Beyond Love Lies Deceit

by Melissa Toppen

  “Hello.” I say, holding the small device to my ear.

  “Miss Reynolds.” Luke’s voice washes over me.

  To say I am surprised that he is calling me personally, especially this soon after leaving his office, is a bit of an understatement. I assumed when I heard back about the position it would be from his secretary or someone maybe in Human Resources and not for at least a couple of days.

  “Mr. Scott.” I reply, trying to keep the surprise from my voice.

  “I’m sorry to do this to you considering you just left a few moments ago, but I was hoping you could come back to the office sometime this afternoon.” He says.

  “Sure. Is everything okay?” I ask, praying the question doesn’t seem suspicious.

  “Everything is fine, great actually. I wanted you to come back to fill out your new employment paperwork.” He replies casually.

  “Employment paperwork... You mean...” I pause for a moment trying to calm my excitement. “I got the job?”

  “You got the job.” He confirms. “That is, if you still want it.” He tacks on, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

  “Of course I do.” Again I try to keep the excitement to a minimum, afraid to come across too eager.

  “If we can get you back in today for paperwork, we can get you started as early as Monday.” He says, once again surprising me, given that it’s already Thursday.

  “Absolutely.” I answer immediately.

  After confirming all the details about meeting with Human Resources today at three o’clock, I hang up the phone, feeling a sense of satisfaction I have not felt in a very long time. Finally, after years of hell, Ryan Scott is going to get exactly what he deserves, and what’s better, he doesn’t have any idea it’s even coming.

  Chapter

  Two

  Luke

  “Word on the street is you finally replaced Katherine.” My brother Ryan pulls my attention from the spreadsheet in front of me and I look up just as he flops down in one of the chairs across from my desk.

  “I did.” I confirm, looking back down at my laptop screen.

  “Well don’t act too excited Luke.” He sighs, running his hand through is short sandy blonde hair while hitting me with an annoyed look.

  “Excited?” I can’t keep the sarcasm from my voice. “Why would I be excited about the fact that I had to give up my assistant because you can’t keep it in your pants?”

  “What are you talking about?” He tries to play innocent.

  “Do not play stupid with me Ryan, Dad already told me what happened with Carly.” I can’t hide my irritation with my older brother.

  “Jealously does not look good on you Luke.” He gives me an arrogant smile, already knowing full well that jealously has nothing to do with the current issue I have with him.

  “I’m not jealous. You and I both know I could have had her if I wanted. Unlike you, I have a moral code.” I give him a knowing look.

  My brother has always tried to make me feel inferior to him in every way possible. And while he tries to insinuate that he is the better looking of the two of us, we both know we look too much alike for him to make that claim. Other than the fact that I am about two inches taller and have darker hair than he does, you would almost think we were twins; at least when it comes to our appearance, personality wise we couldn’t be more different.

  “Give me a break.” He sighs loudly. “Besides, Carly made her own bed.”

  “You mean she made yours, after you slept with her.” I tack on.

  Ryan has always been what you would call a playboy. He goes through women quicker than anyone I have ever met and shows very little remorse over the trail of broken hearts he leaves behind him. Why women still get involved with him is beyond me, it’s not like he tries to hide who he is.

  Ryan’s latest conquest left my father’s assistant of three years out of a job and resulted in mine being transferred to my father’s office to take her place. Considering Katherine is in her early fifties and has been with the company for over thirteen years, I guess my father felt like she was a safe bet to fill Carly’s sudden departure.

  “So tell me about this new girl.” He raises his eyebrows up and down at me suggestively, wasting no time redirecting the topic of conversation.

  “You’re unreal.” I shake my head in irritation. “Tell me again why Dad is prepping you to take over as CEO, because for the life of me I can’t understand it?”

  “Again with the jealousy Luke.” His arrogance infuriates me but I manage to bite my tongue. “Chief Financial Officer is not a bad gig. Besides, we both know you’re not cut throat enough to take on Dad’s role.” He gives me a look that dares me to challenge him.

  “You mean I actually have a heart. Not going to argue with you there brother.” I turn my attention back to the spreadsheet on my laptop. “Now if you don’t mind, I have actual work that needs to be finished. You can see yourself out.”

  Pushing out of the chair, he mumbles something under his breath before swiftly exiting my office, clearly not happy with my reluctance to indulge in his little games.

  Ryan is one of those people you hate to love. He’s crude and arrogant, selfish and dishonest, and it’s very rare that he shows any emotion in regards to anyone but himself. Sure, he’s fun to be around if what you’re looking for is fun. But find yourself in a bad situation with him and rest assured that he will leave you high and dry without so much as a backwards glance. Something he has done to me over and over again, especially when we were kids.

  You would think at twenty-eight, he would have grown up a little. Honestly, I think age has had the opposite effect on him. Even though he is two years older than me, most just assume that I am the older sibling.

  Don’t get me wrong, Ryan has some redeeming qualities. While I give him a hard time about his unprofessionalism in regards to the women we work with, when it comes to the actual company there is not a person that knows this business better than Ryan. Thanks in large part to my father who has spent the last ten years grooming his oldest son to take over his empire.

  I try to put on a poker face most days where Ryan and my father are concerned but losing Katherine has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Katherine has been my assistant since I took over as CFO four years ago. She is very much like a mother to me. It guts me that she is going to have to work directly for Ryan one day. She’s optimistic about the move and seems to be in good spirits, though I feel like a part of that is probably for my benefit.

  It’s not that I am not excited about Miss Reynolds, but I loathe such dramatic change. Even still, I am trying my best to take it in stride. She is very qualified and I’m confident she will be a good fit here. On the negative, she is also very attractive and young which means her success will hinge on whether or not I can keep her away from Ryan.

  I let out a loud sigh, pushing my chair backwards away from the desk slightly to stretch out my legs a bit. This has been such a long day and unfortunately, I am also looking at a very long night. Being the person that oversees finances for a company operated by Nicholas Scott is no easy task. Especially right now with him being caught up in acquiring smaller tech companies and pulling them under the Sco-Tech brand.

  There is a lot that goes into purchasing these businesses and my father rarely plans ahead with these acquisitions, which usually leaves me working all night to draw out the financials and contracts for a deal he wants to close in the matter of days.

  Chapter

  Three

  Samantha

  “What do you say baby girl? Should we give it another go?” Sean smiles, standing over me from my place on the sidewalk, his hand extended out to me.

  I look at his hand and then to the bike laying on the ground next to me. Do I want to try again? The pain in my knee tells me no but the encouraging look on Sean’s face makes me want to say yes.

  “You can’t give up after one fall.” He wraps his large hand around mine and pulls me from the ground.

  S
tanding my bike next to me, he urges me to climb back on.

  I hesitantly throw my leg over the frame, terrified of falling again but even more terrified of disappointing Sean. Taking a deep breath, I give him a weak nod before he begins pushing the bike, jogging next to me until he feels like I have my balance before letting me go.

  The front tire sways and fear paralyzes me for a moment but I manage to recover and keep the handlebars steady. I peddle as fast as my legs will allow, riding all the way to the stop sign at the end of our street before realizing I made it. I actually did it.

  Managing to stop the bike without wrecking, I jump off the seat and let the pink and purple glitter bike fall to the sidewalk. I turn towards Sean as he’s jogging to me, an enormous smile on his face.

  “I did it!” I squeal, jumping up and down as the realization sets in. “I did it!”

  “You did it.” Sean confirms, pulling me into his side in a one armed hug. “I told you Sam, you can do anything. You just have to be brave enough to try.”

  ****

  I shoot up in bed, my breath coming in quick pants as I try to shake off the dream, or rather the memory. Pulling my knees to my chest, I rest my head against them. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was six years old and had been begging Mom and Dad to let me ride my bike without training wheels.

  Being an impatient child, I couldn’t wait for that weekend when they would have time to teach me. So after talking about it all morning, Sean finally agreed that he would teach me that day after school. He really was an incredible big brother.

  We had our differences of course, what siblings don’t? But those differences never defined us. Sean didn’t just teach me how to ride a bike. Among many other things, he also taught me about something that after he died became an outlet for me; art.

  Sean loved to paint. I remember sitting in the doorway of his bedroom watching him glide his brush against the canvas. He would work on one piece for hours and of course, wanting to be just like him, I had to learn how to paint too. Little did I know then, painting would be one of the only things to hold me together when everything else was falling apart around me.

  Glancing at the half painted canvas in the corner of the room, a calm settles over me as I take in the colorful brush strokes and wild patterns that seem to depict the very way I feel most days; lost and without meaning.

  It’s been so long since I have dreamt of Sean. After having nightmares for months after I found my mom...

  I stop mid-thought and immediately try to push it away.

  I can’t let myself go there. Not today. It must be the timing; the circumstances surrounding my life right now that is forcing the memories to come flooding back into my subconscious.

  Shaking my head, I try to refocus. Today is my first day at Sco-Tech; the day I finally set my plan into motion. Throwing back my thick comforter, I look around my studio apartment. The tiny space consists of nothing more than a small kitchen, an even smaller living space, and a makeshift bedroom that all exist inside the same four walls. The only additional room is a bathroom so little that it is barely big enough to move in once you close the door. It isn’t much and the part of town that I am in is less than desirable, but it was the only thing I could afford with the small amount of money I brought with me after my dad’s life insurance had been processed.

  It wasn’t much but it was enough to get me from Boise to Los Angeles and to lease this apartment for six months. Standing, I cross the square space to my kitchen, which takes up the entire back wall of the room, before grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. The walls inside the apartment are bare. The entire space is void of anything that would make it personal, containing only the items that are necessary for my survival.

  My stomach twists as the reality of today washes over me. I don’t know if I am more nervous or excited about my first day as Luke Scott’s Assistant. I certainly did not expect the salary agreement I was offered upon hire. I will be making more than enough money to see me through until my plan is complete. Given what the position pays, I just hope I can do the job without raising too many red flags with my level of experience. Truth is I don’t know the first thing about being someone’s assistant.

  I’ve done my fair share of research and am fairly confident I can fake my way through it, but like most things, there is an air of doubt that surrounds me and every single decision I have made since moving to Los Angeles three months ago.

  ****

  “How is your first day going?” I hear Luke’s voice causing me to immediately look up.

  He’s standing casually in the doorway of my small office that sits directly next to his, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his gray suit pants.

  “It’s going really well.” I answer, giving him a polite smile.

  “Did Katherine get you everything you need?” He asks, referring to his current assistant who is responsible for teaching me the ropes over the next week before she moves into her new position working directly for Nicholas Scott.

  “Yes. I am just working on logging all of your meetings into the online calendar she set up for me. I should have it finished later this afternoon and be able to sync it directly with you later today.”

  “No rush.” He pushes away from the doorframe and crosses the twelve by ten square foot office space, sliding into one of the two chairs that sit adjacent to my desk.

  “I was hoping you could spare a few minutes to have lunch with me.” He says, leaning back into the chair, crossing his arms in front of himself. “Think of it as a welcome to the company.”

  “Well, I... I have a lot of stuff to work on, first day and all.” I immediately start to make excuses.

  I wasn’t prepared for the offer and finding a valid excuse when put on the spot proves to be rather difficult.

  “Nonsense.” He swipes his hand through the air. “Besides, I know the boss. I think he can spare you for an hour.” He smiles, eliminating any ability I have to deny his request.

  “Grab your purse, we can walk down together.” He stands, hovering just feet from my desk until I have gathered my things.

  Running my hands along my black slacks, I try to smooth out the material before following him out of the office. I can’t stop my eyes from immediately landing on Luke’s broad shoulders, completely fixated on how they move with each step he takes in front of me. There is something so powerful about the way he walks, so commanding. Honestly, I can’t say that I have ever encountered a man quite like Luke before. Then again, my experience with men is somewhat limited.

  Over the years it has become more and more difficult for me to form any type of real connection to another person Not that I haven’t tried. I even dated a couple of times in high school but nothing ever felt right and I found myself ending things before they ever really took off. The handful of men I have slept with were all just my pathetic attempt to make myself feel something, anything, but even that didn’t take.

  “Do you like Chinese?” Luke interrupts my thoughts, stopping to allow me to exit through the revolving door of the lobby first before following me out into the sunny March air.

  “I do.” I answer, sliding on my black pea coat jacket as a cool breeze whips around us.

  “There’s this incredible little place just a couple of blocks from here. It’s one of Los Angeles best kept secrets.” He grins, keeping a slow pace as too not make me struggle to keep up with him as he leads me down the sidewalk.

  “Well you found it so how well kept could it be?” I respond, hoping my playfulness is not misconstrued as unprofessional. I am in such unfamiliar territory right now.

  “Touché Miss Reynolds.” He smiles playfully, his eyes giving off an almost twinkle in the sunlight as he looks down at me.

  I can’t deny that my heart picks up speed or that an explosion of butterflies erupts in the pit of my stomach with that one look but I do my best to seem as unaffected as possible. He clearly has a knack with women and I refuse to allow myself to be pulle
d in by someone like a Scott. I know too much about his family to look at him as anything other than the monster I’m sure he is behind the mask.

  It takes us less than five minutes to reach the small restaurant tucked in between a flower shop and clothing boutique along a busy shop-filled street. Holding the door open, Luke waits until I enter before stepping in behind me.

  “This way.” He says, his hand falling to the small of my back as he leads me through the restaurant and into a small private room in the back that is blocked off by a swinging door.

  I step inside, unsure as to why we would be eating back here and not out front with the other patrons, but my thoughts quickly turn the moment the small room comes into view and I spot the other occupants of the space. Sitting at a private table in the middle of the room just feet from where I am standing is none other than Ryan and Nicholas Scott.

  My heart immediately kicks into overdrive, the sound of my own pulse so intense, I swear I can hear each and every beat. My breath comes in short spurts and my entire body seems to lock up. Before I can react, Nicholas has stood from the table and is crossing the space towards me.

  Stocky and standing just around five ten, Nicholas Scott is not a huge man but like his youngest son, there is something so commanding about the way he walks. He carries himself with such confidence. His dark blonde hair is kept short and is peppered with streaks of silver around his temples.

  It’s clear to see the similarities between him and his sons but as I look between him and Ryan, who steps up next to his father, I can see the greatest resemblance is between the two of them. Luke has dark hair and is taller than the other two, and while Ryan clearly works out, Luke is a bit more built than his older brother as well.

  “Miss Reynolds. It’s so nice to meet you.” Nicholas says, taking my hand and shaking it firmly the moment he reaches me. “I’m Nicholas Scott, founder and CEO of Sco-Tech.” He says, clearly having no idea that I already know exactly who he is.