by Mary Calmes
"I see." She smiled at me and there was something different about the way she did it, almost loving. Dylan's sigh brought me back to her.
"What?" I asked her
"Nothing," she chuckled before she sighed deeply looking at me.
They were both being so weird. "What?"
"I said, nothing," Dylan snapped at me. "Let's look at the proofs we did for Trotter."
We spent most of the morning going over current accounts, and then our work ethic dissolved into office-chair races by ten. We took a cab to meet a new client for lunch, and on the way back Brandon called me. I told him I had been getting worried that he was blowing me off.
"No, Jory," he murmured into the phone. "That will never happen."
"You are very good for my ego, Mr. Rossi," I chuckled.
"I'm going to be good for you, period," he said flatly. "How about Brava at seven?"
"That sounds great. I'll meet ya there."
"Okay." Long exhale. "See ya there."
When I hung up, Dylan was scowling at me. "What?"
"Who is this guy?"
"I think we did the logo work for his old law firm. I got the idea he moved."
"From where? You didn't say where he was in the first place."
"He was at Bigelow and Stein."
"I don't remember anyone but Chelsea Connors from Bigelow and Stein."
"That's because you only remember the people who write us the check at the end of the job."
"So what?"
"That's not good business."
She only grunted as her frown darkened. "You need to let me meet this guy."
"Oh, I don't think so, crazy hormonal lady."
She growled at me.
"You see, that's what I'm talking about right there."
Dylan, Sadie, and I were coming back from our afternoon yogurt break when we turned the corner and found Sam Kage leaning against the locked glass door of our office. I shoved my half-eaten bowl at Dylan and sprinted down the hall toward him.
"Hey." I smiled quickly. "What're you doing here?"
"I talked to my mom and I talked to Michael." He nodded slowly. "It was interesting."
I heard Dylan and Sadie walking into the office behind me but I didn't turn and say hi to Sam. I didn't want to extend the visit.
"Jory?"
"Sorry. You said the talk was interesting, how so?" And I could have kicked myself for talking to him in the parking lot the day before. There were times when I blurted things out because I craved praise. I really was far too externally motivated for my own good. I liked to be told how great I was. Not all the time, but enough that it was a problem. In this instance, if I had kept my big mouth shut I would have not had the follow-up visit from Sam Kage.
"Hey."
I looked up, realizing that, as usual, my mind had been drifting. "Yeah?"
"You got my mom her job." He stared at me. "She's the host of Date Night Friday Night on Channel Ten."
And I had needed him to know it, which was just plain lame. "They wanted a concept from me and Dy and I gave them her."
He nodded. "She loves it, ya know."
"I know."
Every Friday night they screened a classic romantic movie, like From Here To Eternity, and Regina gave out tips on what to cook or what wine to serve. It was fun and she loved it.
The reviews were really good. People loved her and made a point of staying home with their loved ones and watching her and the movie.
"I had no idea. I mean, I've been back a year and she never once told me that you're the reason she got the job in the first place."
"Why would she? It has nothing to do with you."
"She could have at least mentioned it."
I shrugged. What he found odd I saw nothing wrong with at all.
"She misses you. She said she hasn't seen you in almost six months."
"We're both busy," I commented. "I'll call her, though.
Maybe we can grab lunch soon."
He nodded.
I walked farther down the hall, away from the office. When I turned to face him, he was closer than I thought, having followed right behind me. Before I could take a step back, he grabbed a handful of the front of my turtleneck sweater.
"What?"
He just looked at me as his hand dropped away.
I tried to keep things light. "What'd Michael say?"
"He said his firm hired you and that you and Dylan were phenomenal. He didn't really get a chance to talk to you alone much, and he was sorry about that."
"Me too."
He took a breath and stepped closer to me. "Can I talk to you?"
"We are talking."
"I mean I'd like to sit and... I just wanna sit, if that'd be all right."
I stepped back slowly. "I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, but why? I mean, what's the point?"
He cleared his throat. "You must have questions about what happened and—"
"No, I know what I need to." I forced a smile. "A couple of detectives came to see me when I got out of the hospital."
"Oh yeah? Tell me what you know."
I took another step back from him. "Well, I know you got to Maggie's place that night in time to save her and in time for her to tell you that she was a diversion to get you away from me."
He nodded.
"Except the detectives didn't know about you and me, of course, they just said that Dominic used her to get you over there."
His eyes didn't move from mine.
"There was actually no mention of our relationship in any official report."
He nodded. "No, there wasn't. If there had been, I would've been thrown off the force."
"So that was good."
"Yeah."
I cleared my throat. "So, how is Maggie?"
"I have no idea. I never saw her again after that night."
"She never called?"
"I have no idea. My life went a little bit crazy after that."
"Yours?" I arched a brow for him.
His smile was quick. "Okay, you win."
We were silent a moment, just our eyes locked together before I looked away.
"Hey." His voice so soft I barely heard it. "Look at me."
I was nervous and edgy and I had no idea why. Why the weird reaction to Sam Kage? "So I heard that Dominic went into protective custody and then into the witness protection program, like my friend Anna. Do you know where either of them are now?"
He shook his head. "No. I did hear that Anna got remarried, though, and she's expecting a child. They told me that when Dom went in. You should be happy for her."
I nodded. "I am. I really am."
"What are you thinking?"
My eyes flicked back to his.
"I can always tell when your brain's workin' overtime."
I smiled at him. "It's just weird... I used to think I'd always know Anna, just run into her from time to time, ya know?
Funny how nothing turns out like you think it will."
"Yeah, it is."
"So you just came by to—"
He took a step closer to me. "If you saw me that day in the street, why didn't you come talk to me? That seems strange, that you didn't."
"You were with a lot of people and I didn't wanna intrude."
He nodded, easing forward again. "And you saw my mom, you saw Michael... why not ask about me?"
"They told me without me even having to ask." I sighed, leaning back against the wall to put distance between us.
"I guess they thought you cared. Sorry about that."
"I did care," I said softly. "I still do."
His eyes were locked on mine.
"They said you were working homicide now. You like it better than vice?"
He nodded.
"Good, I'm glad you're happy. I wish nothing but the best for you, Sam, you know that."
He exhaled slowly. "I do know that."
"So, see?" I grinned as I walked by him back toward the office. "Everything worked
out."
"Hey."
I turned at the door.
"Would it kill you to eat with me?"
I smiled at his phrasing. "No. When?"
"How 'bout tonight?"
"Sorry, I've got a date. How's tomorrow?"
"Date, huh? With who, that guy from the hardware store yesterday?"
"Yeah. How'dya know?"
He shrugged. "I saw ya talking... I figured, 'cause the way he was lookin' at ya."
"Okay," I chuckled.
"So you're just dating right now? Nobody serious? I figured by now there'd be somebody serious."
"I'm picky." I smiled at him.
"What about Aaron Sutter?"
My head snapped up. "How do you know about Aaron?"
"I'm a detective," he said, giving me the crooked grin.
"That's right," I said over my pounding heart.
"So what happened there?"
I just looked at him, feeling my brows draw together.
"What?" He chuckled. "We're just shootin' the shit, right.
Spit it out."
I shrugged. "He wanted me to move in and I thought it was too soon."
"You guys still friends?"
"No." I shook my head. "It was an all or nothing deal, and when I picked nothing that was pretty much it."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Some people stay gone, Sam," I teased him, turning to duck back inside my office.
"J."
I leaned back out.
"Can I get your number so I can give you a call?"
"Your mom's got it," I told him. "I'll see ya."
"Yep," he said as I closed the door behind me.
"Jory!" Dylan yelled for me from the other room. "Get your ass in here and explain to me why in the hell I just saw Sam Kage!"
"Who's Sam Kage?" Sadie asked me softly. "The hot guy in the hall?"
I waved my hands at Sadie to shut her up.
"My God, Jory, that man could do whatever he wanted to me."
"You're not helping," I whispered at her.
"Jory!" Dylan almost screamed. "Get in here now!"
I groaned and went to explain to my best friend why shrieking was no good for either her or her baby. I had to talk really fast to convince her that hurling her Rolodex at me wasn't an acceptable solution either.
Chapter Three
It turned out that the place where Brandon had invited me to meet him was a block from his office. All the lawyers hung out there after work, swapping stories, getting drunk, and dancing badly. At the table I was sitting at with my date, they were talking about a case at work and I was drinking. There was not one attempt to include me in the conversation or segue into a new one. After a few more minutes ticked by, I pulled my phone out of my leather racing jacket and posed the question to Dylan, Evan, and my pal Tracy: Why was I attending happy hour instead of being out on a date?
When I looked up, the waiter was back and I ordered another Mojito. I slipped him a twenty and asked him to separate my bill from the rest of the table. My phone gave out a catcall whistle to let me know I had messages, and I found out that Evan thought he was showing me off because I was so pretty. Dylan thought he was the kind of guy that needed the approval of his friends on who he could or could not date, and my buddy Tracy said that he was out to make his friends jealous because I was not only hot but also talented and successful. I told Evan that he was on crack, sent Tracy the same, and agreed with Dylan. The man for me would not have cared what his friends thought, as Brandon so obviously did.
"Are you okay?" Brandon asked, leaning in beside me, hand on my leg. "Can I get you another drink?"
Maybe his friends had to see me first before he even decided whether to waste time taking me out to a real restaurant or not. I sent that back to Dylan.
"Jory?"
"I'm good." I sighed and saw that I had a picture from Dane of he and Aja on some beach, drinking. They were both smiling into the phone.
"Good."
It was rude to sit on my phone and text, so I sent Evan one last message asking him if he and Loudon wanted to have dinner with me on Friday. I got a yes back with a promise that Loudon had another friend for me to meet. I couldn't stifle the groan. The last guy Loudon McKay, Evan's partner of the last two years, had me meet ended up having a cat with some kind of weird skin disease. There was ointment that needed to be applied every four hours. I had run like hell.
"You all right?" one of Brandon's friends asked me.
"Super," I grunted, shoving my phone back into my jacket as it hung on my chair.
The music changed from whatever weird electronic down-tempo crap they had on to classic seventies. I was very happy. When I started singing along, I looked down the table and saw the girl at the other end signing along with me. The shy smile was very appealing. So were the dimples. And she knew all the words for "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates, just like I did. I waved and she waved back.
I got up and walked down to the other end and squatted down beside her chair. She turned to look at me, one rusty-colored brow arched up high.
"Hiya."
She smiled slowly and her fingers brushed the hair out of my face. "Hiya back."
"Would you like to dance with me?"
"I would."
She took the hand I held out for her and I led her to the dance floor.
"I'm Jory." I smiled at her.
"Aubrey."
"Beautiful name, beautiful lady," I said as I dipped her low.
She didn't giggle, she laughed, and it was deep and throaty. "Right backatcha, pretty boy."
I chuckled as I brought her back up to her feet and we started to dance. It was fun, and she followed me as we moved around each other like idiots. Twenty minutes later she called a time-out for alcohol and I followed her back to the bar. It quickly became a routine: dance a little, drink a little, repeat again and again. We both lost track of how many we had. I bought a round, then her, then me again... and there was still more dancing until we took a long break to sit down and put our numbers in each other's phones.
The dance music came pounding out of the speakers and we went back to the floor. It was fun and I didn't care what had gotten me there anymore, I was just looking forward to getting to know my new friend. I saw us shopping for matching sequin tube tops or something equally ridiculous.
When I spun her around and dipped her in my arms, she laughed so hard I thought she was going to pee.
When we were both tired out and liquored up, we decide to sit for a while. I had her in my lap when her date, Adam Myers, came and grabbed her arm. She yanked out of his grasp and when he did it again, harder, she lost her balance, slipping off my legs to the floor.
"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled at him, kneeling down on the ground to make sure she was okay.
"She is embarrassing me, and you are embarrassing Bran.
God, do you guys not understand that this is where everyone at our firm hangs out after work? From the associates on up, this is where we go."
I looked at Aubrey, and she shrugged.
She pointed back at him over her shoulder. "I just finally gave in because this guy's been asking me out for a month and half."
"Are you okay?" I said, helping her to her feet, checking her over, realizing she looked no worse for wear. It was more a bump than a fall.
"Yes, honey," she sighed, smiling at me, standing up, and straightening her wrap shirt.
Straight woman, gay man... we were a match made in heaven.
"Where do you work?" I smiled back at her.
"At a company called Barrington. We do—"
"I used to work at Barrington." I smiled wider. "But I left to start my own business. I run Harvest Design now. I work with—"
"Oh shit." She laughed and launched herself at me. "Jory, I'm Abe."
I pushed her back so I could look at her. " You're Abe Flanagan, who's coming to help me while Dylan's out on maternity leave?"
"Yes." She nodded, laughi
ng, grabbing me again and hugging me tight. "Holy shit, the world is just a teeny little place."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, it is. C'mon, let's go get some food."
"I'll get my bag," she said, pulling away.
But as she turned, Adam barred her path.
"What?"
"One of the partners at my firm is on his way over here and you need to wait and meet him."
"Like hell I do," she said like he was high.
"Jory."
Brandon grabbed a handful of the front of my shirt. "Could you not try and completely embarrass me?"
"Shouldn't have invited me if you didn't wanna be embarrassed," I told him. "You can't take poor white trash like me and Abe anywhere."
Aubrey giggled, ending with a snort, which made me start laughing.
"Shit," he whined, looking at Adam as Rick Jenner stepped in front of all of us.
I instantly understood that Brandon Rossi and Adam Meyers worked at Riley, Jenner, Knox, and Pomeroy. They were petrified, and Rick wasn't even looking at them. The twinkling green eyes were all for me.
"Hey." I smiled at him.
"Hey," he grinned back, completely at ease. "What brings you to the lawyer haunt, J?"
"I brought my friend Abe."
He turned his attention to Aubrey Flanagan and his smile widened. "Well, hello there, Abe."
She smiled wide at him. "Hello back, um...."
"Richard Jenner, Attorney At Law," he said fast, making his voice deep and serious.
"I hate lawyers," she baited him, again arching that gorgeous copper-colored brow.
"Really." He smiled, and it was wicked as he took her hand and drew it through his arm.
"Yes, really," she breathed as he eased her close to him.
"I can fix that."
Her eyes narrowed and I saw his jaw clench.
"Call me Rick."
"Okay," she said, her eyes absorbing him, the thick black hair, the cleft chin, the laugh lines in the corner of his sparkling emerald eyes. "How do you know Jory, Rick?"
"He's the little brother of one of my best friends in the world."
Adam and Brandon went absolutely ashen, and I bit my lip so I wouldn't smile.
"How do you know Jory, Abe?" he asked, vastly amused, just staring at her, riveted.
"We work together," she said, her eyes meeting mine.