Wall Street Blues (Swashbuckling Romance) Read Free Page A

whisper.
       I looked slyly at his face and something in me shouted “believe him!” I was short of words to say. I just nodded as he took me through his family background.
    “I don’t know if this counts; I’m glad to tell you that my father is also a banker,” he said. My heart skipped a beat. “But he’s one of the senior managers at JP Morgan,” he revealed.
      “Oh, really?” I asked, noncommittally. Not that those revelations would change my mind, though. Any desperate dog could tell a lie in order to get whatever he wanted.
      “And today is my dad’s birthday! It’ll be great introducing my very first female friend to my family,” he said.
        I could sense certain desperation in his voice and action. At thirty-three, he was probably one of those guys who believed that he should have settled down long before now.
       Having accepted that I c ould leave within minutes if none of his family members was home by the time we got there, I decided to follow him to his house, located somewhere in Brooklyn.
       We walked in silence towards the hotel parking lot where my car and his, a Bentley, were waiting. Fighting all negative emotions, I tried to concentrate on something that was real. David didn’t seem to me as a dangerous person; his slim physique and some feminine features (like his sonorous voice) confirmed his softness and gullibility. What did he know about me that he was willing to take me to his home? What of if I turned violent there, hitting him or killing one of his family members? His gullibility was evident in his behavior.
       My guess was very correct: David ’s family lived in a posh mansion with nineteen century architectural design in Brooklyn. That instantly gave me the impression that his father and mine would love each other’s company. My dad was a great sucker for anything archaic, including out-dated fashion and architecture. Romanesque and Shakespearian niceties!
         But as we entered into their expansive living room, I hardly could see the people in it. The place was awash with candle light as it appeared everyone huddle together to break his father ’s birthday cake.
        “You are in at the right time, David” a male guttural voice sounded from the corner of the living room. It seemed quite familiar but, hell no, people could sound similar all over the world. However, when the lights were switched on, I became frozen with shame and surprise. Perched on the huge sofa was my boss, our CEO Mr. Henry Russell.
          I had silently prayed that the ground would cleave open and swallow me alive. He, too was shocked to have seen me. Even for the simple reason of accompanying a guy he knew—perhaps his friend’s son—to his house might send a disturbing message to his heart. He had always regarded me as a chaste, quiet and undiluted lady. He once promised to help me find a responsible boyfriend whom he was sure would take a good care of me.
        “So, you know David,” was all Mr. Russell could utter.
       After exchanging brief pleasantries with David’s parents and his younger sister, I quickly took my leave, claiming that I had got an appointment somewhere else which I couldn’t afford to break. It was all a white lie I couldn’t help but fabricate.
        “You didn’t tell me about that before, Janet,” David looked disappointed.
       “I’m very sorry. I’ve got to go now,” I said and hurried out of his house, my feet clicking dangerously, but I tried to maintain my balance so that I wouldn’t fall flat on the stony ground. My heart was beating quite fast. I knew I had let myself down. I had ruined my reputation with my boss, someone who held some respect for me before now!

 
     
      Memo to Self
     
       The relationship between my CEO, Mr. Russell and I had surprisingly turned cold and worrisome. Was it because we had bumped into each other at his friend’s house and, as it was clear to him, that I was dating his