Checkmate (15 page)

“I thought you could become our representative in San Francisco, where their headquarters are.”

Well, that was unexpected…

“You mean you want me to move to San Francisco? But what about my work here?”
And what about Dominick and me?
Even though I felt like I hated him to death, the thought of losing him suddenly made my heart shrink.

“We will find someone to replace you. Being our official representative will give you great experience and an opportunity to come back here as the head of our company.”

“I know, but-”

“Isn’t it what you always wanted, Scarlett?”

I swallowed hard. Of course, my father knew how much I wanted to head his company. The problem was that now I wasn’t sure if that was still the primary goal…

“You know, it’s been my dream for what feels like forever,” I said, staring blankly at my notebook.

“You don’t sound excited. Do you want me to ask someone else to go to San Francisco?”

“No, of course, not. I’ll go there.”

“Good. Then I’ll call you back later to discuss the details.”

“When do you need me to be there?” Suddenly the matter of time became the most important issue.

“Next Monday.”

“Okay.” We said good-byes
and I hung up the phone, feeling my heart beating fast in my chest.

So that was the end…

The end of my tortures and sleepless nights. My father was right, I needed to think about my career. It was just about time to remember that I was a part of the family with a name that meant a lot. After all, I was finally given what I had been dreaming about for years — a chance to prove to everyone that I was my father’s daughter, his only heir and his only hope as far as his company went. I couldn’t let him down. 

I took my cell phone and called Jillian. “Have a minute?”

“No, but whenever you sound like this, it means that you need me. What happened?”

“I’m going to San Francisco.”

“Well, that’s good news. Why are you so upset?”

“I mean, I’m leaving New York and I don’t know when I’m
coming back.”

“Wait, what about your job and me? Are you going to leave me here to deal with my one-hell-of-a-boss alone?”

I smiled. “You can handle him. I’m sure you will be able to show him who’s the real boss here.”

“Damn true.
” I could tell she was smiling by the tone in her voice.

“Shall we have lunch together?”

“Sure, if
Mr. Perfect
let’s me.”

“Let me know, if he doesn’t. I’ll talk to him.”

“I thought you two didn’t talk to each other anymore?”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because I saw him a few minutes ago, and he looked like a pissed cat in early March.”

I laughed into the handset. “What?”

“Well, you know, like a cat whose balls need a good massage.”

“Oh, my God, Jill you sure he can’t hear you?” I said through my laughter.

“I don’t really care. He gave me so much work to do, I’m kind of glad to know that his balls hurt.”

“Okay, let’s talk about it at lunch,” I said.

“I sure as hell don’t want to talk about
that
at lunch.”

“Fine, we will just
eat then.”

“Okay, now I need to work my butt off to please his Highness’
s ass.”

“Good luck!”

“Thanks, I will need it.”

One thing that always surprised me about people like Jillian was that they never knew what a bad mood meant. Even if they had problems, they always knew how to deal with them. Even if it included an incredible amount of tequila in the form of Margaritas.

I didn’t expect visitors that morning, so seeing Oliver, standing at the threshold of my office, was kind of surprising.

“Sorry, I forgot to call,” he said, giving me his trademark smile.

“No worries, come on in.” Unlike his brother, I was glad to see him.

“I was actually looking for Dominick,” Oliver said, taking a seat facing me.

“Isn’t he in his office?”

“He is, but he didn’t want to see me.”

“What?”

“Well, he said he didn’t have time
to listen to my smart-ass lectures. Which makes me think he had a fight with you.”

I stared at hi
m, surprised. “Does his bad mood always have something to do with me?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

“Well, I don’t think his belly-aching is my fault.” I smiled, hoping my voice wouldn’t give away my true feelings. “Besides, he sleeps with so many different women, anyone of them could have pissed him off.”

Oliver laughed. “You two are so alike, you know?”

I shook my head. “Never noticed that. At least we are certainly different when it comes to sleeping around.” I clicked my teeth and then cocked my head at him, then straightened it out again and gave him a meaningful stare. 

“I wouldn’t say that.” Oliver looked at me, squinting. “Especially considering that you are the only woman he has been
having a relationship
with since… well, forever.”

I was sure my cheeks
had never blushed so much. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” I said, lowering my eyes to the documents on my desk.

“And I know that
we both know what’s going on here.”

I took a deep breath before I looked at Oliver again. “So what if he and I really
are sleeping together?”

He smiled leisurely. At the moment, he look
ed just like his brother. “I’ve always loved women like you.”

“And what kind of a woman do you think I am?”

“You are like a wire-puller. You know how to make a man do whatever you want.”

I smirked. “I wish you were right.”

He laughed again. “I liked you at first sight. How can Dominick be so blind?”

“What do you mean?”

“How can he not see that you are exactly the woman he has always needed?”

Dominick

I
wanted to kill someone. Not that I wanted to become a murderer, but somehow, killing felt like the only thing that could make me feel better now. I was so fucking pissed off because of one picture in the damn newspaper that managed to mess-up my life even worse. I looked at the paper on my desk for what felt like the hundredth time already.
When the hell did Pamela manage to wrap her arm around my waist?
We looked like a couple who were madly in love, a couple who had just gotten out of bed together. Crap, I should have known better — the reporters would have never missed their chance to get their dramatic story of the day, which just so happened to be
my
life. I sighed sharply.

I always knew that falling in love would never do me any good. And now, I had even more reasons to be sure about that.

“Mr. Altier, your brother is still here,” Jillian said through the speakerphone. “He sa
ys he won’t leave without speaking to you first.”

I rolled my eyes and cur
sed mentally. I could swear that Oliver was my punishment for everything that I had ever done wrong. He always knew how to add more fuel to the fire.

“Fine. Let him
in,” I said, hoping this wouldn’t take very long.

“You are an ass, Bro. You know that?”

“Good morning to you too, Oliver,” I muttered, sipping my third cup of coffee. “What made you wake up so early today?”

“A sweet brunette that I met last night. She turned out to be
totally crazy about morning sex.
Magnifique
!” He said in a rare show of his French heritage. He took a seat facing me on the other side of my desk.

I smirked.

“What? Are you jealous, Bro?”

“Why would I be jealous?” I asked, trying to come up with an excuse to show him the door.

“Maybe because the object of your sexual affection is sitting just a few doors away from you, all beautiful and irresistible. But your dick isn’t allowed to enter her glorious cave.”

I grimaced at his choice of words. “You are impossible, Oliver. I don’t
even know what women see in you.”

“I’m sure you
probably don’t want to know the answer to that.”

“Damn true. So what did you want to talk to me about, which was
so
important that you just had to interrupt my workday for? I bet you’re not here just to discuss my sexual fantasies.”

“I saw yesterday’s paper. So did M
om. And guess what she’s busy doing this morning?”

“Have no idea.”

“She’s buying toys for
your
son.”

I groaned aloud. “Oh, no! Couldn’t she wait for the DNA results? What if he’s not
even mine? She could be buying toys for some other shmuck’s kid.”

“Tell me, Dominick, do you want the kid to be yours?”

I paused for a moment. “I like him. He’s a good boy.”

“
I wasn’t asking if you liked the boy or not. I was asking whether you wanted him to be yours or not,” he said with a loud sigh.

I rubbed my temples, feeling a new wave of
an oncoming headache rising in my head. “I don’t know,” I said finally. “I want kids, but-”

“You
don’t want Pamela as their mother.”

“
Did I miss something or have you received a diploma in reading minds?”

Oliver laughed, shaking his head. “Uh, you are so screwed, my dear brother. Go, talk to her.”

“At the moment I have nothing to discuss with Pamela, Oliver.”

“I’m talking about Scarlett. Do you know she’s leaving for San Francisco?”

“What?” I felt my heart skip a beat.

“Her father offered her a new
,
better
position there. It’s a promotion for her, and she has already accepted it.”

Well, hell…

“Serves me right,” I said, meeting Oliver’s thoughtful gaze.

“You love her, don’t you?”

“Why don’t you shut the fuck up?” I snapped.

“Oh, yes, you
definitely do,” he replied, ignoring me entirely. “I’ve seen this look in your eyes before. I know what it means.”

“I’d really appr
eciate if you saved your bullshit for yourself,” I said, rising. “I need to see her, right now.”

“Good luck!” H
e called after me, laughing.

What a jerk…

The moment I entered Scarlett’s office, I saw her talking to one of her managers.

“I need you to change this banner, it looks too old-fashioned,” she said, frowning. “Add some bright colors, and maybe change the slogan. It sounds childish.”

She didn’t see me, so I leaned against the doorframe, watching her. She always looked so focused while she was working. Who would have thought that there was so much passion hidden behind her iron-lady profile? A little more than a week passed since the night we first met, but it felt like we already knew everything about each other. I could decipher every small change in her eyes, her voice, and her movements. I couldn’t stop thinking about how responsive she was whenever we were together. They say that a strong man can handle a strong woman, and I always thought that I was a difficult nut to crack. But now, I doubted every single step I took and I wondered if just maybe she could possibly be the reason for my doubts?

“I’ll
try to fix everything within the hour.”

“Thanks, Paul.” Scarlett smiled briefly at the guy, and only then she turned around and saw me
standing against the doorframe, studying her intently.

She waited for Paul to leave and said, “I thought I made myself clear about seeing you today.”

“Why did you accept your father’s offer?”

“Why do you care?” S
he snapped back.

“
I thought I made myself clear about my feelings for you, Scarlett.”

She smirked. “
Clear
doesn’t even begin to cover your actions.”

“I’m talking about the time we spent
together in LA.”

She shot me an angry
glance and went back to her desk.

“Don’t go,”
I said suddenly, feeling like I was losing a very important part of my life. Maybe even the best part of it.

“I’ve already said
yes
to my father.”

“You can change your mi
nd,” I said, coming to her desk.

“No, I can’t.” She looked up at me and I
thought I saw regret flashing in her eyes. Did she regret the decision she made or did she just regret meeting me altogether? I couldn’t understand.

“Can I ask you something?” I said, still watching her intently.

“Since when do you need my permission? It seems to me you do whatever you please, whenever you please.”

“Have I ever meant anything to you?”

She swallowed and lowered her eyes; her cheeks blushed slightly. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It does matter to me. Answer the question, Scarlett.” I reached my hand across the table and touched her chin with my fingers, making her look at me again.

What surprised me the most
, were the tears I saw glistening in her eyes. I swore quietly and came to stand near her chair.

Then I turned her to face
me and asked, “Did I hurt you that much, that you can’t even stand working with me under the same roof?”

“It’s not about that, Dominick.”

“Then what is it about? Do you really think that running away will help you forget me?”

“I hope so,” she said, instantly becoming cold and distant again.
For the first time since we met, I couldn’t decipher the look in her eyes. I had no idea what she was thinking about and for a second, I thought that I was talking to a stranger and not to the woman that…

“I love you, Scarlett,” I said, cupping her face in
my hands. “And if that fact will ever be enough to make you believe that I can change, I promise I will wait as long as you need me to. I will wait forever if it means in the end I will have you by my side.” I leaned closer and kissed her lips, trying to put as much love as I could into that kiss. She didn’t respond to my kiss, but I knew she was as taken aback as I was. The moment felt so final… 

Then I stepped back
and walked to the door, trying to suppress my desire to run back, sweep her in my arms and never let her go. But I realized that it was her turn to make some decisions. I said everything that I had wanted to say. She knew I didn’t want her to go, and I couldn’t make her change her mind because for the first time ever, I doubted myself, I doubted that I was even good enough for a woman like her…

***

A week later, I was still sure that my life couldn’t get any worse
. I thought that last week before I had told Scarlett that I loved her and that I didn’t want her to go. But since that day, my life has been in a downward, never-ending spiral, getting worse and worse by the day.

I think I never worked so much in my life. Scarlett left and I didn’t even manage to talk to her again. She did her best to avoid me for the rest
of the week, and even if we bumped into each other, it was nothing but a short greeting or an exchange of a few meaningless phrases. I had to shove my hands deeper into my pockets to stop myself from touching her. God, she always looked so beautiful. Every time I saw her wearing a dress, I couldn’t help but imagine taking it off of her and sliding my hands up and down her perfect curves.

Every day I woke up, hoping to feel her warm body pressed against mine. Even staying home felt like being in my own personal version of hell. Everything reminded me of her and those moments that we spent here together. I swear I still could smell her perfume in my bedroom, in my bed, and on my pillow.

I tried to block
all of the memories of her, tried to switch my thoughts to something more realistic than the dreams about the woman who didn’t want to be with me, who left me when I had asked her to stay, and who blew me off when I told her that I loved her. But I was hopelessly losing that battle with myself, over and over again.

I still wanted her like crazy. My night
s turned into many sleepless hours staring at the ceiling. I think I now knew the exact number of small scratches and other imperfections that I’d managed to spot while not sleeping. But instead of studying my ceiling, I wanted to find myself in her embrace; I wanted to get drunk by her beauty and her smell, and let it wash over me once more.

I reached out, searching for the soft skin and the fragrance of lilacs, but found nothing but tangled sheets. When I opened my eyes, the cruelty of reality
hit me and I wanted to melt into the floor, so I would never feel this miserable again.

When I was with her, everything always felt so easy, and now even breathing felt difficult.

Climbing out of bed, I went to the bathroom, took what felt like the tenth cold shower in one night, and got dressed without the slightest desire to go to work.

I knew that
Scarlett’s office was now empty, but I still couldn’t defeat my desire to see it. All of the decorations, including pictures and flowers, were gone now. The room felt so lifeless.

I frowned, feeling a new wave of misery overwhelming me. What the fuck was going on with me? Why couldn’t I let her go? Why couldn’t I move on,
and call one of those girls that I knew were dying to spend the night with me, and just be happy with it? After all, that’s what I always did, I never thought about betraying anyone’s feelings. And now, I was suffering because of a woman who didn’t even want to see me, let alone be with me, or love me in return.

Great…

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. A new text message from my brother arrived.
“Thought you would like to know that your precious Scarlett is okay.”

“How the hell do you know that?”
I texted back.

“Saw her last night in one of SF clubs.”

“Wait, what were you doing in SF?”

“I’m not spying on her, so cool off. I’m here on business.”

So she’s having fun and I’m standing here, in the middle of her former office, thinking about how much I love her? Oh, this is so not going to last forever. It’s time for me to move on, apparently she already has.

“Thanks for the update. Hope you two had a good time,”
I texted to Oliver.

“You bet!”
He wrote in response.

What an ass…

Apart from my nuisances about Scarlett, I had one more problem to deal with. The DNA test.
The results were to be sent over to me today, and I was all nerves, so when I finally saw the envelope lying on my desk, I hesitated. Whatever was written inside was about to change my entire life, and I wasn’t sure I was quite ready for it.