Fool For Her

by Martin, R. C

  His amusement having dissipated during her diatribe, he shook his head, sympathy softening his blue eyes. “I don’t know, Freckles. That’d be pretty presumptuous.”

  She sank onto her chair and nodded before she murmured, “Yeah. You’re right. But—if not that, than what? I mean, he’s kind—but not that kind.”

  Theodora reached for her purse and added her car key to the ring with the rest of her small collection. She then dropped them all inside, returned her bag to the floor, and picked up her phone from off the desk. When she noted the time, she hesitated before unlocking the screen in search of Judah’s contact information. It was nearly her lunch hour, and the thought of driving to Judah’s office to speak with him in person was one she found herself contemplating for a long moment.

  “Teddy?” Geoffrey muttered suspiciously.

  “I think I’ll just go talk to him,” she said. She lowered her phone to her lap and looked up at her friend. “I don’t want to do it via text. And if this really is about him thinking I can’t afford to handle my own problems—I want to be able to look him in the eye when I tell him I can.”

  A slight frown tugged at the handsome features of his face. “And you’re sure this isn’t impulsive?”

  “No,” she answered honestly. “I’m not. But—Geoff—my parents met him and saw exactly what I did before I let myself fall for him. He’s older and established and—you should have heard my mom. She all but implied he might be just messing around with me until he’s ready to settle down with someone closer to his age. This? This feeds into the misconception that I’m not old enough to handle real adult problems like he is. But that’s not true.”

  “Baby, I know it’s not,” said Geoffrey, folding his arms across his chest. “You don’t have to convince me.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t think I needed to convince my boyfriend, either.”

  “You don’t even know if that’s what this is about. Maybe he’s just being nice.”

  “Okay, but how nice? My car stopped accelerating—no way fixing that is cheap.”

  “And you’re sure you need to talk to him right now?”

  She hesitated for only a beat before she replied, “I won’t be able to think straight until I talk to him.”

  “All right,” he conceded as he let his arms drop to his sides. “Get out of here. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  Theodora stood at once, reaching for Geoffrey’s shoulder. She pulled him down as she pressed up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, then grabbed her purse and quickly headed for the door. It took her a second to find where her car was parked. When she found it, climbed inside, and started the engine, she was relieved the screeching sound she endured for the last couple weeks was gone. Though, when she eased into traffic, she couldn’t deny she had mixed feelings about how her car seemed to be as good as new.

  She didn’t consider herself a wild feminist. Theodora believed in women’s rights, a woman’s ability to live independently, and that femininity was not just beautiful but powerful. She also found comfort in tradition. She respected the differences between men and women; and in spite of her lack of experience, she knew what roles she did and did not wish to play in a relationship.

  Theodora wasn’t so stubborn that she would refuse help when it was offered to her. Even more, she was known to seek out assistance when she needed it. She admired Judah, his level of success, and the ways in which he spoiled her throughout the course of their relationship. While money wasn’t everything, it played a role in the ways in which Judah swept her off her feet. She recognized that. She also understood he was a man with specific taste, and to love him meant she accepted this about him.

  However, until that afternoon, his generosity had never made her feel like less than him.

  While Theodora hadn’t stepped foot in Eddalyn’s Interiors before, Judah once pointed out the building as they drove through town. Located only a few blocks beyond the CSU campus, it wasn’t hard for her to remember where it was. When she arrived, her stomach knotted with nerves at the thought of showing up unannounced. But when she saw Judah’s silver Porsche in the parking lot, she knew she couldn’t change her mind.

  Before she stepped out of her vehicle, she took a deep breath. This wasn’t the first time she felt spurred on to confront the man. While she didn’t know what to expect, she held on to the memory of their last major misunderstanding. That night ended with a kiss she still hadn’t forgotten.

  The sound of her heels clicking against the pavement as she made her way to the storefront seemed louder than usual. She wondered if he’d be able to hear her before she even stepped through the doors. Upon entering the open lobby, Theodora stopped for a moment and stared in awe. It wasn’t a surprise that the space was beautiful, but she’d never seen an office so crisp, bright, and inviting.

  The waiting area embodied the essence of balance with the precise amount furniture. The dove gray with navy blue accents was simple and yet classy. Beyond the sitting area was a glass enclosed conference room. With its ability to seat at least ten people, Theodora guessed that was a space set aside for important client meetings. She couldn’t quite make out what lay beyond the room, but she noticed there were offices on either side of the rectangular floorplan. The walls and doors of the offices were made of frosted glass, allowing a semblance of privacy as well as an abundant amount of natural light.

  Having seen a few of Judah’s projects, this space didn’t feel like him, which made her think Eddalyn must have been responsible for it. This brought a small smile to her face, her acquaintance with the woman a happy memory.

  “Teddy?”

  Theodora was pulled from her thoughts by the very woman who occupied them. Her gaze jerked in the direction of her voice as Eddalyn stepped out of her office. She clutched a tablet against her chest, and there was a man who stood beside her with a roll of papers at his side. He looked like he wasn’t quite ready to finish whatever conversation they were in the middle of, and Theodora blushed in embarrassment for having unintentionally interrupted them.

  “Hi,” she managed.

  “This is a surprise,” Eddalyn said, closing the distance between them.

  “Yeah. You’re right. It is. Um…” She paused, forced a smile, and willed herself to speak coherently. “I was hoping to speak with Judah.”

  “Of course. I’ll show you to his office.” Turning to address her colleague, she said, “Rick, I’ll meet you in the conference room.”

  He nodded, and then Eddalyn smiled at Theodora before she signaled her with a subtle tilt of her head. Theodora followed her further into the building, feeling more nervous as they went. When they arrived at Judah’s space, his door was open, and he was on the telephone. Spotting the two women, he frowned but still waved Theodora in.

  “Here you are, dear. I’m sure he’ll only be a moment.”

  “Thank you,” murmured Theodora as she watched Eddalyn depart.

  She didn’t want to be an intruder on Judah’s conversation, so she stayed close to the open door and tried not to listen. Unlike the main lobby, Theodora noticed his office felt more like the man she knew. While the walls were painted a pale gray, the ceiling was covered in some sort of black, wooden tile; the light fixture above his desk modern, industrial, and eye-catching. Behind his desk were two matching bookshelves fitted in each corner of the room—the shelves filled with books and designer knickknacks. Theodora wanted to take a closer look, but Judah wrapped up his call before she got the courage to do so.

  “Hi. What are you doing here?” he asked, instantly beckoning her attention.

  “I wanted to talk to you. It’s important, and I thought—I thought it would be okay if I stopped by. Is it okay?”

  He didn’t offer her an answer. Not exactly. He merely stood, waved a hand and replied, “Come in. Shut the door.”

  “Okay,” said Theodora, doing as she was told.

  Judah came out from behind his desk, his expression still showcasing his confusion even as he re
ached for her. Theodora let the hand that held her purse dangle at her side as she accepted his silent invitation.

  With an arm looped around her waist, he inquired again, “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about my car.”

  His brow relaxed, and a ghost of a smile played at his lips. “I’m assuming, given your presence, you received it just fine.”

  “Yes—but—the mechanic who dropped it off told me it was paid for already.”

  “I took care of it. What’s the problem?”

  Theodora placed her free hand against his chest and steeled herself for the conversation that would follow her question. “How much was it?”

  “It was nothing.”

  She pulled in a quiet breath, nodded once, and then pressed, “Nothing as in zero dollars, or nothing to you?”

  “Teddy,” he began with a shake of his head. “I told you Saturday, my mechanic, my money.”

  “No,” she protested as she pushed her hand against his chest. “See, I thought you were just paying for the tow. Your mechanic, fine. But—my car, my repairs, my money.”

  Judah removed his arm from around her and took a step back. “I’m sorry, are you upset with me for doing you a favor?”

  “Jude,” she began mildly, “this isn’t a favor. I didn’t ask you to do this.”

  “I thought you’d be grateful,” he said, casually slipping his hands into his pant pockets.

  “I am. I am grateful. I’m grateful for everything you did for me Saturday, for letting me stay with you over the weekend, for taking me to work Monday morning—I’m so grateful. But this is too much. At least, I’m guessing it is. How much did it cost?”

  Judah took another step back and answered, “Fourteen hundred. A little more, if you want me to be specific. They had to replace your fuel injector and one of your belts.”

  Theodora blew out a sigh and then dipped her chin in a curt nod. That amount would just about drain her savings, but she reminded herself emergencies were precisely what the funds were for.

  “Okay,” she stated resolutely. “I’ll pay you back.”

  “Teddy,” he muttered impatiently. “You don’t have to—”

  “Why are you doing this?” she interrupted, flustered by what felt like his superiority complex. “Do you think I don’t have the money?”

  With a cavalier shrug, he replied, “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “Yes,” she responded promptly. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I’m not helpless you know.”

  “Fine.” He studied her for a moment, then shook his head once and turned to make his way back to the chair behind his desk. “You can pay me back.”

  “Fine,” Theodora repeated.

  Pausing before he descended into his seat, he asked, “Is that all?”

  Theodora got what she wanted; and yet, it felt like she’d lost, somehow. The look on his face was all she needed to know he was finished with their conversation. His dismissal made her heart sink, and she felt worse than she did when she arrived.

  “Yeah. That’s all.” Not sure what else to say, she turned for the door.

  With her hand poised on the handle, she stopped when Judah called her name. He didn’t speak until her eyes found his gray ones. He then stated, “Next time, you can just call.”

  His words stabbed right through her, and she couldn’t silence her quiet gasp. She could feel the prickling sensation of tears behind her eyes. The burn made her incapable of finding her voice. Not wishing to cry in front of him, she wrenched his door open and hurried for her car.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I saw it. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I could see the damage I’d done. When she hurried from my office, I whispered a curse and listened to the clip of her heels against the hardwood floor. I hadn’t seen that coming. What I said was true. What I did was meant to be a kind gesture. I hardly understood how she could get upset by it.

  However, more than my surprise at her reaction, I was struck with her boldness to show up at my office in the middle of the day. The conversation our little misunderstanding was due could not be had at my workplace. Why she thought otherwise, I didn’t know. The more I thought about it, the more irked I became, until I convinced myself I possessed just as much a right to be upset as she.

  “Do my eyes deceive me, or did a redheaded bombshell just blow through here?” teased Logan as she peeked her head into my office.

  And that is precisely why she should never have come, I thought.

  “Did you need something?” I asked, ignoring Logan’s question.

  She rolled her eyes and stepped into the doorway. The dress she wore was cut generously, which prevented anyone from seeing her shape. Nevertheless, I was certain her body had begun to change with her progressing pregnancy.

  “You know I’m not letting you off that easy. Your girlfriend just came to see you in the middle of the day. This is serious. I’m impressed.”

  I shifted my attention back onto my computer. “Don’t be.”

  “Oh, wait—did something happen? Did you tell her about Diane?”

  “For fuck’s sake,” I snapped. In a span of ten minutes, my personal life had completely invaded my professional one. “How many times do I have to say it? The two have nothing to do with each other. I’m not going to discuss this with you.”

  “Wow. Sorry. Geez.” Logan didn’t linger, for which I was grateful. When she turned to leave, I watched her go, her previous words circling around my mind.

  This is serious.

  I frowned, annoyed she was right. If the weekend behind me wasn’t a clear indicator of how far I let my relationship with Teddy progress, the uncomfortable feeling in my gut confirmed it. I didn’t enjoy the nature of Teddy’s visit. I didn’t appreciate the way she threw my favor back in my face. But above all of that, I didn’t like how unsettled she left me. We were at odds with one another, and it mattered to me.

  How she felt mattered to me—so much so, I battled the distraction she was in my thoughts for the rest of the day.

  When six o’clock rolled around, I left for home. I didn’t even care that I was in the middle of something. What I had or had not accomplished throughout the day wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. To work through my muddled thoughts any longer felt counterproductive. What I wanted, what I needed, was a release. Confident an hour in my gym would clear my head, I changed my clothes as soon as I arrived at home and hastened to the basement. After an hour with my free weights, I felt worn out but still in the exact same place I was before I started.

  Upon returning to my bedroom, I stopped on my way to the shower to look at my phone. I didn’t know why it felt important until my screen lit up and I found no new notifications. More than seven hours had passed since Teddy left my office, and she hadn’t reached out to me since. If there was one thing that brought me to my knees every damn time with that woman, it was her silence. I didn’t like it. It weighed on me in such a way I couldn’t easily shove it out of my mind.

  “Fuck,” I grumbled. Tossing my phone onto my bed, I continued to the shower.

  I was out in less than ten minutes and dressed shortly thereafter. Not much thought went into the white and navy striped, crew neck sweater I paired with my tan khakis and my white, slip-on sneakers. I didn’t bother with a jacket on my way out the door. My keys and wallet in hand, I headed for the garage and climbed behind the wheel of my Mercedes.

  All the way to her apartment, I didn’t know if I was more upset about her surprise visit that afternoon or irritated by her stubborn silence. I couldn’t tell if I felt sorry for being the reason behind the hurt which marred her pretty eyes earlier, or just downright pathetic for caring enough to find myself at her door. All I was sure of was that whatever Teddy started wasn’t over—and I sure as hell was not going to let her silence keep me up all night.

  It took me no longer than usual to reach my destination, but I was impatient with the journey just the same. As soon as I killed th
e SUV’s engine, I was out of the vehicle and on my way to her unit at once. I took the stairs to the third floor two at a time, pausing only long enough to smooth my hand over my hair before I rapped my knuckles against her door.

  When she answered, I took one look at her and felt like an ass.

  Gone was the pencil skirt and blouse she wore earlier. She was dressed in a pair of fitted, gray sweatpants and my worn, Cubs t-shirt. I didn’t even know she’d taken it. Her locks were pulled back into a ponytail, leaving her face completely on display. It was obvious she was still upset, her hazel-brown eyes red-rimmed and irritated. She said nothing to me as we stood staring at each other, and I realized then what I felt was messy. I was irritated, but I was sorry, too. I was upset, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Not anytime soon.

  How she felt mattered to me.

  Fuck.

  “Are you going to let me in?” I finally asked.

  Teddy hesitated at first—but I saw the resignation in her eyes before she turned and walked away from me. I crossed the threshold, closing the door behind me, and watched as she sat on the far end of her couch, folding her legs beneath her. I invited myself to sit on the cushion in the opposite corner. Still, neither of us spoke.

  As it became quite obvious I was going to have to be the one to break the silence, I rested my forearms against the tops of my legs and looked at her. The best I could come up with was, “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  Teddy shifted her gaze down at her fingers, which fidgeted with the hem of my t-shirt. “An apology would be nice,” she murmured.

  “And what, exactly, should I be apologizing for?”

  She peered up at me then, her eyes welling with unshed tears. “I came to talk to you. I wanted to be honest with you, and you practically…” Her voice trailed off the instant her first tear fell. Shifting her gaze to the wall, she quickly swept her fingers across her cheek.

  “I practically what?” I inquired, needing to know. With a frown and a shake of my head, I went on to explain, “You showed up unannounced. You interrupted my day.”