Homewrecker Incorporated

by Chavous, S. Simone

  Somehow I managed to pretend I actually believed the bullshit going through my head.

  "Look, Grace, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied about where I was. I just didn't want you to worry." I sighed. "Robert was at my sister's place when I got there, and it didn't go well. I just needed to be alone to clear my head, so I went for a walk around the city and ended up spending a few hours at the Art Institute to calm down. It didn't really work, so I hit up a little dive bar and closed it down with some of the regulars. It was late and I was too drunk to drive and I didn't want to leave my car there, so I slept it off in the backseat."

  "Jesus, Claud. Are you okay?" she asked, referring to seeing my father. "And that was fucking stupid sleeping in your car! You should have called me to come get you. I could have picked up Bridget or Lydia on the way to drive your car back."

  "Lydia was probably out somewhere drunk herself," I said with a laugh. "I'm fine; everything is fine. Really. It won't happen again." I rubbed my temple, feeling the effects of the drinks from the night before.

  "Are you sure, Claudia?" Grace poured me a cup of coffee. "Please talk to me if you feel like you're getting overwhelmed. I meant what I said before; it's not too late if you want off this case."

  "I'm good and I promise I'll let you know if that changes."

  Another opportunity to bow out no questions asked, yet I let it pass right on by. Again.

  Grace walked over and wrapped her arms around me.

  "I love you, Claud. I just want to be sure you're okay. So fair warning, I will kick your ass if you ignore my calls like that again."

  "Consider me warned," I said with a laugh as I returned the hug.

  "You even going to ask how Patty's call with Elsa and her attorney went yesterday?" Grace let me go.

  "Shit, sorry, I completely forgot about that. So what did she say?"

  "Elsa confirmed there's no way it was the twin in the pictures. He was still in Japan when she got them. She doesn't think he'll be a problem for us now he's back. She's pretty convinced he would be on her side if her husband's lawyers tried to pull a fast one with identifying Gregory on any surveillance. Guess he's had some experience being in her position."

  "What kind of experience?" I tried not to sound overly interested, just mildly curious.

  "She didn't say, but she wants us to push ahead with the job as discussed. And there's something you're probably not going to like." She looked at me over her coffee cup. Great, now what? "She wants to start surveillance on her husband immediately. I know, I know," Grace continued when I opened my mouth to protest. "She understands the risks, and her bitchy lawyer all but said if we're any good at our jobs we should be able to pull it off discreetly enough to avoid detection by a bunch of amateur paparazzi. Patty already arranged it for him and the twin."

  Well, fuck.

  "Guess there's no getting around it, then. Client is always right and all that shit," I said sarcastically.

  Grace chuckled and took a long sip of coffee.

  "Are you feeling up to brunch? The girls are meeting at our spot at eleven."

  "Sure, sounds good. Just let me take a quick shower and change first," I said, turning away from her to hide the panic on my face. I hadn't been paying attention when I left Grey's house. Was the tail there already? Could they have seen me leaving? If they did I was royally fucked. Guess I would know soon enough.

  With surveillance on Gregory, and Grey by extension, I definitely couldn't see Grey again. Not that I would have anyway.

  ❖

  After a relaxing brunch and a call from Janet to set up a meeting with Gregory at three, I was relieved when our brief call with Patty about the investigators revealed surveillance on Grey hadn't started until after I'd left that morning. Now I found myself back at the scene of the crime, so to speak. If it was possible, I was even more nervous walking through the lobby of G&G than I'd been the first time around.

  "Good afternoon, I have a meeting with Mr. Gregory Michaels and Ms. Janet Peterson," I said to the same security guard I'd seen before. He looked as though he could could plow through a brick wall just as easily as I could walk through an open door.

  "It's nice to see you again, Ms. Winston." He passed me the tablet to sign in.

  I gave him a sweet smile. "It's nice to see you again, too, um, Bruce," I said, glancing at his name tag.

  He buzzed me in and I made my way to the elevator.

  "Hold the elevator, please!" someone yelled after me. A rather disheveled Bridget rushed in. "Hurry up, close, close!" she blurted, pressing the close door button repeatedly as if she was playing an old arcade game. The doors were all but closed when I caught a glimpse of a tall, very attractive man who had Bridget running scared.

  "Who was that?" I raised my eyebrows. "And why on earth would you be running from him?"

  "Joshua Slade, the CFO!" she said in a loud whisper as if someone was listening. "Ben sent me up to get his laptop for some work when I got back to the office after lunch yesterday."

  "And?"

  "And he asked me to go to dinner!" she said as if he'd asked her for a kidney.

  I couldn't contain my laughter.

  "It's not funny!" she hissed. "Why would he do that? He's so far out of my league and he's a fucking executive. I can barely think around him, let alone form a coherent sentence."

  I was surprised to hear her swear. Unlike the rest of us, she tended to use much milder language.

  "So what did you say?"

  "What could I say? I said, 'um, uh, sure' and then ran off with his laptop." She slumped against the wall of the elevator. "He e-mailed from his phone right after asking me when would be a good time to see him, and I told him I'd let him know. Now how can I get out of it?"

  "Why in God's name would you want to? He's hot and you are definitely in the same league. You just need to bring your A game," I said, putting an arm around her shoulders right before the elevator doors opened.

  She'd ridden all the way up to my floor. I pressed the button to send her back down.

  "I can't believe you didn't mention this at brunch this morning," I whispered as I stepped off the elevator. "We can talk about it tonight. Don't worry. By the time we're done with you, he'll be the one who can't form a coherent thought."

  With a wink, I left Bridget looking a bit terrified as the elevator doors closed. I hoped the lucky Mr. Slade managed to find her and get her to commit to a time for their dinner date before she pulled some crazy hack and got herself into the witness protection program. Lord knew Bridget needed a little nudge to put herself out there.

  Her dose of early morning drama had actually taken my mind off my own nerves, and I found myself feeling abnormally relaxed as I told the receptionist of my appointment and waited for Janet to come and get me.

  "Hi, Janet, it's so good to see you again," I said, extending my hand when she appeared.

  "I'm so excited for Gregory to meet you. I think you're just perfect for this job," she said, leading me back toward the offices. I wasn't really sure why she felt so confident about my abilities. I'd barely gotten a word in edgewise during our last meeting, but I'd take whatever help I could get.

  Butterflies swarmed in my stomach as memories of my last time in that office surfaced. I wasn't worried about running into Grey this time. He'd texted me after brunch to wish me luck and shared he was going to be out of the office visiting a plant in Elkhart, Indiana for a few days. While I was relieved I wouldn't have to juggle both twins at the same time, a part of me was a little disappointed I wouldn't get to see him. My stomach did an extra flip at the thought of juggling both men. Damn, now that was a nice visual.

  "Are you ready?" Janet asked before she picked up the phone to verify Gregory was ready to see me.

  "As ready as I'll ever be."

  "Mr. Michaels, thank you so much for taking the time." Seeing him again, it was easy for me to tell him from his brother. A wash of something unfamiliar spread over me. Longing, sadness, I wasn't exactly sure, but I
didn't like it.

  "Of course, Ms. Winston. Please, call me Gregory. It makes things less confusing, especially now my brother is back in town. I've heard only great things from him and Janet about you," he said with a curious smile.

  My face suddenly felt hot.

  "Janet has such nice things to say about working for you," I said, ignoring his mention of Grey as I tried to hide the tremor in my voice.

  Had Grey told him about us despite his promise not to? I couldn't tell, and Gregory moved on from the subject to study the résumé in front of him. I watched him carefully as his eyes passed over the lines of my fabricated work history, nodding here and there along the way.

  "Janet, could you get me a cup of coffee, please?" he said through the intercom. "Anything for you, Claudia? Is it all right if I call you Claudia?" He folded his hands on top of the desk.

  "Of course it is and no, nothing for me," I replied. "It's refreshing to see such a powerful man so respectful of his subordinates." I tried to sound flirtatious. It came off somewhere closer to awkward. "Like I said before, Janet has said such nice things. It's as if all the employees here are friends." I fidgeted with the pendant on my necklace.

  That part of the jobs--the flirtation, the chase--had always come so naturally for me. With Gregory Michaels it was nothing short of forced.

  "I'd say we're more like family," he replied casually. "Your résumé is impressive and Janet believes you'll be a great fit here at G&G." He smiled. Even though he and Grey were identical, and he was equally as handsome, his smile didn't have any of the effect on me Grey's did.

  "The job is yours if you want it," he said as Janet walked in with his coffee. "Janet, I think we're ready for the offer letter from human resources."

  Janet pulled an envelope from behind her back as she set the steaming mug on the desk. She smiled brightly as she set the envelope with my name typed on top in front of me.

  "I figured it was best to be prepared." She winked before turning to leave.

  "You can take a couple of days to think over the offer if you'd like but as far as I'm concerned, you can start tomorrow." He stood and extended his hand.

  "Thank you so much, Gregory," I said, emphasizing his name.

  "This might seem like a strange request, but since I hope you'll be joining our little family here, would you consider attending a charity function this Saturday? We bought an entire table and have two seats left open. You could bring a girlfriend along if you like. You would really be doing me a favor. These events can get rather boring, especially when I have to fill a table with my typical business associates. You would bring a little excitement to the group, and you certainly wouldn't want for company."

  "Won't Mrs. Michaels be there to keep you occupied?" I leaned forward ever so slightly, putting my acting skills to good use. He'd been sure to specify I should bring a girlfriend, not a date, which was encouraging as far as the job was concerned, but it was still odd for him to make that specification. That's what I was really there for, the job, I reminded myself yet again.

  "Unfortunately, Mrs. Michaels will be out of town, so I'll be flying solo for a change."

  Guess I was three for three on attracting the Michaels brothers. So much for Gregory Michaels being the exception. He was clearly just as sleazy as every other mark. Not that he would do anything at a function full of acquaintances and business associates, but it would be a good chance to get closer to him. And there was always time after the event.

  Gregory's phone chimed.

  "I'm sorry to rush you out, but I have an important conference call starting now." He hit the intercom before I'd had a chance to answer about Saturday. "Janet, can you show Claudia out and give her those two extra tickets to the gala on your way? I look forward to seeing you this weekend, Claudia."

  It appeared he decided for me.

  Gregory picked up the phone, his gaze traveling up my body as I stood. He smiled, looking away as he turned his chair toward the window.

  "Chris, how are you?" he said as I stepped out to where Janet was waiting.

  "You're going to have so much fun," Janet said, passing me a beautifully decorated envelope. "The gala is one of the hottest tickets in town this weekend." She smiled brightly. "It's a shame Elsa, Mrs. Michaels, can't attend seeing how her foundation puts it on. I guess something came up with one of the schools she's helping to build down in Guatemala. Some sort of hassle about permits, which is just code for a government official looking for a kickback."

  At the mention of Elsa, I wondered if Janet knew more about Gregory's indiscretions than she let on. Before I opened the flap and pulled out the tickets, I made a note to ask her out for lunch sometime to see what I could get out of her. Looking down, I gasped when I read the event name and location on the tickets in my hand.

  "Oh my God, I can't accept these!" I said, still staring at them. She was right; the World Child Hunger Charity Gala was an A-list event in Chicago. The guest list was a who's who, filled with elite businessmen, congressmen, senators, and celebrities. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Commander in Chief there, as well. And it was $25,000 a plate. There was no way that event would be boring even if Gregory's table was filled with business associates.

  "Claudia, a little tip. When a gift like that falls into your lap, just smile and say thank you. Just think of the networking opportunities. Consider taking the tickets a smart business decision," she said with a wink.

  She was absolutely right; it was good business, just not in the way she thought. There would be an obscene amount of wealth in the room, powerful men with mistresses and jilted wives who were potential clients we could pass along to Patty.

  "Thank you, Janet. I guess I'm going to need to go shopping before Saturday."

  Chapter 9

  "I'll only go if you let me drive your car." Bridget folded her arms over her chest.

  She was pissed that we persuaded her to leave work early Wednesday and lured her to our penthouse to drag her along on our shopping trip to buy gowns for the gala on Saturday night. Unable to avoid Josh Slade after I'd seen her on the elevator, she agreed to dinner with him, so we were going to get her a makeover and a killer outfit for the occasion.

  "Come on, Bridge. You know that car is my baby!" I replied, gripping my heart.

  "Yeah, and you know I hate shopping and I don't want to go on this date at all," she responded, her voice melting into a pathetic whine as she finished the sentence. "I don't know how to act around him. He's so good-looking and confident. Why the heck does he want to eat with me? I'll probably spill something on myself or, oh God, on him!" she said, working herself into a panicked frenzy.

  "Chill, girl." Grace handed her a glass of wine. "You'll be just fine and if you're not, just shoot me a text and I'll make the infamous bad date bail-out call to give you an excuse to leave."

  "Fine, I'll let you drive, but that means only one glass of wine for you," I said, pouring myself a second glass with a smile.

  Two glasses later, I slipped in front of Grace into the passenger seat of my RS7.

  "Just take it easy," I said as Bridget adjusted the driver's seat.

  I had to admit the early birthday present I'd bought the month before looked like a midlife crisis, although I was still way too young for that. At the time, I just needed something new and exciting, so when the sensible sedan I'd been driving for half a decade was paid off, I finally gave in to the constant requests from the dealer I'd bought it from to come check out the newer models. I'd intended to get the new version of my old car, but when I walked into the show room, I fell in love for the first time, and with a redhead, no less.

  Seeing Bridget's excitement as she navigated the streets of Chicago was well worth the stress of letting someone else handle what was easily my most prized and most expensive possession. The prior distinction actually belonged to the sterling silver necklace, which had hung around my neck for the last fourteen years. It was an eighteenth birthday gift from my mom. The last of my birthdays she w
as around to help me celebrate. My heart squeezed tight at the thought of her.

  "Is it too late to change my mind?" Bridget whined, putting the car in park in a garage across the street from the exclusive boutique Grace made an appointment at. "That drive was much longer in my head."

  "Sorry, Bridge, a deal's a deal." Grace laughed as she slid out of the backseat.

  "How fast have you driven this thing anyway?" Bridget closed the door. "I bet my little old car tops out at around eighty."

  "Ha, we all know that's by choice. Thanks to Lydia you have more money than any of us did at your age. You just refuse to spend any of it." I took her hand and practically dragged her through the garage to the elevator.

  Although I teased her, I admired Bridget's frugal nature and wished mine was better developed. Thanks to my investment in Homewrecker Incorporated and Lydia's talent for day trading, I'd done rather well financially and had quite a lovely nest egg. With a cheaper apartment, a few less pairs of designer shoes and a less sexy car parked downstairs, I probably would have been able to afford my vineyard in Tuscany a lot sooner.

  I was reminded of the trip that sparked my dream as we waited for the crosswalk signal to change. The time in Tuscany with my mom had been one of the best of my life. Dad had gone to Italy on business for several weeks, and one day Mom decided she missed him too much. It was completely spontaneous, and while Dad pretended to be furious about Jessica and me missing school, we all knew he was thrilled to have us there. At least that's what we believed at the time.

  ❖

  Several hours and an obscene amount of money later, Grace opened the door to our apartment. True to form, Bridget made a beeline across the open living and dining room space to the glass wall overlooking both the lake and part of the city skyline.