Sinful Lies

Chapter 2: You Are No Bystander

The rest of my day went on uneventful and busy, so all thoughts of the unexpected visitor were pushed to the back of my mind “Anya, Mr. Sanchez from CAM (Charity Auction Management) is here to discuss regarding the Charity Auction supporting the Blue Angels Charity”.

“It’s for the one for children with cancer. Thank you, Rachel, you can send him in” I looked up from the file that I was signing “And could you please get me the file of the Mason Corp merger. Is there anything else on my agenda for tonight?”

“No, Anya” she still had the door partially open and was peeking through.

“In that case, you can leave for the day and have Phil drop you home. I will be driving back home tonight” I turned my attention back to the file at hand and heard the door closing softly ‘I am lucky to have an as$istant like Rachel, she has put up with my every mood swing, every tantrum, and every request that I demanded of her. Wasn’t Nina supposed to take care of the charity auction?’

“Good evening Ms. Smith” I closed the file and looked up to find a sinfully handsome guy, he is at least six feet tall with a broad chest and shoulders, which were proof of how well he took care of his body, brown silky hair with quite a bit of volume that got me jealous, with those light hazel eyes, his legs looked well – toned even through his jeans. The grey T – shirt he was wearing was rolled to his elbows showing off his sexy forearms ‘They would look perfect wrapped around me!’

A throat clearing brought me out of my ogling session. I got to my feet “Sorry, I was uh… just…” ‘What do I say? Hey, you look sexy as hell, and I was just eye fu@king your body? I wish the ground would open up and swallow me!’ I cleared my throat and outstretched my hand “Good evening, Mr. Sanchez. Please have a seat”.

“Aiden” he was sporting a knowing smirk while I looked at him a little confused “You can call me Aiden. Mr. Sanchez makes it sound like I am some sixty - something bald old guy with a potbelly”, he let his eyes rake over my lips and my chest as I sat a little straighter at his scrutinizing gaze “and you don’t have to be sorry”.

I co@ked my brows questioningly “You don’t have to be sorry for checking me out earlier!” he rubbed his thumb over his lower lip and let his eyes roam freely over my body, well, whatever was not hidden behind my desk.

I cleared my throat, narrowing my eyes as I glared at him. “Well, good things deserve to be appraised, and don’t tell me that you don’t know about your looks! Anyway, back to the topic that you are here to discuss about today…” I spent the next forty – five minutes discussing the details starting from the tablecloths to the after – party post - auction “I am looking forward to seeing your work, Mr. Sanchez…”

He cut me off, shaking my hand “It’s Aiden, I would love to hear you call my name in more ways than one!” he winked, kissing the back of my hand.

I rolled my eyes at his co@kiness “You are so full of yourself, and I would appreciate it if we kept it professional”.

“Scared that you might fall in love with me?” ‘Oh my god!’

“Seriously?” I was already standing so just placed my hands on the desk and leaned forward, giving him my I – mean – business face gritting my teeth “Look, Mr. Sanchez. There is one thing I hate, no, I loathe, and that is people who do not know when to stop things. Did you get all the requirements that I put across or do I need to repeat?”

He lifted his hands in the air in defeat “Alright! Chill! I got it!” with a tight smile he left my office.

Feeling a headache coming on, I rubbed my temples as I stood near the glas$ wall looking down at the street below where people were in a hurry to finish their day and get back home to relax. After locking my computer, I got down to the parking lot where my brand – new white Audi A8 is parked, I got the car delivered to my office this afternoon, which is why I let Phil drop Rachel home.

The second the engine purred to life all the weariness from the day disappeared and happy thoughts were back in my head as I enjoyed my drive back to my house. I live a little away from the office, it is about a thirty – minute drive and since it is not rush hour, the traffic was less making the drive fun.

After I pulled over in front of my house and got out of my car, the gloominess was back when I spotted the very familiar black Range Rover waiting on the opposite side of the road “Are you kidding me right now!” I ignore him and went up the stairs and inserted the key in the keyhole ‘Why the hell am I running away from HIM?’ taking a deep breath I steeled my nerves and walked up to his car with determined steps.

When I was finally next to his car, I rapped my fingers on the driver side window once and waited, a minute pas$ed with nothing happening, I rapped my fingers again a little roughly. “I know you are in there, open the damn window as$hole!” my swearing seems to have fallen on deaf ears so this time I banged my fists on the window “I have had a shitty day so far and I don’t need you to add to it. OPEN damn it!”

The window finally rolled down and the “Why the fu@k are you here?” I bit out through gritted teeth ‘I might have to pay a visit to my dentist soon if these as$holes keep popping back up in my life’.

He looked down at his lap shaking his head “I asked you a fu@king question and you better answer coz I am this short” I gestured the distance with my thumb and pointing finger “from calling the cops!”

“And say what?” he scoffed “I am sitting in my car, parked in a free spot that is available for the public. I am not disturbing anyone, I didn’t so much as press the honk when you stepped out of your car. What will you tell the cops? That you had a sh!tty day in the office so you are taking it out on a bystander?”

This time I was the one to scoff “You are no bystander! ARRRGGGHHH! I SEE YOU HERE EVER AGAIN, I SWEAR I WILL…”

He cut me off as he stepped out of the car standing to his full height staring down at me, never taking his eyes off me as he stepped closer, standing toe to toe with me. I was determined to stand my ground and show him that I am not a weak pushover. “You will, What? Huh?”

Meeting his stare, I continued to glare at him, and his co@kiness only pissed me off, and I so wanted to slap that look off his face and that is exactly what I did, I slapped him hard “STAY THE FU@K AWAY!” with that I stomped off to my house.

Once I was inside my house, I took deep breaths “God! That felt good!” I shook my hand as it stung a bit and went about my evening. It feels good not to have to think about someone else aside from yourself, you don’t have to worry about their likes and dislikes and the past one and a half year of bliss is now being threatened.

I sipped at my wine slowly thinking of ways of how to go about these problems that have resurfaced.

While Anya was plotting her escape from the mess, one of her so – called problems that is right outside her door, sitting in a car, was thinking of ways to mend her heart, and the other problem was sipping brandy with Thomas McGuire, setting in motion his next course of action on getting back the one who once stole his heart and still has it.

“It’s been a pleasure making your acquaintance, Mr. McGuire”, he called for the waiter to settle the tab.

“Well, we are more than acquaintance now. I hope that you will not make me regret this decision of mine” Mr. McGuire sat back leisurely in his chair “Will you be attending the Blue Angels Charity Auction? It is this Saturday”.

“I have somewhere else to be” he polished off his drink and played with the empty glas$ that resembled his empty heart.

“Trust me, there is nowhere else you want to be. You will not believe that sometimes the rarest and the most valuable items can be found here. Not attending the auction might make you miss one such rare and valuable item” Mr. McGuire polished off his drink. “You have quite the reputation from what I have heard!”

He chuckled lowly, placing his card on the tab “I did, but that was before…”

Mr. McGuire cut him off. “A woman?” He shook his head. “It is always a woman! In any case, I do hope that you will give it a thought”.

Anya’s other problem was right outside her door in the car, looking over at the bedroom window that was now lit up, signifying that she was now in her bedroom, probably stripping out of her work clothes and dressing in one of her satin nightgowns.

He shook his head and just then the phone that was next to his seat started to ring. He looked over and, seeing the familiar number, he picked it up. “I never doubted your intel. The transfer is done!”

“That is not what I was calling about”.

“Then what is it?”

“There will be a charity auction that her company is hosting this Saturday. Just wanted to let you know that she will be there”.

“Thank you, Roger. I will wire the funds as usual”.

“You have already done a lot, so this one is on the house. Take care”.

He glanced at her bedroom window, smiling at her silhouette that was moving around the room before settling on her bed, probably reading one of those cheesy romance novels that she loves.

‘How things have changed in just a year and a half!’ he realized that she was not the same as she was before, everything that happened changed her, made her strong and HE was one of the reasons that brought about this change in her.

Even though he knew that there was no going back, he just wanted to try till his heart could take no more, before giving up on her and to finally move on IF he could.