Dirty Boss

by Mia Ford

  “Let’s all stay in today,” he said, smiling at her. Veronica’s eyes widened and she laughed.

  “What do you mean?” she asked and Frank drew some strands of her dark curls away from her face.

  “I mean, I’ll stay at home. The girls can skip school and we can all stay home and spend the day by the pool,” he explained and Veronica couldn’t suppress her smile.

  “You’re going to skip work for a whole day?” she asked, arching her eyebrows up.

  Frank laughed and she noticed how his shoulders shook when he did it.

  “Did you think I was incapable of staying away from the office?” he asked and pulled her in closer, nuzzling his face into her hair. Veronica giggled and tried to pull herself away from him.

  “That’s the impression I got,” she admitted and when their gazes met again, she noticed the warmth and softness in his dark eyes. Frank looked content and happy.

  “Well, I want to make it up to the girls for my absence yesterday,” he said and Veronica bit down on her lip.

  “They’ll be so excited. They missed you all day,” she said and tried to break free from him again.

  “As for you. Maybe a whole day with me and the girls, might help you make your decision,” he said, and leaned in to nibble her ears. Veronica felt her muscles stiffen. She had forgotten about that completely. She was so taken up with Frank’s happy demeanor that she’d forgotten about the decision she still had to make. Was that a sign? That an expensive diamond ring in a velvet box was lying on her dresser. Given to her by a guy she had been with since college…and she had completely forgotten about it.

  “What are you thinking?” she heard Frank’s voice which snapped her out of her thoughts.

  “That you’re making it harder and harder for me to make a decision,” she said, pursing her lips. She didn’t want to spoil their mood with serious talk, but she couldn’t help it now that he had brought it up.

  “I’m only making my case,” Frank said, the smile still not leaving his face. He leaned in and kissed her on her cheek then, and Veronica felt a warm glow spreading through her body right after. That was the kind of kiss she wanted to be greeted with every morning. Did it matter what her parents thought?

  “Well, you’re making a strong argument. We have to get out of bed now lazy bones. The girls need their breakfast on time, even if we are staying in,” she said and pulled away from him. This time Frank relented and she was able to jump off the bed.

  She was naked still, and remembered how they had run up the stairs with their clothes in a bundle in their hands the previous night. It was a moment of madness and after they fell into bed in her room, they couldn’t stop laughing. She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed that hard.

  Frank was watching her. She could sense that he had his eyes on her back as she pulled out fresh clothes from the closet to change into.

  “Veronica…” he called out to her, and she whipped around to look at him.

  He was half-sitting in the bed, with his head propped up by his hands. His arms were folded behind his head and he was staring at her, not smiling any more. He looked handsome in the morning golden glow of the room. His hair looked just as scruffy as his beard now, but she didn’t care. She liked looking at him like this.

  “What is it, Frank?” she asked, breaking the silence.

  “I just wanted to reassure you that you can take your time with this. I know I was angry yesterday, but I’m not today. The decision is yours and I will respect it no matter what. I don’t want to come between you and your happiness,” he said in a somber voice.

  Veronica nodded her head, already feeling like she was drawing closer to a decision. No matter what her parents planned for her future, and how much history she shared with Calvin, no body could make her feel the way Frank did. In just the span of four weeks, she had felt so many emotions for him. Turning quickly from lust to something more. She knew she couldn’t deny it any more. She was in love with him. He respected her and gave her space. He was everything she needed.

  Veronica smiled at him and turned to go to the bathroom, aware now that she had been foolish to even think about this. To waste so much time. There was no two ways about it, as sweet as Calvin was being, she would have to find a way to let him down easily.

  Veronica was in the den when the bell rang. Ashley and Kaitlyn were on the floor, trying to piece together another jigsaw puzzle with Frank. It had been a lovely day. The four of them had spent it by the pool, then ordered pizza in and spent the evening in the den playing games.

  So when the bell rang, Veronica expected it to be the pizza delivery guy.

  “I’ll get it. Must be the pizzas,” she said, getting up from the leather armchair where she was sitting. Frank looked up at her from where he was sitting on the carpet and she noticed that he had his brows crossed.

  “It can’t be. The pizzas would have been collected and paid for by the security guard at the front gate,” he said and stood up. The girls still had their heads knocked together, trying to find the missing piece for one of the corners.

  “So who do you think it is?” Veronica asked, a little confused by Frank’s suspicious look.

  “Has to be a social call. Someone who the guards let through. I’ll get it, you stay put here,” he said and immediately smiled reassuringly. Veronica nodded and went back to looking at the girls on the floor.

  She heard Frank’s slippers squeaking on the wooden floor as he walked down the foyer, and then she heard him opening the door. Even though she was trying to play with the girls, Veronica couldn’t help curiosity get the better of her and she tried to listen. She could hear two male voices and shrugged, assuming now that it had to be the pizza delivery guy. Who else would Frank keep at the front door for so long?

  Then she heard the door shut and the sound of two pairs of shoes on the wooden floor. Veronica sat up straight in her chair, more curious than ever now. The footsteps were fast approaching, and they were coming towards the den. Frank was bringing someone in there, and Veronica smoothened her skirt and tucked in some stray curls behind her ears.

  When the door of the den opened, she stood up and the two girls looked up in unison. Calvin’s nervous smiling face appeared at the door and he stepped in, followed by Frank.

  “Calvin!” Veronica said, her hands dropping to her side.

  He took a few more quick steps till he was in front of her. Calvin placed his hands on her shoulders and Veronica looked up at him.

  “I thought I’d drop by. I was hoping that you’d have some time to talk,” he said, smiling down at her.

  “Veronica, who is this?” Ashley’s small voice interrupted Veronica’s trance like state. Not in a million years would she have expected Calvin to just turn up here. She was expecting him to call, but not this!

  “Umm…he’s my friend, Calvin. Calvin these are the girls, Audrey and Kaitlyn Davenport,” Veronica said, gently drawing her shoulders away from Calvin’s grasp.

  “Hello, girls,” Calvin said and encouragingly dropped to one knee to look at the puzzle they were working on. Veronica took the opportunity to lift her head and look at Frank. He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the door frame.

  He had a neutral expression on his face. She couldn’t tell what exactly he was thinking.

  “Calvin, we should talk privately,” Veronica turned to him with a jerk. All the nervousness from the previous night, and the guilt came rushing back to her. She knew she was blushing too. The two men she was involved with were both in the same room with her. She didn’t know where to look or who to talk to.

  Calvin looked up at her and smiled.

  “Of course,” he said and then ruffled Audrey’s hair before he stood up beside her. He placed his arm around her shoulder and Veronica felt her muscles stiffen again. She didn’t want him to touch her, especially not in front of Frank.

  “I hope it’s okay with you Mr Davenport, me intruding in your home like this,�
�� Calvin said, looking up at Frank now with a polite smile.

  “Of course. It’s no problem. Take your time,” Frank said in a low smooth voice. It was still difficult for Veronica to know exactly what he was thinking.

  “It’s just that I have something to important to discuss with my girlfriend,” Calvin added, and Veronica blushed some more.

  “Girlfriend? You’re this man’s girlfriend, Veronica?” Kaitlyn butt in and Veronica looked at her with guilty eyes. She didn’t know what to say to her. In front of Calvin no less.

  “Yes, she is my girlfriend. And maybe soon, she’ll be my wife,” Calvin said in a happy voice to the little girl, before turning to Veronica with a smile.

  “I’ll take over from here, Veronica. You both should go ahead,” Frank said and Veronica whipped her head around to look at him. He looked as calm as ever, and now he was walking towards them. He brushed past her as he walked over to the spot where his daughters were playing, and Veronica felt an electric shock run down her spine when their arms lightly touched.

  She felt like she was beginning to choke up, like she was going to break down and cry. Lying had never come naturally to her, and now she felt like a horrible human being for keeping her affair with Frank hidden for so long.

  “Shall we go up to your room, babe?” Calvin’s voice interrupted her thoughts and Veronica glared at him, speechless still. He reached for her hand and tugged at it, and that was when she started walking, leading him out of the room. Veronica wanted nothing more than to just be out of that space. She wanted Calvin away from Frank and the girls, as though he might end up causing some kind of harm to them.

  “Why would you just turn up here unannounced?” Veronica let her voice loose the moment she shut the door of her bedroom behind her. Calvin had walked in and was now standing in the middle of the floor, looking around him with some awe. He turned to fix his eyes on her again and then arched his brows.

  “Mr Davenport doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, why are you so worked up about it?” Calvin asked and Veronica shook her head with rage.

  “He’s polite, so he won’t ask you to get out of his house. But I know he doesn’t like strangers coming to the house unannounced, demanding to be let in,” she continued. Calvin didn’t seem perturbed by the sound of her voice, he either didn’t care or didn’t seem to notice that her voice was raised and that seemed to be upset.

  “Well, I’m your boyfriend, that doesn’t make me a stranger. I didn’t demand to be let in either. I just asked if I could talk to you and thanked him for the apartment he got me. He let me in and took me to the den himself,” Calvin said and then started walking around the room a little. He was running his fingers over the soft fabric of her fresh bed linen, admiring the thread count apparently. He looked up at Veronica and smiled suddenly.

  “You seem to have it pretty good here,” he said, in a tone that almost sounded like he was jealous of her.

  “Yeah, isn’t this what you wanted for me?” she asked, glaring at him. Calvin shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

  “I wanted you to manage your work better, bring in new and high paying clients. I didn’t want you to shut me out of your life completely,” he said and then took a few steps towards her.

  “I haven’t shut you out of my life,” she snapped and Calvin raised his brows again.

  “I had to beg you to go out on a date with me,” he said but he didn’t seem to be begging now. All the sweetness and kindness he had portrayed earlier had somehow vanished. Calvin had turned back into the man who Veronica was trying to escape when she took up the job.

  “I was busy, I’m sorry about that,” Veronica said and Calvin pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his pants and took in a deep breath.

  “Let’s forget that for a moment, shall we? I proposed to you two nights ago, Veronica. You still haven’t given me a yes,” he said and she noticed now that his nostrils were flared.

  Veronica looked about her room and sighed.

  “I’m still thinking about it. I just need some time,” she said. It wasn’t that she hadn’t made up her mind already, she just didn’t know yet how she was going to break it to him. What reason she was going to give.

  “Need some time for what? We’ve been together for so long, Veronica. Isn’t this a natural progression of a long term relationship? Isn’t marriage what you wanted?” Calvin asked, and now he came closer to her. She remained where she was, nervous of what she might do if he tried to get any closer.

  She could see that he was disturbed. Even though he wasn’t being as nice to her any more, she knew that she would be breaking his heart very badly if she just said no, bluntly.

  “I don’t know if I’m ready yet,” she said, meeting his burning gaze. She was losing some of her earlier confidence now. Her bravado was beginning to crumble. On one hand she didn’t want Calvin to manipulate her like he always did, and on the other, she didn’t want to hurt him either.

  “You’re not ready yet…with me or with anyone?” he asked, and his voice had softened a little.

  Veronica looked away from him, trying to avoid his questioning gaze and she breathed deeply in through her nose and let out another sigh.

  “I don’t know Calvin, I just think it’s the wrong time…it isn’t your fault,” she said and Calvin shook his head, then he let out a small cruel laugh.

  “I know it’s not my fault. I’ve done everything by the textbook. I’ve done everything I could to give you a better life, to guide you in the right direction, save up for our future together…Hell, I even got you this job,” he continued with a snarl in his voice.

  “Maybe, that’s just it Calvin, maybe I didn’t need your guidance. Maybe I didn’t need you to give me a better life. You didn’t approve of my business decisions any way,” she snapped and then there was silence between them.

  Calvin was staring at her, with a sort of blank glazed expression in his eyes, while Veronica stared back at him with her shoulders heaving. She wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say next.

  He allowed the silence to extend between them for some time, before he cleared his throat and clenched his jaw.

  “So, can I just put us out of this misery and ask you here and now if your answer is going to be no? I’m giving you the chance, Veronica, to get out of this easily,” Calvin said and Veronica suddenly felt like her mouth had run dry.

  “Yes…I mean no. I mean, it’s going to be a no. I’m sorry Calvin,” she cried and felt hot tears pricking the backs of her eyelids as she tried to hold his gaze.

  Calvin only nodded. Like he was expecting that very answer.

  “Okay. Just one more thing, Veronica, before I get out of your hair. Are you sleeping with Frank Davenport?” Calvin asked, keeping his voice as steady and neutral as before.

  As Veronica heard the words, she felt like she would rather dig a hole and jump in it herself, rather than face Calvin for one more second.

  Veronica stared at Calvin in shock, speechless for a few moments. In her attempt to refuse Calvin’s delicately, she hadn’t once entertained the thought that he might have figured it out himself.

  “I take it the answer to that is yes,” he said and Veronica tried hard to even her breathing. She wasn’t angry, she was only feeling guilt. Guilty because the man who had been her boyfriend for so long, who had done nothing truly evil himself…now knew about the fact that she had been unfaithful to him.

  “How could you sleep with your boss, Veronica? I didn’t expect that from you. Is he the reason why you’re turning my proposal down?” Calvin asked, and took a few more angry steps towards her.

  Veronica stepped away, afraid of him a little now. Never before had she felt the need to physically defend herself from Calvin, but now she wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t be certain what he might do in his rage.

  “It just happened, Calvin. I didn’t plan for it,” she said meekly, but her voice only seemed to anger him more. Calvin’s eyes were rounded and fiery, the expression in h
is gaze seemed like he was ready to pounce on her at any moment.

  “So what if you didn’t plan for it? How could you not even think of me?” he growled and Veronica felt a fat tear drop roll down her cheek. He was right. She had been selfish. She shouldn’t have slept with Frank while still in a relationship with Calvin. And she had kept it from him for so long.

  “I’m sorry, Calvin,” she cried and he shook his head. He wasn’t buying it.

  “I don’t care how sorry you are. You’re going to stop it right now and come home with me,” he said and she noticed the way he clenched his fists. Go home with him? She had just refused his proposal. She had just confessed that she was unfaithful to him. Why did he still want her?

  “I can’t do that Calvin, I’m not ready to do that,” she said, still in a soft voice. He had backed her into a corner of the room now and she still wasn’t sure if he was going to physically hurt her.

  “Why can’t you do that, Veronica? Because you think that Frank Davenport actually gives a shit about you? You’re a nanny to his kids. That’s all you are,” Calvin spat out and Veronica pressed her eyes close.

  “Why do you want me anyway, Calvin? After all this. Why do you care? Why don’t you just leave me alone?” she asked, aware that she was screeching now. She could only hope that Ashley and Kaitlyn weren’t able to hear them fighting. The last thing she wanted was to scare or hurt them.

  “I’m willing to forgive you,” Calvin said, through gritted teeth.

  “I don’t want your forgiveness,” Veronica said and Calvin took in a deep breath. As though he was losing his patience with a small naughty child.

  “Okay, look. I’ve been unfaithful to you in the past. I slept with Jeanine from work, a couple of months ago and I didn’t tell you about it. So we can call it even now, and just move on, okay?” he said and reached out to grab her hand.

  Veronica pulled her hand away, her face aghast with rage.