Chapter 4 Make the bribe count
1528 Words
Carey was putting the finishing touches on a piece she was restoring for Jane at the gallery when her phone rang. She noted the number and smiled, it was truly beginning to excite her when he reached out to her. She prepared for the way her goosebumps were going to coat her skin when he said her name he always had a way he said her name.
“ Good morning, Cedric.”
“ Good morning Carey, how are you today?”
“ Well, I have been working on a piece for two months and it’s finally finished.”
“ A new piece?”
“ Yes, people will bring Jane paintings that have been damaged over time and we restore them, it’s one of the services we offer at the gallery.”
“ Very cool, we have something in common then. I like to restore old homes and you like to restore old paintings.”
She smiled, “ You like to restore old homes?”
“ I sure do, I started in this business flipping houses and I very much prefer fixing than destroying.”
“ Wow! I didn’t know.” She admitted as she put her brushes into the solution for cleaning. “ I should have googled you.”
He laughed at her comment.
“ No need for that, I’m an open book, you can ask me anything and I’ll tell you.”
“ I’ll start with an easy one, why are you calling me?”
He was chuckling earnestly now and Carey considered his laugh was warm and comforting to hear, She could picture how his dark eyes would look as she had seen them for the first time, sparkling with curiosity.
“ I am calling to say thank you for the tip, I have made wonderful use of the information I received and if you have additional information, I would be thrilled to conduct further business.”
“ Is this so?”
“ Yes, it is,” He laughed.
“ Are you busy?” She asked suddenly feeling brave, after talking to him on the phone for the last few days, she wanted to see him in person to see if her memory was flawed or if he truly was as gorgeous as she remembered.
“ I am always busy but if you’re asking me if I have time to see you, then I do, are you asking me out?”
Her smile was toothy at his words. “ There might be something I have that would be useful to our plans of revenge, so why don't we meet at the coffee shop about a block from the gallery they make extravagant drinks that you might like, and I might have a thumb drive in my pocket I would exchange for a great cup of coffee, I want an extra large one with loads of whipped topping.”
“ You would give me information for a simple cup of coffee?”
“ I’m a very generous woman, Cedric, always willing to give. If you put the information to good use, it’s almost payment enough. I need caffeine.”
“ Then expect me there soon?”
“ Sounds good.” She told him the name of the coffee shop and then ended the call, when she looked up, Jane was leaning against the wall, her arms folded and her grin wide.
“ What?”
“ You like him.”
She couldn’t deny it. “ He called me last night and we talked for an hour about the house and he was asking me if I was a hundred percent certain on my desire to demolish it. He said it’s a very final decision and once it’s started cannot be undone. He’s received all the permitting, he has already removed all the fixings he felt he could resell.
Seemingly, the marble bathroom was in great shape so he had it all pulled out, he said the interior of the house is almost down to the studs now.”
“ How do you feel about it?”
She held up her phone, “ It makes me feel great because my sister won't be able to take this one away from me. They’re planning to go to the resort Evan took me to for our honeymoon in Barbados, she’s been busy spending her time sending me a hundred messages a day telling me how angry she is at me for not giving her my house.”
“ b***h!” Jane scowled angrily. “ I even want to smack her.”
“ It’s not as bad as Evan messaging me yesterday to remind me how I used to imagine our children playing in the sun’s rays in the foyer and how he wants to keep this dream alive by allowing my nephew to grow up in a house of light.” She grimaced with the rage she still felt, it had been a month and she shouldn’t still feel this angry, and she probably wouldn’t if they would simply move on with their lives, leaving her to her own. She hated them both. “ His level of emotional blackmail is on par with hers.”
“ You know we never liked him, right?” Jane’s voice was condescending.
She laughed at Jane’s comment. “ Yes, you and Lizzy made it very clear you pretended because I loved him.”
“ Anyway, when I told Cedric what they had been texting me, his question to me was why they were both messaging me about a house when they should be focusing on their marriage. He then started cracking jokes about how Evan was probably hoping to get back to me which was on point, to be honest. He also was eerily on the money about how Wendy was likely making the housekeeping staff’s lives a living hell. He had me laughing so hard I could barely breathe, Jane, he cracks the most inappropriate comments, and they make me laugh.”
“ Really?”
“ He told me he couldn’t for the life of him imagine a woman like me with a man like him.”
“ He likes you too, how much have you talked to him?”
She twisted her lips, “ He called me Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, and then last night.”
“ The only night you didn’t speak to him was Monday?”
“ We texted on Monday, he was out of the country but sent me messages.”
“ Carey! Why am I only hearing of this now?”
“ I don’t know, but I’m going to go meet him for coffee in exchange for a thumb drive.”
“ You should tell him the next thumb drive is exchanged for o****ms.”
“ I should not!” She blushed furiously.
“ You certainly should.” Jane smirked, “ And don’t tell me you haven’t considered it, he’s gorgeous and we ogled him for a solid half hour Friday night from the kitchen at Mara’s. He is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome and is the exact opposite of your troll, beady-eyed blond-haired, pasty ex.”
“ You know, you truly should have told me how much you hated him, it might have made me look at him in a more discerning light.”
“ You were happy.” Jane shrugged. “ I mean in a conditioned, brainwashed, way, but you were happy. Liesl, some women are happy to be a housewife and if it was your dream to be with him in the refined, cultured way he demanded you behave, then we weren’t going to crush the dream. However, I will say, that hearing you drop f-bombs and wear brightly colored blouses and skirts again, the way you did most of our lives, makes me infinitely happy. I feel like you’ve found your way back to the Carey we knew and loved. You changed for him and I’m not saying it was a bad thing, I’m simply saying, as much as I love you, I frankly love this version of you better.”
She was quiet as she considered her friend’s words. “ You know, I like this version better too, my art feels like it’s come alive. I wish it didn’t still hurt so much. It’s been six weeks and there was a night I woke up last week in the middle of the night and reached for him. I had to get out of bed and go sleep on the sofa because it hurt, I’m glad I’m out of the house now. I think it was a big part of my pain and I just want to see it crushed to the ground.”
“ Well, if you’re going to meet a hot billionaire for coffee, wipe the paint smear off your cheek and get a move on.” Jane tossed a rag at her. “ And seriously, offer the next thumb drive for s*x, make the bribe count.”
She laughed as she went to the bathroom to clean up, strangely wondering what he would say if she proposed such a thing. She shivered as she considered all the possibilities.
- Writer
