Seven Guilty Pleasures

by Jeannette Winters

  “Yes. But I should have reached out to you anyway and apologized.”

  Drake said, “You can make it up to me by having coffee with me now.”

  And that is exactly what I don’t want. “What kind of employee would I be if I showed up late for my shift? I believe I would receive a written warning because I’m still in my probationary period.”

  Drake laughed. “It sounds as though you would be better suited working with Scott in human resources.”

  Although that’s where she wanted to be, she doubted the salary would make the transfer worth it. Besides, she liked working with Janet. It wasn’t exactly like having a sister, because no one would ever replace Ziva, but it felt nice having a friend.

  “I think I’m okay where I am for now.” The words had come from her heart. “Maybe we can have coffee when I’m not pressed for time.”

  Isa chuckled to herself. Listening to her own words made it sound as though she was someone of importance. She was talking to the owner of the company and letting him know she was too busy for him. He must think I’m nuts. And he would be right.

  Drake reached behind and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. He opened it, and she held her breath hoping he was not about to offer her money. She was turning the page and trying to look at mankind in a better light. Giving her money for her time would be treating her like a whore. She couldn’t, no, she wouldn’t, tolerate it.

  Instead, Drake handed her his business card. “This has both my office as well as my cell phone. When you’re ready, call me.”

  She took the card from him, and Drake continued on the path he was traveling earlier. What just happened? Where was the terse and brusque man from the other night? She doubted she would call, but she slipped the business card in the back pocket of her jeans as she rushed to catch the elevator.

  Janet had told her to expect another busy night. Every Saturday the casino had live bands playing. But the overflow would find their way to the lounge. She said it was another great moneymaking night for waitresses. By the way the rest of her day was going, her night looked great already.

  * * *

  Gabe had sent Drake a text message letting him know Isa was in the hotel lobby looking for information on Alex. As far as he was concerned, that was waving a flag of guilt. He had anticipated observing her from a distance, but something must have spooked her. When he saw her in the hallway, he didn’t want her to know he was onto her. It was the first time they had spoken without any resistance on her part. He would not go as far as saying she was friendly, but there definitely was something different about her today. He had to get to Gabe and find out what Isa may have learned in their brief exchange. Whatever it was, it had a positive effect on Isa. For now at least. If Gabe’s as good as the Hendersons say, Isa learned only what Gabe wanted her to know and nothing more.

  When he went back to the lobby, he saw Gabe sitting on a couch by himself. He was talking on the phone, but Drake didn’t care to who. Gabe was working for him. And he had questions for him. And you better have some answers.

  “Why the hell did you let her leave?” Drake snapped.

  Gabe covered the phone with his hand and said, “Give me a minute, and I’ll answer your question.” Then Gabe continued his conversation but made it brief.

  Drake was not used to being brushed off, especially from someone he was paying. As soon as Gabe was off the phone, Drake demanded again, “Can you answer the fucking questions now? I told you I wanted to be here when you questioned her.”

  “You’re really not a people person are you?” Gabe asked, not even flinching. “I mean, you could trust me to do my job.”

  “I don’t trust anyone,” Drake snarled.

  “Yeah. I can see that. But seriously, you need to back off. Or you’ll find yourself without my support.”

  “Is that a threat?” Drake couldn’t believe Gabe was wasting time on this. He needed him to answer the fucking questions.

  “It means I don’t need your money. But you need my help. I handle things the way I see they are needed. You wanted answers, which you never would’ve found if you were here.”

  It was obvious that Gabe did things one way, his own way. Drake wasn’t opposed to that as long as he got what he wanted. “What did you learn?”

  “She is not after you or the Hendersons.”

  “Then why is she here?” Drake asked.

  Gabe stood near Drake. “I guess because your company offered her a job.”

  Drake wasn’t buying this bullshit. Isa was searching for information on Alex. There was no doubt in his mind it was so she could gain more information on the Hendersons. If he wasn’t in a joint endeavor with them, Drake wouldn’t give a shit. But what happened to them could potentially affect him and his business.

  “What about Alex? What did she learn? What was she looking for?”

  “Answers. Part of me wanted to give them to her, but I’m not sure it would help. And it definitely should not come from me. Or from you either,” Gabe said in a warning tone.

  “What the hell does that mean? The Hendersons would want to know she was inquiring about them.” Or do you only give information when you’re getting paid for it? Because then you would be a mercenary, and I don’t do business with them.

  “It’s a delicate situation. She wanted to know who the man was who had offered her a job, which was wise, even though she turned him down. I have brought Alex up to date. It’s now up to him when and how he wants to tell his wife.”

  “Tell her what exactly?” Drake’s patience had run out.

  “That her missing sister, the one they all thought was dead, is actually here working for you.”

  Shit! He was both relieved and filled with anger. Having no siblings, Drake had grown up fairly self-sufficient. And given my parents, that had been easy. Anything is easy with money. But if what Gabe said was true, Isa had been about to be evicted before she got a job at High View. She was thirty-eight years old. How was she all alone? But she shouldn’t be alone because she has a sister, and a brother-in-law, and other family who have missed her. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for them to have been separated all these years. But if Isa was indeed Ziva’s older sister, how the hell did she get here? Why didn’t she let anyone know she was okay?

  “Are you positive about this?”

  Gabe nodded. “I am. For now, I think she is content. But there is something I should tell you.”

  Going to drop another bomb on me like that one? Bring it. “Can you just tell me instead of making me ask?”

  “She never asked what Ziva’s name was. She referred to her as Alex’s wife. I never told her it was Ziva.”

  His blood was boiling. If Isa was so close to her family, why hadn’t anyone told her? Was everyone going to play fucking games with her? This had to stop. “She has the right to know.”

  Gabe nodded. “This isn’t about your business or the Hendersons’ business. This is about family. Neither you nor I should make this call. You have the information you asked for. Now I suggest you drop it and let her do her job. Right now that is the best thing you can do for her. If you don’t, this family might never find their way back to each other.”

  Drake couldn’t relate. Not to any of it. In this entire mess, there is only one person who he felt bad for, and that was Isa, someone he barely knew. Why am I so drawn to this woman? Ziva had Alex. But Isa . . . she has no one. He couldn’t imagine the hell she had been through, and what it had done to her. Drake regretted treating her the way he had. Such an asshole. But he could see Gabe’s point. It had to be handled delicately. Otherwise it could open up old wounds.

  “Consider it closed. Anything more on finding who is behind the thefts?”

  “Nothing yet, but I don’t give up until I have what I’m looking for. And I don’t care how damn good they think they hide. I’m better.”

  Drake nodded and walked back to his office. I sure as hell hope you are. Because there is a lot more riding on it than any of us fi
rst believed. What was he thinking? The Hendersons didn’t have a clue there was a problem yet.

  Dean was supposed to arrive tomorrow. Drake had hoped to have all the answers before then. It wasn’t looking as though that would happen. If Gabe didn’t have anything solid to go on, Drake was going to have to bring the Hendersons into the loop. The problem with doing so was also letting whoever the mole was know they had slipped up. And it was only a matter of time before they were caught. But until then, they probably would go deep into hiding to cover their tracks. Because I have a feeling it isn’t going to end well for them when they’re caught.

  Drake had no idea how the Hendersons would react, but he knew how their father would’ve handled it. A one-way ticket to hell.

  He was a lot of things, but Drake always believed you could handle things without violence. But what violence had Isa endured?

  The mystery he’d seen in those dark eyes of hers were no longer a mystery after all. It was pain and sadness. If Gabe was not going to let the Hendersons take her under their protective wing, he was going to do so. He wasn’t a man who acted on feelings, never had been. That never got you far in business. So, why he had to protect Isa was unclear, but something told him it was what he should do.

  Exactly how he was going to do that without telling her the truth, was yet to be determined. He always felt honesty and being direct was the best avenue. But he was about to insert himself in her life all based on a lie and secrets. If she doesn’t hate me by the end of this, it’ll be a shock.

  Chapter 8

  It was Sunday morning and lying on her bed, she thought about her agenda for the day. Nothing and more nothing. Isa couldn’t remember the last time she just relaxed. Normally she’d spend her day job hunting, but without the internet that wasn’t an option. It wasn’t as though she wanted to be at work, but it would have given her a reason to get out of bed today. Since Carlos had scheduled her for the night off, she might as well roll back over.

  She spent the next hour tossing and turning. She got up and tried adjusting her sheets and blankets and then her pillows. There was no getting comfortable. It wasn’t the bedding; it was boredom. She looked out of her bedroom window, and a faint mist of rain was still coming down. She wasn’t the kind of woman who would jog, but she wouldn’t mind going for a walk. There was a beautiful park a few blocks away from her apartment. She could spend afternoons there lying on a blanket and reading. But that’s not going to happen today.

  Janet had given Isa her cell phone number. Calling Janet before noon on her day off might not be wise. Looking around her one-room apartment, she realized how little there was to do. Since she didn’t spend much time there and never had company, it was already clean. There was one pile of laundry in the corner. When did washing clothes start sounding fun?

  Isa knew she had to make some changes in her life. In a couple of years she would be forty. There was so much she had put off doing. It hadn’t bothered her before now. But she was going to start making changes in her life. Actually, going out with Janet and her friends, Isa already had. What she would do next, had yet to be seen. But something would come along; she just needed patience.

  She found her pile of clothes and started sorting them. The blue jeans she had worn yesterday really weren’t dirty. So instead of tossing them in the hamper with the other items, she gave them a quick shake in the air. A piece of paper flew out of the back pocket, tumbled in the air, and landed on her bed. She didn’t recall putting anything in her pockets yesterday. Walking over, she realized what it was: the business card Drake had given her.

  Isa picked it up, flipped it over, and traced his name with her finger. He said to call when I’m ready. Am I ready? Ready for what? She wasn’t sure. Isa knew she wanted to but didn’t know why. There was something about him. Was this card a sign that she should actually reach out to him? She promised herself to try new things, and having coffee with the owner of the company she worked for was definitely new. Probably not smart either.

  She walked over to the bureau and laid the business card face down. The longer she looked at it, the more she wanted to call. Isa tried doing other things in her room to take her mind off Drake. She lay on the floor and did some crunches. Her eyes somehow always landed back on that business card.

  She snatched it off the bureau and grabbed her cell phone. She looked at the card and dialed Drakes number. It rang once, twice, and then before she knew it, she got his voicemail. Isa hung up. If she was supposed to call him, he would’ve answered. Since when did I start acting on signs? It was just dumb luck that it flew out of my pocket. Nothing more than that.

  What was she thinking calling him at this hour? It was the weekend. He was either sleeping or spending time with his family. Whatever he was doing, she shouldn’t disturb him. Drake probably gave her the business card to be polite. She was sure he never expected her to use it. Or he hoped I wouldn’t.

  Isa felt foolish, but at least she didn’t leave him some pathetic voicemail. He probably gets so many phone calls he won’t notice a missed one from me. Drake shouldn’t know her number, but then again, it wouldn’t surprise her one bit if he did. Isa rolled over and was about to put her cell phone back on the nightstand when it rang. She got a lot of phone calls, mostly from bill collectors or telemarketers. Neither of those cared what time of day they reached out. She was tempted to let it continue ringing, but her curiosity got the best of her. Looking down at the number, her heart leaped into her throat. He’s calling me back? Did he know it had been her that had called? Was he just checking and saw a missed call and blindly decided to call back? How should she answer it? With her name or just hello?

  Isa spent too much time contemplating what to do and say and lost the opportunity to answer the call. She had never set up her voicemail, so all it would do was tell him the number he had called did not have the option to leave a message. She wasn’t about to call him back either. Drake was a busy man, way too busy, to waste his time playing phone tag with her.

  Her phone vibrated, letting her know she received a text message.

  ARE YOU OKAY?

  It was Drake. But he did not say her name. Why would he think there was something wrong? She needed to respond with something.

  YES.

  It was very simple and to the point. But he inquired yet again.

  ARE YOU SURE?

  He must think this is someone else. Someone who is sick.

  DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS?

  Drake replied. YES, ISA. WHY DIDN’T YOU ANSWER YOUR PHONE?

  Because I’m a chicken. It was easier not talking to him when she wanted to keep her distance. But she couldn’t say she was thinking of him and wanted to claim the rain check for coffee.

  DIDN’T WANT TO DISTURB YOU. THOUGHT YOU MAY HAVE BEEN SLEEPING.

  She waited for his response, but none came. Then her phone rang. She knew it was Drake. It was easier talking through text. It gave her a minute to think before typing. Not answering again would be plain rude.

  “Hello.”

  “Good morning.”

  His deep husky voice sounded even sexier on the phone. Not that it matters. He’s my boss.

  “I’m sorry to have called you so early.” Actually, I wish I hadn’t called at all.

  “If I’m sleeping at nine a.m., you better call an ambulance, because something major must be wrong.”

  “Not a late sleeper?” Isa had no idea why she was asking about his sleeping habits. Whether he was an early bird or a late riser was none of her business.

  Drake replied, “I don’t think I’m the only one who couldn’t sleep.” There was an awkward silence, then Drake asked, “What time should I pick you up?”

  “Excuse me?” Isa knew she was nervous, but when did the conversation switch from sleeping habits to going somewhere?

  “I thought you were calling about our appointment with caffeine.”

  The way he phrased it made Isa chuckle. “I’m sure you have other things to do today.”


  “You didn’t answer my question. What time would you like me to pick you up? I’ll even throw in breakfast if you haven’t eaten yet.”

  “Are you trying to bribe me?” Isa asked teasingly.

  “If you like freshly baked blueberry scones, the answer is yes.”

  Isa’s stomach gurgled with excitement. She didn’t eat last night after work, and the only thing she had left in her apartment were dried Chinese noodles. “With real butter?”

  Drake laughed this time, “If you promise not to tell my doctor, yes.”

  Isa had bumped into him physically a few times. The man had picked her up and carried her . . . effortlessly. She did not need to see him with his clothes off to know that he was in excellent shape. He probably worked out in his spare time and ate nothing but health food.

  “Would you rather meet someplace?” Isa didn’t live in the best neighborhood. She rented what she could afford. It was clean and quiet. Those were her only requirements. She could only imagine what his place must look like. Stop overthinking it. It’s not a date. It’s coffee.

  “I will pick you up, and I will drop you off. I should be there in about thirty minutes. Will that give you enough time to get ready?”

  There really wasn’t anything to prepare. She had showered last night, and she only planned on slipping on the jeans he had seen her in yesterday. “Yes, that will be fine.”

  He ended the call, and she wondered how he knew where she lived. For that matter how did he know her number? She didn’t recall giving either to him. Calling him back and asking those questions was not a great way to start the day. But if the opportunity presented itself, she would inquire.

  Isa finished putting the dirty clothes in the hamper and slid it inside the bathroom. Then she made her bed and scanned the room to make sure everything was neat. She had no intention of inviting him inside, but she also hadn’t planned on calling him either.

  Once the apartment looked presentable, she hurried to the bathroom to do the same to herself. She didn’t have time to straighten her hair, and the long dark curls seemed to be extra unruly with the humidity. She normally wore it up whenever she went out. Today she chose to wear it loosely around her shoulders. She picked up her mascara and was about to put some on but decided against it. She was wearing so much makeup every night at work, and she was tired of it. Isa was not out to impress Drake. She was who she was, and pretending to be someone rich and fancy wasn’t fair to either one of them.