You Promised Me Page 12

  "Yeah, no, sweetie. Idiot can suffer my wrath for a bit longer. It was a shitty move. Come on Gin, this night is all sorts of fucked up, we have done our duty. These people suck, their faux politeness makes me sick. I want pasta, wine and then bed," he leans his head close into mine before sitting up finishing his drinking then walking behind me, ending up in front of my stool to help me down. We have sat for a bit and enjoyed a few drinks. He pulls me in for a hug as I stand, kissing my head before leading the way to the door, holding my hand the whole way.

  We make a quick detour to the happy couple, correct etiquette inbred into both of us unfortunately.

  "You're going already?" Hartley gushes at us, her face alight with her happiness and the lingering effects of a few glasses of champagne.

  "We've been here for hours Hartley, you are just busy hosting. Congratulations again," Caleb replies dryly, dropping his hand to my lower back, steering me away.

  I lean into Hartley, "Congratulations again," I offer along with a quick kiss and a hug. I turn to Dom and offer him a congratulations handshake, which he returns.

  "Thank you both for coming," he offers as he steps a little closer, like he is going to kiss me. But I take a pretend stumble back, out of his reach and Caleb takes the opportunity to extend his hand instead.

  "Ginny, I was going to ask...." Hartley interrupts, but Caleb just turns us, a little rudely, and I stop him with a hand.

  "Sorry Hartley?" I say over my shoulder, my eyes on her only. I try to not look at Dom anymore than I need to, probably a juvenile coping mechanism, definitely petty, but I really don't give a shit. I need to look after me these days.

  "No, look, I'll give you a call in the next couple of days," she responds, looking little relieved at the same time, but we are all interrupted by Dom's parents, who usher the happy couple away whilst throwing a damning sneer my way. Hartley leaves with a small backward gaze and an apologetic grin on her pretty face. Maybe to get ready for speeches. Either way, Caleb and I take our leave and all but sprint out of there.

  We are getting closer to our escape, when a shiver passes over me. All the hair on my head stands up and little goose bumps dot down my arms. I slow our pace and turn my head almost in the opposite direction. Of course it is Hunter I feel. I am pretty sure I could always find him in a crowd. Unsurprisingly, his eyes are glued on the hold that Caleb has on me, before his eyes find mine, holding them for the longest of seconds before he tips his drink at me, a small smirk gracing his lips.

  I return his attention, offering a cheeky wink before turning back to Caleb and walking out.

  I sit in the sunny nook of our apartment, the morning sun warming my face with my feet up on the bench, and the leftovers from our pasta dinner balanced in my lap as I try to read a paper for my upcoming Board meeting, on the fatal flaws of our computer system. I have my hair bundled up in a messy bun and am wearing my favourite gray sweats. I am the first to admit that I am all sorts of unmotivated today.

  The house phone rings, I am happy for the distraction. I jump up, nearly falling ass-up on our slippery tiles, in my new fluffy socks. I stifle a screamy giggle, skating the rest of the way to the phone on the wall of the kitchen, I figure it's safer.

  “Ms Bellafonte, it is Ronald from Security at the front desk. You have a food delivery from Sloanes. I am told that Mr. Savage ordered it. Can I allow him up?” security asks.

  “Of course, thank you Ronald,” I say before hanging up the phone, walking back to read another page as I wait for the doorbell to ring.

  It is not even five minutes later, when the bell sounds.

  "Coming!" I shout out as I make my way there a little more carefully than when I answer the house phone. I hope Caleb ordered me a salad and a juice, my appetite is ferocious today.

  I grab a hold of the door and open it, quickly shuffling my foot forward to hold it open. I am stunned into silence when a courier stands at our front door holding a stunning array of the most beautiful blue hydrangeas I have seen in a long time. I can barely see the courier over the armful of flowers he is waiting on delivering. I replace my foot with my hand and then pull it back like it burns, letting our front door go after looking at him and his flowers, my concern starting to increase. It is getting to half way shut before I speak again.

  "You are meant to be food. Who are you?" I demand through the closing door, as I return my hand to the door and push it closed faster on the still silent delivery guy.

  "Caleb," I yell down to his room in a very pissed off tone. Surprisingly, he can hear my concern, even from his bedroom. I must have yelled louder than I thought.

  Quickly the door down the opposite corridor opens and a bare chested Caleb comes running out, quickly followed by his boyfriend, Matthew, who is also in a semi undressed state, but alert, and armed, nonetheless.

  They go running towards the front door as I return to the sanctuary of my kitchen, standing as I wait for them to return, staring unseen at my cooling bowl of leftovers and a half read report.

  I can hear the boys speaking angrily behind me, but I focus on the view in front of me trying to stem my rising anxiety. Matthew pats my shoulder gently before grabbing the house phone. I stand and listen "Good-morning, this is Matthew Jameson of Maximus Security, one of my clients has just received a delivery from your shop. Can you please tell me if this was a phone order or a walk in?" I listen quietly as Matthew speaks with the lady at the florist, who by the part of the conversation I can hear is adamant that she will not breach client confidentiality before hanging up on their discussion that ends up going around in circles.

  "Gin," Caleb calls softly from the door.

  "Hmmm," I reply, distracted.

  "Gin," Caleb repeats my name again, but the delivery throws me, annoys me. The impending quarterly board meeting needs my attention. Not this stupid breach in our security, nor these stupid games again.

  "Gin!" Matthew demands, his deep voice, screaming domination, "Turn the fuck around!"

  I finally do, and I look at them both confused as Caleb walks closer to me with the impressive bouquet.

  "They are for you Ginny," he talks slowly and softly. I must look like I am going to freak the heck out. I am.

  "For me? That's prosperous. I haven't been on a date for months, you know that. Nope, not for me. Come on I have a meeting tomorrow, I need to smash through these reports," I go to turn away and Caleb walks forward again.

  "Gin, honey, we have a problem. Someone got past security to bring these flowers to you. Actually it’s a huge fucking deal and you know it. It is getting worse again. We need to work together, focus on the latest breach of security now at your home, not your office!" he responds sharper than expected.

  He is right, things have started picking up recently in online chatter and a constant increase in security breaches in our office, both through our door and our computer system. It is why we called an urgent board meeting for this week. We have a cyber security expert coming to present. I am running over the costs and initial review now.

  "Open the card," he places the flowers next to me on the bench and they pretty much obscure all the sun, leaving the light in our kitchen a strange assortment of ominous shadows, before sliding the card to me.

  We all stare at it for a moment, wondering what it contains.

  Matthew steps forward and snatches the card off of the bench. “No, I’ll do it Ginny, this falls under my jurisdiction. Sorry if it is invasive, but, let’s go…”

  Both Caleb and Matthew step closer to me. I snarl at their proximity and the reason they are both standing here half naked but we all lean in, to read the card.

  "Gin?" Caleb though, halts the unveiling as he leans closer to me, pulling me into his naked chest. He always can read my triggers, better than I can. "You are okay, Gin. Come on, we got you. Whoever sent them, wanted to get your attention. Open the card, Matthew. Let's see what we are working with. Maybe we are all over-reacting, wouldn't be the first time when it comes to you pretty girl. Goodness,
imagine if these are from someone like, Hunter, who is aging very nicely! Honestly, it could just be us freaking out after seeing the St. Joseph's double crossing idiots. Nothing more, nothing less." He kisses the top of my head and then nudges Matthew’s side telling him to open the damn card.

  "You ready?" Matthew questions softly, looking into my face for confirmation.

  My face must be awash with all sorts of emotions as Matthew and Caleb’s words finally reach my racing brain and I take a moment to pull myself back together. Last night did throw me. It still does hurt, despite the time that has passed. I'm good I remind myself but walking a little further away from the flowers, so pretty but now tainted by such questionable intentions. I close my eyes and breathe in deep their heady aroma before I turn to my waiting housemates and best friends.

  "Do it Matthew, let’s see what we are dealing with," I smile at them hesitantly, trying to defuse the rising tension, before stepping next to Matthew as he opens the card. I pretty much snort a laugh out at them both as I read the

  Thanks for coming last night. I like you near me. Hartley was ecstatic too.

  Take her call. xx Love always, Dom

  "Are you shitting me?" Matthew offers, pulling me into a cuddle. Caleb joins us as I am stunned into silence by Dom’s manipulative move.

  "How does he know where we live?" I ask after a few quiet moments.

  "See that is our problem Ginny. How does Dom know where you live again, it wasn't from one of us, or from you," Caleb says.

  "I really don't have time to do this. I did what I had to. I am not getting caught up in his shit again Caleb," I speak as I walk out of their arms. I grab my mobile and quickly dial our Admin Manager at Bellafonte, "Good-morning Jan, sorry for the Sunday morning call. Can you please arrange a courier to my apartment, I have a delivery ready. I will provide the address to them when they arrive.” I don’t even give her a chance to reply, only murmur a yes or no as I continue my irritated instructions, “Can you also please speak with the building manager here, their security is too lax. I just had a delivery to my door which is inexcusable. Matthew from Maximus Security is here to coordinate everything. I will ask him to email you a report and at this stage I want you to provide that as an update to our solicitors, as a file note. Sorry to interrupt your Sunday and sorry I am acting a bitch. I will give you a call once I have had the opportunity to calm down. Thanks again Jan," I offer before hanging up. Thankfully, I pay her buckets of money and she is insanely good at her job. Her day won't be ruined and she is used to my quickness besides we are all getting pretty good at dealing with this shit and the fallout now.

  I turn around and look at both Caleb and Matthew.

  "Come here," he pulls me into a quick hug murmuring encouragement into my ears. "I'm going to just brief Tinker on the latest threat," Matthew turns quickly and walks back into their bedroom.

  "Ginny, there is a reason that we take these kinds of threats seriously honey. Tinker and Matty will protect you, I promise. Really as soon as we realised they were not from Matthew, we should have acted. I still kind of wish they were from Hunter, would have been nice though," he wiggles his eyebrows at me, before leading me over to the large island bench in our kitchen.

  The doorbell buzzes and Caleb draws the flowers up, before pausing, "Gin, I didn't ask what you were going to do with these," he looks a little guilty.

  "Send them to their apartment. I don't want them. If her fiance is sending flowers to anyone it really should be her. In my opinion anyway. Fucking snakes," I spit back under my breath, scribbling, return to sender, on the front of the card which I seal again. Let them open it together.

  Caleb grabs the card and the flowers as the buzzer sounds again. I hear him over at the door speaking with the courier, but I am already dialing Grandpa's number and moving into the kitchen to start up our commercial coffee machine. It's going to be a long day.

  "Ginny sweetheart, did you see my notes on the report on computer security?" he rattles off quickly before pausing, "Ginny? Sorry darling, how is my favourite girl?"

  I huff out of my nose at the irritation coursing through my system again, “Matthew is speaking with Tinks now Grandpa, but Dom it seems still thinks we should be more than friends again and sent flowers this morning. Which means he is or has someone watching me."

  "Is Matthew there?" Grandpa asks, changing from inquiring to forthright in one sentence.

  "He is talking to Tinker now. I think it's just me being overly cautious. I probably shouldn't have gone last night, but I needed to. Stupid huh, I mean now this..." I mumble into the phone.

  "Verginius, being stalked by a crazed idiot is not grounds for you to doubt yourself. Even if said crazed idiot is an old friend. We have been through this. Besides, honey you are now my publicly endorsed successor, sole heir of the Bellafonte fortune. Dom, I suspect will step up his end of the game. His grand delusions are out of control. His family are obviously supporting them though, they have been trying to secure an ‘in’ to our company for years. After that stunt in college. Regardless, maybe it is time to move back home again?” he offers.

  I love my family dearly but I need my separation, I already work with Grandpa at least five days a week. I like my independence more, even though I sometimes lean on Caleb and Matthew. I love living with them. I need to be around their love and happiness, I crave it desperately. Totally irrelevant to our current security breach, but I am not moving, Maximus will have it covered. I refuse to yield anything to this piece of shit creeper. Especially when my creeper doesn't have enough guts to face me head on.

  “Matthew is here. I feel okay. It just shook me. Last night was terrible, but Caleb and I enjoyed their hospitality and then stopped off at Giovani’s for dinner. Honestly, everything is fine. Now we need to focus on this costing in the Cyber recommendations and the directors details were omitted from my copy,” I place Grandpa on a loudspeaker and make my way back to my coffee machine that is ready.

  “Hang on, just making a coffee,” I shout over the coffee beans grinding and the hiss of the water.

  In just a few moments, I have coffee ready for Caleb, Matthew and myself. Grandpa is obviously reading quietly, or maybe he walked off to get a drink as well.

  “Caleb,” I yell down the hall to their room. I can hear Matthew speaking or maybe growling in a heated discussion with Tinker, so I call for my other best friend instead. He pokes his head out of their room and I make the telltale sign of coffee before making one telling him I am on a work call with Grandpa.

  “Okay, sorry Grandpa, where were we?” I offer as I sit back down on my makeshift desk, the view as my backdrop.

  “I think I prefer the second report. They come across more aggressive and I think we need that stance as we resolve the repeated soft attacks occuring in our servers. Gin, what did you think?” he speaks as he settles himself into his chair, I know because his old chair squeaks whenever he sits.

  “The first company certainly has more resources and street cred, but I get a different feeling from the second. They have approached this more creatively, more aggressively. The costs are pretty much on par, exorbitant, though. Both are presenting on Wednesday, straight after each other. It is still a concern that John, who manages the damn department doesn't even consider it a risk. It doesn't make sense to me,” I reply as I log back onto my computer, pulling up both the reports so I can review them.

  “Not a lot makes sense at the moment Ginny. This stuff with Dom still has me worried. I suspect the games he is playing are only really starting. From now on I think we need to keep these events to ourselves. I would even hazard a guess that his manipulations are deeper than we know. Are you sure that Maximus is suitable?”

  “You want me to ask Matthew?” I question.

  “God no, he’d be beyond devastated thinking I didn’t trust him. I do though. I am asking you. Are you sure?” he demands.

  “Of course. You trust him with my life, so stop second guessing that I do too,” I retort honest
ly.

  “Just double checking Princess,”

  Grandpa and I move on to the more vapid reports listed for discussion at our next meeting, and we spent the next few hours working through them as we always did. My back aches and my head pounds after I hang up.

  A deep bubble bath and an early night called to me. Matthew took the time to provide me a quick update on the new security measures as I grab some cookies later. I know I am safer in here with them than anywhere else. I sleep like a baby.

  “Verginius, sorry for interrupting, but the meeting starts in about fifteen minutes,” Leah offers as she pokes her head in the door of my office to remind me. She is already walking back to her desk and leaves my office door open. Leah is a mad PA, so damn organized and I swear she had eyes and ears everywhere. I know she could hear me speak to her through my open door, as she continued working through a stack of correspondence we had already discussed.

  “Thanks Leah, I’m heading there now,” I offer as Matthew and I both stand. I am just putting my notebook in my briefcase and freshening up, so I am already aware of the time. I double check my lipstick, pop my collar, and change to my killer heels. I might have been full of anxiety and swirling emotions but I need to feel good.

  Matthew walks me out of my office, waiting while I ask if Leah could arrange dinner reservations for Caleb, Matthew, and I. This board meeting will be long, and I will need a glass or two of champagne after it is finished. I honestly enjoy our board meetings, even though they tended to drag on, and today is an auspicious occasion, the first one that I am officiating. Once set, Matthew and I stand shoulder to shoulder at the lift as I wait to go up to the penthouse level.

  “Come on, let me give you a good luck hug Gin. Tradition and all,” Matthew bumps my shoulder before I juggle my bag into one hand and pull him in for a hug. Matthew is always up for a laugh, so he takes the opportunity to sweep us around, so that I am leaning back into his arms, balanced precariously as we laugh aloud, his lips blowing raspberries on my neck. Totally unprofessional, but I grew up with the staff here and they all know the boys and I spend a lot of time goofing off. I’m not embarrassed, well not until the lift opens and Hunter-fucking-Hollingsworth is standing there. Once again, scowling at me.