Driving Miss Catherine

‘We’ll talk about this when I get home. But if you must know, it wasn’t hard to figure out where you were. You’re not as good at sneaking out as you thought….and it was obvious where you were going. It was Heikki’s last night in New York, and I know where he’s staying, so it really wasn’t hard to figure out where you were. And yes, I was paying for his hotel room, but only because he couldn’t afford to stay somewhere decent, and I know how much you liked having him around. I hope Sebastian brought you to the country house like I asked; I thought you might like that. We’ll discuss this more when I return.
Love, Dad’

Cat angrily slammed her laptop shut after reading her dad’s email the next morning. It confirmed some of her suspicions, yet left many questions unanswered. How much did her dad really know about Heikki’s intensions? It was starting to seem like she had been a part of some deal Albert had negotiated with Heikki’s mother, the ‘Finnish diplomat’, whatever that meant. ‘If the Finnish government can ignore my illegal trading with Russia, your son can marry my daughter and have access to all of her inheritance, but first he has to trick her into getting pregnant so she’ll be sure to marry him,’ or something like that. Obviously that’s not what happened. But it was probably similar. As far as Cat knew, her father did not trade illegally with Russia, and she had no idea who Heikki’s mother was or what her position in government was. But the rest…?

And then there was the fact that she had fallen asleep on her driver’s shoulder last night while watching a movie, and now she was hiding in her room because she couldn’t face him. With the help of a bottle of wine, she saw everything she had been missing in Seb. He was as real as Heikki was fake, and all the subtle ways he had tried to show his affection now stood out like a neon light. She couldn’t believe how blind she’d been, and now that she knew, she didn’t really know what to do about it.

By noon she was starving, so she quietly walked to the kitchen and looked for something to eat. She heard Seb returning and ran upstairs to put on something other than her pajamas.

“I got us some breakfast,” Seb announced as Cat came downstairs. “There isn’t much food in the house, I thought I’d pick up something to eat so you don’t end up drinking another bottle of wine for dinner.” He laughed quietly, and Cat blushed at the distant memories from the night before.

“After breakfast…or lunch, rather,” Cat said as she glanced at the clock, “I was thinking of heading out to the stables. Do you ride?”

“No, I don’t, sorry.”

“Then I can teach you,” Cat smiled proudly. Over the next week, she and Seb spent hours with the horses, and eventually she taught him how to ride. She was slowly forgetting Heikki, yet she knew that when her dad returned she’d have to face everything again.

“When do you head back to school?” Seb asked as they dismounted their horses. The trail they were riding came out in a clearing near a stream. They tied the horses up and let them graze near the water while they ate lunch.

“Soon, but a little later than usual, about mid-September,” Cat replied. “I’m studying abroad for a semester.”

Seb looked slightly disappointed. “That sounds fun, where are you going?”

“Switzerland.” Cat watched his reaction carefully; he looked a little sad, yet hopeful, like he was being reminded of an old memory. “You’ll come with me, right?”

“Of course! Who would I drive if you weren’t here?” Seb joked, but there was a tone of tragic loneliness in his voice. ‘What else would I do?’ he thought, and tried to conceal his sadness from Cat. ‘Switzerland, that’s where…’ he shook his head and stopped himself from thinking the thoughts that would only make him depressed again.

They rode back to the stables in silence, both deep in thought on completely different subjects. As they left the barn together Seb got a notification on his phone.

“You’re father will be back tonight,” he said after opening it. He felt Cat pause and stiffen for a second before continuing toward the house.

“That’s good. He’s a little earlier than I thought he would be, but that doesn’t make a difference,” she sounded tense, and slightly nervous.

“Do you want me to stay with you while you talk to him?” Seb wanted to be there for her now, since he felt he’d obviously failed her the first time with Heikki. He wanted to stand next to her and confront her father together; he wanted to make everything okay for Cat.

“I…” Cat’s eyes were searching, deep in thought. She wanted nothing more than to have someone with her when she faced her dad, and more than anything she wanted that person to be Seb. “Yes, but, I think that might upset him even more.” She saw the glimmer of hope dash out of his eyes as if she’d turned him down for prom and it made the conflicting feelings in her heart burn even brighter.

“Yeah, you know how Albert can be,” Seb laughed, though it was forced. He shoved his hands in his pockets and made no attempt to move closer. He needed to be alone, to think. “I’m going for a drive later; I thought I might check out some of the winding back roads of Connecticut.” He smiled and Cat laughed and shook her head.

“Okay, just don’t get arrested,” she climbed the stairs and left him in the entryway laughing at the thought that he might get arrested for speeding or reckless driving.

Cat changed out of her riding clothes and sat down with a book while she waited for her dad to return. She kept replaying in her head what she was going to say to him, and tried to brace for whatever his answer was. It could be nothing, and he could be shocked at Heikki’s actions; or he could have been behind the whole plan from the beginning. Albert was smart, and cunning; that is, after all, how he acquired his fortune.

Cat had just finished making dinner when she heard someone come in the front door. Thinking it might be her driver returning, she poked her head around the corner and looked down the hallway toward the dark entryway.

“Hey Seb!” She called, but was met with the scowl her father wore on so many occasions she was starting to think it was just his face. “Oh, hi dad.” She quickly slipped back into the kitchen and waited for him to say something sardonic.

“I see you are on a first name basis with Mr. Vettel now,” he replied as he came into the kitchen. He found to the table set for two and sat down at one of the settings. “Thank you for dinner, Catherine.”

“Actually,” she was about to tell him that that was for Seb, but she changed her mind and sat down across from him. “How was your trip? Singapore, right?”

“No, Australia.” Albert carefully tucked in his napkin. “I’m surprised Sebastian forgot, since last time he was in Australia something life changing happened to him.”

Cat dropped her fork at the forgotten memory of Seb’s crash with Kimi in Australia. The details flooded back to her head like a speeding train wreck, sending fault lines through her calmly crafted disposition, leaving her scrambling to hold onto any shred of confidence.

“So you know about that,” Albert eyed her carefully, his brows drawn pensively. “Is that why you wanted to study abroad in Switzerland so suddenly?”

“What?” Cat tried to laugh, but it came out as a squeak. “I just felt like their environmental programs would be beneficial for my studies in engineering, that’s all.” Cat added quietly, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you do. Sometimes I don’t give you enough credit, my dear.” He took another sip of wine. “Now, let’s discuss this…issue with Mr. Huovinen.”

Cat tried to remember the speech she’d prepared, or anything really, that would make her sound convincing. She was trying to breathe, to focus, and not cry.

“I think he tricked me,” she started, and took a deep breath, “and you were behind it.”

Albert raised his eyebrows, but his expression remained the same: uninterested, yet slightly amused. “Really? I set you up with a gorgeous and admiral gentleman, so he could steal all of your, of my, money. You’re right, Cat, that sounds like something I’d do,” he added sarcastically, though it was so similar to his normal tone Cat wasn’t sure.

Anger flamed behind Cat’s eyes and motivated her to continue. “You know what I’m talking about, why don’t you just say it?”

“Say what?” he shrugged mockingly.

Cat slammed her fork back on the table. “You used me! You needed me to fall in love with him because of some sick plan you were trying to work out with his mother.”

“Nobody said you had to fall in love with him,” he added disinterestedly, and then his eyes softened. “You and your mother have the same…passion.” His face twitched for a moment, and it almost looked like he smiled at a lost memory.

“Don’t talk about her,” Cat said coldly. “Just tell me you had nothing to do with Heikki trying to…get me pregnant.” She said the last part quietly and avoided his eye contact, as if she were unworthy, unclean.

Albert thought for a minute before responding. “Yes, his mother is a Finnish diplomat and has some pull in the government, and it would have been beneficial if we’d had a working relationship of some kind. However,” he stopped and licked his lips, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. “If I’d had any idea he was going to try to use you like that, I absolutely would not have paid for him to stay at one of the nicest hotels in New York, or let him get anywhere near you. I have spent the last week looking into his background and you’re not the first person he’s tried to do this to, however this is the furthest it’s ever gone. His mother is manipulative and has pushed him into situations like this many times in order to benefit her personal motives.”

Cat was speechless, and stared at her father for a moment before catching her breath. “So he’s like a con artist or something?”

“He’s more like a puppet, his mother’s the one behind everything,” Albert explained, starting to look tired.

Cat stopped hating Heikki and started to feel bad for him as her emotions swirled like a hurricane. She couldn’t decide who she was mad at or whether or not she even was mad any more. “It was so real…but, he still tried to….”

“He didn’t, did he?” He father leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, studying her carefully.

“What? No, I mean it was just,” Cat swallowed uncomfortably. Sex was not something she talked about with her father. She added quietly, “It was just once, or twice…” Or three times…

“All it takes is one time, trust me,” he said as he got up from the table. “Dinner was delicious. Tell Mr. Vettel I’m sorry I ate his dinner, and he can come in now.” Cat looked confused. How had he known…and where was Seb…? Suddenly the side door to the kitchen opened and Seb came in, trying to look like he hadn’t been eavesdropping.

“I’m sorry Sir, I didn’t mean to intrude,” Seb started to apologize, but Albert cut him off with a smile.

“It’s okay; you didn’t hear anything she wasn’t going to repeat to you after I left, might as well hear it first hand,” Albert turned back to Cat. “I’m going back to the city now; I trust you’ll take care of….yourself?”

Cat knew what he meant and nodded, worried her voice would betray her emotions. Albert left without another word and eventually Seb sat down next to Cat.

“Driver, can you please take me to the store?” She asked before he could say anything.

“Yes, of course, what do you need?” He asked as he stood up and put his jacket back on.

“You heard him: ‘It only takes one time.’ I need to know.” Cat looked at him seriously and watched his eyes frantically search for an answer.

“Cat, what are you,” he paused as it hit him. “Please tell me that you and Heikki used some kind of protection.”

She shrugged and replied quietly. “I’m on the pill, he said it wasn’t necessary.”

“Do they not teach sex education in American schools?” Seb said incredulously as he fumbled for the keys in his pocket. “Come on,” he wrapped his arm around her and led her toward the door. A million thoughts raced through his mind, most of them having to do with punching Heikki (or his mother) in the face.