Again, I forced a laugh. “Yeah, it’s been busy, that’s for sure,” I said, opening the beer he’d handed to me.
“Here’s to hoping the weekend goes by slowly,” Tobias said, raising his beer in the air as if in a toast.
“Right,” I said, doing the same with mine. I took a long slow sip as a stretch of silence spread between me and Tobias.
“I don’t know…” Tobias said suddenly. “You’ve been acting weird lately, but it doesn’t seem to be stress. Has this week really been tough on you? What’s really going on?”
“Nothing,” I said too quickly. “Just um…”
“Your after-work activities?” Tobias said with his eyebrows raised.
My heart practically stopped in my chest. I gripped my beer so tightly that I was in danger of crushing the bottle.
Tobias’ gray eyes, the exact same shade as Joanna’s, narrowed at me. “How are things going in that department for you anyway, these days?” he asked.
I opened and closed my mouth for a moment, sputtering and making inarticulate noises. “W-What do you mean?” I finally said.
Tobias smirked, the sight of it looking somewhat sinister. “Yeah, there’s something going on. You’re stuttering.”
“Come on, man,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “What is this? An interrogation?”
“Just trying to figure out what’s going on with you lately,” Tobias said, chugging another more beer. “You seem kind of distant. Makes me think its girl-trouble, based on your reaction, it is.”
“It’s not,” I said, realizing too late how defensive I sounded.
“Yeah right.” Tobias stared at me, his gaze challenging. “You know, you might as well tell me,” he said. “I’m not getting any play in that department, trying to keep up with work and Joanna and all. Might as well let me live vicariously through you, man.”
I almost choked at the sound of Joanna’s name. I closed my eyes for a second, hoping he hadn’t noticed.
“That bad, huh?” Tobias said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “So what happened? You get caught by somebody’s boyfriend? Somebody’s husband?”
I waited with bated breath, thinking he was just seconds away from saying, “Somebody’s pissed-off overprotective brother.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, wishing more than anything for a change in subject. I shook my head and stared down into my lap, trying to think of what I could possibly say.
“All right, fine,” Tobias said, reaching for another beer. “Be like that.”
“Like what?”
“Secretive. You’re acting like Joanna.”
“W-What? How so?”
Tobias shrugged, a glossy look in his eyes indicating that he had likely downed a few beers before I had even arrived. “She’s just going through a lot, man. It’s hard to be the big brother and feel like you don’t know what to do. I always knew I’d have a hard time whenever she got her heart broken. Makes me want to strangle the hell out of someone.”
I swallowed another sip of beer, relaxing somewhat and starting to feel that Tobias truly didn’t know about me and Joanna yet.
“Oh,” I said. I wanted to question him further, but didn’t know what to say. So instead, I waited quietly, sensing that he would elaborate soon if I stayed patient.
He sighed again. “I thought that fool was going to be the one for her. I’d been waiting on the inevitable call when she’d tell me they were getting married or having a baby or something like that. They’d been serious with each other for a while. Hell, seemed like a really long time, to tell you the truth. Longer than anything I’d ever had. I just knew my baby sis would walk down the aisle before I did.”
My ears prickled. Despite our close friendship, I had never heard Tobias speak so in-depth about his sister and her relationship. I was surprised to learn that she had been so seriously involved with someone.
“Was this recent?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.
Tobias nodded. “Yep. That’s why she moved in with me. They broke up. He was abusive.”
I set down my beer, suddenly feeling lightheaded, and it wasn’t just from being surprised this time though. I was furious.
Abusive?
That mother fucker.
I clenched my teeth, the mere thought of someone hurting Joanna making me feel irrationally angry. I also wondered how it had happened in the first place. Joanna was so smart, beautiful, and independent; it just didn’t seem plausible that she would let anyone treat her that way. But then again, that had to be the reason she left to begin with…
“Yeah, looks like you want to strangle him too,” Tobias said, his words slightly slurred. “It was that Zander guy I was telling you about.”
I leaned back on the couch, my mind spinning. I began to wonder if Zander was the reason Joanna had suddenly been acting so distant. I knew she was hiding something from me.
Was this it?
“She’s ended things with him now though, right?” I asked.
Tobias nodded. “Yeah. They’re a done deal. That’s the only reason I haven’t gone after the creep myself.”
“Well, that’s good to know.”
“Sure, but…”
“But what?”
Tobias’s face screwed up. “Something still isn’t right. I think she’s already seeing someone else.”
My ears prickled again. “What makes you say that?”
“The way she’s been acting,” Tobias said, shaking his head. “I’ve always been close with my sister, but she’s always been too damned secretive for her own good. And her secrets always manage to get her in trouble. And when she’s in trouble, she comes to me. The whole cycle is getting old, to be honest. If she could just learn to be upfront for a change instead of handling everything on her own before problems get out of her control, she wouldn’t wind up in all the messes she gets herself into. Sometimes it keeps me up at night, wondering what she would do if she couldn’t always count on me to clean up after her.”
I cleared my throat. “Well, as long as she’s not with Zander anymore, it doesn’t matter right? As long as she’s happy…with whoever…”
Tobias shook his head. “I’m her big brother. I deserve to know who she’s with. She doesn’t know how to read guys the way I can. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ended up with someone like Zander in the first place.”
“After dealing with Zander, she should know how to recognize a good man from a bad one now.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Tobias huffed. “I love my sister, but her taste in men sucks. Mark my words, if she doesn’t end up with another creep like Zander, she’ll run right into the arms of a playboy. I’m going to find out what’s going on though. She’s living under my roof, so she’s not going to be able to keep it a secret for much longer.”
I swallowed down the rest of my beer in practically one swallow, avoided eye contact with my best friend. The guy who has practically just threatened me.
Of course I fell for his sister.
And now he was after me.
Thank God he didn’t know it yet.
CHAPTER 14
Joanna
When the lunch hour arrived, I was nothing short of starving. I gladly shut my laptop and slid away from my desk, where I stood and stretched, desperately needing a break. My head was so thoroughly swimming with numbers that I still saw them when I closed my eyes.
At least until visions of Anderson began to fill my head.
I sighed, wishing so much that I could go see him. We were remaining cautious at work, not wanting to trigger the suspicions of Tobias, or anyone else for that matter. I had never been one to engage in workplace relationships, and doing so seemed to go against everything I stood for. But, I was helpless in controlling my attraction to Anderson. Besides, our relationship had technically started before we became co-workers, so on some level, I used that as justification. Plus, there were other issues to be concerned with when it came to Anderson that g
reatly overshadowed the fact that I now worked with him.
Even though it hadn’t been long since we first started entertaining each other, having to sneak around was already starting to wear on me. I had contemplated simply letting the cat out the bag more than a time or two, curious about how Tobias would react. After all, Anderson was his best friend. Wouldn’t he be happy for us? I wanted to believe he would, but at the end of the day, there was no way to be entirely sure. Furthermore, I got the feeling Anderson wasn’t ready to tell Tobias yet. So out of respect for him, I kept quiet. The timing simply wasn’t right.
“Hey Joanna.” Startled out of my thoughts, I looked up to see Libby heading my way. She smiled warmly. “I was wondering if you’d like to join me for lunch?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’m starving. And going out for lunch certainly sounds better than getting junk from the vending machines like I’ve been doing.”
“Come on then. I definitely know something better than a vending machine! There’s a nice little restaurant around the corner. It’s within walking distance. We should be able to eat and get back in no time.”
“Great. Sounds good to me,” I said, grabbing my purse and heading out of the office with her. As we made our way out of the building, I caught of glimpse of Anderson speaking with another co-worker, and tried my best not to stare, despite the way my heart leapt at seeing him.
It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining and the breeze was comfortable, making me grateful that Libby had come to save me from sitting in the gloomy break room and dining on M&Ms and potato chips.
Less than ten minutes later, we were at a table for two, sipping lemonade and eating our lunches.
“So,” Libby said, “how’s everything going with you today?”
I took a bite of my grilled chicken sandwich, which was a little colder than I would have liked it. “All right, I guess.”
Libby paused from munching on her salad and leaned forward toward me from across the table. “What about with Zander?” she asked in a lowered voice. “Has he tried to contact you again?”
I swallowed my bite of sandwich and shook my head. “No, thank goodness.”
“But you’re still worried,” Libby said with a frown. “I can tell something is still bothering you.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, Zander can be really unpredictable at times, so there’s always reason to worry, at least a little bit. I still don’t think he can actually find me though, but—”
“But you still won’t call the police?”
“It’s not that serious,” I said, suddenly feeling somewhat defensive.
“Not that serious? The man beat you, called you at your new job, and threatened to come for you again. Joanna, honey, don’t make excuses for him.”
“I am not making excuses.”
“All right, all right,” Libby said, holding her hands up in a surrendering gesture.
I took a sip of water and swished it around my mouth for a second. “I’m sorry,” I said, knowing I hadn’t meant to yell at her. “It’s just…I don’t want to make things any more complicated than they already are. What would I tell the police anyway? That I’d gotten a phone call I didn’t like, but knew the perpetrator was too far away to be a serious threat? It would all just be a waste of time. Trust me, if I ever feel like I need to call someone, I will. But right now, it just isn’t necessary.”
Libby nodded. “Okay. Good. That’s all I want to hear. I don’t mean to seem like I’m prying too much into your personal life, but I’m just worried about you, that’s all. I’ve known women in your situation before, and I’ve seen things go terribly wrong far too many times. I don’t want that to happen to you.”
“Neither do I. And I won’t let it. After the last black eye he gave me, I learned my lesson.”
“Have you at least told your brother yet?”
I shook my head. “No. He wouldn’t take it too well, and I don’t want to worry him unnecessarily. Tobias can be a hot-head. And he’s been wanting to fight my battles ever since I was a kid. He needs to realize that I’m capable of taking care of myself. It’s bad enough that I have to temporarily stay with him, and needed him to offer me a job. If there ever comes a time when he needs to know more about Zander though, I’ll tell him. But he knows enough for now though.”
“Okay,” Libby said. “As long as you’re willing to act when you have to, that’s all that counts. That’s all I can ask for. Trust your instincts.” The two of us ate in silence for a moment before Libby spoke again. “How have things been going for you at the office? Do you like working there, or do you miss your old job?”
I considered her question and sighed. “I can’t lie—I do miss my old job a bit. But at the same time, I do sort of like working with you guys.”
“Just ‘sort of,’ huh?” Libby said with a laugh, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
I laughed too. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said. “I like working with you guys. It’s just been an adjustment, that’s all. Actually, I think the bigger adjustment has simply been getting used to Chicago again, after living in Miami for so long.”
A faraway gaze crossed Libby’s face. “Miami,” she said in a longing tone. “What I wouldn’t give to live there and not deal with Chicago winters!”
“Yeah, getting away from the wind and snow was nice,” I said. “But getting away from Zander became more important. I’ll take wind, snow, hail, and sleet over his fists and temper tantrums any day.”
“Well, that’s a given,” Libby said, snapping out of her reverie. “Enough about Zander for now though. Are you going to get yourself back out there?”
“Back out where?” I asked.
“Back out in the dating game,” Libby said, as if her question had been obvious. “You’re too young and pretty not to, Joanna.”
Warmth crept into my cheeks and I took another bite of my sandwich, deliberately chewing slowly to keep myself from having to answer right away. “Yeah, I guess… Eventually. If someone catches my eye. I’m not exactly looking or rushing to jump into anything right now though. I need some time to myself for a little while.”
“That’s perfectly understandable. But just don’t let Zander hold you back forever, all right? You’ve got to get back out there sooner or later,” said Libby. “I mean, have you been getting out? It’s going to be hard to meet people if all you’ve been doing is going back and forth from the office to your brother’s place. Even though we do have some pretty nice eye-candy in the office. And don’t worry, I don’t mean your brother. That’d be weird.”
I accidentally spilled some of my lemonade as I tried to take a sip.
Libby chuckled. “Oh, so you’ve noticed, have you?”
“Noticed what?”
“How drop dead gorgeous Anderson Lawrence is. Come on, you must think he’s attractive. You’d have to be blind not to!”
I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve known him for a long time. Ever since I was a kid. He and my brother are best friends. They grew up together.”
“Bummer,” Libby said. “So he’s like a brother to you, huh? Maybe you don’t realize how hot he is then.”
I pressed my lips together, knowing that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fortunately, Libby was looking down at her salad, and I had time to recompose myself before she placed a forkful in her mouth and looked up at me again. “He’s seeing someone though, right?” she asked.
I felt a swoop go through my stomach, and was pretty sure some of the blood had drained from my face.
Anderson, seeing someone?
“What makes you say that?” I asked with bated breath. I gripped my glass although I didn’t want another sip.
Libby’s mouth twisted into a contemplative pout. “Seems like I remember hearing that he was seeing someone at some point. Or several someones, more accurately. That man has quite a reputation, from what I’ve heard. But that’s to be expected, right? He’s too good-looking for his own goo
d. I’m sure he’s got women fawning at his feet everywhere he goes, worshipping the ground he walks on. And he’s a natural flirt. Was he always that way?”
I cleared my throat. “Um…Yeah, he was like that in high school.”
“That figures,” Libby said. “It’s just not fair. Some of us have to go through an awkward phase as teenagers, but Anderson, he was probably born beautiful.”
I took another bite of my sandwich although my mouth had gone quite dry and I’d lost my appetite. “So, you think he’s with someone right now?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level and ignoring the knots forming in my stomach. I hated how jealous I felt, knowing I had no real claim to Anderson. There was nothing official between us. We were merely sleeping together occasionally. He hadn’t made any serious commitment to me, and I hadn’t made one to him. I had no right to feel jealous about what was possibly going on between him and other women…
But I still hated it.
Sitting across from Libby and working myself into a silent fury, I was forced to acknowledge that I wished I had a claim to Anderson.
I wanted him, badly. All to myself…
“If I had to take a guess,” Libby said, “I’d say he was single and just playing around, if you catch my drift. But I don’t know… There’s just something about him. He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t ever really settle down and get serious with anyone. He reminds me of an uncle I had. The whole family knew Hell would have to freeze over before that man ever got married.”
I tried to force a laugh, but it sounded so disingenuous that I stopped instantly and took another sip of my lemonade, even though it had begun to taste like water.
While I enjoyed Libby’s company, I was suddenly ready for lunch to be over so that I could be alone with my thoughts.
My thoughts which were filled with Anderson.
CHAPTER 15
Anderson
It was a new work week, which meant new trials and tribulations, as well as new projects and frustrations. And most of all, more boring meetings to attend.
Baby Makes Three: A Brother's Best Friend's Secret Baby Romance Page 7