The next morning, the movers came in early to get a head start. Catherine stayed with Ruby for the first half of the day, the other half was to be spent at a company party as Donovan’s plus one. At this point she was confused about her responsibilities. Catherine found an outfit fit for the occasion in Ruby’s closet. As usual, her go to transport means was the train. She made her way to the venue. She walked in feeling a little shy seeing as well dressed people lined the entrance. With the amount of money she spent on transportation, she was supposed to be getting weekly benefits. “Hi,” Donovan smiled. Catherine was thrown off for a second, why was he smiling? “Hello Donovan,” she formed a half smile. In one corner, a small group gathered around a grand piano, taking turns playing and singing classic songs that she had never heard. The soiree was a delightful blend of elegance and sophistication, a momentary escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Snooty people with th
Donovan was prepared to completely forget the night he spent with Catherine but seeing her face everyday wasn’t going to help the situation. He was completely embarrassed and hoped she didn’t remember anything about the previous night. His pride was hurt, never in his life had a lady rejected him. The look of shock on her face in the morning was his conviction that she didn’t remember anything. She just wanted to go home badly so he called for an Uber. Donovan always went to his condo when there was an event and he couldn’t get home. His apartment and home were the only places he felt comfortable in. And for someone of his status, safety was a major priority. That was also the place he took his lovers which were either celebrities or daughters of wealthy business men. “She should consider herself lucky that a person of my status drove her to a luxury apartment”, he scoffed. He had secretaries in the past who he slept with for fun whenever he wanted, when he was done, he would fire
Catherine took her half-day off very seriously. Donovan had been gracious enough to give her a small break from him. A trip to the book store would make all her problems go away. Everyday for the last month, she had been religiously sending out emails to publishing companies. At least seven out of a hundred responded. And one out of the seven would be what an average person would term a positive response but they were often accompanied with negative terms and conditions. She circled through the store for a while and found some really good reads. A few minutes later she got a text from Donovan. It read; “I need you”. Her heart sunk to her feet for a moment, “I need you.” What did that mean and why did it make her smile a little? Catherine slapped herself a little, “Stop being stupid!” she yelled. She took a taxi and headed to the nearest train station. When she had gotten to the mansion, she rang the bell. There was no response. She decided to send Donovan a text which he didn’t res
“What does he have on us?,” Stanford asked Donovan. “Nothing, for now,” he answered. “Have you talked to Jerry?,” he inquired. “Yeah,” Donovan said nonchalantly. He was tired of explaining how he had no prior knowledge to Frank Dubel joining the race for Senator. “And he has the DA! Damn bastard,” Stanford was furious. “Well, he is his uncle,” Donovan said, Stanford rolled his eyes, “They’re just well connected, doesn’t mean we’re any less”. He sat quiet for a while. “Fred,” he summoned. “They have too many people in legislature,” Donovan explained. “I know, but we have business connections. The grand judge is my friend, we still have this,” Stanford was concerned but had no intention of showing it. “How’s the campaign team doing?” “They’re doing alright. Trying to come up with manifestos,” Donovan spoke with confidence. He knew the team he hired was more than capable of handling the situation. “We need something persuasive, something they’ve never heard before”. Donovan no
“Shit,” Catherine mumbled, observing how Donovan whispered something in some girl’s ear, causing her to laugh sheepishly. As he traced his hands through her skin and pulled her in for a kiss, Cathy was done watching. She had seen enough. She made a turn in the opposite direction. “And where do you think you’re going?” Rachel asked. Catherine’s heart sunk into her feet. “I—I,” she tried to speak but was tongue tied. Rachel frowned. There was a deep furrow in her brows. Catherine stood silently. “Hi, Rachel. Can I borrow her for a moment?” Kenny pulled her away. Catherine sighed with relief. Kenny was literally her savior. “What’s with you? You’ve been acting strange,” he spoke to Catherine, who was completely out of it. She stared deeply into space, the only space she could think of at the moment, Donovan. She watched as the unnamed blonde traced his biceps, laughing hard into his chest. It stung her, every bit of it, but she still couldn’t tell why. Was she falling for Dono
After sitting there for a while, she made her escape. She glanced over at Donovan, who was staring at her. Catherine walked to the next table. She had found people willing to hear her out. They were representatives from one of the biggest automobile company in the United States. The owner of the company had a great reach within New York and would prove to be an asset if he dropped his pride and attended a damn event. Her composure Impressed the representatives he sent over. Catherine explained to them their role and importance to the campaign. Before she was done speaking, they had made their first donation.She enjoyed the feeling of being on a luxury boat for a while, watching the waves crash against each other. She felt an odd feeling of satisfaction. “One down, a hundred more to go,” she mumbled, walking to the other part of the deck where her teammates were to see how they were doing. Liam, the most articulate of them all, didn’t seem to have much of a problem getting peop
Donovan was playing to win her. She couldn’t tell if it was a chivalrous act or just downright disrespectful. “Best two out of three?” Ahmed asked. Donovan nodded in affirmation. “Dealer, shall we begin?” He said to the dealer. The game started on a low note for Donovan and ended with both men losing to the dealer. The second round ended with Ahmed as the winner and third, Donovan. It was a tie. “Let’s have a tiebreaker,” Ahmed suggested. “On one condition,” Donovan said. “What?” Ahmed asked. “We’ll multiple the bets by 10,” Donovan declared. Stanford gave him an apprehensive look. Was he willing to lose 30 million dollars in one day? “Fine.” He raised his right hand to summon his uncle. After a few minutes of whispering, one of his goons appeared with a bag, throwing it on top of the table. The dealer unzipped the bag to reveal a huge of money. Donovan smirked, completely unfazed. He dipped his hand into his suit pocket, opened his brown leather wallet and pulled o
It was 6pm, finally they were on land. Catherine loathe the experience and wished it would never repeat itself. Luxury boats were not her cup of tea. Clutching her heels and dress, she gathered her things from the cabin. Her appearance was similar to a bride who had been stood up by her groom on her wedding day. Her ruined makeup did not quite help the situation. She didn’t even mind the deadly stares that followed her. “Catherine,” Mr. Stanford called out from where he stood. He was having a conversation with Najib. “Yes, sir,” she answered, walking in his direction. He stared at her bare feet, but she obviously didn’t mind. “Here,” he said, handing her a check. She stared blankly. He handed her a check and she wondered whether to feel grateful or irritated.? “Thank you for the flawless job you did with today’s fundraiser. You deserve at least a day off,” he added, still stretching out his hand. Catherine gripped her tongue. “A day?” she mumbled. Stanford’s attention had s