Shackled Lily Read online

  Grant shook his head. “The man’s a genius. I totally should have thought of that.”

  We made our way back to the house, still wrapped up in each other, and watched a movie together. I even cuddled with him on the couch. The movie turned into several card games of Speed where I was declared the ultimate champion. By eight o’clock we were starving and made a floor picnic in front of my fireplace.

  “Ok, so tell me all about this software project my dad is too stupid to invest in,” I stated as we ate our food.

  “Well, the technical stuff is probably a little over your head, but basically it connects all of the financial software in each company we support and funnels it through one system. This will allow our customer support center to fix bugs instantly instead of having to learn each unique system.” I could see the excitement in Grant’s eyes when he talked about it.

  “Sounds brilliant,” I agreed. “Does it only run with my dad’s software?”

  “No, it would work with any of them. I’d just have to make a few adjustments,” he explained.

  “And does it compete with something my dad already has on the market?”

  “No, it’s brand new. Why?”

  “So forget my dad, go get your own investors. Branch out,” I suggested, trying to figure out why he was putting all his faith in my father.

  “Your dad is a very powerful man, Issy. It’s not smart to cross him.” Grant’s voice was defeated and resigned to the fate my father had given him.

  “That’s just what he wants you to think so you won’t leave him. But goodness, Grant, you have a perfect opportunity here. You know all his contacts and all his competitors. Get investors quietly and then market it to the competition. My dad won’t know what hit him.” I was starting to get excited at the prospect of Grant getting out from under my dad’s thumb and jumped up on my knees as I spoke.

  He saw my eagerness and laughed. “How exactly am I supposed to quietly get investors?”

  “Well, I will teach you,” I offered, pulling him up off the floor. “There are several tactics that can be used when selling a person an idea.”

  “You mean manipulating them,” Grant interrupted.

  “Not manipulation. Remember, this is a great thing for them and for you. It’s win win.” I stood face to face with him and squared my shoulders. “Ok, so your first tactic is the assumption tactic. Most people will automatically assume my dad supports you simply because you work for him. For example, you go to this investor and tell them you have a great new software product, and as a personal favor, you want them to be the first ones to get a chance to invest in it. They in turn say to you, ‘well, Andrew Summers is a shrewd businessman.’ You kindly agree that he is. They assume that my dad is an investor as well and next thing you know, there is a check in your hand.”

  “Issy, I don’t know whether to be impressed or terrified by how good you are at this,” Grant stated looking at me in awe.

  “Oh, I’m just getting started. The second tactic that is critical to master is the avoidance tactic. This is especially helpful when you have inquisitive businessmen. You once again present your software idea as if you are doing them a favor. But this time they ask you, ‘what is Andrew Summers take on this product?’ You smile and say, ‘we both know Andrew Summers never makes a business move without first knowing it’s going to be a success.’ Once again they assume my dad is an investor. You will have money in your pocket in fifteen minutes, and never once did you distort the truth.”

  Grant walked toward me and put both his arms around my waist and grinned. “Better be careful, Issy, you might just grow up to be a shrewd business woman yourself.”

  I felt the butterflies start in my stomach as Grant’s voice tickled my ears. My hands were resting on his chest, and I could feel his muscles underneath the thin material. “I’m only good at this when I believe in the product,” I explained softly, unable to pull my eyes from his.

  “And do you believe in my product, Issy?” Grant asked, moving closer to me.

  “I believe in you.” The words came out a whisper, but I knew Grant heard them.

  He brought his head to mine, and I closed my eyes, anticipating his kiss. It never came. Instead I felt his breath next to my ear, sending even greater waves of desire through me. His voice was soft, but unmistakably clear. “I made a promise to myself that the next time I kissed you, it would be because you had given me all of you. I want to know when I kiss you that I will be the last person to ever do it.” He leaned back up and searched my eyes. I knew I couldn’t give him what he wanted, so I backed away, offering a regretful smile.

  We sat back down and finished our meal, as I continued to give him “manipulation” lessons as he called it. When we finally called it a night, I felt a wave of peace that warmed me to the core. I found myself wanting to trust him, wanting to believe I could safely love him. The screaming in my head was noticeably quieter when I went to bed that night.

  15. ROBERT MARSH

  My dad came back early on Sunday and was irritable the minute he walked in the door. I noticed how all the staff shied away from him and even Grant seemed edgy. I decided I needed to get out of the house before I got my head chewed off. I almost made it out the door before I heard my father call me into his office.

  “Yes, Daddy?” I asked sweetly as I hung by the door. “Is everything ok? You seem tense.” I was trying not to sound patronizing, but I thought his attitude was ridiculous.

  My father scowled at me and made a noise that sounded a lot like a bark. I started laughing, bringing an even deeper line to his forehead. “Do you have any idea how difficult you are making things?” he asked me, giving me a stare that came from a place of pure exasperation.

  “What did I do?” I asked defensively. “You haven’t even seen me in two days.”

  “I don’t have to be here to know what you are up to. A bartender, Kaitlyn, really? I’m surprised you didn’t make the front page of the society section with the way you carried on.”

  I stared at him in stunned silence. “Are you spying on me?” I finally yelled, ready to go to battle.

  I watched as my dad rubbed his temples, the stress covering his face. “I don’t have time to argue with you right now. I have a merger that’s hanging by a thread here.”

  “I thought it was all paperwork and contracts at this point,” I reminded him sarcastically, using his exact terminology.

  “It was,” he said flatly. He waved his hand at me, letting me know we were done, but I heard him yell one more time before I even left the doorway. “I want you home by four.”

  “Fine, but don’t think this conversation is over. Spying on me is over the top, even for you.” I was shaking when I left the house, not even sure where I was going to go. I decided on the mall, knowing retail therapy always helped. Several hundred dollars later, I felt better and headed back home well before the four o’clock deadline.

  My father’s door was shut when I walked in, but I heard muffled voices from the kitchen. I walked towards the noise, but stopped outside the door when I heard Grant and Rosa talking.

  “I don’t know how to reach her,” he said sadly. “Every time I even bring up the subject of faith, she shuts down. I’m scared if I push too hard, I’ll lose her. She’s already so close to the edge.”

  “You may not be the one meant to reach her,” Rosa stated, patting his back.

  “I won’t accept that. I see her. Behind all the walls and self-destructive behavior, I see that warm, caring girl who’s just lost and hurt. I won’t give up on her.”

  I heard Rosa sigh. “Neither will I. Keep praying, honey. God is in control.”

  I sucked in a breath, not wanting to hear any more, and headed straight to my room. I started putting away my new clothes when I saw a stunning black dress hanging from the handles of my armoire. It had an asymmetrical neckline that cut across the torso diagonally and draped in the back, exposing just enough skin to be sexy without being tacky. It still had tags on i
t and cost well over $1000. I was admiring the material when I heard my father clear his throat in the doorway.

  “What is this for?” I asked, turning to face him.

  “There’s a dinner I need you at tonight. I’m willing to overlook your complete lack of judgment this weekend, as long as you come tonight and behave the way I know your mother taught you to.” His voice was stern and authoritative as if I was one of his employees. I bit down on the side of my cheek to hold back the expletives I was dying to throw at him.

  “Isn’t this Anna’s role? You’ve never wanted me at one of these before.”

  “Anna is still in New York. We had plans, but since I had to come back here to do damage control, she stayed. Now, this is a VERY important dinner with Robert Marsh tonight. Having a female presence tends to keep the tension down in the room,” my father explained.

  “What kind of damage control?” I asked, glaring at him. I still wanted to know how he heard about Jason.

  “Pictures, Issy. Very disturbing pictures of you being groped by some tattooed waste of space in a bar. You forget where you are. You don’t have the anonymity here to behave the way you did at Winsor,” my father finally explained once again rubbing his temples.

  “Jason is not a waste of space. And besides, what does any of this have to do with Robert Marsh and the merger?”

  “Nothing,” my father growled. “It’s just too much for me to deal with in a span of twenty-four hours.”

  I looked closely at my father, who seemed more vulnerable than I’d ever remembered. “If this merger means that much to you, Daddy, I’ll go, but not because I feel guilty about Friday night, which I don’t. I’ll go because you asked me to and because I can’t wait to wear this dress.”

  I actually saw my father smile. He came over and gave me one of his signature bear hugs that practically crushed my chest. “That’s my girl.”

  I was almost completely ready to go when I heard a knock at my door. I opened it up to find Grant whose smile suddenly became full admiration.

  “Wow, where are you going in that?” he asked, looking me up and down. I pushed away thoughts of his conversation with Rosa and just let myself enjoy his attention. It really was a beautiful dress, and I wore my hair wavy and black just the way I knew Grant loved it. The ensemble was sophisticated and classy, and I couldn’t help but notice I looked just like my mother had at this age.

  “You like?” I asked spinning around a little. “My father is taking me to a business dinner with none other than the infamous Robert Marsh. I don’t know what he is thinking, I always do something to tick him off.” I was joking around, but stopped when I saw Grant slump down on one of my chairs looking completely bewildered.

  “Why would he bring you to dinner with Robert Marsh? That doesn’t make any sense.” Grant was talking to himself at this point.

  “He said having a female there keeps things more social or something like that,” I offered, walking up to put my hand on his shoulder. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t get it. He has explicitly refused to bring Anna to anything related to this merger. It just doesn’t make sense why he suddenly wants you there, especially now that things are rocky again.”

  “Are you comparing me to Anna?” I snapped. I had noticed she didn’t get under my skin quite as much as she used to, but I still didn’t want anyone thinking we were anything alike.

  “I wasn’t trying to insult you, Issy. I’m just surprised,” Grant said standing up. He then changed his tone and smiled at me again. “You do look absolutely breathtaking. I can’t say I blame your dad for wanting to show you off.”

  I smiled back at him and spun around once more before meeting my father downstairs. His eyes brightened the minute he saw me and did a little bow before taking my hand. I beamed up at him, feeling more special than I had in years. It was the first date we’d had since I was twelve years old.

  The restaurant he took me to was definitely worthy of my dress as it was tucked away inside an exclusive five star hotel. Every table was full, but we were guided to the back and through a private door where our table sat right next to a beautiful fireplace. The back wall was entirely glass and overlooked the perfectly manicured grounds outside the hotel.

  Our dinner guests were seated with their backs to us, and I gave my father a confused look when I noticed there were two of them. My father just smiled and led us around the table where both men stood to greet us.

  I knew my eyes gave away my shock the minute I saw Robbie stand and button his suit coat before introductions were made. He looked equally as stunned, but then pleasantly surprised. I was not so much. I should have guessed my father had an ulterior motive by bringing me here.

  “Robert, this is my daughter, Kaitlyn,” my father said proudly as he introduced me. “Kaitlyn, this is Robert Marsh and his son, Robbie.” I reached my hand out to greet the two men with all the grace of a princess. Years of ballet and rigorous etiquette training from my mother had adequately prepared me for this exact moment.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Marsh. Robbie, good to see you again.” My voice was pure honey and my eyes completely void, giving no indication that I felt an eerie, tingling sensation when Robbie touched my hand.

  “You two know each other?” my father asked as soon as he realized there was familiarity there.

  Robbie cocked his side grin and turned back to my dad. “We have business marketing together. Isadora is the newest member of our group. Oh, I’m sorry, do you go by Kaitlyn?” Robbie asked, turning to me.

  I felt grateful to him as I knew he did that only to spare me from being called Kaitlyn all night. “No, Isadora is fine. I actually prefer it,” I said, giving my father a glance that only the two of us would recognize.

  Once the small talk was over and our meals were brought out, Mr. Marsh and my father began negotiation on their deal that I presumed was heading south. I felt Robbie lean into me and whisper, “And here I thought I’d be spending a miserable evening with Kaitlyn Summers. I only agreed to come because my dad practically dangled a trip to Cancun in front of my eyes.”

  Robbie was considerably more charming in this setting, and I quickly remembered why I had found him attractive before he started to get all creepy on me. “I can’t quite figure you out,” I admitted, looking up to make sure my dad wasn’t listening. “One minute, you’re this charismatic, confident guy and the next you’re, well, something much less charming.” I left out the words scary and intense, but they floated to my mind as well.

  “I admit, I came on a little too strong. It’s just been a while since a girl wasn’t completely smitten by my money that I didn’t quite know what to do. I’ve played the part for so long now that sometimes I don’t even realize when I’m doing it. Do you think you could give me another chance? Get to know the real me this time?”

  I looked in his eyes, expecting to see the emotionless void that always seemed to be there. But this time, they sparkled with vulnerability and honesty. I could hear the soft music of the band and noticed a few couples were even dancing to the old fashioned music. I knew I was probably out of my mind, but I had promised my dad I would be the picture of perfection at dinner tonight, so I relented.

  “Do you want to dance?” I asked him, setting down my fork.

  He stood in response and put out his hand, leading me by the small of my back to the dance floor. I felt him gently pull me into him, placing his right arm around my waist as he held up his left arm for me. I delicately placed my hand in his, while my left hand gripped his shoulder. Seconds later, we were spinning around the dance floor as if we’d been dancing together for years. It was obvious that his parents had trained him just as impeccably as mine had trained me, and for the first time since I met Robbie, I felt like I understood him. He was trapped in the same world I was. A world of unending expectation and pretension. A world that required absolute control at all times or you would be devastated by those around you.

  We f
inished our dance and immediately heard the other guests start to clap. Robbie backed away while I curtsied in response and then led me back to the table. “Mesmerizing in any setting,” he stated with a proud smile on his face.

  “I wasn’t the only one out there, Robbie. You were practically Fred Astaire,” I teased as he pulled out my chair for me. He just chuckled and took his seat.

  Our fathers were notably examining the two of us, practically drooling at the mouth. I resisted every urge to roll my eyes as I saw a repeat of the Branson saga happening all over again.

  Dinner ended with my father and Mr. Marsh coming to some kind of agreement as the mood shifted to a much more social one. The men ordered a round of drinks, and I glanced at my father who smiled in approval as I sipped my wine. It was truly remarkable what a hypocrite he was. Mr. Marsh told embarrassing stories on Robbie, who gracefully laughed and nodded, letting his dad have fun at his expense. My father considered chiming in, but one look from me kept him in check. I had been the perfect companion tonight, and he knew my patience was starting to wane. It was almost midnight and several rounds later before they finally called it quits.

  My dad was swaying a little as he walked, but was practically beaming as he slapped Mr. Marsh’s back and shook his hand. “Looks like everything’s back on track, wouldn’t you say?” Mr. Marsh nodded in agreement and then made eye contact with his son.

  “I guess that’s my cue,” Robbie whispered to me as we watched them interact. “I had a really good time tonight.”

  I smiled up at him. “I did too. I like this version of you,” I admitted.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a wink before kissing the top of my hand. “See ya Tuesday.”

  My father was in no condition to drive, so we taxied it back to the house.

  “I seriously need to consider getting a driver,” he said as he stepped out of the cab and straightened out his jacket. I watched the white car drive away and saw my dad sniffing his clothes as if he now smelled middle class.