by Lane, Terri
“Let’s go, Tasha!” Alex hissed, grabbing her friend’s arm. “What are you doing?”
Tasha stood her ground. “Come on, tell me. What do you want?!”
He chuckled. “First, you get drunk in a bar and act horrified when a dirty old man flirts with you. Now, you’re suddenly accusing a strange man of spying on you. I think it’s time you went to see a shrink.”
“What?!”
The man walked away. Tasha wanted to go after him, but Alex stopped her. She quickly explained how she had been seeing this guy snooping on her at times for the past month or so.
“Let’s just report him to the cops,” Alex said.
“Yeah, let’s,” Tasha agreed. “I don’t trust him. He’s too creepy.”
So much for my supposed restful, happy day, Tasha thought with a sigh.
She and Alex decided to just relax at home with a movie and pizza, however, she couldn’t concentrate on what they were watching because of the incident. It was really bothering her, perhaps because she felt there was something more to the story.
When her sister Tyra called from Singapore to see how she was doing, she couldn’t hide the truth. She told her all about the mysterious bald guy.
For a while, Tyra was silent.
“Uh, hello?” Tasha thought she’d lost her on the line.
“Yes, I’m still here, Tash.”
“What’s the matter?”
“You know, I was just thinking… did you ever get around to researching about your biological parents?” Tyra wondered in a serious tone.
“Not really. I’ve been so busy.”
“I see…”
“Wait,” Tasha said, a thought occurring to her. “You don’t think this guy’s involved with my parents somehow?”
She could hear her sister taking a deep breath on the other end. “Tasha…” she hesitated before continuing. “When we were in college, I used to catch this bald guy roaming nearby and sometimes staring at you. I thought it was nothing. But when I mentioned it to Mom, she said it’s probably someone who works for your real father.”
“Mom knew who my real father was?” Tasha almost screamed into the phone.
“I’m not sure,” Tyra answered truthfully. “When they brought you home, you were still a baby and I was about five or six. They only told me that we were going to be your family because your mother passed away when she gave birth to you and nobody could locate your father.”
Tasha nodded. She knew that part of the story. “Maybe Mom got to talk to my mother before she died. Maybe they were good friends, after all.”
“I don’t know, Tash. According to Mom, they met only in the hospital. But yes, it’s possible that your biological mother was able to mention some other information about your father.”
Tasha sighed. It was impossible to find out now, since her adoptive mom wasn’t around anymore too. Her only chance was to make the bald guy talk.
Suddenly, a picture of Bret Walton entered her mind. He had all the connections and money to help her find out the truth. But of course, she wouldn’t dare ask for such a favor.
Sighing again, she thought of the only other billionaire she knew: Carter Crawford. If only they could be friends again at least. He knew her background, anyway. But then again, she didn’t want any favors from him either.
Why is life so complicated? She wondered silently, a wave of depression washing over her.
* * *
It was the perfect day to be soaking the sun at one of the most scenic spots in town. Clad in a long, sleeveless powder blue dress with her wavy light brown hair blowing in the wind, Tasha admired the stunning view from the hilltop.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Tasha said to Amy with a smile.
“Definitely,” Amy agreed, smiling back and lacing hands with her boyfriend Tim who happened to be their special photographer for the shoot. “It’s also super romantic.”
“You lovebirds should be the ones to pose for this photo!” Tasha joked, giving Amy a friendly push.
Amy laughed. “Oh, my! Your website might get ruined!”
Tasha and Tim laughed.
At that moment, Carter appeared with a disapproving look on his face. “Let’s get to work, everybody.” He clapped his hand to signal the whole crew to pay attention and get started.
Everybody fell silent and listened to his last minute instructions.
“Is he always this hands-on?” Tasha hissed to Amy.
Amy shook her head. “His schedule’s a total mess right now. He’s been dropping his other meetings to give more time to this Solvang project.”
Tasha’s heart seemed to jump at that.
“I’m not sure why…” Amy continued in a whisper. “There’s something about this place that seems to magnetize him or something.”
Tasha was silent, wondering if it had to do with their past. It warmed her heart somehow.
For the past month that she’d been seeing more of Carter, she had seen how hard he worked and pushed himself and his people. He wasn’t really harsh to anyone, but he was definitely uptight and serious. Even though he had achieved so much in a short time, he was still on hustle mode all the time.
As Tim began to take photos of the two models on their bicycles, Tasha turned to Amy. “Is Car– I mean, Mr. Crawford, always a slave driver and a workaholic?”
“Yes, but it has paid off,” Amy said. “I’ve seen it. I grew with this company, Tasha. Mr. Crawford is a genius in business. He’s just too serious, you know… But not mean… He’s actually very generous to his employees.”
“That’s wonderful,” Tasha remarked, remembering how Carter had always put her needs first before his own. It was only when he’d left that he’d been selfish. But she guessed it was all good, now that he had accomplished much more than what he had ever dreamed of.
She gazed at him from where she was standing. He was observing the entire shoot with immense concentration.
He used to look at her that way, which had been amusing and perplexing at the same time. But now, when he looked at her or if he needed to say something, he appeared to see a blank wall. It was crushing.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel proud of him. She knew that he’d been forcing himself to become rich so that he could somehow rectify his parents’ wrongdoings. They had amassed millions of dollars before and had hurt a lot of people in the process. In the end, they ended up poor and miserable. She hoped they were in a much better situation now.
While everybody packed up after the shoot and headed their own ways, Tasha got busy inside the hilltop cottage that they had rented to serve as a makeshift office. Tim had given her the files, which she wanted to upload to the webpage she was working on.
She became so preoccupied that she didn’t even notice the time. The surroundings were silent, but she was grateful for the opportunity to immerse herself in her beloved work without any distractions.
Amy peeked in a bit earlier. “I need to go somewhere with Tim, Tasha. You can catch a ride with the company driver, alright?”
Tasha had said “sure” without really paying attention.
When she was satisfied with the look of the page, she hit the save button. She stood up and stretched her arms to the ceiling.
She walked around the charmingly decorated living room of the cottage. “Real nice,” she commented, smiling. Then she went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee.
While sipping her coffee, she decided to watch the sun setting outside. She sat underneath the sole tree beside the cottage, not caring about getting dirt on her dress.
“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered.
“Extraordinary,” someone agreed.
She turned around in surprise and almost dropped the cup she was holding when she saw who it was.
“Carter! I mean, Mr. Crawford!” she exclaimed. “What are you still doing here?”
“Same thing as you,” he replied. “I wanted to catch the sunset.”
Tasha didn’t kno
w what to say, so she turned back to the lovely blend of colors in the sky, her heart pounding harder than ever. She finished her coffee quickly, all the time very much aware of Carter’s presence behind her. He was probably standing close to her as she could hear his breathing.
The sun had gone down completely, leaving the sky in darkness. The townscape beneath was now twinkling with lights.
“I, uh, I have to go now,” Tasha mumbled, stepping away.
“Tasha, wait,” Carter said, grabbing her arm. His touch sent an electric shock through her that made her gasp. She looked up and met his eyes.
“Do you know where Conrad is?” she asked.
“Oh, the driver went home already,” Carter said. “He said there was an emergency with his family, but nothing to be worried about.”
“Okay, that’s good to hear… but how the heck am I going home?”
“You can ride with me,” Carter said slowly. “But unfortunately, I’m staying overnight in the cottage.”
“Without any bodyguards or assistants?”
He nodded. “Of course. I’m a nobody to most people, Tasha. I’ve always kept a low profile.”
“I see,” Tasha said. “I guess I’ll have to call Alex to fetch me or arrange transportation for me or something.”
Carter nodded. “Okay, let me know ‘cause I can call another driver to pick you up here.”
“Thanks,” Tasha said before heading back inside to get her cellphone. The prospect of spending more “alone” time with Carter was making her panic.
Pick up, Alex, please! She begged silently. The phone just kept ringing. She decided to just send Alex a text message and wait for a while.
After a few minutes, she went out. Carter was still there by the tree, gazing over the town below. When he noticed her presence, he said, “Any luck?”
Tasha shook her head. Funny how I’m so afraid to be alone with him now when I’ve wanted so much to have this opportunity to talk to him. This is the best and only chance I have to finally get closure and move on totally.
She looked at him then, meeting his gaze. His stare was unnerving. He was studying her closely, as if seeing her for the first time. This time, she could sense that his guard was down, that he wanted to reach out to her.
She began to pace back and forth, rubbing her arms as she did. It was getting a little chilly.
“Here,” Carter suddenly said, taking off his jacket and handing it to her.
She was about to say no when she saw his face. “I insist,” he said quietly.
She took it and put it on, then finally decided to sit down under the tree. She was feeling the exhaustion of the past months. Or was it just uneasiness and tension because of Carter?
Looking at her cellphone, she saw that the signal was weakening. The last message she received was from Bret, who told her he was headed to Germany for a conference.
“Tasha…” Carter started, his voice perturbed.
She looked up, the butterflies in her stomach going wild. To her shock, he even sat down beside her. His proximity stirred so many different emotions inside of her.
“There’s no signal,” he said. “I can’t call for a driver.”
“Yeah, my phone too is losing its signal.”
“How’s everything?” He suddenly blurted out.
“Uh, great!” She answered automatically. “I mean, I’ve uploaded some of the photos on the webpage. Your bikes and the outdoor gear look awesome. Tim’s a really amazing photographer and–”
He took her hand then, which immediately flustered her and silenced her. “I didn’t mean work. I meant you. How are you?”
Tasha’s heart wanted to burst. All the negative feelings she had been containing inside began to spill out. She felt like slapping him and crying hysterically. But she kept her cool.
“I’m fine,” was all she said before turning her head away.
“I’m not,” he revealed.
That caught her attention. She turned back to face him again, her eyes burning of anger and hurt. “How dare you say that,” she hissed, her chest heaving heavily.
“For all it’s worth, I want you to know that I am so, so sorry,” he said, his eyes full of sincerity and anguish. “It’s not enough and it will never be. No matter what, I can never take back the pain I caused you. But I don’t regret doing it, Tasha.”
“Because you’ve got all this money now? Is that it?” Tasha said, her voice trembling. She was trying to keep her emotions in control, but it was taking a toll on her already.
Carter shook his head. “It’s not about money. It’s not about my dreams, either.”
“Then what? I wasn’t good enough for you?!”
He took her hand and squeezed it. She tried to shake him away but he was too firm. “I have my reasons, Tasha. But I just want you to know that there was never a day I didn’t suffer because of what I did. Until now.”
Tasha’s tears finally fell. She brushed them away.
Carter let her hand go. He stood up and went inside the cottage, leaving her to cry and release all the agony of the years, the loss of love, and their broken dreams.
She didn’t know how long it was before she finally went in. He was in the dining room, sitting in front of a mini feast illuminated by romantic candles.
“Tasha, please join me for dinner,” he said.
She stared at him for a long time before sitting down across from him.
“Thank you,” he said. “I, uh, cooked the chicken and the pasta.”
“You cook?” She whispered in surprise. If not for the current situation they were in, she would have laughed. He was the worst in the kitchen.
“I learned how to over the years,” he answered vaguely. “I hope you like the food.”
Her stomach growled. She took a bite of the roasted chicken and savored it. She also had a spoonful of the white sauce pasta.
“Interesting,” she murmured, avoiding his eyes as she ate.
“Does that mean it’s good?” He said, looking worried.
She nodded.
They ate in awkward silence.
After a few minutes, he took out his cellphone to play some music. When the first few notes of the song played, she teared up again. He was playing their song. The soft, familiar melody gripped her heart tightly and triggered a lot of memories to be unleashed.
She put down her spoon and fork, and looked at him in the eye. “Why are you doing this?” She asked in a sharp tone.
“I bring that song with me wherever I go,” he said. “I play it when I’m feeling down or uncertain or worried. It relaxes me. It reminds me of wonderful memories that I want to treasure forever.”
She looked away as tears rolled down her cheeks.
He leaned forward and took her hands. “I want peace, just like you do. Is there a chance for us to be friends? Can you ever forgive me?”
Tasha looked at him sadly. “I forgave you a long time ago, Carter. But that doesn’t mean it would be easy to forget.”
“I understand,” he said. He retracted his hands and stood up from the table. For a while, he was frozen in place. But then, he went toward her and embraced her from behind.
She sobbed. She let him just hug her as she wept. Her shoulders racked and her body quivered. She let it all go.
* * *
A noise from outside the bedroom window woke her up. She sat up in bed, her bright blue eyes wide awake, her heart beating fast.
Tasha carefully rose on her knees to peek out the window. It was very, very dark outside. The deafening silence and the cold mountain breeze made her shiver.
It’s nothing, Tasha, she told herself, trying to calm down. But her mind was racing with images of the mysterious bald guy. Had he followed her there too? The thought scared her.
She couldn’t sleep anymore. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was already four in the morning.
With her hair wildly cascading past her shoulders, she zipped her jacket over her now crumpled dress and went out. Seei
ng her beloved Carter sprawled on the sofa with his legs hanging out from one side and a peaceful expression on his handsome face, she couldn’t help but bend over and gaze at him. We were so good together, Carter.
She was about to walk away after a while when something caught her eye– a shiny thing on his upper chest, hanging from a gold chain. She hadn’t noticed it before, perhaps because it had always been kept under his shirt. This time, though, it was on top of his clothes.
She moved closer, her heart pounding, as she recognized the simple gold round pendant. The etched monogram in the center showed an intertwined C and T, which stood for their initials. She had the exact same pendant, but she’d stored it in the attic along with all the other things she wasn’t using anymore.
Suddenly, to her astonishment, he opened his eyes and met her gaze. For a short time, he seemed stunned and confused. Their faces were inches apart.
Without thinking, she leaned forward and closed her eyes. He closed the gap and kissed her on the lips. It was a sweet reunion, their hearts soaring together, their souls reconnected.
They kissed passionately, desire rising within their bodies, as she sat in front of the sofa and he lay down on it. His hand caressed her cheek as the kiss deepened.
Tasha pushed away gently and looked into his eyes, exploring, questioning…
“Oh, God, I’ve missed you…” he breathed before kissing her again. This time, the two of them didn’t hold back anymore.
He pulled her up and positioned her on top of him. With their lips locked and their hearts beating as one, he reached beneath her skirt and started stroking her between her legs.
She moaned, her lips moving toward his bare neck and soon his bulky chest.
In a swift motion, he took off her underwear and inserted his fingers into her, moving them in a circular motion at first and then gradually pushing further and touching her soft spot. As she came to her climax, she gave out a soft scream which gave him great satisfaction.
Carter sat up afterward, bringing Tasha with him. She was breathing rapidly, not over the amazing pleasure yet. But she wanted to return the favor, so she kneeled between his knees and took off his pants. Slowly she put his hardness into her mouth and licked and sucked, making him groan and moan over and over again.
