Strip Tease

Chapter 38

February 15th

I walked up the front steps to the large mansion that took up most of the property. If I didn't know Orion's parents already I would think he grew up lonely. His room most likely being on one end of the house while theirs on the other. I could live in this house with someone and never actually see them.

I rang the doorbell and quickly brought my hand back to my side to keep in the body heat. I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself and rubbed my hands up and down my arms.

The door opened slowly to reveal a short graying woman standing in front of me dressed in a light blue dress and white shoes. "Yes?" She asked in an accent that reminded me of Mary Poppins.

"I'm here to see Mr. Miller, my name is Raegan Do- "

"Yes, Ms. Donovan please come inside! Let me take your coat." The woman helped me out of jacket and folded it across her arm. "Mr. Miller is waiting for you in the living room area right down this hallway and to the right. My name is Marie if you need anything." She talked too fast and she seemed as if she was on a tight schedule so I didn't bother her any further with questions.

"Thank you Marie." I nodded to her and walked in the direction that she had pointed me to. When I was here last we had only used the ballroom that was straight ahead. I had never really ventured to any other part of the home.

I walked down the hall, noticing the cream walls lined gallery style with photos of the Miller family. Pictures of the family on a boat, pictures of a young Orion during his graduation, pictures of Cassie riding a horse, and pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Miller on their wedding day. I never pegged his family as the sentimental type but here were all of these memories captured and plastered on the walls. I had this family pictured in my mind of parents who disowned or shipped their children away to boarding school, parents who didn't love their kids and only saw them as burdens. But I was wrong.

I rounded the corner into what appeared to be the living room. The walls were all painted a light gray with large windows overlooking a garden area making up most of the room. In the center was a long white sectional couch with soft looking knitted grey blankets on the back that I was sure Mrs. Miller made. In the center of one wall was a fire burning brightly, dancing with shades of orange, red and yellow. Sitting off to the side of the fire was Mr. Miller himself sipping a glass of red wine and holding a small stack of papers. When he noticed my presence he looked up and graced me with a soft smile.

"Raegan, how lovely to see you again! Sorry for the short notice meeting, I promise I wont make a habit of it."

"Hi Mr. Miller, good to see you too." I wrung my hands together, taking a few more steps into the living room trying to soak up as much heat from the fire as possible.

"Call me James, please." We both nodded at each other and he motioned with his hand for me to take a seat on his couch. "Now, as I'm sure you are aware, your name has come up quite a bit in the news lately." He paused to gauge my reaction. I wasn't sure what he expected me to say. Yeah, your son really fucked me over? Did Orion tell him everything that had happened between us? Did he tell him the truth?

He must have noticed that I wasn't going to give him anything to read in to, so he continued. "I asked you to come here today because, well to put it all out on the table, I would like to compensate you for your cooperation. I'm sure with everything my son has explained the news you are tempted to go out and start a few rumors that would be bad for my company. So, how much did you want from my son? He might not have been willing to pay your fee but I will."

I was actually stunned into silence. Not the wide eyed, jaw dropped silence but the silence that had me mentally controlling myself from doing anything stupid. Because the only thing that would connect from my brain to my mouth was a big fuck you. For obvious reasons, I couldn't actually say that. He believes whatever messed up story Orion fed him? Without even talking to me first? I understand that Orion is his son but it's not like James has the best track record of raising reasonable children. He just let his son go on TV and destroy someone's life while standing on the steps of Miller Co for goodness sake.