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Loving Lana, Chapter 16
Brad checked his watch. He wondered what had been so important that it couldn't wait until after the wedding. Darren Anderson, head of DA Technologies. Hadn't he read something about that company having some trouble lately?
He was about to break the uncomfortable silence when Sandra and Lana came out of the kitchen. Both women were solomn, and as Lana looked into his eyes, guilt reflected deep within.
"We need to talk," she said, her voice low. Brad pulled her aside, leaning closer.
"After the wedding, like we agreed, right?" he murmered.
"No. You should know this first. It's...ah...it's only fair." She looked up briefly, addressing thier guests. "I'm sorry - just give us a few more minutes, please."
"Don't worry about it," Susan said. "Take all the time you need."
Brad followed Lana out the front door, closing it gently behind him. They walked to a rustic wooden bench overlooking the creek that flowed a few yards away.
"You don't need to do this," Brad said. "I'm willing to wait. I trust you, Lana." He took her hand in his, lifting her chin with the other. Tears shimmered and she blinked as he gently traced the side of her face.
"It's not just about why we broke up," she started. "But you deserve to know that too. This is about something I do - something I'm a part of. Something you might not want to be a part of, even by marriage."
Brad frowned. What could she possibly do that would hurt him?
"I had a miscarriage." Lana's voice caught and she took a quick breath. Brad wished she would look at him, but she kept her eyes on the river. "That day that Susan saw me - it was a check-up, to make sure things were okay...after...and they told me I'd never be able to have kids."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Brad put a hand on Lana's shoulder, intending to pull her close. She shrugged him off.
"You made it very clear that you didn't want kids. I was going to tell you after dinner that night. But then..."
"I know," Brad said, his voice breaking. "I...this doesn't change anything. I still want to marry you."
"Just let me finish," Lana said, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. "You also need to know that Martin Interiors isn't just Sara's business. You asked how many stockholders there are - and the answer is three. Sara, Sandra and me. We all hold equal shares in the businesses. Sara just runs the day-to-day aspects of them."
"Them?" Brad shifted, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans. "There's more than one business?"
"Two," Lana confirmed, finally looking straight at him. "You've heard of The Weekly Business Report?"
"No...that's...you can't be serious." Brad slumped back against the bench, stunned. That's where he had seen Anderson's business name before. The Weekly Business Report was basically an anonymous gossip rag. Only instead of reporting on celebrities and alien abductions, they spread rumors and sensitive information about businesses that might not be on the up-and-up. His company had never been featured, thank god, but many other good companies had to fend off investigations started by the business tabloid.
"But why?" he asked, feeling dazed. It was too much to process all at once.
"Because the consumer has a right to know." Lana's chin came up defiantly, her eyes flashing. "We check our information very thoroughly, to insure that what we report is accurate. Good businesses have nothing to worry about. We provide a service..."
"You provide a means to run businesses that make a few mistakes into the ground." Brad stood, running a hand through his hair as he sighed. "I can't be associated with something like that," he said quietly. "You know I can't risk the potential ramifications to my company if your identity ever gets out."
He was about to break the uncomfortable silence when Sandra and Lana came out of the kitchen. Both women were solomn, and as Lana looked into his eyes, guilt reflected deep within.
"We need to talk," she said, her voice low. Brad pulled her aside, leaning closer.
"After the wedding, like we agreed, right?" he murmered.
"No. You should know this first. It's...ah...it's only fair." She looked up briefly, addressing thier guests. "I'm sorry - just give us a few more minutes, please."
"Don't worry about it," Susan said. "Take all the time you need."
Brad followed Lana out the front door, closing it gently behind him. They walked to a rustic wooden bench overlooking the creek that flowed a few yards away.
"You don't need to do this," Brad said. "I'm willing to wait. I trust you, Lana." He took her hand in his, lifting her chin with the other. Tears shimmered and she blinked as he gently traced the side of her face.
"It's not just about why we broke up," she started. "But you deserve to know that too. This is about something I do - something I'm a part of. Something you might not want to be a part of, even by marriage."
Brad frowned. What could she possibly do that would hurt him?
"I had a miscarriage." Lana's voice caught and she took a quick breath. Brad wished she would look at him, but she kept her eyes on the river. "That day that Susan saw me - it was a check-up, to make sure things were okay...after...and they told me I'd never be able to have kids."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Brad put a hand on Lana's shoulder, intending to pull her close. She shrugged him off.
"You made it very clear that you didn't want kids. I was going to tell you after dinner that night. But then..."
"I know," Brad said, his voice breaking. "I...this doesn't change anything. I still want to marry you."
"Just let me finish," Lana said, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. "You also need to know that Martin Interiors isn't just Sara's business. You asked how many stockholders there are - and the answer is three. Sara, Sandra and me. We all hold equal shares in the businesses. Sara just runs the day-to-day aspects of them."
"Them?" Brad shifted, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans. "There's more than one business?"
"Two," Lana confirmed, finally looking straight at him. "You've heard of The Weekly Business Report?"
"No...that's...you can't be serious." Brad slumped back against the bench, stunned. That's where he had seen Anderson's business name before. The Weekly Business Report was basically an anonymous gossip rag. Only instead of reporting on celebrities and alien abductions, they spread rumors and sensitive information about businesses that might not be on the up-and-up. His company had never been featured, thank god, but many other good companies had to fend off investigations started by the business tabloid.
"But why?" he asked, feeling dazed. It was too much to process all at once.
"Because the consumer has a right to know." Lana's chin came up defiantly, her eyes flashing. "We check our information very thoroughly, to insure that what we report is accurate. Good businesses have nothing to worry about. We provide a service..."
"You provide a means to run businesses that make a few mistakes into the ground." Brad stood, running a hand through his hair as he sighed. "I can't be associated with something like that," he said quietly. "You know I can't risk the potential ramifications to my company if your identity ever gets out."
He held out a hand, helped Lana to her feet. Cupping her face, he pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers in a sweet, lingering kiss. Then he stepped back.
"I'm sorry Lana. The wedding is off, and the contract is void. Someone else will have to fund your...underground activities."
This is the first draft of a novel I'm working on. Comments always welcome. Thanks for reading!
2 comments:
Okay, I'm back to my original opinion of Brad - he's a big jerk!
Ha! And I guessed that Lana had just found out she couldn't have kids on the day they broke up the first time.
This will be very interesting to see how you get these two back together. They will end up together, right? Right?!
Well, it is a romance, after all. :-) Out of all the ideas for a wrench in the works, this one had the most plausible compromises/work-arounds, so I went with it.
Sorry this one is so rushed and barely readable. It is a first draft, but I have been going over them once before posting. Last night, I finished it around midnight, so no time to do a rudimentary edit. I think this scene should stretch a bit longer for emotional tension.
But that's what revisions are for...
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