Homewrecker Incorporated

by Chavous, S. Simone

  Jesus. I'd really gone off the deep end thinking about a guy I barely knew being hurt by me doing my job. He wouldn't be hurt; he would be fucking pissed, for his brother and his company. If I got evidence of cheating and Elsa went through with a divorce, Gregory would have to sell a good chunk of his stock in G&G to pay the infidelity penalty. I found the small part of myself, which had been wishing earlier Gregory would be the first man to prove me wrong, had grown exponentially larger.

  "We'll have to put surveillance on both of them." Lydia interrupted my train of thought. "If we can document where the twin is when you get the evidence, it will make our case stronger."

  It seemed she was finally getting serious about the work. When she did, she was a force to be reckoned with. That was my moment. I should have confessed right then and there about my attraction to Grey and more importantly, his attraction to me. I could have easily made up some excuse to pass on the assistant's job, but there was no guarantee Lydia could step in and get it. What if Janet ended up giving it to one of the girls internally? It was too much of a risk; I had to stay the course.

  "She's right. We'll need to keep tabs on both of their movements," Grace said. "I'll get in touch with Patty to hook us up with a couple of investigators she trusts." While Lydia and Grace were more than qualified to handle the simple tail jobs, we'd decided because we were working locally it would be better to outsource.

  "I think we should hold off on the surveillance. At least for a few days until I get back in, actually meet Gregory Michaels officially, and secure the job." Or at least until I'd managed to straighten things out with Grey. Being spotted with him could be hard to explain.

  Grace eyed me questioningly. "Why would we wait? For all we know he might actually be fucking that girl from the pictures or any number of other girls. Any evidence of cheating, even if it's not enough to break the infidelity clause, will make our case that much stronger once we do have the evidence we need."

  "Except we don't know who took those photos. Someone else has been tailing Gregory Michaels and we don't know why. They don't work for Elsa, so what's the angle?"

  "I thought we agreed it was a paparazzi ploy, like Elsa said," Lydia replied.

  "I've just been thinking. What if it's not about that? What if it really is about money and they're planning to shake Elsa down. Whoever sent them is probably betting she will pay a lot of money to avoid even the appearance of a scandal." I was grasping at straws.

  "Then why haven't they made any attempts to contact her with a price?"

  "Maybe they're waiting for a juicier story, something she'd pay more to cover up," Bridget added. I could have kissed her.

  "Exactly. The first round of photos were probably just to put Elsa on edge, to make her question Gregory. If they're waiting for more marketable photos, they'll still be watching Gregory and Elsa every chance they get."

  It was actually a really good point.

  "That's why we need to wait on surveillance. Risking the paparazzi thinking Elsa hired an investigator to follow her husband is like throwing chum out to sharks. There's too much on the line for us to rush into anything and risk feeding some tabloid scandal, which is exactly what Elsa is trying to avoid. Let me get in a room with Gregory and secure the assistant's job, see how he responds to me. Once I'm working with him, I'll be able to watch him closely and figure out what's really going on."

  My motivations might have been all wrong, but my ideas were right. The Michaels job was different from any job we'd ever done and not just because of the rules we were breaking. There were other, unpredictable players involved, so we needed to take a different approach with the case. It had nothing to do with Grey. At least that was what I was telling myself. He was just a minor hiccup in our plan. The others, especially Grace, were already stressing out enough. I didn't need to add to it. I could handle Grey.

  ❖

  "Okay, we'll wait until we hear back from you," Grace said, ending her call with Patty. "She's going to call Elsa to discuss the implications of the twin being in town."

  "Is she concerned?" I asked.

  "She didn't seem as worried as I would have expected. I'm guessing the fact we get paid no matter what has something to do with it. How about you? Are you doing okay? You've seemed off since you got back. Are you having doubts about taking a job at home?"

  "I'm fine, just worrying about covering our asses." I smiled. I should have known Grace would be able to tell I was holding something back.

  "Listen, Claud." Grace took my hand. I knew she meant business when she called me that. "I know this time of year is hard on you. If you're not up to this, it's not too late to try to get Lydia to interview in your place. Her approach might be different, but we both know she could handle it."

  If I hadn't already felt like shit for lying to my partners and friends, I definitely did then. I'd gotten so caught up in what had happened earlier, I'd nearly forgotten about my mom's anniversary, which was coming up. Fourteen years had passed since I lost her.

  "I'm fine, Grace, really. The distraction is good for me, you know that."

  "Okay, but you let me know if that changes or if you need to talk." She put her arm around my shoulders. "You want to head upstairs and order some takeout?"

  I still hadn't eaten lunch, but I found I no longer had much of an appetite. I was too anxious about dinner with Grey.

  "Actually, I was thinking about going for a run and then taking a drive down to see Jessica. She's been calling today, and it's been a while since I've seen my niece."

  It had been way too long since I'd seen little Izzy and my sister. They also provided an excellent excuse for me to be out for dinner. I almost never went out without Grace or one of the other girls when I was home, so she'd definitely be curious about me leaving. With the drive, I could spend a couple of hours with them and still make it to the restaurant by eight.

  It would be a short meal and by the time it was over, Grey would no longer be a problem and everything would be back on track.

  Chapter 6

  "Auntie Claudia!" Izzy squealed as she raced toward me across the lawn.

  I swore my niece grew cuter every time I saw her. I closed the door of my cherry-red RS7 and I jogged to meet her.

  "Hi, pumpkin." I scooped her up into my arms. At five years old she was barely the size of the average four-year-old. "Who's this little guy?" I pointed to the stuffed bunny in her hand.

  "Bobby the bunny." She proudly pushed him up to my face to give me a closer look. "Grandpa Robert gave me him."

  I fought the frown that pulled the corners of my mouth at the mention of my father. While Jessica respected my wishes to not talk about him, I could hardly expect my niece to understand, so I just smiled.

  "Well, what a lovely little bunny he is."

  The screen door squeaked and snapped shut as my sister walked out onto the wraparound porch of her classic country ranch. It was exactly what I pictured when I thought of the perfect family home, complete with a picket fence and an inviting porch swing. Around back there was an inground pool and a charming tree house Izzy was too small to climb into by herself. Behind it was a rather extensive playset with three swings, two slides, monkey bars, and rings. The house was fairly modest, considering the money my sister had courtesy of an inheritance from our mother but more so from our father who'd put a sizable amount of money in trust for Jessica after mom died. He'd attempted to do the same for me, but I wouldn't take a penny from that man.

  For the most part, Jessica's trust remained untouched because Shawn was adamant about them making it on their own. I really admired that about my sister's husband. The only extravagances he compromised on were for Izzy's benefit.

  Jessica walked over to us, her expression worried as she pulled us into a hug.

  "I'm so glad to see you, Claudia, but I wish you'd called or at least answered when I did."

  The door opened and closed again.

  "If I'd known you were coming I would have asked him to leave."
She placed her hand on my forearm, her expression apologetic.

  My heart sunk.

  "Hello, Claudia."

  It'd been years since I'd heard that voice, but I remembered it as clearly as if it was yesterday.

  My first instinct was to run to my car and peel out of there as fast as possible. My second was to walk straight up to him and slap him across the face. That was what I'd done the last time I saw him. Instead I gave Izzy a kiss on the cheek and passed her to Jessica before turning around.

  I lifted my chin and said, "Robert."

  "It's good to see you, honey." His blue eyes searched my face.

  My stomach turned at his use of the endearment he'd assigned to me when I was just a naive little girl stupid enough to think her father was the greatest man in the world. He made his way down the steps toward us. He'd barely aged in fifteen years. Apart from a bit more gray hair, he was still the same handsome piece of shit I remembered. "You look so much like Teresa now."

  I gasped and stepped back as though he'd punched me in the gut.

  "Don't you dare say her name," I spat.

  "Claudia," Jessica said softly. I glared at her and she lifted her hand in surrender.

  "I shouldn't have come." I spun around to head back to my car. I was certain my face was probably as red as my car by that point. I hated I couldn't control myself around him but after what he'd done, I just couldn't handle it. My blood boiled and I needed to get out of there. Fast.

  "Auntie Claudia, you have to play with me," Izzy demanded as I walked away.

  "Sorry, pumpkin pie. Auntie Claudia has to go do some work, but we'll play next time. I promise," I said, turning briefly to give her a reassuring smile and a wink. "Maybe we can go see a movie soon?" She smiled brightly, nodding like any child would.

  "It's a date." Satisfied she wiggled out of Jessica's arms and ran up to the porch where Shawn just stepped out.

  "Claudia, please, just talk to me. Don't you think this has gone on long enough?" Robert strode toward me. Jessica wisely joined her family well out of the line of fire.

  "Long enough? How long is long enough to hate the person who killed your mother?" I sneered, keeping my voice low enough that Izzy wouldn't hear.

  He reached for my arm.

  "Don't you dare fucking touch me!" I yanked my arm away and jumped into the driver's seat. He started to say something else, and I slammed the door. Something I would have yelled at anyone else for. That car was my baby, but I was too pissed to care. I revved up the engine, and after a brief moment of seriously contemplating running him over, I peeled out, spraying gravel at his feet.

  ❖

  I sped over the countryside, making my way back to the city. The speedometer approached one hundred miles per hour. Times like that I wished for a manual transmission, the ability to shift, to leave my problems behind one gear at a time.

  My phone chimed in the seat beside me. I didn't have to look to know it was Jessica, a fact confirmed by the screen in the dash a second later. I ignored the call and slowed just enough to make my next turn without going off the road. My gym bag slid across the black leather and red stitching of the backseat. Thank God I'd grabbed it before I left. I needed the run I'd told Grace I was going to take before I went to my sister's. I had a lot of time to kill before eight, and I couldn't risk going back to the penthouse and being spotted by Grace with no excuse to go out again without her. I could have gone to the temporary apartment, but there was hardly anything in there and I needed a distraction.

  As I took another turn, I hoped my dress wasn't getting wrinkled in the trunk. I regretted not hanging it in the car, but with the way I was driving, it probably would have ended up on the floor anyway. Thankfully, my gym had complimentary irons and steamers I could use when I stopped there to shower.

  I should have canceled my date. Shit, not date, business dinner, but I told myself I didn't have Grey's number. Of course I could have called the office or Janet directly to get it or at least leave him a message, but that didn't cross my mind. Or if it did, I ignored it.

  I was too busy stewing over that son of a bitch my sister still called Dad. I was determined to never refer to him as anything but Robert.

  I managed to make it to North Avenue Beach in one piece and without getting a ticket for reckless driving. At one point I think my speed topped out at around 120.

  I grabbed my bag from the back and kicked off my heels before I pulled my dress up around my waist and slipped into a pair of running shorts. I didn't bother to look around before I unzipped and pulled the dress over my head, which elicited an enthusiastic tap on my window and thumbs-up from a couple of college-age meatheads jogging by. I flipped them off. One, who was rather cute, pantomimed being stabbed in the heart as he jogged backward behind his two friends who were heading for the running path. He mouthed, "I love you," before turning around. I laughed to myself and slid my sports bra on over the black lacy number before I unclasped it and pulled it free.

  A few minutes later, with shoes on and earbuds in, I was running through all my frustrations and repeatedly past the pack of frat boys I continuously ignored despite their best efforts. The playlist blaring in my ears wasn't one I listened to often, but the anger in the voice of the metal band's lead singer matched what I was feeling as my feet pounded the trail and I pictured my father's face below them.

  Chapter 7

  "Do you have a reservation?" The host asked when I entered the restaurant. I inhaled the aroma of steak and butter filling the elegant space.

  "No, at least I don't think so. I'm meeting someone, but we only made the plans a few hours ago so I doubt he called ahead." I nervously played with the few golden strands of hair hanging loose from my French twist at the base of my neck.

  "What's the name?"

  "Michaels, Greyston Michaels."

  "Oh yes, here it is. Mr. Michaels made a reservation for eight. You're rather early, so it will be a few minutes before your table is ready. Would you like to wait at the bar?"

  "God yes," I replied.

  I definitely needed a drink. My run, shower at the gym, and subsequent trip to the Art Institute of Chicago took my mind off things for a time. I always felt close to my mother when I walked amongst the beautiful paintings and sculptures of the Institute. She loved art and would take Jess and I on spontaneous trips to museums and galleries around the country a few times a year. It was a passion that had rubbed off on me. Unfortunately, the instant I stopped and let my thoughts drift, I was right back there staring into the face of the man who walked away and ruined everything so many years ago.

  The host helped me out of my cream peacoat, revealing the open back of my black and cream dress with red lacing across the low-cut chest. I might have been there for a business dinner, but my dress sent an entirely different message.

  "Vodka and soda," I said to the bartender when he approached. I definitely didn't nurse it and was ordering another just a few minutes later.

  "A woman after my own heart," a very sexy voice said against my ear.

  Much like the vodka, his presence got into my bloodstream and completely threw my body off balance. As much as I tried not to, I smiled when he stepped up right beside me, so close I could feel his warmth against the bare skin of my thigh. The familiar tension I felt low in my belly whenever he was around took on a whole new life. I longed for the touch of his hands on my bare skin.

  He glanced down at his watch. "I see you were even more anxious for our date than I was."

  "Business meeting," I corrected with a sly grin. "And I always say if you're on time, you're late."

  Despite the protest of my body, which clearly wanted to get as close to Grey as possible, I was here to end our harmless flirtation, or whatever the hell it was between us. A task which would have better served with a sober, not fucked up by seeing my dad, mind. Who was I kidding? I'd known when I chose my dress for the evening that the night, very much like the day that preceded it, was not going to go to plan. At least not a
ny plan I was willing to admit having.

  Grey looked even better than I remembered and his lips even more kissable in the dim light of the bar. Seeing him again, I realized how different he was from his brother, at least from the photos I'd seen of Gregory. Grey's hair was just a bit longer and more disheveled. Gregory was the picture of a disciplined businessman--everything in just the right place. Grey had a more carefree vibe about him.

  "So, Mr. Michaels--"

  "Grey," he interrupted.

  "So, Grey, what exactly is the purpose of the business meeting? Are you going to give me pointers on how best to serve your brother?" His jaw clenched and a fire lit in his eyes. "As his new assistant," I added, turning my body toward him. His face relaxed as I took a sip of my drink.

  "To the contrary, like I told you, I need a new assistant. I believe your talents will be better utilized serving me."

  He placed his hand over mine around the glass and pulled it toward him. His unexpected touch sent goose bumps over my skin. Keeping his eyes trained on me, he took a drink from my glass. His tongue flicked out over his bottom lip to catch a stray drop of the clear liquid.

  "My need for you is far more urgent than my brother's," he continued, his eyes burning into me as he took the lime from the rim of my glass and sucked it between his lips. "I'll have one of these, as well," he told the bartender without looking at him.

  I pulled my lip between my teeth and bit down to temper the urge to kiss him right there in the middle of the crowded restaurant.

  Between the drinks and the stress of the day, I was far past worrying about my responsibility to Elsa Michaels. The only thing I was worried about was getting some release and from what I could tell, Greyston Michaels could give me that and more.

  "You are the most stunning woman I have ever seen," he whispered, inching closer. "Those eyes, I've never seen anything like them."