by Rosemary Rey
Matt tried to contain his anger with me. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?” He laughed, but behind his laughter was disgust and derision. “You’re not supposed to keep any of this. You’re supposed to marry me and we live happily ever after. And now you come here and tell me you’re keeping my shares.”
“The shares are no longer yours. They’re mine. You gave me a very legal document expressing your gift to me I get to keep the shares unless we marry. I chose not to marry you. They’re mine. If you try to battle me for the shares, I will sue you for them. And in that event, I will sue you for the rest of your fortune, and maybe even include those of your medical practice as a penalty.” Matt made a motion to leap from his chair toward me. I didn’t flinch or recoil. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. He was angry and humiliated. I’d been in the same position days ago. I felt like a mountain, resolute and strong where I sat planted in my seat. Zipper held him back with a strong arm at Matt’s chest, keeping him from moving any closer.
I turned to Turner, “I expect them to provide documentation necessary to make me the designee of the Pentagon shares by no later than the end of the business day today.” I said firmly. I stood from the chair. I gave him a kiss on the cheek. Turner didn’t stand as was his custom. “I’ll talk to you and Carson later, Turner.”
“Where the fuck are you going?” Matt yelled out. He’d never spoken so cruelly to me. I knew it was deserved in context of my rejection.
“To work for now . . . until I get those shares, I still have to go to my menial job.” I walked toward the door.
“Oh, Attorney Zipperer.” I turned around to make eye contact with Zipper. When he looked me in the eyes, I sternly said, “I would like to know the time and the place of your next Pentagon board meeting? I need to talk to the rest of the men. You have my number, and I want contact information of each of the Pentagon men.” I gave a curt nod and he returned it.
I left Turner seated and stunned. Matt stood fuming. Zipper was confounded with my turnabout. I never thought that I, poor, little Perla Mercurio could ever bring a man to his knees.
*****
I was naïve to think Matt would remain in the conference room as I walked away from him with his business. He caught up to me at the elevators, after I’d pressed the button.
“I can’t believe you’re actually doing this.” Matt said as he approached me. His voice quivered, deeper than his normal register. The elevator arrived and I thought I would have a chance to escape. He rushed toward me and grabbed me by the arm before I could take a step into the lift. The elevator was filled with people. Matt pulled me away, and my hopes to run away were dashed by the closing stainless steel doors.
“There is nothing to talk about. You gave me options, and I chose the best one for me.” I said. My heart beat surged in my chest.
“You’re choosing my fortune instead of me? What about the other night?” He asked in distress. His eyes searching mine for some glimmer of the truth. I gave him a steely glare.
“We each got what we wanted. Think of it as a ‘goodbye’ fuck.” He winced, releasing the grip he had on my arm. The bitch in me took over. I knew I’d thrown a verbal punch below the belt where it hurt the most. My indifference was the only way I could keep myself from changing my mind and signing the prenup. There was too much at risk. Our reputations and dignity were at stake and I had to be the one to protect us both. And I refused to be the one to tell him his good friend was stabbing him in the back without further evidence as to why Brady turned against Matt.
“So it was some sort of pity fuck?” He asked, backing away from me. I held back the cringe bubbling at the surface. I refused to let his words corrode my defenses. Despite wanting to reach out to him and feel his touch one last time, I remained still in my spot.
“Matt. It would’ve been better if you’d left me alone. I didn’t ask for you to give me anything, and you shouldn’t have thought less of me as to think I would just drop everything and marry you because you gave me your money. I thought long and hard about this. I will never be able to forget about what you and the other men did to me. I deserve restitution, and you gave it to me. I’m moving on, and so should you.” My words must have stung because he took a step backwards. He walked away and stopped.
I pressed the elevator, praying it would arrive before he thought to return to my side. “You can take it all. Without you, it means nothing.” He said assuredly. “It was all for nothing.” He trailed off. As I held my breath, I watched him walk away. My heart broke at his resignation. For a split second, I wondered if I’d made the right decision.
The elevator chime awoke me from the spell he cast with his parting words. I entered the elevator and walked away from the dreams of the last few months. However, a nagging feeling entered me once I entered the lift, the nightmare may have just started.
*****
Carson called me. “What the hell did you do, Perla?” He asked with annoyance. “Turner’s angry you never revealed your intentions.” I could hear him pacing and slapping his thighs. He must’ve been outdoors because I could hear the wind through the cell phone reception.
“You ambushed all of them. All the hours and expense to get the prenuptial just right, not to mention Turner’s reputation as a respectable lawyer, were wasted when in one fell swoop, you rejected it all and chose the one thing you claimed you never wanted; a connection to Pentagon.” He accused.
“I’m sorry Carson. I never meant to disappoint and hurt Turner, much less you.”
“Then why?”
“I decided I needed to do what was best for me. In the grand scheme of things, it was best for Matt too.” I heard Carson suck his tongue, and I sensed he must’ve rolled his eyes, as well. I couldn’t tell him I was being blackmailed with a sex tape of me and Matt, which caused my change of mind.
“I apologize. I will pay Turner handsomely for his help with the negotiations and for ensuring I get the shares.”
“Perla, I don’t care about that. Well, you better pay Turner. But I’m worried about you. Do you think these men will allow you to keep those shares? If they got you to lose your job at Parisi and end your marriage to Ben then take Liberty, what do you think they’d do to you now that you’ve kept the Pentagon shares?” He had a point, but I wasn’t going to make Carson privy to my ultimate decision about the stock.
“I’ll be fine. Carson, I have to go. I’m at work. I’ll give you more details soon.”
“Are you still going dancing with us on Saturday?” I had forgotten about my plans to go dancing to forget about Matt made before we reconciled, needing it most after breaking up with him again.
“If you two will have me, sure.” I offered meekly.
“Sweetie, of course, we want you to go. See you Saturday.” I assured him I would arrive at the club. We hung up after my answer.
Within the hour, Chelsea knocked on my office door. I really didn’t want to have to discuss it with her. “How’d it go?”
“Umm. As well as it could go.” I responded.
“Oh, really? Carson told me everything. He called me first because you’d pissed so many people off by your actions.”
“Sue me.” I said sarcastically.
She frowned, clearly unamused. She sat down. “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?” I asked coyly.
“Stop the bullshit, Perla. You were going to marry Matt. You were ready to sign on the dotted line. Everyone was rallying behind you and hoping for the best. And then you pull this shit in the last minute. What happened?”
“Nothing happened. I came to a decision. I didn’t want to be in this marriage and I deserve the shares as a consolation prize for his behavior.”
“Don’t you love him?”
“It’s not a matter of love. It’s a matter of me getting what is mine. I own his shares. It’s my business.” Hoping she’d get the literal meaning.
“They’re not going to accept this or you, Perla. You’ve started a war.” I grimace
d and rolled my eyes.
“I didn’t.” I said.
“If you think those men are going to accept you’re keeping those stocks, you’re delusional.” She shouted.
“I’m not going to keep the stocks.”
“What do you mean you’re not going to keep the stocks?” She looked at me warily. I took a moment to respond.
“I’m going to get what I need from those stocks and then I’m done with Pentagon.” I revealed.
“I hope you’ve thought this through. You sound sure, but have you had enough time to really think about this whole situation?” She stood up from the chair and walked toward the door. “Good luck.” She said annoyed.
I was conflicted by her disappointment, but this was my battle to be fought. She had no understanding of all I’d been through, and part of me blamed her for letting him take me to his home. The one night stand turned into a clusterfuck I needed to rein in.
The rest of my day was a blur. I went home and ate a quiet dinner alone. The lament of being alone for the rest of my life was disconcerting. I received a text message from Kevin Zipperer, which alerted me to an emergency meeting at Quario’s Trattoria on Saturday evening. All the men would be there. I assumed it was due to my keeping the shares. He’d have to explain himself to the group. It was necessary for him to hear me address the group.
My time would be quick, and I would make my point and leave. I responded with a request for each man’s cell phone number, within a few minutes, Zipper responded with the final three men’s cell phone number. I’d already had Brady’s number, but Zipper didn’t need to know that . I put my cell phone down and made the decision to go to bed.
I prepped for bedtime and took a melatonin pill to fall asleep. I’d lost two days of full night’s sleep because of this mess. I had to be on my game to meet with the Pentagon men.
*****
I slept in on Saturday morning. The lack of sleep from the last couple of days took its toll, and the melatonin helped me sleep throughout the night. After freshening up from a deep sleep, I made myself some brunch. I decided I needed to go for a walk to burn off some energy before tonight’s encounter. I walked around the Naval Yard. I’d always dreamed of buying a condo at the Yard with a view of the water. A two bedroom apartment with a balcony was a dream, and would remain a dream until I figured out my reality. The walk gave me perspective on how to proceed with my future. I made a list of my needs and wants. My wants outnumbered my needs, and I realized I had to be pragmatic about my true needs. I couldn’t get greedy. Despite Brady’s generous offer, I knew my loss was priceless.
When I returned home from my long walk, I spent the late afternoon preparing for the evening’s events when I would meet the Pentagon men. My outfit had to be professional enough to mean business when speaking to them, and flirty for dancing with Carson and Turner.
*****
Wearing a little black dress, peep toe red heels, and dramatic red lipstick, I stepped into Quario’s for the meeting with the Pentagon group. I pulled my long, curly tresses to lay in front of my shoulders. I needed a veil to protect me from the encounter I was about to have with the Pentagon men I wanted nothing to do with. Zipper assured me all the men would be there, which meant I had to confront Matt once again. Their meeting would discuss Matt’s gift to me of his shares. It would be his last official Pentagon meeting with him as a board member.
I had to bury my fears and heart ache caused by my forced rejection of Matt’s offer of marriage. Matt’s look of shock and heart break along with his words of defeat still haunted me. He didn’t believe me when I told him I wasn’t going to marry him, keeping the fortune rather than have his love. Now, I had to pretend, in front of his friends I was the gold digger Brady branded me to be. Worst of all, I had to encounter Brady. I never wanted to be in the same room with him again.
The hostess led me to a room toward the left of the restaurant, which was enclosed by a wooden paneled wall of windows. I could see the men sitting at a table inside. She opened one of the double doors and allowed me entry. One by one, each man stopped speaking once they saw me enter the room. Matt stood up and walked toward me. The anger was evident on his face. It was obvious he wasn’t warned I’d show up tonight. His eyes narrowed at me, and glared with a coldness which caused me to shiver. My mother called ‘shivers’, ‘la muerte pequeña’, meaning the ‘little death’, which was quite appropriate.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He asked. I felt gutted by his tone. The anger in his face was frightening. I used his anger as fuel to be strong enough to proceed.
I put on a brave face and plastered a rigid smile. “I’m here to meet with the men of Pentagon. Isn’t that expected of me now that I’m twenty percent owner of the Pentagon shares?” I asked calmly, but my heart raced and my insides churned with anxiety.
“No. You were expected to be here as my fiancée, but you’re not and you’re not welcome at our dinner. Please leave.” He grabbed my arm, pulling me away. I jerked my arm away, and he released his grip.
“I’m not going anywhere, Matt. If you’re uncomfortable with me being here, then maybe you should leave for the brief time I’m here to talk to my partners. Since you have nothing to do with the corporation anymore, you’re not needed here.” He flinched as my mouth went dry with my caustic words, but I couldn’t let up in my indifference toward him. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I had no way to turn.
I walked to stand beside Zipper, who remained seated. I looked around the room and noted the women were not around. I wasn’t sure if they were at the restaurant at all. My courage to confront the men remained intact without having to deal with the catty bitches.
“Gentlemen, I don’t mean to interrupt your last official business meeting with Matt in attendance. I’m sure it’s a bitter sweet moment to see the testosterone filled empire you’ve built together be infiltrated by a woman, but I assure you, I have every intention of continuing the hard work and stealthy acts Matt did when he was shareholder.” I heard clearing of a throat, coughing, some rustling of utensils on the table, and shifting of feet.
“I’m sure Matt has told you I’ve rejected his marriage proposal and plan on keeping the Pentagon shares he gave me. I have no intention of relinquishing my shares at all.” I looked straight into Brady’s eyes. I pulled out my cell phone and clicked around. The smart phone of each man around the oval table chimed or beeped, signaling a new text message.
“I’ve sent you all a message. Go ahead, open it. I’ll wait.” Each man reached to grab his phone, either from his side or on the table. I watched as they manipulated their fingers to open up the message. The noises from the video were staggered, almost like an echo. The sounds of me and Matt’s lovemaking filled the air. Internally, I cringed. I knew I dishonored Matt by keeping his shares, but mostly, I put our private moment out to others who should never have seen it.
It was one thing that Brady brought this to me, but it was another thing for me to share it with the rest of his group. Matt claimed to be in love with me, and if I was the woman he wanted to marry, he wouldn’t want anyone to see us in a compromising position. However, I needed to intercept Brady from putting the video out first. The men shifted uncomfortably in their seats as they watched a few moments of me and Matt in the throes of passion. Zipper slammed his phone on the table. I heard Matt spill an errant ‘shit’ as he stood behind me.
“I have this video poised to hit an internet news site at any point I feel I’m being excluded or ousted from my rightful place in this company. I’ll give an exclusive interview on Pentagon and how it uses women, destroys them, all in the name of ‘business’.” I looked around to see the reaction of the men. Each were in various stages of astonishment; looking between one another, looking at me, and looking at Matt. I couldn’t see Matt’s face because he stood behind me, and I didn’t dare turn around for fear I’d lose my nerve to continue.
“I’m sure my claims will impact Pentagram’s construction. It
would be a very interesting headline, ‘Woman Turns The Tables On Corporation of Cads’. I’ll give my own personal account of how I was used and mistreated by a former shareholder who is a world renowned surgeon. My former sister-in-law’s connection to Pentagon before her untimely death would be the most compelling piece in the story. I have a few internal documents which are safely stored by my reps. It’ll back up my claims, so don’t think I haven’t thought this whole thing through. My plans are always from ‘A’ to ‘Z’.” I tried to make eye contact with each of the men, but none would look me in the eyes.
“As you saw, I’ve ensured to conceal Matt’s identity on this version in case it gets released without our consent. However, the master video I’ve given to my reps, shows his face in all its glory.” Brady looked at me with a smirk, folding his arms in front of him, reclining on the hard backed chair.
“I have no interest in releasing this video. I mean, I’ve gone so long without a sex tape scandal, and I certainly don’t want one now.” I tapped my nails on the table for emphasis.
“However, I’ve been pushed to the point I just don’t give a shit anymore. All I want is equity at every level, and if you’re truly a friend of Matt’s, you’d want to protect him from such a scandal.” I paused, allowing them time to let it sink in. I’d hoped to see something in Brady’s eyes, offering a sign he was a friend of Matt’s, but he didn’t look my way.
