Zenith Fulfilled (4 page)

So what if Rob Williams shot her down? So what? She could fin
d someone else. She could still make it work. Although… she really wanted Rob and he was her first choice.

Why Rob?
He thought she was crazy. But she wasn’t, she was right. She chose Rob because she knew of people in his life that she could interview and include their anecdotes in the telling of his story. She already knew a lot about Rob’s recent history, which was the biggest reason, since she didn’t really know too many alcoholics or addicts whom she could have asked to be her subjects. But most of all, she chose Rob because of his singing. She, like Joelle, was convinced that one day, he’d make it big. And if that happened, and her book about him was written, with her as the author, she knew it would sell. It was a stretch, and mostly just a pipe dream, but at this point, it was her only edge. It was a vehicle through which she could gather ideas that would distinguish her from the faceless, myriad other unpublished writers.

Her first book was rejected quite unanimously, in her opinion. The exact number of rejection letters she’d long ago quit counting. Agents, as well as editors, all sent out the standard letters of rejection. But instead of giving up, and abandoning her dream, she became determined that her next
book would be better, and consequently, help sell her first book. Her series,
Sober Intentions,
would surely sell in this culture. She planned to make it long-term, like
Chicken Soup for the Soul,
or an equally popular series. She wanted it to be a true series on various people, who suffered through, but eventually, conquered their addictions. She planned to encompass them all: alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, sex, video gaming… Anything that became addictive to the people who suffered from it. In a culture of people who lap up the constant news about the flow of celebrities in rehab, she knew her stories would sell, if only she could get the opportunity.

“Hey, sis, why do you look so serious?”

Rebecca peered up to find her brother beside her as he draped his arm around her shoulders. She smiled at him. He was so handsome, warm, funny, generous, and kind. He had always been her male role model and father figure in life. Her dad died when she was only six, and Nick, then barely thirteen, stepped in as the man of the house and never quit caring for her. She adored him, and his approval meant everything to her.

Rob’s words infiltrated
her brain. Was Nick just throwing money at her to mollify his little sister’s useless hobby? Or did he really believe in her? She was sure the answer could go either way. Nick would help her, even if she weren’t a good writer, because he loved her so. She only hoped he truly believed in her potential.

It felt so good, so right to her whenever she wrote and printed out her words
… She had to excel at it. Could she suck at something which felt so right for her to do?

Rebecca smiled up at Nick. “How did you do it, Nick? How did you know your company would succeed without help from anyone?”

Nick’s eyes widened in surprise. Next Generation Consulting, Nick’s company, offered borderline legal searches on individuals, and unconventional gathering of information in ways that Nick would not confirm or deny. Nick could hack anything and had always been savvy with computers. The government often hired his company, which could have been a contributing factor as to why he didn’t get shut down for invasion of privacy, or have some other police agency on his back. He simply did what he did too well, which made him extremely valuable. In the process, Nick managed to become rich, famous, and one of the most powerful men to occupy the Seattle business realm.

But to Rebecca, he was just Nick
, her big brother.

“I knew what I was doing, and made sure I was the best,
using every opportunity to get what I wanted,” he said as he tugged on one of her curls. “This about your writing?”

“Yes. I have an idea. I’m not ready to say
it yet, but I don’t think it’s going to work.”

He ran a hand over his thin beard.
“Rebecca, I know you think I offered you money to help you because I’m your brother, but there’s more; I did it as an investment, I’m investing in you. It was good, your first book. Your ideas are original, intelligent, and compelling. You can’t give up because of rejection slips. Find a way around whatever problem you’re having; and don’t let rejection slips obscure your goal. They shouldn’t even scratch the surface of your inner resistance. Try harder, be better, beat the competition. Even if you have to be ruthless.”

“Are you saying that I should be more persistently annoying to
the people I need to help me?”

Nick smiled. “Yes.”

“What if I don’t know if you or the rest of the family will like what I have in mind?”

“Have I ever asked you or Mom, or anyone else, for that matter, if you guys liked what I do?
I don’t think Mom was all that happy when I kept hacking into all the different systems. Just think if I let her protests stop me?”

“No. You’ve never apologized.”

“That’s how you make it, Rebecca. No apologies.”

“I’ve never really experienced the business Nick before. Joelle
told me you’re very different. But I guess this proves it; you’re ruthless, balls out.”

Nick grinned. “You’re my sister. I don’t want anything from you, so of course, you don’t see how I am at work. Business is business. Nothing personal. Remember that.”

“Nothing personal. Thanks, Nick. That helps a lot. Just remember you told me this someday, which I hope is soon, okay?”

She turned and left Nick staring at her strangely. Perhaps, when he learned she intended to write about his wife’s ex-husband, he would live to regret giving her his advice. But Nick was right. The business world, any business can’t be personal, it had to be ruthless. Rebecca, as the
mostly stay-at-home-mom she usually was all day long, everyday, couldn’t make it in this writing business. She had to be like Nick. Balls out.
Business is business
.

Rebecca went back to the picnic table where she left Rob
, and her confidence dipped that quickly, as her heart dropped. There, on the table, sat her manuscript, right where she left it. Rob didn’t even read a page or look at a single word.

Rebecca picked up her life’s work,
and pressed it against her chest. She might have to resort to playing dirty with Rob Williams after all.

****

In Rebecca’s normal life and social circumstances, she would never have sought out someone like Rob Williams. She would, in fact, probably have avoided him at all costs. He was terrifying and too different than any men she knew. 

He was handsome, she supposed, in a bad-ass, nasty kind of way. No, perhaps not handsome, but hot. Rob Williams definitely had the potential to be hot and sinfully sexy. He made a girl think of sweaty, get-down-and-dirty sex. Or one-night-stands after too much tequila.

Not that she knew anything about that, of course! She’d never had a one-night-stand in her life. Or gone inside a true bar. She married at age twenty, and her first child arrived at age twenty-one. Ever since then, she’d always been at home, raising her kids.

But still, she had an imagination, and if she were going to fantasize about that kind of sex, it would have to be with a man like Rob. He had black hair that was so dark, it nearly glowed blue. Shiny, and slightly too long, it hung shaggily around his face. He had green eyes, and a lazy, but very charming, look-you-over-up-and-down kind of stare. He always seemed in need of a shave, with new stubble on his chin and cheeks, that complemented his too long hair. He wasn’t tall, but slender, sinewy, and very strong looking.
He had dark, swarthy skin that never became pale and pasty like most Washingtonians were relegated to sporting all winter.

What really put him over the top were the man’s infinite tattoos. Now, wearing a crisp white shirt and tuxedo, however,
most of them weren’t so obvious. But Rebecca had seen them before from afar, and knew they snaked all around both of his arms. He had a collage of ink that practically wallpapered him. He had piercings on his face too. Two hoops on one eyebrow and one on his upper lip. Just like Joelle had. They most likely received them together. She often wondered why Nick didn’t ask Joelle not to wear them. Nick never seemed to care that his wife looked… well, kind of weird. She certainly was not like someone that her preppy, rich, intelligent, and extra nice brother should have been married to.

None of that
body art or barbaric mutilation was what Rebecca liked. She didn’t get the whole compulsion of tattooing and piercing. Although it seemed to be more popular now and less on the fringe, Rebecca hated it all and would’ve come close to killing any of her daughters if one of them ever dared to show up at home like that. But of course, that was exactly what she liked in Rob: how different he was from her. He was exciting, interesting, wild, and oh so hot. He was definitely part of the fringe. That made his story one just waiting to be told.

With that thought in her mind, Rebecca marched right back up to him. He didn’t see her approaching, and she tapped his shoulder. At five
-foot-five, she was only two inches shorter than he and loved being able to easily make eye contact with him.

“Mr. Williams?”

He stiffened and jerked his head back to her, but frowned and sighed when he realized who it was. “You again. Look, my answer is no.”

“I gathered that when you left my manuscript outside.”

At least, he had the common grace to turn away. He shook his head and replied, “Look, I never asked you to leave it there. Besides, I ride a motorcycle, and don’t have any room for it.”

“What if I mailed it to you? Would you at least glance at it?”

“Jesus, you’re persistent, aren’t you? Or is it obsessive?”

“Would you just glance at it?”

He turned on his heel and faced her fully. His eyes took in her curls and followed the modest, cardigan-topped outfit, right down to her feet. He stepped closer to her and put a hand on her forearm. She glanced down and stared, becoming fascinated. He had letters inked just below his knuckles and she frowned when she read what they were:
Joelle
. He even put his wife’s name on his damn hands! Only now, she was her brother’s wife. Rebecca stood her ground, resisting his angry look, and the hand she felt tightening over her arm. She knew she was physically lacking to a man like Rob. She was just a plain Jane, soccer mom. She knew her blondish-red hair and freckles weren’t exactly a turn on to draw a man’s passion, and especially one who was like Rob. But she didn’t want Rob to like her. She merely wanted Rob to work with her.

He leaned towards her, placing his mouth close to her ear.
“Who’s to say if you did that, I wouldn’t just lie about reading it, and still say no?” His mouth was barely inches from her skin and his breath felt warm on the side of her face. She pulled away from him, shocked at his invasion of her space, and gall, but mostly at the tingling she suddenly felt churning through her stomach.

“Nothing. I would hope you wouldn’t
do that.”

“Wh
y wouldn’t I? For your sake? Nick’s sister’s sake?”

“Please, Mr. Williams
,” she said turning her head to meet his angry glare until her lips were only inches from his. He frowned and pushed her away. “Would you just look at it?”

Rob finally shrugged
and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Is that what it will take to get you to leave me alone?”

“Yes.”

“And then you’ll take no as my final answer?”

Rebecca deflated, but what else could she do? After a moment, she said, “Yes.”

“All right, sweetheart, go ahead and get my address from Joelle; she used to live there, after all. Oh, and make sure she says it’s okay.”

Rob turned and swaggered off with a cocky stride
and confident attitude. Women probably fell at his feet. His voice alone could do that, no doubt. But when combined with his smoky, dark gaze, and bad-ass looks, he could seal any deal he wanted, she guessed.

How then, could her quiet, intensely private, and shy newest sister-in-law ever have been married to him? It boggled Rebecca’s mind. She saw how other people looked at Joelle’s
tattoos, with her gothic-themed, dyed black hair and dark, heavy clothes. Most reacted with shock that she could have ever ended up with Nick Lassiter. But Rebecca could see them being together a lot easier than she could Joelle with Rob. This man of the hour, and of the room, with the big personality, was so charming outwardly and potentially so sexy, she couldn’t deny it. 

Rebecca
sighed and stomped her foot. Rob did that on purpose. She was going to have to approach her sister-in-law about her plan. Ask her about Rob. And get an address for Rob. Joelle and Rebecca were polite, but only distantly friendly to each other. They never bonded and usually avoided any one-on-one interactions. Joelle shared the same indifference with all of Nick’s sister’s, and didn’t seem to want to get closer to any of them, or try to fit in.

Well, that, in addition to their collective, less-than-welcoming reaction to
Joelle when Nick first brought her home to meet them. Perhaps that was where the roots lay, and Rebecca was just as responsible for it as the rest of her sisters.