This chapter will include both Sam's and Mercedes' POV and it switches between the two POVs several times. I hope everyone is able to follow.
Also, I know several of you thought the conversation that occurred in the last chapter was going to be between Sam and Mercy. I promise that one is in the next chapter.
I do not own Glee or its characters.
Tuesday September 15th
SAM POV
A crack of thunder wakes me. I look over at the digital clock on my nightstand to see that it is 7:17, so I sit up, stretch and decide to get up. The alarm would have gone off in three minutes anyway. I pick up my phone and cancel the alarm. Thunderstorms are in the forecast during the morning hours, so I make a quick decision to work at the apartment today. I leave Harriet a message to forward my calls to the apartment and then also ask her to confirm that the food has been ordered for my meeting with Rose & Potts tomorrow. After hanging up, my mind fast forwards to tomorrow. It really isn't much of a business meeting. The account is hers. The rest of the time will be spent with me coming clean and pleading my case. She has to forgive me. She just has to. I cannot lose her or Ally. I go into the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee. I turn the k-pod carousel to find my favorite dark roast blend but see that I am out of it, so I look through the remaining blends and one makes me smile. I never noticed it before, probably because Zack always brewed it before I had the chance to notice it. I pick it out of the holder and decide to give it a try. With a name like White Chocolate it's got to be delicious, right?
**********FLASHBACK Saturday June 13th**********
I'm standing by the vanity brewing some coffee when I hear her groan. I turn just in time to see her sit up and wipe her eyes. "Oh my god. What happened?"
"Alcohol." I grin as I turn back to the coffeemaker as it spurts to a finish. I pour a cup for her and then one for myself.
"Can you make the room stop spinning?"
I smile as I walk the mug over to her. "I wish. Want some coffee?"
"Please." I carefully hand the mug to her along with a couple of creams and packets of sugar. "What time is it?"
I glance down at the clock. "Almost 10:00." I walk back over to the vanity to get my mug and then walk over to the small couch to sit.
She stands and walks over to the couch to join me. "Do you mind if we check the weather for today? The kids have their performance and I want to see if they are going to have to contend with any rain. There has been a small chance all week."
I nod and grab the remote to turn on the television.
She leans back against the couch. I glance over at her as she does and notice when she stiffens. "Wait, did I kiss our waitress last night?"
I chuckle and nod. "Yep."
"Wow."
"That's what she said." I take a sip from my mug. With a smile on my face, I look over at her again just as something else hits her.
"Wait a minute. There was a stripper pole at that club wasn't there?"
"Yep." This is just too good. The expressions that take over her face each time she remembers an event from last night are hilarious.
"Oh my god, I didn't strip, did I?"
I shake my head but keep smiling. "No."
She raises an eyebrow. "Did you?"
"Hell no."
She giggles and I notice that she has calmed down a bit. "Oh come on. You could have given us a little White Chocolate action." She smirks at me.
"White Chocolate?" I narrow my eyes at her.
"Yes, it's the stripper name that I have bestowed upon you." She leans her head back and smiles.
"OK." I consider the new moniker and nod my head in agreement. "Strangely enough, I like it. So, what's yours?"
"You have to give me one."
"Hmm." I take a few sips of my coffee while I think up a stripper name for her. She has tuned to the television, so I take the opportunity to study her. She sips her coffee and as she swallows the liquid, I see her mash her lips together. She leans forward to sit the mug on the table and then stretches both arms over her head for a few seconds. Bringing them back down, I watch as her tongue quickly darts out and licks the bottom corner of her mouth. It's probably something she has done a million times but because I am watching her, it is very alluring. I take a quick sip of my own coffee and smile. "OK, I've got it."
She picks up her mug, leans back against the couch again and takes another sip. "OK, let's hear it."
"Coco Seduction."
She smiles and nods. "Oh, I like that." She sips again and then winks at me. "Coco will have to give you a private show one of these days."
My mind is telling me to say 'Baby, you just gave me a preview,' but instead I wink back at her. "I'm going to hold you to that."
She stands, walks over to the small dining table and places her mug on it. "You do that, but for now, come here and let me get a taste of some white chocolate before I get in the shower." She uses her index finger to beckon me. I stand and obey her command. Our lips connect and then our heads angle as I wrap my arms around her. She locks her arms around my waist and snakes her tongue into my mouth. The move surprises me but I don't hesitate to challenge her for control. Moments later, we both draw away after a lingering peck. She opens her eyes and looks up at me.
I look down at her with a grin. "So, how was it?"
"Delicious. I mean with a name like white chocolate, it's got to be, right?" She closes her eyes and scrunches her nose.
I chuckle and kiss the tip of her nose. "Good answer. Ok, we've got to get moving. The kids will be performing in a couple of hours." We release each other and as she turns to walk toward the adjoining door to enter her room, I lightly smack her ass.
**********END OF FLASHBACK**********
MERCEDES POV
After leaving our monthly staff meeting, I enter my office a bit out of sorts and a little pissed off. I've never been treated as disrespectfully as I was during that meeting. I was providing the requested financials to the owners and department heads, but neither Mr. Rose nor Mr. Potts seemed interested. They sat there at the head of the conference table whispering back and forth to each other like schoolboys. Never once did they even look up to make eye contact with me. They seemed completely unphased that August revenue increased by 10% as compared to our revenue in July. I look up and notice the time on the wall clock behind my desk. It's not even 9:00 yet. I need some coffee. I drop my papers on my desk and grab my coffee mug. I see one of the shared marketing assistants, Margo, getting herself some coffee when I walk into the break room, so I go over to join her.
"Hey Margo."
"Hey Ms. Cedes. How are you today doll?"
"Same old song and dance. I swear sometimes I wonder why I even bother."
"What's wrong?" I proceed to tell her about what happened during the staff meeting. She rolls her eyes and leans in next to my ear. "You know they were probably talking about what they would do to you if you gave either of them the time of day." She scrunches up her nose. "Could you even imagine it?" Then she playfully gags. It makes me laugh out loud. This girl is something else. "So, what you got in the works? Anything you need me to help with?"
"Well, there is something big happening tomorrow, but I've been trying to keep it quiet because I really don't have a lot of confidence that I'll get the contract."
"Who is it?"
"E&E?"
"What?!"
I shush her. "Keep it down. And yes, E&E. But like I said I really don't think it will amount to anything. They've got an internal marketing team. What is the benefit of moving that to an outside firm?"
"Hell if I know, but if you have the opportunity to make an impression, then you should go all out. Maybe you'll impress them so much that they will offer you a job there. Lord knows the old heads here don't appreciate you like they should. Anyway, what can I help you with?"
"Come on. Let's talk about it in my office." She follows me to my office and then I go over what I've put together for my pitch. I ask her to pull a few campaign highlights from our biggest clients to include in the presentation and then to make five copies of everything when she's finished. She nods and scurries away to get started. I glance over at my computer screen when I hear a ding. Great. A meeting request with both Mr. Rose and Mr. Potts today at 6:00. They really are out of touch. Who has meetings that late anymore? I shake my head as I click the 'Accept' button to send my response and then pick up my phone to text Ally. Once I unlock it, I see I've received another message from that bitch. When will she leave me alone? She got what she wanted. Overlooking whatever she sent today, I scroll up to read all the messages she has sent to me since last week.
Thursday Sept 10
Im happy to see that you have taken what I told you to heart
Make sure to keep it that way
Friday Sept 11
Ally looks so cute today I like what she's done with her hair
Saturday Sept 12
Zack is so happy that me and his dad are spending so much time together
Our family will be back together in no time
Monday Sept 14
Im surprised you aren't picking her up from school too
Then I read today's messages and freeze.
I told my daddy about you this morning
He's not happy that you were the one standing in the way of my reconciliation with Sam
You should probably steer clear
Fuck! Now what am I supposed to do? Is this why he wouldn't look at me this morning? Shit.
SAM POV
Connecting to my 10:30 call, my mind is heavy on her right now. I mean, she is always on my mind but right now, everything I look at reminds me of her. I greet the people on the phone and then click the mute button on my headset. I pick up my cell phone and swipe through my pictures. I swipe through several as I listen to Jonathan breakdown the logistics of our buyout deal with NG Tollins. I stop swiping and smile when I come across the first picture I took of the four of us. The kids had just completed the closing performance at band camp.
**********FLASHBACK Saturday June 13th Continued**********
"Oh my god, I love this song." I look over and see her rocking from side to side and singing along. Halfway through the number, she climbs up on the bench and loses her mind when Ally steps forward with three other saxophone players. The quartet play a few bars of the song and then step back into the band's formation. "That's my baby!" She claps and sways her hands in the air from side to side. I just smile up and over at her as she continues to scream and cheer until the song is over. I then help her down.
Once she settles, I lean over next to her ear. "What was the name of that song?"
"One Hundred Ways. My dad used to sing it to my mom all the time. Usually when he was in trouble." She chuckles. "I cannot believe they played that, and that Ally was featured on it! I cannot wait to tell him. He's going to be asking her to play it for him all the time now." She chuckles again as deep bass notes are played, and both of our eyes are drawn to the field. The band has formed four even rows at center field. The front two rows are made of saxophone, trombone, trumpet and tuba players with all other instruments filed in evenly behind them. The front two rows play the first few notes and then the drumline seemingly appears from out of nowhere and walks forward through the four rows adding a bouncy beat. Once the drumline gets to the front, the whole band joins in and rocks from side to side in time with the music. Then they start to move around and create different formations on the field. One is a star, then the letters F, S, and U, and then what I think was a football. We all cheer loudly for them when the music stops. Then a fast cadence begins to play, and they march off the field.
When most of the crowd has left the area we are sitting in, I take her hand and lead her down to the field. When we reach it, I look over at her. "You ready for this?"
She squeezes my hand. "Ready as I'll ever be."
We both look around in the sea of bodies to find Zack and Ally. After a few minutes, I see Zack walking toward me with a smirk on his face. I smirk back and then look over at her and see that she's still busy looking for Ally.
Zack approaches us. "Hi Dad."
"Hey Zack. Great job today." I look over to make sure I have her attention and then look back to him. "Zack, I want you to meet someone. This is Mercedes." I then look over and smile at her. "Mercedes, this is my son Zack."
"It's nice to meet you Zack. Awesome job on those drums."
He smiles at her. "Thanks, and it's nice to meet you too."
Just then a ball of energy appears and throws an arm over her shoulder. "Hi Pumpkin." She lets go of my hand, turns and fully hugs her. "Oh my goodness. Grampy is going to go nuts when we tell him that you were featured on his favorite song." The girl beams at her mom. "We will call him later but first I want you to meet someone. "Ally, this is Sam." She takes my hand again as she smiles up at me. "Sam, this is my daughter Ally."
"Hi Ally. You did an amazing job. Congratulations."
"Thank you Sam. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, and I think you met my son Zack early this week."
"I did. Hey Zack."
"Hey Ally."
There is an awkward silence and I immediately fill it. "So, I believe we are headed to Dave and Buster's a little later for dinner. Right now, I thought maybe we could go back to the hotel and you two could enjoy the pool." They both nod. "Good. So, are you two ready to go?"
Ally shakes her head. "I've got to go get my bag."
"Me too. Come on, I'll walk with you." Zack gestures with his head and they move to go collect their belongings.
"Wait, I want a picture first." I see Zack roll his eyes and then shake his head. He stands next to Ally. Ally and Mercy are between us and Mercy puts her arm around Ally. I hold my phone up and at an angle to capture everyone and then I put my arm around Mercy's shoulder. "OK, everybody look up and smile." I snap a couple of pictures and then look over at Zack and Ally. "OK. We will meet you two right here." I slide my phone back into my pocket and grab Mercy's hand.
"OK."
When the kids have walked off, I turn to face her and grab her other hand. "So far, so good?"
She slowly nods as she moves closer to me, throwing her head back to look up at me. "Yep, so far, so good."
I smile, nod in response and then lean down and quickly kiss her lips.
"Break it up you two. There are children in the area." We both turn to see Spencer and Alistair walking up behind us. I immediately feel tension fill my body. Mr. Touchy Feely is here.
She smiles and waves at them. "Hey guys. Did you see her?"
"Of course we did." A big smile spreads across Spencer's face. "And I recorded it. Papa J is going to be my best friend, once I send it to him." He tugs Mercy away from me and hugs her, too damn long and too damn tight for my liking. I look over at Alistair to break the death glare I'm sure I was throwing his way. Alistair gives me a quick nod and a weak smile. I nod at him in return.
"Send it to me too Spence." She pulls away from him and then reaches back to take my hand. I bet she somehow sensed the change in my mood. "Ally will be right back. She went to get her stuff."
"Good. We've got to get to the airport soon." I watch as Spencer glances aver at Alistair and then back at us.
I keep my hand tight around hers and keep a faint smile on my lips. I guess my grip was too tight because I feel her stroking my bicep. I look down to meet her eyes and she cocks her head to the side as she puckers her lips and air kisses me. It immediately calms me. I grin and nod at her, just as I hear fast approaching steps behind me. I turn just in time to see Ally launch herself into her father's arms. "Hi Daddy."
"Hey Buggy."
She draws away from him and nudges him in the stomach with her elbow. Then she moves over to Alistair. "Hi Pop A."
"Hey princess. Great job today." He hugs her.
"Thank you." She pulls away, turns and then gestures at Zack with her hand. "Dad, Pop A, this is Zack." She looks at Zack. "Zack, this is my dad, Spencer and his husband, Alistair."
Zack nods. "It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too." Spencer's voice comes across a little gruff. "How do you know Ally?"
"I met her here Sunday."
I then notice the change in Spencer's stance and decide to add my two cents. "Zack is my son." Spencer quickly looks over at me.
"Oh, OK." I see his shoulders lower as he looks between me and Zack. "Yes, I see the resemblance. Forgive me, but you know, she's my little girl." I nod and wave him off because I get it. If I had a daughter, I would have reacted the exact same way. He glances down at his watch. "Well good people, Al and I have a plane to catch, so I guess we will see you back in Atlanta." He kisses both Ally and Mercy on their cheeks, then shakes both my and Zack's hands. Alistair kisses the girls as well and then nods at me and Zack. They turn and walk away. My eyes follow them for a few moments before I feel her hand on my bicep again.
I clear my throat and look over at the kids. "You two all set to go?" They both nod and then follow as Mercy and I lead them to the car.
**********END OF FLASHBACK**********
Rain had moved out of the area by 11:00 so I went out to grab a sandwich from Subway for lunch. There was nothing at the apartment to eat and I was hungry. And I was craving my favorite, a Sweet Onion Teriyaki sub on Italian Herbs and Cheese bread. I just happen to get the last of the bread too, which prevented me from being late for my 1:00 call. Starting now, I've got back to back calls until 5:30. I guess that's one way to possibly keep my mind off how much my heart is hurting. Nothing and no one can stop my heart from hurting other than her. I quickly dial the number for my meeting. I'll text her as soon as I get situated on this call and have a few bites of my sub.
MERCEDES POV
Happy that the rain didn't stick around for too long, I decided to walk and pick up some lunch. After waiting for a fresh batch of my favorite bread, Italian Herbs and Cheese, I took the scenic route back to my office building. By the time I get back, it's just a few minutes after 1:00. As I am enjoying my sandwich, I remember that I need to text Ally, and Spence, to let them know that I will be home late tonight. I finish my texts to each of them and pick up my sub to take another bite, when a chime sounds from my phone. I suspect it's a response from either Ally or Spence. I take a quick bite, pick up the phone and sigh as tears immediately spring to my eyes.
I miss you so much Mercy. Please talk to me. Email me, call me, text me, write me a letter, send me a telegram, I don't care, just anything. At least let me know you are OK.
I swallow the food in my mouth and then do what I have been doing every time I get a message from him. I respond out loud, as if he is here with me or as if he is talking to me on the phone. "I'm OK babe and I miss you too. I've got a big meeting coming up tomorrow, one that could change my life forever, if I am able to land the account. That's if I don't get fired today. Don't worry about it, babe. If it happens, I'll just have to dust myself off and find another job. Give Zack a hug for me and I'll give Ally one for you. Bye babe." I close the message and swipe at the tear that rolled out of the corner of my eye. I look over at the mail on my desk and still. I never thought of that. I can send him a letter in the mail. There is no way she is able to know who I send mail to. I rest my head in my hands and rub my temples. How in the world did it get to this? Maybe it's routine for him since he is supposedly rich, but this is so far out of left field for me. She threatens my family to get me out of the way. What for? What's the point? If Sam wanted to be with her, wouldn't he? Does she think by keeping me away from him, that he will just come back to her like she and I are the only two women in the world? What about the next woman? Is she going to threaten anyone he tries to be with? And then what? He's just going to magically agree that he wants to be with her again? This is madness and hurting my head the more I try to understand it. I glance back over at the mail. I am going to write him a letter. I've been wanting to reach out to him in some way, but old-fashioned snail mail never crossed my mind. I was tempted to ask Ally to be a go-between in order to talk to him, but I nixed that idea because it's not fair to involve her or Zack in this. I stand, walk over to my file cabinet and grab a notebook.
SAM POV
I have the television muted as I listen to projected sales figures for the 3rd quarter. This is more Jonathan's focus, so I'm not exactly as tuned in as I probably should be. I glance over at the screen and see a commercial for Dave and Buster's. It immediately brings a smile to my face. The last time I was there we got caught by the kids. It was also the night we made it official.
**********FLASHBACK Saturday June 13th Continued**********
The kids had a great time at the pool. Mercedes didn't get in, but she sat in one of the lounge chairs and watched as Zack and I chased and flipped each other before he and Ally teamed up against me. We went back to the rooms, showered and are now at Dave and Buster's. The kids scarfed down their food and took off to play some games. She and I are cuddled in the booth sharing a Brookie Sundae.
I gesture toward the dessert with my spoon. "Everything you see here?" She nods. "Everything on here is what I want on my Mercy Sundae."
She tries to hide her smile as she spoons some of the brownie into her mouth. "Duly noted."
"Excellent." I smile at her and take some of the dessert for myself. "You supply this, and I'll supply the White Chocolate."
She laughs out loud at that. "You're a mess."
I shrug my shoulders. "Maybe, but as long as I'm your mess, I'm happy."
She looks up and over at me and stares for a moment. "Do you want to be my mess?"
"Well duh. I thought I made that clear." I study her eyes and give her a lopsided smile. "Yes, I would be honored to be your mess."
A wide beautiful smile spreads across her face. "Then you're my mess."
I lean down and plant a soft kiss on her lips. When we part, she smiles and then freezes. I look to see what caused her reaction and see both Ally and Zack standing next to the table with their arms crossed. Ally is smirking and Zack looks annoyed. "I told you Zack. You owe me twenty bucks, pay up." She smiles and then slides into the booth. Zack slides in next to her.
Mercedes eyes Ally. "What's that about? Why does Zack owe you twenty dollars?"
"We made a bet that when we came back to the table that we would catch you two in a lip lock." Ally grabs a spoon and scoops a piece of the brownie into her mouth.
"You owe me twenty bucks Dad."
"How's that?"
"Cause you couldn't keep your lips off of her."
"Can you blame me?" She punches me in the arm. "Are you guys all done?"
"Yes. They'll be closing soon."
"Well, let's get out of here."
We get back to the hotel and the kids go off to take their showers. I pull her into my room and back her up against the wall. I devour her mouth, feverishly sucking, biting and licking her lips. She moans and I instantly harden. She trails her hands up from my shoulders and into my hair. I wait to feel her nails and when I do, I surprise her by picking her up and walking us to the bed. She whimpers and tries to pull away, but I'm determined to get my fill of her before the kids interrupt us. I lie on top of her, run my right hand from her thigh up to her chest and squeeze the mountain of flesh there. The sound of something metallic hitting the bathroom floor stills us and I jump up, pulling her with me. We both straighten our clothes and then she quickly walks back over to her room, throwing a mischievous look back at me as she does. I sit down on the bed and try to slow down my breathing just as Zack exits the bathroom.
"You can have the shower now."
"OK." I playfully shove him as I walk to the bathroom. First order of business is to relieve myself yet again.
**********END OF FLASHBACK**********
MERCEDES POV
"Hey Cedes, I just wanted to stop in before I head out today to make sure you are all set for your meeting with E&E tomorrow."
"Yes, I think so."
"Have you already hired your car?"
"Yes, I did. I will be working at home tomorrow before the meeting so the car will pick me up there."
"Good. I just emailed the meeting materials to you."
"Let me check." I walk over to my desk and move the mouse to wake up the computer. I glance at the items in my email to see if it is there. "Yes, I got them."
"Great." She hands me a stack of folders. "Here are the copies you requested. Anything else you need?"
"Can you find out which room we are meeting in tomorrow?"
"Let me get that for you." I wait while she taps the screen on her tablet several times. "Yes. You're in The Alexander."
"Ok. Can you call ahead and make sure there is a projector available?"
"Will do. Anything else doll?"
"No, I think that will do it. Thanks so much for your help today Margo! I really appreciate it!"
"Anytime. Good luck tomorrow. Have a great evening."
"Thanks, and you too Margo." I look over at the clock. It's 5:40. Mr. Rose should be calling me into his office any minute now. Several things are running through my head right now. First and foremost, would be that he is firing me. I mean, why else would he wait until the end of the day to meet with me? Actually, I've already prepared myself for it. I'll just have to pick myself up and find a job at another company. If not here, then in Kentucky. I've looked at a few properties near my parents. I hate to have to do that to Ally. She has her dad and Alistair here and friends that she's had since kindergarten. I don't want to take that away from her, but if this bitch has managed to get me fired, blacklisted cannot be far behind. And if being fired and blacklisted isn't enough, that bitch's incessant texts and all the innuendo are really getting to me. I don't engage with her of course, but reading the messages when they arrive, keeps me on high alert. I think I've figured out that the information she has on us she obtained from stalking my social media profiles. I don't even use those things anymore, but it's all there for anyone to see. Like the pictures from years ago when mom retired, my post announced to everyone that she was retiring and opening her own interior design firm. The new sign dad has for his practice is out there. It's easy to deduce from those that he is a dentist. The city and state are listed on that sign too. My hometown is listed on two different sites. My brother Michael's video submission to be in a Fireman's calendar includes footage from all the close calls that he has had. That footage also includes a still of him in full firefighting gear with the name and location of his fire house. The picture Spencer and I took together at the opening of his art gallery with the caption – 'Ex-Spouse Goals' – got a lot of likes. Right next to it, is one of Alistair kissing my cheek as Spencer smiles over at us. That caption – 'My Hubby loves my Ex-Wifey as much as I do' – still makes me giggle. She could easily have gathered everything in that folder from all of that. The only thing that I am not sure about is how she knows where I live or what my house looks like. That information is not on any of my accounts and it is what scares me the most. For that, I can only conclude that she has followed me or Ally or both of us at some point. That doesn't sit well with me at all, and it is all the motivation I need to continue to do what she demands to keep my daughter safe. At least until I have figured out how she knows so much about my daughter and where we live. If I could just figure out if there was another way for her to know where we live, I wouldn't be so paranoid all the time. I'm not listed in directory assistance. When I Google my name, nothing appears but my social media sites. I am pulled out of my thoughts when my desk phone buzzes. I lean over and press the button to answer.
"Yes."
"Mercedes, Mr. Rose and Mr. Potts are ready for you."
"OK, I'll be right there." I stand, square my shoulders and exit my office. Regardless of what happens, I will keep my head held high. I walk down the long corridor to Mr. Rose's office. Once I enter the reception area, Vicky gestures for me to go in, but I knock on his closed door first and wait for his invitation.
"Come in." I open the door as he and his partner, Mr. Harold Potts, stand. I close the door behind me and then walk toward the center of the room where they are still standing. "Ms. Jones, please have a seat." I smile, nod and then sit in an armchair across from the two chairs that they have now occupied. "Thank you for staying later than usual to meet with us. I was made aware of something today that concerns me a great deal." Mr. Rose glances over to Mr. Potts with a raised eyebrow and then looks back at me as I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. "I understand that you have a meeting with a representative from E&E tomorrow, is that correct?"
"Yes sir." I nod and shift slightly in my chair.
Mr. Rose glances over at Mr. Potts again and then looks back at me. "Are you fully aware of how important this client would be to our company?"
I clear my throat. "Yes sir. E&E is a multi-billion-dollar company whose clientele holds presences in most of the 50 states. Landing the account could increase revenue for our company by 45% within the first month alone."
"Exactly, so I am hoping you can help me understand why we, the owners of this company, are just now hearing about this meeting?"
"Sir?"
"We had no idea that E&E was even looking for new representation or that they had contacted us for a meeting until today. Margo mentioned it to Vicky, who advised me. So, am I to believe that you have prepared for this meeting without any assistance from the company's owners?"
"Yes sir, but-"
"No 'buts' necessary Ms. Jones. Margo provided a copy of your meeting materials to us and we looked them over. Let's just say we are extremely impressed." Finally, smiles break out across both of their faces.
"Thank you, sir."
Mr. Potts chimes in. "Yes, Ms. Jones. This is 'corner office' impressive." My eyes widen.
"That's got her Harry."
"I knew it would." Mr. Potts laughs out loud. "Listen to me, if you land this account, that office is yours, along with a very sizeable bonus and an additional two weeks of vacation."
I exhale and smile widely. "Wow."
Mr. Rose continues. "Yes. And just so you know, you have our full support on this, do whatever you need to do to close the deal. I'll have Vicky set up a quick call for the three of us at 7:30 tomorrow evening so that you can give us an update on how the meeting went."
"Of course."
"Now, let's have a pre-celebratory drink." He stands and calls Vicky, who enters seconds later with a bottle of champagne and three glasses. We toast and then I listen to them talk, mostly about their families. After a few questions between the two, Mr. Potts, directs a question to me. "Do you have children Ms. Jones?"
"Just one, a daughter, she'll be fourteen in a few weeks."
"Where does she go to school?"
"She's at Donaldson Academy."
"Oh yes." Mr. Rose nods. "My stepdaughter, Marley, works there in the cafeteria. I mean I think she still does." Wait a minute. What did he just say? That bitch! I try to keep a straight face as he continues. I take a sip from my glass to hide my scowl. "She jumps around from job to job so much I can't keep up." He shakes his head. "This time last year, I think she was working at the Applebee's there on Preston." He chuckles and I want to explode. "Anyway, from what her mother tells me, she just started the job in the cafeteria this year. I also have two sons; Alan is 23 and LJ is 27. They both work in corporate law." I just nod my head as I feel myself getting madder. Oh, this bitch. Her ass is mine.
About fifteen minutes later, I get final good luck wishes from them and then head back to my office. I walk quickly, almost running, with anger across my face. I enter my office and then slam the door behind me. I am ready to go find this bitch, right now, and beat her ass into the ground. How dare she? She's just going to throw out threats against my family like it's nothing. No, fuck that. I sit down at my desk and pick up my phone to re-read the texts she's been sending to me. When I open up my messages, Sam's last message appears. Sam. I should reach out to him now and let him know about this, but the fact that he hasn't been honest about who he is with me gives me pause. He's been lying to me this whole time. Of course, I can understand him doing it in the beginning. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in his shoes, but three months is a long time to keep me in the dark. I'll need to figure out how to handle that later. Right now, my mind is on getting even with the bitch. She cannot even keep a job. Am I supposed to believe that she has the resources to do what she has threatened me with? Obviously, she got our address from student files at the school. That's how she saw the change in Ally's hairstyle. That's how she knows that Ally rides the school bus home from school. I stand up from my desk and forcefully exhale. I pack up my laptop and the materials for my meeting. I forward my office phone to voice mail, grab my purse from the coat rack and then exit my office. I need a drink. A tall stiff one.
SAM POV
"Hello"
"Hi. Sam?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"This is Max at Pandillo's."
"Oh hey Max. What's going on?"
"I'm sorry to bother you but wanted to let you know that our camera on the front entrance did capture an image of a woman entering the bistro last Wednesday. No one recognizes her and we never saw her exit through the front entrance, so it makes us believe that she may have been on the patio and exited through those doors. I know it's a long shot, but no one can place her with any of our regulars."
"Can you tell me what she looks like?"
"It's hard to say. It seems she was trying to disguise herself when she entered. She was wearing dark sunglasses, a long jacket and had a scarf around her head. She does appear to be white. I mean, maybe, maybe not, but her complexion is light. We thought that you may be able to recognize her even in the get-up she had on, so wanted to let you know."
"OK. Thank you, Max. I'll stop by tomorrow around noon if that's alright."
"Sure, that's fine Sam."
"Thank Naomi for me as well. I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome Sam."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you then."
I end the call and smile. I can't believe Max and Naomi continued looking at that grainy footage all this time. Now I'm anxious to see what they found. I glance down at my phone and see that it is nearing 7:30. I'm full of nervous energy right now. It's too early to go to bed, besides I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I glance at my schedule for tomorrow. I have one meeting in the office at 10:00 and then my meeting with Mercy is from 3:00 until 7:00, but the rest of my day is free. My phone rings again and I notice that it is my driver/head of security/bodyguard/friend Tony.
"Sam."
"Hey Tony."
"Truck's ready."
"OK."
"I can bring it to you tonight if you'd like."
"Yes please."
"OK. I'll be there in about an hour."
"OK. Thanks man."
"Sure." Good old Tony. He's a man of few words. I chuckle as I hang up with Tony and slip on my sandals to go out to the car. I need to get any of my personal effects out of it before it gets too dark. I go to the trunk first, take a quick glance inside and then close it. I go to the driver's seat next, reach over and lower the passenger-side visor and look for anything I may have stored there. Finding nothing, I return it to its original position and then lower the driver-side visor, removing the tattered piece of brown paper and sliding it in my front pocket. I close it and then check the dashboard. Next, I open the console between the seats and remove the few receipts and pocket change there. I check the glove compartment, the floorboards and then the compartments inside each door. I close the door and then open the back driver-side door. The seats are clear, but something white on the floor catches my eye. It's sticking out from under the driver seat. I pick it up and see it is an envelope. There isn't any writing on either side, but I feel a small hard object inside it. Something to go with those random dates, I'm sure. I shake my head and slide it in my back pocket. I cannot deal with that craziness right now. I've got to finish cleaning out this car and then I want to relax for a bit before I get something to eat. I've not driven this car that much, so after quickly checking under each seat, I close the door and go back into the apartment.
When I get back inside, I go to the couch and sit. I've amassed a lot of mail over the past few days, so I resign myself to go through it and pitch anything that is not important. I've sorted through it quickly and find that the stack pretty much consisted of several credit card offers, personal loan approval letters, restaurant coupons and a few small bills. I take the bills and slide them into my briefcase. I'll have Harriet take care of those tomorrow. I pitch the coupons and take the credit card offers and the loan approval letters over to my shredder to destroy them. Once that is finished, I go back to the couch to see what is left. Catalogs from Lexus, BMW and the informational booklet from Wallingsford High School. I grab the booklet and sit back on the couch to look through it. I move to open it but stop when there is a knock at the door. That should be Tony. I drop the booklet, stand, grab the key to the BMW and then go to answer it.
"It's all set. I filled the tank up too."
"Thanks Tony." I pass the key to him as he passes the key to my truck over to me.
"Sure thing boss. Call me if you need anything else."
"Will do." He turns and leaves. He just makes me chuckle. I close the door and then go back over to the couch. I reach for the booklet but then decide to watch a movie instead. I'm not in the mood to read and television will keep my mind occupied as well. I click on the television and notice that it is nearing 8:30. It's tuned to ESPN so I just leave it there and go into the kitchen to find something to eat. All I have is soup. I've got to get to the market. I decide on tomato soup again and quickly make a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it. I shift the catalogs and the booklet over and eat my dinner as I watch a segment on the top plays of the night. As the segment begins, there is a few quick flashes of different marching bands displayed before the number ten play is highlighted. I grin and think back to Zack and Ally's performance at band camp. It gives me an idea. Something definitely presumptuous but nevertheless perfect for her. I smile as I think about how to pull it off.
Finished with my dinner, I clear my dishes from the table, click off the television and start to get ready for bed. I begin emptying my pockets and remember the envelope in my back one. I pull it out and place it on the dresser. I'll deal with that tomorrow, right now I want nothing but a hot shower and then bed.
A/N: The long-anticipated meeting happens in the next chapter and it is a doozy. I'm editing it now and want to make sure it is PERFECT, so I am asking for forgiveness up front if it takes me a bit longer than usual to update.