Chapter 3
Stellar Energy Corporate Offices – The Conference room
The final slide flashed on the screen is a graph. It indicates the number of days needed for an entry level financial analyst to earn the current market value of a Porsche 911 turbo convertible. The whole room is cool, yet Lucy’s palms are clammy against her wrist guards. The heat on her chest extends to her shoulders and the veins in her arms could burst any time as she grips on the armchair. Her ears are muffled by a squeaking noise on the opposite side of the long table where her father is rocking his seat.
Ybrrahim Tara is dressed in an expensive three-piece suit in contrast to Lucy’s denim overalls. His top three bodyguards stand in attention around him. Norman, the bomb expert. Neil, the linguist extraordinaire and Jesse’s replacement, a former marine as Lauren informed her earlier. Alistair, her brother-in-law and the executive officer for Operations, stands adjacent to the screen. He finishes reading the most ludicrous business contract her math tuned brain could comprehend.
Lauren, who’s sitting to her left, pats her arm as their father emerges from his seat and walks across the room. He halts as he reaches Lucy’s side of the table, pulls out a fountain pen from the breast pocket of his suit and lays it on the table in front of her. He nods to Alistair, picks up the cup of americano Lucy ordered from Boone’s, raises it to her and turns to walk out of the door followed closely by his security detail.
“You do get the gist of it, right?” Alistair checks, pushing the pen near her. “I will need your signature here,” he says, tracing the line above Lucy’s full name. He glances at his wife as Lucy stays motionless. Lauren drags her eyes in the direction of the door. Alistair took this as a cue. “I’ll leave you to it then,” he says, gradually rises from his seat, walks towards the door and closes it behind him.
“That’s vicious!” Lucy smashes her fist on the table as soon as Alistair is out of sight. She snaps her head to Lauren. Her eyes ablaze, pain throbs in her temples and her neck gone scarlet red, “did you know anything about this bullshit?!”
Lauren flinches. “All I know is, he’s gonna force you to take an active role at Stellar and use his missing Porsche as leverage so you can’t say no and in case you raise the possibility of working at Boone’s. I am as surprised as you with the auto theft charge.”
Lucy wobbles as she rushes to stand. She plants her hands on the table to control her balance. “No business establishment in their sane mind will hire anyone with a federal charge looming in their background! He didn’t give me a choice!”
“I am sorry, Luce,” she says. “The car was mom’s final birthday gift to him. Sneaking it out of the country in rebellion was bold enough. Losing it in an illegal street race was pushing your luck way too much.”
Lucy sinks back on the chair, “why does it have to be at Stellar?”
“He just clipped your wings and that’s still your take on all of these?!” Lauren quirks her lips in a half smile.
Lucy knew her father was going to make her pay for losing the car in her last race. But she did not expect it to be as cruel as this. Surely, she would have insisted on going back to assisting Jesse at Boone’s if she was penalized with a post at Stellar to earn cash she can use to pay for the car. Then in time, she will leave the country to compete in another street race and use the prize money to pay it off. Clearly, her father saw her plan coming. Thus, prompting him to draw up the most incredulous “business contract” which in summary states: She must pay half the price of the Porsche through employment with Stellar as an entry level financial analyst. If not, all her accounts will be frozen, and she will lose her place and her Camaro. The most outrageous part? Her father filed a grand theft auto charge against her. Should she disagree and not sign the contract, authorities will be notified immediately of her arrest. All points of entry and exit in Texas are also on high alert, should she make any attempt to leave Fort Worth.
Ybrrahim Tara is a stern disciplinarian. He made sure that all his children grew up in a house where disobeying strict rules is rewarded with lifelong lessons. A criminal charge for taking his car without his permission is a new high in the Tara household. Lucy has never felt as trapped as ever. She was able to dodge employment at Stellar in the past by cajoling her father with a collection of skill certificates she earned through short courses that piqued her interest in every country she’s been to. From baking to culinary arts to origami. Name it, she has it, except swimming or anything related to large bodies of water. Why stick to one when she can be a jack of all trades? It’s something to keep her mind busy in between competitions. Her latest achievement, convincing Jesse to take her in as barista at his café after attending a course in Italy. She upped her persuasion by offering him an investment amount too large for him to refuse.
She closes her eyes and takes in several slow breaths, “I am doomed!” she tells herself.
On the night of Lauren’s wedding, she was made executive officer of Finance and Lucy the assistant deputy chief. She was furious with the announcement of the unexpected promotion. Everyone at Stellar knows another employee was a better choice for that post. People talk. She just got used to the hushed tones and dismayed looks when she walks through the halls of the corporate office. Although there are those who weren’t surprised with her getting a post in the company after college. Totally skipping the rigorous screening and training because of her last name. It was enough qualification. But getting a promotion for the same reason was a tough pill to swallow. She is not as good as her sister when it comes to business. She is not as good as Lauren. Period.
So, in retaliation, she snuck into his old man’s garage and took off with his prized Porsche 911 turbo. The plan was to drive it in one or two races. Losing it to the Midnight Club in Tokyo was not part of it. She followed her love for circuit races in Berlin, after her mother’s death. The thrill of driving over the speed limit gave her some solace in the early stages of grieving. Since then, she thought she’d mastered gambling with danger enough to win races, until Tokyo. She was aware of the repercussions of that defeat the moment she handed the keys to her opponent.
“Signing those papers is your best option,” Lauren says, disrupting her thoughts. “Six to eight months is enough time to earn half the value of the Porsche if you choose to work at Stellar. It’s the only place which will pay you adequately to come up with that amount and you know it," she squeezes her arm. "Unless you are willing to give up the benefits of carrying Tara as your last name along with your place and your car. You do not want to sell your share of Boone’s either, do you?”
“He wouldn’t dare have me thrown in jail, would he?” she asks.
Lauren gives her a disapproving look, “for the love of our dearest mother’s memory, Lucille Ann. Don’t you even dare,” she says.
Lucy concedes. Lauren is right. Signing the papers is her only option. For now.
Lucy takes her wrist guards off. She grabs the pen, uncaps it then flings the cap to where her father was sitting earlier. She signs with her name, each stroke almost boring holes along the lines drawn beside her father’s signature. She slams the pen on the file of papers then thrusts them back to Lauren.
--- --- ---
Boone’s Café
Jesse breaks off his pace beside Allan at the sound of clunking cups in the prep area. A puzzled expression on his face at the sight of Lucy gently placing an 8th cup on the table. She’s wearing the cafe's light brown apron over her blue pinstripe long-sleeve dress shirt that is rolled on her elbows. Her blazer hangs at the back of one of the taller stools. Her long curls tied in a loose ponytail, lips pursed and brows in a furrow. Jesse crosses his arms, “how long has she been doing that?” he murmurs to Allan.
Allan taps his chin with the pen in his hand, “about an hour now. She told me to keep an eye on the number of cups she makes, so you can charge her when she’s done.” He presses his lips together and turns to Jesse, “do you… want me to... stop her?”
“You do not… want to do that. I got this,” he sighs, approaching the prep area with calculated steps.
Jesse peers on the cups then taps the one nearest to him, “too much frothing on the side for a cappuccino. Losing your touch there, Luce.”
“I know. I know,” she mutters. She swirls the pitcher of frothed milk, her eyes not leaving the cup on her other hand.
“Something keeping you on the edge?” he asks, drawing a circle around his eyes.
“That obvious, huh?” She lowers the pitcher then the cup on the table, touches her cheek bones then taps her fingers under each eye. “First day at Stellar today. Needed something to tame the nerves.”
“Guess your thoughtful charms didn’t work with Mr. Tara this time,” he chuckles in a lowered tone.
She unties the apron, tugs it over her head then rolls down her sleeves. “How about I open the store for you before clocking in at Stellar?” she says, tilting her chin up, eyes straight to Jesse’s.
“Too much nerves? Wait, you’re not even a morning person,” he says.
She secures two more buttons off her shirt. Grabs her blazer, slides in her arms and tugs its collar under her curls, “show me how to make a perfect chagaccino?”
He laughs, “specific to a certain regular? Tall, blonde in killer heels?”
Lucy’s face lights up. “Just the one. How does she like it?” she asks, her smile reaching to her puffy eyes.
--- --- ---
Stellar Energy Corporate Offices – The Finance Unit
Jane Tennant, assistant to the executive officer of Finance, is no stranger to Lucy. She was the only one who agreed to show her the ropes when she started dipping her toes at Stellar at the behest of her late mother. Jane was then the deputy chief of Finance. Her remarkable skills on recognizing irregularities in budget requests and counter payments was well known among the engineers and project managers of the Operations unit. Lucy did aspire to acquire the same skills back then, when basic play with numbers became too much of a routine for her. It didn’t surprise her one bit if her former mentor was tapped to be Lauren’s second in command.
Lucy was about to knock when her former mentor eyes her standing by the glass doors. Jane, leaning on the edge of her table, flashes her an exaggerated grin. Lucy spots Jane side-eyeing a blonde in a ponytail, sitting on a chair to Jane’s right. She mutters something then waves at Lucy to come in. Lucy pulls her lips up as she steps inside. She glances at the back of the chair then back at Jane as she steps further then stops mid track when she notices the blonde tracing small circles on her right temple. ‘Oh my god!’ Lucy catches her breath. Her eyes went wide. A familiar warmth crawls up her neck and ears. She glides her palms over her blazer, as she tries to tame the sudden fluttering of butterflies in her belly at the sight of a skin tone medical brace wrapped around the hand of the seated blonde. ‘It.. is.. Kate!’
“I see you’re happy to be back?” Jane says, her eyebrows shooting up to her forehead. Kate swivels her chair to face them. She pushes up the bridge of her glasses in an attempt to conceal her expressions that read from surprise to irate to devious? A wide smirk behind her raised palm did not escape Lucy’s eyes. “This,” Jane gestures to Kate, “is Kate Rewliths, my top financial analyst. She will oversee your retraining. Kate,” she says, extending her other arm in Lucy’s direction, “this is my prodigal protégé, Lucy Tara.”
Kate leaves her seat. “Hello!” she offers her right hand, “Woops,” retrieves it then, coyly puts it behind her. “Some tiny human forgot to check the sidewalk before jumping off their fancy sports car,” she sneers, raising her left hand instead.
Lucy draws in a breath, rocks back on her heels, white teeth on full display. She reaches to the offered hand, shakes it longer than needed. “Hello,” she says, twisting her torso a bit to Jane yet her eyes never leave Kate’s. “It is sooo nice to be back!”
— — —
Kate and Abbie’s Apartment - Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is not so bad. She gets it now why Noah was so enamored by the place. But when Kate moved here a year and a half ago, she thought that adapting to this place would be unbearable. Then the chance to work at Stellar came along and it was too hard to pass on. It was the opportunity she’s been waiting for and the thought of being closer to Noah was the best trade off for the life she puts on pause in D.C.
She pulls the tie off her hair then looks over her shoulders before pushing the door in. She takes measured steps inside, peers out through the windows and runs a hand under and over surfaces she can reach. She pressed an ear over Abbie’s door to check any movement inside the room. When she doesn’t hear any sound on the other side, she continues walking to her room.
Once in the clear, she closes the blinds. She takes off her glasses, folding it at the temples as instructed and lays it carefully on top of her locked bedside table, lenses up. She massages the bridge of her nose to ease the tender spot that’s been supporting the glasses the whole day. She wiggles her shoulder out of her blazer and hangs it on a hook behind the door before flopping across the bed.
Today at work turned out to be hilarious. Who would have thought that the tiny human who caused her injury was none other than her infamous trainee? Lucy Tara, Stellar’s very own prodigal daughter. Lucy was trying her best to keep everything professional. Yet failing miserably on displaying all of her charm cards the whole day.
She lifts her injured hand to her face, unbinds its brace, wiggles her fingers free then folds them over her palm repeatedly. She was sure the sparkle in Lucy’s eyes today was not there the first time she saw her at The Rockwood a few weeks ago. In addition, the dark circles around her eyes were an obvious contrast to the enthusiasm she'd shown on her first day back. Lucy’s eyes are the prettiest pair she’s ever seen, couple them with her thick and long lashes, they were so… alluring, enticing. She can feel the warmth on her cheeks by the way those eyes look at her, drawing her in. “Okay. Enough of that,” she berates at herself.
She recalls Jane telling her, “Give it a chance, Kate. Lauren asked me to get a mentor who will constantly challenge her little sister and... Lucy isn’t that bad. Trust me.” There was certainty in Jane’s voice and some degree of pride and concern, that added to her growing curiosity on the youngest of the Tara brood. If she agrees to train Lucy, it will be another task on her plate but for sure an added layer of convenience to her job. Training Lucy wouldn’t really be altering the plan, would it? It may even be a leap closer to achieving the target. How difficult could that be?
The silence in the apartment is so unusual for her. Not that Abbie is too loud. Kate just got used to seeing her cooking dinner or sprawled on the couch watching tv when she gets off from work. Abbie is her polar opposite but she was the perfect roommate. Workaholic, clueless and unsuspecting. She has been very respectful of Kate’s boundaries too, thoughtful but never prying. Plus, her apartment is the ideal spot and the closest one to Stellar.
It's been a month since Abbie got looped in her wedding preparations and would often come home later in the night. She feels a sour taste course through her throat. Abbie requested her to be her bridesmaid. But she’s been ditching the duties of one by making excuses and citing various reasons. Often related to work. Truth is, she’s been seeing Kai more these days. She had to keep up with Abbie at some point. Maybe finally get into that bridesmaid’s dress fitting to avoid raising any suspicions.
She could have easily turned Abbie down at her request. Because weddings or any social gathering for that matter makes her uncomfortable. The merry ambiance was like a betrayal to Noah. Dealing with the preparations also takes away some of her time that can be used for more urgent matters. But, as usual, she can’t risk Abbie asking too many questions so she agreed. Besides, attending Abbie’s wedding made her job easier. It will put all the Taras in her periphery at last.