The next morning I was in a pissy mood. I was still no closer to an answer as to what was going on with me. Instead of staying awake all night as I thought I would, mulling over this new hiccup, I’d dropped off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Only to awaken with the same questions nipping at my heels.
I left the house earlier than usual and went to the office, but could find no peace there. I have to get out of here. There was a company I had my eye on in Arizona, maybe I should take a few days and go out there, clear my head. I didn’t give myself time to talk myself out of the decision. I’d never let anything stop me from going after what I want in the past, I don’t see why this should be any different.
It was in my private jet on the tarmac that I remembered she was supposed to accompany to the opera that evening and there were a few other engagements that we were supposed to attend this week. I called my secretary and cancelled everything, clearing my calendar for the coming week. Then I sent a text off to Emily, letting her know that I wouldn’t be needing her for those dates after all.
I didn’t call her because I wasn’t quite ready to hear her voice yet this morning. Not until I’d had time to deal with whatever the hell was wrong with me. I did have second thoughts about doing things this way; it felt too much like running away. Something I’m not known for. But until I made sense of this, of that one moment in time when I felt a small glimmer of hope, and the disappointment that followed when she said that we should be safe, I have to distance myself.
Once in Arizona I threw myself into work. It’s what I do best, what I’ve always loved most, and this time was no different. I worked myself into the ground, as thoughts of her chased me throughout the day. I could taste her still on my tongue, and her scent seemed permanently etched on my senses.
I suspected that I knew just what was going on, had known it since the third or fourth time I’d seen her in my office. But I wasn’t ready, hadn’t felt even remotely ready to settle down with anyone. It wasn’t the settling down part that had me running scared, and yes, I admit that that’s exactly what I’m doing. It was the emotion, the raw feelings she invoked in me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a marriage based on love. In fact I’ve always found talks of love and happily ever after laughable.
So why was I now feeling that I had fallen into that trap? I’d always planned to one day settle down with some beautiful woman, have a few kids, but keep my heart safely out of it. I’ve seen what ‘love’ can do to people. My mother had loved my sperm donor her whole life. Even after he’d left her pregnant and penniless when she was more than a mere child herself.
I’d watched her over the years pine away for a man who’d done nothing but hurt her with empty promises time and again. I vowed at a very young age that I would never put myself in that position. Would never give anyone that kind of control over me. And what’s more, never be the one to put another through such pain and sorrow.
I’d entertained the idea of keeping Emily in my life because of her connections I admit, but that was because of what I thought was just an attraction to her. This did not feel like a mere attraction. Even now, miles away, when I was trying to put her out of my mind, she’s all I can think about.
EMILY
“He’s gone.”
“What? Who’s gone where?”
“Storm, look.” I held out my phone for her to read. I’d awakened this morning after the best night’s sleep since my dad died with lots of questions milling around in my head.
Last night had been… I still have no words to describe the tumultuous evening we’d shared. I was a lot more confused by my own actions than his, not least of all the fact that I hadn’t freaked when he came inside me. I knew I was safe; I’ve always been regular so there was no worry there. But I couldn’t explain the look on his face when I told him, or the slight pang of regret I felt. If I didn’t know better I would’ve thought he felt the same if only for a fleeting moment in time.
He couldn’t have been disappointed, why would he be? I’m sure I misunderstood that look that had flashed across his face. Sure the evening hadn’t ended on the warmest note, but I was so accustomed to his cool reserve that I hadn’t thought too much of it. I’d gotten carried away whenever he put his hands on me, but so what? I know many people who have done worse on first acquaintance. And though I don’t live my life that way, I wasn’t such a prude that I can’t admit that I liked everything he did to me.
So I’d slept and dreamt of him, spinning fanciful dreams of what-ifs in my head, only to awaken to his terse text. Simone was here bright and early hounding me for information about the night, before I had a chance to put things in perspective. There were so many firsts to tackle and dissect that I hardly knew where to begin. Add the fact that I was still reeling from all the newly awakened feelings and I was quite frankly a mess. And now this.
“Okay, tell me exactly what happened between you two last night.” I swallowed hard and looked from her to the phone. “What difference does it make? He’s gone and from the sounds of it, I guess whatever agreement we had is over.” Did my willingness to let him do whatever he wanted turn him off? The one time I let myself go with a man and this happens.
“I wouldn’t be so hasty, now tell me what happened.” I don’t see what she’s missing; she’d just read the same terse note I had. ‘Ms. Bronson, sorry, something came up, wouldn’t be needing you for the rest of this week. Will get in touch when I return to town.’ Sounds like a brush off to me.
I sat on the edge of my bed a little dazed and I must admit, more than a little hurt. I gave her a rough rundown of the previous night leaving out the more salacious parts of course, but I did tell her that things got a little hot and heavy without going into too much detail. I knew once I told her the name of the restaurant we’d gone to that she’d get some idea of what had transpired and she did.
“Oh, so things did get a little heavy. Okay let’s think, let’s put together all the pieces and we’ll figure out what has our boy running scared.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Running scared? More like he got what he wanted…”
“But he didn’t, you would’ve told me if you’d gone all the way, or I would’ve guessed. So something else happened and I’m thinking things got a little too intense for our boy. Oh he’s too cute.” She’s nuts.
“Listen, I don’t know what you read on that screen, but what I saw does not support anything you’re saying.”
“Listen, I know people. I know what I saw yesterday when he came to pick you up. And then there’s this.” She threw the morning paper at me. “Page six.”
I snatched the paper up and turned to the page she mentioned and got the shock of my life. “Oh my…” The picture was of me and Storm in the dark corner of the club. I was looking up at him with a look of hungry need. His face was in profile, but there was something so sexual, so heated about the shot. And I well remembered what we were doing.
“Do you think he saw this?” The headline was even worst than the picture. ‘Broke socialite, and daughter of the late Mark Bronson has found herself a new sugar daddy.’ The story went on to talk about daddy’s misdeeds and all the people he’d supposedly swindled over the years. There was very little about Storm and I, mostly speculation. Though they did remember to mention all the women he’d been linked with in the past and I have to say I didn’t necessarily match up very well to some of them. No wonder he’d pulled a runner.
“Don’t listen to that crap, what do they know? They’d write anything to sell that rag. Now let’s put our heads together and come to a sensible conclusion. The man I met last night doesn’t run from shit and I know he’s totally into you. Did you take a good look at him in that picture? The way he’s looking at you? Sheesh, I’m hot just looking at it. So do tell, just how hot and heavy did you and the delightful Mr. Storm get last night?”
My face gave me away and she howled with laughter when all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock. I stared at the picture try
ing to see what she saw. I’ll admit that from what little his angle allowed, it did look as though he were looking at me with the same hunger that was so evident on my own face. So why did he disappear this morning with a cold impersonal text?
“It doesn’t matter what the picture says, it obviously didn’t mean anything to him or he wouldn’t have left.”
“I’m telling you you’re wrong. Maybe you’re too close to the situation so you can’t see what I do. And things between you two did move kinda fast, but I’m telling you there’s something there.”
There was no putting her off, and I knew from experience that once she got like this she’s like a dog with a bone. I drowned her out while I tried to come up with a good reason for this turn of events and came back to the present when her last words penetrated.
“…So something else is going on here. Besides, he said this week, not forever.”
That’s something else about Simone; she’s an eternal optimist. “I’m not sure. I mean this was his idea and now this happens,” I flicked the newspaper with my finger, “and he disappears with a text. That sounds like someone who wants out and doesn’t want to deal with the drama of a phone call.” She rolled her eyes and joined me on the bed.
“Okay, I know a little something about that ‘restaurant’ he took you to. I have a pretty good idea what goes on there. Obviously something happened there that you’re not telling me. If you want me to help you have to tell me more and don’t leave out anything. I want sights, sounds and smells.” She was serious.
I thought long and hard about opening up to her and then even longer about why I cared. I tried telling myself that he had every right to go on his way. He didn’t owe me anything. But as much as I tried to convince myself of that, and that I didn’t care one way or the other, I couldn’t erase the lump in my throat or the pain in my heart.
I told her bits and pieces and let her draw a picture herself. She took her time mulling over my words while I kinda did the same. I went over the night with new eyes, trying to see things from his side. I know what I felt, but what about him? When I broke down and told her about our little accident she really lit up then.
“And you say he looked…disappointed?”
“I thought so, but maybe I don’t know him well enough to read him.” She wasn’t even listening to me. Just reading and rereading his text and looking back at the picture in the newspaper. Her excitement was making feel less abandoned, more hopeful. As strong as I am, being dumped like this would be hard for anyone, and it did feel like I’d been dumped, financial arrangement or not.
“You know what, this is stupid. It’s not like we meant anything to each other. Let’s just drop it. At least I got a day at the spa and a new outfit out of the whole deal.” I didn’t even sound convincing to my own ears. Of course she ignored me and carried on with her plotting.
“I know just the thing.” Oh boy, that did not sound promising. I know that tone and it only ever spells trouble. On the other hand I don’t recall a time that one of her schemes didn’t pan out. Like the website; maybe I could go back to that. Only once I’d exhausted my closet I’d have to start on mom’s, and I don’t think she was ready for that. Back to square one. Speaking of which.
“Shit, in all this mess I forgot to find out who sold me out to the tabloids.”
“Oh that was Cindy, already taken care of.”
“What, what do you mean?”
“I mean; she’s lucky she still has her damn teeth.” I turned to look at her fully.
“What did you do?”
“Oh nothing, just reminded her of a few things she’d forgotten that I knew. Nothing for you to worry about. Now let’s talk about my plan.”
She rubbed her hands together and I almost felt sorry for Storm. Simone can be very determined and once she gets something in her head it’ll take a dynahoe to get it out. “Okay what’s this plan and it better not involve me making a fool of myself.” I have to get that out there because who knows what hair brained scheme she had cooking in her head.
16
Emily
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. This has got to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.” I hid behind the curtain looking out at the room that was quickly filling up with people, my resolve waning bit by bit. I thought I could do this, but now that it was crunch time I wasn’t so sure.
“Come away from there, you’ll be fine.” Simone pricked and prodded at me until I was ready to trounce her. “I should strangle you for talking me into this. Do you think the papers need more fodder?”
“I told you to ignore them. Don’t think about any of that, just focus on Storm. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.” She might, but I’m no longer certain that I did.
For the past couple days I’ve let her lead me around, taking her advice. At first it seemed like a great plan and if all else failed at least it was for a good cause. Now I felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter. What do I know about trying to make a man like Jason Storm jealous? This whole thing could blow up in my face.
And what about whoever I ended up going to dinner with? “I could be selling myself to an ax murderer for all you know.” Oh why did I let her talk me into this?
“Oh calm down and don’t be so dramatic. First off, you’re not selling yourself. This is for charity and in case you missed it there are a few others doing it.”
“I don’t see you going out there like a slab of meat.” She sucked her teeth and turned me around for the one hundredth time to make sure the skimpy bit of nothing she’d forced me to wear was just right.
“I can’t very well be one of the prizes if I’m running the show now can I?” Prizes, right, way to clean it up. I’d let this fool talk me into getting myself auctioned off for dinner and dancing for one night with the highest bidder. According to her, once Storm heard about this it would light a fire under him and force his hand so to speak.
It sure sounded good when we were in the plotting stage but now seemed so juvenile. “How’s he supposed to hear about it anyway? Didn’t you say he was in Arizona?” She scares me with the things she can do. Most people believe that if you have money you can do anything, find out anything about anyone at the drop of a hat. Not true!
Well in most cases it isn’t, but in Simone’s it’s pretty darn accurate. Her daddy lets her have her way in almost everything, and she uses his resources to get whatever her little heart desires. I don’t think it had taken her an hour to hunt Storm down. At least I’d talked her out of making me go after him. The girl is nuts.
“There’ll be photographers here remember. We’ll just have to make sure he sees you and reads all about tonight. I hope some hot young thing bids on you.” Oh she thought this was fun. My glare had no affect on her whatsoever, she just brushed it off and started fiddling with my hair. At least he won’t be in the audience when I make a complete fool of myself.
JASON
It’s been almost a week since I’ve been gone. A week in which I was ostensibly supposed to be getting my head on straight. I decided to put everything back there out of my mind for now, clear my head and look at things from a different angle. The plan was to get lost in the takeover I was undertaking, which shouldn’t be hard since I always go all in when I’m getting my grip on a new company.
I hadn’t been gone two days before I started getting these strange messages from an unknown number. At first I thought it was her, but the verbiage was way different, though similar in some ways. At first the little cryptic messages made no sense and I was tempted to ignore them or even go so far as to block the number, but there was an underlying tone to each that sounded almost as if the person knew me.
I gave some thought to it being an ex fling but none of the women I knew would do this, and besides the number was not one I recognized. The hints were too broad to pinpoint any one thing in particular, but they were beginning to sound more and more like someone knew what was going on between Emily and I.
Emily, I can�
�t count how many times I picked up the phone to call her and put it away again. The first night I had to look at a photo of her just so I could get some sleep. The fact that I missed her enough to feel the pain in my gut should’ve been answer enough, but I’ve never been known to do shit the easy way.
By day three I was damn near a wreck and it showed. I was short tempered when I’m known for being cool under pressure. Things that I would normally let slide in the day to day rigors of business, got under my skin. By day four I wasn’t fit for company. And that’s when the shit hit the fan.
I’d almost decided that my new phone buddy was the friend I’d met the night I took her out. I couldn’t quite place her name. My mind had been so full of Emily that night I would be hard pressed to remember her friend’s face if she was standing right in front of me. But I had finally caught wind of the style in which she wrote, which was pretty much the way she spoke.
Then day four came. I was almost ready to sign on the dotted line. The business didn’t hold much interest for me; it was just an excuse I needed to get away at this point in my life. Or more to the point, the interest had waned once I realized I’d have to be here for an extended period of time, which would mean being away from her.
I’d begun to accept that I was fighting a losing battle, that for the first time in my life I was running away from something; and then it happened. Instead of the usual text, which I have to admit I’d started looking forward to. Always some old adage that I guess was meant to make me look deep into my soul and find myself or whatever new age crap they were pushing these days, there was a photo.
I didn’t quite grasp what I was looking at-at first. I knew it was her, and I, but I couldn’t…. and then it hit me. One of the many photographers there that night must’ve taken it when I was busy seducing her in the darkened corner of the club. I’d left town the next morning and hadn’t seen the local headlines.
Loving The Enemy Page 9
