by Lisa Dyson
Not ten minutes later, her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
“It’s Jack.” His tone was businesslike.
“Hey, how are you?”
“I need to talk to you. Can we meet somewhere? My office, your office?”
“You sound serious. Is everything okay?”
“Not really. Why don’t I come to your office? I can be there in ten. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” Allie’s good mood deflated, and she felt her smile fade. “I’ll see you then.”
She didn’t know what to think. Everything had been fine when he left early this morning. How could things have gone so wrong so quickly? Was he having second thoughts about her?
It wasn’t like she had asked him for a commitment. They’d had sex, for goodness’ sake. He hadn’t given her a chance to be clingy, even if she happened to be that kind of woman.
Which she wasn’t.
She touched up her lipstick and put away anything that had to do with Fairleigh.
Her phone rang. Penny was calling to say she had a visitor.
“Send him back.” Allie rubbed her sweaty hands together and chastised herself for being worried about nothing. She met him halfway down the hall and saw the stern look on his face.
She gestured to her office, her arm shaking. “Come in.” She pulled a straight-backed chair closer to her desk chair, and they both sat. “What’s going on?”
He didn’t speak right away. His chest moved as he breathed in and out several times. Then he stood up and paced the length of her office, which wasn’t very big.
“Would you spit it out already?” she pleaded.
He stopped pacing and faced her. “I know we made a pact about not letting business get in the way, but I need you to drop any work you’re doing for the town of Fairleigh.”
“I can’t do that,” she said. How had he found out that she knew about it? “I need that account.”
“So do I.”
“And you think your company should be saved while mine goes bankrupt?”
“Allie.”
She couldn’t look at him. How could he ask her to do such a thing?
He sat down, his voice gentler. “How did you find out about it, Allie? Empire was asked exclusively to put together a marketing plan.”
She faced him. “I was very persuasive, and they’re willing to listen to my ideas.”
“But how did you find out about it in the first place?” he repeated.
Allie didn’t want to admit what she’d done. “Why does it matter? I found out and seized the opportunity. I did what was necessary to be given a chance at the account.”
“So that’s how it is with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t care who gets hurt as long as you win.”
Allie stared at him. “That’s not true.”
“What about Harvey? You didn’t care if he was shuffled around. You just used him for your own gain.” He paused. “Is that what you did with me? Used me to get the Fairleigh information?”
“If I hadn’t fostered Harvey, then someone else would have. And I didn’t purposely use you to get information.”
“Purposely? So you admit you used me?”
“No!” Her raised voice could probably be heard throughout the floor of the office building.
“I don’t get it,” he said tightly. “No one but Stan and I knew about Fairleigh outside of the town’s council. Stan’s text message said—” He glared at Allie. “That’s it. You saw his text message, didn’t you?”
She stared back at him, not giving him any more ammunition.
“You did. That’s how you knew. And you never even mentioned it on the ride home from your parents’. What did you do, figure out my password?” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and held it out to her. “Here. Is there anything else you’d like to know? Feel free to check all my text messages and emails.”
Allie swallowed, hating that he was so angry at her, but she was just as angry. Business was business. She did what she had to in order to survive. “I didn’t break into your phone, and I don’t care what your password is.”
He looked at her as if he was trying to put all the pieces together. “Oh, I get it. You just saw the beginning of the message and took it from there?”
“Ding, ding, ding! See, I did nothing wrong.”
“How can you say that?” He ran both hands through his hair. “You read a private message.”
“If it was so private, then you shouldn’t have left your phone sitting on the kitchen counter.”
“So it’s my fault that you stole the information?”
“I didn’t steal anything. It was in plain sight.”
“What about your ex’s extortion plan? Are you sure you didn’t know about that? Maybe you even suggested it?”
Allie gritted her teeth. “Are you calling me a liar? Of course I didn’t know about it. Just because I’m not all by the book like you, doesn’t mean I’d do something intentionally illegal.”
Her anger boiled over. Not only at him, but at herself. She knew she shouldn’t have trusted him. She opened her office door, hoping he’d take the hint to leave.
He did.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ALLIE STARED AT her closed office door, unable to move. Jack had a lot of nerve.
She mumbled to her empty office, “How dare he think he can waltz in here and call me a liar?”
She went back to her desk, pulling open her bottom drawer to retrieve her file on Fairleigh. She slammed it on top of her desk, even more determined to create an ad campaign that would make Jack’s look like a second grader’s attempt.
Allie opened the file and made an instantaneous decision when she saw the deputy mayor’s name. She quickly dialed Charlotte’s number.
When Charlotte answered, Allie said, “I changed my mind. Are you free to go to Fairleigh today instead of Thursday?”
“Today? Let me think a minute. I’m just leaving the framing studio.” The sound of cars and people could be heard. “I think today is good. Are we spending the night since we’ll be getting a later start?”
Allie hadn’t thought of that. It would be well after lunchtime when they arrived. She needed this account, and being in the town would give her an edge over Jack.
“We could play it by ear,” Allie said. “Pack an overnight bag, and if we decide to stay, we’ll be prepared.”
“Okay. What time will you get here?”
Allie looked at the clock on her computer. “I can probably be at your place by eleven-thirty, and we can be in Fairleigh a little after two. I’d like to eat lunch when we get there. Check out a local place and maybe talk to some people to find out what they like about the town.” Pursuing clients had been so much easier when she had a team of dedicated employees to take on different tasks—now she had to do everything herself.
“Sounds good,” Charlotte said. “I’ll be ready.”
They disconnected and Allie packed up her things. “Now what’re we gonna do with you?” she asked Harvey. The trip might get complicated if she had him along. Restaurants weren’t keen on dogs in their establishments unless they were service animals. Same went with a lot of motels if she and Charlotte decided to spend the night.
She went down the hallway to Penny’s desk. “I know it’s last minute, but do you know of a kennel who would keep Harvey overnight? I need to go out of town on business.”
Penny perked up. “Well, actually I’d love to take him. He’s the sweetest thing.”
That had been way too easy. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I really want to do it. We’ve always had dogs, and I’m sure my Jazz will get along with Harvey. She’s never met another dog she doesn’t like.”
“If you’re positive it’s not an imposition.” What was she doing, trying to talk Penny out of it? “Can I leave him here and stop by with his food and toys on my way out of town?”
“Perfect.”
&
nbsp; Allie collected her purse and brief case, all the while assuring Harvey that Penny would take good care of him. Then she drove to her apartment, packed for the night and drove back to her office to drop off Harvey’s things for Penny.
She made it to Charlotte’s a few minutes earlier than predicted, glad to see Jack’s car wasn’t at his house. The last thing she needed was to run into him again. Especially so soon.
For a mere second, she felt the pain of his distrust. She’d convinced herself that he was different from the other men she’d known. How wrong she’d been yet again. She shoved the thoughts away, refusing to dwell on Jack, whether the scenario involved business or anything more personal and intimate.
“Hey!” Charlotte waved from her porch when Allie pulled up in front of her house. “Come on in.” She stopped and looked at Allie carefully. “Are you okay?”
Allie shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
They were barely inside Charlotte’s house when she asked, “Want to talk about it?”
Allie didn’t, but she found herself saying, “Jack.”
Charlotte frowned. “Lover’s spat?”
“More than that. He thinks I’m a liar.”
“A liar? It’s not about that Fairleigh thing, is it? He saw the website open on my laptop this morning. He asked me about it, and I thought he already knew that you were after it, too. He did seem a little odd, though.”
“That explains why he came to my office.”
“He did?”
“He wanted to know how I found out about the account, and then he went on to tell me I’m deceitful and a liar.”
“Those are strong words,” Charlotte said. “But why would he say such things? Did you tell him how you knew about the account?”
Allie shook her head. “I couldn’t tell him I saw a text message on his phone, but he eventually guessed it anyway.”
“You looked at his phone?” Charlotte’s eyebrows shot up. “But isn’t that like cheating? Getting the information that way?”
Allie shook her head. “No way. I’ve told you this business can be like that. You do what needs to be done to get the job, and then you get the job done well.”
“I still don’t see how that’s ethical, reading someone else’s text message.”
“It’s no big deal. He left it out at my parents’. It was right there on the counter. He got a text message and I thought it might be about the animal-food account, so I looked at it. There was only a partial message, but it mentioned Fairleigh. I didn’t break into his phone to read it or anything. Maybe he should’ve been more careful about leaving his phone unattended.”
“I’m not sure I agree with your logic, Allie. Why can’t you rely on your talent instead of being deceitful?”
“You sound like Jack.”
“I’m just trying to point out that you’re very talented—you don’t need to play these games to get ahead, and you might even get farther by being more honest.”
“You can say that because you have real talent. But I need to use my other skills to survive. Anyway, can we not talk about this anymore? I don’t want to get into an argument. One a day is enough.” She pointed to Charlotte’s overnight bag. “Are you ready to go?”
“I am. Oh, I got the DNA test in the mail right after you called.”
Exactly what Allie needed to put her in a better mood.
“I already wrote a check and filled out the form that goes with it,” Charlotte said as if she were ready to burst. They swabbed their cheeks and followed the instructions carefully.
“Where’s the nearest post office?” Allie asked as they loaded into her car.
Charlotte directed her, and Allie pulled to the curb in front. She waited in the car while Charlotte jumped out to mail off their tests.
“All done. I’m so excited,” Charlotte said breathlessly.
“Me, too,” Allie agreed, and they hit the road.
A few minutes later, Charlotte broke their silence. “So how did you manage to get the people in Fairleigh to give you a chance to woo them with your brilliance?”
Allie smiled. “With a lot of research and using your name like a secret password.”
From the corner of her eye, Allie saw the pleased smile on Charlotte’s face. She had every right to be happy that she was so well-known for her talent.
They drove in silence for a while until Charlotte said, “I’m really disappointed. I can’t find anything about my adoption in my mother’s files. She saved every single thing, but nothing about that.” She turned her body slightly toward Allie. “It’s so great that your mother gave you the information she had about your adoption.”
“I know,” Allie said. “Having the lawyer’s name was a good start, but having Felicia Monroe confirm that the obit I found was his helped me find his family members. I just wish his kids knew for sure where his old files were.”
“Felicia Monroe?” Charlotte cocked her head. “That name is so familiar. That’s the CPA who’s in the lawyer’s office now?”
“Yes.”
Charlotte suddenly straightened in her seat. “That’s it! Monroe and Monroe. I’ve seen the names on my mother’s pay stubs from around when I was born. Henry and Felicia Monroe. But shortly after my birth, she went to work for another firm.”
Allie’s heart rate doubled. “So you’re saying she was working in the same shopping center as my adoption lawyer at the time of our births?”
“How could that be right? Didn’t you say this Felicia Monroe was now in the same office as the lawyer? Then how could they both have been in the same office at the same time?”
“Because Felicia told me that she and her late husband used to have their business in a different office in the shopping center.”
“That means they definitely could have all been there at the same time. This is great! Felicia would probably remember my mother from when she worked for them.”
“You should give her a call,” Allie suggested. “I’ll find the number for you when we get to Fairleigh.”
“I’m shaking with excitement.” Charlotte held out her hand as proof. “Maybe she can fill in some of the missing pieces of our puzzle.”
* * *
JACK CALLED HIS ASSISTANT, Emma, from home to tell her what needed to be done in his absence. Then he added, “Get me a reservation for a hotel in Fairleigh, Connecticut, for tonight. You can text me the details.”
He’d arranged a face-to-face meeting with the deputy mayor, who seemed to be in charge of this campaign. He hoped Allie didn’t beat him to it. “I’m heading down there now and won’t be back in the office until at least Thursday morning,” he told Emma. “You can reach me on my cell.”
Jack packed an overnight bag and locked up his house. He was in his car, ready to go, when Emma called him back.
“I didn’t text because I’m having trouble finding you a room in Fairleigh.”
“Really?” How could they not have rooms? The whole reason for the ad campaign was to increase tourism. “There’s nothing available?”
“Actually, there’s one room available,” she said. “It’s in a bed-and-breakfast. I wasn’t sure you wanted me to book a room that wasn’t in a hotel.”
“That’s all you could find?”
“I started looking on the internet, but when everything was sold out, I started calling every hotel and bed-and-breakfast in town. Seems there’s a big craft show there this week. There’s a room available only because someone canceled.”
“Book it. Do it quick before we lose it,” Jack told her. He really wanted to stay in Fairleigh, not a few towns away. “Thanks for finding it.”
By one-thirty, he was driving past the sign proclaiming Welcome to the Historic Town of Fairleigh, Connecticut. Below it, the slogan read Something for Everyone.
And the creative juices were already flowing.
Right away, he could see that wasn’t specific enough. “Something” could mean anything from checkers tournaments to marathons to pie-eating contests. H
is job was to find out what those somethings were and play them up.
He went directly to the address of the B and B where Emma had him booked. Even though it was before check-in time, he thought he’d see if he could get in anyway.
“Your room is ready for you,” the innkeeper told him. She was a woman in her thirties with her hair in a bun and a no-nonsense attitude. “Do you need more than one key?”
“One will be fine.” Unlike last night, he would definitely be alone tonight.
She showed him to his room on the second floor and left him alone. He tossed his overnight bag to the side and put his laptop case next to the antique oak desk. The room was on the front corner of the Victorian-style house, and it had large windows looking out in two directions. He opened a window and smelled the ocean immediately as the water was about two blocks away.
He’d driven past a brand-new pier on his way, obviously built since the hurricane. There had been quaint shops and lots of people walking around, maybe because of the craft show Emma had told him about. A few blocks down to the right, he noticed the road had been barricaded for two blocks, and tents were set up. The craft show was obviously a big deal.
He went back downstairs and found the innkeeper. “Can you give me a recommendation for lunch?”
He listened to several choices and decided the diner in the center of town would give him the most contact with people, so he ran back upstairs, washed up and got dressed like a tourist. In khaki shorts and a T-shirt, he headed to the diner.
As soon as he opened the diner’s door, he saw her. His heart pounded in his chest. He should have known Allie would come here as soon as possible. He hadn’t counted on her beating him here, though.
She faced away from him in the booth where she and Charlotte were sitting. Before he could back out the door undetected, Charlotte saw him and waved. Her welcoming smile told him Allie hadn’t confided in her about what had happened that morning. Either that or she didn’t care.
“Look, it’s Jack!” she said to Allie, loud enough for him to hear since it wasn’t a very big restaurant and they were in the second booth from the door.
Allie didn’t turn around.