Everything You Want: Everything For You Trilogy 2 (24 page)

“That’s the one.”

Neither of us betray the deadly emotion beneath our exchange. I raise the violin below my chin and play. I’ve mastered my instrument over long, lonely years and I really can play anything. I can tell from Jack’s quizzical expression he knows something is going down between Amanda and me but in this moment I know I will not back down from the fight.

We glare at each other throughout, raising the tension in the entire room. The next thing I know Jack steps behind me, wraps his arms around my waist and hugs me back into his body. I stop playing abruptly. Everyone, but the three of us in this unpleasant little triangle, applauds.

“I hate to break up the concert, you play so well, darling,” Jack intervenes. “But we both have businesses to run and we have an interview and photographs to complete before we can return to them.” He’s telling me to quit whatever it is I’m doing.

I smile affectionately over my shoulder at him and he drops a kiss at the corner of my mouth before releasing me. Amanda seethes quietly. She knows it’s more than her life is worth to say or do anything to spoil this public performance. Besides that’s not her style.

I know I’ve won only a temporary victory but I’m hanging on to it and Jack for dear life. I keep hold of his hand as we sit on the sofa for our interview. Photographers snap away, repeatedly.

The female reporter eventually returns to her earlier topic. “What is your position on having a family, Tabitha?”

“I love the idea of a big family, one day. I missed that, growing up. All I needed was to wait for the right husband and father.” I gaze with sweet adoration at Jack as I say it.

Jack smiles and kisses the backs of my fingers as if acknowledging he’s the one for me. He thinks he’s giving me the courage to lie but it’s only the truth as I see it.

“So you want a large family?”

“At least another Jack.”

“Would you like another Tabitha?” the reporter asks Jack.

“There’ll never be another Tabitha,” he replies, looking steadfastly at me. “I only want this one. But daughters? Yes, I want lots of pretty daughters who look just like their beautiful mother.”

That would be platinum haired and perfectly flawless then. I sigh.

The reporter sighs for an entirely different reason. I stare at Jack’s deception until he winks at me. How easy it is for Jack to fascinate women with his Irish charm and striking good looks. He exudes sex with every nuance. I know I’m not the only female in the room to feel that. I even understand why Amanda would want him so badly. But she can’t have him.

“Didn’t you two know each other way back?”

I slide my eyes to the young male who interrogates us like an aspiring investigative journalist, probably resenting the social diary type assignment that he thinks is beneath him. He’s obviously done his homework if he’s probing that far off remit. I defer to Jack with a sweet smile. He set this interview up. Let him answer to the charges. I’m as keen to know what Jack will say as the rest of them.

“I got an early break when Tabitha’s brilliant advertising company, CaidCo, agreed to manage Zee-Com’s advertising account.” Jack gives me a wide-eyed look that says I’ll need to be extremely grateful later on for his nationwide plug of my business. He doesn’t seem the least bit worried by the line of questioning and I laugh at his nerve. But I’m not so sure the enquiry is as innocent as it looks. “Of course, it was her uncle, Harry Caid, who ran her company back then.

“How old were you when you first met Jack Keogh, Tabitha?”

That young man is clearly digging in the dirt. I glance briefly at Amanda. She’s looking more gratified than she has for the past half hour. Has she provided a direction for these enquiries or am I simply growing more paranoid by the minute? I’m not about to be the person who gives the press any further muck to rake over, however.

“Mr?”

“Yannis.”

I smile demurely at his unyielding face. “Mr Yannis. I can’t even remember Jack Keogh back then but my uncle did have rather a lot of clients. And they all looked the same to me. Boring businessmen.” It was my first real lie. “I was eighteen, at university and interning for CaidCo when I first actually worked with Jack. I think I saw his filing more than I did him though. Oh but I did make him coffee once or twice. Milk, no sugar.”

The group of reporters laugh. Jack’s hand squeezes mine.

“I still won’t drink it any other way,” he tells them. “Even though it was supposed to be sugar, no milk.”

The laughter increases but Mr Yannis isn’t giving up so easily. “So when did the two of you form such a close attachment? We’ve read plenty about Jack Keogh in the press and none of it has included you, Tabitha, until the night of the Commerce Ball.”

I raise a brow towards Jack. That particular ball is firmly in his court.

“Call it a whirlwind romance, Yannis,” Jack says. “We met again recently and things developed from there. We’re both decisive people who know our own minds. We knew we were meant to be together.”

I wonder if Jack is adopting his own good advice and sticking to the truth as closely as possible.

“Does she know about your past relationships?” Even the other reporters turn and stare, at Mr Yannis, askance.

Jack doesn’t appear fazed although I detect pressure building. The Sirocco. The
Boss
has entered the building. “Tabitha would be the first to tell you I’m no saint. She knows me better than anyone. Of course I had a life before I met her again but there’s only one woman I want now.”

And she’s staring straight at both of us.

I feel certain Amanda’s bursting to say his life both before and now is with her but she holds her silence. Jack would make an excellent poker player, I think. There are no
tells
in his game. He betrays no trace of his trickery.

Yannis’ eyes flit towards Amanda’s briefly and I know in that second she’s behind this probing. Her returning glare tells Yannis very clearly, not to dare bring her name into it. On a sudden I realise she uses men to do her dirty work. First Ben Gunn, now Yannis. They fall for her because she’s beautiful and they can’t resist. But she’s as deadly as a funnel-web spider.

I decide this is the moment I must speak up. “I love all of Jack and that means his past as well as his future. I’m not scared by anything or anyone he’s been involved with in the past. Because they’re history now.” I look steadfastly into Amanda’s cold eyes as I speak. “His history.” We both know my speech is more for her benefit than for any news readership. “I’m Jack’s present and I intend to be his future. I’m secure in my love. How could anything that’s over and done with, frighten me when I have all that?”

I already know what Yannis’ next move will be. It’s like playing a slow motion game of chess. He does not disappoint me. But I steel myself knowing that a predictable player is a beatable one.

“What can you tell us about the rather bizarre events, at the Commerce Ball?”

“Come on, Yannis,” Jack says. “Don’t you read your own newspapers? Are they that poorly written and researched?”

The reporters from Yannis’ rival press snigger and murmur in amusement. Yannis looks pretty angry and uncomfortable but it’s nothing to the silent wrath emanating from Jack on the sofa beside me.

“The ball was the night I agreed to marry Jack,” I interrupt. I don’t want things to get ugly and I know how tough Jack can be when he’s crossed. He won’t care that he has an audience of reporters if he decides to throw Yannis out on his rear end.

“And the other man you… er, kissed.”

I feel Jack’s muscles react so quickly, I place my hand on his to calm him. I weave my fingers through his and he yields to me. Although he’s rigid with rage, he stays put.

“Why don’t you ask the boy’s colleague?” Jack says coldly and dismissively of Gunn. He indicates Amanda and I’m delighted he’s calling her bluff, even if he doesn’t know he’s doing it. “This is Amanda Devereaux of Advance Advertising.”

She steps reluctantly forward and we all turn to face her. I bite my inner cheeks to stop myself smiling as I wait to see what she’ll say about it now she’s painted herself into a sticky little corner. If she tries to denounce me she’ll alienate both Advance from Zee-Com and, more importantly, herself from Jack.

Either way I can’t lose.

“Ben Gunn is, as Jack says, a junior colleague of mine at Advance. The night of the annual Commerce Ball was a reason to celebrate for all of us. Jack shared the news of his engagement with a few friends and colleagues. He counted Advance amongst them as they had just been awarded a very lucrative contract with Zee-Com. Advance was, naturally, delighted for them both.”

Her voice is high and strained. She speaks slowly and I suspect she’s still casting around in her brain looking for something she can say that will fulfil her intention of damaging me without denouncing herself. I wonder if she could possibly be that good. Revealing the news of the contract was necessary, I have to admit, but I notice she failed to mention it was temporary.

“Ben Gunn was promised more responsibility and a significant raise in salary that day, as a result. The ball was the first time he had been invited to represent Advance at such a prestigious event.” She rolls her eyes to the ceiling as if to say money and promotion is all young men think about these days. “He became, shall we say, a little over-enthusiastic in his congratulations.” She puts her hand beside her mouth as if making a theatrically whispered aside. “Personally I blame it on all that free Champagne.”

Everyone, except Jack and I laugh nervously. She hasn’t implicated me in any way. It’s almost a disappointment. I really wanted Jack to see her for what she is, but she conducts herself with seasoned aplomb. I don’t suppose she’s become such a serious manipulator of the truth without plenty of practice.

The reporters look to Jack for confirmation.

“Gunn has apologised profusely for his social and professional gaffe. My girl and I are not offended with anyone except you lot who tried to make it out to be something it’s not.” Jack glares at Yannis. “Any more of that and my lawyers will be having a serious word with your Editor-in-Chief.”

Yannis shifts in his seat. He’s a young man after promotion too and I think he’s just realised which is the safest horse to back. “Thank you, Mr Keogh.” He desists his impertinent questions.

Jack has no qualms in throwing his considerable weight and influence about. I almost feel sorry for Yannis. It isn’t easy to cross Jack Keogh. I know.

I’m reminded of the boardroom where I first re-encountered Jack. He practically threw Advance out of his building and then brazenly made his outlandish deal with me. How things have changed in those few short weeks. Yet there remains one constant.

I love him.

“If there are any more questions about business matters perhaps you could direct them to me later.” Amanda addresses the journalists. “Please stick to questions about the engagement for now. Advance have placed me at Mr Keogh’s disposal twenty-four seven, at his specific request.” She stares at me in challenge when she delivers those last stinging words. “So I can offer my very personal services to him and to Zee-Com.” She hands out business cards with her number on as I try to absorb the information.

I glance at Jack and the look he returns shows it’s absolutely true. I’m shocked. Horrified. I want to jump up and scream at him. He knows it immediately and this time, places his hand in warning over mine to prevent me reacting. It clearly isn’t news to him.

All that rushes through my head for the next few questions is when the hell was 24/7 decided upon and why the hell didn’t he bother to tell me? Why does it have to be Amanda at his disposal day and night? As if I couldn’t guess. He’s the most deceitful man I know.

Jack continues to answer questions put to us by the reporters and I have no idea what he’s saying in reply. I’m far too preoccupied with my own dire thoughts.

I scowl at Amanda’s amused, botoxed face. She knows she’s got to me. I expect she’s only waiting around in the hopes I’ll make a complete fool of myself. For once, I won’t give her the satisfaction. I store it all up ready to let rip at Jack once we’re finally alone.

I pull myself together when media focus turns inevitably to the ring. The size and colour and beauty of the thing I exclaim over, as expected. I pose for photographs of it while Jack explains that it comes from the Argyll diamond mines in Australia and is a very rare, flawless and valuable specimen. He tells them which Hatton Garden jeweller he trusted to cut it and that Garrard of Albemarle Street, Royal Warrant holders, designed it to his personal specifications but he refuses to tell them exactly how much it cost him in total.

He makes my presence in the room the reason for that. “Let’s just say a perfectly acceptable amount of money, considering the amazing woman it’s meant for.”

That should appease Amanda, I think, bitterly.

I play my part but I’m on auto-pilot as I express it means so much more to me than its exquisite magnificence. Drifting back into real memory and my own true feelings, I recount the moment Jack gave it to me on bended knee. Everyone’s eyes are fixed on me as I talk.

Jack and I gaze at each other solemnly. He appears to be as lost in his feelings as I am in mine. When he kisses me it’s not for the camera. For me, it’s for real. It feels very sad as I know his feelings for me are not the same as the ones I have for him. I expect he’s showing me he’s sorry he can’t feel the same way.