Deceptive Nights (10 page)

“
I thought I left it.” She
came to him and he handed her the scheduler. After blowing him a
kiss, she left.

He looked down at the number and address
smiling.

Chapter 13

Dinner was great and she even allowed him to
take her dancing as well. By ten that night, Phoebe was exhausted,
yet happy and relaxed. Lawrence was nothing but a gentleman and she
allowed him to take her home instead of returning her back to the
office. He walked her to the door and she kissed his cheek.

“
Thank you for taking my
mind off my troubles,” she said.

Taking her hands in his, he said, “Thank you
for giving me a very enjoyable evening.” He leaned over and kissed
her cheek.

She smiled up at him and then quickly went
inside. Patricia came from the living room where she had been
sneaking a peak. “He’s cute,” were her mother’s first words.

“
Thank you, Mother.” Phoebe
shed her coat and stretched. “I’ll go check on the kids and meet
you in the kitchen, okay?”

Patricia nodded.

Phoebe even changed after kissing the
sleeping twins, before joining her mother who had made warm milk
for the both of them at the breakfast nook.

“
He looks nice
too.”

Phoebe agreed. “He was and I did enjoy
myself. He just wanted to talk. It was so nice.”

Patricia frowned. “Why do I have a feeling he
isn’t the same man you were with the other night?”

“
Because he isn’t, Mother
and I don’t want to speak about that anymore. Did you get the bank
all straighten out?”

Patricia nodded, but there was a look of
worry in her eyes.

“
What’s wrong?” Phoebe
questioned getting upset knowing that look meant something was
terribly wrong.

“
There’s a problem still at
the bank.” She pulled out an overdraft and handed it to
Phoebe.

She didn’t open it, but merely put the
envelope on the table. “What’s the problem?” she asked.

“
There’s a two thousand
overdraft, not including the fees.”

Phoebe jumped up. “How did it get overdrawn,
Mother?” she asked incredulously not believing after all hey had
done to get the bills down this could happen.

Patricia looked just as disheartened.
“Someone withdrew the money.”

Their eyes met and both knew who had done
it.

Patricia explained, “When they investigated
it, it seemed even though Daniel’s name was taken off the account,
he still had a card to the account. It was easy for him to get to
an ATM and withdraw the cash.”

“
Now we’re even deeper in
debt and the taxes still need to be paid off by Tuesday.” She stood
up and paced deep in thought. “Where are we going to get that kind
of money? We can’t possibly take out a loan at a bank.” She stopped
suddenly knowing who she must ask.

“
Whatever you are thinking
Phoebe, the question is no. Don’t do it.”

Phoebe turned to her mother quite perturbed
that her mother could read her thoughts. “There’s no choice in the
matter. We need to get the money as soon as possible and we don’t
have anyone or anything we can depend up for financial
support.”

Patricia stood up and stood in front of
Phoebe to stop her daughter from pacing. “I don’t want you getting
the money from where you got it from before. Whoever gave you that
money changed you, honey. You haven’t been yourself. You’re
withdrawn and upset and you don’t sleep right. I don’t like the
person you become. It feels like when you were trying to get over
Daniel.”

The scared look in her eyes returned and
Phoebe felt helpless. “I have to, Mother. I have to get the
money.”

“
No!” Patricia said
adamantly. “I’ll lose it all, but I won’t lose my daughter. Not
again Phoebe. Not ever.”

Phoebe turned away gripping the kitchen
counter to stop the shaking that wanted to envelope her and send
her to crying. Her mother was trying to back her in a corner. They
needed the money really bad and Phoebe knew only one person she
could get the money from. “With the overdraws and the taxes, there
isn’t any guarantee that he will even have that amount of money as
quickly as we need it, but I have to try, Mother.”

Patricia held her daughters shoulders
tightly. “Whatever you had to do to get that money, Phoebe, it
wasn’t worth it. He’s not worthy. We can lose it all if we have
to.”

“
Daddy worked too hard to
give us that. He wouldn’t want it to be sold. It’s all we have left
of him, Mother and I don’t want you to lose it.” Phoebe knew the
property meant a lot to her mother and she would be distraught over
losing.

“
Not like this. We’ll try
another bank, another credit union. Something, anything. We’ll
figure out something else,” Patricia said desperately.

Phoebe kissed her mother’s cheek with serene
understanding. “Do what you must, Mother. I won’t let you lose the
properties.” She pushed gently away and went up to her room to find
the card Jacoby had given her that night.

Chapter 14

Jacoby couldn’t take his eyes off the phone.
He had been staring at it for the past two hours as if staring was
going to make the thing dial Phoebe’s number. It was ridiculous to
even think that, but he couldn’t muster up enough courage to call
her. All she’d do was shoot him down again. She had made it very
clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Knowing that she didn’t
made him want to find out why. Never had a woman just out right
ignored him. They usually played hard to get, but they just never
said they didn’t want anything to do with him.

Until Phoebe.

Being used for just sex didn’t sit too right
with him. True she had needed the money, but usually younger women
wanted a ring, commitment, and/or some emotional attachment to
him.

Until Phoebe.

Taking a shot of Jack Daniels, he used the
back of his hand to wipe his lips, then headed to the phone looking
at it as if it were ten feet tall. Jacoby had memorized the number
and he had every intention of staying on that phone with her until
she agreed to see him. Hell, he’d be willing to pay a hell of a lot
more money just to get her back in a hotel and being that same
woman he had wanted to make love to all night.

Just as he was about to pick up the receiver,
the phone rang. It was probably Lawrence or Desmond. Right now he
didn’t want to speak to neither.

“
Hello,” a soft voice said
on the other line.

Jacoby couldn’t believe his ears. “Should I
pinch myself?” he asked simply.

Her soft nervous laughter was sweet music to
his ears.

“
What do I owe the pleasure
of this call, Phoebe?”

Silence came which he didn’t want to hear
from her. He wanted to hear her voice, not her breathing, but he
didn’t want to push it. She might hang up. Damn why did he feel
like a teen boy speaking with his first girlfriend? He was nervous,
sweaty, and off balanced all at the same time.

“
This isn’t a pleasure
call, Jacoby.” That serious tone in her voice was there again and
he found himself a little annoyed at the sound of it.

“
Are you pregnant?” he
asked sarcastically.

She snickered. “No.”

“
Good, because I was going
to say that was impossible.”

“
Really? You can’t have
children?” She actually sounded concerned.

“
Long story,” he only said
thinking her concern was probably faked.

“
I didn’t know.”

“
Of course you
wouldn’t.”

More silence from her.

Jacoby knew something was wrong and he wanted
to broach the subject about Madeline, but he just couldn’t find the
courage to address the topic with her. “This isn’t like you,” he
said.

“
What do you mean?” she
asked.

“
It isn’t like you to beat
around the bush.”

“
You’re right.” This time
the silence was only brief. She took several deep breaths and
Jacoby could just imagine her biting her lip and wrinkling her cute
brow. “I should start from the beginning.”

“
I’d rather hear the short
sweet version.”

“
I need some more money.”
The words were forced out.

It was his turn to be quiet.

His quietness must have unnerved her because
she went into explanation. “My ex-husband...he took it all. He took
more than all, he wipe me out so completely, I don’t think I’ll
ever pay it all back in my miserable lifetime. It’s all my fault
though. I should have canceled his card, but I forgot I gave him
one. I wouldn’t be doing this if my mother didn’t need it.”

He stopped her. “You’re only doing this for
your mother?”

She hesitated before answering, but didn’t
hide the truth. “Yes, Jacoby.”

Again he was quiet. Knowing he wanted to be
with her in an unimaginable way, it was quite difficult to accept
she was only doing this for her mother. For the first time in his
life he wanted more, but he was too stubborn to admit. “I don’t
know if I want to help you, Phoebe.”

There was a pregnant pause on the line until
she finally said, “I understand. I just thought I’d try.” He could
clearly hear the deep disappointment in her tone. “I appreciate the
consideration-”

He cut her off harshly, “I just said I don’t
know, I didn’t say I wouldn’t, Phoebe.”

“
Jacoby, if I’ve said
anything other than the truth, then I’m sorry.”

“
You shouldn’t be sorry for
saying the truth if it is the truth. You should always tell me how
you really feel.” He sat down on his soft leather beige and closed
his eyes wishing she had said something different. She didn’t speak
knowing he was in an emotional fight with himself. “How
much?”

Again she hesitated before saying, “Ten
thousand.”

“
That’s all?”

“
What do you mean that’s
all? That’s too much.”

He chuckled relaxing. “I spend that much on
shopping trips to New York, Phoebe. I thought for sure you would
ask for much more.”

Her tone was belligerent, “Well us peasants
don’t see past check to check like you people do.”

“
Don’t be like that,” he
coaxed patiently. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad for
asking.”

“
Then what are you trying
to make me feel, Jacoby.”

“
Just that. I just want you
to feel.”

She didn’t respond to this and he knew she
wouldn’t. No emotional attachments in her life. He remembered her
saying that to him, but he didn’t think those words would be his
own downfall.

“
If ten grand is a lot of
money for you, how do you intend to pay it back,
Phoebe?”

“
You can make it a
loan.”

“
Paying out money like that
and getting nothing back in return instantly is a disappointment to
me. I like instant returns.”

“
I couldn’t pay you back
fast, Jacoby. That’s why I had to turn to you.” The frustration in
her voice was evident.

“
How about we strike up a
deal?”

“
What kind of deal?” she
asked warily.

“
Meet me at my hotel
tomorrow at eleven in the morning in the lobby.”

“
You know I have to work,”
she said disappointedly.

“
You can call
in.”

“
I have too much to
do.”

“
Then I guess borrowing
this money isn’t important, is it?”

The sigh was more upsetting than anything,
but Jacoby was going to have his way. It took this much of her own
stubbornness to get this far. He wondered how much could he push
her before she broke down and allowed herself to have some kind of
feelings.

“
Is it going to kill you to
have one day off?” he questioned when she didn’t answer right away.
“Maddie works you like a slave horse. You need the time off anyway.
Should I pencil you in?”

She forced out her answer, “Fine.”
Sarcastically, she asked, “Is there anything I should bring?”

“
An honest and open
disposition and a smile.” He hung up the phone smiling to
himself.

Minutes later, the phone rung again. Desmond
wanted to know about the meeting they were suppose to have together
tomorrow afternoon to design the installation of his offices.

“
I want to reschedule it.
I’ll be busy in Detroit tomorrow morning.”

“
Detroit’s just a two hour
drive, you can get back in time.”

“
I plan to be busy the
whole day.”

“
What hell kind of
appointment do you have?”

“
That’s none of your
business, Desmond, and if you were a smart man you’d keep it to
yourself and just say fine Jacoby, when do you want to
reschedule?”

“
What are you trying to
hide? You know I’m a nosey bastard.”

“
That you are, but I’m not
going to tell. Monday is good for me.”

“
It will have to be in
Detroit. I’ll be there to finish off Madeline’s installation and
help Lawrence check out her set up at her apartment. Swing by
around the end of the day and we can have dinner.”

“
That’s fine with me. I was
going to be in Detroit all next week anyway.”

****

Phoebe hung up the receiver and laid back on
the bed closing her eyes. What the hell was she doing? Doing this
was not a good idea. Her mother was right. Phoebe was taking a
chance on becoming emotionally involved with Jacoby and that was
definitely something she didn’t want to do.