Chapter 10

Victoria held Josh's arm as they entered the elevator. Jane. standing at the back, saw them as the lift flew up to the thirty-third floor. The couple didn't notice her until they stepped off and into the hallway leading to their offices.

"Nice rock," Jane remarked noticing the ring on Victoria's finger.

"Thank you," she smiled pleasantly. Victoria disappeared into her office while Jane continued on without a word to Josh. He watched her put her purse in its usual place then went to the office closet to hang her coat up. Josh then turned his attention to his own office. He booted up his computer. His email was flashing that he had messages. He smiled thinking it was Victoria leaving him one of her personal email love notes. It wasn't.

SEE ME!

'What the hell does he want to see me for, ' Josh thought. He hung up his coat then went to see what was on Mikleski's mind. He got to the glass door and knocked. He waved Josh in.

"Yes sir?" Josh closed the door behind him.

"Have a seat."

Josh sat down and tried to look relaxed. He knew he wasn't being called in for a complaint for his work production. He was good at his job and was well aware of that.

"I told you on day one that Victoria was out of bounds," he said with his face turning red with anger.

"Yes sir, I recall what you stated," Josh admitted.

"Then why the fuck did you disobey me?

"We just came together, I love her. We're engaged to be married."

"Like hell you are," Mikleski stood up, red as a beet.

"She's making wedding plans as we speak. She's contacted the church and set up a place for the reception afterwards. Then we're going to go to Tahiti for our honeymoon."

"Not with my daughter, you don't."

Josh felt like he had been doused with ice cold water. "Your daughter?"

"When I told you she was out of bounds, I meant what I said," the fat man reached for his phone and dialed a three digit number. "Get you ass in here," he shouted into the phone.

"We're going to get to the bottom of this pronto."

"You're name is Mikleski, her name is Michaels..." Suddenly it dawned on him. Victoria changed her last name! He never put two and two together. Victoria walked into his office without knocking. She saw Josh sitting there then gave her father an icy glare.

"You called?" she said angrily.

"Damn right, I called. What is the meaning of you wanting to marry this guy. You're engaged already to Theodore Swanson."

"I'm never going to marry that creep. It was you and mother that wanted me to marry that jerk. He freaks me out and I can't stand being with him let alone becoming his wife. He's nothing but an ass wipe."

"Theodore is a brilliant man and I intend for you to marry him!"

"This isn't the Dark Ages when daughters were married off to keep two kingdoms from going to war," Victoria shot back. She put her hand on Josh's shoulder for support. Even touching him, she felt stronger. "I will not marry Ted Swanson. I'll slit my wrists first. Besides, he never asked me. I'll turn him down if he ever does."

"No you won't," Mikleski barked.

"Oh yes I will. Just watch me. Even if you give a big party with all of your friends, I'll embarrass you, I'll embarrass mother, and I'll be sure to embarrass that asshole."

"Swanson and Bellform will merge into becoming the largest corporation in the world. We've got it worked out. You are not marrying this pipsqueak who will amount to nothing but an accountant for the rest of his life."

Victoria sat in the seat next by Josh and took his hand into hers. "You might as well get it through your thick Polish head that I'm not marrying that conceited fool. This is the man I love and I will become his wife. Plus the mother of his kids."

"Look!" Milkelski's voice softened. He knew he'd never win an argument with any of the women in his family. "We need this merger and the only way is for you to marry Theodore."

"Have you tried money?" Victoria snapped. "Mergers are money, stock options and a whole boatload of financial shit like that. Not forcing a woman to marry some man against her will. Especially that Swanson creep."

"You mean to tell me you love this boy more than Swanson?"

"I NEVER LOVED THEODORE SWANSON!" she screamed not caring who heard her. "That asshole crawled out of the gutter and he can just crawl on back. I've loved Josh the moment you introduced him to me. He will become by husband and there's nothing you can do about it."

"You know your mother will write you out of our wills."

"I have Grandpa's trust that I tap into at anytime. Uncle Jim advised me not to touch it and live off Bellform's expense account. Now you've really got me upset. As far as I'm concerned, you can take all that money you were going to leave me and burn it. I don't need your money and I don't want it. The only thing I want is to be Josh Howard's wife and the mother of his children. Is that clear enough for you?"

"Perhaps we should talk about this at another time," Josh tried to calm things down.

"You shut the fuck up, asshole," Mikleski shot back.

"You don't tell my fiancee to shut up. It's you that's talking like a moron, not him. I'm over eighteen and I can do what I want. Why don't you ask Danyell to marry Swanson. She's a beautiful girl and apart of the family."

"She's an idiot, if her brains were made of explosives, she couldn't even blow her nose. Besides, what do you see in him?" Mikleski inquired.

"He's great in bed!" Victoria sneered.

"You've been fucking this guy?"

"And proud of it," she told her father with her nose in the air. "Come on, Josh. Lets get out of here. You'll do no good here today. I'm too upset to give you any printouts. Until my father stops acting like a jackass, we are too sick to work here." Victoria pulled Josh out of the chair and dragged him to his office. Her walk was almost like a sprint. "Get your coat and anything else you need so we can get out of here."

Once on the street, Victoria started crying. Josh put his arms about her and let her weep into his shoulder. He didn't have any gloves on so he stroked her silky hair. People looked at the couple wondering why such a beautiful girl was crying so hard.

"Remind me not to piss you off," Josh whispered.

Victoria started to laugh. Somehow, someway Josh had brightened up her mood. She had a smile on her face although her tears still streaked down her face messing her makeup. She took out a compact to look at herself in the small mirror.