RICHARD
THE NOISE OF THE TREADMILL was a steady hum under my feet as I pounded away. I had hardly slept last night, and my mood was dark. Sweat dripped down my back and face. I picked up my towel and wiped it away roughly, tossing it to the side. My iPod blared with heavy music, and still it wasn’t loud enough, so I turned it up, glad the condo was soundproofed.I kept going, almost at a frantic pace. I had gone over all my options and plans in the dark of the night, coming up with two ideas.My first thought had been if Brian and Adrian got me in, I could try to bluff my way through an interview, telling Graham only vague details of the woman who supposedly changed my outlook and therefore, me. If I approached it right, I could manage to keep up a façade until I had proven myself to Graham, then have the unspeakable happen—this perfect woman leaves me. I could play heartbroken, and throw myself into work.Except from what Brian had explained, my idea probably wouldn’t work. It meant I needed to produce a physical woman—one who would convince Graham I was a better man than he believed me to be. Someone, asBrian put it, “real, warm, and down-to-earth.”I didn’t know many women who would fall in those categories, unless they were over sixty. I didn’t think Graham would believe I could fall in love with someone twice my age. None of the women I fraternized with would be able to pass his inspection. I rolled around the idea of hiring someone—an actress perhaps—but that seemed too risky.Brian’s words kept repeating themselves in my head. “You’re blind, Richard. Your solution is right in front of you.”Miss Elliott.He thought I should use Miss Elliott as my girlfriend.If I took a step back and tried to be objective—he had a point. It was the perfect cover. If Graham thought I was leaving Anderson Inc. because I was in love with my assistant and chose her—and our relationship—over my job there, it would score major points with him. She was unlike any other woman I had ever been with. Brian found her warm, bright, and engaging. Other people seemed to like her. All pluses.Except, it was Miss Elliott.With a groan, I shut off the machine, grabbing my discarded towel. In the kitchen, I got a bottle of water, chugged it down, and turned on my laptop. Signing into the company site, I scrolled through the employee files, stopping on Miss Elliott’s page. I studied her photograph, trying to be unbiased.There was nothing remarkable about her, but her bright blue eyes were wide with long lashes. I imagined her dark hair was long since I had never seen it done in any other way aside from a tight bun. Her skin was very pale; I wondered how she would look under the skillful hands of a makeup artist and dressed in some decent clothes. Squinting at the screen, I stared at her picture. Some sleep wouldn’t hurt to rid her of the dark circles under her eyes and maybe eating something other than peanut butter and jam sandwiches would help. She was rail thin. I liked my women with a few more curves.I groaned in frustration, rubbing the back of my neck.I supposed, in this case, it didn’t matter what I preferred. It was what Ineeded.In this case, I might have to admit I needed Miss Elliott. Goddamn my life.My phone rang, and I glanced at the screen, surprised to see Brian’s name.“Hey.”“Sorry if I woke you up.”I glanced at the clock, seeing it was only six-thirty. I was surprised he was awake, though. I knew he was a late riser.“I’ve been up a while. What’s going on?” “Graham will see you today at eleven.”I stood up, feeling a flow of nerves ripple down my spine. “Are you serious? Why so fast?”“He’s away for the remainder of the week, and I told Adrian you were considering accepting a job interview in Toronto.”I chuckled. “I owe you.”“Big. So big you’ll never be able to repay me.” He chortled. “You know there’s a good chance this will go nowhere unless you can convince him things are different for you, right? I laid it on pretty thick with Adrian—but my word is only going to take you so far.”“I know.”“Okay. Good luck. Let me know what happens.” “I will.”Hanging up, I checked my schedule, smirking when I realized Miss Elliott had updated it last night. I had a breakfast meeting at eight, which meant I’d be back in the office by ten or so. I decided not to go into the office. I had an idea how to introduce my so-called girlfriend into my interview.I dialed Miss Elliott’s number. She answered after a few rings, mumbling her sleepy greeting.“Mmmm . . . ello?” “Miss Elliott.” “What?”I sucked in a deep breath, trying to be patient. It was obvious I had woken her. I tried again.“Miss Elliott, it’s Mr. VanRyan.”Her voice was raspy and confused. “Mr. VanRyan?” I sighed heavily. “Yes.”I could hear a lot of movement, and I had the mental image of her scrambling to a sitting position, looking rumpled.She cleared her throat. “Is, ah, there a problem, Mr. VanRyan?” “I won’t be in the office until after lunch.”There was silence.“I have a personal matter to take care of.”Her voice was dry when she spoke. “You could have texted me . . . sir.” “I need you to do two things for me.” I kept going, ignoring the somewhatsarcastic edge to her voice. “If David comes in and asks where I am, tell him I’m on a personal matter and you have no idea where. Is that clear?”“Crystal.”“I need you to call me at eleven-fifteen. Exactly.”“Did you want me to say anything or just breathe heavily?”I pulled the phone away from my ear, surprised at her tone. It would seem my PA wasn’t pleased at being woken early. She was being far mouthier than usual, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.“I need you to tell me my four o’clock appointment has been switched to three.”“That’s it?”“Yes. Now repeat what I just told you.”She made a strange sound, somewhat like a grumble, which made me smirk. Miss Elliott appeared to have a bit of a backbone if the circumstances were right. However, I wanted to make sure she was awake enough to remember my instructions.“I’m to tell David you are on a personal errand and I have no idea where. I will call you at exactly eleven-fifteen and tell you your four o’clock has been switched to three.”“Good. Don’t screw it up.”“But Mr. VanRyan, it doesn’t make any sense, why would—” Not bothering to listen anymore, I hung up.RICHARD THE BUILDING HOUSING THE GAVIN Group was a polar opposite to that of Anderson Inc. Unlike the vast skyscraper of steel and glass I worked from daily, this building was brick, only four stories high, and surrounded by trees. I parked my car after checking in with the guard at the entrance, who smiled pleasantly and handed me a guest pass. Entering the building, another security guard greeted me and let me know Graham Gavin’s office was located on the top floor, then wished me a good day.Minutes later, a secretary led me to a boardroom, handed me a fresh cup of coffee, and told me Graham would be with me momentarily. I took the time to absorb the details of the room around me, again struck by the difference between the two companies.Anderson Inc. was all about flash. The offices and boardroom were all state of the art—white and black was the predominant palette. Even the artwork was monochrome with lots of metal everywhere. Hard, modern chairs, thick glass-topped tables and de
KATHARINE “I DON’T UNDERSTAND,” I MURMURED into the phone, trying to remain calm. “I didn’t receive any other notice about this increase.”“I know, Miss Elliott. We only received the instructions two days ago,which is why I’m calling to inform you of the change.”I swallowed the lump in my throat. Four hundred dollars more a month. I needed to pay four hundred dollars more.“Did you hear me, Miss Elliott?”“I’m sorry—could you repeat what you said?”“I said the new fee structure begins as of the first.”I glanced at the calendar. That was two weeks away. “Is this even legal?”The woman on the phone sighed in understanding. “It’s a privately run home, Miss Elliott. One of the best in the city, but they also make their own rules. There are other places where you could see about moving your aunt— ones that are government run with fees set in place.”“No,” I insisted. “I don’t want to do that. She’s so well cared-for and settled.”“The staff is the best. There are other rooms, semi-priva
KATHARINE I STOOD ACROSS THE STREET from Mr. VanRyan’s building, staring up at the tall structure. It was intimidating and spoke of wealth—all tinted glass and concrete looming over the city, reminding me of the man who lived within it. Cold, remote, unreachable. I shivered a little as I looked at it, wondering why I was there.The building was about a ten-minute walk from the home, and I was on time. It hadn’t been a good visit with Penny today; she had been upset and agitated, refusing to eat or talk to me, and I ended up leaving early. I was disappointed. She had been good all week, and I had hoped today would be the same; that I’d be able to talk with her as we used to, but it hadn’t happened. Instead, it just added to my stressful, odd day. I left the home feeling despondent, and unsure as to why I was going to see Mr. VanRyan.Mr. VanRyan.He had already confused me asking me to his home this evening. His behavior the rest of the afternoon proved to be equally bizarre. When he r
RICHARD THE NEXT MORNING, WE BOTH acted as if nothing was different. Miss Elliott brought in my coffee and bagel, carefully placing them on my desk. She went over my schedule, confirming two meetings I had outside the office.“I won’t be back this afternoon.”She looked puzzled, checking her notebook. “You don’t have anything in your schedule.”“I made the appointment myself. Personal business. I’ll go straight to my two o’clock afterward. In fact, I won’t be back this afternoon. Take the time off.”“Pardon me?”I sighed. “Miss Elliott, can you not understand English? Take the afternoon off.”“But . . .”I pinned her with a glare. “Take the afternoon off.” I lowered my voice. “My place at seven, okay?”“Okay,” she breathed out.“If you need anything—business related—text me. Otherwise, it needs to wait.”She nodded. “I understand.”It was common knowledge Anderson Inc. monitored emails. Not one to take chances, I had my own cellphone, to which only a select few had the number. I knew
RICHARD ASIDE FROM KATHARINE’S HESITANT INSTRUCTIONS, the drive was silent. The farther away we went from my neighborhood, the darker my mood turned. When we pulled up in front of a dilapidated house, I turned to Katharine.“This is your house?”She shook her head. “No. I rent an apartment in the house.”I slammed the car into park, yanking off my seatbelt. “Show me.”I followed her up the uneven path, double clicking the key fob. I hoped the tires were still attached to my car when I returned. In fact, I hoped the car would be there.I didn’t try to hide my displeasure as I looked around at what I assumed was considered a studio apartment. I considered it a dump. A futon, an old chair, and a desk that also served as a table were the only pieces of furniture in the room. A short counter with a hot plate and a small refrigerator posed as a kitchen. There were a half dozen boxes piled by the wall. A wardrobe hanger held the dowdy suits and blouses Katharine wore.I strode over to the on
KATHARINE I couldn’t sleep. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fall asleep. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically, yet I couldn’t relax. The strangeevents of the past few days played on a constant loop in my mind. Richard’s unexpected offer, my even more unexpected response, and his reaction to where I’d been living. He’d been beyond disgusted and furious, with his usual demanding demeanor in full force. Before I could blink, my few possessions were in the trunk of his large, luxury car and I was back in his condo—on a permanent basis, or until he was done with his inane plan. The inane plan I was now entrenched in as deeply as my boss.The condo was silent. There was literally no noise. I was used to the sounds that surrounded me at night: traffic, other tenants moving around, yelling, and the constant sound of sirens and violence outside my window. They were the noises that kept me awake, sometimes fearful, yet now they were absent, I couldn’t sleep. I knew I was safe.
KATHARINE THE MORNING WAS TENSE FOR me—even Richard felt it. He had little in the way of personal items in the office, but I helped him pack up some awards, books, and a couple shirts he kept on hand for emergencies. I shook my head as I folded one, trailing my finger over the sleeve. All his shirts were custom made, and his initials RVR embroidered into the cuffs; a decadent touch only he could carry off. His items only filled two file boxes. His office was as impersonal as his condo. Glancing around, I realized it didn’t look any different. No one would notice, unless someone was looking.A small piece of sculpture caught my eye and I stretched up, grabbing it off the shelf. “Did you want to take this, Richard?”He focused his gaze on the sculpture, but before he could reply, his office door flung open and David strode in. He stopped dead, looking at us. Richard was leaning against his desk, his resignation letter in hand, me standing, holding the sculpture beside an open box. David
KATHARINE THE AFTERNOON WAS A WHIRLWIND. Richard had indeed told Amanda precisely what he wanted, and the list was endless, it seemed. Dresses, pants, skirts, blouses, suits—a vast array of materials and colors drifted by me. There were also new bathing suits, lingerie, and nightgowns. Item after item was tried on, discussed, and either discarded or placed on the ever- growing pile of clothes to keep.Thankfully, after watching me for a short time, the footwear she picked out was all low-heeled. Still stylish, she assured me, but I had a better chance of staying upright.The last straw was the exercise clothing she showed me. By that point, I was beyond exasperated. I couldn’t fathom a time I would need to have expensive workout clothes. He had a private gym in his apartment for God’s sake. When she indicated it was on Richard’s list, I threw up my hands and told her to add whatever she felt was suitable. I was done.I walked out of the store, carrying the outfit for the next day, wea