Chapter 37
“We’re here now. I’ll have to go soon.” Bruno kept his voice low as he stood in the waiting area of Post-Praft Foods. Both of his attorneys sat on the sofa with their legs crossed, while Lang talked to the receptionist at the front desk.
He’d taken plenty of business trips over the years and been away from home for months at a time, but this was the first time he’d ever experienced such a deep-seated longing to get off the road, and the reason for the feeling was the woman on the phone.
In a short time, he’d become obsessed with everything about her. Her warmth, her sense of humor, her nurturing behavior toward her son.
He and Marissa talked every night and video-called each other, but regular communication wasn’t enough. He wanted to see her in the flesh and wake up with her soft body next to his.
“You should fly out and come see me,” he suggested.
“I can’t. Chet has to work this weekend, and I don’t have anyone to leave Theo with.”
“Bring him with you.”
“I can’t do that.”
He bit back the response he was about to make. He sensed her hesitation was because of her ex, and that didn’t sit well with him.
Lang signaled that the executives were ready for them.
“They’re ready for us. I have to go into the signing now.”
“I’m so happy for you. Congratulations on your success.”
“Thank you, querida. L—” He’d almost said Love you but caught the words before they spilled from his lips.
The first time she heard those words should not be on the telephone.
“I’ll be busy the rest of the day with promotional requirements. I probably won’t talk to you again until tomorrow.”
“I understand.”
He released a quiet, resigned sigh, reluctant to hang up because he wouldn’t be able to hear her voice again until tomorrow.
After the call ended, he and his team walked into a spacious room with sunlight pouring in through large windows on the back wall and a somber-faced team of four men and one woman.
“Mr. Santana, nice to meet you.” An older man with glasses extended his hand.
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Post.”
The woman approached and extended her hand. “Mr. Santana, we’re looking forward to making a lot of money with you.”
He smiled. “That’s exactly what I like to hear.”
* * *
“Hey, Wanda.” Marissa greeted the older matchmaker when she returned from lunch.
Wanda gave her a brief smile and dipped into the break room. Her sudden detour and lack of eye contact caught Marissa by surprise, and she stopped in the doorway.
“Everything okay?”
Perhaps her husband had taken a turn for the worse. Wanda’s husband had been hospitalized with pneumonia, but as far as she knew, he was out of the hospital and on the mend.
Wanda faced the Coke machine and talked over her shoulder. “Everything is fine. Crazy morning, that’s all. I didn’t get to leave for lunch.”
“I hear you. We need to catch up later. I might have found someone for your client who likes older women.”
“Okay.”
She didn’t turn around, but Marissa brushed off her strange behavior and continued the walk to her office. Her conversation with Bruno had reminded her of the distance between them and how much she missed him. She couldn’t wait until he returned next week, and when he called tomorrow, she wanted to hear all the details about the signing and the promotional events.
As she placed her messenger bag on the desk, she realized she was humming. No particular song, just humming in general because she was happy.
Being with Bruno had transformed her life, and she hated she couldn’t tell anyone and had to keep their relationship a secret. At work, anyway. For now.
Slowly, the smile dissolved on her face. The argument with Chet came back full force, but she brushed aside the memory. She didn’t like that she’d upset him but couldn’t put her life on hold out of fear of his anger or fear of him being hurt. He was the reason they weren’t living together as a family with their son.
Sitting behind her desk, she logged into the network and began to work. Almost as soon as she started, the phone on her desk rang, and she saw the call was coming from Arnie’s assistant.
“Hi, Dee.”
“Good afternoon, Marissa. Arnie wants to see you in his office.”
“Okay, I need to make a quick phone call and?—”
“Right away.” Her firm voice left no room for negotiation.
Marissa blinked in surprise. “Okay. Be right there.”
Marissa didn’t move right away. Dee had never spoken to her in such a tone before. What could possibly be wrong?
Starting down the corridor, Marissa felt like a dead woman walking. The good mood she was in after talking to Bruno during lunch was completely replaced by a queasy sensation in her stomach. Something was wrong. She had never gotten in trouble at work before and didn’t know exactly what was about to happen.
When she entered Arnie’s office, he was sitting on the edge of his desk facing the door, his beefy arms crossed over his massive chest and a frown on his face.
“Close the door,” he said in a quiet voice.
She did as he asked and walked deeper into the room, feeling like a student summoned to the principal’s office for an infraction.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked.
Dread tiptoed down her spine. Did he know? If he had no idea about her relationship with Bruno, she didn’t want to volunteer information and incriminate herself.
She licked her chapped lips. “About what?” she asked in a quiet voice.
With a heavy sigh, Arnie pushed off the desk. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he strolled over to the wall and gazed at the framed awards—certificates for excellent service and other industry accolades Executive Match had received over the years.
Marissa waited with her heart thumping against her ribs.
Please don’t let him have found out.Please don’t let him have found out.
Arnie faced her. “You’ve been with this company for a long time. Eight, almost nine years in the industry. You know how important reputation is, trust, and ethics. We’re dealing with people’s personal lives in the very emotional space of relationships and falling in love. Knowing you, of all people, could have violated the sacred trust our clients have in us, is terribly disappointing.”
“What exactly do you think I did?” Marissa asked in a shaky voice, holding out hope that he had no idea about her and Bruno.
“I know you’re sleeping with Bruno Santana.”
The blunt accusation took her aback. Her stomach free falled. She suspected he had found out, but hearing him say the words was shocking.
“Arnie—”
“Are you denying the affair?” he cut in.
Marissa’s shoulder sagged.
Arnie slowly shook his head. “Nothing you say can justify what you did. Nothing you say will make me feel any less disappointed. You’re one of my best matchmakers, Marissa, and I trusted you. Knowing you betrayed my trust and broke one of the cardinal rules of our company is unforgivable.”
“I didn’t set out to break the rules. Remember, I came to you and asked to be removed as his matchmaker.”
“Your violation of company policy is my fault?” he demanded.
“No, of course not,” she said in a small voice.
“Had I known you were attracted to him, I would have reassigned you or come up with another solution. But I had no idea. You never said a word, and you had a relationship with him though you knew it was wrong.”
Shame burned her stomach like acid. “I’m really sorry, Arnie. It just happened. Getting involved with him wasn’t planned.” The excuse sounded lame to her own ears, but resisting her attraction to Bruno had been as challenging as catching water in a sieve.
“What do you think I should do? What would you do if you were in my position?”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t have the luxury of not knowing what to do, but my mother didn’t put me in charge of her legacy for no reason. I’m able to make the tough decisions, no matter how much they hurt. I have to let you go.”
“Arnie, please, wait. We can figure something out.”
“You know the rules, and you broke them. There’s nothing else to say. There’s nothing for us to work through. You need to get your belongings and leave.” He pointed at the closed door. “I’ve already contacted building security, and they will escort you out.”
Marissa’s mouth fell open. “Is that really necessary?”
“At this point, yes, because right now I believe you’re capable of anything.”
The cruelty of his words landed like a blow across the face.
“How did you find out?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
“Never mind that. Our lawyers will be in touch,” Arnie said.
That could mean only one thing. He was going to sue her. Marissa didn’t know what else to say, so she started toward the door.
“I was considering you for the head matchmaker position.”
His words cut like a knife. She paused with her hand on the door, overwhelmed by sadness.
“Nothing to say?” Arnie asked.
She looked at him over her shoulder. “What is there to say, except that I fell in love. I didn’t mean to. I should say I’m sorry, but I’m not. And I understand why you have to let me go.”
Marissa left his office and walked down the corridor to her office on lead feet. A security guard stood outside with a cardboard box. Despite having worked at Executive Match for years, she didn’t have much to take. She placed her personal belongings in the box and hooked her bag over her shoulder.
Head held high, she marched toward the front door with security close behind. On the way there, Lori stepped into the foyer, her eyes wide.
“What’s going on? Where are you going?”
“I no longer work here.”
“What?”
Her heart broke a little. She’d miss her co-workers, especially Lori. They had developed a good rapport. “Good luck to you. Take care.”
Marissa maintained her composure until she left the building. Tears blurred her vision as she stumbled through the double doors onto the street.
She couldn’t believe Chet had done this to her. What a spiteful, cruel thing to do.
She would never forgive him.