“No. Not here. This is our work.”
He sighs then kisses me on the cheek, and pushes off the wall. He releases the stop button, and straightens his jacket. “You won’t be able to stop me later,” he smirks, glancing out of the corner of his eyes. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Who says I’ll want you to stop?” I peer up at him through my lashes.
He growls as the elevator doors open. I smile inside knowing I’ve got him going insane just the way he’s got me.
He walks me to my car at a distance with his hands in his pockets. We’ve never openly shown interest in each other at work. Most businesses have a “don’t date other employees” clause in their contracts, so I’m assuming this is just the case.
He opens my car door for me grabbing my wrist before I can get in. “Tonight I have something I want to talk to you about.” There’s a touch of uncertainty in his eyes.
I look at where his hand is on my wrist flicking my eyes back to him, “What’s wrong?”
“We’ll talk about it tonight. I just—”
Just then someone calls his name from behind him interrupting what could have been a hint to what’s on his mind. He jerks his hand away, his uncertain gaze switches into an irritated panic. I’m sure someone seeing us together, jeopardizing our positions, scares him. I drop into my car and give him a small wave pulling off as if nothing was happening. I didn’t realize not showing our feelings for each other at work bothered me until this moment. Actually, this sucks.
_________________________
Tanner arrives right on time for our date tonight. He opens the door of his car for me and I take advantage of his angle bringing my legs in slow and sexy. He shakes his head and lets out a humming sound before he shuts the door. I take in the view of him as he walks across the front of his car never letting his eyes falter from mine and grinning from ear to ear like a damn buffoon.
“What are you smiling about?” I ask.
“Have you looked at yourself in a mirror?”
“Well duh.” I answer.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” He winks at me. I apparently made the right choice with my long silky black dress.
I lean over and kiss his cheek. “You’re not too bad yourself.”
I catch him out of the corner of my eye locked onto my thigh where my slit travels its highest. Aware that I’ve caught him, he places his hand on the spot that’s his kryptonite and draws circles with his finger, keeping his eyes glued to the road. I’m taken aback when he pulls into Addison’s, the place he took me for our first date. The place is so elegant and romantic. I’ve missed it.
Tanner is in an exceptional mood tonight. He’s more playful, happier. I like how his smile reaches his sparkling blues and how he continues to reach across the table to hold my hand, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles. It’s different than normal, but I’m not complaining, it feels wonderful. Dinner is full of conversation, but never about the notes or work. It’s light and carefree and I love it.
After he pays our check, we head out of the restaurant with me hooked on his arm. The moment I step out of the door, I stop dead in my tracks at the sight of Belle with the carriage behind her and Mack in a black button down shirt.
“Figured I could spend time with my two favorite Belles,” Tanner says.
I’m pushing back joyful tears as Tanner helps me into the carriage. Just like our first date he’s managed to surprise the hell out of me.
“Stroll around Mack, please.”
“Hey, Mack,” I say.
“Hey, Sam,” he says over his shoulder taking the reins in his hands.
We drive through the city streets of Charlotte again seeing the beauty of the buildings that are lit up. The Duke Energy Building is the most stunning as it shines a rage of scarlet into the black night sky.
“Still feel like a movie star?” he whispers into my ear peeling my eyes off of the buildings.
“I’ve moved up to a princess.”
“Good,” he says, “I have something for you, Samantha.”
He reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and my eyes widen as anxiety begins to charge my skin. If this is what I think it is, this date will not end well. I love him with every ounce I can give him, but I am not ready for marriage.
He pulls out a black box. “I hope you like it.”
I stare at the box like it contains a venomous snake and cautiously take ahold of it. Slowly, I open it. I gasp at the white gold necklace with a key pendant loaded with diamonds.
“Tanner! It’s beautiful.” And then like a train, it hits me. “It’s just like the one on Belle’s bridle.”
He chuckles and takes it out of the box. I pull my hair off my neck and he slides it around my neck clasping it.
“Now both my Belles have a key to my heart,” he says against my ear.
I turn and cup his face. “You are the most amazing man.” I capture his lips, kissing him, inhaling the passion he breathes into me. I can feel the love so deeply in my soul it makes my toes curl.
Tanner explains that the man who called for him today in the parking garage told him about a meeting he must attend tomorrow morning, and unfortunately he has to take me home tonight. We’re both a little disappointed. I was over excited about picking a dress he couldn’t resist and now it was just a waste. Poor guy.
Just like always, he walks me to my apartment door and kisses me gently.
“What was it you wanted to talk about tonight? You didn’t get the chance,” I ask.
The smile he has doesn’t make it to his worried eyes. They study me for a moment then he kisses my cheek. “We’ll talk about it another time, Belle.”
I know he’ll talk to me when he’s ready. It’s just going to have to wait.
“Good night, Tanner.”
“Good night, Belle,” he winks and turns on his heel.
Chapter 27
I wake in the morning to my phone ringing. Detective Bennell has made it a weekly routine to call and check in on me and fill me in on any information he’s gathered. I gave him the list of women and pictures several weeks ago, and he told me he’s interviewed them all. He also has re-interviewed other people, including Logan, but assures me no one shows any evidence of being the person responsible for the letters. He confirms he is still working hard to bring this to an end before it escalates any further. When we hang up, I feel annoyed that no one is even a suspect. I know it’s not the detective’s fault, but I wish I could have a little piece of mind.
The apartment is quiet today with Jess being gone to the library working on a project for Jackie. Mr. Weston’s birthday is coming up, and Jackie wants to throw him a huge birthday party. I haven’t met him yet, but I’m sure I’ve passed him in the halls at work and never realized who it was. The company has so many employees it’s practically impossible to meet everyone, boss or not.
I decide to take advantage of the silence and crank up the radio and clean. I love dancing while I clean, it’s exhilarating. I start with the kitchen, dancing around and singing into my microphone, which happens to be anything that’s in my hand. Coffee cup, dish rag, you name it, it becomes a microphone. Putting the finishing touches on the kitchen, I move to the bathroom serenading the shampoo bottles and hair brushes. I take a quick glance at my phone before moving my cleaning spree to the living room and notice a text from Tanner.
Tanner: Just thinking about you
.
I smile silly at my phone, but I don’t text him back. If I do, I’m almost positive I’ll lose the enthusiasm to finish cleaning. I make my way to the living room and dance around the coffee table, twirling like a ballerina, then shaking my butt to the random music playing through the speakers. Something catches my eye at the front door and I stop, breath and all. Another white envelope has showed up ruining my little dancing party. I didn’t notice it here when I went to the bathroom to clean, so that means whoever it is had to be at my front door within the past thirty minutes. That thought gives me major willies.
There are two pictures of a high rise apartment inside the envelope. No description, no information, nothing but the pictures. The photographer has zoomed in so extreme, I can’t make out the landscape around the brown building to tell if it’s a Charlotte building or not. I haven’t been to these, and I’m sure I haven’t paid any attention to them if I’ve driven past them because they look to be out of my price range.
I shove them back into the envelope confused that it had nothing to do with me or Tanner or at least I don’t think it did. Whoever sent these has no clue I’m clueless. I need instructions. Sadly, I’ve lost the nerve to finish cleaning so I plop down on the couch and try to find something to watch. Being Saturday at noon, there’s really nothing on.
I’m still flipping through the channels when Jess startles me walking through the front door. Okay, maybe the pictures do have me a little more creeped out than I thought. She hesitates for a split second before entering the living room, and it’s then I catch it. There’s something wrong. It’s written all over her face. She looks worried, almost heartbroken. I’m sure it has something to do with Marty. It always does.
“Um, would you like a picture?” She teases, but knowing her as long as I have, I know that was a forced happy.
“Funny you say that. I got another letter today.”
I hand her the two pictures when she joins me on the couch.
“This building looks familiar, but I can’t place where it is,” she finally says.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too.”
“Was there anything else with it?” she asks.
“No, just these two pictures.”
There’s an awkward pause, a bitter silence that fills the air. “So…did you get some good stuff for Jackie?” I attempt to break the weirdness.
She takes a long inhale pushing it out of her mouth, “Samantha, I’ve got something I need to show you.” She reaches into her briefcase and pulls out a folder visibly shaking. “You know I love you and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you unless it’s to protect you right?”
From experience and dumb reality shows, I know that is never a good start and it positively ends very badly. She’s done something bad, like epic bad.
“What did you do, Jess?”
“I’m sorry, Sam.” Her voice breaks as tears well in her eyes, “I found something I thought you needed to see.”
The folder contains a newspaper article and instantly I’m drawn to the large picture in the middle of the page. It’s the same picture I’ve noticed at Tanner’s house where he’s shaking the man’s hand and smiling for the camera. My eyes dart to the heading: Weston Company Announces CEO. My breath catches in my throat, my heart pounding against my chest. “Mr. Melvin Weston announces today that he is appointing his son, Mr. Tanner Weston, as CEO of Weston Company.”
I close the folder unable to read anymore. Jess is silent with tears running down her face watching me. I toss the folder behind me and storm to my room, slamming the door behind me. I stumble to my bed grabbing a pillow and let out a shrill into it. That bastard has lied to me. He’s lied to me the whole entire time we’ve been together. A sudden blast of rage makes it through my veins and I scream again. I jerk my door open to see Jess with her head in her hands.
“Please tell me this is some sick, twisted joke, Jess!” I yell.
She shakes her head no.
“Please, Jess…” I beg. My knees give out from underneath me dropping me to the floor sobbing. Jess curls up beside me wrapping her arms around me. “He’s lied to me, Jess. He’s fucking lied! I look like a fucking idiot.”
After what feels like several hours on the floor, my tears have subsided and Jess pulls me up and walks me to the couch. She hurries out of the room and quickly returns with a cold washcloth placing it on my cheeks, my forehead, and the back of my neck.
“I’m sorry, Sam,” her voice is barely a whisper. “But I couldn’t have lived with myself knowing something like this and not telling you. It took everything I had not to go kill his sorry ass when I found it, but I figured you’d rather do it instead.”
“How could he have lied to me?”
“I don’t know, but I’d like to know when the hell he planned on telling you and why he’s hidden it. I thought it was odd when he refused to tell Bennell his last name, but I brushed it off as he was just mad at the situation.”
“Oh my God, you’re right. He’s told me his last name is Smith, but he wouldn’t have gotten away with it telling the detective.” I shake my head, “I’m a fucking idiot.”
How could he have kept this a secret from me? We work in the same building. How did I miss that? No Smiths in the directory. No wonder he didn’t want to be seen with me at work, surely someone would have called him by his name. He knew my last name and who I was working for when I never told him.
“I don’t like talking about work,”
yeah, now I completely understand why not. Is this one of his games he plays with the other women? All our conversations, all his words are bouncing off the walls in my brain and smacking me in the face for being a complete fucking idiot.
“What are you going to do, Sam?” Jess asks when I return from my bedroom all freshened up.
“It’ll come to me, but right now I want truth. All of it! And I’m going to start with the apartment.”