I make my way down the walkway between the wall and the rows of cubicles. I really hope Ken will forgive me, I would hate to have things be awkward between us. Especially when I have to work in a close proximity to him, plus he's Carol's family.
"Good morning," I say, hopeful.
Ken turns toward me, and to my surprise, his face breaks into a smile. Rebecca, there you are," he says, almost sounding relieved. "I need to speak with you." Ken leads me into his office and closes the door.
" I raise my eyebrows in confusion as he locks it. What's going on?
"Nicholas's fiancée, Alison Price, is looking for you, " he blurts.
She's looking for me? Despite the frigid looks she always seems to give me whenever I'm in her presence, I've never actually talked to her for more than five minutes. Although Friday night did nothing to put me in her good favor. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if she thought I was screwing Nicholas. I mean, how do you justify getting angry and punching your best friend for kissing another woman who isn't you fiancée?
“Can you tell me why she’s looking for me?” I ask feeling exhausted at the idea of having to talk to her when I’m not feeling well.
“Honestly? I think she’s here to talk with you about the other night at Riptide.”
“What exactly makes you say that?”
“You should’ve seen her leave the club. She made a scene on her way out. She practically threw a tantrum – knocking over anything in her path. If she wasn’t a VIP member, I’m pretty sure they would’ve thrown her out.”
“Is she in the office?”
“She’s in the building. I had Mary keep her downstairs until I got ahold of you. I thought it might be bad news. Mary said Alison is in a mood.”
“Does Nicholas know she’s here?”
“He’s probably locked in his office working on the budget for the new fiscal year.”
“Okay, well I guess there’s no hiding from her.”
“Use my office,” Ken says. “It will be more private than your cubicle.”
“Thank you.”
“Rebecca, I also wanted to tell you that I understand what went down at Riptide. I don't like it, but I know you just see me as a coworker and I'm not about to compete with Nicholas StoneHaven over you unless I have even the slightest chance of winning you," he says, searching my face. "I just don't want to see you get hurt like the other women who've worked here. Don't get caught up in his allure. Don't be like all of the other girls. You're different, and I mean that in the best possible way."
At first I thought Ken’s words would annoy me, but after everything he’s done for me, I’ve realized some people have different ways of showing you they care. For my mother, it’s bugging me about grandchildren, for Carol, it’s hounding me about my feelings, and for Ken, it’s warning me whether I want the warning or not. I should be thankful to have so many people who do care.
"I know you mean well, so thank you for worrying about me, but I’m okay. I can take care of myself,” I say, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Thank you for caring enough to unnecessarily worry about me.”
It don’t think it would’ve mattered if I would’ve accepted Ken’s offer to use his office for privacy. Every head turns as Alison struts down the hallway toward my sad little corner cubicle. She flips her hair back and it flutters as if suspended momentarily by some imaginary wind. She must’ve been a model in some other life because she looks like one. Alison has the tall slender frame you would expect from most models, and she wears couture like she was born into this world with it sewn to her body.
“Hello, Ms. Price. It’s lovely to see you.” Lie. She’s the last person I want to see. In fact, I would be in heaven if she turned around and took her toothpick legs with her. “Nicholas isn’t available at the moment, I believe he is in a meeting upstairs. Would you like me to take a message for you?” I really wish he was down here to take care of her himself. It’s not like Mary couldn’t call him to come meet Alison. She’s usually good about calling him if she can’t get ahold of me.
“I know he’s unavailable because he’s still in bed.” The words are said with a sneer. Who knew something so ugly could come from someone so beautiful?
“Is he all right?” I feel stupid for not even knowing where the hell he is. I hope he’s not sick. I’m starting to get chills and even my muscles are starting to ache. I knew one of us was bound to get sick wading through the heavy downpour from Friday night.
“He’s fine, we were just discussing our wedding plans. We've decided to get married a few weeks after the gala in February.”
Any words I might’ve said die in my throat at the sting of hers. So much for Carol’s theory that Nicholas wanted to talk because he’s breaking off his engagement. He probably wanted to talk to convince me to be with him despite his impending marriage to Alison. Nicholas never said he didn’t want to be with me, and he never promised that I would be the only woman in his life. Deep down I knew this was coming, but I never expected it to hurt so much.
“So then how can I help you?” I ask, holding back tears. Did he send her here to humiliate me? Alison quirks a pristine eyebrow at me as she drops her bag onto my desk and steps so close that she’s only a few feet away from me. The loud thud echoes down the hall like a small explosion going off. A sudden silence takes over the normal sound of shuffling and typing across the office. Without looking, I sense heads popping up from the cubicles behind me. My cheeks flame as all eyes turn to us.
“You can help me by staying away from my fiancé.” Alison steps in front of my face and corners me in my cubicle.
“What the hell?”
“I won’t have him distracted by his desperate-for-a-man assistant,” she says.
My blood heats at the venom in her words. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back from saying something I’m bound to regret. Keep your cool, Becca. Don’t do anything to get fired. I feel light-headed as anger ripples through me. Ken steps into my fuzzy line of sight and I shake my head to warn him to stay away. The fury coming off Alison isn’t aimed at anyone else but me, and I don’t want Ken getting on her radar. I could’ve guessed that this awkward conversation was coming. Nicholas blew Alison off and told her to go home without an explanation. What woman wouldn’t assume that something strange was going on? What I didn’t expect is for her to come down here and treat me like trash. Any guilt I felt for sleeping with her fiancé is gone.
“We have a professional relationship. Nothing more.”
“I’ve seen the way you look at him,” she huffs. “If you think you think you can take him away from me, you’re wrong.”
For the first time since I met Alison, I actually feel sorry for her. She’s childish and immature. Nicholas is her shiny new toy, and I can’t help but wonder if she’ll throw him away when she tires of him. I guess she’s a woman who’s used to getting what she wants, but she already has him, so I’m not sure why she’s come down here to try and intimidate me. She’s already won. My heart squeezes at the thought of Nicholas getting married so soon. I should be happy for him, right? Except I feel like my heart’s being torn from my chest. I knew they were going to get married eventually, but it didn't feel real until now. Now it feels too real.
“There's nothing going on between your fiancé and me. I am his assistant and that's where our relationship begins and ends."
"I will ruin you,” she says, seething with anger. “Not only will you lose your job, but I’ll make sure you don’t ever work at any other publishing company in New York again.” I don’t doubt Alison for a second. She doesn’t seem the type to make idle threats. Losing my job is out of the question. I’m not going to let her fuck everything up for me. I’m just beginning my career here and getting familiar with our departments, and on top of that, I need the money to help my parents.
“Is there something else I can help you with?” My patience is definitely wearing thin with this monstrous bitch.
“Stay out of our lives
and we won’t have a problem,” she says, grabbing her bag.
“Believe me, I will.”
Holding my temper as Alison sashays down the hallway takes every ounce of control I have. She leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that I immediately need to cleanse myself of. I really thought I was going to explode on her. That would’ve been lovely. Oh, sorry, Nick. I didn’t mean to punch your bitchy fiancée in the money-maker. Or did I? Yeah, I totally did. Ken pops his head in my cubicle just in time to catch me flipping off Alison's back.
"I hated seeing her talk to you like that,” he says, squeezing my shoulder.
If Alison's father is such a big investor for the company, then I can only assume pissing his daughter off would not be good for business or our own jobs.
“Alison can go choke on a dick.”
Ken laughs. “But how do you really feel about her, Rebecca?”
“Sorry, she really got me going.”
"You should've let me step in.”
"It's better that you didn't. I'm sure if she wanted, she could have you fired."
My computer pings on my desktop, notifying me of a new e-mail. Fuck. It's an email from Nicholas. Irritation fills Ken's face at the email, but he shrugs and leaves me alone to open the message. My heart flutters at the subject line.
To: Rebecca
From: Nicholas F. StoneHaven
Subject: I want you for dinner.
Rebecca,
Meet me in the lobby. I'll pick you up at 5:30 PM.
If you don't show, I'll find you.
Xx,
Nicholas
Damn, you. Damn those Xs, they get me every time. He's an idiot if he thinks I'm going out to dinner with him when his fiancée just badgered me for the last fifteen minutes. No way in hell. Let him look for me. He'll be lucky if Carol doesn't call the police if tries to come to the apartment. She’s never going to let him near me when I tell her what happened with Alison. I delete the email and then permanently delete it from my trash. I’m just going to pretend like I never saw that.
By the end of my workday, I’m ready to go home and sink into my familiar quilted top mattress. I thought lunch would help get rid of the strange nausea that has assaulted my stomach, but it has only made it worse. I’m sure I’ll feel better with some sleep. Convinced that I’m over the worst bump in my day, I’m startled to see Miles Storm walking through the lobby of StoneHaven Publishing. He has some balls showing up here. I watch him from the elevator as he approaches Mary, the front desk receptionist. She eyes him, checks her clipboard, and then she does something that I've never seen her do to anyone. She tells him to please leave. I’ve heard of Nicholas putting paparazzi on the No Access list for the building, but I didn’t think he’d put Miles on there. I’m guessing he didn’t want him showing up here.
The elevator doors buzz at me as they try closing. Move, woman. Miles turns at the sound of the elevator ringing. I gulp as he immediately spots me. He waves at Mary and points over toward me. I hear him tell her that he’s here for me. Miles ignores Mary’s calls as she tells him to wait.
"Hey, Becca. I was hoping to catch you." My stomach rolls as his face breaks into a smile.
"What are you doing here?" I ask. From the corner of my eyes, I can see Mary running over to interrupt the conversation.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Gellar, but I’ve been strictly told not to allow this man in the building,” she says with a frantic look.
“It’s fine, Mary. He was just leaving.”
Mary looks from me to Miles with an expression of uncertainty. She nods and heads back over to the reception area. Without hesitating, I make my way across the lobby and out the door. I know Miles is following me because I can hear the swish sound his jacket makes when his sleeves rub against his side, but I don’t care. I don’t want to deal with him tonight. Or any night, really.
I race out of the front doors of StoneHaven Publishing and out into the bitter night. I'm still getting accustomed to having to wear a coat everywhere I go. Even a cold winter in Los Angeles is nothing compared to the temperature out here.
“Becca, wait!”
“What do you want?” I ask, pivoting toward him. Miles steps back, startled by the anger in my voice. He puts his hands up as if surrendering. People bustling by on their way home turn toward us with their curious stares, as if waiting for a fight to break out. My cheeks flame in embarrassment. I don't want to deal with this anymore. I'm over it.
"I wanted a chance to speak with you…” He looks at me with an innocent countenance. “You know, without your overly possessive boyfriend hanging around."
"He's not my boyfriend."
"That's not how it seemed," he says. “Although, I’m not sure why you’re interested in him at all.”
“Miles, leave me alone. Go back to California, or stay here. I don’t give a care anymore." I need to get home. I’m starting to feel dizzy again.
“I’m just worried about you.” Miles grabs my hand and pulls it to him. I shiver at the touch of his lips, but not in pleasure. His affection used to turn my world upside down, but now it’s an ugly reminder of the years I wasted. Miles and I were together for so long, that sometimes I forgot he was a whole other person. He became an extension of me. We were two souls intertwined, until the moment we weren't and everything became a lot less clear and a lot more broken.
“I’ve done my research on this guy. He has women all over him. He’s not someone you want to settle down with.” The irony is that Nicholas is going to settle down with someone, it’s just not going to be me. That reality hurts. Even if I don’t want it to, it does. Nicholas draws me in like no one else. Every time I’m near him, my Run-Like-Hell list just flies out the window.
“But you’re saying that you are?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
“Becca, I want to build a future together. I’m not like this guy.” Yeah you’re definitely not like him. I’m beginning to realize that Nicholas falls under his own category. He doesn’t fit in a box and I like that. “I made a mistake, but I love you. I want to marry you,” he pleads.
“I don’t love you anymore.”
“What?”
“I don’t love you anymore,” I repeat.
“But I love you and I’m willing to fight for us to prove it to you,” he says. “I think if I could prove just how serious I am about us, you could let yourself love me back.”
To my horror, Miles gets down on one knee and pulls out a black box. He opens it, and in the middle sits a beautiful pear cut diamond. A slow panic creeps up my chest and into my heart. My head begins to swim and my body goes weak as I sway to my right, barely catching myself from falling flat on my face. I hear Miles calling out and the feel of his fingers gripping my arm, but his voice is muffled. A slight ringing pierces my ear and then everything goes silent. The last thing I see is a shadow and two bright blue eyes blazing with anger in front of me. Nicholas? Where did he come from?
Two days later…
The rays streaming through the window blind me with an overwhelming gush of sunlight. My head pounds as I slowly sit up in a bed that seems vaguely familiar. I brush my hand along the side of my face and my temple aches beneath my touch. I grimace at the pain that shoots along the side of it. My skull feels like it’s on fire. I survey the room around me, taking in the pastel colors and pictures adorned on the wall. It takes a moment for my foggy thoughts to clear, but not long after, I realize I’m in my room. What happened? It even hurts to think.
"How are you feeling?" I hear Carol’s voice before I see her walk into my bedroom. “I’ve been so worried.” The sight of her hits me hard. Her eyes are slightly watery like she’s been crying.
"I feel like I got taken down by a sumo wrestler.”
She laughs, causing me to wince as I smile back.
"You passed out.”
“I passed out?”
“You don’t remember?” I close my eyes, trying to recall the last thing I can remember, but everything feels fuzzy.
“I remember going to work, Nicholas’s bitchy fiancée coming to the office, and then seeing Miles in the lobby…oh, god, I remember him proposing to me.”
“Yeah, and somehow you forgot to tell me that he was even in New York, missy.” Carol looks at me with disappointment, and immediately I know I messed up by keeping it from her.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to forget that he’s here,” I say, rubbing my face. Carol takes a seat on the edge of the bed beside me.
“You missed out on some drama. Your butt fainted when you were talking to Miles. Apparently, Nicholas was looking for you when he saw the whole thing go down. He thought Miles did something to make you fall and so he ended up punching him in the jaw.”
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah… The good news is your doctor said that you most likely fainted because you were upset and your body was already working overtime, trying to fight off the flu. Becca, I’m really surprised you didn’t dent the damn sidewalk with your head.”
“I’m glad I didn’t. But it’s true, I hadn’t been feeling well all day.”
“Yeah. You’ll be fine. It does look like you’ll have some bruises for a while. By the way, were you avoiding Nicholas? He mentioned that he asked you to dinner.”
“Yes,” I moan.
“Okay, why didn’t you want to go?”
“Because I was afraid he would ask me to be with him.”
Carol smiles. “And that’s a bad thing… why?”
“His fiancée came to the office to tell me they’re moving up the wedding and to stay the fuck away from him.”
Bound to You: Volume 3 Page 4
