Breaking All the Rules (30 page)

              “I would remember seeing someone like you there.”

              “Ah, but it is a masquerade, precious,” He teased.

              “You’re no fun,” Her huff turned to a squeal as he stood, lifting the two of them, and then joining their bodies on one of the lounging chairs.

              Right before he took her, he looked down and exhaled, “I am
too
fun.”

              They spent the next few days following a similar routine, though by Tuesday morning they decided not to leave the comfort of the villa again.

              Mia skinny dipped in the cascading pool on the deck and sunbathed nude, only to have Benson slip between her legs and take her beneath the scorching sun. They were wrapped up in their own paradise. Both were blissfully ignoring the quickly approaching departure day. Wednesday came with a proverbial rain cloud above both their heads. They rose early to capture as much time together as they could before they were needed at the runway later that evening.

              Mia found herself wearing the same wispy white dress she wore on their first night at Casa de la Belleza standing in the exact same spot on the top tier of the deck that overlooked the stunning beach below. She wore a flower crown she had made earlier in the day from plants surrounding the villa. It wasn’t perfect, but she had found a way to weave the stems together and created a white crown with a few pink accents.

              She didn’t want to go back. There was too much complexity on the other side of the plane. Their white sandy shores and turquoise waters would be replaced with a crisp urban city. She would have to trade in her soft beach clothes and bare feet for high heels and pencil skirts. And most importantly, she had to give Benson back to his mogul. She too had a job to return to- one she loved. She would spend her days fighting with press and coordinate events while Benson slowly acquired the entire city of New York.

              They couldn’t stay on their borrowed piece of heaven forever, and the perfect world between the two of them would shatter and simmer and leave her broken. In the real world she couldn’t shelter him from her skeletons.

              Benson emerged from his shower to find Mia standing on the deck. He stopped in his tracks and stared at her in amazement.
My bride.
She wore his favorite white dress, now with a crown of woven flowers that gave her an effortless beauty. He quietly dipped back into the bedroom and found his cellphone to take a photo of the scene, though it was a memory already tattooed on his heart. They had taken dozens of pictures together while in Sian Kaan. This would one be his favorite.

              He was thankful she was still there when he returned from dropping his phone back off on the bed. Much like their first night, he approached her and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed at his touch, peeking over her shoulder to glance at him. The glow on her face had disappeared and she looked worried.

              “What’s wrong, precious?” He asked softly, a thumb brushing over her cheek.

              She shook her head, “It’s silly… I just…. I don’t want to go back to the real world.”

              “I would buy you your own private island and sell everything I have to stay in paradise with you, Mia, but you would grow bored within a few weeks. I know you. As much as you love being here and challenging my stamina, you also love your job and the city and your friends.”

              She bit her lip trying to hold back tears, “You are the most perfect man in the entire world, Benson.”

              “I wasn’t lying when I said I would do anything for you,” Benson found her eyes and dared to say the words that had been lost to him all weekend. “I love you, precious.” Silence found them as she stared up in amazed stupor. He continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “It terrifies me, Mia. My parents made me think love was nothing more than a societal obligation. I never knew that these feelings could happen. When I look at you and see my entire world, I am terrified that I am going to screw it up and lose you. I love you.”

              Mia grabbed his face and kissed him hard. She broke away and pressed as many pecks on his lips as she could before the words tumbled out of her own mouth, “I love you, Benson. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

              Relief spread over Benson. His toes tingled. Had he really thought she didn’t feel the same? As if her love wasn’t as obvious as his.

              They didn’t have much time before they had to leave the comforts of the villa, but it wasn’t as if Benson’s own jet would leave them stranded on the island… and if they did, would it really be all that bad? A genuine laugh escaped him as he swept her up and carried her into the bedroom. He was going to show her just how much he really loved her.

Chapter Fourteen

              Monarch Industries was a glass fortress. When she had first seen the skyscraper, she had though the place was truly fit for a king. Or rather, a monarch. But gazing up at the building on Thursday morning, Mia thought the place resembled a high security prison, and her walk of shame to Anne’s office was definitely taking her to the electric chair. As if her own guilt and trembling fears weren’t enough to make the seven minute journey from the curb to the floor that housed her public relations division feel like a slow eternity, the whispers and stares from her coworkers did the job.

              She had tried to wear something that would downplay her newfound tan, but as she stared at her reflection in the elevator, she knew her effort was hopeless. The blue blouse with white polka dots under a green cardigan was held together with a thin white belt. She wore tan pants and only a slight kitten heel. She had even opted for the minimal amount of makeup, though her motives for that lie with how much she enjoyed going without it at the villa.

              No, Mia was glowing. She was glowing and tan and definitely dead.

              Mia was thankful she had arrived a half hour early to work in order to avoid as many coworkers as she could. She knew Anne would be in. And she was. Her secretary was nowhere to be seen and her door was an open invitation. Mia took a deep breath and walked in.

              “Hi, Anne,” She said, careful not to cross too far over the threshold.

              Her boss looked up with a terse expression and waved her in, “Sit, Miss Barnes… and shut the door behind you.”

              Mia winced as she closed the door and sat down. Anne was a strict first name kind of person. Being called by her last name sounded foreign coming from the normally sweet woman.

              “Do you like your job, Miss Barnes?”

              “Of course, Anne. You know that music saved my life. This company in particular has taken me places I have never imagined I could go.”

              “Except the beach?” Anne’s lips were thin lines as she took in Mia’s appearance. “Do you normally blow off things of importance to you, then? If Monarch Records has saved your life as you said it has, one could assume the company is important to you?”

              “This isn’t fair-”

              “Do you not realize that you and your boyfriend got nearly as much press as the actual musical acts that performed at The Dark Room? On company time you cozied up to the man that single handedly controls a large part of the clubs and venues our artists perform at. What happens when you two break up, Miss Barnes? Monarch Records will lose business. Is he worth it?”

              “It really isn’t like you to say things like this, Anne.”

              “And it isn’t like one of our top PR agents to email me at seven in the morning on a Saturday telling me she is cashing in on some vacation days to spend time with her boyfriend.”

              “I have had a really rough couple of weeks.”

              “I’m not going to accept any excuses from you, Mia. The bottom line is you disappointed me. I have been grooming you to take my position. Did you know that? But now I wonder if this is even the place for you anymore.”

              “I signed a contract, Anne. You can’t just fire me,” Mia’s hands clutched the bottom of the chair.

              Anne’s eyes rolled, “I’m not firing you. As you stated in your email, you rarely use your vacation days. We typically need more than a few hours’ notice to shift assignments, but it was manageable. What is the most irritating and upsetting thing about this whole situation is how you handled it. I know you are upset I took you from the Max Flynn coverage. I know you have been under a lot of stress with Burnside, and I know it probably sucked seeing Grant Ball. But you seemed to handle it all with disregard for the company and your job.”

              “I’m sorry you feel that way, Anne, but I did the best I could.”

              She glanced at the clock on her screen and waved Mia to the door, “Be grateful for your coworkers.”

              Mia quietly exited the office and held her head as she crossed to her own space at the other end of the floor. She resisted the urge to throw her middle finger up at every passing person and scowled at her secretary before the girl could even open her mouth. Mia didn’t even turn the light on in the room. She just sat down and rested her head on her desk.

              She wished Anne would have yelled at her. Mia could handle yelling and screaming. She couldn’t handle disappointment. Anne was a mentor. How was Mia to know she was gearing up to take the woman’s job? Letting out a snort, Mia pressed her face further into the desk. She would never take Anne’s job now. Hell, when her contract ended in May, she’d probably be out of a job.

              She had spent days angry with Tyler, Max, and the rest of Burnside, but in the end, she had just gone against everything she preached to them. She had crossed the line, indulging in something she knew would be messy. But she was selfish, and now she was in over her head. She was in love with Benson, and it had cost her the respect of her boss and peers, and possibly her job.

             
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Mia chastised herself, desperately wanting to bash her head into the solid wood of her desk. She and Benson should have stayed in Mexico. She knew the second they landed in New York everything would change.

              Mia grabbed her purse and found her phone. Instinctually, she went to text Benson, but she couldn’t talk to him about any of her conflicting emotions without possibly damaging what they had. She texted Lora instead.

            
 
I know we agreed on dinner, but I can’t wait that long. I need to talk ASAP. Can you do lunch?

             
Shit. Is everything okay? I have a seminar at 2:45. Lunch is manageable.

              Shoga Sushi by my office at noon.

              Mia tilted her head back and groaned before rising to flick the light on. She opened up the iTunes program on her computer and shuffled her angsty playlist, only to shift it to her heartbreak one a few songs later. She wasn’t heartbroken. Benson made her feel happy and loved, but Anne’s words tore through her like a hot knife.

              Was Benson worth it? Of course.
No, Mia. Career, remember?
She scolded the voice in her head. The voice of the fresh faced PR agent with a scarred heart. After Grant, she had vowed never to let any man taken precedence over her career. She had set up the parameter of never mixing business with pleasure to shield herself from the damage that came with her past relationship. She had been content with her purely sexual swings and self-pleasure.

              What made Benson any different? Why had she broken every rule she created for him?

             
You love him. He is your dream man.

              The voice wasn’t from her twenty four year old self. It was her current voice. Benson was more stubborn and a hell of a lot more rich than her dream man. She had thought up her perfect mate when she was twelve as a safe spot to go when her step-father sank into her bed at night. Back then, she just wanted someone to love her unconditionally. Each night he came to her bed she would picture the movie star handsome man in different scenarios. Coming home to her after work and watching the news together. Having a picnic in the park. Dancing under the stars to no music. Those thoughts were what got her through stolen innocence.

              When she got into her teen years and began running away, dream man would sweep her off her feet and whisk her away to safety. Sometimes he would be a firefighter. Sometimes a spy. Sometimes a gas station employee. She didn’t care if he was unemployed or the president, she just wanted the safety he provided.

              On the streets her list grew from unconditional love and safety to include things like charming and funny. He wouldn’t want a dog or make her stop listening to Rob Zombie when she missed her dad (which, back those days was every second of every day). He would rub her feet at night and make her feel like a queen. Mia wanted a love like her parents, though as the years went by the love her parents held was covered up with memories of abuse and trauma.

              She felt completely stupid for planning a future with a man she had only met three weeks prior. She felt even stupider for loving him, but he made her feel whole when she was so used to being broken and that made her decision a hell of a lot harder.

              Lunch couldn’t come any quicker. She did her best not to bolt out of the office, deciding it wouldn’t look good to be sprinting to leave when she had just gotten back.

              Lora wasn’t at Shoga when she arrived, so Mia snagged their table and ordered two diet colas desperately wishing she could cradle a bottle of wine instead. Perhaps copious amounts of alcohol would clear her head. A few minutes after Mia sat down Lora arrived and their waitress took their order. As soon as the petite brunette nodded and walked away, Mia dove right into her story.

              Her friend had wanted to meet for dinner to hear about her trip, but the lunch date was set so Mia could spill her guts on the glossy table that separated them. She told her about Anne and the hours of internal debate that followed their discussion, briefly skimming over how perfect her time with Benson was over their weekend and their declaration of love. Even after their tiny plates of sushi arrived, Mia babbled on. She feared that once she stopped she would burst into tears.

              And she did.

              Luckily they were nearly done with their meal. Lora waved the waitress down and paid for both meals without hesitation, then pulled Mia onto the cluttered street. She directed them to the fountain across the street and parked Mia on the stone ledge. Her tears came and went, but Lora held her scowling at any passerby who dared glance in their direction.

              Mia wasn’t even sure what she was crying about anymore. The impending loss of her job or the thought of losing Benson.

              As if reading her mind, Lora pulled her back and stared at her best friend with a pained expression, “Mia… I know how important control is to you. I know you need to have that stability so you don’t feel lost. But don’t you think the loss of Benson would hurt more? I have never seen you happier than these past few weeks. You want to throw all of that away so in fifteen years you have a bigger office and get to handle the press when an up and coming rock star overdoses and takes a pretty young girl with him? I don’t want to see you miserable. Anne didn’t fire you, and in May I’m sure they’ll renew your contract. She said herself you’re a great worker. Don’t throw away what you have with Benson because you’re afraid of the future.”

              “You really think I’ll have a bigger office in fifteen years?” Mia sniffled, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her cardigan.

              Lora’s eyes turned to slits, “That’s not what I wanted you to take from that speech.”

              “I’m sorry. I just feel like I am cracking at the seams, Lora. I have fought to be where I am. I have endured beatings and abuse and hatred. I didn’t sleep so I could close gigs. I did my homework on bar tops between rushes. I can’t throw my entire adult life away for a person I have only known a few weeks. I just… I just wonder if it’s better to end things now so in a year when he leaves I will at least have my dignity and career.”

              “If I didn’t think you would drown me in the fountain I would punch you in the face,” Lora crossed her arms and shook her head. “I wish you could hear how you sound, Mia. And I wish I could sit here and talk sense into you, but you’re going to be late if we stay any longer and I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

              They gathered themselves and started walking down the block to Monarch Records. Lora dropped her off at the door, hugging her as she said, “Please don’t make any rash decisions.”

              Mia didn’t. She stalked into her office just as tortured as she left, if not more. But instead of wallowing in her misery and slamming her head on the desk she grabbed a stack of neglected papers and opened up her email. If she was going to gain Anne’s trust and appreciation back, she was going to have to work for it.

              Working harder than she did when she first started at the company, she zipped through every account on the artists she represented. When five o’clock came, Mia almost missed it. She sighed heavily and pulled out her phone.

            
 
Working late. Not sure when I will head home.

             
Call Victor when you are ready to leave. I’m staying over a little, as well. I love you, precious. I hope everything with Anne went over well. I can’t wait to hold you tonight. I miss you.

            
 
Mia bit back her tears and closed her phone, briefly staring at her lock screen photo of her and Benson on the deck of the villa, the lush greenery of the jungle behind them. She shook her head and went back to work. At eight, she felt caught up enough to go home. She could comb through a few more articles in her pajamas. But she didn’t call Victor when she took her solo elevator ride down.

              She took the subway to her apartment. It felt like a foreign routine. Her apartment was cold and echoed, and loneliness rippled over her. Mia dropped her things, not caring if they landed in the right spot. She kicked her heels as far away from her as possible, and when they hit her glass dining room table, she wished it would have shattered it. Instead it ricocheted with a sharp impact.