Only One Touch (Only One 4)

“You know me,” she says, and I don’t have to answer her. I know exactly the type of person she is. I was that person.

I fill my brothers in on who I want to go after, and they all agree with me. The day passes with me making sure I have everything ready to go when the time is right. Lunch comes and goes. Erika has a sandwich delivered, and when she sticks her head back into my office, I notice that it is getting dark outside. “I’m about to head out,” she says, and I nod. “Don’t stay too late.”

“I won’t,” I say, looking down. I start to get up when I hear heels clicking toward my office, and I smile, shaking my head. “What did you forget?” I walk out of my office and come face-to-face with Laurene. The only reason I know who this person is because of the front news pictures that went on. She stands there in a pantsuit with stunning shoes. Her blond hair is tied up in the back of her head in a bun. Her makeup is perfect, and it’s hard to admit that she really is beautiful.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was looking for Becca,” she says, smiling at me. My hands start to shake just a touch. I never thought I would come face-to-face with the woman who is married to the man I love. Fuck, no one would even believe me.

“You’ve found her,” I say, my voice coming out without a tremble, and I even impress myself.

“I’m Laurene,” she says, putting out her hand for me to shake it, and my hand automatically extends. “I was hoping I could have a couple of minutes of your time.”

I look around the office, making sure who is here. I am not one to get physical, but if she touches even a hair on my head, I’m going to drop her. Period. I move away from the door so she can walk in. “Please.” I motion with my hand.

She walks in, and I close the door behind her. “This I …” I say. “Um.”

“It’s not every day that you meet the wife of the man who you love.” She laughs and I just look at her. “I was trying to break the ice. I try to be funny when I’m nervous.”

“Please have a seat.” I point at the couch and walk over to one of the chairs that faces the couch. My hands and knees both trembling. “What can I do for you?”

“I was hoping we could talk, woman to woman,” she says, and she puts her hands on her knees. “I don’t suppose you know who I am.”

I take a deep breath. “I’m sorry I haven’t read your biography, if that is what you’re asking.”

She tilts her head. “I like you. Lizzie said I would.”

“I’m sorry.” I start to get up. “But I really have nothing to say to you right now.”

“That’s quite all right. That means I can do all the talking.” I stand straight.

“I’m not sure I want to hear what you have to say,” I answer her honestly.

“I met Nico when we were both seven.” My stomach starts to sink, and I don’t know how much I can’t stand. “We were both dressed in our Sunday best even though it was Friday. There was some event that we couldn’t miss, and we had no choice but to be there. That was us for basically our whole life. At every single function, the two of us would be left in the corner to fend for ourselves while everyone danced and was seen.” She swallows. “My father is CEO for Night & Day Industries. It was handed down to him from his father and so on. It goes back five generations. I thought it was my legacy, I thought it was going to be passed down to me. I waited. Counted the days. I worked my ass off to take it over, and when it was time for my father to retire, he names my cousin as his predecessor. He had no idea what the company stood for. He had no idea about how the company ran, what he did know was how to snort coke off his mistress’s ass.” I stand here shocked. “And other places. He was the perfect child, prim and proper in front of the eyes, but an asshole behind closed doors.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I say honestly. “I also don’t know what this has to do with me.”

“Well, when I was looked over, I was a wreck, a mess. I’m talking snot crying with vengeance I would make them pay. So Nico, being the friend that he was, sat with me while I downed one shot of tequila after another. I vowed I would make them pay. I would show them what a mistake they made.” She looks down and then looks back up again and she has tears running down her face. “My father died two weeks later. Although he didn’t leave me his company, he left me his stock options. For the past ten years, I’ve been slowly working my way up to buying a majority of the stocks to take over the company that is rightfully mine. With that said, there was one family who I needed, and no matter how many fucking times I wined and dined them, the one thing stopping them from selling it to me. I was an unmarried woman.”