Cutting the Ties

by Francine Pascal

  “Thanks for coming, all,” Michael said. “I called this meeting because we have to do some spin control. Somebody leaked the particulars of Maybelline’s big new eco-line on Facebook before the board had even approved it, and now we’ve had to do some damage control.”

  Leaked details? This was news to Jessica. What is going on?

  “A quick thank-you to Emily for alerting Tracy and the rest of us to this problem.”

  Jessica’s head snapped up and she glared at Emily, who ignored Jessica completely and instead nodded sagely at Michael. Emily hadn’t mentioned a single word to Jessica. This was becoming a bad habit. Inwardly, Jessica fumed. Instantly, she knew Emily had done this on purpose.

  “Michael, if I may, Maybelline is my client and…” Jessica was about to propose some kind of solution, but Michael cut her off before she could finish.

  “No, Jessica, Maybelline isn’t your client anymore. Tracy is going to take the lead on this one. Your team will shift to her, now.”

  “What?” Jessica didn’t understand. She glanced around the room at the people who’d been working with her on Maybelline, but nobody looked her in the eye.

  “Michael, please, can we just talk about this?”

  “Nothing to talk about.” Michael shook his head firmly. “The decision is made. Only you and your team knew the particulars of the line. And as the leader of the team, you need to take responsibility. You dropped the ball on this one, Jessica.” He met her gaze from across the conference room table and the hardened look he gave her told Jessica he was talking about more than just the Maybelline account.

  Jessica’s face burned with the humiliation of being publically dressed down in front of the entire office for something she was a hundred percent sure she didn’t do.

  She felt anger rush through her veins, and she knew where to direct it. As she glanced at her assistant, Emily, she knew she’d been betrayed. And Jessica planned to find out why.

  Jessica bolted from the meeting and ran to her desk. She pulled up Maybelline’s Facebook page, and right there on the wall, were comments outlining the entire launch of the new line.

  “I can’t believe this,” Jessica muttered, scrolling down the line.

  The comments were made by someone simply named Spoiler Alert, who clearly wasn’t a real person at all. When Jessica clicked on the profile, she found it locked.

  She glanced up and saw Emily striding from the conference room. Doug, a graphic designer who worked on Maybelline, saw Jessica eyeing Emily and swept by Jessica’s desk.

  “I’d watch that one if I were you,” he said, slowing down.

  “Hey, wait!”

  Doug came back to her desk.

  “Emily,” Jessica said, “why?”

  “Connections.”

  “She’s Tracy’s relative?”

  “Not exactly, just the daughter of her best friend from college.”

  “Thanks, Doug.” The pieces were falling together. That explained a lot.

  How could she have been so blind all this time? Emily and Tracy. Of course. Tracy wanted Jessica fired from the moment she came back to work at VERTPLUS.NET. Emily was her spy.

  “It’s all so unbelievable,” Jessica ranted to her sister, Elizabeth, on her hands-free set as she drove home from work. “Emily did this on purpose, and while I can’t prove it, I think she’s also the one who leaked the details of the makeup line.”

  “Why do you think she did it?” Elizabeth asked.

  “She’s Tracy’s best friend’s daughter, that’s why.”

  “That would do it.”

  “Neither of them can stand me. You know how everyone loves a winner? Well, I’m certainly not one anymore.”

  “They’re both insane if they don’t see how talented and great you are. And Michael, too.”

  “Thanks, Lizzie.” Jessica sighed. What would she do without her sister?

  “I think you should try to talk to Michael. You guys were getting along so well.”

  “I have tried, but Michael’s not having it. He avoided me all afternoon. I walked into the kitchen to grab some coffee and he was there. He literally turned right around and walked out, without even making eye contact. He took away my team, Lizzie! And now he seems to hate me as much as Tracy does. I don’t understand.”

  “You not understanding a man? That’s a first!”

  “Ha. Ha.”

  “I really liked Michael, so much more than Liam.”

  “I know. Me, too.” Jessica pulled over to the curb and stopped. This conversation needed all her attention. “But Liam is always there for me. He calls me every day!”

  “Because he’s a stalker.”

  “Because he loves me! And he’s been so supportive about the trouble at work even before today’s drama.”

  “Fine, he’s a nice guy.”

  “Don’t sound so skeptical! Anyway, you should be happy because I’ve got a date with a new guy tonight: Cal Ross. He’s a lawyer at Steven’s firm. Met him last week, and he asked me for a drink.”

  “Good!” Elizabeth sounded a little too excited for Jessica’s liking.

  “You really don’t like Liam, do you?”

  “I just think it’s good for you to keep your options open,” said Elizabeth diplomatically.

  “And I do think he has stalker tendencies.” Elizabeth sighed. “Speaking of stalker tendencies, I think I may have been stalking Bruce lately.”

  “What? How?”

  “I drunk-dialed him a few times this week.”

  “No! What did you say?”

  “Nothing! I hung up anytime someone answered the phone. God, Jess, I feel like an idiot.”

  “Forget about it,” Jessica said. “Everybody’s done it.”

  “Have you?”

  “No, but that’s not that point. You didn’t say anything, right? For all Bruce knows, you could’ve been butt-dialing him.”

  “To his villa in France?”

  “Okay, not so likely, but still. It’s not so bad,” Jessica said, pulling back into traffic. A few minutes later, she was in her driveway.

  “So how are you holding up this week?” Jessica asked Elizabeth, who told her about what a funk she was in since losing her job at the Trib.

  “But I’m starting over again, interviewing everyone, and seeing if I missed anything,” Elizabeth said. “Then I’m going to go to Robin’s hometown in Kentucky. If there are cracks in her story, I’m going to find them.”

  “I know there are,” Jessica said. “And if anyone can find it, you can.”

  Her phone beeped with an incoming call. She glanced at the face and saw Liam’s number. “Liam’s calling. Got to go.”

  “You going to tell him about Cal?”

  “Yeah, right, he’d love that.” Jessica laughed before she clicked over to answer Liam’s call.

  It had taken much longer than usual for Jessica to get Liam off the phone. He seemed unusually interested in what she was doing for the night, almost as if he knew she might be headed out on a date. He had a sixth sense that Jessica called “mantuition.” He had also given her a hard time on all of the nights she went out with Michael. Liam’s mantuition was strong. And no matter how many times she told him she had no plans, she could tell he didn’t believe her.

  There was always more than a hint of suspicion behind his questions. And there were always a lot of questions.

  Eventually, Jessica did get Liam off the phone. She double-checked the e-mail Cal had sent earlier in the day. They were going out to a new Cuban restaurant, and he said he’d pick her up at eight, which was right after Jake’s bedtime. Liza, her nanny, was staying late tonight.

  Jessica liked to be the one to tuck him in, read him one of his favorite bedtime stories (usually something featuring Thomas the Train).

  Jessica went to the kitchen and pulled out her laptop. She was still trying to figure out how to fix the damage with Maybelline. They might not be her client anymore, but she still felt responsible. She tried reaching out t
o a few of her contacts there.

  At dinnertime, Liza and Jake came to the kitchen, where Jake happily ate his mac and cheese dinner before heading upstairs for a bath and his bedtime routine. He came bounding down the stairs in his pajamas with a Thomas the Train book and pulled Jessica off the kitchen school, his eyes bright with excitement that his mom was going to read his favorite book.

  At least Jake still thinks I’m a rock star, Jessica thought.

  Jessica read the story with Jake hanging on her every word, and afterward, her toddler sat up in bed and gave her a big hug.

  “Love you, Mommy. Love you too much.”

  Jessica grinned. Jake was still getting the hang of phrases like “so much” and “too much.” Sometimes the wrong combination was even more heartwarming.

  “I love you, too, sweetheart.” Jessica glanced at his beautiful face—and his floppy hair that reminded her so much of Todd—and sighed. It was hard to put Todd in her past when she lived with their son. Still, she reminded herself how lucky she was to have Jake. Even if she didn’t have Todd, she’d always have a small piece of him in their boy.

  “Good night, sweetie. Love you.” She tickled him until he giggled.

  Tucking the covers around him, she kissed him on the forehead and left him to sleep. In her own room she changed into a coral-colored sheath and heels and was ready when Cal rang the doorbell at eight on the nose. Jessica tugged open the front door and saw a smiling Cal standing there. He was the tall, athletic lawyer with the light brown hair and warm brown eyes she’d met the week before.

  This was going to be fun, she thought as she stepped out. After one of the worst weeks, Jessica felt like things might be finally starting to turn around.

  Or so she thought.

  But then, after a fantastic date with Cal, he never called her. She even broke her own rule about playing hard to get and texted him first.

  But heard nothing back.

  Jessica had started to suspect something was wrong with her phone. Or that Cal had gotten hit by a bus. At that point, she was annoyed enough so that she didn’t know which she wished for.

  When had a guy never called back after one of her patented wow-factor first dates? She’d worn a short hemline and her legs went on for miles.

  She didn’t understand it. What is happening? First, Michael stops calling me and then he sidelines me at work. Now, Cal doesn’t bother calling me back either?

  What in the world was happening? Was it her?

  Was Jessica Wakefield losing her…Jessica?

  Jessica picked up her coffee mug and walked to the window seat in her living room. She listened to the sounds of Jake playing in the next room, and as she stared out the window, she found she didn’t know what to make of her life. How did she get here, back on that same window seat that seemed to have played such an important part in her life? The place where she had waited for her angry first husband, Regan, the place she had waited for Todd to come back. Now, here she was again.

  Had losing Todd meant she’d lost herself?

  As she agonized over these questions, she saw Liam pull up in his new Maserati. With his new, super-sized star status, he could afford to buy more and more toys.

  She jumped up. He wasn’t supposed to be back in town until next week.

  She threw open the door, and there he was, walking up the steps, carrying flowers and a Thomas the Train toy for Jake.

  “Surprise!” he said, wrapping her in his arms and giving her a long kiss. “We wrapped up filming early!”

  For once, she was truly glad to see him. Liam never failed her, she thought. Liam never abandoned her. He would always call. She clung to him a little tighter than usual.

  “Everything okay?” he asked her in his lilting Irish accent. Concern passed across his handsome face. She knew why he was Hollywood’s hottest leading man at the moment. His jet-black hair and stark blue eyes were made for the big screen.

  “Just a bad week,” she said. “Work,” she added quickly. “It’s bad!”

  “I’m sorry, luv. I’m here now, and I’ll take care of you.”

  Jessica smiled at him. She was glad someone offered.

  “Mommy…! Who dere?” Jake said, abandoning his Legos and train set. He came to a full stop when he saw Liam standing in the door. Jake promptly hid behind the living room doorway, suddenly very shy. Jake was always shy around Liam.

  “Hey, buddy. Look what I brought you.” Liam held out the Thomas the Train box. Jake studied it and then Liam with caution.

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” Jessica said. Reluctantly, Jake came forward and took the box.

  “What do we say?” Jessica prompted.

  “Tank you,” Jake muttered, having not quite mastered the th sound. He then bolted from the room, new toy in hand.

  “That was sweet of you,” Jessica told Liam.

  “Anything for my little guy,” he said. “And you. If he’s happy you’re happy. And you know I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

  Liam grew serious, almost too serious, as he did sometimes. Jessica didn’t know why every sentence needed to be a love declaration. Why didn’t he see that she just wasn’t quite there yet?

  “Get Liza to watch Jake tonight and come spend the night at my place.” He grabbed her and pulled her close.

  Suddenly Jessica felt suffocated.

  “Liam…” Jessica sighed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I haven’t seen you in weeks!” His tone went harsh and demanding. Jessica sent him a sharp look and he quickly softened his voice. “I just miss you, that’s all. I want to spend time with you.”

  “Soon, I promise.” Jessica said. “You just have to be patient with me.”

  “Jessica, it’s hard to be patient around you.” Liam’s eyes smoldered. He wanted her, he’d made that clear. And Jessica liked being wanted, especially since Michael and Cal had so callously thrown her aside. Still, something made her hesitate.

  “Soon,” Jessica said, firmly. “Good things come to those who wait.”

  “I’ll wait for you, Jessica,” Liam promised. “I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.”

  Chapter Six

  Annie stood on the balcony of Bruce’s villa in Cannes and stared out to the sea, watching the beautiful sunset over the crystal-blue water. She breathed in the smell of the salty air and sighed. Beside her, her phone chirped with another email from her firm, Leisten, Hartke and White. It was morning there, and people were just getting into work.

  She’d been away two weeks and they were starting to miss her. Case files were piling up, but she kept making excuses to her boss about needing a little more time. So far, they’d given it to her. After all, Bruce Patman was one of the most high-profile clients the firm was handling at the moment. But even Annie was having a hard time explaining why she had to stay here. The case, such as it was, was nearly all back in Sweet Valley.

  Yet she stubbornly refused to go home. And it wasn’t the view or gorgeous weather that made her want to stay.

  “Annie?” At the sound of Bruce’s voice, she jumped a little. She’d been purposefully keeping her distance from Bruce ever since the night they’d almost slept together.

  Bruce, for his part, had been the perfect gentleman since that night. Hadn’t even touched her. In fact, she suspected that saying no to him actually earned her more respect. She loved having the respect, but she hated the distance.

  Annie’s heart raced whenever he said her name, or when he happened to walk by. When she heard his voice on the phone in a separate room, the sound made her feel happy. And despite how often she told herself she couldn’t possibly think of him as anything other than a client, she knew, despite all her best efforts, that she was falling in love with him.

  “Yes?” Annie was amazed her nerves didn’t show in her voice. Must have been the years of practice presenting cases in the courtroom.

  “You wanted this,” Bruce said. He handed her a piece of paper with his therapist’s n
ame and number on it. “I called him and told him to expect your call. He said he’s happy to speak with you.”

  “Thanks, Bruce.” Annie smiled at him, and Bruce’s blue eyes softened a little.

  They had never spoken about that night. Yet it was a current between them, a secret that seemed—at least for Annie—just beneath the surface of every other conversation they had.

  Every time Annie saw Bruce, all she could think about was the way his strong hands had felt running down the small of her back. She wondered if he remembered, too. Or if he chose to forget.

  “I’m going to head out for dinner,” Bruce said. “Would you care to join me?”

  Annie wanted to, more than anything, but she knew it was a bad idea. Dinner would mean wine…and wine would weaken her will…and then…No, she couldn’t risk it. She shook her head. “I should stay and work. This is really my only window to make calls.”

  “Oh, right,” Bruce said, as if suddenly remembering the nine-hour time difference. “Of course.”

  Despite the fact that Annie was trying so hard to keep a wall between them, she still felt a stab of disappointment as Bruce left the room. She had wanted him to try harder to convince her to go. Silly of her, she knew. These days, she felt like she was at constant war with herself, her brain in one corner and her heart in another.

  Her brain told her she couldn’t risk her professional reputation by having a fling with her client in the South of France—no matter how good the wine was or how irresistible Bruce seemed. But her heart didn’t care what was sensible. Her heart wanted Bruce, plain and simple. Had wanted him for a long time.

  In fact, in the war between her heart and her head, right now, her heart was winning.

  As hard as she tried to keep her distance, she found herself coming up with excuses to be with him, to follow him throughout the day. The simple fact was that if she really wanted to get away with him, she’d have headed home on the nearest plane.

  There really wasn’t any more work to be done in Cannes. All of her work needed to be done back in Sweet Valley, and the time difference made that difficult. Yet she stayed on anyway. Her heart stubbornly refused to let her go home.