Enemies and Playmates

by Darcia Helle

  “Oh.”

  “I didn’t want to go into law, anyway,” Lauren said. “But I think my father’s disappointed about my brother not going in that direction.”

  “What does your brother want to do?”

  “Anything other than become a lawyer.”

  Jesse’s eyebrows lifted but he made no comment. Lauren shifted in her seat. Time to move the conversation away from her family. “Is your family from Boston?” she asked.

  “Yup. I grew up on the South end. But my parents moved to Florida about a year ago.”

  “You must miss them.”

  “I do. Two of my sisters went with them. My older sister stayed here.”

  “Are the two of you close?”

  “Yes and no,” Jesse replied. “I love her but she can be a major snob.”

  Lauren listened with amusement as Jesse talked about his sister and her husband. She could relate to the pretense and the condescending attitudes he described. She lived it to the extreme.

  Did others perceive her family as pretentious? Probably. Though her father didn’t pretend. He truly believed he was better than anyone else.

  “How old is your brother?” Jesse asked.

  “Seventeen. His name is Stephen.”

  “Are you close?”

  Lauren sighed. “We used to be.”

  “What happened?”

  Good question. Too many years pretending life was something it wasn’t. Too much time spent suppressing their emotions, to the point where they showed none at all. “I’m not sure,” she said. “Maybe just a stage.”

  Lauren managed to steer the conversation away from her family throughout the remainder of dinner. They shared a decadent dessert, a mound of vanilla ice cream laced with rich raspberry sauce, covered in a white chocolate shell and topped off with real whipped cream. Jesse spoke with ease about his life while Lauren wondered what his lips would feel like against hers.

  As they walked out to the parking lot, Jesse took Lauren’s hand. The warmth sent a shiver through her. She’d never wanted someone so badly. Yet, the thought of letting him close terrified her.

  “Do you want to go to a club? Or a movie or something?” Jesse asked.

  “I really shouldn’t,” Lauren said. “I’ve got a paper due Monday morning that I haven’t even started yet.”

  Jesse leaned against his car, a black ’67 Mustang in mint condition. He took Lauren’s hands in his and said, “So seeing you tomorrow is out of the question?”

  Lauren lost herself in the depths of his eyes. “I really have to get it done.”

  “You still have to eat.”

  “You have a point there.”

  “Tomorrow night? Just a quick break?”

  Lauren couldn’t help but smile. “Okay.”

  By the time they pulled into her driveway, Lauren’s stomach was in knots. She wanted Jesse to hold her, to kiss her. She was equally afraid of letting it happen. Jesse turned his body slightly toward her. His hand touched her hair. His eyes searched hers. She found her voice and said, “I had a great time tonight.”

  “Me too.”

  His lips were warm and soft against hers. A rush of new sensations flooded her body. Heat rose to her cheeks and she hoped it was too dark for him to notice the blush.

  Jesse pulled away slowly, tracing her lips with his fingers. “I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he said.

  Lauren reluctantly stepped out of the car. Her lips still tingled from the kiss. Her entire body sizzled.

  Jesse backed his Mustang out of the driveway. Lauren stood in the foyer and watched it roll down the street. Then she closed the front door behind her. Back home. Back to her private hell.

  3

  Lauren pulled open the refrigerator. “Anyone want a soda?”

  “No, I want details,” Carrie said.

  Gina took a cookie from the glass jar on the counter. “Yeah, spill it Lauren.”

  “We just went out for dinner,” Lauren said. “It was a nice night. Nothing earth-shattering to report.”

  “Where did he take you?” Gina asked.

  “Santori’s”

  Gina whistled. “Nice place.”

  Carrie asked, “Are you seeing him again?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Carrie said. “You’ve got to be holding out on us.”

  Just then, Alex strolled through the back door. “Hello ladies,” he said.

  “Hi Mr. Covington,” Carrie said.

  Gina smiled that dazzling smile. “Hello.”

  “And what are you lovely ladies up to this evening?” Alex asked.

  “Looks like Carrie and I are on our own,” Gina said. “Lauren’s got a date.”

  “Is that so?” Alex said. “Lucky guy.”

  Lauren twisted the ring on her finger. If her friends only knew the truth about this man with his perfectly creased Armani suit. “As a matter of fact,” Lauren said, “I’d better get ready.”

  “Knowing you,” Gina said, “that will be an ordeal. You’ll have everything in your closet scattered on your bed before you decide on an outfit.”

  Lauren ushered her friends outside and promised to call them with details the next day. Her thoughts were miles away when she walked back into the kitchen.

  “Tell your boyfriend he’d better show up tomorrow,” Alex said.

  Lauren stopped inside the door. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your boyfriend. Tell him he is expected at my office tomorrow. I will not accept his feeble excuses.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You are dating Jesse Ryder, correct?”

  Lauren nodded. “But -”

  “Your prince charming walked out on his job today,” Alex said. “He claims that dating you while working for me is presenting a conflict of interest. Therefore he chose to give up his job.” His eyes bore into her. “I would not have anticipated such weakness from Mr. Ryder.”

  Lauren averted her eyes from her father’s icy stare. “I don’t see why -”

  “Tell him that I expect him in my office at eight tomorrow morning.” Alex strode across the room, stopping within inches of Lauren. He took her chin in his hand and pulled her face up toward his. “If he can’t do that, you won’t see him again. That will end the nonsense of conflicting interests. Understood?”

  The smell of woman’s cologne filled Lauren’s nostrils. “You can’t -”

  “I can.”

  Alex turned and abruptly left the room. Lauren was left staring into the empty air.

  What had she gotten herself into? She should have known better than to date a man involved with her father. She should have known there would be problems. What could Jesse possibly be doing for her father that would present a conflict of interest while they were dating? Something to do with one of her father’s many girlfriends, maybe? Or something much worse?

  She should simply break the date. That would put an end to all of this. But the thought depressed her. She really wanted to see Jesse again. And he obviously felt the same way or he wouldn’t have quit his job.

  But why hadn’t he mentioned it to her?

  The first guy she truly had feelings for. The first guy her father had something to say about. Sadly, it made perfect sense.

  Jesse took Lauren to a small restaurant overlooking the harbor. He had reserved a corner booth by the window. The sun had already set. Stars glistened in the sky and a perfect half-moon reflected against the water.

  Lauren gazed out at the boats rocking in the ocean. “Those are beautiful boats,” she said.

  “Do you sail?” Jesse asked.

  “Never been,” Lauren replied. “You?”

  “I’ve sailed a few times. It’s okay. A lot of work. I prefer speedboats and I love to water ski.”

  “I’ve always thought that looked like fun.”

  “It’s great. You’ve never tried it?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll get you out there this summer,�
� Jesse said. “You’ll love it.”

  The waitress took their order. Lauren chose baked haddock because it was the first thing she saw on the menu. Jesse ordered steak and fries with a Sam Adams. Lauren opted for iced tea, though it might be better to drown out her thoughts with a bottle of wine.

  While they waited for their meal, Lauren managed to hold a conversation despite the thoughts nagging at her. Should she ask Jesse about quitting the job at her father’s firm? Or should she let it go? Whatever was going on wasn’t really any of her business. Then again, if it was true that she was causing a conflict of interest, it was her business. Her head throbbed.

  Lauren absently pushed the remainder of her meal around her plate. Her mind was a cluttered mess. She wanted to escape it all.

  What she really wanted was to escape her father.

  “Is something wrong?” Jesse asked.

  Lauren looked up, a bit startled. She’d been miles away in thought. “No, why?”

  “You seem kind of distant all of a sudden.”

  “No, nothing’s wrong.”

  “Reading your food the way some people read tea leaves?”

  “No.” Lauren sighed. “It’s just that, well, my father told me you walked out on your job with him.”

  Jesse frowned. “Yeah, I did. But that was between him and me. I hope he isn’t sticking you in the middle.”

  “He told me you quit because dating me was causing you a conflict of interest.”

  “No, I didn’t quit because of you. Granted, this complicated things a little. But your father… he needs a different guy for what he wants done. That’s all.”

  “What was he asking you to do?”

  Jesse leaned back in his chair. His gaze dropped to the floor. “I can’t get into that.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’d have to ask him,” Jesse said. “It’s not something I can talk about.”

  “Was it something illegal?”

  Jesse reached across the table, taking Lauren’s hand. “Look Lauren, I’m sorry, I honestly can’t go there. But it has nothing to do with us.”

  “Okay.” Lauren stared down at the table. His hands held hers. Their warmth contrasted sharply with the cold inside of her. She was confused and hurt and didn’t know whether to be mad or thankful.

  “I’m really sorry,” Jesse said. “I wish I could tell you.”

  “Are all your jobs like this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Secret,” Lauren said. “So you can’t talk about them.”

  “No. Sometimes. This one is complicated.”

  “Because he’s my father.”

  “Yes,” Jesse said. “Because he’s your father. And because of the nature of the work.”

  “He wanted me to tell you to be in his office at eight tomorrow morning.”

  “Jesus. I am really sorry that he put you in the middle.”

  Lauren shrugged. “It’s not your fault.”

  “I’ll talk to him. Okay?”

  “That’s up to you,” Lauren said. “I was just passing along the message.”

  “I know. That’s exactly what I’ll talk to him about. It’s got nothing to do with you.”

  Lauren offered a thin smile. “My father sometimes has boundary issues.”

  Jesse ran his finger along the side of Lauren’s face. “I don’t want to cause any problems for you at home.”

  Lauren chewed her lip to keep from laughing. If only she could tell him how ludicrous that was. She had nothing but problems at home.

  She was bothered by the fact that Jesse couldn’t or wouldn’t tell her what he’d been doing for her father. She tried to be mature and understand that it was business and there was the whole confidentiality thing. And it wasn’t like she didn’t have secrets of her own. That didn’t seem to make the knot in her stomach any looser.

  She sighed, tried to smile. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Whatever you decide won’t change anything for me at home.”

  The ride home was quiet. Lauren couldn’t seem to shake the mood. She tried to be logical. None of this changed her feelings for Jesse. The fact that he was actually refusing work at her father’s firm was, in all probability, a good thing. She’d always known that any man she chose would not get along with her father. It had to be that way. So she should be happy. Maybe she would be, if she understood.

  Then again, she had a lot of nerve expecting Jesse to confide in her when she hadn’t even come close to being honest with him. What would he say if she told him the truth about Alex Covington?

  When they reached her house, Jesse turned toward her. His eyes held hers. “I’m sorry, Lauren.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  “Then why won’t you talk to me?”

  Even in the darkness of the car, Lauren lost herself in Jesse’s eyes. They were so intense, so full of emotion. How could she explain that she simply didn’t talk to anyone? How could she expect him to understand her world?

  “I… I guess the secrecy thing is bothering me. But I do understand.”

  “I’d tell you everything if I could,” Jesse said.

  Lauren fidgeted in her seat. She wasn’t sure what to say, what to do. Jesse ran his fingers through her hair. His touch made her shiver. She wanted so badly to trust him. To trust somebody.

  “I’m being silly,” she said.

  “No you’re not,” Jesse replied. “So can I see you again? I’ll do my best to make this up to you.”

  “I…” Lauren swallowed the dry lump in her throat. She was torn between clinging to him and running away.

  “I’ll back off if that’s what you want,” Jesse said. “But it’s not what I want.”

  “It’s just that… I’m not very good at this.”

  “That’s okay. I’m real patient.”

  4

  Jesse pushed the snooze alarm off for the second time. He forced his eyes open and stared blankly at the ceiling. The soft sound of rain tapping against his window lulled him back to sleep.

  Minutes later the insistent buzzing jarred him awake once more. Reaching out blindly toward the intruding sound, he knocked the alarm clock from the nightstand. It clattered against the hardwood floor, sending a chunk of plastic skittering beneath the bed.

  Propping himself up on his elbow, Jesse assessed the damage. “Shit,” he muttered.

  He took a deep breath and pushed himself out from beneath the warm covers. Stepping over the broken alarm clock, he made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and let the blast of cold water shock him awake. Then he adjusted the temperature to a more tolerable temperature and lazily washed, all the while wondering why most of the world insisted on functioning so early in the morning.

  After standing beneath the water long enough to drain the hot water tank, he realized he was as awake as he was going to get. He reluctantly shut the water off, grabbed a towel, then searched for something clean to wear. As he pulled on faded jeans, his thoughts drifted to Lauren. He couldn’t quite figure her out. But, damn, he was intrigued.

  He’d almost fallen off his chair that first night when she’d said Alex Covington was her father. Bastard was too good a word for that man. The guy was a twisted control freak. What was he doing in a relationship with the guy’s daughter?

  Was it even a relationship?

  Damn.

  Out in the kitchen, Jesse opened the refrigerator and scanned its contents. The sight of food made his stomach churn. He settled for a glass of orange juice. After two sips, he dumped the remainder in the sink. He yawned, grabbed his keys from the counter, and left his apartment.

  The early driving rain had slowed to a drizzle. Thick patches of fog settled across the ground. His Mustang was barely visible through the dense fog. He slumped into the seat. What a great morning to stay in bed.

  He muttered a curse directed at the world in general but meant more toward himself. He was normally so good with casual relationships. And he’d sworn never to get involved
with a client or anyone linked to a job he worked. Now he found himself strongly attracted to a woman he wasn’t even sure cared if he existed. A woman with a strong link to several recent jobs he’d worked. What the hell was he thinking?

  After weaving through forty-five minutes of traffic, Jesse pulled into the already crowded parking lot. He took a deep breath, swore at no one and nothing in particular, and stepped out into the day. The mostly glass building glittered in the growing sunlight. Jesse sighed and walked inside Covington’s Law Firm.

  “Good morning Mr. Ryder,” Suzanne said. “Mr. Covington is waiting for you.”

  “Didn’t know he was psychic,” Jesse replied.

  Suzanne overlooked the sarcasm. She said, “I’ll let him know that you’re here.” She disappeared into Covington’s office, then quickly reemerged. “You can go in now, Mr. Ryder.”

  “Thanks,” Jesse replied.

  Jesse walked past Suzanne, into Alex Covington’s spacious office. He assumed Covington was expecting him to give in. To go back on the job. That wasn’t about to happen.

  Alex rose from the plush chair behind his oversized mahogany desk. “You’re late,” he said.

  “I’m here,” Jesse said.

  “You were due promptly at eight.”

  “I wasn’t due here at all.”

  “Yet you were wise enough to show,” Alex said.

  Without waiting for an invitation, Jesse sat on one of the chairs opposite Alex’s desk. Alex Covington’s intimidation did not work on him. All it did was piss him off. He said, “Why did you involve Lauren in this?”

  Alex lowered himself back into his chair. “I have neither the time nor the inclination to have this discussion with you,” he said. “You were hired to perform certain jobs which -”

  “That’s just it,” Jesse said. “I never agreed to what you’re asking.”

  “Until your recent indiscretion, you had proven yourself to be a valuable asset to this firm,” Alex said. “You performed responsibly, discreetly, and professionally. You proved your worth, which is why you were chosen to complete the tasks at hand.”

  “I suppose I should be flattered?”

  Alex didn’t respond. He simply stared at Jesse while rapping his fingers against his desk.