I still loved her like I had when we were kids, but now I also got to see her naked. So I’d say things had changed for the better—a hell of a lot better.
Anna was busy flipping through a notebook with her back to the glass revolving door, so I tiptoed up behind her and kissed her exposed shoulder.
She slapped the book shut. “Kenny, is that you?”
I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed tight. “Cute. Very cute.”
She turned to face me, hooking her arms around my neck. “I brought you breakfast and wrote the short story that’s due today in English—you know, the one you completely forgot about.”
English paper? “You’re the best.”
“How’s your mom doing?”
“Better. Her white blood count has come up a little, and she got up and walked a bit last night. Her color looks better, too. She’s not as gray. But the doc said it’s going to take a while. This last round of chemo really kicked her immune system’s ass.”
Anna sighed. “Well, better is good. What can I do to help? Maybe I’ll make her some cookies after school and stop by the library to pick her up some new books before I visit tonight.”
“Actually, there is one thing you can do to help her.”
“What?”
I pressed my forehead to hers and brushed the hair back from her face. “You can cut out after fourth period with me and go to the beach.”
She laughed. “And how exactly will that help your mom?”
“Well, I’ve been stressed lately, and she can sense it. That, in turn, makes her stressed, and stress isn’t good for her already weakened immune system. So a day at the beach, looking at you in that little bikini I like so much, would help me relax, which would make Mom relax, and help her immune system.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re so full of shit.”
“No, really.” My lip twitched at the corner, but somehow I managed to contain my smirk. “Basically, my mom’s life depends on this.”
Anna leaned in the little bit separating us and kissed my lips. “I’ll cut out with you for a beach day, but only because I do think you’ve been stressed lately and could use a few hours of carefree time—not because I’m buying any of your crap.”
I flashed an eager smile. “You’re the best.”
“But you’re also going back for baseball practice after school while I go home and make Rose some cookies. After, you’re going to pick me up to take me to the hospital to visit for a few hours tonight, and on the way over we are stopping at the library and getting her some new books.”
“Deal.” I brushed my lips with hers and spoke so my words vibrated against them. “By the way, I love it when you’re all bossy.”
“Well, that’s good. You should probably get used to it.”
Chapter 4
* * *
Elodie
After leaving my meeting with Hollis, my throat was parched. That had taken a lot of energy out of me—for nothing. Well, at least I’d tried. A for effort, Elodie. F for fucking up the whole thing with your temper.
I went in search of some water and ended up in a cafeteria off the lobby of the building. There was complimentary coffee in several urns, along with a couple of vending machines. Spotting a water cooler, I went to the other side of the room.
Just as I was grabbing a paper cup, I noticed a girl sitting down, the contents of her floral Jansport backpack strewn across the table. She was bouncing her legs up and down nervously.
“Hi.” I smiled.
She placed her index finger over her mouth. “Shh.”
I looked around. Did she just shush me?
“Why are we shushing?” I took a sip of water.
“I don’t want anyone to notice me here.”
“Why are you hiding?”
“Because I ditched my after-school program today and got myself into some trouble. And I’m not ready to get yelled at.”
“Okay. Well…what did you do?”
She sighed. “After I walked out of school, I took the bus to Macy’s. I got caught stealing lipstick from the MAC counter.”
Ah. “You really shouldn’t do that. But I’m sure you already know that. Why did you feel the need to steal it? Can’t you ask someone to buy it for you?”
“It’s not the money. I had the money. Had a big pile of cash in my pocket.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I don’t even know why I did it, okay?”
God, it’s like meeting my younger self.
“You steal for the thrill,” I said matter-of-factly.
She blinked a few times. “Yeah. I…I think so.”
I pulled up a seat next to her. “When I was your age, I did something similar—stole headbands and other hair accessories from Claire’s at the mall. Got caught, too. I also had enough money to buy everything.”
“Did you get in trouble?”
“Well, my dad had some issues of his own. I think that might have been one of the reasons I did it—acting out. But the store did call my mother. She obviously wasn’t happy.” I sighed. “How did things go down at Macy’s? And what color did you choose?” I winked.
“It was Ruby Woo Retro Matte.”
“Ah…bright red. Bold.”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “The lady who caught me didn’t call the police. But when I told her I’d left the after-school program, she made me tell her where I went to school, and then she called the principal to tell him I was at Macy’s. I took the bus back to school and then came here.”
I finished off my water. “Okay, here’s the thing… While sometimes it feels good to do something bad, it’s only a fleeting satisfaction. You just end up wanting to do something else, and it never really satisfies the itch for very long. The next time you try something like that, you’ll get into even bigger trouble. Eventually, these things will catch up with you, and the lady at the store won’t be so nice. But I get it. Doesn’t make it right, but I get why you did it.”
“Thanks for not judging me.” She stood up and wandered over to the vending machine. Wearing neon pink Chucks, she looked about ten or eleven. She tapped her foot as she thought about what to buy.
Turning to me, she asked, “You wanna share a Twix bar?”
My stomach growled. “Oh...no. Can’t. I’m on a diet.”
“What kind of diet? You don’t look fat.”
“Well, thank you. I had candy already today, and when I’m not cheating on my diet, I try to eat mostly protein. It’s called Keto.”
Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. “Oh my God. Keto? With a K? Nooo!”
I tilted my head in confusion. “Yes, why?”
“Do you have Keto crotch?”
“What?”
“Does your coochie smell like bacon?”
My mouth fell open. “Wha…no! What are you talking about?”
“I heard about it on the news. I didn’t even know what Keto was. But I do know Keto crotch. My friends in school…we tease each other about it. Like, ‘Haha, you have Keto crotch’.”
“Well, I most definitely do not have Keto crotch. I think that’s a myth anyway.”
“Well, that’s good.” She giggled. “Because that would stink.”
“Literally.”
“Yeah.” She snorted.
What has this conversation turned into?
She opened the wrapper and took a bite of her candy bar. “You’re really pretty.”
Taken aback by the sweet comment, I said, “Thank you. So are you.”
“What’s your name?”
“Elodie. And you are?”
“Hailey.”
Hailey.
Hailey?
Oh shit. Hailey.
I froze. Holy crap. How had I not made the connection?
“Your uncle doesn’t know you’re down here?”
“No. Not yet. When there isn’t someone to watch me, I sometimes come here and hang out when the after-school program gets out anyway. But he might not know I skipped today. Please don’t
tell him…in case the principal never called. If the principal told him, I’m toast.”
“Uh…okay.”
“So…you know my uncle? Do you work here?”
“No. I mean… No, I don’t work here. But I do know him.”
“Sorry to hear that,” she joked. “Just kidding.”
“I hadn’t put two and two together. I knew he had a niece, and I knew your name was Hailey. Just didn’t connect the dots until now.”
“So, if you don’t work here, how do you know my uncle Hollis?”
I wasn’t sure whether to admit I’d interviewed to be her nanny. I didn’t want to badmouth Hollis in front of her. And there was really no good way to tell that story without it reflecting negatively on him.
“Your uncle and I... We got into a little fender-bender earlier. I was here handling some business.”
“You messed up his precious car?”
I cringed. “I did.”
“You might be in more trouble than me. Did he yell at you?”
“Not really.” Well, that certainly isn’t the truth.
She took another bite of her bar. “I know how to get him off your case.”
“How?”
“Ask him to buy you maxi pads. Shuts him right up.”
I chuckled. “Okay, probably won’t be doing that, but thanks for the tip.” I took her in and pondered what she’d just said. “Wow...aren’t you…a little young to have your...”
“I’m eleven. And I have it...so no, I’m not.”
Jesus. It hit me just how much of a handful Hollis had inherited. I could only imagine how overwhelming it must have been for him to have to suddenly take on this responsibility. From what Addison told me, he was doing the best he could for his niece, but he’d had to figure things out as he went along. It had understandably been a struggle, thus the need for a nanny.
“You sure you don’t want my second Twix?” she asked. “They give you two bars so you can share one.”
Just as I was about to open my mouth, a deep voice from behind me answered, “If they were Junior Mints, she’d gobble them up like a Hoover.”
I jumped and flipped around, my heart pounding. Hollis had entered the cafeteria. It felt like a teacher walking in on two kids gossiping, for some reason. His gorgeous eyes were piercing.
“How long were you standing there listening?” I asked.
“Since Keto crotch.”
Great. Just great. “I was just getting water. I didn’t know she was your—”
He cut me off, turning to Hailey. “You want to tell me why you skipped the after-school program and robbed a makeup counter today?”
“The principal called you?”
“Yes.”
“Okay…I know it doesn’t make sense. But I think Elodie helped me figure out why I did it.”
He looked over at me and raised his brow. “Oh, she did, did she?”
“Yes. And I won’t do it again. I promise.”
“I’m supposed to believe that?”
“I’m not like my dad. If I say something, I mean it.”
The look on Hollis’s face transformed from anger to something else. Sadness? Understanding, maybe? As much as I was curious to stay and observe their dynamic, it wasn’t my place.
“I’ll let you two talk.” I turned to her. “Hailey, it was really nice meeting you.”
“You too, KC.” She winked.
It took me a moment to realize it was an acronym. Keto Crotch.
“Uncle Hollsy, don’t be mad at Elodie for denting your car. She didn’t mean it.”
“Wise girl. You should listen to her, Hollsy.” I winked before sauntering out of there.
Chapter 5
* * *
Elodie
Soren was screwing the new secretary. He sat in his high-back leather executive chair, hands clasped behind his head with his feet propped up on his massive dark wood desk. And Bambi (yes, she claimed that was the name given to her at birth) was straddling him and giggling.
They hadn’t heard me come in, too busy feeling each other up.
I plopped my butt down on the visitor chair. “Classy. Can I watch?”
Soren chuckled at the way Bambi jumped out of his lap. She apologized as she scurried back to her desk.
I dug a file from my oversized purse and attempted to save a nail that had chipped on the drive over to the office. “You know, that could have been a client instead of me.”
“It’s not like we run a tea shop. Women are coming in here because their husbands are fucking around. Bet some of them would like to watch me stick it to Bambi.”
“You’re a pig. I have no idea why I even work for you.”
“Because I overpay you.” He took his boots off the desk, and they clanked meeting the floor. “And I put up with you being a bitch. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure how I work with you.”
I smiled. “You’re going to miss me when I’m gone, aren’t you?”
“You got the job? The one watching the kid for the big shot?”
I sighed. “No.”
“Why not?”
“There was a small incident.”
Soren lifted his coffee mug to his mouth. “What’d you do? Spill something on him or tell him off?”
“Neither. Well, not really.”
“So then why are you sitting across from me and not in some hurdy-turdy, fancy penthouse?”
“I got into a little accident.”
“Another one? What is that now? The third one in the last eighteen months? Your insurance must be a damn fortune.”
“Parallel parking is impossible. Though, this time I wasn’t even backing in. I just don’t get why they can’t make the spots bigger on the street so people can easily pull in.”
“Because real estate is almost two grand a square foot here, sweetheart.”
“I might have to start taking public transportation.”
“Been telling you that since the day you started here. No one drives. Learn the subway system already.”
I sighed.
Soren set his empty coffee mug on the desk and clasped his hands behind his head again, leaning back in his chair. “What the hell does your accident have to do with you not getting the job you wanted? Were you late or missed the appointment or something?”
“Oh. I had an accident parking down the block from where my interview was. Turns out the driver, who wouldn’t admit the accident was his fault, was actually the guy I was supposed to interview with.”
Soren threw his head back in a fit of laughter. He actually snorted from laughing so hard.
“I’m glad you find my disaster of a life so amusing.”
“You’re one hot mess who’s lucky she’s hot. You’re either hitting something, spilling something, or tearing apart some schlep’s life. Your brother would kick your ass for the shit you do. Hell, he’d kick both our asses for the shit I let you do. In fact, the only thing he’d approve of is that I overpay you.”
Soren was an ex-marine, ex-cop, and all around badass. He’d been my older brother’s sergeant in the corps. He also let me pick and choose the jobs I wanted, make my own schedule, and he actually did overpay me—three of my favorite qualities in a man.
After my last job with Larry the lawyer, I had hoped to be done working for Soren. Not that I didn’t appreciate him giving me a job when I’d quit the last one without a dime to my name and showed up at his office—because I did. But I needed to get a job on my own. Someone else had been helping me for the better part of twenty-five years. It was time, although apparently not today after all.
“So what’s on the agenda for this week?” I asked.
Soren put on a pair of reading glasses that sat at the tip of his nose. They detracted from his coolness negligibly. “Got another cheater job for you, if you’re up for it. Wife will be here at five, so I need you to stick around.”
“Me? Stick around?”
It was rare that I spoke to the wives. Women weren’t generally
fond of me to begin with. And Soren felt that a woman already scorned didn’t need the woman about to seduce her husband shoved in her face.
“This one asked specifically for you. Said she was referred by a friend of a friend. Of course, she wouldn’t tell me who. Not that it matters as long as her check clears.”
***
I should have worn a less lacy bra today. Or skipped lunch.
My meatball parm hero had dripped sauce onto my white blouse. Soren had bellowed unexpectedly as I attempted to remove the stain by pouring a bit of seltzer on the spot, causing me to startle and spill the full bottle all over myself. Now I had a giant red stain, a soaked blouse, and one pert nipple visible through the sheer, damp fabric of my bra and shirt.
“Your five o’clock appointment is here,” Bambi announced through the intercom.
I sat in one of the guest chairs on the other side of Soren’s desk as he gave me the once-over. He shook his head and looked like he was about to tsk.
“What? It’s your fault I look like this.”
“My fault? In the two years you’ve worked here, you’ve never left this office after a meal without wearing it. It’s a good thing you have great tits. Most men will overlook a stain or two for a rack like yours.”
“So stop looking at me like that. Overlook the stain like all the other assholes will.”
Soren grumbled and pushed the intercom button. “Show Ms. Brady in, please.”
Soren’s divorce-assistance private investigation services, where we gathered evidence that serial cheaters were just that—cheaters, was one of the more popular services he offered. But the client seldom wanted to meet the woman seducing her husband, so I was curious to see what set this one apart from the others.
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