A/N: To my readers in France and any others that have been affected by the attacks in Paris, my thoughts are with you.
Thanks as always for continuing to read, review, and follow! I really appreciate it and all of you. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
Caleb and Jack listened as Marissa relayed to them what had occurred at the office the previous Friday. Both men wore concerned looks on their faces.
"Are you alright?"
Marissa was touched by Caleb's concern. "I'm fine, honestly."
"How's Ellie?"
"She's okay. I assured her that she wasn't in any trouble and that she did everything right."
"Good. You're right, she did."
"I just don't get it."
"You're not alone there. What the hell was he thinking?" Caleb asked.
"Excellent question. I don't like it, Marissa. Something doesn't feel right to me." Jack added.
Caleb nodded. "I don't like it either. I agree with Marissa though that we need to discuss this with Geoff and Bryce. How do you want to handle this?"
"Well, I don't want the negotiations to stop because of me. You know, we don't even know if my office was targeted simply because I was the only one not coming back in Friday. Geoff did say that he told Meyers that I probably wouldn't be back while the rest of you would be. Technically, he hasn't done anything more than being, for lack of a better word, odd."
Jack thought for a moment. Marissa had made a valid point, but something was telling him that she was targeted for some reason other than merely the lack of her presence. He didn't have any proof though. It was just a feeling. "I suppose you're right. If you're sure and still comfortable …"
"I am."
"Alright, we'll go forward then. At least we know to keep a close eye on him."
"Oh, and we will keep an eye on him." Caleb stated in a tone that was both protective and firm.
"Definitely. What about Charles? One of us could pull him aside when we meet again and see what we can find out." Jack suggested.
Marissa nodded. "I don't know how much we'll be able to find out since they've been friends for years, but it's worth a shot."
"I agree. As for Bryce and Geoff, be straight with them and just tell them like you told Jack and me."
"Caleb's right. Speaking of those two, it's about time for our meeting."
"No time like the present to tell them then." Marissa stood and winced. The redhead flexed her knee to help stretch it. She was relieved to find that it was feeling a little better.
"Jungle gym, huh?" Caleb smirked.
Marissa rolled her eyes. "Yes, and I don't need you to say anything else. Bianca already took care of that."
Jack chuckled. "I have no doubt about that. Kane women are not shy when it comes to telling you how they feel when they think you did something that was wrong or less than smart."
"Believe me, I'm well aware of that, and I'm pretty sure the phrase idiot was muttered a couple of times."
"At least it was muttered. With Erica, it wouldn't muttered. It would be said loud and clear."
/
Charles noticed a definite change in the air as he entered the firm's conference room. Something happened between last Thursday and today, and if he had to guess, he would say that Brady was behind it. Charles shook his head as he watched the tech giant do his best to schmooze the lawyers as they stood together and talked. It was then he saw that Marissa was the only one not in that group. The redhead was seated at the conference table going over some papers.
"Hi, Marissa. What are you doing over here by yourself?"
The redheaded lawyer glanced up and smiled. "Hi, Charles. How are you?"
"I'm good. Yourself? How was your weekend?"
Marissa lowered her voice. "I have to admit that I'm a little sore. That's why I'm not moving around all that much."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am. It's nothing serious. The kids and I played a little hard. Actually, it's more me. The kids are fine. I guess I'm just not as young as I used to be. I'm getting old."
Charles shook his head. "I seriously doubt that."
"Well, Bianca would probably agree with you on that. I seem to recall the phrase 'overgrown kid' being uttered." Marissa chuckled.
"How old are your kids?"
"AJ and Miranda are 11. Gabby is 7, and Danny is almost 6 months." Marissa pulled out her cellphone and shared her favorite recent family photo.
"Wow. Those are some beautiful kids."
"Thanks. I think so too, but I'm very biased. They are my heart. Well, them and Bianca."
"Is it okay if I tell you she's very beautiful too?"
Marissa chuckled. "Yeah, it is. I couldn't agree with you more."
Charles noted the adoring look the redhead had as she looked at photo. "My wife and I have thought about having kids, but work keeps me pretty busy. We actually haven't talked about it in quite some time."
"I can understand that, but you have to keep a balance for sanity's sake. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I love what I do, but for me, it's not my be all end all. If I didn't have Bianca and the kids, none of this would mean nearly as much to me. They make it all worthwhile. Family is what matters most to me. I know it's different for others though. Do you want some free advice?" Marissa could see Charles frown as he considered what she had said.
"Sure."
"Talk with your wife. Make sure you both are on the same page. I've seen a lot of marriages fail because one or both partners stopped talking. When that happens, you're not in synch anymore, cracks start to form, and small problems become big ones. Before you know it, you could be seeing someone like me professionally."
Charles thought for a moment and nodded. "Thank you. You've given me a lot to think about, and I appreciate it."
While Charles and Marissa talked, Brady had managed to catch part of their conversation. It gave him an idea of how to score some major points with the good lawyer. He made a note to himself to follow up on it after this meeting.
Out of the corner of her eye, Marissa had seen Meyers edge his way over to where she was seated. She had thought about talking with Charles about what had happened last week, but the opportunity had vanished with someone eavesdropping.
/
The next day, Marissa was pain free and took Danny in with her before dropping him off at daycare. The family seemed to be back into their normal routines which they all seemed to be happy with.
As for Bianca, today was the day she was meeting with Kendall and Greenlee to begin work on the duo's plan. She wasn't 100% sure she liked what the two had come up with, but Bianca had insisted on being a part of their scheme so she was going to do whatever they needed her to do.
Bianca left the Center at lunch and drove over to Kendall's where she was meeting her sister and Greenlee. Phase 1 of their plan was starting that afternoon.
/
Kendall opened the door and motioned her sister inside. "Hey, Binx. Come on in. Greenlee should be here any minute."
"I'm here. I'm here." Greenlee called out before the door was shut. She hurried inside carrying a garment bag.
"You got them."
"Don't sound so surprised, Kendall. Of course I did. It was a piece of cake. I also got this, a master keycard." Greenlee said proudly.
"Do I want to know how you got those uniforms and a master keycard?" Bianca asked as Kendall and Greenlee removed maid uniforms for the Yacht Club from the garment bag.
"It's probably best you don't know, plausible deniability and all. Besides, I can't give away all of my trade secrets." Greenlee smirked.
"It's a little disconcerting how good you are at this and how much you enjoy it."
"You have no idea, Binx. You have no idea. I'm surprised she hasn't been recruited by some government's intelligence agency."
Greenlee's eyes lit up. "Ooh! I could be the female James Bond! I would want wine instead of martinis though."
"Of course you would. Come on, Agent 007, let's change." Kendall smirked as she started to nudge her friend out of the room.
"Oh, don't forget your nametags." Bianca couldn't hold back a laugh when she read the names. "Which one of you is Mildred and which is Ethel?"
Kendall turned to look at her friend. "Seriously?"
Greenlee shrugged. "It's all I could come up with at the last minute. I thought about Lucy instead of Mildred, but I think that is a little cliché. I'll take Mildred."
"Oh no, I'll take Mildred. You can be Ethel." Kendall snatched the one nametag away from her friend.
"But I don't want to be Ethel." Greenlee whined.
"Too bad, Ethel."
"I knew I should have gone with Thelma and Louise."
/
As they parked around the side of the Yacht Club near the employee entrance, Kendall looked at her sister. "We're not sure how long we'll be."
"That's okay. I took the rest of the day off. Just be careful."
"Careful is my middle name." Greenlee quipped.
Kendall eyed her friend. "I thought it was 'Danger'."
"Is it Careful Danger or Danger Careful?" Bianca snorted, and Kendall joined her.
"Whatever it is, we know her first name is Ethel."
Greenlee rolled her eyes at the sisters. "Whatever. We'll be careful, and you'll help us be stay that way. That's why we have you as our lookout. Now, you remember what Meyers looks like, right?"
Bianca nodded. The man was in the news enough that she knew exactly what he looked like. "Yes, I do."
"Good. Call Kendall if you see him headed our way."
"Are you sure he's not in his room now?"
As soon as the words left Bianca's mouth, all three women received alerts on their cellphones.
"Well would you look at that. Brady Meyers just donated over five million dollars for state of the art computer labs for the entire Pine Valley school system." Greenlee finished reading the alert aloud. "Mr. Brady Meyers will be presenting the check to the school superintendent at Agnes Nixon Elementary. This generous donation came about suddenly when Mr. Meyers approached Superintendent Vance. Blah, blah, blah. The ceremony is taking place right now so we know the coast is definitely clear."
"Whoa, that is some serious money. I wonder what gave him that idea?" Kendall asked even though she had a very good idea of what the answer was.
Bianca could feel her temper on the rise. "You know as well as I do what's behind this. Rissa told me last night that she was talking to Charles, the COO of Meyers Tech, before their meeting yesterday about me and the kids, and she could tell that Meyers was eavesdropping on their conversation."
"Seriously?"
"And today, he makes a donation of millions of dollars to their school district. That's one hell of a coincidence. No, he knows damn well she'll hear about this. I'm sure he thinks she'll fall all over him to thank him. He probably figures he could just impress her like one his past cheap and easy conquests and have her fall into bed with him."
"I wouldn't say five million dollars is cheap." Greenlee smirked. "Ow! What did you do that for?" The petite brunette rubbed her arm where her friend had smacked her.
Kendall glared at her. "You're not helping, Greenlee."
"Oh. You know that's not what I mean. More importantly, you know that's not going to work."
"She's right, Bianca. Marissa is too smart to fall for something like that. She'll see it for what it's worth, a ploy on his part."
Bianca took several deep breaths to calm herself down. "I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like what he's doing or act like it doesn't bother me or take it lying down. How would you feel if someone was pulling this same garbage with Zach or Ryan?"
Both woman scowled.
"Exactly! I'm done with this. Let's take this bastard down." Bianca exited the car and slammed the door for good measure.
Kendall and Greenlee stared at each other dumbfounded before scrambling after Bianca. The younger woman was usually the calm, rational one so this outburst was a surprise. It also motivated them even more.
/
Marissa had just finished reading the announcement regarding the donation when there was a knock on her office door. She smiled when she saw Brian.
"Hi, come on in."
"Did you happen to see the announcement from the school district?"
"I just read it. I bet Stef is happy."
"She is. She's been wanting a computer lab for a couple of years, but budget cuts have prevented it from happening. I've got to say that's pretty generous of the guy."
"I suppose you're right."
Brian noted the redhead's furrowed brow. "What's up? I can tell something is on your mind."
Marissa sighed. She needed to talk to someone. She needed an unbiased opinion on whether or not she was justified in her thinking and concern, and Brian was always an excellent sounding board. "Close the door please."
Brian did as requested, and when he returned to his seat, Marissa filled him in on what had been happening.
"Wow. So, do you think this donation is some sort of scheme on his side to get your attention?" Brian asked. He came to the conclusion all on his own.
"That is the question. If it is, I don't get it. Why go to all this trouble for me? I'm not that special, and I sure as hell don't look like those other women he's been involved with. They're supermodels, and I'm definitely not. More importantly, I'm married and have four kids, and I am desperately in love with my wife."
"Can I speak freely as your friend?"
"Of course you can. That is pretty much why I told you all of this."
"You are an intelligent, beautiful, and accomplished woman. It's easy to see why he would be attracted to you. In fact, he would have to have something wrong with him if he wasn't. Now, that isn't to say there isn't something wrong with him because there definitely is. You're married and have kids, something he damn well knows. For him to be pulling this crap, there is something seriously not right with him. I know you don't want to jeopardize any deal with him, but I think you need to get some insight on him, talk to someone who knows him. Have you thought about talking to the other guy, his friend, the COO?"
Marissa nodded. "His name is Charles. I have, but I wasn't sure if I should try and do it now. I almost did yesterday, but Meyers was listening in. You think I should?"
"I don't think it could hurt. Do you think you could talk to him without Meyers around?"
"Yeah, I do, and I think now would be the perfect time since Meyers is busy with his presentation."
"Good thinking. I'll leave you to it. Oh, just so you know, I don't see you that way, like Meyers does. Not to say that I don't think you're beautiful because you are. It's just that I don't see you that way. I … I … I mean …"
Marissa couldn't help but laugh at her friend and his rambling. "Brian, I get it. I don't see you that way either."
Brian huffed in frustration. "I was rambling, huh?"
"A little bit, yeah."
"What I meant to say is that I see you as a big sister. Plus, you're one of my best friends."
"Yeah, you're like my goofy little brother, and you're one of my best friends too. There's also the fact that you're as much in love with Stef as I am with Bianca."
"That is definitely true. I don't know what I would do without her."
"I hear you. Thanks for listening."
"Anytime. Let me know if you need me to do anything." Brian said as he left the office.
Marissa picked up her phone and placed a call.
"Charles Miller."
"Hello, Charles. It's Marissa Tasker."
"Hi, Marissa. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk."
"As a matter of fact, I do. Do you want me to come over to your office?"
"No, I'll come to you. Where are you?"
"The Yacht Club. I was going to grab something to eat. Have you had lunch yet?"
"I haven't."
"Well then, would you care to join me? We could eat and talk."
"Sounds good. I'll be there in about 10 minutes."
"I'll get us a table. See you in a few."
/
While Bianca was stationed in the lobby of the Yacht Club, Kendall and Greenlee made their way to the suite where Meyers was staying. Along the way, they had commandeered a maid's cart to complete their disguise. Again, Kendall knew better than to ask her friend exactly how she had managed to arrange for it. Some questions were best left unasked sometimes. Kendall assumed money was involved however. She could tell from the glint in Greenlee's eyes how much she was enjoying their latest escapade and that money would not be an issue for her regarding it as a result. Kendall had to admit that she felt the exact same way. Yes, this was fun and exciting, but more importantly, they were helping Bianca. That was the driving factor, and if they had fun along the way, well that would just be the icing on the cake.
"Okay, this is it." Greenlee slid the keycard into the lock after knocking on the door and not receiving a response. The two glanced around before entering the room, pulling the cart with them.
"You take the bedroom while I search out here."
Greenlee eyed her friend. "Why do I have to take the bedroom?"
Kendall rolled her eyes. "Oh please, we both know you're dying to see what he may have lying around in there."
The shorter woman shrugged. "You're right. I can't really argue with you on that one."
A few minutes later as Kendall was sorting through some papers lying on the suite's desk, she heard Greenlee talking.
"Did you find something?"
Greenlee appeared with a 'cat ate the canary' smile. "You might say that. It seems tech boy is into some very kinky things. He likes some pain with his pleasure. Want to know what I found?"
"Maybe later. I suppose when you own your own plane you can bring along whatever toys you want."
"Yep, I would say that is a perk tech boy has embraced wholeheartedly. I'm pretty sure he's had some company while he's been here. I found some women's lingerie on the floor by the bed. Although, he could be into that too." Greenlee mused.
"Okay, I really don't want to think about that right now."
"Fair enough. So, have you found anything interesting?"
Kendall raised an eyebrow as she read one of the papers she had found. "I'm pretty sure I did. It looks like Bianca was right. Meyers is definitely up to no good concerning my sister-in-law."
Greenlee took the paper from Kendall and quickly scanned it. The document contained notes and an outline of Meyers' plan to woo Marissa into his bed. "He considers her a challenge because not only is she married but she's also with a woman. I think I'm going to be sick."
"That makes two of us, and this sure as hell isn't going to make you feel any better. It seems he investigated Marissa." Kendall said as she looked through a file she had found. "This details her marriage to Dipshit. He somehow managed to get her college transcripts. Wow, Red is smarter than we thought. Her test scores are through the roof. Good news. I don't see any mention of her arrest at the massage parlor when she was younger."
"That's good. She had said it was supposed to be expunged. I don't want to imagine what he would think about that. If I had to guess, I would say that it looks like he's studying her to find any weaknesses he might be able to exploit. Is there anything in there about Bianca and the kids?"
Kendall shook her head. She knew what Greenlee was saying. Bianca and the kids were definitely Marissa's biggest weakness. If you wanted to get to her, you would threaten them. The same held true for Bianca. "Not really. I'm just seeing cursory stuff, nothing that you can't find with a quick Google search."
"So, nothing relating to Michael Cambias?" Greenlee asked knowingly.
"No. Thank God." That was precisely what Kendall had been looking for. "The only mention of the name Cambias is of her just being on the board of directors. I don't even want to think about what would happen if he had that information or what Marissa would do if he did and tried to use it."
"It would not be pretty, that's for sure, and would make what she did to Carmen look like a love tap."
"You got that right. Thank God Mom was able to pull some strings and get that buried. She couldn't make it disappear, and God knows she tried, but she was able to make it extremely difficult to find anything. Someone really has to dig deep, and that's only after you know what to look for and where to look."
Suddenly, they heard a noise coming from the other side of the door. Kendall and Greenlee froze and looked at each other.
"What the hell is that?" Kendall whispered.
"Crap. I think someone is trying to get in. Hide."
"The closet."
The women dropped the papers and file and darted into the closet, closing it just as the door to the room opened.
/
Erica breezed into the lobby of the Yacht Club. She was not a happy woman. Erica had not been informed that her lunch meeting had been cancelled until after she had already arrived for it. She was going to get to the bottom of this. Someone would be hearing about it and would definitely be paying for it. Just as the diva whipped out her cellphone to unleash a tirade of epic proportions, she caught sight of her youngest daughter huddled in a corner, trying her best to look inconspicuous. It didn't appear that Bianca had spotted her mother yet. With her curiosity piqued, Erica looped around and came up from behind to surprise her daughter. She didn't want to give her time to concoct a story as to what she was up to.
"Bianca."
The woman in question nearly jumped out of her skin and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "M … Mom. Hi. What are you doing here?"
"A lunch meeting that has since been cancelled. I might ask you the same question. What are you doing here? Are you meeting Marissa?"
"Did I hear my name?" Marissa smiled brightly seeing her wife and mother-in-law. The redhead leaned in and gave Bianca a quick kiss. "Hey. Hi, Erica. This is a really nice surprise, B. I didn't think I would see you until tonight. What brings you here?"
While Marissa was looking at Erica, Bianca gave her mother a panicked look. Erica, on the other hand, was wearing an amused expression.