by Piper Rayne
Reed: Business? Did you commit a crime in the last half hour?
Me: My boss wondered if you’d look over some legal contracts for her?
I go on to explain the situation and his response is immediate and exactly what I was expecting.
Reed: What do I get for my trouble?
Me: Double pay.
Reed: Double pay?
Me: Yes, we’ll pay double your normal fee.
Reed: I don’t do favors for money. That’s called prostitution. ;)
I ignore the innuendo and text him back.
Me: It’s not a favor, she’ll pay you.
Reed: I work for the state, I can’t take her money.
Me: But you can do it as a favor?
Reed: Have I asked for anything in return?
Me: No, but you will.
Reed: You wound me! Why do you insist on thinking so poorly of me?
Me: In my experience lawyers rarely do something for nothing.
Reed: You just haven’t experienced the right ones. ;) See you at noon.
Me: What do you want in return?
Me in a bed naked with chocolate sauce dripping off my nipples? I can take one for the team.
Reed: Nothing. See you then.
Me: Thank you.
The three dots appear, disappear, appear again but another text never comes through and I worry that I may have actually pissed him off this time.
“He’ll be here at noon, Hannah,” I call out.
“Thank you, Vic, you’re a lifesaver.”
Funny, I feel like a little bit of an ungrateful bitch at the moment.
When the door opens at noon, my breathing picks up pace expecting to see Reed. Instead, a woman dressed in an expensive looking pant suit walks in with a briefcase clutched in one hand. Her hair is dark and shiny, cut right to her jawline which accentuates her beauty. She laughs, glancing behind her, and I see Reed stroll in behind her with his perfected swagger and million-dollar smile on display.
No wonder he didn’t want anything in return, he had a lunch date already.
He shuts the door behind him and leads the woman to the edge of my desk.
“Good afternoon, Victoria,” he says, all business, like all I really am to him is the receptionist.
“Good afternoon.” I tap my pen on the desk in an effort to relieve some of my irritation.
“This is Raegan Gilroy and she’s an intellectual property attorney. She’s probably the best one to look over your contracts.”
Raegan places her hand out in front and I stand, shaking it. “Pleasure to meet you. If you want to have a seat, I’ll tell Hannah you’re here.”
“Thank you.” She smiles, a perfect row of straight teeth unveiled from between her plump red lipsticked lips.
Reed winks and follows her to the couches in our waiting area.
I lift the phone at the exact same time Chelsea steps out of her office. She glances to her right and then to me and back to her right again.
Reed waves. “Afternoon, Chelsea.”
He can take his good afternoon and shove it up his ass.
“Hey,” she says and then clears her throat. “What are…”
“Chelsea,” I call out and she walks over to me rather than standing there awestruck.
Raegan Gilroy whispers something to Reed and he smiles, whispering back, shaking his head.
“Can you please grab me a photocopy of this while I let Hannah know her appointment is here?” I shove a stack of papers at Chelsea and for once in her life, she does what she’s asked without arguing.
Once she’s heading down the hall, I pick up my receiver and buzz Hannah’s office to let her know her appointment is here.
“Send him in and can you sit in and take notes?” Hannah asks.
“Sure, but he is a she. Reed brought an intellectual property attorney with him to look over the contract.”
“Really? Perfect. Send her in.”
I hang up, stand, straightening my own skirt. My outfit looks like I got it from the thrift store in comparison to Raegan’s.
“Ms. Gilroy, Hannah is ready.”
Raegan stands, again whispers something to Reed. He shakes his head and she says nothing more, smiling at me as she meets me right outside Hannah’s office.
I open the door, following Raegan in. “Ms. Gilroy, this is Ms. Crowley.” I introduce the two of them and take a seat on the couch by the window, notepad in hand.
They shake hands and I see the stack of contracts sitting on the corner of Hannah’s desk. She picks them up and rounds her desk.
“Thank you so much for doing this on such short notice. Oh, Victoria, on second thought we’re good. I don’t need notes but thank you.” She smiles and then signals toward the couch to Raegan, effectively dismissing me. “Can we get you anything?”
“No, I’m good.” Raegan looks at me because yes, I am the beverage go-getter. Isn’t she a smart one.
“Let me know if you change your mind.” I leave the room, closing the door behind me. When I return to my desk I find Reed in the chair situated in front of my desk, his ankle propped up on his knee, revealing black socks with lines on them, his black shoes shined with no sign of wear.
“Thank you. That was nice of you to set us up with an IP attorney.” I sit down at my desk, sliding my chair in.
“I’m nice like that.” He winks, and I want to glue his eyelids open, so he can’t repeat that sexy move.
“There’s that ego again. I enjoyed its short vacation.”
He raises his hands in the air. “I’m not going to stop thinking I’m the best person for you. I told you I’d prove it.”
“How long until you think you’ll give up?” I shift some papers around my desk that don’t really need shifting.
He shakes his head, his foot drops to the floor and he leans forward. “Never. I told you I like you, Victoria. I want you and I’m not easily sidetracked when I’m this sure about something.”
“Am I really supposed to expect that you’re just pining away for me, remaining celibate until I say yes?”
He grabs his phone from his pocket and tosses it on my desk, followed by his keys.
“Here.”
“What?”
“The password to my phone is 624507. The round key is for the front door of my building. The square one gets you into my condo and that small one, that will get you into my safe.” He leans back in his chair like it’s case closed.
“I don’t want any of this. I trust you.”
“You clearly don’t. I could tell you thought Raegan was a lunch date I brought here with me. Why would I bring a woman here when I’m trying my damnedest to get with you?”
I pick up his phone and keys, placing them on the edge of my desk. “Believe me, I don’t want to worry about that stuff. I don’t want to think the worst, but that seed was planted in me a long time ago and the roots grew too deep. At this point, I don’t know how to kill it.”
He stands up, circling my desk and leaning against the edge. His fingers graze along my forehead down my face until he’s cupping my cheek with his hand. And it feels good. So good. And comforting. And scarier than all of that, it makes me feel safe.
“I’ll help you. I know I’m asking you to make a giant leap, so let’s start small. A dinner. A meal and I’ll drive you home right after. We won’t even have dessert. If you want to take a taxi home, fine. I just want to spend time with you.”
I swallow down the anxiety threatening to make me bolt. The idea of giving someone else a chance to hurt me again has me wanting to push him away. But in his eyes, I see only adoration and decide that this will be the time I give him what he wants.
“One dinner,” I whisper, barely believing the words coming out of my mouth.
“One dinner.”
“Nothing more.”
“Not yet.”
“Okay.”
His eyes widen with my agreement. “I’ll pick you up Friday at seven.”
“Okay.”<
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“You’re being way too agreeable now. What’s the catch?”
I giggle softly and close my eyes as his thumb runs along my skin. “No catch.”
“Keep the password to my phone. Check it any time.” He slides down, crouching down in front of me, his hands wrapped tightly around mine. “I have nothing to hide.”
I nod.
“The offer is never off the table. One day you’ll learn to trust me. I promise.”
He guides me up by my hands, takes his phone and keys, stuffing them into his jacket pocket.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Lunch.”
“You’re pushing your luck.”
“This is business. St. Pats’ business.” He winks.
He never lets go of my hand and as much as it scares me, I don’t want him to.
Chapter Seventeen
It’s nine o’clock at night when I finally drag myself up the walkway toward my childhood bungalow, hoping Jade is asleep because every limb in my body is more exhausted than it felt when she was a newborn. Working out with Chelsea before my class was not the best decision.
My phone rings as I step through the door. Jade runs over, hugs me and then steals the phone out of my jacket pocket.
“Jade,” I sigh.
My mom is laying on the couch, her eyes closed, the television on some Disney show I’m sure is teaching my daughter how to be sassier than already comes naturally to her.
“Daddy!” she screams so loud, my mom’s eyes pop open.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have dozed off.” She moves to sit up.
“Mom, go to bed, I’ll take care of her tonight. Thank you.”
I really can’t expect her to manage Jade for much longer. It’s not her job to raise a child all over again. We came here to help her, not the other way around.
“No. I’ve got my second wind now.” She half smiles.
Jade skips around the house with my phone pressed to her ear. “School’s good,” she says, her voice holding the excitement only her daddy receives. Each call like an unexpected surprise.
“The bastard?” my mom asks in a near whisper, pulling the blanket off her legs.
“Yeah.”
She rolls her eyes and stands up, collecting Jade’s dishes.
“No, Mom, I got it.” I take them from her hands and head to the kitchen where Jade is rounding the center island like it’s a racetrack.
Once I’ve set the dishes in the sink, I place my hands on her shoulders to stop her and point to the table. She frowns but sits down.
“Can we FaceTime?” I hear her ask.
Pete must accept because she hangs up and then dials him right back with FaceTime. I glance over, and his face is displayed on my phone, his backdrop the usual one—his office.
“Daddy, are you at work?” Jade props her head in her hand and positions the phone.
“Yeah, it’s only seven o’clock here,” his deep voice answers with amusement in his tone. Like it’s normal for people to work past seven when they started at six in the morning.
“You look tired,” Jade says.
I pretend to wash the dishes and load the dishwasher while the two talk, glancing at the screen every once in a while. He can’t see me over Jade’s head taking up the entire camera area, thank goodness. Looking at Pete, I can’t help but wonder what he’d think if I told him about my upcoming date with Reed. I’m sure he’d be surprised I ran into him, let alone that he’s been actively pursuing me, but I don’t think he’d care in a jealous sort of way.
“Guess what, Bug?”
“What Daddy?”
I clench the dish in my hand at hearing him use my term of affection toward her. Actually, my mom’s that kind of stuck while she was growing up.
“I’m coming to Chicago,” he announces.
“You are?”
“Well, I heard this special little girl was having a birthday.”
“Me!” Jade points to herself.
I hate the way my intelligent daughter pretends to be a baby when she’s speaking with her dad. Like he won’t love her as much if she shows how smart and opinionated she is.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss my little bug’s birthday.”
Gah. Bile rises up my throat but I manage to suppress my eye roll.
“I’m going to be eight.” That was not an ‘I’m proud to be eight,’ that was a ‘just in case you forgot, I’m turning eight.’ On her fifth birthday, Pete thought she was four. Good times were had by all in the Keebler family that day, let me tell you.
“I know. I’m staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s, how about you stay over there with us?”
He’s kidding, right? On her birthday, he’s going to try to take her away from me?
“Jade sweetie, let me talk to your dad after you’re finished.” I manage to keep my voice level when I really want to rip the phone from her grasp and unleash a series of vulgarities at my ex-husband.
“Okay.”
“Is that your mom you’re talking to?” I smile to myself, knowing his worst fear is it’s my mom.
“Yep,” she says, moving the phone to show me at the sink.
“Hey, Vic,” he says.
I wave, my hand full of soap. “Hey.”
“Can you bring the ocean with you?” Jade quickly hijacks the conversation. Not that I blame her. She waits weeks for his calls sometimes.
“I can bring you some sand and water.”
Fat chance.
“Then I can take it to show and tell. My friend, Henry, has never seen the ocean.”
“Never seen the ocean? What kind of sheltered life is this kid living?” He chuckles like that’s actually funny.
“What does sheltered mean?”
“It means he hasn’t seen everything yet.” My mom walks by, tapping Jade’s hip so she’ll slide over and sit properly on the chair.
“I want to show Henry everything. Can he come with me to Los Angeles?” Jade bounces up and down on the chair and whines.
“Of course he can, but I’m not sure his parents would agree.”
“Henry doesn’t have parents.” The sadness I hear in her voice every time she has to tell someone that is ever present.
“He doesn’t. Who takes care of him?” Pete asks.
My mom joins me at the sink, and we share a look of mutual disgust that my ex-husband is rarely present in Jade’s life but wants to play dad of the year when he is.
“His grandma and grandpa, oh and he’s got a big brother.”
“I’m glad he has his grandparents.” I overhear the shuffling of paperwork. “Because I’m not sure a big brother would be much help.”
Jade giggles. “No, Daddy, Henry’s big brother is an adult. Mommy said it’s a program to help make him a man.”
“Make him a man?” Pete sounds skeptical and my mom laughs, patting my shoulder.
“Yeah, Re—”
“Time for bed, Jade.” I cut her off and sit down next to her at the table before she says Reed’s name. I’m not even sure why I care if she does. It’d be like a big middle finger to Pete, but it’s not something I want to discuss with Pete in front of our daughter. Besides, I’m not ready to share something when I don’t even know what that something it is yet.
Jade pouts and hugs the phone to her body. “That’s a hug from me to you, Daddy.”
He kisses his hand and blows it her way. “Do you see it, Jade, floating from L.A. to Chicago? I sent it express so it should be there at any moment.”
I smile at the exchange. Pete’s good at sweet-talking his daughter. She pretends to search the space between her and the ceiling. Runs out of the kitchen to the front door. “Got it!” she screams and runs back in with a clasped fist, sits down and flattens her palm to her cheek. “It couldn’t get through the door.”
Pete smiles the genuine smile that is rarely seen. It might only be reserved for his daughter. He wept the first time he saw Jade and it was the truest emotion I’ve ever witnessed him bear. Alth
ough she’s out of sight and out of mind to him most of the time, she’ll always be his number one.
“Good night, Bug,” he says, his hand up in the air. “See you in a couple weeks.”
“Night Daddy,” She kisses the screen and I refrain from telling her how gross that is because she’s way too cute and these rare phone calls light up her day.
Jade slides the phone my way and there I am in the little screen at the top right. My stomach revolts over the fact that I’m going to have to have a full-blown conversation with my ex. That, and the fact that I only have coffee and a bag of Doritos in my stomach.
Pete continues to concentrate on his paperwork.
“Go get ready and I’ll tuck you in after I get off the phone with Daddy, okay?” She nods and hugs me, then kisses my cheek.
“Okay.” She steps out of view and pauses. Her fingers in her mouth, nibbling on her nails.
“Jade,” I sigh.
“You aren’t going to yell, are you?” she asks.
Pete and I are more indifferent then argumentative, but the scars of our failed relationship are only a layer deep to our daughter. The one thing I wish I could take back is that. I should’ve never allowed us to fight in the next room. I’m sure she probably overheard things a little girl shouldn’t.
“No, sweetie. Go.”
She steps back, facing me until she has no choice but to turn around and head down the hall. Once the water in the bathroom is going, I focus my attention on Pete.
“You’re coming for her birthday?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I? I should ask you to fly her back here.” He closes a file folder, leans back in his seat and stares at me through the camera.
“Well, I’m throwing her a party here.”
“Funny, I haven’t gotten an invitation?” Like he’d know if he did. There’s probably a month’s worth of mail shoved in his new beach house mailbox.
“I haven’t mailed them yet.”
He smirks. “Still the organized one, I see.”
My fist clenches under the table. “Well, raising your daughter, working and going back to school—”
He raises his hand effectively cutting me off. “Let’s remember you chose that.”