by M. L. Ray
Ten minutes later she was at Café Torre on Steven Creek Boulevard. The Italian restaurant was the best in Cupertino and one of her father’s favorite places to dine. She found a nice parking spot. There she rummaged through her luggage for something to change into. She hadn’t noticed earlier but her top had a coffee stain and her skirt was creased in unflattering ways. Good lord. What can that man have thought of me? No wonder he was treating me like I might be crazy. She found a crumple free summer dress near the top of one bag. It was a bit awkward changing in the car but she managed to do so without drawing too much attention to herself. She fixed her lip-gloss, powdered her nose, and ran a brush through her hair.
By the time she stepped out of her car she was a vision of beauty and restored confidence. Her long auburn hair was flame in the afternoon sun and her ivory skin glowed against the forest green of her dress, which was hemmed just below the knee to reveal long slender legs. She was glad she didn’t need to change her three-inch heels, though at the airport earlier she’d lamented not wearing more comfortable footwear. Her green eyes sparkled at the thought of seeing her father and she took a deep breath before stepping away from her car.
Before she could enter the building her cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Zoe, how’s your first day back?”
“Mason is that you?”
“Yeah, I was thinking of you. I miss you already.”
“I miss you too. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had so far!” She gave him an earful about the accident on Bollinger Road. Mason was surprised to hear the intensity of Zoe’s reaction to the scratch. The only cause he could think of was that she was exhausted from school.
“This isn’t like you Zoe. What’s going on? Are you feeling stressed by the responsibility your father has put on you?” Mason asked, concerned for his friend.
Zoe paused, considering, but pushed the thought away. “This guy just rubbed me the wrong way. He was such a moron!”
"Maybe you need a break. When's your first day on the job?" Mason asked.
"Tomorrow," she replied as Aiden's face loomed before her. Quickly she shook her head to erase the blue eyes that had bored down to her core. "I'm fine Mason. Don’t worry. The weekend isn’t too far away. I’ll get some rest then."
"Why would you start in the middle of the week? Wouldn’t it have been better to start on a Monday instead of Wednesday?"
Zoe's mind drifted once more to the previous thirty minutes when she came face to face with Aiden. Was he stupid or condescending? She could not tell. The guy just stood there apologizing with not one glimmer of anger or annoyance as she shouted at him. She couldn’t understand everything that had triggered her reaction to him. It was probably some stress, as Mason suggested, but there was something else too. And it made her angrier that he'd been so nice. He even had the gall to ask if she was okay. "Moron!" she said aloud.
"What?"
She'd forgotten she was still talking to Mason. "Nothing. I'll be fine. The sooner I jump into this the better. No sense in delaying it."
Mason knew Zoe and once she made up her mind to do something there was no changing it. He made her promise to take it easy and call him whenever she needed a friend. By the time the conversation was over she was almost fifteen minutes late. She hurried inside and was ushered to her father’s table.
As she approached her father and Uncle David, she noticed there was a third person with them. A bit surprised, she hesitated as she recognized the third man at the table. What is he doing here? she thought. She really hoped her father wasn’t about to try hooking her up with him of all people.
A broad smile appeared on Steve Dunlop’s face at the site of his daughter. She had grown so mature and beautiful, like her mother. When she was younger he had wondered how she would turn; she was such a tomboy back then. As he watched her walk towards their table he couldn’t help noticing her conscious femininity.
Zoe forced herself not to look at the young man seated between her father and his friend. She focused all her attention on her father and warmth spread through her chest. There was no one she loved more and the sight of him made her forget her earlier emotions. He was smiling from ear to ear. She could sense he had been boasting about her and her cheeks flushed. She was glad she changed her clothes, though what she really wanted was a hot bath and some uninterrupted sleep.
“Daddy!” They embraced a long time until she heard Uncle David clear his throat.
“Zoe, welcome home,” David Warner said.
Reluctantly she tore herself away in order to hug Uncle David. “Nice to see you Uncle David. I hope all is well.”
“Aren’t you going to say hello to me?” Lucas asked, a little upset that Zoe was ignoring him.
“Hi Lucas,” she said coolly. The maître de seated her and called for a waiter who promptly poured her a glass of water, which she sipped gratefully. What the hell was Lucas thinking? He had to know she was mad at him but he looked as if he was enjoying himself.
She was seated directly facing Lucas with her father to her left and Uncle David to her right. A menu made its way into her hands while her father remarked on how thin she looked. She shrugged it off, hoping he would drop the subject. The last thing she wanted was for her father to create an opening for Lucas to start paying her hollow compliments. While they perused the menu she sent a few darts with her eyes in Lucas’s direction. He pretended not to notice.
“Are you sure you don’t want to take some time off sweetheart?” her father reached over and squeezed her hand.
“I’m fine, Daddy. I want to get to work as soon as possible. I’ll rest this weekend,” she reassured him.
Turning away from her father she caught Lucas staring at her and glared hotly at him. He seemed to feel the heat and looked quickly away. She did not want him there. He had no business there either. She would never forget what he did to her. How dare he show himself after that disappearing act five years ago? She kept her gaze on his face but he tried to avoid her piercing eyes at all cost. Finally she caught him and he could no longer look away.
Maybe it was the remnants of her earlier anger still simmering somewhere inside her brain but she felt a seething heat seep up her neck as she locked eyes with him. Her look burned and the tension that flared could be cut with a knife.
Steve and David appeared surprised by the situation. They knew something had happened between Zoe and Lucas but he had reassured them that everything between them had been resolved. Lucas had insisted on joining them for lunch hoping Zoe would make an effort to keep things civilized if their fathers were present. He was wrong for now her green eyes flared with huge flames that would take some effort on his part to put out.
“What’s going on?” David asked his son in a very low tone. “I thought you said everything was fine?” He turned to his son with a frown.
“Well I-I-I…” Lucas stuttered.
“You… I’ll deal with you later,” David scowled.
“So Uncle David how is it going?” Zoe asked, in an effort to divert everyone’s attention.
“Great. You should have dinner at the house with us soon. You and your father both.” The awkward moment passed as the waiter placed food on the table.
The restaurant, once a villa, was gorgeous. What was most endearing was that the place felt homey. The interior was cozy, as the owners had turned each room into a separate dining area. They had opted not to change much of the decor from how it was when they lived in it. As a matter of fact, the place still felt lived in with photos on the walls, a brick fireplace, and living room furniture strategically placed within each room.
The outside was just as breathtaking, surrounded by beautifully kept gardens that were always in bloom. As the owners always explained to curious guests, the plants were specifically chosen to bloom in every season. Since the climate in Cupertino was almost sub-tropical with mild winters and dry summers it was easy to have plants flowering year round.
Despite her mood Zoe enjoyed her lu
nch. By the time they were done, the conversation had switched to everyday stuff. Uncle David was thinking of replacing his car and Steve was planning a cruise as the first adventure of his retirement. Lucas wasn’t sure what he wanted so he kept silent. Zoe suggested Uncle David get a Mercedes but the man wanted a sports car and they all laughed at the thought of him behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
She could feel Lucas’s eyes on her and occasionally gave him a look that he knew meant, “I’m going to kill you.” He returned a look that said, “You’re beautiful.” She remembered the time when they could read each other’s mind so well. It was the same now but she was resolved not to give in to his sweet talk. Locking eyes with him she sent him a glare which said, “You wait… it’s going to be a slow and painful,” but then her thoughts were interrupted by her father.
“You look a bit flushed sweetheart. I think you should go home and rest.”
Her father was right. Her anger had made her turn red. What was wrong with her today? First, that blue-eyed accountant had sparked her fury and now Lucas. Yet something was undeniably different about the two situations. She hated Lucas for what he did to her. With the moron accountant… well… he just rubbed her the wrong way. She clung to the idea that she had as much right to be angry with him as she did Lucas. He didn’t even own a car and he crashed into hers; what would his bosses say when they saw the corresponding scratch on his company car?
Lunch ended on a light note with all parties agreeing to do it again really soon. As Lucas happily agreed to another shared meal he felt a sharp jab to his shin.
“Ouch!” he cried glancing at Zoe.
“What is wrong with you?” Uncle David inquired.
“Nothing Father… Just a cramp.”
She smiled coyly, silently promising him more where that came from.
“Daddy, Uncle David, why don’t you two go on ahead. Lucas and I have some things to discuss,” Zoe said. The two men exchanged glances, hoping their children would finish getting ‘reacquainted’ and avoid any further awkwardness.
“I’ll see you at home later,” Steve replied and planted a kiss on his daughter’s cheek.
As soon as the men were out the door Zoe grabbed Lucas’s tie and pulled him behind her towards the back of the building. “You’re choking me Zoe. Let go,” he pleaded. Ignoring him she drew him into the back garden. The smell of the oleander was intoxicating and soothed her nerves. She expelled her breath and relaxed the hand that held Lucas captive.
Turning to face him, she sighed and looked straight into the eyes that were focused on her. She had to admit he was good looking even if he was an eel. She would always like his eyes. They were an unusual blue-grey and changed with his mood. His blond hair shone in the afternoon sun but memories of his betrayal were still fresh in her mind. Without thinking, she stepped closer and smiled as her knee came up and connected with something soft.
Lucas doubled over holding his crotch. He screamed but no sound came out. His eyes bulged a little as the pain in his gonads fully registered. Zoe found the display quite amusing. She felt satisfied knowing he felt some sort of pain after what he did to her. Given the way his five-foot nine-inch frame towered over her, it was amusing to see him on his knees. It was almost poetic.
“How could you run away like that, you coward?!”
“Zoe,” he could hardly get her name out, as he remained bent over holding his testicles.
“What’s your excuse, you snake!”
“I was scared. Zoe, please give me another chance.”
“Why should I? You left me in Vegas wearing a Lucille Ball costume. How could you do that to me? You were supposed to be my Dezi!”
Lucas straightened himself and reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. It wasn’t the fact he didn’t stay with her in Las Vegas that upset Zoe. It was the way he had disappeared without a word. If he’d had his doubts, he should have said something to her about it; he should have told her to her face.
They had grown up together. Their parents were best friends. It had long been assumed that someday the two would marry and run Steve’s company together. Zoe had struggled with the idea of living the life others wanted for her and spent years getting into some kind of trouble but Lucas had always been there beside her. She was mischievous and a tomboy; he made it his mission to help carry out her wildest schemes. It was entirely her idea that they elope to Las Vegas.
“Why didn’t you just tell me you didn’t want to get married?”
“I wanted to get married but I just wasn’t ready,” he replied.
“So it was me you didn’t want to marry. You should have told me. You made a fool of me Lucas!”
“I wanted to marry you… Just not in that way.”
“So why didn’t you tell me?” she glared at him. He really didn’t seem to grasp the part of what he’d done that was upsetting her most.
“Do you know how scary you were back then? You told me you would put a curse on me if I didn’t,” he chuckled.
“And you believed me?” She burst out in a fit of incredulous laughter. Her silky laugh reverberated through the garden.
“Not the curse bit, but you were unpredictable. I wasn’t sure what you would do to me.”
Zoe sighed again. She had to admit that at the time in question, she had been a bit of a spitfire. Secretly, she admitted to herself that she hadn’t been ready to get married either. But that was five years ago. Now she was twenty-four and had different priorities. She had no idea then that she would wind up responsible for her father’s company. It was Lucas everyone thought would take over sometime after he married her. She had always been okay with that. She believed he could handle it better than anyone. But when he left her in that Las Vegas chapel feeling like an idiot, she knew he would run away from the rest of his promises and responsibilities, as CEO, as a husband; whenever things got tough she would watch him run again. It was only after she had made her breakup with Lucas known that her father decided his only child should inherit what he had worked so hard to accomplish.
He sent her to college without telling her of his plans. Heartbroken and concealing the details of Lucas’s betrayal, Zoe concentrated on her degree program and did very well. A year earlier Steve formally announced his intention to make his daughter president when he retired. She had expected to work in the company but not to start at the top. It shocked her that he would make what she thought was a rash decision.
In her first year at Cornell she made the Dean’s list, which made her father proud. He had held back announcing his decision for three years but when he saw she made the top ten percent in scholastic achievements, he knew she would do great. Zoe completed her double major with honors and received a Golden Key membership to one of the most elite international honor societies.
Now here she was five years after her botched wedding. A strange feeling enveloped her as she looked at Lucas. She wondered what it was she felt for him. Had she really loved him or had she been rebelling against something? If she had loved him, did she still love him now, beneath her pain and anger? Was that why she seemed to be having such a hard time letting it go? Because she still loved him?
“Zoe, please give me another chance,” Lucas begged. “You have to admit that neither of us was ready.”
She took a deep calming breath. “I’ll admit it was not the best timing but you still left me at the altar without a word of explanation,” she stated coldly.
“Baileeee,” Lucas’s voice softened, calling her name the way he used to when they were close.
“Don’t you dare try that on me! It doesn’t work anymore,” she gripped his tie once more, pulling it, bringing his face close to hers. “You have a lot to make up for,” she told him quietly, her resolve softening. “You owe me.”
Not caring if she killed him afterwards, Lucas pulled her into his arms and covered his lips with hers. It had been five years since he tasted those lips and he was pleased to find they tasted the same. She had matured, he would give her
that but he could still see the fire she had burning in her eyes. As he plunged his tongue into her mouth her knee came up and connected with his already sore testicles.
Stepping away from her former fiancé, Zoe brushed her hands as if brushing off dust. A flip of the head and a smile on her face, she left him doubled up on the pavement. As she drove away she couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Lucas had to know she wouldn’t forgive him that easily; not while it still felt so good when his testicles connected with her knee. She wished she’d done the same to the blue-eyed accountant.
Shaking her head, she drove towards her detailer. As she suspected, the damage was almost non-existent and her detailer was surprised when she asked him to send the bill to someone else. It cost a mere eighty-five dollars and was done in less than two hours, which she could pay for easily, but she was determined to make the annoyingly kind accountant pay for it himself. She’d made such a big stink about the whole thing; she couldn’t back down now.
As she headed home she hoped Lucas was all right. Though he deserved what he got she was beginning to feel a little embarrassed about the way she acted. It was close to four thirty when she entered the driveway and was accosted by a courier on her walk to the front door.
“Delivery for Miss Dunlop.” His blue eyes reminded her of Aiden and she quickly signed the release, supervised as he stacked the six boxes on the walkway, and watched him get back in his van and drive away.
* * *
Chapter 2
Zoe’s approach to business was quite different from her father’s. When Steve started the computer sales company some thirty years before, he had a hands-on approach in every aspect. But as the company evolved, so did his role. It happened that he now had little idea what went on in each department, relying on the expertise of the directors and managers whose responsibility it was to monitor the everyday running of the company.
