Unbound: The Pentagon Group, Book 2 (28 page)

“Do you want to get some dinner? My treat.” I asked.

“I can’t. I’m meeting my beau. He’s taking me out tonight. He’s been away for a week. Rain check?” I felt deflated, but hid it behind a big smile.

“Of course. Go see your man.”

“Hey, but we need to do a housewarming party for your friends and family. They’ve got to see this place while it’s fresh and pristine.” I nodded.

“I would love to, but I don’t know where to start.”

“Well, that’s why I’m your PA. Leave it to me. I’ll plan everything.” I couldn’t help but hug Gill. I locked the door behind him.

I called Carson and Turner, letting them know I was in my apartment and would spend my first night. Carson offered to bring my things, and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He wanted to see my complete space. I was happy to get some of my things. Thankfully, I kept my guest room clean and ready to move. All he had to do was grab my bags and take my dresses off of the hangers.

I ordered ‘take out’ from a local Thai restaurant Matt introduced me to. I received a call from the front desk about my food delivery. I went downstairs to pick up my food when Carson arrived

“Hi.” I bared a grin.

“I come bearing clothes.”

“Thanks so much for coming.” We air kissed.

Carson followed me to the elevators. “How does it look?”

“Like I died and went to a really posh hotel in heaven.” I remarked. Carson laughed.

“You have the worst sayings.” We arrived at my apartment door. I opened the door slowly, delaying the reveal.

Carson’s eyes widened with surprise and delight. He loved every aspect of the apartment’s new décor. He knew Magnus could pull it off, but couldn’t believe it until he saw it. Once he digested the entire place, he exclaimed, “You deserve this. This is you, Perlz.” He pulled me in for a hug. I got all misty eyed.

“Well, I couldn’t have done this without you and Turner. If it weren’t for Turner’s representation, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this.” I sighed. “I need to ask you a question.” I stated.

“Okay?”

“Do you think less of me for what I did to Matt?” I asked without looking at his face for his reaction. When I dared see his expression, he was looking away, contemplating all the things in my living room.

“I’m on your side, always. I think you would have been better off telling him about the blackmail. They’re all supposed to be friends and clearly they’re not on the same page. Matt . . . I’m sure he fell in love with you. His intentions were clear. The methods of trying to keep you were too much and too soon, but you didn’t think you had a choice. Your hand was forced. I’m proud of you for turning things around on those men, but I don’t know where you’ll stand with Matt after this.” He sighed. “I think your choice was the end of what you had.” I couldn’t disagree. I nodded.

Matt hadn’t called or tried to keep in touch. There was no point in time when I could forget his parting words and forlorn look. There was a finality to our relationship. My concern was how to move on from such a passionate love affair. Not only did I love Matt, but I didn’t think I could be sexually compatible with anyone else. There was no other man on Earth who would make me feel so beautiful and sensual. I grieved losing him most of all.

*****

Carson left to meet with Turner. I ate half of my Thai food, storing the rest in the fridge for tomorrow. I needed to wake up early to commute to my former studio and retrieve my things with the moving company. There was so much to do, and I was physically and emotionally tired. My body was still recuperating from the trauma I suffered in the car crash.

I slept fretfully the entire night. It could’ve been the new setting and the changes to come by my finally saying ‘goodbye’ to my old single life, and welcoming the new one. Carson’s statement of the end of my relationship with Matt unsettled me. In the back of my mind, I kept a glimmer of hope we could resolve our differences and return to the blissful relationship we once had. In the forefront of my mind, I had to push him away to protect us. Hadn’t I?

*****

In the early morning, I got up and emptied my weekender bag. If the bag could talk, it would speak volumes of tales about the passion me and Matt had together during those stolen moments in time. I dressed in my comfy, lounging clothes; t-shirt and yoga pants. I didn’t have sneakers with me, so I wore flats. I grabbed my purse and keys, locking up to make my way to the other door in a city which felt like a trillion miles away.

The last commute to Charlestown was bittersweet. I’d made the trip thousands of times, and once I met Matt they were less frequent. When we broke up, the trip felt long and exhausting. This trip felt no different. It was long and exhausting; overwhelming me slightly. To keep my mind off of the monumental event, I watched people as they traveled with me to their own destinations. I wondered where they were going; what were they going to do when they arrived; was the trip fulfilling for them as mine was supposed to be.

I took my last bus ride and walked the last yards to my place. The moving company was to arrive at nine in the morning. They were to pack my little place up, and bring all the furniture out for the charity truck. When I arrived, I unlocked my little refuge; a space that fortified my independence. I smiled as I thought of how I not only I became financially and emotionally independent, but my sexual freedom and desires were released.

The mail was piled high in the box, and I made a note to change my address online. I went about cleaning out my fridge, taking care to pull out the things I could save from the freezer. My studio was so small I lived without excess. The packing and the move would take no time to make. Clean up would be even faster.

A flurry of activity ensued as soon as the movers arrived. They packed all my belongings. There were three of us in a tiny studio apartment, attempting to stay out of each other’s way. Once they were done, the movers made box runs to store the contents in the moving truck. I stayed outside to keep watch over my belongings as they ran up and down the stairs. I got chills a few times, feeling exposed as I stood outside. Thoughts of my kidnapper left me hyper-aware. I looked around my surroundings, ensuring I wasn’t targeted by an attacker. It was a sensation I’d never felt before. I wasn’t the type to be scared or paranoid of random sights and sounds.

After the movers removed all of my belongings from the apartment, I waited outside for the charity truck to pick up the furniture I’d decided not to move. As I paced around waiting, a car honked and I panicked. I looked around frantically, but it was only the truck signaling its arrival. My heart beat wildly, and I took many cleansing breaths to slow it down. As soon as the last item was loaded, I walked back upstairs to clean and dust everything. When I was done, I looked back at the small space proudly, thankful for the safety and comfort it provided during a dark time in my life. It slowly lifted the veil of darkness and allowed the light to bring vitality back into my life.

Slipping an envelope containing my single key under the landlady’s door, I trekked to the bus one last time. A promise of a large tip to the movers allowed me enough time to return to the city by my usual commute. I was famished, but made my way to the apartment to allow the mover time to deliver my things.

When I arrived at the apartment building, I found Gill waiting for me at the front desk area. I was surprised to see him there.

“What are you doing here?”

“Bringing you food. I’m sure you hadn’t eaten.”

“You’re a mind reader. I’m starving, but you didn’t have to bring me food on your day off.”

“I told you, I’m your PA. You pay me good money to take care of you.” He winked.

Despite our short time together as colleagues, I reached for him and gave him a hug. “Thank you so much. I can use a friend today.” I admitted.

We arrived at my apartment and we proceeded to eat. A buzz on the intercom alerted me to the arrival of the movers. I gave them permission to start bringing my boxes up. There was no furniture to bring in, so they stacked boxes on the building’s dollies. It only took three trips to bring everything up. I gave them a check and an extra tip for their efforts and quick service.

After locking the door, I returned to sit at the small dining area. I marveled at finally having a dining space of my own.

“How does it feel to be here?”

“Honestly, I don’t think I slept a wink last night. I was tired, but there was a heightened anxiety over being in a new place, new job, and there is still so much uncertainty. Everything that’s happened in the last month has been such a life altering experience. I lived in a tiny studio and for some reason it felt like a haven. Last night, as I lay in a bigger bed . . . in a bigger room . . . in a bigger apartment, I felt like I was imprisoned in the studio; like it was a punishment for mistakes I’ve made in the past. And this . . . this feels like I deserve good things. I don’t know.” I looked at him with tears in my eyes. “Sorry. I think I answered more than you actually asked.” I laughed. Gill smiled wistfully.

“I can see this has been a big change. One for the better, I hope.” He raised his beer bottle and I raised mine, clinking in good spirit.

“How was the date with your beau?” I asked.

“It was great. His name is John Peter. He’s Haitian, a third year law student downtown. The kindest and most supportive man I’ve ever been with.” I cooed as he spoke of John Peter.

“Well, I’m happy for you. Now, if John Peter had a brother, I would be happy for me.” Gill laughed. We finished our pasta dish. After cleaning up, Gill offered to help me unpack the kitchen. We talked as we worked. I had the essentials and realized I needed to expand my cookware and serving ware for entertaining. The ones I had was sized for no more than two people. At a later time, I would make a list of all the things I needed to fill the kitchen and make a special shopping trip to purchase everything.

Gill and I got more acquainted with each other’s history. He was equally as hard of a worker. Gill was thirty and was born and raised in the Boston area of Chestnut Hill. His parents were professors at the college in the town. They were loving and supportive of the path he took academically and professionally. They’ve only wanted the best for Gill, and are pleased he was a working professional.

After completing the kitchen, we took boxes to my bedroom and started unpacking my clothing and bathroom supplies. Unpacking went just as fast as packing. Thankful I had very little things to unpack, we took all the flattened boxes to the refuse room. I hugged Gill and thanked him for his unwavering support. Closing the door behind Gill when he departed, I entered my bedroom to get ready for bed. Because I hadn’t gotten much sleep over the last week since my kidnapping, I needed my rest for the next day’s dance practice. Being free of a romantic entanglement, it was the only thing I looked forward to all week.

Since starting work at Pentagon, I was constantly running from one meeting to the next. It was hard to pause to take a deep breath. Needing a bit of time to review and prepare for my afternoon lunch with the California architects, I left the large conference room to seek refuge in my office.

“Perla Parisi?” I turned to acknowledge my former marital name. When I saw the handsome man standing before me, a smile automatically lifted and a little flutter in my belly surged through me.

“Nickel?” Nick Salter was one of the foremen at Parisi Construction. I had a very innocent crush on Nick when I worked as Director of Finance at Parisi. I was endeared to him when I asked him once about his given name, ‘Nickel’. He relayed the story of his father naming him Nickel. His parents had him so young they didn’t have a ‘nickel to their name’. I thought it was sweet. I made a joke about his siblings being named ‘Dime’ and ‘Quarter’. He joked back his sister was named ‘Penny’ because money was even tighter. However, Nickel made it clear he went by Nick, but he allowed me to call him Nickel because I loved it, and had I not been married, I could’ve loved him. During my Pentagon research I learned he was promoted to Director of Operations at Parisi Construction Group when it was purchased by Pentagon.

“It’s Mercurio now that I’m divorced. How are you?” I said as we stood in the large open office space. Our attention was solely on each other as the bustle of the cubicles seemed to decrease.

“I heard you two divorced, and you left Parisi. I’m sorry.” He looked genuinely sad for me.

“That makes one of us.” He laughed and looked down. I smiled when I saw a hint of a blush on his light gold cheeks.

“Perla, you look amazing.” Nick complimented me. I blushed. Matt had been the only other person who complimented me with a glint in his eye, and made me feel the compliment was heartfelt. Nick leaned in with arms open wide and gave me a strong hug, and I hugged back, inhaling his spicy scent. Nick was slightly shorter than Matt, but his body was as firm and strong, reminding me of Matt’s Adonis-like body. I wanted to sigh and release my stress into Nick’s strong arms. Upon releasing each other, we stood close, breaking the natural personal space I typically commanded.

“Thank you, Nickel. You don’t look bad yourself. I see Parisi is still serving you well.” I returned. He smiled his amazing, toothy grin. I’d always thought Nick was extremely handsome, albeit a bit too gritty and tough looking for my taste. I was never physically attracted to the biker type, and Nick was the true definition. His sleeve-tattooed arms were covered by the navy blazer he wore with a collared, button down shirt with the Parisi logo. He wore dark olive colored slacks, but paired them with his steel toed construction boots.

As the construction supervisor, Nick must take part in the meetings to discuss where the construction fell in the schedule. I entered the meeting late from my last meeting and didn’t observe my audience. When I presented my portion on the agenda, I went into automatic mode and mentally blocked off everyone in the room to preserve my confidence. During the overall meeting of about twenty executives and administrators, I didn’t notice him in attendance until he called out to me when I walked out of the room.

“I see divorce agrees with you. You’re a VP at Pentagon. Incredible.” His grin never wavered and I could see a glint in his eyes as he took my image in.

“Yeah. A recent opportunity came my way and I just had to take it.” I stared into his green eyes as he stared into my brown ones. His sandy blonde hair was cut much shorter than his usually ‘kissed by the sun’ shoulder length hair. He looked amazing; a touch of rebel in an executive’s clothing.

“How are things with Parisi?” I asked.

“They’re better now. It was under a lot of upheaval around the time you left and for a while after, but since the sale, it’s been an incredible place to work. I’m now in charge of operations, and decided to oversee the Pentagram project myself. This is a huge one for us, Perla. The old man used to talk about wanting to be part of a huge project like this one. I just wish he were still part of the business so he could see the end of this thing.” Nick stated about my ex father in law, Geno Parisi.

“I think he would’ve loved this project.” I agreed with a smile. I felt a little flurry as he returned the smile.

“I don’t have much input for the décor and theme of the project, but I think you did a great job presenting . . .” Nick opined before we were interrupted.

“Perla?” The familiar husky voice which set my loins on fire called from a distance. I turned to watch Matt walk from the elevators toward us. My heart froze. In the three weeks since I last saw him, he’d changed his appearance. The most dramatic was the short stylish cut of his usually long black hair. He no longer sported the salt and peppery beard I loved so much. He looked gorgeous, different, but somehow the same. I was excited to see him this way, but I also felt gutted. Matt had deliberately changed his look because he knew I loved his long wavy black hair and the beard which accompanied. He wore a lightweight suit in a sandy color. A mint colored tie laid over a white button down shirt. His shoes were a light camel color. My heart ached upon seeing him in all his glory. The memories flooded my mind as I ogled every inch of him.

Matt walked with purpose toward us, and I swallowed the drool which collected in my mouth upon seeing him. I stepped back from Nick. Judging Matt’s face, he was not pleased with the closeness of my and Nick’s bodies. The last time Matt saw a man stand so close to me, he took me home and fucked me, branding me as his. However, Matt and I were no longer together. Nick was just an old acquaintance, and there was nothing between us.

“Matt? Hi.” I said in a quiet voice when he stood beside me, looking directly at Nick. I ran my arm over my hair, bringing it forward over my shoulder; my usual nervous tick. I was still in shock when Matt looked between me and Nick expecting an introduction. I woke up from my spell in time to introduce the two.

“Dr. Mathias Keene, this is my friend Nick. Nick and I worked at Parisi together. Nick is now the Director of Operations for Parisi. Nick Salter, Dr. Mathias Keene is one of the founders of Pentagon.” The two men shook hands. Nick gave Matt a smile, but Matt’s face was impassive as he nodded, clearly disinterested in making friends with a potential rival.

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Keene. You have an impressive company here.”

“Well, I no longer own the company. Perla owns my percentage of the company now.” He said sharply. I smiled weakly at Nick, and looked down, clearing my throat.

“Nickel, it was wonderful seeing you again. Sorry for missing your presentation. I’ll connect with you about the construction. I’m scheduled for a site visit next week.” I offered and gave him a professional smile.

“Yeah?” A twinkle in his eye showed his surprise and delight in seeing me again. “I’ll personally give you a tour. Bring your boots.” He grinned, leaning in for a hug. My return hug was not as strong as I patted him on the back. “Nice meeting you Dr.” He nodded at Matt and walked toward the elevators. I was a little dispirited as I watched him walk away.

I turned to Matt. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw flexed. “Nickel? You have a pet name for him?” He asked.

“That’s his given name. Long story. He goes by Nick personally and professionally.”

“But you call him Nickel? It seemed a little intimate.” He gazed at me, calculating my reaction. I was impassive in my look. True to my nature, I changed the topic of conversation.

“What can I do for you, Matt?” I asked, hoping to get rid of him as soon as possible. He had the ability to melt my insides with lust, but boil my blood in anger. I’ve yet to recover from the intense orgasms he gave me weeks ago. Every time my body shivered at the memory, I reminded myself of his betrayal to quell my hunger for him.

“I’m having lunch with Kent.” He informed. “You can join us.”

“No. Thank you. Enjoy your lunch.” I turned on my heels. He grabbed at my elbow.

“Matt . . .” I shook my head, “I have a lot to do. Excuse me.” I pulled away and rubbed my elbow to remove the lingering feel of his touch.

“I hear you spend sunup to sundown in this place. How is this job supposed to make your life easier and more leisurely?” He asked seriously, reminding me of the reason I gave the Pentagon group for keeping the shares Matt gave me in contemplation of our marriage.

“I came into the project much too late to take breaks. Once I get a few things squared away, I’ll be easing back . . . Are you spying on me?” I asked annoyed, crossing my arms for effect which had the unintended effect of pushing my already large breasts together and out. I saw his vision dip to look at my pronounced cleavage, and he bit his bottom lip in response.

“No. I get updates. I’m making sure you’re being treated well. I don’t want a particular video and article released.” Matt casually informed. My insides roiled at the memory of my threatening to release the edited sex video, if I weren’t treated appropriately by the other shareholders. I composed myself and started walking toward my office. Matt followed. “Pentagon is still my company. You may hold the shares, but you still have to answer to me.

“What?” My heart started beating fast.

“Do you remember the part in the legal transfers which requires you to meet with me at least once a week to discuss how the business is faring?” He reminded me of the clause in which I was still tied to him, even if we weren’t in a romantic relationship. I figured nothing in this world was given for free and without binding a person to another; gaining twenty percent shared ownership of a billion dollar corporation was no exception.

I exhaled loudly, refraining from grunting my disapproval. I checked my wristwatch and saw it was nearing noon. I hadn’t eaten a filling breakfast. Gill planned to grab me a salad to eat at my desk. “I can’t have lunch with you on such short notice. I can schedule you in for some time this week.”

“Great.” He grinned, showing me his beautiful, straight teeth. His face was different without the graying beard. His sister Stella was right, his dimples were better displayed without the facial hair, but it didn’t bring me any comfort. The notion that he may have changed his appearance to appeal to other women made me sick, and I pivoted to turn away.

“Follow me.” I said as I walked off.

“Always.” I rolled my eyes as I led the way to my beautiful office, which I still marveled about having a large quiet office with a spectacular view of the city.

“Matt?” My assistant, Andrea, called out from behind her desk. “Nice to see you again.” She said as she leered over his body. I was surprised Andrea knew him and was so familiar as to call him by his first name. I was more concerned by the way she eyed his visage, like a hungry lioness ready to pounce on her prey.

“Andrea? Hello.” He replied tersely. I tried to judge his reaction to her. She was closer to Matt’s physical type. Andrea was a very pretty brunette. She was much taller than me, equally well-endowed, but an athletic body; much like his ex-wife Sonia Carrion Keene. She had classic, chiseled Italian facial features. I didn’t envy Andrea until that very moment.

“Andrea, Dr. Keene needs to schedule lunch with me for some time this week. Can you please check the schedule and let us know what I have available which coincides with his busy schedule.” Andrea nodded, clicking around on her laptop.

Andrea gave Matt two options, and looked at Matt admiringly as he proceeded to accept Friday at noon.

“Is there a location I should put down?” She asked.

“I’ll pick her up.” Matt answered. Andrea confirmed by entering into my calendar. He nodded politely. I turned on my heel. With his hand set low on my back, we stepped into my office. Normally, I would’ve resisted his touch, but I needed him to send a message to Andrea that he was mine. He closed the door behind me, and my skin heated. I stewed in jealousy over Andrea’s attention to him. I felt the effects of having him near; my body prickled; like being near static electricity, raising the fine hairs on a body. I shook the notion of jealousy because I was the one who ended our relationship. Matt was free to move on with his life, and I had no cause to question or feel jealousy over another woman’s interest in him.

I walked to my office chair to take a seat behind my austere desk. I pulled up a file in my computer to prep for my next meeting.

“You haven’t decorated.” When I looked up, I found Matt looking around the office, taking in the stark cream colored walls.

“This is only my second week here and I have other things to worry about.”

“You could hire someone to decorate.”

“Not my thing. It’s not a necessity. There’s enough work to keep my eyes glued to the desk.” I responded, daring not to look at him.

When the quiet overwhelmed the room, I looked up and asked, “Don’t you have lunch with Kent you’ll be late for?” Walking toward the door to open it for him, he side stepped and stopped in front of my body. He was so close I could feel his breath on my mouth.

“Hi.” He extended his hands to hold my waist, and leaned in for a kiss.

I recoiled. “Matt, what are you doing?” I whispered, looking at his full lips.

“I can’t help but want to kiss you Perla. I’ve missed you.” He replied gruffly.

“I thought the time we’ve been apart would help you get used to the fact we’re done.” I gently pulled out of his hold and turned away.