Authors: Vera Roberts
****
“What do you got for me?” Caprina asked.
Dominic once again pulled out the file on Scott. His file had grown so large that he had his own file cabinet, sorted by date. “Here you go,” he slid the file to Caprina.
Caprina opened the file and a large smile grew on her face. There were pictures of Mariana moving out of Scott’s home. She was carrying several boxes and Scott was nowhere to be seen in the photos. “Perfect,” Caprina whispered, “absolutely perfect.”
“Is there anything else I can assist you with?” Dominic asked.
“No, that is all. You’ve been a great help but our time together is finally done.” Caprina handed Dominic two stacks of hundred dollar bills. “Take care, Dominic.” She left his office.
Once Caprina was outside, she jumped up and down and danced. Years of methodical planning and manipulation were finally paying off. She was going to get Scott and keep him firm within her grasp. She would play it safe and wait a couple of weeks, but then she’d swoop right in and get him.
She picked up a flower and smelled it.
They always say one should stop and smell the roses. Well, they smell pretty fucking amazing right now.
Caprina took out her notepad and quickly amended the list.
1.
Fuck with his head.
2.
Become besties with the enemy.
3.
Find out everything about the little girlfriend.
4.
Interrupt their relationship.
5.
Get Scott.
6.
Enjoy worldwide success.
7.
When all else fails, get rid of MLH.
Number seven on the list was going to be the easiest of all.
****
Dominic was counting the hundreds on his desk. It was twenty-five thousand dollars. Since Caprina hired him eight years ago, he accumulated close to a million dollars for his efforts in following Scott Reed’s life. Scott led a boring and uneventful life, yet Caprina was drunk with interest on him. “Not my sanity,” Dominic shook his head.
He picked up the phone and called his boss. “Mariana moved out,” Dominic began, “she left the subject’s home this morning.”
Sanora silently nodded on the other end. “Very well.”
“Is there anything you would like me to do, Mistress?”
“Yes, there is,” Sanora removed a cigar from the humidifier. Jay cut it and Eduardo lit it. “Round up, everyone,” her lips curled into a sensuous smile, “it’s show time.”
E
IGHT
Mariana looked around at the numerous boxes in her new apartment. Her bathroom stuff was in one section while her bedroom stuff was in another. Her parents’ friends had donated a new sofa to her, and she was going to go to Wal-Mart the next morning for some kitchen items since she had given hers away when she moved in with Scott.
On second thought, Mariana wished she hadn’t been that foolish.
She sat down on her sofa and thought about her past relationship. Scott was her everything. She wanted to be his wife. She wanted to have his children. She picked out the engagement ring. He was going to propose to her soon, she felt it coming. And then….and then…she didn’t know what the hell happened.
No, wait. She did know what happened. Caprina.
That
happened.
Mariana should’ve seen it coming the moment she saw Caprina in Scott’s office. She didn’t look threatened or intimidated by her at all. She was confident with a dash of arrogance and a permanent smirk on her face, as if she was saying, ‘And I can take your man, too.’ Mariana smiled at her stupidity. Caprina didn’t have to say that; she simply did it.
Immediately after she had moved out of Scott’s home, he had finally given her access to her bank accounts, and she was astounded by the amount that was in her savings. When she had last checked before Thanksgiving , there had been $2,000, but now there was a little over $20,000 in the account. She immediately knew it wasn’t just her being frugal with her money; Scott helped her out a lot.
Even though she was pissed at him for breaking her heart, Mariana still had a lot to thank Scott for. He did help her pay for her new apartment.
She began to unpack more boxes, starting with the one that contained her stuffed animals. She should’ve known better to start with that specific box. In front of her wearing the collar Scott had given her was Sweet Pea.
Oh fuck this.
Mariana picked up the purple lamb and stared at it for a long while before placing it in her bedroom.
She turned on the radio, hoping to relieve any thoughts about Scott.
Just my luck.
Marvin Gaye’s “Heavy Love Affair” was playing. Mariana sighed deeply as she remembered the first time she and Scott were together.
Mariana had woken up several hours later to a dark room. The surrounding area startled her at first until she’d realized she was still at Scott’s house. The sex from before had completely drained her and she honestly didn’t remember falling asleep. From doggy style to reverse cowgirl to the various missionary positions, Scott had fucked Mariana into submission. A few times, Scott pulled Mariana’s hair as he fucked her from behind. Had she known he was going to react that way, she would’ve opened his drawer much sooner.
She picked up her iPhone and looked at the time. It was already six-thirty and nighttime. She had spent the entire afternoon fucking her boss. Explaining that to her roommate was going to be interesting, Mariana thought. She quickly decided it was going to be a little secret of her own. She got up and tried to find her clothing in the darkness. She managed to find a nearby lamp and turned it on. Beside it was a note:
Dinner’s waiting for you in the kitchen.
Mariana stared at the note for a long moment.
So he does cook after all.
A big smile formed on her face, but she quickly wiped it off. Despite what happened, Scott was still her boss. They had several hours of hot and passionate sex, but he was her employer and one-time lover. She’d eat dinner and head home. She knew better than to expect a relationship or even a regular sex partner from what transpired.
For all Mariana knew, Scott was probably going to fuck another girl shortly after she left his house for the evening. The peculiar part would be trying to forget what happened. She’d never look at Scott the same way again. How could she? She’d probably be walking with a limp for the rest of the week.
Mariana quickly put on her clothing and met Scott in the kitchen as he prepared lemon chicken. He was a natural in the kitchen and often prepared gourmet dishes for his dates. The problem was he didn’t feel like cleaning up afterwards. Somehow, he always managed to get them to clean his kitchen for him. “I’m assuming you’re hungry?” He asked as he poured a glass of chardonnay.
Mariana hadn’t thought about her appetite until now. She was famished. “I could use a bite to eat.”
Scott handed her a bowl of soybeans sprinkled with sea salt. Behind his asshole and his sometimes standoffish demeanor, Scott’s Southern hospitality was shining through at that moment. “This should tide you over for a little while.”
Mariana had a seat at the dining room table and carefully sipped her wine. Marvin Gaye was softly playing in the background. The overhead lights were dimmed and a few candles were lit. For someone who prided himself on being an asshole, he knew how to have a romantic evening.
Scott was half-dressed in boxer briefs and a white tee. Mariana was so used to seeing him in his business attire she just about completely forgot where she was. His house. She was no longer just his maid; she was officially his houseguest.
Scott softly sang along to
Heavy Love Affair
. Mariana watched from the kitchen table until Scott spotted her. He walked over to her and grabbed her hand. “Let’s dance.”
Mariana quickly swallowed her soybeans. “Dance?
“You know it’s that thing where you put your feet together and sometimes wiggle your butt to the beat?” Scott led her to an open area. He pulled her close and their bodies softly swayed to the mid-tempo beat as the Bose stereo blared out the sound. He was a surprisingly good dancer. He softly gyrated against Mariana and caressed her back. She was becoming aroused again.
Suddenly the music ended, and Mariana once again felt uncomfortable. Was Scott just being polite to her? Maybe he just wanted to dance with her, feed her, and then kick her out of his house. Maybe Mariana had broken a code by sleeping in his bed. Whatever the reason, Mariana was uneasy being in Scott’s home. How should she address him? Her boss? Her new boyfriend? Her lover? All of the above?
“Let’s eat,” Scott walked back over to the kitchen and gathered the plates. Mariana sat back down at her seat and waited for Scott, who was watching her facial expressions from the kitchen. “You look serious,” Scott commented as he served Mariana her plate, “you should be smiling. You just had sex.”
A soft knocking on Mariana’s door disrupted her memory. The song ended at the same time.
The movers.
She remembered her new bed just arrived. A new bed, new memories, and a fresh start.
****
In a separate building, Scott watched Mariana direct traffic to her bedroom. She had all the shades up and the lights turned on in every room. Scott intently watched as his eyes followed her from one room to another. He felt a little guilty spying on her the way he did, but he had to make sure she was safe in her new place, despite the fact that he never intended to visit there.
After the movers left, Mariana went to her bedroom and began to make up her new bed. Once her bed was made, she laid on it and curled up into a ball with Sweet Pea. Her body started shuddering and Scott briefly wondered if she was okay. It then occurred to him she was crying. He turned away from the screen in disgust at himself. “I’ve seen enough,” Scott spoke quietly, “thank you.”
Sanora turned off the screens and walked over to Her submissive. She wrapped Her arms around him, and Scott resisted at first, then relented. “I hope You know what You’re doing, Mistress,” His tone was curt.
“She’ll be safe this way, lover. If she stays with you, she’s good as dead.” Sanora pressed Her body against Her submissive’s. “If she’s apart from you, she’ll live. I would never intentionally hurt you or her.”
Scott turned around and looked into his Mistress’s eyes. “I want to see vengeance on Caprina.”
“I’m one step ahead of you.” Sanora’s lips curled up into a sensual smile. “I promise you when all is said and done, My dear Scott,” Sanora whispered as She held his body tight against Hers, “everyone will remember what you did.”
N
INE
Scott arrived at McCormick and Sheppard and made a beeline to his office. He didn’t bother to acknowledge any of the employees or participate in any further gossip at the office. He knew word got around about Mariana and didn’t want to participate in anyone’s take on what went wrong.
All Scott knew was he had to trust Sanora. She said She was going to handle Caprina and She would fill him in on the details after the fact. “
I promise you when all is said and done, My dear Scott, everyone will remember what you did.”
What did Sanora have planned? How did She know so much? Why did She care so much about Caprina?
He passed by Mariana’s desk and noticed it was clear. The only thing on her desk was the computer and desk supplies. No artifacts or personalization. Scott hadn’t expected Mariana to quit her internship, something he’d worked hard to get for her. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was shell-shocked. Her actions indicated she didn’t want to be anywhere near him.
“Mr. Reed,” Jennifer approached Scott at a safe distance, “I’m sorry to hear about what happened with Mariana. Rest assured, I am more than willing to take her place with whatever you want me to do.” She moved closer to Scott and stroked his arm. “And I mean
whatever
you want me to do.”
Scott kept his eyes on Mariana’s empty desk as he spoke softly to Jennifer. “I’m going to count to three. If you’re not away from me by the time I reach three, I will personally have security escort you out. One…two…” Scott looked up and saw Jennifer walking quickly down the hall.
“Come with me, please?” He walked past Elissa’s desk and she followed him into his office.
“Yes?” She closed the door behind her.
“When did she leave?” he asked.
“This morning,” Elissa handed Scott an envelope. “She wanted to clear her desk before you came in so there wouldn’t be a distraction. Here’s her letter of resignation along with her badge and key fob.”
Scott took the envelope and tossed it aside. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to read it and if by chance he did, it was going to take him a minute to stomach the contents. “Fine.”
“You also have a meeting with Rich and Mike about what happened with the campaign,” Elissa handed Scott his daily schedule. “They want to meet with you before lunch.”
“Of course they do,” Scott turned his chair around to face the skyscrapers. “What better way to spoil my appetite than to meet with the bosses so they can bust my balls.”
“It wasn’t your fault what happened with the campaign, Scott. You trusted Mariana and something went wrong,” Elissa encouraged.
Yeah, I’m the reason why it went wrong.
“Have the IT guys got back to you with their report?”
“They’ll have it shortly,” Elissa commented. “Anything I can do for you, Boss?”
Scott closed his eyes at Elissa’s question. She reminded him of Mariana.