I kissed Mabel right on the lips. “Thank you,” I said, squeezing her cheeks.
Mabel looked shocked, so much so that some new color had flushed into her cheeks. “Where are you going?” she asked.
“To get fired!” I said gleefully, dashing out the door.
* * *
“That’s quite a claim you’re making,” Mr. Renly said after a long pause.
“It’s not a claim. It’s a fact,” I retorted.
“So you’re telling me that Mrs. Payne and Ian’s marriage has never been consummated?” Mr. Renly asked.
I smirked. “Well it hadn’t. Not at the time anyway,” I said.
Renly gave me a perturbed look. “Are you saying it was consummated after she caught you in the bathroom with her husband?”
I nodded. It all did sound ridiculous, now that I was laying it all out. At the time though, it seemed so natural, so seamless. “Yes. Basically,” I said.
Renly’s eyes were wide. He was looking at me as if I was some strange animal, some exotic creature from a foreign land he’d never seen before. “So let me get this straight. You’re saying that Ian was seeing you in secret, while married in secret, and during these secret arrangements, he cheated on you, his secret girlfriend, with his secret wife?”
It sounded awful when he put it that way. Why, then, was I grinning so widely? “Yes. More or less. It wasn’t really cheating though. I would hardly call it cheating if you did it together.”
Mr. Renly’s cheeks flushed a hot red at that statement. “Together? You mean...” He glanced instinctively at the little black diary.
I nodded, the naughty nostalgia filling me. “That’s what I mean,” I assured him.
For a long time, my interviewer seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally, after a long pause, he spoke. “So you’re saying that Ian having a secret wife wasn’t how he betrayed you? It wasn’t why you’re here now?” Renly asked.
I nodded. “Correct. I forgave Ian for that. What he did after, no one could forgive,” I said.
Renly’s eyes went wide. He licked his lips greedily. “So there is more to the story?”
I nodded. “Much more.”
Renly cleared his throat. “I would very much like to hear the rest,” he said.
“Well that’s why I’m here,” I said, reaching back into the memories.
* * *
I rushed down the stairs as fast as I could in high heels. Ian always insisted I wore them. He had some kind of fetish for them it seemed. That was hardly my concern now. I just wanted to tell Ian I was sorry, for everything. Then I would just hope, pray he could forgive me, forgive me the same way I had forgiven him. I was on my way down to the garage, past the vaulted ceilings of the living room and down the long hallway decorated with sculptures and paintings of varying exotic works.
When I finally reached the door to the garage, I punched in the sequence of numbers to unlock the door. The number was impossible to forget; it was the date Ian and I had met, my first day on the job. We had changed it together.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. When the garage door opened, my heart stopped. Standing behind it was the man of the hour, Ian Payne. He looked good, great even. He wore a sharp navy blue suit with a black tie. His dark hair was slicked back as well, his square jaw peppered with day-old stubble. He looked rugged, yet well groomed. It was a look that only Ian could get away with. “Ian,” I said, breathless. I hadn’t expected to see him so soon. Suddenly I was self-conscious. Did my hair look okay? What about my dress? Oh God, I hoped I hadn’t snapped another heel, though last time it had resulted in a shopping spree. Maybe I should break one on purpose...
“Ms. Potters,” Ian said stiffly. I was confused by his stand-offish stance. Then I realized he thought I was still angry at him.
I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh so it’s Ms. Potters now? How professional,” I said.
Ian eyed me warily, like a sheep around a lion. “Did Mabel get a chance to talk to you?” he asked.
I nodded, hardly containing my laughter. “Yes. She told me everything, Ian, everything.”
“I’m sorry,” Ian said, his beautiful blue eyes glittering. “I’m an idiot. I should have tol―” Ian’s explanation was cut off by me embracing him tightly. As I hugged him, I let his cologne caress my nostrils. I felt his steady heart beating through a mass of lean muscle.
“Just don’t. I forgive you, Ian. I do. Mabel told me everything, and I understand,” I said, my eyes glittering. He was so handsome, even when he looked shocked.
“You do?” he asked again, a dumbfounded expression on his face.
I laughed. “Yes. I do.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Because a few hours ago I wouldn’t have wanted to be in the same room as you if you were holding something pointy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be so melodramatic. I wouldn’t have killed you. Just maimed you, you know, take a little off the top,” I said, making a motion like I was carving his face up with a knife.
Ian laughed and shook his head. “Well I’m glad you understand. I thought…I thought that I was going to lose you, Penelope.”
Penelope. The name was a harsh reminder of the reality of my situation. I hesitated. “Ian. There’s something I have to tell you...” I said.
“Really? What a coincidence. There’s something I have to tell you too,” Ian said cheerily. It was then that I saw someone else emerging from Ian’s Lamborghini. Someone with long legs and green eyes.
My heart froze. It was Ian’s wife. She was approaching now. Suddenly, I felt naked. Which was what I actually was the last time we had met. So at least she might recognize me.
“So this is the one you keep going on and on about?” the woman asked. She was wearing an exquisite blue dress, silk, with silver earrings and lips a deep shade of red. All of it complemented her porcelain skin perfectly. Why Ian would not want to sleep with her, I couldn’t imagine. She was like a living work of art.
“Hello,” Cassie said, extending a gloved hand.
I parted my hair, which felt very rough, much rougher than the flawless sheen Cassie’s hair exuded. “Hi,” I said, feeling as if I was taking high school senior pictures with a mouth full of braces.
“Sorry we had to meet the way we did. Though I must say, you look just as good out of a dress as you do in one,” Cassie commented.
The brash compliment made me flush a deep scarlet. “Um, thank you,” was all I could manage.
Cassie cocked an eyebrow at Ian. “She’s a bit bashful, huh? I didn’t know that was what you were into.”
Ian grimaced. “She’s not bashful. She’s embarrassed. The last time you saw her she wasn’t exactly in the most dignified of positions...” Ian said. He was attempting to put it delicately. It was nice of him, but I wanted to crawl in a hole and die.
Cassie nodded. “That’s true. I guess a normal person would be embarrassed. Are you a gymnast?” she asked.
“W-what? No. Why?” I said, privately hoping I hadn’t included that in my resume. I couldn’t remember anything at the moment, real or fake name.
Cassie grinned; it looked surprisingly mischievous, and slightly out of place on such an elegant face. “Just wondering where you learned to be so flexib―”
“She does yoga,” Ian interrupted, stepping between the two of us. His face was now nearly as red as mine. “Cassie, will you stop torturing the girl? She’s already been through enough.”
Cassie nodded. “That’s true. She has to deal with you. That’s more than enough to put any sane person in the grave.”
A grin blossomed at the corner of my mouth. I liked her, I realized.
“So are you going to ask her? Or am I?” Cassandra said.
“Ask me what?” I was beginning to feel like a third wheel. It was obvious the way the two interacted that they had known each other for a long time. Mabel was right though, there was no intimacy between them, no chemistry. It was
hard to imagine, because they were both so beautiful, but witnessing it firsthand helped me to understand.
“Me and Cassandra,” Ian said. “Would like to cordially invite you to dinner.”
“Cassandra and I,” Cassie corrected.
Ian rolled his eyes. “I hate grammar,” he growled.
Cassie laughed. “Ian’s been able to solve math equations that would make me want to take my own life. He’s even made up a few. Yet he couldn’t spell ‘equation’ if you tutored him for a week on it.”
Ian smiled. “Hey, you’re not supposed to tell her I have flaws. She’s supposed to think I’m perfect.”
“Sorry. There’s only room for one perfect Payne, and I think we both know which one that is,” Cassie said with a smirk.
It was almost dizzying, watching them interact. They spoke so crudely to each other, yet they were both heirs to a dynasty. I guess when it all came down to it, people were still just people, no matter the status.
“So will you go with us?” Ian asked. “Cassie thought of it,” he added. “As sort of an apology for what happened last night.”
Cassie’s face fell a little. She looked genuinely remorseful. “Yes. Ian told me about you two afterwards. I’m sorry I acted the way I did. You see, before you, Ian was always with one floozy or the other. I can’t tell you how many countless times I’ve caught him. I thought you were just another one of them, and I like to mess with them. That’s why I acted so dramatic. After Ian told me everything though, I felt awful. So I really wanted the opportunity to apologize in person. So will you accept my invitation?” Cassie asked.
I smiled, strained. “I would like to, but Ian…there’s something I have to tell you. Something important, really important,” I emphasized. It was better to get it over with now. Both of them were so nice, so genuine. I was tired of being the liar, the cheat. It was too much for my conscience to bear.
Ian was laughing at some joke Cassie had cracked. He had hardly even heard me.
“Ian,” I said again. “Did you hear me?”
Ian looked up. “Huh? Yeah. Important. Something. What’s so important? Spill the beans.”
“I’ve got a million on she’s got a husband,” Cassie said with a smile.
Ian rolled his eyes. “Shut up, no she doesn’t.” He paused for a moment. “Do you?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, of course not. Just, never mind, it can wait.” I couldn’t do it. He was just so happy. How could I destroy his world like that? I loved him. I would do it, I promised myself. I would wait though, wait for the proper opportunity.
“So will you accept Cassie’s invitation? It would mean a lot to her. Plus, I’ve got some great news I want to announce at dinner. I think you’ll like it,” Ian said with a wink.
I smiled. Ignorance was bliss and only fools fall in love. “Sounds lovely,” I said, stuffing the schematic from the Genesis Drive further down into my purse.
* * *
Renly chuckled to himself.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
Renly shrugged. “Nothing. I’m just amazed really.”
“About what?”
“At the way the wealthy live, at life in general. I mean, think about it. The day before you probably wanted to strangle that woman, and the next day, you’re going out to dinner with her, the best of friends.” Renly laughed and shook his head. “What a world.”
“You don’t know the half of it. By the end of the night, we were more than just friends. More like friends with benefits,” I said, a nefarious smirk blooming.
Renly’s face looked warm again. “But why would you do that? Why would you help consummate a marriage that nobody wanted, including you? It could have been annulled had you not done that.”
“We didn’t consummate the marriage. But we did all have sex together,” I said.
“Well how does that make any sense?” Renly asked.
I reached for the little black diary. “Here, the diary can tell it better than I can,” I said, and flipped it open.
Entry #19
The dress was exquisite, as exquisite as the restaurant itself. Cassandra had given the dress to me as a gift. It was a dark burgundy, a color as rich as aged wine. The material was satin, and it clung to my curves flawlessly. Cassandra was next to me, with a little black dress of her own. The black color made her skin practically glow in the candlelight at our table. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Some strange cocktail of emotions filled me when I looked at her. First came envy, then admiration, then joy. She had great taste, and conducted herself in such a way that I couldn’t help but be entranced. She was graceful, yet not snobby, down to earth, but poised. There was another feeling she filled me with, one I couldn’t even openly admit to myself. The feeling was arousal.
It wasn’t a carnal lust, not the kind I had for Ian. It was different, more decadent. I drank the sight of her in like the red wine I sipped at our table. The wine filled me with warmth, and so did her emerald eyes and grinning lips. She was intriguing, and so were these new feelings. I had experimented in college, but who hadn’t? This was different, though. In college I had just been drunk out of my mind, and just as horny. I probably would have humped my desk had I been left alone with it for too long. This though, was something more mature, more sophisticated. I felt confused, flustered, but every time I tried to stifle the feeling, it would only rise up, stronger than before.
The setting in the restaurant was perfect as well. A great chandelier hung in the center, lit entirely by scented candles .It must have cost a fortune to keep them burning like that all day, but judging by the price of the beef Wellington I ordered, something told me they weren’t too worried about the expense. After tasting the Wellington though, I thought it was worth every penny. The succulence of it, mixing with the bitter twang of the wine and the low lighting of the restaurant, all of it was enchanting. I felt like Cinderella, only better, because I didn’t have to look for my prince, I had already found him. Briefly though, I was reminded of Cinderella’s time limit. Midnight, that was when everything would come undone. That’s when I thought of Logan, that ticking time bomb. I pushed the thought aside. Now simply wasn’t the time.
Ian suddenly grabbed his glass and raised it. “A toast to good food with bad people,” he said, snickering.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “He never was one for tact,” she whispered to me. I laughed. “How about a toast to good health and prosperity. You know the homeless population has increased lately, as has the unemployment rate. We should count ourselves blessed that we lead the lives we do. So our toast should be to them, along with our thoughts and prayers,” Cassie said.
Ian rolled his eyes. “Well as nourishing as thoughts and prayers are, I am well aware of the issue, and have already donated $250,000 to local soup kitchens and churches in the community. How much have you donated, Cassie, other than, you know, thoughts and prayers?”
Cassie grimaced, but the scowl faded with another sip of wine. “How about Penelope then?” she asked.
“Me?” I squeaked.
“Yes. What would you like to toast to?” Cassie asked.
I thought for a moment. I had never really toasted before, other than at my Pulitzer award ceremony, and I had been prepared for that. “How about…a toast to togetherness?” I said.
Cassie wrinkled her nose. “Togetherness?”
“Yes. Just the fact that we’re all so different, and yet we can enjoy each other’s company all the same. I think it really speaks to something, like to the human spirit, or something,” I said. With every word I had grown more uncomfortable, mostly as a result of the look Cassie was giving me.
Cassie turned to Ian. “So I’ve decided,” she declared.
“Decided what?” Ian asked inadvertently. He was too busy looking at me. Those eyes I recognized, burning steady with desire.
“I’ve decided that I like her,” Cassie said.
Ian laughed. “Me too.”<
br />
“Should we tell her now?” Cassie asked.
Ian shrugged. “There won’t ever be a better time.”
“Oh right,” I said. I had completely forgotten about the announcement. “What is this thing you just had to tell me?”
Ian was grinning. “It’s official, Cassandra Payne is now Cassandra Brook,” Ian said.
I blinked vacantly, the thought not registering. Then it circled back and hit me like a semi-truck. I nearly spat out the wine I was drinking. “W-w-what?” I said.
Cassandra was smiling too. “Well given the situation, Ian and I thought it would be for the best,” Cassie said.
“You mean, you two...” I could hardly believe it.
“Yes! We got our marriage annulled,” Ian said, his eyes sparkling.
My heart sang in my chest, the warmth radiating to my extremities. “You didn’t have to, shouldn’t have, not…not for me,” I said, tears welling in my eyes.
“Well it wasn’t just for you, not entirely,” Ian admitted, looking at Cassie. “It was for us as well. You see, Penelope, Cassie and I have done everything we’ve been told for our entire lives. We’ve always obeyed without question. But today, tonight, this is the first time we’ve ever made a stand, done something that was right for us, not for everyone else.” Ian said.
Cassie nodded. “Yes. And we owe it all to you,” she said.
“Me?” I asked. “This must be some kind of mistake. I didn’t do anything.”
“You taught me what’s important, Penelope. You taught me that imperfection is okay. You showed me, well, us, that you don’t just have to be honest with others, but yourself too,” Ian said, his eyes filled with joy, with warmth.
I was crying now. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. “I don’t know what to say,” I croaked. It was true, my mind was blank. I was just so happy, so utterly, blissfully, idiotically happy.
The rest of the evening was a blur of laughter and wine. It was a celebration really, a liberation, both for Cassie and Ian, and myself. They freed themselves from their matrimonial bonds, and I freed myself from my duties, whatever they may have been. The night was one of innocence. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that it wouldn’t last, but that did not matter. I would cross that bridge when it came time to do so. Until then though, why not enjoy it?
Rich Man's Deception: Complete Boxed Set Bundle: Billionaire Boss / Corporate Espionage Romance Page 11
