by Mia Ford
“I’m excited to see you too,” Veronica said, hoping that she sounded at least a little genuine.
“Okay well I have to be getting to work,” Calvin said. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I can’t wait! I love you!”
“See you,” Veronica said. “I love you too.”
Veronica hung up the phone just as Frank walked into the kitchen. Veronica had already gotten him a glass of water, which he immediately drank.
“Thank you,” Frank said.
Veronica nodded, but remained quiet.
“Was that Calvin?” Frank asked quietly, and Veronica knew that he already knew the answer to that.
“I called and set up our date,” she explained quietly. “It’s tomorrow at six, and I told him I had to be back by midnight.”
Frank looked a little surprised.
“I thought you would want to take the whole night,” he said.
“That is probably the very last thing I want,” Veronica scoffed.
“Hey,” Frank moved closer to her and placed his hands on her waist, looking into her eyes. “Don’t be down about this.”
“I can’t help it,” Veronica sighed. She thought for a moment, and she was grateful that Calvin granted her the time to process her thoughts.
“I haven’t even seen him in weeks,” she said softly. “I just… I just don’t know how to be around him anymore. Especially not with all this. With you and me.”
“Don’t worry about all that,” Calvin said softly. “You just be you. You’re smart. You’re going to know what to do in whatever situation you find yourself in. I believe in you.”
Veronica nodded, and she found that his words served to comfort her quite a bit.
“Are you sure you want me to go through with this?” she whispered, and he smiled down at her.
“Like I said,” Frank gave a half smile. “I think you need to see him. And I think it will help you to figure out what you really want to get out of this situation.”
Veronica nodded. She moved closer to Frank and rested her head against his broad chest. She inhaled the scent of his musk after his workout and shivered as the scent filled her lungs.
“I just want you to remember one thing,” Frank said, pulling back slightly. Veronica looked up at him, waiting for him to tell her what was on his mind.
“I want you to remember that I want you,” he said. “In your mind while you’re processing all these things, I don’t want you to ever doubt that I think you’re the woman for me, and that I want you more than anything. Don’t ever get that twisted. I want you to be mine. You just have to decide if I’m the one for you.”
Veronica swallowed at yet another raw confession from this man.
“But if that man for you is Calvin,” Frank went on more softly. “I will respect your decision in that regard, and we can both move on with our lives accordingly.”
Veronica took in his words, and looked up at him.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’re so understanding.”
Frank smiled down at her.
“All I want is for you to have a good chance to be happy,” Frank almost whispered. “And I do want it to be with me, no doubt. But I think Calvin is a good man, too. And I know he has a good future to offer you as well. If he was some kind of shady low-life, I wouldn’t be encouraging you to entertaining him as an option.”
Veronica smiled, as she couldn’t quite manage a laugh. Frank noticed her quietness, and he lifted her face up to look at him.
“Everything’s going to work out, alright?” Frank assured her. “I’m going to go get ready for work. You coming up?”
“No,” Veronica shook her head. “I’m going to stay down here for a second. I just want to clear my head a little bit.”
“Okay,” Frank smiled. “I’ll see you in just a little bit.”
Veronica smiled as he moved out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She let out a soft rush of air, and she buried her face in her hands. She felt like her life was beginning to spin out of control.
She wondered how things would have been if she had never taken the job from Frank. Would she and Calvin have broken up eventually just from their differences? Would they have stayed together, eventually gotten married and had children and a family of their own? All those ideas seemed to be pure fantasy now that she had been disloyal to him.
Veronica wondered if she would tell him about her and Frank on their date. It seemed almost too cruel to do something like that to him. She knew he was terribly excited to see her, and this revelation would absolutely crush him.
And if she didn’t tell him, she knew the guilt would be eating at her the whole night, and she would just end up having a completely miserable time altogether. She would only be sparing him from the truth temporarily, anyway, and there was little point in dragging it out.
She wondered how he would react if she did tell him. Would he be angry? Hurt? Betrayed? Embarrassed? Doubtless he would feel all these emotions, but which one would he display. It was a question she would not know the answer to until she revealed her horrible secret.
And the bigger issue in all this was whether she wanted to try and recover her relationship with Calvin, or if she wanted to pursue a new relationship with Frank? In some ways, the choice of Frank seemed easy. She had already nearly seamlessly adjusted herself into his life. She was attracted to him both physically and mentally, not to mention the deeper connection that they shared.
But then, there were outside issues to consider. Frank was a man of wealth and status, and the duties of a wife were certainly much different than the duties of a nanny. She would likely be expected to attend events and to mingle with an entirely different class of people than she was accustomed to. In her mind, she just could not picture herself ever fitting in to that kind of picture.
Veronica was also afraid of being a disappointment to Frank. They had only interacted in this environment. What if he came to find one day that she was not all he had made her out to be, and came to regret his decision entirely?
All these thoughts rushed through her head, and Veronica rubbed at her temples. She got up from the table and headed upstairs to her room. She desperately hoped that a shower would help her to be able to sort out her thoughts on these issues.
Veronica had a hard time keeping her mind away from this pressing issue for the next couple of days. She tried and tried to sort everything out, but even after hours and hours agonizing over it, she had not come any closer to finding a solution or making a decision.
By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, she was nearly a complete mess. She was anxious about seeing Calvin after having spent this time without him, and knowing all the things she had done in that time.
She really was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.
So, she was very caught off guard when Frank showed up at his home a little earlier than usual. He greeted his daughters, and then gave her a small smile.
“Go on up and start getting ready,” he said softly. “I’ve got the girls.”
Veronica nodded, unable to verbally respond, and headed up the stairs. She made it into her room, but stopped short as she saw a box on the bed. She looked closer and saw a note card lying on top of the box.
She hesitantly moved closer, and picked up the card.
‘Wear this on your date. I know it will look incredible on you. -Frank’
Veronica felt her heart clench as she read the note. As if it wasn’t enough to be playing with Calvin’s emotions, she was also acutely aware that Frank had feelings for her, and wanted her to stay with him.
She was tempted to simply ignore the box and refuse to wear the dress. But she knew that he would insist, and she didn’t want to risk hurting his feeling over something that only cost a tiny fraction of his fortune. She would wear the dress, and she would thank him profusely for it.
Slowly, Veronica opened the box, and she gasped at what she saw. It was a deep purple dress that s
he already knew would accentuate all of her curves in just the right way. It was complete with a neckline that would serve to show off her generous cleavage, but not so much as to be tacky.
Veronica couldn’t wait to put it on. She found a pair of black lace bra and panties that would easily compliment the dress, and then she slipped on the garment itself. She gasped as she saw herself in the mirror. She was shocked to find it fit her perfectly, and with a pair of black heels it would give her a classy, elegant look.
Veronica hastily took off the dress, all but too eager to put it back on when her hair and makeup were done. She went into the bathroom and picked up her speed on that whole process. She found the perfect pair of black heels to go with the dress, and then put on the dress and shoes. She selected a black clutch to complete the look, as well as a matching set of pearl necklace and earrings.
She was observing herself in the mirror when she saw her door open from its reflection, and she stiffened a little as Frank walked into the room.
“Hey,” he said softly, and she watched his jaw drop slightly as he took in her wardrobe. She felt heat rush into her cheeks, and she couldn’t help but smile up at him.
“Thank you for the dress,” she said softly, feeling a flutter of arousal as his eyes swept hungrily over her.
“Thank you for wearing it,” he said, his voice husky. “You look stunning.”
Veronica dipped her head out of modesty.
“I wish it was me taking you out tonight,” Frank said softly as he moved closer to her. He placed his hands on her waist, and she could tell he was being careful so as not to wrinkle the material of her dress.
“I wish it was too,” Veronica said softly, and she meant it.
Frank gave her a sad smile and sighed.
“Well if you go on a date with me at any point,” he said speculatively. “I’ll just have to buy you an even nicer dress.”
Veronica smiled up at him, knowing that he was quite capable of doing so. They were both quiet for a moment, feeling a bit awkward for the first time she could remember since they had met.
“Are you ready?” Frank asked her.
“I think so,” Veronica said, though she was having a hard time keeping her voice from shaking.
“It’s a little chilly out, you might need a coat,” Frank said.
“Oh, thank you,” Veronica nodded, and moved into her closet to find an overcoat. She had forgotten that the chill of autumn was creeping up on them and that the warmth of summer was disappearing. She couldn’t help but think that somewhat metaphoric for her life at the moment.
Veronica stepped out of her closet with the coat and began the process of putting it on.
“Here, let me,” Frank stepped forward, and held the coat so that she could more easily put her arms through it.
“Thank you,” she said when she was securely wrapped in the garment.
“Of course,” Frank nearly whispered. Veronica could feel tension building between them, and she could see Frank’s jaw working.
“You know,” he finally spoke after what seemed like ages. “All I want to do right now is take you and kiss you, so that when you kiss Calvin tonight, it won’t be your lips he’s tasting, but mine.”
Veronica wanted to tell him that her lips already were his, and that if he had not already physically claimed her at this point, then one more kiss wouldn’t magically do the trick. Besides, she knew what he was saying, and she didn’t want the moment between them to be ruined by useless logic.
“Anyway,” frank cleared his throat. “I came up to let you know that Thomas is outside with the car for you.”
Veronica was a little relieved that Thomas would be driving her. She had gotten to know him better and better during her time her, as he was a member of the staff. He was kind, and she knew he would not judge her for where she was going, and he wouldn’t badger her with questions about her situation.
“May I help you to the car?” Frank offered, extending his hand to her.
Veronica gave him a nod, and took his offered hand. A little more slowly than they might have normally walked, he led her down the grand staircase and out the front door. Veronica saw Thomas waiting by the rear door to help her in, but with a nod from Frank, he moved to get into the Driver’s seat.
Veronica felt her nerves mounting up inside of her as she approached the car, and when Frank opened the door for her, she hesitated to get in.
“Everything alright?” Frank raised an eyebrow at her, and Veronica could hardly find her voice to speak with him.
“I…” she trailed off for a moment, feeling vulnerable. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be scared,” Frank assured her softly. “Just try to go out and have a good time. Don’t think about right or wrong or making decisions. Just go out, and stay calm.”
Veronica nodded, and she took a deep breath. She had known Calvin for years. There was no reason to be getting so worked up over a simple date with him. Somehow, though, in such a short time, she felt like everything had changed.
Veronica lowered herself into the car, allowing Frank to help her as she did so. He bent over so he could smile in at her.
“You said you’d be back by midnight?” Frank asked.
“That’s right,” Veronica smiled up at him, taking comfort in the fact that no matter what happened on her date, she was still coming back to her life here afterward.
“Good,” frank said, and she heard a trace of humor in his voice. “That’s about when the spell wears off, or so they say.”
Veronica laughed aloud. She debated telling him that Calvin had also made a Cinderella joke, buts he decided the information was not quite welcome.
“I’ll miss you,” veronica said softly. She had not spent an afternoon away from him since she had known him, and this was more than a little strange to her.
“I’ll see you soon,” Franks aid comfortingly. “You should get going, you don’t want to be late.”
“Alright,” Veronica agreed, sounding very calm considering her heart had just leapt into her throat.
“Have a good date,” Frank said, a little acidity in his tone.
“Thank you,” Veronica said.
With that Frank closed the door and patted the hood of the car, and Thomas pulled out of the driveway, taking Veronica to her date with Calvin.
BOOK 7 : MERMAID SIGHTED
It was supposed to be an innocuous evening but, just like life on the waves, presuming that calm and peaceful seas lay ahead was a mistake you might only be able to make the once.
Kurt was often looking to live by such seafaring philosophies. He was in love with the ocean and tried to interpret all of his life’s lessons in the way that he envisioned an experienced old sailor from voyages of yore might. Something that was true whether or not he happened to be at sea or, indeed, 50 kilometres inland as he then was.
The occasion was pretty casual in appearance, at the same time as being pretty essential for the future of their livelihoods in that it was a dinner invite from his father’s business partner. Clive Furse’s family home was in Portland and represented one of two households that benefitted from the profit margins of Aqua Yachts: a luxury yacht hire business co-owned by Furse and Kurt’s father Earl Wyden.
Some twenty years ago the two of them had collaborated, investing their fortunes into setting up the business which was still going strong. Since then they had both raised families that would one day inherit and, because of the love he developed for the sea, getting involved in the family business was not a difficult decision for Kurt to make. Sure, the profits and the lifestyle would have made that choice fairly easier anyway, compared to hunting around on the jobs market, but Kurt honestly felt that it was in his blood to live on the coast.
His father had been the more hands-on of the two as far as maintaining the fleet was concerned, meaning that Kurt had grown up being able to learn about how to prepare a vessel for seafaring. Furse, on the other hand, had focused on the financial side of the busi
ness, as well as the marketing, which he was able to keep afloat farther inland at his Portland offices.
Socialising between the two families had been fairly normal when growing up and they were all on a first name basis. This meet up was the first-time Kurt had seen any of the Furses for nine months, however, because he had been on an extended break with friends traveling around Europe. That was part of a pledge to see the world someday, which Kurt had enjoyed although what he learned most of all from the experience was that the best thing about travel was coming home. He was pleased to be back with his father’s yachts and, as far as he was concerned, there was enough to see upon Oregon’s coastline and its Pacific waters to last him the rest of his lifetime.
In truth, he would have rather been there than in the backseat of his dad’s 4 x 4 Honda heading to Portland, but the meetup was also important for another reason.
Last week had seen Clive’s daughter, Darlene, return from college. She had been over in Boston for her higher education but was now home for good. The two families had realized that it had been the first time any of the Wyden’s had seen Darlene for three years and what better reason for a big family meetup to mark the occasion?
It was this addition that would live up to Kurt’s philosophy about peaceful seas, in that an evening at the Furse household seemed the most unlikely candidate for a life-changing event. Other than staying at home in front of the television, he would not have imagined a better way of avoiding anything out of the ordinary.
The Furses were fairly orthodox people. Kurt couldn’t imagine them doing any bad deeds in the world whatsoever and, if any man served as an example that money does not always corrupt, it was surely Clive Furse. The business he co-owned had earned them big bucks, but Clive continued to live simply. Other than the benefit of having a fleet of luxury yachts for his holidays, he believed in good traditional living, shopping locally and attending church on a Sunday. Simple pleasures like walking and bird spotting were his personal hobbies; certainly no one would ever catch him squandering away hard earned money buying rounds of drinks in some fancy bar or behind the wheel of a flash motor. Money and success provided Clive’s family with a blanket of financial security and he had no hang ups about the type of person he was.
