“I don’t understand.” Lainey’s heart continued to pound in her chest.
“I meant it,” Eve said again quietly. “I knew what you were going to say.”
Eve looked out the window. She watched the people walking by. Business men and women hurrying from one place to another. Tourists taking in the sites only New York could offer them. Lovers holding hands, looking at one another as though no one else existed as the world turned around them. All of them looked to Eve like they had a clear destination. At the end of the day, how many of them would go home to a loved one? And, how many of them would go home alone? Like Eve.
“If you knew, why did you ask?”
“You were right, you know,” Eve interrupted. “I’m afraid.” Eve let out a small laugh. “Not even two weeks ago, if someone had told me I was weak and a coward, I would have destroyed them. Just to show them I could. And then you come into my life and turn it upside down. You’ve opened doors that I didn’t want opened. Doors that I’ve fought so hard to keep closed. And, you did it so easily. As though you’d had the key all along. I’m not sure how I feel about that, Lainey.”
“You can’t begin to know how much I’ve wanted you to open up to me this way,” Lainey began.
Eve held up a hand and cut Lainey off. “I said those things to you because I knew what you would say. I can let you spend the night with me because I know that in the end, you’ll go back to your husband. You’re safe for me. I’m too much of a coward to open my heart enough to let someone in.”
“You’re not a coward, Eve.”
Suddenly Eve frowned and Lainey saw hurt and astonishment in her eyes as she looked across the room to where Adam was just leaving with a stunning, young, brunette on his arm that wasn’t his sister or her friend.
“Oh, Eve,” Lainey exclaimed. “I’m sorry. You don’t deserve that. The bastard!”
“It’s not his fault, Lainey,” Eve said as Adam walked out of the restaurant with his arm around the woman. “I deserve to see that, and he deserves to be with someone who can give him what he needs. For two years, I’ve kept Adam at arm’s length. I pushed him away when he tried to get too close. Never once did I let him stay the night with me. Do you know how hard it is to explain why I can’t let him sleep with me? Why I can’t wake up with him in the morning? Especially when I didn’t know why myself.” She gave a humorless laugh. She reminded herself over and over that this was what was best for him, but it was killing her inside. “I didn’t even cook for him. Isn’t that funny? I didn’t cook for him because it was too intimate.” Eve turned to look out the window just in time to see Adam pass by. He was laughing, his hand on the small of the brunette’s back in the way that was so familiar to Eve. It hurt so much. All of that work and effort to keep her heart out of it so that she wouldn’t get hurt and for what? She had been a fool to think that she could involve herself with someone like Adam and keep her heart out of it. “Excuse me.”
Eve made her way to the restroom. When she was sure she was alone, she leaned on the sink and lowered her head. Tears threatened, but she knew they would never come. Someone as dead inside as she was could never cry.
Lainey waited impatiently for Eve to return. Seeing the way Adam had hurt Eve angered her. She had heard Eve’s explanation absolving him of blame, but Lainey couldn’t understand how he could just give up on Eve like that. Couldn’t he see that there was so much there underneath the controlled façade that she showed people? Couldn’t he see how hurt and vulnerable she was? If he couldn’t, then Eve was right. He didn’t deserve her. Not because she wasn’t enough for him, but because he wasn’t enough for her. Lainey saw heads turning and knew Eve was coming back.
“Sorry about that,” Eve said. “Look, I know that I asked you to have dinner with me tonight, but...”
“No. Don’t do that,” Lainey interrupted. “I’m not going to let you push me away. I’m coming over for dinner whether you like it or not.”
Eve raised an eyebrow. “And if I burn the food on purpose?”
“Then I’ll eat it anyway.”
“You should be with your husband. Try to work things out with him.”
“Eve, I want things to work out between me and Jack, I do. But, I have to figure out who I am first. It’s not just about the fighting or the boredom anymore. It’s about me and what I want.” She was trying so hard to make Eve understand. And it was all so complicated that she was not certain that she understood it herself. “Besides,” she added. “I have to know if I’m really falling in love with you.”
Eve’s heart stopped. She had thought when she had first met Lainey and first felt that strong physical attraction that she knew the sort of woman she was. Beautiful. Frustrated. Unfulfilled. And there had been a challenge there. She might as well admit that. She had wanted to awaken her. And, even though more had happened than she had ever planned, even though her own life was being affected in ways she never could have guessed, she had still thought that she could predict what Lainey might do and say. And now this! She was stunned.
As they left the restaurant together, Eve wondered how she was going to deal with everything that was going on. More than ever before in her life, she needed to focus on what was happening to her. Without it she could very well lose everything. And she was determined not to let that happen – no matter what she had to do.
They drove back to the gallery in silence. Eve’s head was still spinning from what Lainey had told her over lunch. She wanted to say something, to reassure Lainey that everything between them was still okay, but she didn’t know what to say. How do you explain to someone that hearing them tell you they may be falling in love with you had not only confused you and scared you to death, but also brought you more joy than you had ever felt in your life?
I shouldn’t have said that, Lainey thought to herself. What on earth had she been thinking? She knew that a declaration of that sort might have made Eve shut down completely. She knew that if Eve felt emotionally threatened enough, what they had between them would be over. And Lainey didn’t know if she could bear that. She wanted to say something to Eve, needed to make sure that she hadn’t lost the best thing that had ever happened to her. But, what could she possibly say?
As they approached the gallery, Eve gave Lainey’s hand a squeeze and her pulse jumped. Maybe everything was going to be all right after all.
Eve turned into the garage and noticed that Pauly wasn’t there. In his place was a very tall, very big man with dark hair and dark eyes. Instantly suspicious, Eve frowned and slowed to a stop.
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” His accent was pure New York. From the Bronx, Eve guessed.
“Where is Pauly?” she asked.
“Don’t know ma’am. All’s I know is that the company called and asked me to come in and fill in for some guy that didn’t show. You want I should call and ask?”
Behind her dark sunglasses, Eve studied him. Something about him was not right. “What’s your name?”
“Jackson, ma’am, but people call me Sonny.”
“Is everything all right, Eve?” Lainey asked after they had parked and were taking the elevator up to the gallery. “You’re awfully quiet. Is it because of Adam?”
Eve ran a hand over Lainey’s hair. “I have things I need to think about,” she told her. “But I don’t want you to think things are strained between us. Because they’re not.” Eve dropped her hand as the elevator doors slid open. “The Parkers are here,” she told Lainey and inclined her head towards the couple browsing the gallery. “They have a lot of money and are extremely happy to spend it, a lot of it. And I’m more than happy to help them with that. Go to them. I’d like you to show them some wonderful Degas or Cassatt pieces. Something that will look perfect in their house at the Hamptons. I’ve been there and they could use a little more help in the decorating department.” She shrugged. “They have money, but its new money and they’re just starting to learn how and what to spend it on. Their friends have told them that art was the be
st way to show your wealth and taste.”
“They believed that?” Lainey looked over at the Parkers. They didn’t look gullible, but these days you could never tell.
Eve smiled. “I should hope so. I do own this gallery and I depend on people like the Parkers to come in and buy this beautiful art. It helps to get to know them a little, their personalities, their opinions. Then show them the perfect piece of art that compliments them for their home here in the city.”
“But, I’ve never seen their home.”
“It’s okay. Once you get to know them, you’ll know exactly what will fit. I have a few things I have to take care of, so if you need me I’ll be in my office.”
Lainey frowned. She didn’t want to think that Eve was avoiding her, or keeping her busy so that she wouldn’t have to spend time with her. But, she just wasn’t confident that what she had said over lunch hadn’t spooked her.
“I don’t have to come over for dinner tonight if you’re not up for it,” she said.
Eve gave Lainey a crooked grin. “I thought you were coming over whether I liked it or not.”
Lainey chuckled. “That’s right. Disregard what I just said then.”
“I’m not trying to avoid you, Lainey,” Eve told her. She had so much to think about. She felt as though her entire world had been turned upside down. It wasn’t a feeling she was used to at this point in her life. “I told you that everything was fine between us. I really do have things to take care of.”
“Are you going to call Adam?” The question was out before Lainey could stop herself. She saw Eve’s eyes cloud over and laid a hand on Eve’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interfere.”
“It’s okay.” Eve’s voice was quiet. “No, I’m not going to call. What would be the point?”
“The point would be that he needs to know what he did hurt you. He needs to know that it was in bad taste to bring that slut to your restaurant. You need to know what is going on between the two of you.”
Eve had been trying to forget about Adam, and she had been doing a good job at it by thinking of Lainey or talking about the Parkers. At least, that’s what she had told herself. But it did hurt. More than she ever knew possible. And knowing that Lainey saw the hurt made it even worse. Was she losing that cool detachment that she worked on for years? She couldn’t let that happen. She would be damned if Adam knew that he had hurt her. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
“Seeing him did hurt, Lainey,” she confessed. “But he has every right to date someone else. As for bringing the woman to the restaurant, well, it is a public place and he has every right to be there, whether it was in poor taste or not.” And it was in poor taste as far as she was concerned. He brought that woman to her territory and he had to know she would find out. “And, I do know what is going on between the two of us. I’ve known for a while that I’d drive him away. I’m not the one for him. I wish I could be, but I’m not.”
She glanced over at the Parkers. “Now that we have all of that cleared up, please, go and help the Parkers.”
Lainey’s heart ached for Eve as she watched her disappear upstairs. Why didn’t she let her emotions out? Why wasn’t she showing the pain and anger she must be feeling?
The dull ache behind Eve’s eyes was fast becoming a full-blown migraine. She tried willing it away, but the events of the day, the problems that she was having with Tony and everything else that was going on in her life wouldn’t leave her mind. They were there from the time she woke in the morning - if she were lucky enough to fall asleep - until the time she lay her head back down at night.
Things would be so much easier for her if it were as simple as just having Tony killed and get it over with. Then the people she cared about would be safe and she could focus more on her gallery and cleaning up her personal life. But nothing is ever that simple, and Tony is much too clever. Maybe he was the reason her defenses were slipping. Too much was happening and she was struggling to keep up and stay in control. Eve wouldn’t let anyone else know that she was struggling, but she couldn’t hide it from herself. She slowly lifted her head and picked up the phone.
“It’s me,” she said when the person on the other end answered. “We might have a situation.”
“What’s going on?”
“I need you to check on my garage attendant, Pauly. He went to lunch and apparently never made it back. There’s another man here. He says his name is Jackson, but people call him Sonny. Ring a bell?”
The man on the other end paused to think. “No, ma’am. Maybe this Pauly just got sick and Sonny’s his replacement.”
“I would like nothing more than for that to be the truth,” Eve said honestly. “But there are just a few things wrong with that scenario. Number one, Pauly never takes off. He’s always here no matter what. Number two, no one is hired or brought in as a ‘replacement’ without my knowledge or authorization. After what happened before with the gallery, it’s a requirement. And, finally, I don’t think a garage attendant can afford to wear Italian leather shoes.”
“Damn! I think you’re right. We’ll check it out.”
“Pauly has a wife and kids,” Eve said, almost to herself. “I hope to God he’s alright.”
She rubbed her throbbing head. “Check Lainey’s car. Make sure everything is okay. Mine is down there now, too, so check it as well.”
Eve was tiring of this whole game and wanted it to end now. She was going to try one more time with Meredith and then if that didn’t work, she’d take matters into her own hands. She knew she was taking a chance, especially with the cops watching her, but she didn’t care anymore.
“Set up a meeting with Meredith,” she said grimly.
“Meredith is missing, Ms. Sumptor,” the man said hesitantly.
“What?” God, the pounding wouldn’t stop. Eve’s vision began to blur from the pain. “What do you mean she’s missing?”
“She’s not at her home. She hasn’t shown up at Sumptor, Inc. We can’t find her ma’am.”
“You were supposed to be watching her,” Eve whispered. Her voice was laced with ice cold rage. “How could you lose her?”
“There’s no excuse ma’am. I had a couple of men watching her. She left her house on her own and hasn’t returned. Neither have my men. I take full responsibility for this.”
“I don’t give a fuck whose fault it is! I want her found! She’s the only one who can give me Tony. Find her, or I will take him down myself. You have seventy-two hours. After that, I’ll do what I have to do. Don’t cross me. If I find out that you are involved with any of this...”
“I’m not. I swear to God, Eve, I’m not. I’m risking my life to help you. Please believe that.”
“Seventy-two hours.”
Through the pain, Eve remembered another detail. “He knows where I live. You have the list of every one of my employees, including the doormen at my apartment building. Make sure all of them are safe. Especially Henry. Don’t mess up this time. I don’t want Tony to be able to invade my home. Is that understood?”
Eve replaced the receiver and leaned back in her chair. Son of a bitch, she thought. You clever, clever boy. She knew that Tony had taken her attention off of Meredith by threatening Lainey. She knew that somehow Tony would know that the threat would get back to her and she would protect Lainey. Was his plan to then get Eve’s focus off of Lainey by taking Meredith? It’s not going to happen, Daddy, Eve promised. I won’t let anything happen to her.
Eve’s computer sounded as a message came through. She knew exactly who it was from when she saw the chessboard appear with the word CHECK.
“You never were very good at chess were you, Daddy,” she said sardonically as she made her own move to protect her queen. It had seemed to add to the excitement when it had all begun, this chess game that they still continued, but now it was becoming too dangerous. She wasn’t worried about herself, but those around her that she had started to care about so much. Eve laid her throbbing head back on the chair an
d closed her eyes. Why wouldn’t the headache just go away? Unable to take it anymore, Eve opened her desk drawer and took out the prescription bottle, hating herself for being so weak.
“Damn it!” she hissed as she opened the bottle reluctantly, dumping two pills into her open palm.
“Eve,” Lainey stopped abruptly when she saw the pills in Eve’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, retreating.
“Lainey. Wait,” Eve said replacing the pills. Lainey had unsettled her by walking in on her most vulnerable moment.
“I didn’t mean to just barge in here.”
“It’s okay.” Eve gave Lainey the bottle. “Take them away. I don’t want them where I can get to them.”
“But, if you need them...”
“I don’t. And, I don’t want to need them. They’re an easy way out for me and I don’t want to have to depend on them.”
“Then why do you keep them?” Lainey took the pills and put them in the pocket of her jacket.
“For the same reason I keep cigarettes around. To remind myself that I don’t want to go back to that kind of life, if that’s what you could call it.”
“You look like you’re in pain,” Lainey said, studying Eve. She looked so pale. There was more going on than what Eve was telling her, and she could see the toll it was taking. “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”
Eve pulled Lainey close. “I need you,” she said, shocking them both into silence.
Lainey thought Eve looked so incredibly vulnerable at that moment. And, so incredibly beautiful.
“God,” Eve whispered, moaning when Lainey began massaging her temples and started to unwind. “That feels amazing. I’m sorry, hun, you were telling me why you came up here?”
Something About Eve (An Eve Sumptor Book 1) Page 29