Twisted Games

Chapter 19 - Eve

Amber Brown did a thorough appraisal of me before she started explaining the meaning of each paper.

I had to give it to her. No matter her previous relationship with Mr Barrett she was all business when addressing me and my problems. At least it seemed so in the beginning.

The conference room had a long rectangular glass table and plenty of chairs to accommodate around twenty people. There were no curtains, and it seemed the bright sunlight was penetrating thought the panorama windows from every direction.

I signed a couple agreements and whatever required of me to place the factory in Boston and the thirty percent of the company shares in Mr Barrett's name.

Ms Brown wasn't done with her work though.

"How long do you know Jack Barrett?"

I raised my eyes from the papers and noticed her grey eyes watching me intently.

"A little over a year." I replied honestly.

Her eyes widened and I noticed a little flash of panic there.

"That long?" She asked.

I nodded returning my attention to the paper in question.

"And how did you two become an acquaintance?"

I released a heavy sigh. Did I really have to deal with Mr Barrett's women? What did she want from me? Was she his girlfriend? What about Tina?

I obviously wasn't in this apartment by choice but she couldn't know it, and considered me a threat to her relationship with Mr Barrett. I felt sick of his games. Couldn't he show some respect to her? Amber Brown was smart and gorgeous, a perfect lady to date and marry. And he was cheering on her with Tina and other women of questionable reputation. And now he made her meet me in his apartment.

"We met at Barrett Industrials." I replied playing with the pen in my hand. "I work there."

She pulled back and raised her eyebrows.

"Is that so?"

I frowned looking at the paper again.

"If we are done here," I said setting the ball pen aside. "I'd better go help Mrs Coleman with lunch preparations."

"Who?" Amber asked lookingconfused. "Ah. The housekeeper."

She shook her head disapprovingly.

I was surprised at her reaction. She undoubtedly spent enough time in this apartment to know Mrs Coleman's name, but she didn't consider it necessary to remember it because the old woman was just a housekeeper.

Ms Brown's thin perfectly manicured fingers swiftly flipped thorough the papers I handed back to her. I looked at my chipped nails and hid my hands in the folds of my skirt.

"You didn't sign this one," Amber pushed a paper and a pen back to me.

I looked at the document and raised my eyes at her discontent expression.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Mr Barrett told me to prepare the papers. An order to put this one together came in the morning." Amber Brown didn't look like she wanted to elaborate further.

"I understand this." I said a little impatiently. "But what is it?"

"Can't you see?" She bit out angrily. "It's a marriage contract."

"A marriage contract?" I asked incredulously. "Whatever for?"

"I suppose it's a precaution." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, but I could see that she was very agitated. "The best deals are always sealed through the marriage. If you read it carefully you will understand that in these circumstances Mr Barrett's share of the agreement between the two of you is basically your dowery."

"But I don't want to marry him!" I blurted out before I could think.

Ms Brown pressed her lips together.

"And let's hope you won't. As I mentioned it's just a precaution. You wouldn't have to marry Jack... Mr Barrett if you didn't want to." Her slip of tongue only proved her intimate relationship with him. Moreover I could sense that she wasn't totally honest with me. Mr Barrett probably forced her to persuade my signature. We both were well aware that if he wanted any woman to marry him, she wouldn't have a choice but to comply.

I looked at the paper again, worry settling into a heavy feeling in my chest. I didn't like this turn of events.

"Even if it comes to marriage," I heard Amber say, "It would be a fake marriage. Just to ensure his assets are secured."

She emphasised the state of my future marriage like it was inevitable and she had to reassure herself that it wasn't a real one.

"I'm not going to sign it."

"I'm afraid, Jack... Mr Barrett especially requested you sign this one." Like I thought before, he gave Amber orders, so she both had to and didn't want to force my signature.

I tensed.

"You say if I don't sign it, the whole deal is off?" I wanted to make things clear on this matter.

"I'm suppose so."

The bitch.

She would have kept quiet about it waiting for me to refuse to sign the paper and then the next day I would have found myself on the streets, jobless and chaised again by uncle Henry's sick demands.

My hand shook when I grabbed the pen and put my name on the paper.

It was done.

I glared at the woman.

"Next time be clear on every detail, Ms Brown. Otherwise your unprofessional conduct could jeopardise years of your work."

Amber's pretty eyes widened in surprise at my words. But I couldn't suppress my discontent at her work. For obvious reasons I disliked lawyers. Ted Smith, a traitor who started scheming with uncle Henry against my father, was once a trusted man and our brilliant family lawyer. I didn't want another lawyer to mess with my life. I wouldn't be a victim again.

"If that's all, you know where the exit is." I dismissed her like she would have sent Mrs Coleman on her way.

Amber Brown narrowed her eyes on me.

"You have the gall to point me at the door."

I was saved from inevitable exchange of unpleasantries by appearance of Mrs Coleman.

"Mr Barrett kindly asks you to hand over the elevator key, before you leave."

Amber's cheeks flushed with anger but she quickly collected herself. Methodically she collected all the papers, checked them over one more time and packed everything in her black briefcase.

Mrs Coleman hurried to escape from the conference room leaving me behind. It became obvious to me that she didn't want to deal with Amber.

Ms Brown rose from the chair.

"I suppose I should hand it over to you," she smirked and dropped the elevator key on the table. I didn't know what to reply. Also I had no desire to wage war with her. I just wanted her gone.

I looked her in the face.

"I am not your enemy," was I said.

Ms Brown's lips curved into a pained smile.

"We'll see."