“Andy,” she huffed. “You know that’s not an option right now. It’s not fair to Liv.”
“It’s not fair to us, either, Mickie.”
“I know.” She let out a deep sigh. “Look. I have to go. I’m at the store. I’ll pick you up somethin’ to eat while I’m here, and we’ll talk when I get home. Okay?”
“Okay, Beautiful. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” The line went dead.
Five minutes later, I arrived at Olivia’s condo. I pulled into the parking garage and rounded the corner to park in my usual spot, next to where McKenzie parked her Prius, in guest parking. A few days after our return to Sarasota, Bill, McKenzie’s father, kindly drove a U-Haul truck with all of her belongs, including her car, to Florida. He didn’t stay long, and didn’t appear very happy about McKenzie tending to Olivia, but much like me, he kept his opinions to himself. McKenzie considered this her redemption, and it wasn’t our place to tell her otherwise.
McKenzie’s car was missing, as I expected, however, a car I didn’t recognize had taken her place. Instead of parking in the empty spot next to it, I continued on down the row and parked near the back wall. I got out of my car and made my way to the elevator, glancing at the unknown vehicle as I passed by it. It wasn’t anything special—a black Chrysler 300. Rental stickers covered the half-assed tinted windows. I shrugged it off as a visitor not knowing the parking arrangements and proceeded to take the elevator up to Olivia’s apartment.
When the doors opened, I stepped out, following a path I’d taken a million times before. At Olivia’s front door, I lifted my hand to ring the doorbell, but stopped, cautioned by the sound of loud voices coming from inside. I stood there listening, and from what I could gather, Olivia was arguing with someone—a man. I moved my ear closer to the door, trying to make sense of what was being said with no luck. The voices only got louder and more distorted.
The doorknob shook. Startled, and not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, I dashed away, seeking cover around the corner near the staircase.
“You have no right, Olivia. No right at all,” a male voice ricocheted off the walls. His tenor was familiar. I squinted my eyes, holding my fist to my mouth, nibbling at my knuckles. I perked my ears in attempt to decipher where I knew that voice from, but had no luck.
“I have every right.”
I glanced around the corner, catching a quick glimpse of man’s back. He wore a black suit, tailored to fit his tall, lean frame. His reddish brown hair was styled to have that ‘just-out-of-bed’ look. I squinted my eyes, trying to find some sort of discerning mark that would identify this guy, but without a clear look at his face, I couldn’t place him.
“You’ve been avoiding me since Boston.”
“No. I told you then I had nothing to say to you. Now, go. I don’t want you here when Kenz gets back,” Olivia sneered.
“Does she know?” He pressed, choleric with indignation. “Does she have a clue what you’re up to?”
My mind went blank, like when you focused on something so hard that it no longer made sense. That was exactly how my brain felt. All my concentration on this conversation had to be playing tricks on me. For him to suggest that Olivia was in some way doing something unethical to McKenzie—after all we’d done for her—was unthinkable.
“You’re delusional, Nate.”
An audible gasp escaped me. Nate turned his head, glancing in my direction. I quickly ducked behind the wall, clapping my hands over my mouth. My chest heaved, sounding like thunder in my ears.
“I’m delusional?” he scoffed. Since he didn’t break away from his conversation, I figured I hadn’t been exposed, but I feared risking my anonymity, so I remained hidden. “You’re the one lying your ass off to hold on to a man who hates everything about you except your baby.”
“Yes, my baby, and don’t you forget that. What did you think you’d accomplish tonight? Expose me as some sort of villain? Swoop in to rescue her?” she spat. Suddenly, her laughter filled the hall, leaving me feeling helpless and cold. “Oh, that’s it. You wanted to be her hero. What is it about her that men find irresistible? Jesus!”
I held my breath, hanging on his words.
“She’s in love. Something neither you nor I truly understand. I don’t want to see her hurt anymore.”
“Whatever,” she seethed.
The slam of the door made me jump. Nate banged on the wood, rattling the whole floor. “That’s right. Slam the door in my face, but I won’t go away, Olivia. Count on that. I have rights, too.”
All of the pieces started clicking together in my head. I calculated every single word, every action, down to the most miniscule twitch of his fingers and the rise of his voice. Everything made sense, but my information was hearsay. I needed solid evidence to prove my allegations. There was only one way to get such proof.
I glanced around the corner again to see Nate throw his hands in the air. He flipped his middle finger at the door, his face filled with rage. He disappeared around the corner, and I could hear the chime of the elevator opening. That was my cue. I darted toward to the stairs, flying down fourteen flights. By the time I reached the parking garage, the rental car that I’d noticed in McKenzie’s spot was rounding the corner, its tires squealing against the slick concrete. I made a mad dash to my car, determined not to lose Nate.
In transit, McKenzie called wanting to know where I was. I told her that I had some business pop up and I’d be over very soon. It was the only thing I could think of that sounded like a viable excuse for my absence, especially at a quarter to one in the morning. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d been called back to the office that late.
Now, car chases aren’t all they’re cracked up to be in the movies. It was sort of a letdown for me. Nate took me on a ten minute trek toward the gulf and stopped at the Hyatt. For a moment, I wondered why he’d go to a hotel, then I recalled how he’d told McKenzie and me that he now lived in Chicago. He must’ve been here on business.
Nate stopped in front of the hotel at the valet stand, and got out of his car. I, on the other hand, found the closest parking spot available, wanting to remain as obscure as possible. I had no plan on how to find him in the hotel or what I might say to him when I did, but I was certain he had answers to all of my questions.
Once inside, I wiped the residue of the rain from my face. It was really starting to pour now, and in the short walk from my car to the lobby, I got drenched. I shivered at the burst of cool air on my skin as I marched up to the desk, glancing around to see if I could find him. “Can I help you?” the desk clerk asked.
“Yes, I’m supposed to meet someone,” I started, but something caught my eye. Fate had smiled upon me. Nate was sitting in the hotel bar, talking to the bartender. “Actually, I see my party. Thank you for your assistance.”
“Anytime, sir.”
A few long strides and I was standing behind Nate at the bar. The dim lighting created a subdued ambiance. The rich decor included high-backed leather bar stools pushed up against the bar. Small, round tables speckled the room, dressed with the comfortable winged chairs. One or two customers lingered, but the room was pretty much empty. I took in a deep breath to settle my nerves. I’d have to play this one cool if I didn’t want to frighten the man off. Instead of walking right up to him and confronting him, I took a seat two chairs down. “Bartender,” I called out.
The young bartender shuffled toward me, his smile bright but his eyes revealed exhaustion. “Yes, sir. What can I get for you?”
I rubbed my chin. “A vodka cranberry, but hold the vodka.”
The bartender tilted his head, a little confused by my answer. I mouthed the word ‘sober’ to him and he immediately understood my intentions. Moments later, I had a drink in front of me, sipping it slowly. I glanced over at Nate, who had a full shot glass sitting in front of him. “Bad night?” I asked.
“That’s understatement,” he muttered, popping back the drink.
“Here on busines
s?”
“Amongst other things.” I pressed my lips to the highball glass, humming my understanding. “You ever wish you could have a do-over of a day, maybe even a year? Like every choice you made only created a deeper and deeper pit for you to fall farther into?” he asked. As I was about to answer, he turned his head to look at me. His brow furrowed. “Don’t I know you?”
I placed my glass back on the bar. “I think so. You’re Nate, right?”
He snapped his fingers, shaking his thumb and index finger at me. “Yeah. And you’re Drew. McKenzie’s boyfriend. We met in Boston.”
“That’s right. Small world.”
He scratched his nose with his thumb. The bartender instantly poured him another shot. “Are you staying at this hotel? Is McKenzie here?”
I took a sip of my drink, my throat feeling tight and sore. “I’m meeting a client. He’s staying here.”
“Gotcha.” He took another shot, and something in me felt the urge to continue on about my fictional client.
“Yeah. It’s going to be an interesting case. You see,” I scooted down a seat closer to Nate, taking my drink with me, “some years back, he made a fortune. He was young and stupid, so he indulged in the finer things in life.” I chuckled and sipped my drink. “Well, he started dating his soon-to-be ex-wife, and for him it was just for fun. He never intended on getting married or having kids. He liked to travel and experience life. So when he told her that their fun was over, she led him believe she was pregnant with his child. Him, being a man of honor, married her and accepted the child as his own. Archaic, I know, but I have to give him credit for taking responsibility.”
“Noble,” Nate muttered.
“Very. It’s been five years, and last month, his daughter became sick and needed a blood transfusion. During routine testing for viable donors, it was discovered that his daughter wasn’t his at all. For the last five years, he’d been raising another man’s child. His wife had lied to him all that time. Even though she was sleeping with another man at the same time she and my client were together, she claims she did all of this because she was in love with my client and couldn’t let him go.
“To make matters worse, the other man had no clue the baby even existed. We recently located the biological father. He’s devastated because he always wanted a family of his own and it was stolen from him by this woman and her greed.”
I downed the rest of my drink and tapped the brim for the bartender to bring me another.
Nate stared down at his glass and traced the rim with his finger. He tilted his head, casting a quick glance in my direction. Loosening his tie revealed the tight bob of his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. His lips parted. He acted as if he wanted to say something, but he clamped his mouth closed, slightly shaking his head as if to talk himself out of saying anything.
The bartender left me another glass of cranberry juice. I stood up, removed my jacket, and slipped into the seat beside Nate. “You look like you need to talk. I’ve been told I’m a great listener.” I reached for my glass, bringing it to my lips. My stomach was doing somersaults. This was worse than going into court knowing one’s client is guilty.
Nate chuckled, glancing down at the tiny cylinder that held a temporary relief to his problems. “People pay you good money to listen.”
“That’s true, but I’m good at what I do.”
He picked up the shot glass and knocked it back. The glass made a loud clunk as it hit the bar. “I have no doubt about that, but I don’t require your services.”
Certain he needed to talk but was conflicted, I reached around to my jacket and removed my wallet from the interior breast pocket. From it, I extracted a hundred dollar bill and my business card. I placed the money under my glass and slipped Nate my business card. “My personal cell number is on there. If you change your mind and want to talk, feel free to call me. Day or night.”
He tapped the card with two fingers. “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll need it.”
“You’re welcome.” I stood up, slipped my jacket back on, and clapped Nate on the shoulder. “It’s there either way. It was nice talking to you, Nate.”
“You, too.”
As I walked out of the bar, I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled through my contact list, finding the number I needed. It rang twice and a groggy Ethan answered.
“Just five more minutes, Mom.” he grumbled.
“Sorry to bother you, but I need you to clear my schedule for tomorrow.”
“All day?”
“All day.”
“Everything all right?”
I stepped outside the hotel and looked up at the sky. The dark clouds started to part and a sliver of moonlight shone through. “Couldn’t be better.” And that was the truth. It was no mere coincidence that I was in that hallway tonight. Nor was it fortuitous that I found Nate at the bar. The world was aligning itself for something big. I had my hunches as to what was about to happen, but for now, all I could do was wait and hope that Nate would take the bait.
Chapter Twenty-Two
McKenzie
“Fine. Go,” Olivia huffed. “It’s not like I’m on bed rest or anything.” She threw her arms in the air. “Maybe we should’ve hired a nurse. At least she wouldn’t feel the need to go off gallivanting with her boyfriend every time he called.”
“Liv, that’s not fair.” I closed the refrigerator door, having just put away the tea pitcher she’d left out on the counter. “I’m not gonna be gone long. I’m just running up the street to Starbucks.”
“Right. Just Starbucks. You know, there’s a hotel next door. Why don’t you have a quick fuck while you’re at it.”
She stomped off to her room, slamming the door so hard it rattled the whole apartment. When I returned from the store the night before, something had changed in her. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but every minor thing seemed to set her off. No matter how many times I offered her an ear, she refused to let me in. It probably would’ve been wise to let her be, but I hated leaving without giving her one last chance. I rapped on her door. “Liv, talk to me. What’s got you so upset?”
I could hear her moving across the hardwood floors. The door flung open and Olivia was suddenly nose to nose with me. “You want to know what’s wrong? I’ll tell you. Rather than coming here to visit with the mother of his child, Drew would rather meet you in a discrete location so he doesn’t have to deal with me. I’m sick of being the third wheel.”
“That’s not true. He’s meeting with a client there and asked me to stop by.”
“So I’m not invited,” she snapped.
“Like you said, you’re on bed rest. He’ll come by tonight after work.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. She marched over to her bed and flopped down, leaving me standing there uncertain or whether or not I should follow. “Like he was supposed to last night? He conveniently had a client then, too.”
I rested my hands on the doorframe, my chin dropping to my chest. “I’m sorry. What can I say to make this better?”
“That you’re not going.”
“But I already told him I would.”
“So?”
I shook my head, moving away from the frame. “I can’t do that. I can bring you something back if you’d like.”
With a snide snort, she leered at me. Her anger burned with such intensity I was forced to drop my eyes. “So much for fixing our friendship,” she sneered, crossing her arms over her chest. “I should’ve known better. It’s all been an act for Drew’s sake.”
My throat constricted and unshed tears burned my eyes. “That’s not fair!” I cried. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked since I came back here. I’ve neglected him, devoting all my…”
“Please. Like you two aren’t doing things behind my back. I can hear you giggling late at night with him.”
I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose, anger and discouragement building inside me. “He’s my boyfriend, Liv.”
Her mouth twitched into a sinister sm
ile. “And he’s my baby’s father.”
And once again, there was the point of it all. She had something with him that I didn’t. Not that I wouldn’t one day. Drew and I talked a lot, that was true, and in one of those conversations we discussed our future and kids. Even though he was afraid of failing his future children, as he felt he did with Autumn, he still wanted them. No matter how much I tried to make him see he never failed his daughter, there were some wounds that would simply take time to heal.
“I’m gonna go,” I whispered.
“You do that.”
Swallowing hard, I closed her bedroom door behind me. I attempted to remind myself she didn’t mean it. That before last night we seemed to be working through our issues. But even that didn’t take the pain away. Her words cut me deep, and they ran over and over through my mind as I walked to the coffee shop.
In the air, the smell of summer rain mixed with the salty scent of the gulf. Palm trees glistened in the soft rays of sunlight that broke through the dark clouds. Puddles of water scattered across the ground. A light breeze whisked around me, causing me to shiver. I fought the urge to cry as I recalled how I’d come home the night before, drenched after running to the grocery store for Olivia, and she failed to even care that I might get sick. All that mattered was her craving.
I rounded the corner and stopped in front of Starbucks, glancing through the tinted window before entering the facility. I spotted Drew sitting at a table near the back corner. One arm stretched over the back of his chair and the other extended out in front of him, his hand wrapped around a coffee cup. He wore a black henley with distressed jeans and flip-flops, which struck me odd, because that wasn’t his typical business attire. I searched my memory, certain that he’d told me he’d be meeting a client as well, but figured my fatigue and distress may have distorted my recollection.
Drew glanced in my direction. He noticed me, his smile widening across his handsome face. I adjusted my glasses, then wiggled my fingers in a brief, shy wave. He stood up and flicked two fingers at me, wanting me to join him. Just seeing him made me feel a hell of a lot better. There was no way I could tell him anything Olivia had said before I left, but at least I had his warm embrace and sweet kiss to eliminate the testy mood she’d put me in.
The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) Page 21