Where Life Takes You (3 page)

Stay in Hell,

RT

Chapter 3

“Bex.” Dan’s loud, husky voice reached all the way to the front door and caught me a few seconds before I left his place. “You fell asleep and we never got to discuss our Christmas plans. We leave tonight after work. Mary can get your stuff together; doubt you’ve got time to do it. Nathan will drive you to the airport from the office. He’ll be here soon to take you to the office, so get ready.”

The reason the most punctual man in the world was running late today, had finally come out. He had three different alarms in his bedrooms and never forgot to set them on time. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. His modus operandi never failed. He was taking me away. Again. Without telling me anything about it. As usual. Mary had precise instructions to pack my bags. My opinion didn’t count.

The nerve!

“Oh, please. I bet you bought an entire wardrobe for the trip, and Mary packed it yesterday. I do own clothes, you know?” He won a growl and an eye rolling for his efforts.

“I know.” I caught a glimpse of his smirk; in times like this he remind me of a mischievous child.

“And you probably have an itinerary detailed enough to keep us busy for a year, cramped into one week. Including activities I wouldn’t dare to try in my right mind. Which, of course, I’ll end up doing, because you’ll persuade me.” Taking a deep breath, I finished my rant. “One day, Daniel, I’ll learn to say no.
Mainly to you
. See you later, Brightmore.”

I slammed the door, like a bratty teenager whose parents had told her to pick up her bedroom. At the same moment, Nate came out of the elevator and nodded at me.

“Should be done in a few, Nate.” My half-smile granted me a slight head shake.

“I’ll be at Mr. Brightmore’s when you’re ready, Miss.”

In record time I bathed—not washing my hair—and threw on a pair of black slacks, a white blouse, and a nice pink cashmere sweater on top. I applied mascara and a light pink shade of lipstick. My coat and purse had stayed at Dan’s. I double checked my apartment before leaving.  Mary would walk through the place before closing it, along with Dan’s, but my OCD kicked in. I locked the door, and Nate pressed the elevator button when he saw me. He held my purse and wool coat.

“Mr. Brightmore left when I arrived.” Dan had something else up his sleeve.

Dan: Don’t be mad, I’ll see you soon. We’ll have a fun holiday.

Read the text he dared to send me.

Me: Mad, me? YOU’RE TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD. Though I have a hunch this is bigger than usual and I’ll be upset.

Dan: Try not to, princess, please? :)

Nate drove like a pro, fast and safe, and we arrived at the office before the eight o’clock meeting. When I entered the meeting room, Chrystal had taken over my role. The copies I had prepared of the presentation were handed out to each employee. She’d set up my laptop, and held the projector’s remote and my company iPad. The scene startled me. The controlling vixen got me once again; she was trying very hard to take my job. In the corner of the meeting room, Dan observed and dissected everyone’s movements. He glanced my way, and I twisted my mouth and narrowed my gaze.

Tricky, tricky man. Crossing my arms and shaking my head, I sent him a futile glare.
I’m not liking you at the moment.

He winked at me with a knowing smile.

“I didn’t think you’d make it today.” Chrystal’s shrieking voice got everyone’s attention. She handed me a copy and pulled out a chair for me. “The coffee’s ready, as you requested, and the material we’ll cover has been handed out.”

We? There’s no such thing as we. You go and tend the phones, now!

“Thank you, I’ll take over from here.” Wise words, meant to keep my filters steady. A pair of stormy gray eyes latched onto me; the intense glare burning a hole through my face. The man definitely had something up his sleeve. Chrystal moved a chair next to him and sat whispering something in his ear. He smiled politely, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

I started the presentation. Brightmore foundation used our dollars toward the cause, not the operational cost. We utilized resources from Brightmore Limited, and they billed them as donations—a win-win situation. Chrystal interrupted me several times to share her brilliant ideas. They included an in house lawyer, a full time accountant, a marketing department, and a PR representative. None of which would fly with us. I handled the PR, while Bright, Sanders, and Associates managed the marketing side. We weren’t hiring Thomas to handle our legal issues, or giving her a raise to do accounting.

“Outsourcing is a waste of time,” she interrupted me for the tenth time. Dan pinched the bridge of his nose and rolled his eyes. I pressed my lips tight and closed my eyes for a second, begging for this to be over soon. “We can’t keep functioning with a sk—”

“Miss Smith, right?” Dan interrupted her rant, and she swooned at the sound of her name.
Idiot. He’s not flirting, he’s about to bite your head off.
“I’m a busy man. Let’s keep this meeting on track. If you have any further input, then I encourage you to make an appointment with Miss Trent. You can share your ideas during the allotted time. Also, I recommend you study our strategic plan. Perhaps you’ll learn a thing or two before said meeting.”

“Of course.”
Did she just giggle?
“You can call me Chrystal,” she fluttered her eyelashes, and, with a provocative tone, slowly his name, “Dan.” My blood boiled due to her demonstrations.

The presentation continued without another interruption or glitch. We set our goals for the coming year, and Dan passed out a bunch of American Express gift cards. As a non-profit, the Brightmore Foundation employees didn’t get any crazy bonuses, but were paid fairly. Hence, Brightmore Limited donated those gift cards for holidays and special occasions.

Not waiting for any other surprises, I slipped out of the room and headed to my office. My mood couldn’t handle Dan after Chrystal’s behavior. Just as I turned to close the door, Dan stepped inside. I swore he had ghostly powers.

“Rebecca, you have the power to fire her.” He shut the door behind him, steam coming out of his ears. “I’m not doing it for you. She’s a nasty piece of work, and she’s walked all over you long enough. You need to put a stop to it!”

Everyone was blindly loyal to Dan, and he had spies everywhere.

Those freaking gift cards at work, I bet.

“She’s young, and—”

“Really, are you giving me that shit?” He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Rebecca, she’s twenty-eight—a few years older than you. Don’t BS me, not now. I have a lot to do before leaving on vacation, and yet, I’m here, witnessing your lack of backbone. Time’s money, and your soft heart—which I love, don’t get me wrong—is costing me a lot. You have a month to get rid of her—”

“Or what, you’ll fire me?” I yelled, which I regretted immediately. We didn’t solve our problems by yelling at each other. The situation was getting out of hand.

“Of course not.” He waved his hands in the air and gave me his business stare. The poker face I hated. He used it on people he didn’t care about, like associates, or business rivals. “She wants your job, which I won’t give her. This is
your
company. I wouldn’t trust it to anyone else. You know what all this means to me—to
us
. That said, cut any loose ends. Do it for me.”

After a couple of minutes staring at each other, he hugged me. Dan’s way to apologize—to me—but he’d made his point. I hated fighting with him. A slight knock on my door interrupted the apologies. I opened the door to find Chrystal behind it.

“I’m out of here.” His eyes smiled, but his lips drew a thin, unfriendly line.

“Goodbye, Dan.” Chrystal’s whiny, slutty voice made me want to gag.

“That’s Mr. Brightmore, Miss Smith.” His low voice promised lots of hurt. “Thirty days, Miss Trent. Have a good day.”

Our friendship was kept under wraps, and only a few knew Dan was my best friend, and my brother. Or that we lived next to each other, and hung out when he had free time. The majority assumed we’d met when I started working for him.

“He’s a looker,” Chrystal said, interrupting my train of thought. “I’d give my firstborn to be Mrs. Brightmore.”

My body tensed, but I kept my voice steady. “You need something?”

She straightened up her posture and gave me a grin, before answering, “I came to apologize.”

My whole body relaxed.
Thank God, I don’t have to fire her. She learned her lesson.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you in front of the big boss.” Chrystal smiled after the last two words. “Let’s work together as a team. Your plan has flaws, but we can fix them. I can help you. I don’t want you to lose your position.”

Make it twenty days, and I’ll personally pack her desk!

My head pounded after she left, without waiting for my comeback. I didn’t believe in violence, but that didn’t stop me wanting to slap the victorious smirk off her face. I made a call to Henry, my favorite lawyer, to arrange her exit. He would handle everything according to the guidelines. Anything, before I used my few kickboxing lessons, or Dan did something rash.

A friend of Dan’s catered lunch to celebrate the holidays and exchange presents. I escaped to my office to place a few calls. The childcare would remain open, and verified they had the schedule covered. The shelters confirmed they had received all the necessary supplies, but I left my cell number in case they had an emergency.

By five, everyone had left, and the cleaning crew had done its job. I checked the offices one last time, set the alarm, and locked the main door. Nate waited for me outside the building. He was the equivalent of Alfred to Bruce Wayne—though Dan didn’t own a utility belt or a Bat-Cave. I’d asked him several times if the latter existed, because I would want to decorate it.

“No, but I’ll buy it when we need it. For now, it isn’t necessary. My quest for world domination is peaceful. No disguise required. I leave the saving part up to you.”

During the short trip to the airport, Nate told me his plans for the holidays. His wife was from New Jersey. They would spend Christmas there. On the twenty-seventh, they were traveling to Virginia, where his mother expected them.

“They tuned the plane today,” he mentioned, when we approached the airport. “The security detail arrived an hour ago. You’ll like them, Miss Trent.”

Connor: Do you have plans for Christmas?

Perfect, he hadn’t forgotten about me. I had no such luck.

Me: Yes, I’ll be out of town. Can I text you when I’m back? Have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

I refrained from adding a rude remark. “Have a good life. Oh, and please lose my number.” I shoved my phone into my coat and made sure not to leave anything inside the Rover.

Dan waved at me when I stepped outside the car. He barked instructions to the captain and a couple of guys. One of them approached Nate and began unloading the luggage from the Rover—a brand new set of pink bags that yelled, “I’m Becca’s!” The man was unbelievable.

Choose your battles wisely, Rebecca.

A mantra I repeated whenever we traveled.

Deep breaths, Becca.
With that in mind, I walked towards the plane and boarded it.

“Now can you tell me where you’re taking me?” I asked after buckling my seatbelt. “Please, not the Himalayas.”

“Similar weather.” I rewarded the clipped response with a snort. “Telluride, Colorado. Ty and I rented a house for the next two weeks.”

Please, take me to the Himalayas.

Surprisingly, I didn’t faint.
Ty
was
Tyler Sanders
, Dan’s best friend. And Lisa’s brother.

Chapter 4

Tyler Sanders and I had managed a bizarre relationship for years. We met at Mom’s wedding, where he’d arrived with Dan. They barely spoke to anyone, and Ian swore they were a couple—the only explanation his closed mind could come up with.

“But they are sharing a room.”

Greg had refused to pay for two bedrooms, and Tyler declined to waste a penny on a wedding he didn’t approve of. Father and son shared a love-hate relationship I’d never understood. Eavesdropping, I learned they attended Harvard, though Dan was in some joint program with MIT. They owned the world as a pair of seniors. Tyler had a girlfriend and planned to get married. Dan didn’t date.

After the ceremony ended, everyone gathered outside the Town Hall for picture time.

Between hugs, congratulations, and wishes to the wonderful couple, Mom smothered Tyler. “Son, I’m so glad you came. I’ll see you over Christmas break, darling.”

He ignored her and moved toward Dan, where they shared a couple of laughs.

Not surprisingly, Greg, Mom, and Lisa climbed into the limo and headed for the reception, leaving me behind.

Tyler approached me. “I believe they left you.” His steady voice almost hid his curiosity and anger.

“I’ll get a ride from Ian’s parents, they won’t mind.” Mom abandoned me regularly. Grams had to remind her to grab me from the crib before leaving the hospital. A day after I was born. “Anyway, it’s all good. They gave me an out. I’m not much of a party wedding people person.”

I used my usual calmed tone—no need to worry. Tyler and Dan stared at me as if I’d grown three more arms and a third eye in the middle of my nose. They offered me a lift, but instead of heading to the reception or home, Dan headed to Anna’s diner. Tyler and I enjoyed the landscape while Dan began a series of questions; the Spanish Inquisition had clearly trained him.

“You look about the same age as Lisa. Sixteen?”

I shook my head. “Only fifteen, turning sixteen in a month.”

“Fifteen, then.”

I nodded.

“How’s the house hunting going?” He noticed my lifted eyebrow in the rear mirror. “You’ll move now that they’re married, won’t you?” He killed the engine after parking the car outside the diner.

“No.” I answered. Dan opened the door for me, watching me, and obviously waiting for a complete answer. “Lisa sleeps in Gram’s room—they remodeled.” I slumped my posture while we walked, because I didn’t like that change. “Greg… well, obviously he shares Mom’s room, and I have mine. They fixed the basement for Tyler, in case he visits.”

“Fat chance.” Dan chuckled. “He hates his father’s guts.” He pushed the door open for me to enter and we sat at the first available table. The boys ordered hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes.

The interrogation continued while I ate my waffle fries and milkshake. I described the small house. Not the best details, since I lacked real estate skills, but they got the gist.

“Why weren’t you the maid of honor?” Tyler broke his own silence.

“And he speaks,” Dan said.

At the same time, I answered. “Don’t know. Mom hates me, or my coloring didn’t match the dresses, or something,” I shrugged.

A regular mother would’ve asked her daughter to stand next to her. Or at least created a co-maid of honor position, shared by Lisa and me. But not Mom. Her new daughter looked beautiful in the gold cocktail dress. I would’ve clashed. Tyler and Dan’s eyes grew wider than the plates they had been served.

Tyler had shown up, stood behind his dad, and wore the ridiculous golden tie Mom chose. But hated every minute of it. The four looked beautiful during the ceremony. Mom later hung a large family picture of them over the fireplace. Her ideal family: a husband, a son, and a daughter—in that order.

We forged a weird bond while sharing fries and lame stories about my childhood. After a couple of hours, they dropped me at home, where Ian waited for me. He wanted to make sure I came home and said goodbye, before leaving for North Carolina. Every summer he went to his grandparents to help with the farm.

* * * * *

Between my junior and senior year of high school, Ty visited again. This time he brought Ashley—his fiancée. Petite girl, with sparkly green eyes and light brown hair—almost the same shade as Ty. Ash and I hit it off right away. Lisa gave her a nasty look and stormed out of the house. By then, her behavior had become unbearable. I should’ve mentioned it to Tyler, but he and I didn’t get along. Not as much as Dan, who’d kept in touch after the wedding.

“Hey, Becca, Dan sent you this.” Tyler threw a chocolate bar my way—Swiss chocolate. “He meant to come, but the new gig is sucking him alive.”

Against Mom’s rules, they slept together in the basement. On Saturday morning, when I heard Greg and Ty screaming at each other, I put away my cleaning supplies and walked towards the kitchen. Mom had brought up the matter of a prenuptial.

“She needs to sign one.” Adamant about it, she slapped the table to grab everyone’s attention. “Looks deceive. She might be a gold-digger, looking to take a slice of the Sander’s fortune.”

Mom had no business with the Sanders, but I had no vote either to interrupt her drama.

“Is she nuts, Dad?”  Tyler asked agitatedly while Ashley cried next to him. “There’s no such thing as the Sander’s fortune. The Downeys gave the fortune to Mom. You manage Lisa’s trust, but I figure she’ll receive less than a quarter of it by the time she turns twenty-one. Since you four spend like drunken sailors.” He pointed at each one of us.
Not me,
I wanted to add, but abstained.

The discussion spiraled out of control.

“The gold-digging bitch is brainwashing my baby,” Mom began to cry.

I unhooked my purse, took Ash’s hand, and drove with her to the diner. She texted Tyler our whereabouts. To lighten the atmosphere, we talked about Dan, his new business, and the construction company. The plans for opening an advertising company in California excited her the most.

An hour later, the three of us ate a lunch of burgers and fries. Ash ordered a diet coke to balance the meal. I laughed at that nonsense and ordered a chocolate shake with extra chocolate chips.

“Thank you for the quick response.” Ty attacked his burger, splatting mustard all over his shirt. I held the laugh, and Ash covered it with a cough. “No offense, but your mom is…something else.”

“None taken.” I dipped a fry into my ketchup-ranch combo. “I’m not mooching.” He stopped chewing and shook his head. “I support myself. Well, they feed me, give me a roof, and utilities. Everything else, like my clothes, school supplies, and other knick knacks, come from my babysitting and waitressing jobs.” I pointed towards the counter where Annie—the owner of the diner, and my boss—waved at us.

“I’m sorry,” he sheepishly washed down the burger with some water. “I didn’t mean to upset you. They insulted Ash, and my mouth spoke without my brain’s permission.”

I waved my hand and asked Ash about the wedding plans. In turn they asked about college. I wanted to go,
but my checking account said, I don’t think so
. I’d fixated on the idea of moving far away. Hawaii and Alaska topped my list of places. Ash took over the college conversation, and recommended a few schools that waived application fees and offered excellent financial aid.

“Thank you.” I smiled politely while thinking,
not in this lifetime. I’m not that lucky.
College was for brainiacs and trust fund babies, not an average girl like me.

We finished lunch and our conversation, and after they paid for our food, we walked outside. Ash and Ty needed to drive back; I had a babysitting job in less than thirty minutes.

“Call me.” Ty closed Ash’s door and walked me to my car. Concerned, he patted my shoulder. “Anything you need, call me. We’re here for you, Dan included. He’s fond of you.”

He hugged me and gave me a peck on the cheek. I waved at him and wished them the best. They were a cute couple and deserved happiness.

* * * * *

Over Christmas break I made the call. Lisa’s behavior scared me. Life had got so much harder on so many levels. Ty reassured me he’d fix everything, and I believed him. I envisioned her in a rehab center far away from me. My plan backfired. Ty talked to Lisa over the phone. When they finished the call, she stormed to my room, throwing my books and pointing a gun. Again.

“This is your last warning, bitch.” Her gaze wandered around my room. “Stay away from what’s mine. Stay out of my business. Make one more call to
my
brother, get close to Ian, or do something I don’t approve of, and you’ll be six feet under.”

Ian, scared, reached for the gun and calmed her. After leaving my room, they had loud, gross sex. Mom had caught a bad case of deafness. Or, more likely, afraid of confronting Lisa, she chose to ignore the ultimatum and sex noises. Lisa’s open door let the explicit language echo through the house.

“Yes, baby, do it harder. Spank me. Push it harder. Harder. You know how I like it….”

They only ended the scream-o-fest when Greg opened the garage.

* * * * *

“Hey, little one.” Dan’s voice cheered me up on Christmas day. “I wanted to wish you a happy Christmas, as they say back in the old country. What did Santa bring my favorite chocoholic?”

I smiled. He was the first living, breathing entity I’d spoken to since the twenty-third. I loved books, but reading about another paranormal superhero wouldn’t do it for me. Mom and Greg had left for Barbados to celebrate Christmas alone. Lisa had disappeared to who knew where.

Dan and I only chatted for a few minutes. He had stuff to do, he said.

Why do you call if you’re busy?
I wanted to say, but didn’t.

Around four, the doorbell rang.

“Merry Christmas.” Dan winked at me. He stood in front of me, holding a couple of turkey sandwiches, chips, chocolate cake, soda, and a wide warm smile. My heart fluttered at the gesture.

“You’re the best.” I hugged him―he made my day. I cherished the day, since it began an annual tradition. Our first Christmas together.

A few days later, tragedy struck.

* * * * *

Ty came home a day after Lisa’s death. We didn’t talk, but his eyes yelled I hate you every time he looked my way. Mom and I didn’t speak either. I told Dan everything she’d unloaded on me after the incident. She wished I were the one underground, instead of her real daughter. Not that she would bother with a funeral for me. Dan, on the other hand, came to help me the same day Lisa died. He even stayed with me, skipping the funeral.

“I can’t take you with me,” Dan patted my back, “but promise you’ll call if you need anything. I’m your person. I’m here for you.”

Dan introduced me to Nate. “He’s here in case I’m not.”             

Nate remained close to us, and two other bodyguards did damage control—whatever that meant. Ash stayed in California, overseeing the wedding preparations and avoiding the drama. Those days after the incident were a blur for me.

* * * * *

At the end of January, I received an invitation to Ty’s wedding. Afraid of Greg and Mom’s reactions, since they weren’t invited, Nate delivered it himself, tracking me down at the diner.

Ash called a week before the wedding, begging me to go. “Tyler and I look forward to seeing you. We want you to be a part of our lives.”

Desperate and needy, I said yes.

Nate picked me up, and I flew with Dan to the wedding. Ty and I spoke a few words after the ceremony. He handed me a handkerchief—the vows had made me, and every other guest, cry like a baby. I wished him the best, and he ask how life had been treating me. I shrugged, and was thankful Lisa never came up during those painful minutes where I waited for him to blame me, or call me a murderer like Mom and Greg.

I enjoyed the reception. Dan and I danced all night. We were tight, best friends, brother and sister. Nate flew me back to Boston, but Dan called me every other night to make sure I was alive. Ash called me weekly with updates on the house they’d bought.

“The money pit has nothing on us,” she said, laughing, the day the pipes burst and the basement flooded. “The advertising agency had better launch soon, or we’re going to eat noodles for the rest of our lives.”

Everything I learned about Ty was through Ash—who became one of my closest friends—and Dan. We heard each other’s voices through the speakerphone, but that was it. And that’s the way it stayed.

* * * * *

“It’s been a long time.” Dan dragged me out of memory lane as he closed his computer. The joy of Wi-Fi. He worked anywhere he wanted, even his plane. “Don’t you think it’s time to forgive him?”

“Me?” Surprised, I spilled my tea. “The guy hates me, Dan, and I don’t blame him. They were blood related. Brother and sister. I don’t know what he thinks, but he must feel the same as Mom. If not worse.” I sighed. “I get it. He’s your best friend, and you guys want to spend Christmas together. It’ll be best if I go home.”

The flight attendant chose that moment to clean up my mess and set out the dinner plates, along with water and red wine. I pushed the food around my plate. I’d lost my appetite. My stomach had munched on pain, nerves, and anxiety before the meal.