Power Play

by Tiffany Snow

  I nodded, wondering if I should confess about dinner Saturday, but Parker was already digging out his car keys and heading for the door. I hurriedly set down my glass and jumped up to see him out.

  “Um, thanks for the ride home,” I said as he opened the apartment door.

  Parker turned to look at me. His gaze seemed to skate over me before resting on my eyes. “You’re welcome,” he said. “You’ve worked for me for a while now, Sage. You’re very…valuable to me.”

  Parker didn’t do thank-yous or heap praise, so this comment sent a curl of pleasure through me. I smiled. “Thanks.”

  He gave a curt nod, then was gone, bypassing the elevator in favor of the stairs.

  Closing and locking the door, I hurried to the window, pushing aside the curtains to look down at where he’d parked. A few moments later, I saw him emerge from the building and head to his car. Just before he opened the door to slip inside, he glanced up at the window.

  I knew I was fully visible with the lights on behind me, but I didn’t care. We stood locked in that tableau and I allowed myself to wish, however briefly, that there was more between us. But wishes were pointless and I couldn’t change the truth. Parker needed me—I was “valuable” to him—and that would have to be enough. Because if it wasn’t, if I ever acted on my feelings, then I’d have to leave him. And I couldn’t handle losing Parker, so I’d take what he would give and be satisfied.

  Chapter Four

  Friday morning was merciless and pulling my ass out of bed with only four hours’ sleep was an exercise in self-discipline, which I had very little of. If I had more, I’d have gotten myself to the gym, too. Megan was going to kill me for missing yet another workout.

  Cheerful colors seemed inappropriate today—someone had died, after all—so I wore a black pencil skirt and a white blouse, somber and professional. Black slingback heels were also professional, but they had a scarlet red sole, which made me feel better. No one saw the bottom of my shoes anyway. I pinned up my hair like usual and tried to conceal the dark circles underneath my eyes with a pile of makeup. Scrutinizing myself in the mirror, I grimaced. I looked like I’d had a rough night out, and there was no amount of makeup that was going to fix that.

  I had to run for the bus again, sending a smile to the driver who just grinned and shook his head at me. The coffee was ready to go when I got to Starbucks, as was Parker’s Danish. He liked when I varied his breakfast, so I didn’t get the same thing every day. He had a serious sweet tooth but was incredibly self-restrained about not giving in to it, so occasionally I gave him no choice but to indulge. I noticed he never complained.

  I glanced longingly into the Dunkin’ Donuts next to the Starbucks, but passed it by as I hurried in to the office. What I wouldn’t have given for a jelly doughnut covered in sugar. Unfortunately, my luck would probably have had me wearing my breakfast on my blouse the rest of the day.

  I’d just sat down at my desk when Parker stepped off the elevator. He was looking at his phone with one hand, while the other carried his briefcase. I wondered if what had happened last night would affect our relationship at all. I felt closer to him. His story about Ryker had given me a rare glimpse into his personal life.

  To my disappointment, though, when he stopped in front of my desk it was business as usual.

  “Good morning, Sage,” he said, barely glancing up from his phone. “Any messages?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing yet.”

  He nodded and headed into his office without so much as a glance at me. I tried not to be disappointed, but the lead in the pit of my stomach said otherwise. I didn’t know what I had expected—maybe just a bit more warmth, a glance that was more personal, that showed I’d achieved something closer to friendship status than just merely being an assistant.

  Shoving those thoughts away, I got to work. Due to the shooting and the fact that the police had cordoned off the upstairs, the all-day meeting Parker had scheduled was canceled and moved to the following week. That gave me some time before I had to finish cataloging the files.

  I groaned. “Oh, shit,” I muttered to myself. I’d forgotten about that. Now I was going to be crawling around on the floor in a pencil skirt, probably the least comfortable attire I could’ve worn. Stupid stupid. Well, I’d just wait until Parker left to go do something. No doubt I’d be scheduling three more meetings by noon for his suddenly open day.

  “Tell me everything. And don’t think I didn’t notice you left me to sweat alone this morning.”

  I glanced up to see Megan leaning on the counter above my desk.

  “I wondered how long it would be before you showed up,” I teased.

  “Rumor has it you were here last night when he got shot?” she asked. “Is that true?”

  I nodded, sobering. “Yeah. It was scary. Parker and I were working when we heard a shot. He went to see what it was. Whoever killed Hinton shot at him, too, but missed.”

  Megan’s eyes rounded. “Seriously? Wow.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “What did you do?”

  “Parker stuffed me in his closet, told me to stay put.” I shrugged. “So I did.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “That was quick thinking of him,” she said. “And chivalrous, too, protecting you like that.” She grinned. “Real knight-in-shining-armor kind of stuff. Who’d have thought him capable?”

  My eyes narrowed and I tried to keep cool. Lack of sleep had made me short-tempered. “I wasn’t a bit surprised,” I snapped.

  Megan’s eyebrows went even higher and her grin faded fast. “Hey, I’m sorry; that was rude to say. Don’t be mad.”

  I sighed, my irritation melting away as quickly as it had risen. “It’s fine. I only got like four hours’ sleep, so I’m a total bitch today. Ignore me.”

  “Well, tell me how the date went,” she said. “You know, with the cop who can come arrest me any day.”

  I laughed. “It was fine. Short. We had dinner, and then I came back here to work.” I left out the part about Parker being the reason the date had been so short. I already knew what Megan would have to say to that.

  She looked disappointed. “That’s all? So, what, you didn’t like him? Was he boring? All the really good-looking ones are. Or they’re gay. He’s not gay, right?”

  I shook my head. “No, definitely not gay.” The memory of riding behind him on the back of the motorcycle, my thighs rubbing against the denim of his jeans, sent a shiver through me. I wondered if he’d have his motorcycle tomorrow night. I lowered my voice, just in case Parker should come out of his office. “I have another date with him tomorrow night.”

  “No way! That’s great!” Megan’s face split in a wide smile.

  “Wait,” I said, suddenly frowning. “He didn’t tell me where to meet him or a time.” With everything going on last night, I hadn’t thought to get details. “He just asked me out.”

  “He’s a cop,” Megan said with a shrug. “He can find out where you live. Maybe he’ll call you today.”

  I shook my head. It didn’t matter. Not really. If the date happened, great. If not, oh well. But I did have to tell her… “He has a motorcycle,” I said, grinning. “We rode it to the restaurant.”

  “You rode a motorcycle?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Miracles do happen,” I said.

  She laughed. “I guess so.” Leaning over the counter, she asked, “So, if you go out with him tomorrow night, are you going to sleep with him?”

  My face heated, as did my blood at the mere thought of sleeping with Ryker, but I hesitated. “I don’t know…” I hedged. “It’s a little soon—”

  “Did you not see that body?” Megan asked. “I’ve been fantasizing about it and I’m not the one having dinner with him! You have to promise me that you’ll at least think about it, just for the sake of those who live vicariously through you.” She made a sad, pitiful face.

  I rolled my eyes, but I was grinning. “Fine. But find your own cop because even if I do sleep
with him, don’t think I’m going to give you the details.”

  “Excuse me?”

  I squeaked in surprise, jerking around to see Parker standing behind me, a file folder in his hand, his eyebrows up nearly to his hairline. Oh God, had he just heard me talk about sleeping with Ryker?

  “Um, nothing,” I managed, seeing Megan hurrying away in my peripheral vision. “Just chatting for a minute.”

  He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, then shut it. “Can you have this messaged over to Hamlisch & Thompson? As soon as possible, please.” He handed me the folder in his hand.

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ve spoken with Stan,” he continued, naming our CEO, Stan Wurley, “and he wants me to temporarily take over Hinton’s duties for the international division until he hires someone.”

  Aw shit. That sucked. My work load had just doubled.

  “To help out, Sawyer will be handling some of my stuff in the interim as well,” he said. Sawyer was one of Parker’s underlings. “Hinton was scheduled for a meeting in New York next week, flying out Sunday night. Switch the travel plans to myself.”

  I grabbed a pen and started scrawling notes while he talked.

  “Meet with Hinton’s assistant, see what I need to get up to speed on with that account, and have it on my desk by this afternoon. Book yourself for the trip, too. We should be back on Wednesday.”

  I glanced up. “Me too?” I hadn’t ever gone to an out-of-town business meeting with Parker before, but he nodded.

  “I’m not sure what I’ll need on the fly so, yes, you’re coming along, too.”

  Okay then.

  He went over more things and I took notes rapid-fire before he left to meet a client for lunch.

  I headed upstairs to find Hinton’s assistant, combing my memory for her name. I’d met her a few times and she’d been really sweet. Sylvia. That was her name. In her early sixties, she’d worked for Hinton since he’d started at the firm.

  Hinton’s office had police tape across the door and heavy plastic had been hung across the glass walls, preventing anyone from seeing inside. Sylvia was digging through a drawer when I stepped up to the counter. In a style identical to my setup, a tall counter served as two walls to her cube.

  “Hi, Sylvia,” I said quietly. I wondered how she was doing, how she was taking the murder of her boss.

  She glanced up and I got my answer. Not well. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen and she looked exhausted. When I’d caught glimpses of her before, she was always perfectly put together. But today her hair was slightly mussed and she wore no makeup.

  “How are you doing?” I asked.

  “Oh, honey, what an awful thing. I still—I just can’t believe it,” she said, shaking her head. Her eyes shone with tears.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  “They called last night, told me what happened, and of course I came right in,” she said. “Mr. Hinton was a nice man, only two years from retiring. Why would anyone do such a thing?”

  The question was rhetorical so I just rounded the counter into her cube, squeezing her shoulder sympathetically. “I have no idea,” I said. “I hope the security and IT people will be able to figure out how the killer got in the building. Have you heard anything?”

  She shook her head. “I’m just the secretary. They don’t tell me anything.” Reaching for a tissue, she blew her nose.

  “I’m sorry to bother you,” I said, “but I guess Mr. Wurley is having Parker take over Hinton’s duties for now, until he…works things out. Can you give me the files on the client he was meeting in New York next week?”

  Sylvia nodded, turning to a stack on her desk. “Sure. Here they are. They’re new, Bank ZNT, out of Moscow.”

  I remembered Parker had wanted files on them yesterday afternoon, after Ryker had shown up. Taking the thick file from her, I flipped through it. “Haven’t we already been buying from them?”

  “Yes, but they’re looking to expand the relationship. They have branches and ties to other banks in Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia…” She waved her hand. “All those countries over there, the old USSR.”

  I frowned. “I thought we weren’t doing business with Russian countries.”

  The financial world knew to be on the lookout for any banks or firms that could have ties to the Russian mob. Of course, with the state-sponsored backing they had over there, it was hard to tell the good guys from the bad. Therefore it had become a policy of KLP Capital not to do business with them. The repercussions were too high should any transaction not be aboveboard, ranging from frozen assets to criminal prosecution.

  “This one seems to be on the up-and-up,” Sylvia said. “At least, Mr. Hinton thought so. He recommended to Mr. Wurley that we take them on. It’s only been a couple of months since all the papers were signed.”

  “Okay, well, thanks,” I said. “Can you have IT give us access to their account on the server?”

  “Sure, honey.”

  I eyed her for a moment. “Is there anything you need?” I asked. “Anything I can get for you?” I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if something happened to Parker, and my heart went out to her.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said. “I was planning on retiring when Mr. Hinton did. Maybe I’ll just retire early, go visit my grandkids for a while. They’re always wanting me to come stay with them.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” I said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do, okay? I imagine Parker will want more files than just this one.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Sylvia said. Her smile was wan, but there nonetheless.

  I impulsively gave her a quick hug before I headed back downstairs. I knew she was a widow with several children, some of whom obviously were old enough to have kids of their own. I hoped she’d retire and take that trip to see them. If nothing else, Mr. Hinton’s murder was a reminder that life was finite and could end at any moment. Seize the day and not have any regrets.

  That thought nagged at me as I returned to my desk. If something happened to me, would I have regrets? The answer was a big, fat yes, but I didn’t want to dwell on it.

  After leaving the file on Parker’s desk, I grabbed Megan and we left for lunch. Since Parker was at a lunch meeting, that meant I could take some more time before he got back.

  “So Parker’s taking over Hinton’s job for now,” I said around a mouthful of apple-cranberry-chicken salad. “And we’re going to New York next week.”

  “‘We’?” Megan asked, spearing a lettuce leaf with her fork. “He’s taking you?”

  I nodded. “Cool, right?”

  “Yes! I’m jealous. Of the trip, not that you’ll be going with Parker,” she added. “Do you think you’ll get any downtime to shop?”

  “I hope so,” I said, nudging aside the mushy globs of croutons that were supposed to have been on the side but weren’t. “Any more texting with Brian?”

  She shrugged, immediately looking downcast. “Not really. I guess he’s not much of a texter. He did e-mail me, though.”

  “Well, that’s a good sign,” I said, trying to encourage her. Megan was usually so cheery; it was almost painful to see her so depressed.

  “He sent me a Bible verse.”

  I stared at her for a minute, sure I’d heard wrong; then I burst into laughter. I couldn’t help it.

  “I’m so sorry,” I managed to say between giggles. “I don’t mean to laugh.”

  “No, it’s totally fine,” she said with a wave of her empty fork. “I’d laugh, too, if it wasn’t so incredibly pathetic. Is he trying to send me a message or something?”

  I cleared my throat, swallowing down the laughter and dabbing at my tearing eyes. “Um, I don’t know. What was the verse?”

  “Some really long Psalm or something. I dunno.” She listlessly pushed the salad around her plate. “I think I should just give up, find someone else to obsess over.”

  “Don’t give up yet,” I said. “At least he was thinking abou
t you, right?”

  She brightened a bit at that. “Yeah, I guess so. I hadn’t really thought of that.”

  “Well there you go.” I unwrapped a cracker and ate it while she mulled that over. Maybe I should drop by Brian’s desk sometime, drop him a hint on his thick head. But no, it was always a bad idea to get involved. Though there were always exceptions…

  “Did you see the memo Security e-mailed today?” she asked, interrupting my thoughts of rationalizing a way for me to stick my nose in her business. “How we’re not supposed to let anyone in the building who doesn’t have a badge, all visitors have to be cleared first, yadda yadda yadda.”

  “Yeah, I saw it. I’m hoping Parker may have heard more,” I said. “I’m going to quiz him when he gets back from lunch.” I glanced at my watch. “Speaking of, I need to run by the cleaners before I go back. I’d better go.” I shoved another huge bite in my mouth, hurriedly chewing as I grabbed my purse and tray.

  “You’re a total pushover, picking up his dry cleaning for him,” Megan said, rolling her eyes.

  I shrugged. “I don’t mind. Have a good day and don’t worry about Brian. Things will work out. And just remember, God loves you. He will spread his wings and give you shelter.”

  Megan just stared at me, eyes wide in surprise. “Uh…”

  “I’m just screwing with you,” I said with a wink.

  “Oh my God, you are such a bitch,” she said, bursting out laughing. Mission accomplished.

  “Catch you later,” I said.

  She was still giggling and spearing another bite with her fork. I finger-waved as I dumped my tray and hurried out into the warm sunshine.

  The dry cleaner wasn’t far from the office, which was a good thing, because there were several suits in this batch and it got heavy quick. I was glad when I was finally able to hang them up in the closet in Parker’s office. He could take them home tonight.