Fighting Destiny

by Annalisa Simon

  “Tell Chef Alexander thank you for me. I’ve missed his cooking,” she replied with a smile before sipping her coffee.

  “Candasee, I’ve missed you so much!” admitted Darius softly.

  At hearing those words, Candasee almost spewed her coffee across the table but she struggled to swallow instead.

  “You what?” she managed to splutter finally grabbing her napkin and pressing it to her lips.

  Darius stood to his feet and came over to where she was sitting and squatted down on the floor beside her so that he was looking up at her face.

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about us these past two years, and I have been wondering how to tell you all that is on my mind and in my heart. I was going to fly out to Barbados to surprise you for your birthday to ask you for your forgiveness. I know that I hurt you a lot and if I could go back in time I would take back everything I ever said and did to you then. I don’t even think I am doing a great job of apologizing to you now but I need to start somewhere,” he said.

  Candasee observed Darius practically kneeling before her apologizing and literally could not believe her eyes. Who was this man? Surely this wasn’t the proud and ruthless Darius Brogan apologizing? He was a man who took and conquered without apology to anyone. He’d let her suffer for two years without a single word! She didn’t even know where to begin to respond to him.

  Candasee’s eyes were wide with shock as she stared down at him seemingly frozen to her seat.

  “You don’t have to respond to me now, and I can tell from last night that I am still very low on your listed of trusted people, but I am hoping that while you are here that I can show you that I’ve changed. I’m not the same man you left behind two years ago Candee.”

  Darius never got to finish his sentence because at that moment there was a sharp knock at the door and both Darius and Candasee could hear Nathan calling out to her in the hallway with a concerned tone!

  “Candee are you in there?” he called.

  Darius experienced a flash of anger at hearing Nathan call Candasee by the same shortened form of her name that he was accustomed using. She let him do that? Had he been so thoroughly replaced?

  Candasee leapt up to her feet and slid past Darius to open the door. The rush of emotions surging through her body and her wild-eyed expression as she faced Nathan must have caused him some alarm because as soon as he saw her face, he began to question her. She stepped back and allowed him into the room.

  “What’s wrong love? I’ve been trying to find you all morning! Did you forget...?” he asked, his voice trailing off as he noticed movement over her shoulder and saw Darius stand to his feet.

  “Oh! I see, how cosy!” was all he said as a dry laugh escaped his lips.

  A moment of silence followed as Nathan and Darius sized each other up and Candasee stood between them again thinking back to the omen of the yesterday’s thunderstorm. This was worse than she could have ever dreamed. She knew that she needed to break the tension which was mounting quickly in the room.

  “Nathan, this is my husband, I mean my ex-husband Darius Brogan and Darius this is my boss, Nathan Carthswright!” Darn! That quick explanation made her feel like a guilty child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. In her nervous haste, she’d made two huge errors in her introductions and only one important correction. A quick glance to Nathan’s facial expression confirmed it all!

  Although he didn’t manage to complete what he wanted to say to her, Darius could see that the moment for doing so was gone for now. What was interesting though about this unfolding scene was Candasee’s error in introducing him to Nathan. That little slip was all he needed for now to explode a ray of hope within his heart that somehow she could be his again. She’d called him her husband and she had called Nathan her boss and not her lover or fiancé!

  From the way Nathan bit down on his lower lip when she made the slip, it was obvious that he too was incensed by her botched introductions and it gave him a better idea of just what he was facing in his opponent. He was her boss? His name sounded familiar downstairs but the shock of hearing that Candasee was engaged must have caused him to forget that the man in charge of the intensive was called Nathan Carthswright, if he recalled correctly.

  Finally, Darius made the move to walk forward and extend his hand to Nathan who looked at it briefly with some hesitation before returning the handshake.

  “It is a pleasure meeting you Mr. Carthswright. Miss. Hassell spoke quite highly of you and your arts company!” said Darius formally.”

  “Likewise the pleasure is mine to meet you Mr. Brogan!” replied Nathan with forced civility.

  “I hope that so far our arrangements for the intensive have met your approval?” asked Darius.

  “Yes, actually I need to thank you for being so generous to our students and for allowing us to participate in the travel show, we are truly honoured!” Nathan replied politely.

  “Not at all! By your coming here, your arts academy solved a huge problem we were trying to fix. I like to look at these events as destiny. I am sure that Miss Hassell and the events manager would have filled you in by now.”

  “Yes, they both did and I think it is wonderful that we can have such a profitable exchange. I will make myself available for any details you or your event management team wish to discuss while we are here,” Nathan replied.

  Even though the talk was all business, the undercurrent passing between the men was unmistakable. This was a certain nightmare unfolding before her eyes and before things could get out of hand Candasee knew she had to do something, but Darius spoke first.

  “Good I am glad that we see eye to eye on the matter.

  Darius then returned his gaze to his ex-wife, “Candasee, I really enjoyed having breakfast with you! I will have the room service come to clear everything away. I will also have your bag sent back down to your room. Oh, I see you brought it down yourself already,” he said, noting it was near the door to the bedroom.

  Darius leaned in a kissed her briefly on the cheek before making his exit from the room. He knew the display was a little over the top considering her boss slash boyfriend was standing right there but he decided to pretend he only knew him as what Candasee introduced him as, her boss. He only had eight days to communicate a very strong message to this man and to Candasee. He wanted his wife back and the sooner Nathan got the message the better!

  Chapter 5

  When Darius left the room, Candasee felt a chill creep up her arms and she shuddered as she finally raised her eyes to meet Nathan’s. He was very hurt and she could see that really clearly in the way he was looking at her. It was only forty-eight hours since they were engaged and she already had to explain why her bags were in Darius’ room and why they were having such an intimate breakfast together in the hotel room she refused to share with him.

  “Candasee, I know you probably think that I have no right to ask you this, but am I being played the fool here?” Nathan asked bitterly.

  “Nathan, it’s not like you think! Nothing happened between us!” responded Candasee defensively placing her hand on his arm. “He said he wanted to talk to me and that is all we did.” Candasee groaned inwardly hating the fact that she was being forced to defend herself.

  “So why did he mention your bags were in his room? It surely did not take you very long to reacquaint yourselves with each other! Did you sleep with him too?” he accused walking away from her angrily shrugging out of her grip.

  “Nathan, nothing happened between us. I only went up there to ask him to leave me alone after he sent me flowers last night and I was so angry and tired that I ended up crashing. I guess I was more exhausted than I realized. It was a mistake, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

  Spying a card on the floor near her feet and the spectacular spray of roses on the entertainment centre he picked it up and read the note and laughed. Candasee’s story was becoming more and more unbelievable and it was reminding him of a similar betrayal his youngest brother Lawrence suffer
ed at the actions of Asania Hewitt, his former classical ballet instructor. She’d led on Lawrence for over eight months and then suddenly got married to someone else whose fiancée was in her ballet class. His brother was heartbroken and almost suicidal and he’d blamed himself for not seeing that his own employee was so untrustworthy. Ever since then Lawrence had deep issues with trust that he was seeing a therapist to resolve. Seeing his brother’s pain made him so careful with women until Candasee. He’d thrown caution to the wind because he was sure he’d found the one.

  “Candasee, ‘Welcome Home’ is written on this card and you expect me to really believe that nothing is going on between you two. I mean, you spend one night on Derrien Island and he’s already sending you red roses, you’re sleeping over and having an intimate morning breakfast together? Did you forget that we had plans this morning? And is that all I am to you, your boss?” he exclaimed incredulously as his voice rose to a hoarse shout.

  “Nathan, of course you’re more than that to me!”

  “I don’t know about you Candasee, but when you accepted my proposal, the word boss went through the window. You are my partner now, my fiancée!”

  Candasee squeezed her eyes tight and exhaled forcefully. “I know all of this looks really bad, but I swear nothing happened between us, I love you,” said Candasee now frustrated with Darius and herself for even being put in this position. Nathan was the last person she wanted to hurt right now and all it took was one night for her to make this relationship look as though it meant absolutely nothing to her.

  She stepped closer to him and threaded her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his chest. “I’m so sorry. He means nothing to me! I’m with you, okay! Am I forgiven?” she asked softly. Darius was her past no matter what he said earlier. Okay, so he was calling a truce between them, perhaps a chance to be friends again eventually but Nathan was offering her compatibility and his love and she had no right to trample all over that.

  Nathan breathed a sigh of relief as Candasee stepped into his arms and he did not hesitate to hold her to him tightly. He wanted to believe her despite the evidence.

  “Yes I can forgive you, but only on one condition. You let me move in here with you!” he said against her hair. “We need to be together Candee. This relationship means too much for us to throw it away with misunderstandings, especially while we are here. I can see that happening all too easily.”

  He held her away from him and studied the look in her eyes as she once again considered his request.

  “Nathan, we don’t need to go to such lengths, you can trust me!” Candasee protested.

  “It’s not you I don’t trust Candasee. I’m a man and I know when I have received a direct challenge. You may choose not to see it but Darius has basically told me that you are off-limits and I refuse to just stand around while he thinks he can have his way with you again! Especially now that he thinks that all I am to you is your boss!”

  Candasee cringed inwardly again as she recalled how she introduced him. Maybe this was what she needed to do to make sure she gave this relationship the chance it deserved and perhaps it would also send Darius the message to stay away from her! She had been here for less than twenty-four hours and already her emotions were in turmoil and her heart and body were in danger of betraying all she tried to hide inside for that past two years. She couldn’t risk having him hurt her again like before. She had to keep it together and she would, after all it was only eight days before she and Nathan would return to Barbados.

  “Okay, you can move in here with me!” replied Candasee warily as her emotions tossed within her like a whirlwind. She knew partly that she was doing this to keep Darius away and knowing his brute determination; he’d never let anything get in the way of what he wanted but she had to try something. By being on a different floor it also would not be as obvious to the other delegates that she and Nathan were sharing a room.

  Nathan could see the conflict in Candasee’s eyes as she struggled to decide. He knew her agreement meant that she would be making a powerful statement to Darius about her relationship with him and that meant more to him than anything.

  “Candee honey, do you know how much I love you?” Nathan asked not waiting for a reply before kissing her lips. Just the contact with the softness of her body pressed against him was intoxicating to say the least. She responded to him opening her mouth and inviting the warm stroke of his tongue against her own. She tasted like strawberries and cream and he felt himself harden with desire to have all of her as he explored her mouth hungrily.

  Reluctantly and remembering the time he pulled away slightly and allowed himself to catch his breath before speaking softly.

  “I’m not prepared to share you with anyone, especially not your ex-husband! Remember that!” he said softly stroking her cheek.

  “You aren’t sharing me with anyone Nathan, I promise!”

  “Good because I can’t do that. I want all of you Candasee, your whole heart just like you have all of mine.”

  Candasee reached up again and pressed her lips against Nathan’s and he responded without hesitation. She wanted her heart to be whole again and she wanted to share her life with Nathan.

  “Perhaps we can have dinner tonight in the restaurant near the sea. I went walking out there this morning and I think I saw one with a Cajun theme to the menu. I know how much you like Cajun cuisine!” he said smiling and pressing butterfly kisses along her cheek and neck. Candasee sensed a tingling warmth spreading through her body at his touch. Nathan loved her and he wanted the real Candasee, she thought as she pressed closer against him. He was unmistakably aroused and she knew how much he wanted her but so far she hadn’t allowed them to go that far as yet. He’d been ridiculously patient with her and perhaps tonight was the time to fully let go!

  “I would love to. I’m looking forward to it!” Candasee replied stroking the roughness of his cheek with her hand.

  Nathan heard her response, but he still had a feeling that based on the look he exchanged with Darius earlier that not even his moving in here to 746 would be a deterrent to that man.

  Later that evening, after the opening ceremony finished and the classes were about to close for the day, Candasee finally began to relax a little. The day’s orientation sessions were extremely successful and the facilities exceeded everyone’s greatest expectations. Forty talented delegates came from all over the Caribbean and all were thrilled with the hotel and the proposed intensive program. The participants in her dance class in particular were very excited to learn new things and to display their talents. A scholarship winner would be announced at the end and everyone paid her their rapt attention as she issued important reminders.

  “For the modern dancing module of the intensive you will be learning one group piece and you will also be required to present a self-choreographed interpretation as a solo to a song we will reveal to you tomorrow. This will be your final showcase piece but you can opt which module you wish to perform your final piece in. For those of you don’t opt to showcase dance your score will be taken in class and added to your showcase module. Please note that you should restrict your practicing to this conference area during the intensive hours. You will be given free time during the day to work on your pieces so don’t spend it all on the beach and no practicing must be done in your rooms. I am sure you can see that this is a five star property and breaking anything will cost you dearly!”

  As she spoke, a buzz of excitement rippled throughout the students who stood before her. Each delegate was between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five and this year there was a notable increase in males. She couldn’t help noticing just how well suited this conference room was for their purposes. The carpets had been removed to reveal a well polished hardwood floor beneath which was perfect for dance.

  “Management has also asked that you take this into consideration while you are here and take care how you behave and treat the property,” she continued.

  “My parents could buy t
his hotel ten times over, what’s so special about it?” huffed Eve, one of the students from Trinidad in a snide tone.

  “The point is that we are guests here and so are you. I am sure your parents are not planning to invest millions to buy the Derrien Island Grande right now, because you think you have a right to do whatever you feel like to the place!” quipped another student, Julia who lived on Derrien Island.

  “What would you know about what my parents would do for me Julia? I bet you barely made it here, what with those ratty looking clothes you are wearing!” retorted Eve smugly.

  “Okay, enough!” said Candasee raising her voice. “Julia is right Eve, we are here as guests and we will be leaving this property in better condition than we found it! Is that clear? If you have an issue with following the rules, you are free to leave and return home!”

  To Candasee’s surprise Eve merely transferred her smug gaze to her with a slight smile curving the corners of her lips upward. She said nothing but the undercurrent was definitely unfriendly. Having amazing talent obviously did not go hand in hand with having excellent manners where Eve was concerned. Candasee decided that she needed to watch her closely. There was something about her she simply did not like or trust. Candasee chose to ignore her and continued speaking.

  “As you already know from this morning’s meeting we will also be having an additional audition session tomorrow evening for you to display your talent in order to be chosen for the, ‘Where In the World Is Sally Flanders?’ travel show entertainment concert recording,” Candasee replied.

  “Sally Flanders? You mean that British lady who flies all over the world and visits only the most exotic locations?” asked one of the students interrupting her with excitement.