Fallen Into You (10 page)

He felt like an idiot.

“Follow me please,” said the host.

Conversation at a table briefly stopped as he entered, the suited and coiffured guests all pausing to take stock as he entered.
Yeah go on – take a good look
.

Soon they were sat at the table, Kara looking delightful in her red dress and completely at home in her environment, while Anders shifted uncomfortably in his seat, still struggling with the fit of his jacket. It wasn’t the only thing he was having trouble with. What was all this stuff on the menu? He couldn’t pronounce half of it. Was he going to be judged on what he chose?

She ordered some exotic crab dish, leaving him still to decide. His eyes traced a line down and he found something that he thought was the safest bet.

“I’ll take the steak entrecote,” he said.

“What else, sir?”

“That’s the a la carte section,” explained Kara, “it doesn’t come with anything.”

Oh boy – and that on its own was ninety dollars. “Uh…forget it. I’ll take the crab, too.” Copying seemed like the easiest option.

He felt way out of his depth. The whole thing just felt like a series of tests to root out exactly people like him and let them know they weren’t welcome. Kara reached across the table toward him and took his hands. But although he loved the touch of her skin, he wasn’t sure if he felt comforted or just condescended to.

They sat waiting in awkward silence. This was a big mistake. What was he thinking? This woman had no real interest in him – what could he possibly offer her? Okay, so the sex was pretty mind-blowing, but as great as that was, there was surely nothing there for her long term, and no way they could work together. That house of hers. Jeez. He was a big guy, and it took a lot to intimidate him, but that thing made him feel very small indeed.

And what did that creep Scott mean with his snarky little comment? Was Anders going to go back to his business the next day just to find he didn’t have one? Had he just blown his entire livelihood – and that of his employees – for a date with a woman who was completely unsuitable and who probably had little interest in him beyond the novelty?

“Is everything okay?” she asked him.

“Fine.”

The crab arrived, along with a set of metal implements that a dentist would have felt overwhelmed by – pincers, forks and all sorts. Jesus. He was tempted to pick the damn thing up and eat it like a chicken leg.

As he wrestled with the shell, practically getting the thing in a headlock, he started noticing the conversation of the people at the table behind.

“The old boy next door wouldn’t stop complaining about the sound of the renovations. So we just bought his house from his landlord and doubled the rent. That soon fixed the problem!”

He could feel his temperature rising. These people were all the same – greedy, selfish and completely detached from the rest of the world. They didn’t know the meaning of hard work, didn’t know what it was like to earn an honest dollar. He thought about Scott, this guy who had everything, didn’t need Kara, probably didn’t even love her, but was quite possibly about to blow him out of the water like it was all just a game of battleships. Finally his insecurities got too much, bubbling up and cascading over the edges.

“You people,” he suddenly said to Kara, “you’ve no idea! When there are storms here, you all float about on the surface in your fifty-foot yachts, while the rest of us struggle to even swim.”

“Anders?” she said, taken aback by the outburst.

“It’s not the real world, you’re all in a cocoon! You and that boyfriend of yours, throwing his weight around, toying with folks’ lives like it’s all just a big game.”

People were starting to look round now.

“Why are we talking about my boyfriend? I’m out with you!”

She was visibly upset, but he was far from done. “‘I’ve put myself out here in ways you can’t even imagine. It’s all so easy for you. If it all goes belly-up – so what? For me, it’s my life. Everything I’ve worked for.”

“What are you talking about?” she said, the shock wearing off and her mood quickly catching up with his own. “Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think this is just some casual, throwaway thing that I did on a whim, with no repercussions?”

“I tell you what I think. I think I’m just your bit of rough before you get back to the serious business of earning millions and haw-hawing with all your fancy friends.”

There was no coming back from that. He ejected his seat and stormed off towards the host, pulling the jacket off and pushing it back at him, sleeves pulled inside out. He thrust some crumpled notes into the man’s gloved hand, much to his surprise and disdain and made to leave.

“You could call the lady a cab,” he said. “If it’s not beneath you.”

His truck rumbled up to adjoin the fancy steps out front and he climbed up into the driver seat. Kara, now in the foyer, stood watching, shaking her head, her mouth hanging open.

He’ll probably get his clothes dry cleaned after driving it
, decided Anders of the valet.
Screw him. Screw them all.
He pulled away in a cloud of angry smoke, grinding the gears as he went.

Chapter Ten

K
ara rolled into her office on Monday morning with her head a mess. How could she have got it so badly wrong? She sat at her desk moving the mouse pointer aimlessly round on her computer, unable to focus on any work of any value.

Anders was hot, sure, but the whole chip on his shoulder about class – what was that all about? And being left in the restaurant like that was bordering on humiliation. Okay, she got that he didn’t know how to behave there, but she didn’t expect such a strong reaction from a grown man.

And Scott, well yes, he was a bit boring, and he definitely had some issues – that arrogance of his was a real problem sometimes – but it made a lot of sense for them to be together. And they had some pretty intelligent conversations from time to time.

Three smart raps and the door opened. She didn’t have time to invite him in but it didn’t matter because it was her father, and he never required to be asked. He came over and sat on the edge of her desk, looming over her, owning her territory.

“What’s going on, Kara?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Scott tells me that you’re messing him around. He tells me that some other guy is interested in you, and you’re not brushing him off. Not only that, but you’ve asked for space.”

She couldn’t deny it.

“This is not a playground, Kara,” he admonished. “You don’t get to kiss all the boys and decide which one you like. You’ve picked one and now you have to play fair. This business can’t afford for you to indulge your fantasies. You know very well how important Scott is to this business. Now quit playing around and start behaving like a grown up.”

Well why not start treating me like one?

She deeply resented his getting involved. But somehow, he had a control over her that other men didn’t, so instead of standing up and telling him where to go, she couldn’t help but say something placatory.

“Yes, Daddy.”

When it came to her father, she couldn’t rock the boat. She’d always craved his approval, but it was even more the case since her mother died. She was constantly looking for his permission to do things, and if he didn’t give it, she’d change her mind. Sometimes it was almost on a subconscious level – she’d find some reason why she didn’t want whatever it was anyway. It was just to protect herself from the truth: That she was a grown woman, yet still couldn’t bear to defy her father.

***

There was something very sad about throwing Anders’ flowers away, but it had to be done. It was time to start afresh, so it was important that she did it, and that Scott saw her do it. It felt strange throwing away flowers that still had plenty of life in them, but it also felt necessary.

Scott stood before her, and

Kara found herself remembering meeting him the first time round, seeing those cheeky dimples at the corner of his mouth for the first time, and being impressed by his obvious intelligence. She thought about the time they spent in Paris together, and all the wonderful food they ate. He was a good man, or at least he was good to her. And he was a safe bet.

Sometimes we’ve got to settle for the stable things in life

.

We can’t just go dancing through fields chasing pretty butterflies

.

She looked at him earnestly, sincerely, and took his hands. “I’m sorry.”

And she meant it. She hadn’t told him everything of course, and she still had some pretty big secrets to hide regarding Anders, but that was her problem, not Scott’s, and she’d deal with it.

“That’s okay, baby,” he said, “we all do stupid things from time to time.”

The spirited side of her wanted to lash back out. How dare he suggest she was stupid? She wasn’t some simple-minded type – she was a strong, intelligent assertive woman. But she also knew that she’d got off pretty lightly. Diplomacy kicked in and she decided to let it go.

After all, Scott seemed to have done exactly that, and he wasn’t exactly renowned for it. If he felt he’d been wronged he tended to brood. You could see it in his eyes – a slow, dark stew of resentment and revenge. He could sit whole evenings and barely talk, consumed by the idea that someone had got one over on him. He only ever seemed to find peace once he’d evened the score.

Scott, of course, had every right to be angered by this one. She’d given their relationship a full-on vote of no confidence. In face she’d semi-rejected him. He didn’t know half of what had gone on, of course, not even about the date, but what he did know was enough on its own to cause anger and consternation. Yet none of that was apparent.

Kara figured the process must have matured him, like it had her. And let’s face it – you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

What he said next sealed the deal.

“I’m sorry, too. For reacting the way I did. It’s not like me to have an outburst like that. I just don’t do jealousy well.”

“I promise I won’t ever do anything so stupid again,” she said.

“That’s good to know. And to be fair, you’re nearly as intelligent as me.” Kara recognized his deadpan sarcasm and laughed out loud, even if she did suspect that behind the veneer he probably believed it.

“Besides,” said Scott, “it’s not like your friend is likely to cause us any more problems.”

“Why do you say that?”

Scott steepled his fingers and smiled.

“Scott,” she said, her face growing tight. “What have you done?”

Her mood was shifting very quickly, and she felt a surprising sense of protectiveness towards Anders, despite what had happened.

“I did nothing untoward,” said Scott. “I just did what the bank should have done a long time ago.”

“Which is…?”

“I called in his debt.”

“You did
what
?”

“I closed him down. Put him out of business. Taught him a lesson.”

She was filled with so many thoughts that she didn’t know which one to express first. What the…? How could he…? What exactly…?

She wanted to reach forward and grab him by the lapels. “Tell me you didn’t do this out of spite.”

“Of course it wasn’t out of spite,” he said, a glint in his eye. “This was cold, hard business. I warned him that if he crossed the line, there would be consequences. You’ve got to protect your assets, Kara. You’ve got to look after what’s yours.”

“GET OUT,” she yelled, surprising even herself.

But this time Scott was going nowhere. He sat down in her chair and put his feet up on the desk. He’d have lit a cigar had he had one.

“I don’t have to go anywhere. I can do what I want, when I want.”

Kara’s eyes narrowed – where was this coming from? “Just you wait till da…till Alexander finds out. He won’t stand for this! You don’t just close someone’s business down!”

“Oh, yes, ‘Daddy’. Don’t you see the power I wield here? Do you really want to make him choose between me and you?”

“Scott, he would never put you before me.”

“Are you so sure? You know, it would be such a shame to see a promising career come to an end. Can you imagine the humiliation of being sacked from the family bank – by your own father?”

Kara was consumed with rage, but she had no cards left to play.

“You’ll come round,” he said. “You’ve got no other choice.”

He sneered, then turned and walked out, leaving her door hanging open – a final mark of casual disrespect.

She couldn’t believe he’d done what he had to Anders, and she certainly couldn’t believe he’d tried to dominate and control her. Going back to Scott was the only choice – but the thought now repelled her. You don’t win someone’s affection with threats. It was typical Scott – he had no idea how women think.

And if it was bad enough for her, what about poor Anders? She pulled the flowers out of the bin by the stalks, the guilt working in the opposite direction for a change, and placed them back in the vase. No wonder he was so on edge at the restaurant. He’d come in and asked her on a date knowing that it could cost him his business? That was pretty impressive. He hadn’t just gone out for a meal with her – he’d gone out on a limb.