Secret Obsession (11 page)

I
t was seven o’clock in the evening, and Paige had waited as long as she could. She’d waited all day, and it was time—that she headed up to Pierce’s suite, that is. So she took a final look at her flawless makeup and loosely curled hair and then stepped out of the bathroom and stood in front of the full-length mirror. The bright fuchsia negligee fit perfectly and showed more cleavage than most women would want it to, and Paige knew she was ready.

She slipped on her all-weather coat, tied the belt, slipped into her black stilettos, picked up her wallet, and left her room. She couldn’t wait to see Pierce again, now that he’d had ample time to reflect on the last twenty-four hours. She couldn’t wait to hear how he now agreed that last night hadn’t been a mistake at all, and instead had been a blessing for both of them.

Paige was so tickled, she could hardly make it to the elevator fast enough—but her spirit was broken when she saw Camille calling. “What do you want?” she yelled out loud, and the man and woman passing by looked as though they were afraid of her and like she was a nutcase.

“Hey?” Paige answered with no enthusiasm.

“Hey, how’s it goin’? I hadn’t heard from you yet today, so I figured I’d give you a call.”

You haven’t heard from me because I don’t wanna talk to you
. “I’ve been very busy with my client.”

“That’s what I kinda thought.”

Then why are you calling me, Camille?

“Is everything okay?” Camille asked. “You seem quiet.”

“I told you, I’m busy,” Paige said loudly.

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong? Because you don’t sound right.”

“I’m fine. My client had a lot of media interviews, more than I’d planned on, and I’m pretty exhausted.”

“Well, it’s not like I really wanted anything…well, actually there is one thing I wanted to share with you.”

“What?”

“I’ve decided that I’m not going down without a fight.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m not gonna sit back the way I have over the last few days, feeling defeated and hoping the truth comes out. What I’m gonna do is hire a better computer expert and do everything else I can to prove my innocence.”

Paige didn’t like what she was hearing but said, “Good for you.”

“I won’t lose Pierce over some crazy misunderstanding. I just won’t.”

“I don’t blame you,” Paige said, trying to sound supportive.

“Okay, then,” Camille said. “I’d better let you get some rest.”

“I’ll try to call you tomorrow.”

“I love you.”

“Talk to you later,” Paige said, ending the call and tossing her phone inside her coat pocket.

When she turned the corner, she walked halfway down the corridor and knocked on Pierce’s door.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“Me.”

“Paige?”

“Yes.”

There was silence, but then Pierce let her in. “What is it that you want?”

“To talk to you.”

“There’s really nothing to say.”

Paige closed the door behind her and took a seat on the brown velvet sectional in the living room area. Pierce leaned against the wall in front of her and next to the large television. “So, have you thought more about what I told you this morning?” she asked.

“As far as you and me?”

“Yes.”

“If you want to know the truth, I’ve thought about nothing else.”

Paige beamed with relief. “I knew you’d finally realize that our being together wasn’t a mistake. You and I having business in the same city at the same time is no coincidence, Pierce. It was God’s plan for us.”

“Okay, let me stop you right there. God has absolutely nothing to do with the terrible thing you and I did. We both chose to have sex, and I selfishly chose to commit adultery on my wife. Period.”

Paige couldn’t believe he was still talking this way, and she was deeply tired of hearing about Camille. Poor, pitiful, pathetic Camille. That witch.

“Okay,” she said. “I understand your remorse, but what matters now is that things are over between you and Camille, and I’m the one who genuinely loves you. I’m the one who will always be faithful to you and will take care of you no matter what. Your happiness is my only priority, and I’ll do anything you want. I would even give my life for you, Pierce, if it became necessary.”

Pierce seemed dumbfounded, but she knew it was because no woman, not even Camille, had ever vowed to love him so intensely and devotedly. He was shocked to learn that after wasting fifteen long, miserable years with her, he’d finally found the woman of his dreams—the woman he’d fantasized about and secretly loved, even if he wouldn’t admit it.

“Why are you looking at me so strangely?” she asked, smiling, when he still didn’t speak.

“Because I’m trying my best to figure out where all this is coming from. I mean, Paige, it’s as if I don’t even know you anymore.”

“This is who I’ve been all along, but until now I was never able to express how I feel about you.”

“Then I really hate to hear that.”

“Why?”

“Because the feeling isn’t mutual. I’m in love with Camille, and that’s never going to change.”

Paige didn’t understand him. “Not even after how stupid she made you look? You still love her even after she slept around on you behind your back and then lied about it?”

“She’s my wife, and yes, I love her.”

Paige heard him loudly and clearly and knew she had to do something. So she stood up, opened her coat, and let it drop to the ground.

“Paige, please,” he said, but before he could barely get his words out, she was toe to toe with him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him.

Pierce pushed her with much force, and she stumbled backward and onto the couch. “Baby, what’s wrong with you?” she asked, trying to steady herself.

“Paige, I want you out of here.”

“But baby, I don’t understand. Sweetheart, Camille doesn’t even want you. She was just saying today how glad she was that you’d moved out and how she couldn’t wait to file for a divorce.”

Sorrow filled Pierce’s eyes, and Paige knew she’d finally gotten to him. He would never go begging and pleading back to Camille now.

“Did you hear me, baby?” she asked.

“Stop calling me that! Don’t you ever call me that again. And for the record, I don’t care what Camille told you. I love my wife, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to work things out with her. Now get out of here,” he said, snatching her coat and forcing it into her chest.

Paige broke into tears. “So, you don’t want me?”

“My God, woman, how many other ways do I need to say it?”

“Pierce, I’m begging you…please don’t do this.”

“I’m asking you nicely to please leave.”

Paige rushed toward him, trying to clasp her arms around his neck, but this time Pierce snapped.

“Didn’t I tell you to get out of here?” he shouted, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her toward the door.

“I just wanna be with you,” she said, groveling. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Can’t you understand that?” Pierce opened the door and led her across the threshold, but she stepped back inside. “Can I at least get my wallet and put my coat on?”

Pierce stormed over to the sofa, grabbed the wallet, and gave it to her. Paige looked at him with pleading eyes but saw only fury in his. He seemed so perturbed and disgusted by her presence, and none of what was happening made sense. Had he used her and was now simply dismissing her? Had he slept with her and then dumped her like she was no one special? Like she wasn’t good enough? Like she couldn’t hold a candle to his precious Camille? Was he rejecting her and treating her just as coldly as her parents? Had Pierce been fooling her all these years—making her think they were soul mates and that they would one day be together? Could he really be that cruel, now knowing just how much she loved him? Would he really make hot, passionate love to her and then pretend it never happened?

Paige looked at Pierce, he glared back, and then he slammed the door in her face. Just like that, things were over between them, and he was planning to go back to Camille. He couldn’t wait to let bygones be bygones and get back to his fairytale lifestyle. She could see it in his eyes and demeanor.

But Paige had news for him. Nothing in life was ever that easy, not for any of us—and she would prove it.

H
ours had passed, it was three in the morning, and Paige was a nervous wreck. After leaving Pierce’s suite and coming straight back to hers, she’d paced back and forth, cried her eyes out, paced the floor again, and then ordered up a bottle of Riesling wine, which was all gone. Now she tossed and turned in bed, trying to get some sleep, and it was all because she couldn’t stop thinking about Pierce and how she would make things right between them. She pondered, deliberated, and contemplated her next move, but just then it dawned on her what the real problem was—the reason Pierce was so confused about his feelings. It was Camille and the fact that she was still in the way of their happiness. If it wasn’t for her, Pierce wouldn’t feel so guilty, and he would be free to love Paige the way she needed him to. Of course, Paige didn’t like how he’d willingly slept with her and then suddenly rejected her, but she understood why he had. He didn’t want people to start talking, something that was bound to happen once a few gossipmongers learned he had left his wife for her sister.

Like with any other local scandal, yes, folks would whisper and criticize them, but it wouldn’t be long before all conversations ceased. People would speak less and less about it, and in a few months they’d forget what had actually happened and would find someone else’s business to stick their noses into.

Still, Paige knew none of that mattered to a man like Pierce, someone who would never want to bring even a few weeks of shame to his family and who would do whatever he had to in order to protect them. He would even sacrifice being with Paige, the new love of his life, just so he could do the right thing. What
he
thought was right, anyway.

Paige tossed and turned another three hours, but when she couldn’t take it anymore, she reached over, turned on the light, picked up the cordless phone, and dialed Pierce’s room. They would both be in Las Vegas another three days, so she had plenty of time to change his mind about them. She would get him to see that their being together was inevitable, and that there was no sense trying to fight it.

The phone rang until the hotel’s voicemail system picked up. Paige listened but then hung up, wondering where Pierce could be when it was barely after six o’clock. Maybe he was already in the shower or had gone down for an early breakfast. She wasn’t sure exactly, so she took a chance on dialing his cell phone. It rang three times before Pierce answered.

“What is it, Paige?” he said, sounding irritated.

“Um, I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes if you don’t mind.”

“About what?”

“Last night.”

“And?”

“Well, for one thing, I’m sorry I made you so upset.”

“Look, I’m over all that, and I suggest you get over it, too,” he said matter-of-factly.

“It’s not that easy,” she said. “But maybe if we could have lunch or dinner and talk about this face-to-face, I could explain things better to you.”

“Nope. Not gonna happen.”

“But why?”

“For one thing, I don’t want to, and for another, I’m already pulling up to the airport,” he said and then told what must have been his driver, “Yes, I’m flying out on American, so right here is good.”

“You’re leaving?” she said, trying to calm herself.

“Yep. Called and changed my reservation as soon as you left last night.”

“But I thought your conference didn’t end until Friday.”

“Yeah, well, thanks to you, it ended a lot sooner. For me, anyway, but actually I’m glad, because I need to get home to Camille and my children. I need to spend every day I can making things up to them.”

Paige’s moment of sadness turned ugly. “So what you’re saying is that you got what you wanted from me and now you’re rushing home to your wife?”

“Thank you so much,” he told his driver.

“Did you hear me, Pierce?”

“Look,” he said. “Two nights ago was the biggest mistake of my life, but it’s over.”

“I can’t believe you.”

“Believe what? That I love my wife and not you?”

“But that’s just it, Pierce, you do love me. You love everything about me, and the only reason you’re acting like this is because you feel obligated to Camille.”

“Of course I feel obligated to her. She’s been my wife for fifteen years, and I’m still in love with her. But even if I wasn’t, I could never love you.”

“What?”

“It’s just a fact, Paige. You’re a nice enough woman…or at least I thought you were before this week, but I’m not attracted to you in that way.”

“Oh really? Then why did you tell me the other night that you’ve always thought I was beautiful?”

“Because you are. But that was just a compliment.”

Paige’s face softened, the rage in her dissipated, tears seeped from her eyes. “Gosh, Pierce, are you that naïve? Have you forgotten that Camille wants nothing to do with you?”

“That’s not true.”

“Of course it is.”

“No it’s not. After I hung up with the airline, she and I talked for more than three hours, and we’re going to be fine.”

Paige’s stomach churned. “So that’s it? You’re ending things with me because of her?”

“You and I had sex, Paige. One time, and that was it.”

“No, we had an affair, you fell in love with me, and now you’re trying to cut me off.”

Pierce laughed. “You must be out of your mind.”

“No, I’m the same person you manipulated, brought back to your hotel suite, and then took advantage of.”

“You know what? I’m done with this conversation,” he said.

“Pierce? Pierce? Hello?”

He hadn’t even allowed Paige to respond. Still, she sat there, holding the phone to her ear, barely able to move. He truly didn’t want her, and it was all because of Camille and a few lame words she’d obviously said to him during some three-hour chat Paige hadn’t counted on.

But Paige wasn’t worried about it, because once Pierce saw Camille face-to-face, he’d be reminded of her infidelity, and he would go back to hating her again. He would then call Paige, apologizing and telling her how much he loved her and missed her, and he would then be on his way over to her place. He would realize who loved him most and who he could ultimately be the happiest with, and all this madness about his getting back together with Camille would be over. He would end things with his wife for good this time, and Paige now felt a lot better. She could see things much more clearly and was comforted.

She was relieved and finally drifted off to sleep.