RANSOM (17 page)

   “Lick that fucking pussy.”

   “Come on, you can do better than that.”

   “Use your fingers.”

   “It’s not a goddamn scratching post down there.”

   Eventually, she gets pissed off because he can’t do it right, and tells him to get up and just fuck her so she can get off. I watch as he stands up, still slouched a little as he removes his pants. I know I really should have walked off as soon as I realized what was going on, but it is the best entertainment I have gotten in… well, forever.

   The poor, sad man that apparently sucks at eating a woman out stands to his complete height, and I get a glimpse of him for the first time. It’s freaking Richard! My heart stops, but only because I am trying so hard to hold back my laugh. I am glad I’m not the only one that thinks he is a lousy lay. That poor girl.

   He leans over to give her a kiss and she dodges it. All self-control I had that was keeping me from laughing fell when she did that. I fold over with laughter and finish pushing the door the rest of the way open. They scatter to get their clothes on, and I am positive I hear Richard apologize ten times before I am able to look him in the face.

   I completely sober when the blonde turns to face me. There is no more traces of laughter when I see my best friend, red faced from just doing the dirty with my fiancé. We all stand there in complete and awkward silence. I can’t believe I didn’t believe him. Lynkin called this.

   “I just have one question,” I finally say. Richard nods as a go ahead, but Manda just drops her chin to her chest in shame. “How long has this been going on?”

   Neither of them offers up an answer, and it pisses me off. “How long has this been going on?” I scream at them.

   “Not long, baby. You were gone, and I was lonely. I am so sorry,” Richard jumbles out.

   “You’re such a fucking liar! We have been screwing behind your back for years. He doesn’t love you. He’s only been with you so that he could make it on the board of your dad’s stupid company,” Amanda cusses at Richard before spitting that retort at me.

   “Don’t listen to her. She is just jealous because I love you and not her.”

   “That’s not what you have been saying all these years. If that were true, then why is it that you have been blackmailing her father with her so that you can squander money from the company and move up the executive ladder?” She crosses her arms across her small chest. When he just stutters, she ends with, “That’s what I thought.”

   I can’t be hearing this. “You have got to be kidding me! You are the one that has been taking the money from the company?” I ask.

   “What do you know about it?” Richard ask.

   “Enough. I know enough. Now, the two of you sorry as hell shits, get the fuck out of my house!”

   “What? None of what this little whore has said is true. Baby, I love you. Please, don’t do this to us,” he pleads.

   “I didn’t do this to us, you did. But to be honest, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to go through with marrying you after all that I have went through over the past few months, anyway. You could say I came back a different woman.”

   “What the hell are you talking about, Sage? We are still getting married! You can’t back out now. This is our goddamn engagement party!” Richard states.

   “And what an engagement party it is! I mean how many women get to catch their future husband in the throes of sexual passion,” I stop to let out a laugh, “with their best friend on such an occasion. Why, I call that lucky. Lucky, because I wasn’t already married to you when I found out what a scumbag you are!”

   “Stop being a smart ass and raising your voice, Sage. It’s not lady like. We can work this out. Let’s just go upstairs and talk.” He reaches for me but I step back.

   I pick up a vase from the small table next to the door and chuck it at him. Sadly, he jerks to the side, avoiding getting hit by the flying porcelain. “How’s that for lady-like? Now, both of you get out before I have you escorted out of here in front of all of our guest!”

   They both walk out with their heads bowed in shame, even though I am pretty sure neither of them are ashamed of what they were doing, but that they were caught. I walk over to the sofa sitting off by itself in the area that father calls the library and take a seat. I place my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I should be crushed. My heart should be broken into so many pieces that it would take years to repair.

   But I’m not crushed, and my heart is not shattered, because it isn’t with me. I realized a while back, when I started falling for Lynkin, that I didn’t really love Richard. My “best friend” Amanda wasn’t really a friend to me. She was more just someone to hang out with to pass time. I learned that while spending hours and hours with Jennifer, talking about absolutely nothing. I have more of a connection with a girl I’ve known for a month and a half than with one I have known most of my life.

   The door to the office creaks open further, and I raise my eyes from the floor to see my dad walking in. “I’m sorry. I am so very sorry.”

   I close my eyes and hope he goes away. Of course, that doesn’t happen. A few seconds later I feel the couch dip beside me. “Explain. I need to know what the hell is going on. Nothing make sense to me anymore. So, explain.”

   And he did. He started from the moment when Richard came to work for him. “I always thought he was such a wonderful young man with a ‘Go get ‘em’ attitude. The longer he worked for me, the more aggressive he got about making it further. I just thought it was him just being a goal oriented person.”

   “What was it?”

   “No that’s it. The problem is, his goal was to have you, the company, and the world under his thumb,” he deadpans.

   “Little over dramatic, don’t you think? Obviously, he can’t take over the world with a hospitality company. What’s he going to do, ‘Welcome’ them to submission?” I joke.

   “It’s possible.” Dad laughs back. “He could beam pillow mints at them, too!”

   “I can see it now. Dick takes over the world!” Both of us belt out laughter. “Anyways, back to the story, old man.”

   The more he goes on about how rude and conniving Richard has been this whole time we have been together, the worse I feel for not noticing all of this. “This year,” he explains, “has been scheming on top of more scheming. The first time I realized he was taking money from the company was shocking to say the least. He was writing off a lot of expenses and it just didn’t add up at all. I started researching, and he was writing up tens of thousands in fake work expenses.”

   “Did you confront him about it?”

   “I waited a few days. I wanted to process the fact that my future son in law was stealing from me. I had come to the conclusion that he had to be in a financial tight spot and was too ashamed to ask for help. I called him into my office, presented my evidence to him, and asked if he needed help.” He takes a breath before finishing. “The whole time he never looked remorseful or scared that he had been caught. When I finished, he actually laughed and said ‘You really are a dumb fuck, aren’t you?’”

   “Oh, no! What’d you do?” I say, sitting up a little straighter as I get sucked into the story.

   “Nothing for a good bit. He had made me speechless. I didn’t expect that reaction. Eventually, when my wits came about me I started shouting obscenities at him, asking him what in the hell was he thinking ruining his future like that. I told him there was no way in hell he could marry my daughter after that. And that is when his laughter stopped. He gave it to me straight. He said that no matter what happened, I wasn’t going to keep you from him. The two of you would be together, and if I or anyone got in the way of that, he would make me pay by hurting you.”

   He looks at me acceptingly as I process the information. “Oh my god! Was he behind my kidnapping?”

   A smile comes across my father’s face when he answers, “Lord, no! He and Lynkin are on two totally different ends of the humanity board.”

   “
Woah, hold the boat! You knew Lynkin was the one who had me this whole time? Why haven’t you told someone?”

   “I knew you were with Lynkin because I did, no matter if you believe it or not, search for you. I pulled out all the stops to make sure you were ok. I didn’t tell anyone for the same reason I didn’t rush to come get you. You were better off being held ransom by Lynkin than here with your insane fiancé. The things that man said he would do to you if I didn’t bend to his wants....” my father stops when a shiver passes through him.

   “What did he say he would do?” I ask as a chill runs down my spine, and I’m not sure I even want to know.

   “He kept saying to keep in mind that the happier he stayed and the more successful he got, the better off you would be. One time I went to his office to discuss an important meeting with a new hotel we were trying to buy out. I walked in on him with Amanda. The twisted fucker didn’t even stop after he saw me standing there. He had her bent over so that she couldn’t see me, and just looked at me like I should discuss what I needed from him while he continued his business. I walked out, and an hour later, five minutes before we had to go into the meeting, he comes to my office. He straightens his tie after closing the door behind him, walks to my desk, and slams his hands to the wood
. That was the first time I saw the craziness in his eyes, like in that moment, if he didn’t calm down, he was about to do something stupid.”

   “How did I never see any of this? I feel so stupid because I always felt like him and Amanda were all I would ever need,” I say, exhausted.

   “You aren’t stupid. He pulled the shades down on all of us. Amanda, on the other hand, I have never liked her,” he states, seriously.

   “Can you answer something for me?”

   “One more thing, and then you should get some rest.”

   “Why did you accuse Lynkin of the things that Richard was doing, if you knew it was Richard?”

   “In a way, I was protecting him from Richard’s wrath, the same as I was you. I noticed Richard was getting short with him when he noticed me working with Lynkin on anything. If I were to take the time and explain anything to Lynkin in order to help him succeed, Richard would come storming over and pull me away with something that was far more important, so he said. Then later, he would tell me I was wasting my time on someone who didn’t belong in our world. He was like a jealous child.”

   “If you were trying to protect him then why did you make it known to everyone in the corporate world that he was fired for stealing from you?”

   “I didn’t. When we let Lynkin go, I convinced the other members to sign a non-disclosure that stated if a future employer called looking for reference for him we would tell them that he left on his own accord,” he explains.

    As I open my mouth to ask another question he shushes me. “Go to bed. We can talk more in the morning.”

   “Ok. Goodnight.”

Sage

Breakfast the next morning is a little odd for me. Dad and Mom are both at the table, and for the first time in a long time, my mother seems to be completely coherent. I push my blueberries around my bowl over my low fat, sugar-free oatmeal, which has been my regular breakfast for as long as I can remember.

   “Something wrong with your oatmeal, darling?” Mom asks.

   “No, not really. I guess I am just not all that hungry,” I answer as I set my spoon down.

   “Mary-Anne!” Dad hollers to the cook. In just seconds, the tiny, middle-aged woman comes rushing into the dining room.

   “Yes, Mr. Donovan?”

   “Could you please clear the table?”

   “Is there something wrong with the food, sir?”

   “Goodness, no. As usual Mary-Anne, the food is immaculate. But, I think this family needs a switch up. Chocolate-chip pancakes for everyone one, with extra butter!” Dad exclaims. She picks up what she can carry, and as she starts to head into the kitchen, Mom speaks up.

   “Carl, do you realize how many calories are in butter?” Mother appeals to him.

   “Who fucking cares?” he retorts, then signals for Mary-Anne to go ahead with his request, and she does.

   “Language! My, Carl what has come over you?”

   “Nothing. I just think that sometimes we should enjoy the little things,” he explains.