“Yeah, Shelly. Apparently, Venus likes you a lot. She talks about you all the time and asks Shelly all kinds of things about you and even asks if you have girlfriend.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Well, she’s not gonna ask you now, is she?”
Carl grinned, lifting his drink to his lips. “Right.”
“Anyway, you’d better have a good plan in place either way, bro. These politicians play nasty as hell.”
“Did you find out anything else about my future opponent?”
“Yeah. His campaign platform is to discredit anyone who comes up against him.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Wish I was kidding, man. The guy’s a mean mother f—”
“Okay, okay. I get it.”
“Now on the other hand, he’s not exactly squeaky clean.”
“Oh, no. I’m not playing their game. If they wanna see if they can sling mud on my reputation, good luck to them. My platform is what I can do for the people, not how much I can tear down my competitors. I trust that people will vote the right way.”
“Yeah, just as long as you at least appear competent. They still want a family-friendly mayor, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I hear ya!” Carl’s lips were pinched tightly. He was thinking. Turbulent thoughts raced through his mind as he recalled his meeting with Venus that morning. Shit! She was hurt. Insulted, even. What the hell had he just done? And all to get into the mayoral seat. He knew what he wanted to do to win and to make a change but hell, if it meant hurting Venus, none of that seemed to matter all of a sudden.
Now wasn’t that the craziest thing?
One moment, he was all for winning at any cost. But Venus? She struck a chord inside him. There was something that radiated about her. Damn, he’d do anything to protect her. And if she didn’t want to go in with this with him, he just realized that there wasn’t anyone else he would want to ask.
Imagine that!
What was this feeling he was having towards Venus? He just couldn’t wrap his head around it. It perplexed him. Heck, she was perplexing!
None of that mattered now.
Could his grandfather be right? Was love and family far more important than anything else in society? Carl was beginning to feel it deep down in his soul. Their father was more together when their mother was around. His folks may not have had much later in their marriage but they had love and it bonded them and held them together until tragedy struck down their family.
Carl squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, bringing his drink to his lips and taking a long swig. He could barely taste the fluid going down his throat. He was numb. He was dazed. And all over a woman.
Venus bewitched him—in a good way, of course. There was just something strong about her that resonated with his soul. He couldn’t get her out of his system, out of his mind. And it took something like this morning’s encounter for him to realize that?
“Well, put it this way, Carl,” Jules interrupted his concentration. “At least you know she’s a good woman.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You know. Most women would have probably jumped at that kind of cash you offered her but she has to think it through. What does that say about her character?” Jules shoved a bite of steak into his mouth.
Carl had also ordered the steak and pasta lunch but hadn’t touched a morsel. He had other things eating at him.
“Yeah, you’re right, Jules.”
His brother was in fact right. Venus not jumping at the chance to take his money proved that she was the woman he wanted, more than anything else in the world right now.
And Carl wasn’t going to let Venus go that easily.
CHAPTER SIX
“I’m glad you came here to see me in person, Venus,” Amber said at the Murumbian Consulate. “I felt terrible about our phone conversation this morning.”
“It’s okay,” Venus said quietly, sitting in the chair in the bright office at the consulate. It was strange. She hadn’t been there since she came to Canada. Seeing her country’s orange and green flag on the wall and coat of arms brought a sad feeling to her heart and a sense of longing. She missed her old life. She missed the way things were before…that tragic incident two years earlier that had her flee her homeland and take up residence in Kansas and then now here in Mayberry Hill, a quiet town on the outskirts of the city of Toronto in Canada. What a journey she and Tristan have had during the past two years. But going to college and finding work had kept her going and kept up her spirits. Until this morning. She was torn about what to do.
Never had Venus been in so much emotional turmoil since residing in Canada. What to do? Why had she come to the embassy?
Carl.
She desperately wanted to help him but not on his terms and not until she found out if she was truly free to…marry. Even if it were for a contractual period of time.
“So let me get this straight,” Amber clarified after Venus told her that somebody was interested in marrying her. “Someone you like asked you to marry him and you said no?”
“Well, it’s not quite like that,” Venus murmured.
“What is it then? Venus, what are you worried about?”
“Well, you know about my past. You’re one of the few who knows.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Well, how can I even think about getting married and not tell my…future husband?”
Amber drew in a deep breath. “You’re right. It’s something you need to think about clearly. But if you’re worried about Eduardo, I wouldn’t let him keep you from moving forward. You need a life, Venus. Like I said before, he can’t come near you to harm you or Tristan. And he doesn’t even know that you’re in Canada.”
“I know. But he could find out.”
“Like I said before, once you continue to keep a low profile…”
“But that’s just it. It’s possible that my…future husband may have a high profile career in the future.”
“I see. That could be a problem. But you have to weigh the odds, Venus. Besides, you look so different than when you first came to us two years ago. Your hair color has changed. Your weight is different. You were so emaciated then. You look healthy now. A nice glow about you! It’s up to your comfort level, Venus, but…” Amber looked as if she was feeling sorrow or pain, Venus couldn’t quite tell which.
“Is everything okay, Amber?” Venus was so grateful for all that Amber did for her and Tristan when they came to Canada to help them get settled when she had to flee her country and find this nice place to reside. She hoped Amber was okay. She was one of the few people who knew about her past, whom she could trust.
“Venus, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but it’s not every time in life that we meet that special guy. The one who could make our hearts leap in our chest or bring unbridled joy to us. And when he asks you to marry him, well,” she shrugged, giving Venus a hopeful look. A smile then crept on her face. “I say, go and follow your heart. I wish I could.”
“I’m sure you could. You’re attractive and single.”
Amber laughed. “Thank you, Venus. But my life’s a bit more complicated.”
“It can’t be more complicated than mine.”
“Actually, you’d be surprised.” Pain flashed in Amber’s eyes. “Take the opportunity when you can to be with the one you love, the one you care about. Let things take care of themselves. I’m telling you this because I believe you deserve to be happy. Since you’ve spoken to me about your job, you seem to glow when you speak about this man…and I’m assuming that he works with you.” Amber grinned. “Anyway, I wish I had the opportunity that you have but…I don’t. And I may never get that chance. We women keep denying our chance at being happy for the littlest things sometimes.”
“Little? I would hardly call my past little.”
“No. And I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was, love is so huge, Venus. Having love in your life is bigger than anything in your
life. Remember that. It’s always worth fighting for.”
Venus swallowed hard. No way in hell was she going to make herself a high-priced “wife” but she wanted to be in Carl’s life. She now had to figure out how she was going to do this without getting either of them doing anything they could regret later.
But was Amber right? Was having love in Venus’s life bigger than anything else in her life?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Later that afternoon, Carl leaned back in his leather office chair and skimmed over his notes for his upcoming candidacy announcement. He agonized over the fine details and weighed his chances of genuinely winning over voters given his background.
Fellow citizens,
I am honoured and humbled to have this opportunity to represent you in this great city of Mayberry Hill as your mayor.
My friends, we find it is increasingly harder and harder to survive in this economy…
Carl scratched out the last part of that sentence. He knew what it was like growing up in a struggling family home but he sure as hell wasn’t struggling now. Would they relate to him?
Well-paying jobs are being eliminated and there is no plan in place to create new ones. Families are finding it more and more difficult to survive. Affordable childcare is becoming unreachable for working class families struggling to make ends meet. Many know how it difficult it is to make ends meet, period.
Carl drew in a deep breath and scrapped the last part of that paragraph. Focus. He needed to focus, but his mind was all over the place.
The right to work for a decent living wage and have universal healthcare is vital and indeed one of our fundamental rights.
Mayberry Hill is ready for a different kind of politics…One that is fair and just…one that puts family first, for survival, for decent living and for betterment.
Family first? What did he know about having a family of his own to raise? Perhaps his grandfather was right about him offering to represent families and being at odds, given that he was a bachelor with personal annual revenue that could very well represent what the average worker would make in a year—he made that in an hour.
His stomach clenched. He felt a knot tighten in his gut. But it wasn’t always like that. He wanted to help create more jobs and opportunities for working class families and the poor to get ahead in life. Sure, he got a break when he met his grandfather in his teens but he also worked his butt off on his own merits, just as his father did before his dad fell on hard times—without the Romero name and all its privileges.
I’ve experienced firsthand the hardship that families can experience, growing up in a working class home. I feel your frustration, I feel your anxiety, your pain…when the mortgage or rent can’t be paid, when you have to choose food over shelter, when medical care and bare necessities are out of reach…
Carl’s heart was pounding hard in his chest. His mother never stood a chance before her sad passing, battling cancer, not having enough funds or resources. The bitter memory tore a part of his soul. He wanted voters to see that he could not only make a change—a difference, but he truly felt their agony.
I take my job and my duties seriously in helping to bring positive change to the lives of hardworking individuals….I will aim to work with community leaders and local businesses to bring about positive change, to create better-paying job opportunities and affordable childcare for those who work outside the home. We don’t need more politicians, we need more leaders. Together, we can make a difference.
Carl thought for a moment. “Together, We Can!” was his new political slogan thanks to Venus, his wonderful, insightful assistant. She came up with the idea during one of their recent brainstorming sessions.
A knock sounded on Carl’s office door, interrupting his thoughts. It was already the end of the workday. Since Venus had returned from her late lunch break hours ago, she and Carl hadn’t had a chance to converse. She had her reports to finish for him and he was busy engaging with the suppliers on his latest equipment shipped to the gym.
Carl had also spent a great deal of time going over some hand-over stuff with his brother, Jules. Carl was in the process of transferring over more of his duties to his brother while he prepared for his run for mayor. He didn’t know what the outcome would be for the mayoral bid but he wanted to devote his full energies to his upcoming campaign—once he made the official announcement regarding his plans to run for office, of course.
“Yes?”
The door pried open. Venus stood there in the doorway, looking more stunning than earlier, if that was at all possible. There was just something enticing and elegant about her presence that captivated him each and every time he laid eyes on her. She had a healthy glow about her, even though it was apparent that she seemed more tired today. Her full lips looked so cute painted in a vibrant red, her large brown eyes framed by long lashes looked so innocent, so inviting, yet he could see apprehension in those dark, beautiful eyes of hers.
“Hi,” she said quietly. Her eyes barely met his. This was not like Venus at all. She’d always displayed herself as a strong, feisty woman who got things done around the office. But today? Not a chance. She seemed intimidated. Shy.
Venus squared her shoulders. “Carl, I’m ready for us to discuss your proposition.”
“Good.” He leaned forward in his chair. Venus came in and sat down in the plush leather seat in front of him. She’d gotten her nerve back. Good.
She heaved a sigh at first then proceeded to talk. “But I will not be paid the sum you had suggested.”
Now that had Carl stumped. “And why not?”
“I just don’t think it’s right. I want to help you win this election, but I don’t feel right about that sum of money.”
Carl inched forward in his chair, clasping his hands together in front of him on his desk. He was truly amazed at this graceful yet elusive woman before him. What was it she wanted from him then? Another thought rattled him. Surely, she couldn’t think they were really getting married—to stay married.
“Venus, perhaps I should make this arrangement clear to you,” Carl said in a soft low voice. “This is only a contract. You do realize that, right? It’s business.”
“Business?”
“Well, yes. You know why I need to do this. I only want to ensure that you are adequately compensated. You can’t possibly think that a man in my position would allow you to make such a sacrifice for nothing.”
Venus shook her head, a grin finding its way to her lips. “Oh, no, Carl. I know full well what this is about. And trust me. I want you to win. I’ve seen the other candidates. You’re the best man to represent the people of this town, Carl. I consider it my civic duty.”
Now Carl was even more confused. “Civic duty?” He arched a brow. Was that all this was about? Why was Carl feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden? Wasn’t that what he wanted all along? A trophy wife for his campaign image? Yet, a part of him wanted so much more of her. The truth was, he really felt a strong attraction to Venus. Maybe this could be the beginning of a real relationship, so he wouldn’t really be lying about his marriage.
“Well, no,” she quickly rebutted, looking more flushed and embarrassed. “Wrong choice of words. Sorry. I meant…I don’t want to be paid to do this.”
“But surely you could use the resources,” Carl continued, trying to sound as discreet as possible, “for your son,” he finished, raising a brow. “Think about college tuition when he grows up. And you’ve been complaining about daycare costs and affordability for the longest time, Venus. Why would you think I want your help but would not help you in return? Venus, from the moment I met you I notice that you always have a tough time asking for help or receiving it. It’s okay to allow someone to help you once in a while, you know. Why do you feel you’re not worthy of—”
“Oh, no. It’s not that,” Venus jumped in.
“Then what is it?” He just couldn’t figure out this girl, no matter how hard he tried, yet something inside him pulled towards her mag
ical aura. There was something about her alluring beauty and unique grace that captivated him, mesmerized him. Damn, he was falling for her hard.
“Listen, before you answer that,” he said, picking up his phone to make a call. “I’m going to arrange for dinner for the two of us so that we can go into greater detail about our…arrangement.”
“Dinner?” Venus arched a brow. “I need to get home for Tristan.”
“Oh, right. Listen, I’ll arrange for childcare at the estate so that we can go on the Janissa.”
“The Janissa?”
“Yes, the yacht on the lake by the house. I’ll have staff arrange for us to have a private dinner there. That way, Tristan would only be a short distance away while we discuss our business further.”
She seemed stunned at first. “Oh. Um…sure. I would like that.”
“Good. It’s a date then.”
A date? Yes, it would be one heck of a business date.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The waterfront property outside the Romero Manor estate was refreshing and serene. The evening summer sky was quickly fading from clear blue into a beautiful blend of orange and red hues in the dusk backdrop. It was alluring cottage country. The warm summer breeze kissed Venus’s skin. After a long day at the office and a stressful day after that phone call from the consulate, she felt oddly relaxed, safe in Carl’s presence on the lake.
The waves of blue swirled and washed up on the shore as they were seated on the top deck of the customized white yacht. The luxury boat swayed to the rhythm of the motion of water swirling around it. Venus always found water and the sound of waves to be soothing for as long as she could remember. The Janissa was stunning. The glow of the candlelight on the table as well as the dim flood lights on the boat created a calming, romantic ambiance.
Venus could not believe she was there, alone with hot and sexy Carl Romero. This was a dream. It wasn’t real. Her eyes captured Carl’s handsome features as he surveyed his notes on his laptop. His skin carried a warm glow from the sunset sky, the wind gently rustled his dark, cropped hair and the dim light highlighted his high cheekbones and dark, sensuous eyes. The man was stunning, breathtaking in every way. Her body reacted in his presence. But how could she even help herself? She didn’t even want to. She longed for him to touch her, to be close to her and wondered often what it would feel like to be held in his strong, muscular arms and feel the warmth of his body entwined with hers. Oh, gosh, she was feeling heated already.
The Billionaire's Proposition (The Romero Brothers, Book 4) Page 4
