by Sloan Storm
“This is what was meant to be, Marco.”
What?
Before I could say another word, Serena reached down between my legs and cupped my crotch in her hand. I felt the final remnants of my strength leave my body. It was the last thing I remembered…
MARCO
When I next woke up, I felt the sharp thump of a brutal headache. It hurt so bad I could barely breathe, let alone move. I reached towards my forehead and began rubbing it. Disoriented, I glanced around my bed. Sheets were everywhere, I was naked from the waist down.
“Uhhhnnn…” I groaned.
Just then, I heard a noise across the bedroom - the sound of a lock snapping shut. With one eye open and the other half-squinting, I propped myself up on one elbow. Serena spun in place, looking at me. She stood in front of the strong box with one arm haphazardly draped across it.
I reached down for a handful of sheets, twisted between my lower legs. I grabbed hold of them, yanking them away and sliding out of the bed. No sooner did my feet hit the floor than I felt my knees go out from under me. I tumbled to my left, collapsing in a heap.
“Marco!” Serena shrieked.
I turned and looked up at her, snapping my arm straight at the elbow and pointing at her.
“What are you doing?” I began, shaking my head. “Get away from that.”
Serena shrugged, drawing her shoulders up towards her ears. “What? I didn’t do anything. Let me help you up.”
“No,” I warned, moving to my knee and then standing. “Did you open it, Serena?”
She backed away. “I-I…”
“Did you open it!!!” I yelled, wincing at the same instant. “Ah! Fuck!’
I groaned and wrapped my fingers around my skull. “My fucking head…”
I did my best to focus on her.
“Marco, why are you so upset?” she said, opening her arms and inviting me to hug her. “You need to calm down.”
“No, don’t tell me to calm down. Answer the question. Did you open the strong box?”
“No, Marco, no,” she began, pointing a finger at me. “I’m not going to tell you anything. Not until you and I talk - just like you promised me we would last night.”
Every word she spoke echoed like thunder in my head. My temples pounded. Even so, I gathered my wits enough to stand and begin walking in her direction.
“I’ve changed my mind,” I grumbled. “This isn't something I want to talk about with you. None of it. We’re through, Serena.”
I finished speaking and for the first time since I woke up, I had enough presence of mind to focus on her. Naked except for a thong, she returned my focused stare with a blank one of her own.
Serena cleared her throat and with a quick flick of her hair she replied, “Yes, I know we are, Marco.”
The cobwebs of my strange sleep still hung heavy. Her behavior seemed curious, if not completely bizarre. I couldn’t be sure if I was just imagining it. After all, for months and months, she’d been after me. And now, in the span of less than twelve hours, she was content to drop everything so that we could both get on with our lives?
Something about it didn’t make sense. Not in the slightest. Frustrated, and wanting nothing more than to be rid of her, I extended my arm and shoved her out of the way.
“Hey! What the hell is wrong with you, Marco?”
“Shut up.”
I examined the strongbox, grabbing it and spinning it in place. I tugged on each of the locks, yanking hard just to be sure.
“I told you already, Marco,” she began, her voice dripping with contempt. “I didn’t open it.”
I turned back towards her and scoffed.
“Don’t give me that, Serena,” I said, pointing at the box. “It's not like you’ve never done something like this before. Your insecurity, that’s what broke us up. You understand that don’t you?”
Serena scoffed. I kept my eyes focused on her.
“It’s your crazy, jealous behavior. It was that and only that.”
I noticed the beginnings of tears in Serena’s eyes. She sucked in a deep inhale and shoved me to one side.
“That’s enough,” she began, passing by me and heading towards her clothes which were piled up in the corner. “I’m not going to stand here and be insulted by you.”
I looked away from her for a second and turned my attention back to the strongbox. From behind, I could hear her getting dressed, swishing her clothes on. Less than a minute later, she tried to pass by me on the way out of the bedroom. I grabbed her arm, squeezing it and stopping her in her tracks.
“This is your last chance, Serena,” I said, gesturing with my chin towards the strongbox. “If you looked in there, you need to tell me.”
Serena yanked her arm. I resisted at first but eventually let her go.
“I already told you, Marco, I didn’t look in the box.”
The pounding in my head had relented a bit since I first woke up but not by much. Even so, I felt the need to calm myself down. I was sick of fighting with her.
“Look, Serena, I’m sorry that things ended in the way they did. But, it is what it is. You need to get on with your life and it’s a life that doesn't involve me.”
Serena’s jaw muscles flexed.
“I already know that, Marco. You don’t have to worry. I won’t be bothering you.”
I nodded and gestured towards the front door. I’d heard similar things from her in the past, but somehow we always wound up in the same place.
Her begging and me pushing her away.
“I’ll walk you out.”
DANI
It was the day after my dinner with Chloe. I sat in my office catching up on client work when the intercom on my phone crackled to life.
“Dani,” I heard Bernard say. “Leopold and I need to speak with you right away. Please bring us everything you have regarding Mr. Rhys.”
I swallowed hard before responding.
“Y-Yes, okay, give me a few minutes. Where do you want to meet?”
“How about the conference room?”
“All right, I’ll see you there.”
I’d been dreading this moment since I returned home from Monte Carlo. Against my better judgment, I’d decided to let Marco take all the time he needed with the agreement. Whether he was just stalling for time or had no intention of signing with us, I didn’t know. Either way, one thing was for certain. It looked to be time for me to give Bernard and Leopold an answer, whether I was ready or not.
Between the heated discussion I’d had with my mother about my dad, Chloe’s finger-pointing and warnings about what I was doing wrong, I’d gotten off track. I just needed a little more time. I had to clear out all the distractions and focus. I only hoped they would give me that chance. Gathering up the paperwork they wanted, I left my office and headed towards the conference room.
By the time I arrived, Bernard and Leopold were already there waiting. I walked inside. They both sat at the far end of the conference room table.
“Dani!” Leopold said, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm. “You’ve made yourself scarce since returning from Monaco. Please, come sit.”
Approaching the table, I smiled at them.
“Yes,” Bernard began, agreeing with his partner. “We’re both eager to hear about the progress you’ve made with Mr. Rhys.”
Easing into the chair, I placed my notes regarding Marco on the table in front of me.
“Well,” I began, clearing my throat. “What would you like to know?”
Leopold frowned at me.
“I’m not sure what you mean. Do you have the signature page or not?”
The insides of my palms went slick with moisture. Summoning what little courage I had, I tossed my hair away from my face with a gentle snap of my head.
“Not at this moment, no. I do not.”
Bernard leaned back in his chair. A lengthy exhale followed.
“Dani, do you recall the discussion that the three of us had in Monte Carlo?”
<
br /> I nodded.
“Yes, of course I do. I also seem to remember you agreeing with my assertion that closing a deal like this is going to take some time.”
The two of them exchanged glances but remained silent.
“What?” I asked.
“Dani,” Leopold began, gesturing towards Bernard. “We’ve been talking.”
“About?”
“Well, frankly, Dani while we agree that bringing in an account the size of Mr. Rhys’s is challenging, we both feel you’ve not been aggressive enough in trying to sign him.”
The nervousness I felt when I entered the room minutes earlier began to give way to frustration. I held it in check for the time being, straightening my posture in my chair.
“I can assure the both of you that I’m doing everything I can to sign him.”
“Dani,” Bernard said, folding his hands together and placing them on the table. “Are you aware he’s been approached by Bergman and Schuster as well as Markowitz, Ellis and Feynman?”
Fierce competition for a client like Marco wasn’t unusual among all the big investment banks in Manhattan. Of course I heard the rumors that were going around, but at the same time, I felt confident I had an edge over all of them. Not only because of what happened between Marco and me, but also because of what I had to gain by signing him.
“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m well aware of what's been going on. I’ve beaten them out for clients in the past. Why are you so concerned now?”
Leopold waved me off with a flick of his wrist.
“We just are, Dani. That’s all you need to know.”
Bernard nodded. “That’s correct. And that’s why we’ve asked you to give us an update today before we tell you what we expect. I believe we’ve heard enough to move forward with the decision. Don’t you agree, Leopold?”
Leopold glanced at Bernard and nodded. I nibbled at my lip. His tone sounded ominous.
I didn’t like it one bit.
“What decision?”
“You have two weeks, Dani.” Bernard said. “Not one day more.”
“Two weeks?” I scoffed, spreading my arms. “That’s completely unreasonable –– it’s ridiculous. What’s the reason for the change?”
“Competition, Dani…” Leopold began, raising his eyebrows like the answer should be obvious to me. “Plain and simple. Competition.”
I looked away from them for a moment. I might’ve been angry but there was really nothing I could do about it. It was just another one of the pitfalls of not being a partner. I turned back in their direction.
“Fine,” I said, my frustration finally getting the better of me. I pointed at both of them. “I’ll accept that on the promise you give me the full two weeks. If there’s something else you’re keeping from me, I need to know it. You can't keep issuing these ultimatums out of the blue.”
Bernard shook his head. “Dani, please, calm down.”
I rocked back in my seat, snapping my arms across my chest.
Leopold raised his palm towards me. “Nobody’s keeping anything from you, Dani. We’re just trying to light a fire under you. You know how much we believe in your ability. Make this deal happen and get the partnership. All right?”
With my arms still across my chest, I exhaled.
“Anything else?” I asked, my voice low.
The two of them shook their heads in unison but didn’t speak. Not long after, Bernard and Leopold exited the conference room and left me alone with my thoughts. The anger I felt a few minutes earlier began to fade away a bit.
In its place, determination took hold. I had to face the reality of my situation. Maybe that’s why their demands bothered me so much. In the thing I prided myself the most on – my ability to close deals –– I’d fallen flat. I didn’t know whether it was the pressure of making partner that was causing the problem, the situation with my father’s health, or the unwelcome feelings I had about Marco.
But none of that mattered.
In a way, Bernard and Leopold’s ultimatum rekindled my focus and gave me the desire I’d lost in recent days. With their demands on the table, there was no question about what I had to do next.
None at all.
DANI
Frustrated, I collected my things and headed back to my office. Once there, I took a seat in my chair and picked up my office phone to call Marco. I didn’t have a single second to waste. But just when I held the receiver in my hand, my cell phone vibrated on top of my desk. I reached for it, flipping it over and looking at the display. It was a text from my mother.
No update on ur dad. He’s been feeling tired. The doctor gave him blood thinners. He’s resting but they aren’t sure what to do. U should come see him or at least have the decency to call.
I exhaled and shook my head. I flipped the display over, tossing the phone on top of my desk. I really didn’t feel like getting into it with her. I’d contact him when I was ready and not because of her veiled threats.
Returning my attention to my office phone, I cradled it between my shoulder and ear while I dialed Marco’s number. He answered moments later.
“Dani, how are you?”
For some strange reason, the sound of his voice soothed me. I hadn’t expected it.
“I-I’m good, thank you.” I stammered, a smile coming to my lips. “How have you been?”
“Oh, you know,” he began. A long exhale followed. “There’s just a lot of loose ends with my father’s estate. It’s been a pain in the ass to be honest.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Marco.”
“Oh well, that’s not any of your concern.”
There was an awkward pause in our conversation for a few seconds.
“What about you, Dani? Are your parents still alive?”
I swallowed. Right away, his question caused me to think about the possibility of not having my father in my life anymore. My mind wandered and I fell silent.
“Dani?” Marco said after a few seconds. “Hello?”
“Yes, I’m sorry,” I said, trying to refocus. “I'm sorry about that. Where were we?”
“I, um, asked you about your parents. Are they both still alive?”
I leaned over my desk, dropping my forehead into my hand.
“They are,” I replied, exhaling at the same time. “Both of my parents are alive.”
Marco remained quiet for a couple of seconds.
“Why do you sound unhappy about it?”
“I’m not, not at all,” I began, rubbing my forehead. “It's just that, well, I received some bad news about my father’s health a couple of days ago. It’s been weighing on me, but I don’t want to burden you with that stuff.”
Marco exhaled into the receiver.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Dani. It’s nothing too serious I hope.”
Lifting my head, I sat upright in my chair.
“It’s his heart. There are some issues. The doctors are working on it, but the situation – it isn’t good.”
“I see.” Marco replied. “Would you like to talk about it?”
I felt a lump gather in my throat. I knew that if I did talk about it, I’d probably get upset and from that point forward having any discussion with him about the agreement would be difficult, if not impossible. I shook my head and gathered my wits.
“No. No thank you, Marco. I appreciate the offer though.”
“Not a problem.”
And then, my mind went blank. For an instant, I’d almost forgotten why I called Marco in the first place. I hadn’t expected to talk to him about my father, much less have him show any interest in talking to me about it. My brain felt like mush.
At last, Marco broke the silence and brought my attention back to the true purpose of my call.
“I suppose you’d like to talk about the agreement?”
While he spoke I inhaled and readied myself to speak.
“If you’re able,” I began, sensing a vulnerable tone in his words. “Have you been able to give it any further t
hought?”
Marco exhaled a deep breath. I didn’t like the sound of it. More often than not a noise like that usually meant what would follow wouldn’t be good.
“I have, Dani. Yes.”
I waited for a couple of seconds, readying myself for the ‘but’. However, he didn’t say anything else… not a ‘but’ or an ‘except’ or even, an ‘unless’.
He just stopped speaking.
“And?” I said, careful not to allow too much eagerness into my tone.
“Well,” he began, clearing his throat. “I can tell you that I’m not ready to sign the agreement. Not yet, anyway.”
I knew it. While it wasn’t what I hoped for, it still wasn’t a ‘no’. I decided to press him on it.
“Well, is there anything I can do? Do you have questions about our offer? Is there something you don’t understand?”
“No, no. It’s nothing like that, Dani. I’m quite clear on the terms of the offer.”
“All right,” I began, leaning back in my chair. “Can you be more specific?”
“Yes, I can be, Dani. I’m going to need to discuss this with you in person before I make up my mind.”
Confused, I replied, “In person?”
“That’s right. I need to see you face-to-face. Is that a problem?”
I shook my head.
“No, that’s not a problem at all.”
“Excellent,” Marco said. “How soon can you get to Monte Carlo?”
“What?” I asked. “Monte Carlo?”
Marco chuckled.
“Yeah, it’s where I live remember?”
“Right, I know, it’s just that…”
Marco cut me off.
“I’ll make this real simple for you, Dani. If you want me to sign the agreement, you’re going to have to come here and get it from me in person.”
Without hesitation, I replied, “That won’t be a problem. I’ll take the first flight I can get.”
“Very good. I’m looking forward to it.”
A few seconds later, we said our goodbyes and I hung up.
Afterward, I leaned back in my chair, exhaling a deep breath and looking up towards the ceiling. While he hadn’t come right out and said so, the fact that Marco wanted me to come back to Monaco… it boosted my confidence I'd get this deal done once and for all. And that lift in my spirits couldn’t have come at a better time.
