Never Dare a Tycoon (15 page)

 

“It’s a gorgeous house,” Jennifer said gently, trying to ease the tension.

Antonia stood up. “Here,” she said, throwing the keys to the Porsche onto the table. “I won’t be needing these.” She ignored the four blank stares as she walked out of the restaurant. She was too angry and frustrated to care about their confusion.

With that, she left. Running, she was able to catch the bus stopping at the opposite corner. It would take her within a few blocks of Cesar’s. She could walk the rest of the way.

She got there just as Monica and Clara were walking in. They were surprised, but delighted to see Antonia.

 

“What are you doing here?” Monica asked. “You just disappeared last night. We were all worried about you,” she said, hugging Antonia fiercely.

 

Antonia explained about Brett and how he didn’t approve of her career choice.

 

“He likes coming here, but he doesn’t like his girlfriend working here?” Amber said, stating Brett’s hypocrisy precisely.

 

“That about sums it up,” Antonia said, not correcting Amber’s mistaken assumption about her relationship with Brett. Partly because she didn’t believe it.

 

They rode up in the elevator together, Monica asking what Antonia planned to do.

“I think I’ve been fired. I put down my mother’s maiden name on my application so I wouldn’t be associated with the Attracelli family. Its called misrepresentation or something,” Antonia said.

“No one cares what your name is here,” Clara said, disgusted. “All they care about is how you look in the costume.”

 

Monica laughed, but was in complete agreement.

 

“I know,” Antonia said. “But they can make that stick. I guess I’m here just to pick up my bag that I left last night and anything else in my locker.”

 

Georgette came up behind them. “When will we see you again?”

Antonia was close to tears. She had to get out of here or lose it completely. “I’ll call you guys. We’ll have lunch and I’ll fill you in on everything that’s been happening.”

Mike came up behind her and handed her an envelope. “I know its messed up, but here it is. Could you mail back the costume?” he said and walked away quickly.

“What’s that?” Amber asked.

 

Antonia stared down at the plain white envelope. “I think it’s my final paycheck.”

Instead of standing there feeling sorry for herself, she quickly went to the locker room and cleaned out her locker. There wasn’t much in there except for the items she’d left last night.

She took one last look at the room, then waved goodbye to everyone standing in a sad group by the front of the bar. Antonia left by the back exit.

She started up her motorcycle that was thankfully still parked behind the building where she’d left it last night. Pushing her helmet down onto her head she flew down the road, trying not to think about anything. She kept her face mask down, not wanting to be pulled over twice in one day. Besides, it was now rush hour traffic and the fumes were pretty strong.

She drove over to her apartment, grateful that the elevator had been fixed this afternoon. But none of her keys fit into the lock. Mrs. Winkler came out when she heard Antonia trying to use her keys.

this afternoon. bag you keep.

“Congratulations,” she said, handing her a box of cookies. “I baked these I ran out of sugar, but the men moving your furniture handed me the I know you kept it on hand just for me, don’t you?” she asked, a tear

forming in her eye.

Antonia nodded, holding back the tears as she accepted the box. “Thank you. I’ll miss you,” Antonia said, impulsively hugging the tiny, elderly lady. “Be careful and take care of yourself, Mrs. Winkler.”

Antonia rushed back out the door, stuffing the cookies into her backpack. Changing directions, she sped towards her brother’s house. She was so angry that he’d taken over her life like this she could barely think.

She arrived twenty minutes later and slammed the front door behind her.

 

Finding her brother in the library, she tried to control her anger. But it was useless. “How could you do this to me?” she demanded.

 

“Do what?” he said, pouring vermouth into a martini mixer.

 

“Move me out of my apartment and change the locks, get me fired from my job, and worst of all, help orchestrate a wedding that I don’t want.”

 

“Did I do this all in one day?” he asked calmly. Too calmly.

“I guess so. I’m not sure when this day started and ended,” she said, putting her hands on her head. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. It cannot be real.”

Sal poured two drinks, picked them both up and handed one to the man standing directly behind Antonia.

 

“I think I’m the culprit,” Brett said.

 

Whirling to face him at the first sound of his voice, “Why?” she asked.

 

“How’s the car?” he asked, hiding his laughter behind his martini glass. “Don’t bring that up again. Not ever!” she said, pointing her finger at him.

Brett just threw back his head and laughed. “Antonia, it’s gratifying that you like your engagement present. I just wish it took you longer than fifteen minutes before your first run in with the police.”

“This isn’t funny. This whole situation is completely outrageous. Everyone is trying to control my life and I’m not going to stand for it. I will not be manipulated in this way,” she said, walking over to the bar and took a beer out of the small refrigerator behind the counter. She didn’t even bother to pour it into a glass after opening it. She just took a long, defiant swallow.

Brett stood up and came to stand in front of her. “In what way?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“In what way am I not being manipulated? I’ve been terminated from my job, my apartment has been cleaned out and my lease terminated, and everyone is planning a wedding that I haven’t even agreed to,” she said, twirling around, her hair flying out behind her. “How can anyone say that my life is my own?”

Brett raised one, dark eyebrow, “I think you did agree to the wedding. Has it slipped your mind so quickly?” he asked, reminding her of his whispered promise this morning.

Antonia looked at Sal who was just sitting in his chair sipping his martini. Suddenly, he stood up and announced that he had dinner plans. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Antonia. Its good to have you home,” he said and walked out of the library. A moment later, she heard the front door open and close.

After a moment of silence, Brett looked at her and smiled, “We’re alone.”

Too afraid of being unchaperoned with him, Antonia pretended to ignore him by turning around and going upstairs. But he followed her. “What’s wrong? Mad about being outsmarted?” he asked, sitting down on her bed as soon as they entered her bedroom.

“I haven’t been outsmarted. Not yet,” she said, digging through a drawer. She finally found what she was looking for. A bathing suit she hadn’t worn in years. “If I have to stay here for a while, I might as well enjoy the small luxuries,” she said, holding up the bathing suit.

“What luxuries are you taking advantage of?” he called to her through the closed door of the bathroom.

 

“There’s a hot tub and sauna downstairs. And you aren’t invited to join me,” she said.

 

“I know. I don’t think that would be a good idea either. You in a bathing suit and me in nothing, steaming water. Bad combination,” he called out.

In the bathroom, Antonia closed her eyes. But the image of being in the hot tub with him wouldn’t leave her mind, the pulsating jets massaging tense muscles while the water worked its own magic.

His next words broke her out of her seductive mood.

 

“I’ll need you to be ready on Friday night. There’s a party at the Ritz for some visiting scientists.”

 

“What? Why do you need me there?” she asked, stepping out of the bathroom attached to her old room, wondering if he was going crazy.

“Because you’re my date from now on,” he said, pushing off the bed and coming to stand directly in front of her. “You look gorgeous in that bathing suit,” he said, one finger trailing along the top edge of the fabric.

Antonia’s breath instantly caught in her throat and her breasts, which were aching for his touch, seemed to swell towards his hand. “Don’t do that,” she said, wishing she could step back out of his reach. But her feet wouldn’t obey her brain’s commands.

“Why?”

 

“Because I don’t want you to,” she replied, but her eyes closed as his fingers trailed down her stomach lightly.

 

“Explain why you’re so against this wedding,” he said, stepping away from her.

It took a few moments for her mind to clear. But she realized he wanted a serious conversation. She tried to accommodate him. “Except for the past four years, I’ve lived my whole life dominated by strong men. First my father, then my brothers. And now you’re trying to take control.”

“I’m not trying to take control, Antonia. I’m trying to make you understand that we were meant to be together. If you weren’t so stubborn, you’d realize that and accept the inevitable.”

Antonia grabbed his drink and took a long sip. “I disagree.” He took the drink back before she could finish it off. “That’s because you’re just being stubborn. Which is fine.”

“It is?” she asked at the doorway to her old bedroom. She’d stopped and turned back to watch him. He was so sexy, standing in her frilly bedroom, leaning against the pink walls, his starched shirt open at the collar and his long, lean legs crossed at the ankles. Just looking at him made her want to walk back to him and beg him to make love to her.

“Of course it is. You’ll just have to realize that I’m more stubborn,” he said and smiled charmingly.

 

Antonia shook her head and hid her smile. He was too handsome for her peace of mind. She walked out of the room and started down the hallway.

 

“Whatever happened to the idea of getting married because two people are in love?” she called back, afraid to see his reaction.

“You love me. You’re just too stubborn to admit it,” he called to her and Antonia could hear the smile and confidence in his voice. “Friday night. I’ll pick you up at eight,” he called to her.

Antonia didn’t respond. She just kept walking down the hallway. Why couldn’t he understand that they weren’t right for each other? She didn’t want to be under any man’s control. Yes, she was in love with him. But did it matter? Being in love just gave him another way to manipulate her and get her to do things the way he wanted them done.

Did she have the courage to call his bluff? Would he really tell Sal about where she worked? Antonia stepped into the steaming, bubbling water and wondered. But she knew the answers to her questions already.

Antonia stood in front of the mirror at a quarter to eight the following night. She was wearing another dress from Saks. This one Brett had given her free reign on choosing. He’d had a credit card delivered with a note explaining that the dinner was black tie. And that was all she’d heard from him since last night.

Now he was on his way to pick her up.

She had formed a weak plan last night while sitting in the hot tub. She wasn’t even sure it would work. Brett seemed like the type that wouldn’t change his mind very easily. It would take all her acting abilities, everything she’d learned while waitressing at Cesar’s and all the tricks she’d observed from the other waitresses in handling men.

The plan was simple enough. She would just ignore Brett and make him realize that a marriage between the two of them would never work. She wanted too much independence to be tied to a man with the same arrogance and power her brother’s wielded.

At least she looked good, she thought, twirling in the blue dress, watching the beads sparkle in the light. She’d chosen a long, midnight blue, beaded gown interspersed with silver that danced whenever she moved. The top was fitted, but cut low along her chest with only thin straps holding it in place. The skirt was slim with a long slit that came to her lower thigh. It was the most daring dress she had ever worn and the feeling boosted her confidence.

The doorbell rang precisely at eight o’clock. She opened the door to her bedroom and walked slowly down the staircase.

Both Sal and Brett looked up and watched her descend. She felt like a teenager going to the senior prom, Sal being her father instead of her older brother, and Brett was her date instead of her pseudo fiancé.

Brett came foreword when she reached the bottom step and took her hand, his admiration for her shining in his eyes. With his other one, he placed a ring on her fourth finger. Antonia didn’t understand until she looked down and saw the diamond sparkle.

It was so beautiful it took her breath away. The center diamond wasn’t the largest she’d ever seen, but it was the brightest. There were two square cut stones next to it, both had to be at least a half carrot each.

Antonia looked up and her pleasure shone in her eyes. “It’s wonderful,” she said to him.

 

“You’re welcome,” he returned. “You look lovely,” he said, still holding her hand.

 

“Thank you,” she said, glowing with happiness with his simple words, completely forgetting her plan to feign boredom for the night.

The drive took only a few minutes and before she knew it, she was being handed out by a valet as Brett confidently came around the front of the car, then took her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Antonia followed him inside the building, into the bright lights of the ballroom and the cheerful noises of the crowd. There were so many colorful dresses and ornate hairstyles on the women, whereas the men were clad in the required tuxedo, black cummerbund and black tie. All of them looked handsome, but Brett seemed to shine. Not only was he at least a head taller than most of the other guests, he also exuded an aura of confidence that was natural, not stemming from one’s position or financial status. Brett looked like he knew who he was and always got what he wanted.

He led her into the throng, introducing her as his fiancée to everyone they met. The reactions from each person varied. even the married ones. But most were announcement they never thought they’d hear regarding Brett. Some of the women seemed jealous, surprised, then excited to hear an

Walking through the elaborately decorated room, they were stopped several times by business acquaintances or friends. Antonia tried to be nonchalant about everything, but the people she met were too genuinely nice to be ignored. Surrounded by fragrant flowers, beautiful orchestra music and soft candlelight, it was difficult to be bored. She found herself chatting with several of the men and women who ran subsidiaries for Brett. They were all interesting and well read, listening and respecting her opinions as well as speaking their own minds.