The Other Marlowe Girl (Marlowe Girls)

by Fred, Beth

  I shook my head. “You can’t pay him.” I caused this problem and I was going to take care of it myself, somehow.

  “I really can’t, but I’ll figure out a way to eliminate a paper trail.”

  “I’ll leave.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll leave Luke’s house. Then you won’t have to worry about Lucí.”

  He looked me in the eye. “You know it’s not just Lucí I’m worried about, right?”

  “Enrique, you can’t fix this.”

  He sighed. “I’m not giving in, but since I can’t think of a way right now, we’ll talk about it later.”

  I wanted to argue, put up more of a fight. He needed to give in. I wasn’t letting him pay for Emmett’s drugs, and this was my problem. I should have found a better way to deal with it a long time ago. But talking about it later sounded good at the moment. I needed to think about something else—anything else for a while. We took our wine glasses and sat down on the couch. I lay back in exhaustion and rested my head on Enrique’s leg, not sure what he would think of it. His lips turned up into a perfect smile, and he took my hand.

  “So other than the encounter with the drug dealer, how was your day?”

  “You know most of it.”

  We watched “Ever After” while finishing the wine.

  “I know you don’t want anyone to know about this, but I’m talking to Luke.”

  “About Daniel? You can’t!”

  “Kammy, I don’t feel like you’ve done anything wrong. Stupid, maybe. Not wrong. But if this guy has shown up at his house, I think he should know.”

  “I told you, I’ll stay with my parents or Katia.”

  “You’re staying with your sister because your parents kicked you out, and Katia isn’t reliable.”

  “I’m sure my mom just wanted me to get a job. She’ll let me stay there.”

  “This guy is looking for you, and he thinks he can find you at your sister’s. You can stay here, or I can put you up in a hotel. But it doesn’t matter, because he already thinks you’re at Luke’s. I’ll leave out the details. I’ll make you innocent.”

  I felt the tears roll down my face. “He already hates me, and my sister isn’t going to talk to me until he doesn’t. If you do this, I’ll never speak to you again.”

  He pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Come on, you don’t mean that.”

  I pushed myself up into a seated position and glared at him. “Yes, I do. And I’m good at not talking to people.”

  “You want your sister and niece to be safe, don’t you?”

  “He’s not after them. He’s after me.”

  “And he wasn’t after you when he showed up at your apartment that day either.”

  “If I hadn’t written a hot check, he still wouldn’t be after me. And I don’t see Tiffany doing that.”

  Enrique moved to close the space I’d put between us. “He would have shot you, if you hadn’t.”

  “Enrique, please don’t do this. I’ll—I’ll do whatever you want me to. Just don’t do this.”

  “I think I have to. If you think Luke is the reason your sister doesn’t talk to you, I’ll ask him about it.”

  I crossed my arms. “Oh, yeah. Because that’s going to make him like me so much more. He already thinks I’m playing some kind of game with you.”

  “Kammy, I’ll take care of it. Trust me, please?”

  No. I don’t trust guys. Duh.

  He stood and offered me his hand. “Come on, princessa. It’s getting late. I should get you home.”

  I got up without taking his hand and walked to the door with Enrique following behind me. “You can’t stay mad at me forever,” he whispered.

  I wasn’t sure about that. His smile made me smile, so it might be hard to stay mad at him. But if he told anyone about Daniel, I thought I could do it.

  Chapter 9

  Back at my sister’s, Enrique walked in with me. I knew then he would sell me out.

  “Luke, I need to talk to you,” he said.

  I shot him a glare.

  “Okay?” Luke said.

  Enrique’s eyes trailed from Luke to where Tiffany sat beside him holding the baby. “Alone,” he said quietly.

  Tiffany stood up, holding Lucí in her arms. “I’ll just go put the baby to bed.”

  I glared at Enrique one more time. “I hate you,” I muttered. I looked at Tiffany. “I’ll help with Lucí.”

  But the “I hate you” I threw at Enrique must have been louder than I thought, because Luke looked from Enrique to where I trudged toward Tiffany, then back to Enrique and said, “Already?”

  “Definitely,” I confirmed.

  “Kammy—” Enrique started.

  “What?” I cut him off.

  “You’re beautiful.” He gave me a smile that made me want to melt, but I couldn’t care because I had begged him not to do this.

  “Gee, I’ve never heard that before. Wow! Mr. Hernandez, you are so creative!”

  Tiffany laughed and turned to look at me. “This is better than primetime. Come on. You can tell me about it.”

  “There is nothing to tell.”

  As we headed up the stairs I heard Luke say, “I know a good florist.”

  “What happened?” Tiffany asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you sure?” She sat Lucí down on her changing mat and started pulling her sleep sack on over her onesie.

  “Pretty sure.” I leaned against the wall while Tiffany sat down in her rocking chair.

  “What did he do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “He’s a good guy.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, he must have done something. You’re obviously upset.”

  I sighed. “It’s not his fault. It’s my fault as usual. I just don’t know why he couldn’t let me handle it.”

  “What happened?”

  “Tiffany, I’m not talking about it.” My voice was sharper than I meant for it to be, and I instantly regretted it.

  Anger flashed across her face for a second, and then it was gone. “Are you still screwing things up and expecting other people to take care of them?”

  Now I was angry. “No. I asked him to let me take care of it. That’s what I’m mad about.” I kissed Lucí on the head and left the room, calling “goodnight” to Tiffany on the way out.

  The next morning when I went downstairs, Tiffany was putting waffles on the table. “Can I ride to work with you?” I asked Tiffany.

  Luke looked up over his paper, tracing his eyes from me to her.

  “Sure,” my sister answered.

  “Where is Enrique’s BMW?” Luke asked.

  I sighed. “I got rear-ended.” No need to point out unnecessary details. I had no idea what Enrique had or hadn’t told him.

  Tiffany laughed. “You’re fighting over the car?”

  “How about I drive you both today?” Luke asked before I could answer.

  “Why?” Tiffany asked.

  “I was taking you today anyhow. I’ll just take you both.”

  “Were you planning to tell me about this?”

  “We don’t spend much time together these days. I miss you.”

  “Uh-huh. Luke, you wouldn’t be lying to me, would you?”

  He was quiet for a minute. “If I am, I have a good reason that involves no culpability on my part, so could you just go with it? Trust me?”

  “You know I don’t like just trusting things, right?”

  “But I wouldn’t ask you to if it weren’t important, would I, Tiffany?” His voice was so soft when he said her name I could barely hear him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned over, and pecked him on the head. They made me sick.

  Enrique came in.

  “I’m going to start charging you rent,” Luke said.

  “I’ll pay it as long as Tiffany cooks for me.”

  She smiled. “The food can’t be that good.”

  “No, it’s the blonde.” He put a ha
nd on my shoulder, but I shirked away.

  “I thought you might need a ride since my car is in the shop.”

  “Luke’s taking me,” I said.

  “It might be uncomfortable,” Luke said. “I have a car seat in the back.”

  “It’s okay. It’s cold on the bike.” Yeah, right. I could think of no place hotter than the back of Enrique’s bike with my arms clasped snugly around his waist.

  “It is cool out. Do you want a ride?” Luke looked to Enrique.

  “No, but I want a waffle.” He grabbed a waffle from the plate.

  Tiffany slapped his hand. “Use a fork. I’m telling your mom.”

  “You sure, Enrique?” Luke asked.

  What was this? I thought I wasn’t good enough for Luke’s brother anyhow. Why was he trying to get me stuck in the backseat with him?”

  As we walked the stairwell to the double doors of the law firm, Luke stopped and said, “Senora, Hernandez?” She turned to look at him, and he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled her face to him. Their lips locked, and her body curled around him in a way that was uncomfortable to watch. I cleared my throat, but they ignored me. “Gross, can’t you take it to your office or something?”

  They broke apart chuckling. “Once we get inside, we’re colleagues,” she said.

  “Anything else would be inappropriate,” he said.

  “That’s why we never stick around for lunch.”

  “Oh, that was way too much information,” I snapped.

  I heard a familiar laugh behind me that put goose bumps on my arms. Enrique. “You’ve been staying with them all week, and this is your first brush with their happy marriage?”

  “I thought they would act like old people in public.”

  Enrique laughed harder. “I’m not that much older than you!” Tiffany shrieked.

  “Three years is a long time, but whatever. I’m going in. I have to work while you stand outside and make out with the boss’s son.”

  “You could too, you know?” Enrique said, turning my face crimson.

  I gasped. I couldn’t believe he’d said something so blunt in front of Luke and Tiffany. The thought of making out with Enrique on the stairway was way too tempting, but I was still angry with him for telling on me. I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I kicked him.

  “Oh, you’re going to pay for that.”

  I ran for the door.

  “No running in the building. It’s a liability,” Tiffany called.

  “Luke can’t fire me,” Enrique said, chasing after me. I ran for the elevator and hit the up button, pausing to wait for the car. When the door opened, I stepped inside, and he came up behind me, grabbing my waist. The laughing was gone, leaving a mixture of desire and emotion.

  “Let go of me. I am mad at you.” I struggled to get out of his hold with no success.

  “You’re safer this way, so I don’t regret it.”

  “We’re at work. Just drop it.” He let go of me now.

  “Can we talk sometime today?”

  The door opened, saving me from answering.

  Chapter 10

  I hadn’t been in my cubicle for ten minutes when Luke stepped in my cloth covered box and slid the plastic screen closed.

  “I heard you think I’m the reason your sister doesn’t talk to you.”

  Wow! So Enrique told him that, too. I shrugged. “You don’t like me and you don’t make much effort to hide it. I can’t imagine Tiffany holding this kind of a grudge for so long.”

  “I told her not to talk to you the night I met her because she was worried about paying for the hotel rooms, and all of your friends, and getting you out of jail. I haven’t said it since. Tiffany doesn’t always put up a fight with people because she doesn’t like conflict. She thinks for herself though. Did you ever even apologize? And I don’t just mean for what you did that weekend and never paying her back, but,” his eyes darted to the sides of my cube as if to make sure no one was on the other side, “you slept with her boyfriend in her house.”

  “Why are we still on that? I loved him. She didn’t. And shouldn’t it bother you that your wife is still angry about a break up that happened years ago?”

  He shook his head. “Kammy, grow up.” He sounded like my sister just then. “I just came to tell you that I would like for your sister to have a relationship with you. I’ve never done anything to harm that. If I’m not so friendly sometimes, it’s because I don’t trust you. I’m sorry.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “I don’t care, but now you know.”

  “What have I ever done to you?”

  “I love Tiffany.” He paused for a minute. “Look, you’re her sister and Lucí’s aunt. I’ll try to be nicer, but don’t make me regret it. And what are you and Enrique fighting about?”

  “None of your business.”

  “You’re right, but he—don’t hurt him, okay?”

  “Can’t. We’re not talking. You only get to be my brother-in-law after five, so unless you need something, get out of my cube, please?” I picked up a stack of papers I was supposed to sort for Sylvia and laid them out in front of me.

  He nodded. “You did a good job yesterday.” That was the nicest thing Luke had ever said to me. He walked out of my cube, closing the screen behind him.

  I wasn’t about to try to get a ride with Tiffany at lunch, so with nothing else to do, I decided to watch “So You Think You Can Dance” on my computer. This girl was overambitious, mixing ballet steps into her salsa, and almost fell. Twenty comments talked about how elegant she was. It was so stupid. She couldn’t even dance in her heels, and I was about to tell them that when my phone buzzed against my desk. I never answered numbers I didn’t know, but I decided to on a whim. The manager of Burgers N’ More near Tiffany’s had called to set up an interview for that night. Before I got off the phone, someone tapped on my screen while opening it. “We could get lunch,” Enrique said.

  “If you’re opening the door while knocking, what’s the point of knocking?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What do you need?”

  “To talk to you.” He took a seat in the chair across from my desk.

  “Fine. Say what you have to say.”

  “I didn’t tell him what you think I did.”

  “But you told him I think he’s the reason Tiffany hates me.”

  “I asked him about it. He laughed at me. He said that Tiffany rarely listens to him, and he would never tell her what to think about someone even if she did.”

  I glared at him. “I asked you not to.”

  “I did it to help.”

  I crossed my arms. “What else did you tell him?”

  “That you have a stalker, and I’m worried about you. I mentioned the text in front of his house.”

  “You didn’t mention that my stalker is a—”

  He brought his finger to his lip, shushing me then whispered, “Don’t say it here.”

  I nodded.

  “No, I didn’t give him any details.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “For what?” he asked.

  “Making such a big deal out of it.”

  “Can I take you out tonight?”

  The screen of my cube whipped back and Luke came in, glaring at me then his brother. “What the hell are you doing in here? If you don’t have enough work to do, I can give you more.”

  “What’s wrong?” Enrique asked.

  “I cannot believe you!” he shouted at me. “If you didn’t want to do something, or couldn’t do it, you should have told me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Tiffany appeared in the open space of my cube where the screen should have been. “Luke, your secretary said you needed to see me, and the receptionist said you would be here. What’s wrong?”

  “Did you send her here?” Luke asked.

  “Send who here?”

  “Tiffany, I know you want to help your si
ster, but this was not the way to do it,” he said.

  Tiffany put her hand on her hip. “I don’t know what we’re talking about.”

  “Did you send her to talk to Angie?”

  “No, I didn’t even know you had an opening,” she said.

  “Anjel, are you busy today?” he asked.

  “No more so than usual. What do you need?”

  “I have to go to court, and it has to be me because no one else can handle this. I’ve got twelve boxes of copies in my office that I can’t use, and I’ll need them tonight. Can you help my secretary? There is no way she can do it herself, and no one else is available.”

  “Sure, but I’m charging you overtime.” She smiled.

  “Give yourself a raise while you’re at it. I’ll help when I get back.”

  “I don’t think you’ll need to. I think I can probably loan out a secretary and an accounting assistant, but I have to ask. I won’t make them do it. Why can’t you use the copies you have?”

  He shook his head and shot me a glare before answering her. “Because they were copied single sided, meaning half the pages are missing.”

  Tiffany nodded before rushing off.

  My heart sank. I stood at that copy machine for six hours, skipping lunch to get it done. Of course, I would screw it up. I managed to do that with everything I touched.

  Luke was seething. “Kammy, tell me you didn’t do that on purpose.”

  “I didn’t.” I actually thought I did something right for once.

  “How did you not see the copies were two sided?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t really look. I just picked up piles, made the copies, clipped, stapled, and stickied them, the way the originals had been.”

  He laughed. “You didn’t look. Of course you didn’t. Why am I not surprised?”

  I’d gone from being stressed over this fiasco to angry. “I did exactly what you asked me to.”

  “No. You did about half of what I asked you to.”

  Standing, I pushed my chair back and leaned over my desk. “You never mentioned they were two sided.”

  “Everyone else in this building can read. I didn’t know I had to.”

  “Luke, calm down. It was her first day. She made a mistake,” Enrique said.