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“Sister?” I lifted my head up, the email forgotten.
“Victoria Jackson, you idiot. How many other sisters have you been sleeping with? Should I be concerned?”
“What do you know?”
I hadn’t gotten where I was by giving away all my secrets. I could see that Ashley was upset, so much so that she wasn’t thinking as clearly. Normally, I would be annoyed that she was letting her feelings dictate her actions, but in this instant, I was going to use it to my advantage.
“Father called to tell me you were sleeping with her or that you had slept with her. When you didn’t answer any of my calls this weekend, I concluded that you were still with her, even though Father told you not to. Tell me I’m wrong,” Ashley demanded.
“It’s none of your concern.”
I walked over to my desk and gave her a look that told her to get out of my seat. She returned the look as if to say she wasn’t going to move until I answered her question, but I only held my ground, and she stepped away from my desk.
“And there’s my answer,” she said.
“My personal life is of no concern to you. Just like yours is not mine.”
“It is when it affects the family, when it affects our careers and success.”
“Dad got to you, didn’t he?”
“He didn’t need to get to me for me to know that what you’re doing is career suicide. Do you have any idea what would happen if it got out that you’re sleeping with your sister?”
“She’s not my sister; at most, she’s my stepsister. A woman I hadn’t even met until six months ago. I never grew up with her. She has never been, nor will she ever be, a sister to me. Our parents had the unfortunate situation of being married, and it is now in the process of being dissolved. As such, that should have no basis on who I date.”
“You keep telling yourself that, and it might come true. You’re on the precipice of launching your career, your brand, your legacy, and you want to throw it all away for some lay?”
“Victoria is not some lay,” I said slowly and deadly.
“Don’t tell me you fancy yourself in love with her? Oh, come on! The only reason you want to be with her is because you can’t. The minute she isn’t off-limits, you will run for the hills. I can guarantee it,” Ashley said with a short laugh.
“You have no idea what my and Victoria’s relationship is like. Don’t presume to know me or what I want, ever.”
Ashley and I had always gotten along, but only because we were on the same page. I didn’t like her thinking she could control my life. She wasn’t going to. Not her, not anyone.
“Dad always knows what’s best for us. He’s only looking out for you and your interests.”
“He’s looking out for himself and his investment. He and I have already discussed this. He wants to get as far away from Samantha as possible, and he can’t do that if I’m dating her daughter.”
“Do you blame him?”
“Victoria hardly talks to her mother. Just because I’m dating Victoria doesn’t mean that she’ll want to see her mother or even have her over for Christmas dinner with Dad there.”
“That would be the worst dinner party ever,” Ashley muttered.
“It isn’t going to happen. Stop freaking out about something that isn’t even in our future. I am seeing Victoria.”
“Seeing? Not sleeping?”
“We are together, seeing, sleeping, dating, whatever you want to call it. That isn’t going to change, so you and Father and whoever else are going to have to get on board with that. Victoria and I want to be together, we belong together, and we will be.
“Thank you for your concern, but I can handle our father. I can and will handle the press when it comes up, but as for now, we have decided to keep it on the down-low for many reasons. Including the reality show. Also, Victoria has her tenure coming up at her school, and she doesn’t want to ruin her chances. See? We’re being smart and pragmatic about it. Now, will you get off my back about it?” I asked.
“I was never on your back. I was worried about you. I didn’t want you to do something stupid and ruin everything that you have worked so hard for.”
Gone was her defensive demeanor, and I found it interesting that it had quickly changed from our career to mine. I could only hope that it meant that she could see that I knew what I was doing and that everything was going to be okay.
“When have you ever known me to do that? I know what I’m doing; it will be fine. Now, if you could go and check in with Sandy to see that the fresh flowers are going to be delivered and that she’ll meet me at the Remington estate at 2:30, I can go about my day.”
