A Masquerade Affair

by Elin Magdelene

  Vivi looked out the window as the jet landed and realized this was not an ordinary airport because for one thing the houses appeared closer than they normally would be. The plane taxied to a stop in the back yard of a house. It was night time when they arrived but there was no doubt the house was something akin to a mansion.

  It would be an understatement to say it was a great flight. She was given state of the art royal treatment during the flight. The meal was as delicious as any dinner a renowned chef would prepare. She had only had time to grab a quick sandwich on her way home to get ready for the trip so she was glad for the dinner offered.

  She thanked the crew and chatted with them as she exited the plane. They had been so kind to her, and she wanted them to know that.

  “We look forward to seeing you on board the bird again, Ms. Whitman,” the flight attendant told her.

  She smiled not sure if she would have that opportunity again. Hopefully if she continued working with the company, there might be a slight chance of that but she wouldn’t bet on that.

  She could hear voices and footsteps as she went down the stairs but she kept her eyes on the flight of stairs. She had to maintain her cool.

  What was taking her so long to exit the jet? Richard wondered. He had waited patiently for hours so he could wait no longer. He stood at the end of the stairs and was about to go up when he saw her exiting the plane.

  He stood watching her come down the stairs when all he wanted was to walk up the stairs and kiss her passionately. As he’d expected, her hair was pulled back in a bun. Contrary to what he’d told her, he wanted it up because he would take great pleasure in letting it loose. She was wearing a pair of skinny blue jeans with yellow top and a leather jacket.

  When she reached the foot of the stairs, his arms encircled her as he captured her mouth. It didn’t matter that there could be a journalist with a long range zoom camera lens loitering nearby, or that they were surrounded by his team of security.

  Why did she feel like she’d come home? Like she never wanted to be away from him again? Like she could count on him and he’d never let her down?

  She snuggled closer and felt the charm on her necklace rub against her breast. It always reminded her that she had let someone down. That she had given up the most precious gift she’d ever had. Yet, it was the most courageous action she’d ever taken.

  She let him go and pulled out of his arms, as guilt overwhelmed her. She’d carried that charm around her neck for the past years. It was proof that she had a past which she could never let go. Would Richard embrace that past if she told him?

  There it was again the withdrawal he seemed to notice. What was it this time? Was it because she remembered that they were still on the airstrip?

  “You’re right, we need privacy.”

  He held her hand as he led her through the gates into his mansion.

  “How was your trip? Was the service provided, by the crew, to your liking?”

  “Actually, they went out of the way to ensure that I was comfortable. I feel like I was pampered.”

  “That was the instruction they were given. You will be indulged in every way imaginable while you’re here.”

  They had reached the door and he stood facing her. He tucked back a strand of her hair blown by the wind then he pushed open the door to what she thought was a modern day version of a castle.

  Polished marble floors welcomed them revealing a dramatic s-shaped staircase. She was surprised to see members of his staff lined up at the bottom of the stairs so she missed the stunned expression on the face of Richard who was totally unaware of their staged welcome.

  One of the staff walked over to her and presented her with a bouquet of flower, “Welcome to Palmridge Haven, Ms. Whitman.”

  She could hardly contain her surprise as her voice choked on the words, “Thank you so much. This is really kind of you.”

  She turned to look at Richard but he’d effectively masked his reaction. He knew without question it was the work of Matthew who was in charge of operations of the household. Mathew had been advising him lately of the importance of filling the house with kids to “liven” up the home. He made a mental note to talk to Matthew, although now he was glad that they had given her such a warm welcome.

  He introduced each of the staff and observed as she acknowledged them, making polite conversation when possible. She did not seem intimidated by the extent of his wealth. In fact she looked very comfortable in his world.

  “I will take Ms. Whitman to her room now. I’m sure she would like to freshen up for supper.”

  Vivi was not sure she could have any more food but she did need to freshen up so she did not argue when he steered her towards the stairway.

  “So, is it customary for the house staff to stage an elaborate welcome for all your female guests?”

  “That was new to me as well since you are the first female guest to have come here to Palmridge.”

  She stopped midway on the stairs to stare at him, “And you expect me to believe that?”

  “No, I don’t, but it is the honest truth. Although I was totally unaware they had planned that welcome enactment for you, I’m glad they did.”

  She walked quietly the rest of the way up the stairs. The extent of his wealth was clearly obvious in the unique elegance of his home. She was thrilled that he had not had private rendezvous with other women here at his home.

  “Here is your room Elvira,” he said opening the door to a gold themed room. “Let me know if you would prefer another view of the yard.”

  “It’s beautiful, thank you.” She noticed that someone had been there to unpack and arrange her clothes in the closet.

  He kissed her then and reached up to pull out the pins holding up her hair. Then his fingers combed through her silky hair. It was a simple task yet it gave him such pleasure. He’d never felt a woman’s hair so soft since…since he was few years younger. He stopped, and Vivi put some distance between them.

  Why was the ghost of his past still hunting him? Was it because Elvira reminded him so much of her? He wasn’t attracted to her for that reason, was he? He knew his feelings were definitely not influenced by that. He reminded himself that Spitfire was in his past and Elvira was part of his present and maybe future?

  “I will leave you alone now.”

  She nodded but as he turned to leave she asked, “Why me, Richard?”

  He knew what she meant but he wanted her to be more specific so he replied, “Because I wanted you to have the best guestroom in the house.”

  “That is not what I meant. Why am I the only woman you’ve brought here?”

  He walked back to her and rubbed both her arms in an up and down motion, “Hopefully, by the time you leave the answer to that question will be clearly obvious to us.”

  He hugged her gently then he pulled back to smile at her, “Why? Would you have preferred that I choose someone else?”

  Hazel blue eyes twinkled at him then she responded, “No, you made the right choice. You’re a smart man. You chose a woman who would not drag you to the altar first thing in the morning after seeing all of this,” she waved her hand around the room.

  He threw back his head and laughed, “I have a feeling it is a choice I will not regret, whatever happens.”

  Chapter Eight

  Vivi awakened to the sound of her phone which alerted her that she had slept through the night. Daylight was streaming through the draperies blending with the magic of the room.

  It was Emmy on the phone, “You didn’t call last night like you promised so I was checking in with you.”

  “Sorry, I fell asleep after I had a bath.”

  She looked at the time, “Emmy, can I call you back? I don’t want to keep Richard waiting considering that I didn’t show up for supper.”

  “Fine, but call me as soon as you get the chance or text me if you can’t talk.”

  As she hung up there was a tab on her door, “Vivi, is everything okay?”

  �
�Yes, I will be out shortly.”

  Richard went back to his room. He wanted to walk down with her so he’d been patiently waiting.

  Minutes later when Vivi walked out of her room, he was waiting for her in the hallway. He appeared to have been awake for hours.

  “How long have you been waiting?”

  “Since I woke up this morning,” he drawled, his eyes roaming over her and liking what he saw.

  The blush rising on her face suggested his point was well taken. “I thought you might need an escort to brunch.”

  “Thanks. Sorry I kept you waiting again. I hope you did not think I stood you up last night.”

  “How could I think that since you were sleeping under my roof? Tell me, did you have a good night rest?”

  He reached for her hand as they went down the stairs. Would she reject his touch? He hoped not because he needed the physical contact.

  She let him hold her hand, “Would I sound cheesy if I said I slept like a baby?”

  “No, since you were sleeping like a baby when I checked on you last night.”

  She realized that she had not been dreaming when she’d felt his feathery kiss on her jaw. Then he’d tucked the covers securely around her.

  She steered the conversation away by asking, “Do you have those papers so I can look over them?”

  “Later. Right now, we will eat then we can get to that.”

  They spend the afternoon in his office, going over the offer drawn up by his lawyers.

  Now, they were headed to dinner. He was driving but he still had an entourage of cars behind him.

  “Is the restaurant outside the city? We seem to be driving away from the city.”

  “Yes, we’re going few miles outside the city.”

  “How long have you had to travel with a convoy?”

  ”For probably about seven or eight years.”

  “Do you sometimes yearn for the simplicity of privacy?”

  “It’s a necessary invasion of privacy.”

  How could he tell her of the threats they had been subjected to over the past years? Or even let her know that by making this trip her safety could be at risk? He had been considering assigning a bodyguard to her but he knew she wouldn’t want him to do so. Now, he would have no choice. She would not be informed of this initially but he could not take chances on her safety.

  “So does every member of your family have bodyguards?”

  “Yes. Although, we all have varying numbers of guards based on the risk involved.”

  She noticed that they were now driving in a residential area. There were no restaurants in sight anywhere around. It was also a gated neighborhood.

  At the gate he provided the code and name of the resident he was visiting. So we are not going to a restaurant, Vivi thought.

  “Are we having dinner with your parents?”

  “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I hope you had informed me before we left your house. What if your parents are not ready to play hosts? What will they think of our impromptu visit?”

  “They are expecting us and they are looking forward to meeting you.”

  She pulled down the mirror in the car to check her makeup and to straighten out her hair. She looked down and tried to arrange her top.

  Richard parked before one of the homes then his hand covered hers where it was on her chest, “You are beautiful Vivi, and you look elegant. Stop fussing.

  He leaned over and kissed her softly. She’d let her hair down just like he preferred it.

  Coming around to the car, he helped her out gently squeezing her hand. He stopped as they neared the door to the house and his hand went around her shoulders.

  “Vivi, try to avoid arguing with mom if she misconstrues our relationship to be something more than it is, okay. She is a lawyer also and like you, she thrives on presenting a winning argument.”

  “But they know that I work for you, don’t they?

  “Yes, they do,” he responded as the door open to reveal the Mcgallan matriarch.

  “I’m so glad you could make it, Richie,” his mother said hugging him.

  “You know I’ll always make time to have some of your home cooked meal, mom.”

  “And who is this beautiful lady accompanying you,” she said as she walked over to Vivi.

  Richard was not given time to respond before Vivi was wrapped in a warm embrace.

  It had been a while since she’d had a hug from her own mom and it felt strange to be hugged by Abigail. She had Vivi longing for her mother’s hugs which had made her feel so protected as she was growing up.

  She politely extricated herself from the hug and she said, “Hello Mrs. Mcgallan.”

  Richard was not surprised by his mother’s warm greeting for Vivi. He had called her to ask if he could bring a friend over for dinner because he really wanted his parents to meet Vivi. He knew from the cars parked outside that his mother had invited the rest of the family. The only car missing was Larry’s who might be on his way or probably at work.

  “Mom, allow me to introduce Elvira, my …”

  She jumped in smoothly before he could complete his sentence, “his employee. I work in the legal department of Mcgallan Incorporated.”

  Richard watched as his mother’s interest was piqued. She wrapped her hand around Vivi’s arm as she walked towards the kitchen, gesturing to Richard to follow along.

  “So you must be a lawyer,” Abigail stated.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “How long have you been a lawyer?”

  “I have been practicing for five years but have only been with corporate offices for the past three years.”

  “And she is considered among the best if not the best in the business, mom.”

  That was from Terry who despite the compliment or rather comment he’d just made was staring at her with a guarded expression.

  “Of course, you must have met Elvira, Terry. So no introductions are necessary with you.”

  She turned to her husband and her daughter “Al, Meggie, this is Elvira, Richard’s … employee? She ended looking back and forth between the two.

  “Who happens to also be a friend,” Richard injected.

  “Now, that would make more sense Richie because you’ve never brought over a female employee or a female for that matter.”

  “Hello, Elvira,” Megan said, hugging Vivi.

  “I’m very glad to meet you, Elvira. You came at the right time,” Albert Mcgallan said to her.

  It’s very nice meeting you all,” Vivi responded.

  Albert saw Richard pick a grape from the fruit basket on the table and throw it into his mouth. Then his son leaned against the counter with arms folded. It seemed he was leaving Elvira to stand up to his mom who was sure to pursue the “friend, employee argument.”

  So Albert continued, “We are in the middle of preparing the meal. What better way to spend time as a family than preparing a meal together?”

  His mother asked, “Richie, why don’t you help Elvira to get an apron?”

  He walked to where Vivi stood and reached for her hand, “Come on Vivi, let’s get aprons and help out here.”

  Vivi went with Richard, thinking that for a wealthy family, they were seemingly normal. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected since she wasn’t even aware she’d be meeting them in this setting.

  As they passed by his mother she smiled, looking down at their entwined hands, “Um…hum, Vivi, I’ll go with the friend description so you can call me Abigail.

  Vivi was glad to get away from the Mcgallan clan for a while even if it was only few feet away.

  She stared down at Richard but he only shrugged, “I told you don’t try to argue with her. It would have been a lot simpler if you had listened to my advice but you just can’t resist the lawyer in you.”

  He lifted her hair to adjust the apron. His breath fanned her neck as he turned her around to fasten it. His hand gently brushed and lingered on her back as he tied the apron around her. He d
id not let go when he was done but stood still momentarily, “If only his family was not on the other side of the room,” he thought.

  “Abby, is it okay if I took the boys away since we are done with the tasks we were assigned?” their dad asked.

  “Yes, you may go. We can finish up here and have more ladies time to get to know Vivi.”

  Vivi and Richard had just completed the tossed salad. He wasn’t worried about leaving her alone with his mom and sister who already seemed to be getting along well with her. He looked over at her as he followed his dad and mouthed, “Text if you need me.”

  “Elvira, would you have reservations about me calling you Vivi?” Megan asked when the men were out of sight.

  “Please call me Vivi―that’s how my friends call me.”

  “So, did you meet Richard when he became your CEO?” his mother asked.

  “Actually, we met at your recent charity ball.”

  His mom smiled shrewdly, “No wonder Richard insists you are friends.”

  “I guess we are friends.”

  “Mom, are we still going to make the pineapple upside down cake?” Megan asked, thinking her mom may have forgotten about that.

  “I think we have enough disserts. Richard won’t mind missing out on that for today.”

  “Missing out on what?” Vivi, asked.

  “Pineapple upside down cake is Richard’s favorite dessert,” Megan explained.

  “If you have the ingredients, I could make it quickly,” Vivi replied, unable to resist the urge to bake the cake for him.

  The two other women looked at each other knowingly and laughed.

  “What?” She smiled. “I don’t want him to be disappointed when I can whip up a pan of cake easily. Besides you both have your hands full and I am just standing here.”

  “Right…,” Megan teased, sliding a tray of the cookies in the oven and beckoning Vivi to follow her.

  Soon they had the ingredients she needed for the pineapple upside down cake and she began to prepare it.