by A. C. Arthur
“So you want to start your own firm? Do you have capital for that? What about starter clients? Anyone from your former firm you think you could lure over to start you out?”
Dylan had ordered a slice of double chocolate cake, even though he’d told her he was only ordering it so she wouldn’t have to eat alone. Cris had no problem eating alone, but she let him have his excuse. He used his fork to cut a small square before putting it into his mouth.
“I haven’t thought that far yet. I mean I want to really mull this over because starting over at thirty is bound to be a hell of a lot easier than starting over at forty. So I want to be sure that this is the actual next step for me and that it’s something I can see myself doing until it’s time to retire.”
Dylan nodded as she took her first and second bite of the carrot cake. He finished chewing his cake and sat back in the chair.
“What?” she asked when he hadn’t said anything after she’d taken a few more bites, but had only stared at her.
“So is that what this is about? You came back to D.C. to figure out your future?”
His tone was a little dry, but Cris didn’t want to read too much into it.
Cris set her fork down and wiped her fingers and mouth with her napkin. She put that down and sat back in her chair the same way Dylan was doing. “I came back to D.C. because I felt I had unfinished business here.”
“Unfinished business that included me and Garrett?”
“Garrett? Oh you mean that night at Tony’s? Tisha gave him my number. I did not look him up as soon as I came back if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“But you did agree to go out with him?”
“Yes, I did. Because I was thinking of networking with other attorneys. Garrett was always on the social scene so I figured he’d know about the best networking events for me to get to know the lawyers around here. Wait, are you angry because I went to dinner with Garrett over two weeks ago?” It didn’t seem like Dylan. He wasn’t the jealous type. Mainly because he wasn’t the commit to a woman type. This was a known fact when they were in college but she’d been trying to convince herself that maybe he’d changed over time.
“I’m not angry,” he said but the words were spoken tightly and the muscle that always twitched in his jaw when he was irritated, was twitching. “I’m just trying to figure out why you would give him the time of day after all he put you through.”
“I gave him time on a business level. That dinner was never supposed to be anything personal, for me at least.”
“But not for him. You don’t have to tell me because I already know. He wants you back. Who wouldn’t?”
Okay, now she was confused. Was he jealous? Did he not want her with Garrett because he wanted her all to himself? That was silly. Didn’t he know she was already with him, which was exactly where she suspected she was always meant to be? Maybe she should tell him.
“Hey, why don’t we finish up here and head back to my hotel,” she said. “Or we can go to your place if you prefer?”
Now that wasn’t too obvious. But the words had fell from her lips before she could stop them. Hell, Cris had no idea what was going on this evening. Dylan was acting weird and she seemed to be saying all the wrong things. Was it a full moon or some other such nonsense? What happened to the easy conversations they were used to having, or even the simmering passion that had been getting them through the last two weeks?
“No. Not tonight,” he answered. “I’ll take you home. I have something I need to work on tonight and then I need to be at the office early tomorrow morning.”
Cris could have pressed the issue. She could have asked why he hadn’t invited her to his house or where this thing with them was going. But she didn’t. Partly because she had other stuff on her mind as well. She was being totally truthful when she told Dylan and Tisha that she did not come back to D.C. solely for him. Her return was based on a need that she felt wasn’t being fulfilled. If Dylan filled part of that need, that was cool. But Cris had never been the type of woman to base her entire existence on a man.
“That’s fine. I have some things to work out as well.” She pushed her plate with the half eaten cake away and signaled to the waiter that they were ready for the check.
When the check was set on the table, Cris quickly scooped up the holder and stuffed her credit card inside before giving it to the waiter. Dylan had reached for his wallet, but she was faster. Not only did she not need a man to complete her, she also didn’t need him to pay for her dinner. Especially not if he was still contemplating whether or not to invite her to his house.
She had stood and was pulling her coat on when the waiter came back with her card. Cris signed the receipt and grabbed her purse.
“I’ll drive you back to the hotel,” Dylan said when he stood and pushed his arms through his jacket.
“Okay,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll meet you out front.”
Walking away from him at that moment was needed. The conflict brewing inside of her where Dylan was concerned was growing and she knew that sooner, rather than later, she would need some definition for what they were doing. She’d never been an affair type of woman and she wasn’t about to start now. If Dylan needed a little more time and space to get his head together, she could spare that while she worked on her future business plan. But she wasn’t going to wait forever. No matter how strongly she believed she and Dylan were meant to be, she had no intention of forcing him into something he did not want.
Dylan cursed and rubbed his hands down his face the moment he closed the door to his apartment. He stood in that spot with his eyes closed, taking slow and steady breaths as he tried to figure out what the hell he was doing.
He should never have agreed to have dinner with Cris. Not when he was still seething from his run-in with Garrett last night. He should have just given her some excuse and come straight home tonight. But a big part of him wanted to see her. He’d missed seeing her yesterday. That didn’t make any sense either.
Dylan pulled his jacket off and hung it in the closet. He walked further into his apartment passing the bar where he usually fixed himself a nightly rum and coke. Tonight he headed straight to the couch which faced the windows in his living room. Sitting down heavily, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
“What are you doing?”
The words fell into the quiet room. Dylan looked straight ahead and through the windows to the city view. He loved living in D.C. This was where he belonged. It had taken him a while to figure that out because all his childhood years had been spent traveling across the globe. He enjoyed his job and was proud of some of the legislation he’d helped put into place. He was successful and happy with the way his life turned out.
Or at least he had been before Cris came back.
He could actually take that back a little further. Dylan had felt content until the moment he’d talked to Mama Peaches. Hearing her voice again had immediately taken him back to a time he’d never thought he’d miss. There’d been five other boys living with her when Dylan arrived and they’d all treated him like he was family. Except Dylan didn’t know how to act in a family. He’d never had one. Living and traveling with his parents was like an arrangement he’d had no control over.
It was no wonder he’d been feeling off a few days after receiving that call. All the years it had taken him to establish himself and put down roots in this place—the place of his choosing—and with one phone call he’d immediately started questioning his decisions. Dylan had needed the release that he could only get at the club that night. Sure, he’d seen the strange number calling his phone and he’d ignored. But then she’d texted him from that strange number and he’d known she was back. Only Dylan didn’t want her to be back. He hadn’t wanted another blast from his past because he was already settled in what he’d planned for his future.
And then she was at the club.
Dylan dropped his head and stared down at the floor.
Everything h
ad spiraled out of control from that point on and now he was having an affair with his closest friend. That didn’t sound as bad as he’d knew it was. Didn’t everyone want to be in love with their best friend? He supposed so even though Dylan had never been a romantic, nor had he believed in happy ever after. But this was wrong because he knew there was no way he could give Cris what she wanted, what she deserved.
He jumped up.
“That’s enough!”
As if saying it aloud was going to make letting this situation go any easier.
Dylan shook his shoulders and rotated his neck. He walked back into his bedroom and changed his clothes. When he returned to the living room he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, his bare feet padding across the hard wood floors. He closed the blinds in the living room and went to the kitchen to grab a bottled water instead of the drink he desperately needed. From there he went into his office and was booting up his computer when his cell phone buzzed.
He’d slipped it into the front pocket of his sweatpants and now pulled it out to see that he’d received a text message from another strange number.
You might want to re-think not helping me get into your firm. I’m sure your father’s presidential election campaign manager won’t like seeing these.
Dylan swiped down on the phone to see one picture after another of him and Cris going into and leaving out of The Corporation. There was even a picture inside the club when one of the women had come to them offering to be a third for the evening. Dylan recalled that night, the woman had been very chummy and instead of being freaked out by the thought of a ménage, Cris had calmly told the woman that she could handle Dylan by herself. That had been the moment Dylan knew he’d completely fallen for Cristine Palmer.
With a loud curse Dylan tossed the phone across the room because not only had he fallen, but now it seemed his mistakes were going to drag his father down as well.
10
“My name is Gwen. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cris.”
Cris accepted the woman’s hand and returned her smile. “Hi Gwen. It’s nice to meet you too.”
“I know he was on a conference call a few minutes ago, but the light’s off so he’s finished now. I’ll take you in.”
It was a little after noon and Cris had decided at the spur of the moment to come to Dylan’s office. She walked behind the woman toward his office and hoped he was in a better mood than he had been last night. He hadn’t called or sent a text to her since then and she’d remained silent on her end as well, giving him that space she thought he might need. But she was very excited about what she’d decided in the wee hours of the morning and she couldn’t wait to share it with him.
“Dylan, I’m bringing you a bit of sunshine on this dreary Wednesday afternoon,” Gwen announced after a quick knock on Dylan’s door and pushing it open.
She walked swiftly into the space and Cris obediently followed, stopping at one of the guest chairs across from Dylan’s desk. He was sitting in the chair behind his desk, but it was turned in the direction of the window so she could not immediately see her face. Or, more importantly, he hadn’t seen hers. But when he turned around, his expression said it all—he was not in a better mood.
“What are you doing here?” he immediately asked.
“Is that anyway to greet a nice woman who came to take you to lunch?” Gwen asked.
Cris hadn’t said anything about lunch.
“I was in the area and I had something I wanted to discuss with you,” was Cris simple reply.
“And you should stop being so testy to pretty women who come for a visit,” Gwen chastised him.
Dylan looked to the older woman and took a deep breath before saying whatever he’d been about to say.
“You’re right, Gwen. Thanks for escorting her in,” he said and Cris was astonished.
There was someone in this world that could actually bring Dylan down a notch. She was going to remember to send Gwen flowers.
“Right. Now, you don’t have anything on your schedule until three this afternoon, so take her some place nice for a long lunch.” Gwen turned away from Dylan and winked at Cris as she turned to leave the office.
Cris waited until she heard the door close behind her before she spoke.
“I really didn’t mean to interrupt. If you’re busy it can wait until tonight.”
“Did we have plans for tonight?”
“No,” she answered.
Dylan sighed. “Look, I just don’t usually have women coming to the office. In fact, nobody has ever come to the office to see me on a personal basis and I’d like to keep it that way. The partners are real sticklers for no fraternizing at work.”
Cris could feel herself losing the last shreds of her patience with him.
“I didn’t come here so you could fuck me on the desk, Dylan. I came to share some news with you. But if you’re too busy to hear it, that’s fine I can go.”
“I didn’t say that,” he told her and stood. “I’m just saying that maybe you could have called first.”
Cris gave him a curt nod. “You’re right. You are at work, so I should have called first. I’ll just leave and catch up with you later.”
She had turned and was on her way to the door when Dylan touched her arm.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said and shook his head.
“Then what did you mean, Dylan? And while you’re answering that question, why don’t you tell me what the hell is going on because this volleying back and forth with you is giving me whiplash.” Her patience had officially left the building!
He let his fingers linger on her arm but did not speak.
“There’s just a lot going on. I thought I had this under control but obviously not.”
“What are you talking about?” Cris wanted to know and then again, she didn’t. If he was having trouble figuring things out, she could do it for him.
“Look, Dylan. We don’t have to do this if it’s not what you want. I told you I thought there was something between us that we’d left unexplored years ago and I thought we were giving it a try now. But if it’s not what you want, fine. All you have to do is say that. I’m not in the habit of keeping men who don’t want to be kept.”
If it were at all possible he looked even angrier at her words. “And I’m not in the habit of being kept, by anyone.”
“Okay,” she said with a heavy sigh. “Then that’s that. I guess I’ll be seeing you around in the networking circles then.”
“Oh, you mean the way Garrett ran into me the other night to ask for a job?”
“What? When did Garrett ask you for a job and what did you tell him?”
“I told him hell no, I’d never refer him for a job. And then he decided blackmail was a better tactic!”
Dylan went back to his desk to grab his cell phone. He swiped over it and thrust it in front of Cris’s face so she could read the screen.
She sucked in a breath. That was the first reaction she could manage.
“He’s an ass,” she finally managed to say.
“Yeah, an ass that can now use the pictures to not only compromise my father’s upcoming campaign, but will most certainly cost me my job here at the firm. The partners are not going to take kindly to the fact that one of their supervising attorneys’ frequents a sex club!”
Cris swiped through each of the pictures before handing the phone back to Dylan. Now she understood his mood. For Dylan, everything was about his job and his reputation. Those were the only things he had control over. He’d told her that on many occasions when they were in school. That’s why he’d chosen to focus on his coursework and not personal relationships. His parents had done the same in their lives. They’d decided what their professional goals were going to be and they’d worked toward them, even after they had a son. In doing that, Dylan never had the opportunity to experience a real home with a family who loved and supported him even if he grew up and followed a blue collar career path.
“Why did you tell
Garrett you wouldn’t help him get a job? I mean, don’t get me wrong, the mere fact that he’s pulling this stunt proves how much of an idiot he is, but I’m guessing this is more personal for you.” Cris had never seen Dylan this upset before.
Not only was his brow furrowed, but his body was tense, his fingers clenching at his side. He was staring at her intently, almost accusatorily, but Cris was determined to stay calm. Her strategy in all her cases, as well as when dealing with her share of family disagreements, was to always gather as many answers as she could to key questions. From there she could assess the whole situation and decide how best to proceed. Thinking about this in such a formal manner was definitely keeping her from going off on her own emotional tangent.
Dylan accepted the phone and locked its screen. He slipped it back into his pocket and moved a few steps away from her until his backside was leaning against the edge of his desk.
“Because like I told you last night, he wants you back. I knew that when I saw you at dinner with him. I remembered everything he did to you when we were in school and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why you’d put yourself in that position again. I mean, you have everything going for you now. Your career is on the right track, you’re brilliant and beautiful, definitely too much to be dealing with the likes of Garrett. So when I saw him at the meeting the night before last and he asked me to put in a good word for him, I told him no. He’s an opportunistic leach who cannot be trusted.”
“That night I went to dinner with him, is that why you came to my hotel room and spent the night with me? Because you wanted to make sure I didn’t go back to Garrett?” That hadn’t been Cris’s original line of thought when this conversation began but as she’d listened to Dylan talk some things had begun to click into place. “Taking me to The Corporation and spending all this time with me was your way of getting me away from Garrett? It had nothing to do with what you wanted for us right now or possibly in the future?”
