27
“You look even better in person than on TV,” her tone was as patronizing as they come and Rachel immediately knew she was up to something.
But the woman was so gorgeous, her Mongolian features were sharp and beautiful. Her slanted eyeliner and smoky shadow gave her a sophisticated look as did the plunged neck of her tight red dress. Her hair was cut in a sharp blunt style. Just as Rachel's eyes were accessing her, Vera’s eyes were accessing her too.
“You are not his usual type.”
“Excuse me?” Rachel asked aghast at the woman’s bluntness, her voice was firm with indignation.
Vera walked to her side and placed one perfectly manicured hand on the sink. She stared at Rachel through the mirror, her red lips tilted up. “You don’t know Nate’s type? He wouldn’t normally go for the girls with the big mouths, he loves his girls obedient, silent, and a little foolish.”
“I am guessing it wasn't hard for you then?” Rachel shot back. During the divorce she was on Vera’s side 100% but that Vera wasn’t the same woman standing behind her now with the expensive Fendi perfume wafting into her nose. That Vera was meek and almost painfully shy. She was the very epitome of victim.
Vera laughed as if the insult barely offended her. “We have to make use of any opportunity we have am I right? You should know what I mean?”
For the second time, Rachel was dumbfounded by the woman’s insinuations. “Are you suggesting something?” she glared at Vera who was still giving her her perfect profile.
“Let me spell it out for you,” Vera said, her firm voice calm and still annoyingly patronizing. “Every woman Nate has always wants him for what he can offer, he knows that. That’s why he gives them the contract, a month, a year, two years…the list goes on because, at the end of the day, they are better off than when they first met him.” Her black eyes looked Rachel over. “So what did he offer you, hon? And you signed it in exchange for your climb back to the top, right?”
Even though that was true Rachel couldn’t help but tense up at her accuracy. She was angry, why was Vera suddenly talking to her and why was she trying to dig up facts she already knew? “It’s none of your business, Miss Chang.”
“Call me Vera,” she held out her hand. “I don’t suppose we’ve been officially introduced, but I don’t blame Nathaniel we are trying to take this slow now.” She angled her head to one side to look at Rachel. “You do know we are getting back together, right?”
Rachel tsked. “You are pathetic. He couldn’t get rid of you fast enough so he had to let go of his money to keep you away. You know what? You fooled everyone! You fooled me because I was your number one supporter, I put people on your side so that justice would swing your way because I thought you were the victim but now I see you for who you are, a greedy scheming woman ready to do anything for whatever she wants.”
Vera was unperturbed. She examined her fingers with a mock smile. “Coming from a woman who expressed vehement hatred for him yet here you are offering yourself to be tied up for his pleasure. I don’t suppose you are in stage 2 yet? Maybe when you do you’ll understand why I did what I did."
A lump rose in her throat but Rachel cruelly swallowed it down. The woman was right still she had to defend herself. But she had barely opened her mouth when Vera continued.
“Do you know what makes me different from you and the other hoes in Nate’s life? He married me. He loved me. We exchanged vows in front of a priest forever and always,” she went back to examining her nails. “Too bad I needed money badly,” she added without remorse. “And you know what? Because he loved me Nate will always come back to me. You did see us both on the stage yesterday, didn’t you? I saw you running off.”
“Because you trapped him.”
“Was that what he told you?” she laughed. “You are so naïve, Rachel Rivers. I watched your show while you were still host and I believed you were an incredibly smart woman but look at you, not so smart after all. Did I have to force Nate to climb on that stage with me? What did I have to say to force him? Did I blackmail him to come up there with me?” she asked this last question as if she wanted to impress something on Rachel. “Nathaniel Madden is not a man you can force to do anything, honey. Let me give you a piece of advice, you can take it or discard it.” She leaned closer. “Nate is a dangerous man, I’m the only one who can tame him, I did it once and I’ll do it again. I’ll make you an offer, 50 million and you leave him alone.”
The audacity of the woman.
“I refuse.”
Vera frowned, she studied Rachel’s face and then smiled with pity.
“Are you in love with him?”
“N-no!”
“Honey, I won’t blame you, it’s hard not to fall in love with him, look at him! Rich, movie star handsome, young and hot. Any woman would droll over him but would he ever love you? Nate Madden loved once, he loved me, ask yourself why.”
With that, she turned and left the bathroom leaving Rachel staring after her perfect figure. A second later filled with rage she stormed after her. Who was she to come and offer her 50 million dollars then try to blackmail Nate all because she wanted him back?! She felt like an idiot. How had she given this scheming little devil her support last year?
But when she reached the end of the mirrored passage where the door was she found Vera standing there glaring at someone outside the door. On a closer look, she discovered it was Nate. He was saying something but he stopped as soon as he saw her. Vera looked back to see why he had stopped talking and discovered Rachel standing there.
With a wicked smile on her face, she looked between Nate and Rachel and sauntered away leaving them both to stare at each other.
Nate was tensed, Rachel could see that. His fingers were clenched beside him, he looked like he wanted to punch something until his knuckles were raw and bleeding.
“What did she say to you?” he growled. His voice was low.
Rachel wanted to tell him but she held herself back. Their relationship was strictly sexual but Vera’s words would not leave her. Nate Madden loved me once, ask yourself, why? Did I blackmail him to come up there with me?
With Vera’s behavior, she could tell she definitely had something on him. Nate had a look of both fear and anger.
“Nothing…”
“Don’t fuck with me, Rachel! What did that bitch tell you?!”
“What do you think?!” she shot back. He was taken about by her direct attack but he recovered quickly. With a sudden flash of his teeth in a grimace, he reached out and grabbed her hand.
“What are you doing? Let go of me?!”
He didn’t say anything. He simply dragged her away from the bathroom and unaware of the attention they were attracting, he continued to hold her roughly.
“Let go of me, Nate!” she jerked her arm away, that made him stop.
“Why? What lies did Vera feed you?!”
“Nothing. She didn’t tell me anything. And what do you care when we don’t have anything serious going on? What does it matter if after three weeks we’ll both be going our separate ways? You don’t have to worry, she didn’t tell me anything.” But she was already thinking about how she would find out what Vera had on him and by God, she would find out.
But Nate was not satisfied with her answer. He stand in front of her like a solid, immovable wall and grabbed her shoulders.
“I can mess up your life, Rachel. I promise you, I can fucking ruin you,” his voice was low.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Go ahead remind me that I am nothing. Threaten me! I don’t care.”
She jerked herself up once again and without looking at where she was going she started walking away. On her left was the fashion show still in full force, on her right, was the seafood restaurant, and in front of her the oceanfront. She kept moving on toward the ocean, wiping her tears at the sticky situation she found herself.
