Sealing Fate Page 4

  Somewhere during the walk, Brian remembered just how much he loved Barbara. The eyes and the soul of the woman he had fallen in love with so long ago were still the same. She was still the one.

  Brian thought about Cathy. Was she a new course in my life, or was she a part of finding my way back to Barbara? For a brief moment, he thought about telling Barbara about Cathy. Then he thought better of it. What would be gained? It would be solely to purge his newly discovered conscience. At that moment, Brian decided on his course. He would end it with Cathy, and Barbara need never know.

  He looked in Barbara's eyes and said, “I love you so much.”

  They kissed again, slowly and passionately. That night after they climbed into bed, he kissed her softly on the cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. I had a great time.”

  She smiled broadly. “Me too. I think I'll be smiling all day tomorrow.”

  He put his arm around her, and they drifted off to sleep, feeling renewed by their rediscovered passion.

  * * *

  On Friday evening at seven o'clock, Michael was in his office, waiting for Jason Ross. In the exercise of his upcoming power, Jason would make Michael wait. Just knowing that's what he was doing was humiliating. Michael looked out the window and thought about all he had done to get to the top job. There wasn't much he wouldn't do to get it. That had become clear to him lately ever since Carol's innocent comment about Jason Ross dropping dead.

  Michael thought about the betrayal by Brad Fisher, soon to be one of Jason's new vice presidents. He didn't want to give up the fight, but inside he knew it was all over. The decision had been made, and their fates were sealed, irreversibly. Jason Ross would have the top job. Michael would have to work under Jason to survive in the company. Brad Fisher would probably do just fine.

  There was a knock at the door, and Jason Ross entered, not waiting for acknowledgment. It was seven fourteen. His close-cropped gray hair and his clean-shaven face gave him the look of a military officer. He carried himself with confidence. His solid six-foot frame was clad in an expensive black suit. It seemed befitting of the occasion. He also wore a smile.

  “Hello, Jason,” Michael said icily as his competitor planted himself in one of the visitor's chairs across the desk.

  “Michael,” Jason answered and paused briefly, donning a serious expression. “I guess you're aware of the changes that are coming up.”

  “You know I am. Congratulations.”

  Jason nodded an artificial thank you. “I've been doing some serious thinking about the changes that need to happen in the company.”

  Michael watched him closely, aware that this was the point when he was going to be told that he would be given a small division outside the circle of influence, the corporate equivalent of an exile to Siberia. “What kind of changes?”

  “You, for one.” Jason's expression was unreadable. “I've thought about it long and hard, and I don't think we can work together. I've decided that, within twenty-four hours after Parker makes his announcement, I want your resignation.”

  Michael's look was incredulous. “Resign? Why should I?”

  “Because I don't trust you,” Jason said, leaning forward in his chair. “You've never been behind me on anything, and I don't think that's likely to change.”

  Michael was taken aback. Reassignment maybe, but I hadn't expected to be fired.

  “And if I elect not to resign?”

  “Don't do it to yourself, Michael. Who's going to want you in their top management if they learn International Resource terminated you?”

  Michael sat back in his chair and stared at Jason. He tried to hold on to his composure. Inwardly, he was seething, but he was determined that Jason wouldn't see it. He groped for the right words but could find nothing artful to say.

  What came out wasn't planned. “You son of a bitch!”

  Jason shook his head. “We've never been on the same team, Michael. We fight each other at every step. We always have. Now that I've got the job you think you should have, I don't see that changing.” He stood and walked toward the door. Then he stopped and looked back at Michael. “I'm sorry. I really am.” Then he continued out the door.

  Michael didn't move. He sat staring at the door. A fury of emotions was beneath the controlled surface he had shown to Jason. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the closed door in disbelief. His whole career, everything he had worked for, was gone. What he had given up all other parts of his life for. It just couldn't be.

  He suddenly found himself thinking about his conversation with Carol. He thought again about Jason Ross dropping dead before the announcement of his succession to Parker's throne. Michael realized that, for the first time in his life, he was toying with the idea of killing another human being.

  He sat in silence for three hours, never moving from the chair he had occupied during Jason's visit. Finally, at slightly after ten, he picked up his jacket and turned off the office lights. As he walked down the deserted hallways to the elevator, it occurred to Michael that he had forgotten to call Carol, who thought he would be home at eight.

  Michael's sudden emergence from the office startled an elderly man who was vacuuming the carpets in the outer office. Michael gave him a nod and kept walking and searching for an answer; he had to do something.

  He struggled with turbulent emotions, anger that was hard to contain, and fear of a future he couldn't allow. There would be nothing left of his life's work.

  As the days passed and the idea became obsession, taking over all of Michael's thoughts, he came to accept it as necessary. It was a business decision. Sometimes the costs in business were high. Sometimes there was just no other choice. Michael knew he was strong enough to do what had to be done. He always had been. He knew that Jason Ross had left him no choice. The decision had been there the entire time, just waiting for him to arrive at the inevitable.

  For three days, he thought about the details, coming up with ideas that became plans, strategies he ultimately discarded because they weren't quite right. On Wednesday, Michael had Sheila hold his calls and reschedule appointments. He stayed alone in his office all day. It was almost four o'clock when it finally came to him.

  Suddenly he knew exactly what to do, and it had been right in front of him all along. The seeds of the plan had already been sown. Michael felt renewed. He was still in the game. Michael smiled widely as he reached for the phone.

  Chapter 5

  Brian went the entire week without seeing Cathy. It was more a matter of circumstance than choice, but it helped postpone the inevitable meeting when he would end their relationship. On Sunday night, she had traveled to New York for meetings. On Thursday afternoon, Brian was in the conference room of his offices, meeting with two staffers of Victor Barber, the senior member of the House Budget Committee. The meeting was acknowledgment of his arrival on the scene and to solicit Brian's support for Barber's policies and programs. Senior politicians were always working on one more vote, even when they were on vacation in France, as Barber was now.

  Brian excused himself and left the meeting to check on the status of a couple of other projects and because he had consumed too much coffee. He had to urinate so badly he felt that his eyes were turning yellow. It was either take a break or install a catheter. As he left the conference room, a strikingly young volunteer waving in his direction met him.

  “Sorry to bother you, Congressman, but there's a Cathy Jenkins from International Resource on the phone. I thought it might be important.”

  He nodded. “Thanks. I'll take the call.”

  As he walked away, the assistant called after him, “Line three.”

  Brian moved to his office and closed the door. He sat down at his desk, picked up the phone, and punched at the third button, which blinked impatiently. He realized he was excited at the prospect of talking to her again.

  “Cathy?”

  “Hi, Congressman. Remember me?” Her voice was cheery and very warm.

  “How coul
d I forget? Our time together is hardly mundane, you know.”

  She laughed. “I'll say. I think often of our time together.”

  “I do too.” He grinned. “So how's New York?”

  “It's the same. The meetings are too long, the people are too serious, and the cabbies are too aggressive.”

  Brian laughed.

  “I hope I didn't interrupt anything too important. I was just thinking about you and …” Her voice trailed off.

  “Yeah, me too. It's good to hear your voice.”

  “I'll be back tomorrow,” she said quickly.

  “I remember.”

  “Can I see you tomorrow night?”

  Brian felt his stomach churning. This was not a meeting he looked forward to, but he knew he just couldn't put it off any more. “Sure. What time?”

  “Come over about seven thirty, okay?”

  “I'll be there.”

  “Take good care until I see you tomorrow.”

  “You too. Fly carefully.”

  “Bye.”

  “Good-bye.” Brian put down the phone with a feeling of discomfort. She was something special. He got the same feelings of excitement every time they spoke. Tomorrow would be hard.

  The young assistant knocked on his door. “Congressman, Mr. Dominguez from the governor's office on line one, Mrs. White of Project Hope is on line four, and your wife is on five. Who should I take messages from?”

  “All of them. I have to get back into that meeting. And I have to pee before I explode.”

  The young woman burst out laughing.

  “But you can just tell them I'm in a meeting,” Brian said as he ran out of the office.

  * * *

  Cathy finished her meetings early on Thursday and decided to take a walk down Fifth Avenue to explore the stores. She found herself grinning widely and thinking about Brian as she walked. She thought about his voice on the telephone and his touch on her cheek. She thought about tomorrow night. She couldn't remember ever feeling like this before. She had been in love, but it was never like this, so warm and so fulfilling.

  Her step was almost a skip, and the breeze along the avenue felt like it just might lift her off the ground. The thought was corny, but she couldn't help it. She reminded herself of Marlo Thomas doing her “That Girl, I'm in love with the world” walk. She laughed aloud at the thought.

  When she got back to the hotel, Cathy called her mother. She was feeling alight with her feelings for Brian, and she felt the urge to share it.

  “Hi, Mom,” she said cheerily.

  “Hi, sweetheart. How's New York?”

  “Not as cold or lonely as I might have guessed.”

  “Your meetings are going good?”

  “Yeah, they're fine.” Cathy paused. She and her mother had always been able to talk about almost anything, so it was easy to confide in her. “I think I've fallen in love,” she blurted out.

  “Really? That's wonderful, dear.”

  Cathy knew her mother meant it. Her mother also knew it had been a long time since she was in love like this. Maybe she never had been.

  “Who is he?” her mother asked.

  Cathy was careful. Brian was still married, and she would get into that slowly. “He's someone I met through the campaign work I've been doing. His name is Brian.”

  Then came that uniquely parental welcome, “Will you bring him to dinner?”

  “Yes, I will. At the first opportunity.”

  Her mother seemed to be catching some of the excitement. “Is it already serious?”

  “Yes, I think it is.” She paused. “I don't know when I've been this happy.”

  “I can hardly wait to meet him. Bring him home soon.”

  “I will,” Cathy replied, hoping that she would. She sensed that Brian loved her too and wanted to be with her. They would work it out. “I just wanted you to be the first to know. Give my love to Dad for me.”

  “All right. I will. I love you. Good-bye, baby.”

  As she hung up the telephone, Cathy felt light-headed. She thought about her conversation with Brian. She liked replaying the part when they said they missed one another. It seemed as if he was as happy to speak with her as she had been to talk to him. She thought about seeing him tomorrow night, and she thought about their future, the future they would make together.

  * * *

  On Friday morning, Barbara kissed Brian good-bye at the door. She was warm and affectionate, a carryover of the closeness from their evening of rediscovery. It should have been great, but with thoughts of seeing Cathy crossing his mind, Brian felt uneasy. He touched Barbara's cheek and told her he would be late. They made plans to have breakfast and spend time together in the morning.

  The day passed slowly, and Brian had a hard time keeping his thoughts on the business that needed his attention. His mind would stray to his memorable days and nights with Cathy and then to his life with Barbara. He thought of the renewal in his relationship with Barbara and realized how much she meant to him. He also thought of the arousal and the warmth he shared with Cathy. By the end of the day, Brian had played and replayed countless scenes with each woman. He felt no more enlightened and just as nervous about the evening with Cathy. He had accomplished almost nothing at the office, and he had a headache.

  Brian arrived at Cathy's apartment at eight o'clock. She opened the door and smiled. She wore a soft blue, low-neck dress, and a string of pearls. Her light makeup added a glow to her face.

  “I've missed you,” she said and threw her arms around him.

  The scent of her perfume was intoxicating, like ubiquitous wildflowers in a spring meadow. She looked into his eyes, and Brian heard himself telling her that he had missed her, too. And he had. She brought her lips to his and kissed him passionately. He found himself immediately aroused.

  “Come with me,” she said and led him to a formal dinner for two laid out in the dining room.

  The china and silverware were in place, the wine glasses were full, and the fire blazed, casting shadows across the wall behind the table. The lighting from the overhead chandelier was soft and diffuse. The effect was warmth and isolation.

  “I can't believe you've done all this when you've been in New York all week. It's incredible,” Brian said appreciatively.

  “I've had lots of time to plan it.” She kissed him again. “I can't tell you how good it is to see you.”

  Brian had not envisioned it happening this way. This was supposed to be the sobering discussion of why they couldn't possibly go on together. He thought of all that Cathy had done in preparation. She was so happy. It just was not the right moment. He told himself that he would wait as he kissed her deeply and then gazed into those eyes that seemed to reach out to him. He gave himself to the moment, and they spoke of his week and her travels. She served a wonderful shrimp scampi, and each drank three glasses of wine.

  They cleared the table and then moved to the couch in the living room. As they sat in front of the fireplace with the last of the wine, Brian could feel it going to his head. Cathy toasted to them. He toasted to her smile. She leaned toward him and then looked up and kissed him. They were soon locked in an embrace with the passion growing. They left the couch without letting each other go and made their way to the bedroom. They made love in her bed and then fell asleep in each other's arms.

  It was one o'clock when Brian awoke. He looked around to get his bearings. He saw the red digital readout of the alarm clock and began to dress quickly. He was going to be late again. He briefly wondered why Barbara had never asked about his late arrivals before. He was grateful for her trust, the trust he was betraying again.

  Cathy sat up in bed, letting the covers fall to her waist. Brian admired her full breasts, and she smiled when she saw him looking.

  “Can't you stay with me tonight?” she asked. “I'd really like to make you breakfast in the morning. Maybe even make love again after breakfast.”

  Brian smiled at the thought. “I'd like that too, but I can't stay.
I have to get home.”

  She watched him finish dressing and then motioned him over to the bed. She gave him a long, passionate kiss and told him that she loved him. He smiled, but remained silent. He didn't know what to say.

  “Tomorrow night around seven?” she asked.

  “I'll have to call you tomorrow.” Brian kissed her again and then walked toward the door.

  “I was thinking we could go away for a weekend in a couple of weeks,” Cathy called to him.

  He nodded at her. “I'm not sure when I can get a whole weekend right now. We'll talk more tomorrow.”

  He left the apartment, cursing himself for not having straightened things out and for sleeping with her again. And there was something else; a part of him just didn't want to let her go.

  It was after one-thirty when he climbed into bed with Barbara. She put her arms around him and kissed him gently on the lips.

  “I missed you, Brian,” Barbara whispered softly. “I love you.” She softly touched his cheek.

  “I love you, too, Barb.” He drew her to him and kissed her forehead, the bridge of her nose, and then her lips. He gave her a reassuring smile. “Good night, sweetheart,” he said and then turned over.

  Soon he heard the soft and rhythmic sounds of her breathing as she slept. Brian lay awake until after four o'clock, consumed by conflicting feelings and the long overdue guilt he had been expecting.

  Chapter 6

  Cathy met Brian standing on the beach, waiting for her. She ran across the sand to him. He opened his arms and wrapped them around her, picking her up and spinning her in the air. He whispered, “I love you” and then kissed her softly on the mouth. They put their arms around one another and began to walk along the deserted beach as the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon, followed by a magnificent trail of red and orange. Cathy looked up at the love on his face, drinking it all in as one of life's perfect moments. The ocean touched their feet, and its sounds were the musical soundtrack to a love that was forever.