Bad Company
Page 10
I sat down in my living room and pulled my phone from my pocket. What were the chances that perhaps Leah would come to Boston and decorate my home for me? I let out a large laugh at the crazy idea. Then I thought, maybe it wasn’t so crazy, and I should call my mom, she would know where Leah was. I quickly dialed the number.
It took three rings for her to pick up. “Hello.”
“Hey, Mom, how are things?”
“Logan, I didn’t recognize the number. I am good, how are you?”
“Good, Mom, listen. You don’t have a number or an address where I can reach Leah, do you? Seems that she may have changed her cell number.” The line went silent, and I heard her put her hand over the receiver and a few muffled voices in the background.
“Mom?”
“Sorry, honey, I don’t. She asked that we keep that private.”
“For goodness sake, Mom, I’m her stepbrother. I need to talk to her.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I would do the same for you if you asked. Why don’t you tell me what you need, I can pass on the message to her?” I let out a huff, even my mother was taking Leah’s side.
“Don’t worry about it. I have to go.” We said our goodbyes, I hung up the phone and sat back in my chair thinking of how I would find Leah. I had no idea where she was, no address to write. I fucking missed her, she wouldn’t leave my mind.
I was getting irritated with myself. I stood, walked into the kitchen and dialed the number to Preston Interior Design. I glanced at the clock noting they were probably already closed for the night. Seven rings, eight. “Hello. Preston Interior Design, Mary speaking.”
“Yes, Mary, Jean from Dream Home Magazine recommended you. My name is Logan Lehmbeck, I’m one of the architects over at Jim’s firm.” I knew she would know who I was speaking of, we had often recommended Preston Interior Design to our clients.
“Ah yes, Logan. I’ve seen some of your work. I actually just finished doing work on a home you designed for the Meyers family.”
I rolled my eyes. Meyers had been a huge pain in my ass during the whole design process. I didn’t want to hear about what she did at the Meyers’ home, I wanted to get this booked so I could get back to figuring out how I would find Leah.
“Anyway, I am calling because Jean thought you could set me up with a designer. She recommended the woman who recently worked on the Boston Harbor Hotel.”
“Ah yes, she is a young spitfire. How about we set up the initial meeting tomorrow, if that works for you. I happen to have an opening at eleven. We can discuss what you’re looking for, and if I think she would be a good fit then I will pass your account to her and she will call you to set up a meeting.”
“Perfect,” I said, gave her a bunch of information then hung up the phone and sat back down.
I flipped through the calendar in my phone and noticed that Mother’s Day was in three days, then Memorial Day at the end of the month. Two can play at this game, I thought. I couldn’t call or write, and since I didn’t know for a fact that her cell number had changed, I would send her a text message every single day except holidays. And I would do it until she answered me.
I open a new text message, added her name to the top and thought for a moment before typing anything.
ME: IT’S RAINING, I HATE THE RAIN.
. . . and so began the way I hoped I would get her to talk to me again.
TWENTY
Leah
My day started with a morning from hell. I slept through my alarm—I never did that. I rushed around my apartment and got ready for work. I grabbed coffee and muffin on my way into work because I didn’t have time for breakfast, and just as I was about to open the door to the office building some guy pushed on it from the other side, hitting my cup and spilling my latte right down the front of my brand new, white blouse. This day couldn’t possibly get any worse.
It was now eleven, and I was finally seated in the safety of my office with the door closed, going through my email. I was just about to write out a reply when I heard my cell ping with a message. I frowned, only three people messaged me—Anna, Dad and Jenna—and if one of them messaged me at eleven in the morning, then something must be wrong. I bent and pulled my phone from the purse that sat under my desk by my feet and quickly punched in my password. I had three text messages.
I frowned, that’s odd. They had come in over the weekend while my phone had been on silent while I worked from home. One on Saturday, one on Sunday and now one today.
LOGAN: IT’S RAINING, I HATE THE RAIN.
LOGAN: DID YOU KNOW THAT GINGERSNAPS ARE MY MOST FAVORITE COOKIE AND FOR A REASON I DON’T UNDERSTAND, THE GROCERY STORES HERE ONLY SELL THEM AT CHRISTMAS.
LOGAN: I ORDERED A CARAMEL MACCHIATO FROM STARBUCKS THIS MORNING. I CAN SEE WHY THEY ARE YOUR FAVORITE!
I placed my phone down on my desk; I wasn’t in the mood for his games. If he thought he would get my attention by sending me these stupid text messages, he was wrong. I let out a sigh and went back to checking my email when Mary walked by my office. She waved and then entered.
“Morning, Leah. How are you this morning?”
“I’m all right, sorry I was late, I had a latte incident on my way in.”
“Oh dear, that doesn’t sound very good.” She laughed.
“No, it wasn’t but I promise you I will make up the hours tonight.”
“Don’t worry about it, we work enough overtime here so there is no need to worry about such little things. Listen, Friday afternoon I had a preliminary meeting with a gentleman here in Boston. He works for one of the architectural firms here in Boston that we collaborate with. He has a brand-new house and after discussing what he thinks he wants done, I feel that you would be best suited for the job. He actually requested you, but I wanted to make sure that you would indeed be the best fit.”
I frowned; I had only been working here for three months. I wasn’t even out of my probationary period yet, I still had another fifteen days. They had assigned me one project, and it had taken me almost the whole time I’d been here to complete the work. It was impossible that anyone would know of me.
“He was referred to us by Dream Home Magazine and he specifically asked for the girl who did the re-design at the Boston Harbor Hotel. I told you that you did amazing work on that job. Anyway, his home is being featured in the magazine soon. This will be a big step for you.”
“All right, great! Do you have his contact information?”
“Give me a few minutes to get back to my office, I will send you all of the information I gathered via email.” I smiled, perhaps the day wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Mary took off toward her office and I ran to the kitchen to grab another coffee before my next appointment came in. I was starting work on another large project. I had just sat down in my chair and was checking my email when Mary’s message popped into my in-box. I had a funny feeling in my stomach as I opened the email and as soon as I saw the client’s name I knew why.
I felt ill. Did he know it was me? I had specifically told everyone not to give him my number or tell him where I was. I was still staring at the name on the screen when my cell phone rang.
I grabbed the phone and answered the incoming call. “Hey, Leah, how are you doing, love.” Anna’s voice rang over the phone.
“Fine.” It was the only answer I could muster as I sat staring back at the screen, Logan’s name was the only thing I could see.
“You don’t sound fine.”
“Just having a bad day is all.”
“I see. Do you have a minute? I wanted to talk to you about Christmas.”
“Anna, it’s only May.” I frowned.
“It’s your father, he wants to know if you are still planning on coming home.”
“Anna, I don’t know at this point. I’ll have to see. Do you know if Logan is coming home?” Her answer to that question would dictate how I would respond. If he was going, I would spend Christmas alone in my condo with a tub of ice-cream and a bag of M&M’s
.
“I’m not sure yet, I didn’t have a chance to ask him last week when I spoke to him.”
Interesting, he called home last week, and now I was sitting staring at his name in little black letters on my screen. “Tell Dad that I will let you guys know closer to December.” I got quiet for a moment then asked, “Anna, did you tell Logan where I am?”
“Heavens no. He asked about you though, asked where you were, but you requested that we keep it secret. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want Logan to know, quite honestly. I mean you live in the same city. I figured it may be nice for you to have someone to hang out with until you get to know people but if it’s what you want . . .”
“It is . . . what I want,” I said a little to quickly into the phone. I had no choice but to believe her, she had always done as I asked. While I continued to listen to her drone on, I quickly sent a reply to the secretary at the front desk and asked her to call Logan and book him in with another agent. I should have talked about it with Mary first, but I used the excuse that my calendar was too full to take on anymore clients. It wasn’t and hopefully she didn’t look and just did as I asked.
“Anna, your father would like you to promise to come home this year. He misses you.”
“Can I let you know? I have a client waiting in the lobby for me. I have to go.”
“Of course, dear. Chin up and try to have a good day.”
I hung up my phone, shut my office door and pulled my privacy blinds down. I normally worked that way, less distraction, so it wouldn’t give away anything. I sat back down at my desk, put my face in my hands and soon the tears poured down my cheeks.
I had done my best to forget about Logan, but lately he was all I could think about again. Now this. I wiped my cheeks and looked up at my screen. Mandy, the girl from the front desk, had responded. I clicked the email open and prayed as I read the words she had sent back.
“Unfortunately, Mary has already told me the appointment must stay with you. If there is a problem, you will need to speak directly with her. I already looked at your calendar and I penciled him in at the end of the month. Also, your one o’clock is here in the lobby.”
I reread her email, suddenly feeling ill and I couldn’t wait for this day to be over with. I composed myself as best I could, pulled open my consultation notepad and placed it on my desk. I smoothed my skirt, put on my best smile and walked out into the lobby to greet my next client.
TWENTY-ONE
Logan
Mom and Joe still wouldn’t budge about Leah’s location, but they had finally broken down and told me her cell phone number was still the same. So that meant she had been getting my texts, and I continued to text religiously every single day, minus the holidays. I was sure she would eventually answer, maybe even pick up on the pattern, eventually. She had no idea just how persistent I could be.
I could still feel the softness of her lips when I had kissed her, still smell the perfume on her skin as I pressed my face into her neck and I could still hear the sound she made while my face had been buried between her creamy thighs. I’d been a fucking fool. I hadn’t had a date since I returned to Boston from the anniversary party, and I regretted everything I said to her that morning that made her run from me.
I thought back over the last few months. I felt like I was going a little crazy. I was sure I had seen her at numerous places around the city—like she was haunting me. Last month I followed a woman into a coffee shop one afternoon, sure it was her, only to find out it wasn’t as I whispered dirty words into her ear. I got my face slapped for that one. I was at the grocery store one afternoon two weeks ago and thought I saw her again, so I followed her right to her car. When she stopped two security guards in the parking lot, I had to do some fast talking to get out of that one. I was almost certain I had seen her twice last week, but this time kept my distance.
I rolled over in bed and looked at the clock. It was just a little after eleven and I still couldn’t sleep. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. Today had been the only day I hadn’t messaged Leah since I started, but that was only because it was Yom Kippur. I planned to only text her on days that didn’t have a holiday or observance.
I checked my calendar and noticed that I was supposed to meet with the interior designer from Preston tomorrow evening after work. My boss was breathing down my neck to get this shoot done for the magazine. Mary seemed positive about her choice of designers after our meeting a few weeks ago. I just prayed that she could get the job done right away and that I wouldn’t have to wait several months.
If that was the case, Jim had already told me if this designer didn’t work out, we would use one of our own. He wanted the spread in the magazine to happen sooner rather than later.
I scrolled through the pictures on my phone and came to the one I took the morning of the anniversary party. Leah stood beside me smiling, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. If I got another chance, I would give her exactly what she wanted, because I was miserable without her. I never thought those words would ever enter my head, the woman literally infuriated me all the time, but maybe that was what I loved about her.
I shut my phone off and threw it back on my nightstand. I closed my eyes thinking back to the night at the hotel. How I laid on the bed after we’d made love for the first time, she was curled up beside me. She didn’t look at me, but I felt her fingers dance down to my already semi hard cock and take it into her hand. She ran her fingers over me, holding the weight of me in her hand and then letting me slip through her fingers, over and over until I was hard as a rock. Then she crawled under the covers and took me into her mouth, absolutely blowing my mind.
I felt the familiar throbbing now and took myself in my own hand, closing my eyes as I continued to think of her lips wrapped around me, her hand jerking me. I could still feel her run her tongue around the head of my cock repeatedly, her tongue piercing adding more sensation than I had ever felt before. I remembered exactly what I had thought of it when she showed me that piercing shortly after she had it done. It had been during her rebellious stage after we had all moved in together. When she stuck her tongue out to show it to me, I got hard just wondering what it would feel like to have her go down on me, but I was only in my teens and barely experienced.
A few more jerks and I felt myself let go, the hot, thick, white fluid shooting all over my abs. I cleaned myself off with the shirt that was lying on the side of the bed and rolled over, finally falling into a deep sleep.
I sat at my desk the next morning working on a house design for a retired couple, drinking my coffee, when my phone rang. “Hello.”
“Mister Lehmbeck, this is Mandy from Preston Interior Design, I am calling to inform you that your appointment today will have to be rescheduled.”
I couldn’t believe my ears, there was no way I could reschedule this appointment. “I’m sorry?”
“Yes, sir, the designer who has been assigned to your project has had an unexpected design emergency come up.”
“When will she be available?” I huffed into the phone.
“Not until the end of next month.”
I glance at the calendar on my desk and scowled. That would be the end of June. “I’m sorry that will not work for me. I won’t reschedule, so you tell her I will be at my property tonight, as previously agreed upon.”
“Sir?”
“You heard me correctly. Tell her she is to meet me at my address when she’s finished with her other appointment. I will wait.” I hung up my phone, my head pounding. There was no fucking way I was waiting another day for the meeting, never mind a month. I was so pissed I couldn’t even concentrate. I was tempted to call Mary to complain, but I doubted it would matter. I needed air, so I grabbed my jacket and ran down to my favorite restaurant for lunch.
I had found the place during my college years and brought all my friends here on a weekly basis for lunch. They had kept me alive during my school years—especially when I was sick—with their homemade soups.
She sat playing on her phone, slowly eating the bowl of soup in front of her and sipping on a tea or coffee. I rubbed my eyes to be sure I wasn’t dreaming, but she was there.
“Hey, Logan, you eating in today? A table just opened, I need to clean it off, but if you want it, it’s yours,” Kathy said walking up to the counter.
“Give me a minute,” I said, smiling to her.
“Sure thing, love. It’s good to see you.”
“You too, Kathy.”
I took a deep breath and turned my attention to the girl in the dining area, watching her, she still hadn’t looked up, but I didn’t feel this way the other times I had thought I had seen her. It was Leah. I pulled my phone out of my front pocket and quickly sent her a text.
Leah
I had just finished playing a round of Candy Crush—my guilty pleasure I still used to relax when things were bothering me. Today, things were bothering me. Not only was I missing home, but I had spent my morning panicking about my appointment tonight. I took a sip of my tea and a mouthful of my soup when I saw a text message come in. I minimized my game and slowly read the words on my screen.
LOGAN: YOU REALLY SHOULD KEEP YOUR HAIR TIED IN A PONYTAIL, THAT WAY IT WON’T FALL IN YOUR SOUP.
I let out a laugh. Logan had been sending me these ridiculous random texts for almost a month. Some made me roll my eyes, others made me laugh out loud like I had just done, and others made me miss him more than I cared to explain. I shook my head and put my phone down and picked up my tea when a realization came over me. My hair was down, and I was eating soup. He was here, and he was watching me.
I swallowed hard, looked around the restaurant and saw him standing across the room. He wore dark blue jeans and a blue sweater that set his eyes off. He leaned up against the hostess desk, a sexy smile on his face, looking straight at me. I gave him a little wave, not sure if I should smile or not.