~ Chapter Three ~
Carter
“Hey, Cap says you’re on lead today.”
I raised an eyebrow in Corey’s direction. I’d just entered the fire station and signed in for my twelve hour shift, before heading up to my locker to drop off my jacket and helmet.
“Why’s that?” I questioned, returning my attention to lacing up my boots.
“Eric’s out and Cap’s gonna be in meetings all day downtown.”
“No sweat. It’s a good day to run drills.”
“Yo, fuck you, Carter.” Corey pointed at me, laughing. “Don’t run us ragged like you usually do without water. We all weren’t special forces and shit.”
I grinned and stood. “Quit acting like a pussy. So I had you in ninety degree weather without water for a few hours. You’ll be thanking me the next time we get a call and we beat Rescue Two up the stairs to the flames.”
“Yeah, whatever. Rescue Two can suck my dick for all I care. After we lost that last bet, they’re never beating us anywhere.”
I let out a belly laugh at the memory of seeing my squad dressed in fucking ballerina tutus on spin bikes. That’d been the last bet they lost to the guys at Rescue Two.
“See,” I pointed at Corey. “That shit wouldn’t have happened if I’d been here.” I hated to even think about that period of time I was away from Rescue Four, or what it was that caused me to have to step away from my squad.
“But you’re back now.” It was as if Corey was reading my mind.
“Yeah, and that means it’s time to get your ass on that course outback. Get Donnie and Sean, and tell ’em let’s fucking get to work.”
“Party time, baby!” Corey clapped his hands and rubbed them together, laughing. He might complain about how tough I was when it came to drills but he loved the shit just as much as I did. All of us at Rescue Four were adrenaline junkies. If we weren’t out rescuing, we were training. And in between those moments of rescue and training, we were filling our stomachs and talking trash to one another. That’s the way it went around here.
I made a move to follow Corey down the wooden stairs that would bring us to the first floor T.V. room in the station house, but my cell phone vibrated in my locker. Doubling back, I picked up my phone and grinned inwardly at seeing whose name came across my phone’s screen.
“You got what I asked for?”
“I can’t even get a fucking hello? Hi, Andy, how are you?”
“Hi, Andy. Suck my dick, Andy. Do you have what I asked you for?”
His chuckle moved across the phone line and I cracked my neck, feeling anxious and irritated. “Yeah, I got it. You got a pen and paper?”
“Did you forget who you’re talking to?”
“Nope. Was testing you to see if you’ve lost it or not. Her number is 712-555 …” He finished reciting Michelle’s telephone number, and by the time he was done, I’d committed the number to memory. I thanked Andy for the intel before hanging up. He was halfway around the world on some job, still working for the Army, but he was able to get me information under the radar. I would’ve asked Don, but he’d already been making comments since Michelle’s visit this past weekend and I didn’t want him in my business any more than he needed to be.
I tossed my cell phone back into my locker after storing Michelle’s phone number in my contact’s list, and then headed out back to where we had our training equipment set up.
“The hell took you so long? I’m growing old over here!” Don’s voice rang out, causing the five guys out with him to laugh.
“Easy, Donnie. Your mother wouldn’t let me leave until I showed her a few of my tricks. Sorry about that.” I winked at him.
“Oh shit!” Corey sing-songed. “Not the man’s mother.”
A round of laughter from the guys except Don who gave a litany of “fuck yous” before we were able to settle down and get some drills going. We were about three quarters of the way through when the station’s alarm went off and we dropped everything to head inside for our gear.
“Carter, you’re up front with me,” Sean, one of our squad lieutenants, called out. I nodded, pulled up my suspenders of my fireproof gear, and ran around to the passenger side of the rig, climbing in. We were on the move, to a house fire. The biggest problem was that it was a row home, which had the potential to light an entire block on fire if the flames weren’t quickly contained.
“You can’t make this thing move any faster?” I growled at Sean, as I listened to the details that came in from headquarters.
“Moving as fast as I can.”
I pulled the cord that sounded the fire truck’s horn, prompting cars to pull over to get out of our way. Within seven minutes we were the first truck pulling up to the scene. There were three police cars already present, trying to set up a perimeter so we could do our thing.
“Anyone inside?” Sean asked one of the officers. Meanwhile, Don, Corey, myself, and another guy were pulling out hatchets and prepping to hook the hose up to the hydrant that sat directly across from the house that was on fire.
“Cop says there may be as many as three people inside, but they’re not sure. Owner is over there.” He pointed at a man who looked to be at his wit’s end. “He said his wife called him and said their house was on fire. He called 911 but hasn’t been able to reach his wife since she got disconnected.”
“Shit!” I stared at the house. It looked to be three stories and there were flames already shooting out of the third floor window. I hoped to God there weren’t any children on that floor.
“What’re you thinking?” Sean questioned.
“Looks like it started on the third floor. We should be able to breach the first floor, secure that floor, and get up to the second to check for anyone. Third floor’s gonna be hot, but we just might be able to do it.” I stopped, recalling to memory the layout of the row home’s on this particular block. Most of them were just about the same.
“Don and Corey can make their way around back, to secure the entry points and make sure we don’t miss anything.” I explained more of my strategy to Sean, who quickly agreed and began giving out orders based off what I’d told him. Logistics had been one of the skills I’d trained on and used a great deal in the Army, and it came in especially handy as a firefighter. We couldn’t just load up the hose and spray down every fire we encountered. Our first priority was always to make sure the sight or scene was free of any victims. To do that often meant we had to make entry, and that took careful planning on all our parts. While I didn’t have the title of lieutenant, my colleagues all valued my expertise enough to consult me when necessary.
As I’d planned, I took lead to make entry into the front of the house with Sean and another member of our squad at my back, while Corey and Don went around back to make entry there. If all went well, we would meet at the center staircase and move upstairs together.
Busting through the front door with my hatchet, I grabbed the front end of the hose and pulled it in with me as I entered the home. The entire first floor was blanketed in thick, black smoke. Not a good sign. I slowed my breathing, to consume as little air as possible from the oxygen mask covering my face.
“I’m checking the bathroom,” Sean tapped me on the shoulder to inform me.
I nodded at him and went the opposite direction to one of the downstairs bedrooms. Again, I had to move around by my knowledge of the layout of the home because of the smoke. Feeling around, I felt nothing on the bed or underneath it. I reached for the knob of the closet and pulled it open. The door flew open and something fell against my leg. A body. I knew the limpness of a body even if I couldn’t see it.
“I got someone,” I called into my walkie-talkie. I bent down to feel for the person. They were small, likely a child. I let my hand glide over the arm, up the shoulder, and to the neck, removing the glove from my hand to feel for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there.
“I’m coming out with one!” I yelled, scooping down to pick the child up, doing my best to keep low as I moved through the cloud of smoke. I retraced my steps back down the hall and out the front door, stumbling a little but making my way down the concrete steps.
“Timmy!” a male voice laced with agony and fear called out.
I looked over to see the distraught man from earlier running toward me. I rushed past the man to place the boy onto the gurney so that paramedics could tend to him. The man followed the gurney and I doubled back to the house to see if there was anyone else I could help, and eventually to beat back the flames.
It took another twenty minutes to get up to the second floor where we found an unconscious woman and another child. They were pulled out, and we finally moved the hose line in to put out the flames that had reached the second floor, and then made our way up to the third. We were there for another hour putting out the last of the flames. When we finally emerged, we were informed by the medics that the woman and her two children suffered from smoke inhalation and had been taken to the hospital. They would likely recover and be discharged within a few days.
“All in a day’s work,” Sean stated, clapping me on the back.
“Anyone hungry?” Don questioned.
But before anyone could respond in the affirmative, we were already getting another call for a fire a few blocks over.
“Duty calls.” I climbed back in the truck, and beat my palm again the outside, as my way of informing Sean in the driver’s seat that we were ready to head to our next fire.
****
“Mr. Townsend, sir, if you would just stay still for another minute or two, I can finish up.”
I growled in the back of my throat at my tailor’s insistence. My eyes roved over his bald head up to the mirror in front of me. My frown deepened. I wore a black tux and fucking hated it.
“This damn thing is stifling me,” I ground out, running my forefinger in between the collar of my shirt and neck, twisting my head.
“That collar fits your measurements exactly, sir. It should not be a problem.”
“Don’t worry about him, Jinks. He’s just grouchy ’cause he doesn’t want to attend our annual ball.”
I narrowed my eyes and stared at my younger brother, Joshua, in the mirror.
“He needs to get the fuck over it.” A deeper, meaner voice moved in behind Joshua. My brother, Aaron. He hadn’t even looked up from his cell phone. Always conducting business with a damn frown on his face. Whereas my frown was due to my uncomfortableness at the moment, Aaron wore a permanent scowl like a badge of honor.
“Fuck both of you. I don’t need to attend this thing at all,” I reminded them.
“Mother and Father will have the police out looking for you. And I don’t have time to play babysitter with you,” Aaron retorted.
I didn’t even bother responding to him or Joshua, who just chuckled. Instead, I pulled out my cell phone and went straight to my contacts.
“Hello?”
Just her voice caused an unraveling of the tension that’d been flowing through my veins.
“Hello, sugar.”
A tiny gasp. “Who … Carter?”
“Yup. How are you?”
“How did you get my number?”
I pursed my lips. “You’re asking the wrong question.” I paused, scowling at Jinks who was still taking measurements and attempting to stick needles in the pants I wore. “Hold on, sugar,” I stated into the phone. “Don’t touch me.” I pushed Jinks out of the way and stepped down off the stand he had me standing on. Without looking, I brushed past my brothers to head back into the changing area for a little privacy.
“Now, as I was saying,” I returned to my phone call, “the question you should be asking is why you didn’t give me your number yourself. Better yet, how about you answer that question tonight over another hot dog? Or maybe I could spring for the sit down restaurant we discussed? Do you like Chinese?”
“Chinese?” she repeated, sounding confused.
“Yeah, I would opt for something a little fancier but I am just making ends meet on a civil servant’s salary.”
“Firefighters actually make a great salary here in Williamsport.”
My lips twitched. “You may be right about that. In that case, I’ll spring for egg rolls and extra sauce with our meal.”
My stomach muscles tightened when her laughter filled the phone line.
“That has to be the best sound I’ve heard all day.” My voice had deepened. “So, that sounds like a yes for tonight.”
Her laughter filtered out and she said, “I can’t.”
“Now that there has to be the worst sound I’ve heard all day, sugar.”
“Carter.”
My hand tightened around my phone at the sound of my name coming from her mouth.
“I have a work event tonight.”
“A work event?” My skepticism was apparent.
“I’m an event planner and I’m assisting at an event tonight.”
“So, another night then?”
She sighed, “I can’t.”
“Can’t isn’t really a word in my vocabulary, sugar.”
“It appears no isn’t either.”
I grinned. “You learn quickly.”
Another forceful push of air from her mouth. “Carter, I just can’t. Okay?”
I didn’t say anything for a long time. Instead I let her words fill my head, and then the expression on her beautiful, caramel face whenever I got close to her that day in the park. The way her eyes got big and shifted between me and something behind me. Those soft-looking full lips of hers that pulled together when I asked for her number, as if her mouth wanted to blurt out her number but something held her back.
“What are you afraid of?” I knew fear when I saw it.
“What’re you talking about?” she questioned, startled.
“If there’s one emotion that I know like the back of my hand, it’s fear, sugar. Want to know a secret?”
“Wh-what?”
“You can’t outrun fear. It’s bigger than you and faster than you. There’s only one way to really be rid of it,” I paused. “You have to succumb to it. Sit in it and let it wash over you, until you feel like it’s going to drown you. That’s how you make friends with it. Then you realize, it can’t do shit to you. It begins to shrink and recede like the bitch it is, and you’ve won. But you have to confront it first. Now tell me, what are you afraid of?”
I heard a shuddering breath, and it reached through the line and dug down at something deep inside of my gut.
“I-I’m not afraid of anything. I have to go. P-please don’t call me again.”
The click at the other end of the phone signaled that she’d hung up. That only incensed me, not at her but at whatever it was that made her fearful, distrustful of what was happening between us. Try as she might, I knew there was something powerful between us, on both our ends. I wasn’t in this shit alone. Every day I’d gone to work with her on my mind, and every night I worked up a sweat trying to push myself into an exhaustion-induced sleep. Even on the nights it did work, I’d fall into a dreamland in which she was the star. It was time to quit playing games. I’d asked nicely but I was well past the point of simply asking.
“New friend?”
I sighed and turned to my brother. “Nosey much?”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, just seeing how your tux fitting was going.”
“I bet. What do you want, Aaron?” He stepped closer. Shorter than my six-foot-three inch body by only an inch, we stood just about shoulder to shoulder.
“You aren’t thinking of skipping out again, are you? Mother and Father nearly ruined my night last year because I had to practically send out a search party for you.”
“I was working during last year’s gala. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Just make sure you keep it that way.”
“Why? It’s not like you’re gonna get laid after the gala anyway.” I laughed at the V that deepened in his forehead. My brother was as mean as a rattlesnake. I couldn’t imagine the unlucky woman that ended up with him, if even for a night.
“It doesn’t look good for business when one of the family isn’t present.”
“Ah,” I nodded, “business. Right. Can’t have that.” Townsend Industries, my family’s pride and joy, especially Aaron’s. It was just a business to me, a business that I’d passed up. That still pissed my brother and father off.
“Just don’t fuck up tonight,” Aaron snarled.
“You can count on me, baby brother.” I couldn’t help but laugh again at his pissed off expression. He hated when I reminded him that he was still my baby brother. Yes, only by a few months, but still younger. Aaron’s biological father was my uncle, but his parents died when he was young and my mother and father took him in, raising him as one of their four boys. He was my brother in every way, except for the DNA.
“Anyway, why do I have to attend this thing and Tyler doesn’t?” I questioned, of our absent brother.
“Tyler is on his way. He got caught up at a commercial shoot in Miami.”
I frowned. “I’m sure he did.” Tyler was the youngest of us four and he, like me, had opted out of the family business. Instead, he pursued his dreams and was an up and coming quarterback in the NFL.
“He’ll be here. As will you,” Aaron stated, strangely sounding like a warning.
But since I knew he was mean but wasn’t fucking crazy enough to threaten me, I clapped him on the back. “With bells on, baby brother. With bells on.” Chuckling, I moved past him to go back out to the area where Jinks still was so he could finish my damn tux. After I fulfilled my obligation to make my appearance at the family’s gathering, I would give Andy another call to find out everything I wanted to know about Michelle Clarke.
****
Michelle
“You look beautiful, Mama.” Diego’s brown eyes were wide and sparkling as he watched me enter the living room from the hallway.
“Thank you, baby.” I moved to the cream, flower print couch he sat on and bent down to give him a kiss. “And thank you, Ma, for telling him to say that.” I glanced over my shoulder at my mother who was sitting at the dining table sipping a cup of tea.
Her eyelids fluttered and she placed her teacup on the saucer, waving her hands at me. “I did no such thing. My grandbaby is just sweet like that,” she insisted. “But we have been working on him being a gentleman, haven’t we, Diego?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Boys are supposed to tell girls how pretty they look all the time,” he reiterated.
“Mama, don’t go around telling him that. You’ll have my little boy being a flirt before he reaches the third grade.”
“He’s gotta learn from somebody. His raggedy ass daddy ain’t around to teach him.
“Ma!” I yelled.
“What?” The wide, honey-colored eyes I’d inherited from her looked at me innocently.
I moved closer to her, not wanting Diego to overhear anymore. “Can you please limit your insults of his father until Diego is out of earshot? Actually, how about you just quit talking about his father period.” Lord knew I wanted to forget all about him. Thinking of Diego’s father just caused an anxiousness I hated to move through me, and that reminded me of the conversation I’d had over the phone not even an hour ago
What are you afraid of?
You! I wanted to say, but it was so much more than that, and I just couldn’t explain it all.
“Leave your hair alone. It looks fine,” my mother argued, obviously not noticing my thoughts had strayed.
I took her advice and simply patted the halo braid I’d put my hair in, leaving it alone for now.
“Do you think I look okay?” I held out my arms and did a little spin for my mother’s assessment. I wore a burgundy shift dress with short, cuffed sleeves, which was cinched in the middle by a gold belt. The dress stopped right at my knees, but what I liked about it is that this dress had pockets. Since I’d be working, I never knew what I had to carry on me, and pockets came in handy.
“You look great, just like my grandson said.”
I nodded. “Alright, it’s time I should go.” I rifled through my black leather clutch to make sure I’d placed my cell phone, gum, work information, and anything else I needed into my bag. Satisfied, I went over and gave Diego―who was transfixed on the TV―another kiss.
“Ma, don’t forget. Only let Diego watch another hour of TV, then he needs to do his reading or drawing or something else, okay?”
“Girl, get on.” She waved me out the door. “I raised you, didn’t I?”
Just barely, I countered in my head, but left it unsaid.
“We’re gonna finish this Doc McStuffins show and then Diego is going to read to me and we have a new puzzle to get started on. We’ll be fine. You have fun at work.”
I huffed. “It’s work, it won’t be too much fun.” I was helping coordinate the annual gala held by Townsend Industries. The event was always held at Townsend Manor, the huge estate where Robert and Deborah Townsend lived.
“You’ll have fun. G’nite, baby. Diego, say goodnight to your mama.”
“’Nite, Mama!” he called out, eyes glued to the television screen.
“Ma, don’t forget. One h–” She practically pushed me out the door, shutting it in my face before I could fully remind her about my one hour TV rule. I rolled my eyes and patted my hair again before heading down the hallway to take the stairs. I always tried to park closest to the exit, which is why I opted to take the stairs to and from my fourth floor apartment. I was making an effort to get in as many steps per days as possible, even though I wasn’t wearing my Fitbit.
Thirty-five minutes later, I was pulling up to the gated entrance of Townsend Manor. I needed to show a state-issued I.D., work badge, and employee pass before I was finally allowed through the gate. I was told security would be tight at this event and to bring all three with me upon arrival, or I wouldn’t be allowed in. Thankfully, I’d remembered. As soon as I parked my car, my phone started ringing. It was Nancy, my boss and owner of Save The Date Event Planners.
“I’m just getting out of my car now. Where are you?” I questioned, looking around.
“At the front entrance. We need someone to handle parking until Jason gets here.”
I glanced toward the front door and saw a frantic looking Nancy with her short, blonde locks swinging a few inches above her shoulder as her gaze bounced from left to right. Nancy always had this sort of nervous energy when we did big events. She was a perfectionist and paid attention to even the most minute details. It is what made her and this company so successful, but it also could turn her into a micromanager. Thankfully, I was just as detail-oriented as she was, and the both of us got on great.
“I’ll take it from here. I’ll ‘walkie’ you when Jason arrives,” I told her. She rushed off to tend to matters out back where the gala was to be held. I busied myself by introducing myself to the valet who’d be working that evening. We solidified the plans for where the cars were going to go and what order everything would happen in. Only a handful of staff working the event and a few top priority attendees were allowed to actually park on the property, while the other guests had to valet and walk up the entranceway. I spent the next forty-five minutes coordinating with the valet staff and talking to Nancy and a few other of my coworkers through the walkie-talkie.
“Family members entering gate,” one of the security staff alerted us through the walkie-talkie. I stood at the entrance of the front door, watching as the huge iron gate slowly opened inward and two shiny limousines with the windows blacked out pulled in one right behind the other. The chauffeurs got out and went around to pull the back doors of the limos open. A grey-haired male was the first to get out, stopping with his back to me and then turning to offer his hand to someone. The next to emerge was a woman, his wife. These were Robert and Deborah Townsend. Their pictures often lined the society pages, especially from one of the clippings that Nancy had on a whiteboard in her office. She did that often with A-list clients. The pair looked elegant, Robert towering over his wife by nearly a foot. He was in his sixties but looked at least a decade younger, even with his grey hair. Deborah was beautiful, her dirty blonde hair pulled back in a chignon, dazzling blue eyes that seemed eerily familiar. I brushed that feeling off, reminding myself I’d been staring at the woman’s picture for the better part of a month, so of course her eyes looked familiar. Robert wore a black tux while Deborah wore a long, pastel pink, off-the-shoulder gown. The pair came up the steps arm-in-arm.
“Mr. and Mrs. Townsend.” I nodded. “I’m Michelle Clarke from Save the Date. Nancy is–”
“Right here,” Nancy’s breathless voice pushed its way through and I happily stepped aside to let her greet her clients.
By the time I turned back to get a view of who was in the second limo, the passengers were already getting out. I noted four men, in my peripheral, the first was tall with dark hair and hazel eyes. He could be considered handsome … maybe even devastatingly so, if it wasn’t for the scowl marring his face. He turned his gaze on me and I felt my insides shrink back, but I maintained a steely outward façade, smiling and nodding in his direction. I turned my eyes to the person next to him and everything except my heart rate froze. The beating muscle in my chest felt like it was going to explode.
What the hell is he doing here? Wait, how did he even get … The questions circling my mind halted when he turned those blue eyes my way, and by his expression I could see he was just as shocked as I was. However, unlike me, his shock soon ebbed and gave way to undiluted satisfaction, if the slow spreading smile on his face was any indication.
My attention was torn from Carter when Mr. and Mrs. Townsend stepped past me and I had to back out of the way to let them pass.
“Mr. Townsend, I wou–”
“Thanks.” The first man I saw, standing next to Carter, held up his hand and breezed past Nancy, cutting off her introduction.
Next, I was caught like a deer in headlights when I turned to find Carter standing directly over me.
“Mr. Townsend. What a pleasure to meet you. This is my employee, M–”
“Michelle Clarke,” he said, cutting off Nancy and making my knees weak.
“Carter.” His name always came out as some sort of plea when I said it.
“You two have met?” I didn’t need to look at her to hear the curiosity in Nancy’s voice.
“C-Mr. Townsend, saved my life,” I told Nancy, remembering I was working and should be using formal titles. The glower on Carter’s face revealed his emotion. What was he upset about?
“Carter. Mr. Townsend is my father.”
I felt his grip on my hand tighten. When had he taken my hand?
“Carter, you plan on introducing us?”
I peered over Carter’s shoulder, the same one he glanced over.
“Michelle, this is Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb-er,” he grumbled, turning back to me.
“Asshole.” I heard come from behind.
The two men stepped from behind Carter, flanking him. The one on the right stood about two inches shorter, with short, jet black hair and green eyes. He was just as handsome as Carter, even though their resemblance was limited to the smattering of freckles across the bridge of their nose and upper cheeks.
“I’m Joshua. Carter’s younger but much better looking brother.” He winked.
“And I’m–” My eyes went to the man on the right and I immediately recognized him.
“Tyler Townsend,” I blurted out. How could I have forgotten that the Townsends’ youngest son was one of the most talked about, young quarterbacks in the NFL? Diego had his poster on the wall in his bedroom.
Tyler’s sheepish grin spread. His red hair and beard made him stand out; coupled with his hazel-green eyes they made him look like the young playboy he was reported to me by the media. He, too, carried the freckles Carter and Joshua had.
“A sports fan?” His voice was velvety smooth but still couldn’t hold a candle to his brother’s.
“Fuck off, Tyler.”
I turned back to Carter who gave his brother a hard look.
“Beat it, you two.”
Though they snickered, Joshua and Tyler backed up and followed through where their parents and the other man had gone.
“Nancy, is it?” Carter dragged his gaze from mine to look at Nancy.
“Yes, Mr. Townsend?”
“I need to take Michelle with me.”
“Uh … well, but …”
“Just for a few.” He tugged on my hand and turned, and I had no choice but to follow. It was as if my body could do nothing else but to follow his lead. My eyes passed over a dumbfounded and confused Nancy, her facial expression mirroring my own confusion.
I found myself stepping over the threshold and into the most immaculate home I’d ever been in. And thanks to my job, I’d been in some very swanky places. This home outshone all of them, with its shiny, white-marbled floors, white columns lining the hallway, and double staircase that led to the second floor. The place looked spotless, almost like a museum.
“You’re a Townsend,” I blurted it out, looking around.
“I am. And you’re a Clarke.”
I gave him a be serious expression.
“Townsend’s just my last name.”
“And all of this?” I waved my free hand around.
He shrugged. “The home I grew up in.”
I gave a humorless laugh. “This is crazy,” I laughed some more.
“What’s crazy is how pissed I was that I had to be at this shit tonight only to discover that you’re here.”
“I’m working,” I reminded him.
Another shrug. “Either way, it’s fate, sugar.”
I shook my head, more to ward off the shiver that wanted to run through me at the sound of the pet name he’d apparently given me.
“I don’t believe in fate.”
“You don’t have to. I believe enough for the both of us. Come dance with me.”
I pulled away when he went to tug me farther into the home. “I can’t. I’m working.”
His jaw tightened and head tilted. His eyes honed in on me, darkening. “You don’t have time to dance?”
“Carter! Mother and Father are waiting on you.”
I broke away from Carter, who still remained transfixed on me, to see the scowling man from earlier.
“And that’s my asshole brother, Aaron.”
He brought my hand to his lips, brushing his lips across the inside of my palm. My eyelids fluttered and I had to fight to hold them open.
“You’ll save me a dance.”
“I can’t.”
“It wasn’t a question. Don’t try to sneak out of here either. I’ve already proven I can be very resourceful when it comes to you.”
I swallowed, remembering his call from earlier. He was indeed resourceful. Slowly he released my hand and moved away, following his brother, Aaron, out of the room. I pushed out a breath and covered my heart with my hand, trying to steady its rhythm. I shook my head and went to move to the front door to find Nancy.
“Michelle.”
Not tonight.
I turned and my worst nightmare was realized.
“What a surprise.”
I steeled myself, having to keep in mind that I was working for the second or third time that evening.
“Who is this, Gabriel?” the woman next to him asked, and nausea rolled through my belly.
“This is Michelle, Linda. One of the event planners. She’s done some work for the firm. Listen, go on ahead and say hello. I’ll be out shortly,” Gabriel said to his wife, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. More nausea.
“It’s been a long time,” Gabriel stated, turning back to me, dark eyes glittering. He took pleasure in my discomfort, I was sure of it.
“Not long enough.”
His smile dipped. “How is Diego?”
My eyes narrowed. “If you want to know how your son is doing, you should make an effort to see him,” I whispered harshly.
Gabriel’s five-foot-eleven body moved closer, his tanned, olive-toned skin darkening in anger. “If I want to see my son, I’ll come see him. In the meantime, when I ask his mother how he’s doing, I expect an answer,” he growled in my face, and not for the first time I had to resist the urge to punch him.
“He’s fine, Gabriel. I have to get back to work.” I tried to step around him but felt his hand on my arm. “You’re not dating anyone, are you?” The threat in his voice was ominous.
“You’ve pretty much made sure of that, haven’t you, Gabriel?” I snatched my arm away and stormed off toward the door, regretting that time years ago when I swore I was in love with that asshole.
I tried to focus on my work. All I needed to do was get through the evening and get home to my son where thoughts of handsome firefighters and baby daddies couldn’t intervene. At least, that’s what I told myself. The truth was, both would follow me, well past the evening.
****
Carter
I couldn’t wait to get out of that damn monkey suit.
“Looking uncomfortable, bro,” Tyler chuckled, clapping me on the back.
I shrugged him off. “Don’t touch me.”
“Someone’s panties are in a bunch,” came Joshua’s reply.
I grunted. My real brothers were just as bad if not worse than my brothers at the damn fire station. At least there I had fire accelerant to threaten them. Here, I only had my bare hands, which were lethal enough, but considering the number of people around us all, I doubted I’d be able to take both Tyler and Joshua out without being seen. Instead, I retorted with my words.
“You would know all about wearing panties, wouldn’t you, Josh?” I tilted my head, bringing my champagne flute to my lips. I heard Tyler laughing in the background but I was too busy scoping out our surroundings. Where is she? Amidst the sea of ball gowns, tuxedos, coiffed hairstyles, and shiny shoes, I hadn’t laid eyes on the one person who’d had me not regretting the fact that I’d actually shown up that night.
“Looking for someone?”
I pushed out a deep breath before rolling my eyes over to Aaron who’d just joined our group. “Yeah, looking for a fucking sedative for you.”
Aaron’s eyes shot to Tyler and Joshua on either side of him, who were snickering.
“Carter, you know damn well it would take more than a sedative for this guy to calm down,” Josh reminded us all.
He was right; Aaron was the most uptight out of us all.
“Someone has to keep the family business thriving.”
“I do my part,” Joshua spoke.
“Carter knows who I was referring to,” Aaron answered.
“Tyler doesn’t work for Townsend Industries anymore than I do, yet you don’t give him half the shit you give me.”
“Tyler’s only twenty-five. A career in the NFL lasts all of what? Ten years, maybe. Fifteen if he’s lucky.”
“Damn, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Tyler snarked.
Aaron merely turned harsh eyes on Tyler before dismissing him and returning his gaze back to me. “He’ll join Townsend upon his retirement. Joshua’s growing the real estate division by leaps and bounds, which just leaves you. The oldest brother of all of us and the one who officially shirked his responsibility to play pretend hero.”
Less than a second later, I was in Aaron’s face, while simultaneously shoving my champagne flute into Joshua’s chest for him to take it. I would need my hands free for this confrontation if necessary.
“Listen, asshole, I let you get away with a lot of shit,” I growled in my brother’s scowling face. “But don’t ever disrespect my career choices again. I’ve lived through shit you could never imagine.”
“You’re not the only person who’s lived through shit,” Aaron growled, shoving me back, which caused me to grab him by the collar.
“I will break your–”
“Hey, hey!
“Calm down!”
Tyler and Joshua whisper-called, doing their best to separate Aaron and I.
“Mother and Father are coming over. Relax, guys.”
I stared into Aaron’s angry eyes, mine just as filled with fury. He took a small step backwards and slowly I let the lapels of his tuxedo go. Both of our chests were heaving. I watched as he smoothed down the now wrinkled sides of his tuxedo jacket. I felt Tyler doing the same for my tuxedo but my eyes remained locked on Aaron.
“Play it cool, bro,” Tyler whispered just before our parents reached our group.
“It looked tense over here. Everything alright?” my mother questioned, worried blue eyes looking between her four sons.
“Fine, Mother,” Aaron responded.
“Are you sure?” she asked, placing a hand on his arm.
Aaron’s anger visibly deflated at her touch, but only marginally. He wore whatever chip he had on his shoulder twenty-four seven.
“We’re sure. Just brothers being brothers,” I stated, placing a kiss on my mother’s cheek. She grinned as she glanced up at me.
“It looked a little heavier than brothers play fighting,” my father’s stern voice spoke.
“Carter’s right, Father. We were just messing around and things got a little intense. You know how your two oldest can be.” Josh motioned his head toward Aaron and I.
My father’s brown eyes looked between Aaron and I worriedly.
“Family is always more important than business,” my father stated.
I refrained from rolling my eyes, hoping he wasn’t about to launch into one of his speeches on the importance of family.
“We know, Father,” Tyler interjected. “Without family, none of this would be possible.” Tyler spread his arms wide, looking around at the more than hundred and fifty people on our estate.
“Right. And …”
“And that’s exactly how we plan to keep it,” Joshua finished, knowing this speech like the back of his hand since we’d all been raised on some variant of it.
I narrowed my eyes at Aaron, who’d made a grunting noise.
“Here, honey, this is for you.” My mother handed Aaron a seltzer water with lime. Aaron was the only one of us who never touched alcohol. “Your speech is soon.”
“You should go prepare for that,” I urged.
“I’ve been prepared since our limo pulled through that iron gate.”
“Just like the good boy scout you are.” I held up the champagne flute I’d grabbed from the passing waiter.
The expression on Aaron’s face told me he saw the personal shot for what it was. Good.
“I, for one, can’t wait to hear it,” I stated. “But if you all will excuse me, I’ve got to take a leak.”
“Son, must you use that type of language?” my mother tutted.
“Excuse me, where are my manners? I need to use the restroom.” I placed another kiss on my mother’s cheek, nodded at my father, and turned to make my way to the bathrooms in one of the guest houses farther down on the property. I needed space, and I needed to find the only other person I wanted to occupy my time while I was at this shindig. I’d grown up attending events like this one, but it never was something I looked forward to going. The pomp and circumstance were never my thing.
I entered one of the darkened guest houses, which was unlocked, and made a beeline for the bathroom. Having spent plenty of time in every nook and cranny of this property when I was a child, I didn’t even need to turn on the lights to see where I was going. Finally relieving myself, I washed my hands and then made a plan to head out to the front of the main house where I last saw Michelle. If I couldn’t find her, I’d look for the woman, Nancy, who I was pretty sure was her boss, to ask. I was already making up some bullshit story in my head to tell Nancy about why I was looking for Michelle, when I saw a figure walking along the pier toward the lake out back. It hadn’t even registered in my mind, before my feet were moving in the direction of her.
“Hello, sugar.” I held my laughter when she started, turning to me, holding her hand over her chest.
“Carter!” she stated, breathless from her surprise. And at that moment, all I could envision was her calling out my name, breathless as she was impaled on my cock.
“I finally found you.”
Her honey brown eyes widened. “You were looking for me?”
All my life. “I told you to save me a dance.”
Her eyes fell to my proffered hand.
“Dance with me.” The sounds of the harpist that had been hired for this event were distant but could be heard.
“I’m working.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Working?”
“Y-yes.” She looked around, avoiding my eyes.
“Down here?”
“I needed to check on the guest houses.”
“Bullshit.”
She gave me a shocked look.
I stepped closer, giving her no space at all. “We don’t use the guest houses for events. They’re off limits during the galas. You weren’t working down here.”
I paused and watched as her face fell.
“I’m betting you were taking a few minutes of quiet time to yourself. Now, I can pretend I saw nothing, or I can go up to the main house, find your boss, and inform her that you were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be. How do you think that will play out?”
A thrill shot through me when a spark of anger flared in her eyes, lines forming in her forehead. “You wouldn’t.”
“I sure the hell would.”
“One dance.”
“One is all I need.” I hadn’t finished my statement before I was pulling her into my arms, bringing us to together. I didn’t miss the short sigh she let out from our bodies’ contact. I lowered my head to hover above her neck and inhaled deeply. She smelled sweet, intoxicatingly so.
“You blackmailed me,” she murmured, resting her head against my chest.
“So I did.” And I’d do it again just to keep her in my arms for the rest of the night.
I placed the hand I held on my right shoulder, and moved my hand down her forearm, up her arm, feeling the softness of her skin. My other hand went around to her lower back, pulling her in even more. Her head lifted abruptly and she gasped, looking at me.
“It’s what you do to me, sugar,” I stated coolly of the hard-on she’d obviously felt. “Every night for the last month, I’ve awakened with this problem because of you,” I confessed, taking her chin in my hand. Her mouth was slightly ajar, just begging to be taken. So that’s what I did. She inhaled at the initial intrusion of my tongue, but upon my insistence, relaxed and followed my lead into the best first kiss I’d ever experienced. I swore fireworks were going off in the background and my world tilted on its axis a little bit. I knew from the first kiss alone our first time together would be flammable.
I continued to take her mouth, relishing the feel of her lips as they moved against mine. When she moaned into my mouth, I stooped down to pick her up and carry her to the nearest bed, if we could make it that far. Unfortunately, we could not because the most annoying sound I’d heard that evening beckoned me in the distance.
“Carter!”
I growled in the back of my throat, reluctantly pulling away from Michelle’s hungry mouth, and turning to glance over my shoulder. In predictable fashion there stood Aaron at the top of the walkway, frown in place, hands in his pocket, looking on angrily.
“Oh no!” Michelle gasped, pulled away, and began to straighten out her dress.
“I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“I need to get back to work.” Michelle attempted to rush past me but was thwarted when my arm caught her around the waist. “Carter, I have to go!”
“Meet me tonight.”
She stopped struggling to look up at me, frowning.
“Tonight, after the gala, after you’re done working. Meet me here.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“No.”
She sighed. “Fine.”
Smiling, I released her from my hold. She gave me one last glance before turning and heading up the walkway.
“Hey, sugar.”
She stopped to look back at me.
“Do yourself a favor, don’t try to run. I have no trouble coming to find you.” It wasn’t a threat. I didn’t make threats. More like a promise. I eased my hands into my pockets and silently watched as she pivoted and traveled up the walkway back to where the gala attendees were having fun. I even watched as Aaron shot her a look when she passed him, then turned back to me. We both stared at one another for a few heartbeats until he finally turned and walked away. Eventually, I picked up my feet to follow along where they both had disappeared to, the only thing keeping me there was the knowledge that, that night I would be spending it with the woman who kept me wanting more.
****
Michelle
What the hell is it with me and pushy men? I thought not for the first time that night, making my way past the hanging lanterns that formed the line of demarcation between where the gala was held and the rest of the Townsend property. The estate was truly massive. I didn’t even know there was a private lake out back, until I’d stumbled upon it, while I was on a short fifteen minute break. I’d needed a moment to myself, especially after seeing Diego’s father there, cheerily dancing with his wife of twenty years. A woman who appeared to be none the wiser about what a complete jackass her husband was.
“You came.”
“Shit!” I jumped, startled. “Are you always so quiet? I had no idea you were out here,” I hissed. That was the second time I was completely caught off guard by his presence.
“Force of habit.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Drink?” He held out a glass of champagne as if we were celebrating something.
“Look, I just came to tell you that I can’t stay.”
Those blue eyes shone as he grinned. “You stayed late to tell me you couldn’t stay?”
Well, when you put it like that …
He turned and gazed out at the darkness of the lake, illuminated only by the moon and the lights behind us. I stared at his profile, drinking in every detail of his face. I even began counting the number of freckles on his face. I got up to number seven before he spoke again.
“I had my first swimming lesson right here on this pier.” He turned to me with acute eyes. “I was about four years old, and was skipping stones while my father talked business on the phone. I went to reach down to grab one of the fish I saw swim by and I fell in.” He stopped to glance at me and see if I was following him
I was.
“My father abruptly ended his conversation. I thought it was to come save me. Instead, he stood over me at the edge of the pier and told me to kick my legs. Stop fighting the water, he yelled to me. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand what the hell he was talking about. I just needed him to save me. I yelled for him to help me and he said I am helping you. He told me to let the water carry me. I did and eventually I began to float. He instructed me to kick my legs and move my arms to propel me farther. I did and was able to get back to the pier’s ladder, where he helped me up. I hated him at first for doing that shit. Ran and told my mom, who got into a huge fight with him. They stopped speaking for a week. It wasn’t until I went away to boot camp that I became grateful for his lesson. He taught me at four years old; I had whatever I needed to survive right inside of me. I didn’t need outside help,” he finished, turning toward me, and I was able to finally release the breath I hadn’t known I was holding.
“Why did you tell me that?” My voice came out just above a whisper.
“Because I want you to know everything about me. I want you to know who I am. All of me.”
I gulped the saliva that pooled in the back of my mouth.
“Let’s quit playing games, sugar.” He placed the glasses down on the small, wooden table that sat in between two chairs on the pier. He moved, coming to stand over me, staring down at me with such intensity that his gaze alone held me in place.
“You stayed because, despite your hesitation, you want this just as bad as I do. You want me just as badly as I want you. So, let’s cut through the bullshit. Are you taken?”
I drew my eyebrows together in confusion. “Taken?”
“Are you married?”
I shook my head.
“Boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Then that settles that.”
And before I could respond and tell him that no, that did not settle the matter, my face was in his hands, and his lips were on mine. My ‘no’ became all jumbled in my head, until it became a resounding yes! I wanted more of this, more of these kisses, more of him.
“Let’s take this inside,” he whispered against my lips, voice hoarse.
My belly quivered and my legs trembled, so much so, that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk on my own free will. I didn’t need to. With the ease and comfort of a man who never missed a gym session, Carter stooped low and picked me up into his arms. Air flew from my lungs and I stiffened, clinging to his tuxedo jacket, fearful of falling.
“Easy, sugar. I’d never drop you.”
Why did that pet name get to me so? I normally hated pet names, but Carter just made everything sound like silk off of his tongue.
“Hit that light switch for me,” he ordered, after he pushed through the door of the guesthouse.
I did so, illuminating the space. Their guesthouse was the size of my apartment and I guessed they didn’t have any six year olds running around because, like the main house, this place was spotless. It was decorated beautifully in lots of pastel pinks and blues. Carter easily strolled past the living room, down the short hall, his shoes sounding against the hardwood floors, until we entered the master bedroom. The bedroom was carpeted, and in the center stood a large bed, surrounded by four shiny wooden columns.
I found myself being lowered to the bed, and I looked up to see Carter’s face hovering just above mine. I yearned for the feel of his mouth against mine again, and he was too, by the way he stole my breath, planting me with another kiss. I opened up for his greedy entrance, lifting my hand to cup his jaw, running the tips of my fingers against the hairs of his beard. I felt myself being pushed against the mattress and in no time he was over me. I moaned when I felt his erection poking against my stomach. That made me come to a little bit, and I pulled back.
“Carter, I have to go home,” I tried.
“You don’t have a babysitter?” He nuzzled the side of my face, not moving an inch.
I hesitated. I did have a babysitter, a highly reliable one. I’d just text my mother and told her I would be in a little later than usual. She told me to stay out as late as I wanted, that she and Diego were fine. I could lie, however. Carter wouldn’t know the difference. I should’ve lied. Done the responsible thing and gotten out of there. But when I felt his massive hand move up my thigh, under my dress, and make its way into the hem of my panties, the lie wouldn’t form. What came out instead was …
“Yes.”
“Good.” And with that, my panties―the only barrier between Carter’s probing hand and my sanity―were obliterated, with one hard tug. I heard the ripping of the lace, felt the tears of the fabric against my skin, but couldn’t fully process what was happening because Carter’s tongue was back in my mouth. I moaned, and pulled at his tuxedo jacket, when I felt the first contact of one of his digits against my aching nub. He began rubbing circles against my clitoris, sending sparks through my bloodstream. When his fingers moved lower and he first entered me, I jumped at his intrusion, my back arching off the bed.
He slowly penetrated each and every one of my senses, with his insistent kisses and even more insistent probing of my nether lips. His fingers became coated with the juices that spilled from me, and his movements picked up in speed. I was panting into his mouth, unable to catch my breath. When he let his thumb return to my clit, pressing against it, I came undone. My head fell back against the bed and I felt Carter’s teeth scraping my chin. My vision failed me and I squeezed my eyes tightly, against the tsunami that was my first orgasm in a very long time.
“Better than a four alarm fire,” Carter murmured above me, as I was regaining my senses.
I couldn’t form words, so I just stared at him as he moved from the bed, ridding himself of his tuxedo jacket. His shirt was next, and in spite of the weakness I felt all over, I had to sit up on my elbows to watch the show in front of me. My mouth went dry at the vision of his chiseled chest and abs. His upper left chest was coated in dark ink, but I couldn’t fully make out the tattoo in the dimness of the room. My mouth watered at the sight of his pierced nipples, making my own nipples tingle. When he finally pushed down his pants and briefs, fully exposing his monstrous member, I gasped. I watched as he opened the wrapper of a condom he’d pulled from somewhere and rolled it down his shaft.
“Don’t move,” he growled, grabbing my left ankle.
I hadn’t even realized I’d begun backing away. It’d been three years since I’d been intimate with anyone and never had I been with anyone his size. I started shaking my head and trying to tell him that this would simply not work, but he pulled me to the edge of the bed, my dress moving upwards, exposing my now bare lower half.
I was not a virgin. I’d birthed a child, without the aid of any pain medication, thank you very much, but nothing had made me feel as exposed and vulnerable as I felt watching Carter’s eyes hone in on my sweet spot. They darkened right in front of me and the spark that was always between us became combustible.
“You’re mine,” he declared, eyes moving up my body, along with his hands. He pushed my dress up over my hips, up my belly, until his hands clasped my breast, squeezing them.
“Oooh!” I groaned, against the pleasure of his touch.
He stepped closer, pausing to stare at me, and my mouth fell open when he breached my opening with his massive rod.
“C-Carter,” I panted, voice full of fear.
“Open up for me, sugar. Let me in.”
My head thrashed against the mattress as I shook my head no. This wasn’t going to work. He was much too big, too strong, too everything for me.
“Let me in,” he ordered again, more forcefully this time. He shoved the cups of my bra down, and began squeezing and tweaking my nipples. The pleasure from his hands shot down to my groin at the same time he inched inside of me, pushing all the way until I was completely impaled on him. I lost the ability to breathe.
“Mm,” I moaned when he bent over, taking my mouth with his. I lifted my knees, wrapping them around his waist just before he moved me upwards to pull my dress up over my head, tossing it over the other side of the bed. Somehow we moved up so that both of us were on the bed, all the while, never breaking our connection at the hips, where he was still deeply imbedded in me.
He took my hands in his larger, calloused ones and pushed them over my head, leaning in for another kiss, as if he couldn’t get enough of our kisses. I felt the same way, and lifted my head to give him better access. Somewhere in the middle of the kiss, he began pulling out of me, and I screamed into his mouth when he thrust back in. The entire bed shook. Over and over again he plunged into my sacred space. He pulled back to stare at me, his eyes doing all the communication necessary. There was a promise held in those eyes. One that I didn’t want to believe or contemplate, but I couldn’t look away. He held me transfixed while he ignited a wildfire over and over with every stroke of his hips, and completed his hold over me with the looming glare in his eyes. There was a whole world of intrigue and secrets behind those eyes. One he kept pulling me into despite any resistance I tried to put up. Any defiance I may have had of this thing on my part, was annihilated with his final plunge that sent me spiraling out into oblivion. I groaned and moaned, screeching into the crook of his neck, hearing him growl into mine, as we both shook and convulsed, coming together.
It was evident that I wouldn’t be spending my night anywhere else but wrapped up in his arms.
~ Chapter Four ~
Michelle
I pushed my head into the plush pillow beneath and snuggled deeper into the sheets, my body seeking to further immerse itself in the source of warmth. I wiggled my hips, trying to seek out more of the comfort I’d felt, and right when I thought I had it, I pushed up against something hard. Very hard.
My eyes popped open and I sat up, looking around at the unfamiliar room I was in. I squeezed my eyes shut. Please let it have been a dream. Please let it have been a dream. Please let it …
“Morning, sugar.”
Nope. Not a dream. I went to turn in the direction of his voice, and the ache between my legs served as further clarification that the night before had indeed not been a dream. I turned, looking back over my shoulder, and I had to suck my lower lip into my mouth, biting it at the picture he made. Hair tousled, a new day’s worth of growth on his beard, and those laser focused eyes were all staring back at me. Add to that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, therefore displaying his very sculpted muscles and piercings, and I found myself very tongue-tied.
“What time is it?” I croaked out, my voice full of sleep and dread.
“Just after seven.”
I closed my eyes again, and then shivered when he began stroking a finger down my bare arm. That was when I remembered I also was naked in this bed.
“I have to go,” I rushed, pulling the sheets with me as I moved off the bed. I tugged it around my entire body to cover myself and to begin my search looking for my clothing from the previous night.
“What are you doing?”
Out of my peripheral I saw him look up and I heard the displeasure in his voice.
Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him. Don’t look …
I looked.
Wrong move. My entire body tingled with electricity at the sight of him completely nude and unashamed, as he sat on the bed. But he wasn’t there for long. Thankfully, just as he reached me, I found my crumpled dress on the floor by the door. I rushed over, pulling it over my head, and dropping the sheet. I spotted my purse on the nightstand by the bed and made a move to retrieve it only to be stopped by him.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.” It should’ve been obvious.
“We haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“And we’re not going to,” I retorted, not looking at him.
His hands went to circle my arms, pulling me to him.
“Carter–” I started, holding my hand between our two bodies.
“You can’t even look at me?”
The plea in his voice grabbed me.
“That’s better.”
“Carter, I really have to go.”
“Why?”
I sighed, growing irritated. “Do you remember when you told me that you wanted me to know everything about you?” I waited for his response.
“Of course.”
“Well, there’s one thing you need to know and understand about me. His name is Diego. Last night you asked if I was married or had a boyfriend. The answer is no on both accounts, but I do have someone in my life, and yes it’s a he. He is the most important thing in the world to me and I can’t … No, I won’t allow myself to be another man’s plaything, at the risk of losing my son. I have to go.”
I broke away from his grasp, retrieved my purse from the nightstand, and rushed to the door.
Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t …
That time, I listened to the chant in my head and kept moving forward until I was out of the bedroom door, moving to the front door of the guesthouse. Despite my being out of his line of sight, it was as if I could feel his eyes on my back. Even as I made my way up the walkway and around the front of the property to where my car sat, it felt as if his eyes were still on me. I pushed that feeling down, instead choosing to remember that I was going home to my son, who was the most important person in my life. Nothing else mattered as long as I had him. I would use that knowledge as a band-aid over the heartache I felt driving away from Townsend Manor and Carter.
****
“Heads up, big wig coming in,” Natoi ran to my office, knocking on my door and announcing.
I frowned at her from behind my desk, and whispered, “Who?”
“Aaron Townsend, and according to the downstair’s receptionist he does not look happy.”
Oh shit!
“I wonder what happened Friday night. Nancy said everything ran smoothly. You heard anything?” Natoi questioned, obviously not picking up on my nervousness.
“No,” I went back to typing, “not a thing.” Maybe this had nothing at all to do with me.
“He’s here. Shame that man is always frowning. He would be a looker. I could wipe that frown right off his face,” Natoi giggled.
“Natoi!” I chastised.
“I’m just sayin’.”
“Get back to work. I need the layout of the McDonald event,” I swiftly reminded her, needing something to take my mind off my own anxiousness.
Natoi left and soon enough I heard footsteps coming down the hall. I turned to look out the glass window of my door and caught the dark gaze of Aaron Townsend. Nancy was already next to him, talking away as she normally did, but his eyes were on me. They narrowed as he passed my door, not leaving me until he was well past. If I had any question as to whether he was there because of what he saw occur between Carter and I, it was just answered. I wondered if it was time to begin typing up a resignation letter, or better yet, update my resume.
“Michelle, can I speak with you?” Nancy questioned, poking her head in my office about twenty minutes later.
“Yes, come in,” I stated, sitting up straighter in my chair.
“In my office,” she returned and exited, moving down the hall toward her office.
This wasn’t good.
I hurried from my office down to Nancy’s who was waiting at the door for me to enter. She closed it behind me as soon as I was inside and I just stood there, looking around her spacious corner office. Behind her desk was a wonderful view of the bridge that connected Williamsport to one of its major boroughs. I peered over at the balloons that sat on the circular cherrywood table, from an event we’d done the week prior.
“Have a seat,” she stated, in a formal voice I hadn’t heard used with me since I started working for the company nearly four years earlier. I took my seat directly across from her.
“Michelle, it has come to my attention that one of our clients was dissatisfied with your behavior at an event this past weekend.”
My eyelids lowered and my jaw tightened. I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just say who the client was. She and I both knew she was referring to Aaron Townsend. Aside from the fact that he’d just departed her office, his event was the only one I’d worked over the weekend.
“Mr. Townsend.”
Nancy nodded. “Yes, Mr. Townsend. He stated that he caught you fraternizing with one of his family members. On company time.”
“Nancy, I know it looks bad but I can explain.” I held up my hands.
“Is it true that you were fraternizing while you were supposed to be working?”
“I was technically on a break,” I weakly defended.
“And then you spent the entire night at Townsend Manor?” She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
I lowered my head. Damn. He found out about that, too.
“I don’t have to tell you how unprofessional this looks. Not only for you, but for Save The Date Event Planners as well. When we take on a job, our clients expect the utmost in professionalism. That is why a high-profile client like Townsend Industries comes to us in the first place.”
“Nancy, I know, and I am so sor–”
She held up her hand and my stomach dropped. I was not about to lose it here in this office, but it felt dangerously close to the edge. I was about to lose my job, a job that I loved over a stupid mistake. Couple that with the fact that I’d probably be blackballed in the event planning industry because that’s how powerful types like the Townsends worked, and I’d never work in this capacity again.
Nancy shook her head. “I am disappointed in your behavior, Michelle.”
“I know,” I murmured.
“Mr. Townsend was all but adamant that I let you go.”
I grabbed my stomach. “I understand,” I stated, getting ready to stand and walk out while I still had some dignity intact.
“Luckily, I was able to convince him that you were one of my best employees.”
My head lifted.
“I am not letting you go. You have proven your loyalty to this company over the four years you’ve worked here. I will, however, have to demand that you take the rest of the week off, without pay.”
I wanted to protest, tell her that wasn’t fair, but after being scared that I was losing my job, a short suspension without pay sounded better. I knew it wasn’t easy for Nancy to go against Aaron Townsend’s initial request. To say the man was intimidating would be an understatement.
“I understand. Thank you, Nancy.”
She nodded her head, giving me a disappointed look. “Take this time to think about where you stand, Michelle. You have been a model employee up until this point and I’d hate to see this incident leave a mark on your career.”
I caught her subtle warning. Don’t let it happen again.
“I will,” I assured her, standing. She nodded and I high-tailed it out of her office before she changed her mind. I made a beeline for my much smaller office, grabbing my purse and my work laptop to keep in touch with my assistant over the week. I would be off but I could still be helpful. In the meantime, I let the anger I felt bubbling up inside of me propel me out the main office with my head held high. Once I made it to my car in the building’s garage, I made a decision. I wasn’t the only one who was going to get reamed out over what happened Friday night.