“Yeah, later,” I said, not even bothering to look at her as she made her exit.
“Uh oh,” Tobias said, coming in to sit at the edge of my desk. “Trouble in paradise?”
“Who said Lauren was anyone’s paradise?” I said, annoyed.
“I thought she was one of your…uh…escapades?”
I shook my head. “Nah, we were always just friends. We both agreed it was easier with no sex attached.”
“What happened?”
I folded my arms. “She bailed on me. Granted, she and I haven’t had much going on lately, but she was supposed to be my date to the gala. Now she’s claiming she can’t go. Some bullshit excuse about her sister suddenly needing help with her kids.”
Tobias shook his head. “I always told you that one of these women were going to get you back one day, man,” he said and then chuckled.
“Don’t laugh. You know how ridiculous that empty seat is going to look next to me?”
“Well, fill it with someone else,” Tobias said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Someone else like who?” I asked. “It’s too short of a notice to ask anyone.”
“Is there no one else in your life? No one you could ask?”
I’d been standing at my office window looking out at the traffic on the road when Tobias asked the question. I froze, feeling his gaze on the back of my head, but not daring to turn around. I stuffed my hands into my pocket. “No…” I said. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” Tobias said. “The Anderson Lawrence I know just isn’t the type of guy to stress over getting a date, that’s all. What happened to the line of females you typically have, waiting their turn for a shot?”
I forced a laugh and chanced turning around to face him. “You’ve had me working too hard, that’s what. I don’t have time to keep up with them anymore.”
“Hey, don’t blame me. Maybe you’re just losing your touch, man.”
“No, never that,” I said.
Tobias sat silently for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought. He then scratched at the stubble at his chin. “Hmm…” he said.
“What?”
“I might be able to help you out.”
“I’m not taking you as my date,” I said.
Tobias laughed. “Good. Because you’re not my type anyway.”
I laughed. “What are you talking about, man?”
“Why don’t you take Joanna? She probably doesn’t have anything to do that day.”
I swallowed nervously and hoped that Tobias wouldn’t notice the abrupt change in my demeanor. Taking Joanna had been the farthest thing from my mind because the gala was considered a workplace event, and Tobias, of course, would be there. Taking her would feel like confirmation of our relationship, or whatever it was that we had going on. It just seemed too risky.
“Oh come on,” Tobias said. “Don’t look like that.”
“Don’t look like what?” I asked, hoping my voice didn’t really sound as high as it did in my own ears.
“Don’t look like taking Joanna is the worst idea you’ve ever heard in your life. She’s mellowed out a lot since she was a kid. It wouldn’t kill you to take her. And considering you’re in quite a bind already, it would be the quick fix you need.”
I ran my hand through my hair and almost laughed in relief. Tobias thought I was repulsed by the idea of taking her, which meant he was still in the dark about how I really felt. “I don’t know,” I said, trying to play along. “I mean…Joanna? Really?”
“She would probably love it,” Tobias said. “She certainly could use a fun night out after all she’s been dealing with lately.”
My eyebrows shot upward in surprise, this time genuine. “Huh? What do you mean by that? What’s she been dealing with?”
But Tobias only shook his head, deciding not to elaborate. “Want me to call her in here, ask if she’s doing anything that day? Although I already doubt she is.”
“I thought you said she was secretly seeing someone?” I asked, testing the waters.
He shook his head again. “No, that wasn’t it. There was something else going on with her that she was hiding from me. Here, let me call her,” he added before I could ask any further questions.
I fought to keep the grimace off my face as I wondered what was possibly going on with Joanna. It upset me to think that she had been having a hard time, but hadn’t confided in me about it.
“Hey, Jo, come here for a second. I’m in Anderson’s office.”
“Seriously though,” I said. “What’s she upset about? What’s been going on?”
“Nothing, man. I’ve got it under control, or at least I will, eventually.”
Shortly thereafter, Joanna appeared in the doorway. She looked from Tobias to me, a panicked expression on her face and her eyebrows almost raised to her hairline. I ever so slightly shook my head, trying to relay to her that Tobias still didn’t know anything about us.
“Relax,” Tobias said with a chuckle as he turned toward her. “You’re not in trouble. You’re standing there looking like you’ve been sent to the principal’s office.”
She gave a tensed laugh, but relaxed nonetheless and moved farther into the office. “What is it?” she asked. “More numbers?”
“No, not numbers this time,” Tobias said. “Anderson has a little situation on his hands. You see, our playboy here has finally crossed the wrong woman, and she’s bailed on him.”
Joanna’s eyebrows shot up once again, and she cast a look at me that I wished she hadn’t. I lowered my head, wishing Tobias hadn’t phrased his words in such a manner.
“Oh…” Joanna said.
“So now he’s out of a date to the gala. I know you’ve been hearing about the upcoming gala, right?”
Joanna nodded while I stood helplessly, not knowing what to say or do.
“Do you wanna go? You can be his date. Do you have anything to do that day?” Tobias asked.
Joanna stood there like a deer caught in headlights. She looked at me again, obvious questions that I couldn’t answer lurking beneath her gaze.
I cleared my throat. “It was no big deal. I was just supposed to go with a co-worker. We had it set up months ago,” I said, emphasizing the word ‘months’ and hoping she would catch on to the fact that the date had been set up long before she and I had been together. “I’d almost forgotten about it, to tell you the truth.”
“Yeah right,” Tobias said. “He just doesn’t want to admit that he’s being stood up.”
“Shut up,” I muttered.
“So what do you say, Jo?” Tobias said. “You wanna go? It should be fun.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I interjected. Tobias shot me a cross look, causing me to fall silent. In that moment though, I simply couldn’t fathom having Joanna as my date in front of him. It just seemed like asking for trouble. I had no faith in my ability to not incriminate myself in front of him. He would be able to read me like a book, and I feared he would quickly figure out that I had a thing for his sister. And then a whole drama would break out right there in the gala for all to see.
I started to feel lightheaded just thinking about it. I gripped the chair at my desk and glanced at Joanna, hoping she would find a way to save us from the awkwardness. But she looked just as lost as I did.
“You two are a mess,” Tobias said, shaking his head. “Don’t you think it’s time to get rid of the childhood grudges by now, for crying out loud?”
“I don’t have a grudge…” Joanna said, her voice trailing off.
“Then you’ll go with him?” Tobias said.
“I…I mean… If I have to…I could… If he wants me to…”
Tobias looked back toward me. “Well?”
I sighed. “Okay. Whatever. Sure.”
“Great,” Tobias said, clapping his hands together and hopping down from my desk. “It’ll be fun. You’ll see,” he said to Joanna.
She forced a smile and then exchanged glances with me again.
And I stood there, wondering how on earth I was going to be able to be in her presence for a whole evening and keep my hands off of her.
The gala was going to be a very long night, that was for sure.
CHAPTER 18
Joanna
“You’re going to love it here,” Libby said, pulling into the parking lot of the boutique she’d been promising to take me to all week.
After I had essentially been assigned as Anderson’s date by Tobias, I had sought out Libby, asking her what she knew about the gala and what I should expect.
“You’re going to the gala?” she had asked. I then explained the situation to her, subsequently causing her to eagerly start making plans for us to go dress shopping together. With the event being right around the corner, the day had arrived for us to go shopping. Libby had happily offered to pick me up from Tobias’s place so that we could ride together, and I had agreed.
“This is going to be so much fun!” she had said, turning off her car engine. “And let me just say it again, you are sooo lucky!” She slapped me playfully on the arm and winked before we got out of the car.
“Honestly, it’s no big deal,” I said. “I’m only going with Anderson because my brother is making him take me.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You’re still going to the gala with the one and only Anderson Lawrence,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how you landed the gig, the important thing is that you did! He may not be all that important to you, but trust me—there are loads of women who would love to be in your shoes right about now.”
“Sure,” I said. “So many that the last one stood him up.”
Libby waved her hand dismissively as she headed toward the entrance of the boutique. “Lauren has always been a flake. She doesn’t count.”
“Well, whatever. Like I said, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Libby held the door of the boutique open for me and gave a jealous sigh. “Your brother should have forced someone more appreciative on Anderson as his date,” she said, shaking her head.
“You may have a point,” I muttered, I honestly couldn’t tell how appreciative I was feeling about the circumstances. Things had been so ridiculously busy at work that Anderson and I hadn’t been able to talk much. I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask for elaboration regarding the woman who was supposed to be his date to the gala. Even though she had reportedly bailed on him, it still sent powerful waves of jealousy through me to simply think about him going on a date with another woman. It nagged the hell out of me to wonder if he would have even bothered to tell me about it. It rubbed me the wrong way to have found out through Tobias, all the while Anderson stood there, looking close to fainting.
I had been hoping to get a chance to talk to Anderson about it after office hours, but he had been surprisingly distant with me lately. I just didn’t know what to think anymore.
Yet seeing how excited Libby was, I didn’t want to spoil the fun for her. So I pushed my reservations aside and tried to focus on the task at hand. It had been a long time since I’d been dress shopping; I could hardly even remember the last time I’d needed a formal dress.
Libby was excitedly droning on and on beside me, talking about the various new styles of dresses that were fashionable for the season. I looked around the store, instantly feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps seeing my distress, a saleswoman grinned as she made her way over to us.
“Good afternoon, ladies. Can I help you with anything?” she said. She was rather fashionably dressed herself, and I knew she would have had plenty of suggestions for us.
“We’re just looking around for now,” I said, before Libby got the chance to answer her. I had a feeling that Libby would have welcomed the woman’s help, but I didn’t want it. I never liked when salespeople hung over my shoulder, determined to make a sale, but confusing me with too many options. I preferred just taking my time and finding what I wanted on my own.
The saleswoman nodded her head. “Very well. Let me know if you need anything,” she said, and then headed toward another set of customers.
Libby nudged with her elbow. “She could have helped us find the perfect dresses!”
“We don’t need her. The perfect dresses will find us,” I said. “Come on.”
We began wandering the racks, stopping here and there to admire different gowns, and gathering ones we wanted to try on.
“I think I want something dark,” Libby mused. “You know, maybe like black, or navy blue, or forest green… Those colors aren’t necessarily in season, but they look good on me. I’ve always found dark colors to be more figure-flattering. How about you?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ve always preferred brighter colors. I’ve always been on the small side, so I feel like I need something to help me stand out. Otherwise, I’ll get lost in the crowd.”
Libby huffed. “Are you kidding me? Joanna, you are gorgeous. Nothing can make you get lost in the crowd!”
“I’m not so sure about that,” I said. I had heard similar sentiments as Libby’s. However, most people didn’t know how plain and insignificant I’d felt for the majority of my life, particularly when I was growing up as an impressionable teenager. No matter how I had blossomed in adulthood, those feelings still lingered and were difficult to overcome.
“I don’t mean to be a party pooper,” Libby said, “but how have things been going with you-know-who? I haven’t heard you say anything about him in a while.”
“Zander?” I said.
Libby nodded.
I sighed. “That’s because I’ve been trying my damned best not to think about him. He’s been… Well…”
“What?” Libby asked. “He hasn’t called you again, has he?”
I shook my head, knowing that what I’d been suspecting was a lot worse than a phone call. “No, but sometimes, I just get the feeling that I’m being watched.”
Libby froze, the latest dress she’d been admiring slipping from her hand to the floor. “He’s here?” she asked.
“No!” I said quickly. “He can’t be. He doesn’t know where I am.”
“Are you sure about that, or are you just in denial?”
“I’m positive,” I said, although it felt like an outright lie. I wanted to believe Zander couldn’t be anywhere nearby, but I could never lose sight of how unpredictable he was.
Libby breathed a sigh of relief and picked the dress up from the floor, hanging it back on the rack. “Well, what makes you think you’re being watched? And who do you think is watching you?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I wish I knew.”
“Anything strange happen lately?”
I nodded. “I didn’t want to say anything, but yes. The other day here, when I was leaving the office, I could have sworn someone was watching me in the parking lot. It really freaked me out. So much, in fact, that I ended up telling Tobias.”
“So he finally knows what’s going on? Good. What did he say about it?”
“He freaked out nearly as bad as you did when I told you about Zander’s call. Started talking about how I needed to get a restraining order, just to be on the safe side.”
“Your brother is a wise man then,” Libby said, nodding approvingly. “It would be nice if you listened to him…”
“Just like I told you, I told him that a restraining order wasn’t necessary. Even if Zander lucked out and found my office phone number, he has no chance of finding where I actually am. I was just tired that day and imagining things.”
However, a different thought began to occur to me.
Now that I knew Anderson had been planning to take someone else to the gala, I wondered if there was a chance that one of his jealous women had been watching me? While I presumed no one knew about me and Anderson, I honestly couldn’t be sure.
I frowned, weighing the possibility that perhaps it wasn’t my jealous ex that I needed to worry about. Maybe it was Anderson’s…
“Okay, let’s change the subject. You look upset,” Libby said. She
grinned and picked up another dress. It was a long and form-fitting beautiful purple number, laced with silver rhinestones. “Oh my goodness, Joanna, you would look amazing in this. Here, try it on!”
Bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet, she practically shoved the dress at me.
I couldn’t deny, it really was lovely. Looking at it, I actually started to feel slightly excited. “Well, I’ve got three here,” I said, looking at the dresses I had hung over my arm. “I guess it’s time to start trying some on, huh?”
“I’d certainly say so,” Libby said. She had about four dresses of her own to try on.
We headed to the fitting rooms, ready to have our own little fashion show.
I stepped into my fitting room and began stripping off my clothes so that I could try on the first dress. Every wall of the room was lined in mirrors, suddenly making me feel self-conscious. Seeing my reflection from so many different angles, I felt pudgy. I also felt something else looked different about me, but I couldn’t place my finger on it. Something was just off…
When I slid into the first dress, I stared at myself for a long time, trying to figure out why I didn’t like the dress’s color against my skin. It was pale-pink, a color that I typically liked. For some reason though, it looked all wrong.
Not bothering to get Libby’s opinion on it, I shed the dress and moved on to the next one.
Once again though, there was something about the dress that just wasn’t right. I sighed, seeing that this day of searching for the perfect dress was going to last a lot longer than I had anticipated if every dress I tried on was going to leave me feeling underwhelmed and looking washed out.
“Do you have one on yet? Let me see!” Libby said, knocking on the door of my dressing room.
Reluctantly, I opened the door to let her see the second dress I had put on.
She was standing there in one of her dresses, which looked wonderful on her. “Wow,” I said. “That looks great on you.”
“Thank you!” she said, giving a little twirl. The skirt swayed when she moved. “It’s a little too prom-like for me though. My old butt needs something more sophisticated than this. I don’t want to look like I’m trying to hard!”
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