Page 3 of The Deception: Hercules Valentine and I
“Get what?” I asked.
“Contrary to how they feel, I wasn’t born to make them happy. I’ve never made them happy, and I never will. So, I don’t hold their controlling ways against them. They’re only human, and I love them to death.”
I’m still pondering Lake’s words when Mason walks into the office, frowning as if he’s just gotten into a fistfight with Hercules and lost. He even avoids eye contact with Lake. When I look at her, she’s giving me lost-puppy-dog eyes.
“Don’t anyone bother me,” he announces and closes himself in his office.
Everyone in the room goes back to business as usual except Lake and me. The corners of her mouth are turned down as she shrugs. I glance over my shoulder in the direction of Mason’s office, concerned about how his meeting went with Hercules and what’s her name. I hate that I’ve already forgotten her name. My memory is normally better than this. Maybe my brain is forgetting her on purpose. Deep down, I wish she wasn’t so connected to Hercules. I wish I was the one he touched with such ease. The fact that it can never be me unless it’s over my family members’ dead bodies makes me feel even more sour.
I decide to do what’s best for me and Lake at the moment. I don’t want to think about Hercules, who’s obviously getting it on with…Damn it.Her name continues to elude me.
The less Lake thinks about Mason, the more she won’t feel crushed by him either. Killing two birds with one stone, I call our team together so we can let work take our minds off men and prepare for our big staff meeting on Thursday, which will be a day before I’m supposed to pitch winning ideas to Hercules in private.Yikes!
I shoot to my feet and clap my hands.“Okay, let’s powwow,” I say so loudly that the picture of Hercules with his hand on Lilith Cope’s back momentarily vanishes from my mind.
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