Coming To Reason (A Long Road to Love) (8 page)

Dan Marshal arrived at his office at eight. His secretary muttered
beneath her breath as if scolding someone. “Problem?”

She released a long stream of air. “One of our clients has
been demanding to speak to you since I arrived. I keep telling him you aren’t
in, but he calls back the second I hang up.”

“Would the rude person’s name be Trent Lancaster?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he is no longer, nor ever will be again, a client of
ours, so feel free to be as rude as you like in return.”

“And have a madman come in here and shoot me? No, thank you.”

“For the record, Lancaster’s a spoiled, petulant, greedy
child in a man’s body. But he’s all bellow, no bite.”

The woman smiled. “Well, when he accused you of avoiding
his calls, I have to admit I wanted to reply, ‘as any rational person would’.”

Dan chuckled. For Helen, such a response would have been
extreme rudeness. He went inside and sat down. The moment he turned on his cell
phone, it rang.

Lancaster…again. The ass had continued to call since last
night. He did not wish to speak to Trent until he listened to the jerk’s phone
call with Carrie. He needed to determine what game Trent played.

Carrie believed they remained a couple, and given the small
bit of the call he heard last night, she had reason to think such.

He turned off his cell, switched his office line to one not
occupied, and asked Destiny to come in.

Three minutes later, his daughter, wearing a blue headband,
pink pigtails, and an orange spacesuit, hurried in and closed the door. Her
eyes rounded like saucers. “Does Helen have grandchildren?”

“Yes.”

“Well, one of them has tru
ly
pissed her off and is getting a
scorching lecture.”

He chuckled, certain Trent and not Helen’s precious
grandbabies received the scold. “I want to hear the one phone message Carrie
had last night and then we need to erase it.”

Destiny tensed and crossed her arms.

“Problem?” He hoped his daughter could do this because he
didn’t want anyone else involved.

“Do you have reason to believe Carrie has committed a
crime?”

“No.”

“Then you wish to invade her privacy for your curiosity?”

And this is what happens when you teach your child to
question and not do something just because someone tells her to or because
everyone else is doing it.

He leaned forward and met her eyes. “Yes, I wish to invade
her privacy so I can decide the best step forward.”

Her brow remained furrowed. “Sounds nice, but I’ll need more
specifics.”

He rose and walked to the wall of windows, looking out at
the traffic below. “Carrie believes she’s still engaged to Trent and, I’m
assuming, she thinks their relationship is monogamous.”

“And some of it’s not true?” Destiny asked.

“None of it’s true. So I need to understand what part is
delusion on her side and what part is Trent playing games.”

“Oh God, she’s going to be devastated! And how am I going
to look at her without bursting into tears? I wish you wouldn’t have told me!”

“You kind of forced me,”

“I did. I thought you’d become stalkerish on someone you
like who loves someone else.”

“I do like her. But you don’t have to worry about me
becoming a stalker. I don’t fall for women involved in other relationships, and
I don’t do rebounds.”

“One of those is a
really
good rule. Any reason you didn’t share it with me?” The
angst in her voice came through loud and clear.

He turned around and came to her, pulling her from the
chair and into his arms. “God. Am I so blind I didn’t see your pain?”

She shook her head, still holding him tight. “I’ve purpose
ly
hid it from
you.”

“Why?”

“So you wouldn’t look at me with those sad brown eyes. It
breaks my heart when you’re unhappy.” She pushed away from him. “Besides, I
knew better than getting involved with a married man.”

“Destiny!” He’d pictured a young boy her age, not someone
old enough to be married! “Who?”

“Nothing happened.”

“Destiny, I want his name!”

“You may want it, but you aren’t getting it. Nothing
happened. He didn’t even realize I’d fallen for him until I blurted it out one
day, and he stared at me in horror. He evident
ly
thought me the most hideous
woman in the world.”

Dan gathered her in his arms again. “I’m sorry your heart got
broken, but I’m very glad this guy had the decency and willpower to refuse
you.”

“He didn’t have a problem rejecting me, Daddy,” she
muttered into his shirt.

“Destiny, you are a beautiful young lady. If the guy looked
horrified, he’s either gay or frightened a temptress wanted to tear his
marriage apart. He did the right thing, sweetheart. Good men do not fall to
temptation, no matter how delightful and beautiful.”

Destiny hugged him tight. “I love you.”

“And you’re my whole world.”

She stepped back and smiled at him, wiping her eyes dry
with the tail of her headband. “I’ll make you a copy of the phone message with
Trent and then erase it.”

“Can you do this without listening to it?”

She nodded.

“I don’t want you to hear it. It might damage your trust in
men forever, and I’m pretty sure it gets pornographic at the end. Promise me
you won’t listen.”

She smiled and took his hand. “I promise. I’m sorry I know
what I do now.”

Satisfied Destiny wouldn’t be tempted, he kissed her on her
forehead and sent her out. When she opened the door, he heard Helen scolding
someone. “What is wrong with you? Were you raised by wolves? Such language is
never necessary, and certain
ly
not with me. You may stop calling here, because I will
never allow you to speak to Mr. Marshal. You have stepped beyond the line,
young man.”

The phone slammed down and Destiny burst into applause.

“Oh, Destiny, child. The man provoked me into speaking
such. Do not ever believe what you heard is proper phone etiquette.”

Dan closed his door and returned to his desk. His eighteen-year-old
daughter had fallen in love with a married man. But where? She spent all her
time at college and here. Must be at college. Maybe he should go visit her
professors and see if any looked like someone his daughter could love.

He turned on his cell phone and searched through the
messages looking for any calls not from Trent, Sam, or Mars. He found one.

He selected it and hit redial.

“Give me my phone back!” an old woman yelled.

“Dan, it is critical I speak to you. Call me back… Damn it,
lady, that hurt. What do you have in there? Bricks?”

Dan shook his head. Trent’s behavior had always been a
great source of amusement until Dan met Carrie. Ever since, it had been a great
irritant. She deserved so much better.

His thoughts turned to his daughter’s mystery man. Why the
hell would Destiny fall in love with a married guy? Thank God, she chose someone
who knew the difference between right and wrong and not a jerk like Trent.

His cell phone rang. Trent.

He should take the call now. Once he heard the phone
conversation, he’d
no doubt
be angry as hell.

“Dan Marshal.”

“It’s about fucking time!”

“Who’s this?”

“You know damn well who it is. You’ve been dodging my calls
for two days.”

“Ah, Trent. Thanks for clogging up my phone while I had it
turned off. Keeps those paying clients from getting through to me.”

“I’ll pay your outrageous bill under one condition.”

“Sorry, I can’t make Hell freeze over, so I’m letting my
lawyer handle the matter.”

“You’re suing me?” Trent thundered

“Normal procedure when a contract is broken.”

“Your lawyer will cost almost as much as the bill.”

Dan rolled his eyes.
Trent was a piece of work.
“Possibly,
which is why I’m asking the judge to make you pay the court costs and lawyer
fees.”

“Yeah, well, good luck collecting.”

“I’m looking forward to selling the judgment against you to
some sleazy firm such as GetPaidSuperFast. Then you can have your phone
messages filled with nothing but threats.”

“If you’ll shut up and listen for a moment, I have a better
solution.”

Despite having no hope getting his money would be this
easy, Dan gave it a try. “Go ahead.”

“I understand you’ve hired Carrie as one of your whores.”

His jaw clenched so tight he halfway expected his teeth to
crack. He took in a deep breath so he could relax enough to respond. “You have
it wrong. But I can see your confusion, since you pressure your salesgirls to prostitute
themselves for a contract.”

“You’re
probably
the one who started the lies about me and my company.”

Dan pressed his fingers to his temple. “Wrong again.”

“Are you going to tell me one of your so-called consultants
didn’t nearly rape me in her office?”

Four months ago, Trent and Carrie arrived, wishing to
replace half their staff. He’d assigned Sandra to the project, thinking they’d
get along. And according to Sandra, they got along very well until Carrie walked
into the office. Then he put on a good show of revulsion. Knowing Trent’s
proclivities, he believed the woman.

However, having it thrown back in his face now made him a
bit sorry he hadn’t fired Sandra on the spot. Then he’d have the high road. Instead,
he seemed to wallow in the same filth as Trent, which did not sit well with
him.

“Carrie made it very clear she had no intention of using
flirtation to manage her clients. And I agreed she doesn’t need it. I’d prefer
none of my consultants use it.”

“Well, I’d prefer she didn’t work for you. I got her a
better job in New Jersey, but she feels some obligation to you because you
hired her first. So I need you to fire her so she can take this job near her
home. And if you do, I will pay your bill.”

“Oh, you’ll pay my bill,” Dan stated with certainty.

“Excellent. Fire her at once and be harsh. Tell her she
lacks marketable skills.”

“Are you insane? I could place her any day of the year.
She’s the most marketable person I’ve ever met.”

“Coco thought otherwise.”

“Your source is Coco?”

“She told me more than once.”

“And how many other things did she lie to you about while
she almost destroyed your business?”

“It’s beside the point.”

“No, Trent. That
is
the point. Coco saw how much you
depended upon Carrie and did everything in her power to get rid of her. She
knew, if you didn’t have Carrie, you couldn’t turn your business around.”

“You’re right. And the business is struggling without her.
I need you to fire her so I can bring her back.”

A sharp burst of angry laughter burst from Dan’s chest.
“You have no intention of rehiring her. You damn well know all your lies and
deceits are about to blow up in your face.”

“Everything’s fine, if you’ll keep your nose out of it.”

“Trent, you are a gossip magazine’s wet dream! You’ve got a
mistress in your penthouse, another having your baby in New Jersey, and a whole
damn harem at work. Plus a fiancée on Long Island planning a wedding. I thought
you had discovered a sense of decency and let Carrie go. But no. She shows up outside
my office thinking you two are still engaged.”

“We aren’t engaged. Carrie has to pretend to keep her
family off her back.”

“She’s wearing a ring! Are you saying you didn’t give it to
her?”

“Yeah, but it’s not real. She knows diamonds can’t grow so
big.”

Dan used the palms of his hands on his temples. “Are you on
drugs? Because diamonds do not grow like some carrot in the ground. They are
mined, and, in fact, diamonds larger than the fake you gave Carrie do exist.”

“In museums, but not on a middle-class girl’s hand. She has
to know it’s fake. Women can see a knockoff a mile away.”

“Some women, but not Carrie. She has no interest in
fashion.” Dan doubted she had a clue what such a large diamond cost. If she
did, she would have demanded Trent take it back and buy her a chip instead. “I’ve
wasted enough time on this conversation. If you had an ounce of integrity,
you’d break if off with Carrie and let her get on with her life.”

Trent growled. “I still love her.”

The desire to throw his phone across the room overwhelmed
him. “If you do, then stop being a spoiled bastard and, for once, think about
Carrie instead of yourself. You are getting married in two months! A woman in
New Jersey is having your baby.”