Chapter 6
Gema stared at Vistos. A mistress? Her? Someone who'd never even slept with her fiancé, and he wanted her to sleep with him? Impossible.
"impossible" she informed him with a shake of her head. Vistos shrugged as he walked towards the window.
"I don't see why. You'll have everything you'll need, of course I'll supply you with a credit card and any jewellery or clothing you wish to purhase. And of course" he turned away from the window to look at her. "you'll be perfectly satisfied in bed." gema's mouth dropped open in shock and vistos continued. "I'm a very generous lover, as you'll find"
"n-no!" gema exclaimed." I will not fond because I am not going to become your mistress! I could not! To break off the engagement alone, Doug would-"
"he would never Hirt you under my protection" Vistos insisted firmly, crossing the room to her. "you will not be harmed by anyone while with me"
Gema stared up at him, wanting so badly to just melt into his arms, but a larger part of her was screaming danger. But how could she stay with Doug after everything vistos just told hr? Shed just have to figure out how to deal with Doug, on her own.
"I can't, I'm sorry but there is no way I will ever become your mistress"
Vistos smiled sadly, his hand stroking her cheek gently, causing gema's eyelids to flutter.
"Mio dio, Cara. I accept your challenge"
After a week and a half of gatherig the guts, Gema finally approached anothr lawyer into looking into her father's finances. After meeting with her new lawyer and going over everything, Gema was optimistic that things would work out. She felt so optimistic, she stopped when she saw a cute top in a store window, and bought it on impulse. Gema was in a good mood for one of the first times in a long time, and she had been contemplating moving back to australia once she broke things off with Doug.
After the customery push and pull with the door, gema sighed as she came into her apartment and locked the door bhind her.
"you've been busy"
Gema jumped at the sound of Doug's voice and she whirled around to see him standing by her kitchen.
"doug! You scared me!"
"I hear you have a new lawyer, gema"
He ignored her and she nervously shifted her bags to the floor.
"yeah well, I thought that since, we were in a relationship I should get a unbiased one-"
"oh yeah? And what so you have to say about him digging into your patents finances? There's nothing there Gena"
Gema snapped at him, fed up. "oh? Is that because you spent it all ready?"
"you watch how you talk to me, gema, you wouldn't want to have another accident" he threatened and Gema stood her ground.
"I'm not going to be havig any more accidents, Doug. If you don't like me, you can just break up with me"
Doug laughed and walked towards her.
"I would never break it off, and neither will you. Who's going to pick you up gema? You're and overweight secretary who doesn't put out. I'm doing you a favor by marrying you, the least you can do is be greatful. Fire your lawyer, or you'll egret it" ge warned befor eletting himself out. Shaking, gema sat down and tries to collect her thoughts. Did she have enough money to just run?what about her parents money? Did t she owe it to them to figure this all out? The phone rang, scaring her, and gema answered it wearily.
"h-hello?"
"come to dinner with me tomorrow night" vistos demanded and Gema scowled.
"no! All you men are the same, demanding what you want but not caring what I want!"
"I am positive I can give you what you want" he drawled. "we'll have a lovely sinner at Che Monica, then have drinks at my place-"
"no, Vistos, I don't want to have dinner with you, I don't want to be your mistress, just leave me alone!" she slammed down the phone and burst into tears, crying herself to sleep that night
Chapter 7
She knew what she had to do. It made her nervous, queasy, and a bit ashamed of herself, but Gema knew what she had to do. She called in sick to work and then took a nice long shower. She carefully selected an outfit, finally going with a pencil skirt and a deep red dress shirt, a belt cinched at the waist and black heels. Gema put her hair up into a bun and went downstairs to get a taxi, to Borden & Stakolopous Enterprises.
Hitting her hand against her purse over and over, Gema was decidedly nervous. She had never been to the office without Doug, and it felt strange to be going there without the purpose of seeing him. With the help of the directory, she found her way to the floor she needed, and approached the secretary’s desk. Gema noticed just how beautiful she was, how she looked Gema up and down and smiled faintly, insincerely, and Gema immediately knew this was the typical kind of woman Vistos Stakolopous dated. Blonde, blue eyed, a size 1 and an IQ to match, Gema seriously reconsidered the rash plan that had formulated in her mind over night.
“Hello, can I help you?” The secretary asked, and Gema cleared her throat.
“Yes, I’d like to speak to Mr. Stakolopous”
“Do you have an appointment?”
Gema’s confident wavered, what if he was in a meeting? What if he wasn’t even in the office today? “Ah…no, I don’t”
“WHo should I say it is?”
“Um, Gema, Gema Dodge”
“Hold on one second.”
The secretary picked up the phone and spoke into it quietly, then set it down and turned to Gema. “He’s in a meeting, but if you’d like to wait you are more than welcome to”
“Thank you”
Gema took a seat and glanced at her watch. How long could this meeting really take?
25 minutes later, Gema was fuming. How dare he keep her waiting this long? He’s the one who called her and insisted she have dinner with him! He’s the one who’s been essentially stalking her, showing up at whatever functions she goes to, and now he’s making her wait, like another one of his random bimbos? Oh no, she didn’t have to stand for this. Gema stood up, intending to leave, when Vistos’ voice came over the speaker in harsh tones, and the secretary told her she could go in. Her anger did not dissipate as she opened his door and walked in, and Gema began ranting as soon as the door was closed and she was standing by his desk, glaring at Vistos in his Armani suit, impeccably tailored.
“How dare you leave me sitting out there all that time? Do you have any-”
“I was in a meeting, Gema, I can’t just drop everything I am doing to attend to you, I have a life.” Vistos snapped back at her, and Gema normally would have shut up, but she found herself egged on with Vistos, as she always did.
“Oh do you? Tell me, what did this meeting entail, all the big names of the company getting together to talk about how often they take their secretaries to bed?”
Vistos raised an eyebrow, challenging her with a smirk. “Are you jealous that I’ve had other women in my bed? Because, cara, I don’t think there is anything we can do to dispel your discomfort. There have been many before you”
“Oh, I’m well aware that there have been ‘many before me’, Vistos, tell me, how long-”
“Mio dio, I love the way you say my name” His voice was a husky whisper, and Gema took a step back, caught off guard. Vistos stared at her intently, then he whirled around to face the window, shoving his hands into his pockets. “What do you want” he snapped at her, and Gema sighed.
“Well I…..I’ve been thinking over your offer, and….well I just, I wanted to see if we could talk about it a little” Gema said, sitting down now, and Vistos shook his head from the window.
“I‘m not so sure the offer still stands”
“But-!” Gema protested, gasping.
Vistos shrugged. “You have denied me three times now. Why should I keep coming back? Mio dio, It would be insanity”
“Maybe….maybe this time my answer will be different”
Vistos turned and looked at her now, his face mocking, disbelieving. “Last night you would not even attend dinner with me, and you expect me to believe that you are now willing to share my bed?“ He shook his head. “No, bono, I do not believe it is so”
“People change” Gema snapped at him, and then she reeled in her temper and looked at her feet, muttering. “Things change”
“Has he hurt you again?” Vistos demanded, taking a step from behind his desk towards her. Gema shook her head.
“N-no, he hasn’t. But, that’s not why I’m here” Gema pulled herself up to her full height, and even in four inch heels she was nothing compared to his 6’2 stature. Gema cleared her throat and Vistos looked slightly amused as he surveyed her.
“I have a business deal for you”
“A business deal? For me? Santa Maria, let’s hear it!” He crossed his arms and waited for her to speak, the laughter blatant in his voice and his eyes. Gema fumed, but calmed herself before she lashed out at him.
“I…am proposing that in exchange for your help in securing the funds that are rightfully mine by my parents, I….will be your mistress for three months” Gema held her breath, waiting for Vistos’s response, and he was no longer looking amused. He ran his hand over his chin, and Gema followed the hypnotic stroking, shaking off thoughts of his hands on her body. Vistos tapped his chin thoughtfully with one lithe finger before pausing to answer her.
“Six months, and you live with me” He waved his hand through the air dismissively. “That is all I am prepared to agree to”
“Six months-!…..” Gema hesitated, biting down on her bottom lip momentarily. Six months was much longer than she thought it would take for him to be satisfied and done with her. She wanted to be moved back to Australia by then! Well…what was three more months really? And he’d probably break the contract before that anyway.
“You’ll help me with my parents finances?” Gema asked, just making sure. Vistos nodded.
“Do we have a deal?” Gema looked at Vistos, seeing the mischievous glint to his eye, and her resolve wavered. But the small part of her, the part that wanted to wrap herself in Vistos and never resurface, spoke up.
“Deal” Gema held out her hand to shake and Vistos chuckled, stepping close to her, his eyes hooded by heavy lids.
“In my country, we do a little more than just shake on it”
His hand grasped hers and yanked her into him, and Gema gasped in surprise as she landed against his hard chest. She looked up into his hazel eyes, and he placed a hand on her chin lightly, tilting her towards him, and his lips covered hers in a sweet caress. Gema’s eyelids fluttered closed, and she melted against him, her hands on his chest gripping his shirt to keep herself upright. His lips moved against hers softly, teasingly, and Gema found herself pushing against him, deepening the kiss. He let out a triumphant growl before sweeping her mouth with his tongue, possessing her fully. Suddenly Gem was standing on her own, her hands empty of his shirt, and her lips bereft of his. She opened her eyes and Vistos was surveying her with barely concealed amusement.
“Bono” He went to his coat rack and grabbed his suit jacket while Gema was still trying to gather her senses. He walked back over to her and looked her up and down. “First thing” His hand reached up and pulled her hair free of its bun. Gema protested, trying to slap his hand away, but it had already been done. “Your hair is never to be up again” He warned. “I hate it up”
“Oh by all means!” Gema snapped at him and Vistos smirked at her.
“You are mine for the next six months, I suggest you get familiar with what I do and don’t like” He looked at his watch. “Come, let’s have lunch”
“No, I couldn’t, I have some other things to attend to…” she was rambling and Vistos cut her off with a nod of his head.
“You are right, we shall stop at Doug’s and let him know that your relationship is over. Come” He urged.
“NO!” Gema screamed, grabbing Vistos’s arm desperately. Vistos frowned at her and she immediately let him go, blushing deeply. “I just, I’d rather tell him myself, alone-”
“No” Vistos cut her off, shaking his head. “You will never be alone with Doug again, I will not allow it”
“I can handle him-”
“Clearly not, cara, or you would have disposed of him long ago” Vistos muttered as he pulled out his car keys and placed a hand on her back, propelling her from his office. “We shall go together, so he can see that we are together”
Gema waited till they were waiting for his car to be brought to the front of the building before she said anything else.
“Is that what this is about? You want to show Doug that you have me now? Is that what this whole thing is about?”
Vistos shrugged. “Pissing off my stepbrother is simply another bonus to our business deal, Gema” he looked her up and down slowly and her body burned where his eyes followed. “I’m sure you will find the bonuses to be abundant”
Gema blushed deeply and turned away, refusing to meet his eyes. “Do we really have to do this at Doug’s work? Can’t we at least do it tonight in private?”
Vistos thought about that for a second before nodding. “Yes, that will perhaps be more tactful.” He glanced at his watch again and swore. “I do not have time for lunch today, but my assistant will be in touch”
“In touch?”
“Yes” He waved down a taxi and opened the door for her. Gema climbed inside and turned to look at him. Vistos leaned down and brushed his lips on her cheek. “Ciao”
“Ciao” Gema whispered to the glass of the window as the taxi drove away, and she couldn’t help thinking that she had left her morals back in Vistos’ office.