Decision made, she locked the room and went to shower.
She was starving and almost cried when Sam texted he would bring breakfast. She met him at the door with a smile.
“Do you play racquetball with your brother every Saturday?” she asked around a mouthful of warm, buttery croissant.
“Whenever he’s available. His work schedule shifts around, so sometimes he works, and sometimes he’s sleeping because he worked the night before. We switch around the days and times to accommodate him.”
“It must be great to be so close,” she mused. “I missed out not having a sibling.”
“Meh, he’s all right,” Sam said with a grin.
“Well, hey, thanks for breakfast. I hate to push you out, but I’ve got a shopping date with Beckie to find a dress for the banquet next weekend.”
“I thought you hated in-person shopping,” he said.
“I do. But Beckie asked me to go, and I couldn’t say no.” She shrugged.
“That reminds me. Thanks for easing up at work. Phil mentioned you were semi-cordial at your last progress meeting with him.”
“Semi, huh? I’ll work to find a happy medium.” She laughed. “What are you doing today?”
“I’m flying to New York for a couple of days. A last-minute trip Phil set up. I have a couple of meetings on Monday, but I also need to get fitted for my tuxedo for Mitch’s wedding. And I can’t go to New York without a visit to my mom. She’s gonna do a Sunday dinner thing with everyone. Will you miss me?”
She leaned to kiss him. “Yes.”
“Good,” he said before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight. “I wish I could stay a little longer, but I’ve got to get going too. Can I call you later?”
“Of course,” she replied as they walked to the door.
She gazed longingly at his backside as he walked to his car. Without turning around, he hollered, “Are you staring at my ass?”
She laughed out loud. “Nooooo,” she stammered before slamming the door. “It’s such a fine ass. How could I not?” she muttered to herself.
God, she hoped Wayne stayed in California after getting out. Things were going so great with Sam. She really didn’t want to have to take a break, or worse, break up altogether.
Annie came back that night exhausted and several hundred dollars lighter. She hadn’t intended to buy herself a new dress, but Beckie’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she’d gotten wrapped up in the whole shopping experience. They ate lunch at a trendy little café at the mall and then found shoes and jewelry on a second round.
Beckie’s mom hadn’t been feeling well, so Beckie picked out a dress for her. Buying something for her mother appeared to make Beckie happier than buying one for herself. She was such a sweet girl. Annie was trying slowly, and without Beckie knowing, to help her with her confidence issues. The dress Beckie had purchased would work wonders—she looked fabulous in it.
Annie missed Sam during the week but was glad for some time to get her house in order and make plans for Wayne’s potential arrival.
The one thing causing her problems was the security system she’d purchased. As promised, it had come right away, but she failed to realize she was now in charge of installing it. She’d called around to several security companies, but they wouldn’t take the liability of installing someone else’s product.
Then she tried handymen, but after talking to a few, ruled that out as well. One wanted an arm and a leg, and the others couldn’t schedule her for weeks. She wanted to get the system up and running as soon as possible.
Maybe Sam had someone he could recommend, and perhaps nudge, to help her quickly. She didn’t want to take advantage of their relationship, but he was also a friend, and friends helped each other out, right? She made a mental note to ask him next time she talked to him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Wayne was getting antsy. After all that time in a jail cell, he should be used to confined spaces, but living in this car was beginning to take its toll.
He raised his arms to stretch and gagged at the smell. He’d have to clean up soon. Definitely before he talked to anyone.
It had taken him two weeks, but he’d finally tracked Annie down to Washington State. He was sitting in a borrowed hunk of junk car outside the Samatrix Bellevue office building hoping to catch a glimpse of her, just to confirm she was really here.
He wasn’t surprised she hadn’t been at the prison to pick him up after his release, but he’d held out a shred of hope that she might be at home waiting for him, ready to work things out. What else would she be doing? It wasn’t like she could think for herself.
When he showed up at their old house, he was met by a stranger who claimed she’d been renting the place for almost two years. Two years? That explained why his letters kept coming back. Where the hell had Annie gone?
He figured she must have gone back to her money-grubbing family, but when he went to her parent’s house to find and confront her, her mother had been adamant that Annie hadn’t moved back. He found that hard to believe and had wasted several days driving around between her various relatives’ houses hoping she’d turn up.
He couldn’t fathom why she’d run away. Or why she’d apparently done so and not told him. She needed him.
And if he was being honest, he needed her too. Or at least her money. If she really wanted a divorce, fine, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t getting some money out of it. Her attorney had sent the divorce paperwork several times, but each time, it went in the garbage. The last two envelopes he hadn’t even opened before throwing them away.
At one point, she’d offered him a hundred thousand dollars to sign the papers. He was thinking that might not be such a bad deal now. And it was better than trying to find a job right away. He’d take her deal now, but first he had to find her.
Her attorney had been no help at all. They cited “client confidentiality” or some bullshit thing like that. Her family swore she wasn’t staying with them. She didn’t have any friends, so her office was his last chance.
He’d spent days staking out the San Francisco Samatrix office. Their security was tight, so he couldn’t get to her actual office, but he hung out in the lobby and asked anyone who would talk to him if they knew Annie. On day four, he finally found someone who knew her. He’d turned on the charm and coaxed out of the woman that Annie had transferred to the Seattle office.
When he searched the Internet, he found out the Seattle office was actually in a town called Bellevue, a few miles east of Seattle. He found the address easily and immediately started the two-day drive. Leaving the state went against his parole conditions, but he figured he’d be back within the week and no one would notice.
He’d hardly eaten and was quickly running out of money. The prison had given him a small stipend upon release, but he didn’t plan on having to make it last so long. His bank account was bone-dry, and he began to regret his decision of insisting he and Annie keep separate bank accounts. If the bitch was going to ghost him, she could have at least left him a little money.
He flicked the wipers on to clear the windshield. The constant drizzle of rain hadn’t stopped since he’d arrived, and the gloominess of it made him melancholy and pensive.
His parents had always said he would amount to nothing, but he’d been determined to prove them wrong. He was going to have a nice little family and a high-paying job that allowed them to live a life of luxury. He was going to be the polar opposite of his parents, but now started to wonder if they’d been right. Even they hadn’t been to prison.
Admittedly, he’d made some bad decisions. Annie hadn’t been the best choice for a wife. And the shitty job he took right out of college set him on a path to failure. Once he was fired from that, all motivation ran right out of him. If he couldn’t keep that crappy job, how was he supposed to hold a better one?
He didn’t want to be dependent on his wife for food and rent, but it was easier to just let Annie make the money. Going through th
e embarrassment of interviewing for a job and then potentially not getting it wasn’t worth it.
And then that asshole at the bar had to go and provoke him into a fight. One unlucky punch and he goes to prison for three years? It wasn’t his fault the guy couldn’t take a hit.
Fast forward to now. Here he was, sitting in this borrowed piece of shit, waiting on a woman who obviously didn’t love him anymore, desperate for any scrap of coin she would toss him. Turns out, he was as pathetic as his parents had predicted.
Well, that would end soon. He just needed a little financial help from Annie, and then he’d turn this shit show around. He still had time to prove his parents wrong and make Annie sorry she’d left.
His head snapped up. It wasn’t Annie, but hey, hottie alert! He watched a leggy blond in high heels stride toward the doors, leather computer bag slung over one shoulder, and carrying a large Starbucks coffee. A man stopped to hold the door for her, and when she turned to thank him, Wayne about shit his pants.
“Oh my God,” he said aloud to the empty car. He sat up straight and squinted to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things. It couldn’t be. And yet it was. He’d found her.
She’d lost about thirty pounds, dyed her hair, and wasn’t wearing glasses, but it was her. Damn, she’d changed. And not just her looks. Her walk, the way she carried herself, and the way she looked the man at the door in the eye told him she’d found some self-confidence. Shit. That could be bad for him.
He noted the time, started the car, and drove away. He needed a plan.
As he negotiated the traffic, he pulled out his cell phone. A charity that helped ex-cons had given it to him when he got out. It was old and used and he could only make phone calls, text, and take pictures with it, but it was better than nothing. “Dude, I need you to find the nearest homeless shelter to me in Bellevue, Washington.”
Wayne had made exactly one friend in prison. Jackson had gotten out six weeks before Wayne and had offered to help him once he was released. It may have been a courtesy offer, but Wayne had no one else, so he’d called once he realized Annie was really gone.
“You drove my fucking car to Washington? You asshole. I said you could use it to track down your wife, not take a road trip.”
“Yeah, well, I tracked her to Bellevue,” Wayne justified. “Can you help me, man? The sooner I get the info, the sooner I can bring your car back.”
“Just a sec.” Jackson sighed, irritated.
Wayne heard the faint clicks of a keyboard.
“The Gospel Mission Church at Bellevue Way and 112th Avenue.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you.”
“Yeah, you do. Get my damn car back here ASAP, or I’ll report it stolen,” Jackson threatened. Okay, so maybe they weren’t best friends.
“You bet.” Wayne hung up before Jackson could issue any more threats.
He stopped at a gas station for directions and a Snickers and then made his way to the shelter where he arranged for a bed for the night.
“I’d also like to find out if there are any local charitable organizations that loan out business suits. I’ve got a great job interview tomorrow and was hoping I could clean up here and borrow some clothes.” He smiled, trying to charm the woman at the desk.
“As a matter of fact, we do that here. After you shower and get settled, come back, and I’ll show you what we’ve got.”
Bingo. He was in business.
The next day, clean-shaven and freshly showered, he walked through the same doors Annie had come through yesterday.
He picked up a used newspaper and someone’s discarded coffee cup and sat in one of the leather seats in the lobby, pretending to be on break.
The lobby was too big for him to watch every door, so he focused on the one he’d seen Annie at yesterday. He used the paper to shield his face and carefully watched everyone who came and left the building.
Finally, after about an hour, he saw her. Dressed in a black pantsuit, her blond hair tied back in a low ponytail, she radiated sophisticated hotness. Why wasn’t she this gorgeous when he’d known her? Bitch.
She returned ten minutes later, again with a Starbucks coffee. It was close to the time he’d seen her yesterday, so maybe a coffee run was a daily thing. Must be nice to have money to blow on five-dollar lattes every day, he thought bitterly.
This was solely a reconnaissance mission, so he stayed where he was and watched. On her way back through the lobby, she detoured to a small table where a young woman was sitting alone. The young woman brightened when Annie stopped to say hello. They chatted and laughed for a minute and then left together for the elevators.
Once they were gone, Wayne studied the directory board mounted near the elevators. It looked like the Samatrix offices were located on the upper floors and other companies that probably just rented building space were on the lower ones. He made note of a company name not associated with Samatrix that was on the second floor. Satisfied with those bits of information, he left with the fledglings of a plan.
The next day the young woman was right where he’d hoped she’d be, sitting at the same table, alone. He’d recognized her as an “Annie” the minute he saw her. Well, an Annie before Annie became self-aware. Head down, hair in her face, not looking directly at anyone. She was just what he needed.
“Hello,” he said softly, not wanting to spook her.
She looked up from her phone, surprised, then looked over her shoulder. “Are you talking to me?” she asked bluntly.
“Yeah.” Wayne smiled. “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to get a cup of coffee with me?” He could be charming when he wanted to be. And charming her was part of his plan. “What’s your name?”
“Beckie,” she said in a voice so low he could barely hear.
“Hi, Beckie. I’m John. John Smith.” He put out his hand, and she shook it tentatively. “So, how about that cup of coffee?” He had to get her out of here before Annie came down for her cup of coffee.
“Oh, well, all right.” She stood and slung her purse over her shoulder. “You mean the Starbucks across the street?”
“Actually, I’m Starbucksed out. Plus, it’s always so crowded. How about the one at the end of the block? Copper Kettle?”
“Okay,” she said and followed him out.
“So, tell me about yourself, Beckie,” Wayne said. “You must work for Samatrix?”
“Yeah, how’d you know that?”
“I just assumed since they have a lot of workers in this building.”
“Well, it is their building.” She giggled, which pissed him off, but he reined it in. Stick with the plan, Wayne.
“Of course, no, yeah, obviously. Never mind me, I’m just really nervous,” he said shyly. “I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while, but I was so intimidated.”
“By me?” she asked, eyes wide. “Why?”
“You’re so pretty.”
She flashed him a suspicious look as he held open the door for her. He was coming on too strong. If he had any chance at this, he would have to slow down and take his time. Which sucked because time was one thing he didn’t have much of.
He bought her coffee and thanked God she didn’t want a muffin. He was down to his last twenty bucks, and a muffin would have nearly wiped him out.
“So, what do you do at Samatrix?” he asked.
“Well, until recently, I was an admin assistant, but I was just made a graphic design intern. I work with one of the best designers in the company.”
“That’s a great opportunity. Do you work with other interns?” Annie was in graphic design. That must be how they knew each other. He had to find out how well she knew Annie.
“No. I’m not even sure there was such a thing as a graphic design intern before Annabelle asked me to be hers. My boss, that is. She’s great.”
Annabelle—how pretentious. “Cool. Has she worked at the company for a long time?”
“The company, yes, but she just recently transferred to this office.”
&
nbsp; Hah. Annabelle had to be Annie. Not wanting to come on too strong, too soon, he changed the subject. When she asked, he lied about his age, shaving eight years off, thinking an older man might freak her out. He told her he was in finance and that he worked on the second floor. Pretty generic, but she bought it.
“Beckie, it’s been nice getting to know you. I’m sorry, but I didn’t realize how late it was. I have a meeting up the street to attend, otherwise, I’d walk you back to work.” He couldn’t risk running into Annie. “Could I give you a call sometime?”
“Oh, sure,” she stammered.
“I left my phone at the office, so I’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.” He chuckled and reached for a napkin. He didn’t want her to see the old junky phone they’d given him at the prison. “Do you have a pen?”
They exchanged numbers and said their goodbyes. Plan B would be to slowly gain Beckie’s trust until, little by little, he got the information he needed about Annie. Plan A involved him staking out the building in the evenings to see if he could follow Annie home.
That seemed like the quicker option at first, but then he realized tons of people left the building simultaneously in the evening. Plus, if she took the elevator straight to the underground parking garage, he’d have no way of knowing. Just like he had no idea what kind of car she drove. She could use public transportation, for all he knew.
Best to keep nurturing Plan B for now. Maybe he could even get laid. Girls like Beckie were easy to manipulate, and he could use some action. He also needed money, but couldn’t risk asking Beckie for that. He’d have to hit Jackson up for a loan.
After he was sure Beckie was back at work, he returned to the Samatrix building lobby and sat there until quitting time. If he was lucky, maybe he could catch a glimpse of Annie leaving and figure out what she drove. That bitch was going to talk to him whether she wanted to or not.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The week passed quickly, and before Annie knew it, another weekend had rolled around. It was the night of the fundraiser, and even though Sam was bringing a date, she was still excited to see him after an entire week apart.
Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers Page 12
