Page 5 of A Chance at Forever
Victoria tilted her head. “Want to discuss it over coffee?”
“I’ll get it,” Derek offered. “Carter and I will make ourselves scarce and let you two talk.”
“You don’t have to leave.”
Carter rose to his feet. “I have a couple of reports I need to review.” He hugged Victoria and kissed her on the cheek. “I think you’re doing the right thing, though we’ll miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too, Carter.”
“What about me?” Derek asked.
“You? What’s to miss?”
“Very funny, Tori.”
Richard and Victoria laughed and accepted the mugs of coffee Derek brought them. For most of the evening, they set aside business and reminisced. Now that she intended to leave, Victoria’s heart grew light. That night she slipped into an easy sleep for the first time in months.
CHAPTER 2
Two days later,after returning to her office from interviewing a prospective candidate for her position, Victoria received an unexpected text from Alan.
Alan:Check your email.
She ignored it, but a second text gave her pause to wonder what he wanted.
Alan:Have you checked it yet? Your daddy will be so disappointed in his little girl.
Annoyed by a waste of her time, Victoria opened up Alan’s email on her cell phone and clicked on the attachment.
She blanched.
Her hand flew to her throat. She’d be ruined! Absolutelyruined! She’d never be able to teach again ifthis videoof her and Alan found its way online.
Cold fear snaked up her spine and crawled across her scalp. An overwhelming sense of impending doom curdled her blood. She feared running all the way to her hometown in California wouldn’t be far enough to escape her humiliation.
Victoria’s hand shook as she pressed Alan’s number. When he answered on the second ring, she began without preamble, “What do you intend to do with the video?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. Releasing it on social media has crossed my mind. Payback for the way Carter treated me.”
“Look, Alan, I’m leaving New York.” Victoria’s voice rose in desperation. “You can play the jilted lover all you want, blame me, say whatever you want. Just don’t release that video.”
“So, you want a deal, huh? Okay, here are the terms. I’ll take a hundred thousand dollars, keep the video to myself, and play this however I want on social media. Deal?”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed. He thought he held all the cards, but she still had one to play. “Not yet. I only have two words to say to you.Calvin Klein. If you want to keep your highly valued contract with them, you’re going to honor your word to keep the video private. Because one word from me to my father about what you did, and he’ll make sure Calvin Klein knows what kind of man they’ve hired to be the face of their men’s line. Deal?”
She could tell he hadn’t thought about that by the sudden silence on the other end of the phone.
“Deal. Transfer the money to my account.” He gave her the information.
“Nice doing business with you, Alan,” she spat.
“Likewise, baby.”
Chilled to the bone, Victoria sank into her leather office chair. Struck with a terrible foreboding, she felt it was only a matter of time before this situation blew up in her face. She couldn’t wait for her father to approve her replacement. Leaving New York as soon as possible became paramount.
After announcing she planned to leave in the morning, much to her father’s and brothers’ surprise, Victoria coaxed Derek into helping her pack her things. They’d be shipped to her as soon as she found a place to settle. In the meantime, she’d be staying with Jonica and her husband Danny.
“I still don’t understand your hurry,” Derek complained as he packed a third box of Victoria’s extensive collection of novels being shipped to California, along with a few other personal items. “After all, school doesn’t start until the end of August.”
