What If You

by Sandi Lynn

  “What about your savings?”

  “Right.” He rolled his eyes. “Eloise was high maintenance, and we didn’t exactly live the subtle life in Paris. That’s one of the reasons why I broke up with her. She was costing me too much money and it became a constant fight. I’m in some serious debt.”

  “Women can do that.” I sighed as I bit into my burger. “How much do you need?”

  “Nah, man. You’re already letting me stay in your hotel for free. I couldn’t—”

  “Yes, you can. You’d do the same for me, and you know it.”

  “True.” He smiled.

  “Just let me help you until you find a job. Can you wait a couple of days? I’m in meetings all day tomorrow.”

  “Of course. God, Asher. You are one hell of a friend. Thanks, bro.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “So, what’s new on the lady front? You’re not going to sit there and tell me you haven’t been having sex with some hot chicks.”

  I sighed as I threw back my bourbon.

  “Actually, there is someone I met. We both agreed to keep it strictly casual.”

  “Casual is good. You’re thirty-two years old, and way too young to settle down. Do tell me about this casual woman.” A sly smile crossed Noah’s face.

  “Her name is Everly King, and she’s a life coach.”

  “A life coach. Okay. What else? How old is she? Younger, older?”

  “She’s twenty-eight, and she’s—” I paused. Even though he was my best friend, it was best to keep my mouth shut about her gift.

  “She’s?” He cocked his head.

  “She’s beautiful.” I smiled.

  “No duh. You wouldn’t date anyone less than beautiful. Do you have a picture of her?”

  I pulled out my phone, brought up her website and showed him her photo.

  “Damn, Asher. She’s hot as fuck. Way to go!” A wide grin crossed his face.

  “It’s a temporary thing. She’s only in New York for a couple of months and then she’s heading back to Rhode Island.”

  “Better yet. I’d like to meet Miss Everly King before she leaves. Let’s all do dinner one night.”

  “Sure.” I gave him an unsure smile.

  When I arrived home after my dinner with Noah, I went upstairs to my room, turned on the TV and started to get undressed. The news was on and my attention was quickly caught when I walked by the TV and saw they had captured the man who murdered those call girls. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched as a photo of him appeared on the screen while the newscaster reported the news of his arrest.

  22

  Everly

  “Any chance you’d want to help us out at the police station?” Daniel asked.

  “You know I keep a low profile. But if something comes to me. I will always let you know.”

  “I know, Everly.” He gave me a hug. “Thanks for your help in catching that guy. You saved that woman’s life.”

  “I’m happy she’s okay.”

  Daniel kissed Diana goodbye and left for the station. I grabbed my coffee cup from the table and took a seat next to Diana at the island.

  “What are your plans for today?” she asked.

  “I’m meeting up with a client for lunch and then I have to get back for a zoom call with another client. Don’t you have your first doctor’s appointment today?”

  “Yeah.” She grinned. It’s at three o’clock. Daniel is going to meet me there.”

  “I’m so excited for you two.” I placed my head on her shoulder.

  “Have you considered moving to New York?” she asked.

  “I can’t. I need to stay with Grandma and help her with the shop and things.”

  “I know.” I detected a sadness in her voice. “It would just be great to have you here permanently. I know Daniel feels the same way.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be here a lot. Especially when the baby comes.” I smiled.

  Diana left for work and I did some computer work before I had to leave for my lunch meeting with a client. I couldn’t stop thinking about Asher and our conversation yesterday outside his office building. If he didn’t want to see me anymore, he just needed to tell me. I was used to this. It happened all the time. But somehow, I felt this time, it would hurt a lot more than it ever did before. As much as I tried not to let feelings get in the way, it was too late. I liked him a lot and I was possibly falling for him.

  Getting out of my own head, I called for a cab and met my client for lunch at the Burger Bar in Greenwich Village. As we were sitting at the table eating lunch and having a conversation, I noticed a man sitting at the bar kept staring at me. As much as I tried not to notice, he made it difficult. My client had to cut our lunch short by fifteen minutes because her son’s school called, and she needed to go pick him up. I hugged her goodbye and stayed back to finish my salad. Just as the waiter re-filled my glass of water and walked away, the man from the bar approached my table.

  “Excuse me. I apologize for staring at you, but I wasn’t sure. Are you Everly King?”

  “Yes.” I cocked my head at him, not knowing who the hell this guy was.

  A smile crossed his face as he sat down across from me.

  “My name is Noah, and we have a mutual friend in common: Asher Remington.”

  “Oh. You must be the best friend who just moved back from Paris.” I smiled.

  “Yes. I’m the one.” He chuckled as he extended his hand.

  Placing my hand in his, I froze as images and scenes infiltrated my mind.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Taking in a deep breath, I let go of his hand.

  “I’m fine. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “And you as well. I just had dinner last night with Asher and he told me about you.”

  “Really? What did he say? All good I hope.” I nervously smiled.

  “Of course. He showed me your picture on your business website. So when I saw you walk in, I thought it was you, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. My apologies for staring the way I did.”

  “That’s okay.” I could feel the heat engulf my body. Looking at my watch, I took my wallet from my purse. “I’m so sorry to have to cut this short, but I have another client I need to meet,” I said as I threw some cash on top of the bill and stood up.

  “No problem. I understand. Hopefully, we’ll have another opportunity to talk. I told Asher last night that the three of us should have dinner together.”

  “That sounds great. Looking forward to it. It was nice to meet you, Noah.” I lied as I walked out of the restaurant.

  The moment I stepped out of the restaurant, I let out a deep breath and placed my hand on my chest as I walked down the street at a fast pace and turned the corner. I hailed a cab, went home and poured myself a glass of wine. Picking up my phone, I dialed Asher’s number. After a few rings, it went to voicemail.

  “Asher, it’s Everly. I need to see you tonight. There’s something I have to tell you and it’s very important. Call me back as soon as you get this.”

  After my Zoom call ended, I picked up my phone and still no call or text message from Asher. Maybe he was in a meeting. He wouldn’t purposely ignore me. Or would he? Suddenly, my phone rang, and it was him.

  “Hello?”

  “Everly, what’s going on? What do you have to tell me?”

  “Not over the phone, Asher. I’ll meet you at your penthouse tonight. And don’t worry, I’m not staying. But it is important that we talk.”

  “Is seven-thirty okay?”

  “Yeah. I’ll see you then.”

  “I’ll let the doorman know you’re coming, and he’ll let you up.”

  23

  Asher

  I didn’t like the sound of her voice. There was an urgency in her tone. A pleading to see me. I stopped on the way home and picked up a pizza and salad. I wasn’t sure if she’d eaten, but I was hungry, and pizza sounded good. As I was walking down the stairs after changing out of my suit, I hear
d the elevator ding.

  “Hi,” I spoke as I walked over and kissed her cheek.

  “Hi.” She smiled.

  “I don’t know if you already ate, but I got us a pizza and a salad.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “Then go sit down and I’ll get the plates.” I gave her a smile.

  She looked beautiful and seeing her tonight took a lot of the stress of the day away. But I was worried about what she had to talk to me about. I set the pizza and salad on the table and took the seat across from her.

  “I’m sorry. Can I get you a glass of wine?” I asked.

  “It’s okay,” she said as she got up, went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of beer. “I’ve had enough wine today.”

  I arched my brow at her as a smirk crossed my lips.

  “I didn’t realize you were a day drinker.”

  “I’m usually not.”

  “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  She sat there for a moment moving her fork around in her salad.

  “Everly? What’s wrong?”

  “I met your friend, Noah, today.”

  “Really?” I asked with surprise. “Where at?”

  “The Burger Bar in Greenwich Village. I was meeting with a client and he was there. He kept staring at me.”

  “He probably recognized you. I just showed him your picture last night.”

  “Yeah. That’s what he said when my client left, and he walked over to my table and sat down. How well do you know him?”

  “I know him very well. We’ve been good friends since Harvard. We used to do everything together. Why? Why are you asking me this?” I narrowed my eye at her.

  “Don’t give him the money, Asher.”

  “How do—Oh that’s right, you fucking know everything.” I slammed my hand on the table and rose from my seat. “You don’t get to do this to me again.” I pointed my finger at her. I went over to the island and gripped the edge of the marble countertop. “I think you should leave, Everly, and I think it’s best if we don’t see each other anymore. But I’m sure you already knew I was going to say that.”

  “No. Actually I didn’t.” She got up from the table and threw her napkin on her plate. “Your friend is a murderer, Asher. He murdered his girlfriend, and he’s using you to leave the country. Have a good night.” She grabbed her purse and headed towards the elevator.

  A sickness formed inside me as I ran toward her, grabbed her arm and spun her around so her face was mere inches from mine.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I spoke through gritted teeth.

  “Let go of me.” She yanked herself out of my grip. “I’m not talking to you when you’re like this. Just don’t give him the damn money.”

  “I’m sorry,” I spoke in a calmer voice as I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m sorry, Everly. Please, let’s go into the living room. I want you to tell me what you know.”

  She stood there as she narrowed her eye at me for a moment. After letting out a sigh, she set her purse down and took a seat on the sofa in the living room. Walking over to my bar, I poured myself a double bourbon.

  “You know what? I need some fresh air. Let’s go out on the terrace and sit down,” I said.

  She got up from the couch, grabbed her beer from the table and we both took a seat outside. The sky was dark, and the moon was just starting to appear.

  “I’m sorry, Asher. Do you think I like knowing what I do? I hate it.”

  “Just tell me everything.” I brought my glass up to my lips.

  “I saw it when I shook his hand at lunch.”

  “You saw him kill her? You actually saw him do it?”

  “Yes. They had gotten into a fight and were screaming at each other. She went to hit him, and he grabbed her wrists and held them tight. She was telling him that he was hurting her, and he said really awful things. Then he calmed down and said he was sorry. While she was in the bathtub, he walked in and handed her a glass of wine. He asked if she needed help washing her hair and that he’d be happy to do it. He held her down under the water until she stopped breathing.”

  I sat there in silence for I had no words for what she had just told me.

  “He took her body, wrapped her in plastic, drove out to the countryside and buried her. He packed up and left Paris the next day before anyone knew she was missing. You said he’s staying at one of your hotels, right?”

  “Yeah. He is.”

  “Is the room under your name?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “He doesn’t want to leave a trail. He didn’t fly to New York.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He flew to Georgia, rented a car and drove here. So as far as anyone is concerned, he’s in Georgia.”

  “He had to give the rental car place a driver’s license to rent the car.”

  “He had a fake I.D. and he paid cash. He can’t get an apartment here or a job because the police in Paris will track him down. He knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s using the money you’re giving him to disappear and create a new identity for himself. You’re never going to see him again, Asher. I’m sorry.”

  “I’ll be right back,” I said as I got up, went inside and poured myself another drink.

  I was riddled with sickness over this and I just couldn’t believe Noah would do that. I didn’t even think he was capable of murdering someone. Going back out to the terrace, I sat down next to Everly and took a few strands of her hair between my fingers. As much as I hated what she told me, I knew she didn’t have a choice. She was protecting me, again.

  “I know you’re having a difficult time dealing with me and my issues,” she spoke.

  “Is that something you see?” I asked.

  “No. It’s something I sense, Asher.”

  “It’s a bit unnerving at times. I won’t lie. I honestly don’t know how you handle it. You told me your mom numbed herself to it with alcohol and drugs. I can see why, and I do worry about you, Everly.”

  She lightly placed her hand on my thigh as her lips gave way to a fragile smile.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m at peace with it. Sure, at times it can be exhausting and overwhelming, but I’ve learned how to manage it.”

  “I’m sorry for the way I behaved earlier.” I softly stroked her cheek.

  “I’m not going to tell you it’s okay, because you really need to get a handle on that.”

  I couldn’t help but smile when she said that.

  “I’ll try. Now what are we going to do about Noah? I can’t let him get away with what he did.”

  “I already called the authorities in Paris. Eloise was reported missing and I told them what I know and where to find the body. They said they’ll be in touch as soon as possible.”

  “And how are they going to prove he had anything to do with it?” I asked.

  “His DNA is under her fingernails. While he was drowning her, she grabbed his arm and scratched him.”

  “I still can’t believe he would do something like that.” I shook my head in disgust. “We’re meeting tomorrow. I’m supposed to be handing him a check. What do I do?”

  “He told me today that he suggested the three of us have dinner together. Set that up for tomorrow night. I’ll get him to confess and Daniel will be there to arrest him.”

  “He’s my friend, Everly.” I looked away from her.

  “He’s a murderer, Asher. He purposely killed his girlfriend, buried her body and fled the country.”

  I finished off my bourbon and we both got up and went back inside. After setting my glass down on the island, I turned to Everly who grabbed the salad and the pizza from the table.

  “Stay with me tonight.”

  “I’m not sure—”

  “I want you to. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be asking.” I took the pizza box and salad from her and set them down.

  “I guess I can.” The corners of her mouth curved upward.

  24

 
Everly

  I was in the middle of picking up a few things at Target when my phone dinged. Pulling it from my purse, I saw I had a text message from Asher.

  “I spoke to Daniel and we’re all set for tonight. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Last night was incredible. Not the part of having to tell Asher about his friend, but afterwards when he took me up to his bedroom. I stayed the night wrapped in his arms and slept like a baby. When the alarm went off, I didn’t want to get up. I felt safe and secure right where I was. Tonight was going to be hard on him, and I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to be alone.

  “Are you okay?” I asked as we sat in the back of his Rolls Royce.

  “Not really.” He stared out the window.

  I reached over and placed my hand on his. He glanced at me with a small smile and turned his hand over, interlacing our fingers together. He was hurting inside. I could feel it, and there was nothing I could do to take his pain away. He lost his father, his uncle betrayed him and now his best friend was a murderer. That was too much for anyone to handle.

  Damien pulled up to Eleven Madison Park and Asher opened the door and helped me out.

  “Good evening, Mr. Remington. Your private room is ready. Follow me,” an older woman spoke.

  Asher had rented the private dining room that was located in the back of the restaurant. Within moments, Noah had arrived.

  “The private dining room?” he asked as he shook Asher’s hand.

  “I figured we could use the privacy. You remember, Everly?”

  “I do. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” He smiled as he took my hand and brought it up to his lips.

  “You as well.” I gave him a slight nod of my head.

  We sat at the round table that was dressed in a white tablecloth and a beautiful centerpiece of fresh cut flowers with a large candle that sat in the middle. After our champagne was poured, we talked for a while. I could tell Asher was already starting to sweat by the small beads that formed on his forehead.

  “So, Everly, you must be one special lady to keep the attention of this guy.” Noah chuckled.