“He’d been in the business a lot longer than you had. Besides, I didn’t know you that well, and even after you became a full-ß edged broker, I didn’t know you would be able to take over as fast as you did.
I already had retirement in my crosshairs and I worried that some of my older male clients might have a problem relating to such a young woman.”
“So he had reason to think your book would go to him.”
“No, he didn’t. I never once promised him anything. And as you know, we never partnered. The fact that he assumed that’s what I was going to do is his own fault. Jackson has always had a chip on his shoulder. That man was born into money and he still wants more. I didn’t get that, and when all was said and done, it came down to one thing—who could I trust with my clients. Yours was the only name I came up with.”
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SUCH A PRETTY FACE
“Thanks, Henry. Your conÞ dence means the world to me.”
“No problem, doll. You want me to call up Stan, see if I can Þ gure out who else that ass tried to steal?”
“No, I’ll take it from here.” I already knew of two because they had transferred their accounts just recently. I didn’t need to worry Henry with it any more than I had to. I said good-bye, hung up, and considered bumming an antacid from one of the other brokers. But I dialed Ryan’s cell number instead.
“Hello?” Her voice had the surprised, worried tone of someone receiving a call at two in the morning rather than two in the afternoon.
“Hi, Ryan, it’s Mia. Sorry to bother you, but before you leave tonight would you mind putting food out for Pepito? I wouldn’t ask, but I don’t know what time I’ll be leaving here and I don’t want him to be hungry.”
“No problem. Is everything okay?”
“No, not really, but it will be.”
“Okay, don’t worry about Pepito. I’ll look after him.”
“Thank you.” It was amazing how such a small gesture could make me feel better. Even with everything going on, I still felt tempted to ask if she had made a decision about moving into my extra room. But I didn’t have time to start that conversation now. I said good-bye and went out to give Goody the bad news.
“Brenda is parked on two,” he told me.
“Of course she is. I need another kick in the cooch today.”
“What’s going on?”
“Did Robin say anything to you about Jackson leaving the company?” Goody’s chin dropped, which answered my question.
“Me either. Would you believe I actually thought he was avoiding me because he felt guilty about Ryan? Not only is he gone, he’s gotten hold of some of my client information.”
“Those accounts we just lost?”
“Yup, might be the tip of the iceberg, I’m afraid.”
“But why those? I hate to see them go, but they aren’t our big…
you think he’s going after all of them?”
“Yeah, I do,” I said grimly. “I think his last ‘fuck you’ is going to be an effort to make me look like a laughingstock. The only Business Formula with no business. He’s undercutting my fees by half.”
“How in the hell could he afford to do that? What Þ rm would agree to let him do it?”
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GABRIELLE GOLDSBY
“I don’t know, but I’m going to Þ nd out. Until then, I want to keep the number of people who know about this to a minimum, understood?
I’m going to break the news to Knight now. Goody, don’t say anything to Robin.”
I was already walking toward the branch manager’s ofÞ ce when I heard Goody gasp. I turned to Þ nd him with his hand over his mouth.
The whites of his eyes seem to glow against his light caramel skin.
“My God, poor Robin,” he said. “She relies on Jackson to supplement Goldsmith’s shitty base salary. The two other brokers she works for don’t pay her squat.”
I was angry enough to consider pointing out that Goody should be more concerned about himself. One of the stipulations of Business Formula was that a broker paid for their own rent, their own supplies and equipment, and all of their sales assistant’s salary and bonus.
Instead I said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Robin knew more than you think.”
Goody shook his head in denial, but I pressed on because the more I thought about it, the more Robin’s involvement felt like a given.
“Would there be any reason Robin would have had access to any of my accounts?”
“Well, yeah. We relieve each other. She’s helped me on a couple of occasions. Remember when I had jury duty?”
“Shit.” It would have been so easy for Robin to give Brad Jackson information about my clients without Goody’s knowledge.
“Mia, she wouldn’t have,” Goody said, but I could already see the seeds of doubt forming in his mind.
“I’m not saying she did, but Jackson couldn’t have done this by himself. I’ve caught him skulking around your desk before, but it would take time to gather all that information. So, not a word until we get this thing worked out.”
Goody’s eyes grew wide again. “Jackson bought her a PalmPilot.”
I went still, not because I was interested in gifts that Jackson would have given Robin, but because Goody seemed to think it was a valid piece of information.
“He gave it to her last Friday. I remember because it’s the Þ rst time he ever gave her anything. She can tap into free Wi-Fi from the coffee shop downstairs to check her personal e-mail without using the company computers. It has a camera on it.” Goody’s voice was dull and
• 140 •
SUCH A PRETTY FACE
he looked as hurt as he had when he’d been dumped by Mr. Sure Thing number one hundred and four.
“Don’t jump to any conclusions, okay?” I was just saying the right thing. It was obvious Goody had already reached the same conclusion I had; Robin was Jackson’s accomplice. That wasn’t the most troubling part. As disreputable as it sounded, stealing another broker’s clients wasn’t illegal. What was disturbing was that Robin might have been left behind for the speciÞ c purpose of stealing conÞ dential information.
If she had made copies of my documents to give to Jackson, that could be a federal crime.
As I stomped toward the ofÞ ce of our branch manager, Ralph Knight, I remembered that Brenda was parked on two, and detoured to pick up a courtesy phone.
“Mia Sanchez,” I barked into the receiver.
To my relief, I was greeted by a dial tone.
v
Cool air hit the back of my neck and sent a shiver down my spine as I walked. I was so tired and hungry that I could barely force one foot in front of the other. The streets seemed deserted, and all along my neighborhood sprinklers chirped as they drenched lawns already preparing themselves for an early fall. I just wanted food and my bed, in that order. I was done with worrying about Jackson, my clients, or my ex-girlfriend, at least for tonight.
I put my key in the lock and nearly screamed when the key was pulled from my hand. Ryan stood there looking so tall, so beautiful, and so concerned that I almost cried. “You’re still here,” I said.
“Yes. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was worried about you.” Ryan moved away from the door and I walked into my own house like I was a visitor. The air smelled like water-based paint and seasoning.
“You cook something?”
“Yeah, I found some stuff in the kitchen, I hope you don’t mind.
You sounded so tired when you asked me to look after Pepito that I…”
Ryan shrugged.
“No, of course I don’t mind.” I stepped out of my shoes. “And yes, I am really tired.”
“I made broccoli beef and brown rice.”
• 141 •
GABRIELLE GOLDSBY
“I had brown rice here?”
“No, that I had to buy. But you had the rest.”
I followed her into the kitchen, my mouth watering as I tried to
remember what I had eaten that day. The best I could recollect, I’d had about nine orange Tic Tacs, a leftover pack of saltines that I had found in my desk drawer, and a Diet Pepsi. “It smells heavenly.”
“It is. Pepito and I tasted it for you.”
“Oh, you’ve already eaten?” I was disappointed that we wouldn’t be sharing another meal together.
“Sorry, I got hungry a few hours ago.”
“So where is the little devil?”
“I pulled his bed into the kitchen so he could watch me. He napped while I cooked. Not sure where he is now, though. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll play hostess.”
As I slumped into a chair I heard the clickety-click of Pepito’s nails on the ß oor and then felt a warm, bony body lean against my shin.
I leaned back so I could look under the table. Pepito blinked at me, then closed his eyes.
“He’s been waiting at the door for you all night,” Ryan said.
“Funny, he barely tolerates me when I’m here.”
“Maybe he has a hard time showing his appreciation.”
“Ryan?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you for doing this and for being here.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to dish this up so you can eat and then I’ll get out of your hair.” When she slid the plate in front of me, I felt my eyes well up. “Would you like some water?”
“No, but I’d love a Diet Pepsi. Mind grabbing me one from the refrigerator?”
“That won’t keep you up?” she asked, but she was already pulling at the refrigerator door.
I tucked into my dinner. “I don’t think anything will keep me up after the day I’ve had.” I forced myself to stop chewing long enough to grunt a thanks when Ryan slid the can in front of me.
“I’m heading out. You gonna be okay?”
I stopped chewing long enough to be embarrassed by how fast I was eating. “Ryan, can you…would you stay? I mean, are you in a hurry?”
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SUCH A PRETTY FACE
“No, I can stay. Let me get some water going and I’ll have my tea while you eat.”
“This is so good. I doubt there will be any left by the time your tea is ready.”
“There’s plenty left on the stove. Do you want to tell me what’s going on, or would you rather not talk about it?”
I stopped shoveling food into my mouth long enough to note the concern in Ryan’s eyes. For the most part, I hadn’t had many problems at work. But even if I had, Brenda thought that it helped the relationship if we kept work and home separate. I never got the impression she cared about what I was doing at work anyway.
I intended on giving Ryan the short version. Instead, I found myself telling her everything Henry had told me about what Jackson had done, right down to the part that had been the most difÞ cult. Knight had given Robin Þ ve minutes to gather her things and leave the ofÞ ce, and he had called the company lawyers. Not only was he going to press charges against Brad Jackson’s new employers, but he was naming Jackson and Robin in the suit. Robin had been teary-eyed and full of denials as she left the ofÞ ce. Even Goody had refused to speak to her; he looked like he’d been kicked in the chest.
I pushed my mostly empty plate away. “I can’t imagine ever being so pissed off that I would go to the lengths Jackson has to get even.”
“So now what happens?”
“Knight will make him an example to other brokers, and unfortunately, that means that I’ll probably have to deal with this for years to come.”
“How so?”
“He stole conÞ dential information about my clients for the express purpose of soliciting their business. That’s against the law. He might not have wanted their Social Security numbers, but he got them.
Therefore, he’s in more trouble than he ever imagined. The SEC will have to go after him, and as the broker for these people, I may have to testify against him.”
“It’s amazing that he would think he could get away with that.”
I shrugged. “He’s so arrogant it probably never occurred to him that he might get caught.”
I stiß ed a yawn and Ryan did too. “I should get going,” she said.
• 143 •
GABRIELLE GOLDSBY
“Your mail is on the table near the front door. You probably didn’t notice, but I got the mail slot put in the door.”
“Ah no, I’m sorry, I didn’t.” I limped to the front door and admired the job she had done. The mail slot looked as if it had always been there.
“I saw that your entry form for the Challenge was still on the table when I brought in your mail. I think that has to be in by next Monday if you’re still thinking about doing it.”
“Thanks, I’ll take a look at it in the morning. Will I see you Monday?”
She smiled. “As long as you have the energy to work out, I’ll be here.”
“I have a feeling I’ve got a lot more late evenings in store, but I want to keep up the workouts. I was wondering if you had decided, you know, about taking the room?”
Ryan looked embarrassed. “I was going to mention it to you tonight, but with everything going on, I Þ gured it was the last thing on your mind.”
“I haven’t forgotten. The Þ rst of the month will be here in a few days, so if you’re going to make a decision, now would be a good time.”
“I decided. If the offer still stands, I’d like to take you up on it, but only for a few months…if that’s okay.”
I was too sleepy to do anything but smile. “The offer still stands.
You can move in whenever you want. Just let me know so I can help you.”
“So that’s it? No contract or anything?”
“I’m too tired to be businesslike. We can work out the details later.”
Ryan met my eyes as she pulled the door shut. I felt like reaching out and wiping the apprehension from her face. I didn’t, of course. I was afraid that it might mess up the progress we had made. I engaged the dead bolt and followed Pepito up the stairs. My whole body ached from the workout life seemed to be giving me.
• 144 •
SUCH A PRETTY FACE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I wish I could say we spent a lot of quality time together once we were living under the same roof, but the truth is, I was getting home well after nine o’clock and Ryan was an early to bed, early to rise kind of girl. In other words, the only time we saw each other was during our morning workouts. I looked forward to those twice as much as my evening workouts alone. I loved the extra motivation of showing her that I was making progress. I was trying hard not to be disappointed that we were still far from bonding. I had no right to be disappointed, though. She had made it clear that we were just friends.
At work, the Jackson situation moved relentlessly toward a court date. We got the client exoduses stanched after a couple of weeks. My personal clients wouldn’t even talk to Jackson, and the smaller accounts that we did lose we agreed to chalk up to a learning experience. It took a while for Goody to stop blaming himself for being gullible. I was sorry that Robin took advantage of him, but it was past time for him to stop beating himself up over it. The best way to get even is to move on, so I reminded him that it was my turn to host poker night.
“You might want to tell her about it as soon as possible,” Goody said. “I hated when my roommates brought people into the house without telling me Þ rst.”
“I’ll just ask her to play.” I stretched a few muscles, distracted by a slight cramping in my shoulders. “I just realized why I’m so damn sore.
I’ve worked out for eight days straight. Two was my record.”
“You, addicted to exercise? I’m impressed.”
“Ryan wants to go hiking.”
• 145 •
GABRIELLE GOLDSBY
He gave me a long look. “No comment. Now, getting back to more important matters. The poker game. Same crowd?”
“Christina might not come, since Brenda i
sn’t here. We don’t need the extra person to make the pots even.”
“She’ll come. She’ll never admit it, but I think she needs the break from that husband of hers.” Goody swept out of the ofÞ ce, more like his old self than I had seen him since the day Robin was escorted out.
I picked up the phone and called Christina Þ rst. She seemed surprised that I wanted to have poker night without Brenda but enthusiastic nonetheless. I caught Amy in the car and had to wait for her to pull over, put me on hold, and call her very pregnant partner, Dominique, before agreeing to come to play. I could hear the same unasked questions in her voice: Have you heard from Brenda? Are you really just going to go on with your life? The last call I had to make was to Ryan. I could have waited until I got home, but I couldn’t pass up an excuse to hear her voice. My Þ ngers hovered over the dial pad as I realized that I had just inadvertently volunteered myself for a fun-
Þ lled evening of explaining to my poker buddies why I had a woman I hardly knew living in my home seven weeks after my girlfriend left me.
I’ll pick up some wine. If I get them drunk enough they might not even notice her. I shook my head and smiled. I couldn’t imagine anyone not noticing Ryan. I started dialing my home number. “This is going to be fun,” I said as the phone began to ring.
v
Ryan had made me promise to take a break from working out this morning so that I wouldn’t burn out. So why was I wide-awake at 4:30
a.m. on a Saturday morning? I’ll tell you why. Because I heard her get up and after a few moments open her door. I heard her shoo Pepito away from my bedroom door and I heard both of them walk downstairs, where I imagined her sitting at the table to have her cup of tea. I tossed and turned for another forty-Þ ve minutes before I gave up and stomped into the bathroom to take a quick shower.
The poker night was one of the reasons I had awakened on the wrong side of the bed. I would have to spend my Saturday morning in the grocery store because there was no food in the house. My Saturday afternoon would be spent unpacking—translation: hiding—
• 146 •
SUCH A PRETTY FACE
Such a Pretty Face Page 16