by Stacy Wise
Craig and I return to our suite after lunch to find a woman screeching at Patty and flapping her arms. He sighs. “It’s always something. Should I call security? She looks unhinged.”
“Uh, no? Maybe we should see what she wants.” I step forward as Craig trails behind me. “Hi, Patty. Everything okay here?” I look at the woman. She has a cell phone in one hand and an acid green Daum frog in the other.
Patty gives me a stricken look, and the woman spins to face me. “Did you call her Patty?”
Craig puffs his chest and steps forward. “What is it you need?”
“My boyfriend left his phone at my place last night,” she seethes. “He’s been texting love poems to someone named Patty, and I came here to confront him, but this woman here won’t let me go to his office.”
“Because he’s not here!” Patty screeches.
Craig takes the woman’s arm. “It’s time for you to go.” She flails as he attempts to steer her to the door. Patty has turned a sick shade of green rivaling the frog. Just as I’m about to step around the counter to comfort her, Kenneth strides in with Thomas Lowe.
The woman jerks free from Craig and launches at Kenneth, pounding his chest with the phone. “You bastard!”
Thomas tucks his thumbs in his belt loops and raises a bushy eyebrow. “Kenneth, manage your business elsewhere. We have a reputation to uphold.” With that, he strolls down the hallway to his office. Kenneth pulls the woman from the suite, shushing her. Craig and I stare at each other, struggling to find words.
The sound of the woman’s voice travels through the door. “I hate this fucking frog!” And then we hear a thud.
“Do you think I should go check on them?” Craig asks quietly.
But Kenneth marches in, his handkerchief pressed to his temple as blood trickles down the side of his face. “Don’t say a word about this. Katie, get me some ice immediately.”
I nod and give Patty what I hope is a sympathetic look before rushing to the kitchen with Craig close behind. He shuts the door and stands against it. “What the hell was that about?”
I blow out a breath and explain the whole sordid thing.
“Oh, Patty,” he says, shaking his head. “She could do so much better than Kenneth.”
“Yeah. That’s a big mystery, isn’t it?”
“There’s no accounting for taste.”
I laugh. “I’d better get this to Kenneth.”
“I’ll call you later to get the scoop. Good luck today. He’s going to be at his finest.”
“Thanks.” I hurry down the hall to our offices. His door is shut, so I tap on it lightly. “Kenneth? May I come in?”
“Yes.” His voice is gruff, and I steel myself before pushing open the door.
“Here’s your ice.” I hand it to him, and he removes his handkerchief. A red bump the size of one of his Atomic Fireballs juts from his temple. There’s a cut, but the bleeding has stopped. “Do you need anything else?”
A snide laugh trickles from his lips. “Do I need anything?” he repeats. “What I need is a fucking moment of peace!” he shouts, pounding the ice pack to his desk.
“Sure.” I turn and leave his office, grinding my teeth as I refrain from slamming the door.
I walk up the sidewalk to the gym and spot Ryan standing outside near a parked car. I pick up my pace, but the sight of a girl with him causes me to falter. She leans against the car door, her long legs stretched out in front of her. She laughs at something he says, making her lips bloom like a rose. I can’t see his face, but the casual slope of his shoulders as he leans in to her tells me all I need to know. My stomach twinges.
He looks up as I draw closer, and I wrestle a smile onto my face. Throwing me a brief wave, he says, “I’ll be just a sec,” before turning back to the girl. She tugs on her long, auburn braid, looking impatient with the slight interruption. The fading sunlight catches tiny gold hoops that form a line up her ear. And to think I could only muster the courage to get one piercing in each ear.
Jasmine pushes the big dust mop in my direction as I tuck my shoes into a cubby. She stops near me and juts her chin toward the window. “Ryan should be in any second.”
“Okay.” The need to know who he’s talking to burns inside me. “Who’s he out there with?” I ask, as though I’m only mildly curious.
She shrugs. “Not sure. You know Ryan.” She laughs to herself as she pushes the mop in the opposite direction. Her phone buzzes in her pocket, and she stops to look at the text. “What the actual fuck?” she mutters.
“Everything okay?”
“No. No, it’s not. Fucking Roland got my cell number somehow, and he keeps texting me as if we’re dating. He’s delusional.”
“The computer guy again? Can’t you block his number?”
She twists the mop with so much force she has to realign the handle. “Of course I blocked him. Now he’s texting from another number.”
“So how do you know it’s him?”
She tosses her phone to me. “Read it.”
I scan the words.
Hi, sweetheart. I haven’t heard from you, and I can’t reach you at the gym. You must be working too hard. Would you like to come to my place for dinner tonight? I can order food from Garden Grill. —R
“Oh, geez. That’s weird.”
“Tell me about it. And how the fuck does he know that Garden Grill is one of my go-to places? It’s like he’s spying on me.”
I pass her phone to her. “Do you think he put spyware on the computers here?”
Her eyes go wide. “Could he do that without my knowledge?”
“Pretty easily. If he did, he can read every single keystroke. So if you’re sending personal emails, he’s seeing all of them.”
The color drains from her face. “That’s freaking scary.”
“Yeah. No kidding. I’d get someone in to check it out sooner than later. From a different company obviously.”
She nods. “Thanks. I’ll tell Javier right after his class.”
Grabbing a rope, I step onto the freshly clean mats to start my warm-up. Questions I could’ve asked Jasmine roll through my mind. She seems so invincible, but this man makes me worry. At least she has all the guys here to help her out.
Ryan bursts through the door, and I stumble on the rope. “Hey, Katie. I’ll be there in a second.”
“Sure.” I abandon the rope, leaving it on its hook, and begin wrapping my hands. Ryan talks with Jasmine at her desk. It’s hard to tell if he’s super excited or angry. Maybe he just met that girl and they’re going out on a fun date. I yank my wrap across my hand, pulling it tight as I circle the fabric over my palm. If only there was a YouTube tutorial on how to wrap up my feelings. It’s clear I met Lachlan in the nick of time. I’ll have to add him to my gratitude list.
Ryan pads over and takes one of my hands. “Uh, I’m thinking you might want to keep at least a little feeling in your fingers.” He slowly begins to unravel my work. “How about we redo these so you’re not cutting off your circulation.” His smile is bright, and I wish I could throw my arms around him in a hug.
Instead, I shake my hands once they’re free from the vise I created. “Good idea. I didn’t realize how tight I’d made them. Thanks.”
“I’m here to help.”
I worry my lip, struggling to come up with a way to ask about that girl without sounding overly interested. Or nosy.
He looks at me, brows high. “Hey, you okay? First the wraps and now you look lost in thought.”
Once again I force a smile. “Nope! I’m great. I was just thinking about work.”
“Okay. Then this will be a good break for you. We’re going to start with a few light punches to get you ready. Do a jab, cross, then hook.” He holds up the focus mitts and nods.
I get into fighting stance and throw the jab. Ryan holds the right pad a bit higher, in anticipation of my punch, but I graze the side of it. “Sorry.”
“No prob. Keep your eyes on the target.”
&n
bsp; I bite my lip, concentrating, and hit solidly this time, landing my punches with precision.
“Thatta girl. Five more like that, but relax your shoulders. Keep it loose, Katie. Come on.”
I shake out my arms and tell myself to focus on the mitts and nothing else. I reset my stance before firing off my next punches. The noise in my head disappears as my body takes over and does what it knows how to do. I finish strong and blow out a breath.
“Good work. Now you’re going to do the same sequence, but we’re going to add a cross and a knee strike after the hook.”
“Knee strike? I don’t think I’ve done that yet.” He usually remembers what I’ve worked on.
“Grab my right shoulder, pull down, and bring your knee up, keeping your toes pointed down. In order to maximize your power, you have to visualize pushing your knee through my spine. Got it?”
“I think so.” Good thing my gloves are on. I shouldn’t touch his shoulders with my bare hands. I might not stop there. My cheeks flame at the thought.
“We’ll take it slow the first time.” He grabs some small rectangular shields instead of his usual focus mitts, and heat rushes through me as I imagine him saying those words in an entirely different setting. I look away, tightening the strap of my glove.
He holds up the shields. “Whenever you’re ready. Focus on your form, not power.”
I tap my way through the punches and place a clumsy gloved hand on his shoulder and try to move my knee the way he did.
“Really throw your weight into the knee strike. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive. Pretend I’m a thug who’s grabbing your purse.”
“Right,” I say with a half laugh. “I don’t plan on getting mugged anytime soon.”
“I’m serious. Don’t hesitate, or the bad guy wins. If you’re ever in a dangerous situation, you need to get in, attack, and get the hell away. Now try it again.”
I straighten at his serious tone. I try to imagine how it would feel to get mugged, but my mind won’t let me go there. Instead, I picture his hands in that girl’s hair, now loose from its braid, as he presses her up against the car, kissing her aggressively. I throw my punches and grab him hard, adrenaline coursing through me as I use my knee with a force I didn’t know I had.
“That’s it! Again!”
I punch him and grab him and wish to God I could kiss him. I miss the shield and almost knee him in the face. He dodges my strike in a sleek move. I step back, my heart pounding. “I’m sorry.”
He laughs. “Don’t be. Workplace hazard. I don’t know what got into you, but you were fierce. That was awesome. Did you feel the difference?”
“Yeah.” I can’t look him in the eye. I place my gloved hands on my hips and step in a small circle, trying to breathe. “I’m going to grab some water. I’ll be right back.” I tug off my gloves as I walk to the cubbies. Sweat streaks into my eyes, and I dab at them with my shirt. Maybe I should step out and get some fresh air, because God knows I need it. What the hell was I thinking? I uncap my water bottle and sip slowly. Even though I want to drain the entire bottle, I know better. I’d only end up with a cramp. And I certainly know better than to have any more thoughts about kissing Ryan.
“You can keep your gloves off.”
I startle at his voice behind me.
“Okay.”
“You were really amazing just now. Could you feel the rhythm you were in? It was like something clicked. I’m really proud of you.”
But how would you feel if you knew the reason behind it? It’s a question I don’t want the answer to just now. Maybe ever. I wouldn’t be able to handle the disappointment.
When I reach my apartment, I’m not surprised to find Lauren’s out. She’s been spending more and more time at Paul’s lately, which is great. He’s a good guy. But I hate feeling like I live alone.
After a quick shower, I decide to embrace the quiet. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up on my unopened mail and the phone messages I’ve ignored.
I casually flip through the envelopes that Lauren has left out for me on the kitchen table as I play my messages on speaker. There’re two from Kenneth—no surprise there. The third is Lachlan with his lovely English accent. “Hi, sweet, I’ve made a reservation for Saturday at Cacciotti’s. Eight o’clock. See you there.” I play the message again, letting his words ease over me. Closing my eyes, I remember just how handsome he was and how he sparked an immediate curiosity in me. Our date will be amazing. I know it. But will he get my mind off Ryan?
Shaking the thought away, I listen to the next message. Hannah screeches into the phone.
“Katie! You have to call me! I’m engaged! He really did it! Call me back as soon as you get this. Bye!”
I sink into the chair, a stupid grin on my face. He really did it. Her phone rings once, twice, then a third time. Just as I think it’s going to shoot me to voicemail, she picks up.
“Katie! Oh my gosh! Can you believe it?”
“No! Yes! Are you freaking out? This is so exciting! I wish I could jump through the phone and hug you.”
“Me, too! I’m totally freaking out, but calm at the same time. Does that even make sense? I couldn’t wait to tell you. I didn’t want to leave a voicemail, but I was so excited, I just spilled it!”
“I’m so glad you did. So fill me in! How’d he propose? Where? When? All of it.”
Hannah flies into a detailed play-by-play of the proposal. I pace circles around the kitchen, phone close to my ear, soaking it all in. He asked her at his parents’ house when both families were there. Pressing a hand to my chest, I say, “I’m going to cry. It’s all so sweet.”
“It was amazing.” She pauses, and I can picture her waving her hand in front of her face as though it’ll calm her. “And for the not-so-great thing,” she begins, and the change in her tone stops my pacing. “I’d always imagined I’d have you as a bridesmaid. You’re my best friend.” She sniffs, and her voice wavers. “You know I would love to have you, but Alex has already asked his brother to be his best man, and his two best friends are going to be his groomsmen. We want to keep the numbers even, so I’m having only my three sisters as my bridesmaids.”
Tears fill my eyes, but I shake them away. It really is for the best. Hannah’s wedding should be how she and Alex want it. It’s their day. And to be honest, I’d make a terrible bridesmaid. I’d probably have to bow out of a cake-tasting expedition because I’m stuck writing a brief. “It’s okay. Your sisters will be perfect.”
“Thanks for understanding. God, I love you. Okay. Wait! One of his groomsmen lives near you, I think—somewhere by the beach. We should introduce you before the wedding. How cool would it be if you two hit it off? He’s great, and—”
“Whoa. Let’s focus on your wedding. I’m happily single at the moment.”
“Fine. But if you change your mind, I can set something up. Now for the other good news: we’re going to have the wedding in L.A., so we’ll be coming down to look at venues. We’re hoping for a Saturday in July or August.”
“Yay! Keep me posted on when you’ll be here, and we’ll meet up, okay?”
“I will. Love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We hang up, and I stare at the wall in front of me. Hannah. Getting married. It seems impossible yet entirely normal at the same time. They make a great couple. My heart swells to see her dreams come true.
Chapter Sixteen
The intercom buzzes, and Patty’s voice chirps through the speaker, a welcome distraction from my thoughts. “I’m sending Lin Collins-Capwell, also known as your mom, down to you.” She giggles before ending the call. I haven’t asked her how things are going with Kenneth, but based upon her chipper mood the past few days, I have a feeling he finessed his way out of trouble. To be honest, I won’t be surprised if she shows up wearing the love monkey necklace.
Mom walks in looking perfectly put together, as always. She would’ve made a great stylist. I told her that once, but she laughed it off as
if it were a ludicrous suggestion. She surveys my tiny office. “I should’ve brought you a plant. You need a cheerful touch in here.” Shaking her head regretfully, she adds, “Though I didn’t know the depo would end early and I’d have time to stop in.”
“Next time. Or maybe a picture? Less maintenance.” I don’t have the heart to tell her about the orchid.
“It takes minutes a day, and you should take pride in your workspace. It speaks volumes.”
“I’ll figure something out. I wish we could run out for a coffee or something, but I’m kind of stuck here.”
“Oh, I understand. I just wanted to see you in your element since I was in your building.”
“Since you’re here, I can share the great news in person! Hannah called last night. She’s getting married!”
Her eyes go wide in surprise before she sits in the lone guest chair, plucking invisible lint from her skirt. “How wonderful for her,” she says evenly. “She’s been with Alfred for years.”
“It’s Alex. And yes, they met in college.”
She nods. “Give her my best. I’m sure her family is thrilled.” There’s a vacancy in her eyes that makes me want to shake her. If Hannah were telling her mother that I was engaged, I imagine she would shriek and pull her into a bouncy hug. Hannah’s mom never had trouble showing her emotions. But Mom’s emotions are locked in a jar, the lid so tight not even the world’s strongest man could twist it off. I’m sure some have tried over the years.
“They are. He’s a great guy.”
“Speaking of great guys,” she says, her eyes suddenly brighter, “Edward Benner is quite charming, don’t you agree?”
“Absolutely.” It’s true. And I think I’d be more open to him if it didn’t feel like she was meddling.
“Good.” She pauses, her eyes sharp. “I was surprised to see you with the young man at the exhibit. What kind of person tattoos his knuckles?”