Authors: Claire Adams
CHAPTER
THIRTY-NINE
When
we finally made our way to the car where Jimmy was waiting, I pulled him to the
side and asked why he hadn't come looking for us.
"Hey, I'm not
an FBI agent, kid. I'm just a driver," he shrugged before he slid into the
front seat and turned the key. Jimmy's nonchalance made me wonder about my
father's activities, but I decided it was better not to question things.
"Honey,
you're home late," my mother said as we entered the house. "There are
some plates for the two of you out in the kitchen. Do you want me to have
someone warm them up?"
"No, I think
we can handle it ourselves," I said as my mother gave me a questioning
look, which I pretended not to see. I led Leah back to the kitchen and stuck
the plates in the microwave, leaning against the counter as we waited for them
to finish warming up.
"Well,"
Leah said uncomfortably.
"Well,
indeed," I replied.
I had no idea
why she'd put such an abrupt end to our encounter, and I wasn't sure I wanted
to know. I'd never had a woman pull away from me like that. Normally they were
aiming to get closer, which was something that often resulted in my doing to
them what Leah was doing to me now. As I made the connection, I felt a brief
wave of shame roll over me. She didn't want to be close to me, and she was
distancing herself so that I wouldn't get the wrong idea.
When the microwave
beeped, I pulled out our plates and handed one to Leah. She grabbed it and
walked to the kitchen table where she had set out silverware and glasses while
we were waiting. I sat down across from her, and we ate in silence. A few times
it looked like she was getting ready to say something, but then thought about
it and went back to focusing on her food. I said nothing.
"I'll clean
up," she said taking the plates to the sink after we'd finished. I nodded
and headed upstairs.
"Hey,
Jack!" Riley called as I passed the open door to her room. "What's
up, homeboy?"
"Where in the
world did you get that?" I laughed as I stopped and peered at the girl
sprawled out on her bed, doing homework, and listening to ancient CDs.
"I found a
box under the bed that said, 'Do not open upon penalty of death,' so I opened
it," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I figured anyone who could
kill me over it was too old to care anymore."
"I do believe
you're right," I said as Eminem rapped about losing himself in the moment,
and I was thrown back to a time when the song resonated. "Other than the
new music, how's everything going?"
"Not
bad," she said as she sat up and held out the sheet she was working on.
"Wanna check this to see if I got it right?"
"Sure,"
I took the paper, looked it over, and saw that she was doing algebra. I found a
mistake and pointed it out. "Do you know why this is a mistake?"
"Oh, wait,
it's first inside outside last …" she murmured as she looked at the
problem and reworked it. "Is that right?"
"Yep, that's
perfect!" I nodded.
"Thanks for
checking," she said as she set the sheet down and looked at me seriously.
"Have you told Leah that you love her yet?"
"What?"
I choked. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh
please," Riley said as she rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm twelve,
and even I can see it. You two are nuts about each other. I get it."
"What on
earth …" I said as I looked at her, shocked that she was being so blunt,
and a little scared that she was right.
"I'm just
saying that you guys obviously like each other a whole lot," she
continued, unaware of how she'd thrown me for a loop. "Just saying."
"I'm not sure
Leah feels that way about me," I said cautiously. I didn't want to have a
“he said—she said” conversation with Riley, but I did want to know if Leah had
actually told her anything about how she felt. I wanted to kick myself as soon
as the thought crossed my mind.
"Dunno,"
she shrugged. "Seems obvious to me, but I'm just a kid. What do I
know?"
"All right,
well, I'll take that into consideration," I said as I moved toward the
door adding, "Good job on the math homework."
"Night,
Jack," Riley said as she rolled back over and returned to her homework.
I closed the door
and headed down the hall toward my mother's room. There was one more piece of
the plan that I needed to put into place before I put everything into play, and
my mother was the only person who could help me make it happen.
I just hoped she'd
agree to the plan.
CHAPTER
FORTY
I
spent the night tossing
and turning as I thought about what Jack and I had done in my new office. I
wanted him more than ever, but I also knew that I was playing with fire. My job
and my future were on the line if I continued down this path, and I couldn't
afford to be another of Jack's discarded conquests.
However, there was
something that struck me as different about him. He wasn't the self-centered
jerk I'd thought him to be when he'd first returned to run Baby Steps. He'd
done much to ensure that I had what I needed to run the warehouse effectively
and efficiently, and he'd made sure to build me an office that would make it
easier for me to do my job in the future.
And the way he
touched me sent shivers down my spine.
I wanted to
believe that there was the possibility of something more with Jack, but my common
sense told me that to entertain that idea was to dance a little too close to
the fire. Besides, I had a lot of things to deal with right now. Adding a
romance with a man who seemed incapable of being romantic was more than I could
handle. I needed to put this crush to rest and write it off as a brief moment
of weakness.
But something
nagged at me. What if I was wrong? What if there really was something between
us? What if I wrote it off and missed out on something wonderful?
"Argh!"
I cried as I flipped my pillow over and tried to find sleep. My mind raced as I
sifted through my thoughts, and suddenly I remembered a moment with Molly.
She hadn't yet
started drinking or taking drugs, and she'd been getting ready for a date with
a boy she really liked. I sat watching as she applied her makeup and fixed her
hair, and she'd told me all the secrets that high school girls seemed to
magically know.
"You know,
Leah," she said swiping mascara onto her impossibly long lashes. "If
a boy really likes you, he'll make sure he takes care of all of your needs
before he takes care of his own."
"Like giving
you the last sip of soda?" I asked as I bounced up and down on her bed.
"Something
like that," she smiled. "Just remember when you get older and you
want to kiss boys, that they're good if they make sure you feel good
first."
"Ewwww,"
I said, sticking my tongue out and scrunching up my face. "Why would I
ever want to kiss a boy?"
"Someday, you
might," she said as she dabbed lipstick on and pressed her lips together.
"Just promise me you'll remember."
"I
promise," I said as I watched her run a brush through her long, dark hair.
She was the most beautiful girl I knew, and I absorbed every one of her
actions, trying to memorize them so that I could repeat them later.
Molly smiled as
she stood up, straightened her shirt and smoothed her skirt, and then patted me
on the head before dropping her lipstick into her purse and tossing it over her
shoulder. She headed down the hallway and out to the front porch.
"Where the
hell are you going?" Mama yelled as Molly and I walked quickly past the
family room where Mama sat smoking and watching television.
"Out,"
Molly called without stopping.
"Well, don't
do anything illegal, and for God's sake, don't get knocked up, girl," Mama
called after her.
"Understood,"
Molly said in a clipped voice before yanking open the front door and stepping
out onto the porch. She swore under her breath, "Stupid bitch."
"You're not
supposed to swear," I said quietly. "Honor your mother and father."
"Yeah, well,
sometimes they don't deserve it," Molly replied. Her mouth was set in a
tight line as she looked up and down the street to see if her date was on his
way. She added, "Just don't say it to her face, and you'll be okay."
I nodded as I looked
up at her in awe. Molly was the most beautiful girl I knew, and the only one
who was strong enough to stand up to Mama. I watched a smile spread across her
face as her date drove down the street in a bright yellow sports car with fins
on the back end. He revved the engine, and Molly ran down the front walk and
hopped into the front seat. She waved goodbye to me as they took off down the
street.
It was the last
time I'd see her sober.
As I tossed and
turned in bed, I wondered where Molly was right now. I thought about the fact
that if I got a raise and sold the house, I could afford a small place for
Riley and me, as well as maybe hiring a detective to try and track Molly down.
Patrick had said he'd tried to find her, but I never quite believed that he'd
done more than check local hospitals and morgues. I wanted someone to trace her
steps and see if they could figure out where she'd gone, and if they couldn't
bring her back. At least we'd know where she was.
I couldn't
continue having sex with Jack if I was going to keep my job. That much was
obvious. But as I recalled Molly's advice, I wondered if maybe she'd been right
and that Jack Yates really did feel something more than just sexual attraction
for me.
I fell asleep
hearing Molly's words reverberating in my mind.
*
The
next morning, I
woke up determined to give Jack a fair chance. It wasn't every day that someone
like Jack came along, and after yesterday's events, maybe it was a good idea to
just stay put. I steeled myself as I got ready for work, adding mascara and a little
lipstick to the mix. I'd chosen a tight fitting pair of jeans and a shirt that
emphasized my figure a little more than my normal work clothes. It made me feel
a little vulnerable, but it also made me feel more feminine than I had in a
long time.
"You're
hopeless," I said to myself as I looked at my reflection. Then I shrugged
and went down to breakfast. Jack wasn't at the table. I asked where he was, and
Betty said he'd gone into the office early but had sent Jimmy back to pick me
up.
I ruminated about
my attraction to Jack on the drive in, and then pushed it all aside as I got to
work organizing my new office and moving my things into it. The workmen had
fixed the lock, and they assured me that I'd not get locked in the office
again. I felt a little disappointed, but brushed it off as I sat down and took
care of the day's orders.
Around nine, there
was a knock on my door. I called out that it was open and was surprised to see
Sloan on the other side.
"Good
morning, Leah," she said as she confidently walked across the office and
put her purse on my desk. "I thought I'd come down and see your new
digs."
"Good
morning, Ms. Morgan," I said, unsure of how to address her. I wanted to
yell at her and tell her what a horrible person she was, but I knew that if I
did that I'd risk ruining Jack’s plan, and I certainly didn't want to give it
away. "What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to
talk about the warehouse business with you," she said with a rather
reptilian smile. She was dressed in a moss colored suit that was molded to her
body like a second skin. She reminded me of a snake slithering through the
grass.
"Oh? Did Jack
send you down to talk about it?" I asked as innocently as I could.
"He didn't mention anything about a meeting this morning."
"No, there wasn't
one scheduled," she said slowly. "This is more of a personal
discussion, so I didn't want to bother him with it."
"Personal?
About the warehouse?" I said suddenly confused as to where this was
headed.
"Well, it's
less about the warehouse and more about Jack, really," she said in a tone
that sounded saccharine. I raised my eyebrow and said nothing. She continued,
"I'm not sure what you know about Jack and all of the things that have
happened in his family, but I felt like it was my duty to give you a heads
up."
"I see,"
I said watching her closely. There was something about the way she was setting
this up that made me immediately suspicious.
"Jack's had a
tough life, and he's had to fight for a lot of what he has," she said
spinning her tale carefully. "His father was quite the disciplinarian and
rather unforgiving when it came to the boys. As a result, I think Jack has a
propensity for being a ladies’ man, but with the right woman I think he could
really see himself settling down."
"And you're
telling me this about my boss because …?" I asked as my heart beat a
little faster.
"I'm trying
to save you some heartache," she said, trying to sound like a sympathetic
girlfriend sharing an important secret. "Jack is already taken, and I
didn't want you to get your heart broken."
"He's
taken?" I repeated wondering where this was going.
"Mmm-hmm,"
she nodded. "We've been keeping things under wraps for a while as we tried
to sort out all of the complexities surrounding working together, but Jack and
I have been on and off since high school."
"You
have?" I said, not doing a very good job of hiding the shock that I was
feeling.
"I know. It's
kind of surprising isn't it?" she said sympathetically. "He's always
had a crush on me, and I've liked him. But it wasn't until he came back and
started running the business that I realized I loved him."
I bit my lip to
keep from smiling and looked down at the desk. She had no idea Jack and I had
witnessed her conversation with Lincoln in the driveway, and to hear her spouting
lies like these made me want to laugh in her face. I knew better than to give
anything away, though, so I hid my emotions the best I could and pretended to
believe her lies.
"That's not
what I wanted to hear," I said quietly.
"I know, I
know," she nodded. "He's so good at convincing you that you're
important and attractive, but then when the curtain is pulled aside, you
realize that there's nothing there."
"I'm glad you
told me," I replied, finally looking up at her as I mustered a facial
expression that conveyed hurt.
"I'm sorry,
Leah," she said with her fake sympathy. "But I thought it was better
coming from me than for you to find out on your own."
"Yes, I'm
sure you did," I nodded solemnly, trying to hide the fact that I wanted
nothing more than to expose her for the liar she was. "Well, thank
you."
"You're
welcome," she said as she grabbed her purse off my desk and headed for the
door. Once there, she stopped and turned around to look at me and added,
"Don't feel bad, Leah. He's a good man, but he's just not someone who can
slum it very well."
The comment hit
the intended mark, and I winced. Sloan smiled again and then turned and clicked
down the hall in her stilettos. I sat at my desk trying to recover from the low
blow. Once the sting had subsided, I knew I had to do something to make sure
that Riley and I weren't going to be at the mercy of a group of people who were
clearly dysfunctional.
I shut the door
and spent the rest of the day holed up in my office making calls, pointedly
ignoring Jack.