Page 11 of The Attraction

Following Felisha down the corridor to her office to debrief as we always do, I know we are going to need more than the usual fifteen-minute chat. Before I take a seat, I grab the shot glasses we keep hidden in the cabinet on the side wall of the office, along with the tequila. I’m about to help my headache or make it get a whole lot worse. Signaling to her, she just nods at me, so I pour one for both of us and then we slam them back, and the burn in my throat has me shaking it off.

“Well, that was painful.” Felisha looks at me with a face that tells me she is still feeling the effects from the tequila that is settling in her stomach.

“What, the meeting or the shot?”

Both of us burst out laughing as I put the bottle away, and we settle into our seats on opposite sides of her desk.

I sigh. “I mean, I know we both already knew what the forensic accountants report said, but having to disclose that to the board because you want full transparency, that wasn’t much fun. I’m hurting for you, girlfriend, but I’m so damn proud of you too. Not once have you backed away from the hard parts of cleaning up this company from all the dodgy things that asshole father of yours did without you knowing.” I’m not one who likes to hug or show too much emotion, but there were times in that meeting I wanted to stand up and hug the shit out of Felisha and tell some of the board to back off.

“Thanks, but it’s okay. If I don’t own that my father is a terrible man and that what he did was atrocious, then we will never as a business move past it. But fuck, I wanted to tell a couple of those men to fuck off and not come back. We need to start looking for new board members and then replace the dickheads with more modern-thinking people. Anyway, enough about the shit show that was that board meeting, let’s talk about more enjoyable things. We haven’t had much time to chat the last few days. Are you all good? How is the renovation going, have I missed any dates that we need to discuss?” I can tell she is as tired as I am and neither of us want to talk about work anymore, so changing the conversation is perfect for me, but I don’t really feel like talking about men right now either, so I ignore that part of the question.

“Ughh, I hope you appreciate everything I’m going through so you get to live a happy life with Flynn.” Leaning back in my chair, I laugh at the same comment I always throw at her. “But besides that, it’s progressing, but slowly, as usual. But, oh my goodness, I found the most beautiful new painting for the lounge, look at this.” I pick up my phone to find the photo I took to send to the designer.

“It’s by this artist that does acrylic flowers, and the colors just grabbed me the moment I walked into this little florist in Covent Garden last week. I knew I had to have it the second I saw it.” I pass her my phone, and the way her face lights up like mine, I know she loves it as much as I do.

“Oh, Harper, that is stunning.”

“I know, right. Sometimes you find beauty in places you never expected.” Just as I’m taking my phone back from her, there is a knock on her office door.

“Oh, what now, hasn’t this day been long enough?” I mumble as Felisha rolls her eyes at me.

“Come in,” Felisha calls, and as it opens, Sandon steps in, and my heart always sinks a little when he turns up in either of our offices because I instantly think there is a problem somewhere or with someone. I guess we are still all on edge after the whole Ewan Kentwall drama.

“Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I went to Harper’s office and couldn’t find her, so thought I might try here as the meeting has not long finished.” He closes the door behind him and comes over, taking the seat next to me.

I’m a little surprised it’s me he is after. “What do you need from me?” I ask, sitting up a little straighter.

“Nothing, but we do need to chat, and I think you will want Felisha here too.” He looks worried about what he is about to say, and that makes me nervous, which is not an emotion that I often have.

“Should I be worried?” I ask as Felisha stands and walks around and sits on the armrest of my chair as she too senses this is more than a friendly conversation.

Taking a breath, he looks me in the eye with seriousness. “No, not at this stage, but you won’t like what I have to say either.” He pauses to collect his thoughts, and I just wish he would spit it out. I’m not a patient person.

“Get on with it, Sandon,” Felisha blurts at him.

“I’ve been contacted by a security specialist from the US, his name is Ashton Taylor, and it’s about your father, Ronald Williams.”

I haven’t said that name out loud in over twenty years, and to hear it now is like a knife has just been stabbed into my stomach, and the pain from all those years ago is real again, and I can’t breathe through it. A name and immense pain and suffering that I have long buried and never thought it would be dug up again.

Felisha’s arm comes around my shoulders, and just the feeling of her holding on is the only thing grounding me enough to remember to take a breath so I don’t pass out.

“I’ve got you, always.” It’s a reminder that my whole life, Felisha is the only person who has cared about me besides the women in my family and is ready to keep me safe from anything life throws at me. But neither of us thought we would have to battle anything to do with my father again.

“I know this is a shock, and I wish I could have just handled it without having to talk to you, but that isn’t possible.” Sandon’s voice is so flat and doesn’t give anything away for me to gauge just how worried he is about this.

“What did he, um… want?” Words are not easy for me to say right now.

“He is about to fly to London, and he wants to meet with you, and of course me and our team. There is a lot to discuss, but the basics are that he has a case that he is working on, which has involved him watching a man that has been in prison for seventeen years but is out now, and it turns out that man was your father’s murderer, Chester Tema. And the thing he is worried about is that Chester has been searching your name on the internet, and when they scanned his search history, he is also looking at questions about your current wealth.

“Why? Why does he want to know about me? I didn’t have anything to do with my father’s crimes. I worked hard for all I have. My mother and our family lost everything, just like his family did.” Now I’m speaking so quickly because I can feel panic taking over my rational brain. “Is he dangerous? Of course he’s dangerous, he killed my father. Oh God, is he going to kill me?” I can feel shivers racing all through me.

“I have to agree, yes, he is dangerous, but he can’t get to you in the UK. He would never be allowed to enter the country with his record, so you are safe,” Sandon says, trying to reassure me.

“Bullshit, Felisha flew to Australia with a fake passport that even I managed to organize. And I’m just a woman working for a hotel chain and I don’t know shit about the criminal world. You can’t guarantee he won’t come here. Fuck!” I jump from my seat because the panic is starting to sink in.

“Harper.” Felisha is up and grabbing me, trying to put her arms around me, but I don’t want that.

“What about my family, is he after them too?” Crap, I need security on them.

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