Masquerade (12 page)

She nodded towards the TV screen. ‘How fascinating. I’ve heard of teletext but I’ve never seen it before.’

‘I pride myself on being up to date with technology. Knowledge is success.’ His voice sounded amused but the smile was merely polite. ‘Please have a seat.’ He indicated the chair opposite and resumed his own.

Funnily enough, she thought as she sat down facing him, even though Andrés de Calderón had a good deal of presence in his impeccably cut city suit, immaculately starched white shirt and designer tie, somehow he lacked the energetic and bewitching sortilege which Leandro oozed from every pore.

She must have been staring because Andrés was watching her with slight humour in his sooty irises. ‘Well, do I meet with your approval?’ he asked, his lips twitching. Luz felt her cheeks deepen in colour. Telling him that he resembled a gypsy she had met was hardly an appropriate response.

He looked down. ‘Perhaps the suit needs cleaning …’ She was at a loss for words but he put up a hand, coming to her rescue. ‘Don’t take any notice,
señorita
, I say strange things sometimes. I’m told it’s all part of my mercurial character.’

He had taken the words right out of her mouth.

‘And do you agree?’

‘It’s a fair assessment.’ His expression was still one of amusement. She searched for something witty to say, but found herself tonguetied and only managed a sunny smile.

Andrés opened a folder and scanned it briefly. His eyes came back to hers as he handed it over.

‘Our lawyers have drawn up the contract. I hope you will find the terms satisfactory. Please read through it carefully and if there’s anything you don’t agree with, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m always open to discussion, nothing is cast in stone.’ He had reverted
to a businesslike tone, his dark eyes not giving anything away, but he was watching her closely.

‘Before I forget,’ she said, relieved to have an excuse to look down as she opened her briefcase and handed him the invitation to the ball, ‘we have a traditional annual masked ball at El Pavón. I hope that you’ll be able to come.’

His glance held soft mockery, glittering with mischief. ‘A masked ball, hey? What an ingenious idea. Everybody has something to hide and it’s so much easier to have fun when under a false identity, don’t you agree? Though Oscar Wilde, I think it was, said: “Give a man a mask and he will tell you the truth.”’ Again, Andrés’ mouth seemed to be suppressing a laugh. ‘Thank you,
señorita
. If I’m not away on business I will certainly do my utmost to attend your ball.’

Luz smiled uncertainly.
I really don’t get his humour, or is there something wrong with me this morning?
she pondered, a little discouraged.
Best read the contract and get it over with.

‘Good, in that case I’ll just take a minute to look at this,’ said Luz, picking up the folder.

Andrés waved a hand. ‘Please, take all the time you need.’

Luz pored over the document for the next five minutes, aware that Andrés had risen from his chair and moved over to the window, his back to her, hands in pockets. She resisted the urge to look up at him. The contract was pretty straightforward except for one clause, she realized with a disquieting stab. It stipulated that he had the right to decide at a later date whether he would keep the copyright entirely or allow her to share it with him.

Stiffening, she shut the folder and prepared to do battle. She must keep her cool. Considering he had already mentioned assigning the copyright to the author, albeit before he had given her the job, the clause felt insulting, as if she was undeserving of respectful treatment.

‘Well?’ he said, flashing her one of his devastating smiles and returning to his chair. ‘Do we sign?’

She had to restrain herself from giving a straightforward,
no, we don’t.
Instead, she cleared her throat and drew in a steadying breath.

‘I’m sorry, Don Andrés …’

‘Call me Andrés, please,’ he interrupted, unsettling her and causing her to drop the thread of her thoughts.

In a flash she recovered her cool. ‘Please, let me finish,
señor
,’ she said softly. Her tone held a dangerous undercurrent that she was sure did not go unnoticed. ‘I’m a little disappointed to find that your terms imply that you are going to own the copyright of this biography, one which
I
will be writing.’

‘That’s normal,
señorita
. We are the employer, so naturally all rights rest with us.’

For a few moments their eyes locked. Luz was stung into a new belligerence.
The arrogance and cheek of the man!

‘Permit me to contradict you,
señor
. There is a slight misunderstanding here …’ She tried to keep an even tone despite her seething anger. ‘You seem to be under the impression that I am working for your company, when actually I’m a freelance writer to whom Caldezar Corporación, SA is assigning the job of writing this biography. Therefore the copyright, by law, is entirely mine. You have already stated the rights were to be assigned to the author. Are you now going back on that?’

His lips quirked. ‘Did I? I think that would be subject to your probationary period. If you read the contract carefully you will find that this is our arrangement,’ he said coolly.

‘I have read the contract very carefully and that is why I am objecting to its contents,’ she snapped, outraged.

Andrés sighed wearily. ‘You’re making a mountain out of a molehill,
señorita
,’ he went on as he opened an ornate silver cigarette case resting on his desk and offered her one. She declined, gritting her teeth, enraged still more at this new interruption.

‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ he asked.

‘Go ahead, please,’ she said tersely, repressing an irritated gesture.

His jaw tightened. He helped himself to a cigarette and flicked a flame from his lighter, then inhaled deeply before leaning back in his seat to contemplate the glowing tip for a few seconds. His dark eyes rested intently on her.

‘As I was saying,
señorita
, you’re making a big drama over a very small issue. We could go back and forth like this, but of what importance is it who keeps the copyright?’
Why did she get the impression he was trying to make her feel small and petty?

‘The main objective here is to combine our efforts to make this work an
obra maestra
, a masterpiece, one worthy of Eduardo de Salazar’s genius, is it not?’ he ended in a low voice, his eyes studying her flushed, angry face.

‘You don’t understand,
señor
.’ Luz shifted edgily in the large leather chair, trying to keep the cool that her flashing, stormy eyes belied.

‘Oh, but I do,
señorita
, I do. This is a very important issue for your pride.’

‘No, it has nothing to do with pride,’ she cut in. Once more, he was doing a pretty good job of riling her. She had to concede he was better at this game than she was. ‘It has nothing to do with pride,’ she repeated angrily, ‘and everything to do with what is lawful and right. The copyright of this book – if I write it – would be my due.’

‘
If
?’ His lips twisted sardonically.

He was goading her. A voice at the back of her head urged caution. She was on slippery ground; this job was perfect in every way. What if he gave it to someone else? She must swallow her pride and try to put the conversation back on a friendlier footing, make concessions, even if they were to her disadvantage. A lump formed in her throat as anger, hurt and frustration all bubbled up tightly, but she forced herself to ignore his mocking tone.

‘I mean, if we do not come to some sort of agreement that would satisfy both parties,’ she said, looking abruptly away so he could not see the intense emotion in her eyes.

‘You disappoint me. You’re giving up too easily, Luz. Can I call you Luz?’ His tone was now caressingly reprimanding.

The man was hideous. At that moment she loathed him with a passion for all his contemptible mind games, but for Luz this was new territory and her responses were in chaos. First Leandro, now Andrés: her sense of humiliation was increasing layer upon layer, dangerously swaying her equilibrium. She swallowed hard, shrugged and turned back to face him. He had filled a glass with water and was handing it to her, his charcoal eyes staring at her gravely.

Ignoring the offer, Luz smoothed back a stray tendril of hair.

‘You haven’t answered. May I call you Luz? It’s such a beautiful name and it suits your luminous beauty to perfection.’

She blinked, her large blue eyes confounded. So now he was resorting to compliments. What next? There was an intense look about him that made her heart beat a little faster. Was it excitement or fear? She was so close to getting the job and yet so far. Never had a man challenged her in this way and she was torn between fascination and abhorrence.

‘I don’t understand you,’ she said. ‘What is it that you want?’

‘According to Nietzsche, “The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything …”’ He was staring at her, his finger on his mouth, and she had to look away. This was more than she could handle.

‘Maybe if you got off your high horse you would understand me better,’ he continued softly, his voice deep and melodious. She glanced back at him sharply. His eyes were stroking her with a dark, sensuous touch. He was becoming more personal by the minute and she found it deeply disturbing. She shook her head.

Her lips parted to say something, but he was in there before her. ‘Has it not occurred to you that this discussion may be part of the examination?’

She frowned. ‘What examination? I thought I’d finished with examinations!’ Her voice was tight, her sapphire eyes reverting to steel grey as tension mounted inside her.

He nodded and met her frozen expression. ‘Don’t I have a right to make sure that you’re serious about this assignment? That, no
matter what disagreement we might have in the future, under no circumstance whatsoever will you walk away from this job?’ He gestured with his hand and continued to look at her steadily. ‘I need unconditional commitment, nothing less. You’re intelligent and, I’m sure, very skilled in your field, but also quite impulsive, as you proved with your first job.’

Now that was the last straw. His condescending tone incensed her. Luz glared at him, her stormy eyes colliding with his cool arrogant look.

‘How dare you patronize me! I have a good mind to …’

‘Yes?’ His dark eyebrows lifted quizzically.

He’s decided what you’re like. Don’t give him the satisfaction of proving him right
, the voice of reason advised, but she wasn’t listening.

‘Are you threatening me? Do you want me to resign before even starting?’

‘Not at all, on the contrary. You are deliberately misunderstanding me, Luz. I needed to see just how impetuous you could be. Your passion is your strength, but also your weakness. You are so busy lashing out that you’re entirely missing the point. Actually, my greatest wish is that we join forces to honour and immortalize the works and the name of a great artist.’ He put his hand on his heart, his dark gaze glued to her face. ‘Luz, I really feel deep in here that we would make a formidable partnership.’

‘You have a funny way of showing it,’ she said sceptically.

He smiled ruefully. ‘If you had more trust in your worth, and your instincts, you would have seen through this little ruse.’ A strange expression flashed in those dark chocolate eyes or was it her imagination? He opened a drawer and took out a folder similar to the one she still held. ‘Just to prove I’m not lying to you, have a look at this.’

She eyed him mutinously and took the file from his hand. Still trembling inside, she quickly flipped through the contents and then looked up. The copyright in this contract was clearly assigned to her.

‘I resent being toyed with,’ she told him icily.

‘Who doesn’t? I apologize. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes necessary to use disagreeable means to get to the bottom of things. Did you really think we are so unprofessional that we would deliberately change the terms of an agreement?’ There was a shadow of reproach in his tone.

This man was the limit
– he really had the knack of antagonizing her.

‘And do you find it professional to expressly mislead a person, especially when you’re in a position of power?’ she replied contemptuously. ‘Are those honourable tactics as far as you’re concerned? Personally, I think it is rather unsavoury and I don’t care for it one bit,’ she ended, lightning flashing dangerously from her eyes.

To her surprise, he was silent. His face had become very serious, impassive, like a statue of a Roman god that she had once seen in the Prado, fierce in its dangerous, masculine beauty. The intensity of his gaze made her heart thunder mercilessly.
I’ve blown it,
she thought, sudden panic rushing through her.
He’s going to throw me out.
Suddenly she wished she had swallowed that last retort. She looked at him blankly.

Andrés wrenched a sigh deep from his chest and something in his expression flickered. He looked genuinely troubled, anxious even.

‘Luz …’ Her name had never been so tenderly uttered. ‘Luz, I’m sorry. You’re right, it was not an honourable way to approach things. Perhaps … I went a little too far,’ he murmured, rubbing his finger across his chin as he gazed at her. ‘Could we start again, do you think?’

His tone was deep and soft; his eyes caught hers in a dark, compelling search for a response. Once more this man was wielding his power over her, whether he knew it or not, and the spell was working. She sat like a statue, staring into those midnight eyes.

Then, very subtly, Andrés recovered himself. ‘Well?’ he said at last. ‘Friend or foe?’

Without a word she opened the second folder, signed her name at the bottom of the document and gave the contract back to him. She was defeated.

He walked around the desk and passed her a duplicate, one he had already signed. As she stood up to take it from him, he swiftly caught her hand and lifted it to his lips. ‘Thank you,’ he murmured, gazing down at her. ‘I promise you won’t regret it.’