The Billionaire's Masquerade (The Friendship Series) (9 page)

She couldn’t look at him, afraid that if she did, she would burst into tears and give in. She couldn’t give in though. She still sent money home to her parents all the time because work was so hard to find. She’d tried to get her father to move to the city where painting jobs might be easier to find but both her parents refused, wanting to stay in the country where things were simpler and life wasn’t as busy.

She turned away from him, feeling his anger. She heard him move, assumed he was putting his shirt on and packing his bag. She didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want him to disappear from her life.

“If you change your mind…”

She took a deep breath, hearing the sadness as her lungs filled up with air that felt compressed, almost poisoned somehow. “Unless you can figure out a way that our two worlds could work together, I won’t change my mind,” she stated firmly, not wanting to give him any reason to believe she would. Because she might! She could see herself calling to him right now and begging him to ignore everything she’d just said, to take her into his arms and tell her how they could make it work.

But they couldn’t! They were from different worlds. They wanted different things from life. She wanted power and wealth, he wanted simplicity. Those two worlds were too far apart to be meshed. She knew it was one or the other. And no matter how much fun she’d had with him at his small cottage, she couldn’t simply ignore the problems of the future. What if they had children? Where would the kids sleep? He could build an addition, but would they have the money for that? Would they really be able to save enough to build on? What happens when another economic downturn happened? It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when since the economy goes up and down on roughly a twenty year cycle.

She heard the door to her apartment click closed and she crumbled to the floor, sobbing out her heartache and confusion. She loved him! Couldn’t they make it work? Maybe she could work here in Washington, D.C. during the week and fly back up to Maine each weekend. It would be expensive, but what would it be like living without Jack?

But then what happens if she got pregnant? She wouldn’t be able to travel every weekend.

She cried for the next hour, trying to figure out different ways to make a relationship with Jack work but she couldn’t come up with any answers.

Perhaps it was best if they just left things the way they were, finished. She could get over him.

Couldn’t she?

She tried very hard to put him out of her mind that afternoon. But she couldn’t seem to stop crying. She went to the grocery store to stock up on the basics, but she found herself standing in front of the milk case, leaning her forehead against the glass to hide her tears from the other customers. When she went to the post office to get more stamps, someone had to tap her on the shoulder because she’d forgotten what she was doing there.

And when she finally slumped into her apartment, she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks any longer. She’d lost him, she thought despondently. She’d lost him because she was a fool and she couldn’t figure out how to stop herself from being so ridiculous and needing something that may or may not make her happy! And all the while, she knew that Jack made her happy on so many levels but she’d just kicked him out of her life.

Chapter 4

Rachel didn’t notice the hush surrounding her. The noise might have dissipated, but she was too wrapped up in the misery of her breakup with Jack. She’d even ignored phone calls and texts from Nikki and Brianna, unable to explain how stupid she’d been. She’d told them she was fine, but other than that, she’d kept to herself for the last twenty-four hours, unable to talk to anyone.

She should just go back to him, she told herself sternly as she stared miserably at her computer monitor. She was in love with him! Why would she even think about not being with him? He made her feel happy and she cherished every moment with him.

But then her childhood memories surged back to life. She’d hated growing up so far out in the country, being ostracized by the other kids because of her parents’ lack of money. The other kids in town had always had new clothes, fun vacations and sleepovers or parties. Rachel hadn’t had any of that which was one of the reasons she, Nikki and Brianna had connected so instantly. Those two hadn’t even had parents, but the three of them were the ones in the class wearing the dirty, torn up jeans and sneakers with broken laces or a toe sticking out. While the other kids had gone to parties, she’d had chores and hardships. Her father had worked grueling hours and people had taken advantage of him because of his kindness. Too many times people hadn’t paid for the work he’d done. And he hadn’t had any recourse to fight their illegal treatment because he’d been powerless. Even when he’d tried to hire the one attorney in the town to get some help, the lawyer hadn’t thought the cases were strong enough so legal recourse was abandoned.

She sighed, her head falling onto her open palms in confusion. On the one hand, she’d loved every moment spent in Jack’s company. On the other hand, she seriously did not want to raise her children in the same way she’d grown up.

Was there some way to find a happy medium? She worked hard. Maybe there was some way for her to keep her job and he could move down here. Surely there were handyman jobs here in Virginia!

She could support both of them with her own work, couldn’t she?

But was she really willing to give up her dream? What if she started to resent him later in life? She would slowly grow to hate him and she couldn’t imagine hating Jack. He was too strong, too powerfully built and too kind.

And what if she didn’t start to hate him? What if they had a fabulous life together? What if every moment they were together, they laughed and loved and raised children and chickens? Okay, not chickens. She hated chickens but the children she wanted. Desperately. And lots of them.

Maybe she could be the bread winner and he could stay home and raise their kids. Other families did things like that. She could make it work, couldn’t she? She loved him! They had so much fun together.

That was just sex, she told herself. Focus on the more fundamental issues of a relationship.

Perhaps that was the problem. He wasn’t willing to compromise. Would he even consider moving down to Virginia? She might give up her dream of working in New York on Wall Street, but would he leave his nice, comfy life in Maine?

She slapped some papers on her desk, irritated that he wouldn’t budge even an inch! Of course, she hadn’t even suggested anything so her anger was unjustified.

Damn him! Why was he being so stubborn? Why did he have to insist that she wasn’t happy? Who had happiness anyway?

And she’d be happy as soon as she got to the next level! She’d be happy to not be at the bottom of the job barrel!

The lack of chatter started to break through her frustration and she looked around. When she saw the closed conference room doors, her mind wasn’t sure what to think. She glanced around and realized that everyone else in the area was also looking at the closed conference room doors.

Something big was going down. She could feel it in her bones.:

A moment later, the doors were swept open and Rachel inhaled sharply when she saw Jack standing in the doorway, the owner of her investment firm shaking his hand. This was very odd, she thought to herself, remembering that first night in the Eager Beaver when she’d wanted to hide under the table.

And then he looked over at her. It wasn’t like he even had to look around for her. He knew exactly where her glassed in office was. Those sharp, blue eyes focused in on her like laser beams and she held her breath while he stalked towards her.

What was he doing here? Her hungry eyes traveled from his angry, hard eyes down his broad shoulders to his trim waist, astounded at how incredible he looked! And where had he gotten that amazing suit? It must have cost him everything to get that suit. It was obviously custom made because it fit his body perfectly.

She watched, her eyes hungrily devouring him as he approached while her mind scrambled to come up with some logical explanation for why he was here, why he was in her office building and, more interestingly, why the owner of her investment firm was acting so deferential towards him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. He towered over her, looking and smelling like Jack. But this wasn’t her Jack – this was a stranger. Those blue eyes that had laughed with her over the past several weekends, who had taught her to sail and enjoy beer, kayak in the ocean and spot the harbor seals – that was not this man. Jack was kind and generous, laughing at life and scoffing at work. This man was hard and…scary.

And then he was standing in her office doorway, those hard, challenging eyes looking down at her with something she couldn’t quite identify. “Be careful what you wish for, Rachel,” he said very softly, his eyes still holding hers captive. “You might just get it.”

Her fingers were shaking and she wanted to reach out and touch him. But something held her back. That look in his eyes. That hardness around his mouth. It was all wrong. “Jack, what are you talking about? Did you change your mind about my job?” she asked, her eyes filled with both trepidation and hope.

He reached out and touched her cheek gently, then pulled his hand away as if he’d just hurt himself. “No, my dear. You’re my new intern. Starting immediately.”

She blinked, trying to keep up with him but why would Jack need an intern? “I don’t understand.”

He moved closer somehow. “You wanted to be my intern, to learn all you could about my investing strategy. Well, as of five minutes ago, you just became my latest intern. So grab your things. We’re off to New York. Your office is already set up and you’re going to learn everything you wanted and possibly some things you didn’t know you needed.”

Her mind was whirling, but still none of this conversation made sense. “New York?” she asked, still not grasping his meaning.

Emerson stood strong, refusing to relent on his hard line despite the confusion and hurt in her eyes. She had to learn this, had to understand that what she was asking for wasn’t what she really wanted. But what was more important, he couldn’t lose her. He had to be strong until she understood.

With that in mind, he pulled back, hardening his heart and glared down at her. “Come along, my dear. You need to be quicker than this if you’re going to swim with the sharks. You’ve already learned some things, but not nearly enough. And for today’s lesson…” he bent down low, whispering in her ear, “you’ve got to learn to be tough and merciless.”

She swallowed, not sure what was going on. “Jack, please tell me what’s happening. Why are you talking like this?” she asked. She reached out to touch him, thinking if she could just feel his strength, she would know that this was the same man who had held her tenderly in his arms on so many of those cold, delicious nights in Maine.

He grabbed her wrist before she could reach him and held her hand away from his body, refusing to give in to the need to have her touch him, to feel those delicate fingers against his skin. This was all for her benefit, he had to keep that in mind. “Not now, my dear. That will have to wait until later.” He looked down at her, seeing the fear in her eyes and forcing himself to continue this lesson. This was what she wanted. If it would make her happy, he’d give it to her but she had to make the decision to accept the life or reject it as he had. It was going to be a tough lesson. For both of them.

“Jack?” she whispered, her eyes wide with both confusion and fear.

His mouth compressed into a line as he came to the point where he had to admit his deceit. He wasn’t proud of it, but he wouldn’t have changed anything. Being Jack had given him a taste of what Rachel was like as a woman versus what she would have shown him if she’d known who he was.

Bowing slightly, he mocked the names he’d been given as a child. “Emerson Jackson Watson, at your service. And you are Rachel Carson, my new intern. Let’s go.” He turned around without another word and walked out of her office. She blinked, trying to absorb what he’d just told her.

“Wait a minute,” she called out to him, uncaring that the rest of her co-workers were all watching avidly as he turned around, wanting to see this drama played out. “Are you telling me that you…?”

He stopped, bracing himself for the hurt in those lovely, green eyes. “I’m the man you’ve been trying to find for the past three weeks. So now that you have me, it’s up to you to take the internship or leave it. Either way, you have five minutes to grab your things and meet me downstairs or toss the opportunity to someone else. The choice is all yours.”

Without another word, he turned around and walked out of the building.

Rachel stood there, wondering what had just happened. The hurt that was starting to build up inside of her was almost debilitating. Jack and Emerson Watson were one and the same? That didn’t make any sense. Jack was a handyman. Emerson Watson was one of the wealthiest men in the world! What was going on?

Her manager stepped closer, his eyes moving between the now-closed elevator doors and her pale features. “Ms. Carson, you’re exceptional work over the past few weeks has provided you with a great deal of visibility. Hence your newest role as Mr. Watson’s intern,” he told her sternly. “You have been given an opportunity that people would literally kill for. What are you doing standing here staring at the empty hallway?” her boss asked, looking at her as if she’d lost her mind.

Rachel looked at her boss, her mind still in a quandary. But she quickly grabbed her purse and her computer, not even bothering to put it on suspend as she raced out of the office to find Jack. Or Emerson. Or whoever. She was so confused!

Emerson waited, glancing at his watch carefully. He wasn’t sure if he wanted Rachel to accept the internship or reject it. He had no idea if he’d have a better chance of keeping her either way.

But then his heart sank when she burst through the doors though. He’d hoped she’d turn him down, that she wouldn’t want to go through all of this. He’d shown her how nice life could be without the demented push of Wall Street, but apparently she needed convincing. Or he might actually lose her. He accepted that, if she liked the life, if she thrived in the world of the Manhattan financial district, then he never had her anyway. He stepped into the limousine, not even waiting for her to reach him. People who succeeded big in this business were not kind, they were not considerate. They were out for themselves. They played stupid power games to show their opponents that they were more important. He’d played all those games extremely well, never losing a battle. It was time to teach Rachel all of those subtle, and some not so subtle, tricks.