Into You

by Sheena Binkley

  “Exactly,” Avery said, looking at her.

  “The transition will take place in three months. There are still some things I need to take care of, but this is my final decision. I think this will work out for everyone involved, don't you agree?”

  “No, it won’t,” I said, looking at Avery.

  “Can we speak to our father alone, please?” Carmen asked a heated glance.

  “Certainly,” Rosario agreed as she got up and went to the door. Avery stood as well and smile brightly before leaving. I had a few choice words with him once I was done in here.

  Our dad looked around at us and shrugged. “What?i I accommodated everyone, so what is the problem?”

  “You know damn well what the problem is! You still gave part ownership to that lowlife! He’s going to run your busiest store into the damn ground,” I fumed.

  “Why are you so upset about this? You didn’t even want anything to do with this company since you have your own to consider.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t until you threw Avery into this. The man is a walking disaster.”

  “Is this really about me, or is it about your girlfriend, Vanessa?”

  Carmen and Sebastian looked at me as I leaned back into my chair.

  “I need to speak to Mateo alone.”

  “We’re not finished, Papa,” Carmen declared.

  “I am.” he snapped.

  I glared at my dad as the twins got up. Carmen looked at me, letting me know they hadn’t said anything about Vanessa. I nodded as they went to the hallway.

  “Who told you about Vanessa and me?”

  “No one did, even though there have been rumors from several employees. I took it upon myself to find out if they were true.”

  He grabbed the remote and pointed it to the TV. The video of us kissing in the break room popped onto the screen. I leaned down and took a deep breath.

  “We were being careful.”

  “Not careful enough. What did I tell you about work relationships, Mateo?! I even created a policy for this not to happen, but you disobeyed me yet again.”

  “We’re adults, Enrique!” I exclaimed. I usually call him by his first name when I'm pissed. And I was definitely pissed at the moment.

  “No policy is going to stop anyone from having a relationship at work! I've lost count of how many employees have hooked up at this place.i Some even got knocked up! ”

  “I’m talking about you right now.”

  “No, let’s talk about you. Was Avery the one who put those rumors in your head? He’s upset because he’s been trying to get with Vanessa for months, and she rejected him. You need to be looking at his perverted ass and the women he’s harassed over the years. But I forgot, you probably look the other way since he can save a buck, right?”

  “Stop it, Mateo!”

  “Or is it because he has information on you. Is that why you gave him ownership of this store? Because he caught you with an employee? That’s right up your alley, isn’t it?”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “Tell me the truth, Enrique? Is this a repeat of what I saw years ago? Did Avery see you fucking an employee on the counter? That’s your style, isn't it?! Can’t resist any woman, can you?”

  “You would know; like father, like son, right? You pursued Vanessa, flirted with her, and got her into your bed. You’ll probably use her like you did Maya.”

  “Oh yeah, poor Maya. Did you know she’s sleeping with Avery, too?” I said, throwing my phone on the desk after I put the video on. I glared at my dad as the video played.

  “This is who you want running one of your stores?!” I yelled. “A person who’s practically degraded every woman who has come into this store.”

  “I had to make the best decision since you all have other priorities.”

  “Well, we’re making Suds our priority now.”

  “You didn’t want any part of this company; that’s why I didn't ask you first.”

  “You know why. This store is what caused my mom, your wife, to have a mental breakdown. All because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.”

  “Do you really think I cheated on your mother just because I felt like it? She started it first by cheating with my best friend at the store. So don’t come to me talking about how perfect she was when she was the one whoring around.”

  I jumped up from my chair and grabbed my father’s shirt. I glared at him in a fit of rage, ready to kill him, when the door flew open. Sebastian and Dominic ran in to break us up. I was still holding on to his shirt when Sebastian pulled me off of him.

  “Son of a bitch!” I yelled, trying to get back to him, but Sebastian held me back.

  “Get out of here, Mateo. Go cool off!”

  “Not until you tell me who she is!”

  He glanced to the hall, and I turned around and saw Simone standing near the door. She had tears in her eyes, and Maya was rubbing her back. I looked at my dad, suddenly finally connecting the dots.

  “You and Simone?!”

  “Mark, please!” Simone begged.

  I stared laughing sarcastically as I looked between them. “You’re telling me that you’ve been in a relationship, yet no one else could have one? Wow, that’s fucked up.”

  “It’s not what you think, Mateo.”

  “It’s exactly what I think! You can do whatever the hell you want, but no one else can. I don’t believe this!”

  “If you let us explain –” Simone tried to reason, but I held up my hand.

  “There’s nothing to explain. Nothing!”

  “There is, Mateo. In fact, you might want to ask your girlfriend about our relationship. She pretty much knows everything.”

  When I looked at Simone, her eyes were widened in surprise. I pulled away from Sebastian while looking around at everyone. I was purely disgusted at what I've been seeing. I shook my head before going out the door.

  “Mark!”

  I kept walking as Maya tried catching up with me. “Mark, stop!”

  “What do you want?! I don’t want to talk to you!”

  “Did you know about Avery and me? Vanessa tried to use what she saw to stop me from talking to you, but it didn’t work. I plan to have Rosario’s job soon, so I suggest you tell her to find another place to suck up at, because I’m firing her ass.”

  I looked at her and walked away, not even entertaining her threat. Avery won't even own this store if I have anything to do with it, so Maya would be the one without a job.

  As Missy tried to get me to tell her what’s wrong, Simone ran out to my truck.

  “Not that I care, but who's running the register?” I asked.

  “Dominic is. Can we talk, please?”

  “I thought we were cool, Simone. Why would you do this?”

  Carmen and Sebastian walked over. I looked around; I’m glad this was a slow day, because if it wasn’t, the customers would've had a hell of a show.

  “I met your dad way before I started working here. He used to frequent the auto parts store I worked at. When I lost my job there, he gave me the job here. We weren’t trying to start a relationship, it just happened. I love your father, and he loves me.”

  Carmen and Sebastian looked uncomfortable; I took several deep breaths to calm myself. I couldn’t listen to any more of this.

  “Simone, just give us some time, okay? This is pretty much a shock to everyone right now,” Carmen said, putting her hand on my shoulder.

  She nodded then turned to walk back, but she turned around and looked at me.

  “Mark, please don’t be mad at Vanessa. She wanted to tell you, but I told her not to. I did it to protect your father. I shouldn't have put her in that position. I’m sorry for that.”

  I didn’t reply, and Simone went back into the lobby. Carmen glanced at me and sighed, “What are you going to do, Mark?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know,” I told her. I got into my truck and put my forehead on the steering wheel. I couldn’t believe she'd lied to me a
gain. Yeah, she tried giving me hints about my dad, but there’s no excuse for her to keep this from me.

  Now, I wondered what else she was hiding from me. Even though I'd confessed my true feelings for her, I didn’t know how much more I could take. I can’t be with someone who constantly withheld things. After all this, I questioned my relationship with her.

  Vanessa

  Once I finished cleaning Mark’s place, I decided to make lunch for us. I wasn’t as seasoned as he was in the kitchen, but I could whip up a few things. I decided to make baked chicken with garlic mashed potatoes. It was one of favorite dishes, so I hope he enjoyed it.

  I was taking the chicken out of the oven when the garage door opened. Mark walked in with a weird expression. I put down the platter and went to him as he sat on the couch.

  “Is everything okay?”

  He didn’t even look at me as I sat beside him.

  “Did something happen at the meeting? Did your dad choose Avery to be the owner?”

  “He gave ownership to Carmen, Sebastian, and me but only the surrounding stores. He gave Harrison to Avery.”

  “What? Why?!”

  “He feels that Avery will do well for the business since he does such a bang up job managing the store.”

  “What about the video? Did he watch it?”

  “He did, but that didn’t change his decision. You were right: He did have something on my dad. He’s seeing Simone, but you knew that already, didn’t you?”

  My heart dropped once he said those words. I put my hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away.

  “I’m sorry, Mark.”

  “We’ve talked about this countless times. I thought you were done keeping things from me, especially after last night. I thought that was a breakthrough for us.”

  “It was! You made me confront the issues I have with my mother. That’s something I hadn’t been able to do.”

  “I’m glad you did, but this isn’t about your mother; this is about you lying to me, yet again. Instead of telling me about my dad and Simone, you took your friend’s side and kept her secret, knowing it would upset me.”

  “I did it so you wouldn’t get hurt again! You would have been upset about the situation, and I don’t know what you would have done.”

  “That’s not an excuse, Vanessa.”

  “I was in a tough position, Mark. I didn’t want to betray you or Simone.”

  “I understand you probably felt obligated to Simone, especially after she took you into her home, but I’m the person who made you feel alive again. I made you want to believe in love again. Doesn't that count for something?”

  "Of course, Mark.”

  “How long have you known?”

  “Please don’t do this, Mark,” I pleaded.

  “How long have you known?”

  I took a deep breath, knowing he would hit the roof when I told him. “Four months.”

  He turned back to the wall. “I think you need to leave.”

  “Mark –”

  “Please, Vanessa,” he interrupted. “Just give me some space, please.”

  “I didn't want to hurt you, Mark.”

  “Then why do you keep doing it?”

  That was a huge blow. I looked down at the floor and quickly wiped a tear that had fallen before looking back at him.

  “I’ll give you your space, but please, don’t try and shut me out. I know I've made a few mistakes, but these past few months have been wonderful, and it’s all because of you.”

  He didn’t say anything as I went to his bedroom. I grabbed my overnight bag and purse then walked back into the living room.

  “I made some baked chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. I was planning to surprise you with it, but –”

  He interrupted me, “You can take it with you. I’m not hungry.”

  “You can save it for later.”

  He didn’t reply, so I picked up my keys from the counter. “I’m really sorry, Mark.”

  I was going to say I love you, but it probably wasn’t the best time. Instead, I went to the garage and got into my car. He followed me, and I hoped he would talk to me, but instead, he simply waited for me to back out. Once I did, he closed the garage, leaving me staring at the door.

  I couldn’t believe this. After I poured my heart out and told him that I loved him, this happened. But I only had myself to blame. I kept lying when I had plenty of opportunities to tell him. Now, I may have lost something great. I just hoped he could find it in his heart to forgive me.

  ***

  I walked into Simone’s home, not knowing how I’d react when I saw her. I shouldn’t be upset with her, because I did have a mind of my own; for some reason, I felt obligated to keep her secret. I could kicked myself.

  Simone walked out of her room, catching me by surprise since I thought she was still at work.

  “Dominic told me to clock out and leave in case you’re wondering,” she explained and sat on the couch.

  “What the hell happened?” I asked, sitting beside her.

  “It was total chaos. So much was happening at once, from the meeting to Enrique telling Mark that he knew about the two of you, and then him revealing the truth about his mother.”

  “What about his mother?”

  “Remember when I told you that Mark didn’t know half the story? He really didn't. His mom cheated on his dad first with his best friend, who happened to be the store manager.”

  I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes, wondering when the cycle would end.

  “How did he find out?”

  “At the store. Remember, there are cameras everywhere. That's how he found out about you and Mark, along with a little help from Avery.”

  “Figures.”

  “But how could you two be dumb enough to make out on Suds’ property? Even Enrique and I've never done that.”

  “I guess Mark thought the cameras wouldn’t see us where we were. At least we weren’t having sex like those idiots Avery and Maya. Speaking of which, why wasn't Enrique pissed about that video?”

  “Because Avery did know about us. He saw us out one night as I was leaving his house. He was coming by to drop off some reports and saw us kissing. That’s why he figured he could do what he wanted and get away with it.”

  “But Enrique’s the owner; he doesn’t have to bow to Avery.”

  “He did if a lawsuit was going to be involved. A sexual harassment suit was filed against Avery by a former employee. She was all for pursuing it, but it was suddenly dropped. Turns out that when Avery found out about us, Enrique suddenly settled with the employee. That’s why you've never seen a lawsuit because they suddenly disappear, leaving Avery to be self-destructive.”

  “This is ridiculous! And you allowed him to do this?”

  “A lot of them I didn’t know about until recently. The only one I really knew about was the one that happened around the time Avery found out about us. Do you really think I would let that go on?”

  “I don't know, would you? You didn’t want me saying anything about Avery when he was harassing me.”

  “That’s because I knew how devious the man is.”

  “Yeah, but he needs to be punished and stopped. He shouldn’t get away with the things he’s done. That’s why I have to put a stop to it; I’m going to the EEOC.”

  “Vanessa –”

  “I don’t care, Simone! He shouldn’t be owning or running a business. You probably just didn’t want to do anything, but I will.”

  Simone sighed. “Do whatever you want.”

  “You damn right I will. Besides, it’s not going to matter what I do, because I won't have a job if he takes over. I’m sure he’ll fire Rosario and make Maya manager.”

  “Don’t you have an interview coming up anyway?”

  “Yeah, but I might not even get the job since I barely know Spanish. Mark was going to help me, but that’s not going to happen now.”

  “Have a little faith; things might turn around.”

  I
shrugged as Simone wiped her hands on her shorts. “If Avery and Maya take over the store, I'll just try not to get on either of their shit lists.”

  I took a deep breath. “You’re basically thinking about yourself again. Everything that you’ve done throughout this whole ideal was about you. It didn’t matter if Mark or me was hurt in the process.”