by Ava Hayworth
“Lainey, are you jealous?”
I cannot remember ever having a more frustrating conversation. Did I really spend two years of my life going out with him? “Yes, I find you insanely hot, and I can’t stand the thought of anyone else getting their hands on you.”
Mark laughs. “Okay, that is laying it on a bit thick. I get the picture. You’re over me.”
Relieved that he hasn’t completely lost his mind, I feel my first genuine smile in days spread across my face. Hearing something behind me, I turn back to face the room. James is standing in front of my desk with a thunderous expression on his face. Wondering what is making him look like that, I replay the conversation with Mark in my head. Realizing what he must have heard, I feel elated. Maybe I can make him jealous after all. Keeping my eyes locked on James, I ask Mark. “Are we still on for this weekend?”
“You mean my parent’s anniversary party?”
“Yes.” I try to infuse as much seductive allure as possible into the monosyllable.
“If you are still up for it, I know my parents would love to see you.”
Not sure if my acting skills are that good, I look away from James and at the desk in front of me. “Oh, I’m definitely up for it. Do you want me to wear anything in particular?” I purr into the phone.
Mark clears his throat. “I’m sure anything you choose will be fine. It will be dressy but not formal.” As if it has just occurred to him, Mark asks, ““You’re not going to cause any trouble for Becca, are you?”
“I wouldn’t think of it. I can play nice.”
“That’s my girl. Should I text you the details again?”
I struggle not to roll my eyes. “Sure, I can’t wait. See you tomorrow.” Ending the call, I look up at James, whose face is wiped clean of all expression.
“Who was that?” he demands.
“None of your business.” I enunciate each word clearly. I wait for a reaction, but when I see that there will be none forthcoming, I ask, “Is there a reason for this visit?””
“I have arranged for some movers to come this weekend, and I wanted to know when you would like your things delivered.”
His words send such a stinging pain through my middle that I am surprised that I can still sit upright. Desperate to be alone, I say, “I’ll let you know. I am not certain of my plans yet.”
When James continues to stand there looking at me, I want to shake him and rail at him for doing this to us. My voice is husky from the effort not to scream. “Please go.” With a quick jerk of his head, James turns and leaves my office.
CHAPTER 13
After James leaves, I struggle to keep myself together. I remind myself over and over how humiliating it would be to break down in the office. I grip the corners of my desk as tightly as possible, trying to force my mind to think of something else. This is how Patti finds me when she walks into my office a few moments later. ““Lainey, are you alright?”
The concern in her voice sends me over the edge. “Nooooo…” I let out a wail. “I’m not alright and I never will be again.”
After shutting my door, Patti rushes around to my side of the desk and kneels in front of me. “Oh Lainey. I’m so sorry.”
I bury my head in my hands, and the sound of my gut-wrenching sobs reverberates off the walls of my office. Patti strokes the back of my head as if I am a small child, and when my sobs subside, I raise my head to give her a thankful smile. With sympathy brimming in her eyes, she says, “Do you want to talk about it?”
I pull a tissue out of a drawer and blow my nose. In a voice punctuated by hiccupping sobs, I tell her, “James was just here.”
“I know. I saw him leave and came to check on you.”
“He wanted to arrange for the mover to drop off my things.” Fresh tears well up in my eyes, and I dab them away with a tissue.
Patti patiently waits until she has my full attention. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with the two of you, but that man is bonkers for you.””
I let out a watery giggle. “Bonkers?”
“Yes, bonkers. You should have seen the look on his face when he left your office. I have never seen a man look so upset.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. You know I wouldn’t lie to you about boyfriend stuff.”
This was true. Patti took relationship advice very seriously. Although Patti’s speech had bolstered my spirits for a moment, the reality of the situation quickly comes crashing down on me. “Oh Patti, everything is such a mess.”
“Things can’t be that bad. You are both obviously still madly in love with each other.” Patti pauses before beginning tentatively, ““Did he cheat on you?”
“No.” I consider how I would feel if James had cheated on me and can’t hold back a shudder.
Patti’s eyes have grown big and round, and I look at her curiously. “What?”
“You cheated on him?”
“Of course not.” I scowl at her. My mind returns to my conversation with Mark and the tail end that James had overheard, and I blush. My anger has dissipated, and I am beginning to think that my behavior had gotten out of hand. I bury my face in my hands again and groan. ““This is shaping up to be one of the worst weeks of my life.”
Patti pats me on the shoulder as she rises to her feet. “We’ll just have to make next week better. Come on. I’ll buy you a drink.”” At my look of incredulity, she says, “Hey, it’s noon on a Friday, and I think you could use one.”
Having never heard a truer statement, I look around in search of my bag. Locating it, I open it up and drop in my phone before moving to stand up. Patti takes my bag out of my hand and with her other arm pushes me back down in my chair. Ignoring my look of confusion, she demands, “Look up.” Dutifully, I do as she says. Patti rummages around in my bag until she finds my limited supply of make-up. After working a few minutes to repair the damage, she gives me a smile and hands my bag back to me. “You’ll do.”
Mark’s parents live in a large white, colonial style house with a wide, expansive lawn. The drive slopes up, and I clutch Nick’s hand tightly as we walk up to the doors of Mark’s childhood home. Mark grew up in Westchester, where there is a large enclave of the upper middle class trying to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. The towns in Westchester County are known for their quaint downtown areas, good schools, and thriving communities.
The thought of seeing Becca again has me tied up in knots. I quickly run through the plan in my head. I lift up the hem of my blue tank maxi dress as I walk up the front steps leading to the front door. Mark’s parents are standing just inside greeting their guests as they arrive. They both seem delighted to see me and give Nick and me warm hugs. Walking further in, I look around for Mark and Becca. Glancing around, I see mostly middle-aged couples, probably friends of the Bryants, and a few younger faces that I recognize as relatives. After the buildup of anticipation, it is a letdown not to see Mark and Becca immediately. Placing his hand on the middle of my back, Nick leans down and murmurs, “Let’s go find something to drink.”
The back patio is set up with a bar, and I spend the time while Nick orders our drinks searching for Mark and Becca. Nick hands me my gin and tonic. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely.” I’m glad my answer comes out sounding convincing and revealing none of my inner trepidation.
“Have you considered the fact that once James’s watchdog tells him where you are, he might try to stop you?”
Paulson had continued to follow me even after James and I had broken up, but since it hadn’t interfered with my day-to-day life, I had let it go. I am sure he had followed me today and would alert James to my whereabouts immediately. I shrug my shoulders with unconcern. “There isn’’t much he can do.”
Nick shakes his head. “He is going to flip out when he finds out you came to a party where Becca would be present.”
I shrug my shoulders again, pick a cracker topped with crabmeat off the tray of one of the wa
iters circulating through the crowd, and make an appreciative sound. “This is delicious. You should try one.”
“You’re going to have to give him another chance, you know.” This time I pick asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, but instead of eating it, I pop it into Nick’’s mouth. He gives me a dirty look before chewing and swallowing it. “Okay, I’ll shut up… for now.””
With this not so delightful prospect ringing in my ears, I turn to look out over the crowd of people once more. At just this moment, Mark walks out onto the patio and sees me. He strides over to us with a friendly grin. “Lainey. I’m so glad you could make it.”” He gives me a hug before turning to Nick and slapping him on the back. “Nick, good to see you, man.”
Nick responds in kind. “Yea, you too. I hear you have a new girlfriend. I would love to meet her.”
“I’m sure you would, and I am sure that Lainey has been filling your head with all sorts of stories, but don’t listen to her. Becca is one of the nicest, sweetest girls you’’ll ever meet.”
I don’t know how I manage to repress the anti-Becca rant that I am dying to let loose, but I somehow manage to paste a smile on my face. “Now Mark, you know me better than that. You explained that it was all a misunderstanding. I am willing to let bygones be bygones. You make it sound like I am some kind of spiteful bitch.”
“Come on now, Lainey, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m glad you’re willing to give Becca another chance. It would mean a lot to me if the two of you could be friends.”
I attempt to maintain my polite smile. It must not have been convincing, because Nick laughs, which makes him choke on his drink. Luckily Mark is distracted by the sputtering Nick. After Mark pounds him on the back for good measure, he addresses us both. “Becca couldn’t make it earlier, but she should be here any moment.”
She was probably making sure I hadn’t called the police. I am counting on her skewed perception of reality convincing her that she has nothing to fear. “Is this the first time she will be meeting your parents?”
“Yea, you’re a pretty hard act to follow, but I’m sure they’ll like her.”
My smile firmly back in place, I say, “Who wouldn’t, right?” Nick unobtrusively elbows me in the side. I admit the comment could have been a little high on the sarcasm meter. To smooth over my slip, I ask Mark about his job. If there is one thing that can distract him, it is talking about himself.
We mingle and spend some time talking to Mark’s parents, and I am beginning to believe that Becca is not going to show up, when I see her. Mark is introducing her to his parents. At the sight of her, my courage takes a precipitous dip. Nick leans in close to me. “Is that her?””
“Yep, that’s her.”
“She doesn’t look like a homicidal maniac.”
I take in Becca’s round neck lace dress and cardigan sweater that make her look like a young housewife from the sixties and have to admit that she looks sweetly innocent. The dress is a stunning shade of red that sets off her skin tone and dark hair to perfection. “Looks can be deceiving.””
“You ready for this?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I look intently into Nick’s eyes. ““How about you? We could get into some serious trouble if this goes wrong.”
Nick’s chin goes up. “Nothing is going to go wrong.” I hope those aren’t famous last words.
CHAPTER 14
Leaving Nick behind me, I walk up to Mark and Becca. “Hi, you two.”
Becca greets me like she is my best friend whom she hasn’t seen in ages. I go along for a few moments before turning to Mark. “I hope you don’t mind, but I was hoping to get Becca alone for a few minutes so I can… apologize… for the misunderstanding.” Although the words stick in my throat, they seem to do the trick.
Mark jumps at this idea and suggests we go to his old room. He leads us inside and up the stairs. Halfway up, I am surreptitiously looking for Nick when something else grabs my attention. There is a flurry of activity by the front door. My heart rate picks up when I see James. He is wearing jeans and a grey t-shirt and looks more disheveled than I have ever seen him. I can’t help feeling a warm rush of pleasure at just the sight of him, but then reality comes crashing down and panic sets in. He could ruin everything. Relief floods me as I see Nick approach him. He can, hopefully, do some damage control.
I quicken my pace and pass Mark and Becca in my hurry to get out of James’s line of view. Once we have reached the upper landing, my trepidation returns. What if Nick can’t get away from James? The plan wouldn’t work without Nick. I am so preoccupied that I haven’t been listening to Mark and Becca’s inane chatter, and can just stare blankly when Mark looks at me expectantly. I have no idea what he has asked me but take a chance and nod and smile. This seems to satisfy him, and he turns to leave me with Becca. I watch Becca and try to gauge her mood. She doesn’t give anything away. My most recent encounters with her are still fresh in my mind, and cold sweat prickles on my skin.
Becca remains silent, which stretches my nerves to the breaking point. I remind myself that I knew this part of the plan was going to be difficult. I keep my eyes trained on her as she walks around Mark’s childhood room as if it were of interest to her. She picks up an old baseball trophy and inspects it. I hope she is not considering its suitability as a murder weapon. I can barely restrain myself from backing up a step. Finally, she puts it back on the shelf and turns to face me. “Well, Lainey, now you have me alone. What exactly do you want?”
I clear my throat, finding it difficult to speak past the lump that has formed there. “I wanted you to know that James and I have broken up. He’s all yours now… if you still want him.”
She gives me a chilly smile. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to hold on to him for long.”
“Yes, it seems you were right. That being the case, you don’t have any reason to go after me anymore.”
Becca’s hollow laughter fills the small space. “There is the fact that you cost me my job.”
I resist the urge to argue the issue and hurry to reassure her. “I’m very sorry about that, but I am sure someone with your credentials… and talents, will find a new position without much trouble.”
In the following pause, she seems to consider before coming to a conclusion. “You’re being too nice. I don’t buy it. What are you playing at? Are you afraid that I will hurt your ex?”
I jump to agree with her conclusion. Anything to keep her talking. “Yes, I am worried about Mark. He doesn’t have anything to do with this, and you should leave him alone.”
“Is he that important to you? I wouldn’t have thought he was even a blip on your radar.”
“You obviously targeted him because of me. What did you hope to accomplish?”
She looks at me as if the answer were obvious. “I did it because I could. How does it feel to have me breathing down your neck? Not so good, I would imagine.” She gives me a self-satisfied smile, but then her expression turns grim. ““If it weren’t for you, I would have a great job and a hot, rich boyfriend.”
“James?”
“Yes, I would have captured his interest eventually.” I don’t like the speculative look she gives me, and a chill runs down my spine. I remind myself that Nick has my back. ““I’m surprised that you arranged to meet with me alone… after out last encounter.”
“Yes, well, Mark explained how that was just a big misunderstanding.” She eyes me as if trying to figure out what my angle is, since we both know that the incident on the boat had been no accident. I know I walk a fine line between pacifying her and getting to the bottom of some of my questions. In a conversational tone meant to disarm, I risk a question. “What would a person hope to gain by setting fire to my office?”
Becca’s reaction to my change in topic is so subtle that it is almost imperceptible, but I am watching her closely and notice the slight tightening around her mouth. “If you are hoping for some kind of confession, it won’t work.”
“No,
of course not. That would be silly, since you didn’t do it. I’m speaking hypothetically, of course.”
“Yes, well, I’m glad you understand that.”
From the excited light in her eyes, I know that she would like to tell me more so I give her another little push. “It would have taken a lot of forethought and planning. Don’t you think?”
Becca then proceeds to tell me at great length the exact steps it would require. Apparently, it would only take some careful reconnaissance to determine where any video cameras might be, and the knowledge of how to set a fire without leaving incriminating evidence. When she had clerked at the district attorney’s office, she had helped try a case on arson, so she knew a little about it. She went into so much detail that I no longer doubted that she had been the one to set the fire in my office. I had the feeling that although she would never come out and admit it directly, she wanted me to know.
I take a deep breath, trying to keep a rein on my temper. Her spitefulness and downright meanness disgust me, and I begin to second-guess my plan. At this moment, I want to call the police and have her hauled off to jail. Before I get very far with this train of thought, there is a sharp knock on the door. We both look up to see Nick, followed by two older men. Becca reacts immediately at the sight of one of the men. “Daddy?” The shock is clear in her voice. “What are you doing here?”
Becca’s father is on the heavier side, and has dark hair peppered with white and swarthy skin. She obviously inherited her olive complexion from him. He scowls down at Becca. “What do you think I am doing here Rebecca? When I got the call telling me what you had been up to, I was on the first plane out here. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the police were looking for you.” He sends a glance in my direction. “Is this the girl you’’ve been tormenting?” Attempting to murder would have been a more apt description, but I hold my tongue. His question must have been rhetorical, because Becca doesn’t get a chance to respond. ““We’ve come to take you home.”