Freed (4 page)

As they drove home, Aurelia said, “When I was brought out of the call center, there was a long line of police carrying loads of electronic equipment out of the barn. I’ve never been able to work out why a call center would need so much stuff. Or why it would be in the barn instead of in the house.”

“Some of it was equipment to block cell phones and electronic bugs. There was no way to get cell phone reception or to listen in to any of their calls. I tried all that when I was watching the place,” said Niall.

“Were they truly blocking our calls? We were told that the electronics for the call center just made cell phone reception a bit tricky.”

“No, they were definitely blocking you.”

“Besides,” said Mas, “lots of call centers actually use cell phones instead of the old-fashioned kind of phones these days.”

“Do they really?” Aurelia stopped to think. “Then that makes whatever stuff they had in the barn even more important then.”

“Yeah, I’m betting it was links to their other call centers and to whatever other businesses they were running. That’s one of the avenues of research I’m following,” said Mas.

“How can you do that when we don’t even know their names or addresses or anything?”

“I’ve got some shell company names from my first set of searches, when I was trying to get information for you. Companies tend to use the same names or same sorts of names over and over again. I guess it gets hard to remember everything, and it’s not like they can write incriminating stuff down all the time.”

“So ‘Big Bad Wolf and Co.’ becomes ‘Wolf, Big Bad,’” joked Niall.

“More like, ‘Mr. BB Wolf and Sons,’ but yes.”

“Okay. When I’m home alone tomorrow, I’ll reread all the notes I made after you two freed me and see if I can think of any more hints and clues for you. I hate it that other people are being microchipped and brainwashed just because the economy here is in the toilet and they can’t get a decent job.”

* * * *

Several days later, Aurelia was in Ormonde’s office, with spreadsheets and diagrams all over Ormonde’s beautifully polished, mahogany desk. Aurelia suddenly understood that Ormonde was high up in the accounting world, an important person, and once again, she felt a little overwhelmed that the other woman had time to think about her personal needs when huge companies, and CEOs, were likely lined up waiting to visit with her about million-dollar deals.

Ormonde’s razor-sharp brain was very much in evidence. She nodded as Aurelia explained what she’d planned, and Ormonde’s few comments pinpointed accurately items that needed rearranging or fleshing out more.

“That’s really good, Aurelia. I love the way you’ve designed the room with spaces for people to sit and talk in more intimate groups, as well as leaving a big area for dancing and just mingling. I’d forgotten that not everyone is interested in standing up for an hour or more at a time, and not just the very old either. Some people simply feel happier sitting in a small group of two or three.”

Aurelia smiled. “I’ve measured the dimensions of the room pretty carefully. I think the math is good enough. It’s not like it really matters if we have ten chairs too many or too few. Although it would be very annoying if the streamers didn’t reach right across the ceiling. Are you happy with these colors? You said greens, but there are so many different shades.”

“Oh yes. I love the way you have the bottle-green as a background color, and the grass-green and lime-green as highlights. That’s excellent. Kyryl and Damon have been so supportive and loving, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have them both. When some people go their entire lives and never find a person who is really special to them, you and I have hit the jackpot with two each.”

“I know I’m blessed, lucky, fortunate, whatever term you want to use, in my relationships, but I just wish I could get a job. There must be employment out there somewhere. Other people have work. Fair enough, some people hate their job, and others wish they had more pay or better conditions, but I can’t even get a job to hate! Evelyn said if I got a motorbike license, she’d try to help me find some courier jobs, but that’s unfair to her. That’s her living. I’ve been almost tempted to answer one of those Internet ads for inserting advertising on websites. It’s just that Mas would never let me try it. But isn’t there something legal I can do out there!”

Ormonde took Aurelia’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “Something will come up sooner or later, you’ll see. Have you thought any more about putting together a résumé as an event organizer or party planner?”

“Yes I have, but all I’ve done is Trevellyan’s commitment ceremony, and now yours. Two events isn’t really a résumé.”

Ormonde shook her head. “You don’t say it like that. What you do is make a list of the things you’ve done—arranging celebrants and speakers, booking venues, planning and design of the color scheme, the speeches, the flowers, everything. Not event by event, but detail by detail. Every ceremony will be different, but they’ll all want food brought in and served, a sound system, music. Concentrate on that side of things, and you’ll soon have enough points for a decent résumé. Then you need to advertise on some of the party websites. Look at your suppliers. If they don’t have a party planner in their organization, suggest they offer your name and number as an extra service to their customers. It’s a win-win situation. Makes them look more helpful, and may get you some enquiries and even a few jobs. And don’t forget to ask the celebrants the same thing. Again, it makes them look better, as they can refer people to an expert, you.”

“Thank you. I hadn’t thought of it like that at all. It’ll give me something to do when I’m not trolling the employment websites or compiling stupid spreadsheets.”

“Stupid spreadsheets?”

“Oh, it’s just a game I play with myself. Mas and Niall have me keeping records in the hope it’ll lead to work, but it’ll never make enough money.”

“Aurelia, you aren’t making sense. What won’t lead to work or make money?”

Aurelia laughed. “Sorry. I like to follow the financial predictions on TV each day and decide who will go up and who will go down, and so on. Mas noticed I was better than average at it, so he and Niall have had me keeping spreadsheets every day with screenshots of my predictions and what happens over a week or two. Last week, if I’d had a hundred dollars, I’d’ve made sixteen. That’s only two hours’ work as a barista. It’s not going to be a career.”

“Honey, Mas and Niall are right. You might only have a hundred to spend, but there are companies out there with billions. Sixteen percent in a week is way beyond the investment rate they’d usually get.”

“Yes, but companies with billions to invest have teams of financial planners with college degrees, and accountants, and who knows who else to give them advice. They aren’t going to listen to me.”

“Generally speaking, they do have financial teams, but they also subscribe to an e-letter run by a colleague of mine named Talbot. He compiles financial advice and sends it out each week to a very exclusive mailing list. He charges a huge subscription fee, so only the truly wealthy can get it, but his advice is extraordinarily good, which means they pay him happily. Send me copies of all your spreadsheets and screenshots, and also your latest predictions. Let me look at them, and then, if they look as good as they sound, I’ll put him in touch with you.”

“And he’d, like, pay me?”

“He’d offer you a fee to provide your information solely to him. It wouldn’t be enough to retire on, but it would mean some money each week while you build up your new career as an event planner.”

Aurelia sighed, smiled, then jumped up to hug Ormonde. “Thank you. Even if he doesn’t want me, at least I know now that someone might. Thank you for helping me. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have come into contact with you.”

“Same goes, hon. Same goes. I’d never have dreamed I’d be having a commitment ceremony with the two men I love so much before I met you.”

* * * *

Niall and Mas leaned against the wall in the function center, watching the colorful crowd swirl around them. But Mas knew Niall’s gaze, like his, was really following Aurelia as she glided through the groups, nodding to a server here, smiling at a guest there, never still, her gaze everywhere.

“The most beautiful woman in the room,” Niall said softly.

“I agree. But don’t let Kyryl hear you say that.”

“He is built rather like a mountain, isn’t he?” said Niall.

Mas looked across the room to where Ormonde, in a flowing gown of palest cream, stood flanked by Kyryl and Damon. As different as day and night, summer and winter, they stood beside her possessively. Both wore black tuxedos, with cream shirts and embroidered vests, but there the similarity ended. Kyryl was a huge blond man who towered over everyone in the room, his shoulders so broad Mas wondered how he fit in even a first class airplane seat. Aurelia had told him Kyryl travelled to Europe for work every month or so. Mas could only assume he had a private plane. The man’s head would be touching the roof on a regular airline.

Damon was big, too, but big in an ordinary way. Likely six one or two, and all muscle. His hair was black, his skin olive, and his eyes dark. He gave off an aura of danger and naughtiness. Mas was willing to bet half the women in the room wanted him. The other half probably wanted Kyryl. It was no wonder Ormonde hadn’t been able to choose between them and had decided to accept them both.

She was attractive, too, he admitted, but not the kind of woman who appealed to him. Aurelia was the one for whom his cock rose. It was Aurelia he wanted in his arms, in his bed. No one else, not even the intelligent and witty Ormonde.

Mas felt Niall go on alert and quickly looked around the crowd. Was there some danger? Had the former marine sensed a problem? Nothing seemed to have changed. People were sitting or standing in groups, talking, drinking, or nibbling on canapés. It all looked exactly the same as it had five minutes ago to Mas. Then he saw Aurelia. A staggeringly handsome man was standing far too close to her, talking. The man’s gaze was fixed to her face, and she was smiling at him.

Without a word, Mas nodded to Niall, and the two of them made their way between the people to Aurelia. Silently, they settled themselves, one behind each of her shoulders, their attention on the man.

Aurelia leaned back just an inch or so to brush her ass across them both, before turning her head and saying, “Mas, Niall, I want you to meet Peter Blake. He’s a friend of Ormonde’s. His company has just opened a new department, and he’ll be hiring more administration staff.”

Peter nodded at Niall and Mas, but Mas couldn’t trust him. Peter’s eyes, a pale-blue, seemed cold and empty. It sounded crazy, even in his own head, but shouldn’t Peter be happy and smiling at a celebration like today? Of course, people always talked business, and Mas was excited that maybe Aurelia was about to get a job at last. But Peter? No he didn’t like Peter at all. As soon as he got home tonight, he’d check some websites he trusted and find out more about the man.

Also Niall was still stiffly alert. That was a warning sign. The man might be a retired marine, but he hadn’t lost any of his old skills, and Mas was certain Niall didn’t trust Peter Blake any more than he did.

Aurelia chatted a little longer. Peter handed her his card and nodded to both Mas and Niall, then blended back into the party. Aurelia was sparkling with happiness, and Mas really hoped he wasn’t going to have to give her any bad news about Peter or the job.

“He hasn’t promised you a job, sweet,” warned Niall.

“No, but he’s hiring, and Ormonde has recommended me. It’s the closest I’ve been to a real job yet!” She was so happy Mas couldn’t say anything about how he felt to her, so he just smiled gently at her.

“Ye gods! I must get back to check on everything,” she said and hurried away, her deep-red, silk gown rustling as she left. Once again, their clothes were hired. Mas had the feeling the people at the formal wear hire company hoped Aurelia was given many more parties to plan.

He raised an eyebrow at Niall, but Niall was still watching her move around the room, back on duty, smiling, nodding, always supervising the staff, yet never brushing anyone away who approached her.

“She’s damn good at it, isn’t she,” he said.

“Yes she is. But you and I need to talk after she’s asleep tonight.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

* * * *

Aurelia was as drunk as if she’d been sipping champagne all night instead of mineral water. The party had gone off perfectly. Every last detail had fallen into place. The waitstaff had been brilliant, and not so much as a single glass had been broken despite the crowd of several hundred guests.

Ormonde had looked so pretty in her cream gown, and Kyryl and Damon were transparently besotted with her. Their happiness was important to Aurelia. It was their special day, and their pleasure was key to the success of the event.

But no one was as kind, caring, and delicious as her own two men, Niall and Mas. They made her so happy, always ensuring she was cherished and protected. She’d never felt so totally loved before as she did these days. Having two Prince Charmings most certainly doubled the love.

One of the guests had asked her to come and discuss plans for her daughter’s Sweet Sixteen party, and another man had asked her if she arranged parties for senior citizens. So it looked like her event planning business may become a going concern after all. Then there was Mr. Blake and a regular job. Her life was wonderful. Everything she could possibly want was coming true. Not just the two perfect men who she loved with every fiber of her being, but a job, or several jobs, maybe even a career, as well.