Broken
Chapter Three
By Karisma
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Alt, Romance
Karisma456@hotmail.com
Standard Disclaimers Apply
July 2001
Okay now, i'm even confused so here it is. Serena is American, from Florida as you will soon discover. Darien is American as well, but his
empire is located in London with subdivisions just about everywhere. Deal? Okay here goes...
Serena could have cried. Never had she thought she would have to hear that slightly accented, superior voice again. But here it was, clear
as ever, coming through the black device on the table between her and Darien. She tried not to think of the last time she had listened to
that eerie voice, faced that dark, snide look. Luckily, the conference had begun and she was too busy translating and regurgitating facts in
a deadened monotone.
Thankfully, the sleazy dastard had not recognized her voice, not that she was surprised. Who knew how many women his lecherous son
had assaulted and raped. To remember all of them must have been too great a feat. Nonetheless, she had stopped Darien from
introducing them; that was a risk she didn't want to take, even after seven years. Serena wasn't exactly a common name, in London or
India.
He had shot her another curious look, but she ignored it, knowing how enigmatic she must seem. Hopefully, he would write her off as
strange or bizarre and forget all about her with a few days time.
She did not know how the thought of ever forgetting her was preposterous to Darien McDermott, who could not take his eyes off the
befuddling, albeit gorgeous, woman who was currently listening very carefully to the elder man speak, her full lips pursued, as if irritated.
Darien watched her thoughtlessly tuck a stray strand of silken hair behind her ear. The movement was free of guile, but that did nothing to
stop the stirring within him. Annoyed by his randy, school boy thoughts, he shook himself mentally when she looked up with those blue
eyes to repeat the question Mr. Singh had asked of him. He only half listened, though, as his eyes were drawn to the shapely pinks lips
forming the words. And they were now mouthing his name.
"Darien. Darien!"
He shook himself again, physically this time. "Oh. Er, tell him
allowing GRS to set up establishments in his country is no financial or economic risk on his company whatsoever. We'd be
working together."
She nodded her little head and regurgitated the information, speaking rapidly in the foreign tongue. Was it his imagination, or did she
wince just a bit whenever Sameer talked? And what was her vexation in Sameer knowing her name and seeing her face?
One thing was for certain: he intended to find out more about her. Every last living thing. Because, he knew instinctively on a feeling he
could not name, he wouldn't satisfied with anything less.
Since it had been agreed that their next conference would be held the following day, Serena began to pack up her belongings after the
three hour exchange was completed. She knew Darien's keen gaze was following her, wanting to dissect her strange behavior into pieces.
But she strengthened her resolve not to delve any information concerning her personal life. A quick glance at her watch told her it was ten
o' clock, too late to check in on the happenings at Raye's house. Maybe it was better that way; it occurred to her she was spending
entirely way too much time at her younger sister's home. Raye was married, with a child hopefully entering the picture soon, it just wasn't
right that her old maid of a sister drop in frequently to intrude, disrupting their happy home.
Suddenly depressed, she wondered if that was all she was destined to be: and old maid. Sure, she had quite a few years before that title
was officially bestowed upon her, but as old and tired as she felt right now, she might as well live alone with fifty cats. The absurd picture
of her in a rocking chair surrounding by cats was enough to make her smile wryly as she slung her purse on her shoulder.
The slight play on her lips was not missed by Darien, who had observed her slow movements with the same amount of intensity and acute
observation he did with anything that captured his interest. And Serena Corday had definitely captured his interest.
"Aren't you going home?" Her soft voice interrupted his musings and he jerked his head up to meet hers. She shrugged her dark jacket
over her silk white blouse and tucked loose strands of blonde hair back into that dreadful bun.
He didn't answer her for a moment and Serena stared at him nervously, his laser sharp stare leaving her without the proverbial leg to
stand on. Darien stood up from his chair and walked around his large desk, sitting on one corner of it as he viewed her openly.
Serena was growing edgier by the moment. He was a full yard away, but the overall breadth and height of him was daunting. She licked
her lips nervously and swallowed, waiting for the reply to her question.
He cocked his head to one side before finally answering with another question: "Would you like to grab a drink?"
She sighed heavily inwardly, her hopes that it wouldn't come to this dashed. She forced her tone to be light as she prevaricated. "I wasn't
aware we had anything to celebrate, Mr. McDermott. You haven't gotten the deal as of yet."
He frowned at her lack of a direct answer, but it was erased and replaced with a soft smile of his own. "I wasn't thinking along the lines of
business, Serena."
There you had it. It didn't get much plainer than that; there was no misconstruing is last remark topped off by those disarmingly hooded
cobalt eyes.
"I'm sorry, Mr. McDermott, but I really should be getting home." It wasn't the direct cut she usually gave, the kind that left no room for
future asking, but she didn't want to get into a war of words with her boss at the present juncture. And she knew even if she had point
blank told me there was no way she'd ever involve herself with him, he'd persist until he wore her out. Perhaps it was from experience
(from his insistence that she take the job), but she had a feeling the word 'no' just wasn't in Darien McDermott's vocabulary.
He took her dismissal of a date in stride. Nodding, he reached for the suit jacket draped over his leather chair and slipped it over his broad
shoulders. "I'll drive you home," he stated. It wasn't a question and the insolence of his manner only served to annoy Serena.
"I'm perfectly capable of hailing a cab," she said frostily, crossing her arms over her chest as he stepped over to where she stood.
"I have no doubt in your abilities to do so," he agreed, his face serious. "But, just to be safe, I'd like to give you a ride home."
"That isn't necessary."
"I know."
"So let's dispose of the entire thing, shall we?"
"Don't be difficult, Serena." He took her arm and led her out the door,
turning off the lights as he exited the room. They were soon encased in his Mercedes and Serena warily stared out the window
the entire ride, making no comments save the sporadic 'hmm' of quiet agreement.
When he pulled up to her apartment building and insisted on seeing her up, Serena's heart began doing palpitations she didn't know were
possible. Sliding in her key, she fixed a bright smile on her face and turned to face him. The grin immediately dissolved when she realized
how close he had stepped up behind her. She had to tilt her head up to face him, he was in such close proximity. It was then she realized
her heart wasn't beating because she was afraid, it was excited at the prospect of being so close to him! Stunned at the introspective
realization, she stared up at Darien, half wanting him to leave and half desiring him to say something, anything.
He never did say anything, but what he did next was the more exciting and dreadful than anything he could have said.
Darien kissed her.
It wasn't a fierce, plundering kiss. It was sweet and slow, his lips
were warm against hers brushing them with the lightest of caresses. Quite a few dates had platonically kissed her after their
evening out, but none had weakened her with a mere touch. None had awakened her to the point of wanting more. And none
had looked at her as Darien was doing now, with a twinkle in his blue eyes. He pulled away from her and walked off without
another word, his steps muffled by the thick carpet.
Serena fell against the door and stumbled in, her head a whirlwind of confusion. She couldn't be attracted to him, could she? Wasn't that
just too cliché, falling for your boss? Cliché or not, she had enjoyed that kiss. She put a trembling hand up to her reddened lips and closed
her eyes, reliving the moment. But the bliss was ephemeral, because she knew there was no chance of a relationship with him happening.
Not only could she never keep a man like him interested, the turmoil she came with was more trouble than it was worth. And if she did
manage to snag him for a few months, without her past issues surfacing, he would leave, find someone knew, and she would once again
take the role of a battered doll, too ragged and beaten to be loved by anyone.
And it would be a cold day in hell before she let that pathetic feeling of futility wash over her again. She had felt it once, that night in the
hospital when she was told Raye couldn't have kids. She wouldn't allow herself to feel it again and that meant staying away from Darien.
He watched her bit her lip in frustration. Narrowing her eyes at the computer screen, she finally received the burst of inspiration she had
been waiting for as she typed rapidly, the words not appearing on the screen as fast as her thought process commanded. He was used to
her exceptionally cute idiosyncrasies now, a week later. She wrinkled her nose when she couldn't find the right word to express herself
with. She bit her lip like she had done just now, when she wanted to flow to another paragraph of her article. And she gave an adorable
half smile was she was writing the concluding sentence of her column.
It was sickening for him to know that he was dying with wanting her, but being spurned at every advance. Oh, she was polite and never let
him feel bad about her rejections, but it irked him to realize there was something about him she didn't find appealing. It irked him even
more to recognize that he wanted to change whatever it was about him so that she did find him attractive. Never, ever, had a woman have
him running through hoops in hope of chance with her. And the absurd thing was, she didn't even know it.
Darien knew an act when he saw one. He had seen woman play about any role they could to get the object of their desire. But Serena
Corday didn't even realize the turmoil she was wreaking on him. No, with her innocent mannerisms and polite refusals, she had no idea
how deep his infatuation with her ran.
"Darien?" Serena asked timidly, slightly put back by the ferocious scowl on his handsome face.
"What?" He barked, obviously irritated.
Her blue eyes widened at his tone and he immediately felt like a bully,
cruel to an innocent little girl. Only she wasn't a girl, he corrected grimly, his eyes raking over her enchanting face and shapely
figure.
"I'm sorry, Serena," he amended, forcing a smile. "What is it?"
She swallowed, still remembering his glower a few seconds back. "My
mother's in town and I was wondering if I could have an extension on my lunch hour to go see her." That being said, she
watched for his reaction.
He waved his hand distractedly. "Go, go."
She would have smiled at the favor, but his sour mood was a damper on
the happy goodwill he offered. The past week had left him short tempered and grouchy. She wasn't a fool to think that it had
nothing to do with her repeated denials in offers to accompany him to dinner, to the movies, to a play.
Her own attitude toward him had changed. Before she had flared and patronized him, her sharp tongue proving itself to be the reason of
her loneliness. But somehow, his formidable presence had her subdued, quiet even. It was actually very nice, save his foul mood, to be in
his company. They both worked quietly until their conferences started, but sometimes, before Darien's agitated state had erupted, they
would share a joke and laugh. She was beginning to like working in his office. With him. And that scared and pleased her all at the same
time. Scared her because she could not develop deep feelings for him; pleased her because maybe she was ready to emerge from her
shell and start anew with the male population.
She would have asked him up front what was bothering him, but at the last minute she lost her nerve. Nodding, she picked up her purse
and slipped out the large doors.
Serena jogged down the stairs, impatient with the elevators. She undid the first button of her silk blouse and whipped the ribbon out of her
hair. Unraveling the austere bun, she shook the waves loose to tumble around her shoulders. Serena pinched her cheeks a few times to
gain color. Her mother would only be satisfied if her daughter looked happy and alive, not severe and tired.
She was happy at the prospect of seeing her mother after such an extended period of time. They were meeting for lunch at a local
restaurant after Mrs. Corday settled into Raye's home. The Khan's had left with a large party, tears and hugs had ensued at the airport,
along with promises to visit and write and such. Irene Corday lived in Florida and for that Serena was thankful; she loved her mother
dearly, but they had both needed their space after the attack. Her mother, however kind and understanding she was, could not
comprehend why Serena couldn't move on if Raye could. They had grown frustrated with each other, with only Raye to keep them
together. When Serena had accepted a job in London, Raye had gone with her to help her settle in. While on her stay, she had met Chad
Montgomery and the two had fallen in love.
If Raye could do it, why couldn't Serena? Her mother had wanted to know.
She had asked herself the same question. Why couldn't she let herself deal with the intricacy and normalcy of a relationship?
Serena pushed all these complicated questions with undetermined answers out of her mind as she entered the restaurant, looking for her
mother's familiar head. When she found it, she smiled and sat across from the older woman, happy to see her looking healthy and elegant
as ever.
"Hello, Mother," she greeted, placing her purse next to her.
"Serena, darling!" Irene let her eyes look over her elder daughter's
flushed cheeks and windblown hair. "You look wonderful," she stated honestly.
"As do you." Serena knew her mother had aged elegantly, with her coiffed hair and stern posture, Mrs. Corday was as trim and attractive
as she had been fifteen years ago.
When her husband had passed away, Irene had refrained from marrying again, despite the many offers. She had loved Kenneth Dalton
dearly, preserving his memory through Serena had been her ideal goal. It wasn't until two years after his fatal heart attack, when Serena
was eight, when Irene dared to start dating again. On a trip to Florida, she had met an American and had been immediately taken with
him. She opted not to return to London when he proposed marriage.
At the point she was introduced to Richard Corday he had a child of six years. They had married after a period of time and Richard had
gladly adopted Serena as his own, giving her much more than his name when he stepped into his role as a father. Serena and Raye had
never felt anything less than a normal family growing up in Tallahassee, Florida. Although they were not related, the two only children had
clung to each other for companionship and grew to be the best of friends.
"Raye and Chad look positively radiant with the prospect of a new baby on the horizon," her mother added unnecessarily, ordering her
meal with a nonchalance that had Serena wary.
"Yes," she agreed slowly. "They are very happy."
"You could be too, Serena."
There it was. Serena sighed and nodded. "I know, Mother."
Irene did not miss the exasperated look her daughter had in her blue
eyes that were similar to her own. "I just want you to be happy, Serena."
Irene defended, her pink mouth pursing with concern.
"Maybe I am already."
Irene eyed her daughter critically. When was the last time she had seen
her youthful face light up? When was the last time her blue eyes had glowed like they did when she was a child? She sighed
when she realized she couldn't remember such an event. Now her pretty face was shiny, free of makeup. She could make out
the tell tale signs of fatigue and restlessness. Her daughter wasn't content, not be a long shot.
"Maybe." The words were conceding, but the tone was anything but. It was doubtful and Serena knew it as she saw her mother's knowing
stare.
Serena put down her fork with a quiet ping. She leveled her mother with a intent gaze as she finally spoke, "Why must I be married in
order to be happy?"
"Who said anything about getting married? I'd be happy with dates once in a blue moon!" Irene saw her daughter's face crumple and she
immediately regretted her glib words. "I'm sorry, Serena. I know you aren't ready yet."
At that Serena grew self-protective. "Who says I'm not ready? Perhaps I just don't care for masculine company."
Irene sent her a look that blew that theory out of the water. Serena sighed.
"Serena," Irene began gently, covering Serena's soft hand with her own.
"I just to see you be happy again—like Raye is."
She bristled, her back suddenly taut. She snatched her hand from under that of her mother's. "Because if Raye can do it after
the ordeal she went through, I should be able to as well, isn't that right?"
Irene closed her eyes and sighed. "I didn't say that, Serena."
"You didn't have to," she spat out bitterly, staring down into her
water glass with such intensity that Irene was sure it would melt.
Irene watched her daughter, her heart twisted in the torment and agony her child was going through. As a mother, it hurt more
than anything to see her child go through pain that she was helpless to ease. Serena had believed everyone thought Raye had
been the one to suffer the most, being raped. Physically abused with her innocence intact, Serena believed she had gotten off
lucky. Therefore, she went through college and life thinking with immense guilt that she had been the fortunate one. Irene
knew it wasn't the case. It was Serena that had been forced to watch her sister be plundered by her attackers; Raye had passed
out with fright. That wasn't to say Raye had escaped lightly, far from it. But Serena inherently felt responsible for her younger
sister, and feelings of blame and guilt were piled on top of the anguish she already suffered from.
So Irene had known from the start that it would take Serena longer to recover. Raye knew what had happened to her, what had been
taken from her. But she consciously didn't remember any bit of it—the attack or the pain after. The news of being unable to bear children
had hurt her, but she had recovered optimistically, finding Chad helped drastically.
But Serena had refused to talk about it, Irene had not witnessed her daughter shed one cleansing tear. Rather, she had opted to face life
with a mask of indifference, pretending not to care when she had been denied by lawyers unwilling to take the case. She had given off the
pretense of being perfectly fine, but all one had to do was see the former Serena: smiling, laughing, loving life, to see the empty shell this
Serena become. Irene had hoped with time, and maybe the help of a man, Serena would come back. Her Serena. The young woman who
had left for India with immense hope and joy for the future.
She snapped back to the conversation at hand, hoping that maybe this time she would say something to strike and break the shell. "I
heard you met a man."
Serena looked up, startled. "A man?"
"Yes, Raye told me his name was Darien something or other. Tall, dark
and handsome." Irene's glittering blue eyes sparkled as she lifted her golden brows in an unspoken question.
"I work for him, Mother. As a translator." She hoped she had effectively squashed any ideas of romance her mother was formulating.
But Irene could not be deterred so easily. "Mm-hmm, I see. Well, flirt a little." She said it with such nonchalance, as if she was speaking of
the weather, Serena stared up at her dumbfounded. "What?"
"Mother!" Serena hissed. "He's my boss!"
"It's not as if it's illegal, sweetheart." Irene sipped her soup,
dabbing her mouth after she was done. "Besides, something more may come of it." She winked quickly.
Serena did not crack a smile. "Like marriage?" She guessed. Irene shrugged, careful to not voice her suggestions. "Well, erase any sort of
notion from your mind. Darien McDermott is not the type you marry."
"So don't marry him," Irene breezed, waving a manicured hand in the air.
"It isn't a crime to have a fling, you know."
"Mother!" Serena exclaimed, instinctively looking around to see if anyone had heard the offending remark. "How can you say
such a thing?"
"Serena," her mother began gently, "maybe it'd be good for you. Sow some wild oats."
"I'm a twenty-four woman, not some ribald teenage male."
"Have a bit of fun in your life."
"I don't need Darien to have fun in my life!" This was getting much to
uncomfortable, especially considering Darien's recent proposals of after work activities. "Besides," she continued smartly. "I
don't know if he fancies me in the least!"
"Serena, don't lie to your mother! It's a sin. Raye knows all about the way Darien has been after you."
Serena jerked her head up; she hadn't told Raye anything about Darien asking her out. Either Darien had been dropping surprise visits at
her sister's house, or her mother was bluffing wonderfully. She choose the later. "Raye has said no such thing," she said calmly, pouring
herself some tea.
"Oh, all right," her mother huffed. "It was a educated guess. The man would have to be blind not to be attracted to you. Serena, you're a
beautiful, young woman." She eyed the younger woman's formal skirt and blouse critically. "Though one couldn't tell by the way you dress.
Are you going to a funeral later today?"
Serena rolled her eyes at the diatribe. "Mother," she said warningly.
"All right, all right. Enough." Irene smiled at Serena and her daughter
returned it warmly. Each was quietly reveling in the presence of each other, happy to be back in the other's company. It was
their way, their silent communication that brought Serena up from her seat to kiss her mother's soft cheek.
"Good-bye, Mother." She said fondly before leaving the restaurant, a serene half smile on her face.
Chapter Three
By Karisma
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Alt, Romance
Karisma456@hotmail.com
Standard Disclaimers Apply
July 2001
Okay now, i'm even confused so here it is. Serena is American, from Florida as you will soon discover. Darien is American as well, but his
empire is located in London with subdivisions just about everywhere. Deal? Okay here goes...
Serena could have cried. Never had she thought she would have to hear that slightly accented, superior voice again. But here it was, clear
as ever, coming through the black device on the table between her and Darien. She tried not to think of the last time she had listened to
that eerie voice, faced that dark, snide look. Luckily, the conference had begun and she was too busy translating and regurgitating facts in
a deadened monotone.
Thankfully, the sleazy dastard had not recognized her voice, not that she was surprised. Who knew how many women his lecherous son
had assaulted and raped. To remember all of them must have been too great a feat. Nonetheless, she had stopped Darien from
introducing them; that was a risk she didn't want to take, even after seven years. Serena wasn't exactly a common name, in London or
India.
He had shot her another curious look, but she ignored it, knowing how enigmatic she must seem. Hopefully, he would write her off as
strange or bizarre and forget all about her with a few days time.
She did not know how the thought of ever forgetting her was preposterous to Darien McDermott, who could not take his eyes off the
befuddling, albeit gorgeous, woman who was currently listening very carefully to the elder man speak, her full lips pursued, as if irritated.
Darien watched her thoughtlessly tuck a stray strand of silken hair behind her ear. The movement was free of guile, but that did nothing to
stop the stirring within him. Annoyed by his randy, school boy thoughts, he shook himself mentally when she looked up with those blue
eyes to repeat the question Mr. Singh had asked of him. He only half listened, though, as his eyes were drawn to the shapely pinks lips
forming the words. And they were now mouthing his name.
"Darien. Darien!"
He shook himself again, physically this time. "Oh. Er, tell him
allowing GRS to set up establishments in his country is no financial or economic risk on his company whatsoever. We'd be
working together."
She nodded her little head and regurgitated the information, speaking rapidly in the foreign tongue. Was it his imagination, or did she
wince just a bit whenever Sameer talked? And what was her vexation in Sameer knowing her name and seeing her face?
One thing was for certain: he intended to find out more about her. Every last living thing. Because, he knew instinctively on a feeling he
could not name, he wouldn't satisfied with anything less.
Since it had been agreed that their next conference would be held the following day, Serena began to pack up her belongings after the
three hour exchange was completed. She knew Darien's keen gaze was following her, wanting to dissect her strange behavior into pieces.
But she strengthened her resolve not to delve any information concerning her personal life. A quick glance at her watch told her it was ten
o' clock, too late to check in on the happenings at Raye's house. Maybe it was better that way; it occurred to her she was spending
entirely way too much time at her younger sister's home. Raye was married, with a child hopefully entering the picture soon, it just wasn't
right that her old maid of a sister drop in frequently to intrude, disrupting their happy home.
Suddenly depressed, she wondered if that was all she was destined to be: and old maid. Sure, she had quite a few years before that title
was officially bestowed upon her, but as old and tired as she felt right now, she might as well live alone with fifty cats. The absurd picture
of her in a rocking chair surrounding by cats was enough to make her smile wryly as she slung her purse on her shoulder.
The slight play on her lips was not missed by Darien, who had observed her slow movements with the same amount of intensity and acute
observation he did with anything that captured his interest. And Serena Corday had definitely captured his interest.
"Aren't you going home?" Her soft voice interrupted his musings and he jerked his head up to meet hers. She shrugged her dark jacket
over her silk white blouse and tucked loose strands of blonde hair back into that dreadful bun.
He didn't answer her for a moment and Serena stared at him nervously, his laser sharp stare leaving her without the proverbial leg to
stand on. Darien stood up from his chair and walked around his large desk, sitting on one corner of it as he viewed her openly.
Serena was growing edgier by the moment. He was a full yard away, but the overall breadth and height of him was daunting. She licked
her lips nervously and swallowed, waiting for the reply to her question.
He cocked his head to one side before finally answering with another question: "Would you like to grab a drink?"
She sighed heavily inwardly, her hopes that it wouldn't come to this dashed. She forced her tone to be light as she prevaricated. "I wasn't
aware we had anything to celebrate, Mr. McDermott. You haven't gotten the deal as of yet."
He frowned at her lack of a direct answer, but it was erased and replaced with a soft smile of his own. "I wasn't thinking along the lines of
business, Serena."
There you had it. It didn't get much plainer than that; there was no misconstruing is last remark topped off by those disarmingly hooded
cobalt eyes.
"I'm sorry, Mr. McDermott, but I really should be getting home." It wasn't the direct cut she usually gave, the kind that left no room for
future asking, but she didn't want to get into a war of words with her boss at the present juncture. And she knew even if she had point
blank told me there was no way she'd ever involve herself with him, he'd persist until he wore her out. Perhaps it was from experience
(from his insistence that she take the job), but she had a feeling the word 'no' just wasn't in Darien McDermott's vocabulary.
He took her dismissal of a date in stride. Nodding, he reached for the suit jacket draped over his leather chair and slipped it over his broad
shoulders. "I'll drive you home," he stated. It wasn't a question and the insolence of his manner only served to annoy Serena.
"I'm perfectly capable of hailing a cab," she said frostily, crossing her arms over her chest as he stepped over to where she stood.
"I have no doubt in your abilities to do so," he agreed, his face serious. "But, just to be safe, I'd like to give you a ride home."
"That isn't necessary."
"I know."
"So let's dispose of the entire thing, shall we?"
"Don't be difficult, Serena." He took her arm and led her out the door,
turning off the lights as he exited the room. They were soon encased in his Mercedes and Serena warily stared out the window
the entire ride, making no comments save the sporadic 'hmm' of quiet agreement.
When he pulled up to her apartment building and insisted on seeing her up, Serena's heart began doing palpitations she didn't know were
possible. Sliding in her key, she fixed a bright smile on her face and turned to face him. The grin immediately dissolved when she realized
how close he had stepped up behind her. She had to tilt her head up to face him, he was in such close proximity. It was then she realized
her heart wasn't beating because she was afraid, it was excited at the prospect of being so close to him! Stunned at the introspective
realization, she stared up at Darien, half wanting him to leave and half desiring him to say something, anything.
He never did say anything, but what he did next was the more exciting and dreadful than anything he could have said.
Darien kissed her.
It wasn't a fierce, plundering kiss. It was sweet and slow, his lips
were warm against hers brushing them with the lightest of caresses. Quite a few dates had platonically kissed her after their
evening out, but none had weakened her with a mere touch. None had awakened her to the point of wanting more. And none
had looked at her as Darien was doing now, with a twinkle in his blue eyes. He pulled away from her and walked off without
another word, his steps muffled by the thick carpet.
Serena fell against the door and stumbled in, her head a whirlwind of confusion. She couldn't be attracted to him, could she? Wasn't that
just too cliché, falling for your boss? Cliché or not, she had enjoyed that kiss. She put a trembling hand up to her reddened lips and closed
her eyes, reliving the moment. But the bliss was ephemeral, because she knew there was no chance of a relationship with him happening.
Not only could she never keep a man like him interested, the turmoil she came with was more trouble than it was worth. And if she did
manage to snag him for a few months, without her past issues surfacing, he would leave, find someone knew, and she would once again
take the role of a battered doll, too ragged and beaten to be loved by anyone.
And it would be a cold day in hell before she let that pathetic feeling of futility wash over her again. She had felt it once, that night in the
hospital when she was told Raye couldn't have kids. She wouldn't allow herself to feel it again and that meant staying away from Darien.
He watched her bit her lip in frustration. Narrowing her eyes at the computer screen, she finally received the burst of inspiration she had
been waiting for as she typed rapidly, the words not appearing on the screen as fast as her thought process commanded. He was used to
her exceptionally cute idiosyncrasies now, a week later. She wrinkled her nose when she couldn't find the right word to express herself
with. She bit her lip like she had done just now, when she wanted to flow to another paragraph of her article. And she gave an adorable
half smile was she was writing the concluding sentence of her column.
It was sickening for him to know that he was dying with wanting her, but being spurned at every advance. Oh, she was polite and never let
him feel bad about her rejections, but it irked him to realize there was something about him she didn't find appealing. It irked him even
more to recognize that he wanted to change whatever it was about him so that she did find him attractive. Never, ever, had a woman have
him running through hoops in hope of chance with her. And the absurd thing was, she didn't even know it.
Darien knew an act when he saw one. He had seen woman play about any role they could to get the object of their desire. But Serena
Corday didn't even realize the turmoil she was wreaking on him. No, with her innocent mannerisms and polite refusals, she had no idea
how deep his infatuation with her ran.
"Darien?" Serena asked timidly, slightly put back by the ferocious scowl on his handsome face.
"What?" He barked, obviously irritated.
Her blue eyes widened at his tone and he immediately felt like a bully,
cruel to an innocent little girl. Only she wasn't a girl, he corrected grimly, his eyes raking over her enchanting face and shapely
figure.
"I'm sorry, Serena," he amended, forcing a smile. "What is it?"
She swallowed, still remembering his glower a few seconds back. "My
mother's in town and I was wondering if I could have an extension on my lunch hour to go see her." That being said, she
watched for his reaction.
He waved his hand distractedly. "Go, go."
She would have smiled at the favor, but his sour mood was a damper on
the happy goodwill he offered. The past week had left him short tempered and grouchy. She wasn't a fool to think that it had
nothing to do with her repeated denials in offers to accompany him to dinner, to the movies, to a play.
Her own attitude toward him had changed. Before she had flared and patronized him, her sharp tongue proving itself to be the reason of
her loneliness. But somehow, his formidable presence had her subdued, quiet even. It was actually very nice, save his foul mood, to be in
his company. They both worked quietly until their conferences started, but sometimes, before Darien's agitated state had erupted, they
would share a joke and laugh. She was beginning to like working in his office. With him. And that scared and pleased her all at the same
time. Scared her because she could not develop deep feelings for him; pleased her because maybe she was ready to emerge from her
shell and start anew with the male population.
She would have asked him up front what was bothering him, but at the last minute she lost her nerve. Nodding, she picked up her purse
and slipped out the large doors.
Serena jogged down the stairs, impatient with the elevators. She undid the first button of her silk blouse and whipped the ribbon out of her
hair. Unraveling the austere bun, she shook the waves loose to tumble around her shoulders. Serena pinched her cheeks a few times to
gain color. Her mother would only be satisfied if her daughter looked happy and alive, not severe and tired.
She was happy at the prospect of seeing her mother after such an extended period of time. They were meeting for lunch at a local
restaurant after Mrs. Corday settled into Raye's home. The Khan's had left with a large party, tears and hugs had ensued at the airport,
along with promises to visit and write and such. Irene Corday lived in Florida and for that Serena was thankful; she loved her mother
dearly, but they had both needed their space after the attack. Her mother, however kind and understanding she was, could not
comprehend why Serena couldn't move on if Raye could. They had grown frustrated with each other, with only Raye to keep them
together. When Serena had accepted a job in London, Raye had gone with her to help her settle in. While on her stay, she had met Chad
Montgomery and the two had fallen in love.
If Raye could do it, why couldn't Serena? Her mother had wanted to know.
She had asked herself the same question. Why couldn't she let herself deal with the intricacy and normalcy of a relationship?
Serena pushed all these complicated questions with undetermined answers out of her mind as she entered the restaurant, looking for her
mother's familiar head. When she found it, she smiled and sat across from the older woman, happy to see her looking healthy and elegant
as ever.
"Hello, Mother," she greeted, placing her purse next to her.
"Serena, darling!" Irene let her eyes look over her elder daughter's
flushed cheeks and windblown hair. "You look wonderful," she stated honestly.
"As do you." Serena knew her mother had aged elegantly, with her coiffed hair and stern posture, Mrs. Corday was as trim and attractive
as she had been fifteen years ago.
When her husband had passed away, Irene had refrained from marrying again, despite the many offers. She had loved Kenneth Dalton
dearly, preserving his memory through Serena had been her ideal goal. It wasn't until two years after his fatal heart attack, when Serena
was eight, when Irene dared to start dating again. On a trip to Florida, she had met an American and had been immediately taken with
him. She opted not to return to London when he proposed marriage.
At the point she was introduced to Richard Corday he had a child of six years. They had married after a period of time and Richard had
gladly adopted Serena as his own, giving her much more than his name when he stepped into his role as a father. Serena and Raye had
never felt anything less than a normal family growing up in Tallahassee, Florida. Although they were not related, the two only children had
clung to each other for companionship and grew to be the best of friends.
"Raye and Chad look positively radiant with the prospect of a new baby on the horizon," her mother added unnecessarily, ordering her
meal with a nonchalance that had Serena wary.
"Yes," she agreed slowly. "They are very happy."
"You could be too, Serena."
There it was. Serena sighed and nodded. "I know, Mother."
Irene did not miss the exasperated look her daughter had in her blue
eyes that were similar to her own. "I just want you to be happy, Serena."
Irene defended, her pink mouth pursing with concern.
"Maybe I am already."
Irene eyed her daughter critically. When was the last time she had seen
her youthful face light up? When was the last time her blue eyes had glowed like they did when she was a child? She sighed
when she realized she couldn't remember such an event. Now her pretty face was shiny, free of makeup. She could make out
the tell tale signs of fatigue and restlessness. Her daughter wasn't content, not be a long shot.
"Maybe." The words were conceding, but the tone was anything but. It was doubtful and Serena knew it as she saw her mother's knowing
stare.
Serena put down her fork with a quiet ping. She leveled her mother with a intent gaze as she finally spoke, "Why must I be married in
order to be happy?"
"Who said anything about getting married? I'd be happy with dates once in a blue moon!" Irene saw her daughter's face crumple and she
immediately regretted her glib words. "I'm sorry, Serena. I know you aren't ready yet."
At that Serena grew self-protective. "Who says I'm not ready? Perhaps I just don't care for masculine company."
Irene sent her a look that blew that theory out of the water. Serena sighed.
"Serena," Irene began gently, covering Serena's soft hand with her own.
"I just to see you be happy again—like Raye is."
She bristled, her back suddenly taut. She snatched her hand from under that of her mother's. "Because if Raye can do it after
the ordeal she went through, I should be able to as well, isn't that right?"
Irene closed her eyes and sighed. "I didn't say that, Serena."
"You didn't have to," she spat out bitterly, staring down into her
water glass with such intensity that Irene was sure it would melt.
Irene watched her daughter, her heart twisted in the torment and agony her child was going through. As a mother, it hurt more
than anything to see her child go through pain that she was helpless to ease. Serena had believed everyone thought Raye had
been the one to suffer the most, being raped. Physically abused with her innocence intact, Serena believed she had gotten off
lucky. Therefore, she went through college and life thinking with immense guilt that she had been the fortunate one. Irene
knew it wasn't the case. It was Serena that had been forced to watch her sister be plundered by her attackers; Raye had passed
out with fright. That wasn't to say Raye had escaped lightly, far from it. But Serena inherently felt responsible for her younger
sister, and feelings of blame and guilt were piled on top of the anguish she already suffered from.
So Irene had known from the start that it would take Serena longer to recover. Raye knew what had happened to her, what had been
taken from her. But she consciously didn't remember any bit of it—the attack or the pain after. The news of being unable to bear children
had hurt her, but she had recovered optimistically, finding Chad helped drastically.
But Serena had refused to talk about it, Irene had not witnessed her daughter shed one cleansing tear. Rather, she had opted to face life
with a mask of indifference, pretending not to care when she had been denied by lawyers unwilling to take the case. She had given off the
pretense of being perfectly fine, but all one had to do was see the former Serena: smiling, laughing, loving life, to see the empty shell this
Serena become. Irene had hoped with time, and maybe the help of a man, Serena would come back. Her Serena. The young woman who
had left for India with immense hope and joy for the future.
She snapped back to the conversation at hand, hoping that maybe this time she would say something to strike and break the shell. "I
heard you met a man."
Serena looked up, startled. "A man?"
"Yes, Raye told me his name was Darien something or other. Tall, dark
and handsome." Irene's glittering blue eyes sparkled as she lifted her golden brows in an unspoken question.
"I work for him, Mother. As a translator." She hoped she had effectively squashed any ideas of romance her mother was formulating.
But Irene could not be deterred so easily. "Mm-hmm, I see. Well, flirt a little." She said it with such nonchalance, as if she was speaking of
the weather, Serena stared up at her dumbfounded. "What?"
"Mother!" Serena hissed. "He's my boss!"
"It's not as if it's illegal, sweetheart." Irene sipped her soup,
dabbing her mouth after she was done. "Besides, something more may come of it." She winked quickly.
Serena did not crack a smile. "Like marriage?" She guessed. Irene shrugged, careful to not voice her suggestions. "Well, erase any sort of
notion from your mind. Darien McDermott is not the type you marry."
"So don't marry him," Irene breezed, waving a manicured hand in the air.
"It isn't a crime to have a fling, you know."
"Mother!" Serena exclaimed, instinctively looking around to see if anyone had heard the offending remark. "How can you say
such a thing?"
"Serena," her mother began gently, "maybe it'd be good for you. Sow some wild oats."
"I'm a twenty-four woman, not some ribald teenage male."
"Have a bit of fun in your life."
"I don't need Darien to have fun in my life!" This was getting much to
uncomfortable, especially considering Darien's recent proposals of after work activities. "Besides," she continued smartly. "I
don't know if he fancies me in the least!"
"Serena, don't lie to your mother! It's a sin. Raye knows all about the way Darien has been after you."
Serena jerked her head up; she hadn't told Raye anything about Darien asking her out. Either Darien had been dropping surprise visits at
her sister's house, or her mother was bluffing wonderfully. She choose the later. "Raye has said no such thing," she said calmly, pouring
herself some tea.
"Oh, all right," her mother huffed. "It was a educated guess. The man would have to be blind not to be attracted to you. Serena, you're a
beautiful, young woman." She eyed the younger woman's formal skirt and blouse critically. "Though one couldn't tell by the way you dress.
Are you going to a funeral later today?"
Serena rolled her eyes at the diatribe. "Mother," she said warningly.
"All right, all right. Enough." Irene smiled at Serena and her daughter
returned it warmly. Each was quietly reveling in the presence of each other, happy to be back in the other's company. It was
their way, their silent communication that brought Serena up from her seat to kiss her mother's soft cheek.
"Good-bye, Mother." She said fondly before leaving the restaurant, a serene half smile on her face.