“You’ve got to go after this guy. I know people. Lawyers.”
“I’m taking care of it.” She put her hand on his shoulder and tried to push him. He didn’t move an inch. Although, truthfully, she didn’t push very hard.
“You have a lawyer?” he asked.
“No, but—”
“You can’t let him get away with this. You need help.”
She thought of Butter. “I got help.”
“Professional help?”
Butter had a job. Hell, she owned her own business. That was professional. “Yes,” she said.
“What’s his name? I’ll check him out.”
“Why do you assume it’s a man?”
“Sorry,” he said, ducking his head slightly. “I’ll check her out.”
Crap. Now she was in a pickle. And not the kind Butter put on her sandwiches.
“Ian, listen to me. Really listen. Please? I want you to just cool your jets, put them back in their jetpack, and listen.”
He pressed his lips together. Then nodded.
“I want to go home. I want to see Jane. I want to sleep.” She had an idea she needed to share with Jane as soon as possible. Taking one more risk, she reached out and touched his face, rubbing her thumb along his lower lip. “Please let me do that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He put his hand over hers, then slid it up her arm and behind her neck. He gazed into her eyes for so long, with an expression she was afraid to interpret as anything other than lust or long-standing affection or maybe, maybe a nice strong version of like, that she braced herself for him climbing into the car and seducing her right there in the driveway.
She had mixed feelings about that. Mostly yes mixed with a teeny weeny tiny smidgen of better not.
But then he said, “Only if you let me come over first thing in the morning to replace your range hood.” He cleared his throat. “So I can be near you.”
His lopsided, self-deprecating smile nearly knocked the wind out of her. If she hadn’t been held up by a seat belt—and his hand—she would’ve keeled over onto the asphalt.
He wanted to replace her range hood? Hell, he could replace her internal organs.
“Deal,” she whispered.
Chapter 44
“He’s in love with you,” Jane said over the kitchen table the next morning.
Billie removed the tea strainer from her mug. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not true.” Billie was looking forward to seeing Ian today. She didn’t want to ruin it with unrealistic expectations. “You’re just trying to get me to change my mind about the house, telling me I’ve got a sugar daddy waiting in the wings.”
She’d shared her idea with Jane, and Jane hadn’t liked it at all.
Jane looked genuinely affronted. “I can’t believe you said that,” she said. “This is me you’re talking to. I’d never suggest you rely on a man for financial security.”
“Sorry, but you just can’t seem to accept my decision.”
“Because it’s a bad decision,” Jane said.
Last night, when she’d come back from Trixie’s, she’d sat Jane down and told her they needed to sell the house. With her share of the money, Billie could carve out a better career for herself. Even if she kept her job at Flores Verdes, her opportunities were limited by her lack of a degree. And long term, she wanted to get out of city permits and break into education, maybe help kids who’d been academic late bloomers like she’d been. Like she hoped to be.
“I thought you’d be happy I want to go back to school,” Billie said. A fresh worry stirred in her gut. “Or do you think I can’t do it? I’ve failed before, so maybe you think I’ll never be—”
“Of course you can do it.” Jane reached over and grabbed her wrist. “I’ve always believed in you.”
Touched, Billie looked down into her tea. “Thanks.” Oh God, she was going to cry. Too much going on lately. “I didn’t used to think I could do it. But now I do.” Standing up to Doc was just the beginning.
“Going to school is great. You don’t have to sell the house to do that.” Jane paused. “I have a little more money saved up than I let on. I’ll support you until—well, as long as you need.”
“Until what?”
“Nothing,” Jane said.
Billie frowned. “I can’t let you do that. I need to do this myself. That’s the whole point.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“I’ll never be able to hold my own with… with a guy like… who’s more accomplished than I am, unless I can prove that I can do this.”
“Is that what you think?” Jane made a rude sound. “That’s bullshit. You don’t have to change yourself to be good enough for Ian. Or any man.”
“I know that. But I want to. I need to.”
“You don’t. You’re perfect just as you are.” Jane wiped a drop of coffee off the table. “I can’t believe I’m saying this.”
“Because I’m so obviously not perfect?”
“Because I’m trying to get you to realize what you have with Ian, of all people, which will mean I’ll have to see him at family events for the rest of my life.”
Billie felt her face get hot. She grabbed the tub of cream cheese away from Jane’s side and scraped the last globs off the bottom with her spoon. “You’re overreacting. We slept together. You’re way overreacting.”
“So was he. You should’ve seen him.”
“He’s a biological organism responding to stimulus.” The spoon tapped against Billie’s front teeth as she shoved it in. “Happens to the best of us,” she mumbled.
“He’s not like some guy you met last week,” Jane said. “It’s Ian. You’ve known him your whole life.”
Billie filled her mouth with more cream cheese so she didn’t have to talk.
“And I think you’ve maybe loved him for a big part of that,” Jane continued. “It’s not like you to have male friends.”
Billie scraped the sides of the tub. It was almost empty. They’d have to start buying those bricks of cream cheese at Costco.
“Come to think of it, back in high school, you just wouldn’t leave us alone,” Jane said. “Given how old you were, it’s strange you were doing things like throwing food and flashing lights at us.”
“I was trying to protect you from STDs,” Billie said, her voice distorted by the thick mass of dairy fat in her mouth.
“I’ve suspected your feelings since the beginning, especially when you admitted you were hitching rides with him all the time.”
“I drove him too sometimes. Carpooling helped both of us.”
“Oh, really? The millionaire couldn’t afford the bridge toll by himself? Needed your gas money and your 2001 Hyundai?”
“Shut up.” Billie used her index finger to get the last streaks of cream cheese off the inside corner of the plastic tub. “He’s very green. Sharing a ride helps the earth.”
“He wanted to help something, all right,” Jane said, “but I don’t think it was the earth.” She leaned closer. “Billie, he’s in love with you and must have been for a long time.”
Billie lifted the tub to her face and resorted to using her tongue to get the last of the cheese. “Then why didn’t he do anything about it until now?” Her voice was amplified by the plastic surrounding her mouth.
“Because he’s Ian. Because he doesn’t know himself and never has.” Jane stood up. “Unfortunately, I do know him and always have. And he loves you. Now, just the way you are. Not with a great job or a college degree.”
She couldn’t risk thinking Ian loved her. Better to make a joke about everything. “You think he likes me because I’m broke and stupid?”
“Will you knock it off? Stop twisting—”
The doorbell rang.
Getting to her feet, Jane pointed at her. “Stop twisting my words. You’re not stupid. Say it.”
Billie grinned. It was so fun getting a rise out of her big sister. “But I a
m broke. I noticed you didn’t argue about that one.”
“Billie—”
“I know I’m not stupid,” Billie said, taking pity on her sister. “And thank you for feeling the same way. When Ian told me about what you said in high school, it felt really good. I realized I did have a few self-esteem issues in that department.”
“When I said what in high school?”
“About being jealous of me.” Billie had been thinking about Jane’s words a lot the last few days as she fought for her job. “Because I had people skills, a sense of humor, and taught myself Spanish. And you thought I was generous. You wished you could be a little more like me.”
Jane sat back down. The doorbell rang again, and then a knock sounded on the door. They both ignored it.
“Ian told you that?” Jane asked.
“No, you did.” Billie set the empty tub on the table. A starving dog wouldn’t be able to find a single edible atom left inside it. “That’s why it meant so much. Your opinion means a lot to me. It meant even more when I was sixteen.”
“Billie, I didn’t—”
Ian strode into the kitchen, his hands up. “Don’t throw anything at me. I tried knocking and nobody answered.”
Chapter 45
Ian hadn’t expected to see Jane. It was a workday, and didn’t she have a job?
He went over to Billie, bent down, and kissed her on the mouth, darting his tongue along the seam of her lips as he stroked her cheek, not caring they weren’t alone. She tasted like cream cheese. In fact, he realized as he leaned back, she had a dollop of it on her nose. He kissed that off, too.
“Morning,” he said softly, gazing into her warm brown eyes.
She looked at Jane.
“Go ahead,” Jane said. “I’m going to have to get used to it eventually.”
“Jane’s taking the day off,” Billie said, giving Ian a meaningful look.
Meaning they couldn’t tear off their clothes and do it on the kitchen table even if she wanted to. It was a given that he did.
Would he ever get her alone again, for God’s sake? He’d brought over the supplies for a new kitchen floor, but he’d also brought a gift box from a bath and body boutique.
Just in case.
“Billie was just telling me something interesting about what I apparently”—Jane raised her eyebrows—“said in high school.”
At first he was confused, but after a long moment, her loaded expression told him what she was hinting at.
Did she really want to talk about this? “It really meant a lot to her,” he said, holding Jane’s gaze.
“What’s going on?” Billie leaned back and looked up at him, then at Jane, her eyes narrowing. “What did she really say?”
Ian wasn’t going to hurt Billie when the finer details were irrelevant. “She only ever said nice things about you.” That was true.
“Really?” Billie asked Jane.
Jane shrugged. “I would assume so. But I don’t remember saying anything like that to Ian. In fact,” she added, tearing a muffin in half, “I’m pretty sure I didn’t.”
“You didn’t think I was funny, generous, and showed impressive initiative in learning our grandfather’s mother tongue?” Billie asked.
“And you’re good with people,” Ian muttered.
“If I were coming up with your qualities,” Jane began, “I’d probably talk about how you always look on the bright side, never hold a grudge, and expect the best from everyone. That’s what I would say. If I were the one coming up with a list.” Jane looked at Ian, the corner of her mouth twitching.
Once again, the doorbell rang.
Ian turned and began walking to the door. “I’ll get it.”
He could feel Jane’s amusement follow him down the hallway. There was no reason to tell Billie that he’d bent the truth a little. It wasn’t as if Jane disagreed with him.
When he got to the door, he peered out the peephole and saw Todd’s face.
Great, just what they needed. Another body in the house. Standing up to his full height, he opened the door and leveled a dark stare at the creepy neighbor and his cat.
Because Todd continued to feel compelled to hold a cat as he wandered the earth.
“Yes?” Ian asked with as much welcoming charm as he’d offer a man selling anthrax cookies.
Frowning, Todd shifted the cat to his other arm and tried to look past him. “Is Jane here?”
Ian braced his arm on the doorframe. “Yes,” he said, not moving. He didn’t live there; he didn’t have to be polite.
Todd shifted the cat again. “Could you tell her I’m here?”
Only then did Ian notice it was a different cat. This one was black and fluffy with gold eyes and didn’t seem crazy about being in Todd’s arms.
The story of the poor guy’s life, Ian thought with a pang of pity.
“Sure,” Ian said finally. “Come on in.” He stepped aside and turned to call for Jane, but she was already standing there.
“Hi, Todd. Sorry to keep you waiting,” Jane said. “I kind of got distracted with other things.” She glanced at Ian.
Todd’s scowl deepened. “I’ve brought Shadow.”
To Ian’s surprise, she reached out for the cat. “So I see. Thank you so much for having her as long as you did.”
“You’re sure you want her? I have a friend who’s willing to take her in,” Todd said.
“I’m sure. This is her home.” Jane dropped the cat to the floor, and Shadow promptly snaked around her legs, purring and making an odd recurring noise in her throat that sounded suspiciously like barking.
Todd had turned and was halfway out the door. “I left the rest of her food out here. You’ll probably want to bring it in,” he said. “And make sure you spend time with her. She gets lonely easily. That’s why I liked her.”
Jane paused with her hand on the door. “I will. Thanks again.”
If Todd said anything, Ian didn’t hear it.
Jane closed the door with a sigh. “He’s moving away.”
“And now you’re stuck with the cat again.”
“Don’t say it like that,” Jane said. “Shadow’s my favorite. I barely knew the other ones. They usually ran away and hid, but Shadow’s a social butterfly.”
Ian studied the fluffy animal as she explored his shoes, hoping she knew how to use a litter box.
“Todd only stuck around because of me and Billie,” she said. “Can you believe that? But then he saw Billie was with you, and I wouldn’t go out with him either… Apparently Grammy had led him to believe… And he thought if he had one of the cats, we would…”
“Fall in love with him?” Ian asked.
“I guess.” Jane bit her lip.
“So when you weren’t interested, he chucked the cat?” Ian asked.
Jane nodded.
“What a dick,” he said.
“Lonely people do desperate things.” Jane looked at him. “And sometimes, if they’re lucky, it pays off.”
They stared at each other for a few heartbeats.
“She doesn’t believe you’re serious,” Jane said quietly.
“Working on it.”
Just then Billie came out of the kitchen, phone in hand. “Did you see Shadow?” She shot a grin at Ian. “Guess he didn’t eat her after all.”
The smile on her face slipped through his skin and lit him up inside. Every shadow, every cold corner, was filled with her warm, shining light. His hands twitched to hold her, tear off the thin T-shirt and lick his way over the curve of her breasts and belly and hips, hold her, claim her, hear her gasp and laugh and scream, hear his name on her lips. He wanted to watch her drive her crappy car, he wanted to hear her sing even though she was tone deaf, he wanted to bake her an apple pie, the only thing he knew how to cook. He wanted her, all of her, and he needed her to know it.
He began walking toward her.
Still beaming, Billie looked back and forth between them. “You won’t believe who just called me.”
Billie’s face fell. “How’d you guess? I wanted to surprise you.”
“Because they don’t want you to sue their ass halfway to the moon,” Jane said.
“Nicely put,” Ian said.
“You’re right,” Billie said, subdued. “They want me to come back to work on Monday. The investigation will continue, but it is expected to be dismissed in the near future as a result of recent developments.”
Ian closed the distance between them. “And your boss?” If that man was going to be in that office with Billie again, Ian was going to wait for him in the parking lot and have a little chat with him. Ian didn’t have a history of violence, but he was happy to start one. Rather looking forward to it, actually.
Billie’s hair was down, and a silky corkscrew was falling into her eyes. He tucked it behind her ear, savoring the feel of the downy hair at her temple.
“He won’t be there, that’s all she would tell me. I guess I’ll hear more Monday when I go in.” Billie twinkled at him. “I tracked down the woman who was with him that day and got her to sign a statement backing me up.”
He lowered his hand, impressed. “How’d you get her to do that? Did you lie?”
“Of course not,” Billie said. “I’m a very honest person.”
Indeed she was. He’d always admired that about her. In his line of work, he’d met a lot of crooks, enough to fill a large minimum-security federal correctional facility. “How? I can’t believe it’s because she’s as pure of heart as you are.”
“No, Butter is out for blood,” Billie said.
“Butter?” Jane asked.
Billie laughed. “She runs the sandwich shop. Her name—” Her phone began playing a song. “Hold on, call coming in.” She looked at the screen, made a face, and held it out for them to see for themselves.
“AC/DC?” Jane asked.
“Doc,” Billie mumbled, turning away and striding into the living room as she lifted it to her ear.
Going for Broke: Oakland Hills Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy (Friends with Benefits) Page 20