Page 77 of Boss

“We have issues, who doesn’t.”

“So you’re not weirded out about who I am?”

“Yeah, that is weird. But the kid I knew is nothing like the woman you are now.”

“That kid died a car crash,” she mumbled.

Tarek took one more drink and then passed the bottle to her. Kassidy drank from it, instead of pouring it into the glass. Tarek cleared his throat. “Why did you kiss me? The very first time. On the plane. You came over and sat next to me and kissed me.”

“I kissed you because it was the job.”

“No. The job was to hate me… To get revenge for Clarissa. You kissed me because I was Prince Tarek, and you wanted too. That little girl who promised to find me in twenty years is still inside of you. She didn’t die in the fire.”

Kassidy frowned. The alcohol was making her brain fuzzy. The man was making sense to her, and that sounded crazy. Kassidy burped. She put a hand to her mouth and apologized. They settled into a comfortable silence while she thought over his revelations. Clarissa had made a mistake and couldn't live with it. Her death had turned Tarek into a monster, so he could live with it. And a confused orphaned six year-old, took on their cause to live with the fact that on a dark road her father lost control of the car and killed her entire family. The things we do to live with our pain confused and enlightened her in that moment. She looked over at Tarek. And she remembered so much about how she felt about him. Why she kissed him. Why she gave her body to him. Why for months between now and then she brought down her defenses and extended the game between them.

She reached for the bottle of tequila and he stopped her. “Maybe you should ease up. That’s not for a novice.”

“I’m Braveheart. Besides after the day I’ve had, no one can blame me for needing a drink or two to see it to an end.”

The howling wind grew louder outside. He glanced over to the window and so did she. They felt like there would be no end to it. “You took a lot of risks doing what you did, sneaking around my company and conspiring against me.”

“I know,” she said sadly. “And now look at how I got Daniel caught up in this drama." Kassidy burped and covered her mouth. Her stomach clenched. She felt a little bile rise up in her. She met his stare. “I have a favor, a request to ask.”

“You think you can ask me for a favor?” he chuckled.

“We’re understand each other now, right?” she asked.

He didn’t respond.

“Listen to me. Please. Reese is innocent in all of this,” she said. “She's been a good friend and boss to me this past year. I don't want her dragged into it.”

“I doubt that,” he scoffed.

“She is. Like I said I will confess but—” Before she could finish her thought her gut clenched and she gagged. Kassidy got to her feet and ran for the bathroom with one hand on her stomach, and the other on her mouth. She barely made it in time to grab onto the commode, and up came all of the liquor and dinner she consumed. Chunks spewed from her mouth. She felt like her insides were being dragged out through her throat.

And then he was there. He had her. He helped her and kept her from slipping down. She gagged several times before it ended. Tarek let her go. He wet a rag and returned to clean her face and chin. She felt the bile rise in her throat again, and again he helped her. It went on like that for what she thought was forever. Her eyes stung with tears and her throat burned as her body shook with tremors.

“It’s the tequila, darling. I should have never let you mix it with the wine.”

She opened her mouth. In her mind, she begged for help, but all that escaped were a few grunts and another burp. She felt unbelievably sick. He left her side once more, returning with another rag to clean her face, and then yet another to press to her brow.

“How you doing?” he asked her in a soothing voice.

“Not so good,” she managed.

“Wait here,” he said. He left the bathroom, this time he came back with another robe. She hadn’t realized she soiled the one she was wearing. He helped her stand. He handed her the robe to change into as he went to the sink and washed out the rag. Kassidy dropped one robe and quickly covered her nudity with the other. With the last of her strength, she walked over to the sink and gripped the edge of the vanity. There she rinsed her mouth and then used some of his mouthwash. But she felt weak. And she couldn’t stop the tears. Her robe fell open. She didn’t have the strength to close it and he didn’t seem to notice.

“C’mon,” he said.

“I can’t. If I move, I’ll fall. I-I...”

Before she knew it she was swept up into his arms again and carried out of the bathroom. It was the second time he did so. But this time he put her under the covers.

“It’s cold,” she trembled. Her body hurt everywhere. He left her side and turned up the gas flames in the fireplace. Kassidy closed her eyes. She heard him cleaning up before she drifted and then slept.

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