Not What She Seems

by Victorine E. Lieske

Alex came into his office and shut the door. He stared at Steven. “You don’t look so good. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m just worried about Emily.”

  Alex cocked an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth twitched. “What’s going on between you two anyway?”

  “Nothing.” Steven pushed a few papers around his desk.

  “Oh, no. You don’t get to say that. Not after spending this much time away from work. You never take time off, not for anything.” He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes, looking him up and down.

  Steven gave up. “Nothing is going on between us. That’s the problem. She’s not interested. Half the time I think she’d rather scrub toilets than be around me.”

  Alex laughed, then covered his mouth and coughed. “Hey, man, I’m sure it’s not that bad. Why would she keep seeing you if she didn’t like you?”

  Because she would be in jail if it weren’t for me. Steven pursed his lips. He wasn’t about to say that to Alex. “I don’t know. I just get the feeling that being around me makes her uncomfortable.”

  “Of course you make her uncomfortable. She’s a farm girl from the Midwest. You’re a rich guy from New York. I’m sure she feels inferior to your greatness.” He grinned, bowing low, sweeping his arm out.

  Steven threw his Kleenex box at Alex’s head. “Shut up.” He laughed as the box bounced off Alex’s spiky red hair.

  Alex put up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I just think she might be intimidated by you, is all.”

  “You’re not intimidated by me.”

  Alex backed toward the door. “That’s because I know you used to sleep on Spiderman sheets.” He ducked as the box of paperclips from Steven’s desk flew past him.

  ******

  Emily clutched Connor’s coat to her chest. Connor had long since wiggled out of it. He played by the large potted plants in the lobby. Several police officers milled about, speaking with the hotel staff. Michael stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder.

  Through the glass doors she saw Vincent get out of his sedan and sprint toward the building. He pushed the doors open and glanced around before spotting her.

  “Emily. Thank God you’re all right.” Vincent pulled her to her feet and took her in a warm embrace. With his strong arms around her, she felt the fear dissipate. She blinked, but couldn’t keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. Once they started, she couldn’t stop them, and she sobbed into his shoulder. He held her tight until she stopped crying.

  Vincent took a step back and searched her face. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No.” She dabbed her nose with a tissue, glancing at Connor still playing by the plants.

  Michael shifted his weight. “I’ll talk to the hotel staff, get them to increase security.”

  “I think Emily should stay with me for a few days.” Vincent rubbed his moustache. “I have an excellent alarm system wired into the house, and I took the day off so she won’t have to be alone.”

  Michael held his hand up. “No offense, Vincent, but I think the security here would provide Emily with…”

  Irritation grew inside of her. “Why are you two talking like I’m not even here? Don’t I have a say in this?”

  They turned to her, neither one of them saying anything for a few seconds. Vincent coughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Em. Would you like to stay at my house until they catch Richard, or do you feel safer here?”

  Emily squirmed. “I’d rather get out of this hotel. I don’t feel safe here.”

  Vincent smiled. “It’s settled then. I’ll help you get your things, and you can stay at my place.”

  ******

  The door to Steven’s office opened and Annette placed a fresh stack of messages on his desk and left. Steven glared at them, but didn’t move. He knew he should start returning calls, but stared at the Accelerated Communications file instead. The pages blurred together. He didn’t need to look them over. He already knew all the figures.

  They were in financial trouble. Their choice was either sell the company, or file bankruptcy. He also knew Douglas had started that company from scratch. His baby, his hard work was on the line. Steven could offer him much more than money. His capital could turn the company into something great. This is what he needed to show Douglas, not the five million dollars he would offer him. He wasn’t going to absorb the company, or change the name. He was going to offer Accelerated Communications immortality.

  He sighed, and picked up the stack. Flipping through, he froze, his blood went cold. It was a message from Michael.

  There was an incident with Richard here at the hotel. Call me when you can.

  He picked up the phone and dialed Michael’s cell number. On the third ring he picked up.

  “Michael, what happened? Is Emily okay?” His hand shook as he tried to hear the voice on the line.

  “Emily’s fine. Richard tried to take her and Connor. Emily got away from him in the lobby. He assaulted a hotel worker, and left.”

  Steven’s heart raced. “Do they know where he is?”

  “No. The police are searching, but haven’t found him yet.”

  Steven swore under his breath. “Michael, hire a body guard for Emily. I don’t want her alone. I’ll fly back tomorrow morning.”

  “She’s going to stay with Vincent.”

  Steven clenched his teeth. “What?”

  “Vincent took the day off so she wouldn’t have to be alone. They are packing her things right now.”

  “Hire someone anyway. Don’t tell her if you think she won’t approve. I want someone watching her, no matter what.” He stood up and paced the floor.

  “Okay. I’ll take care of it.”

  He slammed the phone down. Alex opened the door and stuck his head in. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.” He took one look at Steven then cringed. “Sorry, looks like you’re already in one heck of a mood. I’ll talk to you later.” He disappeared and pulled the door shut.

  Steven rushed to follow him into the hall. “Tell me now, Alex. What is it?”

  His secretary looked up from her desk. Alex sucked in a large breath and exhaled. “Douglas called. He’s going to have to postpone the meeting until Monday.”

  “What?” Steven felt his neck and shoulders tighten.

  Alex stared at the floor. “I’m sorry, Steven. Something’s come up. They can’t meet today. You’ll just have to stay until Monday.”

  “No.” Steven took a calming breath. “I’m not staying. In fact, I’m leaving right now.” He turned on his heel toward his office.

  “Wait,” Alex called after him. “If you go, the deal is off. They want you there at the meeting.”

  He entered his office, with Alex at his heels. “Fine.” He held up his hands in surrender. “Then the deal is off.” He pulled on his coat and grabbed his briefcase.

  “What do you mean, the deal is off? This is what you’ve worked so hard for.” Alex frowned.

  “No, Alex, this,” he motioned to indicate everything in the building, “is what I’ve worked so hard for. And I’ve got it. Ha! I’ve got it. Don’t you see? I have my cake. Now I want to eat it. If you want to have your cake and never eat it, fine. Go ahead. I’m tired of looking at my cake and never eating it. If eating it means I won’t have it anymore, then okay. At least I’ll have eaten it!” Steven stepped out of his office and turned to face Alex in the hall. “You meet with them on Monday. If they’ll close the deal without me, then great. If not, then forget it.” He started walking down the hall, and called out, “I’m going to go eat my cake!”

  Alex’s secretary passed by him in the hall, muttering, “Why doesn’t anyone ever tell me when there’s cake?”

  Chapter Thirty

  The evening sun slipped below the horizon, the snow taking on a beautiful illumination. Emily pulled her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs, peering out the large picture window in Vincent’s dining ro
om.

  Vincent stood at the refrigerator, studying the contents. “Would you like another soda?”

  “No, thank you.” She glanced at Connor in the living room watching television. “It was a good idea to rent those DVD’s. He’s enjoying them.”

  He grabbed a Coke and shut the refrigerator door. “No problem.” He came to the table and set the can down beside her. Then he put his hands on her shoulders. “You look tense.”

  She felt his strong hands begin to gently massage her muscles. “Oh, thanks, that feels good.” Her muscles relaxed, and she closed her eyes, allowing Vincent to knead her neck and shoulders. The warmth from his hands seemed to melt away her tension. She stretched out her legs under the table, allowing herself to unwind. His moustache brushed against her ear and she froze. What was he doing? Was he going to kiss her? Her eyes snapped open. “Thank you. That was nice.” She shifted away from him. The last thing she wanted to do was encourage Vincent. She definitely didn’t feel that way about him.

  He held his hand on her back for a moment before taking a seat next to her at the table. “You’re welcome.” His cool grey eyes penetrated through her.

  An uncomfortable silence sat between them. “So,” she said, twisting in her chair, “You and William grew up together, right?” She tried to keep her voice light and conversational.

  He stared at her a moment before answering. “Yes, my parents moved onto the Grant estate when I was three years old. My father worked as the groundskeeper while my mother cooked and kept the house for them.” He took a deep drink from his soda.

  “That must have been nice, to have someone to play with while your parents worked.” Emily ran her finger along the edge of the table.

  Vincent frowned. “Sure, I guess.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  He gazed out of the window. “I think William felt threatened by me when we were kids.”

  Emily waited for him to continue, but he didn’t say anything else. “What did he do?”

  Vincent fingered his moustache, almost absently. “He would call me names, shove me around, stupid things like that. Still, I kind of worshipped William. Followed him around like a puppy. I don’t know why. I remember once when we were about six years old, Will and I were invited to a birthday party. Theodore took us shopping for a gift. After he dropped us off at the front door, Will waited until his father drove away before grabbing the package and shoving me into the mud. He said his dad was the one who bought the present, so it was going to be just from him.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  He shrugged. “All water under the bridge now.” He took another long drink from his can. “He stopped picking on me so much after my father died.”

  “Your mother stayed on working at the Grant estate then?”

  “Yes. She worked there for ten years. Then Theodore asked her to run his bed and breakfast for him, so we moved into the old Rochester mansion. He paid me to keep his grounds at his estate for him during the summers when I was a teenager, so I was never far from William even after we moved.”

  Emily smiled, gazing out over the snow covered shrubs out back. “I didn’t know you knew landscaping. That’s why your yard looks so nice.”

  Vincent chuckled. “I suppose so.” He put his hand over hers. “You look tired. Do you want to go lie down for a while? I can put Connor in his pajamas.”

  “No, thank you.” She squeezed his hand, and then pulled away.

  He searched her face. When he spoke, his voice was deep and soft. “Are you in love with Steven Ashton?”

  “What? No, I…” Her cheeks grew hot. “No.” She tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat, but was unsuccessful.

  “Somehow, I don’t believe you.” A sad smile flitted across his face before he stood and left her sitting at the table.

  ******

  The sound of water spilling over the large statue and the clinking of champagne glasses filled the spacious room. The bachelors were seated at small but lavishly decorated tables with their families. Steven flashed a smile at his mother.

  “It’s nice to see you, dear. I thought I might not see you until Christmas.” Caroline’s smile seemed forced.

  Steven picked up his napkin and placed it on his lap. “It’s nice to see you too, although I’ll be heading back to Stapleton in the morning.”

  His father sized him up with a glance before speaking. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” Brenton leaned to the side while a waiter set his plate down in front of him.

  Steven nodded and picked up his fork. He didn’t want to get into it. After his mother found out Emily was in some kind of trouble, she stopped matchmaking and started warning him to stay away. He decided to change the subject. “So, how’s the manufacturing plant you’re building in Arizona coming?”

  Brenton shrugged. “It would be going better if we could get past all of these setbacks. I’ve had to fly out there four times since September, trying to get things back on schedule.” His father continued on, and his mother seemed to relax a bit.

  After the meal they carted him off to be photographed and paraded about. By the end of the evening, when he felt sufficiently demeaned, he climbed into his limousine and tugged at his bow tie.

  Back in his apartment, he kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket on the couch. The thought of Emily staying at Vincent’s house popped into his head and he raked his hand through his hair. Turning on his cell phone, he checked his messages. None. He glanced at the clock. Surely Emily would be asleep by now.

  He couldn’t calm the restless feeling twitching through him. He put on his workout clothes and went down to the private gym in his building.

  ******

  Emily sat up with a start. She thought she heard a voice outside. Connor stirred beside her, but didn’t wake up.

  Shadows crossed the moonlight streaming in the window. Fear ripped through her. She stepped out of bed, inching her way to the window, her heart beating hard against her ribs.

  There it is again. Someone’s shouting something.

  She stood next to the window, her back pressed against the wall. The shouting sounded closer this time.

  What were they saying?

  Clutching her nightgown around her neck, she snuck a peek through the sheers. A man passed by her window. He turned and she caught a glimpse of his face in the moonlight.

  Richard.

  She heard the shouting again, this time she understood it. “Get away from the house!”

  Someone was after Richard. For a split second she felt relief, and then she saw the look on Richard’s face. It was a look of pure fury.

  Richard picked up a large rock and hurled it toward her window. She threw herself to the floor. Glass shattered and fell around her.

  Emily ran to the bed and grabbed Connor.

  “Mommy?”

  “Hush, baby, it’s okay.” Her legs almost gave out. She stumbled into the hallway. A dark shape moved toward her. She screamed.

  “It’s okay, it’s just me.” Vincent brushed past her into the bedroom.

  Emily sank to the floor, holding Connor close. She heard a gun shot, and her blood froze. Richard shot Vincent! She crawled into the bathroom, clutching Connor to her. She closed the door and leaned her back up against it.

  She heard more shouting, as Connor struggled against her. “Mommy, you’re holding me too tight.”

  “I’m sorry sweetie. Hush, be as quiet as you can, okay?” Her hands shook. Indistinguishable voices came from in the house.

  “It’s dark in here,” Connor whined.

  “Hush.”

  Someone tried to open the door. Emily braced her feet against the wall and the sink.

  “Emily? It’s Vincent. Open the door. It’s okay, Richard’s gone.”

  She tried to move her legs but they were shaking too much. Her throat constricted, and she couldn’t breathe.

  Vincent’s muffled voice came through the door again. “Emily, honey, it’s all right. Please op
en the door.”

  Connor pressed his hands on her cheeks. “Mommy, I’m scared.”

  Slowly, the shaking subsided and she slid away from the door. Vincent pushed it open.

  “Are you okay?” He crouched down and took her hand in his.

  She nodded. “Richard… I thought he shot you.” Connor clung to her neck and nuzzled her shoulder.

  “No, the other man was firing at Richard, who ran away once he realized he was being shot at.” Vincent squeezed her hand.

  She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Who shot at Richard?”

  “His name is Devin. He’s a retired police officer.”

  Her spine tingled. “And he just happened to be outside when Richard was trying to break in?”

  Vincent paused for a few moments. When he spoke his voice was soft. “No, he was hired to keep an eye on you.”

  Heat rushed to her face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I thought you might get angry.”

  Now it was her turn to be silent. She admitted to herself that she probably would have been. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. Thank you for hiring him.”

  Vincent opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, and then closed it again. He smiled. “You’re welcome. The police should be here any minute. While we wait, I should go up to the attic and get some plywood to board up that window.” He squeezed her hand once more before standing up and leaving.

  Connor’s soft breathing told her he was asleep on her shoulder.

  Chapter Thirty One

  Samantha curled up on her couch and wrapped the quilt around her shoulders, closing her eyes. The calico blanket still smelled faintly of cedar and moth balls, like everything else at her grandmother’s house. She sighed, knowing her grandmother wouldn’t have another Christmas after this one. The nursing home visits were becoming harder, with her grandmother calling her Chelsea most of the time. That had been her mother’s name.