by Parker, Ali
With neither of them bending, nothing was going to change.
"I know you don't want to hear this, but I think Bethany just quit." She crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged, trying hard to look nonchalant. "It's better this way. She's sensitive and young and honestly, isn't doing the work."
"That's not what Patrick or Ben had to say about Bethany's output." He stood up as anger burned through the center of his chest. Had Delilah attacked Beth? Her methods of calling the girl out in the middle of the meeting were unprofessional.
"Yes, well, they're men. They're obviously attracted to her."
Damon snorted and walked around his desk as he narrowed his eyes on the woman. "I don't think it had a damn thing to do with them being men. What exactly did you hope to gain today by calling her out in front of the team? I'm sure that dropped morale for everyone, not just her."
"I wasn't being a bitch. I wanted everyone to understand that it's important to pull your own weight. Period." She reached out and pressed her fingers into his chest. "Stop being so sensitive about her. She doesn't have you wrapped around her finger too, does she? Just because she's your step-sister, she gets privileges that no one else gets."
Damon brushed her hand from his chest. "She's a good employee and the youngest member of our team. Your intimidation tactics better not be behind her walking out of here today. It's unacceptable, and you're smarter than this. Playing with fire only gets you burned, Delilah."
"Damon. I didn't-"
"Save it." He turned and walked out of his office toward Beth's. He paused at the door to see that most of her personal things were gone. "Fuck."
The last thing in the world he wanted was for her to keep losing bits and pieces of herself. They were headed in two different directions, and the hope of them ever coming back together was growing more and more slim, but he still loved her with every ounce of his heart.
Walking to the tall windows that ran from the floor to the ceiling, he pressed his hand against it and glanced down. Burnt orange and red leaves blew all over the front walkway of the building as the sun set in the far end of the sky. His heart constricted in his chest as the door opened, and she walked out holding a box. He was high up, but he could tell it was her by the color of her hair and the way she held herself.
"Boss?" Ben's voice surprised him.
Damon glanced over his shoulder and forced his facade into place. "What?"
"You all right?" Ben walked into the office, glancing around as if the poor guy thought a bomb might go off any minute.
"No, I'm not." Damon turned and ran his fingers through his hair. "Bethany just quit."
"Oh shit." Ben crossed his arms over his chest. "Why? What happened? Because of Delilah calling her out in the meeting?"
"Among other things, I guess." Damon walked over to Beth's chair and sat down, letting his eyes scan the various scraps of paper on her desk. A small white wrapper from a fortune cookie was taped to the edge of her desk from one of their many dates.
Life will be filled with adventure.
On the end of the saying, there was a small hand scribbled 'in bed.'
Damon smiled as sadness filled him. He'd written the 'in bed' as he teased her that all fortunes from a fortune cookie had to have that ending. It made more sense that way.
The memory of their last time together in bed flashed in front of his eyes. She'd been angry that morning and had done a good job of showing him. He hadn't felt used like that since his freshman year of college. Those were memories best left dead. He'd become a raging whore that used women like dishtowels after that.
"I'll talk to her, Damon. She's too good to lose." Ben walked the rest of the way into the office and sat down in an empty chair.
"No. I'll talk to her tonight. We're having family dinner at my dad's house." He brushed his fingers by his lips. "I just spoke with Delilah and she insinuated that you and Patrick gave Beth a good review because she's a beautiful woman, and well, you're a man."
"What?" Ben's face grew red as his eyes widened. "That's bullshit. Bethany is beautiful, yes, but she's brilliant and fast as heck, Damon. I told you that already."
"I figured as much." He glanced down. "I'm going to document the situation and our conversation, as well as mine and Delilah’s. My father hiring her was a mistake. I wish he'd have mentioned it before he signed the paperwork with her."
"No shit." Ben rolled his eyes. "How dare she say that about Patrick and me? She's been a total bitch to Bethany. We've all been tiptoeing around her just to keep the peace, but I was coming in today to tell you that it has to stop. I can't tell her to back the hell off, but you can. She's my boss for God’s sake."
"I'll take care of it. Don't worry."
Linda stuck her head into the office. "Mr. Bryant, Mr. Talling from Zarpeth is on line one. I told him that I would have you call him back, but he's pretty insistent on talking with you."
"Now what?" Damon stood up and slipped his hands into his pants pockets before walking out of Beth's office and back down to his. The smell of her perfume clung to him, leaving him wanting to reminisce on all the good times they had before everything went to hell in a hand basket.
Damon closed the door behind him and dropped down into his chair. He reached over and pressed the speaker phone button.
"James. Tell me you have some good news. This fucking day is making me want to break open the oldest bottle of brandy I have and drink myself into oblivion." He closed his eyes, praying like hell that James wasn't about to deliver more bad news.
Beth walking out of the firm on the pretense of quitting was not only a horrid situation for him personally, but he would be facing one fucked up shit-storm when he got to his father's that evening. Beth was family and no one treated family like it would appear that he treated Beth.
"Hey man. I read over the audit reports and the recommendations. We're going to rebuild the inventory system using the programs you've noted here. I hired a new general manager for the Florida plant earlier this week. He's on the ball and will give you a call later this week. Thank you for all of your hard work. You’re an invaluable member of our team here."
Damon let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Excellent. Don't call me a member of your team, old friend. I'm your auditor. You know that doesn't work too well for objectivity."
James chuckled. "On an even better note, my wife and I are going to work things out. I took your advice. I hired a few key people to help me run the office so that I could pull back and try working on fifty hours a week, and it's working. I'm at home at night with her and the boys. We make dinner together, do the kids’ homework together, put them to bed and spend time talking about our day. It's bliss, man. I didn't realize how simple of a shift it would be. I wanted to thank you for the conversation on the golf course. It changed everything."
Damon sat up in his chair as warmth filled his chest. "So love is enough?"
"Yeah, man. Love shown and spoken. People don't know you love them unless you show them. Unless you tell them. You know what I mean?"
"That's great, James. I'm thrilled to hear that." Damon stood and walked to his windows, putting his forehead against the chilled glass. "And all of the bad blood between you and Dana is gone? All it took was for you to make a few sacrifices that showed her that she was number one in your life?"
"Yes. I'm sure we're still going to fight and have issues like every married couple in the world, but we're going to work through it. I just can't imagine being at the end of my life and everyone talking about what a great businessman I was. I want to be known for being a great father and a fantastic husband. I want Dana crippled by my death, not relieved because of it. I want us to mean everything to each other."
"That's awesome. I'm not sure there's anything left to work through for me and my girl. We aren't even talking anymore." He let out a short sigh. He'd not shared his heart with anyone but Matt and Kendal, nor did he want to. It would seem his wants were irrelevant at the moment. Hearing of Jame
s' good news left Damon wanting to analyze his friend's every step to winning Dana back.
"You still love her?"
"With every part of me. I hate thinking that my life is going to go on without her in it. It's like getting the winning ticket to the lottery and never getting to cash in. She's everything I want, James. My fucking pride won't let me apologize for something I didn't do."
"Then you better hope your pride keeps you warm at night, Damon."
"Fuck you too, old friend."
James laughed. "Tell your father my check is in the mail for your services."
"I will. I'm glad you called. Congrats on working things out with Dana."
"Thanks. Now it's your turn. If you love her, you're an idiot for letting her go. Love is fickle and doesn't show up very often. Go after her with the same passion and drive that caused you to win her over in the first place."
Damon moved back from the window and nodded. "Right. Talk to you soon, James."
They hung up, and Damon paced the floor, trying hard to think through why Bethany fell for him in the first place.
Passion. Aggression. Lust.
Everything changed so damn fast. All of those things only seemed to agitate her now, so going back to the beginning and using the tools he'd used to win her for the first time was the quickest way to losing her forever.
"What are you doing, baby?" He glanced out the window and took a shaky breath. "Why did you quit today? Another way to separate yourself from me? To run farther from me?"
He gathered up his things and tugged his bag over his shoulder. Patrick was pacing the hall outside of his office when he stepped out.
"Boss. There is no way in hell I would ever give someone a good review unless they did a good job. I'm the most ethical guy I know. Ask anyone. I'm a total stickler for the rules. Bethany could be the hottest thing on the planet, and if she sucked as an auditor, you'd know it. No way would I-"
"Hey." Damon reached out and clamped his hand down on Patrick's shoulder. "I know this. It's all good. I had to vet the information that was thrown at me. We're good, okay?"
Patrick let out a long sigh and pressed his hands to his knees. "I hate this new chick, boss. She's a bitch. I hate to say that seeing that she could fire me on the spot, but she's not right. She's been after Bethany since she got on the team. I think she hates the fact that Bethany is your step-sister."
Damon tried hard not to cringe at the fact that everyone would soon know that Beth was family. It was hard enough trying to keep the fact that they were engaged from the prying eyes of everyone at the firm, but now them knowing that she was family only added another layer of concern.
We're not engaged anymore. She gave me the ring back.
"I'll work it out. Thanks for your hard work this week." Damon patted the kid on the back before walking out of the tall skyscraper they occupied several floors of. He called out to the house to see if there was anything he could pick up for dinner. He was glad that Martha answered the phone and not someone else.
"No. Just come on out. I have a hot and cheesy lasagna coming out of the oven in fifteen minutes. Matt's already here, but Bethany just left. You're going to have to eat her portion."
"What?" Damon unlocked his car and got in. "Why isn't she staying?"
"I don't know. She was upset about something. She went to talk with your father and left before I could talk to her again."
"All right. I'll call her later. Thanks, Martha."
Damon started the car and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "What do you want from me, Beth? What, baby? I miss you so goddamn bad and yet every time I look at you, you turn away in disgust. Do you want me to come after you or leave you alone?"
He shook his head, trying hard not to slip into a dark depression as he pulled out of the parking garage and headed out to his dad's house. There was no doubt in his mind that his father was going to be upset by Beth quitting. He'd ask why she left and Damon would stand there dumbfounded.
The only answer he could come up with hurt too bad to speak.
She left because of me.
Chapter 84
Bethany
She had to get over her depression. It covered everything in a dark gray tint and left her wanting to sit on the couch and stare at the wall. She could cling to a tight facade of indifference when she was out in front of other people, but when she was at home alone, there was no reason to put forth so much effort.
The date with Philip the night before should have been fun. He was a great guy and so incredibly safe for her from a relationship perspective. Sadly enough, all she'd done the whole time was talk about Damon, think about him, cry over him... it was disturbing.
"Stop it," Bethany grumbled angrily as she sat up and tossed her pillow across the room. She'd cried her way through another long night. How long would the pain and sorrow over losing him last? "Forever."
She pulled herself out of bed, using her anger as fuel to push herself through a quick shower. She got dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before pulling a sweater over the top of her head. A quick brush through her long brown hair and a pair of comfortable winter boots and she was out the door.
It wasn't her usual day to TA, but she knew Kendal could always use the help. He'd not deny her assisting for the day, and anything was better than sitting in the apartment crying all day long.
There was no way he would complain about her outfit either, or at least he never had before. She looked like a teaching assistant, and if he didn't like it, she'd leave and try again tomorrow. He didn't deserve to catch the brunt of the emotional battle that raged deep inside of her, but if he got in her way and pushed too much, it would spill over no matter how hard she tried to hold it back.
She walked through the halls of the accounting building, avoiding stares and feeling far too exposed though no one knew the baggage she was carrying around.
Pushing the door to the auditorium open, she half expected to find Kendal already working. The room smelled of stale books and mothballs, and for some reason, the thought caused her to smile. She took a seat on the front row and glanced up as the door opened.
Kendal looked incredible in his blue slacks and oxford sweater. He was a preppy bastard but did it well. How he and Damon were so close was a mystery to her, but somehow it brought her a little bit of comfort knowing that someone as good as Kendal was watching out for her man.
"Bethany." He stopped at the opening to the large auditorium.
"Hey, Dr. Tarrington." She went for casual, though there was something about him that made her want to open up and share her hurts - her heart.
He closed the door behind him and paused, giving her an odd look. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.
"It's not Tuesday, right? I don't have my days mixed up, do I?" He smiled and moved up to take the seat beside her.
"No. I just wanted to stop by to see you." She glanced down at her hands and let out a shaky breath. "I went on a date last night with Philip."
Kendal's eyes grew wide. "All right." He leaned back in his chair and dropped his hands into his lap.
"And all I could think about was Damon." She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "He's not the right man for me, Kendal. I know he's not, but I can't get him out of my head. It's driving me insane."
"Love does that." He clasped his hands together. "Bethany, you didn't, you know..."
She glanced up, her expression tight. "Didn't what? Tell Damon? Hell no. He would kill Philip with his bare hands."
"No, you didn't sleep with this guy, right?"
"With Philip?" She rolled her eyes. There was no way in hell she would sleep with anyone for a long time. It wasn't fair to them or her.
"Thank God." He stood up and walked toward the stage. "He wouldn't forgive that."
"I know that. I wouldn't forgive it either. We might be on a break, but he still belongs to me." Did she really believe that? No, not really. It would seem things were winding down, but some part o
f her still wanted to hold on to hope, to dig her fingernails deep into it and not give up.
"And he believes that you still belong to him." He turned to face her. "He didn't hire Delilah. Kent did."
"How do you know that?" Damon had already mentioned it, but she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Either way, he'd lied about it. Not mentioning it was the same as lying.
"We played golf together on Saturday, and I asked him."
"Was he angry about your asking? Did you tell him it was for me?"
"No, because it wasn't for you. I wasn't even sure I was going to tell you what I found out." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You two are acting like fucking children over this thing, Bethany. You're not a young girl looking for your prince charming, and he's not a broken soul who can find healing in anyone but himself. You can't make each other complete."
"Says who?" She took a few steps toward him and pressed her fingers into his chest. Who the hell did he think he was? Where was the Kendal she had come to know? "Love has the power to do anything it wants to do."
"And what does it want to do, Bethany? Save you both?"
"I don't know, but I can't hold on too much longer." She pressed her free hand to her chest as her face crumbled. "I'm hurting so bad right here. It feels like someone has a fucking vise grip around my heart and I need him so badly."
"Then go to him. Let him hold you and remind you how much he loves you. Stop fighting this shit and embrace it."
"Then he wins." She pushed at Kendal's chest as an ugly cry left her. "If he wins he'll never respect me for who I am."
"You don't know that." He gripped her hand tightly and pulled her toward him. He turned his full attention on her. "Stop speaking for everyone around you. You don't know what he has to say about his feelings for you or the reason he hired Philip. Maybe that was to show you that he trusted you to make the right decisions, but you're not doing that."
"I'm not a fucking puppet." She pulled her hand from his and walked toward the door. "Your class roster is on your desk. I'll see you tomorrow."
