“I’m sorry,” Melanie said. “I truly am.”
“But he wouldn’t,” Rob said quietly, turning his face away.
“Jack is behind the sabotage at Professional Massage. He was sleeping with my assistant.” Melanie spoke slowly, trying to stop her voice from trembling. “He talked her into heating the storerooms to destroy the stock of oils.”
Rob gave her a hard stare. “Why would she do that?”
“Because Jack said he would lose his job if LeatherWorks was sold. And it meant so much to him.” Her lip curled. “But he didn’t keep his promises, so Jill stopped keeping hers. And after,” she paused as her voice cracked, “and after I was fired,” her voice trembled on the word, “she told me what she’d done.”
“Shit,” Rob said and bowed his head.
“He thinks he can destroy you, Rob. You can’t trust him. I wish you hadn’t told him I was Honey Luscious, but I’m not going to tell him the truth either, no matter what your grandfather will think of your taste.”
The sides of his mouth twisted. Rob stood and ran a hand down her hair. “I’m sorry I got you involved, sweetheart,” he crooned. “I want to make you feel better.”
“We can’t be together right now. I don’t know if Jack can really make good on his threats, but I won’t be the reason your grandfather fires you.” He was so sweet to put her hurt above his. If only she could be wild again and not resist him.
“What does Jack want?”
“Your job.” Melanie hated to be crass, but she had to say it. “I really need the paycheck, Rob. Please help me figure this out. I have to protect Brisa. I don’t know what to do.”
Rob paced in front of his desk. To Melanie, he looked like a sleek animal, a panther, on the prowl.
“So he wants my job.” He said the words as if they meant little, instead of everything.
Melanie nodded, sinking into his couch.
“Don’t worry,” Rob said, sitting next to her. “I’ll win you back.”
Melanie touched her head to his shoulder for a brief second. “You want to be the hero rather than the devil?”
Rob frowned, “What do you mean?”
Melanie half-smiled. “Never mind. I’ll explain it sometime. I’d love to get us out of this mess.”
“Consider it done.”
“Can’t I do anything?”
Rob shook his head. “Let me talk to him first. I know my grandfather and I need to see how persuasive Jack’s version of the truth is going to be.”
“Okay.” Melanie put her hand on her favorite part of his chest for a moment. “Don’t forget about me. I want to help.”
He ran a finger down her nose. “I won’t.”
Melanie tried to smile at him, knowing what came out was more of a bittersweet grimace, and went downstairs for her keys.
* * * * *
Grandfather had always said he wouldn’t find the woman of his dreams around LeatherWorks. But Melanie was an angel. He’d make them happen somehow, even though he had let her down by allowing them to lose control at the office. What an idiot he had been.
But how could he have known about Jack? Erratic, yes. But evil? Rob grabbed the darts of the mini-target on his desk and started throwing them into the one hundred-point circle, thinking.
After a while, Rob leaned back in his chair. Tired though he was, his mind raced. How could Jack have done this? He stared blankly at the wall ahead of him, but despite himself, his eyes finally focused on the poster-size photograph of the LeatherWorks team at the annual picnic in July. His family. Rob clenched his jaw and picked up the phone.
He would have to do it. He would have to talk to Jack, no matter how much the idea revolted him. He would have to reason with the madman who had been his best friend of twenty-two years. He had to win, his sixty-four other honest, loyal employees needed to be kept safe. If it were just a matter of Melanie, of Brisa, he would quit, but he couldn’t do that to his family.
“I need to appeal to your sense of reason, Jack,” Rob said quietly at his office door, twenty minutes later. “I presume you will respect the long relationship we have and give me a chance to work things out.”
“I made my demands perfectly clear.” Jack stuck his chest out. Rob could smell the scent of liquor on his breath. “You wouldn’t be sitting in this big office today without me covering your back, Mr. Nepotism. I’m tired of being number two and now I’m going to start calling the shots. You’re out and I’m in.”
Rob gripped his door even tighter. He could see Tim staring at them from his desk. He moderated his tone from what it would have been for the sake of his audience. “Melanie will lose her home if we play this out like you are demanding. The first thing that will happen is she will lose her job.”
Jack sneered. “So quit yourself and I’ll call her off. You need to stop worrying about other people and start worrying about yourself.”
Rob felt the wood under his fingers start to splinter. “You son of a bitch. Have you been lying in wait all this time, waiting for me to me to offer you an opportunity to destroy my relationship with my grandfather?”
“What right do you have to criticize me? You hire your girlfriend, who got herself fired from Professional Massage for sabotaging the buyout. She’s no better than me!”
“You have got to be kidding,” Rob said. “If anything, Melanie was guilty of gossip. You deliberately set out to damage another company. You could have bankrupted them! And now you want to ruin two people’s lives!”
Jack laughed derisively. “Don’t be an ass, Rob. It’s all a game.”
“I find it hard to believe I even know you.”
Jack pointed his finger at Rob’s chest. “I was trying to save our jobs. You don’t see the Professional Massage suits marching in here taking over, do you? You and your grandfather ought to be thanking me for that, but I know better. I know how he thinks and that’s how I’m going to win.”
“Don’t count on it,” Rob said tersely.
“This is the way it’s played,” Jack roared. “This is business! You spy and play games! Don’t you get that?”
“That’s not the way the Blacks do it,” Rob said. “You’ve worked here since you were twenty-three years old. Grandfather gave you a second chance. Why do you think I won’t get the same?”
Jack’s face contorted. “Your grandfather is a dead man walking. He’s out of time. He’ll act fast.”
Rob held back the urge to deck this shell of a man, his former friend. “He’s functioning just fine. Even if I quit, it doesn’t mean you’ll get my job.”
The veins in Jack’s forehead bulged. “Make it happen.”
Rob thought quickly, searching for an idea that would give him time to maneuver. “You won’t achieve anything until the next board meeting. You know our company policies. The board will have to vote on my replacement.”
His former best friend sneered. “You have twenty-four hours, Robbie boy, or I’m calling Dick Porter and the press.”
Like hell he had twenty-four hours. No man threatened his woman and lived to enjoy the spoils of war. One way or another, Jack was going down.
* * * * *
Melanie banged her door shut and managed to stay cool long enough to control her urge to kick her car door too. She desperately longed for the triple chocolate mud pie ice cream that had gotten her through the divorce. In fact, unless it had whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top, the ice cream wouldn’t begin to help.
As she stomped across her lawn to the front door, ignoring the carefully placed stepping-stones and nearly losing her lavender Nordstrom pumps to an illicit pile of dog business, she heard a car drive by and stop. She turned to her curb to wave to Ashok, the neighbor boy who parked there and was usually right behind her coming home. But as she raised her arm, her mouth dropped open.
That triple chocolate mud pie ice cream with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry had better come in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone if her mood was going to improve after this. Tommy Joe stood
on her walkway! Melanie heard a growling noise coming from somewhere. It took a second to realize it came from her. She forced her teeth to unclench but didn’t force a smile. That dirty, rotten, scummy…
“Melanie!” Tommy Joe cried as walked up to her. He threw his arms around her. She kept her arms at her side and leaned away as far as she could. Right on time, Ashok drove around the corner at a fast clip and whipped his car into his usual spot. Unfortunately, he didn’t see Tommy Joe’s Lexus and…
Crash! Tommy Joe let one of his arms drop from Melanie’s shoulder and turned. Melanie tried to keep the smile of satisfaction from stealing across her lips but didn’t quite manage it. If only she could sic Ashok on Jack O’Brien too!
Melanie ran across the lawn to make sure the boy hadn’t been hurt. Luckily, he’d had his seatbelt on and the impact hadn’t been enough to even open the air bag. Tommy Joe’s bumper had a concave dent in it, but it was still drivable.
“I’m so sorry, man,” Ashok said as Melanie helped him out of the car. “I didn’t see your car there.”
Tommy Joe shrugged. “No problem, son. I’m selling this car anyway. It’s probably worth more as parts.”
Son? Melanie had to laugh. Tommy Joe might at best be five years older than Ashok, who was pre-law at the University of Washington.
“You can afford a new car on your salary?” Melanie asked rudely. She hadn’t made enough when she’d had his job only a few months ago.
“I’m leaving, Melanie. I’m going to Odessa and I came to tell you to get your things together.”
“Huh?” said Melanie and Ashok said together.
“You’re moving?” Ashok asked, concern etched across his young face. “Who’s going to make me brownies during finals week?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Melanie assured him. “Your brownies are safe. In fact, I think I feel brownie madness coming on.” They would go nicely with the triple chocolate mud pie ice cream with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry in the chocolate-dipped waffle cone. If it weren’t so hot she’d eat the entire concoction lounging in a bubble bath.
“Of course you’re leaving, Melanie. You can’t take care of yourself and pay your mortgage now. You need me.”
Melanie couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter than burst out. “What?”
“You got fired,” Tommy Joe reminded her, hunching his thin shoulders.
“And someone else hired me. Someone who knew the whole story.”
“My brother?” Tommy Joe said with a blank expression in his eyes.
“What an interesting comment,” Melanie said, crossing her arms. Ashok leaned closer. “Why would your brother know my business?”
“Ah, um,” Tommy Joe stuttered. “It’s for your own good, Melanie.”
“It was for my own good my ideas were stolen? That a corporate spy passed along my unfortunate gossip?”
“We needed your ideas for the business, Melanie. I don’t know what spy you’re talking about, but it’s for your own good!”
“Why?” To think she had once considered an affair with him. He needed to be locked up in the crazy ward.
“Because we’re going to get married!” Tommy Joe exclaimed. “I did it all so we could be together. I had to get a better job to take care of you, and Billy Joe said he’d hire me as a manager if I came up with some good ideas.”
“You didn’t come up with good ideas,” Melanie pointed out. “You stole them.”
“We’ll be one person after we get married. You’ll belong to me. You have to help my career. It’s what wives do!”
Melanie shook her head. He was stuck in the same era as Gerald. But where her ex-husband had simply believed women belonged in the home, this sad soul had simply lost it.
“Melanie?” Tommy Joe said in a child’s voice. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It’s not going to be okay,” she said. “You’re sick, Tommy Joe. Get out of my face and go find a good therapist. I’ve got bigger problems.”
Melanie felt the comforting weight of Ashok’s arm around her and she walked with him toward her front door. While she put the key in her lock, she couldn’t help but sneak a peek back. Tommy Joe was still standing there, skinny lean in his dark suit, with his palms outstretched at his side. She shook her head again. What a loser.
* * * * *
Melanie smiled as she felt the sun on her face the next morning, Thursday, her favorite day of the week. You could anticipate the weekend with glee without having to do the primping and planning that had to happen on Friday before you went out.
She rolled over, suddenly awake enough to remember the state her life was in. Rob. He hadn’t called last night. Who would be in the CEO’s office when she entered the LeatherWorks’ building?
She quickly got ready and drove to work, feeling like a bomb ticked beneath her feet. After a fortifying cup of coffee in her workroom, she marched up to Rob’s office. Outside the door of the suite, she took a deep breath, straightened the jacket of her short-sleeved teal pantsuit and marched in.
“Good morning, Tim,” she announced.
“Hi, Melanie,” Tim said with a guarded smile.
“Anything wrong?” Melanie asked, wondering what was out on the company grapevine.
“Rob isn’t in the best mood, Melanie.”
“I’m not surprised. He had a tough night.”
Tim leaned forward. “What’s going on?”
Melanie shook her head. “I can’t tell you right now.”
“Go away,” growled the man behind the door.
Melanie stepped back, leaving the door cracked open an inch. She turned to Tim and held up a finger. Tim nodded and grabbed Rob’s coffee mug from next to the machine. He poured a cup and added two sugars.
“Think this will help?” he whispered.
“I just hope he doesn’t throw it on my new suit,” Melanie whispered back. She sniffed the coffee, decided it was strong enough and headed back to the door.
“I said go away,” said the emphatic voice beyond.
“Incoming,” Melanie said firmly, as she stepped in, holding the coffee in front of her like a shield.
“Oh it’s you,” Rob said, relief covering his face. “Is that fresh?”
Her heart skipped a beat at this sight of him, the scent of him. “Yes, the coffee’s fresh.” She sat down on the couch and patted the seat beside her, then took a sip of the coffee. “It’s good too.”
“That’s my cup!” he said, crossing swiftly to her.
Melanie grinned and handed the mug to him. “I thought it would get you over here.”
He sat down. “No one drinks out of my cup. It’s disgusting.”
“My mouth has been where yours has before.”
He gave her a sideways look. “I thought we decided that never happened.”
“Ah, but it did,” Melanie said, with a lightness she didn’t feel. She shifted on the black leather couch and watched his Adam’s apple jump in his throat as he took three deep gulps of the coffee. “You’re going to burn your mouth.”
He grimaced at her. “I need it.”
Melanie bit her lip. “Where do we stand?”
He shook his head and drank more coffee. “I bought us some time. I reminded Jack that removing me didn’t guarantee him my job.”
“Good. I really didn’t want to perjure myself to your grandfather. I was trying to figure out how I could still pin everything on Jack without hurting you.”
“Don’t worry about it right now.”
He said the words with such finality that Melanie knew without a doubt she needed to change the subject. Casting about for something to say, Melanie remembered. “Tommy Joe showed up at my house last night.”
“Oh?”
“He’s totally nuts. He proposed to me.”
Rob set the mug down on the coffee table with a loud clank. “He what?”
“He claimed he stole my ideas and gave them to his brother’s company so he could get a better job to support me.”
&n
bsp; Rob’s eyebrows rose so high that they disappeared under his hair. “You have to be kidding.”
“No.”
“He point-blank said he stole your ideas.”
Melanie nodded.
Rob leaned forward and gave her a smack on the lips. Melanie, too surprised to act with anything but her subconscious, opened her mouth to him. For an instant, she felt his tongue touch hers but too soon, he withdrew and stood.
“We’re going to get them,” Rob said. “You understand that? Grandfather will kill Professional Massage’s hopes. When they hear this story, they’ll be too embarrassed to show their faces. Dick Porter won’t be able to touch you.”
He paced forward then whirled around. “Did you ever show Tommy Joe your ideas?”
“No, but I know he went into my hotel room one night in Vegas.” Her skin colored as she remembered. “That night, you know, at the LeatherWorks’ booth,” she waved her arm feebly.
Rob fixed her with a smile. “You mean the night we first kissed?”
Melanie sat up. How sweet that he remembered in this fashion. “Yes, that night. I left my purse in the booth and Tommy Joe picked it up.”
Rob rubbed his hands together. “Life is good, Melanie Vanderpool. We’ve got our company back.”
“But Jack might still say something to your grandfather,” Melanie protested. This seemed too easy.
Rob smiled. “Just you wait. I had an idea and it’s being executed now. We’ll get him, Melanie, don’t worry.”
Chapter Seventeen
“So you see, Grandfather,” Rob said the next morning, seated in a chair in front of his grandfather’s desk, “their integrity is shot.”
“I refuse to do business with scoundrels,” his grandfather admitted shakily and took a sip from the crystal water glass his new nurse had placed before him.
Though a beautiful September day reigned outside, here in the mansion it felt like the end of a long season, with winter approaching despite the humid heat of the room. The sight of John Black’s distinctly grayish tongue as he licked water off his lips forced Rob to end his long silence. He had to know the state of his grandfather’s health.
“Please, Grandfather, will you tell me what’s wrong?”
CardsNeverLie Page 24