After The Burn Chapter 7
When Lacey arrived at work after her weekend dining with Danny, she didn't know what feelings were going to greet her when she walked into work that morning. The last interaction she had with Danny had left her feeling a little exposed. Both she and Danny knew of their growing attraction for each other. Well, it had always been beneath the surface but neither had so openly acknowledged that attraction.
Even if Lacey didn't verbalize the chemistry she felt with Danny, it was obvious. While she could admit that this was normal and healthy – considering that she and Danny were the same age and worked so many hours together – she knew she was treading on dangerous territory. Her sister had treaded on that territory once, too. While she couldn't stifle her life based on her sister's history, Lacey could use that history as a preventative measure to protect herself.
Lacey's thoughts are on her sister Clara as she enters the Marrick Industries building. She doesn't notice the person in the lobby waiting for an elevator until it is too late.
"Good morning, Lacey! Nice day, isn't it?" Charlie Desai McBride greets her.
With that greeting, Lacey's ire stirs. She remembers the bet. "Good morning, Charlie. Do you have a moment to talk?" Lacey has arrived early enough to have a small chat with the low-down, scheming Charlie.
There is a gleam in Charlie's eyes. He knows why she wants to chat. "Sure, Lacey. Why don't we go to the cafeteria here for some coffee?"
They walk over to the cafeteria. As they walk, Lacey can't help but compare Charlie physically to Danny. Charlie is tall, lean but has muscle. He has dirty blonde hair and green eyes. He possesses good looks but he also possesses extreme arrogance about those good looks. He can be charming but he does not have the effortless ease of that charm - as Danny does. Sometimes, Charlie's charm can feel forced. At any rate, if Lacey were to choose, Danny would be ideal. Of course, she isn't choosing at all.
Charlie insists on buying their beverages: Lacey, a hot chocolate, and Charlie, coffee. They pick a table near the windows.
Lacey takes a couple a sips of her hot chocolate to wet her dry throat. Since this is a very public space, she decides to start their talk light and try to control her temper. "I am sure you can guess why I wanted to speak to you. It is concerning this bet that you have place with Danny in which I am caught in the middle."
"Scandalous, wasn't I?" Charlie grins. Once he receives a glare in response from Lacey, he pretends to feel remorseful. "Ohhhh, you don't see the humor or fun in this situation, do you?"
"When I think about how you involved me in a pissing match between you and Danny, then 'fun' is the least descriptive term that I would use." Lacey temporarily loses her cool.
"Well, well, well…our Lacey seems a little miffed...using terms like 'pissng'. Hmmm…" Charlie licks his lips and then leans across the table – as close to Lacey's ears as the table will allow. He insinuates "Makes a person wonder what else he can do to rile up her emotions." He leans back to offer a mischievous grin at her.
'Makes me want to have an emotion that may make me lose my job" is the internal dialogue Lacey has with herself.
While she did not utter those words, Charlie issues a sharp laugh. "Ummm, I can see a thought bubble above your head and something tells me that the words aren't very flattering to me."
Lacey pauses for a moment to center her emotions and bring this conversation back to an objective start once again. She fixes her brown eyes on Charlie. She is calm as she initiates the discussion about the bet again. "This bet was a terrible thing for you to conceive. I don't appreciate being involved as a prize to be won. I bring value, experience, and a hard work ethic to this company. For that to be dismissed and for my value to be placed solely on my looks, is deplorable. Why would you do this to me?"
Charlie takes a sip of his coffee before he answers. "I had heard of this opportunity for new business through some connections. I knew if I presented it to some members of my family, then my role in this new opportunity would probably be lessened. I would be relegated as a minor contributor. I wanted to be taken more seriously."
Lacey leaps on this part of his statement. "Which makes it more maddening that you would choose to not take me seriously. You would relegate me to physical "image" traits instead of strong intellectual and work performance qualities. I want to be taken seriously in my role, too!"
Charlie holds a hand up to stop Lacey in her tirade. He looks at her directly. "Please, let me finish. I saw Danny that night. He had been drinking. I had been drinking." He sighs and looks out the window and shakes his head. He turns his gaze to his cup which he turns between both hands as he continues to talk. "Maybe it wasn't the wisest thing to do, but I had some good news. I had a potential thing that the 'Golden Child' did not."
He looks up at Lacey. "Of course, I felt good and wanted to gloat a little. Danny didn't seem impressed. It was a good opportunity so I challenged him to do better – if he were man enough to challenge me. The little shit refused…well, he refused to recognize that I might be good competition for him with this deal…he refused to believe that I could 'best' him at this deal. He was walking away – as if I wasn't in the same league as him." Charlie took another sip. He admits "So, I did what I used to do – when we were younger. I took a stick and poked the bear. I riled him up – as I like doing sometimes. And that is how we wound up with this bet."
Lacey shakes her head in disbelief at the ease he uses to make the circumstances leading to the bet seem so trivial. "No, Charlie. You are forgetting the rest of the story. Remember the part where your 'poking the bear with a stick' involves you tossing my name into the equation and tormenting your cousin with the memory of his girlfriend, that you…" Lacey glances around to make sure no passersby are listening to their conversation. She continues "the girlfriend that you s*duced – knowing full well that your cousin had feelings for this girl. So, with that atrocious scarlet letter against you, why would you goad Danny like that? That was cruel!"
Charlie gives a shrug. "Like I said, I wanted to be taken seriously. By mentioning the woman he used to love and by mentioning you, the woman he seems to value so much presently, then I was assured that he would be forced to pay attention to me." He smirks. "Now, what I hadn't counted on – but man, I should have predicted – is that when you stir a hornets' nest, you should be prepared for that impending sting. Danny's sting was throwing the Desai bloodline in my face. Sure, I try to develop a thick skin – being that I am adopted, but with the right amount of liquor in my system and with my defenses slightly down, then his jab hit in just the right sore spot."
Lacey is disgusted. "One cruel act versus another cruel act. Neither of you come out innocent in this. What did your punishment towards each other accomplish?"
"Well, it got him to listen. It got him to agree to the bet. I'm not sorry for the bet. While I can understand your anger, I won't regret the bet. If I win, I think you will enjoy working with me…" Charlie states.
Lacey interrupts his simplification again. "I enjoy working on the team that I am presently on. I won't enter into any romantic relationship with you regardless of the outcome. I won't be forced or persuaded into a personal arrangement with you. There is no compromise on that. Furthermore, that is ridiculous to base future presidency on this bet as well. Who knows what may happen between now and the time for a Desai of your generation to even step into the reigns of that kind of leadership."
"If I win, Danny will honor what we agreed upon. If he wins, then yippee 'Golden Child' wins again and you still work for him…although, I can't guarantee that I won't always have a glimmer of hope that you might feel differently towards me." Charlie observes Lacey closely as he stops talking.
Lacey sighs. "Look, Charlie, I have a defined set of rules between the personal and the professional aspects of my life. I have told you that before and I am stating it yet again. We will never be more than business associates."
"What about you and Danny?" Charlie's stare is intense.
"Are you being harassed, Lacey?" Danny appears by their table. He had noticed Lacey and Charlie in a heated discussion when he entered the cafeteria.
"Good morning, cousin!" Charlie grins at Danny's face.
Danny grins with forced friendliness back at him. "Good morning, Charlie. Are you bothering my analyst?"
"Naw, not bothering her at all. We were just having a lovely chat about the bet. I was about to extend my regards that 'may the best man win.' " Charlie glibly replies.
Danny was just as smooth in his retort. "Thanks, Charlie. We appreciate the support. That's mighty big of you." He reaches down to grab Lacey's hand to pull her from her seat. Lacey is very ready to leave this discussion with Charlie. "If you will excuse us, I have some things I need to discuss with Lacey before my meeting. Have a good morning, cousin."
Charlie purses his lips and nods in farewell. "You have a good morning, too, cousin. Nice talking to you, Lacey – as always." He gives a closed-mouth smile to her in parting.
"Goodbye Charlie." Lacey responds in return.
From the cafeteria, across the lobby, and to the elevator, Danny and Lacey walk in silence. Once the elevator doors closed, Danny turns to Lacey to ask "Are you okay? Was he harassing you?"
Lacey gives him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. I asked him to sit and talk with me. I had a failed attempt at trying to make him have a conscience over how this bet made me feel. Turns out his heart is seven sizes too small."
"It's probably due to all those Baby Gap tees he's always trying to wear to show off his muscles on Casual Fridays" Danny quips.
Lacey snorts and then laughs. Danny laughs, too. They are still laughing as they enter their office space. The laughter dies down when they near Lacey's desk. She turns to Danny and simply states "Thank you."
"Anytime." Danny winks and smirks as he continues to walk into his personal office.
As Lacey settles into her desk and assesses her workload for the day, she feels better that she has gotten the animosity against Charlie off her chest. She still thinks his bet is appalling. After her contact with Charlie this morning, she is very determined that Danny wins.
Lacey hopes that the rest of her day is Charlie-free. Unfortunately, Charlie had other ideas.
Later that afternoon….
"Good afternoon, Heather! Is my cousin in?" Charlie McBride is paying a visit to Danny's area of Marrick Industries. In order to proceed to Danny's office, he has to pass by the executive administrative assistant desk and pass Lacey's large open-cubicle space before he can face the door to Danny's office.
Lacey cannot believe that Charlie is deliberately making an appearance here this afternoon. After this morning's encounter, she had hope that she would not cross paths with Charlie again today. So, Charlie is inquiring if Danny is available.
Lacey had to still her facial expressions in order to not roll her eyes. She is not fooled. Danny has been in meetings for most of the morning. Charlie, who attended a few of those meetings with Danny, would know that information.
Thus, his visit this afternoon – while appearing impromptu – is actually a deliberate ruse to snoop or to aggravate. Lacey has time for neither.
"Good afternoon, Charlie." Heather is cordial to Charlie. She, also, is not fooled. "You must have forgotten that he is meeting with Internal Audit to discuss some new compliance rulings for the Research group. Remember last week, you asked Internal Audit to first schedule with Danny and let you know the remaining available timeslots once Danny had decided?"
"Oooh, yeah, that's right. It must have slipped my mind." Charlie tries a charming smile.
"Don't tell me I need to buy you a supply of fish oil and magnesium supplements. You need to be proactive - you're too young for memory loss." Heather smiles saccharinely with her offered advice.
"Touché. I'll get right on that. Can't be too preventative." He expands his arms away from his body with his palms outstretched. "It wouldn't do for this body and face to look so great but my mind to fade so soon."
Heather shakes her head at Charlie's attempted flirtation. She is a married mother of three and a grandmother of two. She has seen it all via the older generations of Desais. This younger breed, while more attractive, are just young pups to her. They offer a lot of entertainment; consequently, they can offer drama at times, too - with this rascally one leading the dramatic exploits.
"Oh, Heather, you refuse to be daunted by me. You don't want to play." Charlie pouts.
"Too much work to do and too un-inclined to play." Heather chuckles. "Go find another playmate."
"Speaking of which…" Charlie saunters past Heather's desk and proceeds to Lacey's area where she is busily typing on her keyboard. "Good afternoon, Ms. Porter. I forgot to tell you this morning that this dress is very becoming on you. Coral is definitely your color."
"Good afternoon, Charlie. Thank you." Lacey looks up to address him. Then, she returns to typing again. Charlie is here to see Danny – so he says. Therefore, Lacey is cordial but offers no extra small chat.
"This would be the part in which you would offer something complimentary to me as well…like 'That mint colored shirt looks really good on you, Charlie.' " Charlie gives as a suggestion.
Lacey glances back at him with a slight frown on her face to convey confusion. "Hmmm, wouldn't that make the recipient feel that the compliment was disingenuous…that the compliment was forced…just a nice pleasantry to state back out of an obligation to say something in return? That would make it seem like you were slumming for compliments. I wouldn't want to offend. I know you aren't that desperate." Lacey displays her best dimpled smile to soften the blow to her words.
Heather snorts in the background and then pretends to cough a couple of times into a napkin.
Charlie smirks. "Always considerate of other's feelings. That's very kind of you, Lacey."
Lacey treads lightly in her verbal interactions with him this afternoon. Heather has been with the company much longer and can offer more potent sting to her commentary with Charlie. Lacey has less tenure.
Plus, she tries to avoid antagonizing Charlie in general. He would think she was deliberately goading him in order to have further continued contact with him. This morning, her temper made her speak more strongly. This afternoon, she was trying a softer approach in order to thwart him.
"Well, we will tell Danny that you stopped by or maybe you can ask Heather to schedule a meeting for you with Danny. Have a good day." Lacey dismisses Charlie with a pleasant closed-mouth smile.
Charlie does not move to exit her space. "Why do you dislike me so much?" He comes closer to her desk. He looks intently at Lacey as he awaits her response.
Lacey decides to give a simple answer since Charlie seems to be baiting her with his supposedly casual question. "I don't dislike you." She turns her body back to her computer and returns to preparing her reporting that she had to upload onto the Marrick website. She hopes this would deter Charlie from asking more questions if she seems too busy to converse with him.
"Have Danny and Cole turned you against me, then?" His question seems genuine but there seems to be a slight vulnerable note to it. Lacey thinks she is imagining things. She has been working on these reports all morning.
Lacey waits for her Excel files to compress and zip before giving Charlie an answer. She then turns her attention away from her computer screen to Charlie's green-eyed stare instead. She shakes her head in denial. "No, Danny and Cole have not. That's not their style. They don't have to use their influence over people to persuade one's feelings about you. "
"So, you hate me all on your own?" Charlie counters. There is that Desai scrutiny in that gaze…that intensity that Danny gives when he demands an answer or when he invades your space to seek some validation to what he believes. Although Charlie is adopted, this trait is still inherent in him. This must be something groomed in all the Desais.
Lacey shakes her head again (a) to deny his question and (b) to avoid feeling sorry for Charlie – he would only turn that against her as he has done before. "I don't hate anyone. By the term 'anyone' - that in default would include you." Lacey gives a butter-wouldn't-melt-in-her-mouth smile.
Charlie laughs – genuinely laughs. "The lady has a little snark. I like snark. That's a very attractive trait to have."
Lacey, in spite of herself, gives a little snort and smiles a little. His charm can creep upon a person sometimes. Yes, he is handsome – not as strikingly attractive as Danny. Yet Lacey could see how he could sweep some women off their feet.
Charlie gives a small smile back. "I've gotten the dimples a couple of times today…and a few times, the smile was with genuine humor. See, I can be likeable." Charlie remarks.
"Yes, when the conversation isn't laced with innuendo or slight digs at your cousins, then yes, you can be likeable" Lacey agrees.
Charlie nods his head. "The innuendo is because you are a very beautiful woman. The digs are because…because it is a thing I just do. If I had to place a 'reason' to it, then I would say…if I can't beat them, then I chip away at their armor" Charlie rationalizes.
"Your cousins aren't your enemies, Charlie. You should save the insults for others…not for your kin." Lacey felt if someone in this family could stop the harmful part of the competitive drive in this family, then the younger cousins could mend any past transgressions. Sure, Charlie had done major damage by sleeping with Nicole, Danny's then-girlfriend, behind Danny's back. However, if Charlie had shown any true remorse, then maybe Danny could eventually forgive….well, maybe not forgive but a truce may be achieved for the 'sake of family.'
Lacey decides to offer Charlie something to consider. "To paraphrase a quote – 'Don't use the bathroom where you eat.'
Charlie snorts at her more 'politically correct' turn of that phrase. He looks off in the distance for a moment before his gaze returns to hers. "To loosely borrow a gambling phrase…I see your attempt to offer me an olive branch to extend to my cousins and I raise you a lifetime of examples where I have been pitted against them."
"Who sparked that competition? Was it them or was it the generation before you three?" Lacey asks as she thinks that whoever started this mess did a disservice to the cousins. If this extreme competition had not been started, there could be more solidarity between the three. It wouldn't be a division of Danny and Cole versus Charlie.
"It has been so long that I don't know how it exactly started. You just are reared on the competition. Now, don't go feeling sorry for me…or is this your ploy to get underneath my skin? Are you trying to placate me so you can find out my secrets on how I am going to win this bet?" Charlie smirks.
Lacey thinks that it is a shame that the glimpse of vulnerability has disappeared. Charlie is back to his murkier side.
Charlie persists "Look, you're intelligent. I know you want to advance within the company. Don't you want to be on the winning side? Don't be blinded by your loyalty to Danny. Hmmm, not changing your mind, huh? You know, I am curious...why is it that I get judged harshly for admitting my attraction to you, but Danny is shown leniency? I can see he is attracted to you. I can see you don't show the same deterrence tactics to him as you do for me. Sure, you can pretend I must be imagining things, but I know my cousin…he must have tried to pursue you as well. Don't tell me that you are actually falling for the 'tall, dark, and handsome' routine? Trust me, he's been using that 'exotic-looking b.s.' trick to his advantage all our lives.'
"Careful, cousin Charles. The casual observer would think you are throwing shade at me. In order to throw shade at another person, that would mean you would have something better to offer. However, you and I both know that is not true." Danny saunters into through Lacey's analyst cubicle space as he travels to go to his closed office. He offers a cool smile with his sly response.
"Haha, Cousin Daniel. Good one. I was just entertaining Lacey until you got back. I have a few things to discuss with you." Charlie gave a smile – which didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Funny, how you didn't schedule a meeting like everyone else who wants to discuss things with me." Danny gives his own smile as his words point the obvious to Charlie – Charlie didn't have to show up 'impromptu' to Danny's assistant nor his analyst.
"Oh, but then I wouldn't have had the opportunity to catch up with Lacey and place her at ease about our little bet." Of course, Charlie would try to goad Danny into a corner by mentioning the 'little' bet.
"So, were you conceding? Where's your white flag?" Danny squints as he pretends to glance around Charlie to see that symbol of yielding the win over to him.
Charlie smirks. "Yeah, righttttt. Don't you wish that were the case, Cuz…"
"All right – you aren't here to concede. Enough with the light banter, what is the real reason why you are here? Are you spying on us?" Danny wants to address whatever business Charlie wants – the sooner, the better so that Charlie can leave. He doesn't hate his cousin. They just are oil-and-water…very hard to mix and very hard to stay fused together for long stretches of time. They have worked together in the past. The presence of other people – to mediate any vastly differing proposals between the two cousins – had helped to facilitate that working together.
There is a solidarity between them if anyone dares to threaten or harm the Desai reputation. They can place their differences aside for the sake of family. Yet, there has always been a strain between them since Danny has been the favored Desai amongst the younger generation in the family.
It wasn't Danny's fault of being gifted the 'favorite' title. He was the first born of the younger set of 'blood-related' Desais. He was always the fastest learner, the quickest to adapt to any changes, and a very attentive listener. Moreover, he possessed an affable charm – that both adults and other kids loved. As he grew older, he also was the most handsome – being that both his mother and father were very attractive.
So great intellect, charming disposition, plus overwhelming good looks made Danny a very formidable opponent to most men. Imagine if that person was in one's family and every other male, fairly or unfairly, were judged opposite of Danny. That was a very high standard with which one had to compete.
Now, add in the factor that Charlie was adopted verses Danny's 'blood' status. This was one of Charlie's sore spots. Danny wouldn't tease him about it – unless Charlie provoked him, but it was a very tender wound that had never quite healed.
Charlie bristles "You're not the only one with ideas, you know."
Danny agrees "You have always had some good ideas, but the follow-through hasn't been thorough at times. You sometimes have a 'thin-skin' whenever anyone offers some critique of your idea. If you combine your efforts with others or take constructive advice to tweak your original concept, you would get a lot further with your ideas. As a result, people would listen more to what you suggest – because they see you can be a team player when you need to be."
Charlie interjects "I fight for the ideas that I believe in so strongly."
Danny concurs "Sure, there are times when you fight for what you believe, but you need to learn when it is best to back down and go with another idea. Maybe you can incorporate something of 'your own' further down the line before the finished product or maybe you can get to spearhead the next venture. However, since it is a constant battle with you, people seem reluctant to even work with you in the first place."
Charlie dismisses "Well, this time I have some great ideas. It will be fun – taking you down a peg or two…"
Danny narrows his eyes and shakes his head in frustration. "Again, you are making this about the 'singular' – instead of the whole. A win is a win for all of Marrick Industries. If you really cared for the company, you would want to work together. Instead, you saw this as an opportunity to 'one-up' me. Also, you saw this as an opportunity to trap Lacey in a situation in order for you to try to woo her."
Charlie becomes cocky in his demeanor as he smirks. "Are you afraid that I will be successful? Which aspect has you more afraid – that I will win the deal or that I will win the girl?"
*Lovely Readers, thank you for your reading and for your support. I made this chapter longer in appreciation for your patience as I juggle several fics.
With this chapter, I wanted to incorporate some of the qualities that we saw of Charlie on the tv show Twisted. He was presented as someone a little vulnerable (wanting to fit in with others), someone who used humor to befriend, and someone who had several personality sides which could switch at a moment's notice.
My Twisted 'Easter egg' in this chapter? It was that Danny statement where he said 'you and I both know that is not true' – alluding to the episode where he tells Lacey that he can't forget about their kiss and he is confronting her on not owning up that the kiss affected her as well.
My Kavan 'Easter egg'? Well, it was more of a Kylie 'Easter egg'. She recently had a snapshot of herself in a coral or peach-looking bathing suit top. The color was becoming on her and I decided to work it into the fic.
For those anticipating Clara's part in this fic, she will be making an appearance either Chapter 8 or Chapter 9. Her history, which affects Lacey so much, will be revealed then.
This weekend, I will be posting for 'The Beautiful Ones' and 'The Break'. If I have energy, I will try to post the final chapter of 'Tamed Submission' – the new short fic. After that, an update would be for 'Prime Recognition'. As always, I appreciate your patience! DimplesValntina
