by Mona Moore
Sweat began to trickle down the curve of her spine through her clothing. Frank was not someone she wanted to face right now. Scarlett had always imagined that the next time she saw him, she would be happily engaged or married to someone else; the ultimate Fuck You to her cheating ex. This, however, this was not what Scarlett wanted or needed at all. She closed her eyes momentarily, pinching the bridge of her nose. Taking deep, cleansing breaths, she waited until her breathing slowed and she had regained some of her composure before turning to the receptionist.
She was about to tell the young desk clerk to just send him away and make an excuse, but her boss George came by and noticed Frank was standing outside the office as well.
“Is that Frank?” He whispered, looking much more excited than anyone should be to see someone’s ex there to visit them at work. “What’s he doing here?”
Scarlett shrugged. “I really don’t have the slightest clue, George. There’s quite frankly no reason for him to be here. The divorce has been final for a while now, and I’m finally moving on.”
Frustration was bubbling into her tone. It wasn’t a tone she normally took with the hands that fed her, but Frank tended to have that effect on her. Scarlett was ashamed, and she wished she was anywhere but where she was standing. This was bullshit, pure and simple. What right did Frank think he had to poke his head back into her life now?
“Well, you never know, Scarlett,” George offered with a tight smile. “He might be sorry and want you back. You could do great things by starting over. You’ve seen it a hundred times in this line of work. If not, forgiveness is quite therapeutic in the long run.”
The receptionist nodded with a smile on her face. Scarlett wanted to slap the both of them, but instead, she sighed, defeated by their opinions. With a quiet confidence she had slowly regained since meeting Charles, she strode assuredly and purposefully towards where Frank was lurking in the hall.
“I’m working, Frank.” Scarlett clipped, sounding firm.
If she was going to do this, she was going to present herself as a strong woman who wasn’t going to take shit from anyone. Frank had nerves of steel to waltz back into her life without any warning. She was sure he wanted something, but she couldn’t figure out what it could be. Had he forgotten something when he left? Was there something more he wanted out of the divorce? There was no other reason for him to make himself present. Pursing her lips in irritation, she eyed him poker-faced, urging him to get on with it.
“Don’t look at me like that, Scar. I just want to talk to you.” Frank urged, his brown eyes holding hers for a split-second longer than she would have liked. “Do you have a minute?”
The office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Scarlett looked back and saw that half the employees there were discreetly watching them. A reunion with Frank wouldn’t happen here, it couldn’t, especially not with half the office knowing he’d cheated on her with his slutty secretary.
“Let’s go downstairs to the lobby,” Scarlett grumbled, feeling all eyes on her back. “I don’t have long, though. I can’t believe you had the audacity to show up here.”
Scarlett gripped his arm a little rougher than she should have and led him to the elevator. The doors slid shut behind them, and they rode down in silence, much like most of their marriage. The air that hung between them was awkward and cumbersome. Scarlett could feel it in the heaviness of the breathing in her chest. She kept eyeballing the chocolates Frank had tucked under his arm. Were they even for her? They were her favorite. For all, she knew he was back to his same old games again.
“I got these for you. I know you love this brand,” Frank finally said, handing them over to her as if he was presenting her with the crown jewels. They found a seat in the lobby away from prying eyes.
Looking down at them, not wanting to meet his eyes, she touched the glossy red lid with the tips of her fingers as a memory flooded her. It was their first year married, and Frank had come home early from work with these tucked under his arm. They’d spent the night eating through the box and laughing. She sighed. There was a scared little part of her that was worried if she listened too hard or looked too deeply into his eyes, she’d be pulled back into another marital failure with this man.
“Why are you here, Frank?” She asked quietly, folding her hands in her lap.
He was staring at her as though seeing her for the first time, but Scarlett didn’t dare look up. She could feel his eyes boring into her skull and wished Charles was there with her for moral support. The only thing she could do was keep reminding herself that Frank was exactly what her mother had said he was; an asshole. They don’t change. They just get uglier with time.
“You know, I had this speech worked out and ready, and now I’m all sweaty and tongue-tied. I don’t even know where to begin. You always had a way of doing this to me.” He chuckled nervously.
Suspicion crept into the back of her mind. There wasn’t an ounce of her that was believing a word Frank had to say. He was a liar and always would be. A little voice inside her – that sounded suspiciously like Charles - told her to be respectful and to just listen to what he had to say. When he was done, she would send him on his way.
“I guess I’m here because I was wrong and I know that now,” Frank said, looking up at Scarlett with eyes that spoke of their first year together. She was suddenly caught off guard.
“What exactly were you wrong about, Frank?” Scarlett snapped, meeting his gaze with daggers.
Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she stared at her ex-husband rigidly. She wanted to see through his intentions or the trap he might be laying out for her. That was what their marriage felt like now; a trap. Scarlett considered herself a smart woman, but Frank always somehow filled her with doubt, made her feel stupid. It was how they stayed married for so long.
“I shouldn’t have taken my problems, or our problems, outside of the marriage like that.” He seemed to be thoughtfully choosing his words as he continued. “I should have tried to work it out with you and get counseling. You’re a long-term woman, Scar; the kind that was there to stick it out despite our troubles. You should have come first for me.”
Scarlett found herself nodding and agreeing with that. Had she not caught him fucking his secretary in the sacred space of their bed, she probably would still be married to him. It was a sad, hard truth Scarlett was only now facing. It wasn’t so much that she had loved him with the burning intensity of something age old, but rather that she had loved him just – enough. All Frank seemed to be doing though was stating the obvious bits of their relationship she already knew. He wasn’t repentant. He was lonely. The truth of it hit her like a ton of bricks. She was his last resort; she always would be.
“I didn’t even know anything was wrong, Frank.” Scarlett hissed. “That was the worst part of it. I had no idea we needed help until I walked in on you banging someone else into our headboard.”
“Scar – “
She bristled at the nickname he kept repeating like the familiarity of it could lure her back. Holding up a hand to shut him up, she pinned him with a look that told him if he spewed one more ounce of bullshit he’d regret it. If looks could kill, she’d have been rid of Frank right then and there.
“Stop right where you are, Frank. If you had wanted to fix things then, you would have. You just wanted someone on the side to keep you entertained. An easy fuck, if you will.” She spat the words from between gritted teeth, keeping her voice low enough to not share their conversation with those in the vicinity.
“That’s not true, Scarlett. I know you won’t believe me, but it’s not.” He insisted, reaching for her hand. “I want you to know that my secretary and I broke up, and I let her go.”
Scarlett tried not to roll her eyes. Something in the way her gut lurched told her that Frank might not have been the one to do the leaving in that scenario. He gripped her hand tightly, and all Scarlett wanted to do was yank her hand away and smack him in the face with it. She was furious Fra
nk had even made himself present after all this time, especially now when things were finally falling into place for her. He had no right to drop in unannounced and expect what? For her to take him back?
“What can I possibly do to get you to give me one more shot?” Frank begged, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. “I don’t expect a marriage; just a shot at starting over from the beginning.”
There was nothing even remotely appealing about that offer. Frank wanted what he couldn’t have anymore, that was what it all boiled down to. The chase of the forbidden. Between the images of him with other women still dancing in her head and the second chance she felt she’d been given with Charles, she just wanted to turn away and never look back. Frank was her past. She wasn’t even sure that Charles was her future, but she didn’t want to screw up the opportunity to find out.
“I’m seeing someone right now, Frank.” Scarlett would have been lying if she didn’t admit that the look of shock on his face hadn’t been satisfying. “I’ve been seeing a counselor, and he’s really helped me discover who I truly am. I admit, I was in a vulnerable place before, but I’m much better now. I have to take the time to figure myself out.”
Frank nodded, the shock still apparent on his face. There were no more protests, however. Without another word on the matter, he stood up and leaned in, placing a kiss on Scarlett’s cheek before walking out of the building. She sat there momentarily wondering where this sudden clarity of mind had come from. Perhaps the few sessions she’d had with Charles before their relationship became physical had done some good. Or, maybe she was absolutely, without a doubt in her mind, falling in love with Dr. Feelgood.
Scarlett was left with a heart full of questions and a box full of chocolates.
CHAPTER THREE
There was never a time more than now that she needed to talk to someone about Frank showing back up in her life and how she’d handled it like a pro. She needed to share that success with someone, and she couldn’t think of anyone else to do that with besides Charles. Sitting in that bleached waiting room, devoid of color, she stared off into the painting of the wave, almost imagining it was moving. She was sure Dawn would look up at any moment and tell her that Charles was either unavailable or with an ‘emergency’ patient and could not see her.
It had become such a familiar routine, Scarlett never expected to see Charles in the setting of his vast, white office again. When the door to his office opened, it was an understatement to say she was surprised. He stepped out and looked right at her, appearing not unlike the man she first met so many weeks ago. The black polo shirt clung to his biceps and chest, and the pair of faded blue jeans hugged his thighs perfectly. Her eyes fell to his feet and her mouth lifted at the corner in amusement. Still barefoot.
“Scarlett McMillan,” he called out into the office as if calling on any other patient.
He was certainly adept at keeping his composure while at work. It was something Scarlett held him in high esteem for. That calm centeredness he exuded was like a drug. It put anyone in his presence at ease. Though she’d found herself mumbling about Frank’s boldness all the way to Charles’ office, she instantly felt calmer when she laid eyes on Charles. There was a lot to be said for the effect he had on her.
Scarlett stood up and casually walked through the door and into Charles’s office, trying to match his calm and nonchalance. She was supposed to just be a patient to him after all and sometimes it was hard to hide the attraction she felt for him. Especially on days like today when he looked as mouth-wateringly delicious as he did in those jeans. Considering she knew what lay beneath them, it was a feat in and of itself!
As soon as the door closed, Scarlett’s skin pricked at the thought he would pounce on her like he had the last time she had gone in there. Instead, she found herself standing there awkwardly in the middle of the room as he sat in his seat with his notes as qualified and solemn as the first time she’d strolled through his door. Without a word or so much as a glance in her direction, he stuck out his hand, inviting her to sit on the couch. A familiar anger welled up in her along with her frustrating attraction to him.
“So, how have things been going for you lately, Scarlett?”
Charles’ tone reeked of professionalism. Scarlett was left speechless and had to unscramble her brain before being able to answer.
“I’ve been okay, I guess. Under a lot of stress,” she replied, unsure whether or not to play his little mind games. Was he being watched by someone or was he trying to get back to his usual self? The brief notion that perhaps this was his way of breaking it off with her flashed quickly through her mind and just as quickly receded. Scarlett had no way of knowing.
“Does this stress have anything to do with the fact that your ex-husband showed up at your place of work?” His tone was accusatory.
Scarlett’s mouth nearly hung open in shock, but she caught herself quickly. How the hell did he know that? Did he have people watching her? Was he watching her? Regaining her composure, Scarlett arched a brow at Charles and pursed her lips as though she’d just sucked on a tart lemon. With narrowed eyes, she lifted her chin and let out a stream of hot air through her nostrils. She did not like the direction their conversation was heading in.
“I’m not sure that’s relevant,” Scarlett bristled, despite that being the exact reason she’d come to Charles in the first place. She could feel anger boiling to the surface. “Do you think it’s relevant Dr. Winters? Can you consider any reason why I might be stressed aside from my deranged and cheating ex-husband showing up at my place of business to ‘work things out’?”
“Were you even going to tell me, Scarlett? After all, you’d think it would be my right to know whether I’m sharing you with another man.” Charles ground his teeth together in anger.
The pure hatred that coated Charles’ words like acrid smoke stung Scarlett. She couldn’t quite tell if it was aimed at her or Frank.
“How long has this been going on?” Charles snapped.
There had been times when Charles had confused her with his Jekyll and Hyde persona, but Scarlett had never found herself frightened by him before. Right now, he was furious. So furious in fact, it was practically steaming off of his body in waves. Scarlett had never seen him like this. The calm exterior had cracked, and the beast's fingers were finally clawing through.
For a man who had said he couldn’t love her but loved fucking her only a few short weeks ago, the jealous boyfriend act should have been wearing her thin. Scarlett wished she could have been upset, but ironically enough, it turned her on more than ever. He’d always made it clear that they were only ‘having sex’ and nothing more. Today, however, ‘nothing more’ seemed a mile away. She didn’t know what Charles would do if she said the wrong thing. She had to find the right words or face the unknown. Perhaps this was the breakthrough she had been waiting for or the breaking point.
“He showed up yesterday at the office, out of the blue. It was the first and only time since our divorce that I’ve seen him in person.” Scarlett shrugged before turning soft eyes to him. “Why does it matter to you, Charles?”
Charles took deep, calming breaths until the beast’s fingers receded into the cracks. He tangled his fingers together over her file on his desk and gazed momentarily out the floor to ceiling length windows. A muscle ticked in his jaw before he finally turned his eyes back to her.
“It matters because you’re mine now, Scarlett.” He murmured, surprising her for an instant. “Just because we aren’t in love or a couple doesn’t mean I want to share with anyone else.”
“But – “
“You should have turned him away immediately,” Charles’ voice was stern, and Scarlett’s back went up. He smiled tightly. “And I certainly shouldn’t have had to hear it from your bosses when they called me out of concern for your welfare. You should have told me. I am not happy with this, Scarlett.”
So that was how he’d known! This was not the way she had envisioned their meeting go
ing. There was a glint in his eye that told her he might be ready to kick her out of his office for good this time, never contacting her or seeing her again. That was the last thing she wanted to happen. Yet, the way his eyes were traveling across her face and over her body told her differently.
“Do you still want to continue what we have, Scarlett?” Charles whispered, licking his lips as his eyes settled on her mouth.
Scarlett’s eyes went wide. How could Charles think that just because she’d accepted a meeting with Frank that she was ready to end things with him so suddenly? The ridiculousness of it! It was the absolute opposite of that. More than anything now, regardless of Frank’s attempt to weasel his way back into her life, she had never wanted Charles more. There was too much between them that hadn’t been answered yet. Scarlett had a sense of something more growing, despite Charles’ claims that it was nothing more than physical.
That was when she looked at him. Actually looked at him.
He needed her. The beast that was clawing its way to the surface wasn’t something to fear, but to behold. It was Charles’ true self, trying to break free of the cage he’d locked it in since his wife died. Charles had pushed it down for fear that he had been the reason she’d taken her own life. Scarlett was his lifeline. He needed her to keep dragging him out of the hole he’d dug himself.
“Of course, I do,” Scarlett whispered, her eyes sad as she glimpsed for the first time who Charles really was; A man of uncontainable passion who feared to show the world who he truly was. “How could you even ask such a thing? You know how I feel about you, Charles.”
