by Piper Stone
“Oh, come on.”
“But we can go have a drink at the bar. One drink and that’s it.” She grabbed her sandals and keys, pushing past him and onto the walkway. When she felt the heat of his body directly behind her, she cringed. “Why can’t you handle this developer?”
“He doesn’t want me or any of the other Board of Directors. In fact, he specifically requested a female.”
“And just any female will do. Right?”
Jameson placed his hand on her shoulder.
She jerked away, almost stumbling forward.
“Whoa. Take it easy.”
Even the soft tone of his voice infuriated her. She stopped short and turned to face him, her finger in the air. “Listen, we’ll talk about business. That’s it. Why you had to come down here is beyond me, but…”
“As I said, if you’d answered your phone then I wouldn’t be here. I would have just secured a first-class flight for you to go to Miami for one night and all the troubles would be over. Instead, I altered my plans because you seem impetuous. We all deserve a vacation, but you know how imperative this branch is for our company.”
Shannon took a step back. They hadn’t even made it twenty yards from the cabin and they were arguing. There wasn’t any way they could work together, especially given what he’d said to her before. “Imperative. That’s a new word. You make it sound like our current branch isn’t doing so well.” The mask was lowered just briefly. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
Sighing, Jameson moved forward, crowding her space. “I’ll give you more details in private. Do you understand me?”
She wanted to argue. Instead, she nodded. “Fine. Then let’s stop talking until we’re sitting down.” Turning on her heel, she walked quickly up the beach, past the main bar of the hotel and toward the little beach bar she’d discovered on one of her walks. She made her way to the back, as far away from the main entrance as she could find. At this time of day, the place certainly wasn’t crowded. “What is so important he needs me?”
“Straight and to the point as always. That’s one thing I like about you. There are so many.”
“Cut the bullshit. I really would like to get back to my vacation. What is it this man needs?”
“Fine. Have it your way. The city is going to shut down their new development if they can’t convince them about several aspects of the homeowners’ association.” Jameson eased into the seat, his glare harsh.
“Uh-huh. I’m certain he has a corporate attorney on staff perfectly capable of fighting for his rights with city ordinances.”
Jameson sat back in his seat. “This is all about fair housing, something you know a thing or two about.”
“Fair housing.”
Nodding, he looked her up and down before leaning forward. “This is one day in front of an entire room full of men who think they have one over on this guy. Let me help you understand the significance of what we’re talking about. He’s spent over ten million of his own money already getting this project to the point of go. If the city pulls the plug, guess what’s going to happen?”
Sadly, Shannon understood exactly what he was saying. “This has to be now?”
“They’re making their decision day after tomorrow. I have you booked tomorrow evening straight into Miami. The meeting is at eight a.m. and shouldn’t last more than four hours. I couldn’t get you on the nine p.m. flight, but at least you won’t be gone longer than twenty-four hours. That’s all you have to do, work your magic. If you keep this development going, then we’re set for every aspect of his business. And the firm will be more than grateful.”
He heard the inflection in Jameson’s voice. The stipends would keep coming. One night. She nibbled on her bottom lip as the waiter approached. How in God’s name was she going to try and explain this to David, a man who was rightfully suspicious of every aspect of her behavior as of late?
“So, you’ll do it? You’ll go?”
“I’m not saying yes yet but tell me more about what’s going on.”
Jameson grinned. “You’re a real team player. Let’s go over the details.”
The session actually made David feel better than he’d ever have admitted to before this trip. Admitting the ugly details regarding his marriage had been much more cathartic than he could have realized. Stephen’s reaction had been supportive, informative and so very encouraging. A sense of peace had washed through him and the walk on the beach back to the cabin had taken him longer than usual, but the air as well as the solitude was cleansing.
Stephen had allowed him the strength he needed to truly tell Shannon about why his most feared word was so blinding at times. Thirteen years of thinking the very word, never being able to deal with the emotions surrounding it had been debilitating. Now he was ready. He whistled as he bought a bouquet of roses for the woman he so adored. By the time he placed the key into the lock, he was giddy.
The empty space didn’t necessarily surprise him. Shannon loved exploring the island, walking and going into shops. She enjoyed being by the water’s edge and given the afternoon was so perfect, he could imagine she was somewhere basking in the sun. Kicking the door shut, he glanced through the space. She was most decidedly out.
After finding a vase and arranging the flowers, he dragged the cheap glass out into the small living room area. What appeared to be a note was lying smack in the middle of the small coffee table. David hesitated before picking it up. The words were handwritten, obviously hurriedly done and there was no return. The sender was on the island and his blood ran cold.
He managed to set the vase down before striding to the door and he was halfway down the walkway toward the beach before he knew where he was going. The search didn’t take long. He’d know her beautiful face, her laugh, anywhere. And he’d know the posture of the man sitting in front of her without question. His heart was racing as he stood in the distance, just close enough to be able to study their body language. The meeting had certainly been planned.
Gulping air, David wanted to make certain of the person she was enjoying a cocktail with. Within a few steps, his fears were realized. What a fucking idiot he was. Fury rushed through him the moment he noticed Jameson’s hand reaching for hers. As he turned and walked back toward the bungalow, tears slipped down his cheeks.
Almost two hours later, he heard the door, a quiet turn of the handle, a nearly silent click as it was shut. David remained where he was, sucking on his fourth or maybe fifth drink. He wasn’t certain. The sun was just setting over the water and instead of thinking how beautiful the setting was, he was thinking of something else entirely. This level of betrayal he couldn’t handle. A few seconds later, he heard her moving through the space. Then he knew she’d noticed the flowers as well as the note propped up beside the vase.
Tick. Tock.
“David.”
“Yes.”
“What’s… what’s wrong?” Shannon asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Should anything be wrong, Shannon? Anything at all?”
“I…”
David tipped his head back and laughed before taking another gulp of his drink, draining the rest. The ice clinked in the bottom. After swallowing, he wiped his mouth with his arm. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
“You’re drunk.”
“And you’re a whore.” The words reverberated over him.
Shannon gasped. “What?”
“You heard me.” David slammed the glass down on the table and moved toward her quickly, grabbing both wrists and squeezing. “You’re fucking Jameson! Don’t lie to me. All that bullshit about business was just that, fucking bullshit.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
She couldn’t look into his eyes. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I saw you. Don’t fucking try and deny it. I saw you!”
“Saw what? What do you think you saw?”
“You and your lover at that bar. The fucking note, the damn text. I overlooked everything, thinking m
aybe you were telling me the truth about him, your boss. Instead, you brought him down here to fuck you on the side. “
Her gasp was followed by a whimper. “No. Oh my God, no. That’s not it at all.”
“Oh, yes. Did the flavor taste good this afternoon while I was spilling my guts with some wanna be doctor? Huh?”
“Don’t. No. No! You’re hurting me. Please. Please! Hold on and allow me to explain.”
David shook his head and dragged her up onto her toes as he pushed her back toward the wall near the door. The hard thud knocked the wind out of her. Rage filled him, and he spit as he talked. “I trusted you. I fucking trusted that you wanted to make this better, but I was a stupid idiot. I was a freaking idiot!”
“No. No!”
“Yes. My God, I can’t believe any of this.”
“Listen to me, please. Just listen.”
Her whimpers were those of physical as well as mental pain. Immediately, he let her go, moving backwards. His jerking motions forced her to tumble forward, falling hard against the wooden chair.
Shannon yelped as she landed on her hands and knees.
“Oh fuck.” Dropping to his knees, David reached for her.
She scuttled away, throwing one hand out. “Don’t touch me. Don’t you touch me. If you really believe that I could… that I could do something so…” Jerking her head up, her face was twisted in anguish, tears streaming down her face.
David took several long strides backward, allowing his back to hit the deck railing. Stars floated in front of his eyes. This wasn’t him, not him at all.
Gingerly, she rose to her feet, her breath ragged. “What’s going on with us? What happened to you in the past that has you so on edge? What, David?”
“This has nothing to do with my past.”
“Bullshit. I could tell by your reaction you and your ex had something happen. Did you have an affair with her too? Did she find you in bed with another woman?” Shannon’s voice rose.
“Who the hell do you think you are talking to me that way when you were just with your boss?” David sputtered.
“I’m not sleeping with him and the damn text was…”
He waited as she recoiled. “Was what? It’s obvious how much he wants you. He won’t let you alone and if he’s here, then this has nothing to do with work.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I refused to talk to him, turned my cell phone off so he felt he had no choice but to come here and confront me.”
David took a step toward her. He couldn’t believe the audacity of what she was saying. “Let me get this straight. He flew down here to just talk with you?” When she didn’t say anything, he laughed. “What, pressuring you to take the job?”
“Yes, that and an issue he needs my help with. That’s it. He needs me to…”
“To?” He laughed again. “He needs you in Miami right away.”
“Just for one night. There’s an issue with a developer and a brand-new development, and since I’m the resident expert on community association law, my expertise is required. The entire multi-million-dollar deal will go south if I don’t stop the county shutdown.” Shannon swallowed hard and wrung her hands. “I’m not having an affair with him. No matter what you think.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me he was trying to get ahold of you or that you have glossy brochures about all the fancy places to live in Miami? Why didn’t you tell me everything? Hell, you could have called me on my cell phone, which is active by the way, and told me Jameson was on the island.” David yanked his cell phone from his pocket, almost tossing it onto the deck. He couldn’t get over her blatant disregard for his feelings or the fact Jameson had very clear designs on her.
She pressed her hand over her mouth, her eyes growing wide.
“That’s what I thought. I assume you’re going to Miami?”
Shaking her head over and over again, Shannon groaned. “I have to go. This is very important. But I’ll only be gone for one night, tomorrow night.”
David snorted and grabbed his glass off the table. “I need another drink.”
“Don’t drink, David. Let’s talk. Tell me what happened with your ex-wife. Please tell me so we can move forward.”
Ignoring her, he walked past and into the living room area.
“David, you can’t just walk away from me. We have to talk this out. Come with me to Miami. You can see that nothing is going on. Nothing. Then we’ll come back here and finish.”
“Shannon, I’m not going to Miami and I’m asking you not to go.” Walking toward the bar, he glared at the refrigerator. He was intoxicated enough he could barely contain his anger. “By the way, I did some checking and Jameson checked in the same day we did. He followed you here and my guess is, not for business purposes.”
“That isn’t true!” Shannon insisted.
Exhaling slowly, he snarled under his breath. Either she was completely snowed by the freak or was in love with him. He suspected both. “Don’t go. Stay with me so we can work on our marriage together.” David could tell she was debating.
“I have to. I have to go. Whether or not I take this job, I’m needed to keep everyone out of a rather desperate situation. I’ll be back. Just one night, nothing more. Then we go on.”
David pulled a bottle of bourbon from the small fridge, popped the top and poured the contents into the glass. He guzzled the entire amount in one swallow, eased the crystal on top of the counter and gazed in the mirrored surface of the bar backing. She was shaking, every action laced with nerves. “I’m only going to say this once. You have a choice. If you leave for Miami, then it means you’ve decided to take the job. That, I can understand.”
She showed visible signs of relief. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Then we can sit down and really talk and...”
“But let me be very clear with you,” David interrupted and turned to face her. “If you go, our marriage is over. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
Several emotions crossed her face, finally ending in a pensive look, one of resignation. “Over? After everything we’ve been through?”
There was nothing he wanted as much as racing to her, taking her into his arms and telling her everything was going to be all right. Yet, he knew what they’d shared was over already and had been for months. They’d given everything a good fight. He scanned her face, the look in her eyes, desperately seeking something more. Nodding, he walked to the door. “Over.” When he managed to close the door, he leaned against it for a full minute, praying to hear sounds of her crying. When he heard nothing, he did the only thing he could do.
He walked away.
Shannon stood on the deck, gazing at the ocean. She’d spent the entire night and day alone in the hotel room, praying David would walk in. She needed to talk to him, but given what she knew about her husband, he’d closed the door on them. She didn’t want to go to Miami, had no desire to spend time with county officials trying to help them understand what was really going on, but the pressure from Jameson was intense.
At least, to his credit, he had given her the travel itinerary and left her alone. If luck held, he was off the island, certain she was under his spell so to speak. The decision hadn’t been an easy one, but given she wasn’t certain she had the fight left in her any longer to try and save her marriage, she would need her job. The firm wouldn’t allow her to keep it if she fucked up millions of dollars.
Sighing, she looked at her watch. It was time to leave for the airport. Whether or not she was coming back, remained to be seen. Giving the beautiful setting one last look of longing, she walked inside, grabbed her bag and headed out the door.
“Shannon. I was worried. Is everything all right?”
Stephen’s voice was filled with concern. “Stephen. I’m sorry I missed our appointment today.”
“Is there something wrong? Are you sick?” Stephen asked quietly.
“Not sick. No. Just…” She slumped against the building.
“David told you then?
I encouraged him too.”
“Told me, about his ex-wife?” Her curiosity was piqued.
“Yes, he has had some guilt enveloping him for some time. I told him the first thing he needed to do was to forgive himself. The second was to talk with you. I take by the fact you missed your appointment you’re troubled by what happened?”
Shannon sighed. “We never got to the point of him telling me, but I’d love to hear it. Maybe that will help me deal with the rage filling him.”
He touched her arm. “You know I can’t do that. It truly took a lot out of him to be able to open up, to tell me something that has nearly crushed his spirit. David needs to be the one to tell you and I think you know that. He has to tell you about the demon dragging him into the pits of Hell. I can help you if you’d like or be there with you.”
“The truth is I think our marriage is over. He thinks I’m having an affair with my boss. The truth is the guy just came here to have me fix this huge issue in our Miami office. Well, I mean the office that I’m supposed to run and… I sound ridiculous and I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“Shannon, you sound terrified. Is that why you’re leaving?” Stephen looked down at the suitcase.
“I… yes and no. I have to fly to Miami for a very important meeting. This will mean a significant career move for me, one I can’t pass up.”
“With the man David believes you to be intimate with?”
“I… he’s not going with me, but…” But would the asshole meet her there? Were Jameson’s plans the entire time to get her in a city alone then seduce her?
Stephen tilted his head. “I can tell by your hesitation you’re not certain about going on the trip, as if there are more important things in your life than your career. I think you’re trying to convince yourself you need this business arrangement.”
“You may be right. I feel cornered. David won’t tell me the truth. I kept things from him because I was worried about his reaction and the snowball occurred.”
“It usually does, Shannon. Allow me to give you a piece of advice. Whether or not you believe in domestic discipline, you do believe in your marriage. That I can tell easily. The two of you look at each other with such love, tremendous respect. You’ve just lost your way a bit.”
