Business Deal

Chapter 3 - Will she? Won't she?

Minutes after he'd left Melissa was still sat staring at the door he'd closed behind him and it seemed like hours. She was trying to work out all that had happened, all that Liam had said. There was no other explanation for the way he'd looked her up and down, as good as stripped her naked. That was when he'd made those suggestions.  

How could she possibly give in to this man? She knew he wanted all of her, every piece of her in ultimate humiliation as some form of retribution. He didn't get to where he was today without being ruthless, but she'd believed he had more morals, more scruples than that. Taking that into account, she also knew that she'd already reached rock bottom. He couldn't make her feel any worse than she already did, but it didn't mean she was going to sell herself as she had with all her other possessions to recover the debt she'd created. She could lose everything, but she couldn't lose her integrity, that was all she really had left.

The door bell brought her back to reality, not sure if she could face round two with him she reluctantly headed back down the stairs.

"Lettie!" She exclaimed as she spotted the frizzy blond hair and colourful clothing that were the trademark of her friend. They were more sisters than friends, and she'd never been so glad to see someone. "You have no idea how good it is to see you!"

Lettie smiled as she was enveloped in Melissa's over enthusiastic embrace, then she noticed the desperation in her best friends' actions and words. They'd been friends for years, and Lettie had been her confidante for such a long time. Where Melissa was sensible, diligent and eternally loyal, Lettie was off the wall, and spontaneous, highly strung to Melissa's calmness. They were the most unlikely of friends, but since the moment they'd been allocated adjacent seats in French class at the age of thirteen they'd been inseparable. Lettie was the only person that Melissa truly trusted. 

"What is it? What's happened, have you sorted things out? Did he want to buy you out?"

Melissa led her friend up to the lounge and they sat together on the sofa, then took a deep breath. "Liam Hart was here earlier."

Lettie smiled with relief, "that's good! So is he going to help you out? Hopefully this whole mess will be over!" But there wasn't that same offloading of responsibility in Melissa's eyes that she wished for.

Melissa shrugged, "there are certain conditions..."

"I don't like the sound of this."

Melissa stood and started to pace, wringing her hands out nervously, the thought of actually verbalising his suggestion made her feel sick. "If I go to New York with him for a week to smooth things out over there, he'll save the company and keep its structure."

Sighing with relief, Lettie started to smile, "That sounds......fair? He's hardly ugly and you said he's a nice enough bloke. It won't be hard to accompany him to a few dinners or meetings. Job done!"

Melissa shook her head, "You don't get anything for nothing Let, you know that! He's doing this as some sort of retribution, he's got a plan to make me pay for something...I don't know what, other than the one single mistake I made. If I go with him then...." She lowered her eyes unable to verbalise his request that she almost prostitute herself. 

"You'll have to sleep with him?" Melissa should've known her friend would know exactly what she meant, Lettie jumped to her feet, anger and rage overpowering her. 

Resigned, she shrugged her shoulders, "amongst other things I'm sure. He wants revenge and I think humiliating me is the way forward."

Lettie shook her head, "you CANNOT do this Liss. Not after everything else! You are on the edge already, you won't cope with this. Not after Ryan, there's no way you can even think about it. All of this is Ryan's fault and yet you insist on carrying the blame and the guilt." She started to pace the room.