Lovers and Liars Read online

  Lovers and Liars

  Lovers and Liars

  Midpoint

  Chapter One

  Happily Ever After Romances reserves all rights granted by the author. No part of this book may be copied or shared without written permission from the publisher. All characters are creations of the author, and resemblances to any real person are coincidental.

  Copyright 2011, Lilly LaRue

  Smashwords Edition

  Lovers and Liars

  “Ms. McKenna, Mr. Fielding is ready for you,” Kady, the receptionist with the perfectly styled hair, said with a professional smile. Bari clutched her portfolio and entered the offices of Cooper Fielding, computer whiz and billionaire.

  It was a large suite, with plush gray carpeting, and comfortable wing chairs in a cheerful shade of lime green. The desk was obviously an antique. It was solidly built from dark oak, and large enough for two people. He kept a minimum of clutter on the desktop—only a large desk calendar, his name plate, and two wire baskets, one labeled “In”, the other “Out”.

  He was seated behind the massive oak desk, and Bari was surprised by his attractiveness. From her research, she knew Mr. Fielding was twenty-nine years old, owner of Hyperion Computers, and generally considered a genius. She hadn’t known he had sandy blonde hair, carelessly styled, and rich hazel eyes that focused on her intently. She hadn’t expected his face to be so finely honed, or his lips to be so perfectly sculpted. He was a very private man, allowing no photos to be published. Bari had tried to picture him in her head, but he always looked staid and almost geeky. Definitely nothing like the real thing.

  “Ms. McKenna?” he inquired with a warm smile. “Please have a seat.”

  Bari took the seat across from him, struggling to act relaxed. She’d taken a course in interview presentation, and had been through enough mock interviews that she should have felt comfortable. She knew she presented a cool, efficient picture, with her rich brown hair pinned up in a French roll. Her tilted, almond-shaped eyes, as green as emeralds, projected intelligence. Her generous mouth was composed into a small smile, showing just a hint of friendliness without being overly familiar. Her features—arched brows, sharp cheekbones, and slightly too-large nose—were distinctive, bold, an interesting contrast. More suited to a man maybe, but softened by her hair and delicate heart shaped face. On the whole, one might describe her as compelling rather than classically beautiful.

  She should have been confident in her presentation. After all, she’d interviewed with several intermediaries in the past two months and presented herself well. However, she really wanted to move away from her present company and become part of Hyperion, and only the CEO could make that happen. That knowledge made her extremely nervous and high-strung.

  Struggling to maintain a steady, well-modulated voice, Bari answered the questions put to her by Mr. Fielding. Many were similar or identical to the questions posed by other interviewers at Hyperion during the last two months. She’d made each cut until she was finally seated before the president of the company.

  Finally, Cooper closed the folder and gave her an encouraging smile. “As I’m sure Dick told you during the last interview, this was just a formality. I wanted to get an impression of you and hear you answer some questions. I’d like to formally offer you the position of director.”

  Glowing with pleasure, Bari strove for a calm voice. “Thank you, Mr. Fielding. I would be honored to accept the position.”

  “Welcome aboard,” he said, his voice flowing smoothly, as he held out his hand. Bari shook it, and found herself wondering what that hand would feel like running up and down her lithe body. Mentally shaking her head, she returned her attention to her new boss. He gave her the details that hadn’t been relayed from other interviewers, and Bari agreed to start in two weeks time.

  ♥♥♥

  Bari caught the flight back to Houston that afternoon, finding the afternoon hot and humid, despite the lateness of the season. She took the time to hand deliver her resignation, before returning home to her apartment. Once inside, she did a dance of joy around the living room, ecstatic that she’d been given the highly coveted position of director of R & D with Hyperion. At her age, twenty-six, it was quite a coup to beat out so many other qualified candidates.

  She didn’t even mind the move to Richmond, Nevada. In fact, it was a plus to Bari. She’d hated Houston for all of the nine years she’d lived there and was eager to escape. The fact that she would be getting away from Greg lightened her spirits too.

  The only thing she would truly miss about Houston was her apartment. She had the corner apartment of a six-floor building. She’d carefully decorated the rooms with her personal tastes in mind. Big, comfy furniture, bright throw pillows, and afghans on the couch. The walls and carpet were bland, but she’d enlivened things as best she could. Each room had a decorative border, and each border was different. The living room was bordered with autumn leaves, the kind that fell from Vermont trees in late fall, not dried out Texas foliage. She also had butterflies, cows, puppies, and flowers. The borders would be hopelessly ruined when she removed them.

  If she walked out onto her balcony, Bari could see the park. One of the true spots of green in the suburban maze where she lived. The sidewalk literally stopped at the lawn of the small park. Azaleas bloomed in glorious color, the perfect backdrop for the numerous mothers and young children to be found at the park throughout the day. Bari had often imagined taking her own children there to play some day. Instead, they would be born and raised in Nevada.

  With more hope than reason, Bari had already begun the preparations for her move to Nevada over a month ago, so there was little left for her to do. Movers would be arriving in the next two days, and Bari was only packing the delicate items. Before flying back from Reno, she’d paid a deposit on the apartment being held for her, so everything was set.

  Groaning, Bari decided to break the news to her mother and stepfather right away, to get it over with. She knew Efrem would disapprove and try to talk her out of the job, but Bari was resolute. Taking only the time to change into more comfortable clothes, Bari drove across the city, arriving at Efrem’s huge house after a forty-minute drive through traffic.

  It was a monument to capitalism. The sprawling ranch-style house had little in common with the type of architecture. This was not a home where families gathered around the table after a hard day of manual labor. No, this was the kind of place where expensive parties were thrown with very little reason. Where false politeness and tepid friendships were worn like masks. The cold interior of the home—bright white and silver chrome—did nothing to make a person feel welcome. It was a cold place, nearly as cold as Bari’s mother.

  The maid let her in, and Bari found Efrem and Ada sitting out by the pool, both clad casually, sipping drinks and disdaining the water. Bari sat on a chaise lounge and endured hearty greetings from her stepfather, and a cool hello from her mother. “I got the job,” she announced.

  “That’s wonderful.” Ada couldn’t conceal her relish. “I expect you’ll be leaving right away?” Her dislike of Bari was barely masked, and her control had slipped over the years as Bari grew more attractive.

  Efrem clicked his tongue. “Why would you want to go to Nevada? It’s a dismal place; hot and full of a bad element. Nothing but gamblers and thieves in a place like that,” he predicted gloomily.

  Bari rolled her eyes at Efrem, choosing to address her mother first. “Yes, I’ll be leaving within three days.”

  “Oh.” Ada sipped her drink, clearly without interest. “It’s too bad I’m so busy, Bari. I’d love to do something with you before you leave, but I’m pressed for time.”

  “I understand.” Bari knew her mother wouldn’t want to spend the t
ime with her if her calendar was completely free.

  “Please reconsider taking my offer.” Efrem had offered to front Bari the cash to open her own business if she stayed in Houston. She shuddered to think of the strings that might be attached to such an offer.

  “No, but thank you.” Rising to her feet, Bari said, “I have to be going.”

  “Try to come back for Christmas,” Ada said without emotion. It was only early June, and Bari got the message loud and clear. Don’t come back until you absolutely must.

  ♥♥♥

  After settling last-minute details and bidding goodbye to her few close friends, Bari departed from Houston. She’d given two weeks’ notice to her company, then taken her remaining vacation time in lieu of pay so she wouldn’t have to work out her notice. After cashing in her stock, Bari had quite a tidy sum to add to her 401K at Hyperion.

  She spent the next week settling into her new place, and learning the small town of Richmond. Her apartment was smaller than the one in Houston, without the balcony or view of the park. Bari arranged her possessions to her liking, having to part with two of the over-stuffed chairs to fit in all her furniture. Within a day, she felt settled, almost at home.

  Richmond itself wasn’t attractive. It was no better than Houston, only smaller. The air was constantly arid, and rain was an uncommon occurrence. It was common to see tumbleweed blowing down the cracked sidewalks of the little town. Most of the homes could use a coat of paint, and there were three trailer courts down the road from her.

  The only truly beautiful part of Richmond was the downtown. For six square blocks, there was greenery, even sidewalks, attractive storefronts, and a quaint charm the town fathers diligently maintained. That was where Bari spent most of her time.

  She also got acquainted with the other neighbors in her apartment building, and the older woman who owned a house across the street. Everyone in the town was welcoming and friendly, if a bit nosy. They all praised Hyperion, thanking Cooper Fielding for the employment and prosperity he’d brought to their town.

  ♥♥♥

  After a week of idleness, Bari contacted Dick in personnel to see if she could start her job sooner than planned. After being given the go ahead, she dressed conservatively and went to work for the first time that Tuesday morning. Hyperion was housed in a white brick building, compactly designed to maximize the space most efficiently. The interior was tastefully decorated in a southwest motif, and the only jarring note were the security guards in place of receptionists.

  Bari had two secretaries doing a job-share plan. The morning person was Myra, a single mother of a fifteen-month-old baby, who stayed in the company run day-care. The afternoon assistant was Dylan, a part-time college student.

  Myra introduced Bari to the people in the department, and for the most part they were nice. Only one person treated her with anything but welcome, and Freddie was faintly hostile. “Ignore him,” Myra counseled after they settled into Bari’s office. “He was expecting to get your job, but Cooper didn’t think he was ready for the responsibility.” Looking worried, Myra hurried to say, “I’m not trying to pass along gossip, Ms. McKenna. I only wanted to warn you.”

  “Okay.” Bari sipped the coffee. “Thank you, Myra. Please call me Bari, by the way. I dislike the formality of Ms. McKenna.”

  Myra’s smile thawed again, and she lost the nervous look. “Thank you, Bari. Cooper frowns on gossiping, you see. Last year he fired his PA because she was telling others in the company about Lilith’s phone calls.”

  “Who’s Lilith?”

  “His wife. Now, here’s your schedule.” She deftly changed the subject. It was obvious she did not want to be accused of gossiping. They reviewed Bari’s schedule, and Myra pointed out her weekly meetings with Cooper to discuss her progress.

  Bari spent the rest of the week in a busy whirl. It took her a few days to get familiar with the mess left by her predecessor, and she also had to take time to acquaint herself with the research her department was working on. Hyperion was one of the leaders in the biotechnology field, and Bari’s department was currently designing artificial organs that would be rejected less frequently by the recipients.

  The weekend passed quickly for Bari, as she was invited to several activities by her co-workers and neighbors. She reluctantly accepted a date with the guy who lived above her. He was five years younger than her and still in college. When he found out she was working in research, dealing with genetics and computers, he launched into a moralistic lecture on the dangers of playing God. Bari left halfway through dinner, walking six blocks back to her apartment, thankful she’d worn jeans and sneakers.

  Monday morning, she walked to her closet and studied her clothes. She didn’t want to look severe today, so she chose a pair of khaki linen slacks and a violet ruffled blouse that was a perfect foil for her rich brown hair. As she was fastening the last button, she noticed the blouse dipped a little lower than most things she wore to work.

  She refused to acknowledge the reason she was dressing so carefully and femininely. As Bari curled her hair, then ran a brush through it to soften the curls, she didn’t even let herself entertain Cooper Fielding’s image. Of course she wasn’t dressing to impress her boss. After all, he was married, and Bari did not have affairs with married men. Efrem, the perverted stepfather, could attest to that. No, she wasn’t dressing so meticulously so Cooper would find her attractive. She only wanted a change from the stark pantsuits she normally wore.

  Her Honda Accord had been delivered three days after her arrival, so Bari drove to work, parking in her reserved space. As she was getting out, she saw Freddie leaving his car, parked several rows away. Grabbing her briefcase, Bari locked the door and strode quickly to the entrance.

  As she was reaching for the door, he opened it for her with mocking gallantry. “Good morning, Ms. McKenna. Allow me.”

  “Thank you.” Bari kept her voice even, almost bland, as she walked through the door. At the security station, she handed the guard her security badge and he let her through. Freddie followed quickly.

  “You must love that parking space,” he commented snidely. “It’s so close to the door.”

  “It is nice.” Bari strode down the hall and turned a sharp left. At the next set of doors, she inserted her security card again, and Freddie did likewise. They were admitted with a whoosh and stepped into the hallway.

  “It should have been mine. I don’t know how you got this job, but you won’t last long.”

  “You aren’t going to accuse me of sleeping with the boss?” Bari quirked her brow as they climbed the two flights of stairs and emerged into a small alcove.

  Freddie laughed derisively as he placed his left hand on the monitoring station. After a moment, he was admitted through the heavy steel doors. He waited for Bari, as she repeated the process. “That’s funny.” He grimaced as she joined him in the anteroom. “No, I haven’t figured it out yet, but I will, Ms. McKenna.”

  Smiling coldly, Bari kept her response curt. “Perhaps you should just accept I’m more qualified than you, Mr. Kent.” Bari crouched down slightly, pressing her face into the viewer, struggling not to blink as the camera scanned her retina. It confirmed her identity, and she walked into the Research and Development department. Freddie was a few minutes behind her, and she’d made it to her office before he caught up with her again. He walked on by briskly, heading for his own office.

  Myra handed her a stack of messages, and Bari spent the next hour dealing with calls. At nine she straightened her appearance and caught the elevator up to the top floor, where Cooper’s office was located. Kady smiled and brought her a cup of green tea, remembering her preference from the job interview. “He’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

  Within five minutes, Bari was given the go-ahead to join Cooper in his office. Plastering on a professional smile, while ignoring her churning stomach, Bari took a seat in the chair across his desk. She sat her folder on the desk, shaking hands with him. He was as attr
active as ever, today clad in a white shirt and charcoal gray vest. His tie and jacket were discarded on the windowsill.

  After reviewing her weekly information, Cooper made some notes on his computer, his fingers flying incredibly quickly. “How are you settling in?”

  “It’s going well,” Bari answered, deciding not to mention Freddie Kent at the moment. “Most everyone is very welcoming and helpful.”

  “With the exception of Fred Kent?” Cooper arched his left brow. Seeing her look, he shrugged. “I know he wanted the job, Ms. McKenna. I also know he wasn’t ready for the responsibility. He’s in the middle of a messy divorce and is a little too fond of alcohol at the moment to make me confident in his ability to run my research department.”

  “I see.” Bari wondered why he was taking her into his confidence. She’d garnered the impression from Myra that Cooper detested gossip, and the personal information about Freddie smacked of rumor.

  Cooper smiled gently. “So don’t take his comments personally. He’ll eventually accept that you’re the more qualified candidate.”

  Bari’s eyes widened at his words, as she remembered saying almost the same thing to Freddie.

  “There are cameras with microphones throughout the corridors and entryway.” Cooper seemed to enjoy her shocked expression. “I must admit, you handled him with aplomb.”

  Blushing, Bari recalled asking Freddie if he’d thought she’d gotten her job by sleeping with the boss. “I er, well, I…um, that is, Myra already told me to ignore him for the most part. She wasn’t gossiping,” Bari hurried to add.

  “I’m sure she wasn’t.” Kady buzzed through with a call, saying it was important. Cooper took it reluctantly, waving Bari towards the door. She rose to her feet, walking to the door, as Cooper talked to his client. “Yes, let me get the file.”

  That reminded Bari she hadn’t gotten her file, and she turned around to retrieve it. She saw Cooper go to the low-set file cabinets—in a wheelchair. She plucked the file from the desk and hurried out of the office. At the nearest ladies’ room, she ducked inside, leaning against the wall.