Valentine's Vengeance

by Michele De Winton

  He shrugged again. “I offered to fly my mom over to try the new drug. She’s got the condition too, but she didn’t want to come. I guess she’s scared. The product isn’t on the market yet.”

  “Really? But she knows you’re cured?”

  “Really. My mom isn’t like yours. Family don’t always do for each other like you think they do.”

  The pause grew till she just had to fill it. “Am I able to ask what it is? The condition I mean.”

  “Benign Recurrent Intrahepatic Cholestasis.”

  “Big name.”

  “Big impact. Sometimes. Means I was out of action for weeks at a time. Sometimes once every two months, sometimes less. It was a fickle beast.”

  “Sounds brutal. Like it picked you up and crushed you good every so often. Liver stuff?”

  He nodded. “Vomiting, blackouts. General misery.”

  “You hid it well. I didn’t know.”

  “I didn’t tell you. I couldn’t. You can’t rely on anyone in this world but yourself. That’s something I learned a long time ago. I didn’t tell anyone, not to start with. If I was ill, I was just ill. End of story. When I signed myself up for my own trial I had to let the tech know, but she signed a non-disclosure. The testing is anonymous so I got away with it. And I got lucky that it worked for me. Now I can count on one hand the people who know about it. You make number five.”

  She felt it, then, the isolation he’d lived his life in. The tension of keeping his secret safe, and keeping his business safe. The betrayal he’d thought she’d committed that was more than letting out a trade secret. A betrayal that was a cracking of his safety-netted world. “And so when HoganTech found out you had some sort of disorder…”

  “They decided Mex Industries wasn’t the company to take on their business. Or rather, I wasn’t the CEO to take on their business.”

  They were both silent a moment and Cara bit her lip, wondering what her mother had done to get the information. You should tell him about her. She couldn’t. Her mom was her mom, end of story. “I’m sorry you had to fight so hard all by yourself. It’s hard not having anyone to celebrate the wins with. And it sucks not to be able to vent about the bad bits.”

  He shook his head. “I’m used to it. But what about your family? Your mom coping okay without you there?”

  They’d talked in general terms about her mom five years ago and she’d been thinking about how to introduce them just before they’d broken up. So now all he knew was that it was just the two of them since her brother died. Knew that they were a tight unit. That was enough. For now. Wasn’t it? “She’s fine. She keeps herself busy. Doesn’t get what I’m doing with my life, but then what parent does?”

  “How so?” he said and sat up.

  Keep it light. Cara chose her words very carefully. “Nothing that would interest you,” she said pushing him back down on the bed. “Just stuff about animals. She thinks they’re an inferior species so we should use them however we need to. I disagree.” I’ll tell him about her if this turns into a thing. Like a thing, thing. Uhuh? Because it’s not already a thing? Cara blinked her uncertainty away.

  “I don’t remember that being so important to you.”

  “I guess I’ve got more ardent about it as I’ve got older.” She shrugged. “Now it’s just how I live my life.”

  “And thus, King Kondoms,” he said.

  “Cruelty free. Animal friendly. Speaking of which,” she said looking over at the clock. “I should check in with how my dogs are doing.” But she didn’t immediately get up.

  “Did I miss something? Did you just say you were going to check your phone and then didn’t move?” he teased.

  “Just that as soon as I turn my phone back on, the bubble bursts.” Suddenly the full reality of what she’d said hit her and Cara wasn’t sure whether to look at Joe or pretend that she hadn’t said anything.

  “We have to go back to real life some time.”

  Option A then. They locked eyes and she searched his for some indication of what he wanted, but the dark inky depths hid whatever he was feeling from her. Finally she had to just ask. “And then what happens?”

  “What do you want to happen?”

  “Seriously? You’re going to pull that card? I asked first. You believe it wasn’t me five years ago. What do you want to happen?”

  “I want to see you,” he said without hesitating. “I want to see what happens next.”

  They flew his private jet back to Texas and both spent the plane ride glued to their laptops, but when they started to descend, Joe took her hand and squeezed it till the wheels had touched down. The fear that usually gripped her hardly had a chance to walk its cold fingers over her skin and when they walked out of the terminal, together, she turned and kissed him. Just on the cheek, but in public. “Thank you,” she said.

  “For what?”

  “For trusting me. For taking my word. I know it’s hard for you.”

  His face faltered, but only for a second, and Cara dismissed it when he beamed and bent down to take her mouth in a fully formed, fully knee-shaking kiss.

  She pretty-much floated through the taxi ride back to her apartment, and when he insisted on meeting Muttly and Boris who had been dropped back home earlier, she had to pinch herself to check she wasn’t hallucinating. But when they got to her floor, reality came rushing back in with an ear splitting, heart wrenching roar.

  “Oh no.”

  Eviction Notice. Breach of tenancy conditions. No pets permitted on the premises.

  Letting herself in, Cara sank to the floor, waiting for the dogs to leap all over and lavish her with attention. Instead they rushed past her and she turned to see Joe on one knee, rubbing Muttly’s belly. Her eyes just about fell out of her head. “I get kicked out of my apartment for you and you want him to rub your belly?”

  Joe laughed. “Dogs have a thing for me.”

  “Just dogs?”

  He stood and pulled her up to her feet. “All sorts of creatures.” The kiss was deeper than the one at the airport and Muttly and Boris barked at them to stop. “They do love you, see,” he teased.

  She batted him off and turned to look around her. “What am I going to do now? Damn dogs.”

  Boris whined and she turned immediately to him. “You know I don’t mean it, but seriously, why did you have to go on a barking spree, now?”

  “You don’t have anywhere to go?”

  “Finding an apartment is easy enough, but not so much with two decent sized dogs in tow.”

  “Can’t someone look after them for you? I thought you were all about family?”

  “Mom can’t be around dogs. She’s allergic. Well not exactly, but she’s allergic to the mess they make.”

  “Right.” He looked out the window for a moment and when he pulled his gaze back, his face was clear of worry lines that had been there for the past few days. “You’ll all move in with me.”

  Blinking, hard, Cara took a small step back. “We’ll what now?”

  “Move in with me. I’m renting at the moment. But I’m sure I can pay them enough to make having dogs work. And we’ll get a walking service so they don’t go mad in the day.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  He took her hand and pulled her towards him. “You’re not asking me, I’m offering.”

  This was the moment. The moment she needed to tell him about who her mother was but he spoke again before she could get the right words out.

  “If you don’t want to, that’s one thing, but if you’re worried about the logistics of it, don’t. We’ll work out whatever we need to work out.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to…but you know, it’ll be complicated. I work for you and—”

  “—Like I said, we’ll work through the logistics. It works for plenty of other couples.”

  She paused. Maybe it would be okay? “Have a think about it first. For a while.” Muttly started barking and she shushed him. “These two aren’t exactly what
you’d call lap dogs. They’ll mess up your nice place and break every rule you set them.”

  “A bit like someone else I know.”

  “Pardon me?”

  He laughed, and stroked her face. “Don’t get defensive. But you’re not exactly the usual suit and sleek-hair corporate are you? I also remember asking that you passed things by me when you started. And what did you do? Booked yourself on a flight to Chicago.”

  “I had to.”

  “I know. You’re one out of the box Ms Reynolds, and I love it about you. No one else would think of having a petting zoo and a counseling session to promote condoms.”

  His phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen. “Shit. I’m late.”

  “You have to go,” she said.

  “I do. Think about my offer. I’m serious.”

  When she was alone with the dogs, Cara looked around the mayhem of her life. Could she do this to Joe? Shaking her head, she scolded herself. It wasn’t the right question to be asking. “Am I ready to move in with him?” she asked the dogs. “After one night?” One night and a whole lot of history. Five years ago she’d spent more than half her time at his apartment for a while. Five years ago they’d spent six months courting and she’d fallen for him hard. Five years ago you didn’t tell him who your mother was either. But five years ago they’d made a pact not to bring up work stuff. Maybe that would be okay. He’d said they’d work through the logistics. And her mother being his competitor was just logistics. “Right boys?” Boris whined and Muttly got super interested in a scratch he had to itch all of a sudden. “Fat lot of good you two are. Aren’t dogs supposed to be smart? Lead their owners out of house fires, bring them books on how to make relationships work, that sort of thing?” Boris just cocked his head to the side and panted. Muttly completely ignored her.

  Needing to keep busy, she took her suitcase to her room and unpacked the new clothes Joe had had bought for her. Seeing the green dress brought the night before flooding back. The way he’d touched her so gently. The way she’d found his arm wrapped protectively around her when she’d woken in the early hours of the morning before falling back to sleep. The way he’d opened up to her. Like he didn’t the whole time we were together in New York.

  What he’d said to the young guy in the Cupid set up echoed in her ears as she hung a black and white jacket in her closet. You sound like you grew up while she was away, and now that she’s here you get to decide if she still fits. Or if, even though it’s good, she’ll never quite work in your new world. Timing is just as important in these things as everything else.

  Was that what this was? A case of good timing?

  The thought of waking up to him every morning spread a warm glow through her veins as if she’d drunk her body-weight in bourbon.

  “Right then. Let’s do it.” Muttly sat up and Boris wagged his tail. “Really? You’re paying attention now?”

  Muttly barked and Cara shushed him then laughed. “You know what, bark away. We’re leaving either way. Come on.” She stood and danced around the apartment, the two dogs barking and chasing her till they cornered her by the sofa and all fell onto it. This was happening. She was leaving, and picking up where she’d left off with Joe.

  Just then her phone rang.

  “Mom. Hi.”

  “Hello darling. I’m in town. Have dinner with me?”

  Cara looked at her watch. “Sounds great. I’ll meet you in half an hour.”

  “How about now?”

  She heard the knock at the door just as her mother hung up.

  “Surprise.”

  “You can say that again,” Cara said as she pulled back the door and ushered her mom in.

  “Sorry, but I was in the neighborhood and I thought…” Her mother took in the mess and her eyes bulged wide. “What happened here?”

  Cara sighed. “I’ve been working late. And then I was away. And, well, the dogs don’t like it.”

  “Oh dear.” Her mother walked in, carefully avoiding the dogs, and sat at the dining table, leafing absently through the papers Cara had left there.

  “You told me your Valentine’s promotion went rather well. But not this well.” She looked up, holding her phone with a national newspaper link on it. “National coverage no less.”

  Even her mother’s disdain for her dogs couldn’t dampen Cara’s glee at that one. TV and online newspapers running their viral videos was beyond a PR dream, it was the stuff of fantasies. She gave herself a little hug.

  “Things going well with the new boss then?”

  She couldn’t help herself. Perching on one of the other kitchen chairs Cara blurted out. “A bit better than well actually. We got back together. And he asked me to move in with him.”

  It hadn’t seemed that her mother’s eyes could bulge any more than when they’d seen the state of her apartment, but that had been quite the underestimation. Cara worried they might actually pop out of her head.

  “You’re moving in? With him?”

  “He’s a nice guy.”

  “Are we talking about the same guy? Joe Diaz? CEO of Mex Industries? Hardnosed, workaholic, blow hard Joe Diaz?” The bitterness in her mother’s voice shocked Cara.

  “Woah mom.”

  “Sorry darling. It’s just that I’ve fought my whole life to stay at the top while men like him cruise in, no matter their background, take whatever they want and stomp all over others.”

  “Being from Mexico shouldn’t make any difference to how good he is at his job.”

  “I don’t mean about him being from Mexico.”

  A slick of cold ran down the backs of her hands like an involuntary shiver. “What do you mean then mom?” Cara was strangely calm. Here it was. The time when she asked her mother outright about what she’d suspected for so long.

  “He’s sick. With a genetic disorder. A hereditary disorder that he’ll pass on to his children.” She spelled it out as only a grandmother-in-waiting can but when Cara didn’t bite she continued. “Yet he gets away with managing his company only half the time by having his minions cover for him.”

  “He works really hard, Mom.”

  Her mother just rolled her eyes. “We all work really hard. Doesn’t mean he should get away with hiding something that has such a big influence on his company, on the futures of so many people.”

  “He told me about the disorder.”

  That stopped her mother. “Oh. Right.”

  “The question is, mom, how do you know about it?”

  Anna Brooks’ face faltered, but only momentarily. “It all came out with the HoganTech take-over. Don’t you remember?”

  “No. I don’t. I remember him accusing me of espionage. I remember you brushing it off when we broke up. I remember taking the fall for you because I suspected that you had something to do with it.”

  Anna stayed silent just a beat too long and Cara shook her head. “I can’t believe it. All the talk of how hard it is to get to the top. How you have to be better than them to beat them at their own game, and you stoop to something dirty like that. It was more than a take-over you stole from him mom. You stole his privacy, and you stole the trust he had in me.”

  “I’m sorry. It wasn’t about you or even him. I had people investigating all our competitors. This came out and it was too good not to use. You shouldn’t have got caught up in it.”

  “But I did.”

  “Yes. You did.” Anna toyed with the papers under her hand, keeping her eyes off her daughter. She paused suddenly and pulled one of them out. “Don’t yell at me, but are you really sure about him? He dumped you awfully easily last time.”

  “Yes, mom, I’m sure.” As she said it, Cara discovered that having to justify it made her even surer about a future with Joe and her heart gave a little leap of anticipation.

  “He’s not using you to get to me?” Her mom held up a piece of paper with a Mex Industries logo at the top.

  “How did that get in there?”

  “You tell me.” Her mom scanne
d it and Cara stood to pull it out of her hands. “You shouldn’t be reading that.”

  “Did he give you this?”

  Cara looked it over. “It was in some stuff he gave me the other night. Must have got mixed in there by mistake.”

  “It’s a set up.”

  Cara laughed. “Mom. He doesn’t know I’m your daughter.”

  “Something like this doesn’t just get mixed into other papers by mistake.”

  “You’re being paranoid.”

  Anna sighed. “There’s more. Someone has called the audit office on us. We’re being investigated.”

  “You can’t blame that on him.”

  “I don’t. He might be an ass but he’s not stupid. He got one of his minions to do it for him.”

  “And so what has it got to do with him?”

  “Our files have been tampered with too. Whoever it is that is looking, they’re specifically looking for information about you. He’s set you up and if you’re not careful, he’s going to take more than your career away.”

  9.

  Joe didn’t look up when Richard walked in the door. He always got a report first thing Monday morning. “So, what news on Ms Reynold’s connections at Brooks?”

  “I didn’t want to believe it was true.”

  His head jerked up at the all too familiar female voice. “I thought you were someone else.”

  “Clearly.”

  “So, what can I do for you?” He tried to sound smooth, to inject some of the passion they’d shared over the weekend. But Cara’s face was set hard, the lines around her mouth etched out of bedrock rather than skin. “Has something happened?”

  That broke through to her. She laughed, but the sound was shallow, more like a bark. “Not yet, but it sounds like it’s about to.”

  Now he stood, coming around his desk to take her hand but she shrugged him off. “Tell me you’re not investigating Brook Pharma. That it wasn’t one of your team who called the Auditors in.”