by Bella Court
Giving her his most charming smile, he held out his hand. "I'm Reece James, Vice President of Wilde Towers."
Slightly mesmerized by that disarming smile of his, Jade quickly covered up her shock. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. "I'm Jade Gray. Kristen's assistant at Mimosa."
"Well, that's nice. I bet you're the envy of all your high school friends, since you work for such a prestigious company." Reece told her, trying hard to keep a serious face, as Jade's mouth dropped open dramatically.
"I am not–''
"So sorry I'm late! There was so much traffic on Wall Street,” Kristen said in a huff, pushing back a thick lock of her ebony hair. She looked up to find a hysterical Reece laughing, and a fuming Jade.
"I see you two have met,” Kristen said dryly, a grin formulating on her face.
"Unfortunately," Jade muttered beneath her breath, shooting Reece a dirty glare out of the corner of her eyes. He caught the look and her comment, and merely smiled back at her cheekily, his dimples creasing the side of his roughened, stubbly cheeks.
"Well, that makes everything a lot easier then! Jade, I was thinking of letting you decorate Reece's office."
Jade's large doe eyes widened considerably. This would be the first time that Kristen would let her decorate on her own. "Really?" Jade squeaked gleefully. The fact that it was Reece's office was a bit of a minor setback, but really, the pros outweighed the cons.
Kristen nodded, taking in the look of pure happiness that had come upon her small friend's face. She was glad that Jade was so happy, but at the same time, she had her own ulterior motives for letting Jade decorate freely for once.
"Just don't go crazy, all right? We'll set some guidelines later. Are you okay with that, Reece?"
Reece shrugged casually, "I guess I won't be seeing as much of your pretty self in my office anymore, but hey, I like to do my part to help out the youngsters. This will probably look pretty good on your high school resume, eh?"
"First off, asshole, I turn twenty in a few days, all right? Besides, now that I'm decorating your office, maybe you should treat me a little better. I don't think pink and lavender are exactly your colors."
"Sweetheart, I could take pink and lavender and make those colors look manly," Reece shot back confidently. Jade rolled her eyes, but Kristen laughed. If there was anyone who could make that statement true, it was Reece.
"I don't know, that's kind of a stretch, even for you, man."
Kristen's smile froze in place, as John's voice permeated her consciousness. There they were, the Wilde brothers, walking into their office side by side each carrying identical paper cups of Starbucks. Kristen had successfully managed to avoid John for the past week, but still, once in a while, they would pass each other in halls, and he would give her an awkward smile as way of greeting.
"Hey everybody,” John said weakly, noticing who all was in the office for the first time.
Connor stood by his brother, taking a sip from his coffee, holding one of the paper cartridges, which held four drinks.
"Here's your drink, Reece." Connor handed over a drink, completely oblivious to the awkward tension that had just sprung up. Connor paused for a second, as he handled the next drink.
"You like Chai lattes, don't you, Kristen?" Connor asked her, his slate colored eyes meeting hers. Her breath caught in her throat, as his eyes captured hers in a tender gaze. The look was so sensual and soft, like the way his lips had caressed hers the other day.
"Yeah,” Kristen said breathlessly, forgetting for a moment that there were others in the room, as she took the proffered drink from Connor, their fingers brushing for a mere fraction of a second. It was enough to sky rocket her pulse.
It was now that an awkward silence fell over them all. John was watching Kristen out of the corner of his eyes. Connor was watching her. Kristen was trying her best to avoid everyone's gazes, and Reece and Jade seemed oblivious to it all.
"Are you the other CEO of this place?" Jade asked meekly, disrupting the silence.
John's gaze snapped to Jade, who was looking at him with unrestrained curiosity. "Yes, I'm John Wilde President of Wilde Towers." Cordially, he held out his hand and shook hers.
"Oh! I'm Jade Gray, Kristen's assistant," Jade introduced herself, and Kristen prayed her thanks to the Gods that she had been blessed with such a girl to work with.
"She'll actually be decorating yours and Reece's offices. She's well qualified, and since she's an intern, it will be a good experience for her. I assure you, your office is in safe hands with Jade decorating." Kristen cringed inwardly at how formal her words sounded, and, everyone else seemed to notice as well.
"Oh, I see,” John said finally, breaking the silence. His eyes were downcast. It was natural that she didn't want to see or decorate his office, but for some reason, the taste burned in his mouth that she was going to such lengths to ignore him. He'd prefer anything else but the pure indifference she was giving off.
"So are you decorating my office, too?" Connor asked Jade, before another hush could descend upon them. Jade shrugged and turned to face Kristen.
"No, I'll be decorating your office and the waiting area here," Kristen told him, carefully avoiding his gaze.
"Hmm,” Connor said, shifting slightly. He nudged his brother, "Well, we've got work to do, see you two later,” Connor said softly, trying to usher his brother out of the way. John snapped out of his trance, and gave Kristen a sad wave. He needed to talk to her, but how would he go about getting her alone when she was so intent on not letting that happen? Frustrated, John left to his office to call the one woman he knew he could always rely on.
Kristen let out the sigh of relief she had been holding as John had left. It took so much effort to stay calm whenever he was around. She could feel her palms sweating with perspiration, and her legs were slightly shaky.
Meanwhile, Reece's eyes were locked on her, while Jade was still basking in the afterglow of her newfound responsibilities.
"You okay, babe?" Reece wandered over to Kristen and placed a hand gently against her cheek. The playfulness that was usually apparent in his eyes was replaced with a surprisingly tender and concerned look. This should have tipped her off, but her nerves were too frazzled to comprehend it.
Slowly, Kristen nodded her head, closing her eyes, and letting the warmth of his hand wash over her. "Just exhausted."
Jade watched the two of them with unrestrained curiosity. Coughing, she and Nell disrupted the moment. "Reece, dear, perhaps you should go with Jade and discuss the arrangements," Nell suggested tersely. The way Reece was looking at Kristen made her nervous. Reece hardly ever talked to a woman that way without some sort of secret agenda.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a second. Go on without me, Jade." Reece made a few motions with his hands, indicating for her to go in, and when she did, Reece turned his attention back to Kristen. "If you ever need me, you know where to find me. Let me take you out to dinner sometime, Kristen." With those parting words, Reece reluctantly left the waiting area.
Her legs feeling like jello, Kristen sunk into one of the plushy love seats in the waiting area. Why was it that every meeting with John felt like she had just come from a battle scene?
Hours later, Kristen hadn't moved much from the loveseat where she was lounging, but at least she was being productive. She was sketching the expanse of the large waiting room, taking in the bright bay windows that covered one entire wall. The loveseat faced the windows, so she couldn't see anything that was happening behind her, and the room was so huge that if she slouched low enough, no one would even notice her.
Kristen took a quick glance at her silver Gucci watch. It was almost six. John had left an hour ago. She was safe to go.
Her stomach grumbled, as she got off the couch, stretching her arms above her head.
"Hungry?" A soft voice asked.
"Starving,” Kristen answered, turning around. Kristen's eyes widened. Melissa was standing right in front of her, wearing a gorgeous blue su
ndress that set off those sapphire eyes of hers.
"We should get something to eat, then," Melissa continued softly, her eyes boring into Kristen's.
Kristen shook her head vehemently. Screw propriety and politeness. She would not go eat with Melissa.
"Please, Kristen. We've got a lot to talk about."
"I disagree. There is nothing I want to discuss with you,” Kristen said shortly, stuffing her sketching pad into her large Louis Vuitton bag rougher than necessary. Melissa's face fell for a moment, but she took a deep breath. She was expecting this, and her shining blue eyes held firm resolve in them.
"Kristen, please," Melissa whispered once more, grabbing onto the sleeve of Kristen's Marc Jacobs cropped jacket. Kristen halted momentarily, slightly stunned by the sudden contact, but her face instantly hardened.
"Lissa, you'd better let go of me right now." Kristen's voice was cold and Melissa inhaled sharply. Instantly, Melissa's hands fell away. There was no ounce of warmth in her voice, and it shook Melissa to the core. But nonetheless, Kristen still called her by her old nickname. That had to count for something.
"You hate me. I understand completely, but you're working here now, so can we just be adults about this?" Melissa tried a different route. She could feel her eyes begin to water at how awful this whole situation was.
"Why? Afraid I might steal John from you? Don't worry, Melissa. Unlike some people, friendship means something to me, and I honor that friendship, even if its been dissolved," Kristen sneered, and Melissa couldn't stop herself this time. She burst into tears.
"You were my best friend and still are my best friend. If you honor what used to be our friendship as much as you say you do, please. Please just listen to me,” Melissa said between watery sobs.
Kristen wanted to throttle her. How dare she cry? How dare she act like she was the one who walked away scathed in all this?
"Just hear me out, Kristen."
"What's there to listen to?" Kristen said through clenched teeth. "You were my friend–"
"Ah! Mrs. Wilde, are you looking for your husband? I think he left an hour ago, dear." Nell's clear voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a sharp knife. The elderly woman had just walked in, and upon seeing the two ladies chattering, thought nothing of it. But now that they were both staring at her, Nell could see the clear anxiety and tension in Kristen's face, and the watery tears of Mrs. Wilde.
"Oh, yes. I was just…"
Melissa's voice trailed off mysteriously, and Kristen inwardly seethed, knowing how this must look. Here the two of them were, Kristen with an angry look on her face, and Melissa on the verge of tears. Nell's face said all too well that she was putting two and two together.
"We were just going to go out to eat,” Kristen said decisively, putting on the fake smile she knew so well. Kristen could feel all eyes snap to her.
Nell raised her eyebrows suspiciously, "Really? Is that so, Mrs. Wilde?"
Quickly, Melissa composed herself and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Yes, we are. It was lovely to see you again, Nell." Melissa walked up to Nell and gave her a short kiss on the cheek, before gesturing for Kristen to follow her to the elevators.
Silence stalked them, as they traveled down the glass elevator. Quiet trailed them like a lost puppy as the two former best friends walked to the coffee shop. Seating themselves at a small table in a corner, the two attracted much attention with their striking good looks and somber expressions.
Melissa looked visibly distressed, wringing her hands, and biting her lush lower lip. Kristen, on the other hand, was calm and collected, but her eyes glimmered with unbridled rage.
"So," Kristen stated impatiently, almost enjoying the way Melissa flinched in her seat. Had her best friend always been so spineless?
"I know this is cliché. But I swear I never meant to hurt you–" Melissa began, before Kristen interrupted.
"Oh, that worked out well, didn't it? Yes, I think I'll run off with my best friend's husband on her wedding day. She won't be hurt at all by that. Nope, not at all. Really, I'm doing her a big favor here."
"We weren't thinking."
"Obviously."
"Please. Just let me talk," Melissa intoned, her eyes watering once more, but Kristen blazed forth, her eyes hard.
"Oh, your waterworks aren't going to work on me, Melissa. It only makes me hate you more because it makes you out to be the weak, spineless bitch you are. If you're trying to explain away you and John's actions, don't fucking bother. I don't need your excuses a year later. We wouldn't even be having this conversation if I weren't working with him, so don't bother trying to act all conciliatory either. You sure are an excellent actress, aren't you? I thought I was good, but no, you take the cake."
Melissa was quiet for a long time, before finally opening her mouth. "I'm everything you say I am. I'm a spineless bitch. I probably wouldn't be here if you weren't working with John, because I'm a coward like that. But I am not an excellent actress. My tears are not fake. I'm not doing this to earn your sympathy because I know I'm the last person who deserves it."
Melissa paused for a moment, making sure that Kristen wasn't going to interject another cold comment before forging on. "But you have to believe me when I say if there was any way I could have done this without hurting you, I would have. I was selfish, and I only thought of what I wanted, and for that, I know you can't forgive me. I love John, and I'm sorry for taking him away from you. I know he was the best thing that ever happened to you, and I took him for myself."
Kristen bit down hard on the rush of tears that were going to fall at any moment. That aching feeling of loss was coming back to her in full force. It was all too much.
"I know you hate me, but God, please, if you can someday just find it in your heart to forgive me and John for doing this to you. I'm so sorry that I took him from you, Kristen. I know you still love him." Melissa's tears were rolling down her beautifully pristine face now, slow rivulets of clear tears, which magnified her wide blue eyes. Kristen could feel herself cracking. Her throat tightened, and Kristen let out a strangled cry. She was going to break down any second now.
She would not allow the remains of her dignity to shatter. Standing up, Kristen's legs were shaking.
"I never want to see you again, Melissa."
With those parting words, Kristen fled the coffee shop; Melissa's sobs echoing in her head. Pulling off her Christian Louboutin's, she ran. She ran harder than she ever had before in her life, so hard that she was sobbing when she had finally come to a stop.
Choking sobs engulfed her. Great, racking cries that shook her entire body. Darkness was descending on the city of New York rapidly, but the cold lights of the city flickered on. She was so empty and so cold. When John and Melissa had betrayed her, they had ripped out Kristen's heart and watched it bleed. Now, a year later, they thought they could mend it. It was far too late for that.
With teary eyes, Kristen realized she was standing right in front of Wilde Towers, the place where her feet had unconsciously led her. And as fate would have it, one flickering light at the very top floor stood out in particular to her.
Without a second thought, Kristen entered the building.
Chapter Six
Connor's eyes began to blur, as he stared down at the contract with Nike. He was handling a multi million-dollar contract, and if he missed over something vital, there would be hell to pay. Connor briefly closed his eyes and leaned back in his mahogany chair, massaging his temples. He glanced to his left at the clock; it was nearly eight, now. He was probably one of the few people still in the office.
Connor slouched in his chair, propping his feet up on his desk. The soft sounds of Massive Attack and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra filtered through his stereo system, helping to soothe his nerves. He was dying to finish this contract, but it didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon. With a fatigued brush of his hands through his hair, Connor began to gather his things. He had just put away the precious contract when the d
eafening sound of his door locking shut made his head snap upwards.
"Kristen?" His voice came out low from fatigue.
There she stood. Her midnight black waves were in artful disarray around her face. Her porcelain skin as flawless as a doll's, and her sienna colored eyes were unusually round and bright. She had managed to get rid of the red eyes and blotchy skin that were the aftereffects of tears, but her eyes were still large and soft looking, and her skin had retained a lovely glow. She looked like the soft, vulnerable woman she was.
"Hi,” Kristen said shyly, her fingers fiddling with the lock on his door.
Connor gulped, "What're you doing here?"
Kristen didn't answer him right away. Instead, she walked towards him, her pencil skirt slowly riding up with each step, exposing more and more of her long, lean legs. Languorously, she seated herself at the corner of his large desk, her legs crossing delicately.
Despite himself, he was drawn to her walk, and those damned long legs of hers. She sat demurely on his desk, but made no attempt to answer his question or to even look his way. Instead, she was nervously looking at her clenched hands in her lap, as if she was debating something with herself.
"Hey. Is something wrong?" Connor asked, gently touching her arm, and immediately regretting it. Kristen had flinched involuntarily, but it was quickly disguised.
"Hey, say something," Connor tried again, carefully touching her arm again. She didn't flinch this time or make a move to pull away. She just gave him a softly alluring smile.
"Something."
Connor gave her a wolfish grin, as he gently turned over her arm. Dark bruises marred her porcelain skin. Against the lightness of her skin, the bruises leapt out at Connor, as his face pulled back into a grimace.
"Fuck. Did I do this?" Vaguely, he recalled the day he had pulled her into the closet and her stoic statement that he was hurting her. Gently, Kristen disentangled her arm from his grasp, and instead played with the ends of his long, wavy hair. It brushed delicately along his strong cheekbones that swept down into a chiseled jaw line.
