~ Can't Buy My Love ~
by Katia N. Ruiz
passionatetyger@aol.com
Copyright 2004
Disclaimers: see part one.
THIS IS A LITTLE OF WHAT WENT ON LAST WEEK…
I want her so much, She thought, sighing in frustration. She may feel something back, but she hates me. As long as she hates me, I'll never have a chance. Slowly, an idea hit her between the eyes. All I have to do is be nice to her, get her to stop hating me, and then I can have her. A smile grew slowly on her face, as her idea took shape. Once I have her, I can be myself again.
Chapter Thirteen
That had to be the biggest mistake of my life. Kat thought miserably, looking herself over in the mirror. There were dark bruises all over her shoulders, chest and thighs, evidence of the passion unexpectedly released the night before. Mary had left at daybreak to sneak back to her room, her eyes promising that there would be more of that. While her body delighted at the promise of an encore wild sex like what she'd experienced, her Kat was determined that it would definitely not happen again. The thought of no sex bothered her despite her determination.
It had been two months since Annie, and she hadn't had any physical contact with anyone. She had a healthy sexual appetite and she was always happy to satisfy it. She wasn't addicted though; when she was celibate, her body didn't urge her for sex. But Oksana, with the sexiness of her body, and the raw sexuality of her personality, made it very hard for her to control her baser instincts.
That was the reason she'd been avoiding the other woman. Yesterday's experience with Oksana, at the pool, proved to her that it was a good idea to stay as far away from Oksana as possible. But the desire she felt simmering just beneath the surface left her in a vulnerable position, and Mary, whose personality she detested, had seemed the perfect outlet at the time. At the time...
Shit, what if she tells my mother? She thought miserably. She knew her parents weren't homophobes, but Kat knew of the most open-minded parents who turned into the most right-leaning bigots when their children came out of the closet. It was always different when it was someone else's child.
Nationally, things had changed for the better when the Clintons returned to the White House in two thousand twelve, Hillary at the helm. When the "Equal Marriage Rights" Amendment had miraculously passed an evenly split Senate and House, the president had quickly signed the law into effect. She ignored the more rabid critics and eventually, when she was reelected for a second term, the furor died down. Gay marriage stopped being an issue then.
Kat still worried, though, and she would always worry, until the time came when she was ready to tell her parents. And that would be never!
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"You're starting Monday." Oskar announced.
Oksana's head snapped up from her plate, her eyes panicked. "But papa-"
"No more buts, Oksana," He said firmly, and watched her sigh and nod, her eyebrows furrowed. "You will see how ready you are when you take the helm." He reassured her. "I will be there to help you, but at some point, your grandmother and I will go on a much needed vacation."
Nadya's face showed her delight and surprise at his news. They smiled at one another, lovingly making eye contact. "That is great news, darling." She said softly.
Oksana pushed her chair back. "Excuse me, but before you start making plans for your vacation, would you mind telling me what I'm going to do while you're gone?" She could hear her voice rising, and she was aware that her nostrils were flaring.
"You're going to run Ivanov." Oskar said simply.
"A week though? Are you absolutely sure?" Oksana looked down at a clattering sound. It was her hands, holding her fork and knife, trembling against her breakfast plate. She dropped the silver down, pushing her hands through her hair.
"I signed the papers a week ago." Oskar said, smiling. "You're now officially the CEO of Ivanov."
Shit. My life is truly over. There's no turning back now. The suffocating feeling she'd been fighting for months was back.
"And while we are talking about this," Oskar said, pausing to sip from his tea. "Your wardrobe needs a big change. Jeans and T-shirts will not do anymore. I have a person I want you to see; her name is Camellia Rojas. She makes suits for just about everyone in Sanford. I somehow doubt that you'll want to wear skirts and things of the like, so I'll be sending you to her. I will make the appointment for tomorrow at eleven."
Oksana had stopped listening once he said the name. She'd slept with Camellia more than once, and it hadn't ended pretty. "Papa, I don't think that's a good idea…"
Oskar's eyes darkened as his eyebrows lowered. "If you think I do not know that you shared a bed with her, then you underestimate me." He said darkly and watched her cringe. "You will go see her, and you will make amends, but you will not restart your dalliance with her." He finished his tea, studying her over the rim. "A haircut is appropriate also."
"Nope," Oksana said instantly, shaking her head quickly. Not my curls too.
"Those angelic curls will not go over well in the office, you need a style that is more grown up." Oskar said slowly, again firm. "There is talk, and many think that you should not be in a position of so much power. If you show up looking like a child, they will not respect you at all-"
"Who?" Oksana demanded with a frown.
"I will not say," Oskar replied, fighting a smile. All he had to do was mention what other people thought and she got that determined look on her face; it never failed. For someone who never really cared about what other people thought of her actions, her feathers got ruffled at the mere suggestion that someone thought she couldn't do something. "You need to have a haircut."
"Papa," Oksana said pleadingly. "Can't we agree on something-"
"For goodness sakes, Oksana, you will not have to shave it all off!" Oskar snapped, shaking his head at her. "I made the appointment for tomorrow," He watched Oksana's face change into a pout, even while she tried not to. "I'm going with you." He said with finality. "Now, finish up, you have some papers to sign with me later."
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Kat smiled at Domingo as he entered her office. Her smile faded when she noticed the strange expression on his face. She wondered what was wrong. In the two months since she'd started at Ivanov, she and Domingo had developed a good friendship even though they didn't spend time together outside the office. He was a sweet guy and when she skipped lunch to work extra time, he always took care to bring her something to eat, a big smile on his face. He wasn't smiling now, and it worried her.
"What's going on?" Kat asked, gesturing him to the guest chair across from her desk. She took him as a barometer of the mood in the company, and she wondered if there was something going on that she didn't know about.
Domingo settled his huge girth down on the chair, clasping his hands on his lap. He informed her of the latest news. "They just began changing the name on Mr. Ivanov's office door."
Kat's eyebrows rose. "It's sooner than I thought." She said. She had known that Oskar had been in the process of signing documents that transferred power over Ivanov Enterprises over to Oksana, but she hadn't known that he would be finished with the process so quickly. This also meant that he signed half of his vast billion-dollar fortune over to his granddaughter. She whistled softly. She's richer than the Bushes now.
Domingo watched her reaction to the news. She seemed as surprised as he was, which meant that she hadn't known how far along Oksana's training was. "Mr. Ivanov set up an appointment with me first thing Monday morning. I have to say I'm a little worried."
"There's no reason to be worried, I'm sure." Kat reassured him, while wondering what was going on.
"I don't know," He fretted. "I haven't been in a meeting with him in the five years I've been here."
"It wouldn't do for me to ask him, you know that, right?" Kat asked, leaning forward.
He chuckled softly, waving the question away. "I wouldn't put you in that position, Kat. I'm a fretter, don't mind me." He said.
Kat smiled at him, nodding. "Okay, just take it easy." She said. She leaned back on her chair and let her eyes roam her large desk. There was an organized chaos to her paperwork, and she had to get back to it before she lost her thread. "Now, I have to get back to this." She said, grinning. "I'm almost done with this, and I want to go home at a reasonable hour. Let's get together for lunch tomorrow, okay?"
Domingo nodded, standing up and smiling back at her. "Alright, same place?"
Kat nodded, picking up her pen. "Same time." She said, her attention returning to her paperwork.
He waved at her as he walked out, closing the door softly.
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Oksana was walking the second floor hallways of her grandfather's house, her eyes roaming the walls and floors. She felt as if she'd never really looked at the beautiful house, as if she were looking at it with new eyes. I'm a stranger here, always was. As a child, before her parents died, she had visited the large house many times; she and her father had spent a lot time with Oskar. Oksana, whose young intelligent mind had been aware of so many things, sensed even then that Owen Ivanov was destined to step into his father's shoes. She had felt like she belonged then, but that had been a lifetime ago, and she had been wrong.
She stopped walking, closing her eyes tightly. "I'll never be able to fill your shows, dad. Never." She whispered tightly, clenching her fists in her pockets. "I've never been able to. Not to him." She resumed her slow walk through the halls, thinking hard.
After Owen and her mother had died, Oksana had been withdrawn, but Oskar had been worse. Oksana had vivid memories of returning to Ivanov Estate for good, her grandfather absent when her grandmother had brought her home. Oksana had finally seen him many days later, at the breakfast table, and he hadn't looked at her once. Oksana's little heart had been broken then, and she'd concluded that he blamed her for her parents' death. Oskar had adored her when Owen was alive, but after he was gone, he could hardly look at her.
She had completely withdrawn from him by the time she was thirteen, but by then, he had grown very close to Ekaterina. Oksana always pretended that she did not care, but the pain was there, and she resented Ekaterina. When her teachers contacted Oskar about her increasingly rebellious behavior and suspiciously excellent grades, she had barely acknowledged his demanding questions; it had been to late to become her grandfather. She had only gone to college because her father had wanted it, and he'd said so in his will.
Oksana sighed sadly, trying to veer her thoughts away from college. She had fallen in love then, and what had been left of her heart had been broken, along with her conscience. She had returned to Sanford with the libido of a maniac and proceeded to sleep with any woman who wanted it. Mary had it right when she called me "the slut of Sanford." That's exactly what I am. She thought bitterly, clenching her jaw against the pain of truth.
She looked around, surprised to find herself in the east wing of the house, standing in front of her father's bedroom. She stared at the door for a long time, clenching her jaw against the temptation to enter the room she'd never seen. She finally stepped forward, her hand grasping the doorknob. Locked. She stepped back, sighing softly. She wasn't sure if she was relieved. She didn't think she was ready to see her father's old room.
"Oksana."
The gentle voice startled Oksana out of her thoughts. She spun around to find Yuliya gazing at her from a few feet away. She swallowed hard, hoping that Yuliya would not talk about what she saw. "What is it?" She managed through a suddenly dry throat.
"Lunch is ready," Yuliya said slowly, her eyes flashing from Oksana to the door and back. Yuliya was very surprised to find Oksana standing in front of her father's old bedroom door, her hand on the knob. She was on the verge of saying something about it when she caught the look in Oksana's eyes. They begged her to drop the subject, and she suddenly felt sorry for the young child she'd helplessly watched grow into an adult that few people liked, much less respected.
Oskar Ivanov had almost been too late when he'd decided that Oksana had to change her ways.
(NOTE: Remember, this is a first draft, and I'm posting as I go, so if something doesn't jive or it seems a little awkward, bear with me. I'm going back to fix things. Now, if you see something, point it out to me anyway.)
TO BE CONTINUED…
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