"Fine. Just know that I am incredibly displeased," Tracy growled and slammed her body into the back of her seat. She refused to look at him or answer him after that, staring out the window until he pulled up at her apartment.
As soon as the car stopped, she unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car.
"I'll have the paperwork for the restaurant drawn up. Do you want to talk about it over dinner?" he called out hopefully after her. She didn't say a word to him as she slammed the door shut and headed up to the front door.
Chapter 14
"Who does that!?" Tracy yelled at the empty apartment. She wasn't sure if she was referencing herself or Mr. Hayes. She flung her shoes on the floor near the door, feeling a perverse satisfaction at the way they banged the floor. He had paid for this apartment, not her. The scuff didn't bother her at all. She knew in the back of her mind that she would regret it later, but for the moment it felt like a small way to get back at him.
She pulled the dress over her head and threw it on the floor. She went in the bathroom and slammed the dials until hot water came out. She wanted to break everything she touched just to get the frustration out of her system. She stepped into the steaming water and let it wash over her.
Hot tears poured out, her frustration and pain finally releasing in the hot water. How could he do this to her? She screamed at the water, wanting to know why he would choose to hurt her like that. He knew that Jenna sparked a small jealousy in her, but to keep throwing it in her face was just mean. She had given him his greatest desire: a threesome, with a girl he had lusted after for a long time, and yet he refused to listen to her.
Slowly, the pain started to recede, leaving Tracy feeling hollow and worn out. I should just let him go with her. Won't he be surprised when he's dead, she thought to herself. The lack of warmth in the thought surprised her. Why do I have to do anything anyway? Her mind asked her coldly.
The question made her stop. Why did she care what happened to him? She had gotten everything she wanted out of him already. She had her bills paid, the apartment was in her name and completely paid for, the restaurant was days away from being transferred into her name, and she had enough extra funds to pay for everything she could possibly want. She didn't need him anymore.
Tracy ran a handful of shampoo through her hair. She didn't need him anymore, but she didn't want to lose him. The idea that he could choose someone else over her suddenly made her grow cold. Their relationship had started out as a business transaction, but she was feeling an odd amount of tension over losing him if that was all it was. It wasn't just the idea of Jenna poisoning him, it was the fact that Jenna was stealing him away from her. She leaned back and rinsed the soap out of her hair, trying to process her emotions.
Sudden understanding hit her hard and she nearly went to her knees. I think I love him, Tracy realized. She wiped the water out of her eyes. Maybe she did love him. Despite her best efforts to stay distant and aloof, she had finally fallen for him. The idea that he would chose Jenna over her cut deeper than she thought possible. He was supposed to trust her. He was supposed to want only her. Tracy had been taking his desire to please her for granted, and now that it was in danger of being taken away, she realized how much she needed him.
"I have to do something," she whispered into the water. A need to do something, to save him suddenly filled her. She was not going to let a pampered little rich girl steal her man, and she definitely wasn't going to let her kill him. Jenna turned off the shower and grabbed her towel. She picked up her phone and dialed Mr. Hayes' secretary.
"Hi, Ms. Wolf. What time is my dress fitting for the Ball?"
Tracy opened her car door. The valet waited while she put her high heels on, managing to look disinterested at the beautiful cherry red sports car Mr. Hayes had given her. She buckled the last strap and tucked the pair of flats she'd worn for driving under the seat. No way she would have driven her car up these windy mountain roads in heels – she might never have made it. She stood up and smoothed her off-white satin gown, then handed the keys to the valet.
She looked at the structure in front of her. At the top of a long and windy road, the mountain chalet was gorgeous. The view from the balcony would be spectacular, she knew. This far out of town, she might even be able to see stars tonight. It was the perfect fairy tale place to hold a ball.
She walked up the gray stone
stairs, feeling the wind whip her satin dress around her legs. The air was crisp and cool up here as she followed an important looking couple to the main door. There was a lot of security in here tonight. She hoped they would buy her story.
The head of Mr. Hayes' regular security detail, Greg, was at the door. He smiled as he saw her. "Ms. Collins, a pleasure to see you!"
Tracy spoke before he could ask any questions. "I'm Mr. Hayes' 'plus one'."
Greg looked at his list and frowned. "Mr. Hayes has already arrived with Jenna Tice," he said.
Tracy waved her hand dismissively. She wished she had a jacket as her bare arms were freezing in the mountain air, yet she kept a calm face. "That was for appearances. I'm his official date for tonight," she said, confidently.
He looked over his list again, his brows tightening. For a moment, Tracy was sure he was going to tell her to leave. She swallowed the panic in the pit of her stomach. If she couldn't get in, then Mr. Hayes would drink the poison...
"Well... Jenna is on the list anyway, so he's still got his 'plus one' available." He looked behind him, as if he were going to call for someone to check. Tracy started to sweat a little bit, thinking that her plan was about to come crashing down. However, Greg turned back to her with a smile, gesturing over his shoulder. "Go on ahead, Ms. Collins."
Tracy smiled at him. She knew she liked him for a reason. A woman in uniform guided her toward a metal detector. With as many wealthy patrons and political entities supposed to be at this fund raiser, Tracy could easily see the need for all the security. Tracy began to reach down to unlatch her shoes, expecting it to be like the airport. A thought hit her: They would surely see the spring loaded shoe on the x-ray machine. Maybe they'd already caught Jenna. Hope bubbled in her stomach.
“Miss, that's not necessary,” the security guard assured her, stopping her before she could remove anything. “This is just to make sure that no one is bringing in any weapons. The amount of metal in your shoes won't set it off. If it does, we can just use the wand. Your comfort and security are our top priorities.”
So, not like the airport at all, Tracy thought as she smiled sheepishly. She straightened and walked through the metal archway. No alarm. If she was able to make it through, then Jenna with her shoes most certainly did as well. So much for that hope.
Tracy gathered herself and stepped into the main ballroom. Not quite the hall of mirrors that it had been in Jenna's dream, but still a fancy-looking place. There were all sorts of important-looking people there, several of whom were members of the Board of Directors of Mr. Hayes' company. She was probably the only person here with a net worth of less than a million dollars.
She began to scan the crowd for Mr. Hayes, and she didn't have to look long. He was waiting next to the the main stage, confident and handsome in a dark gray suit that flattered his broad shoulders and muscular build. A hush came over the gathered crowd as the emcee began to announce the charity's functions and how each donation went to help cancer patients worldwide. Then the man called Mr. Hayes up to give a speech.
Tracy knew he had rehearsed this speech a thousand times, but she knew he would manage to deliver it as if it were off-the-cuff. That was his style.
"You know me, and you know I don't like to talk for long, so I'll keep this brief.