Chapter 14 Veda
VEDA
Everyone standing in the conference room preparing for this luncheon froze when Asher's face contorted.
The press release that went out this morning reported his absence as being a break for "health reasons" instead of the standard "personal reasons".
I told Jared three times to fix it because I knew how sensitive Asher would be.
It was no one's business why he was out of work for so long, and being one of the biggest names in the city, word had gotten out that he was out of sight for a few days.
Now, as most of the executive staff had assembled for today's quarterly luncheon and report briefing, I cringed and waited for the explosion.
Asher had been back to work one week, and it had been a quiet week without any stress or hiccups.
I'd noticed him being more relaxed and focused, and already, he had really taken me under his wing and started coaching me on how to speak to the press more fluidly, but this moment felt like a powder keg waiting to explode.
"This is not appropriate," he said calmly, and his eyes rose to lock on Jared's pallid face.
"Yes, sir, I meant to… Well, what I mean to say is that I—"
"I requested that my personal details be withheld.
" Asher raised his chin and I watched his jaw tighten.
Here was where he usually tore someone's head off, but he just took a deep breath and sighed.
"Please don't let it happen again," he said, handing the sheet of paper back to Jared, who glanced at me like he'd just witnessed a miracle.
Asher turned and walked away without so much as a peep, and everyone within earshot gawked at the changed man. There were no hysterics or explosive reactions. He didn't raise his voice, and he didn't even use a harsh tone.
"What's gotten into him?" Jared asked, leaning in.
I smiled because I knew. But I lifted one shoulder and cocked my head. "He's sober now…" was the only answer I could give.
I didn't tell Jared the truth—that Asher was in love, and that love changes a man. I knew most of it was due to his sobriety, though. He'd worked so hard to get clean and stay clean, four weeks now, and I was so proud of him.
Jared wandered away, while I trailed Asher for the next thirty-five minutes.
We snacked on the various dishes brought in carry-in style, and the platters of meat Locke Global had paid for.
He introduced me to a few board members I hadn't met, and doubled back to Robert Lang, whom I learned was actually helping Asher find a sponsor.
Every minute next to him had me falling more and more in love with him too, and deeper and deeper into that guilty chasm in my mind.
"It's almost time to start the meeting," he breathed in my ear, probably standing a little too close considering we hadn't gone to the board about our relationship yet. And I smiled at the dusting of his heat on my ear.
"Yes, Daddy," I whispered, knowing what it would do to him, but my voice was quiet enough no one around me could hear.
"Ms. Porter, you are going to get me riled up." Asher backed away buttoning his coat, which I knew meant he was hiding something beneath and it made me smirk. But Penny walked past carrying a plate of shrimp and the stench made me feel like I might throw up instantly.
"Uh…" I said, covering my mouth. "I need to go get a drink. Don't wait for me. I'll be back."
Asher's eyes tracked after me with concern as I shuffled through the mob of people to the door.
Morning sickness was worse than the plague—and it didn't just happen in the morning.
It happened all day, any time of the day, and it was triggered by things that smelled funny.
I could go three days without feeling so much as a pinch of nausea, and someone's perfume could make me vomit thirty times in a row. I hated it.
And I hated that it came on so fast sometimes I didn't make it to the bathroom. Like right now, when I found myself heaving over an open trash can in the hallway.
"Well, well… Little Miss Flirts With Her Boss is feeling bit off?" Clayton's voice only made the retching worse.
He stood next to me callously eating his own plateful of food, which included that stinky shrimp, and made my stomach turn even more. All the while, my stomach was emptying itself. I had half a notion to miss the can on purpose and let it hit his shoes.
When I finally got control of myself, I straightened. Clayton casually handed me his used napkin and lifted both eyebrows at me while I wiped my mouth, swallowing the nasty taste of stomach acid with nothing to wash it down.
"What do you want, Clayton?" I grumbled while I straightened my blouse, careful not to abuse my already sensitive boobs.
I had spent the last four weeks with almost amazing silence from this man.
Short of one or two angry text messages, which I swore were drunk texts, I hadn't heard a peep from him.
Though, I wasn't naive enough to think I'd gotten him off my back.
"Seems you're swooning over the boss man," he said, popping a shrimp in his mouth. I gagged but managed to fight back the swell of nausea.
I didn't know what to say to him. I knew full well it was time to pay the piper, and I had no way to come up with that much money. It was gone. I couldn’t get it back if I wanted to.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I heard the meeting being called to order inside, and someone shut the door behind me, which was all well and good. I knew I wasn't done throwing up yet.
"Oh come off it, honey. I saw the way you two were laughing like you have some little secret.
" With the door shut, Clayton's monster came out.
He tossed his plate on top of my vomit in the can and glared at me.
"Something's going on between you two and I know it.
I see the way you look at him. It means you have been cozying up to him…
Did you record it? Did you get him to say things to you to make him look like a predator? "
I couldn't answer him. Just the honest question I had no way to lie about made my stomach roll. I hurled. My entire body heaved this time as I gripped the edges of the trash can and let more of the delicious luncheon food come back up.
"Can't you see I’m sick?" I coughed before another round of vomit rose up. At least I managed to stop myself from crying. That was due to the large amount of anger I had swirling in my gut. Clayton just wanted to destroy his brother for no other reason than existing.
He grabbed my hair, and not in a nice "I'll hold your hair for you" sort of way. The man gripped my head so hard ,it craned my neck back while vomit was still dribbling out of my mouth.
"Get the recording, Veda. Or I'll tell the entire board I paid you to have sex with me… And who will believe you then? I have the bank transaction records… Or would you like me to tell Asher what really happened? He seems to be going gaga over you now. Is that why he's gotten sober? You?"
I slapped his hand away and used the same gross napkin to wipe my mouth again. "Keep your hands off me," I hissed, just as the door swung open and Asher walked out.
I heard the monotone drone of a male voice inside the room momentarily as he walked into the hallway and shut the door behind himself. Then he approached us both as Clayton backed away, shifting his expression to look casual.
"What's going on?" Asher asked in a concerned tone.
"I, uh…" I floundered. Clayton had the power to destroy me and Asher both. Now, with Asher battling to stay sober, one wrong thing could set him back. He'd relapse. I was playing with fire and I knew Clayton wouldn’t hesitate to burn me.
"She was sick…" Clayton gestured at the trash can. "I offered to hold her hair…"
So disgusting. I almost punched that sick jerk.
"Are you okay?" Asher asked, turning away from his brother, and the tears welled up faster than I could stop them.
I was never in any real physical danger from Clayton, but this tender flame between me and Asher was.
Clayton intended to douse it the very first instant he could, and I couldn’t stop him.
The train was barreling toward destruction, all the while I kept clinging to some stupid illusion that I could be happy with a man I was paid to destroy.
"I'm okay…"
"She's obviously sick," Clayton interjected. "Might need her Daddy to fix it…" That word sent a jolt of panic through me.
Had he read my lips?
Did he know Asher's kink?
Was he just pushing any old button to see if I'd crack under pressure? I had no idea. And I hated this game he was playing.
"Get lost," Asher snarled, and Clayton walked away chuckling.
Asher didn't seem fazed by the comment other than to be a little angry, but it had me shaking from the inside out.
When his attention was fully on me, and his brother was back inside the room, he said, "Really, Veda. Are you okay?"
"It was the shrimp…" I blurted out. "I just feel sick. I want to go home."
Asher's hand cradled my cheek. "Did he hurt you? Are you okay? Is something going on?"
"No… just sick," I lied. "He really did just ask to hold my hair, and I don’t want people to touch me."
His hand pulled back, painfully so. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted his arms around me and his body against mine, and his heart to be forever mine. But it was a daydream.
No matter how much Asher loved me. No matter how badly either of us wanted this to work. The only thing in store for us was pain.
Clayton would see to that.
"Go home… I'll come by with some soup after work." Asher pressed a kiss to my forehead, melting me, before he walked back to the door. When he got there he turned and said, “Stay away from Clayton, baby. He’s really bad news, alright?”
All I could do was walk away crying.
I loved him. Truly, madly, deeply, I loved him. And I could never have him.
The choices I had made had ruined any chance I had with him and I knew it.
And I had to figure out how to get myself out of this mess the least painful way possible, because if Asher relapsed over what Clayton and I had schemed up, I'd never forgive myself.
And once anyone found out about this baby, my entire future would go up in smoke.