Power Play (11 page)

“As you can see she’s very mature and reasonable,” he said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

“We still have to tell her.”

“She’ll find out eventually.”

Mary stared at him in amazement. “Don’t you care that he’s probably marrying her for her money?”

He took Mary’s hands in his. “Let me be honest. I have received a wedding invitation from my sister every year for the past four years. She chooses inappropriate men because she likes the attention she gets and she wants me to come to her rescue. I did that once, I won’t do it again. It’s all a silly little game I don’t want to play anymore. My parents encourage it because they’re so happy she’s forgiven them. Now do you understand?”

“I still think you should tell her.”

He released her hands. “You’re not listening to me.”

“I’m not saying you need to rescue her, but she needs to know the truth.”

Jenna stormed into the dining room. “Edmund, I won’t have this. I want everyone in the living room. It’s rude to have a private conversation. What are you two talking about?”

“Elijah.”

“What about him?”

“He’s seeing someone in my office,” Mary said.

“So what? He’s
marrying
me.”

Edmund threw up his hands. “That’s it. We’re leaving.”

Jenna held her hands out, blocking him. “Edmund, you can’t leave.”

“I can’t take this again.” He spun away and walked to the other side of the table, creating distance between them. He pounded on the back of a chair. “You do it every time. It started with the convict, then there was the bigamist. Do you remember the cult leader? You had me worried sick.”

Jenna gripped the back of a chair and faced him. “At least I knew you were thinking about me. How else am I supposed to get your attention? You’re either making money or spending all your time with your latest girlfriend. You don’t make any time for me.”

He shrugged, unconcerned. “We have nothing in common.”

“We could find something,” she said with a hint of desperation.

“When you decide to grow up, perhaps we can start then.”

“Perhaps when you stop judging everyone I’ll grow up!”

Mr. Davis came into the dining room with his hands over his ears. “What’s all this shouting about?”

Jenna rushed over to her father. “Edmund’s leaving.”

Mr. Davis lowered his hands and looked at his son. “Do you want me to get you your coat?”

“Daddy, I want him to stay!”

Mr. Davis covered his ears again. “You can ask them to stay without shouting.”

Edmund scowled. “Don’t you dare start crying.”

Jenna blinked back tears. Mr. Davis patted her shoulder. “It’s his nature. He’s like a dragonfly. He can’t stay still for long. He’s always on the go.” Mr. Davis addressed Mary. “You know one day I hope you can tell me what his place looks like. I’ve never been there,” he said, resigned, revealing a thin layer of hurt.

“No one has seen his place,” Jenna added, holding back her practiced tears.

“It’s probably too fancy for me,” Mrs. Davis said as she entered the room with Mrs. Lemon and Elijah following behind.

“That’s not the topic,” Edmund said.

“What’s the topic?” Mr. Davis asked.

“The fact that Jenna keeps doing this.”

Jenna vigorously shook her head. “No, it’s about Edmund never being around.”

“I thought it was about Edmund’s place,” Mr. Davis said.

Soon everyone was talking and no one was listening. Mary jumped from her seat, raised her hands and shouted, “That’s enough.”

Everyone stopped and stared at her.

Mary’s hands fell to her sides. “I’ve had it with all of you. First, Mrs. Davis, you’re beautiful, so you can stop envying your daughter. You have lovely skin and a great figure. Put some powder on your cheeks and lipstick on your lips, and you’ll be a new woman. Call me if you have any trouble selecting the right shades.”

She turned to Edmund’s father. “Mr. Davis, Edmund will be happy to have you visit, but you have to leave the insects at home. Not everyone is as…um…passionate about them as you are.” She looked at Mrs. Lemon, then decided against it. “And,
you
Jenna. You need a new tactic to get your brother’s attention. How about being the shrewd businesswoman you are? Not just anyone can become as successful as you are. I hope you know you’re worth much more.” She glanced at Elijah. “I have a feeling we’ll see each other again.” She lifted her handbag and turned to Edmund. “Now I’m ready to go. We’ll talk in the car. I have enjoyed this evening on some level that will come to me later.” She smiled at Mr. Davis. “Can you get my coat?”

Eager to please, he hurried out of the room.

“Can I really call you?” Mrs. Davis asked, showing more energy than she’d demonstrated all evening.

“Yes.”

“And you’ll have us over for dinner sometime?” Mr. Davis asked, helping Mary with her coat.

“Certainly.”

Jenna looked at Mary with reluctant admiration. “You’re not half bad…Mary.”

“Thank you.”

Soon they were all talking about how wonderful the evening had been, and it took another twenty minutes before Edmund and Mary were finally able to leave.

Once in the car, Edmund said, “I guess I had it coming.”

“What?”

“Your revenge.”

“What revenge?”

“Inviting my family over and promising my mother a makeover.”

“That’s not revenge. I meant it. Family can be aggravating, but you can’t get rid of them. Wait until you meet mine.”

Edmund sent her a curious look. “So I get to meet them?”

Mary hesitated, realizing what taking that step meant. She’d been able to keep him away from them for months. She had hoped to keep it that way. “Yes,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Sure. Eventually.” She could already hear how her mother would greet him.
“So you’re the new man in Mary’s life now. Hope you last longer than the last one. He hung around awhile, then left her and took everything.”
Her brothers would just nod and grunt if asked a question without offering any questions or comments of their own.

“How long will ‘eventually’ be?”

Possibly never.
“Sometime when we’re not busy. Maybe in the spring, my workload will be less, then,” Mary said, then wanted to kick herself when she saw the joy on Edmund’s face.

“Really?”

She nodded and made a noncommittal sound, hating that she was lying to him.

A soft smile touched his face, and Mary’s heart sank at her deception. “That would be great. I would really like to meet your family.” He rested his hand on her shoulder, then gently brushed his knuckles against her neck, his warm hands belying the cold day. “You’ve made me really happy. For a while I thought you didn’t want me to meet them.”

I didn’t.
“You didn’t want me to meet yours.”

“My reasons are different. I’m not close to my family. You are. Your mother and brothers send you gifts for your birthdays and the holidays.”

He still thought the presents she’d received over the holidays actually meant something. What he didn’t know was she had received the exact same gifts—a knit scarf-and-hat set, mugs and pajamas—six years in a row. Fortunately, the 18-karat-gold bracelet he’d given her had made up for them.

Birthdays and holidays didn’t mean much to Mary—her family only used them to remember that she was around—but she knew Edmund wouldn’t understand that. He thought her family was nearly perfect. Although he knew her father had abandoned the family, he saw them as the close family unit he never had. She didn’t want to explain how wrong he was. Desperate to change the topic she said, “Why didn’t you tell me your sister was like that?”

“I told you you wouldn’t want to know them.”

“I know, but I thought—”

He raised a mocking eyebrow. “You thought I was an unreasonable bastard who was trying to punish my family because of their past. Yes or no?”

“Yes.”

He patted her on the head as though she were an obedient child. “At least you’re honest.”

She playfully swatted his hand away.

He started toying with her earrings. “You look great by the way.”

Mary quickly removed them and the brooch. “I forgot I was wearing them.” She dropped them in her handbag and shivered in disgust.

“Dad really likes you, my little beetle.”

She playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

“Now you look like a lizard.”

“Oh, that reminds me, I need to buy Cammie some food.”

On the way home they stopped at the pet shop, which was open until late. Mary filled the basket with pet food while Edmund selected new toys he wanted for Cammie’s cage. Neither of them noticed the woman who had ducked behind a display so she wouldn’t be seen, nor did they notice the wicked smile on her face as she watched them leave.

A few days later, Mrs. Davis called Mary for help with a makeover and they went shopping. Mary helped her select the right colors and shade of foundation to match her skin tone and showed her how to do her hair and nails. When Jenna saw what Mary had done with her mother she demanded that they schedule time together, too.

Several weeks later, the two women ended up at a beauty spa, where Jenna announced that her wedding had been cancelled. She had uncovered the truth about Elijah and had dropped him. Encouraged by the women’s friendship, Mr. Davis attempted to reconnect with his son and sent Edmund a framed photograph of a dragonfly and a beetle. Edmund softened and decided to invite him over to his office. It wasn’t his home, but it was a start.

As spring approached Jenna discussed having a barbecue, which, to her surprise, Edmund agreed to and told Mary that she should invite her family, as well. She told them that she wasn’t sure they’d be able to attend and gave an elaborate excuse as to why. But when they were able to, she would let him know.

One day at work Mary saw Elijah. His eyes widened in panic, but she merely smiled and put a finger to her lips. She found no reason to tell Dianne the truth. Work was going well and her life was full. She visited Mrs. McQueeth weekly, continued to have lunch with Jean, spent time with the Davises and work continued to improve. Twice, James gave her a nearly perfect score on her evaluation and gave her more responsibility. She knew that her promotion was just within grasp. Yes, everything was perfect. Being a member of The Society had definitely changed her life. Then Dianne dropped a bomb.

D
ianne approached Mary’s desk, looking way too pleased for such a rainy Monday morning.

“I knew you wanted a promotion,” she said in a sly voice. “But I never thought you’d go to such lengths.”

“What are you talking about?” Mary said in a distracted tone as she wrote down some notes she needed to make.

“A few weeks ago I was in the pet store buying something for my cat and I saw you there. I would have said hello, but I noticed that you were distracted by the man with you.”

Mary’s skin went cold. “It’s not what you think.”

“I may be beautiful, but I’m not stupid. I also know where you live and who owns the building. James has been bragging about how happy Gregory and, especially, Edmund Davis have been, working with you. I wonder how James will feel when I tell him
how
you’re making Mr. Davis happy.”

“He’s not directly related to the project. So I’m not doing anything wrong.” Mary turned back to what she was working on, not wanting to forget the important points she’d just been discussing with one of their vendors.

Dianne nodded. “Sure, sure. That’s why you’ve been so open about all this.”

“James will understand.”

“And
his
boss will completely understand, too?”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I had to make sure I wasn’t making a mistake. I know you’re such a stickler for rules, and it just surprised me that you were seeing the man whose project you’re supervising.” She lifted the dried rose on Mary’s desk. “And also imagine my shock when I learned that you have a close friend living there. I’m sure that makes you very objective.”

Mary leaned back in her chair, now used to Dianne’s methods. She wanted to tell her that she’d seen her boyfriend with another woman, but didn’t want to do her a favor. She briefly hoped Dianne ended up finding out the truth about him on her honeymoon. “What do you want?”

“Nothing. I just want to let you know that I know.”

Mary waited.

“However, I could use a little help with maybe two accounts I’m handling, but that’s not news to you. You’ve helped me before.” She smiled. “It would be like old times.”

Mary flexed her fingers. She was so close to getting promoted. She had only one more month to go. She didn’t want to jeopardize her chances. She couldn’t let her relationship with Edmund get in the way. She had vowed that she would never be left with nothing again. She had to depend on herself. “Fine.”

That evening, Mary ended up taking home Dianne’s work. She continued this routine for the next two weeks. She turned Edmund’s dining table into a work center. Cammie sat at her feet, occasionally hitting Mary’s foot with her tail for attention. Mary briefly stroked her, knowing that she’d been neglecting her beloved pet the past few weeks due to work, but having no other option. She was working on one of Dianne’s files when Edmund came home late and sat in front of the TV.

“There’s food in the fridge,” she called from her position at the dining table.

“I already ate.” He patted the seat beside him. “Come and keep me company.”

“I’m busy.”

“You’re always busy nowadays. Just a few minutes.”

“But—”

“I can pick you up, you know.”

“I’d like to see you try,” she mumbled.

He stood; she jumped to her feet and reluctantly sat next to him.

He drew her close and she sank into his warm, solid body, finally feeling her exhaustion. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” he said.

“Yes?”

“How do you feel about kids?”

She stiffened, a rush of feeling flooding her with a longing she didn’t know had been there. “I like them,” she said cautiously.

“Me, too.” He toyed with her hair, then let his fingers brush against the back of her neck, sending tingles through her body.

“Ever want to have some?”

Yes.
“I haven’t really thought about it.”

His hand fell to her shoulder. “I was just curious.”

“Oh.” She stared at the TV, but the people on the screen were a blur. “Why are you curious?” When he didn’t reply she turned to him and found him fast asleep. They’d both been tired lately, but she’d never asked him what had been keeping him late at work. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, but she’d been too busy herself to ask.

It wasn’t easy trying to balance the career she needed with the man she wanted. But the problem wasn’t that she wanted him—it was that she
loved
him. Completely, totally, hopelessly, and she hadn’t planned on that. Somehow her brief affair had turned into a relationship.

She felt the old Mary rising up within her—romantic and naive, but she could no longer deny it. She didn’t want to deny it; somehow it felt right, but it also terrified her. She watched him sleep; it was something she liked to do. Sometimes she imagined he opened his eyes and they were a warm brown without any secrets, but she usually let the fantasy fade away.

But she knew her feelings wouldn’t fade. Mary shivered from the anticipation of the pain she knew she’d face. She would have to make a decision soon, and she knew what it would have to be. Edmund had caused her to lose one promotion; she wouldn’t allow him to make her lose another one. No matter what, this year would be her year—no matter how hard she had to work or who she had to lose.

Edmund’s eyes fluttered open. “Are you cold?” He moved to get up, although it looked as though it took all his strength to do so. “I could get us a blanket.”

“I’m fine,” she said, but something in her voice alerted him.

He tenderly stroked the side of her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Mary briefly shut her eyes, remembering the first time she’d met him. He’d spoken just as tenderly then—as if he’d truly cared about her—and she loved him for it. Suddenly, tears stung her eyes.

She blinked them back. “I just have so much work to do.”

“There’s no need to cry about it,” he said, catching a wayward tear with his finger. He gently brushed it away, then kissed her cheek. “Ask Richardson for an assistant.”

“It’s not that. I really need a promotion. It’s important to me.”

“You’ll get promoted this year. Don’t worry.”

“On my own terms.”

He yawned. “Uh-huh.”

“Without interference. If she found out that you had anything to do with it…” Her words trailed off.

Edmund paused. “Who?”

“Nobody,” she said quickly. “I’m just rambling.”

His gaze sharpened, and he searched her eyes. “You don’t ramble. What’s going on? Why is your workload suddenly so heavy?”

“I’ve fallen behind.”

“Or someone is giving you more work to do.”

She’d forgotten how smart he was or what a poor liar she was. Her gaze fell under his intense scrutiny, forcing her to be honest. “I’m helping Dianne with a few things.”

“Why?”

“Because she found out about us and the fact that Mrs. McQueeth is living at the community. If James’s boss finds out, I may not get the promotion because it will look bad. It will look like a conflict of interest.”

Edmund yawned again, looking bored. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You’re not doing anything wrong, and if she makes any trouble, send her to me.” He cupped her chin and smiled to reassure her. “I don’t want you worrying about this.” Slowly his smile turned a little dangerous, and she saw a flash of the ruthless businessman behind the cold grayish-brown eyes. “You’ve earned your promotion, and you’re going to get it.”

“Listen to him,” Rania said as they sat in a “Club Only” booth in an exclusive downtown restaurant.

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“Because you’re in love with him.”

Mary buttered her bread.

“Have you told him?”

“No, and I never will.”

“Why not?”

“Because this relationship has no future.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he’s already filled up too much of my life. He’s part of my work—my living depends on him. I’m even close to his family now, and I never was with Curtis’s family. It’s too tangled. I need to break free before I get comfortable.”

“What’s wrong with being comfortable?”

“My mother was comfortable with my father. He gave her three children and left her to fend for herself. For eight years I was comfortable with Curtis until he decided to leave and take everything in our apartment. It’s dangerous to be comfortable, and with Edmund it’s really easy to be so. He makes me want to depend on him and trust him.”

“And you’re afraid to.”

“I can’t.” She clenched her hands into fists. “I’m too close to getting what I want. What I’ve worked so hard for. Soon I’ll be able to afford a really nice apartment or condo without a hefty discount and be able to treat Mrs. McQueeth to nice things.”

Rania frowned. “Does Mrs. McQueeth need more things? I thought she was happy.”

“She’s very happy, but I’d like to do more for her. On my own, without Edmund’s help. I’m not ungrateful for all that he’s done for me. A part of me loves him because he’s so generous and he doesn’t make me any promises that I know he’ll end up breaking.” Her voice fell. “He doesn’t promise to stay around and he doesn’t promise to love me.”

“But?”

“But I need to structure my life in a way that when he leaves, I won’t fall apart, and right now the way things stand, the moment he leaves my life would crumble again. And I can’t face that.”

“I don’t think you’re being fair to him or yourself. What’s our motto?”

She repeated the words with reluctance. “As a member of The Black Stockings Society I swear I will not reveal club secrets, I will accept nothing but the best and I will no longer settle for less.”

Rania pointed at Mary. “We don’t accept less in life or in love. You deserve a man who can offer you those promises and, most important, you should ask for them.”

Mary left the restaurant that evening with Rania’s words resounding in her mind. She couldn’t ask Edmund to make any promises. And yet a part of her wanted to. She wanted to hear words like
forever, marriage
and
love.
But she also knew they were just words. Curtis had said those words to her many times, and they had been as solid as air.

Rania meant well, but Mary still felt confused. She knew of only one person who could help her untangle her thoughts: Mrs. McQueeth. Mary baked a batch of coconut biscuits and headed over to the community from her friend’s place after work. She knocked on Mrs. McQueeth’s door. It slowly swung open, revealing an empty apartment.