“So what are your thoughts, Josh?” Evan asked, snagging me from my daydream of the redhead with lips like bubblegum. Zach had been prattling on about strategy and numbers for this new business venture of his while we sat outside on a patio of a house turned restaurant. In the break from chattering on, Evan looked at me with concern, “You alright?”
I grabbed at a tater tot, trying to regain focus as I nodded my head. “Location’s not too bad. Although, we need a decent chef.”
“Of course.” Zach’s mossy green eyes partially reminded me of Hank’s when excited. “This could be a great investment, man.”
I let the ambiance of the house in the downtown area sink in. People were scattered throughout, eating with gusto, but the crowd just wasn’t there. And it was lunch hour. This place should have been packed. “Place needs an upgrade, in my opinion. The options aren’t wide enough on the menu. And it needs something extra. It just doesn’t seem…” I tried to find the proper word for the small burger joint we were currently dining in.
“Homey. Original…” Evan poked at the white wax paper some twelve sweet potato tater tots were thrown on and scrunched his nose—a habit I noticed he had picked up from his girl, Grace. “Or worth paying twenty bucks for a burger and one side of tots to share.”
“If you’re going to make a burger that’s expensive, make it gourmet,” I said, as Zach shifted his body in his chair. “The house needs work.”
“I know, but guys, this is where we come into play and revive it. I can find a great chef, breathe life into this place. We can make it a brunch place, make it rustic with some Southern charm. Set a bar in the corner, serve mimosas for the ladies, beers on tap for the guys. Maybe even do a buffet and revitalize it.”
Hopeful eyes glanced back and forth between us. “I think it’s a good idea,” Evan nodded. “But why the sudden interest? You’ve never mentioned anything like this before.” He gazed at his friend with an apprehension I spotted instantly. His concern was growing for Zach, who had been acting quite odd as of late. Evan knew him better than anyone, so he felt leaving him be was the best at present instead of asking him what this change was really about.
Zach waited to speak until after the waitress had set the plastic burger baskets on the table, had stopped gaping at Evan, and moved away. “It’ll be different for me. Something to take on and work at.”
Evan studied Zach, no doubt wondering his future role as his assistant. “Okay, then. Tell me when you need the money. We’ll get the paperwork to my lawyer and look over everything.” He lifted the burger to his mouth and took a large bite, appreciating the taste of the cheat meal. “Not a bad burger, actually.”
I smiled and tugged the bread off of my grilled chicken burger, reached for my fork and knife and nodded. “Whatever you need, Zach. I’m here for you too, mate.”
“Thanks, guys. It’s going to be great.” He plowed into his burger with gusto. “How’s Mom?”
They weren’t blood brothers, but Rebecca Matthews had taken Zach in when his parents left Cohasset, Massachusetts for Boston. There was some family drama I wasn’t clear on, nor did I ever ask, as it wasn’t my business. All I knew was that Zach adored the Matthews family and they considered him one of their own. They were even kind enough to make me feel part of their family, and that was something I was grateful for, as I didn’t have one myself. Along with Evan’s sisters, Katie and Hilary, it was a huge Matthews clan.
“She’s good. I think Mr. Abbott has a thing for her.” Evan chuckled as he sipped on his sweet tea.
“No way!”
“Who’s he?” I asked, a bit defensively. Mama Matthews meant more to me than I realized. “Is he a nice man?”
Evan smothered a laugh and wiped his mouth on a napkin. “He seems to be. He was our eighth grade English teacher.”
“He quit the year after we took his class, and he bought the main bookstore in town,” Zach recalled, finishing his meal and pushing his basket aside. “We took credit for his retirement from teaching.”
“We were terrible,” Evan chuckled. “Anyway, she’s been dropping his name here and there. I told her to ask him out.”
Zach’s face dropped, as well as mine. “You can’t be serious,” I stated, halting my fork halfway to my mouth.
“No way. No, that’s not right,” Zach protested at the same time. “He has to ask her.”
“Don’t worry guys, I was only joking with her. Besides, you know Mah wouldn’t go for it. I just like to razz her.” Evan finished off the last of the tots as I continued eating my grilled chicken. “Not as much as Hilary, but close.”
“What’s Hil up to? Is she…she seeing anyone?” Zach asked about Evan’s youngest sister. He lifted his drink to his mouth, trying to busy himself, but I saw something I had never noticed in him. Nerves? Fright? Dread?
Evan shook his head as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and looked over a text he got, completely unaware of Zach’s discomfort. “Nah, I don’t think so. She mentioned possibly staying here for a while. Grace offered her the property management job while we’re in Atlanta, but we’ll see.”
Zach trudged his fingers through his dark hair and nodded, as Evan turned his attention toward me. “And what about you, lover boy? How’s training with Red?”
I huffed and cleaned my hands on a napkin, throwing it into the bread-filled basket in front of me. “It went fine. We had one session, but she’s not been returning my calls to train again.”
“What’d you do wrong this time?” Zach laughed, but my gaze latched onto his and his smile disappeared. “Just kidding, man.” I liked intimidating Zach. Sometimes it was too easy. I was still training him, and he was looking great and getting stronger. His body was changing into the physique he should’ve had ages ago. I felt like a proud papa bear seeing him wear better clothes and hold himself differently.
Didn’t mean I would stop giving him a shit time. “Yeah, you better be just kidding, Zachary, because the pain you’ll feel in the gym tomorrow won’t be a joke at all, you git.”
“Fuck off, McKenzie,” Zach groaned, knowing full well I wouldn’t go soft on him. “You’re evil.”
“Suck it up, buttercup,” I chuckled.
“And now you know my world, Zach,” Evan chuckled.
As we rose from the table, we were blitzed by several young women asking Evan for photos and his autograph. We hardly went out during busy hours, as Evan disliked this part of his job, but he would do anything for Zach, including brave a restaurant where he’d be clocked.
After years of being his personal trainer and close friend, dealing with this was a natural occurrence and easy for me to go through. Nobody cared who I was. However, Evan suffered anxiety from it, sometimes crippling when it came to attending premieres. He had turned down the starring role of the film that made him famous because he was scared of the spotlight. Little by little, he made adjustments and learned to take it in stride. I think it was Grace who helped him see it in a different light as well, which helped. He was giving these girls a memory to enjoy. Once he wrapped his head around it in that way, things seemed easier for him.
Zach left to get the car from the lot a few blocks down as I waited for Evan to finish taking photos and chatting as he signed autographs. He was pleasant, friendly and warm to everyone who approached. They would have kept him there forever, so I tugged on his shoulder, interrupting one girl who rambled on about how she recognized him and had seen every movie he’d made. “Ladies, sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Matthews is needed on set.”
The females moaned with sadness, but appreciated the time he took, and thanked him as he nodded and smiled compliantly.
“Thanks.” He shrugged calmly to me as we made our way to the front. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“You’ve been through worse,” I said as we waited under the shade of a tree. The weather was perfect for an outdoor lunch, and I knew why so many people fell in love with this diverse city.
“And so have you,” Evan claime
d, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Have you heard from her?”
I shook my head and refused to look at my best friend. Embarrassment came over me at the thought of the woman who had taken so much of my time. I could say I regretted losing those years to her, but I hadn’t. I only lamented that I was misled—twice. “Only a matter of time though.”
“This time you won’t cave, right?”
“Never again.”
Evan was quiet for a moment as he thought that over, then changed the subject. “So, hey, Grace mentioned that Marla’s been going through some stuff.” I frowned, glancing up at him with unease. “Nothing super serious, just a lot of stress. She’s overworking. She seems a little detached lately, loss of appetite. I’ve even noticed she doesn’t get after me as much, and that’s saying something.”
I gnawed over that thought, considering the situation. Perhaps this mugging incident had scared her more than she let on. There was something about the way she conceded to me, as if she was afraid she was losing control of herself, and I knew that could be difficult. Victims of any type of attack could have lasting effects, and it sounded like she wasn’t dealing well.
Evan continued as Zach pulled up with the car, “Anyway, Grace texted me now asking me if you’d mind checking up on Marla while we’re gone.”
I looked him square in the eyes and nodded my head before entering the car. “I made a promise to Grace. I’ll look after her.” And I would do everything in my power to make sure I kept my promise. Now, if I could figure out a way to get Marla to return my calls, well, that was another issue entirely.
I sat on my couch and flipped through channels, sipping my glass of chardonnay. I could totally eat a cupcake to drown my sorrows in, yet I was too exhausted to work up the energy to eat at all. Work sucked. The Blencher account was looking worse. They were in talks of leaving, and that reflected on my team. Cameron was livid, he straight up gave me a lecture, and I was too nervous to fight back. Projects I worked on had appeared incomplete, including numbers I swore I had typed in. My presentation I had set up for another account had been misplaced, and I had to apologize to the client and reschedule another meeting.
I wanted to let loose, go out with the girls to Rainey Street, or just have someone to talk to and be with. Jaime and Dean were in San Antonio visiting family, and Grace and Evan were gone. I was beginning to bottle things in, but dumping my problems on someone else wasn’t my style. A nice long bath and good book would do the trick tonight.
It was only minutes later that I let my body soak in the tub full of bubbles and breathed in the scent of eucalyptus, lavender, and mint. Tomorrow was Friday. One more day and I would have the weekend to recharge my batteries, and hopefully get to that yoga class. I wasn’t myself lately, and the more I tried to regain my center, the more I felt like the battle was being lost. The chime on my phone took me out of my contemplative state, and I saw Grace’s photo pop up on my screen. I shook the excess water from my hand and leaned over the tub to press the speaker button.
“Hey,” I tried to muster enthusiasm and verve in my fatigued state, although I was pleased to hear from my best friend.
“Hey, girl, what’s going on?” Grace’s voice sang with sweetness and cheer, and I knew why she was so happy, and it had to do with her hunky man.
“I’m taking a bubble bath,” I said in a sexy voice. “Wanna join?”
Her laugh was infectious and made me smile as she responded, “Oh, baby, I would, but I’m in Los Angeles with this guy who swears he loves me.”
“Doesn’t he, though?”
A high-pitched hum rang through her voice. “Wellllllll,” she drew out, “I don’t know about that. Since he refuses to get me a burger from Pink’s, I’m not sure where his loyalties lie.” A yelp rang from her lips as I heard a smack. “Ouch! He totally slapped my ass.”
“Evan, don’t be fooled, she loves it,” I shouted out, knowing full well she had me on speaker.
“Personal experience, Marla?” The sound of a low grunt flew from his mouth after what he said, and I assumed Grace counteracted with a punch to the gut. “Kidding, but I do know for a fact that she does love it.”
“Go get me a burger, you fiend,” she retorted.
He sighed, “Nobody gets the burger at Pink’s, Gracie Lynn. They’re known for their hotdogs, doll.”
“I don’t want a hotdog. Their mushroom Swiss burger is amazing,” she appealed, turning her attention to me. “So, what did you have for dinner tonight?”
I knew what she was playing at, and I couldn’t lie to myself that her concern for me was what I craved. “I drank my dinner. A nice glass of wine. Or two.”
“Marla, really. You need to eat. You’ve been acting weird. Don’t make me order you a pizza.”
I chuckled, although that didn’t sound too bad at the moment. “I’m fine. I’ve just…things are really tough at work. Cameron is kicking my ass, and I really need this promotion.”
“It’s not worth it if it kills you.”
“I know. I’ll do better, and—” My attention was jolted as I heard what sounded like glass breaking, then my front door slamming. My heart picked up, my pulse pounded, and I leaned over the tub to look out the creak in my door. It was no use, I could only see into my dark bedroom, and I remembered I had turned off all my lights.
“Marla?” Grace stayed silent for only a beat. “What was that?”
I swiftly lifted myself from the tub, reached for my robe and wrapped it tightly around my body. “I heard my door slam,” I said quietly, more startled than I let on. “Grace…I think someone’s in my house.”
My skin prickled, a chill coursed through me. I lifted the phone to my hand and took Grace off speaker. “Marla, do you need me to call 911? Evan, Marla says she heard her front door slam. Someone’s in her house.”
“I don’t hear anything now though,” I whispered, walking across on my tiptoes, looking for the first thing that could double as a weapon. I didn’t have anything to protect me. No baseball bat, no knife…unless I ran to the kitchen and grabbed one. But what if an intruder was there? What if he was in my room and I didn’t know? All my senses were on high alert.
“I’ll call Josh,” Evan mumbled in the background.
“No,” I hissed under my breath. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Just stay on the phone with me, Grace.” The darkness of my bedroom played on my imagination as I entered. Creeping over slowly, I made my way to the door and peered out to the kitchen.
“Evan’s calling Josh,” Grace whispered, as if she was there with me. Sounds of Evan’s voice peppered throughout the conversation, and I grimaced inwardly at the thought of Josh coming to help me out. “Is there something you can grab as a weapon?”
“Does a high-heel count?” I joked in a whisper but travelled back into my room and picked up an antique bronze horse statue that had belonged to my great-grandma Sully. I kept it on a shelf that held my collection of hardcover Outlander novels. It was heavy and would knock someone out cold if need be.
“Marla, maybe you should hide in the closet? Evan will call the police, and at least tell them to check it out.”
“I don’t hear anything else, Grace. Maybe it was just my imagination.” I continued my stealth moves toward my door and peeked out again. Everything was black in front of me except for the dim light peeking from my bathroom. A gurgling sound from the freezer made me jump, and the ice being dropped into the icemaker brought me to a state of relaxation. My voice returned to normal volume as I moved forward and set the statue down. “Oh, geez, I think I’m going nuts.”
“What? Why? What happened?” Grace’s tone leveled with mine as I moved to the kitchen and switched on the lights. Everything seemed standard as I scanned my house.
“The freezer’s been making this weird noise lately before it drops the ice. That’s what the sound was.” I laughed and sighed from exhaustion. “I’m so tired, Grace. I think I’m losing my mind.”
“But you said you heard the f
ront door slam.”
Grace was always the methodical one, wanting to be positive everything was as it should be. Again, that was due to the loss of her brother. When Evan had his accident, it was Grace asking the doctor every question under the sun to make sure he was alright. “I think the wine had an effect on me. I should’ve eaten dinner.”
“Evan can tell Josh to get you something,” Grace suggested, but I quickly shook my head before even responding.
“Tell him not to come, I’m fine.”
“Marla—-”
“No, seriously, I don’t need—” I let out a small yelp as a knock on my door, followed by three doorbell rings, happened in a row. “Crap. That’s him, isn’t it?”
“Marla, open up.”
Yep, it was him. Sexy McKenzie was at my door, and I was standing in the middle of the kitchen in my robe, bare feet and hair piled on top of my head. I didn’t even get to finish my bubble bath in peace. “He’s here. I’ll talk to you later, Grace,” I groaned.
“Don’t be mean. Let him take care of you,” Grace quickly crammed in before I grunted at her and hung up the phone.
Upon opening the door, I tried flipping the light switch up for the patio and noticed the bulb had gone out. Despite the darkness, my eyes weren’t disappointed by the view of the specimen in front of me. His lips curved as he drank me in, and I placed both hands on my hips waiting for him to say something. Movement caught my eye and in an instant two paws were landing on my stomach followed by a boisterous bark. “Hank! Down!” I pointed to him, then gathered my robe tightly as it almost flew open.
The brown boxer obeyed as Josh tugged at his leash. “You know your porch light is broken?”
“So, that’s what I heard. That’s weird,” I said glancing on the concrete patio and noticing shattered glass. Another thing on my list of things to get done. I put my hand on my hip again, as my other one leaned on the doorframe. “How did you get here so quickly?”
“I was with Hank at the dog park nearby.”
“Well, thanks for coming, but you can leave. I’m good.”
A Promise Made (Promise #2) Page 8