Second Chances Read Free Page A

forgotten tried to take her arm, but Maya jerked away from his touch.
    “Get your hands off me.”
    She stormed out of the room and rushed down the stairs, where she was sure Arthur would not follow her. The atmosphere of the building, once so cherished, was sickening. She couldn’t wait to get out. Maya didn’t even stop to talk to Colin when he stepped out of his office to greet her. His question of what was wrong disappeared in the pounding in her head.
    Once she reached the street and turned around the corner, Maya stopped fleeing and leaned on the wall. At least the tears were gone. She took deep breaths, in order to calm the frantic beat of her heart, and composed herself before she faced Tristan. Her cousin had enough on his plate without her adding to his worries. She should have guessed Robert’s reaction. He regarded compassion as a weakness and passion as a flaw. She should have known, and spared herself the humiliation.
    Maya straightened up, zipped her coat up to protect her neck from the wind because she had forgotten her scarf at the office, and started walking toward the restaurant. She would find another way to help Matthew, even if she had to pay for the operation herself. And she could start by granting his wish.
    ***
    Tristan was yet to arrive when she was escorted to a table by a plump red-haired waitress with smiling eyes. She waited for Maya to sit down, and handed her the menu.
    “Here you are, honey. Do you want something to drink?”
    “Two San Pellegrino. No ice, one slice of lemon.”
    The young woman closed her eyes a brief instant before looking up. Arthur sat without waiting for an invitation Maya was not willing to offer anyway.
    “Colin told me you were supposed to have lunch here.”
    Maya took a mental note to talk to Colin about discretion.
    “What do you want, Arthur?”
    Her tone was biting and he didn’t seem to care.
    “That boy…”
    “His name is Matthew.”
    “Yes, Matthew; what is his illness?”
    The question surprised her. The waitress brought their drinks and she focused on hers an instant before glancing back to her companion.
    “Cancer.”
    Something flashed in the blue eyes on her, and she momentarily regretted the harsh answer. Abigail, Arthur’s mother, had died of cancer too.
    “I’m sorry.”
    He really seemed to be.
    “If Moira had accepted I chaired the council, things might not have gone that far.”
    Once again, his insufferable ego was wiping out all nice thoughts his apparent compassion had brought. Maya put her glass back on the table and folded her arms over her chest.
    “I fail to see how you messing with our work would have stopped your father from paralyzing the Foundation’s account. I thank God it’s just the Foundation he has access too, and not all the hospital money.”
    “I didn’t come here to pick up a fight, Maya. I want to offer you a deal.”
    She glared, threatening. Arthur was not better than his father. A little boy’s life was not a thing to “deal” with.
    “I will convince my father to unfreeze the amount of the surgery despite the financial checking that is currently going on. In return, you will help with this little problem I have.”
    Arthur asking for a favor didn’t sound good. But the money could save Matthew. Maya breathed in slowly and kept hope out of her voice.
    “What problem?”
    “You pose as my girlfriend for a while.”
    Her eyes widened in stupor. Arthur wanted her to play his new lover so his former girlfriend stopped stalking him? Please…
    “This is ridiculous.”
    “I have my reasons. Think about it, Maya, you can save this little boy’s lif…” he caught himself quickly “Matthew’s life.”
    The young man leaned forward toward her, radiating charm and burning blue eyes. She backed instinctively into her chair. Arthur flashed a lazy grin.
    “Who knows, you might even discover you like me.”
    “This has little chance to happen.”
    From the corner of her eyes, she saw Tristan crossing