Lily hurried to the elevator, but then noticed the Out Of Order sign. As she trudged up the steps, she wondered if she should make a preemptive strike. If she quit before Richard Patterson had a chance to fire her, then at least she could say she'd resigned. She wouldn't have a black mark on her résumé.
She approached Patterson's office and Mrs. Wilburn gave her a haughty look, then nodded. "He's ready for you," she murmured. "You can go in."
Lily knocked softly on the door then stepped inside, preparing herself for the worst. But when she saw Richard sitting behind his desk, he was grinning. Lily returned his smile hesitantly. "Good morning."
"Sit," Richard said. "I just wanted to catch up with you and tell you what an outstanding job you're doing."
Lily stifled a gasp. "Thank you," she murmured, trying to hide her complete astonishment.
"Mrs. Wilburn told me that she saw you with Brian Quinn, Friday night. She was quite bothered, but I've always said 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.' I'm glad to see that you're willing to do what's necessary to keep an eye on him."
"Of-of course," Lily replied.
He cleared his throat. "Now, I don't care to know the details, but the fact that you're willing to go… the extra mile is admirable. Keep him distracted. Good plan." He smoothed his hands over the surface of his desk. "So, carry on. Do what you have to do."
"Right," Lily said. She turned and walked out of the office on wobbly legs, then continued past Mrs. Wilburn to the stairwell. When she reached the stairs, she willed herself to calm down. "This is just perfect," she muttered. "I didn't lose my job and he doesn't think I'm a traitor. Instead, he thinks I'm a slut."
Lily groaned and sat down on the first step. Well, she now had official permission to have another night or two of hot sex with Brian Quinn. Lily pushed to her feet. So why did that suddenly seem like the last thing she wanted to do?
Brian walked into the diner and glanced around at the patrons seated for an early lunch. The place was a favorite hangout for media junkies, offering quick lunches and bottomless cups of coffee and 24-hour CNN on the television. There were plenty of empty spots at the counter so he grabbed a stool and sat down, figuring he and Sean could snare a table when his brother arrived.
He ordered a Coke, then pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and punched in Lily's number at work. But, before the phone rang on the other end, he hung up. He needed to let Lily deal with her business problems on her own. Since he'd left her Friday night, he'd been preoccupied with worries about her. She had been so upset when she'd walked away, so certain that being seen in public signaled the end of her career.
Brian grabbed a menu and stared at it. He didn't want to see Lily hurt, but there was no denying that his interest in her was causing a problem-in both their lives. Last week, they'd spent nearly every free moment together. It hadn't taken long for Brian to realize that his feelings for Lily ran deep-much deeper than simple lust.
He'd never meant to fall in love, but he was coming dangerously close to doing just that. He looked forward to seeing her and felt restless when she wasn't near. He loved the sound of her voice and the way her face lit up when she smiled. And when she touched him, every nerve in his body came alive.
Brian closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, then tried to focus on the menu again. He'd call her after work and hopefully, her worries about Mrs. Wilburn would have been eased or maybe forgotten entirely. "Or maybe, she'll be out of a job and looking for someone to blame," he murmured to himself.
"You're Brian Quinn."
The man who spoke sat down next to Brian and Brian sighed inwardly. He'd just wanted to have a quiet lunch. But with his face on the side of every bus in Boston, it was tough to walk around unrecognized. He reached into his pocket for a pen. Hopefully all the man wanted was an autograph. He turned and smiled. "Yes, I am."
The man sat down on the stool beside him. "I saw your report on that building inspector who was taking bribes. That was great work." The man held out his hand. "I'm Jim Trent. I'm the city editor over at the Globe."
Brian tried to contain his surprise. "Hey. It's good to meet you. I read the Globe. I love the Globe. I used to work at the Globe."
"You did?"
"Yep, when I was in high school and college. I used to load the trucks. But that was more than ten years ago. You weren't there then. Marcus Reynolds was city editor. He was great, but I think you're doing a better job. Harder hitting pieces, tighter writing."
"Maybe. But let me tell you, I don't like what I see coming from you. You've scooped us on almost every story you've done this last year. We should have had those stories."
"That's my job," Brian said.
"You're good on camera, but how are you on paper?"
"What are you asking?"
"Are you a writer or just a face?"
"I worked at a couple newspapers, in Hartford, Connecticut, and Burlington, Vermont, before I took the job at WBTN. I thought I was a pretty good reporter. I still write every word of my copy. Why? Are you offering me a job?"
"I've got a spot for a staff writer who can make things happen," Trent said. "Are you interested? You'd have to start at the bottom."
Brian didn't want to appear too interested, but inside he could barely contain his enthusiasm. The Globe was one of the best newspapers in the country, right up there with the New York Times and the Washington Post. He'd be starting at the bottom all over again, but he'd have a chance to prove himself by his work and not his pretty face.
"I am," Brian said. "But this has to stay between us for now."
"When does your contract with the station expire?"
"Six months," Brian said. "But they're already starting to renegotiate. My agent isn't going to like this. A job at a newspaper won't pay his commission."
Jim held out his hand and Brian shook it. "I'll be in touch," he said. "Or you call me." He clapped Brian on the shoulder. "Before I leave, you wouldn't want to tell me what you're working on now, would you?"
"If I tell you all my secrets, you won't want to hire me."
"Hey, I know all your secrets. I read the Herald." He turned and walked out the door, pushing it open just as Sean walked in from the street. Sean saw Brian immediately and strode over. "Buy me lunch," he said, slapping a large manila envelope on the bar.
"Why should I buy you lunch?"
He pointed to the envelope. "Check it out."
"What is this?"
"You wanted something to use against Patterson, to pay him back for that article in the Herald. There it is. Nice and juicy."
Brian opened the envelope and withdrew a stack of eight-by-ten glossy photos. At first, he wasn't sure what he was looking at-until he recognized Richard Patterson's face… and his chest… and his naked ass! Brian shoved the photos back in the envelope. "Where the hell did you get these?"
Sean rolled his eyes and grabbed the envelope. "You didn't get to the good ones." He pulled out the stack and flipped through the photos until he came to one in particular. He showed Brian a photo of a naked Patterson with an equally naked woman.
"So he and his wife like to walk around the house in the buff," Brian said. "That's not news and I'd be laughed out of town if I reported it."
"That's not his wife," Sean said. "And that's a sleazy little no-tell motel out on Route 28. You can tell by the television. You have to feed it quarters to get porn. Poor man's pay-per-view."
"Who is the woman?"
"I don't know," Sean said. "I was hoping you could tell me. I followed her home the other afternoon. They meet every other evening from about five until seven. He leaves from the back entrance of his office building and takes a company car. She drives a black Mercedes and lives at the same residence as Dick Creighton."
"Creighton?" Brian let out a tightly-held breath. "Louise Creighton is head of the planning commission. She ultimately decides what gets built in Boston and when." He stared at the photo again. "That's her." Brian laughed. "That's Louise Cre
ighton."
"He buys her jewelry," Sean said. "Expensive stuff. He bought her diamond earrings last week."
"Geez, Sean. This is incredible. Do you know what this means? I have the link. I know how Patterson is getting his approvals. Man, this could be the scandal of the year. And I've got photos!"
"Can we order lunch now?" Sean asked. "I'm starved."
Brian reached in his pocket and withdrew his wallet, then motioned to the waitress behind the counter. "Run this through," he said, he said, offering his credit card. "I'm paying for my brother's lunch. Give him anything he wants. In fact, give him five of everything he wants. And add a tip for yourself."
Brian grabbed the envelope, then hurried out to the street and hailed a cab. He gave the driver directions to Patterson's office building. For the second time in ten minutes, Brian punched her number into his cell phone and asked for Lily when the receptionist answered. When he heard her voice, he couldn't help but smile.
"Hi, it's me. How's it going?"
"Surprisingly well," Lily said. "I still have a job."
"I need to see you. Can we have lunch?"
She hesitated. "I can't. Brian, I don't think we should see each other anymore. I have to focus on my job."
"This is important. I need to talk to you now. I promise, this is strictly business."
"All right."
"I'm in a cab about five minutes away. Be out front." He paused, fighting the urge to tell her how he felt. What was he supposed to say? I think I'm falling in love with you? How the hell was he supposed to be sure? "I'll see you in a bit."
Brian flipped off the phone, then tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Maybe he shouldn't worry. The way things were going with the rest of the Quinn boys, he probably didn't have much choice in the matter. If the curse had struck again, he'd realize his true feelings sooner rather than later.
But then, he was only seeing this from one angle. Lily had a life in Chicago and for now, she still had a career. He might fall in love with her, but the curse didn't necessarily force her to feel the same way. "It's too early," Brian murmured. "Or maybe, it's too late."
The cab pulled up to the curb a few minutes later and Brian asked the driver to wait. He stepped out and saw Lily, then waved at her. When she hurried up to him, he pressed his palm into the small of her back. "Come on," he said.
When they were in the cab, Brian leaned forward. "Take us over to Storrow Lagoon on the Esplanade." The cabbie pulled back out into traffic and Brian immediately slipped his arm around Lily's shoulder and pulled her in for a kiss. "I've been thinking about that all morning," he murmured.
She bit her bottom lip. "You promised you wouldn't-"
"So, what happened?" Brian interrupted. "I assume that Mrs. Wilburn kept her mouth shut."
"No. She told Patterson and he called me in. He thought I was using my feminine wiles to… influence your pursuit of the story. You know, trading my body for your silence."
"He said that to you?" Brian asked.
"Not in those words, but it was implied. And encouraged. So I guess we have a green light. We could go get a hotel room right now." She laughed, but it sounded forced. Lily folded her hands on her lap. "So, what did you need to talk to me about?"
"Not right now," Brian said. "I just want to kiss you, then we'll talk." He reached out and ran his thumb over her lower lip, his gaze fixed there. "Do you want to kiss me, Lily?" He touched her lips to his, gently teasing with his tongue.
She opened beneath his gentle assault, but Brian felt as if she were holding something back. He'd kissed Lily enough to be able to read her feelings, to sense her emotions. And Lily didn't taste happy to him. Hesitantly, he drew back, then grabbed her hand and wove his fingers through hers.
The cab dropped them off near the lagoon and they walked across the grass, his hand still clasping Lily's, the other holding the envelope filled with pictures. The lagoon was one of the prettiest places along the Charles River. Across the lagoon, a slender island was connected to the river bank by little stone bridges. On a warm, sunny day, children usually sailed toy boats in the water, but today's windy and threatening weather had driven most people closer to shelter.
"Every day you show me a place that's prettier than the last," she murmured.
Brian pointed to a bench. "Let's sit."
Lily took a spot on the far end, sitting just far enough away so that they wouldn't touch. Brian took a deep breath. He wasn't sure whether he was doing the right thing, but he'd know in a few seconds. Brian handed her the envelope and watched while she opened it. As Lily flipped through the photos, her eyes grew wider and wider.
"Where did you get these?"
"That doesn't really matter."
"Are you going to use them?"
"That's the head of the planning commission with him. It makes the connection I need. It's only a matter of time. He'll be up for bribery of a public official and he'll probably go to jail. I just thought you might want to know."
"Why?"
"I don't know. So you can be prepared," Brian said. "This is going to get messy, Lily. I just want us to come out all right on the other side."
She stared down at the photos. "There's no way I can… I can't tie a ribbon on this and make it look good." She stood. "I have to go."
"Lily, let's talk about this. You have to understand. He's breaking the law. I have to report the story. If it were just unfounded suspicions then I might be able to sweep it under the rug, but in a few days, I'm going to have all the proof I need."
"Do what you want," she said. "I'm finished." She started back toward the street and Brian jumped up and followed her.
"What do you mean, you're finished?"
"I'm going back to Chicago. I've got the groundbreaking in a few days and then I'm packing my bags and leaving. They can send someone else to clean up the mess."
Brian frowned, grabbing her hand and spinning her around to face him. "You can't leave."
"I can. I'll just quit. It's really quite simple. My boss will assign someone else and they can deal with the problem. And you can report your story and gather your awards."
"No," Brian said, his temper rising. This wasn't like Lily. She didn't give up so easily. But she looked so defeated, as if the photos had taken the last ounce of fight out of her.
"This is for the best," she said. "Really. From the start we knew we were on opposite sides. I just don't see any way that we can both come out of this with our integrity intact. I should have stayed away from you from the start. I should have been stronger."
"Lily, I didn't give you much of a chance."
"This is the way it's always been. I just pick the wrong kind of guy. There's always something. They always look good on the surface, but then sooner or later, I find out the truth. I thought if I tried a different approach, I wouldn't get hurt. I guess it didn't work either." She started off again toward the street, but this time when Brian went after her, she turned and held out her hand. "Just let it go. It's for the best. Really, I'm fine."
Brian watched her walk away. He wanted to follow her, to find some way to work this all out. But though his heart was willing, he knew in his head that they'd just go round and round and come out in the same place all over again.
"So much for the Quinn family curse," he muttered.
The office at Patterson Properties and Investments was quiet, the lights were dimmed and the sounds of the cleaning crew drifted through Lily's open office door. It was nearly seven, but she'd been working on the media kit for the Wellston waterfront project, readying everything for the official ground-breaking on Friday afternoon. She'd made contacts with all the news organizations and made sure that any questions would be answered in the media kit. And now, all she had to do was wait… and hope.
Lily reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a bag of peanut M &Ms. She dumped a pile on her desk and popped a few in her mouth, the chocolate immediately calming her cravings. A few days ago, the only cravings she'd had were for Br
ian Quinn. And now, she'd gone back to sweets. "I'll weigh two hundred pounds, but at least I won't have a broken heart," she murmured.
Lily had been waiting all week for some story-any story-to hit the news, for Brian Quinn to finally reveal his case against Richard Patterson. It was like waiting for an earthquake. She knew it would come sooner or later, but she wasn't sure just how bad it would be when it did. Lily had prepared contingency plans for every possibility, ready to jump to Patterson's defense at a moment's notice.
It was best that she'd decided to break things off with Brian. She'd ignore his messages and avoid seeing him and pretty soon, she'd wouldn't think of him at all. Lily shook her head. It was a nice little delusion, but right now, that's all she had to hang on to.
Her phone rang and Lily noticed it was her direct line. She hesitated before picking it up. She hadn't given Brian the number, but she had given it to Emma. Emma, Lily mused. She could use the advice of her best friend. She snatched up the phone. "Lily Gallagher."
"Miss Gallagher, this is the security desk downstairs. I have a gentleman here to see you." The man lowered his voice. "It's Brian Quinn, the news guy."
"Tell him I'm not in," Lily said.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." The guard cleared his throat, then whispered again. "He's standing right here."
"I'll be right down," Lily said. She dropped the phone back in the cradle, then stood and smoothed her skirt. As she walked to the elevator, she thought about what she should say, how she should explain. She'd experienced her share of breakups, but she'd always been on the receiving end. An ultimatum might work-choose her or his story. She knew he'd choose the story and it would be over between them.
"That seems too simple," Lily muttered. "But sometimes, simple is better." She walked to the elevator and punched the button, shocked when the doors actually opened up in front of her. She stepped inside and rode down, all the while telling herself to be strong. But the moment she saw him standing in the lobby, her resolve wavered.
He wore an immaculately pressed shirt and pleated trousers, his usual work attire minus the coat and tie. In all honesty, Lily thought he looked pretty amazing in just about anything he wore. She frowned. With all the intimacies they had shared, she'd yet to see him completely naked. Her heart skipped at the thought of slowly undressing him. He would be so beautiful to look at-to touch.
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