“The owners of Esda have been impatiently waiting for me to make a decision on who to award the all-important electrical works to this project,” Jarryd said. “Unfortunately, I’m a pedantic assho—uh, person sometimes. Well, most of the time, actually, so I have to thank you for your patience in answering my incessant queries.”
“No problems,” she said with a chuckle, warming to the man who sat before her. She had a lot of respect for people who took their responsibilities seriously.
“I must say I’ve been very impressed with everything about your company so far, especially you.”
“Thank you. I’m sure you’d be happy with the rest of the team too, once you get the chance to deal with them.”
“I still have to go through a couple of last-minute submissions, but I’m hoping you won’t have to wait too long for my decision.”
“I hope you’ll give us the opportunity to consider making changes to our bid if you find all is not to your satisfaction.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll most certainly do that,” Jarryd said with a grin. “I don’t mind you knowing that your proposal is my preferred one, so far.”
“Thank you,” Natasha said, thrilled. She’d been working hard to win this contract. It was always a buzz to accomplish something in an industry that was still predominantly considered a man’s world. “Do you have any other questions for me today?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. The factory is celebrating its thirty-fifth anniversary on Friday afternoon. Why don’t you come so you could meet the owners and have an in-depth tour of the factory? I know your head engineer’s been shown around, but I don’t think you’ve been.”
“Oh, thanks so much. That’s so nice of you. I’ll check my schedule.”
“Good. I’ll get my assistant to send a formal invite.”
She smiled. “Thanks again, Jarryd. I’m hoping for a great working relationship between our teams.”
“Me too. I think you and I have gotten off to a wonderful start.”
“We have,” she agreed amiably, hoping that Jarryd hadn’t meant his comment to be anything other than professional.
If she wasn’t taken, she probably would be interested in Jarryd. He was a likeable, attractive guy. But she already had a boyfriend she was very much in love with.
Maybe she could take Gavin to the factory’s party? She’d have to check the invitation to see if she was allowed to bring a date.
*****
“I’m really sorry, babe. I’m trying my best to get some free time, but it’s just been hell the last few days.”
Natasha stifled her sigh of disappointment at Gavin’s words. Even a quick lunch or dinner on either Saturday or Sunday would have been good enough for her since they hadn’t seen each other in two weeks, but he couldn’t even manage to squeeze in a time for that. “I guess coming with me to a party this Friday afternoon is also out of the question?”
“Yeah, sorry,” Gavin said with a heavy exhale. “Who’s having a party?”
“Esda Confectionaries. They’re having a thirty-fifth anniversary.”
“Who else is going?”
“Just me. I get to meet the owners. I’ve only just been dealing with the project manager—Jarryd Westbourne. Lucas referred him to us.”
“Right. I wish I could go with you, but...”
“It’s okay,” she said, not wanting to add to his stress by making him feel guilty. “Are you getting enough rest, honey? You’re practically working all hours.”
“I’m fine. And it won’t be like this for long.”
She made a face. How many times had he said that?
“I miss you,” Gavin said.
“Really?” she said with a pout.
“Yes,” he said insistently. “I’d love to see you, but it’s just not possible in the next few days.”
“I could still come over to your place and stay the night, regardless of how late you come home,” she reminded him.
“Um... it would be better if you don’t so I could concentrate on my work better. You’re a distraction,” he said with a chuckle. “A good one, but still a distraction.”
“Right. Well, I better let you go, then,” she said, unable to keep the flatness from her voice.
“Don’t be mad at me, please.”
“I’m not mad. I’m just—” She heard the ringing of his other phone.
Gavin groaned. “I have to take that, sweetheart.”
“Okay.”
“Talk to you later.” Then he was gone.
Her eyes watered. Was this how their relationship would always be? Gavin was constantly working on critical cases, so did that mean he wouldn’t want to see her most of the time because she distracted him?
She believed that he did love her. Question was, how much or... how little?
She shook her head and dried her eyes. Since Gavin couldn’t be bothered meeting her even after two weeks of not seeing each other, she’d eat by herself at that nice Chinese restaurant a few blocks away.
See? She was fine even if she was low on his list of priorities. Hrmph.
*
“Natasha!”
Natasha turned her head towards the caller and her lips tugged up in surprise. “Jarryd! Hi!” she called out, waving back to Jarryd, who was darting across the road to where she was.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Jarryd said with a grin. “I was just about to go into that charcoal chicken shop to get some dinner when I saw you walking by. Do you live around here?”
“Not far. About an easy fifteen-minute walk from here. Do you live around here too?”
“At Forrest Street. But only temporarily. I just sold my apartment and am in the process of buying a new one, so I’m currently renting there. Where are you off to?”
“Well, I was thinking of having dinner at the Chinese place up ahead.”
“Hey, mind if I join you? I’m not very familiar with what’s good around here yet. I just moved in two weeks ago.”
“Uh, sure,” she said, leading the way. She honestly didn’t feel like company, but it would be impolite to decline considering she was obviously alone.
Jarryd chuckled. “Imagine two weeks of only corresponding by email, then meeting up in person twice today. I’m taking this as a sign that I can ask you more questions about the project that’s been floating around in my head.”
“You mean you’ve held off asking some questions before?” she said teasingly.
“So unlike me, hey?” Jarryd said with a laugh. “Truth is, the owners are very good friends of my parents. This renovation is something they never wanted because they’re scared that it might completely halt production. They can’t afford that. But their son has convinced them that if they want to keep making confectionaries for many more years to come, they’ll have to upgrade the factory. So I’m being extra careful because my promise to them is that everyone who ends up working on this project will be an expert who’ll know how to handle the job while keeping the factory in operation.”
Natasha nodded, now having a greater appreciation and respect for Jarryd’s exacting ways. “Well, you can count on us to do our utmost to ensure that the factory remains open while work is being done. Hopefully, the decline in production during the renovations won’t affect their bottom line too much.”
“That’s been taken into account. My hope is that we don’t get hit by unexpected delays or problems. Last thing I want is for them to end up in a financial mess.”
“Well, fixing something that’s not broken is a huge risk. But I suppose if they want to ensure their longevity, they have to make tough decisions. Anyway, we’re here.”
Jarryd opened the restaurant door for her. The place was already bustling and it looked full.
“Do you walk to this place often to have dinner?” Jarryd asked.
“Not often. I just felt like walking tonight.”
“Wow. Lucky me. And look, there’s a couple of empty tables at the back. Lucky us.”
*
&
nbsp; “I’ll walk you to your door,” Jarryd said when they reached her building.
“Oh, you don’t need to. I’m fine.”
“Heh, after all that food, I could do with taking a few more extra steps.”
She smiled her agreement and they walked inside, with Jarryd continuing to tell her some amusing stories from the various projects he’d headed. When the elevator doors opened, Gladys’ surprised look greeted them.
“Hi, Gladys,” she said. “This is Jarryd.”
“Hello, young man,” Gladys said as she exited the lift.
“Hello, ma’am. Good to meet you.”
Gladys’ eyes squinted suspiciously at Jarryd.
“He’s a potential client,” Natasha said, biting back a smile. Her dear neighbour was still thinking of the time she’d been kidnapped by a trustworthy-looking Biggs.
“Strange time to be meeting with a client,” Gladys said as the lift doors closed.
“Don’t worry!” Natasha called out, chuckling.
“Wow. She’s a bit scary,” Jarryd joked.
“She’s quite protective. She’s probably wondering why I’m with a strange man tonight.”
“You could have been out on a date with me,” Jarryd quipped.
“She knows I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh, a boyfriend,” Jarryd said, looking disappointed. “And here I was hoping I could ask you out on a real date.”
“Sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile.
They were quiet until they reached her apartment door.
“Thanks for a fun night, Natasha. It sure beat having dinner by myself,” Jarryd said.
“No worries. I had fun too. Thanks for joining me.”
“Hey, how about we forget I said I want to go on a real date with you? I’d really like for us to keep our friendly working relationship.”
“I’d like that too,” she said gratefully.
“Great! You should probably give your boyfriend a call before he hears about you being out with another man,” Jarryd said with a wink as he walked back to the elevator.
“Yeah, I guess I should,” she said with a laugh, waving goodbye before going inside her apartment.
Jarryd was right. She should try calling Gavin. Not that she’d done anything wrong tonight by having dinner with a good-looking single guy, but these kinds of things had the potential to be misunderstood.
She sat on her couch, deciding to call Gavin’s home landline rather than his mobile. If it went to voicemail, that meant he was still out and she’d try again later. Last thing she wanted was to jeopardise whatever case he was working on by calling unexpectedly when he’d already told her he’d be working late tonight.
“Hello?” a woman answered.
She frowned, double-checking her phone screen. It was Gavin’s landline. “Hello,” she answered. “Is Gavin there?”
“Who’s calling?”
And who the hell are you? “It’s Natasha. Who’s this?”
“It’s Amber.”
Her heart stopped.
No.
Not again.
Please.
“Natasha. You’re Carter’s sister, right? You’re obviously not expecting me to answer the phone,” Amber said in a friendly tone.
“No,” she answered, still dazed. Funny how she still recognised Amber’s voice, considering she’d only met the woman twice years ago.
“Did you know I’ve been kidnapped?” Amber asked.
“Yes. I... um... I’m glad you’re okay.”
Amber sighed. “Yes. The last few years have been an ordeal. Thank God I’m still in one piece. I guess Gavin’s told you what’s going on. Crazy, right?”
“Uh... can I talk to him?”
“He’s not home yet.”
“Oh. How did you get in?”
“Um, I’m staying here. I’m thankful that after all these years, Gavin’s still there for me.”
Air left Natasha’s lungs like she’d been punched in the gut.
“Do you want to leave a message?” Amber asked.
“Amber, do you know that Gavin and I are dating?”
There was silence on the other end.
“No. He didn’t tell me,” Amber finally said.
“How long have you been staying there?”
“Look, Natasha, I... you should talk to Gavin, okay?” Amber said, then hung up.
She stared into space, shocked. Was this really happening? Surely, Gavin wouldn’t have cheated on her. Apart from the fact that they were very close friends outside of their romance, he was a decent guy.
But that was Amber, his great love, the woman he dropped you for the first time around.
Numbly, she pulled out her phone and sent Gavin a text.
*When were you planning to tell me?*
Then she went to her bathroom, stripped, got in the shower, and let the tears stream down her face.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Gavin heard his personal phone ding with a text message just as he picked up his work mobile.
“Scott, what’s up?” he asked with a frown, instantly on edge from the call from one of his private detectives.
“I just want you to know that I followed Natasha to a Chinese restaurant about fifteen minutes away from her place. She walked there and met a friend along the way.”
“Who?”
“She called him Jarryd. It was an unexpected meeting. I made sure I was close to her when Jarryd approached her from across the road. I also sat next to their table during dinner and they mostly talked about a factory being refurbished.”
“Ah, that must be Jarryd Westbourne. So where are they now?”
“She’s home now. Jarryd walked with her inside, but came out less than five minutes later.”
That was a relief. Yes, he was jealous because he’d wanted to be with his Tash tonight.
“Is there anything else you need from me tonight?” Scott asked. “El’s here now to take over till noon tomorrow.”
“No. Go home and get some rest. Thanks for your help today.”
“Are you still in the office?”
“Yup. Just tidying up a few things for the day.”
“You should get some rest too, boss. You’re doing the job of three people, plus having to deal with this new situation.”
“I will, thanks. But it’s more important that you and El focus on keeping Natasha safe. And I’m interviewing a new guy tomorrow. Hopefully he works out.”
He said goodbye to Scott and sank in his seat, closing his eyes. When would this nightmare stop? He couldn’t even divulge to Natasha that he had his own men watching her twenty-four seven.
He’d thought Cameron Biggs’ capture was the end of all this madness. Even the bastard himself had sworn he hadn’t ordered anyone to carry on his revenge plans. So who’d sent the disturbing letters to Amber, threatening not only Amber, but also his parents, Carter and Natasha?
The buzzing of his personal phone had him reaching for it. He’d almost forgotten about the earlier text he’d received.
He frowned as he read Natasha’s message. What did she mean? He rang her, but it went to voicemail. Argh! If only visiting her tonight wasn’t too risky. But he was done playing with fire when it came to Natasha’s safety. Recent events had taught him that even being too careful wasn’t enough.
“Tash, it’s me,” he said after the beep. “Got your text. Please call me back.”
He refocused on his computer, ordering himself to concentrate. The sooner this case was solved the better for everyone.
Fifteen minutes later, Natasha still hadn’t returned his call. Hoping that she’d pick up this time, he rang her again.
“Hello.”
“Tash,” he said with relief.
“Were you even going to tell me?” she asked, her tone accusing and... had she been crying?
His brows furrowed with concern. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“I can’t believe you’re still trying to hide it from me,” she said angrily.
“Don’t you think I deserve the truth?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What are you afraid of, Gavin? That you’d hurt your best friend’s little sister again?” she asked with sarcasm. “Is that why you’re keeping up this stupid act?”
Shit. There was his answer. “Babe—”
“Don’t babe me! I can’t believe you’d do this. Why didn’t you just tell me she was back? Why pretend you don’t want me at your place, saying I distract you from your work, when the truth is you’re already distracted—by her?”
“Tash, it’s not what you think!”
“Then what is this about?”
He shut his eyes, fear gripping his heart. “I can’t explain it to you right now. All I ask is that you give me time.”
“Time for what?”
“I need to help out Amber. That’s all.”
“That’s all? Why is she staying with you? Why haven’t you told her about us? She didn’t even know we were dating.”
“When did you talk to her?”
“I called your landline earlier, and guess who answered?” Natasha said bitterly.
His eyes welled up and he forced his lungs to take in air. Damn it.
“Why, Gavin?”
“Nothing’s happened, Tash. You know I won’t do that to you. Amber just has to stay with me for a few days.”
“Why?”
“I’m working on a case for her.”
“I see. How about I go to your place right now and I stay over? Surely that’s okay as long as I don’t listen in when you talk about whatever it is you’re helping her with?”
He raked his hair, his breathing laboured from his heart being strangled mercilessly. He couldn’t believe he had to hurt her like this again. But what other option did he have? “That’s not a good idea, Tash,” he said, forcing each word out of his mouth.
“When, then? Tomorrow? The next day? The weekend?”
“I don’t know.”
Natasha sobbed.
“I’m sorry. I’m just... I can’t...”
“Don’t worry,” Natasha said, her voice deadly cold. “No need for you to be confused. I’m bowing out of the race. Goodbye, Gavin.”
The Unforgettable Ex (Captured by Love Book 5) (Volume 5) Page 12