Chapter 99


    I walk up the hall toward my desk ncing at the clock. I’ve been gone almost two hours, but


    something tells me Wilma won’t mind. I’ve worked like crazy sinceing here and she seems to trust


    my skills. I’ve returned a lot calmer and happier. I’ll happily put in the hours at the end of the day to


    make sure she knows I’m not abusing my second chance at being here. She’ll be happy with that. Plus,


    now I have some sort of n about what I’m going to do, I feel better. I’ve always liked ns and


    control, knowing where I’m going and what I’m doing. Despite it not being exactly what I want in life, it’s


    a step forward with a new focus. Determined to move on I have a notebook full of jobs to look atter


    tonight, resolving to apply for at least one of them.


    I beam at her as I pass her ss walled office and she grins back, phone to her ear and animated hand


    gestures. I’ll miss her, even though my time in her department has been brief. I’mfortable working


    with her, there’s something about her that makes me like her; she instantly puts you at ease with a


    feeling that you can trust her.


    The files on my desk are full of guest list suggestions from this morning. She wants me to research


    some new additions, some big names, and big money to satisfy the media attention. People who sum


    up what the Carrero name stands for, elegance, opulence, and grandeur.


    My cell rings as I’m reading through the list, picking up the receiver I put it to my ear, lost in the words


    before my eyes.


    “Emma Anderson, speaking,” I answer distractedly, holding it between my chin and shoulder as I flick


    over a page.


    “You’re going nowhere, Emma.” Jake’s harsh voice halts me, my breath catches in my lungs. My


    stomach receives a sudden punch reaction to his deep familiar tone. He sounds pissed, his voice is


    deep and growling, terrifyingly close to my ear. I pull my cell away, scowling, as though it’s offended me


    in some way before returning it, angrily.


    “I’ll go where I damn well please … It has nothing to do with you!” I spit, his domineering behavior has


    never been a hit with me, nor do I fancy his chances now. His reaction bringing out the fight in me


    impulsively.


    “It’s got everything to do with me … You’re still under contract. I’ll make it impossible for you to leave


    until your contract ends … To the fucking second it ends.” He’s yelling at me now. Like a psycho bull in


    rage mode. Ughhhhh.


    What the actual hell? Why is he being like this? How is me leaving anything to do with him? Absolutely


    fucking nothing!


    My rage seers dramatically, triggered by his.


    “Why do you care?! You don’t want me around, but you don’t want me to leave either? That makes no


    sense … You can’t dictate my life to me anymore, Jacob!” I snap, taking the wind out of his sails


    slightly.


    “You can’t just up and leave, New York is your home.” His tone switches a little, pleading slightly but the


    moment I realize it, his voice changes back again, “Don’t call me fucking Jacob!” His temper matches


    mine. Fire meeting fire. If there was ever hope in my mind of an emotional reunion with Jake, this


    proved I was sopletely wrong. This here, sums up everything he sent me away for. This anger


    between us, always simmering, for no goddamn reason. It reced how we used to get along.


    Jake is pig-headed, domineering, stubborn, asshole!


    “Last I checked it was the name your mother graced you with. Suits you when you’re being an idiot. I’ll


    leave New York if I want to. Hell, if I want to leave the goddamn country then you don’t have a say.


    Back off, Carrero. I’m not your PA anymore.” I let it all out in a gust of emotion, anger, and bravado.


    Steeling the internal tremors of having him finally contacting me, finally talking to me, knowing he made


    first contact.


    “Be rational, Emma. You’ve worked so hard ande so far in thispany, don’t throw it all away to


    spite me.” His anger is wavering, he sounds more like he’s pleading yet I am so confused with this, and


    angry. I’m not backing down, not after the way he hurt me.


    I’m also mad at Rosalie right now, I know she wouldn’t have meant this reaction. She must have


    mentioned it to Margo and Margo, of course, has told Jake. I groan, inwardly, there’s only one way to


    deal withmanding Carrero when he’s like this.


    “Butt out, Jake. I’m nothing to do with you anymore. That’s what you wanted, remember?” I retort


    coolly, taking a deep breath and hang up on him. I turn my cell off, my hands shaking violently. I know


    what he’s like, he’ll call back and I won’t have the willpower to be quite so brave.


    I inhale deeply, steadying myself against my chair and smooth a hair from my face in a bid to regain


    control. Taking a moment to still the absolute chaos of a train wreck inside me, looking around seeing


    no one has raised eyes toward me. No one heard anything. I’m visibly shaking and try to cool it down.


    Good … No scene … No damage.


    Wilma is still on her call, writing notes as she talks. The other few girls at nearby desks are engrossed


    inptops and papers, there’s a man wandering across the far wall toward the water cooler. No one has


    looked my way at all.


    My desk phone rings, and I automatically pick it up.


    “Don’t fucking hang up on me again.” Jake snaps down the line, my body sagging into my chair in


    detion. I clutch my temple, a headacheing on at his grumpy asshole mood. I know this side of


    him only too well and I’ve no energy for it. All I’ve done is make him worse and antagonized the part of


    him that wants tosh out at me.


    This is all I need. Well done, Emma, well done!


    “I can’t do this, Jake … Please.” My voice has lost all its conviction. I sound weak and tearful. I’m


    exhausted, he exhausts me, this whole thing is exhausting. Last thing I need is this, him on the line


    giving me the Mr. Dominant Ice routine. I don’t have the ability to deal with him anymore.


    “Do what?” He sounds genuinely confused and I roll my eyes.


    “I’m looking for jobs elsewhere, nothing you say can change it. It’s better for both of us that way. Please


    stop calling me, I have work to do … Goodbye.” I don’t give him a chance to talk but hang up again.


    I''ve barely cradled it before it starts ringing again, a light on my phone indicates it’s an inside line. I


    know it’s him.


    Screw you, Jake … Stop doing this. Leave me alone!


    I get up and walk away from my phone. It’s loud ringing drumming in my ears. Some of the others in


    the office have looked up to see the cause of their interruption at work, but they quickly look back down


    when met with my angry re. I’m d in such a brief time they’ve learned not to mess with me; at


    least I still have that part of PA Emma somewhere inside of me. I walk to the water cooler and get a cup


    of water as it finally stops ringing, relief atst … only it starts again secondster.


    Shit. I can’t keep ignoring calls. What if they’re from clients? Actual work?


    I walk back and flick on my answering machine, killing it mid-ring. At least this way I can catch genuine


    calls, take messages, and filter out Jake.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I grab my iPad and a file then head to the hall. If I go to the copy room to get duplicates of some work


    Wilma gave me then I can focus on doing something menial until he gets bored and gives up.


    Unfortunately, I think that may take a while seeing as Jake can be as persistent as toothache. He’ll get


    the hint soon enough, I hope, knowing only too well that “dog trying to sniff out a bone” attitude he


    possesses.


    I notice Wilma catch my eye as I walk past her ss wall, waving and pointing to the copy room with a


    smile I wander off as she nods me away.


    I may have wanted to talk to you again, Jake, but not like this. All you’ve done is show me how right


    you were to send me away.


    * * *


    I copy several sheets needed to make booklets about the status of the dance for the meeting tomorrow.


    Leaning against the side table I put the copies into piles for stapling. My head’s spinning with Jake at


    the forefront of my mind. His reaction to my wanting to leave and his attitude. I don’t get why he’s being


    like this. It’s got nothing to do with him.


    Is he worried he’ll look bad if I up and leave?


    No. Jake never cares what people think, it’s his most admirable quality, no matter how annoying.


    Maybe he’s just really annoyed that my contract isn’t out. After all, I did sign for another year not long


    before I left, maybe he just wants to make sure he gets every second he can out of me. At least that’s


    what he said on the phone anyway. He always saw my potential. I’m sure he’ll want to keep face with


    his father after making such a huge deal about keeping me employed in the Carrero empire. This isn’t


    about me, I don’t matter to him, this is about him in some vague narcissistic way.


    The door creaks open and I turn expecting to greet one of the girls but freeze, my face dropping and


    coldness sweeping up from my stomach to my neck. Jake is towering in the doorway. His eyes are


    cial, his body emanating extreme power and rage as he stares at me like a rabid dog. He’s dressed


    in navy suit pants, white shirt with rolled up sleeves and open cor. His tie is loose and hanging down


    his chest, jacket: AWOL. He’s impably dressed but with the re of a psychopath. He looks ready


    to take on a rabid beast.


    Oh hell.