“Dahlia didn’t say anything to you?” she asked with a surprised expression. What would Josh think of Martin? Martin’s oddities were severe. She did her best to ignore Martin, but she wasn’t sure how Josh would react.
The high school version of Josh would call Martin on his weirdness. She prayed the grown man before her would handle the situation more delicately. Josh could mouth-off and then walk away, but she’d still be stuck here forty hours a week. She couldn’t afford to be mouthy.
Josh shook his head. “I never talked to Dahlia. Mark called me. He said you needed help moving something big for work. I assumed it was a desk or a file cabinet.”
“No,” she shook her head and struggled to come up with a logical explanation as to why she needed the screen. “I thought I’d personalize my desk space. Make it pretty,” she threw that out causally. It sounded lame.
“Okay,” he said skeptically and shrugged, reminding himself that she wasn’t his girlfriend and she didn’t owe him any explanations. He stepped up to her car and examined the screen positioning. He gripped the sides of the screen. “I’ll just pull it through the window.”
“Be careful not to damage the panes.”
He took a moment to give her a ‘really?’ expression.
“Sorry,” she muttered and worked her lower lip between her teeth as he maneuvered the screen.
As the screen slid freely out of the window, he shifted his grip to a lower position and pulled out the bottom half. Setting the bottom of the screen on the blacktop, he took a moment to look at Senna.
He thought about asking her out. He had so many questions. He needed answers, especially if he wanted to move on with his life. He did not need a string of Lia’s in his life while he got over Senna. She’d detonated a bomb in his life ten years ago. Her showing up again pulled all the shrapnel he’d buried in his heart to the surface. He wasn’t about to let her ruin his future chances at love.
He cleared his throat and let the top of the screen rest against his shoulder. He’d never been bashful or shy, and he wasn’t going to start now. “I need to talk with you. Would you like to go to dinner or just hang out at a café?”
His question bugged her. It felt like an intrusion, a trap. What was his motivation? Why would he want to hang out with her? She didn’t need to spend more time with him. She figured his needing to talk with her really meant him questioning her about their past. Besides, her feelings for him were already a jumble of confusion. She certainly didn’t want to answer any of his questions.
She raised a brow. “Aren’t you and Lia dating? I’m not interested in getting in the middle of something between you two.” There. That was the perfect excuse. Besides, he shouldn’t be asking her out if he had a girlfriend.
He took a slow breath in and let it out in an uncomfortable huff, thankful that the screen shielded his heart from her icy glare. “Yeah,” he grumbled. “That’s why I want to talk with you. Lia and I are taking a break.”
Surprise filled her. She hadn’t expected that. “Oh,” she gasped.
A breeze blew, and her perfume flit around him, teasing him with memories of their senior year when they’d cuddled and made out. She still wore the same fragrance. It was funny how a certain scent could transport a person to a different time. But those days were over, and he needed to let her go.
“I’d like some closure. Between us,” he finished. He felt like a fool. When had he exchanged his man card for Oprah moments?
His response stung her as if a billion bees pricked her flesh. Part of her liked the idea that he didn’t hate her so much that he couldn’t stand being around her. She’d loved him at one time. She’d hid her pregnancy and miscarriage from him for his own benefit, but regardless, there was no way she could ever confess that to him. What would he think?
“Closure?” she repeated thoughtfully. Closure wasn’t such a bad idea. She could formulate a believable reason for disappearing from his life and give them both the closure they needed. He’d have his answers, and she could face him without fear of the truth being discovered because she’d tossed out a plausible explanation and stopped his questions.
She bit her bottom lip and scrambled for a response. “We could meet along the boardwalk. Did you have a time in mind?”
This was easier than he thought. He thought she was going to resist him, cower from his questions. He appreciated that she didn’t make him beg.
“I can do Wednesday night.” That would give him time to come up with questions that would get him the answers he wanted without triggering a fight between them. He needed to get his heart out of the past so he could he could move forward. “Does six work?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
He gave her a smile and then lifted the screen. “Let’s get this inside.”
She moved around him and pulled open the office door. Ms. Reid was behind her desk and looked up as they stepped into the office.
Standing, Ms. Reid asked, “My goodness. What’s this?” She looked at the handsome man with Senna. Was this her boyfriend? And what was he carrying?
Senna smiled but kept walking. She did not want to get locked into a conversation that would end with her asking for permission to set up the screen. “It’s just a little something I picked up for my desk.”
Little something? Josh nearly huffed but managed to keep his opinion to himself. Judging by the weight and length of the screen, it was anything but little.
Senna shot Josh a look over her shoulder. Her stomach cramped as she neared the partition wall that separated the front of the office with the space she shared with Martin. She closed her eyes and sent up a little prayer that Martin wouldn’t be at his desk. She hoped he wouldn’t have the guts to say anything to her about it in front of Josh. This situation was already embarrassing enough.
Relief filled her when she didn’t see Martin at his desk. She motioned towards her side of the room. “This is my desk. Let’s set it down here and open it up. I can always shift it if I need to.” She needed to get Josh out of there as quickly as possible.
Josh set the screen down and helped her unfold the panels. Glancing at her desk, he confirmed that she hadn’t changed that much. She was still neat and organized. A laptop sat smackdab in the middle of the clutter-free expanse of her desktop. The bulky screen went against his impression of her minimalist tendencies. Why did she want this thing?
Martin heard voices coming from the desk area from inside the bathroom. He flushed, washed his hands, and stepped into the hallway. Taking slow steps, he took in the site before him. A giant screen sliced through the middle of the room and a big man was with Senna.
Martin instantly knew that the man was his superior physically. The man was big and strong. Women probably thought he was good-looking, too. Martin was never considered good-looking. Women never gave him a second glance.
And what was the man doing? Martin’s brow furrowed as he processed the scene.
“Um,” Martin began, coming to a stop beside the large item.
Josh watched the peculiar man take slow steps towards him with his face a mask of confusion.
“Hi, Martin,” Senna said cheerily. “Did you have a good weekend?” She figured there would be a scene of some sort. She just didn’t want it to happen in front of Josh. She was still getting a feel for Martin’s behavior. He hadn’t had an outburst since she began working there, but his mother pampered him and did everything she could to keep him satisfied.
Martin didn’t answer, but Josh didn’t think it was because he was being rude. The man moved as if weighed down by quicksand. He turned and marched over to his desk and sat in his chair.
Senna prayed that Martin wouldn’t tell her to remove it. She waited, hoping that as each second ticked by her chances of keeping her privacy improved.
Martin drummed his fingertips on the top of his desk. Then he stood. “This is all wrong. I can’t see you with that dumb thing up,” he sneered and angrily tossed his hand towards the screen.
&nbs
p; The mystery as to why Senna needed a giant privacy screen for work was suddenly clear to Josh. He’d heard about Martin Reid. The rumors were legendary, but he’d never actually met the man before. He’d always believed the rumors were gross exaggerations of stupid events. Apparently, the rumors were true.
With his bald head, bulbous nose, sour look on his face, and nerdy clothes, Martin Reid reminded Josh of a full-grown, Munchkin-human hybrid.
Ms. Reid fluttered into the room, hoping to prevent a meltdown. She was confident that Senna hadn’t worked there long enough to understand the nuances of Martin’s needs. Too bad Senna didn’t arrange this décor piece with her beforehand. She could have prepped Martin for the change.
“Wow,” Ms. Reid cooed and brought her hands to her chest in amazement. “Look at this beautiful screen.” She walked the length of the screen and admired it. “How lovely,” she said, looking at Martin. “What a beautiful gift Senna has given to the office.”
Ms. Reid knew Martin had a staring problem. She’d tried to help him be more self-aware, but he didn’t think it was obvious. And you couldn’t help someone fix something they denied was a problem. The screen was actually a clever solution.
Senna already liked Ms. Reid, but now she was thankful for the woman’s support. “Yes,” Senna spoke up. “You’ve been so kind to me that I wanted to do something special for you. For the office.”
Josh watched the women work Martin. The man’s expression softened, not into one of happiness, but into a less angry confusion. “I don’t like it,” he fumed. How could Senna bring that thing into his office without asking first? It was very disrespectful.
Ms. Reid stepped closer to her son and whispered, “Don’t be rude, Martin. You shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
Martin crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t ask for a horse.”
Ms. Reid touched Martin’s arm. “All the more reason to be thankful for it.” Giving Senna a smile, she said, “I’m so glad you brought this in. I’ll find a few other pieces that would complement this style of décor.”
Martin’s head jerked towards Mother. “Don’t buy more stuff for the office. I like it the way it looks.” He wasn’t going to let the women railroad him. This was still his office. He was the boss.
Ms. Reid knew Martin couldn’t help it. He was sullen when things didn’t go his way. Any type of change was hard for him. She was surprised by how easily he transitioned from working with Sharon Sullivan to Senna. She credited Senna’s good looks and sweet personality for her son’s civility.
Ms. Reid glanced at the watch on her wrist. “Goodness, Martin, you have that meeting in twenty minutes. Perhaps you should prepare.”
Ms. Reid’s expression was sweet and kind, but Senna noted the hint of command in the tone of her voice. While Ms. Reid was patient with Martin, she still exerted her will on him.
Martin grunted and crossed his arms. “You’re right.” He took the time to examine the man again and then sat and typed on his laptop.
Josh thought the bizarre exchanged he’d just witnessed could be a plot from The Twilight Zone. The premise would be: Bizarre boss with no social skills is revealed to by an evil, intergalactic alien working to destroy humanity.
Senna stepped behind the screen and let out the breath she’d been holding. Then she made eye-contact with Josh. It was clear from his expression that he fully understood why she needed the screen. Now she had to politely get rid of Josh so she could focus on her work.
Josh motioned towards the entrance. “Walk me outside?”
Senna nodded. “Of course.” The words fell out of her mouth before she could think of the repercussions. Now she’d have to answer Josh’s questions concerning Martin. The embarrassment of her work situation was almost too much to bear.
Stepping outside, Josh led her to his truck. He rested his arm on the roof of his truck and took in her form. She’d been irresistible to him in high school, but now she was downright stunning. Damn, he needed to get his thoughts together.
“I get why you wanted the screen now. Is he always that weird?” He’d be lying if he said that the man didn’t give him the creeps.
Senna rolled her eyes. “No. Usually he’s so focused on his work that I forget about him. He barely talks. But then there are times when I look up and he’s just staring at me.” Shoot! She shouldn’t have admitted that.
She continued with humor, “He looks like a wax museum creation with his expressionless face and empty eyes. Like he’s frozen in place.” She laughed and hoped that her nonchalance would appease Josh’s concern.
Josh didn’t like the idea that she was laughing, maybe she wasn’t taking this situation seriously. Martin Reid was not right in the head, and Josh didn’t like her being so close to him all day.
What if Martin became dangerous at work? Things like that happen all the time. How many times had someone lost it and gone into work with a weapon to hurt their coworkers? Then, when the reporters ask the locals, they always said the guy was weird but that they never imagined him doing something like that.
Was Martin Reid a psycho?
Her expression softened as she read the concern on Josh’s face. “Look, I know he’s odd.” She rolled her eyes. “So very odd,” she said dramatically. “But if I thought he was dangerous, I’d quit,” she said confidently.
Josh nodded. He hated leaving her to go back inside with that man. But he had to remind himself that she wasn’t his girlfriend. She wasn’t his anything. And that included problem. His gut clenched tight at the notion. It wasn’t his responsibility to protect her or butt into her life. He could wish her well, but she was an intelligent, grown woman who didn’t need him. She’d made that painfully clear a decade ago.
She stepped up onto the sidewalk. “Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it.”
He pulled open his truck door and rested his arm along the top. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“Yep,” she replied, the ‘P’ popping more loudly than she expected. Biting her bottom lip, she pulled open the office door and slipped inside.
Josh slid into his truck and started it. Grabbing his cell, he called Senna’s brother, Mark. He hit speaker and waited for Mark to answer. Being a bigshot in the police department, he bet that Mark would have a good read on Martin Reid.
“Hey, man,” Josh began. “Have you ever met Martin Reid?”
Mark chuckled, “I guess you two met?”
“The guy redefines weird.”
“I know,” Mark leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbow on his desk. “But weird doesn’t make him a criminal. What happened when she put up the screen?” He’d wondered about that. “Did he make a scene?”
“He voiced his disapproval. Thankfully his mom sided with Senna and told him it was a gift to the office.” He shook his head. “Does the guy have a record?” Josh tapped the top of the steering wheel with his thumb.
Mark let out a breath. He wasn’t supposed to talk about this, but since there was nothing bad to report he said, “No. He’s completely clean. No complaints.” He leaned back in his chair. “I trust Senna. If she thinks it’s a bad situation, she’ll leave. She’s not stupid.”
“I never said she was stupid,” Josh countered. There was a big difference between naïve and stupid. Between trusting and cautiously cynical.
“I never said you did,” Mark replied. “Anyway, thanks for helping her out this morning. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” he said and ended the call. How was Josh supposed to work all day and not think about Senna?
13
Martin closed the dishwasher and surveyed the kitchen. Although the house had been built in the eighties, his parents had updated the appliances and repainted five years ago. Mother had chosen a busy black, green, and gold toned granite for the countertops. Most of the time the busy swirls and splotches of color didn’t bother him, but when his anxiety skyrocketed, the ‘beautiful’ -as Mother calle
d them- highlights and shimmers in the stone played with his vision.
He leaned against the countertop and closed his eyes. He took soothing breaths in and out to stop the nauseating kaleidoscope of swirling granite. Today had been a rough day. The fact that Senna put up an ugly screen that blocked his view of her had been bad enough, but the man she brought with her was too much for him.
Was the man a friend? A lover?
He grit his teeth and squeezed the edge of the counter. In reality, it didn’t matter who the man was. Senna would never be his. She was beautiful and kind. She could get any man she wanted. She’d never even notice Martin in that way.
Martin had no idea how that felt, to be beautiful, desired. He was plain and unremarkable. There was nothing about him that women would remember or desire.
That fact stung. He knew it was true, and it killed him. Mother had encouraged him to use a dating website. He’d agreed and signed up for Truelove.com. Mother had scoured the photos in the family vacation book from one of the online photo companies until she found a photo of him that would be suitable.
Martin downloaded a copy of the photo from the website and went to work manipulating the image. He thinned his bulbous nose and removed some of the gray from the ring of hair around his head. He’d debated giving himself more hair on top, but then decided that would be too obvious. Instead, he added two inches in height. For some reason women loved tall men. He’d never be tall, but at least he was average.
Amazingly, a woman responded to his blurb and photo. Her name was Anita Potter. When he looked at her photo online, he was satisfied. He’d never get a gorgeous woman, but she was not unattractive, just plain and unremarkable. Like him.
Her hair was a mousy brown that brushed her shoulders. Red blotches stood out against her pale skin. Did she have a skin condition? But her smile looked sincere. He liked that. Had she’d photoshopped her picture too. Had she lied about her height?
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