by Paige Rion
Behind him, Andi spotted Ms. Perry, watching their exchange.
“You did good,” Andi said, her voice flat.
“Could I have a word with you for a moment?”
Andi wanted to say no. She had no idea what he wanted to talk to her about, but if it was something he couldn’t say there, with Ms. Perry looking on, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it, now that she’d decided a professional relationship was best.
“Sure,” she heard herself saying.
Standing, she followed him into his office, feeling the daggers of Ms. Perry’s gaze with every move. Once inside, he turned to her. “Is there something wrong?”
“What?” She hadn’t expected this.
“You’re quiet and the few times I saw you today, you looked as though something was bothering you.”
Andi narrowed her eyes. Seriously? What did he expect?
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just working, which is what you wanted.”
“Yeah.” He leaned back against the desk and rubbed his jaw. “Why were you late this morning?”
Andi angled her head. Where was he going with this? “I had car trouble.”
“That’s it?”
“What else would there be?”
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “The thing is, I know how badly you wanted this job. It’s a great opportunity. This morning, you just looked as though you had something else going on. And while I don’t really know you, it just doesn’t seem in your character to be careless. If anything, you seem like the type that would’ve been here early.”
Andi exhaled, dropping her arms to her sides. “That is me. I do want this job, more than anything. I don’t want you to think I’m irresponsible. I just…” She bit her lip. Telling him about Peter and their fight felt wrong, but what choice did she have?
“My boyfriend came into town yesterday, and we got into an argument. We didn’t leave things great, and he’s only in town a week, so he showed up this morning. I had trouble getting him to leave, then once I did, my car wouldn’t start. It’s old and the engine floods easily. That’s all.”
Ford nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped.
“I won’t be late again, even if it means I have to sleep here.” The moment the words left her mouth and sunk in, she blushed.
Ford raised a brow, his lips quirking. “Though that offer sounds nice, it won’t be necessary.” Andi’s face reddened further, and his smile widened. “Listen, I’m sorry if I was harsh this morning. I’m under a lot of pressure. I’ve got my agent and the publishers breathing down my neck to have a novel written in the next two months, so they can exploit the publicity. And I’ve got Trisha, who handles all my personal relations stuff, pressuring me to do the Oprah gig …” He nodded toward the office door, and she realized Trisha must be Ms. Perry. “Friday, I shared some stuff with you, something I usually don’t do. Okay, something I never do.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor. “So when I thought you weren’t coming…” He trailed off, then cleared his throat. “Uh, anyway, how’d the research go?”
Her heart fluttered in her chest at the way he spoke so candidly to her. Andi focused on her breathing, forced herself to focus on his question. The return to even ground, discussing her research, centered her. “I finished it. I’ll go get everything. I put it all together in a file.”
Ford nodded. “Good. If you want, you can go home when you’ve finished.”
She turned to leave his office.
“And Andi…”
When she glanced back at him, he smiled. “Thanks.”
Nodding, she closed the door behind her and noticed the atmosphere had changed. As she made her way to her desk, the office no longer seemed so dark, so closed-off. Already her step felt lighter, the air thinner after her conversation with Ford.
She was reaching for the file when a hand covered hers.
She glanced up to Ms. Perry’s bug eyes. “You have a guest who just barged in here, which is completely unprofessional. Didn’t I just tell you this morning, no visitors?”
Andi wrenched her hand out from under hers. “What are you talking about?”
“Him!” Ms. Perry whipped around and pointed to the waiting room, where Peter emerged from the hallway. In his hands, he carried a huge bouquet of roses.
“Peter?” Andi hurried toward him, a sinking feeling in her gut. She had no idea what he was doing there or how Ford would feel about his presence, but the air between them had just cleared, and she wasn’t about to find out.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed.
Peter blinked. He opened his mouth to say something, but Andi placed her hand on his chest and pushed. “You can’t be here. You have to go.” A ball of fire fisted in her chest. “I told you I’d talk to you tonight.”
Peter enveloped her hand in his. “I called Rachel to see where the office was so I could send you flowers after work, and she said I should deliver them personally, that she was just here this morning and no one would mind.”
Andi closed her eyes. Rachel. Of course.
Clenching her jaw, she spoke through her teeth. “She’s wrong.” Then, in a softer tone, “The flowers are beautiful and I appreciate the gesture, but you have to go. I’m about done. Go outside and wait. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
A door behind them squealed. “Hey, Andi, do you have that…”
Oh no.
Andi spun around. Ford stood in the doorway of his office, his eyes trained on Peter, his mouth slightly open. “Who’s this?” he asked, an edge to his voice.
Andi had a feeling he knew who it was. Beside her, Ms. Perry smirked, clearly enjoying her discomfort. Her stomach twisted in knots as she glanced back at Peter. “Uh, this is Peter.”
Peter’s hooded gaze moved over Ford, his cool blue eyes frosting over.
Andi swallowed. “Peter, this is Ford Delaney, the writer—my boss.” Moron. “Ford, this is Peter, my boyfriend. There was a misunderstanding. He dropped by but was just leaving.” She gazed at Peter, pleading with her eyes.
“Sure, just leaving,” Peter said. “Here, Andi.” He handed her the flowers.
Andi bit her lip and took them. Please, just leave.
“See you in a few,” he said, then yanked her into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers.
Andi’s eyes flew open and she pulled away. What the hell was he doing? Andi glared at Peter, her back to Ford so he couldn’t see, then turned. The sound of her harsh breathing filled her ears.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“No. It’s okay.” Ford took a step forward. “He may as well see where you’ll be spending most of your time this summer. I just came to get that file you promised me.” He moved toward Andi, his gaze on Peter never wavering, like a lion stalking its prey. He grabbed the file from Andi’s hand, lingering longer than necessary.
“Thanks,” he said, caressing the words with his tongue. He shifted his eyes to Andi before he turned to leave. He walked away but glanced back. “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Be here early tomorrow. Eight o’clock. We’ll be taking my boat out. Most of the day will be spent sailing. I want to see Callaway Cove from the water. Is that okay?”
Andi nodded, lifting her hand to her neck, where her skin pricked and caught fire at Peter’s unwavering gaze. “Yeah, sure,” she said, wondering what, exactly, had just happened.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Andi swatted at a mosquito, the beam of her flashlight moving wildly as she trudged through the woods. Ahead of her, hazy, silver light filtered through the trees, letting her know they had almost reached the clearing to the cove.
“I smell smoke,” Rachel hissed.
They broke through the tree line and spotted Carma sitting by the water, the tip from a cigarette burning orange against the dark backdrop of the lake and sky. She turned toward them as they approached.
Lifting her flashlight, Rachel pointed the beam at Carma’s face.
“Hey!” Carma flin
ched and closed her eyes, raising the hand that held her cigarette in front of her face.
Andi and Rachel laughed, then Andi stepped in front of Carma and said, “It’s so dark tonight, I thought Rachel was gonna piss her pants in the woods.”
“Something touched me,” Rachel said, her tone defensive.
“Sure it did.” Carma grinned.
“You should’ve seen her face.” Andi laughed as Rachel glared at her.
Rachel sniffed and shifted her gaze to Carma. “Are you going put that out so the rest of us can breathe?”
Sighing, Carma bent over and stubbed the cigarette out.
Andi grinned, then pulled a bag off her back and opened it. “We have these.” She sang the words as she waved two large bottles of wine in front of her.
“Thank God.” Carma snatched one from her hand, but Andi’s gaze caught something with the movement. She grabbed Carma’s arm before she had a chance to lower it. Holding it out, she narrowed her eyes before moving her flashlight over Carma’s pale skin. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but once they did, Andi gasped, her eyes wide. A smattering of garish, purple bruises covered the inside of Carma’s arm.
“What the hell happened?” Andi asked.
“Shh,” Carma hissed, her gaze flashing to Rachel, who turned in their direction.
“It’s nothing.” Avoiding her gaze, Carma ripped her arm from Andi’s grip and put it behind her back. “I fell in the shower the other day and wrecked it.”
Andi narrowed her eyes, unsure of whether to believe her. That was a lot of bruising for a simple fall, but before she could say anything else, Carma shrugged and walked off toward Rachel, saying, “It’s nothing. Seriously.”
Andi hesitated for a moment, but, deciding to let it go, she joined them at their spot next to the giant rock, the one they’d claimed at age twelve, when they’d first started sneaking out to the cove after their parents went to sleep. With the water only several yards away, the spot was perfect for campfires.
Andi sat in-between the two women, crossing her legs in front of her, then pulled the corkscrew from her bag and uncorked the first bottle of wine. She pulled it out with a pop and took a huge swig. Wiping the liquid from her lips, she passed the open bottle to Carma, who took a longer drink. The bottle moved to Rachel next, and so would continue the process throughout the evening.
“So today,” Andi said to Carma, “Rachel, here, my best friend, tried to make me lose my job.” Then, remembering herself, she added, “Oh, I got the job, by the way.”
Carma shrugged. “Yeah, I figured that. But, Rachel…?”
“She’s so sensitive.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say I haven’t quit playing the game. I’m still determined to win that job. And if you had showed up any later this morning, it would’ve been mine.”
Turning to Carma, she explained, “Andi was an hour late on her first day, so they called me as a replacement, but then she had to go and show up and ruin everything.”
Carma glanced between both women. “Wait…You were his second choice? Which means I was his last.” Her eyes moved to the ground and she grew quiet.
The look of disappointment on her face crushed Andi. Turning, Andi glared at Rachel, who shrugged and mouthed, what?
Andi remembered what Ford had said about Carma offering sex in exchange for the job. It boggled her mind. Why did she feel that desperate? And what made her think using her body was the solution to getting something she wanted? Or had Ford somehow misunderstood? Andi could only imagine what kind of place you had to be in to do such a thing, and as she stared at Carma, the bruises flashed through her head, and she wondered if the two things were linked, somehow.
“How’s Peter? He’s in town, right?” Carma asked.
At the mention of Peter, Rachel laughed. “Yeah, how is loverboy? See him today by chance?”
Andi’s mouth spread into a tight line as she thought about Rachel telling Peter to show up at work. “You’re such a bitch. You know that?”
“I know.” Rachel snatched the bottle from Andi’s hand. “But seriously, how are you two? Sounds like you had a nasty fight.” Her eyes softened and she searched Andi’s face—her friend now, not her nemesis.
“Again, I’m missing something.” Carma lifted her arms in the air, but Rachel waved her away.
“Where do I start?” Andi lifted her gaze to the bruised sky. “I’m not really sure how we are. I, mean, we were great before Thursday, but now that I have this job…” Andi kicked at the dirt by her feet. “You remember he’s a college professor, right?” she asked, looking at Carma for confirmation, knowing Rachel would remember.
When Carma nodded, she continued. “So getting an education is really important to him. I told him about the job and he doesn’t want me to give up school.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Men are so stupid sometimes. This is huge for you. If I don’t steal the position from you first, this could be your in. It’s like the equivalent of someone who wants to be a model getting an internship with Tyra Banks or Cindy Crawford.”
Andi snickered, thinking of how ironic it was for Rachel to defend her, as she was trying to steal her job. “You’re exhausting.” She snatched the wine from Rachel and took a swig.
“I tried to explain it all to him, but he just doesn’t get it. He supports my dreams, my wanting to be an author, but insists I need a degree to back it up.”
“Men always think they know what’s best for you,” Rachel said. “It’s up to you to steer him toward what you want, but you have to do it without him knowing it. If my mother’s taught me one thing, it’s that. You get what you want while letting them think it was their idea in the first place.”
Carma took the wine next, and said, “I don’t know. I think he’s just being protective and looking out for you. He loves you. It’s…nice. I wish I had someone who cared that much.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Andi said. “But I’m not going to give up so easily on my plan, so I’m not sure where that leaves us.”
“At odds.” Rachel sprawled out on her stomach in the sand next to the fire. She smirked in the flickering light of the flames. “Are you sure he’s not just afraid you’ll fall madly in love with Ford and ride off into the proverbial sunset?”
Andi ran a hand through her hair. “What? No. Peter’s not that type.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at her, the corners of her mouth curling. “Honey, every man’s the jealous type. I don’t care what they say. And if they’re not, there’s a reason.”
Andi thought about it. Could Peter just be insecure? Jealous?
“Come on,” Rachel said. “Ford is drop-dead gorgeous, loaded and famous. Why do you think I want him so bad? What makes it worse for Peter is that you love his work. How could he not be worried? He’d have to have some mega-sized balls not to be.”
“When you put it that way…” She had to admit what Rachel said made a whole hell of a lot of sense. “Carma, what do you think?”
“It does sound pretty bad.”
“See!” Rachel crossed her arms as a satisfied smile stretched across her face.
Andi threw her hands up. “Well, that’s just fabulous.”
“Just give him some really hot sex and he’ll forget all about it.” Rachel wiggled her eyebrows, but Andi found nothing amusing about her predicament or Rachel’s crass advice.
“That’s absolutely no help. What am I supposed to do? There’s nothing I can do about him being jealous of Ford.”
“Thinking about handing over the job?” Rachel asked, her eyes glittering.
Andi glared at her. “Uh, no.” She paused, thinking about the situation and knowing she had few options. “I just have to find a way to have both my dream job and love. I can have both. How hard can it be?”
#
Andi giggled and tried to scramble out of bed. She pointed a finger at Peter. “No!”
She suppressed her smile. “I need to get ready for work. If I’m late two days in a row, I’l
l be fired.”
She hadn’t known how to smooth things over with Peter, so last night after dinner and several apologies on his part, she followed Rachel’s advice, having no other recourse.
Peter watched her, his head resting against the palm of his hand. The corners of his mouth turned up in an amused grin. In a matter of seconds, he leapt forward, grabbing Andi by the waist. She squealed and tried to break free, but his hands were like steel and his fingers had already begun to torture her. He started with her neck, then moved to her waist and behind her knees. He tickled without mercy.
Andi kicked and screamed until she lost her breath and could only choke out a mangled laugh. His hands slowed until he replaced them with his lips, moving them over the tender skin just under her chin. Below her throat. Her chest. Andi sucked in a breath and enjoyed the feel of him for a moment. Then her eyes flew open and she glanced at the clock on the bedside table.
She groaned and pushed at Peter’s chest. “I can’t. I’ve got to get going. You can’t make me late today, and if we start that, I’ll never get out of here.”
Peter flopped back on the bed with a scowl. “Fine. Should I bring you lunch? Maybe pick you up?”
Andi glared at him. “Very funny. No showing up today.” Peter smirked, and Andi cocked her head, widening her eyes. “I’m serious. Play nice. This job is really important to me.”
“So you say.” All the playfulness from moments ago left Peter’s voice.
“Don’t be like that.” Andi turned and walked to the bathroom, where she had an overnight bag packed. She pulled out a pair of blue pants and a short-sleeved sweater. She began to dress, pulling on the sweater that had been a steal on eBay.
“So, you’re going sailing today, then?”
“I guess. You were there.” She peeked her head out of the bathroom, giving him a hard look. “That’s what he said.”
“Will it just be the two of you? Don’t you think that’s a bit intimate for a work outing?”
Andi zipped her pants, grabbed hairspray from her bag and began spritzing her messy waves into submission. She left the bathroom and watched Peter as he got out of bed in nothing but boxers.