CHAPTER 26
I finished reading the digital copy of Kyle's temporary contract on my laptop, satisfied there was no legal reason preventing me from sacking him.
My mobile lit up on the kitchen table beside me. It was the receptionist from Lady Macbeth Park calling.
“Hello?” I said, surprised to hear from her so early on a Monday morning.
“Hi, Ms Liu, were you expecting anyone this morning?” she asked.
“Why, is someone there?”
“Yes. She says her name's Isobel, from the consortium. She says you have a meeting.”
Fuck. “Is she with you right now?”
“Yes, Ms Liu.”
I exhaled. “Put her on.”
The phone was audibly passed between the two.
“Ms Liu?”
“Yes,” I said.
“It's Isobel here, I hope I'm not too early. I just wanted to get here ahead of schedule to make sure everything's in place for your meeting with the consortium. Does ten A.M. give you enough time to get everything in order? My watch makes it a quarter to eight now.”
I panicked. This wasn't the reason I was awake so early, nor could I meet them without the information I desperately needed from Dex. Would two hours give him enough time to obtain it?
“Ms Liu, are you still there?”
“Yes, Isobel.”
“Well, will you be here soon?”
“Isobel, something's come up,” I said, hearing how unconvincing I sounded as the words left my lips.
“What? Ms Liu, this isn't happening again today. The consortium will be here in two hours.”
I wracked my brain to think of something.
“What's your excuse today?”
I couldn't go with illness again.
“Hello?”
Nor had I the protesters to fall back on either.
“Ms Liu, you have to be here or the consortium will walk away. I promise you. Do you really want to let this deal collapse at the eleventh hour?”
“We've run into a problem with our legal department, Isobel.”
“What sort of problem?”
“I can't go into it, not over the phone, and I'm afraid it's confidential.” Where were these words coming from, never mind the more confident tone in my voice? I almost believed myself.
“Ms Liu, our lawyers will be here. We can work through whatever this is together. I implore you to come in now.”
“I'm waiting on an important call on the subject, Isobel.”
“And when can we expect this call?”
“I expect this call imminently, Isobel.”
“And then you'll be here?”
I hesitated.
“I can bring the consortium in as planned?”
Fuck, she wasn't giving up easily. “I hope so, but I can't be sure.”
“Ms Liu, have you had a change of heart about selling and you just lack the professionalism to say so? We spoke about your reputation yest-”
“Isobel, you'd do well to drop that attitude with me immediately or I'll demand the consortium drops you as their representative. I'll not have my professionalism questioned by anyone, let anyone you.”
“Ms-”
I hung up, my hands trembling.
Kyle's contract was still staring back at me.
I put off making an immediate decision. Terminating his position in the current climate of the takeover could jeopardise the deal. While I wondered if perhaps he was best left as the new owners' problem.
DEX – I'm still working on it. Need more time.
I drummed my fingernails on the edge of the bath. If the information wasn't going to be forthcoming, my excuse of a legal problem wasn't going to keep Isobel and the consortium at bay for much longer.
I needed to think outside of the box.
I thought outside of the box.
“Sasha Liu,” he started, “I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon. What can I do for you?”
I clutched my mobile tight in my palm. “Angus, I have a little juicy information for you, how'd you like to be the first to hear there's been a second takeover bid?”
“You're kidding?”
I was. “I'm deadly serious, Angus.”
“Who from?”
“I can't say.”
“And, let me guess, you wouldn't be annoyed if this new info made its way into the hands of the original bidders?”
I grinned. “No comment, Angus.”
He laughed. “You're a wily fox, Sasha Liu.”
“I trust you've received this in confidence, Angus.”
“Of course.”
I cast my eyes over the menu, torn between salmon and lamb.
One member of staff in particular was watching me, her eyes one of intrigue, if not outright nosiness. She was used to seeing me in this restaurant, the one in the hotel, with DeShaun.
I beckoned her over.
“Are you ready to order?” she asked.
“The salmon, please,” I said, feeling safe enough to dine here in the knowledge DeShaun would be at training.
“And it's just the one meal?”
“Yes, thank you.”
She took the menu and walked away.
I wondered how long it'd take for her to tell DeShaun I'd been here. I glanced at her again, envious at both her youth and femininity. Could she climax together with him?
It was a few minutes later when my mobile vibrated and I swiped it up, desperate for word from Dex.
DAVID MAYNE – Hi, sorry for texting again. Would it be possible to meet up? x
I felt bad. I'd ignored his text yesterday, but I didn't want to give him false hope. Nor, with his brother working for me, did I want to upset him.
ME – Hi David, sorry for not getting back to you earlier. Listen I do think you're very sweet. But the simple thing is you're too young for me. I hope you understand.
I deliberately left out the x in return.
The waitress set down my salmon, her eyes on my mobile.
I covered it with my hand.
“There you go,” she said.
“Thank you,” I snapped.
My mobile vibrated again.
I waited until she'd walked away before I moved my hand, then my heart skipped a beat when I saw who it was from.
DESHAUN – It's been a couple of days. You gotta know you're wrong about me. 100%. But if you can't trust me now you never will. So I'll respect your decision.
I stared daggers across the restaurant into the waitress' back.
She had her mobile in her hand.
I began to eat my lunch.
My mobile had other plans for me.
DAVID MAYNE – That's not what I want to see you about. Can we please meet to talk?
I wasn't falling for the lack of an x at the end, and slipped my phone into my purse so I could enjoy my meal in peace.
I returned home in the early evening and called Dex for update.
He didn't answer.
I decided to slip into a hot bath with a tall glass of red wine, where I could imagine my troubles drifting away with my cares.
Five minutes later, I heard my mobile vibrate on the floor. I'd deliberately left it out of my reach so I wouldn't be distracted. It didn't work. I couldn't relax until I rose naked from the warmth of the water, letting the bubbles become my only cloak, and stepped out to retrieve my phone.
The text message I found felt like a small knife in my heart.
It was from DeShaun. He was making an official transfer request.
I felt in turmoil. How could I say no? Why would I say no? And when, if ever, would I know it was right to say no?
ME – DeShaun we should talk first.
As soon I sent it, I knew I hadn't said enough. So I sent another.
ME – In person x
I was clutching my bare breast. My left one. And all I could feel was the tumultuous beat of my heart.
I didn't want him to leave. Not now. Not in the summer. Not ever. And it didn't make a difference whether I sold the club to the consortium or not. A huge part of me still wanted DeShaun in my life.
I just needed to know I could trust him.
That I could still trust him.
I was telling myself to trust him, outright willing myself to do it, but I couldn't force a feeling that was no longer there.
He would have to convince me. Prove himself to me. And I didn't know if he still cared – or had ever really cared – enough to do it.
I headed to my bedroom to pick out a gorgeous lingerie set to wear under my sexy, little black dress.
It was as I was clasping my bra into place I saw my mobile light up in the corner of my eye.
DAVID MAYNE – It's about my brother and what he knows about Kyle.
I hesitated. Such a message certainly got my attention, but I was sceptical. Was David just telling me things I wanted to hear so I'd agree to meet him? I made my reply simple.
ME – What does he know?
I was back downstairs with another glass of wine in one hand and my mobile phone in the other.
I called Dex again.
Again, no answer.
I found his silence concerning.
Especially when my mobile suddenly received an incoming call.
“Good evening,” I said, cordially. “How may I help you, Isobel?”
“Ms Liu, I'll cut straight to the chase. It's come to the consortium's attention that Broxburgh may have received a second bid.”
“I see.”
“Can you confirm or deny?”
“Neither, Isobel.”
She sighed. Loudly.
I knew Angus had just helped buy me more time.
“This is a most unwelcome development, really testing the patience of the people I represent.”
I just hoped it was enough time.
“This had better be the final delay, Ms Liu.”
I knew it had to be.
“I urge you not to risk destabilising the current takeover by considering another offer at the eleventh hour. Need I remind you of the rewarding financial package on offer? And how your own personal position requires it?”
“You need not,” I said bluntly, irked at how my personal problems continued to play out in public.
“What should I bring back to my employers, Ms Liu? Are you seeking to delay the deal again?”
“On the contrary, Isobel, I believe our deal can proceed at the proper time-”
“When?” she demanded.
“Call me back-”
“Tomorrow?”
“Make it Wednesday,” I said, and ended the call as my breasts heaved with anxiety in the tightness of my dress.
I didn't know how much more of this I could take.
I needed to sell, of that I'd little doubt.
I was at the end of my tether with the protesters and their hatred.
Yet I didn't believe this was truly the time to walk away.
Not with two matches to go and the club only 2 points off the play-offs. If I could just persuade DeShaun to-
I had another incoming call.
“Boy, am I glad to hear from you,” I said.
“Sorry for missing your calls, Sasha,” Dex said. “I've been busy.”
“Busy getting me what I pay you for, I hope?”
“Well, I've installed trackers on Kyle's and Drew's cars, but neither's movements have revealed anything suspicious in the short time I've been monitoring them.”
“Okay, and?”
“I haven't traced a link to the consortium's bid either.”
I silenced a groan.
“I'm beginning to doubt there is one.”
Then why did my gut shout at me that there was?
“I'll keep looking, but I think you may have to accept the two of them are actually clean here, Sasha.”
They were about as clean as my romps with-
“Listen, you sound cute. How about I finish up here and come see...”
My front door was knocked.
“You?”
DeShaun! I jumped my ass from the sofa and the soles of my feet into my stilettos.
“We could pick up where we left off last night?” he suggested, giving off a giggle.
“Dex, there's someone at my front door. I'm not kidding. I have to go.”
“Sasha, wait-”
I didn't, ending the call and tossing the phone behind me. I could barely compose myself, such was my rush to get to the door and see him. I didn't even remember to set down my wine.
I began to open it, throwing on my fullest smile. “Good evening-”
“Hi,” he said.
I frantically looked behind him, my paranoia racing. “Are you alone?”
“Of course, can I-”
“Come in,” I insisted, and grabbed David by his shoulder.
The handsome, young man gazed at me in my dress from his separate sofa in the living room, his eyes lingering on my crossed legs in nylon. “You look amazing, Sasha.”
I resisted the urge to scream at him that I wasn't dressed this way for him.
“You really do,” he insisted.
“David, I've been nice about this. You and me, it isn't happening. Ever, okay? And now you've come here under the pretence your brother knows something... So, either tell me the truth now, or get the fuck out of my house.”
He looked shaken.
“What the hell does Eddie know about Kyle?”