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Chapter 1
Tracie
It shouldn't make me feel like a failure that my two best friends in the whole world have not only fallen in love with each other, but also ran off to have their perfect honeymoon in some far off beachfront resort, but it does. Have I mentioned said friends are also expecting their first child? Well they are, and I am sitting here waiting for dinner to be done. As I listen to the sound of the TV dinner I'm nuking go round and round I’m left wondering what the hell happened to my life.
I never knew how still and quiet the lake house could be with no one in it but me. I promised Ed and Vera I would housesit for them while they were gone on the romantic voyage of a lifetime and so here I sit, on a Friday night even. I may be using this opportunity to hide from all the stuff that’s making my life a hot mess right now, but I prefer to think of it as doing a favor for a friend. At least, if someone asked me that's the story I'm sticking to.
It doesn't help that my mind drifts back to him and I find I'm pissing myself off. Egotistical, overbearing, jackass-and those are his good traits. Reynald Andrei. Whose name even ends in an 'I' anyway? His name pisses me off. Okay so it’s kind of cute and old world and really fucking romantic, but the man himself is a pig, a dog, a...I can't think of something worse to call him that wouldn't bring down the whole animal kingdom in respect.
He comes on all suave and worldly until you tell him no and then it's 'no is a word I never hear'. Well sit down and buckle the fuck in for the big fat flying no I'm about to send you out on. The fucking nerve of the guy. I can't even sit still and think about him. I have to stand up and start pacing just thinking about how high handed and utterly obnoxious the man is.
I first met Reynald, or Reyn, as he's apparently better known, when he got in touch with me about making him a set of cufflinks from my ebony line which had me working a lot with wood and dark stones. I wanted this chance to launch a men's' line of jewelry to get my name and brand out there. I was so excited that this powerful businessman wanted to be seen with my pieces on his wrists that I never once thought to ask how he knew about me or where he found me.
I think about our first meeting and my cheeks heat, even though there's no one around to see my embarrassment, the color still rushes to my face. I brought in some sketches and had ideas flowing from every corner of my mind. As soon as I hit the door to the big glass building a security guard was there escorting me to the top floor. I didn't think anything of it as I told the guy I was coming and had just called and confirmed that I was pulling into the parking garage.
When the doors to the elevator open I was looking at a little woman dressed in a business suit who kind of reminded me of a sterner version of my friend, Vera. She escorted me to a board room which was empty except for a large conference table and chairs and told me to have a seat. My mom and dad have worked in finance all of my life so being led to a meeting room is not something that is going to throw me at all. What did throw me is the nearly six and a half foot monster who had to duck to get into the room.
Even in a suit, this guy was huge and scary as hell looking. He just carried an aura of 'I could work for the mob’ or ‘I could have killed everyone who worked for the mob’, either way he had a, ‘what size body bag are you' about him. My mind automatically goes to him being the bodyguard for this rich old guy who wants expensive baubles so of course, he would send in this tank before he ever got to the table, so to speak. The fact that he came in and closed the door behind us set all kinds of warning bells off in my head. I have watched Dateline I know where this story ends and I am not going to be that Friday night special.
It must have been fairly evident on my face as well since the first thing this guy does is sit and offer me a chair too.
"Please, Miss. Mason, sit." I do as he asks because, one, I don't know how he knew my last name unless he is the security and did a background check and, two, I didn't want to find out what he would do if I didn't do what he said.
I use my middle name for the company and try to keep my last name off any important paperwork or media. I love my mom and dad but like I said, they've been in finance all of my life and they have built a very successful business for themselves. I didn't want to ride on their coat tails; I wanted to have something that was all my own. If I was going to be successful I wanted to do it without any help or how else would I ever know if it was really me that did it or not.
I don't try to hide who I am, or who my parents are, but I don't advertise it either. So the fact that this guy knows my last name isn't all that surprising it's just annoying.
"When can we start talking about the project do you think? I have another meeting across town and I can't be late. Is Mr. Andrei going to be joining us?"
He tilts his head back and laughs in a big booming voice that would probably shake a less stable structure.
"I am Mr. Andrei. Reynald Andrei, but please call me Reyn," he holds his big hand out and I have no choice but to shake it to be polite but the big jerk doesn't let it go when the socially acceptable shake time is over. Instead, he twists my hand so that he can see the back of my fingers and grins.
"I see you aren't wearing a wedding ring," I pull my hand from his and he lets it go and sits back. "When I researched you I couldn't find any information on your personal life other than what I could get from my government contacts. I assumed you had no husband but I don't like to leave things as assumptions?"
I don't know why this guy would even need to check me out other than to know I'm not here to kill him or steal company secrets and considering he called me, I don't think he would have to worry about that. So what the hell does my marital state have to do with anything?
I'm almost five eight so the fact that this guy is towering over me is making me super uncomfortable. It also makes me think about all the sex trafficking articles I've been reading when Vera leaves them out during her research for her latest book. I really hope I'm not about to be sold into white slavery.
"How does that have anything to do with your cufflinks?"
"Do you have a husband?" His eyes are an icy gray that don't seem to hold any warmth at all.
"Do you?" I ask him back. I can be kind of a punk sometimes, and even a brat if I want to be, but my dating history and personal life are my own. I project the image I want people to see and I manage it through flirting and manipulating when I have to. It’s how I stay in control. I don't know what I would do if anyone ever found out I had only been with one guy when I have the reputation of a very well traveled, fun time girl.
"I can make cufflinks for him too."
He sits back and stares me down, but I don't intimidate all that easily. I wait. He has one hour of my time and then I'm gone, finished project or not.
"It would be so much easier for everyone involved if you just answered the question," he pushes a button on the intercom by his arm and calls for someone by name. I sit stubbornly and wait for this to end, thinking about leaving early, and taking my designs and hopes of a men's line with me.
A small man comes bustling in and hands Reyn a folder. He then leaves as quickly as he came.
"You don't have a husband and are in fact currently single. Not that a boyfriend would have mattered."
I feel the blood drain from my face as I try to keep up with what is going on and every one of those articles pop back into my head and wish that I wasn't tall and blonde.
"I want you to stay focused on me and what I want."
