Chapter 3 Impossible

Chapter Three:

At home later that night, Tamara lay in bed, facing the ceiling with her phone in her left hand. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about him - Nathan Benett. His scent was stuck on her dress and she didn't want to take it off. Her mind lavished on when he placed his hand on her hips and pulled her closer, it was like everyone had stopped dancing except them both.

She looked at her phone and bit her lip, wanting so bad to call him. It would make you look desperate, she thought. She looked back to the ceiling, sniffing in the air to try to catch his scent from her dress again. She did. His English accent was amazing too, she remembered listening to him dreamingly about wine and things she barely understood but she was fully focused, on everything he spoke. Like he was speaking directly into her soul.

"Okay, Mara." She spoke to herself as she jumped out of her bed, "that was way too cheesy, speaking directly into my soul?" She facepalmed. "What am I even thinking?"

She looked at her phone again, made up her mind, and dialed his number. She took a deep breath as it rang and surprisingly it didn't ring that long at all.

"Tamara?"

"Oh, Nathan." She bit her lip in utter nervosity "Uhh, I don't know...I just wanted to call you. Hope that's okay?"

"Of course," Tamara could hear him chuckle, "you know you beat me to it?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I wanted to call you right now, swear it."

"Okay." she smiled shyly, "that makes me feel a bit better."

"Happy to help."

"So uhm, I called cause I wanted to ask you something."

"I'm all ears, go for it."

She took a deep breath and spat out the words as calmly as she could, "Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?"

"Dinner, I don't suppose you mean like a date?"

She tightened her lip, "Mhm, I kinda do."

"Say less, I would like to go to dinner with you, Valentine."

Her smile was so wide, "Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." Her smile had reduced to a small blush

"Okay. Now you have a night."

"You too." She cut the line and clenched her fists in relief and victory. "Yes." She jumped to her bed.

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"Didn't you see her Paige, you saw her with your own two fucking eyes."

"Yes I did, but that doesn't mean..."

"It does! It does! That fucking bitch is going to try and take everything we've worked for."

"She can't. It's impossible."

The sitting room in the mansion Randal Meyers had bought was a blazing fire. Another heated argument, the fourth that week. Randal was anxious with the appearance of Tamara that night, perturbed, dithery, worried, and scared. Paige Nicholson was trying her best to calm him down once again.

"What do you mean it's impossible? Huh," he poured himself another glass of wine.

"Her company is broke, maybe in debt considering all the money we took from her. Her image is ruined, no one is going to work with her, she can't come back from this, Randal."

"And who was the man she was dancing with? Huh, Paige? That was Nathan fucking Benett, one of our fucking clients, Paige. We supply transport for his goods, for his wine! I'm telling you I know Tamara, she always has an ace up her sleeve. She always has something planned and I'll be damned if I'm the one who's going to go down." He gulped down the wine in the glass and poured another.

"Baby, you should take it easy with the wine."

Randal's right palm whacked Paige on the face, and she fell, holding her cheek in pain. "What did you say to me?"

"I'm sorry, I just thought...I'm sorry?"

"You think I take too much wine, you think I drink too much?" He hit her again. This time on the other side of her cheek. She tried to get up but he pushed her down to her knees "I told you not to run from me, didn't I Paige?"

"I'm sorry, please."

He hit her with his fist on her back and then kicked her twice on her tummy as she rolled over in pain. "Get up, get a fucking broom and clean this up." He pointed at the broken glass which had fallen when he first struck her. He walked away.

Paige laid on the floor, sobbing with her hands on her tummy, this was the third time that week he had hit her, he had promised not to, but he never kept them.

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The next morning was an exciting one for Tamara, although she was worried about it too. She dressed for work for the first time in fourteen months. Dilys Thomas, her make-up artist was beaming with happiness that she was back taking care of her favorite client's face.

Elsa Voight had shown up that morning to help her arrange and fill her up on what had been going on while she was away.

The company had been under the care of her cousin, Stacy Cantrell, and the Floridan Dolimares, a group of the wealthiest body care, fashion, and makeup companies in the United States. Stacy who was a member of the group had offered herself to watch over her cousin's company as a favor so it doesn't completely crumble.

There was only little Stacy could do, customers had refused to buy the makeup products from the company, even just the healthcare ones. They didn't want their money to be used as sponsorship to terrorist groups. Stacy had avoided the press and maintained a low profile for the company ever since the incident, even taking out funds from her own business to keep the company afloat, but it was sinking fast.

A few of the employees had stayed, most of which were very certain that Tamara didn't involve herself with the things they had charged her with. Most of them that stayed are the ones that had the financial capability to stay, some believed her but couldn't afford to stay with the low wage and some were financially stable themselves but didn't want to associate with the bad name, so many had left.

Hearing all this, Tamara concluded that rebuilding her fallen company was going to be more difficult than she anticipated. She was going to need help.

As expected there was a swarm of press outside the gates of her company's headquarters. The building was a large tall one like other skyscrapers but it was made in a unique design to look a bit like lipstick. As her limo rode into the gates, the press stuck their camera and microphones on the windshields of the car, throwing their questions.

Why do they keep doing that? Tamara wondered, The windshields are up and it's not like I'm even going to answer them.

The car drove onto the premises of the building and as she came out of the car, she could still hear the questions the press shouted to her. "Are you a supporter of the Knights Of The Pure Skin?"

"How long have you been out of jail, Miss Valentine!"

"Miss Valentine! What are your plans for your company now?"

"Is your company ever going to get back to the big lights?"

Even I ask myself that question, Tamara thought to herself as she walked in. Bruce and Buck are on her sides.

"Good morning, Miss Valentine." The tall security man greeted in his strong African accent as he opened the door.

"Ballack, you're here." Valentine greeted in surprise.

"Yes ma'am. I am. I still am." He said with a smile. Valentine smiled back having a bit of relief and joy that some of her employees were still invested with her.

"I'm happy to see that." She replied and proceeded to the elevator. Maybe it's not that bad, she thought to herself in the elevator. Reaching her destination, she adjusted her blazer and walked out of the elevator.

"Good morning, Miss Valentine."

"Good morning," she greeted a face she didn't recognize, obviously Stacy would have hired some new employees.

"Good morning, Miss Valentine."

"Britney, how are you?" Valentine smiled to see a familiar face.

"I'm doing great ma'am." Britney's full name was Britney Spears, yes. She was made fun of it a lot while some thought it was cool.

She was greeted by a few more before she arrived at her door, she could see Stacy through the glass and a man sitting on her chair with his legs crossed on the table.

"Alright thanks, guys, I'll take it from here." Bruce and Buck looked into the room and then back at her. "Don't worry" she said, "I can handle myself from here." They both nodded and walked away.

Tamara opened the door and walked into her office, "What's going on?" she asked. Stacy turned and brightened up at the sight of her cousin, "Tammy," she exclaimed, hugging her before grabbing her cheeks and pecking her. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Yes, Stace. I'm happy to see you too but what is going on here, who's this hairy porker?"

"Jesus, Tamara?"

Tamara glared at her cousin with an "I don't give a fuck" look on her face "Who is he?"

The man stood up on his feet, he was quite fat, with a white beard that almost filled his entire face. "Tamara, this is Tedd Chambers, vice administrative assistant of Floridan Dolimares." Stacy introduced.

He offered his hand for a handshake, Tamara eyed his hand, glared at him then looked back at Stacy. "Well, what does he want?"

"Alright Tammy, you have to promise me to stay calm." Stacy held her cousin on the shoulders.

Tamara pushed her hands off, "I can't promise you that, what does he want?"

"It's about the company okay? The Floridan thinks that you are not uhm... you're not fit to oversee the company?"

She looked at Tedd Chambers, "You motherfuckers," then at Stacy, "My company? You think I'm not fit to oversee my company?"

"It's not that way, Tammy come on. You signed the agreement that the Floridan would swoop in to oversee anything that happens to you."

Tamara's eyes widened, "Nothing has happened to me, I'm right here!"

"Tamara that's not exactly true."

Tamara stared at her for a second and asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Tamara, you're broke. The company's gone broke, its name is on the mud, dragging the Floridan to the mud too. I had to oversee it for a while to see if I could stop it from happening but I couldn't. This is the only way."

"The only way my ass. This is their way, the way they want." She dropped her bag on her desk, " I'm not giving up my company to this guy. Do you think he cares about makeup and skincare? Look at him, I would be more understanding if this was a meat burger company."

"Come on, Tammy you don't have to be rude," Stacy said holding back a laugh.

"I'm not broke, Stace. I'm not. That's why I'm here. To get my company back on track with my money and my sweat."

"We are not trying to steal your company from you, Miss Valentine. This is for the betterment of our group and to keep the Floridan name clean, you will..."

"Shut your mouth, Santa Claus. You and I aren't having a conversation." She turned back to Stacy, "I'm not broke. I have this under control. It's my company. I decide when I am done, and when I can't go on any longer, but I still have a fight in me."

"But do you have money?" Stacy asked with pity.

Tamara hesitated with her answer, "I do. I will. Give me time. There has to be some kind of time-space, right?" She stared at the both of them "Give me time and I will get the money, I will bring the results. And when I do I keep my company."

There was silence for a few seconds. Stacy then walked up to Tedd Chambers and spoke silently to him, they had a very quiet conversation before breaking it off.

"Alright Tamara, Tedd here says he and the Floridan will be willing to give you one week."

"One week? Do you guys think I'm a magician?"

"One week, Tammy. Take it or leave it "

She bit her lip and tapped her foot on the floor, "I'll take it."

"Alright then, you get to have your company for one week, maybe more if you can do the work by then."

"I will."

"I'm rooting for you cous," Stacy said and hugged Tamara.

"One week is still kinda short tho." Tamara teased.

"Tedd said it would have been longer if you had been nicer to him."

"Well tell him to shove his extra few weeks up to his ass," Tamara said loudly as they left the office. "Let him go through the door first, Stace. I don't think you both can fit!"

Tamara collapsed on her chair and breathed in deeply. They were right, she was broke, her company was broke and everything was falling into pieces. And now she had one week to get enough money to grow her company once more, how was she going to do that?

She hit her head repeatedly on her desk, "Oh, you're so screwed Tamara."

Her phone rang, "Who the fuck is it?" She thought as she searched for her phone in her bag. Her face lit up with a smile as she saw the name on the screen. It was Nathan.