Pulse 3 (Pulse Series) (5 page)

“
Would you like something to drink?”

“
No, sir. I’m fine.”

“
Are you nervous?”

“
N-no. Not at all.”

Martin Green spoke with a low, stern voice. He had an air about him that made me nervous around him. The words came out of his mouth like there were years of experience behind them. Despite his white hair and his wrinkled skin, I could almost sense a stre
ngth within him. He commanded a certain type of respect, even though I couldn’t put my finger on why. He looked like a man who was more than capable of being in charge of a company like this.

“
I don’t suppose you know what this is about,” he said to me.

“
No, sir.”

“
No, of course you don’t. Why would you? You’ve been bumped down to a position more appropriate for an intern like yourself. All of the things you dealt with before are no longer your concern. However…”

He paused for a moment. I could see him think
ing about what to say next, his fingers stroking his chin as he stared at me. He then leaned forward in his seat and placed his arms upon his desk.

“
How is Rafael doing these days?” he asked.

“
Rafael? He’s well. He’s doing very well, I think.”

“
How often do you see him, Alice?”

“
A few times a week.”

“
And in your meetings with him, has his demeanor changed from when you first… had a relationship with him?”

I wasn
’t sure what Martin was getting at. I wasn’t about to spill the intimate details about our relationship. But I figured as long as he wasn’t asking for anything specific, I could be as vague as possible.

“
Nothing has changed,” I said as I shook my head. “He’s still the same man I believed he was.”

“
Yes, I figured. I’m not surprised.”

Martin leaned back in his chair, seemingly more relaxed than he was just a few moments ago.

“To be honest with you, Alice… I was worried about Rafael. A young man who was freed from the burden of running this company was liable to do anything. Especially when he had a billion dollars in the bank. But I haven’t heard so much as a peep out of him. His name hasn’t been in the tabloids. The media is finding little to complain about. A picture or two pops up here and there. But it’s nothing embarrassing. And more importantly, it’s nothing that would shame this company. He’s managed to live a life that hasn’t affected the reputation of Barnett Industries.”

Martin pressed his fingertips together as he thought about what to say next. It was true that Rafael managed
to keep his name out of the spotlight. He spent most of his free time secluded in the penthouse suite I usually saw him in. I didn’t know if it was intentional or not but he managed to stay out of the public eye. I never gave it a second thought.

“
This is because of you, Alice.”

“
Me? What do you mean?”

“
You’ve managed to keep him grounded. Rafael was a workaholic. He spent all of his time in his office. If he weren’t working, he was sleeping. Now that he has all of his time to himself, we were worried. The shareholders and the board of directors. We haven’t heard a peep out of him though. I just wanted to confirm that you are still seeing him.”

“
Yes, sir. I am.”

“
And you said he’s fine?”

“
As far as I can tell.”

“
As far as you can tell…”

He lingered upon the
last word. I didn’t know what he was getting at but I didn’t have the nerve to question him. Martin gave me a curious half-smile and it made me more suspicious as to what he was getting at.

“
I’ve known Rafael ever since he was a child,” he started. “I was just a young man. Fresh out-of-college with big hopes and dreams. Julian, Rafael’s father, took a chance on me. He hired me and said that I would eventually get my opportunity. When they passed, it broke my heart just as much as anyone else’s.

“
I was already committed to this company before the accident. Now that Rafael’s parents are gone, I remind myself of it every day. But I’m not committed just to this company. I feel an… unspoken obligation to Rafael himself, so to speak.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. I could feel him examining me. I swallowed nervously, turning my eyes toward his desk as I was unable to look back at him.

“I want what’s best for Rafael,” he said. “Leaving the company was only a temporary thing. I knew that better than anybody. But if he’s happy where he is, then there’s no need for him to return. The company is doing fine without him. Rafael can retire completely and enjoy the rest of his life. And I’m telling you this because you’re a part of his life now. I don’t know how close Rafael holds you but I’d imagine that you’re closer to him than anybody else. That’s why I have a favor to ask of you.”

“
Of course, sir. Anything at all.”

“
Everybody was concerned about your relationship with him. Putting you in the position he placed you was a questionable decision to say the least. But the concerns have since died down and that conflict of interest is no longer an issue for the time being. I’ve decided to offer Rafael his position back. He won’t be in complete control, as the board will temporarily handle most negotiations. But we will work to integrate him back to where he once was. That is, of course, if he wants to come back. I don’t know if he wants to. I don’t know how he’s changed these past six months. Maybe he no longer desires to be a part of this company. Maybe you’ve had more of an effect on him than you realize. I’d like you to find that out.”

Martin had given me a tremendous task. When Rafael and I spent time with one another, there was little talk about th
e company. I’d like to think that our intimate moments were built out of our feelings for one another and not the fallout from his error in judgment as my boss.

Even though it was a heavier conversation than I was used to having with him, I knew that talki
ng to Rafael about coming back to work would be easy. He still mentioned the company. He still followed it in the papers. Now it was just a matter of figuring out the next step in his life. When Martin told me that I would play a huge part in it, I realized the importance of my role in Rafael’s life.

“
There’s no hurry,” he said. “Just whenever you see him. Bring it up. And if Rafael feels the need to return, we’ll set up the parameters.”

“
Okay,” I said as I nodded. “Is there anything else you needed, sir?”

“
No. That’s all. And Alice…”

“
Yes?”

“
Keep up the good work.”

He smiled politely at me. I bowed my head then got up out of the seat. As I made my way out of his office, I thought about how things might change if Rafael did come back. He would be my boss onc
e again. But I convinced myself that things would be different and it wouldn’t affect how our relationship stood at this moment.

Chapter 6

Even though he was no longer working, Rafael still managed to make the most out of his free time. Most men would have just sat on their money and relaxed. Not Rafael. He made it a point to be as productive as he could. He occupied himself with a collection of new hobbies and interests. Learning new languages, playing instruments, keeping himself physically fit at the gym. Everything was on his plate and since he had all the money in the world backing him, there was nothing to hold him back.

After work, I would head to Rafael
’s suite and spend some time with him. He would tell me all about the things he did, since there wasn’t much for me to say about work. More than anything, we avoided talk about the company. The board of directors gave us space so that he could get away from the business. Our conversation would be a little different tonight. Martin gave us something to talk about. The fact that he was using me to speak to Rafael spoke volumes about how important a role I was playing in this.

When I stepped inside of the suite, Rafael was resting in his chair and looking out the window. The door to the balcony was op
en and a calm night breeze blew in. He sat there shirtless, his hard body on display after what was likely a hard day of stressing and straining his muscles in some rigorous activity. I knew better than anybody that he had the energy for those things.

He s
tepped up from his seat and kissed me warmly as soon as I got to him.

“
How are you?” he asked me.

“
I’m good.”

“
Work?”

“
It’s… work,” I said as I shrugged. “Nothing interesting.”

“
What are you in the mood for tonight?”

“
You know I don’t care about that. Everything is some gourmet dish. I’m happy with anything.”

“
Right… I’ll have them send dinner up shortly.”

One of the perks of being with a man like Rafael was not having to worry about where my next meal was coming from. I knew how grateful I was to get to sp
end time with him and enjoy the luxuries that came with it.

I took a seat on the couch to appreciate the warm atmosphere of his suite while Rafael made his way to the bar. The night breeze blowing in was cool and when it got too cold, the logs burning in the fireplace kept me warm. No matter what the weather was l
ike, it was always comfort and cozy in his suite.

Rafael returned and took a seat on the couch next to me, handing me a glass.

“What are you drinking tonight?” I asked him.

“
Water. I’m a little dehydrated today.”

“
And what kind of trouble did you get into today?”

“
I did a little rock-climbing.”

“
Rock-climbing?” I exclaimed. “Are you serious?”

“
They’re not real rocks. It’s indoors. But it’s kind of the same thing. It puts a lot of stress on your arms. I’m a little worn-out.”

“
I can see that…”

I trailed my fingers along his arm. I couldn
’t tell a difference, since his muscles were hard and rigid ever since I first met him. I ran my fingers along the line of his muscles. A sly smile came upon my face as I appreciated his physique on display. It was another reminder of just how amazing he was.

“
Are you going to be okay?” I asked him.

“
I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m going to be doing it all the time. Just every once in awhile. Look…”

He placed his glass down and showed me
his palms. I ran my fingers along the rough calluses upon his grip. His skin was worn and raw.

“
That doesn’t look very comfortable,” I said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“
My hands will be fine. If you keep doing it enough, you get used to it. That’s what calluses are for. Your skin adjusts to the type of treatment you’re giving it and it changes. It gets harder and thicker. Don’t worry. Once you get used to me putting
these
hands on you, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it.”

“
Oh, I don’t think you’re putting
those
hands on me anytime soon.”

I shook my index finger at him and gave him a smirk. He suddenly dived toward me and I playfully yelled out.

“What are you doing?” I shouted out to him.

“
What’s the matter, Alice? Afraid of getting hurt?”

“
No, I just don’t want
you
to mess up those hands.”

I giggled at him as he pinned me down to the couch. My glass fell out of my hand and my drink spilled onto the carpet. But neither one of us cared. He pressed his mouth to mine and kissed me passionately. His to
ngue swirled and found its way between my teeth. Our lips smacked as he took his place on top of me. He pulled away from me and I sighed. I stared at him without saying a word. I didn’t know what else I did but there was something that gave me away.

“
What’s wrong?” he asked me.

“
Nothing is wrong.”

“
Are you sure? You just seem a little…”

“
It’s nothing like that. But there is something I need to talk to you about.”

“
Oh?”

Rafael sat back up on the couch. I picked the glass up from the floor and set it on the t
able as I gathered myself. He waited for me to continue.

“
I spoke to someone today,” I said. “Martin Green called me into his office.”

“
Martin? Why would he do that? What did he say?”

“
He wanted to talk to me. About you.”