Lady In Red

by Fayrene Preston

  Panicked, Cassidy sat up and jerked the sheet to her chin all in one motion, sending the hippopotamus and the giraffe tumbling to the floor. The kangaroo stayed stubbornly by her side.

  Zach sat up more slowly, cuddling the lion against his chest and eyeing his housekeeper with an amused gaze. “Good morning, Lily. To what do we owe this honor?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she said, bustling back to the foot of the bed. “I was just in a French toast sort of mood this morning. You know how that goes.”

  “Let me guess. You made us French toast.”

  “Uh-huh.” She took the tray, set it in front of Cassidy, then went out to the hall and hurried back with a second tray which she put in front of Zach.

  Cassidy stared at her tray and the beautiful presentation of thick-sliced French toast and plump red strawberries. Her tray also held a weird floral arrangement. “It looks very nice,” she said, her voice faint with embarrassment.

  Oblivious to what Cassidy was feeling, Lily set about with gusto to plump up her pillows and straighten the covers. “Might as well get your daily dose of cholesterol and vitamin C right at the top of the day, that’s what I always say. Don’t I, Zach?”

  He looked over at Cassidy, his mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. “That's what you always say, Lily.”

  She critically eyed Cassidy’s rigid posture. “You’ll enjoy your breakfast much more, sugar, if you sit back and relax.”

  Reluctantly she leaned back against the pillows as directed, careful to bring the sheet with her, covering herself to her neck.

  Lily picked up the giraffe and the hippopotamus and set them beside Cassidy, then patted the kangaroo on the head. “By the way, sugar, the flower arrangement isn't edible. My ikebana class is tonight, and that’s my homework.”

  “Oh.” It was all Cassidy could think to say as she stared at the small oval dish that held shiny black rocks, three twigs, and a single bright orange daisy.

  Zach pulled his tray toward him. “From the looks of that arrangement, you may have a shot at being the valedictorian of your class.”

  Lily gazed with pride at the twigs and flower. “That’s what I was thinking.”

  Cassidy searched for something to say. “The coffee smells wonderful.”

  “Freshly ground. Coffees kind of a family thing with me. Juan Valdez is my second cousin.”

  “Second cousin? You mean the little guy on television with the donkey and the coffee beans?”

  “That’s right. He’s my second cousin on my mother’s side three times removed.”

  “Juan Valdez isn’t a real person, is he?” Cassidy said, whispering beneath her breath to Zach. “I mean, isn’t he a symbol for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Columbia?”

  Zach’s reply was low and gentle. “Lily should know who she’s related to, Cassidy.”

  While they talked, the object of their conversation had been industriously picking up their clothes, which they had uncaringly left on the floor last night, neatly folding them, and placing them conveniently on the chair, as if it were something she did every day.

  When she was at last satisfied that she had everything in order, she clasped her hands in front of her and surveyed them with interest. “Is there anything else I can get for you two?”

  “Not a thing,” Cassidy hastened to reassure her.

  Zach shook his head. “Thanks, Lily.”

  “No problem. Enjoy. See you later.”

  As soon as the door was shut, Cassidy groaned. “I can’t believe she saw us like this.”

  “Like what?” Zach asked, taking a bite of his French toast.

  “Together. In bed. Naked.”

  “She meant well, but if it bothers you, I'll tell her not to do it again.”

  She looked at him uncertainly. “Does she do this every morning?”

  He laughed. “Are you kidding? I never get breakfast in bed. No, I told you before, she likes you.”

  “Oh.”

  He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss, and his musk and citrus scent encircled her, soothing her nerves and awakening her senses.

  “Eat your breakfast,” he said huskily.

  She picked up a strawberry and nibbled on it. He had said he would tell Lily not to do it again as if he believed there would be many other mornings such as this. The idea pleased her. It also terrified her. And as soon as she had the story, she would have to face and then deal with this surprising and powerful dependency of hers. A dependency named Zach.

  As soon as she had the story, she repeated to herself, feeling a new and extremely strong kinship with Scarlett O’Hara.

  “Are you coming to work with me today?” he asked.

  “I can’t think of anything constructive I could do there. I’ve just about reached dead ends on everything I’ve looked into. Your after-hours security system is excellent there. I don’t see any way it could be violated. And as for the reports I ran on the supervisors, the information I received matched exactly with what you said. There was nothing that would throw up a red flag on any of them.”

  “But it’s definitely one of them.”

  She glanced over at him and saw that his expression was solemn. “Has something else happened?”

  “Lily was out most of the day yesterday. When I came home last night, the key pad of the house security system had been turned off. From the looks of it, the person who disarmed it had an extensive knowledge of how electronics and computers work.”

  “I gather they didn’t get the master disk?”

  He shook his head and took a sip of coffee. She watched him, wondering where in the world he could be hiding the disk - just as the person trying to steal it was. His office, his home, and he himself had all been searched. She was beginning to get really curious about the disk’s hiding place, but she didn’t want to ask him. That disk was the only security he had at the moment against his company losing a tremendous amount of money. “Did the person do anything to give themselves away?”

  “No. Whoever they are, they’re being very careful. They’re also very smart.” He chuckled. “But then I only hire the best.”

  “You’re joking again.” She forked a piece of French toast into her mouth.

  “They don’t have a chance in hell of getting the master disk, Cassidy.”

  “But we still don’t know who it is. It could be any one of the four of them.”

  “That’s right, but I have a plan, and if it works we should know by tonight who it is.” He looked at her. “I'd really like you to come to work with me today.”

  “Why?”

  “Just to be there.”

  “All right,” she said, her will to refuse him quickly dissolving, “then I will.”

  He smiled. “Good. Now eat your breakfast, and then we can take an energy-conserving shower together. ”

  Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “I didn't find our last energy-saving shower very energy saving. In fact I was exhausted by the time - ”

  “Cassidy! You made a joke!”

  She set her jaw into a stubborn line. “That wasn’t a joke. It was the truth.”

  “Nothing is funnier than the truth.”

  She sighed. “Another ‘Zachism.’”

  “What was that sigh? Resignation? Acceptance? Surrender?”

  She wasn’t certain herself, so she chose another subject to talk about. “Marsha told me that you’ve never brought any other women, rather girlfriends, to work with you before. ”

  “That’s right.” He set his coffee cup on the nightstand beside him, then placed his tray on the floor by the bed.

  She waited until he had straightened and was looking at her again. “But you told me that you did, all the time.”

  His gaze on her was considering. “I didn’t want to scare you away, Cassidy. I wanted you to keep working on the story, to give us more time together. I wanted a chance with you.”

  “But why? We’d only known each other a short time by then.” She was unsure what she was
fishing for and equally unsure what she wanted him to say in return, but her heart was pounding like a drum.

  “For someone so bright, Cassidy, you can be really slow.” He rolled to his side, propped himself up on his elbows, and gazed straight into her eyes. “I love you.”

  Fear slammed into her, followed immediately by a racing excitement. “Love?”

  He smiled tenderly. “Don’t take it so hard, sweetheart. I’m not going to ask anything of you, at least nothing more than you’re willing to give. I’m a very patient man. Sooner or later I’m going to get what I want.”

  “And what is that?” she asked, still stunned. “You, of course. You’re going to realize you love me too.”

  She didn’t know what to think. She hardly knew what to say. She had always regarded man - woman love as something that she had no use for. In her view, romantic love was a fairy tale with no substance, a myth with no reality. But here he was, saying he loved her.

  “Zach, I don’t want to hurt you, but I was very up-front with you about not wanting a relationship.”

  “Yes, you were. But look what we have now.”

  She forced oxygen into her lungs. “A relationship.”

  “By anyone’s standards, I’d say we definitely do.”

  Her tone turned uncertain. “But it's all going to end when the story’s done.”

  “Who made that rule? You’ll have your story by tomorrow, Cassidy. But tomorrow night, I expect you to be here with me.”

  She felt dizzy, elated, scared. “Zach, you’re going to have to give me time.”

  “I'll give you all the time you need, sweetheart, just as long as you’ll stay with me.”

  Nine

  Much to Cassidy’s relief, Zach dropped the subject of love. In fact, for a while, he stopped talking altogether. Instead, he took her with him into the shower. And as they both had known would happen, the small space of the shower, combined with their slick, naked bodies, the scented soap, and the warm water, proved too much of a temptation. They made love until they could barely stay upright.

  Later, while they were dressing, he explained his plan to her, and she couldn’t help but approve. He had been right when he said she would have her story by the next day. It would be a good story and give her a higher profile at the paper. But would she really stay with him once she had it?

  They drove separate cars to work, but once there, they spent the day together. Zach insisted that she go on the rounds of the plant with him again. She went and had a wonderful time. She enjoyed watching the way he interacted with his employees in such an easy, genuine way. And she was left light-headed by the speed with which he applied his intellect to problems and came up with solutions.

  She had come to terms with the love he had for his company and the toys it produced, but she was still trying to come to terms with his love of her. She was very aware, however, that she was fighting herself, not him.

  Once during the day when Zach had stepped away from the office, she saw Deep Teddy Bear, as she persisted in thinking of him, and called him into the office.

  Delbert was slightly more composed than at their last meeting. “Do you think Mr. Bennett is mad at me?” he asked anxiously.

  “No, of course not. If it wasn’t for you contacting me, he wouldn’t have known to be on the lookout for this theft.”

  “I hope he’s not mad at me. I’d hate to lose my job. I really like it here.”

  “I don’t understand, Delbert. You are the only person I’ve seen here who is afraid of Zach. Why?”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I really admire him. He’s sort of like my hero. But he’s also kind of spooky. Sometimes I think he’s got a special hookup to outer space, the way he comes up with these really great ideas. He’s smarter than anyone I’ve ever known, and this whole place rests on his shoulders and his alone. I wouldn't have a job if it weren't for him.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “I guess I see what you mean.”

  Right before quitting time, Zach called a meeting of the supervisors. On his desk were eight three-and-a-half-inch disks, all neatly labeled as being one of the four parts of the video game that they had handed in.

  Zach leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed. But Cassidy noted that he wasn’t playing, a sign of how deeply disturbed he was.

  “The Game is finished and on time,” he said. “I want to thank each of you for doing such a splendid job.”

  Janet smiled. “How could we help but do a splendid job? We just followed your specs, Zach.”

  “Nevertheless, you and your groups put in a lot of hard work, and you deserve a great deal of thanks.”

  Will’s grin was spread from ear to ear. “I’ve had a blast, and I’ve learned a lot.”

  “We all have,” Brad said, crossing one perfectly creased trouser leg over the other.

  “Definitely,” Mitchell said.

  Zach nodded. “Good. I’m counting on this being a runaway hit with the kids.”

  “I don’t see how it can fail,” Brad said. “I gather marketing is already gearing up?”

  Zach nodded. “That’s right. I'll work tonight at home to put your four disks together with my master, then we’ll be ready to hit the ground running tomorrow.”

  “Great,” Mitchell said, “I’ve promised my grandsons one out of the first batch.”

  Zach grinned. “I think we can arrange that.” Cassidy sat at an angle to Zach and facing Will, Janet, Mitchell, and Brad. Something con- tinued to nag at her, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It was almost as if she had seen something or heard something during these last few days that could tell her which one of the four was the culprit.

  “How hard is it going to be to integrate our four disks with yours?” Will asked curiously.

  “Not hard, it’ll just take a little time. I’ll do it tonight after dinner and work until I’m finished.” He turned and smiled at Cassidy. “It’s Lily’s night off. I guess you’ll have to put up with my cooking.” She’d been concentrating so hard on the four supervisors, his sudden attention on her took her by surprise. “Uh, that’s fine with me.”

  Will leaned forward eagerly. “We can’t wait to see this master disk of yours, Zach. It may be called the eighth wonder of the world once The Game hits the stores.”

  Zach chuckled. “It’s not a cure for cancer, folks.”

  Much to her amazement, Cassidy found herself speaking up. “But think of all the hours of pleasure and happiness it will bring the children of the world.”

  Janet nodded. “She’s right. That master disk of yours will make a product that is going to be spectacular, Zach.”

  Brad burst out laughing. “I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight. I’ll be living to get back here tomorrow so that I can see it.”

  Mitchell grinned. “You’re not going to be alone.”

  Zach held up his hands. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you. In the meantime, why don’t you start tying up the odds and ends for your respective groups, because next Monday, bright and early, I have a new project for you.”

  Will’s eyes widened. “What? What is it?”

  Zach smiled at him. “Monday, Will. Until then, relax. You’ve earned it.”

  With good-natured bantering, the four supervisors rose and left the office.

  Zach turned to Cassidy. “Well?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we’re going to find out soon, though.”

  “I almost wish we didn’t have to.” He grimaced.

  “And I wish this wasn’t going to be so hard on you.”

  He leaned forward and reached to take her hand. “I’ll get through it, thanks to you.”

  A sweetness rushed through her veins, and she felt like she was melting inside. Zach was simply the most irresistible man she had ever met, she thought ruefully. So how was she going to resist him?

  A little later, as they were about to leave the building, Marsha rushed up to them. “Cassidy, your office just called and asked
that you go over there right away.”

  She frowned. “Was there a message about what was up?”

  Marsha shook her head. “Nothing except that it was important, and you were to come immediately.”

  “Thanks, Marsha.” She looked at Zach. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be longer than an hour, but if I am, I'll call you.”

  “All right. I’ll wait for you at the house.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her. “Hurry. ”

  She nodded. “I will.”

  • • •

  The drive to the newspaper didn’t take long. She’d parked, and was just shutting the door when a van pulled up beside her. Before she knew what was happening, a man jumped out, yanked a burlap bag down over her head, and shoved her into the van. The van started rolling immediately.

  She had been kidnapped in a matter of seconds.

  Her heart raced a mile a minute. She tried to sit up, but someone pushed her back down to the cold metal floor. The van was traveling at a high rate of speed. She could hear the road through the floor, feel every bump and vibration. Nausea churned in her stomach and rose in her throat.

  She tried again to sit up, but steellike arms thrust her back down.

  “Please… who are you? Why are you doing this?”

  “Shut up,” a rough voice said, and lifted the bag only far enough to cram some sort of rag into her mouth, gagging her.

  It was hard for her to gauge how long they traveled. She was too busy trying to control her fear and her churning stomach. With the gag in her mouth, she’d strangle to death if she threw up. And her situation didn’t get any better once they stopped. Hands jerked her from the van and propelled her along a walkway and through a door. Obviously inside a building now, she thought for a moment she sensed a third person. But then they started her walking at a fast pace. Suddenly they were in a stairwell, plunging down the stairs. She would have fallen except now two pairs of hands held her in a viselike grip.

  They continued down, down. They stopped. A door was opened. Hands against her back shoved her forward. The door closed behind her, and locks clicked and snapped into place. The last thing she heard were boxes being shoved in front of the door. Then there was silence.