by Nella Tyler
I stood at the counter, staring at the coffee pot as it bubbled and gurgled, the fresh aroma of coffee filling the kitchen. It brought a sense of familiarity, of comfort that was nevertheless fleeting. How had I allowed myself to get so entangled with Luke? We hadn't even known each other that long and yet I felt as if I was suddenly alone in the world, bereft of someone who seemed to understand me. Had it all been an act? Had he just muttered platitudes without meaning any of it?
I had just poured a mug of coffee and moved to sit down on the sofa when I heard the knock on the door. I frowned. Very rarely did I have visitors at the apartment. My heart thudded dully in my chest as I wondered if it might be Samantha. What would I say to her? Then again, what if it was my father? I wasn't ready for that. Placing the mug on the coffee table, I slowly stood and walked to the front door. Before I opened it, I peeked through the peephole.
Luke.
My heart skipped a beat and I stood in indecision. I didn't know what to do. Did I want to let him in? Listen to more of his excuses or his lies? Or should I pretend I wasn't home? I shook my head. He knew I was because my car was parked in my usual spot.
"Molly, I know you're in there. I saw you peeking through the peephole. Open the door, okay?"
I took a deep breath and fought back tears. I stood close to the door, my hands pressed against it. "I don't want to talk to you, Luke," I said.
"Can you let me in?"
I shook my head, fresh tears brimming in my eyes. Why was he doing this to me? Why was he putting me through this? "There's nothing to talk about, Luke."
"Yes, there is, Molly. Please, let me in."
I glanced once again through the peephole. He was staring off toward the neighbor’s house. I saw his expression looking drawn. He hadn't shaved this morning. He had dark circles under his eyes. Had he been awake all night? Tossing and turning? Fighting his own demons, regretting that he had lied to me? I wasn't sure, but I did gain a perverse sense of pleasure that he hadn't gotten any more rest than I had.
"Please, Molly," he said, turning once again to the door. He stared at the peephole. "I need to talk to you."
"That's all you do, Luke, talk," I said, my voice cracking with emotion. It hurt me to say such things, but they were true. How could I trust him? How could I believe anything that came out of his mouth?
Through the peephole I saw him lean toward the door and rest his forehead against it. "Molly, I know I don't deserve it, but if I could just come in and talk to you…please."
Don't ask me why, but a surge of pity swept through me. I was such a pushover. I felt sorry for him. Maybe, just maybe, I could somehow get through to him. If he wanted a relationship, he was going to have to work very hard for it. After several moments of hesitation, I slowly reached for the door and turned the deadbolt, and then unlocked the door. I opened it slowly, stepping into the narrow opening I had made.
He looked up at me, his eyes silently pleading. Dammit! Why did I feel so compelled to listen to what he had to say? I tried to harden my heart, but the expression on his face tore at my emotions. "Dammit, Luke, I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Can't you understand that?" I shook my head. "What can you possibly tell me that's going to change anything?"
He said nothing for several moments and then offered a slight shrug. "I know I don't have any right to ask, Molly, but I feel as if this is my last chance to-"
"Your last chance? It seems to me I've given you two chances already, Luke. Is it even possible for you to tell the truth? Do you have it in you?" I shook my head. "I don't mean to be this way, Luke, but I can't do this. I feel so betrayed."
He offered a short nod. "I understand, Molly-"
"Do you?" I interrupted. "Can you?"
"I'm really sorry, Molly," he said, shifting from one foot to the other. "Please, let me come in. I have something I want to talk to you about."
After hesitating for a moment or two, I finally acquiesced and stepped back, opening the door and allowing him inside. I don't know why I did, other than perhaps the expression he wore on his face. He looked like a lost little boy. I knew that I would have to take whatever he said with a grain of salt. I gestured toward the sofa. "I just made a pot of coffee. Do you want a cup?"
He nodded and then moved toward the sofa to sit down. I stepped into the kitchen, pulled another mug from the cupboard, and poured him a cup. I walked to the sofa and set the coffee mug down on the coffee table not far from mine. He sat near the edge of the couch. I sat at the other end and waited.
He reached for the coffee, took a sip, and then placed it back on the coffee table. I waited for him to say something. I wasn't going to make this easy for him. Finally, he looked at me.
"Molly, I want you back-"
My eyes widened and a disbelieving sound erupted from my throat. "You want me back? You want me back for what, Luke? Sex?" I began to grow angry. "Because as far as I'm concerned, that's all we have in common. We certainly don't have a relationship!"
"Molly, we do-"
I made a slashing motion with my hand. "No, we don't. A relationship implies commitment, honesty, trust, and communication. Unfortunately, I don't think we have any of those things." I felt the burn of tears behind my eyes and squelched the urge to cry.
"Molly, what will it take to get you to change your mind?"
I stared at him in dismay. "Are you serious?"
He nodded. "More serious than I've ever been."
I shook my head, this time in disbelief. "Luke, when have you ever been completely honest with me? Do you know how hard it is to trust someone, especially when you're rich?" I don't know where that came from, but I suppose that it was part of the reason why I had never developed strong feelings for anyone. In the back of my mind, I had always wondered if someone was attracted to me because of the fact that I was rich. With Luke, I hadn't even considered that.
"I can be, Molly, and I'm sorry. I've just-"
"You've just what, Luke?" I interrupted. "Gotten used to dealing with crooks and criminals? Lying to everyone? Including me?"
"Molly, I-"
"Don't tell me you're sorry," I said. It hurt me to the core, but I had to be firm with him. "Do you realize that what you're doing is not only wrong, but illegal? Not only that, but you've dragged me into it? And by association, my father? Do you have any idea how serious this is? The position you've put me in?"
"Molly, I'll do whatever I have to do to make you forgive me and come back to me-"
"To make me forgive you? You can't make me forgive you," I explained, striving for patience. "You can't make anyone forgive you, Luke. Forgiveness comes from the person who was wronged, not the other way around." I paused. "And as far as coming back to you, I'm not sure what I would be coming back to."
He seemed at a loss for words. I pressed forward. "Exactly what would I be coming back to, Luke? Like I said, you're the one that pressed for a relationship with me, and as far as I'm concerned, all we've shared is the sack and a little bit of background history. Everything else has been nothing but lies, and to be honest, I-"
"Molly, I’ll do anything to try and fix the damage I've done. Please, give me the chance to-"
I shot to my feet. "Luke, I've given you chances already, and what did you do with them? You threw them back in my face!" Tears filled my eyes and I failed to blink them back this time. They spilled over my eyelids. "I've grown fond of you, no doubt about that. I'm not denying it. But I refuse to go along with this! I refuse to be involved in criminal activities."
He nodded, as if he agreed with me.
"Molly, tell me what you want from me. Tell me what you want me to do."
I couldn't believe I was even considering it. I continued to stand, staring down at him. He looked up at me with that damned puppy dog expression. Did he really want to do right? Did he really want to turn things around? "Okay, I'll tell you what you can do, and that's just a starting point."
He nodded eagerly.
"First, you have to quit the s
tock exchange-"
"But that's how I make-"
"You wanted to know what you could do to win me back," I interrupted, my voice rising with frustration. "There are other ways to make money besides investing in the stock market!"
"But-"
"No buts about it, Luke," I said, issuing an ultimatum. "You either quit the stock market and anything involved with it, or I'm going to leave you for good!” I paused, taking a breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "You make money the honest way! You get yourself some legal advisers and money managers that can help you invest your money into safer, more long-term business ventures."
To my incredible dismay, he frowned. "This sounds awfully lot like an ultimatum, Molly," he said.
"You're damn right it is!" I shot back. "You want to reconcile. Didn't you just say that you’d do what you had to? You said you would do anything I asked to get me back!"
"But, Molly-"
I shook my head, choked back a sob, and headed for the front door. "Get out, Luke. It's clear to me that you're not serious about getting me back. I'm not going to believe you just on your word. You have to prove it to me." I reached for the door.
He stood. "How can you possibly condemn me for my dealings in the stock market?"
I stared at him in dismay, my eyes wide. "How can I condemn you? Luke, it's not the stock market, it's the fact that you're involved with insider trading! It's illegal!"
He stared at me, a scowl forming on his brow. I should've known. I should've known that he didn't mean what he had said about doing anything to get me back. "I guess I'm not important enough for you to change," I said. "Fine then. You asked me what you could do to get me back and I told you. It's obvious that you don't want to, so I guess you've made your choice."
"Molly, it's not that simple-"
"Actually, it is," I disagreed. "You want a relationship with me? You want my affection? You want my loyalty? You want my love? Then you're damn well going to have to earn it!"
He said nothing for several moments and then spoke quietly. "Like your father does?"
I stared at him. "My father? What does my father have to do with anything?"
"Your father’s in this deeper than I am," Luke said.
I frowned down at him for several moments, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Who do you think has been giving me most of my information?"
Maid for Him #5
Chapter 1
I stared at Luke, my eyes wide, and mouth open in shock. My brain was having trouble processing what he had just said. Impossible! My father couldn't possibly be involved in insider trading, and even less likely to be the one feeding Luke information or tips about which stocks to invest in, when to pull out, and anything else involved in insider trading.
"Look, Molly, I know you don't want to hear it, but I'm sure my father was involved with insider trading while he was alive. Where do you think I got your dad's name? I think he and my dad were involved-"
"Stop it, Luke, you don't know what you're talking about!" I shouted, my emotions roiling. Why would he say something like that? How could he? Was he deliberately trying to hurt me? He took a step closer, as if to wrap me in his arms, but I backed away, shaking my head. “How can you say such things? How can you make such accusations?”
“Molly, it’s the-”
“Don’t you dare try to tell me it’s the truth, Luke!” I interrupted, my voice trembling with emotion. “Your track record in the truth department has left something to be desired!”
He shook his head, once again sweeping his fingers through his hair. “I firmly believe they had some kind of history,” he insisted.
“How long do you think they were involved?” I demanded. “Wait… I don't know… I don’t even know what I'm saying. This is impossible!”
"Molly, it's true," Luke insisted. "I have no idea how long your father might have been involved in it, but I think he was one of my father's biggest business partners."
“Proof, Luke,” I managed to get out. “Do you have proof?”
He shook his head. “Only by my gist of a few of our conversations.”
Tears filled my eyes. I didn't want to believe it. Not my father. It went against everything I understood about him, believed in him. He couldn't possibly have made money off of insider trading, could he? I felt my knees growing weak. How could my father be involved in something so horrendous? How could my father be involved in something that went against the grain of any honest business investor or financial expert? I had heard my father lose his temper numerous times over people not doing the right thing or not behaving the right way when it came to financial investments, and here Luke was telling me that my father was involved in the same activity?
"I don't believe you!" I cried. Despite my efforts to hold it together, tears began to stream down my cheeks. This was not possible! "My father didn't make his millions, billions of dollars by cheating!"
"Molly, I'm not suggesting that he did-"
"You just told me that he's the one that's been giving you this information. So you're telling me what? That my father has been giving you hints and tips about businesses, managers, corporation presidents, CEOs?” I paused, my voice rising in equal pace with my disbelief that he could say such a thing to me. “Telling you when it's a good time to buy, when to start liquidating, when to sell? Is that what you're telling me?"
I was torn between anger and fear. Did I believe Luke? Could it possibly be true? If it was true, what came next? I felt a cold sensation run down my spine. Not just fear of what could happen to my father if he was caught, but fear of what this information might do to my relationship with him. I adored my father! He meant everything to me. I respected him, and I tried to live my life in a way that would make him proud. If he was involved in this, how could I respect him? How could he expect me to?
"Molly, come sit down," Luke urged. "You're as white as a ghost and you look like you're about ready to faint."
For a moment, I was about to do as he asked, but then I realized this was my house. Not his. Still, I did feel a bit wobbly and off-center. In fact, I felt as if my world had suddenly been knocked off kilter by Luke's declaration. My head pounded. What the hell was happening to my life? My emotional roller coaster ride with Luke was nothing compared to what he had just dumped in my lap.
If what Luke said was true, did my mother know? Had I been played for a fool my entire life? I looked around my condo, something that I had been so proud of not long ago. Had this condo been purchased with ill-gotten money? What about everything I owned, most of which had been purchased by my parents? Was I a fake, a fraud?
In spite of the fact that I didn't want to take Luke's advice for anything at the moment, I did step over to the couch and sink down onto it. He made a move toward me, but I lifted my hand, preventing him. "No, don't come any closer, Luke."
"Molly-"
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the back of the couch, feeling sick to my stomach. I heard Luke move into the kitchen and open a cupboard or two, rummaging inside. Heard the tink of a glass. I heard the sink faucet turn on and then the sound of a glass being filled with water. Everything sounded with such clarity. Everything else was a blur. Seconds later, he approached the sofa.
"Molly, come on, drink some water. You don't look too good."
I didn't want water. I wanted my life back. I wanted my feelings back the way they had been before all of this. I looked up into his face and saw only concern, but still I felt angry with him. I was angry with him for putting such doubts about my father in my head. I knew I must look as bad as I felt. Deciding to acquiesce, I extended my hand and clasped the glass that he held out to me. My hands shook, threatening to spill the water sloshing around inside as I brought it to my lips. I took a sip, then another.
He took the glass from me and placed it down on the coffee table without bothering to look for a coaster. I could've cared less about a water ring at the moment. A sense of panic began to sur
ge through me.
"Molly, take some deep breaths."
In the next second, he was crouched down beside me, his hands on my knees. I felt ringing in my ears. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, I might've laughed at the ludicrousness of it all. I'd never fainted in my life. Yet, at this moment, I wanted nothing more than to be swept off into the darkness of oblivion.
"Molly, breathe."
I did. One shaky breath after the other. Then, just as I was getting my mind wrapped around the possibility…just a possibility…that my father had not always done business on the up and up, another thought struck me. Horrified, I sat upright, my eyes wide, staring at Luke's startled expression.
"Did you only hire me because of my father?" I blurted. He stared at me for several moments as if he didn't comprehend the question. Had he only hired me because he had always known who I was? Did he know about my father, his money, and his business dealings, on a more personal nature than I ever would have anticipated? There is no doubt that everybody in Raleigh knew my father's name, along with the fact that he was a billionaire and that he made most of his money through careful investments, as well as through real estate transactions.
I stared at Luke, staring back at me, his own expression now one of surprise. "Did you?" I demanded.
"No, Molly, absolutely not!" He stood and moved away, brushing his fingers through his hair in frustration. A nervous tic, I supposed. I had never noticed it before.
"Then why did you hire me? Certainly you had other applicants, didn't you?"
He spun around and frowned at me, his expression changing from surprise to what I can only construe as anger. "Of course, I did!"
"Then why me?" I asked suspiciously. "Did you hire me just to keep an eye on me? Perhaps get some information from me-"
"Molly, listen to yourself!" Luke snapped. "Think about it. Have I ever asked you one question about the finance industry? Have I ever questioned you about any corporation, any CEO, any bank, any money matters whatsoever?"
