I twisted the rubber band on my finger, overlapping it, until the end of my index finger began to turn purple. Then I quickly plucked it off. My feet rested on the corner of the desk as I reclined in the stiff leather chair. This office felt uncomfortable and cold. I never used it. I stared at the tall bookcases, stuffed with finance, sales and marketing books. A few I had actually contributed towards. The thought didn’t impress me as much as it used to.
The huge grandfather clock in the corner ticked loudly as I listened to Jake’s voice echo through the speakerphone. “Chase, I don’t need to tell you what it would mean if Hamasaki backs out of this deal, or worse yet, if these inspections fail.”
I hadn’t ever heard Jake sound this concerned about everything. He always seemed calm in his own, uptight sort of way. “I know. It’s a few million dollars, out the window.”
“No! It’s closer to ten or fifteen.” Jake exhaled loudly over the phone. “This is the riskiest deal you’ve done.”
“Yeah, but it’s also going to have the biggest payoff. Don’t worry, things will be fine.” I stretched the rubber band across my fingers as Jake was quiet on the other end of the phone. “Jake, here’s what I need you to do...First, stop all the damn worrying. Second, call Hamasaki, tell him I need real-time updates during the inspection.”
Jake let out another breath as he took notes on my instructions. The sound of keys clicking filled the conversation. I quickly rattled off a handful of other things for Jake to take care of. It was one of the things I really admired about him. No matter the situation and how stressed he was, Jake always managed to get things done.
My phone vibrated on the corner of the desk as Summer’s photo popped onto the screen. “Do you have all that, Jake? I need to get going. Call me if you need anything, but tonight, I’ll be busy,” I chuckled again as I stared at the picture on the screen.
“I bet you will, let me guess…actually, I don’t have to. Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jake hung up the phone without waiting for my response.
I grabbed the phone and tapped on the text message from Summer. My heart pounded with excitement at the thought of spending the evening with her. She’d been so distracted lately, and I was feeling disconnected from her. We needed more time to reconnect and feel like a real couple again.
Summer: So sorry. Can’t make it tonight. Huge headache, work, school. Rain check?
Fuck. I tossed the phone on the desk and grabbed the rubber band, stretching it until it broke. A moment later the phone vibrated again and I quickly grabbed it, hoping she had changed her mind. It wasn’t her. It was an update from the bank.
Check withdrawal: $10,000
I couldn’t help but feel abandoned and used. I knew that wasn’t the case with Summer, but the last time I had been so forthcoming with money for a woman, Hannah had taken me for a lot more.
I texted Summer back.
Sure. No problem. Have a great night.
I was glad to finally be home. I kicked off my heels the second I walked in the door and tossed my keys on the side table, quickly locking the door behind me. There had been too much drama, stress and emotion today. After my meeting with Brandon and a quick stop this evening, I had little left of my sanity.
Chase couldn’t see me like this. He’d know something was wrong. I was a terrible liar, so the best thing for me to do was keep away from him until all of this had blown over and I figured out a way to finally get Brandon out of my life, no,
our
lives,
for good.
I dashed off to the bathroom before Alyssa could make her way out of her room. She’d want to fill me in on her day, and ask about mine. She was the only other person who would be able to see right through me, and I couldn’t let that happen. Not yet. I just needed more time. I climbed on top of the toilet and scanned the ceiling. “This fucking thing has to be somewhere around here.”
I remembered the angle from the video. I wanted to block it out of my head, but I couldn’t. All I could see was Alyssa, standing in front of the sink in a towel. What else had he recorded? I couldn’t handle the thought anymore.
I propped my foot on the crowded sink and reached for the ceiling fan vent. It was just out of reach. Stretching my arm towards the ceiling, I inched my foot further on the sink. Easy, easy…just a little bit more. My foot slipped a millimeter to the side, knocking the array of nail polish and makeup bottles into the ceramic sink with a crash. “Shit!”
Moments later there was a quick knock and then Alyssa’s head popped through the door. “Hey, are you o…what the hell are you doing up there?”
“It was a big ass spider. He was on the ceiling and then crawled in to the vent.” I continued to stretch for the vent without looking at her.
“And you were going to do what? Catch it? Keep it as a pet? When the hell did you get so brave? You hate spiders!” Alyssa reached her hand up for me to hold as I balanced. “Why don’t you come down here and let me, or better yet, the maintenance guy, handle that.”
“No, I’m good. I’ve got this. Go ahead, I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, Sums, good luck with your adventure.”
Alyssa left the bathroom. I jumped down and locked the door behind her. In one quick move I jumped back on the toilet, stepped fully on the sink and swatted down the vent cover, allowing it to crash to the floor. I stared into the hole in the ceiling and saw it. The camera. I leaned closer, staring into the small lens and mouthed the words, “Fuck you, Brandon!” I grabbed the camera and threw it into the sink, scattering the makeup and nail polish bottles and breaking the small plastic device into tiny pieces. I wondered how many more were spread throughout the apartment. I couldn’t worry about it right now. All I really wanted was a shower.
* * * *
The sheets were cold and stuck to my still slightly damp skin. It felt good to relax, if even for just a few minutes. I stared at the text from Chase. I felt terrible for not seeing him tonight, and I felt terrible for so many other things. This just wasn’t me.
I reached into my bag next to the bed and pulled out the small red notebook that contained my work notes. I cracked it open and shook it as the piece of paper floated down and landed on top of my white comforter.
“I’m sorry Chase,” I whispered to myself as I dropped the notebook on the bed and unfolded the piece of paper. Chase’s signature was marked in dark blue ink at the bottom of the check. Twenty-five thousand dollars, I thought.
What are you doing, Summer? What are you doing?
I stared at the check for a moment and then tucked it back inside of the notebook.
How was I going to explain this?
Another night alone was too much. I missed her. I needed her. I craved her, but work was getting in the way, more for her than for me. Other than the text messages from last night, I hadn’t heard a thing from Summer, which was unlike her. I debated whether I wanted to intrude into her life this morning, but I couldn’t help myself.
I tapped her number on my phone as I stared at the screen of my laptop. My email inbox was filled, but work was the last thing on my mind. It would have to wait.
“Hey! Sorry, I’ve been meaning to call you all morning. I’ve just been super busy. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s great. I just hadn’t heard from you. Are you okay? I was hoping I could cash in that rain check today, maybe for a lunch date?”
“I’d love to, but I’m really in the middle of this thing. You know how it is, right? Work?”
Something sounded strange in her voice. Almost like she was on the verge of tears. But that couldn’t be right. “Oh yeah, of course,” I said. “Let me know if you need anything. Maybe we can meet up for dinner?”
“That sounds amazing. Yes, definitely.” She seemed to rush the conversation as she mumbled something to a man in the background. “Oh yeah, Chase, I meant to ask… Is that offer still good for the additional money for this investment? Things are looking really…good, but I think I may have sold them short.”
“Absolutely. The check’s here, whenever you want to come by.”
“Well,” Summer hesitated, “I actually stopped by early this morning and grabbed it. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all.”
“Great! Hey, I’ve got to get going, they’re calling for me back into this meeting. Talk to you later.”
A second later, she was gone. I opened up the desk drawer where I had left the check the previous day. It was empty. Something just didn’t make sense. I was in the office early. No one was here. I pulled up the security camera footage from my office. Something I had put in place years ago when sketchy cleaning crews had been taking liberties with office supplies and company swag.
I scanned through the archived video until I saw Summer. Almost like a burglar, she crept into the office, looking down the hallway and then quickly running into the office, opening the drawer and taking the check. My stomach sank as I watched her tuck the check into her bra and the leave, just as quickly as she entered. I glanced at the time. 9 p.m.
She lied. What else was she lying about? I replayed the voice in the background of the call. The man called her Summer, then Sums. Not something you would call a consultant, or an investor. This arrangement seemed too friendly, or was I just reading into it? I closed my eyes and shook my head. There was no way this was happening. Summer wasn’t like that. She wasn’t like Hannah.
I closed the laptop and leaned back in my chair, staring toward the open door and empty hallway. The sound of a small group walking down the hallway past my office snapped me back to reality. Alyssa and Jake were both in the group, likely on their way to the Hamasaki meeting.
Standing up, I called, “Alyssa, come here for a minute, please.”
A puzzled look on her face, she broke from the group and stood in my office doorway.
“Come on in,” I said, sitting behind my desk again.
“Hi, what can I do for you? Is everything okay?” Her eyes were wide, like she was worried about her performance here.
I hurried to reassure her. “Yes, everything’s fine.”
I rarely had spoken to Alyssa other than when I had called on her in class and the few times we had seen each other in passing at the office or with Summer. We were cordial at best, but that had been my fault. I was cautious about getting too close to Summer’s friends. Holding back, like I ought to be, and not getting involved socially.
Alyssa stood just inside the doorway and swayed side to side as she held the stack of folders. “So, did you want to give me the answers to the final?” she laughed. “Kidding, I’m only kidding.”
I forced a small laugh from my throat. “Is everything all right with Summer?”
“Yeah, she’s great.”
“She’s been acting a bit differently lately. She seems…distracted.”
Alyssa giggled. “Well, I did catch her trying to track down a spider in the bathroom vent in the ceiling. That’s pretty strange, at least for her, but otherwise, she seems normal.”
“She hasn’t seemed overly stressed about this investment project she’s been working on?”
“Investment project?” Alyssa cocked her head as she looked up towards the ceiling. “No, I mean, I haven’t heard anything about it…but that’s not unusual. I’ve been out a lot lately. We really haven’t had much time to catch up on things. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
I stared hard into Alyssa’s eyes, waiting for a sign as to whether she was lying, but she didn’t break.
She raised the stack of folders a bit higher, calling attention to them. “I’m sorry, I really should get going to this meeting. Everyone’s probably waiting on me. I have the files, after all.”
I quickly nodded, letting her escape the rest of my questioning.
Something wasn’t right. My instincts were usually spot on about things like this and I hoped that I wasn’t being played like I had been once before, allowing my heart to blind me.
The dingy, musty smell of the motel room burned my nose. Brandon sat on the edge of the bed that was covered with a green flowered bedspread. The thick blackout curtains were open just enough to let the harsh light inside off the room. The air conditioner rattled and redistributed the cool, smelly air.
This seemed to be one of those motel rooms that you rented by the hour or maybe planned to live in for an extended period of time. I hoped neither would be the case with Brandon. I wanted him out of our lives as quickly as possible. I had put my life at risk coming to the seedy part of town to meet him at his hotel and now I had to face him here and pay him even more money.
“What the fuck, Brandon? I asked you to take the money and go.” I clenched my jaw as my eyes shot him a look of wanting to kill him. “I’ve done everything you’ve demanded,” I snapped. I wielded Chase’s check like a white flag. “Here, take this last damn check, cash it, and get out of my life for good. I can’t get any more money for you.”
Brandon smiled and stood, making his way closer to me. A sly, nasty smiled hung on his face as he plucked the check from my fingers and opened it briefly to look at the amount. “Nice. But maybe there is something else you can give me.”
“Not a chance in hell.”
He tucked the check into his pocket and extended his arm, his fingers touching the exposed skin on my shoulders. “Remember back then? We used to have all kinds of fun…”
I froze. “Don’t touch me, asshole.”
He slid his fingers under the strap of my sundress and moved them down towards my breast.
I jerked away from him. “I told you to get your hands off of me.”
I wondered how I’d gotten myself into this mess. How I’d allowed him to get this close to Chase and me. I’d been a total idiot, that’s how. Taking the easy way out, hoping for a quick end to the tumult Brandon had reintroduced to my life. I hadn’t wanted complications, I hadn’t wanted to be embarrassed.
I’d wanted to protect Chase from all of this.
“Come on, Sums, don’t be like that. Just once, for ole times’ sake.” He chuckled and leaned in closer. His hot breath brushed my cheek.
Instinctively, I raised my knee, catching him in the crotch, but without making the full contact I had intended.
“Close,” he chuckled again. “I remember how feisty you were. Maybe you can use some of that now.”
“I’m not going to touch you or be with you or do anything with you—ever again.” I stepped back towards the door, bending at the knees, ready to run.
Brandon leaned back on the edge of the dresser. “I want a meeting with Chase.”
“No way, I’m not doing that.”
“But you are. If you don’t, I’ll release those videos, plus everything else I have on lover boy’s company. You wouldn’t want me to ruin his life and yours now, would you?”
Tears filled my eyes as anger raged through my veins. Fighting back was useless. With the click of a button he could destroy our lives. “Fine, but I’m not lying to him. I’ll set the meeting up, then you’re on your own.”
“You don’t really get how this works, do you? Set the meeting up, brag about how wonderful everything is, and I can handle the rest. Once Chase Kerns opens up his wallet, that’s all I’m going to need.”
* * * * *
I was in over my head, but it was too late to turn back now. I drove around for hours, trying to figure out the perfect way to get rid of Brandon. He had more money than he had ever had before, and now he wanted more. He wanted to ruin my life and ruin the only chance I had at happiness.
My mind raced and the same sick feeling had sat in my stomach for the last several days. I had been able to lie to Chase over the phone, but there was no way I was going to be able to face him tonight, especially if I needed somehow convince him to meet Brandon. I needed to think this through. The thought of even speaking to Chase made me nauseous. I knew he could tell I was being deceitful. I pulled out my phone and sent him a quick text, telling him I had a terrible headache and didn’t feel well. I knew that was the most clichéd excuse ever, but the truth was, I was sick. I tossed my phone back into my purse and braced myself for what was next.
My knuckles turned a mixture of bright white with red splotches as I squeezed the steering wheel while I sat in the parking lot of my apartment complex. Every way I played out the scenario, Brandon won. I thought I knew him. I truly believed that once he had his money he was going to leave us alone. I believed he was going to disappear, just as fast as he’d reappeared in my life.
Thirty-five thousand dollars was pocket change to someone like Chase, but to me, it was more than I could make in two years working part-time waitressing. That’s exactly what I was going to be doing once Brandon got me kicked out of school and Chase turned his back on me for lying. I’d made a terrible mistake.
“Mistake…that’s exactly what I made,” I mumbled to myself. “I can tell Chase that Brandon fooled me. That he led me to believe something else and that I made a mistake in investing his money.” There, I had it all figured out. At least I did for the time being. I was content with my temporary solution.
I replayed the conversation in my head over and over, just in case it ever came up. The story sounded perfect. I stood in front of my apartment door and fixed my hair, took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and walked in. Alyssa was sitting cross-legged on the couch reading on her tablet. “Hey Lys, what’s going on?”
“Not much. How about you? Where have you been all day?” Alyssa barely looked up from her tablet as she swiped across the screen.
“Work. You know, late date. Chase was giving me some pointers on things.” I faked a laugh. “And, you know, sometimes we just get carried away with each other.”
“
Really?”
Alyssa dragged out the word. “Funny, because I just got home about fifteen minutes ago from Velocity Capital and saw Chase there. He was in a meeting with Jake. You were nowhere near that office.” Alyssa pursed her lips as she tossed her tablet on the couch beside her and stared at me. “Where were you really?”
“Okay, I was on campus. This new business class that I took when I dropped Chase’s is difficult. I’ve been so caught up with other things I’ve been letting my work slide.” I was shocked by how easily the lie left my lips. I waited for Alyssa’s confirmation that she believed me, but she sat motionless. The same stern stare covered her face.
“Other things? You mean like your investment project that you suddenly took on?”
“Yes…I mean no.” I quickly dug through my bag, trying not to look her in the eyes as I tried to come up with another lie. “It’s nothing.”
“Any chance this is the same investment project that showed up at our doorstep a few days ago? What was his name? Brandon?” Alyssa let out a huff of air. “You’re an idiot, Summer. How could you possible cheat on Chase with some old boyfriend? Chase is a fucking billionaire. A hot billionaire that’s crazy about you!” Alyssa’s face turned red as she clenched her jaw tight and shook her head.
“It’s not like that, I swear. Please Lys, don’t say anything to Chase. It’s not what you think.”
“It’s not? So you’re not hooking up with your old boyfriend? It certainly looks that way. Sneaking around, lying…God knows whatever else.” Alyssa stood up and pushed her way past me as I attempted to grab her.
“Please!” I begged, “Don’t say anything. I want to tell you, but I can’t, not right now.” Tears streamed down my cheeks as I pleaded with her.
“Summer, are you in trouble? Talk to me.”
“I can’t. Not now. Not here. Just give me another few days. It will all be fine. I promise.” I grabbed on tight to Alyssa’s arm as she stood in front of me, not budging. Her arms folded tightly across her chest.
“Fine. Two days.” She spun on her heel, leaving me alone.