Caitlyn cleared her throat. “Do you always talk about yourself in the third person?”
She was grating his nerves. He was going to call his lawyer one more time to see if there was some type of loophole. “You must have forgotten I’m your boss.”
“This isn’t work related. This is personal and I’m the only boss when it relates to my personal affairs, so don’t get it twisted,” she said, as she lowered her fork.
“You told me, didn’t you?”
“Are we clear?” she asked.
“Absolutely.” His appetite hadn’t returned but he ate anyway.
“Now that we’re clear. I need for you to tell me, Mr. Honest Blake Banks, why did your uncle want you to proposition me?”
Blake wasn’t sure of how much Caitlyn knew about his uncle and her father’s past relationship. “It seems my uncle knew your dad.”
“Oh really now? How’s that?”
Blake had to glance away from Caitlyn’s accusing eyes. “The details are a little fuzzy, but apparently, Uncle Jack thought we were a good match and felt I worked too much to find a suitable wife on my own.”
“Oh I see.” Caitlyn pulled out her compact mirror and reapplied her lipstick. She looked at Blake. “I’m waiting.” This time he looked her straight in the eyes. She felt a connection with him. It had to be her imagination working overtime. She pretended to be looking at her reflection in the mirror; instead she was avoiding eye contact. “There’s nothing more to tell. That’s about it.”
Caitlyn placed the compact mirror back into her purse. “I want to see a copy of his will.”
Her response caught him off guard. “Why would I let you see it? It’s none of your business…” he stuttered.
She looked at Blake without blinking. “Apparently, you need me. Who couldn’t use a million dollars?”
“See, it would be a win-win situation for us both.”
“I’m trying to work with you Blake, so work with me okay. I need answers.”
“That’s all I’m at liberty to say Caitlyn.”
They were at a deadlock. Caitlyn glanced at her watch. “If we don’t hurry back, I’ll be late for a conference call, so let’s table this discussion until you can show me a will.”
Blake thought she conceded at first, however he wasn’t too sure when she winked her eye and got up from the table. He left a hundred dollar bill to cover their meal and the tip before rushing to catch up with Caitlyn. The limousine driver opened the door. Blake waited for Caitlyn to enter first. She turned around and looked him in the eyes. “No staring at my butt either.”
Blake couldn’t resist and chuckled before he could control himself. Now he had to figure out a way not to show her the will. She did not need to know the details of his uncle’s past transgressions. Fortunately, the contents of the letter couldn’t be found in the will. If she found out the details, there’s no telling how she would react. He didn’t want to be around to find out either.
Chapter 5
Caitlyn didn’t like how lunch went. She tried to maintain her control by putting up a barrier. It was beginning to get hard to do because every time Blake looked at her she felt like he could see straight to her soul. Maybe going through this charade wasn’t worth it.
The ride back to the office was just like the ride over to the restaurant. Neither one of them said a thing. The music blasted from the speakers. Each one of them was in their own world.
When the limousine pulled up in front of the office building, Blake reached into his jacket pocket and removed some papers and handed it to her. “If you’ll look over these and sign them, we can move forward to the next stage.”
Caitlyn took them and placed the papers in her purse. “I’ll have my attorney look these over and get back with you.” Blake stared at her. She continued to say. “You didn’t think I was going to sign something without reading it did you?”
He cleared his throat. “Well…No. I just thought if you were going to agree to it, you would just sign and we could go on to the next step.”
Caitlyn leaned in closer to him. “Since you’ve had me thoroughly checked out, you should know I’m thorough and proficient.” She kissed him on the cheek.
She didn’t wait for the driver. She opened her door and left him sitting in the limousine speechless. Not sure if he was watching or not, she made sure she added a few twists in her walk. The security guard whistled as she entered the lobby. “Caitlyn, you better stop that before you catch something you don’t want,” he teased.
“Mark, don’t have me tell your wife.”
“Awe now why you want to bring her up?”
Caitlyn laughed. Mark was old enough to be her dad but he tried hard to hold on to his youth. She admitted he kept himself in good shape. He looked ten years younger than his fifty-seven years. She always threatened to tell his wife.
The elevator opened and to her luck, Tasha was on it. “Girl, I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“I had a lunch date.” She looked smug.
“Details. You got rid of Charles and got a new man already.”
The elevator door opened. Caitlyn opened her mouth to talk but shut it, when Blake entered. “Ladies.”
Tasha spoke. Caitlyn didn’t. She nodded her head instead.
Tasha not one to be intimidated by the boss continued their conversation. “So tell me about your lunch date. Is he fine?”
Caitlyn glanced at Blake. He was looking in her direction. She responded, “He’ll do.”
Blake looked like he wanted to say something. Caitlyn smiled.
“Well if he’s not fine. Does he at least have a good job?”
“Oh he’s definitely rolling in the dough. He throws away money like its growing on trees.”
“I hear you.”
“You know how we do. No romance without finance.” She purposely gave Tasha some dap. The elevator stopped on their floor. She said, “Have a nice day Mr. Banks.” Blake didn’t respond. Caitlyn made sure Tasha wasn’t looking before she turned around and blew him a kiss. The elevator door shut.
Tasha grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the break room. “Girl, he was looking at you like you were syrup and he wanted to slop you up like a biscuit.”
“Please. I’m not his type.”
“I can’t tell. If I were you, I would go for it.”
She had Caitlyn’s full attention. “Would you really? I mean he is the CEO and you know it’s taboo to mess with someone where you make your money.”
“Girl this is the new millennium. If he’s interested, I say work your magic and reel him in.”
“He is a cutie.”
“And fine. Don’t forget fine. I could get lost in his sexy gray eyes all day and night.”
It was the perfect opportunity to let Tasha know about his proposition, but she couldn’t take the chance of Tasha letting it slip to someone else. She opted not to divulge the information. Caitlyn glanced at her watch. “Girl, enough talk about men. I’m already running late. I’ll talk with you later.” Caitlyn left Tasha in the break room and went back to her desk. She sniffed the flowers on her desk and smiled.
She pulled out the papers Blake had handed her and read them over. She used to work in a law office and kept in touch with a few of the lawyers. She contacted one of them to see if they could review the papers. She hung up and faxed a copy of the papers. She waited to receive the fax confirmation before returning to her desk.
Her mind was on her current project and figuring out how to hire resources with the customer’s limited budget. Caitlyn’s email indicator sounded alerting her to incoming new email. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming up behind her. She retrieved the email and reviewed it. According to Caitlyn’s friend, the only loophole in it involved her being caught sleeping with another man. Otherwise, they were only required to stay married one year and then she would be a millionaire and he could go on about his business. There also wasn’t any stipulation they had to consummate the
marriage.
Could she live with the stipulation? She would have a year to make it appear that Blake was mismanaging funds. If people knew their marriage was a sham, Blake could possibly lose his credibility that way as well. There’s no telling what else Blake was hiding, so being married to him, she would have access to his home and she would be able to discover other skeletons, if he had any. The fact he would pay off someone to manipulate a situation was enough for her to see how similar he was to his uncle.
She weighed the pros and cons of signing the contract. She would have easy access to information and funds, or so she hoped. She could temporarily live the life of a rich socialite. She would have one of the most eligible bachelors in the Dallas Fort Worth area at her mercy. What she didn’t like about the situation was there was no romance and she never thought she would marry someone she wasn’t in love with. How would her father feel about her marrying a Banks? He wouldn’t be too happy about it. She asked herself if she could go through with it.
She typed up a few amendments to be added to his original contract. After having her friend check the wording, she felt it was time to go see Blake. She asked herself, if Blake agreed to her stipulations, would she or wouldn’t she agree to marry him? She placed the papers in a folder and headed to the fourteenth floor to give Blake her answer.
Chapter 6
Caitlyn held the folder with the contract in one hand and used the other hand to open up the glass door leading to Blake’s office on the fourteenth floor. “I didn’t have an appointment with Mr. Banks, but he wanted me to hand deliver this file.”
Joan, Blake’s secretary, looked over the rim of her glasses. Caitlyn assumed she was used to women making excuses to see him. “You can leave them here with me and I’ll make sure he gets it.”
“He told me to make sure I put them in his hands and I don’t want to piss off the boss.”
Joan called Blake before giving Caitlyn a response. “He’ll be here shortly. You can wait in his office.”
“Thank you,” Caitlyn responded.
Caitlyn was drawn to the book case when she entered Blake’s office. They appeared to have similar tastes when it came to books. A Chester Himes novel was a little out of place, so she assumed he must have read it recently. The back cover of the book had her entranced so when Blake entered the room, it caught her a little off guard.
“I hope this is good news,” Blake said.
She turned around. “Close the door and I’ll tell you.”
Caitlyn watched Blake do as she commanded and waited for him to walk near where she was standing. His walk was like a panther on a prowl and she was his prey. She retreated and took a seat across from his desk before Blake could reach her. She sat back and crossed her legs.
Blake took a seat across from her. Caitlyn handed him some papers. “If you can agree with these, we might have a deal.”
Caitlyn watched Blake read her list of demands. Blake’s facial expressions didn’t reveal if he was for or against the changes she made. Caitlyn shifted in her seat as she waited for Blake to respond.
“Some of these are reasonable like paying off your student loan; but making sure you have fresh flowers once a week; come on now.” Blake placed the paper down in front of him.
“I’m a sucker for flowers, but you know that don’t you?”
“Actually, I didn’t. But I’ll make a mental note of it.”
“Do more than that, just make sure I get a fresh arrangement of flowers every week and we’ll be fine.”
He looked back at the list. “What’s this about no chocolate? I thought all women loved chocolate.”
“I’m not most women." She leaned back and winked at him.
He stared at her for a few seconds before looking back at the list. He said, “I don’t like pets. They are too messy.”
“I haven’t had a dog since I lived with my parents and since we’ll be living together, you really need to reconsider.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Caitlyn knew some of the things were little nuisances. She did it on purpose. She wanted to see how serious Blake was about her becoming his wife. She admitted there was something alluring about Blake. If his uncle hadn’t been the object of her hatred for the past few years, she would have found him attractive.
“Separate bedrooms; come on now. We’re going to be together for a year. We can at least have a little fun,” Blake teased.
“I suggest you invest in some petroleum jelly and videos because this.” She placed her hand on her chest before continuing to say, “This is off limits.”
“You can’t blame me for trying.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
He continued to go through the items on the list. “I can’t agree with number twenty.”
“If you want me to sign the contract, you will.”
Caitlyn could see the sweat forming on his forehead. She refused to back down though. She wanted to know why his uncle mentioned her in his will. She leaned forward in her chair awaiting his response.
He conceded. “Look. Like I said when I first propositioned you, my uncle left me some money. For reasons unbeknownst to me; he insisted I marry first before getting access to it.”
“But why me? That’s what I don’t understand.”
“I told you. He knew your father. Apparently, he felt you and I would make a good couple. If I knew more than that, I would tell you.”
“Let me see the will. Let me see where he said you had to marry me specifically.”
Caitlyn waited for him to retrieve the will from his locked desk drawer. He flipped through the pages before handing it to her.
She read it until she saw her name mentioned.
While she was reading, Blake said, “Truthfully, I don’t know why Uncle Jack insisted it be you. You seem to have brains and beauty all rolled into one, but you’re not my type.”
Caitlyn didn’t know if she should be offended or happy. “You’re not my type either so we have something else in common.”
“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”
“No need to mince words.” She leaned back in her chair and continued to read the will. She glanced up and asked, “If I’m not your type, why don’t you forfeit the money?”
“I can’t afford to.”
Caitlyn placed the will on the desk. “Not you.” She glanced at the plaques on the wall. “According to the Dallas Morning News, your business is booming.”
“You work in accounting. You know what we’re facing.”
“I’m not the chief financial officer, so no, Mr. Banks, I don’t.”
“Let me inform you. What I’m about to tell you should not leave this room.”
Caitlyn used her finger and crossed her heart. Blake continued to say, “Banks Telecom is on the brink of financial trouble. If we don’t get a handle on the vendors and do more in the research and development area, we could be facing layoffs and God forbid I’m forced into bankruptcy. I would have to shut the doors.”
Things were worse than Caitlyn thought. She might not need the entire year to see Banks Telecom fail. For a moment, she felt guilty with her part in setting it all in motion.
“I’ve had my attorney look through the will and it clearly states that it has to be you.”
Karma was something. Her father lost his business when Blake’s uncle wouldn’t approve a loan that could have saved it. Now here she sat holding an ace. Caitlyn could turn Blake down and he could lose it all, just like her dad. She contemplated on whether or not to tear up the signed contract she held.
Caitlyn thought about having financial freedom; freedom to start her own business and be her own boss. I should be holding out for more money. A million dollars. Hmm. Caitlyn placed her index finger on her chin. “I don’t think your original offer is enough. Up the ante to five mill and we have a deal.”
Blake’s eyes turned a darker shade of gray. “You’re something else.”
“No. I’m a business woman.�
�� She removed the other contract. She took the pen from his desk and went through and changed the dollar amount to five million dollars and initialed it and signed it. “Here’s your signed contract.”
Chapter 7
Blake looked at the contract and back at Caitlyn. What was he getting himself into? He could tell she wasn’t going to make this easy for him. It was going to be a long year. He would do anything to save his company but this was uncalled for. He could understand Uncle Jack wanting to make amends with someone he felt he wronged, but he couldn’t understand why he set up this crazy arrangement.
His back was up against the wall. He didn’t bother to look at the other conditions on her list. “I accept your conditions. It’s a deal.” He extended his hand across the desk.
“Looks like it’s a win-win situation for both of us,” Caitlyn responded.
He ignored the jolt that went through his body when their hands touched. When she smiled, her dimples appeared deeper than what he remembered.
“Caitlyn, you don’t know how much I appreciate you doing me this favor.”
“Yeah. Whatever.”
“I’m serious. Even though I think the money is more than enough, you still could have turned me down.”
“Remember that when you find yourself frustrated.”
“In the words of Rodney King, can’t we just get along?”
She stood up. “As long as you remember the rules. Like item number twenty-five.”
“Item number twenty-five?” Blake picked up the sheet of paper with her list on it.
“I suggest you tell all of your women you’re no longer on the market.”
“But…” he stuttered.
“If I’m going to be your wife, I will not stand for it. Besides, if I can’t have me a man on the side; there’s no way I’m going to be the only one going without.”
“You’re a tough one.”
“I’m about equality.”
He followed her to the door. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, before opening the door.
Blake watched her walk away. He was hypnotized and didn’t immediately notice Joan staring at him. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to let her know about his upcoming nuptials. For now, he had to deal with telling the women in his life he would be unavailable for a year. He had a healthy sexual appetite and he didn’t particularly like this new part of their agreement. But he had to do whatever it took to save Banks Telecom. If it meant going without sex for a year, he would have to make the sacrifice, no matter how difficult it would be. And it would be difficult. His hormones were raging now and he blamed one woman –Caitlyn Crenshaw.
Betrayed by Trust Page 3
