It would be like painting as a new person.
A new woman.
A woman who had fallen in love.
And that word made Macy close her eyes and moan.
Love?
She couldn’t deny the pressure in her heart, understanding the difference from how it felt and how pain felt. She’d felt pain, for a long time. This pressure made her heart squeeze on its own.
Love.
Macy forced herself out of bed and hurried to get dressed. When she got to the dining room area to paint, she started with the most logical thing she could think of.
A heart.
A choppy lined drawing of a heart, with just a regular pencil. The edges were cracked, broken, and it was more or less hundreds of individual lines that made up the heart. But there it was, a heart.
If it hadn’t been for Stacey C., new and upcoming famous painter in the city, texting Macy, she would have painted right through her noon deadline to meet with Derreck. Stacey texted around eleven, giving Macy just enough time to shower and get ready.
The text was simple -
how was your night? ;)
- and Macy just ignored it. She didn’t have time or care to go through the motions with Stacey. Plus, the woman was her boss. Trying to string along an attempted friendship, no matter how old, just didn’t feel right. The truth was that she and Stacey only got close after the attack on Macy. When Macy took an art class on a whim, thinking it would help her. She met Stacey, they chatted, and eventually they had an acquaintanceship based on colors, designs, and ideas. That’s where it began and should have ended. The last thing Macy saw was herself in Stacey’s art gallery, watching the woman get rich while she delivered paintings.
Macy hurried, trying to battle all thoughts of the past out of her head, not wanting to be a second late. She felt she still needed to make up for not showing up that first time on the elevators.
And at eleven-fifty-nine, with a few seconds to spare, Macy stepped from the elevator, and walked towards a receptionist’s desk.
“Are you here for the interviews?” a middle aged woman with dark brown hair asked.
“No. I’m here to see Derreck... uh, Hagan. Mr. Hagan.”
“Mr. Hagan is very busy,” the woman said. “He’s only seeing those who came in for the interview. You’re more than welcome to-”
“Come back to my office.”
Macy and the secretary both turned to see Derreck standing next to the receptionist’s desk. He appeared from nowhere and stood in all his ability to command. One look at the secretary made her look to her computer screen, the keys of her keyboard clicking. One look at Macy gave her a warm feeling that ran through her entire body.
“Come on,” Derreck said and put his hand out.
Macy took it and started to walk. Just as she disappeared into the hallway, the door to the main office opened again. Macy had the sudden urge to turn around but she didn’t. A cold feeling came over her, one that only Derreck could take away.
He led Macy into his office, leaving her to stand in awe of the largest office she ever saw. The ceilings were cathedral, with bookshelves on each wall that scaled the tall walls. A large window stood behind Derreck’s long desk, the window panes all made of black, a checkerboard of glass that looked upon the city. Derreck took to the desk, standing behind it like a giant among men. As he leaned forward, his tie hung loose, touching the desk. Macy wasn’t sure if anything could look hotter... well, unless Derreck had been naked, that would have been hotter.
“Come here,” Derreck said.
Macy walked to the desk, feeling a slight dread in her body. She wondered if that’s how everyone felt as they walked towards his desk. It was so far away from the door to the office, it left plenty of time for one to consider a hundred things.
“Sit,” he said and pointed to a single leather chair.
Macy sat.
Derreck didn’t.
“I’m going to interview a few people. Your job is to linger around the office. I want you to be a distraction, see if they can handle it.”
“Okay,” Macy said.
Derreck pressed a button on the phone. After a few seconds he pointed to Macy.
“Time to get up and move. First one’s up.”
A knock at the door sounded and Derreck called for the person to come in. His voice was so deep and intimidating. Macy swallowed hard, actually nervous.
A young man stepped into the office, carrying a leather folder. His hair was slick and he wore a suit to match. Black suit, black tie, white undershirt. His face was handsome but showed his youth. Innocence burned in the young man’s eyes and when Derreck turned from the window and saw the young man, he smiled.
Macy knew he was going to eat him alive.
“Mr. Hagan,” the man said, “it’s a pleasure.”
“And you are...”
“Jeffrey Donaldson.”
“Well, Jeff - I’m going to call you Jeff - what brings you here?”
Jeff looked around, noticing Macy. He smiled and nodded.
“That’s fine,” Derreck said, “just disregard my question.”
“No, sir, not at all. I’m here because I want to run your upstate project. I have experience in real estate development, investment, and sales. My father owns a real estate company and my mother...”
“What’s your greatest achievement in life?” Derreck cut in.
“This interview,” Jeff shot back without hesitation.
Seeing the stressful banter between Derreck and Jeff kept Macy on edge. She was impressed how Jeff handled himself, obviously aware of how Derreck handled himself.
“So if I called you at three in the morning, you’d be awake? Ready to answer?”
“Of course, sir,” Jeff said.
“No women in your bed, pissed off that the boss is calling?”
“No, sir. I prefer my women to go home, when I’m finished.”
Derreck’s lip snarled. He reached out and took Jeff’s leather folder. He flicked the button open and opened the folder.
“Nothing inside,” Derreck said. “What’s this, for show?”
“In case we started work right now,” Jeff replied.
“Yeah? Your best bet? Take notes on what other jobs you want. The interview is over. You didn’t get it.”
“Can I speak back to that...?”
“Go tell it to your women,” Derreck said.
“Come on, Mr. Hagan, I was messing around.” Jeff looked over his shoulder at Macy. “I didn’t remember she was...”
“She has nothing to do with this,” Derreck said. “I own several companies, all of which employ women. You think I want some punk kid who treats women like disposable items.”
“No, it’s not like that,” Jeff pleaded.
“Get the fuck out of my office, now.”
Jeff whimpered. Someone couldn’t handle bad news. He turned and slouched, looking even younger. When he got most of the way to the front of the office, Derreck called for him.
Jeff stopped and turned, surprising Macy.
“The way to a woman,” Derreck said, “is through fear. Their fear. Find it, embrace it, eliminate it.”
Derreck looked at Macy and winked.
Macy felt her body warm, her face turn red, and other parts gush.
Jeff muttered
whatever
and left the office.
“Punk,” Derreck growled and smacked the phone, sending a buzz to reception for the next person. He glanced at Macy. “I was never like that. I knew it took courage to succeed, not to find an ass to kiss.”
Macy wasn’t sure if she was supposed to say something back to Derreck but she decided to let it go. She couldn’t stop thinking about his comments though, on women and fear. Was that the thing that attracted him to Macy? Did he sense her fear and hiding just by looking at her? The thoughts bothered her but she had no time to waste on it.
Another knock came at the door.
“Turn around,” Derreck said, “look busy.”
Macy did so and the door opened. There was a few seconds of attempted silence, followed by the sound of footsteps. Something about the footsteps bothered her.
“Another person,” Derreck said, almost annoyed.
“Thank you for taking time to meet me.”
Macy’s eyes opened wide.
She knew that voice.
She started to turn her head as Derreck acknowledged the man.
“My pleasure, Mr. Anderson,” Derreck said. “Now if we can skip wasting time and talk about business...”
“Of course, Mr. Hagan.”
Macy turned and saw the man.
Saw him.
Him.
The lie that Macy told, the one thing she still hid from. There he was, standing at Derreck Hagan’s desk. He reached his hand out to shake Derreck’s hand. Macy felt her body cringe, fear racing through her veins like a poison. If she had to watch Derreck shake that hand, she would leave.
No questions asked.
She would leave.
Derreck looked at his hand and refused to shake it. Macy could see that Derreck sensed something about the man.
Good. That’s what Macy needed.
Getting out of this mess wasn’t going to be easy.
“Sit,” Derreck said.
The man started to sit but looked over his shoulder. He must have sensed Macy staring at him. When their eyes met, Macy felt the wave of fear hit her again. Her nerves were paralyzed. She was taken back to a place she never wanted to be again. It wasn’t so much hiding as it was forgetting.
“Macy?” he asked.
“Dan,” Macy whispered.
“You know each other?” Derreck asked.
He was mad about that fact.
“Of course I know Macy,” Dan said, standing back up. “She’s... my fiancée.”
Macy felt trapped.
Her back was literally against a wall, well, a bookcase. She had two sets of eyes upon her, both with powerful looks, one dangerous and one protective. She never spoke of Dan because she never thought in her wildest imagination she’d see him again. He was supposed to be a thousand miles away, at least, working for his father’s accounting firm. He was supposed to be successful, hiding all his secrets, traveling the world, and most importantly, he was supposed to never see Macy again.
Ever again.
But there he stood, his face in shock - but with a subtle happiness for finding Macy - and he stared with those rattlesnake eyes, those dangerous eyes Macy had to face time and time again.
And then there was Derreck, his arms slowly working their way into a folded stance, his shoulders looking a mile wide, unsure of what to think. While his eyes held their command, Macy could see small lines forming at the corners of his mouth. He was disappointed, maybe even hurt.
“I wasn’t anyone’s fiancée,” Macy whispered, trying to find strength in her words before her mouth went deadly dry.
“Tell that to my bank account,” Dan said and laughed.
Macy winced.
She hated that fucking laugh.
That was his
cover everything up
laugh, the one he used when he was lying.
“Somebody better tell me what’s going on here,” Derreck said. “I have a company to run. I’m about ready to throw both of you out of here.”
Macy stepped forward.
No! she thought.
She couldn’t be thrown out, not into her personal world that would include Dan.
Dan turned and cleared his throat. “I apologize, Mr. Hagan. You’re right. This is about an interview. I’d rather focus on that than past personal issues.”
“Start there and we’ll go back to business.”
Derreck wasn’t going to back down, now peeling the last secret - the last hidden part of Macy - from Dan.
“Macy and I were together,” Dan said, “and we were engaged. Then she left me a note... and left. I haven’t heard from her since.”
Derreck looked at Macy. She had no reaction because most of the story was true. Only one word set her version apart from Dan’s.
Engaged.
“We weren’t engaged,” Macy said. Her voice cracked and tears filled her eyes. She lost it, forcing her to turn around. She tried to take a deep breath, needing to catch herself. She couldn’t just break down like a baby, not in front of Derreck and certainly not in front of Dan. That would just give Dan power.
“Oh, Macy, please,” Dan said. “I just want to know what happened. To us.”
Macy wouldn’t turn around, wishing that Derreck would just take Dan and throw him out. Macy waited for Derreck to say something but he didn’t. And to her horror, Dan’s voice started to get louder.
“It’s been a long time,” Dan said, “but there’s no reason why we can’t be adults now. What happened... that was just college stuff...”
Dan touched Macy’s shoulder and she dropped it, wiggling, not wanting him to touch her. Dan’s grip came again, tighter, sending false pain through Macy’s body, igniting all those old memories she wished would just die for good.