by Claire Adams
"I think it's the only way we're going to stop this stupid rumor and ensure that the work on the site doesn't get interrupted," I said. "Can you think of any other way? And think about it, Bax. If we nip it in the bud right now, then we don't have to spend the next two years flying back and forth to quash these rumors. Or at least, I won't have to be flying back and forth."
Bax was silent on the other end and I couldn't tell if he was thinking or making arrangements, so I waited.
"Okay, the contract is being prepared, I'll have it faxed to you within the hour," he said. "But for the record, I do not think this is a good idea."
"Duly noted," I said. "Try to get it to me within thirty minutes. I'm going to be on site then and I want something in my hand that I can give the crew."
"I'll do my best, boss," Bax said and then added, "Good luck."
"Thanks, I'm going to need it," I replied and disconnected. I turned and walked into my closet where I quickly found a pair of jeans, a work shirt, and some boots. I pulled them on, ran a hand through my hair as I looked at myself in the mirror, and hoped that I looked more like a working-class guy than a super rich CEO. This was going to be a tough sell, but I knew that if I played my cards right, I'd win this round and Daniel and his team would be forced to back off the crew.
I headed down to the kitchen and found Emily seated in the living room with the tray of snacks neatly positioned on the coffee table in front of her. She was nibbling on a piece of bread and cheese and sipping her wine, intently looking out at the water, and she didn't notice me enter the room. I stood looking at her for as long as I could, then quietly cleared my throat as I walked over to the couch and rested a hand on her head.
"Hey there," I said. "Enjoying the view?"
"Oh my, yes," she said quietly as she turned around to look up at me. "It's absolutely amazing. Are you going somewhere? You're dressed like you are."
"Yeah, I have to take care of some urgent business," I said with an apologetic smile. "But I want you to stay here and enjoy yourself, okay? The masseuse will be here in about twenty minutes and he'll take you down to the massage room, then you can enjoy a sauna or soak in the hot tub, whatever you prefer."
"This is crazy," she said shaking her head and laughing. "It's like I'm some kind of lady of leisure!"
"Just enjoy it, okay?" I said. "Oh, and the room at the top of the stairs, the blue one, is yours. All the dinner dresses and things are up there, as well as pretty much anything else you could want. Just go check it out when you're done with your massage...or before. Whatever you prefer."
"Wait, am I Belle?" she said with a serious look on her face.
"Belle?" I asked confused.
"Yeah, like Beauty and the Beast?" she laughed. "Are you locking me up in an ivory tower where I'll never be able to see my family again?"
"Oh! No, I mean, I can have someone take you back to the hotel if you'd prefer it," I said suddenly self-conscious. "You're not trapped her at all."
"I'm teasing you, Morning," she laughed. "You're such an easy target!"
"That's mean," I laughed. "You're going to make me rethink everything I had planned!"
"Like what?" she asked excitedly bouncing up and down on the couch. "What's planned?
"Oh, you know, the usual, dinner, dancing, a trip to my basement dungeon," I rattled off the evening's activities.
"The basement what?" she said as her eyes widened and she stopped laughing.
"Turnabout is fair play, missy," I said with a grin. "You can dish it out but you can't take it!"
"Oooooh! You're so bad!" She laughed as she yanked a pillow off the couch and lobbed it at my head.
Just then, I heard the whirring of the helicopter blades as it set down on the landing pad on top of the house. I looked up and then back at Emily. "I gotta run! Be back as soon as I can! Enjoy yourself and relax!" I shouted as I sprinted up the stairs and headed to my ride.
Chapter Forty-Four
Emily
After Austin left, I sat on the couch looking out at the water, sipping wine and thinking about his question. What was I going to do about my marriage? I had meant it when I had told him that I wasn't someone who just walked away from people, and my mother's words still echoed in my ear: "That's what marriage is all about, baby," she had said. "You stick with it whether or not it's what you signed on for, and you find a way to make it work."
I didn't want to abandon Tommy, but I also knew that he had a serious problem, one that he didn't seem willing to address, and now I'd caught him cheating. I wondered what my mother would have to say about that. Was I supposed to stand by my man while he ran around with other women and made a fool of me?
I sheepishly looked around the living room and thought about how maybe what I was doing was simply justifying my own desire to have an affair with Austin. There was no doubt in my mind that he was attracted to me and that I was incredibly attracted to him. He was handsome, smart, down-to-earth – and being incredibly wealthy didn't hurt matters. I liked him a lot and I felt incredibly drawn to him. There was something about him that felt so familiar and comforting, while also sparking the attention of all of the nerve endings in my body.
When I was near him, all I wanted to do was touch him and get closer, but I held back because I knew that I wasn't in a place where I could make a logical rational decision about the whole thing, and I was scared of being swept up in feelings that I couldn't make sense of or follow through on. I had to figure out what to do about Tommy before I could start something new with Austin, but I needed back up, so I texted Trish.
Em_Flies: Hey you, what's up?
RedBird: Princess! Where R U?
Em_Flies: Wouldn't believe if I told U.
RedBird: Tell me anyway.
Em_Flies: His mansion.
RedBird: Mansion, mansion?
Em_Flies: Yep. Call you later?
RedBird: Call now
Em_Flies: Can't. Going to have a massage.
RedBird: Posh Princess, very posh. Call me when ur done!
I walked down the stairs to the massage room where a man with muscles larger than my thighs waited with a warm towel and a bottle of massage oil.
"Hi, I'm Emily," I said quietly so as not to disturb the calm in the room.
"Hello, Emily, I'm RJ," he said as he offered his hand. "I'll be your masseuse today. If you'd like to step into the bathroom and change out of your suit and wrap this towel around you, I'll set up the room and then we can get started."
"Okay," I said and stepped into the bathroom. I took off my suit and hung it over the bar next to the shower and wrapped a fluffy white towel around myself before stepping back out into the room.
"Come on over and lay face down." RJ smiled as he gestured to the table. I did as he instructed and soon he was rubbing the warm oil into my skin as he worked out the knots in my muscles. I listened to the quiet music playing and let myself drift on a wave of relaxation as I felt the tension leaving my body. When RJ was done, he helped me up off the table and walked me to the sauna where I lay on the bench feeling the heat leech the rest of my stress out of my body. When the timer went off, RJ appeared and led me to the cool tub where I hopped in and felt the refreshing water make my skin tingle before hopping back out and slipping into the robe that RJ had left hanging on a hook next to the tub. I thanked him and climbed the stairs back up to the second level where I peeked in the blue room and saw that Austin had not only filled it with beautiful dresses, but also a wide array of things designed to entertain and delight me.
I laughed as I picked up an iPad that had a note on it that said, "In case you get bored, you can always escape here!" On the dresser, there was an array of cosmetics and perfume and jewelry that shimmered and sparkled. I picked up containers and smelled the fragrances before trying on some of the sparkling jewels that called my name. It was like being inside a department store that had been curated just for me. Everything was designed to excite my senses and I felt a deep appreciation for Austin's abili
ty to think ahead and choose what he thought I would like best. It was thoughtful and it told me that he was paying attention to me.
I ran back to the living room and grabbed my phone, dialing Trish as I ran back up the stairs to my room.
"Hey, Princess!" she greeted me warmly. "What's up?"
"You're not going to believe where I am," I said.
"You already told me – the mansion," she replied, laughing.
"No, I know, but where in the mansion I am!" I said excitedly. "He created a whole room just for me!"
"Okay, wait a second, Princess," Trish said with an edgy tone in her voice. "That's starting to sound a little bit like a creepy horror flick."
"No, no! It's not like that at all," I laughed, but the comment lingered as I looked at the room through fresh eyes. "Okay, maybe a tiny bit. But, Trish, he's got a room full of stuff for me! Dresses, shoes, jewelry, and an iPad that has a note telling me if I need to...escape I can do it with the pad."
"Emily," Trish's voice sounded worried. "Are you sure this is all okay? I mean, from an outsider's perspective it sounds weird, but then I know I'm not there, so..." she trailed off waiting for my response.
"Trish, it's really okay," I said, thinking about the boat trip and lunch on the beach and how warm his hand felt in mine. "He's a good guy. Seriously."
"Okay, if you say so, then I have no choice but to believe you," she said. "You're a big girl."
"I like him, Trish," I told her quietly. "I really like him. A lot. I feel comfortable around him, I can talk to him, and..."
"And he's a total hottie," she finished triumphantly.
"There's that, too," I said smiling into the phone. "I'm trying not to let that seep into things, though. He understands that I have to work things out with Tommy before I can make any other plans or promises."
"Sure, sure," Trish said. "Look, the two of you have something, it's obvious to me. You just need to dump that loser of a husband and move on with your life!"
"Trish, he's not a loser, he's going through a rough time," I said with a warning note in my voice. "I don't just walk away from people that I love because they're having a difficult time. Besides, isn't that what marriage is all about? Sticking it out through the rough times?"
"Look, I'm not sure who fed you that line of crap," Trish said, sounding like she was trying to lecture me and comfort me at the same time. "But here's the deal: you are married to a man who is an alcoholic and who is not doing anything to shake the monkey off his back. He is dragging you down with his drinking and his attempt at running a business that costs you money. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, he's not holding up his end of the bargain. Heck, for all you know, he's got another woman on the side!"
Hearing her words, I burst into sobs. Trish frantically tried to calm me from the other end.
"Em, Em! Emily!" she yelled into the phone. "What is going on?"
I tearfully told her about the call I made before I met Austin for the boat tour and how I thought she was probably right. Then I told her how I'd thrown myself at Austin, and how he'd backed off and told me to take my time and figure things out.
"Wow, that's some serious restraint," she said quietly. "I mean, he could've taken advantage of that right then and there. But he didn't?"
"No, he didn't," I said. "And, I can feel how attracted we are to each other, but he keeps backing off and giving me space. I like him, Trish. I really do."
"I can tell, Princess," she said and I could hear the relief in her voice. "You deserve someone who will be good to you."
"Thanks, Trish," I said in a small voice. "I needed that."
"Alright, now go pick out a pretty dress and some gorgeous shoes and get all prettied up for him!" she laughed. "And, don't forget to take a few selfies for me!"
"I will," I laughed, feeling relieved and happy that she'd given me her blessing to follow my heart.
After we hung up, I went over to the closet where there were a number of dresses on padded hangers. I pulled each one out, held it up to my body as I looked in the full-length mirror, and tried to decide which one would look best on me. I wondered which one Austin would like best, but then decided he would probably like the one I liked best because I'd feel the most comfortable in it.
I settled on a diaphanous maxi dress that had been dip-dyed ombre from midnight blue at the hem to the lightest shade of robin's egg at the top. It was made from a jersey material that clung in all the right places and made me feel like a million bucks. I chose a pair of t-strap sandals in midnight blue and chose a simple strand of brightly-colored Ippolita stones set in sterling silver and matching drop earrings as the only adornments.
I went into the bathroom and ran a tub full of water adding some of the fragrant bubble bath to the water. I sunk into it and closed my eyes, replaying the day in my mind. The moments that were most memorable were the ones where Austin and I were touching each other, and I went back over each one of them in detail, wondering what it would have been like had we taken it further. I immediately felt guilty about thinking of Austin that way, before remembering that my husband was cheating on me, and suddenly things didn’t seem so bad. I was free to do as I pleased and if fantasizing about Austin was what pleased me, then I was going to do it,
The more I fantasized about what might have happened, the more I wanted Austin to return home. I wanted to be around him. And when I was honest with myself, I admitted that I wanted him. My thoughts about Austin had started my blood flowing and as I sunk deeper into the bath, I resisted the urge to let my hands wander down below the surface.
He was certainly having an effect on me. All of me.
Chapter Forty-Five
Austin
I thought about Emily on the flight, even though I knew I should be focusing all of my attention on resolving the conflict with the crew. I couldn't help it, though. The image of Emily curled up on the couch sipping wine and nibbling on bread and cheese made me smile, and when I replayed the events of the day in my mind, I couldn't help but remember the way her hand had felt tucked in mine, how warm her fingers felt on my skin, and how much I had wanted to bring my other hand up and caress her face as I leaned in and...no, I needed to focus.
"How long before we arrive?" I yelled into the mic.
"Just a couple of minutes, Mr. Marks," yelled the pilot. "We're almost there."
I looked down at my phone again, hoping that Bax had finished the contract and that when I landed, I could go straight to Buck and tell him what we were offering. Nothing appeared, so I tucked the phone in my pocket and watched as we descended down to the construction site. It looked like the men were gathering around a couple of guys holding picket signs, but I couldn't be sure from a distance. I wasn't about to let Daniel have the upper hand in this one.
The helicopter set down with the blades whirling and the pilot yelled, "Keep your head down as you exit, Mr. Marks!" I nodded and ducked as I got out of the copter and headed for the site. The pilot lifted off and took back to the skies to circle until we were done meeting. I waved once I'd cleared the space and headed into Buck's office.
"Mr. Tucker," I said extending my hand as I walked through the door of the office. "I'm sorry, good to see you Buck."
"And it's good to see you, too, Austin," he grinned, shaking my hand warmly. "I'm sorry that you have to come out here again for this nonsense."
"It happens," I waved him off as I looked around. The office had nothing but a computer, a phone, a printer, and a coffee maker tucked in one corner. "What's going on? Do you have any idea what happened?"
"I honestly have no idea," he said, shaking his head as he reached up and pulled off his hard hat and scratched his head. "We were fine until about three days ago, when he rumors started running like wildfire through the crew. No one knows where they started or who said what."
"I have an idea of what happened," I said as I rubbed my cheek with one hand. "But I don't know how it happened."
"Austin, I've never worked on a crew that had so m
any problems before," he said. "I'm not sure why this is happening or how to stop it, but if you have any good oil, now would be the time to speak up, mate. If we can figure it out, she'll be right."
Just then, my phone vibrated, letting me know that Bax had sent the contract. I looked over at Buck and said, "Check your messages."
He looked down at the computer screen and saw one from Bax, clicked on it, and at the same time, we read through the contract. When Buck looked up, a smile stretched all the way from ear to ear as he nodded. "I'll be stuffed! The boys are going to be stoked about this! Let's go tell 'em the good news, mate!"
Buck and I walked out of the office and headed toward the place where the crew was gathering. When we walked up to them, I could see that there were several men with picket signs that said, "Marks Enterprises steals jobs!" I shook my head, wondering how they'd managed to get signs printed up so quickly and wondering who Daniel was funneling money through to fund this protest.
"Boys, listen up! Mr. Marks has a bonzer proposal that is a bloody beaut!" called Buck.
"Rack off!" came the response from a couple of outliers holding signs. "We've heard your bodgy promises before!"
"Yeah, rack off, mate!" yelled another man holding a sign.
"Well, at least, listen to what I have to say," I raised my voice above the protests. "And if after you've heard my offer, you still don't like it, then I'll let you do what you want and not interfere."
The men quieted down and one of them yelled, "Well, get on with it, then!"
"Men, I understand that someone has been spreading rumors that we're going to start importing foreign labor to help with this project. I understand why this is of concern, and while I thought we'd worked it out last time I was here, it's obvious to me that you still have doubts as to whether or not you can trust Marks Enterprises."
"Yeah, you dunny rats are all alike!" yelled a man in the back. "Why should we trust you?"
