by A. L Long
“Dylan, I wanted to give this to you before you left. It’s an invitation to a gala that is held every year by the Broken Heart Foundation. Keeve and I have attended every year and this year we were given two extra invitations. We would like for you to be there to show support. It’s being held next Friday. Bring a guest. It’ll be fun,” Mason said as he placed the invitation on her desk.
Dylan picked up the invitation and opened the envelope.
The Broken Heart Foundation cordially invites you and
a guest to their 9th annual fundraiser.
Friday, 28th of April
7:00 p.m. – 12: 00 a.m.
The Ritz – Battery Park
New York, New York
Dylan got excited looking at the fancy invitation. She had never been invited to a formal gathering. She wanted to ask Mason more about it, but he already disappeared out of sight. She would need to ask him in the morning.
In the cab drive home, all Dylan could think about was the invitation to the gala next Friday. She knew that she wanted Lilly to go with her. The invitation didn’t specifically request that the guest needed to be of the significant other sort, so she was sure Lilly would make a great date. Besides Lilly probably knew a lot more about these types of events than she did.
The apartment was quiet when Dylan entered. Placing her belongings on the couch, Dylan called for Lilly. “Lilly, are you here?” Dylan didn’t hear a response, so she decided to go investigate. As she was checking the apartment, she typed a quick text to her friend just in case she wasn’t in the building.
Dylan: Just got home. Where are you?
Lilly: At the market grabbing ice cream. Had a really shitty day. Need anything?
Dylan: Nope, I’m good. See you when you get here.
At least Dylan knew where her friend was. She wondered what could have made Lilly’s day so bad. Lilly always ate ice cream when she had a bad day. It must have been pretty awful if Lilly needed to stop and get some.
Dylan was getting ready for bed when she heard the door to the apartment open. She called out to her friend. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, girlfriend. Do you want some ice cream? You have your choice. Mint chocolate chip, Cookies ‘n Cream, or plain Jane Vanilla,” Lilly yelled back to Dylan.
“It must have been a really bad day if you got three kinds,” Dylan yelled back.
When Dylan got to the living room, she could see Lilly on the couch with her elbows propped on her knees holding her head. She walked over to Lilly and sat beside her friend.
“Lilly, are you okay?’ Dylan asked with concern.
Lilly looked at Dylan with sadness in her eyes. Just as she spoke, tears began to flood her face. “Peter and I got into a huge fight. I told him I never wanted to see him again. I didn’t mean what I said, Dylan. I was just so mad.”
“Oh, Lilly. It will all work out.” Dylan wrapped her arms around Lilly’s shoulders as she tried to comfort her. “Tell me about it?”
Lilly didn’t know what to say. “There really isn’t much to tell. He said he had to leave to go out of state and he didn’t know when he would be back. He didn’t know when he would be able to contact me. When I asked where he was going… he said he couldn’t tell me. The less I knew the better. I got angry with him for not telling me. I told him if he can’t be honest with me, there was no reason for us to be together. You should have seen his face, Dylan. I should never have said what I did.”
“Lilly, look at me…” Lilly lifted her head to look at her friend. “Whatever his reasons were, I know that he cares about you. You need to trust him. His line of work probably took him away to protect someone important and he can’t tell you the details. When is he leaving?” Dylan asked as she handed Lilly a tissue.
“Today. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. I also texted him. I still haven’t heard back,” Lilly sobbed as she wiped her tear drenched face.
“Everything will work out, Lilly,” Dylan reassured her as she gave her friend a much needed hug.
Dylan wasn’t fully convinced that the explanation to Lilly of Peter’s sudden departure was correct. Peter worked under the direction of Richard, who worked for Rade. Dylan wished things weren’t so messed up between her and Rade. At least she would be able to talk to him and find out what was going on with Peter and put Lilly’s mind at ease. She could talk to Richard, but it would get back to Rade in the end anyway. Maybe it was time that she read Rade’s letter.
CHAPTER FOUR
When Rade left the cemetery, he had no more answers to his situation than when he came. He thought for sure visiting his brother’s grave would give him the answers he needed. It only left him more hollow. Somehow he needed to get past this thing with Dylan. It was tearing him apart not being able to get in touch with her. He thought for sure he would have heard from her. Unless it was because she didn’t read his letter. He knew there was a good possibility that she threw it away without even opening it. This was the only explanation as to why she hadn’t reached out to him. He needed to find another way to reach her.
Rade pulled into Manhattan shortly after midnight. The city didn’t change. He was still reminded of why he took off in the first place. Every place he passed where he spent time with Dylan only reminded him of her. Her silly laugh. The way her beautiful green eyes sparkled when she got excited. Lost in the thoughts of their time together, Rade was taken from his flashback when his cell rang.
“Hey, Richard, I just pulled into the city,” Rade told Richard as he turned onto Park Avenue. “I’m guessing you have an update for me.”
“I do, sir. Peter is on his way to St. Croix. He should be arriving in about an hour. He has instructions to contact me as soon as he has landed. I expect he will rest before he begins his assignment,” Richard said.
“Good. I’m pulling into the garage at the penthouse. I’m exhausted. Fill me in on his progress later. Say around seven or so.” Rade was ready to hang up when he remembered the coverage on Dylan. “Richard, who do you have on Dylan?”
“Josh is keeping an eye on her. I have new information on her as well. Seems she landed a job at BlackStone Industries.” Richard knew the company that Dylan was now working for was one of Rade’s biggest competitors when it came to investing in new technology and innovation.
“ Fuck, of all the places in New York City she could work, she had to get a job there.” Rade wasn’t happy with the new bit of information Richard laid on him. “If anything else comes up, call me.”
Rade hung up with Richard more frustrated than ever. He knew with Dylan’s talents she would have been able to get a good job anywhere. Never in a million years had he expected her to get a job with BlackStone Industries. They weren’t only his biggest competitor, but also the biggest pain in his ass. RIM Global was in negotiations with Spectrum to invest millions in their company, which would give RIM Global controlling interest. Everything was going as planned until Spectrum was made another offer by BlackStone Industries. Rade had been watching this company for over a year as their stock prices slowly plunged. The opportune time to take over the company hit about two weeks ago. Rade had made the company an offer they couldn’t refuse. That is, until BlackStone Industries countered with a generous offer of their own.
To learn that Dylan was now working for the same company that jeopardized his negotiations was unbelievable. It seemed no matter where Rade turned, something or someone was getting in the way of his plans. He needed to find a way to use this information to his advantage. Nothing would please him more than to see Dylan again. He would need to arrange a meeting with Mr. Black and Mr. Stone to see if they could come to some sort of agreement regarding the possible takeover of Spectrum. Hopefully he would be able to get Dylan to see him as well.
*****
The remainder of Rade’s day consisted of three additional meetings, numerous calls to BlackStone Industries, and wasted time reviewing and responding to emails, most of which were taken care of with a phone call. By the time he was re
ady to call it a day, his phone rang, giving him the news he needed. Keeve and Mason agreed to meet with him. The stipulation to the meeting was that the meeting would be held at RIM Global and a neutral party would be provided to record the negotiations of the meeting. Even though there was a slim chance that Dylan would be included to partake in the discussions, this was something that Rade needed to get off his plate. It wouldn’t be hard dealing with Keeve Black and Mason Stone since Rade knew them well. They might not want to hear what he had to say, but the takeover of Spectrum had been long overdue. It was time to close the deal and focus on other ventures.
Dylan was lost in the paperwork given to her on Spectrum. Everything about this company screamed good investment. The company had put so much time and money into the voice recognition app that it was close to being complete. She couldn’t see where an investment in this company would be bad, especially when it would be a quick turnaround for the company. It wouldn’t take much to get this company back on the right track. She knew how important Spectrum was to BlackStone, even though it could take years to reap the benefits. She thought it was well worth the risk. It was time to let Keeve and Mason know what she had come up with. The proof was in the numbers. Hopefully they would see what she did and go through with their offer. Gathering her notes and charts to back up her findings, Dylan headed to the conference room to have a brief meeting with Keeve and Mason.
“Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.” Dylan was all nerves as she began presenting her findings. “I know that you both put your trust in me to look over the finances for Spectrum. I hope that what I have found will confirm your opinion.” Dylan handed them each a copy of her findings as she continued going over her report. “As you can see by my calculations, your investment in this company would be a very wise decision. I know you were only interested in the voice recognition app, but in order to further the development of Spectrum’s recognition app the entire portfolio would need to be absorbed. Even though most of the expense was dumped into the voice recognition app, I believe there to be an abundance of potential for the other prototype apps they haven’t even begun to really venture into. It would take a large investment to pull them out of their current financial predicament, but I believe it would be profitable for BlackStone to take the risk in order to secure the profitability of one app, especially since it is so close to completion and the possibility of additional revenue from future apps is endless.”
“Dylan, you have just confirmed our decision to move forward with our initial plan. You’ve done an outstanding job presenting us with your assessment. You’ve honed in on other aspects of the company we haven’t even begun to think about. We have a meeting set with an interested competitor next week. I think it would benefit us if you attended,” Keeve said as he looked toward his partner.
“I think that is an excellent idea, Keeve. This information should make for an interesting meeting,” Mason interjected.
“Just let me know when and I’ll be ready.” Dylan collected her notes and stood to leave. Just as she got to the doorway, she heard Mason.
“Dylan, I meant to ask if you’ve given any thoughts about going to the gala on Friday.”
“I have, actually. I think it would be fun. I’ve invited my friend Lilly Davis to go with me. I hope that’s okay?” Dylan looked at both men, waiting for their approval.
“That would be great. I’m sure both of you will have a wonderful time,” Keeve replied as they exited the conference room.
When Dylan got back to her office, she breathed in a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure what type of reaction Keeve and Mason would have on her opinion of Spectrum, but she was glad that she presented them with the facts and they were satisfied with the information.
By the time five o’clock hit, Dylan was ready to call it a day. Gathering her things, she headed for the elevator, knowing there was a bottle of wine and a long hot bubble bath waiting to be relished. As she slowly descended to the ground floor, she thought about what she needed to do to prepare for the gala on Friday. She would need to see if Lilly would be available tomorrow for a shopping spree. She knew Lilly would be up to the task since she was a Shopaholic.
It was quiet when Dylan got home. Setting her coat and her purse down, she walked over to the fridge to pull out the bottle of wine that was patiently waiting for her. As she poured herself a glass, she heard the front door open. Looking over her shoulder, she could see that Lilly was entering.
“Hey, girlfriend, pour me one too,” Lilly petitioned as she kicked off her four-inch stilettos.
“How was your day? You look exhausted,” Dylan said as she placed a glass of wine in front of Lilly.
“You have no idea. I love my parents, but working for them at the gallery is murder. I must have rearranged the artwork at least a dozen times. This upcoming showing is going to kill me,” Lilly confessed as she took a sip of her wine.
Lilly’s parents owned one of the largest art galleries in New York City. Her parents told her that one day it would belong to her. When Lilly was a little girl she enjoyed drawing and painting. While most girls played with Barbie dolls, Lilly played with her paints and crayons. Her passion for art earned her a degree in Visual Arts at Columbia.
“I have just the thing to make you feel better. How about we go shopping tomorrow for the gala on Friday? I know how much you love to shop.” Dylan gently patted Lilly’s hand as she attempted to brighten her day.
“You don’t have to ask me twice. When and where is all I need to know?” Lilly answered with excitement.
“How about tomorrow at noon? We could grab lunch at Border Line and then go shopping. I’m sure I could get the afternoon off.” Dylan knew she needed more than an hour to shop with Lilly. If she knew her at all, she knew Lilly would want to hit every shop on Fifth Avenue.
“Sounds good to me. Be ready to walk your socks off, girlfriend,” Lilly said as she held her glass of wine up for a toast.
Once their plans for tomorrow were sorted out, Dylan headed to the bathroom for her much needed bubble bath. Soaking in the tub after a long day of work was one of Dylan’s most favorite things to do. Even though Lilly’s bathtub wasn’t as big as the one she had in her old apartment, it still was large enough that she could stretch out and relax with no problem.
Getting to her makeshift bedroom, Dylan grabbed her pajamas and underwear, only to be greeted again with the letter from Rade. It had been almost a week since she received the letter. She still couldn’t bring herself to read it. She wasn’t sure why she was so reluctant to open it. But she decided that today was the day she was going to put on her big girl panties and read it. Taking it with her, she headed to the bathroom. As the tub filled with water and bubbles, Dylan opened the letter.
My Dearest Dylan,
If you are reading this letter, I hope it is because thoughts of me are still in your heart. I know no word can describe the pain and hurt that I have caused you. I know I have betrayed your trust. I should have protected you. A part of me died that night because I didn’t. My life these past weeks has been nothing without you. I’m tormented every minute, of every day, knowing that I caused you so much pain.
Please know this, Dylan, you have captured my heart. My feelings for you are more than anything I have ever known. My life will never be complete without you in it. You have brought so much light to my darkness; light I thought I would never see again.
Please, Sweetness, if only for a moment, let me see you again. I need to know that you are okay. If you choose not to see me, know that I will never forget you or what we had. I will never stop waiting for you to come back to me. To forgive me.
Know this, I will stop at nothing to find the man responsible for taking you from me. No one will ever harm you again.
Deeply yours,
Rade
Dylan’s hands were numb as the letter slowly fell to the floor. Rade’s words brought sadness to her. Her eyes were once again filled with tears. Despite knowing how horrible that
night was for her, she would always love Rade. She knew in her heart she needed to let him go, that there would be no life for them together no matter how much pain it caused her.
Dylan’s desire to relax in her bubble bath was no longer appealing. The only thing she wanted to do was what she had been doing for weeks, curl up in her bed and cry. As she drained the water, she thought about how her connection to Rade was slowly disappearing, just like the water swirled down the drain. Thoughts of never seeing him, touching him, feeling him, began to once again take hold of her.
When the water was fully drained from the tub, Dylan left the bathroom feeling lost and alone. Crawling into bed, she pulled the covers over her and once again began crying. It wasn’t until hours later that her exhaustion took over and allowed her to fall asleep. It wasn’t the dreams of that night that haunted her. It was the emptiness inside, knowing she could never be with Rade, that tormented her nights.
*****
Waking the next morning, Dylan felt tired and alone. Even though she was staying with her best friend, she still felt empty. It was then that she decided to hold her head high and pull herself together. Grabbing what she needed, she headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Having a restless night caused her to oversleep. The last thing she wanted was to be late for work.
Lilly was already gone by the time she had finished showering and getting dressed. She was thankful that there was still coffee left. Pouring herself a cup in her go-cup, Dylan headed out of the apartment. Luckily she didn’t have to wait long for a cab.
When she arrived at work everyone was busy working. Dylan’s first order of business was to ask for the afternoon off. She was thankful that she arrived a few minutes before eight o’clock, so at least she wouldn’t have to explain her tardiness. Settling into her cubicle, Dylan sent a quick email to Keeve and Mason asking for the afternoon off. She knew they would allow her the time off, since she explained to them the need to find an appropriate dress for the gala, which was tomorrow night. It was a matter of minutes before she got a reply from them stating that she deserved an afternoon off with the hard work she did on the Spectrum file.
