An Affair To Remember: Remembering

by tarskeewee08

Evangeline walked into the office with her assistant following close behind. She wore a powder blue Yves St. Laurent suit that was tailored tastefully to her curves. The skirt stopped mid thigh hugging her hips and giving a expensive compliment to her long athletic legs that flex as she walked in her three inch Steven Tyler heels.

Underneath she sported a cream camisole and the rise of her bosom peeked up above the delicate lace embroidery. Her hair was pulled back into a braided bun and her 2 ct diamond studs sparkled catching the light.

She wore her makeup understated as always and her lips were a coppery shimmery glossy brown. Going through her mail handed to her by her assistant she listened as she rattled off her itinerary.

"Today you have a 12 o'clock meeting with Mark Davison from the west coast division on the new comptroller position for BE's Napa office and a 3 o'clock meeting with Mr. Buchanan and John McBain in the conference…."

She stopped at the mention of John McBain again and frowned. "McBain?"

"Yes Mr. Buchanan left this for you"

Evangeline looked at the black glossy folder, taking it from her assistant hands before tossing the mail she was holding to her desk. "Where's my husband?"

"He said you can reach him on his blackberry he's meeting with some clients from China on the 26fth floor today."

She smiled and walked around to her desk. Kevin slept in the guest room and left before she woke. Last night they were really close to getting back on track but she couldn't allow herself to go through with it. Looking at the black folder she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at McBain Industries embroidered in raised gold lettering on the front.

Dropping it she opened her suit jacket and took a seat crossing her legs, pulling her self closer to the desk. Lately Kevin had been keeping her in the dark in regards to his interest in McBain Industries.

Currently their US holdings bolstered close to a 10 billion dollars in revenue. Now they were heavily invested in a land developing deal near the Lantana Mountains. The town of Bradley had been tapped for plans to make it into a exclusive retreat for the wealthy to ski, hike and mountain climb. The location was perfect for the obscurity they seeked.

Opening the folder she saw the glossy of John McBain and looked into those deep blue eyes. He stared back at her and for a moment she thought she knew him, where had she seen those eyes before?

Reading his bio she found that he went to Oxford around the same time she was in Cambridge. Frowning she read more and discovered how he is the wealthiest Real Estate mogul in Ireland, he has now integrated his interests from the UK to his investments in the US. Looking back into his face she thought about her time at Princeton but could not recall a John McBain. She did recall another John but she refused to even go there.

Thumbing through the dossier she saw some of the places he's developed and rebuilt. She was impressed to see that his company over saw the renovation of Buckingham Palace. This man had a stranglehold on the real estate market and everyone including Buchanan Enterprises was following his lead.

Evangeline leaned back in her chair frustrated, she knew Kevin had big dreams but they were guppies trying to swim with sharks. John McBain was not a man to let into your kitchen unless you prepared to serve him a four course meal.

Shaking her head she looked up to see Nora standing in the doorway crying silently. The sight of her friend in pain this way took her by surprise. "Nora?"

Nora walked in and closed her door. Evangeline rose immediately shocked and concerned by her friends pain "My god what's wrong?"

Nora shook her head her auburn hair falling into her face. She stood before her in a bone colored pants suit with black trim, holding her purse with both hands shaking. Evangeline reached her rubbing her arm. What could have her this destroyed? Gently she led her to the chair in her office.

"Okay you're scaring me. Nora please tell me what it is."

Nora opened her purse, pulling out a letter and handing it to her. Evangeline stood up straight and looked at the pink perfumed smelling letter folded once. Nora turned her face from her and she knew what it was before she opened it.

Walking to her desk she sat on the edge and opened it.

Bo,

I know you said it was over and I respect that. But a love like ours is not one that you can easily walk away from. I've been patient while you sorted out your feelings for Nora and I prayed silently that eventually you would see what we had been real. Alas it was not to be. So I write this letter to tell you that I have accepted a position in Port Charles. I can't remain here with you so close and committed to another.

I won't be contacting you again. I am as in love with you as much today as I was a year ago when we found each other. If you find that you've made the wrong choice and want the comfort my love will bring come to me. I won't be leaving until the end of the week. Otherwise I leave knowing that I will never love another man the way I loved you.

Yours always
Paige

Evangeline folded the letter and looks at her friend sadly.
Nora rose from her chair heading toward the large window along the left side of her office. She folds her arms hugging herself while crying more. Coming behind her Evangeline puts her arms around her friend knowing exactly what this kind of betrayal can do to your spirit. "I am so sorry sweetie"

"How could he Van?" she asked softly.

"I don't know what makes anyone destroy a bond as sacred as marriage."

Nora turned around and facing her friend of six years. "I am such a fucking hypocrite! Here I am for months telling you to give Kevin another chance. To stop punishing him and move on, feeling self righteous because I thought I had to perfect marriage and all along he was playing me for a fool!" she said broken hearted.

Evangeline found it hard to respond. What could she say? When a man you trust and love removes your faith in him and your marriage he leaves you with nothing but bitterness and regret. Kevin's betrayal left her empty inside she loved him still but she was no longer in love with him. How could she be? The person she thought was her husband was a lie. Nora began to pace in front of her and Evangeline folded her arms watching her.

She listened as Nora recounted the long nights at the station when he claimed he was working on a case. The inexplicable police conference out of town, that always seemed to appear out of nowhere. She went through the routine of the slow down in their intimacy and the far off stares he would give at the dinner table with her and her son. All the signs were there but her love for him wouldn't allow her to see them. Until today when an innocent visit to the dry cleaners had her emptying his pockets and finding evidence that the love they shared was a lie.

Evangeline nodded wiping at her tears remembering how she came to this office one night to surprise her husband and celebrate what she thought was a love of a lifetime, only to discover it was lie as well….


"I won't let you go…" Kelly said crying hysterically

"This is over Kelly, I love my wife. I never meant for this to go this far. For god sakes she's one of your closest friends we have to stop this."

Evangeline leaned in closer to the door. She was wearing a black leather knee length trench and nothing underneath but a lacy lingerie set and her stilettos. They won the land deal in Lantana Mountains and it was a big coo for them. Holding the champagne bottle tightly in her hands she felt the tears well up in her eyes as her heart pounded in her chest.

"She doesn't love you like I do! You yourself said that you hadn't felt passion like…"

"Stop it Kelly!" he yelled "I was wrong to give you false hope. I won't loose her not for you or anyone. This is over and I don't want you coming around us anymore. Not the house or the country club. Stay away from her. Hell stay away from me!"

The trauma of hearing her husband's betrayal took hold of her and began to choke the love from her heart. Crying openly she dropped the champagne bottle and as it crashed loudly spilling bubbled up suds across the marble floor. Turning she fled from his office and the destruction of what she thought was a good marriage. By the time she reached the elevator she heard him screaming her name. Rushing into the elevator and pounding on the button she watched as he ran frantically toward her. Their eyes locked as the door closed on him and her heart. They would never be the same.

Looking up at Nora she smiled faintly "Nora talk to him, find out what happened and tell him how this makes you feel."

Nora turned glaring "Oh you damn right I will talk to him, as I throw his ass out!"
Evangeline drops her arms shaking her head sadly "You have Mathew, its not that easy. Hear him out first."

"You know Evangeline that's the one thing I never understood, why didn't you leave? I mean it's not like you care about the money or this job. Hell it's not like you would loose either with me representing you. So why didn't you leave Kevin when he slept with Kelly?"

Evangeline looked at her and sighed, running her hands down her hips she cut her eyes wondering what the answer to that question was. "He asked me not too. He asked me to let him prove himself to me." She said dryly.

"That's it?"
"That's it?"

Nora looked at her friend confused "But you told me you aren't in love with him. That you want something more out of life. You said he couldn't make this up to you. Yet not once have I heard you say you were leaving him. I will admit that I encouraged you to stay but you never hinted that you would leave. I can't do that! I can't stay with a man capable of hurting me like that! I can't live a lie!"

Her words cut into Evangeline's heart. She was at the surface of a greater truth, something that neither she nor Kevin understood. Chewing on her lip swallowing the metallic coppery taste of her lipstick she walked to the sofa in her office and sat down.

"I guess the truth is Nora I wanted to punish him. Make him as miserable as he made me. Now he's all but given me his soul on a silver platter and it's not enough. Do you know last night I even tried to let him into my bed?"

Nora walked over to me and sat down still wiping at her own tears "I take it you couldn't."

"I didn't want him touching me. I watched him undress and became bored with the whole dance between us. I just wanted him away from me."

Nora ran her hands through her hair. "I love Bo, but I can't forgive this. A year Van? He's been sleeping with her for a year and lying to my face. I want him out of my house and away from me."

Evangeline touched her knee. "Talk to him first Nora, after 20 years of marriage you owe yourself that much. Here him out."

"I owe him nothing!" she hissed rising and going to the other chair where her purse was. She walked over to the desk and retrieved the note. Evangeline remained seated watching her friend.

Nora turned and smiled sweetly at her. "If you're not in love Kevin anymore Van then you need to leave him. Don't settle sweetie." with that said she breezed out leaving Evangeline to her own thoughts.

Leave? Could she actually walk away from a man she's loved for almost 10 years? She was married and it was rough now, as bad as it could get, but she was in it for the long haul. She wouldn't leave him and be the failure that her parents saw divorce to be. Lisa knew of the affair and dismissed it as if the man just stretched his legs.

Told her daughter that she was a Buchanan and there would be rough patches. A divorce was not an option. Years of her meddling and controlling had Evangeline numb to it all. Hell her sister stayed away altogether to avoid it. She however endured. It's what she did best. Endured.

Looking over to her desk she saw the black folder sitting there. In that moment her mind drifted to her brief encounter with John McBain. His blue smoky eyes staring at her from the archway to the ballroom drawing her in with a magnetism that felt erotically familiar. The image of him raising his glass to her appeared before her eyes and her heart skipped a beat.

She was sure of it. She had met him before. Today's meeting would be interesting.

Later that day in the Boardroom

Evangeline rushed inside the meeting already underway. Kevin looked up at her and smiled and so did John McBain who sat in between two other executives from BE. "I'm so sorry, my meeting ran over."

Kevin nodded "Evangeline do you remember John McBain?"
Walking to the long conference table John stood and extended his hand again. Evangeline dropped her folder and grabbed his hand; he held hers powerfully, giving her another one of those knowingly sly smiles before releasing her. "It remains a great pleasure to see you again." he said in a deep rich Irish voice.

The way his words rolled off his tongue made her feel warm inside and she nodded taking a seat. Kevin remained oblivious to the tension between them. But Mary the VP of Marketing looked at her and winked, acknowledging that she felt the heat too. God this man was sexy.

The Marketing department does their presentation for Mr. McBain on the resort BE is developing in then Lantana Mountains, they forecast the revenue it would generate and also incorporated some comparisons as to similar projects undertook by McBain Industries that didn't fair to well giving a glimpse as to how a combined effort could move that division of his company out of the red. The impact analysis was damn impressive and Evangeline was proud of Mary and her team.

Evangeline thumbed through the documents and looked up at the display on the large screen ignoring the constant stares by their client. Finally unable to avoid his stare any longer she looked at him. Their eyes met and she slipped into a shared memory of him from long ago.

She knew him oh god it's John. Dropping her pen she gasped and Kevin turned from the presentation along with the others and looked at her concerned.

John winked at her and she found it hard to swallow.

"Evangeline are you okay?"

Trying to close her mouth and look away she was trapped by his gaze. Kevin looked at John and then at her confused. "Is something wrong?"

Blushing with embarrassment she dropped her eyes then looked over at her husband. "I'm sorry I'm not feeling to well."

Gathering her stuff she rose to leave, her hands shaking desperate to escape the room. Kevin's face red with embarrassment looked at his executives and then apologized for her. She hated when he did that but she had no time to make up a reply, she needed to escape the room. How could she have forgotten him?

His eyes blazed into her with the stare that captivated her so long ago. She blinked several times trying to collect herself. Kevin got up following her out, explaining they will take a 10 minute break. John said nothing just watched her amused trying to flee him.

Evangeline left the room trying hard to make it away from Kevin before he pummeled her with a 1000 questions, but she was too late. He grabbed her arm stopping her.

"Okay what's going on with you?"
She looked at him and pulled away "Go back to the meeting!" she said reaching her office and going inside.

Kevin marched in behind her. "What is it? You're acting like you saw a ghost? Is it something with McBain?"

Dropping her folder on her desk with her back to him she sucked in some needed breath trying to calm herself. Tuning on her heels she flashed her husband an innocent look. "I'm just hormonal."

"Hormonal?"
"Yes…you know" she said walking over to him touching his hand affectionately.
"You can't be pregnant!" he said shocked

Laughing she dropped his hand "No it's the other type of hormonal. I just don't feel too good today."

Kevin rolled his eyes "Oh brother…"

He pulled her to him and she allowed the embrace.
She hated using that as an excuse but she couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't tell him what John McBain was to her 14 years ago. She knew him as John Thomas, but she was sure now it was him. How could she forget those blue eyes and Irishman charm. My god was she that far gone that she would forget the most remarkable two weeks in her life. He shattered her heart and she forced his memory from her mind, but here he is.

Years of being a Buchanan and chasing her husband dreams she forgot the woman she was then. How could she? Now with him here her emotions were running rampant. She had to collect herself before they crossed paths again.