He replied a few seconds later.
The feeling is mutual. I’m in my office. Top floor. Where are you?
Addie felt her face grow hot and her pulse quicken. She hadn’t put two and two together before now, realizing he worked in the same building. His building.
Leaving my office. I assume with the tools at your disposal you know where that is too.
Damn, she was flirting. Why was she flirting? And why couldn’t she help herself? Get it together, Addison.
Come up. My receptionist will see you in.
Addie thought twice about it, knowing it was risky. But after weighing her options, she decided it was probably less risky than meeting him anywhere else. For one, she was calling things off and he couldn’t cause a scene at the office. And two, there was little to no risk of her sleeping with him there.
Addie was shown in by William’s beautiful but disapproving secretary. She wasn’t exactly rude, but Addie knew the “Who do you think you are?” look well. So she gave the girl her best kiss-my-ass grin and waltzed into William’s office as though she owned the place.
If she’d learned anything in the past few weeks, it was that you have to look and own the part, even when you don’t feel like it. Her clients and potential clients were some of the wealthiest men and women in the world. And they smelled bullshit a mile away. So that’s exactly what she’d intended to do walking into William’s office that day: play the part.
Addie was a bit surprised walking into William’s office. Of course, it was gorgeous, but it was something more. There was something about the way he sat behind his desk legs up, feet crossed, chewing on his pen, staring at her intently. He was in his element, more himself. And goddammit if that didn’t make him all the more attractive.
“So, you needed to see me,” William said, his voice deep and sultry, lingering on the word needed a few seconds too long.
So, he’d decided to play a part too.
Addie sat down in the chair opposite his desk and crossed her legs. Keep it professional, Addison.
“Yes. I needed to speak with you, actually. I . . . Uh . . . We . . . This has to stop, William. I’m married to a wonderful man, and we have three children, but it seems you already knew that, seeing that you invited them to Italy. While I appreciate your offer, I think we both know that this is wrong. I’m sorry that I let it go on this long.”
William didn’t bat an eye. He leaned back in his chair, glaring at her. “Are you really, Addison?”
“Am I really what? “
“Sorry? Married to a wonderful man? All of it. Because I’m not buying it.”
Addie raised her voice slightly. “I beg your pardon? Yes, of course, I am.”
“And just where is this wonderful man you’re married to?”
“Working.”
William stood and walked to the other side of the desk where Addie sat. “He left you, Addison. He left you here to deal with e
verything. He chose a promotion over his family. Over you.”
Addie balled her fists, certain that if she’d been standing she would’ve slapped him.
Addie stood to leave. Keep it together. “Like I said, this is over. As for my private life, I’m not sure that it’s any business of yours.”
William grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You made it my business, Addison. I know you don’t mean what you’re saying. You’re smarter than that. Maybe you’re buying your own bullshit, but don’t expect me to. There’s something here, something between us. Deny it if you want to. Fuck, if you’re not willing to be honest with me, do me a favor and quit lying to yourself.”
She needed to go before she lost all resolve, before her knees buckled beneath her. “I’m not lying, William. I can’t do this.”
“Suit yourself.” William leaned toward her, kissing her ever so gently at the corner of her mouth, not a full on kiss, but not exactly an innocent kiss on the cheek either. Addie put her hand to her face, feeling the buzz where his lips had just been. Damn. This man knows what he’s doing. Leave. Now.
William grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. Grabbing her chin, he raised her gaze to meet his. “Addison, it’s ok to be a little bit selfish every now and then. If you want to go, go. But if you want to stay, I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy. I know this isn’t easy. And I understand you have a lot at stake, but I promise to protect you as best I can.”
Addison kissed him with all the passion she felt in that moment. William kissed her back, matching her fervor. Soon they were entangled in a heap on the floor, making love as though they were the only two people in the world—as if what they were doing wasn’t one enormous mistake.
When they were finished, they lay there staring at each other for a long while before William broke the silence by whispering in her ear. “It’ll be the death of me, if our meetings keep ending like this.”
