Hidden Heart (5 page)

Be with her
daughters.

The cab’s door opened and
Ana stepped inside.

“
Hi, Mama.”

“
Hi, Tessa,” Ana said, a
weak smile on her face. She placed a soft kiss on her daughter’s
cheek and patted her hand. “I was afraid the weather would make it
impossible to go. I am so excited to do this again.”

“
Don’t worry, Mama. We’ll
be there on time.” Tessa squeezed Ana’s gloved hand and snuggled
close to her.

The taxi took off and
thirty-five minutes later pulled in front of the National Theatre,
a grand and opulent building close to the University Square. The
building seemed even more impressive with the reflectors lighting
its tall columns, a massive entry and multi-leveled round
windows.

The cold winter air
engulfed them as they walked up the wide stairs leading to the
theater.

Ana needed a small break to
catch her breath; she seemed dizzy for a moment, but her daughter’s
arm held her firmly. They began to walk again, slower.

“
Don’t strain yourself,
Mama. We still have plenty time,” Tessa said,
reassuringly.

Once inside, they left
their heavy coats at the coat check. The place looked packed with
people waiting in line to leave their winter coats, walking slowly
to their seats or just chatting in the massive entrance.

“
You look beautiful
tonight, Mama.”

Ana wore a black velvet
scarf twisted around her baldhead, delicate golden earrings and
matching necklace and bracelet. A long, dark green dress swathed
her petite but gracious body.

“
You’re too nice, Tessa
dear, but I accept your compliment. It’s been a long time since I
got one,” Ana said as mother and daughter took their seats in the
middle of the room, second row from the stage.

“
Don Quixote” lasted for
almost an hour and a half. They laughed and applauded; they cried
and applauded; and then they applauded some more as some of the
finest actors and actresses revealed their talent and charisma.
Throughout the play, they forgot about the world, pain and
suffering; it was replaced with hope, love and passion.

“
Thank you for a wonderful
evening, Tessa,” her mama said as they entered Ana’s house. “It was
magnificent, as always.”

“
It was one of the best
I’ve seen. I’m glad you felt up to it.”

Tessa made two cups of
lemon tea, took a box of cookies from the pantry and joined her
mama in the living room.

“
So, now that we are here,
why don’t you tell me what the doctors said?”

“
Why on earth would I start
talking about such things after a wonderful night?” Ana took a
small sip from her tea then nibbled at a ginger cookie, savoring
its aroma. “For once in a long time, I just want to ignore being
sick. Please, Tessa.”

Ana stood then walked into
her bedroom only to return seconds later with a small package in
her fragile hand.

“
For you. Christmas is long
gone, but I had to wait to get this present for you.”

Tessa took it, tore the
gift paper off and exclaimed, “Oh my God, where did you get it?
Mama, you can’t afford to buy me
this
!”

Chapter 2

Spring
found Tessa ready to close the land acquisition. The long
cruel days of negotiations with the farmers were over, the dates
for the transactions set and the entire team anxious to end the
deal. If only the money would soon be transferred into the
company’s account.

If all worked out well, in
ten days she’d sign the last contract and she could celebrate. With
her considerable bonus
she had made an
offer on her favorite cabin up in the mountains that was for
sale.
That would be one of her best
investments. She’d rent it for eleven months out of the year and
keep it for herself for two weeks over the summer and two weeks
over the winter. Down the road, after the investment paid off,
she’d transform it in to her vacation house, her haven of peace,
away from the tumultuous city, among sky-tall mountains and green
grass that touched the horizon. She’d take her mama and Daniel and
her friends. She daydreamed of the way she’d spend her time
there.

She had also been busy
traveling all over Europe to find investors for the new development
the company planned with the land purchase. Sometimes Victor
traveled with her, sometimes he sent her alone. He told her,
investors are likely to pay more attention to her talking rather to
an old man like him. The feedback from her trips alone versus
accompanied by him exceeded in positive results, so soon he let her
handle all potential investors.

Three projects were heavily
discussed. Once the land acquisition ended, the terrain would be
divided to form three different complexes: a commercial park, a
residential park and a business center. Foreign investors were
drawn to the potential profit the projects would bring in and the
planning and architectural departments worked almost non-stop to
provide blueprints, charts and presentations.

Tessa dropped a box of
doughnuts and a cup of coffee on her assistant’s desk, smiled at
her and walked towards her office.

“
Mmm, tasty, thanks, boss,”
Eva said, her mouth full already.

“
They are not all yours,
dear. Call the girls in the other offices, too.”

Minutes later Eva brought a
cup of green tea and a magazine with a financial profile. She
pointed to the third page to Tessa’s interview she gave a week
ago.

“
Did you know that this is
the biggest land transaction ever made since the communistic regime
failed?” Eva walked back to her desk without waiting for Tessa’s
answer, grabbed another doughnut and a pad and returned to her
boss’ office. She hopped on Tessa’s desk and between bites she
said, “Okay... I reserved the ‘Grand Ball Room’, chose the menu and
ordered the flower bouquets for the tables. I’m waiting on the band
to confirm the date.” Eva licked her fingers, then read from her
notes, “I instructed our chauffeurs to pick up the
hotties
at the airport
and gave each one of them the arrival times and who picks
whom.”

“
When you say
hotties
, you refer to our
upper-level management who probably would have a heart-attack
knowing what you call them. And for your own good I recommend you
do not call them that when they are around. Remember everyone
speaks English and more important, they are all married. How many
times do I have to tell you that?” Tessa sighed and shook her head.
One day, her assistant would get in trouble for the way she
talked.

Eva rolled her eyes and
mimicked her boss. “I have two TV channels coming to film during
the reception; I had to promise them you’ll give an
interview.”

Tessa made a grimace, but
she kept reading the article. She’d been in front of the cameras
before, but it always made her nervous. Maybe she’d convince Victor
to do the interview.

“
You do realize that we are
planning a reception and a major TV appearance, but what if our CEO
doesn’t get the cash for the transactions?”

“
Think positive and don’t
jinx it. They said they will and in the ten years I’ve worked for
this company, they’ve never made a promise and not kept it.” Tessa
finished the article and sipped from her teacup.

“
If you say so. Anyway, I
also got your ticket for Italy for your friend’s wedding. The agent
called and said the cabin’s owner accepted your offer and he’ll
move out in two weeks after the sales contract is
signed.”

“
He did? Really? He said he
accepts my offer?”

Tessa stood so fast, she
almost knocked her laptop off her desk. Eva flinched and leaned
backwards, but Tessa shook her shoulders pulling her to her feet
and forcing her to bounce up and down.

“
Oh my God, I’m so
happy!”

Their happy giggling and
dancing around the office stopped the instant Victor swung the door
open.

“
What’s there to laugh
about? You girls acting silly at work?”

“
I got it, Victor, I got
it!” She spread her arms wide in the air and made a
pirouette.

“
What in the world are you
talking about?”

Tessa walked to him and
caught his face between her palms and compressed his cheeks until
his lips wrinkled.

“
My house, my vacation
house. I bought it; the owner accepted my price. The minute the
last farmer signs off his land, I’ll be driving like a maniac to
take over my kingdom.”

“
Kiddo, I’m happy for you.”
Victor, visibly embarrassed by that display of affection, removed
her palms off his face, re-arranged his tie and cleared his throat.
“Now, stop daydreaming and let’s get to business.”

Eva stood paralyzed like a
statue in the middle of the room, a look of fear on her face, while
Tessa smoothed her silk blouse and pencil skirt, walked back to her
desk and sat in her leather chair.

“
Eva, please leave us,”
Tessa winked and smiled reassuringly at her assistant. After Eva
left, Victor closed the door and came to face Tessa.

“
We have the money, kiddo.
Let the party begin!”

***

“
What do you mean, the
sales contracts are damaged?”

Tessa stopped typing and
grabbed the phone with both hands. She called the notary right
after Victor left her office. She wanted to inform her that they
had the money and discuss the last details for the transactions to
go effortless.

“
I’m so very sorry, Ms.
Cosma. My secretary left them in a binder on her desk and the
office above ours flooded and water leaked through the ceiling.
When we came this morning we found the documents soaked. I’m so
very sorry.” The notary’s pitched voice seemed so far
away.

Tessa’s day turned in to a
nightmare. It started with two bits of good news—the cabin’s owner
accepted her offer and the money being transferred in to the
company’s account—what happened with the rule of three?

She needed to find a
solution.

Fast.

“
I assume you kept a copy
of all of them, in your computer I mean.”

“
Oh, yes luckily I did,”
the notary replied immediately. “I already have my assistant
printing them as we speak. All I need is you to come to my office
and sign them. It would take less than the first time, since you
know the context of each one of them. You don’t need to read them
again.”

Tessa closed her eyes and
clenched her jaw. It seemed wrong to sign the documents without
reading them once again. But she had no time to lose. Tomorrow at
ten in the morning, fifty farmers would arrive at the notary’s
office to sign off their land and receive the cash. She’d stop at
the bank first to get the cash then she’d be in the office
supervising the exchange.

“
I’ll be there in half an
hour.” She hung up and stormed out of her office.

***

The crystal chandeliers
spread a bright light and the
Grand Ball
Room
looked impressive with all the
elegance and glamour brought in by the crème de la crème in
Bucharest. Even the Prime Minister mingled with foreign and local
entrepreneurs and investors. More photographers flashed their
cameras than Eva initially invited. Men in sharp tuxedos and women
in magnificent dresses adorned the very floors where the fabulous
night would unfold.

Two days ago, the last
proprietor signed over his land and
Titan
Project Development
became the official
owner of such an expanded terrain. A door had closed, and others
just opened. Future deals were discussed over a glass of champagne,
business cards exchanged and handshakes sealed profitable
commercial agreements.

There were round tables
scattered around the room forming a semicircle. Starched white
linens covered each table, a colorful floral arrangement placed in
the middle and name tags in front of each chair designated where
each person would sit. The large glass windows were covered with
heavy beige drapes. In the middle of the room lay a raised wooden
dance floor and right across from it played a local jazz band known
for their fine music. Stationed on the west side of the grand room
was a buffet where people could sample a variety of traditional
Romanian specialties. On the opposite side four bartenders quenched
the guests’ thirst with an ensemble of world-renowned Romanian
wines as well as other beverages from around the world.

“
Well done, Eva. Great
planning, great outcome.” Tessa hugged her assistant. Then in a
whispering voice, she said, “A bird told me, there is a list of
bonuses to be given out and you are among the first ten people in
our company to get it. You are the best!”

“
You serious?” Eva’s face
lit up with a radiant smile. “How much, tell me how
much?”

“
Hush, don’t speak so
loud,” Tessa tried to calm her. “I don’t know the amount, I just
know it’s substantial. Now stop yelling before everyone in this
room hears you!”