Second Chances (2 page)

Arthur liked kids. Kids were miniature versions of adults, with more good sense than several grown-ups he knew. He liked chapels too; he had nice memories of some he had visited in France and Italy. However the association of the two in Emily’s mouth had the flavor of commitment, which was definitely not on his Christmas list.

He felt bored. Ever since Colin had found his soul mate in Gavin, an attendant at The Vallon Hospital, he was not the fun he used to be. More than often he was eager to leave at the end of the day, instead of lingering for a drink or a game of pool. Arthur reset the answering machine and then moved to the cupboard to pour himself a scotch, while he went through his notebook.

The Yule ball was in less than two weeks, and he needed some cute undemanding accessory wrapped around his arm to entertain him, before his father started on again about the responsibilities and duties of the only heir of Pendletons & Associates; responsibilities which included to escort (and eventually propose to) the daughter of some business associate, for an example.

Chapter 2

Moira paced the room in fury.

“There is only one person who has the authority to freeze the account, that’s Robert! Father’s will states that Pendletons & Associates would manage the account. How dare he!?”

Her sister had been repeating the same thing over and over since Maya had told her about Colin’s finding. The beautiful blonde brutally slammed the file she was holding on the desk. Maya jumped. Moira was so temperamental these days…Her sister started walking the room back and forth again.

“He’s going too far. Last month, he asked, no: he demanded that his prat of a son be named on the board along with the three of us, and now this! I will not allow it!”

She grabbed the phone. Maya gently put one hand on her sister’s arm.

“Robert will refuse to talk to you. I’ll go…”

Putting the receiver down, Moira looked up at her baby sister.

“Maya…”

The raven-haired woman smiled bravely.

“Even if he resents me for choosing to work with you, he won’t refuse to explain… Please, let me try.”

Moira caressed the hand gently holding hers. Maya’s godfather’s fierce attitude towards them was yet another reason to hate him. Robert had fostered the two sisters after the death of their parents, despite his own grief over his wife’s disappearance just months before. He had been like a second father to Maya, treating her like his own daughter. However, when she decided to support Moira’s plans for a medical foundation, he started acting with Maya the same way he did with everyone else, including his own son: distant and tyrannical. His apparent change of heart had hurt her deeply.

“Are you sure?”

Maya nodded.

“Yes, he will talk to me. He is my godfather, after all.”

“Very well, then. You didn’t tell me how you discovered-”

A sharp rap on the door interrupted her and an old man entered the office. Moira signalled him to take a seat but he refused politely. Maya stiffened at once.

“Doctor?”

“Maya, you asked me yesterday to tell you when I received the biopsy results for young Matthew.”

Suddenly she felt cold. The doctor continued.

“The tumour is malignant and located in a sensitive area. It grows fast. It’s pressing against his oesophagus already, and if he is not operated on soon…”

The old man trailed off. Maya swallowed the hard nod which was forming in her throat. “Thank you.”

He took his leave, with a quick nod toward the two women. Moira narrowed her dark eyes on her younger sister. The fate of the little boy was affecting her baby sister a lot, and she looked on the verge of crying. She squeezed her hand gently.

“Why don’t you call P&A, and ask for a meeting with Robert as soon as possible? Then you’ll join Cedric and me for lunch.”

Maya bit the inside of her cheek. Cedric was Moira’s fiancé. She didn’t like the guy very much. However, she had to admit he seemed really in love with Moira, even if his manners sometimes needed a lot of improvement.

“Thanks, but I’m already meeting Tristan.”

Moira frowned. Their cousin was hardly a cheer-up since his long-time girlfriend had broken up with him and accepted a more lucrative proposal. The “lucky” groom was twice her age. Good riddance, if someone asked her. Yet Maya and he were close, with a common passion for music and lost causes…

“As you wish. Give Tristan my best.”

Maya smiled, and exited the room.

***

Maya stepped out of her taxi. Pendletons & Associates’ headquarters were located on one of the most elitist streets of the city.

She remembered when the three-story building was a happy sight, because she was eager to run into her godfather’s welcoming arms. He used to complain her enthusiastic kisses undermined his authority on the staff. The young woman chuckled bitterly. She certainly was not enthusiastic anymore, and would probably be even less welcome.

A couple was arguing on the steps, the woman pointing a threatening finger toward the man who had his back to Maya. He ran one hand through his blond hair, and the familiar gesture identified him at once.

Maya glanced around, wondering if there was another way to enter the building to avoid passing by Arthur and his latest fling. No such luck.

Resigned, she climbed the steps and quickly moved towards the main door when a hand grabbed her elbow roughly, forcing her to turn.

“Emily, please meet Maya, we…”

“Her?”

A disdainful sneer erupted from the petite brunette in front of Arthur. Maya held up her chin, the mocking tone erasing her urge to escape Arthur’s strong grasp. The annoyed blue eyes stopped examining her old coat and the handcrafted red scarf to glance back at his lady-friend.

“I told you before. It’s over.”

Without another word, Arthur escorted Maya inside the building. As soon as they were out of sight, she freed her arm abruptly. The rebuff amused him and he sneered.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of the prodigal ward’s visit?”

“I have to talk to your father.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

Maya glanced away. She had called, but of course on hearing her name, Robert’s assistant had announced his agenda was full for at least two weeks. Matthew could not wait that long...Arthur’s face was unreadable.

“I thought so. Colin!”

The young man poked his head out from behind a door and grinned.

“Yes? Hey Maya, it’s good to see you, what are you doing here?”

“Hello, Colin.”

Her friend was the first person she was glad to see and she smiled at him sweetly.

“Colin, call Lucy and tell her I’m coming up to see my father.”

That was unexpected. Arthur turned to Maya, who tried to hide her surprise behind a mask of indifference.

“Don’t get all worked up, I’m just returning the favor after your “help” with that idiot outside. I hope you have a good reason to want to see him; I am not in mood for another round of your Finnegan versus Pendleton contest. And take that thing off, it’s ugly.”

Gratitude vanished under the patronizing tone. Maya shrugged her shoulders, and punched the elevator’s button. She was not going to complain if Arthur thought he had to pay some inexistent debt, but in no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her smile and bow. What a prat!

She pitied the poor girl outside, until she recalled the venomous glance the so-called Emily had shot her and the disdain in her voice after Arthur hinted she was the new flavor of the month. Arthur’s conquests were generally as vain as he was. Birds of a feather…

The elevator stopped on the third floor. The place hadn’t changed that much. The first door they passed by still opened onto the conference room; the second one onto the library.

With Christmas coming, the tall windows were not enough to light the corridor even at midday, so the already switch-on lamps were adding some golden gleam to the mahogany furniture and the rich colors on the walls. The sight brought a smile, quickly dismissed. The last door was Robert’s office.

Chapter 3

Robert didn’t look up when he heard the door. Maya used the extra seconds to check on him.

He was still fit, with maybe a little more grey in his hair, and more wrinkles on his forehead and around the eyes.

“Arthur, didn’t I tell you already not to interrupt me when…”

“Good morning, Robert.”

His steel-blue eyes shot up and the middle-aged man leaned back in his chair. Maya could imagine him very well with a crown on his head, comfortably installed on a throne, signing an innocent person’s death warrant with a back flip of his hand. He refused to acknowledge her polite greeting and turned to his son.

“What is she doing here?”

Maya took one step forward.

“Robert, I’ve come to talk to you about the freezing of the Gerald Finnegan Foundation account…I don’t know why you did that, but there is this boy, Matthew, he needs an operation and—”

She stopped talking as soon as he raised one hand.

“I’m not interested in your tragic tales. I am Gerald’s executor and when the banker reported illicit financial trading to me, I had no choice but to freeze the account. Blame your pitiful managing if your protégé is suffering the consequences now, not me.”

“What illicit operations?”

Her godfather shook his head in amusement at her genuinely surprised tone.

“I suggest you ask your sister. Now if we are done here…”

“Robert, please…”

“You’re a sweet girl, Maya, but you are misguided. I hope you’ll come back to your senses before your sister corrupts you completely. Good day.”

She wanted to insist but Robert had already returned his full attention to his work. Unwanted tears burned her eyes. He was so unfair…

“I can’t believe you’re so heartless! He is just a kid! He is going to die if he is not operated soon, and the Foundation was created for people like him. People, Robert, not pieces of paper to discard as casualties in your ridiculous crusade against my sister!”

“Enough. Arthur, show her out.”

The dutiful son she had momentarily forgotten tried to take her arm, but Maya jerked away from his touch.

“Get your hands off me.”

She stormed out of the room and rushed down the stairs, where she was sure Arthur would not follow her. The atmosphere of the building, once so cherished, was sickening. She couldn’t wait to get out. Maya didn’t even stop to talk to Colin when he stepped out of his office to greet her. His question of what was wrong disappeared in the pounding in her head.

Once she reached the street and turned around the corner, Maya stopped fleeing and leaned on the wall. At least the tears were gone. She took deep breaths, in order to calm the frantic beat of her heart, and composed herself before she faced Tristan. Her cousin had enough on his plate without her adding to his worries. She should have guessed Robert’s reaction. He regarded compassion as a weakness and passion as a flaw. She should have known, and spared herself the humiliation.

Maya straightened up, zipped her coat up to protect her neck from the wind because she had forgotten her scarf at the office, and started walking toward the restaurant. She would find another way to help Matthew, even if she had to pay for the operation herself. And she could start by granting his wish.

***

Tristan was yet to arrive when she was escorted to a table by a plump red-haired waitress with smiling eyes. She waited for Maya to sit down, and handed her the menu.

“Here you are, honey. Do you want something to drink?”

“Two San Pellegrino. No ice, one slice of lemon.”

The young woman closed her eyes a brief instant before looking up. Arthur sat without waiting for an invitation Maya was not willing to offer anyway.

“Colin told me you were supposed to have lunch here.”

Maya took a mental note to talk to Colin about discretion.

“What do you want, Arthur?”

Her tone was biting and he didn’t seem to care.

“That boy…”

“His name is Matthew.”

“Yes, Matthew; what is his illness?”

The question surprised her. The waitress brought their drinks and she focused on hers an instant before glancing back to her companion.

“Cancer.”

Something flashed in the blue eyes on her, and she momentarily regretted the harsh answer. Abigail, Arthur’s mother, had died of cancer too.

“I’m sorry.”

He really seemed to be.

“If Moira had accepted I chaired the council, things might not have gone that far.”

Once again, his insufferable ego was wiping out all nice thoughts his apparent compassion had brought. Maya put her glass back on the table and folded her arms over her chest.

“I fail to see how you messing with our work would have stopped your father from paralyzing the Foundation’s account. I thank God it’s just the Foundation he has access too, and not all the hospital money.”

“I didn’t come here to pick up a fight, Maya. I want to offer you a deal.”

She glared, threatening. Arthur was not better than his father. A little boy’s life was not a thing to “deal” with.

“I will convince my father to unfreeze the amount of the surgery despite the financial checking that is currently going on. In return, you will help with this little problem I have.”

Arthur asking for a favor didn’t sound good. But the money could save Matthew. Maya breathed in slowly and kept hope out of her voice.

“What problem?”

“You pose as my girlfriend for a while.”

Her eyes widened in stupor. Arthur wanted her to play his new lover so his former girlfriend stopped stalking him? Please…

“This is ridiculous.”

“I have my reasons. Think about it, Maya, you can save this little boy’s lif…” he caught himself quickly “Matthew’s life.”

The young man leaned forward toward her, radiating charm and burning blue eyes. She backed instinctively into her chair. Arthur flashed a lazy grin.

“Who knows, you might even discover you like me.”

“This has little chance to happen.”

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Tristan crossing the street. Maybe Arthur didn’t remember her cousin, he hadn’t seen him in a while…Maya stood.