Unexpected Arrivals(42)
9
James
Cora called Sunday night to see how things had gone at my dad’s party. It was nice to hear her voice, even if the conversations were surface level and came at two in the morning—time zones were a killer, but I didn’t give a shit. I’d make it work to hear her sing in my ear every time she said “hello.” We never discussed anything of importance, yet somehow, the familiarity seemed to spark what both of us had missed in our relationship the last year before she’d left.
I’d set aside my hope for salvaging the us part of the equation—temporarily—in favor of rebuilding the friendship. Neither of us had said those three magic words, or even mentioned the possibility of getting back together. However, every time we hung up the phone, we told the other we missed them. It had taken the place of the intimacy while confirming the tie.
“I’m sorry I haven’t checked on you before now.” Her apology seemed forced or maybe uncertain, or it could be the fog of sleep still hovering in my mind.
“It’s not a big deal. I assumed you were busy.” I had. We weren’t together. She wasn’t obligated to answer every time I called. Part of me felt like we’d taken several steps back, although the truth was we couldn’t take very many forward while we were thousands of miles apart.
“Drake was in town, so I had a lot going on.”
I hated even hearing the man’s name.
Moreover, I hated how much control he had with Cora, yet I couldn’t say anything. I had no right to question what she did or why. Drake Halifax made me want to vomit. I could have dealt with her being with Henry or Arthur—two guys she hung out with from work—or even some random bloke she met out on the town. It was knowing Drake was the reason the two of us weren’t together that made me resent the hell out of him.
I had no clue what to say that wouldn’t give my heart away, so I kept it superficial. “I’m sure having the big boss in town is stressful.” I hoped she got my innuendo. I hoped for a confession—an admission of what had really happened. Maybe if I knew for certain that she’d carried a flame for him, then I could let her go so she could be happy. And if she vehemently denied any wrongdoing, then I could let my heart find its way back to her. As it stood, I felt like a moron who’d been played until she’d boarded the plane for Paris.
“He just expects perfection, and it’s hard to deliver. I’m good at what I do, James, but that man has me questioning every decision I make. I feel inferior when he’s around—so does every other member of his staff.”
Whether it was fear, anxiety, or trepidation, something hung heavy in her voice, and I doubted she would share it with me. It was much easier to save face if one never admitted the truth.
“You wanted to play with the big dogs. Drake’s experience comes at a price. Like you said, being mentored by one of the best in the business will put you in a position to make some serious waves in the industry once you’ve served your time.”
“Yeah, if I ever escape.” She let out a long sigh that held the weight of more to follow. “I feel like I sold my soul to the devil. The more I learn from women around here, the more I feel like I made a mistake.”
Rolling over in bed, I lay on my back and watched the fan spin into a dizzying frenzy in the dark room. I had to play the game. I couldn’t just come out and ask how she couldn’t know fucking her boss would end up screwing her career over in the long run. “How so?”
“He gets you with these huge salaries and promotions. Reels people in with big customers and high-profile projects—the high is like an addiction. Each one tops the last, and I’m constantly searching for one that’s bigger and better. The little ones get you through to the next fix, but he expects the next fix to be brewing while you’re still reveling in the one that got you high in the first place. I’ve reached the point where I can’t enjoy the success because I’m afraid of the fall that might follow.”
Not the answer I’d assumed she’d give. “So you’re not the only one under Drake’s wing, huh?”
“God no, I’m one of many. And he thinks women have an eye for detail men don’t, so he leans toward females when he’s scouting for talent. It’s cutthroat—women are catty as hell and don’t have any problem stepping on each other to get ahead. Nothing like a spiked heel to the eye to wake you up.”
“I hope you mean that figuratively and not literally.”
I couldn’t help but think of them stepping over each other naked in Drake Halifax’s hotel room while he played each one a different tune of romance. My hands started to shake as I imagined his skin touching Cora’s. It made me sick to think of the way he manipulated women—although mostly, just one.
She laughed yet didn’t respond to my comment about the shoe.
“Are you not going to leave at the end of your contract?”
“I don’t know. I’m trying to save as much money as I can so my salary won’t be a driving force if I return to the States to find a job.”
I couldn’t stifle the chuckle that escaped my lips or the sarcasm that followed. “It’s not like you need the money, Cora. You could live off your inheritance and trust fund for the rest of your life. So could your kids and multiple generations after them. If you decide to leave, you can leave.” It pissed me off to listen to her act like she didn’t have options. We all had options, and we all made choices. Cora chose to stay in Paris under Drake’s thumb.