by Shayne Ford
A bittersweet smile crawls up my lips.
“And then she said something about Rain and the Night of the Kings. That made even less sense.”
I flick my hand as if I want to wave the memory away.
“Anyway, things were bad enough even without that piece of information,” I mutter. “I can’t believe I was so stupid. All this time, I wanted to know his secrets. And now that I know them I wish I hadn’t.”
She looks at me, frozen.
“Damn...” she murmurs. “I never thought those stories were true.”
My eyebrows tilt up.
“What stories?”
She leans back in her chair and stares vacantly at the table as she ponders over something.
“So who was that woman?” she asks after a few moments, lifting her gaze and locking my eyes.
“Her name was Daria something... or Darla?”
“Daria Morgan.”
“Yes. I think that’s the name.”
She blanches.
“That’s Rain sister,” she says.
My eyes widen with surprise.
“Yeah... She moved to the East Coast some time back. She must’ve come back only for the party,” Christine says.
“How do you know all that?”
“Sheila Lane. I used to work with her when I got started with the company. That’s how we became friends. It was before Lex Harrington took over the firm. Sexton was running the business at that time. And then the news broke that he was stepping down. It took everyone by surprise since the man is made for business. About the same time, a rumor started to circulate that he’d found a woman and wanted to spend more time with her. Sheila knows Rain’s mom and her family. She swooned over their story, and she loved to dish out on the ins and outs of this tale. The two sisters have a long history of sibling rivalry, and James Sexton sure didn’t smooth things out. He was, um… and still is the man in this county. The only two other men in the same league with him, are Lex Harrington and Ed Preston. He was never interested in Daria, and that made her hate her little sister even more.”
She pauses to take a sip of coffee.
I furtively look at her, a question sitting on my tongue.
“What about those Kings stories? Has she said anything about them?”
She glances at me.
“Oh. No, no. That is something completely different. It’s more like an urban legend. It’s something a girl who used to work in the firm once told me. She’s gone now. She heard the stories from someone else. One of those things. It sounded so out there, I never thought much about it. But now that Daria Morgan has mentioned it, there could be some truth to it.”
“What did the girl say?”
A smile curls her lips while a blush slowly crawls up her face.
“Rumor was that years back, James, Lex, and Ed were picking up women at Red’s and took them to one of Sexton’s houses. There’s one place in particular people like to spread rumors about. The Dark House.”
“Shit,” I say, a bad feeling hovering over me.
She waggles her finger at me.
“No, no. Don’t even think it was something bad. Women were dying to be picked by them and taken to that place...”
“Are you serious?” I ask incredulously.
“Mmm-hmm.”
She pauses and looks down at her fingers, breathing out a chuckle.
“The rumor is they never wanted to leave that place or them. And when they finally came back home, they pretty much hated their lives,” she says and laughs softly, and for some reason, I grin too.
“What exactly were they doing there?” I ask.
She glances at me, the look on her face and her naughty smile, spelling it out for me.
“Really?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmurs. “That’s why they call it the Night of the Kings. In one night, they got not one, but three men. The most desirable in the entire county. Not a bad deal if you ask me,” she says, smiling mischievously.
My grin quickly dies out.
“So, um... Rain Morgan...” I mutter, half of my voice stuck in my throat. “They all had her?”
She no longer smiles.
“If anyone else other than her sister would’ve said that I would’ve questioned it.”
“She didn’t say she knew for sure, but she suspected it. As she was watching Rain and Lex dancing, she seemed pretty convinced it was true. Anyway, it doesn’t matter,” I say, frustrated. “I really don’t need to hear all these stories. It was enough what I saw it with my own eyes.”
We share a few moments of silence.
“Fuck him,” I say, tossing my napkin on the table.
“What did he say about the car?” she asks.
I huff.
“Who cares about his car? He came to me with his old I’m your boss routine. It’s not working anymore. I don’t give a shit what he thinks or says or wants. I fucking worshipped this man. Like an idiot, I fell for him. And I felt bad about it, but you know what? I didn’t get in that place by myself. No matter how you look at the story, I didn’t fall for him by myself. He’s done his part. He’s not innocent. Not at all. He warned me. Yeah. He fucking did. But he never cared to tell me the whole truth. Why I needed to be warned, and why his heart was never in my grasp. He didn’t need me to work with him in London. He wanted me there so he can mess up with my head, and fuck me so good I’d never want to pull back from him. That’s what it was. He needed me as a distraction. And all that time, he let me fall for him. If that Rain girl had all of them and now she’s about to marry Sexton, good for her. What else can I say? I couldn’t even get the crumbs from her table,” I say, angered, and as I lift my gaze I catch sight of Christine's glistening eyes.
“Don’t say that...” she says softly.
“It’s the fucking truth. Perhaps it was luck for her as her sister said. Who knows? Perhaps she’s smarter than all of us, her sibling included. Whatever... I had enough of this fucking story,” I say, pushing out of my chair.
LEX
“What happened?”
James pushes the door of his home office open, and we follow him as he walks into the room. Ed’s itching to give him his opinion.
“Zip it, Ed,” I bark.
James glances at us over his shoulder.
His eyes get distracted by Ed who’s walking behind my back. I shoot my eyes at Ed, killing him with my glare.
He pushes back a smile.
I sink into a leather armchair, and so does Ed.
James sets three glasses on the small table and a bottle of scotch. He brings ice and fixes our drinks. We each grab a glass.
“Does anyone care to share with me?” he says, taking a seat on the leather couch.
I flick my gaze to Ed.
“Go on. I know you can’t fucking wait.”
James shifts his eyes to Ed.
Smiling, he takes a sip of liquor and sets his glass on the table.
“Dahlia Fox wrecked his car, and threw him out of her apartment.”
Not a bit surprised with the last part, James moves his eyes to me.
“Dahlia?” he asks incredulously.
“Mmm-hmm,” Ed hurries to answer. “First off, she stole his car.”
“She didn’t,” I say.
“And then she crashed it into a tree. And then, to top it off...” he says and pauses. Biting his lip, he tries to stop the laughter rocking his chest. “She kicked him out when he questioned her.”
James bites his lip as well, pushing back a grin.
“What the hell did you do to her?” he says, looking at me.
I shrug.
James studies me, curious.
“I told him the woman is in love with him. He didn’t want to believe me.”
“So fucking what, Preston?”
Annoyed, I run both hands through my hair.
“Why are you so fixated on my business? Isn’t there a sex Convention you need to attend?”
“Fuck off, Lex,” he tosses back a
t me.
“So where’s your car?” asks James.
“They towed it away. It’s in the shop already.”
“Is she okay?” James asks, raising an eyebrow.
He gazes at me from above the rim of his glass.
“Scrapped knees, bruises,” I say, trying to ignore Ed who can’t keep his mug in check.
His phone lights up. On cue, a sly smile slides onto his face. Phone in hand, he rises to his feet.
“Excuse me. I have to attend to this,” he says, heading to the door.
“Good riddance. Finally, the Sex Convention is on.”
He flips me the bird and vanishes out of the room.
Slipping a cigarette between his lips, James observes me in silence.
His smile fades away.
He flicks the lighter open and runs the flame over the tip of his cigarette. The fiery dot glows red as he takes a drag on it.
Tilting his head back he lets out the smoke.
“What’s the real story, Lex?” he says, tossing the lighter on the table.
He props his ankle on his knee.
“Some cosmic joke put Daria Morgan next to Dahlia on the terrace as I was dancing with Rain. Knowing Daria, I imagine she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Whatever she said, ticked Dahlia off, so much so she fooled the valet, took my car and drove it away. Who knows where. She wasn’t even close to her home.” I let out a slow exhale. “This could’ve ended much worse,” I say as the stark reality sinks in.
“What do you want to do with this girl?” he asks after a few moments of silence.
We lock eyes for a moment, and he reads right through me.
He laughs softly.
“You’re not gonna be stupid like me, are you?” he asks, flicking his cigarette above the ashtray.
“I don’t want to fuck it up if that’s what you ask, but I think I’ve done it already.”
He ponders for a moment.
“Listen... Women are not stupid. They always know what’s going on. It’s in their blood. And in their instinct. Men stupidly believe that words can erase the wisdom women have built in their system since the beginning of the fucking world. Whatever lie you say to her, she knows the truth. If you tell her you love her and you don’t, she knows. If you keep saying she’s nothing more than fun, yet you fell for her, she knows that too. It’s useless to play with her.”
I think I know where he’s going with this, so I decide to come clean first.
“I think she got pissed when she saw me with Rain. She probably got a glimpse of much more than us dancing...” I say and pause.
A knowing smile curves his lips.
“She saw the truth,” he says, and my chest tightens with apprehension. I clench my jaw. He gauges my reaction. “And she probably thinks it’s the absolute truth. She’s too young to understand,” he says.
Calm, he takes another drag off his cigarette.
I wait for him to continue.
“But you can teach her. In time, she’ll learn from you. If she decides to give you another chance.”
“There wasn’t anything––”
He flicks his hand up, and I eat my words.
“Listen, we both know how you feel about Rain. And Rain knows it too. We all put this story to rest. I don’t hold it against you. Chances are you would’ve felt that way about Rain whether you had her or not. And she would’ve had that soft spot for you, regardless of the circumstances. I know you, and I know her, and I’m not the man to fret. I don’t fear. And if you were able to convince me, I’m sure you can convince this girl. What she saw was real. But when you’re young like her you can’t grasp that life is not either black or white. There are no universal truths. There isn’t one hundred percent of anything. Hearts are not perfect. They get dented over time, and if you wait for an unspoiled one, it never comes along. But less than perfect things are just as good if they are real. She must’ve felt the world has come to an end. What she doesn’t know is that she’s far from losing you. And one day you may fall for her head over heels if you haven’t done it already.”
He takes one last drag, blows the smoke out and studies my face for a few moments.
His lips curl into a sly grin.
“I think she already got you. She probably has no idea. It’s really up to you how you play this hand. Just don’t make the mistakes I’ve made. I was lucky to be able to turn things around, but you can never rely on that kind of luck,” he says and pushes up to his feet.
4
LEX
This Monday was supposed to be my first day of vacation, but somehow things have turned upside down, and here I am walking down the corridor tense as fuck.
It’s seven o’clock in the morning, and the firm is empty. Other than Sheila Lane I don’t expect to run into anyone. People rarely come to work before eight thirty. Dahlia should be here around that time too.
“Mr. Harrington,” Sheila singsongs to me, running a nervous hand on her shoulder as if she wants to make sure the fabric of her purple top lies smoothly on her frame.
A silk orange scarf wraps around her neck.
She flashes a bright smile.
“Coffee?”
“I’m good,” I grumble.
“You don’t seem to be good,” she says with a smooth voice. “I’ll bring you one, anyway,” she says and spins away.
A half hour later, I sit at my desk and sip my espresso. Fifteen minutes after eight, voices travel down the hallway.
I press the intercom button.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Can you come in?”
A moment later, Sheila walks into the office.
“What can I do for you, Sir?”
Elbows resting on my desk, I start rubbing my eyes.
“You haven’t slept well, Sir?”
“Yeah... You can say that. About the new hires,” I say hoarsely.
“What about them?”
“Is Dahlia Fox one of them?”
“Yes, Sir,” she says.
I flick my gaze up.
Her smile dies out, worry crawling up her face.
“Has something changed, Sir?”
I slowly shake my head.
“No. That’s precisely why I’m asking. I want to make sure the transition goes smoothly, and things are set at your end.”
Her eyes widen with surprise.
“Yes, Sir. Why wouldn’t they be?”
I shrug.
“You can never tell. People change their minds all the time.”
“Why would she? She worked so hard to get this job,” she says, concerned.
For some reason, I can’t hold her gaze.
“Is there something you don’t like about her, Sir?”
Nothing I can think of. In fact, it’s the other way around. I like too damn much about her.
“Why would you say that?” I ask.
“I thought you two were getting along pretty well.”
“We were,” I mutter, my wrecked car coming to mind.
“Actually, I was hoping for a bit more than that,” she says, and my gaze flicks up to her again.
A small smile curls her lips.
“Excuse me?”
Any other person suggesting something like that would’ve heard an earful from me, but not Sheila Lane.
For the first time today, I crack a smile.
“You seemed rather lonely lately, so I thought you could use some company.”
I laugh wolfishly.
“Lonely? Where did you get this idea?”
“Well, Mr. Sexton focuses on other things, and Mr. Preston has his own world he’s cruising in, and you sort of like lagged behind in that department.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Tipping her head to the side, she gives me an incredulous look.
I barely push a grin back.
“Let’s say you’re right. What makes you think Miss Fox can fix all that for me?”
Her eyes light up with a smile.
“Dahlia is a go
od girl,” she says.
I quirk my lips and crease my nose a bit disapprovingly as the image of my dented car pokes at my memory again.
She pauses.
“Go on,” I say, encouraging her to continue.
“And she’s full of life. She has spunk.”
I couldn’t agree more.
My whole face is laughing, although I manage to push the sound down my throat.
“I thought she’d keep you entertained.”
Sheila Lane has never been so on point.
“What exactly do you have in mind when you say entertained?”
“You know... Help you relax.”
I almost taste blood as I bit my lip to crush a chuckle.
I’m way ahead of that.
Dahlia Fox has been entertaining me in more ways than one. And if I remember correctly, she started the second week of her employment.
“You work too hard, and there isn’t much play,” Sheila says, and my eyebrows lift with surprise.
She truly believes that.
“You think so?” I ask.
She searches my eyes for a moment as my laughter pushes on and off my face.
I look at her, serious.
“Yes. You need someone like her. She’s young, smart, and well grounded. I think she’s a good match for you.”
I finally let out a smile.
“Are you playing Cupid?”
“No.”
Tipping my head to the side, I give her a questioning look.
“Yes,” she finally admits.
“Is that why you’ve recommended her for the job?”
She shakes her head.
“No, no. She was the most qualified person for that position, and she has a fantastic growth potential. Her performance has confirmed it so far.”
“Yeah... It has,” I say, not sounding enthusiastic.
I check the time on my phone. It’s eight thirty-five. The hallway has become animated.
“Is there anything else for me?” she asks.
“You can go now,” I say. “Um...”
“Yes?”
“Can you send her to me?” I say, flat.
“Sure.”
Smoothly, she spins around and walks away.
I wait. And wait. I pick up a few reports and start to review them, but I can’t focus on them. I’m itching to call Sheila again, but I don’t want to clue her in on how nervous I am.
