ROGUE - #FREE PREVIEW OF CHAPTER ONE

ROGUE CHAPTER ONE, PART ONE

SOMETHING NEW

 

Rebecca Cooper had been bundle of nerves all morning.  While in her hotel room, she dressed up in a blue gown for a special occasion, then checked her appearance in the mirror.  She had adjusted her long, wavy brunette hair several times to make it just right.  She wanted to be perfect for the wedding.

An hour later, the forty-four-year-old widow of eight years met up with her new fiancée in the lobby of the Plaza hotel on a beautiful March afternoon.  Jeff Krestor, who was eleven years older and a successful businessman, kissed her and smiled.

“You look beautiful,” he gushed.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” she replied, knowing that it was time to face his family.

 

Jeff’s only daughter, Sandra and her new husband Daryl Mason exchanged vows outside on the great lawn in the back.  The weather had been perfect for the occasion, which was a great relief for the bride and her parents. 

Jeff’s first wife, Jeanne, who was the mother of the twenty-five-year-old bride, was front and center.   Jeff’s two younger ex-wives, Nancy, and Brittany, and the other four children were there.  All these people would be a part of Rebecca’s life from this day forward. 

 

After the ceremony, Rebecca walked into the opulent Omega Room with Jeff, and for the first time, he introduced her as his fiancée.  It was a surprise to many in attendance, especially his three ex-wives and five children…all of which she had only the slightest acquaintance.  Rebecca was not sure if she liked any of them.  Hopefully her opinion about these people would eventually change.

So, here she was, at her big debut as the potential stepmother of the new bride, and no one seemed happy about it.   Maybe it was just bad timing, and it would have been smarter to wait for the wedding to be over…at least that was the annoyed bride’s opinion on the matter.

It was not Rebecca’s idea to reveal the unexpected news.  It was Jeff’s idea to spill the beans.  If it was her choice, she would have picked a more appropriate day, but Jeff assured her that he knew what was best.  Now, considering the family’s reaction, she wasn’t sure that he had made the right decision.

 

It had been a whirlwind week.  Rebecca even surprised herself when she finally said yes after so many of Jeff’s proposal attempts.  This final time, he asked her after they attended an opera in Blanding City. It was an opera she had longed to see but had heard that the tickets had been impossible to get, with a waiting list of at least a year.  Somehow, Jeff found a way, and to her excitement, the tickets were hers. 

That night, he arranged for a limousine to take them there.  They were dressed to the nines, and champagne was on ice.  She felt like a queen, and it was the perfect setting for a proposal.  When her salt and pepper-haired, bearded boyfriend got down on one achy knee in front of a crowd of people, she could not say no because it was truly a romantic gesture that could not be topped.

That was a week ago. 

Since then, Rebecca had not seen Jeff all week, as he attended rehearsals and dinners without her.  For some reason, he did not want her there, and she tried not to be offended.  Maybe their engagement had been kept a secret so that the news would not interfere with preparations for Sandra’s wedding.

 

At the reception, while Rebecca slow-danced with Jeff, he seemed distracted. 

“What’s wrong?”  she asked. 

“I don’t understand why he isn’t here yet.  Maybe he isn’t coming.”

“Who?”

“Yuri.”

“He was probably delayed,” Rebecca assured, trying to quell his fears.

“Do you think so?”

“Sure.  Don’t worry.”

“I hope you’re right.”

 

Throughout the next dance, Jeff kept looking around, waiting for his associate, Yuri Pachenko, to arrive with his family. Rebecca tried to be understanding, because she knew that Jeff considered him a very important man. However, it was disappointing because he seemed more interested in who wasn’t there rather than who was right in front of him.

Finally, after the third dance, a group of people walked into the reception, and Jeff breathed a sigh of relief.

“He’s here,” Jeff said, excitedly, and then he immediately stopped dancing to scurry over to them, leaving her stranded on the dance floor.

 

Rebecca turned to watch the group of six men and women walk into the room.  Five of them headed towards Jeff.  The sixth, a towering individual, headed directly towards the bar.

Jeff did not pay attention to what that man was doing but was more concerned with greeting the other five.

“Becca, come here,” Jeff beckoned with anxious hands.

“I’m coming,” she replied, and then finally reached him after heeding his call.

“Rebecca, I would like you to meet Mr. Yuri Pachenko,” Jeff fawned.  “Yuri, this is my fiancée, Rebecca Cooper.”

“Fiancée?” Yuri asked.  “I did not realize that you were engaged.”

“It just happened.  She finally said yes, after many attempts,” Jeff admitted.

“Well, it is lovely to meet you, Rebecca,” Yuri said with a smile in a heavy Eastern European accent as he shook Rebecca’s hand.  “Rebecca, I would like to introduce you to my son, Pieter, and his wife Mia.  This lovely woman over here is his twin, my daughter Katrina and her husband Bobby Garten.”

“It is nice to meet you all,” she said to the confused people in front of her.

“Mr. Pachenko, I hope that you will like your table,” Jeff groveled.  “I made sure that it was away from the band.”

 

After Jeff introduced Rebecca to the Pachenko family, he personally walked them over to their table like a servant, leaving her in the dust.  Rebecca was left alone in a sea of people that she did not know.  She glanced around and felt some attention coming from the tall man at the bar.   As he leaned against the bar, and drank a bottle of beer, they locked their eyes.  She turned away quickly.  It was unsettling, but she was so intrigued that she was tempted to turn and look again. But he was no longer looking at her.

Who was he, and why was he looking at her?

 

Rebecca was delighted when Katrina sought her out to chat so that she was not standing there all alone.   Perhaps she took pity on her, but thankfully Katrina made conversation easily.  Katrina was a cheerful woman, and Rebecca could see that she was with child.  Perhaps that was the reason why.

“When are you due?  If you don’t mind my asking,” Rebecca asked.

“In a little more than three months.  We’ve been married for three years, I’m thirty-five, and I almost gave up,” Katrina gushed with an Americanized accent.

“I’m very happy for you,” Rebecca said with a smile, but inside, her heart ached.   

Meanwhile, Rebecca turned to find that the tall man at the bar was watching them intently.  Rebecca was distracted and found it impossible to ignore him.  Upon closer inspection, she found him quite handsome in a tailored navy-blue suit, and light blue shirt that opened a few buttons down.  He had long, dirty blonde hair that was tied back, perhaps to keep it under control. 

She was captivated and wanted to know more about him and hoped that Katrina had more information.

“Who is that tall man that walked in with you?”  Rebecca asked.

“Oh, that’s Alexi, my baby brother,” Katrina replied.

Rebecca had heard about Alexi.  According to Jeff, Alexi was a dangerous man.  He was the black sheep of the family who had been in trouble multiple times.  She was told not to trust him.

But for someone who was supposed to be the devil incarnate, he looked almost angelic.

“He’s, uh…not friendly?”

“Oh, Alli is extremely friendly.  He never shuts up.  He went straight into party mode, as usual.  You’ll get to meet him eventually.  If he ever leaves the bar…I hope.”

As if he knew that he was the topic of conversation, the aforementioned Alexi suddenly left the bar and started to walk over, while carrying two bottles of beer.  He finished one, then left it on one of the tables on the way.  Then he walked right into their conversation.

“I hate these events,” Alexi groaned to Katrina with an accent, similar to that of Yuri.  “How long do we have to stay at Jeff’s big show?”

“We have just arrived, Alli,” Katrina said, unable to warn him about who was standing there with her.

“Ugh,” he said, and then turned to greet Rebecca.  “Well, hello there.  How did you get roped into coming to this nightmare?”

“I’m a…I’m a friend of the family,” Rebecca replied.

“Really?  Well, you should get a drink.  I know that I will have to be drunk to survive this circus, because…”

“Alli…” Katrina interjected.  “Don’t do that.  Please.  Be a good boy for once.”

“I am never good boy,” he bragged, and then winked at Rebecca with a confident smile.

“Try, Alli.  Papi wants it that way,” Katrina scolded.

“Alright,” he grumbled like a child, while rolling his eyes, as he drank some more.  “I will be a good boy.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, yeah…whatever,” he agreed, and then wanted to change the subject. “So…where is Jeff’s typical teenaged girlfriend?”

“Jeff’s fiancée is already here.”

“Fiancée?” he laughed.  “What?  What brainless victim decided to marry him now?”

Rebecca was left stunned as he unwittingly insulted her.  Suddenly, he was not as attractive as before.

“Alli…I would like to introduce you to Rebecca,” a mortified Katrina said.

“Oh, so that is your name,” he said as he stretched out his hand to greet her. “Call me Alex.”

“Hello,” Rebecca replied, but she did not accept his hand.

Surprised that he had been spurned, he quickly pulled his hand back to avoid embarrassment.

“Alli, Rebecca is…Jeff’s fiancée.”

He broke out laughing.  “What?  Are you joking?”

“I am not joking, Alli.”

“Are you kidding me?” he asked Rebecca with bewilderment, as he inspected her thoroughly.  “How did he get a woman like you?  You do not look brainless at all.”

“Thank you?” she said, almost as a question.  “I guess.”

“I do question your decision making, though,” he added.

“Excuse me?” Rebecca asked.

“Alli, stop!” Katrina commanded and then turned to Rebecca with exasperation.  “I must apologize for my baby brother, Rebecca.  Alli often opens his big, fat mouth and speaks without thinking.  He’s like a runaway train of stupidity.”

“Do not tell me that you were not thinking the same thing,” Alexi challenged.

Katrina paused and glared at him. 

“That’s not true,” she said, through clenched teeth.

“Bullshit, Trina.”

While watching the siblings have an argument about her decision to marry Jeff, Rebecca felt sick to her stomach, and immediately wanted to get away from them.  Alexi’s stunned reaction to her news was not the first and probably would not be the last, if experience told her anything.

“Please excuse me,” she said, and then wandered away, as Alexi’s eyes followed her.

Once she was out of earshot, Katrina punched Alexi in the arm.

“Jerk!” she said.

“What?” he asked.

“What’s wrong with you?” Katrina asked while shaking her head, critically.

“What is wrong with her?” he corrected.  “Trina, that is not the woman that I saw him with last week.  We all know that he has been screwing his secretary, Angie.”

“That’s just hearsay.”

“You know it is true.  He cannot stay faithful to anyone,” Alexi reasoned.  “I have never seen this woman Rebecca before in my life, and I would have remembered her…trust me.”

Katrina rolled her eyes.  “Well, that goes without saying, playboy.  She’s your type.”

“That is beside the point,” he said.  “Suddenly she is his fiancée?  You must admit it is a surprise.”

“Of course, it’s a surprise.  She’s not his usual type.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

“Maybe he wanted to keep her a secret.”

“Yeah, but why would he want to do that?  He should parade her around to improve his image.”

“Maybe that is what he is doing now.”

“Well, maybe I should find out more about this mystery woman,” Alexi said as he watched Rebecca.

“Leave her alone, Alli.”

“What?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do not know what you are talking about,” he said.

“Alli…be good,” she warned him.

“I am always good,” Alexi assured, and then walked away from his suspicious sister, leaving her to wonder what he had planned.

 

Away from the bickering brother and sister, Rebecca searched for Jeff, who seemed to disappear as usual.  When she found him, he was once again talking to his recently widowed first wife Jeanne.  They had been spending a lot of time together between planning the wedding and all the other events involved.  He was also there for her after the unexpected death of her husband nearly a year ago.  There was no doubt that they still shared a special connection, even though they had been divorced for years, and remarried to other partners.  Jeff, more than once.

Rebecca stopped, leery of interrupting the conversation.  She was not interested in being part of the conversation, either.  Maybe she would eventually feel comfortable within his family dynamic…three ex-wives, five children and the complications that would arise from it all.  Had she made the right decision? 

The doubts started to return.

She made a detour towards the bar for something to calm her nerves.  A glass of wine.  Something red.  Rebecca wanted to escape altogether.  It was all so very…awkward.

 Rebecca ordered a glass of cabernet sauvignon and took a huge gulp before intending to turn back towards the party.  The burgundy liquid warmed her body on the way down.  She started to relax and felt better immediately.

 

“Apparently, I was acting like a big jerk,” a deep voice said from the left side of her as she drank another sip from her much-needed glass of red wine.

Rebecca turned to her left to see that it was Pachenko’s youngest son, Alexi.  He was the last person that she wanted to talk to during her moment of doubt.

“Your sister had to point that out to you?” she replied sharply.

Alexi chuckled at her unexpectedly blunt reply.

“Yes, it is her job to tell me when I act like a jerk.  It takes me a while to catch on,” he said.  “I am sorry if I offended you.”

“I was not offended,” she lied.  “I just think you’re wrong.”

“Am I?” he asked.  “Let me give you a word of warning.  The ex-wives hate each other.  I have names for them.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really,” he replied, “I call them the Bitch, the Witch, and the Ditz.”

“Excuse me?”

            “The Bitch is wife number one, Jeanne,” he said, as he pointed her out.  “She is the one with the artificially blonde helmet hair.  She is the one that got away, and even though she is a complete bitch, he will always be devoted to her and will always feel guilty for messing up his perfect family.   She is a widow now, so I would watch out for her.”

“Really?”

“Really.  Big threat,” he said.   “Over there, yelling at her bratty teenaged boys is wife number two, Nancy.  She is the Witch because she is the Devil’s spawn.  She actually resembles a witch with the slender build and long straight black hair.  All she needs is a pointy hat and broom.  She broke up his first marriage and is truly evil.  She tried to seduce me once, while she was still married to Jeff.  But I was convinced that she would kill and eat me afterwards like a Praying Mantis.”

“Is that so?” Rebecca asked with much skepticism.

“True story,” Alexi said.  “By the way, The Witch and the Bitch hate each other.  But they both hate the Ditz.  I think that they are just jealous.  Brittany is wife number three, and she is my favorite.  I actually do like her.  She is a good-hearted woman who unfortunately became pregnant and was forced into a marriage she was not ready for.   She has long, wavy auburn hair and an incredible body.  She is extremely hot.  Normally, I would be attracted to someone like her, but she is totally brainless.”

“And that is a deal-killer?”

“Yes, I like to talk after sex.”

She shook her head. “You’re hilarious.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s not a compliment,” she added. “I think that it’s all bullshit.”

Alexi laughed at her bluntness.  “I wish that it was.”

“So, you’re saying that its true?” Rebecca asked with suspicion.

“Absolutely, it is true.”

“Why in the world are you telling me all this?”

“I feel sorry for you.  You do not realize what you are getting into.  It is a three-ring circus.”

“All families are complicated.”

“Not like this.  They are like clowns running around throwing paint at each other,” Alexi joked.  “In my opinion, I think that you are making a terrible mistake.”

“Did I ask for your opinion?” Rebecca scoffed.

“No.”

“Well…your opinion does not matter to me.”

“Fair enough,” he said with a slight smile, and then Rebecca suddenly turned to leave him standing alone. 

Alexi was stunned and disappointed to be left in the dust so quickly, as it did not happen often.  In fact, it never happened.  Usually, a women hung on his every word, but Rebecca was an enigma. He was absolutely fascinated.

“Oh, I like her,” he said, as he enjoyed the curvy view while watching her cross the room.

Who was this interesting woman, and why the hell would she want to marry a jerk like Jeff Krestor?  He was so enthralled that he continued to watch her every move for the rest of the night.

Throughout the reception, Rebecca felt warm inside, but it was not the wine that affected her.  She kept glancing back at Alexi and could feel the heat from his stare.  Their eyes connected throughout the night, even while she slow-danced with Jeff. 

At the table, while she sat next to Jeff, Rebecca found it hard to concentrate.  She was distracted.  Every time her eyes met with Alexi’s it was like a jolt of lightning…a sensation that she had not felt since she had been with her first husband Tom.

What was Alexi’s interest in her, and why was he watching her every time she looked in his direction? 

Why was she looking in his direction in the first place? 

Rebecca tried very hard to avoid his gaze, but somehow their eyes kept meeting, as if a magnet was attracting them.

“What do you want?” Jeff asked, snapping her to attention.

“What?” she asked, as she looked back at Jeff.

“You were looking at the dessert table like you were hungry.”

“No, I…no, I don’t want anything by the dessert table,” she said, as she watched Alexi fill up his plate with cake.

“You mean from the dessert table,” he corrected her.

“Yeah…that.”

“Well, I’m going to grab something,” Jeff said.  “Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

“I’m sure.”

 

            Suddenly, there was a disturbance that jolted Rebecca’s attention away from the dessert table, as the bride complained loudly about something to do with...something.   Jeff dutifully rushed over to his daughter to calm her down.  Soon there were three people huddled around the unhappy bride…her mother, father, and unfortunate husband.

Rebecca could not hear what Sandra was complaining about, but whatever it was, she would not let it go.  Then she turned back to the dessert table, and Alexi was gone.  Thank goodness.

“There goes Bridezilla,” Alexi joked, as he commandeered Jeff’s vacated seat, and plopped two plates full of cakes on the table in front of him.  He was slightly inebriated.  “Do you want a piece of cake?”

“No thanks,” she replied. “What are you doing here?”

“The chair was open.”

“It’s Jeff’s chair.”

“I know.  But I am just making conversation,” he said, as he shoveled cake into his mouth.  “Look at that poor sap.”

“Who?”

“The groom.  Look at his face.  He is just realizing what he has done.  He should have gotten out while he still had a chance, but she has her talons in him now.  He is rich, you know.”

“Is he?”

“Oh yeah.  Have you ever heard of Mason Financing?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Daryl Mason is the heir to their vast empire.  However, he is probably thinking about finding a good lawyer right about now.”

“That’s very cynical.”

“I know his new wife.  I have known her for years.  I went on a date with her once.  Big mistake.  

Total bitch.  I felt like a sacrificial lamb—never did that again.”

“Why did you even go to this wedding?”

“Obligation,” he said.  “Yuri wanted us to come as a united family because Jeff works with our company.  Otherwise, I would have been as far away as possible.”

“Why are you still here after the rest of your family has left?”

“I can practically crawl home from here, and I cannot pass up free food and drink,” he said.  “I had to stay for the Viennese dessert table, at least.”

“So, you’re a parasite.”

“Yes, I am,” he admitted.  “Also, I wanted to see how this shit-show turned out.  It did not disappoint.  I mean, look at them all huddled around Bridezilla.  It is hilarious.  I give this marriage two months.”

Rebecca watched as Jeff, Jeanine and Daryl tried to pacify an inconsolable Sandra.  She then turned to Alexi, who was laughing at all the drama.

“You disgust me,” she said.

“It is the truth,” Alexi said, as she stormed away from the table.

 

Alexi watched with humor as Rebecca left him in a huff.  He thought that she was fascinating and wanted to get to know her better.   However, as he watched his new acquaintance from across the room, it left him completely unprepared for unwelcome company.

“So…was that the new one?” a sinister female voice asked.

The voice sounded very familiar, and a chill ran up his spine.   He turned to see that Nancy was behind him.

“Oh hey, uh…Nancy,” he replied.  “Who are you talking about?”

“The woman who just left you.  Is she the new sacrificial lamb?”

“Rebecca is engaged to your ex, if that is what you mean.”

“I see that you and Rebecca have been getting acquainted.” 

“I was just warning her about Jeff, and the rest of you nutcases.”

“You’re very cute,” Nancy said, as she slid her long-nailed, red fingertips across his shoulders and sat down next to him in the chair that Rebecca had left empty.  “I’ve always liked you; you know.”

“Thank you,” he said, not knowing how to respond otherwise.

“How are you doing, gorgeous?  I didn’t expect to see you at this shindig.  I thought that you hated Jeff.”

“I do hate Jeff.”

“But you’re here anyway.  I see you’re talking advantage of the free food.”

“Well, you know me and my appetite.”

“Yes, I do.  I’d like to find out more.  You know, I’m not leaving for California until tomorrow, and I’m staying on the seventh floor.  You should stop by after the wedding.  We could get reacquainted.”

His blood ran cold. 

“Uh…what about the boys?”

“They have their own room,” Nancy revealed.  “I’m all alone in there, and we’re both unattached, so you shouldn’t have any objections, like you did the last time.”

“Last time, I was twenty-two when you tried to seduce me.”

“So what?  You were a big, strapping boy.  You could have handled me.  You could have learned something too.”

“You were married to Jeff.”

“Barely.  That was a sinking ship,” she scoffed.  “Anyway, things are different now.”

“What about husband number two?”

“That’s over.  I’ve left him.  He couldn’t satisfy me,” she revealed.  “From what I saw, I know damn well that you could.  You’re a little bit older, and more experienced.  We could pick up where we left off and will not be interrupted this time.  Come on gorgeous.  Let’s go upstairs and have some fun.”

His stomach turned, and suddenly he could no longer eat.

“Nancy…just go to hell,” he said, and then immediately stood up to find a quick exit. 

Alexi intentionally passed right by Rebecca on the way to the door. 

“I am sorry, but I must leave.  It was nice to meet you, Rebecca,” Alexi said as he hurried off.

 

After Rebecca watched Alexi hurriedly leave the room, she turned to look at the table from where he had left.  There Nancy sat, abandoned.  Rebecca wondered if Nancy had anything to do with Alexi’s sudden exit, and if what he said about her was true. 

But it was none of her business.

End of Chapter One, Part One

To be continued...

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