Cole drove as fast as he could to the direction of the hotel where the presentation was to hold. His phone rang and he immediately picked without looking at the caller’s ID. “Hello,” he said, as the call connected with his car.
“Cole, what the fuck are you doing at a hotel?” Liam’s voice boomed through the speakers.
Cole ran his fingers in his hair frantically as he kept driving. “Liam, I can’t explain right now. I’ll call you back, okay?”
“You better. You have a lot of explaining to do,” Liam replied and dropped the call.
Cole was thinking of how he would murder Shantel if he lost this multibillion dollar deal.
He finally got to the hotel. He was in a disheveled state. He was not properly dressed for the presentation. He practically rushed into the hotel and taking the elevator, he headed for the conference room floor.
He got to the floor and saw his team coming out of the conference room with Greg . They looked at him bewildered.
“Alpha,” they curtsied.
“Where the heck have you been?” Greg demanded.
“There’s no time to ask questions, where are the investors?” Cole asked.
“Gone. They couldn’t wait anymore and the team couldn’t hold them back any longer,” Greg replied, annoyed.
“Fuck!” He grunted as he took out his phone and dialed the number of one of the investors.
“Mr Josh,” he said as soon as the old man picked.
“Cole, you disappointed me. I was swayed by the first draft you and your company staffs presented, and eagerly waiting for the final presentation, you were nowhere to be found,”
“Believe me, mr Josh, I had no intention of keeping you waiting. Something came up and I must admit it was all my fault. I would be very honored if your team and the other investors give me another chance to prove my company’s worth,” Cole said.
“I’m down for another meeting, Cole. But, it would take more than just me to convince the other investors. Let me know if you get in contact with them and another date is fixed,” mr Josh said and the call ended.
Cole began to call the other investors and with his persuasiveness and the reason why he had remained top in commercial real estate business, he convinced them into setting another meeting for the next day.
With all that done, he turned to his team. “Prepare for another meeting tomorrow,” he said and they nodded. “You may leave,” he added and they walked away.
“Care to tell me what happened? You just disappeared. I had to tell Liam to track you down,” Greg said.
So, that’s how he found out, Cole thought. “I don’t even know what happened. I was just having drinks with Shantel and the last thing I remembered was driving home. Then I woke up this morning and found myself in an hotel,” he explained.
“Shantel?” Greg was surprised and Cole was distraught.
“You and I know very much how she has tried to ruin you since you left her and yet you made this mistake?”
“I know, I know. I’m at fault. Believe me, I’m regretting it all now,” Cole groaned.
“Amy has been calling. I ignored all her calls because I didn’t know what to say and I didn’t want her to worry,” Greg said, and he was immediately reminded of Amy that he hadn’t reached out to her yet.
“Hell, I haven’t called her yet,”
“You should. She’s worried,” Greg replied and with that he walked away.
Cole took out his phone and dialed Amy’s number. She picked at the first ring.
“Hey,” was the only thing he managed to say. His voice was ragged.
“Cole, where have you been? I’ve been worried sick. No one was taking my calls and no one seems to have heard from you,” she said in one breath, worriedly.
He sighed. He didn’t know what to tell her and he didn’t want to tell her he went out with Shantel when in the first place he shouldn’t even be seen with her.
“Um, I kept my phone off so I could focus on the presentation,” he decided to lie.
“And you couldn’t give me a notice before then?” She asked.
“I called you last night to let you know I would not be able to communicate with you last night till today,” he lied and the more he lied, the more it came out freely from his mouth. His earlier calls that she didn’t pick before he went out with Shantel was his saving grace.
“Oh, okay. I was with Tris and my phone was in the room so I couldn’t take your calls. But, why didn’t Greg pick?” She asked.
“His phone was on silent and we were having the presentation already,” he said gullibly.
Everything sounded perfectly well to her, so she believed. “I’m glad you’re safe. Is the presentation over? Are you still coming home today?” She asked.
He raked his hair with his fingers. “Uhm, I’m sorry, babe, but there’s a little change of plans,” he said.
Amy narrowed her eyes in front of her laptop screen. “What change of plans?” She asked.
“The investors were not fully convinced with today’s presentation and has decided to schedule another for tomorrow morning,” he lied again.
“So, you’re not coming till tomorrow?” She asked.
“Yeah,” he literally breath the word out.
She sighed. “I guess I can wait another one day too,”
He sighed in relief. “Thanks, love. I’ll make it up to you once I get back,” he said.
“You better,” she said with a little chuckle. “I love you,” She added.
“I love you too,” he replied in a rasp voice. Guilt was killing him.
Amy noticed he sounded off, but brushed it aside as she believed it was due to the stress s of the presentation taking a toll on him.
“What about tris?” He asked.
“He’s fine. He’s been asking of you,” she replied.
“Tell him I’ll be home soon,”
“Definitely. He’s anticipating your return,”
“I know. Call me when you get off work,” he said.
“I will,” she replied and the call ended.
Cole sighed deeply. There was no way he could have told these lies in front of Amy. He couldn’t look straight in her eyes and tell lies as gullible as this. His mind pricked him, letting him know he had just taken a dangerous path.
•
“Are you finally ready to talk?” Liam said into the phone as he poured himself a glass of water. He was home already from work.
Cole sighed. They were on a video call. “I really don’t know how to explain,”
“Start from anywhere,” Liam said before gulping down the water.
“Shantel came to New York,”
Liam paused in surprise as he stared at Cole. “For real?” He asked.
“Yeah,” Cole nodded. “She persuaded me to have one last drink with her for old times sake and I stupidly gave in. Only for me to wake up the next morning in bed with her,” he explained.
“Holy fuck,” Liam exclaimed. “Did you…” he asked and Cole knew what he was talking about.
“I don’t remember anything, but I’m sure I did not. That bitch just wants to ruin my life,” he groaned.
Liam sighed. “You shouldn’t have gone out with her, only the moon goddess knows what she has up her sleeves,”
“How was I to know that she would pull such a stunt. Hell, she’s capable of so many things and I just wasn’t thinking at that moment,” Cole replied.
“Does Amy know?” Liam asked.
“She mustn’t know,” Cole replied.
~~~~~~~
Amy got out of the shower and got dressed up. She picked up her phone to call Cole when a message from an unknown number popped in.
“I’m sure he told you that he wouldn’t be coming back home today because he’s not done with his presentation, but I’m sorry to announce, baby girl, he lied,” the message read.
Amy narrowed her eyes at her screen. “Who’s this?” She typed and sent.
The message delivered and immediately photos and videos popped up. She opened it and her heart stopped.
Before her was Cole and Shantel naked in bed and the video, Shantel was moaning hard as she rode on Cole.
The phone fell from her hands as it seems as if her breath had seized.